Gazing in the Mirror

March 2 - Intransigent Circumstances

Insanity: doing the same thing
over and over again and
expecting different results.
~ Albert Einstein

The fact that a misuse of mental
and spiritual laws is at the root
of many unhappy conditions incident
to the physical life,
stands out clear and sharp.
~ Ernest Holmes

Some situations that we discover ourselves immersed within seem to have such a grip and to be so self-perpetuating and stuck in their patterns that sometimes we feel a high degree of despair, believing that no change in that situation is possible. The reality is that the situation will change. Maybe not as quickly as we might wish but everything changes constantly.

Every human being is comprised of the qualities of every other being on the planet. There is nothing actually completely new under our sun. We are made in the image of all that surrounds us – stones, plants, animals, even the chaos and ultimately the clarity of purpose that goes into every creation. Our thoughts are likewise not as unique as we might believe but are actually composed of every other thought around us. We cannot continue to think, say and do what we have always habitually thought, said and done – like a stuck record – and expect different results. That is insanity as Einstein noted. Reality and life don't work that way. Magic may abound all around us but we must have eyes to see and a mind to apprehend it. There is also a need for us to cooperate with "the magic" if it is to make a good effect for us and our cooperation with it must be shown by our actions and, less obviously to others, fueled by our intentions.

What are those things that we continue to do just because we've gotten used to doing them habitually ? Do we feel a nagging suspicion deep inside that there is something "more" that we could do with our life or do we just feel a gentle desire pulling us to do something different with our life ? We can shake up the intransigent situations in our life simply by consciously changing little things about our daily lives a little bit – simply by being with a different group of people, visiting a place we've never been to before or if all else fails simply adjusting our own attitude and making a decision to have a different perspective on things. We can actually "fake it" until it becomes a reality.

If sorrow comes, let us be sad - then at the time that it is happening – we should allow ourselves to feel this fully, even savor the experience like a rare treat or certainly honor it for the sacred aspect of life it represents. Sadness is transitory and so there is no reason to worry that it will never pass unless we chose to hold on to it. Witnessing other people's suffering can feel intransigent. We may grow weary of un-ending complaints, woes and hardship, when there never seems to be any change in that person's "story". It can feel firmly bound to such a person like an attachment. It can be difficult for us to bear when we see how much of this person's suffering is rooted in their own perspective on life and when we personally believe that it could actually be changed. That is when our ability to have patience and compassion will still serve the best possible outcomes for everyone concerned.

What if there just isn't anything new going on right now ? We can consider taking advantage of the very real energies of spring and fall transitions. We can create something new or move something out – give it away or even discard it in a landfill if necessary – but intentionally create some kind of movement in our life. By making space for something new or deciding to do some old habitual routine in a new way, you insert movement into your life that will tend to move your intransigent situations as well. So what is it that you want to be new in your life or would like to be rid of ? Now is the time to harness the natural energies of the season and just do it.

I can make the quality of my life about so much more than simple productivity and choose instead to make my life about my spiritual fulfillment. Being who I am at heart is one way to experience that fulfillment. Mary Baker Eddy said in "Science and Health" – "We should examine ourselves and learn the affection and purpose of the heart, for in this way only can we learn what we honestly are." My spiritual faculty of imagination enables me to see an outcome I desire, then shape and direct my thoughts, words and actions toward that outcome. I am thus empowered and inspired by the vision in my mind's eye; and I can then see the possibility, of new ways that I might experience my world.

~ perspective

Today I live each moment in newness -
releasing the past, embracing the future
and being present here and now.
The gifts of Spirit spill out through me
daily as peace, joy, wisdom, intelligence,
healing, and love.
I hold nothing back and release good
into my life each day.
I use the power of my imagination
purposefully and discern the difference
between fantasy and possibility.
I consciously accept only the best
for myself and expect its expression.

#action #attachment #change #cooperation #despair #difficulty #habit #insanity #reality #sorrow