All people should ask themselves why they believe in a set of religious principals. It's not good enough to so strongly believe something "because". And because it's been told for centuries in a book. It's not good to so blindly follow something without investigation.
This is why I will not teach my children to follow religion. They need to experience the world with open minds and ask why. They need to see the world for what it is without false pretenses. They need to understand that all living things will die and not exist. They need to explore science. They need to be present. Because then they will be free to make their own educated choices.
I often wonder why my mom tells my kids her parents live with jesus in heaven. It's a bizarre concept to me. I wish she would say " I believe " before that statement. To a child it sounds absurd....because it is. We should all explore things as children do. Unless they are repeatedly told otherwise by adults, children are free from prejudice thoughts. What makes the sound of thunder? Angels bowling is one I used to hear. Funny because I always give my kids the real answer and they soak up this knowledge. They love it. Why should I deny them what just... is?? I will not tell them they will live on after death because that is absurd. I will tell them I don't know and no one knows. That people believe they know. But a belief is not based on any fact that we can prove. And, yes, that's why they call it faith I suppose. But don't let anyone tell you that you need faith. You don't. You can be happy and successful and peaceful without it. Just be present.
Prejudice and religious conflicts and the like are all caused by a set of beliefs. Manmade thoughts. Meaningless ideas constructed to manipulate and control. Human rights are good. All people have the right to a peaceful and honest existence in our small blip of a conscious life on earth. And it's a known fact. You also do not have to subscribe to a set of beliefs to attain said happiness and peace. You will not be judged after you die. Anyone who believes in this judgemental father type figure is really not promoting true equality in people. To believe in an ultimate supreme ruler is very ignorant and archaic, if we are honest.
There is a place beyond thoughts and beliefs and I'm not talking about heaven or life after death. It's a place of peace in the present, of feeling present in the universe and not imprisoned by fearful thoughts. Our human consciousness may be our biggest enemy if we allow ourselves to get trapped in the mind of thoughts.
I would challenge people to consider this. Do you think you have given yourself a real chance to figure out who you are as a person by following a specified set of beliefs of a religion? How you perceive life and death affects your whole being. Don't we all deserve the chance to be free of constraints on how we view the universe?
Pandora's Box: A Blog for Artists
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Piecing it together
This post has been brewing for a long time. I guess as I get older I start to try and piece together things about myself. It's like one's life is a big puzzle and we are constantly trying to it the pieces together so everything "makes sense". I guess it started because I will find myself thinking about certain moments of my past over and over again until i ask myself, why am i obsessing over this moment? It must be really important to me if i can't stop thinking about it.
I feel like I drew so many things from other people in my life that in no way knew they were an influence on me. Now I realize i was gathering pieces to my own puzzle, building my belief system, over time, which of course is a huge part of who I am today. I am not a proponent of people who cannot take responsibility for their own actions and always blame everything happening to them in the present on their dysfunctional upbringing. Of course, terrible things happen or maybe even just mediocre bad things happen and we believe that is our destiny. So we all weren't raised perfect because humans are not perfect. I am a mom and i know i am not perfect. It will be part of each of my children's own life adventure to find their way and figure out their values and who they are as a person. Of course I am desperately trying to guide them to be kind, patient and compassionate individuals!
You pull from memories and experiences and hold on to what you know is loving and good. My husband taught me how to be affectionate and loving because I didn't come from a physically affectionate family. I don't think i realized how special and healing it is just to give someone a hug everyday. And my children are a very affectionate group, which I am very proud of. Human interaction, touch and feel is so important in becoming a compassionate person (i believe).
I try to be mindful of my memories and think, what would I have thought about this when I was Ethan's age or Zach's age? Would I have wanted someone to be supportive of me even when all I did as complain and beg to quit? Would I have just wanted a hug or shoulder to lean on when I'm feeling let down? It's like saying to my children, I did not have this gift (i.e. patience) as a child so I want to give you my patience and understanding because I have witnessed that so many great things can come from having them in your life.
