Thursday, November 4, 2010

The Symphony

A lone man steps on stage and begins to beat on a kettle drum. The rhythm is compelling but not interesting in the long term. A young lady joins him, opens her case and pulls out a clarinet. She begins playing a melody in time with the drummers beat. Three more people enter from stage left with a violin, viola and cello, set up and join in. The sound is becoming more....compelling. Soon a section of brass arrives. A tuxedoed man arrives, takes his place at a podium and begins directing the musicians with his baton. More and more players join in with a variety of instruments then a choir walks out and sings in harmony. The music is beautiful and intricate and makes the breast swell and the heart beat faster! People begin filing into the audience with joy on their faces. (Did you think the musicians more important than the listeners?) Suddenly the first man on the stage sets down his drumstick and leaves. The music changes and is lessened. How important was that solo drummer, who none of us would listen to by himself, once he leaves the totality of the whole orchestra?

My friend Tom is the one who got me thinking along these lines. One day he said, "I know some of you think that I am more powerful than you and, while I'm very powerful, so are all of you." I've always admired his ability to channel and the strength and accuracy of his insights and have often wondered if I'd ever reach his level. This made me start to really think about power and ability. I believe that we are all like the great symphony, all with different parts to play. Not everyone can play a wind instrument. All of us can sing but I know I'll never get a recording contract! But isn't the person who listens to the music as vital to it as the one playing? So, yes, Tom, we are all equal in power since our power comes from the same source, but we all have unique abilities I think. And we are all essential to The Symphony..........

Friday Flash 55 collection

One of the things I used to participate in with many of my fellow bloggers was the Friday Flash Fiction 55. This is where you write a story in 55 words...no more and no less! Its quite a challenge if you enjoy writing. I'm going to post some of the more spiritual ones here.

Enlightenment

Trembling with anticipation, he held The Book of All Knowledge in his hands! He worked up some courage and opened the leather bound volumn to the first page. Unbelievably, the first page, like all the rest, was blank! He pondered this, perplexed. How could this be? Then with a smile he picked up his pen...

The Path

He continued to wander the forest in search of The Path. He knew it was here because he could feel it. He climbed a high hill and looked off in the distance. Seeing nothing, he looked back and saw a long and winding path to his feet. He realized then that the world was his......

Meditation

Having released his frustrations into the healing waters of the lake, he climbed a hill that sat high above the water. There he sat cross-legged under an old oak and watched a hawk glide majestically overhead. He closed his eyes, listened to the call of the hawk and accepted the energy of Spirit deeply.

Skipping Stones

He walked down to the lakeshore, selected the flattest stones he could find and began skipping them across the surface of the water. He had always felt a sense of calmness and spiritual connection at the water's edge.He named each stone with a negative experience he had. When the stones were gone....he breathed

Rain

The rain is falling, soft yet determined, washing the world around me and renewing it's purpose. Tomorrow will find everything changed-no matter its appearance. Change is oh so subtle and hard to detect, yet undeniable. Not necessarily for better or worse, but changed. I feel it raining on my soul, so softly yet determined......

And the one that may be my last...

Spirit

Spirit has the power to enlighten us. Why not be enlightened?
Spirit has the power to heal us.Why not be healed?
Spirit has the power to empower us. Why not be empowered?
Spirit has the power to grow us. Why not be bigger?
Spirit has the power to move us. Lets all get moving!

Things to pass on...

I wrote this at Writerscafe.org a while back-around the time Little Joe was born, and then had it on my other blog. It is kinda cheatin', but I can copy and paste with the best of them!


Miscellaneous thoughts

We all learn things as we journey through life. Being a little past the midpoint of mine, there are some things that I want to share. I have no credentials, no expertise beyond what anyone else has, so take these things for what they're worth. These are a few things I would tell my children...if they ever cared to listen!

1. Money Matters. I know there are people out there saying that it doesn't, but it does. Having money makes things easier. When you can live day to day without worrying how to pay the mortgage, fix the car or pay for dinner, its easier. It opens the world to you, allows you to enjoy life, travel, eat well and do all the things you enjoy. There is no nobility in poverty regardless of what the monks tell you.

