It is said that a persons
eyes are the gateway to their soul, by looking deeply into someones eyes
you can often feel that soul connection. Often too you can feel their
sadness . I sometimes see great sadness in the people I know and love and I wish I
could wave a magic wand and take it away from them, but the truth is,
happiness is and always has been a choice you have to make. It's like
the game show The Price is Right, when you wake up in the morning which
door are you going to choose ? The one that leads to happiness or the
door(s) that lead to resentment, anger, envy or some of the other
afflictions of the mind.
We
live in a society where people go to great lengths to look great, and
spend very little time nurturing their soul, developing happiness,
contentment and other positive attributes. Mostly because I believe we
have not been taught how to live a spiritual life. The schools don't
offer it and for many the churches don't offer it either.
I
recently heard on a radio and advertisement for a website, the
commercial was suggesting that you could hold a door open for someone to
restore their/your faith in humankind. I listened to this incredulous
commercial I remember thinking as that I have never lost my faith in
human kind, i have doors help open for me all the time by the young,
old. men, women and children. I am always grateful when someone holds a
door for me, it is an act of kindness that I love. I would personally
think if you need to restore your faith in mankind you need to look
within and find out why you are so negative, there are kind people all
around us, the world has it's problems no doubt, but look at all the
great people trying to do something about it.
The
world has never been perfect, there is no going back to a better time,
we are living in better times. This is why I love the quote "We are the
people we are waiting for", it is a reminder to me that I/you can make a
difference right here and now, we don't need a saviour or some great
hero to do it. It is our responsibility, look at the story of Rosa Parks
and know that anyone can make a difference.
I love the times we are
living in, yes there is war but war has existed for a long time, but we
live in a time of better acceptance, I get excited when gay couple gets
married or when I see them being affectionate on a street, I was raised in a
time when gays hid who they were, I have lived in a time when racism was
rampant and open, men were allowed to hit their wives and children were
beaten as a form of discipline. I for one, do not want to go back to the
those days. Maybe rather then thinking we need to go back to family
values we need to focus on the new family and what values we currently
hold as important.
Every
time I see a mixed race couple I remember how hard it used to be for
mixed race couples, when I was 18 I dated and fell in love with someone
who was not Caucasian, it was 1978 and I was taunted on the streets and
stared at on the transit system, some family members and some of the
parents of close friends shunned me. I remember being told I didn't
have to date him, as I wasn't fat or ugly, as the common belief back
then was that only ugly white girls dated men of other nationalities. We
were just two teenagers in love. Today I live in a community full of
mixed race couples.
So it makes me happy
when I see how far we have come, and I love that more and more people
are becoming spiritual seekers, they are looking for something deeper, a
better connection and they are flocking to Yoga and Buddhism, 12 step
groups and more. Recognizing that you need a deeper connection is I
believe one of the first step towards happiness.
First
you must realize that you are not alone, we are all connected and we
are not meant to be islands of self sufficiency, we are meant to work,
live and be together helping each other. It is when we think we are
separate that we become selfish and selfishness is a disease of the
mind that wrecks havoc in relationships.
I have had a spiritual director for about 19 years now, and this relationship is one of the most important ones that I have, this man helps me walk through the maze of my mind and come out with clear, loving thoughts. I trust this man and love him, sometimes he is tough and other times gentle. To be honest he helps me cut through the bullshit of my mind. This important relationship is one of my keys to being happy.
Thirdly I love to read
about great people, spiritual books and read quotes. i like to start my
day reading something positive, something that will set my day on the
right path.
I also work hard at
forgiving myself and others, I try not to cling to the stuff that has
hurt me, I talk about it, and then let it go.
I eat well, eating
crappy food makes me tired and lethargic. I exercise, yoga, running,
walking and more, my fit body moves easier, takes less energy and I love
how I feel and look. What more can I say, exercise is awesome.
I am openly loving and affectionate with the people in my life, I tell them I love them and show it too.
When life gets busy I plan a retreat, I take time to pull away and be still and connect with God.
I connect with God every day, I spend time in prayer and or mediation and feeling grateful.
I love my life.
