The journey of a thousand miles...

This blog is going to simply expand upon and extend the observations from my recent writing, and soon to hopefully be published book, "The Artisan of the Human Spirit". My book is a collection of vignettes, or just thoughts on things that occur around us, often considered to be mundane or inconsequencial. These things however, if explored with eyes that desire to open to the soul, can often be deep and enduring life lessons. I have grown weary and empathetic in a sense of hearing of how people feel disconnected, disgruntled, and disenfranchised with life in general. I personally have travelled a long and bumpy road to find a new grounding; a new spiritual connection and in that quest have been able to turn my life from a dim perspective to that of a new life in "high def". I do not feel that one needs to spend alot of time of money to acquire many tomes of inspiration, DVD's, Cd's and the like. Yes, they can be a "finger pointing the way" but are articles to use to get somewhere, like a map. If you spend too much time looking at the,map, you are going to miss the scenery of the ride.

My road is not "special", it is simply mine. I do not claim to be anything other than that of a guy who cares about his fellow man a "regular guy" mind you, and feels that once we remove our proverbial "heads off our desk in life's classroom", we can then experience the lessons that have been presented to us for some long in many forms. Our lessons are personal and are presented to us in a manner we are best prepared to receive them. These lessons do not necessarily need to come from a church, temple, or synagogue, exclusively, but from a variety of Divine and inspired sources that are "placed" before us to allow us to get the most of our life's potential. If we are not enlightened, then perhaps at least these thoughts, words or events, can at least be a nudge toward a new direction and provoke contemplation or examination of something fresh.

In my book I scribed many little scenarios to where I gained knowledge, gratitude, or insight among other things by choosing to accept that maybe the same old things can be examined in a new context, and therefore have newer and more valuable meaning. I here will share, as well as invite expansion and contribution from all with the mindset of a "Share-apeutic" type of environment. I am hoping that people may read and simply go, "Yeah, me too!" I am not the type of person that ever believes one doctrine is all encompassing, all inclusive, and is good for everyone, or at least good for everyone everytime. Our receptors change so therefore our receptiveness needs to change. I have found that if I am at least able to hold back on any judgment upon first contact with something, I can often find a deeper message that may have some use to me. In trying to understand something, does not mean an acceptance of, or an endorsement of it. My understanding is only a tool to gain more peace in the fact that I am aware of it's presence in the world, and that it may not be my "truth" but somebody's "truth" who is entitled to the same respect and dignity as I in holding firm in my beliefs or of those I share with others.

I am hoping that eventually this may turn into a small collaboration of people who in their posts, will create a community that can become a resource for those to read people's experiences and gain an understanding of thepresence of happenings that can truly help us progress towards a better spiritual growth. A growth in our connection with that that has meaning and peace for us, calling that connection what you may; one of nurturing and sharing to where any form of draining of one's power and energy is not encouraged. I have a hard time with some spiritual leaders who spend so much time and energy on "isms" and "thusness" and "suchness" and all these nebulous words that come from people who profess to teach a blessed path of inclusion, but in the presentation of the material, create an air or exclusion with the mindset that one must accumulate so much to be "spiritual", that it may include isolation, Tibet, or a vast library, and conversations of "whom we have read and researched", name dropping, and how may hours of meditation we have practiced. Spirtituality does not cost $19.95 for the DVD or the book, it is right in front of you, free, waiting, and available the moment you choose to receive it's nectar. It is progress not perfection, and to be in a perpetual state of " I am at least 1% better than I was a moment ago, is not a bad path to travel". Should you choose to absorb a multitude of materials and wisdom, God bless, and Godspeed, but it is not "out there" and it is not costly, nor do we need a guru, our journey must focus inward. Our lessons are abundant, present, and available to everyone. I hope by sharing certain observations, we can all grow together by reflecting upon some messages and then starting a dialogue.

One of the biggest epidemics in people who suffer from a spiritual disconnection from circumstances, is that there is a strong feeling of being alone or misunderstood. In this fragile or alone state, to be dictated to that what we are doing or feeling is alien, wrong, or weird, we can further isolate perpetuating this spiral into disconnection. By sharing our stories in a presentation to that of a "buffet" beckoning to "eat what you like", and to take as much as you choose" is an embracing way to help one another without condemnation, or causing people to defend their actions from an accusatory "wagging finger". Please feel free to share positive, and helpful additions to the thread. My hopes is that people will be able to come for a shoulder to lean on or cry on without judgment and love for who they are and to try ot extend an hand to our brothers and sisters who need it. Let's make it a place to find someone to talk to and to get a few pearls of personal wisdom in the meantime. I want to try to diminsh pain and eliminate suffering. "Pain" is the deed that cuts us, and makes us hurt, yet will eventually heal. "Suffering" is what we hold onto, to remind us long after the healing that we were once hurt, and may still need to feel so.

I will post at random some thoughts and perhaps even obscure observations to provoke thought and refelection. Not to impose my truth, but to maybe cause you to search for your own, and if anything is to think maybe, "Oh, I never thought to look there". Let me share an example...

Today as I was walking home after walking my son to school, I was enjoying a nice, crisp walk with my headphones on, listening to some soothing instrumental to accompany the perfect combination of the cadence of my footsteps, the warm sun complimenting the brisk air, and the meditative state I was in. I live in a mature landscaped area with dense vegetation and tall old trees that flank the sidewalk which has become uneven from the roots of the majestic trees lifting them to make way for their growth. As I turned a corner I weaved slightly with my head to steer clear of a shrub's branch. You know the kind with the soft "piney" type of green needles that are soft to the touch. The rush was placed in the landscaped corner of a yard on the corner and the overall bush itself was squared off and manicured, but there were random longer branches of approximately 8-12 inches jutting out every where punctuating the surface of the geometric shape. I noticed that these branches were reaching out and receiving the suns warmth and nourishing light and this was allowing the individual branches to grow even stronger still. They were sporadic at best but were the longest and strongest on the shrub. My thought was that bush was like people in society. The ones who reach beyond the norm can receive the most light and become closest to the heavens. It is when we strive to grow beyond the societal norm, we can become warm, strong, and secure. It is also here when we become apparently "odd" in the eyes of the societal norm, and therefore we become those in the target to be "groomed into shape". Our reach becomes challenged, and we are often "clipped" into submission as it is our reach that threatens those around us. We become "out of place". Nature has no genetic predisposition for how long each branch is allowed to grow, yet we humans try to control and improve upon nature's intention. It is those who seek Higher levels that become the "odd". I find it odd myself though, that it is in the "blemishes" one finds in the ordinary, that many claim to have seen the "Christ". If one can find the Virgin Mother or Jesus in the surface of a grilled cheese sandwich, why cannot we as humans seek the beauty in those around us who seek higher ground, and not impose fear and condemnation upon that which we do not yet understand?

It will be in this type of presentation, I hope people will find humor in and will perhaps join in the observations and share their experiences from the point of helping the reader. My hopes are that we share a laugh, and like those branches, enjoy a bit more of the light than those who are "clipped" around us...
Namaste