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Lessons on Life

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall.
When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted.

The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise.

The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.

The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree's life. He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, the fulfillment of your fall.

Don't judge life by one difficult season.

Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come sometime .
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Attitude

There once was a woman who woke up one morning,
Looked in the mirror,
And noticed she had only three hairs on her head.
Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today."

So she did And She Had A Wonderful Day.

The next day she woke up,
Looked in the mirror
And saw that she had only two hairs on her head.
"H-M-M," she said,
"I think I'll part my hair down the middle today."

So she did And She Had A Grand Day.

The next day she woke up,
Looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only
one hair on her head.
"Well," she said,
"today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail."

So she did And She Had A Fun, Fun Day.

The next day she woke up,
Looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a
single hair on her head.
"YEA!" she exclaimed,
"I don't have to fix my hair today!"

Attitude is everything.

Be kinder than necessary,
For everyone you meet is fighting some kind of
battle.

Live simply,

Love generously,

Care deeply,

Speak kindly.

Daily Word

Apr. 20th, 2006 10:01 am
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I know several of you are spiritual in eclectic ways, and some of you prefer not to see the words God or Jesus as they represent things that bother you. That said, as I was reared as a preacher's kid in the 60s and 70s, referring to my Higher Power as God comes naturally, even though my personal concept of godhood is a little more generic and asexual. I do believe in Jesus and feel he was an avatar with an important spiritual message beyond the political atmosphere and agendas of his time; I also try to learn from other spiritual avatars and utilize aspects of deities and saints as models for me to develop the sorts of characteristics in my personality, or the focuses in my life, that could use support and guidance in that way. In my nomenclature, a Christian is a person who is on a path to be Christ-like, and that is a noble goal. Many people who call themselves that practice a religion, they do not follow a spiritual path.

But there are people in every spiritual tradition who miss the mark (the definition of sin, by the way) and give everybody else a bad name because of their wrongheadedness and misguided behavior. I feel that it is more important to have a spiritual path that provides an inner compass than a religion that provides a lot of rules and regulations. When I talk to people about religion, I like to describe it as good medicine. If a religious practice is too painful or boring, it is not for you. Not to say that a spiritual path does not require work and dedication, but it should be like a love affair, something you do because it fulfills you, not simply an obligation. Your spiritual life should comfort you, guide you, keep you straight and offer you joy.

When I pray, I talk to God. But I also commune with my guides and other spirits in a way that is not prayer but might be interpreted that way. It might also be interpreted as talking to myself, but as far as I am concerned it's okay to be skeptical as long as people keep an open mind and heart. No need to be spiritually gullible; there are indeed things out there that take advantage of our generosity, light and vulnerabilities.

The hardest part is the surrender, letting go of control. We are in charge of ourselves, but having to be in control can hike up our stress levels like a pressure cooker and suck the enjoyment from anything.

The aspects of Jesus' path I think I find most important are unconditional love and childlike faith. Learning to accept life's vagaries and indignities with grace and humor and releasing my grip on the reins so that my soul can run freely... it's the ultimate in delegation.

Let Go, Let God )
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Today's Affirmation: - I love, respect and trust myself.

Thoughts... if your body is a temple, are you being a disciple or a terrorist? Sometimes even good disciples become distracted or neglectful. Today, consider what 'spring cleaning' may mean in regard to your body and personal health, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. What should be swept out? What should be replaced? What do you need more of, or less of, to feng shui your internal landscape?

Take deep breaths, inhaling into your belly and fully releasing on the exhale. Repeat the affirmation several times. Note any resistance you may have to telling yourself these things, and let it go.

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Caroline Abreu

January 2022

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