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The World is Only as Mad as How You See it

Perhaps you read this title and thought, what’s this guy on about? Is he just trying to be provocative and controversial? Really I’m not, but let me explain a bit about what I mean here and hopefully earn your trust on this one!

There’s a lot of chatter around these days that the “world has gone mad”, or that things are getting worse not better all the time. It’s easy to get drawn into this way of thinking for a number of reasons, including the fact that we are given this message through social media and our news outlets all the time.

But determining if its actually true is much more difficult and not really the point of this discussion anyway.

It’s more about our individual viewpoint on the issue and how we affect the world around us.

I’m obviously not saying that you as an individual control how all the things happen in the world just by looking at them. No one person has that kind of power (luckily!). But as a collective we do influence each other, through our thoughts and actions. Every time you look lovingly at another person, or think highly of someone, or do something positive in the world, that affects your energy and that of the people around you.

It spreads from one person to the next, so in that way your way of seeing the world does have an effect that is greater than what you might think at first.

The other meaning in this title comes down to how you feel about your own life and your place in the world. Most of what actually makes up our lives: the day to day activities we take part in, our time at home with our families, even our jobs, are generally fairly insulated from “the madness” that we keep being told about. In fact it’s mostly just the chatter about the fact that it exists that has any direct influence on our lives. If you disconnect from that chatter, you may find that life seems better all of a sudden.

Our news media is full of sensational stories that are meant to titillate and provoke, and keep your attention as long as possible. Most of social media is designed the same way. Everyone is fighting for your attention.

Now you may argue that its important to be connected into what’s happening in the world. And that is true, but I would argue that the method of connection is key. Connecting into the sensational, the negative, is not helpful. Fostering connection through real social relationships and community, building strength through becoming more conscious of our connections to each other at a deeper level, connections that are often ignored. This is where we will truly discover what is happening in the world. This is where we will each stop playing a part in perpetuating the “madness”.

This madness we keep hearing about isn’t a permanent fixture of humanity. It isn’t inevitable and it isn’t our true nature. It can be reduced and then eliminated over time. That process starts with each one of us.

And its really quite simple. Think, act and be in a place of integrity. Be authentic and honourable in everything you do, say and think.

Your life will improve and then the lives of those around you will improve. And on it will go.

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Today I Grieve – And Experience The Fullness of Life

Do you take the time to grieve the losses in your life? Do you think its important to do so?

There are many reasons we grieve. Some are obvious, others hidden, but all affect us in some way. Often profound ways.

Today I grieve recent and not so recent losses.

The loss of connection with old friends who meant a lot to me.

The loss of people who are no longer living.

The loss of connection to place.

The loss of deep meaningful community in our society.

The loss of a perceived simpler time.

The loss of my old self.

I grieve these things because I must in order to feel passionate about the things that are in my life now, at this moment. All experiences must be fully lived, fully felt, and fully completed.

Grief is one side of this process.

So is joy,

so is despair,

so is love.

All of these make up the full experience of our life.

So today I feel my grief as fully as I can muster. And open myself to the whole spectrum of emotion. Of life.

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Following the Signs: Are Healers Stodgy?

A few weeks back I woke up earlier than I normally do. I also did something out of the ordinary for me when it happened that particular day.

Normally when I wake up early I stay in bed and read or simply meditate until I fall back to sleep. On this particular morning instead I got out of bed, went to the kitchen and picked up my phone. I didn’t know why I had decided to do that but something urged me in that direction. I opened the Facebook app on my phone and there it was – a post made by a Facebook friend who was having suicidal thoughts and was clearly distraught and looking for help. The reason for what I had done became clear. I was simply following the wisdom of the universe without realizing that was what I was doing. And if you’re wondering, the friend got help with his immediate needs.

When you become more in tune with yourself and your place in the universe you will notice things like this happening. The universal spirit guiding you to do things, situations unfolding in a way that lead to important events, synchronicities conspiring to put you where you need to be in order to do your work in the world.

We are all in different stages of a process of self-discovery. Part of mine has been to learn that I have always been a healer. I spent a large part of that life attempting to block out those parts of myself. Pushing people and thoughts away in many cases. Actively denying my true purpose and causing myself to suffer in the process. Feeling like an outsider and wondering where I fit in the grand scheme of things.

Only more recently have I begun to discover some of the reasons why, and begun to embrace that conversation. Honestly I still have a long way to go – but I am so grateful for what I have already found. For each of us this is a life-long journey, continually building on top of what has come before.

I recently started reading “Way of the Peaceful Warrior” by Dan Millman. It’s also a movie, which I watched a few weeks ago as it was recommended in an online workshop I was doing. The premise of the story is similar to that of anyone finding their way, finding true peace and happiness in this life. Going on a journey – we’re all on that journey. The same message I am now sharing with you. There was a reason I signed up for that workshop, as you can now see!

In the book the main character is learning from his spiritual guru, and each lesson brings him closer to his true self. I have been lucky to have many friends and guides along my journey. The guru in the book has a “business card” that states: “Specializing in Paradox, Humor and Change”, and he incorporates humor and joy into many of his lessons. This really resonated with me. I’ve had some challenge with the image of what a healer or a spiritual person is supposed to be like. I often see a serious, stodgy, often unrelatable person in my mind’s eye. But the lesson here is that they don’t need to be any of those things. They can be funny, relatable, quirky, goofy, or whatever else they want to be. The underlying message and the ultimate teaching is the same.

And in fact it is much more effective coming from someone who is being who they are to their core. Living their own truth and being themselves 100%.

So I encourage you to follow your path – the one that is uniquely yours. Pay attention to the signs coming at you from the universe. Maybe read a book that was made into a movie that was recommended in an online workshop that the universe told you to take part in.