It always amazes me how we are so channeled throughout this journey (mostly driven, in my observation, by gain), how certain expectations are imposed on all of us, depending on how many trips around the sun we have taken, particularly those of us who have made that trip more than a few times. For example, when we reach the years around mid-life, we are made aware that certain (strange) behavior or ailment can be expected and, thus, the seed is planted in our thought. This is then, so frequently, followed by saturation media promotion of a product that will help ‘alleviate’ these conditions.

And as time passes (note that I did not say ‘as we age’, which has such negative connotations), we are bombarded with different effects at different times in our lives, to be alleviated by this-or-that drug, or diet, etc. And, some of these ad campaigns really sound like snake-oil sales patter to me!

The sad thing is that most people appear to fall for this. If we weren’t made so brutally and calculatingly aware of our age and these effects, I’ve no doubt that we would not fall so easily prey to these suggestions.

While birthday cake is very nice, I could do without the annual reminder but, as it is unlikely that these reminders are going to go away anytime soon, the objective is to counteract the negative with enlightened thought that recognizes that, with each succeeding year, it’s not the physical that defines us but that we should realize that we are wiser, more harmonious and serene, and always beautiful.

Zed

When I think about my childhood, my growing-up years, it staggers me when I compare my experience then with how-and-when young people grow up in this day-and-age. With the internet and television, everyone has easy, private access to images and information that was absolutely unknown to children, prior to this age. Now, it’s the new norm. Sad. Society accepts this, accepts that young people know what life is all about while they are still children. Aside from this unfortunate acceptance, I feel that children miss out on a good part of the carefree years of their lives, years when there is so much innocent fun to be had. Instead, the things that they think about and participate in lack innocence, are worldly things with which they are not emotionally or intellectually equipped to deal. This has to affect each teenager’s set of values and balance, the values and balance that determine whether we get to lead a happy, fulfilling life. Or not. And a vital part of this set of values and balance includes altruism. This is something that so many adults find difficult to accommodate in their thinking, which implies that young people, on the cusp of adulthood, will find even more difficult without the right guidance. It’s as if innocence is a handicap, whereas, it should be something that all young people get to enjoy. Innocently.

Zed

You know, I don’t get this sinners bit that so many Christians see as an integral part of who we are. We’re sinners and we can’t help it??? Where’s the hope for mankind if this is the truth? Christ died for our sins???  So that we can continue sinning with impunity?

As challenging as it may be to avoid, sin is still a choice we make.  We don’t have to do bad stuff, we can think our way out of that and into being good and kind and caring and selfless and loving. If we focus on this and live it, where is the space for sin? Short answer – there’s none. And the person who is widely accepted as the greatest individual to have trod this globe, wasn’t a sinner, said to us – “the things that I do, you can do also”. The implication there is that we have to be like him, i.e., without sin, and clearly he felt that we can achieve that wonderful state (otherwise, he would not have said that), in order to do like he did.

This all indicates, to me, that the way in which we conduct ourselves is a choice. The outcome of the belief that we are sinners, seems to me to rationalize sin, i.e., we can’t help it.  How can that be true? That is another way of eschewing responsibility for our own conduct – ‘I did something bad but I couldn’t help it because I’m a sinner’.

I think that we all know and understand and cherish the harmony and grace and serenity that being good, kind and loving brings to our lives.  With pure thought and practice, we can move ourselves ever closer to a sin-free life.  What a blessing.

Zed

What is power?  Who has it?  Do world leaders have power?  The Mafia?  Industry?  In a human sense, the power that these people or organizations are perceived to have is fleeting, as is all that is human-created.  True power, the power of Love, is infinite and everlasting.  And struggling for one-up-manship in a human sense, is missing the real point of life – to obey the two cardinal rules – love good supremely, and love one another.  This sets the stage for harmonious life.

Love is true power – it NEVER fades or diminishes.  And good is the power of infinite Love.  Or the infinite power of Love.  When we struggle and feel helpless or powerless, by turning whole-heartedly to infinite Love, and giving reality to all that is loving and kind, we will enjoy such a sense of harmony and serenity, the sense that everything is as it should be.  I have experienced this myself and it truly is a wondrous thing.  The challenge is to keep our thinking there so that we don’t regress.

Fear is another thing that tries to convince us that we are powerless.  Whether it is fear of a human being, an organization or fear of illness, this can paralyze us with powerlessness, and it can ingrain an acceptance of what we know deep down is wrong.  Jesus healed people struggling with physical and material situations, some of which were chronic.  Part of what he did to help people was to show them that fear does not really have power.  And, something I take so much comfort from – he said to us “the things that I do, you can do, also”.  Isn’t that an amazing, wonderful, beautiful thought?

My understanding is that, in order to achieve his level of success, we have to work to ‘have that Mind that was also in Christ Jesus’.

So, let’s work at being kind, loving, selfless – seeking the power of Love, and all the true goodness and power in the world is ours to enjoy.

Zed

As a post-script, allow me to clarify my view on religion.  I do not see myself as religious – I see religion as man-created and, as such, subjective.  I do not see God as an anthropomorphic being, but rather as the universal, infinite power of love and all that is good and the only way in which we can truly worship is by doing and being good and loving.  Now that’s true worship!