Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Turn the other cheek but don't be a wimp!



A friend of mine posted this message in a private group chat recently Turning the other cheek is less about offering another target and more about looking beyond the situation to the bliss that awaits us”...this caused me some thoughts I wanted to share in addition to his which are listed below......

Really well said!!
This concept is so misunderstood about "turning the other cheek"..... It's not about allowing people to continue to be abusive or take advantage... its about knowing how to not get caught up in the hurt of being violated and remaining forgiving towards others regardless of their actions.  You can and SHOULD hold to your convictions as long as they are not based in your ego and they allow you room for forgiveness as others may cause transgressions against you. I personally have few issues saying the truth when I see wrongs that I have witnessed or wrongs that I have been hurt by.

My struggle has always been in learning to have forgiveness for negative actions by others and not holding resentment when I see them doing wrong things or even things that have hurt me personally.
It’s just my “basic response" to make a stand or to tackle the work of seeking out correctness or what I learn to be the truth in any situation. Its not that I have not made mistakes, I have made plenty but they have always been made in the course of trying to learn how to do what is right even when the "right" thing causes me to struggle.

While trying to stay true to my convictions and choosing to speak up when others remain silent it has often brought with it my having to learn to look for the peace and bliss of every situation. (Even when it does not seem so blissful) Finding the sliver lining is often hard as we face struggles or stand up against wrongdoings but that is the mandate of life if you want to have peace. I feel I am now at the best place in my life (so far) of not having to avoid situations but also not allowing the same situations to cause me to get angry or have resentment. The rules are simple as once told to me by a friend... Learn to be Honest, Kind, Generous, Hard Working and Tolerant and you will lead a great life that no one will be able to doubt but mostly you will find peace and true success. (Dr. James Chestnut coined that phrase and I suggest you read it at least 3 times)

I know there are others who face what I face when it comes to feeling obligated to speak up as they see wrongs being done but I think thee are way more people who tend to avoid confrontation and still it causes them to get angry or resentful when they bury their intuition. Intuition is a gift but it is also similar to a muscle and if you trust your instincts and use it regularly it will grow. On the other hand if you remain quiet and passive when your intuition is telling you to speak up it will shrink. Eventually recognizing the truth gets harder because you have lost the insight that comes by exercising your innate sense of right and wrong.

The key to speaking up and facing issues we all would like to avoid is finding the peace and joy in every situation. Yes every situation holds silver linings for all of our personalities by being truthful, making your stand, seeking your truth and letting those who come in contact with you to truly see your convictions/ your search for enlightenment. Do these things, speak the TRUTH (which is sometimes not your TRUTH) but maintain your peace and lose your ego. If we ahve spent too long operating in EGO or Fear of losing EGO then it is harder to know the truth because it may actually be different from the universal truth. The cool thing is if you are willing top speak up it will lead you somewhere, anywhere or nowhere but you will learn! When you wind up wherever you do find gratitude in the moment and be thankful for the lesson. Your intuition will be developing in that exact moment. That development is what helps you the next time you face similar challenges and then you will find that joy will come into your life much quicker the next time you are pressed.

For those of you who know me you know I do not shy away from seeking correctness and calling out the truth with anyone, anywhere and at anytime 😏 but I am learning and will continue to learn to do two things.... love everyone and tell the truth. Why not be comfortable enough to follow your truth wherever it leads you as long as you can do it in love. If you find yourself going somewhere without holding onto love then you will not be happy when you get there.

Speak up today for what you believe and what you know is right but be loving and not in your ego when you do it. This is what allows peace in everything without having to avoid conflict.

Enjoy the Search - Dugger

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Perennial Philosophy



I have been listening to Aldous Huxleys book “perennial philosophy” this past week and it is a mind stretcher 🤤 but in actuality a very simple thought once you get where he is coming from. (search perennial philosophy in Wikipedia) In the Wikipedia summation it sums it up pretty quickly but the central thought is that our search for PEACE , happiness, purpose ... and our spiritual paths are as one. I believe peace exists inside of UNITY which means we must find harmony within all of the efforts, beliefs, desires, loves and paths we choose for ourselves. It also means we can find peace by recognizing the UNITY we have with all others and their respective searches.

This is hard because we often do not agree with others or their searches.

Looking for and finding what we share as beliefs with those who challenge us will immediately bring us a sense of peace. Looking for differences within any situation or belief immediately brings anger or frustration through deliberate separation.

I would not encourage myself or anyone else to spend too much time around those who represent things that we do not wish to identify with but we can work harder to understand their challenges even if we must do it from safe distances. Lots of “denominations”, tribes, political parties, races, classes represented in our world today. All labels or separations exist because at some point we chose to focus on our differences instead of what we agree upon.

Look at the challenging spaces or people in your life and find one point of agreement within yourself and that challenge or that challenging person. This is the road to peace and it rings true in Huxleys perennial philosophy when examining spiritual beliefs through out the world. The world is made up of our individual choices so choose peace for yourself by finding what you can agree upon rather than focusing on separation.

Enjoy the search - Dugger