I am not resentful or angry at my parents, my family or my past and this is in no way some negative story about that. People do what they can and what they know how to do. That doesn't mean we need to demonize each other because in the end, it is only within yourself that you can find true happiness, whether you were brought up in a perfect situation ( nearly impossible) or handed every bad card life has to offer. The only way to find peace, is with peace :)
I am feeling so grateful for every person in my life who has contributed to my puzzle because it makes me a more complete person. And now I feel I can let go of these moments chattering away at me, even the positive ones. I can accept these qualities as part of who I am now, and not something I once put on a pedestal and worshiped and thought I couldn't ever have because no one ever gave it to me. I guess it took until now to realize these qualities just ARE. They are within all of us and it is up to us to let go of whatever it is that is not allowing them to be present in our lives.
I feel, in the end, I am writing so many of these posts for my children. Because I worry and wonder every single day if I am getting through to them and influencing them positively or am I letting the little distractions of life get in my way. I was a very sensitive child and I picked up on every emotion, every word, every action. So I am hyper-aware of everything that goes on in my family between my children, my husband and I, my husband and my children, myself and the children, etc...This is why I focus so diligently on every word and action, because i know how much that can influence a person. And if that happens many times to a person in a negative manner, it takes a lot of practice to let them go.
The hardest thing for me is to see people i care about stuck in the past. Maybe they are not even aware that they have the ability to let the past go and become a peaceful and happy person.
I want my kids to know that there are so many ways to gather pieces to complete their own puzzle. Just because something didn't present itself to you as you expected it do, does not mean you must let that get in the way of your own happiness. Just because i wasn't raised in a physically affectionate environment has not made me believe that is "just the way I am" and I will never use the excuse of "well, that's how I was raised." There is nothing more miserable than pigeonholing yourself. Give yourself the gift of letting go and just being in the present. If you can give yourself the gift of silence and emptiness of the mind, you can allow so many wonderful things in, to fulfill your destiny.
I feel like I drew so many things from other people in my life that in no way knew they were an influence on me. Now I realize i was gathering pieces to my own puzzle, building my belief system, over time, which of course is a huge part of who I am today. I am not a proponent of people who cannot take responsibility for their own actions and always blame everything happening to them in the present on their dysfunctional upbringing. Of course, terrible things happen or maybe even just mediocre bad things happen and we believe that is our destiny. So we all weren't raised perfect because humans are not perfect. I am a mom and i know i am not perfect. It will be part of each of my children's own life adventure to find their way and figure out their values and who they are as a person. Of course I am desperately trying to guide them to be kind, patient and compassionate individuals!
You pull from memories and experiences and hold on to what you know is loving and good. My husband taught me how to be affectionate and loving because I didn't come from a physically affectionate family. I don't think i realized how special and healing it is just to give someone a hug everyday. And my children are a very affectionate group, which I am very proud of. Human interaction, touch and feel is so important in becoming a compassionate person (i believe).
I try to be mindful of my memories and think, what would I have thought about this when I was Ethan's age or Zach's age? Would I have wanted someone to be supportive of me even when all I did as complain and beg to quit? Would I have just wanted a hug or shoulder to lean on when I'm feeling let down? It's like saying to my children, I did not have this gift (i.e. patience) as a child so I want to give you my patience and understanding because I have witnessed that so many great things can come from having them in your life.
I am not resentful or angry at my parents, my family or my past and this is in no way some negative story about that. People do what they can and what they know how to do. That doesn't mean we need to demonize each other because in the end, it is only within yourself that you can find true happiness, whether you were brought up in a perfect situation ( nearly impossible) or handed every bad card life has to offer. The only way to find peace, is with peace :)
I am feeling so grateful for every person in my life who has contributed to my puzzle because it makes me a more complete person. And now I feel I can let go of these moments chattering away at me, even the positive ones. I can accept these qualities as part of who I am now, and not something I once put on a pedestal and worshiped and thought I couldn't ever have because no one ever gave it to me. I guess it took until now to realize these qualities just ARE. They are within all of us and it is up to us to let go of whatever it is that is not allowing them to be present in our lives.
