STRANGER

 

Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body ... Hebrews 13-1

We sometimes encounter people, even perfect strangers, who begin to interest us at first sight, somehow suddenly, all at once, before a word has been spoken. ~Fyodor Dostoevsky

 

Men always talk about the most important things to perfect strangers. In the perfect stranger we perceive man himself; the image of a God is not disguised by resemblances to an uncle or doubts of wisdom of a mustache. ~Gilbert K. Chesterton

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HOME

Then my people will live in a peaceful habitation, and in secure dwellings and in undisturbed resting places … Isaiah 32:18

Home is the one place in all this world where hearts are sure of each other. It is the place of confidence. It is the place where we tear off that mask of guarded and suspicious coldness which the world forces us to wear in self defense, and where we pour out the unreserved communications of full and confiding hearts. It is the spot where expressions of tenderness gush out without any sensation of awkwardness and without any dread of ridicule.

~Frederick W. Robertson





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Daybreak: Make Your Goals Happen

The sun begins to come up, and the first rays of light begin to shine upon this fresh day.

What do you do with this time?

The most important thing:

If you have a project you want to happen (let’s say you want to write a book), this is the time to form a habit that will make that project happen. A morning writing habit will get the book done. Simply wishing for the book to get written, or saying you’ll do it “someday,” doesn’t make it happen.

If it’s important, you’ll make a morning habit of it:

•If you want to lose weight, create a morning walking habit. Or morning strength training. Or a healthy breakfast with fruits and veggies.

•If you want to start a new business, create a morning session where you work on it every morning.

•If you want to become more mindful during your day, create a morning meditation habit.

•If you want to work on your relationship with your spouse, have a morning habit of talking about your relationship over coffee.

•If you want to journal, make it a morning habit.

Why is morning a better time for important habits? Why not afternoons or evenings? Well, I’m biased, because I really love the mornings. But I’ve found the time to be quieter, less chaotic, better for reflection and focus. Some people will work better in the late nights, but I’m usually tired by then. So figure out what time is your magic time — I think for most people that will be mornings.

I’ve done pretty much all my important achievements through morning habits.

There are great habits you can create in the afternoons and evenings too, but I recommend trying a morning habit if you have something important you want to get done.

Make it a habit to do it first.

Source: Zen Habits

Feed Shark

Spirit SELF and ego self ༗

Ego is a social fiction for which one person

at a time gets all the blame.

-Robert Anton Wilson

WHO OR WHAT IS THE EGO?

As human beings, we are similar in the respect that we each have a body, mind and soul. We all share the same distinguishing characteristics of human nature — ways of thinking, feeling and acting — independently of cultural influence.

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However, in many ways, we are all quite unique — no two people are the same. There are over 7 billion people on the planet, and each of us has a different perspective, therefore presenting each of us with a different life experience.

Somewhere between these two — our common humanity and our unique individuality — lies personality.

Personality is about our different ways of being human: how we are all variations on the same theme; how we all share manifests in different styles of thinking, feeling and acting.

PERSPECTIVE 101

1. Something happens.

2. It means nothing.

3. We make up a story about what it means.

4. The story we make up creates our reality; it creates our world;
it creates what is possible and not possible.

The ego is not master in its own house.

-Sigmond Freud

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We are born as Spirit — a pure innocent being. Our true essence is that of unconditional Love. As we grow up we become conditioned with so many lies-conditioned by others beliefs and concepts. From these concepts and beliefs, we form our personal selves (character roles we live out).

One of the biggest lies is that of our own imperfection, which is fed to us by ego thoughts. The ego is the voice in your mind, actually an impostor, who is pretending to be you. Believing the ego becomes an addiction. It is the ego who drives the vehicle, while you daydream behind the steering wheel.

The ego was created as a survival mechanism, which creates the illusion that we are separate from one another and separate from God. Thoughts are mind generated; not world generated.




The ego mind is essentially identification with one’s thoughts (belief in thoughts). We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are. Thoughts like: “I have failed” or “I’m not good enough” are lies. Spiritual consciousness (awareness) comes from presence-from realizing you are not your thoughts.

You are the awareness behind these thoughts and can just as easily perceive, “I have learned something,” or “I am perfect just as I am.”

Your greatest protection from the ego is to become fully conscious and aware. Awareness is the power which is concealed within the present moment.

Spirit Self  vs  ego self

Click on image to enlarge

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Butterfly Buddha

Once upon a time, someone found the chrysalis of a butterfly. Soon a small opening appeared. The person sat and watched the butterfly for hours as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole. Then it stopped unable to go any further.

Deciding to help the butterfly, a pair of scissors were used to snip off the end of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily, but it had a swollen body and shriveled wings.

The person continued to watch it, expecting that at any moment the wings would enlarge and expand enough to support the body in flight. It did not happen. In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around like a caterpillar. It was never able to fly.

What the person, in kindness and haste, did not understand was that the butterfly's struggle to get through the restricting cocoon was a way of forcing the fluid from the body into the wings so that it would be ready for flight once it emerged.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. Going through life without obstacles to overcome would cripple us. We would not become as strong as we could, nor fly as happily as we might. So if we struggle, rather than asking someone or something to remove everything we dislike, it will be to our benefit for a long time to come.

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The World is Mine

Unknown Author

We often take things for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.

~Cynthia Ozick

Today, upon a bus, I saw a very beautiful woman and wished I were as beautiful.

When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle.

She had one leg and used a crutch. But as she passed, she had a smile.

Oh God, forgive me when I whine. I have two legs; the world is mine.

I stopped to buy some candy. The lad who sold it had such charm.

I talked with him, he seemed so glad. If I were late, it'd do no harm.

And as I left, he said to me, "I thank you, you've been so kind.

It's nice to talk with folks like you. You see," he said, "I'm blind."

Oh, God, forgive me when I whine. I have two eyes; the world is mine.

Later while walking down the street, I saw a child I knew.

He stood and watched the others play, but he did not know what to do.

I stopped a moment and then I said, "Why don't you join them dear?"

He looked ahead without a word. I forgot, he couldn't hear.

Oh, God, forgive me when I whine. I have two ears; the world is mine.

With feet to take me where I'd go ... With eyes to see the sunset's glow…

With ears to hear what I'd know. Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.

I've been blessed indeed, the world is mine.

If this poem makes you feel thankful, just forward it to your friends.

After all, it's just a simple reminder that we have so much to be thankful for!

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The Window

Unknown Author

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

Epilogue ... There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all of the things you have that money can't buy. "Today is a gift, that's why it is called the PRESENT".

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