2. Money isn't everything. Don't define yourself by the size of your bank account, house you live in, car you drive or who's fashions you wear. Those material things that people obsess over never truly improve your life, they just become shackles that restrain your creative and spiritual side. If you spend your life collecting the latest and greatest stuff, you will never be happy. They just keep making more of it.

3. Everything in moderation. Eating, drinking, smoking and sex are all okay, as long as you don't go overboard. Having a delicious meal is great-being a glutton will kill you young. Drinking is good for the soul-drunkeness will ruin your life. If you enjoy an occasional cigar, cigarette or pipe from time to time that's fine-the Surgeon General can tell you what 2-3 packs a day will do to you.There are few things more fulfilling than a great sex life-frequently jumping into bed with various random strangers cheapens you.

4. Always be reading something. Have a book that you are reading at all times. Fiction or non-fiction doesn't matter. If you read a book a day or it takes you two months to finish doesn't matter, just have something that you pick up and read. Reading is very different from watching a movie. In a movie you are seeing and experiencing the story as the director sees it. When you read, you create your own pictures. It's exercise for your mind.

5. Take a walk. No, this is not the exercise portion of this treatise. Just put on some comfortable shoes and walk through the city, countryside, your neighborhood or along the beach. Look and listen at life around you. Let your mind wander. This is even better when holding hands with someone you care about.

6. Spirituality is divine inspiration, religion is man made. I'm not telling you what to believe in and my children can attest to that. I apologize to all the hard core church goers out there, but religion is at best a poor attempt to explain a force that is unexplainable and at its worst a means to control a group of people. Be cautious when trusting proclamations made from the pulpit, they often spring from ulterior motivation. Don't be afraid to think for yourself, you are just as qualified as they are.

7. There are more things worth dying for than there are things worth killing for. Wouldn't it be a better world if everyone understood that? Seems simple to me but if you watch the nightly news, you'll see that it is becoming more and more difficult for people to grasp.

8. Work. Work is good for the soul. Accomplish something. It matters less what it is than that you do it well.

9. Play. Play is good for the soul. Have some fun. It matters less what it is than that you enjoy playing it.

10. Laugh. Laughter is good for the soul. Find things funny. It matters less what makes you laugh than that you find humor in life.

11. Love. Love is good for the soul. Spend time with someone you love. It matters less who it is than that you allow yourself to truly love them.

12. Live. Everybody says this, but what does it mean? Life isn't the big moments, the great vacations, the big house or the expensive car. Life is all the little moments strung together. The small joke with a friend or co-worker. The movie that made you laugh or cry. Telling that special someone something significant about your day. The night out with friends. Time spent alone in contemplation. If you only live for the big things, most of your life will be wasted.


This is my list, not of the most important things but of things to consider. All of us make our lives what they will be and you may not agree with me on any of this. That's okay with me. Hmmm...maybe that's #13.....

Crutches

When we talk about someone using a "crutch" to perform a task it tends to take on a negative connotation. I don't believe that's necessarily true. A crutch in the literal sense of the word is that which helps someone support themselves when they are unable to do so unaided. If you are unable to walk then a set of crutches can allow you to stand and walk on your own, giving you both mobility and independence-a very good thing.

Every other Thursday, my wife and I head down to the home of our friends Tom and Katie. There is a group of us there to discuss various spiritual issues. Tom and Katie are both strong channels and healers. Tom generally channels for the group and topics flow from there. Some weeks ago, Tom said that ritual wasn't necessary and it made me think of crutches. Now, the funny thing about Tom is that when he hits on these topics, everyone has a slightly different take on exactly what it means. For me, I immediately thought of my Reiki practice. Reiki is filled with certain rituals, symbols and hand positions that the healer uses to channel energy to the one being healed.

This brought me to a realization. Ritual is a spiritual crutch. This is true regardless of the religion or spiritual belief. I am able to channel some really strong energy when I conduct a healing session and the time I spend in ritual preparation helps me to access that power. I really don't need the ritual but it helps me to make that connection and makes me that much stronger. That's a worthwhile crutch to have!