Showing posts with label nature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nature. Show all posts

Friday, February 12, 2010

Links of Light (Repost)

We can't all like everyone all the time. But we can work harder at tolerance, compassion, empathy, generosity, and a genuine desire to recognize that we are all in this together.” ~Nicsautoservice

I can honestly say that I like just about everyone I run into – not necessarily because I agree with their views or ways of life, but rather because I have come to understand we are all equally important and all share a common denominator: As Wayne Dyer so perfectly phrased it, we are all spiritual beings on an earthly trip.

We simply approach life differently. We look at things through the filters of socio-cultural structures and personal upbringing, and not one brain is wired exactly like another. Ultimately, we are the product of two factors: personality and environment. When it comes to human beings, I believe that it is more accurate to assume we are a product of Nature plus Nurture, rather than Nature vs. Nurture. We are separated by distance, genes, cultural imprints, language, political and religious affiliations, yet our basic makeup is the same for all.

Let’s look at the concept of light for a moment - light can be natural or artificial. Natural light can be produced by the sun, the moon, or fire. Artificial light can be identified as belonging to even more sub-categories – lightbulbs, for example, can be of different shapes, intensity and color. Specific types of light are used for different purposes, and are adapted to fit individual taste and need, but they are ultimately all sources of light produced by raw energy.

Our light quotient is what makes us all different yet alike. Some of us shine brighter than others, some are crafted in different shapes and colors, some are meant to be dimmer and more subdued, and some put out psychedelic flashes of light for shock value, but aside from our output and physical appearance we are all superficially different manifestations of the same core of light; when we connect to one another, we all shine as one source.

Even more eye-opening is the concept that we are indeed all pieces of the same puzzle, regardless of the position we hold within the design. We might be a corner piece, a frame piece or an inside piece, but each of us is unique and irreplaceable in the greater scheme of things. Even those we don’t like or get along with; those we judge and accuse; those we deem inferior or useless. When all is said and done, and the earthly illusion of superiority and inferiority is shed, we all feel, laugh, hurt, love and cry; we are all vulnerable and prone to being scared when no one is watching; we all smile when something good happens.

Regardless of which masks we wear, or what float we parade on, we are all part of the same Carnival.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Spirit In All

“The Light of Spirit surrounds us; the Love of Spirit enfolds us; the Power of Spirit protects us; the Presence of Spirit watches over us; Spirit wells in us. Wherever we are, Spirit is, and All Is Well.”


Not too long ago I discovered a slice of Paradise near my house. I had arrived too early to meet a friend at a local park and, since it was a beautiful day, I decided to get out of the car and take a walk. As I ventured down the trail, I saw a wooden bridge breaking off the main path, so I decided to follow it. The bridge led to a swampy area tucked behind the woods, one I never knew was there.

The sight was breathtaking. Due to heavy rains of late, the body of water appeared swollen and pregnant with life of all different types. No matter where my eyes rested, something moved – from tadpoles to insects and even a few snakes quietly soaking the warmth of the day atop of rotten logs.

I sat on the bridge and listened. The many voices blended into a primal song, interrupted only by the incessant call of a lone bird perched on a branch nearby. The air smelled earthy and slightly musty - the result of decaying wood mixed with the fragrance of new growth exploding all around.

Somehow, although I was alone, I didn’t feel that way. I lied down on the bridge and looked up toward the skyline, noticing how some of the trees had bent and were now curving toward one another, their branches and leaves eager to connect - some of them close enough to resemble hands joined in a silent prayer.

Those trees piqued my attention. For an instant I felt protected and safe, tucked away from the rest of the world and able to open my heart to the beauty of Spirit manifesting all around, if only for a brief moment.

In that flash of time I knew I was one with all there is. No hierarchy or race supremacy – big or small, young or old, in that natural setting I was no different than the beetle carefully making its way around a thorn bush.

We are taught that the human race is superior to other animals, and we are able to control our environment to fit our existence, but in reality that’s nothing more than an ego fix. Viruses defy our advanced science and morph into new forms we can’t control, and natural events have the power to wipe away human structures –Nature only allows us to cling to an illusion of control, but reserves the last word to remind us that in the end, we are just another form of creation.

I was always taught that all life matters, regardless of what it looks like. Just because we can’t see the greater picture we can’t assume we have the right to decide the worth of another aspect of creation. We are all part of the One, and the One is part of All. And that is all we need to know.