My account last month of the young woman who died from cancer because she focused on avoiding it every day and night, might give the impression that God is aloof and coldly objective, and that "he" will allow us to stumble along until we painfully discover for ourselves how things actually function. This is how much of the world thinks God relates to such suffering.
Replacing the picture of God as an old man with a beard in the clouds with a picture of a formal, abstract and impartial judge, is simply replacing one Hamburger-Universe-style image of God with another. God as a cold and impartial judge who allows us to bungle along is just one more version of God as a human being enlarged.
From what we know of the universe and its workings (even while acknowledging the very limited abilities of our minds to envisage what the creator of this universe might be like), seeing God as a personal and conscious energy that pulsates through everything that exists is much closer to the mark. When we come to fully realize that this energy pulsates in each and every one of us then we can understand the truth which all the great teachers first propounded: "You are Gods." (And if that's too scary we can phrase it as "You are divine.") But the small degree to which we have managed to implement this in our lives makes us shamefaced to act on that truth.
Thank You Anger!
It was one of those days…I woke up on the “wrong side of the bed” and could tell there was a part of me that felt extremely vulnerable. Good time to write this monthly column on transforming anger with “Infinite Love & Gratitude!”
Anger has many destructive consequences that are experienced both internally on a psychological and physical level and externally in our relationships, jobs, and our ability to live life passionately. Some of us experience it daily, while others hold on to it for years at a time, leading to a life of victimization, regret, and fear. Over time anger can become self-destructive, ruining relationships, and eventually diminishing physical health.
This is not to say anger is always a bad thing -- anger is a natural part of living; it is a signal that something is wrong and is calling for your attention. Anger evokes that well-known "fight, fright, or flight" response, preparing us to defend ourselves physically and psychologically. Back when anger corresponded to real threats, this response could be lifesaving, but today it pushes your body and behavior into an overdrive mode that is almost always unnecessary…road rage, addiction, spousal and child abuse are to name but a few.
When you become angry the hormones adrenaline and cortisol are released, causing your heart rate and blood pressure to increase...
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Story fields - the narrative shape of our lives and cultures
by Tom Atlee
When I step back and take a look at stories -- both narratives and lived stories -- I see that there are huge constellations of them that reinforce each other. Each of these groupings paints a particular whole picture of how life is or should be. These story-pictures seem to have a lot of power over people.
Consider an example. Many people around the world have a powerful (although not always articulated) sense of THE AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE. Probably the vast majority of Americans are actually motivated by that sense. We could describe it in terms of principles -- like freedom, individualism, patriotism, progress, mobility, property rights, the pursuit of happiness, and so on. But to fathom the compelling nature of The American Way of Life, we need to step into the stories that generate it. See what comes up for you when you consider the following evocative images: Pioneers. Cowboys. The Declaration of Independence. Manifest Destiny. Rags to Riches. Technological Progress. The World's Only Superpower. The Career. The Work Ethic. The Wise Investment. The Safety Net. Family Values. The Melting Pot. The American Dream. The War on Terror.
Labyrinths - transformational paths to inner and outer peace
by Cate Montana
As an archetypal symbol, the labyrinth is nearly unique in that its concept can be constructed as a dimensional form. Walking the twists and turns of a labyrinth's pathways allows the walker to embody not only the form but also the nature of the symbol with its spiraling and bewildering, yet inexorable, progress toward an unseen goal.
Kimberly Lowelle Saward
As a student working on her Ph.D. in Psychology at the Institute of Imaginal Studies in San Francisco, Kimberly Lowelle discovered the labyrinths at Grace Cathedral while exploring the city with a fellow student. Not expecting much, they both walked the labyrinth along with other visitors to the Cathedral that day. It was a simple act: walk, follow the path. No thought or choices involved. Just walk, follow the path. She did, and it changed her life.
