“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
— Jesus
____________
God.
I used to have tremendous problems with God. The very mention of the word would send me running in the opposite direction. I think it was a kind of allergic reaction to being told what God was, and that I’d better shape up to this imposed ideal or I was off to hell (or some variety of this idea).
I most certainly had trouble being told what to believe, and I had equal trouble with the idea of a far away hell, or heaven. I saw how hellish my own mind could be right here and now; I knew how heavenly life could be too.
God started to make sense when I saw I needed to have a personal relationship based on a personal understanding. Rigid dogma or blindly following someone else’s understanding never makes sense to me.
I think this is key for anyone.
To be truly alive, you have to find your own path in life. Nothing else satisfies or sparks the same, deep down. You have to come to grips with your place and trajectory forward in the bigger picture of things.
The wonderful thing is that you get to define it for yourself – you are free to decide, to choose. The fact is, you HAVE to choose for yourself, because nothing else will give you a meaning or purpose to your existence that will actually make a scrap of sense to you.
Unthinkingly taking on anyone else’s structure has never really worked for anyone, ever. It just leads to dissatisfaction, emptiness, confusion, even internal conflict and, later, external resentment.
If you really think life has no meaning, you just haven’t taken the time to make one for yourself.
It’s so important that you do.
Not only do you find guidance, depth and substance in your path, you are so much more immune to the unwelcome and unexpected. As Nietzsche once wrote, “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how”. In a world that is confused and struggling, you have a way out.
So –
Finding your why, aligning yourself with something that guides you, that brings meaning and depth has two parts, like the great man said.
Orient yourself to the highest ideal you can find, something that acts as a kind of magnet to pull you up as long as you stay facing the right way.
and,
Treat everyone as an aspect of you, worthy of the same ideal as you would ask for yourself.
First up –
Finding your higher ideal magnet.
(We’ll get onto loving everyone as yourself next week, because this will be huge otherwise.)
Take some time and ask yourself:
And as you do, simply come from a place of possibility, of “What if?”. Don’t get involved in can’ts and shoulds and reasons why nots. Just ask what sparks you up – and take note of the whole range … from slight interest to being aflame with passion.
What is that higher standard or higher power that you aspire to become one with?
What is worth loving with all your heart, soul, mind and strength?
What do you want to dedicate your life to?
Is that love?
Presence?
Wisdom?
Kindness?
Compassion?
Understanding?
Awareness?
Courage?
What is the thing or (most likely) combination of things that when you align with them, everything turns out for the better?
What is the source of deep joy, satisfaction, bravery, clarity, perspective, ability, understanding and patience… for you?
What, when you step back from the urgent rush towards your never-ending To-Do list, are the most important things in your life?
Who are you aiming to be?
Get clear on that.
And then?
Focus on this picture! Prioritise it. Remind yourself constantly. Do whatever it takes to follow this guiding light in each and every moment.
Don’t just think about it.
Give all your heart, mind, body and soul to it – and then the very best of you can come forward. The mightiness of your Being can enable all your Doings. Everyone’s a winner in that scenario.
When you fall short – as you will? Dust yourself off and get going again… you will get there if you keep going. It’s inevitable.
So –
Imagine how the world would be if people like us really got clear and stayed devoted to the highest ideal for our lives that we could personally find? Imagine if we lived not to be better than someone else or like someone else, but to be better in ourselves, as ourselves? Imagine the inspiration and support we could each generate in our lives and for the people around us?
Imagine that!
I just don’t think we give God enough of a chance.
Maybe it’s time we did.
Go well,
Arjuna
PS.
I’ll get to part 2 next week.
PPS.
If you’d like to join us for an Ascension meditation course, there’s still space for you.
4-6 March, 8-10 April and 8-10 July (start at 7pm Friday)
Let me know if you’d like more info.
It would be awesome to have you.