Jan Denise – Page 838

How do YOU use the gift of choice?

A scientist, God did not leave our goodness to chance. An artist, he contrasted good with evil, certainty with mystery. And choice is the life he breathed into his creation.*

Without that freedom of choice, we would be like lifeless robots. We wouldn’t know the glory of choosing love, of being true to ourselves, of being the best we could be!
Choose happy!

*From the introduction of my last book “Innately Good.”… More

Three Questions Drive Division. What drives unity?

Different beliefs tend to divide us and draw lines between us — in politics, religion and intimate relationships. But we can use these same differences to remove the blinders that keep us narrow-minded.

“Buddhism divided over the questions that have always divided people,” says Huston Smith in “The World’s Religions.”

He goes on to identify the questions:

Are people independent or interdependent?

Is the universe helpful or indifferent toward its creatures?

What is the best part of the human self, head or heart?
You can, in the light of these questions, assess differences in your personal, professional, spiritual, political and civic relationships.

Now, consider this: The “right” answer to each of the three questions is “both.” Our binary thinking (it has to be one or the other) is a trap, a trap that leads to division of home, church, country and planet.

Perhaps you are afraid that if somebody else is right, you must be wrong. Perhaps you cling to an outcome you can blame on the universe, or perhaps you cling to one you can control — “If it’s up to me, I can make it happen.” Maybe you are complacent or weary of thinking. Maybe you are broken-hearted.

An open mind and heart lead us to the truth.… More

Reassess the Cons of “I Do”

From a client (written while abroad):

“I’m a month and a half away from getting married, and every morning I wake up trying to decide if I really want to.

Why do people get married? What should I expect out of it?

I’m scared of falling out of the little imperfect love I have for him. I’m scared of not being happy. One time I’m all hopeful, all excited and cannot wait to get married, and another time I think it will lead to a lifetime of misery, and I want to run.

I keep writing the pros and cons of marriage. At the end of the list, I find it’s all about me. Then, I feel guilty and shy away from the exercise.

Do you think I should get married? Do you think I love him? I want to believe I love him. What is love anyway? I keep losing the nice emotions. I used to have these very sweet feelings for him… they’re fading… can it be out of fear?

Before you judge too harshly, think back to when you said — or contemplated — “I do.” What were you feeling? Now, be more honest with yourself than you were then!… More

What if you let him love you?

What if when he/she said something that made you feel defensive, you realized that he can’t really make you feel defensive? What if you knew that he merely triggered an existing wound? What if you seized an opportunity to talk about it, to trace it to the pain that caused it, and to realize that the source of the pain was no longer there?

What if you could be the one to treat the wound and heal it? And what if he could hold you close while you were doing it? Would you let him? Will you let him?… More

Now … Always

May all that I set my hand to do be purposed and performed in love. And may I do it with all of my heart and all of my mind.

And may I know that it doesn’t matter who is watching or what the outcome is.… More

Is something out of alignment?

To heal–or stop exacerbating–a physical, mental, or spiritual issue, you have to stop stressing. And you can do that by reconciling your values, thoughts, and behaviors. Don’t just talk to a doctor, don’t just diet, don’t just meditate, and don’t just re-evaluate your beliefs.

Meet with your body, your mind, and your spirit together, so that each can play its role in harmony with the others. Let them sing the same song, your song. … More