2004-06-28

---

The following passage was abbreviated for the June 6th entry. It has been one of the favorites as several people have commented on it. I include it again in its entirety just to see if there is any hint of a difference in the complete versus the abbreviated versions. There may not be as I tried to remain faithful to the essence on June 6th even as I shortened it.

When I focus on the negative, what I attend to, that very negativity, enlarges. It is then that I feel all of my difficult thoughts are as cobwebs. They block the light from me. They feel icky to have and they separate me from what I really want. How do I sweep away the cobwebs? At times, it can be hard work. I see myself opening the garret windows to let the fresh air in, to let the bright sunshine in. This brings me back to the aspect of breathability as well as expansiveness. When I live with mind clutter, which are my cobwebs, I am definitely imprisoned , uncomfortable, and gasping for air.

When I succumb to mind clutter the “I” of me is totally lost in the junk of life. It all comes back to letting go and moving into the now. Breathing deeply does help to erase mind junk. Condemnation and judgment play their part as guards to keep the imprisoned bound. When I let go of judgment the light of life can come in. As I let go of condemnation of self and others, the air is as fresh as a spring morning after the rain has watered the land.

2004-07-01

---

I can choose to live with the situation as is or I can choose to let go and move on. from Chapter 3 and in Set II

2004-07-04

---

If I can get past the expectation that things be as they were or that things be other than they are, then I am free. I am free from loss, free from grasping for what is not. When I am free then the all in the all is acceptable to me. No one is forcing me into acceptance. I am choosing either acceptance or change. I choose whatever I believe fits for me, right now. I can also choose to stay stuck because even being stuck has a place in the all in the all. No one, no thing is left out. There is a time and a purpose for all choices. Freedom would mean nothing if I were not fully free. The free person has a full spectrum of emotions and responses from which to choose. One caveat though is that life is flow and the choices that end being stuck are useful for that purpose. As I am able to end being stuck, by my own choice, I can get moving again and return to being in the flow. from Chapter 7

2004-07-08

---

My goal is to gladly receive the moment as it arises, be with it for its momentary being and then let go of that moment as it passes. Set II, from chapter 8

2004-07-09

---

I would not get rid of old habits until I start practicing new ones. It would seem embracing the new comes before letting go of the old. There will be times when the old still asserts itself. It is those very times when I need to have faith that time and practice of the new will accomplish the goals I set.

The fresh water mixes with that which has been long stagnant. Initially, it is not a pretty sight. When enough fresh water is allowed to flow freely the stagnant stench will be but a memory. The fresh water could represent the new behavior that is set in motion to replace old patterns. As the water continues to pour forth even the memory is washed away. And that is okay. No need to hold back the water out of a fear that the flow will dry up and stop pouring forth. Once the dam is opened there is no end to the water. The reservoir is bottomless and yet, filled to overflowing. In infinity and eternity, there is truly no beginning, no end. The Alpha and the Omega find their place in the all in the all.

2004-07-13

---

The moment for any experience is transitory and not to be held on to forever.

chapter 7 in set II

2004-07-14

---

In the context of the bigger picture I can definitely see things more clearly. Again that may not always be the easiest thing to do. But when done, it leads to a greater sense of peace and love. Taking the time to respond and not simply to react saves me future regret for having said or done something hateful as my reaction. The ability to see the bigger picture is embracing the all in the all. When I take the step back to view the whole as it truly is, my vision clears and my perspective enlarges. The small part of the whole that I could only glimpse before is put in its place.

Every interaction that I have with others could be viewed as only one part of the whole. It is rather like trying to know what a completed jigsaw puzzle is from one isolated piece of that puzzle. What I thought was blue sky was really the blue of the ocean.

2004-07-19

---

Do not fear the uncertainty but rather embrace the moment.

2004-07-20

---

What are the new life and the new treasures? Both images reveal an openness and a being laid bare. There is no more hiding the treasure or hiding the light under a bushel. I image the light shining brightly and the gems sparkling waiting to be chosen. The new little tree is growing toward the light. It is getting stronger everyday. There is indeed an abundance of life, an abundance of wealth. Every good gift is available to me. There is no drought, there is no lack. All is available to be freely taken, received and freely passed on. The river of life flows freely, no dams of fear, no dams of anger, no dams of resistance. Open hearts and open minds are being filled with love, grace, peace, wisdom and knowledge. Again, every good gift is mine and I do not need to understand why that is so.

2004-07-24

---

The dynamic made static begs another question. What does concept mean? Some meanings for concept are mental image; generalized idea formed by combining the elements of a class into the notion of one object; thought or opinion. Thus it is obvious why the concept is so easy to love because it is my imagination in the concept that is so very disparate from the reality of the actual person, place or thing. Expectations that my mental image will actually fit reality are what often lead to disappointment, disillusionment and discouragement. My concept of the other is my attempt to make the dynamic other a static representation of what I think them to be. The concept I hold in my mind gives me a sense of familiarity and control.