I  like the feeling of movement. I like to do, to accomplish things. It makes me feel useful, valid even. I used to be much more of a “doer” than I am now. Now, I am much more of a “be-er”, now that I have found the benefit of stillness.

It’s such a paradox that in stillness I find I receive much more valuable information and clarity than in my mindless doing. Paradox can be defined as “a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true”. Curious.

How can being still provide us with so much valuable information? Well, in stillness we are pretty much mindless. Empty. And we find ourselves in what is referred to as the “receiving mode.” We are not thinking thoughts, we are just mindlessly sitting. This takes some practice and discipline for sure. The idea is that we practice not controlling our thoughts as much as observing them and letting them pass through us until perhaps there is no thought at all- stillness.

Interestingly enough this is when clarity happens, brilliance even. A solution to a problem comes, or we get a really good idea, or become clear about something. Those aha! moments happen with more regularity. One of the many benefits of a regular meditation practice.

For me, it’s almost the same feeling I get out in nature, alone. My mind seems to let loose of all the gazillions of thoughts and worries and judgements and opinions I may have about things, and I just “BE.”

Alas, I can’t always be out in nature alone. There is stuff to do, obligations, responsibilities. So, I sit, every morning, and wait for stillness to happen. For inspiration. Then I can go do with more clarity, more confidence, and much less stress and anxiety as I am not running around allowing my mind to just go rampant often resulting in running into one obstacle after another.

~Stillness is truly a Blessing!~

Integrity can be defined as “the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness”. Sounds a bit stuffy. I define it as having the habitual pattern of behavior that ALWAYS makes you do the right thing- no matter what. And, of course that varies widely depending on your priorities.

It reminds me of the saying that I was actually taught in elementary school- THEGOLDEN RULE: do unto others as you would have be done to you. (something like that). Doesn’t that saying just make you do the right thing? Doesn’t it smack of karma? Like if you don’t it will come back around and bite you in the proverbial butt.

But it’s more than that. It’s more than doing the right thing to stay out of trouble. It’s doing the right thing because it feels good to do the right thing. It not only feels good on your part, it feels good on the recipient’s part. You feel better, they feel better. You raise your vibration AND theirs. Isn’t that a win-win situation?

Let’s look at the other side. What if (maybe for once in your life) you didn’t do the right thing, and you know it. How did that make you feel? certainly it did not make you proud. And you probably have no idea the ripple effect of your behavior.

Why would one not do the right thing? My guess is there is some negative emotion involved. “I’m angry so I’m gonna throw that at you since you are the source of my anger” type response. Totally natural. Totally human. But truly we must own our own emotions- there might be a subject matter or a person involved but your emotional reaction belongs to you. My emotional reaction belongs to me no matter what or who instigated it.

Policing everything you think, everything you feel, and every single reaction you have is exhausting. I am not here to berate myself or anyone else, I am just hoping to steer things, particularly how we feel and how we respond to one another, to a more positive, loving note. It benefits us all. And what benefits you or me, benefits the next person, and the next interaction, and the snowball effect takes over. Then you get to witness everyone’s vibe going higher, people being nicer and more compassionate with each other.
And if this was everyone’s intention would not that serve to create a more bautiful world? Yeh, I think so.
~Much Love~

I’ve been thinking about karma for a long time. Years. Reading and reading and trying to glean some pattern out of my experience. Searching for someone who seems to have THE answer, to no avail. Many religions have their opinions about it, but they are just opinions. Like most things, I think karma is something that you have to decide about for yourself. I still have made no such decision. I’m still waiting to be convinced.

This morning I was listening to a podcast about karma, and like many this person was basically saying that if a person has a terrible situation brought on them and they react without retaliation but take the higher road and maybe even display some grace along the way, that they will be rewarded while the perpetrator gets his or hers. Is that the way it works? I mean I have always believed in the Golden Rule- ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you’, just cuz. But does the Universe actually step in and make sure justice is served on your behalf? I don’t know. My proverbial “jury” is still out. I just take the high road because that’s what I do, not because I absolutely believe I will get rewarded for doing so.

Then there is the idea of familial or ancestral karma- whoa! You mean to say I get crap loaded onto me because of the doings of some far off relative I did not even know?! How unfair would that be? I should take some sort of responsibility because I share the same bloodline with some terrible person (s)??? Where the hell is the right or just in that?? I get that we all have lessons to learn while we are here, but why should we have to take on something that we didn’t start? It’s all a mystery to me but I do have to say that I see patterns of behavior in my family that seem to repeat themselves generation by generation. It’s odd to say the least.

At this stage in my life it has become obvious to me what the main life lessons I am meant to learn. I’d have to be completely oblivious not to recognize what is going on, and I am not that. They are crystal clear and I have learned well. Does that mean the Universe is now going to rain down Blessings upon me for the rest of my life? Wouldn’t that be nice!

Tell me your thoughts- how has Karma played out in your life? How do you think it works?