Joy

I read recently that joy is not laughing all the time; it is instead confidence that a power higher than us is in control and the assurance that everything will be all right.  That definition is not so different from Einstein asking us to decide if the universe is friendly or not.  Consciously choosing to believe everything will be all right is beneficial to our health.

Seeing Others Differently

"Each person you meet is an aspect of yourself, clamoring for love." Eric Michael Leventhal

Would you view other people differently if you thought they were all clamoring for love?  It is probably true, even though that clamoring can seem very different from asking for love.  I recently was with a group who took the Enneagram test.  It was interested to see how people identified with or distinguished themselves from the others based on a number.  What if all any of us wants is to be loved?

Loneliness During the Holidays

The holidays can be very lonely, if one is isolated caring for a loved one or if one is alone when it seems everyone else is with family.  What can you do to take extra care of yourself this holiday season?  A friend with whom to get together?  A massage?  A good movie.  What suits you?

Part of Consciousness

You and I are all as much continuous with the physical universe as the wave is continuous with the ocean." Alan W. Watts

I have been attending some holiday programs.  The familiar songs, the delightful faces of children, the carefully-prepared food -- all make this a special time of year. 

The Lights in the Night

Holiday lights are shining.

Just as the holiday lights are shining in many parts of the world, what about the light that is you?  Do you allow your full essence to be present as your light onto the world?

Peace on Earth

"Good Will Toward All"

The holiday season is a time to remember that we are connected.  There are some who believe that the others in  our world are all aspects of ourselves, just as some branches of psychology say the same about the characters in our dreams.  If this were true, what does it say to you?

You Are a Gift to the World

Do you see yourself as a gift to the world?  Perhaps you should.  Have you ever considered what the lives of those around you would be like if you were not there.  We each have an essence we bring to every situation.  We can be a blessing or a bane.  It is our choice.