Opening your eyes to recognize the Gifts you have already been given

I work on myself as an offering to others as not to create more suffering in the world. Ram Dass

Learning and becoming are two really big words that I can spend my whole life trying to figure out. The “learning” beyond my fears seems overwhelming at times all by itself.  Knowledge is always available to all of us. To quote George Horace Lorimer in Letters from a self made merchant to his son, “There is nothing more plentiful than a great education so every time you see the plate pass by, reach out and grab a big ole helping for yourself son.” 

I awake every morning of my life to learn more by thinking, reading, and listening to teachers. It seems that with the more I learn, the more I discover filters in me that tend to block the education. Maybe some of you out there can relate to hearing or reading something several times over to discover some passage you feel like you have never heard before? It seems that the time and place for things to be revealed is some great unknown mystery as to why we do and don’t pick different things up at times. I am learning for me it is mostly centered in my fears or unreadiness to hear something new that may challenge me. 

All of the things that went into making me who I am as I grew up; Family, location, faith, expectations, culture are all deep inside of me and at the root of my ability to learn. I think that learning is such an awesome space in life. I am excited to grow in knowledge. The task is to pick up bits and pieces of knowledge and to weave them into my belief system. At the same time I’m questioning all the things that are currently inside me to see if they still belong there as I grow and evolve. All I can say is keep trying! ;-) Keep making space to hear new words, new ideas and always challenge yourself so that education continues to find its way into creating the life long search for what you want to believe.

“The ability to entertain thought without accepting it is the sign of an educated man” Aristotle

This quote has always been another favorite of mine. I know from growing up in the good ole southern bible belt I saw a lot of people with absolute, immovable answers and no room left for discussion. I was not sure why but it was always a turn off and yet as I look back on my life I see so many times where I have adopted the same behaviors. I know now it is only my fears and my desires to be protected that create a blockage from learning new things. My affirmation today is in another quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson….

"I wish to think and say what I feel today, with the proviso that tomorrow I shall contradict it all.”

Living in the knowledge of today is all we are responsible for and holding on to that truth can make today much more rewarding. Living in the past creates regret and living in the future creates anxiety but living in the present is the only thing we can truly enjoy if we are willing to try.

“Becoming” another big word to me because once I have gone down the path of expanding my knowledge I now have to do something with it ;-) The application of my chosen direction for life is necessary for me to feel I am using my gifts well. I want to become “something” with the knowledge I am trying to obtain but what I want to become MOST is more at peace by living in today and finding the joy of the current space. As I look around I value many things about my life today. I want to focus on expanding the things I value from today because thats all I know for now. Looking at whats missing, Looking at what could happen or what needs to be done only creates the anxiety I spoke of earlier. My job is to learn and become more at peace with who I am and what I have been blessed with so far. 

In my chosen utopian belief system I do think many great things are still coming my way but I know that the best way to find them is to simply work on the gifts I have now. That’s learning to respect all that I have been given and not get caught up in the race that can so easily frustrate my ability to learn and my peace to become.

For now I will simply “work on myself as an offering to others as not to create more suffering in the world." Ram Dass

Learning peace within me and working to be a greater instrument in sharing it with others.

Enjoy the Search,

Brian