I feel, in the end, I am writing so many of these posts for my children. Because I worry and wonder every single day if I am getting through to them and influencing them positively or am I letting the little distractions of life get in my way. I was a very sensitive child and I picked up on every emotion, every word, every action. So I am hyper-aware of everything that goes on in my family between my children, my husband and I, my husband and my children, myself and the children, etc...This is why I focus so diligently on every word and action, because i know how much that can influence a person. And if that happens many times to a person in a negative manner, it takes a lot of practice to let them go.
The hardest thing for me is to see people i care about stuck in the past. Maybe they are not even aware that they have the ability to let the past go and become a peaceful and happy person.
I want my kids to know that there are so many ways to gather pieces to complete their own puzzle. Just because something didn't present itself to you as you expected it do, does not mean you must let that get in the way of your own happiness. Just because i wasn't raised in a physically affectionate environment has not made me believe that is "just the way I am" and I will never use the excuse of "well, that's how I was raised." There is nothing more miserable than pigeonholing yourself. Give yourself the gift of letting go and just being in the present. If you can give yourself the gift of silence and emptiness of the mind, you can allow so many wonderful things in, to fulfill your destiny.
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Learning how to be
"Have good trust in yourself...not in the one that you think you should be, but the One that you are." -Tiazan Maezumi Roshi
This is a very powerful statement. Very simple, yet it is overflowing with meaning. I see so many people who don't trust and love who they are, so they turn to anger, sadness, depression, addictions, etc...as a self defense. Everything becomes a struggle. Yet, it is a self-created struggle. Struggling to get somewhere, be someone, attain some goal...
It sounds very simple to love oneself, yet because we get caught inside our own head, and create internal struggles with our own ego about right/wrong, good/bad, we don't know how to just be.
The key is to learn how to quiet the mind. Emptiness is the prize because once we can turn off the chatter in our heads analyzing every move we make, every person we meet, every situation we stand in front of...we can really just be one with ourselves and the universe.
I picture my mind turning to a lake so still it looks like glass. I listen to my breath until I can't tell the difference between it and the air flowing through the trees. I feel my heartbeat until I don't know the difference between the rhythm of it and the rhythm of nature around me. You finally can just be and feel what it's like to be part of everything, the whole universe. You are everything beautiful and ugly that makes up this world because we all depend upon each other for existence; everything that leads up to this very moment that we are in has brought us to be here and without each and every moment, this very moment would cease. You are every person, every insect, every vast ocean and starry night sky, planet, galaxy, birth, death, health, sickness, love, hate...because we are all a unique part of one whole. And anyone can find it because whatever wonder and amazement you know is there when you look out into the vast universe can be found inside of you.
Just be.
This is a very powerful statement. Very simple, yet it is overflowing with meaning. I see so many people who don't trust and love who they are, so they turn to anger, sadness, depression, addictions, etc...as a self defense. Everything becomes a struggle. Yet, it is a self-created struggle. Struggling to get somewhere, be someone, attain some goal...
It sounds very simple to love oneself, yet because we get caught inside our own head, and create internal struggles with our own ego about right/wrong, good/bad, we don't know how to just be.
The key is to learn how to quiet the mind. Emptiness is the prize because once we can turn off the chatter in our heads analyzing every move we make, every person we meet, every situation we stand in front of...we can really just be one with ourselves and the universe.
I picture my mind turning to a lake so still it looks like glass. I listen to my breath until I can't tell the difference between it and the air flowing through the trees. I feel my heartbeat until I don't know the difference between the rhythm of it and the rhythm of nature around me. You finally can just be and feel what it's like to be part of everything, the whole universe. You are everything beautiful and ugly that makes up this world because we all depend upon each other for existence; everything that leads up to this very moment that we are in has brought us to be here and without each and every moment, this very moment would cease. You are every person, every insect, every vast ocean and starry night sky, planet, galaxy, birth, death, health, sickness, love, hate...because we are all a unique part of one whole. And anyone can find it because whatever wonder and amazement you know is there when you look out into the vast universe can be found inside of you.
Just be.
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