Healing & Politics

In the time of political elections there is so much attacking and blaming for the ills that beset us. It is always "someone else's fault" and "I am the one to make it better" -- promise's go unfulfilled and leave us feeling betrayed and bitter. For many disillusionment sets in, eventually apathy takes over. The cycle is one that keeps exactly the same process going. Truly the example of insanity, "doing the same thing expecting different results."

So many of these women and men genuinely want to make a difference and then when faced with a difficult choice cave into their egos of being right and sell their 'souls' to the party. The party by definition has no soul but is governed by the collective agenda of being right to preserve the party, not necessarily for solving the problems we have. The party in power cannot afford to recognize the goodness in the other even though doing so would resolve so much. But that would mean we must have been wrong which cannot be admitted or acknowledged. For progress sake we must be able to admit that we may be wrong and search for an alternative. And we must acknowledge that we are incomplete without the ones who point out our shortfalls.

The Healing Process

The healing process is just that, a process. I believe it always occurs beneath the surface of consciousness. It goes on without us being consciously aware of it. Rumi, in his wonderful poem describes it the best for me.
        

What you have Despised in Yourself

They are here with us now

Those who saddle a new unbroken colt

Every morning and ride the seven levels of sky,

Who  lay down at night

                                                       With the sun and moon for pillows.
 

Each of these fish has a Jonah inside.

They sweeten the bitter sea.

They shape-shift the mountains,

                                              But with their actions neither bless nor curse.

They are more obvious,

And yet more secret than that.

Mix grains from the ground they walk

With streamwater. Put that salve

On your eyes and you will see

What you have despised in yourself

As a thorn opens into a rose.

Rumi

Healing is natural. It is very much a part of nature. We make a big consciousness error when we believe we are separate from nature. We are nature. The same intelligence that created the universe is the same intelligence that created all the varieties in the universes, including us. The traditional Native Americans had it right, when they said the earth does not belong to us, we belong to the earth.

In nature, change occurs often times very quietly and without a lot of notice. One day we look up and see the fall colors and say, "when did that happen?" Obvious, but very discrete. When we practice mindfulness in our daily lives we are more aware of the changes but we still don't see the change itself. We see the result of the changes. And each change brings with it a new gift or opportunity. Something dies, something is born, the great cycle of life.

None of us like the thought or the experience of losing something we love and value.  When we have something we love we want the love object to be permanent even when we know it is not. The love can be eternal the love object is temporal therefore subject the forces of nature. When we lose something that loss creates a wound. The wound creates an opportunity for a gift. Healing is the process of finding the gift of the wound. Time and perspective are the two variables that allow that to occur. Of the two elements, I believe perspective to be the most important. Many have been wounded and have found no peace, no internal comfort even after many years. The mind has the powerful ability to distort time, sometimes for good, sometimes to our detriment. When one focuses on time it seems to almost stop, when one slips into unity consciousness, there is no time. There is only perfect peace and joy. The ROSE.

May you have peace and joy.

Purple Flowers

I was up in the mountains over the weekend with one of my boys and his son. I saw some incredible fall colors. As I was looking, I saw a small purple flower that touched my heart, withstanding the cold. I think love is nature’s most brilliant flower. It needs constant nurturing but there is nothing more powerful than that beautiful flower.

Thinking of all my beautiful flowers this morning and letting my heart be full.

Have a wonderful day.