Learning from a goose: Living in peace beyond our racial boundaries.

When I mindlessly perused the news this morning, one story particularly caught my eye: A goose in Hereford, Texas, is perfectly comfortable hanging around with a herd of goats.
As peculiar and seemingly insignificant as this bit of news might appear, it is powerful enough to remind us of some of our shortcomings.
As members of the human race, we still struggle, on a daily basis, with the challenges of living with each other.
Although racial tensions have superficially eased since the black and white communities have integrated, a lot of people still simmer with lack of acceptance under their differently colored skin.
A lot of civil rights leaders have worked very hard in trying to mend the differences, but in many cases they have done more damage than good. People have felt pushed into a corner, obligated to give up treasured traditions in favor of exotic beliefs, celebrations or fashion fads, and that has created a widespread sense of resentment. Feeling powerless in the face of losing their own heritage and identity, many have responded with anger and hatred.
With great intentions in their hearts, civil rights leaders have responded by feeding the flame of outrage already burning on the other side, and by pointing out the differences that separate the cultures. In an era of politically correct talk and affirmative action, it is very common to hear labels chosen by the very same people who feel singled out.
The black community still refers to itself as African-American, the Hispanic community as Hispanic-American, and the Asian community as Asian-American.
Something is wrong with that picture: by labeling the cultures we promote separateness. Americans are Americans, regardless of their heritage. My children were born in America and call themselves American, even if their heritage is entirely Italian and British.
Maybe, if the politically correct way of labeling people applies to the whole, they should call themselves Italian-British-Americans.
If we truly look at the origin of things, then the only true Americans are the native Indians; the rest of us are just imports, no matter when our boats approached the shores of our beautiful country.
As far as human value is concerned, if one wraps a beautiful gift in different shaped boxes or colored paper, the gift inside the packages still remains the same.
What’s important is not getting stuck on the wrapping.
Racial acceptance and peaceful co-habitation have to begin within ourselves. If we feel that we can contribute something to society and to each other through the beauty of our individual qualities, then we can move forward and build a new foundation for our children’s future. There is beauty within every culture, and good that can be found within the heart of every person, regardless of race, creed or financial status.
As intelligent and reasonable human beings, we need to start with ourselves and lead by example. We preach that the best way to teach our children is by praising their efforts and focusing on their good qualities, yet we have no problem in lashing out at each other for our mistakes when it comes to adult interactions.
By focusing on what brings us together, rather than what sets us apart, we can open a new door to united and symbiotic living which can only positively affect the future of our nation, and set an example to the rest of the world.
And when we forget how we should relate to each other, may God bless the Goose.

Whispers from within.

As I drove home from a play date with my daughter two days ago, I annoyingly found myself moving at a snail's pace, inching behind a long line of cars slowly cruising with their emergency lights on. I speculated that an accident was probably the reason for the traffic jam, until I saw that the long line was led by a police patrol car.
Because of the imminent presidential elections, I wondered if one of the candidates might be inside one of the cars. As I patiently waited, a quick flashback from long ago pierced through the fibers of my consciousness, and took me back to a time when President Bush visited Raleigh.
As the traffic finally picked up speed when the line of cars escorted by the police took a left at the next intersection, I drove home with no further delay. That night, as I related the incident to my husband over dinner, he informed me that President Bush was in Raleigh.
The whole evening I mulled over the synchronicity between Mr. Bush being in town and my flashback. Personally, I don’t believe in coincidences, and I look for signs to give me guidance any time I stand at a life crossroad. What made this situation slightly different is the fact that it didn’t directly involve me; it was merely curiosity that prompted me to ask who might be in one of those vehicles.
I asked, and Universe answered with an image I could understand. Just like that. It was nothing more or less than a quick exchange between two minds.
At any given time in our life, we are never alone. Our ego pushes for us to feel disconnected and out of touch, but if we just pay attention we realize that our feelings of isolation are only an illusion. If we truly watch for signs and remain open to messages, something will happen which will answer our questions and offer guidance.
Guidance can come in many guises; it could come through as a random situation we are allowed to witness, as something that is happening to a friend, as a TV or radio commercial, or even as one of the many thoughts that cross our mind after we have wondered about something.
No matter how the answers reach us, we must remain available and alert if we hope to acknowledge them. Furthermore, we must allow ourselves to trust the guidance which comes from deep within. If we belittle its importance, or dismiss the voice as ‘silly imagination’, we limit our vision and narrow the scope of our understanding.
The Universe-or God Mind-is ever ready to provide answers and guidance, but it is very subtle as it guides us through intuition and signs. As a lady I know once said: “The Devil (our ego) is very loud, and to hear the soft voice of God (our inner guide) we must listen very carefully.”
The choice to accept or dismiss the guidance we receive is up to us; some of us will pay attention, while some others will ignore it in favor of a theory which can be proven by limited science.
Whatever we choose to do with it, it is important that we all acknowledge the existence of our inner knowledge, and respect it as wise advice kindly bestowed on us by the greater mind which humbly and silently observes our vicissitudes from within us. Intuition is our lantern in the darkness of illusion; by following its light, we can overcome even the greatest obstacles and remain true to ourselves. By accepting its guidance we can take one more step toward a boundless consciousness, and we can rest assured that we are on the right track toward making sound decisions.

Angels or Demons?

A few days ago, while talking to a friend, I learned that one of her co-workers is hoping to get a new job which she applied for last week.
This lady-I will name her Lauren to maintain her privacy-has held on to the same job for over a decade; although she loves what she does, she feels as if there are no challenges left for her in her current position. In addition to the general feeling of being on a dead-end street when it comes to her professional growth, Lauren has also been having trouble in dealing with a new supervisor in her office.
She has been there for so long that she can attend to her job requirements with eyes closed, yet the supervisor continues to breathe over her neck making her life miserable. When I spoke with her, Lauren readily admitted that the hellish supervisor was the main reason why she set out looking for another job. Had she not been looking, she would have missed the wonderful opportunity of advancement this new position offers, and would have probably chosen to remain in the unrewarding, yet familiar type of work. The figure of the supervisor was a catalyst for the change, and the feelings she triggered in Lauren were the fuel needed to nourish the flame of courage necessary to start her engine.
In our lives we all do that a lot. When blessings come knocking on our door, we often mistake them for a crude joke of destiny. As hard as it to recognize a blessing when it is clad in unpleasant garments, we should always assume that everything happens for a specific reason. We pray for change, yet we get angry and annoyed while the road to our desired wish is being paved.
A few years ago, I read a wonderful book which related the journey of a spiritual Master. One day, the Master was visited by the town drunk, who was belligerent and disrespectful, waiting only for a chance to start an argument. The Holy Man asked him if he could pray for him, and only demanded one favor: from then on, the drunken man would have to accept everything that manifested in his life, whether it was good or bad, without questioning it. After a prayer is sent out, the Holy Man explained, any unfolding event is simply one more step toward achieving one’s heart desire.
If we pray for more financial affluence, a sack of money won’t just appear in the middle of our kitchen table; rather, we may have to lose our present job position to free ourselves from the chains that hold us back, and have the opportunity to find more financially rewarding employment. Similarly, if we ask to become more courageous, or better parents, we may first have to go through the ‘basic training’ of a few unpleasant experiences, before we can develop the attributes we wish for.
All the people we meet, and all the apparent trials we endure hold the potential of helping us become the type of person we want to be. Everything is placed on our path for our greater good, whether we do or don’t recognize its value in the greater scheme of things.
We may not understand why something is happening, but we can’t judge the importance that such an event might have in our life.
Maybe it is time that we all learn that even demons, most often, are nothing more than just angels in disguise.