Ever had one of those days when everything goes really, really well?
I have had that kind of day and I started thinking: So what?
So what?
Think of all the days that we have had that we categorized as bad. What's the difference?
Well, for me it all starts as I am waking up and gathering my world. This is where daily choices begin. Do I choose life or do I choose death. You can replace those words with whatever floats your boat... happy/sad, grouchy/cheerful, etc... it doesn't matter how we phrase it. The fact is, we choose everything. I guess I chose to have a really, really good day today.
So, you might say, "JB, that's too much of an oversimplification." So what? It's my blog... just kidding. But we do choose, man. It's the most beautiful thing when you stop and think about it. It's like saying, "I am the master of my universe. It is up to me." And if you said that, you'd be right!
When you have a rotten day, what do you do? Look for someone to blame? The guy who cut you off in traffic; your kid who left the bigass truck outside your bedroom door that you tripped over; God; your wife; your boss... get the picture? We like to blame. It takes the attention away from me and my actions. ok... I'm rambling.
Here's the deal -- Even if your day starts out on the wrong foot, stop! Don't let another second pass until you remind yourself that everything else about your day will be a result of how you react to the start of your day. You have the power to ignore the illusion of a bad day and choose to make the day what you want it to be. Unless you want to have a bad day, in which case I am certain that you need to visit a different blog. :-)
My friends, I have convinced myself that if I start my day with love for myself, the guy that will cut me off in traffic, my kid (he's actually away at college so I need a different example here), God, my wife...(they're not one in the same), my boss (I don't have one but you might, so the example is sound), whomever!!! -- If I start each day from LOVE, there is a really good chance that the world can change "in the blink of an eye."
Put that in your pipe and smoke it -- peace for now.
jb
7.31.2008
7.30.2008
There is no "them."
Have you ever noticed "them"?
You know the ones. The other ones. Those who don't match up with our requirements for inclusion. They don't fit in. Do you know who I am talking about yet? Them. The others. The ones that look different. They talk funny; remember? They go to the wrong church on top of all that. These are just a sampling of the ways we commonly refer to others of our world as "them." I don't mean to upset the apple cart, but there is no "them."
I do mean to say that I have been looking out at the world from behind these eyes for over 45 years, and I have come to realize that we are all truly equal. It doesn't matter what our skin color is or where we live. It makes no difference how we vote or whom we worship. We are all included by design. It was never intended to be any other way. Any attempt to exclude any one for any reason by any group, establishment, church, or whatever is unacceptable and is not the way of Christ.
All it really took for me to recognize this eternal truth was to place myself in the other person's shoes and really look at how they might feel under my form of judgement. I didn't have to walk around in the other person's shoes. You certainly don't have to literally be in their shoes -- especially if you have a foot issue. Just forget the shoe thing -- Think. About. It.
Think about how the other person feels about themselves and the world. You may not be able to. That should serve as a reminder that we can't really know how anyone feels. Just imagine how the way you choose to treat them will impact them. If after doing so, you can still argue for the justification for casting judgement on them, then e-mail me and let's debate it. :O
Just think about the fact that the other person has experiences that helped form them into who they are. Do you have fears in some area? I'll bet you the other person does as well. Do you want to be accepted just as you are? I'll bet the other person does too. If we allow all whom we come into contact with to be who they are and pass no judgement on them, aren't we doing unto them as we would want them to do unto us? I don't know about you, but I don't want to be referred to as a "them." I've been there. I probably still am one of them for some... that's too bad. It feels crummy, but it doesn't have to be that way at all.
I want to be accepted and loved right here, right now, without having to change in any way. I'll bet you feel the same. What if we really wanted it so badly that we began to see all creatures as having intrinsic value? What if we just let go of the need to judge or profile anyone?
Do you think it would make a difference?
Could we change the world in the process?
Are we willing to give it a try?
You know the ones. The other ones. Those who don't match up with our requirements for inclusion. They don't fit in. Do you know who I am talking about yet? Them. The others. The ones that look different. They talk funny; remember? They go to the wrong church on top of all that. These are just a sampling of the ways we commonly refer to others of our world as "them." I don't mean to upset the apple cart, but there is no "them."
I do mean to say that I have been looking out at the world from behind these eyes for over 45 years, and I have come to realize that we are all truly equal. It doesn't matter what our skin color is or where we live. It makes no difference how we vote or whom we worship. We are all included by design. It was never intended to be any other way. Any attempt to exclude any one for any reason by any group, establishment, church, or whatever is unacceptable and is not the way of Christ.
All it really took for me to recognize this eternal truth was to place myself in the other person's shoes and really look at how they might feel under my form of judgement. I didn't have to walk around in the other person's shoes. You certainly don't have to literally be in their shoes -- especially if you have a foot issue. Just forget the shoe thing -- Think. About. It.
Think about how the other person feels about themselves and the world. You may not be able to. That should serve as a reminder that we can't really know how anyone feels. Just imagine how the way you choose to treat them will impact them. If after doing so, you can still argue for the justification for casting judgement on them, then e-mail me and let's debate it. :O
Just think about the fact that the other person has experiences that helped form them into who they are. Do you have fears in some area? I'll bet you the other person does as well. Do you want to be accepted just as you are? I'll bet the other person does too. If we allow all whom we come into contact with to be who they are and pass no judgement on them, aren't we doing unto them as we would want them to do unto us? I don't know about you, but I don't want to be referred to as a "them." I've been there. I probably still am one of them for some... that's too bad. It feels crummy, but it doesn't have to be that way at all.
I want to be accepted and loved right here, right now, without having to change in any way. I'll bet you feel the same. What if we really wanted it so badly that we began to see all creatures as having intrinsic value? What if we just let go of the need to judge or profile anyone?
Do you think it would make a difference?
Could we change the world in the process?
Are we willing to give it a try?
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