"I have learned, in whatever state I am, therewith to be content." Philippians 4:11
A spiritual story that has been circulating for decades is that of a king who one day went out into his garden.
He found all his trees looking desolate. When he inquired of the oak tree its reason for sadness, it said it wanted to be as tall and majestic as the pine tree; when he asked the pine tree its reason for discontent, the pine tree said it wanted to be a grapevine to produce grapes; the grapevine... yes, you guessed it...wanted its life taken because it did not bear beautiful, large fruit like the peach tree. As to the geranium, it was unhappy because it was not like the lilac, tall and fragrant.
The king finally found one happy species: a small violet, which was just content to be. The violet told the king: "I know I'm small, yet I thought if you wanted an oak or a pine or a peach tree, or even a lilac, you would have planted one. Since I know you wanted a violet, I'm determined to be the best little violet I can be."
With Humans It's Truth!
We can picture the seeming tranquility of the garden, yet tell the tale of discontent among the various bushes, trees and flowers, because we know the truth: it's a fallacy. But were the same story to be told about humans, sadly, we know: it's truth.
When we see each of the plants, flowers or trees in the garden, we see them shining and reflecting their glory with what nature has given to them. They don't have a mirror in which to see their image and to compare that image to others around it and become discontented.
When we see a drooping plant, we also know it's not in the best of health and something outside of itself must be causing its demise. For drooping plants and trees, often it is lack of care to the plant itself or pollution from the environment that's causing the problem. For humans, it's the lack of self care and often preoccupation
with worry or stress.
Think about those among us, whose stories we do not really know, but who we see dragging themselves around with the burdens of life hatched to their backs. The distortions could indeed come from physical illness, but often it comes from heavy emotional baggage, like envy or making comparisons, that creates disharmony in many areas of us lives.
We feel Cheated!
Many of us may feel we weren't served up the right ingredients to make for a happy walk through life. We feel somehow that life has cheated us by making us the wrong height, weight, and/or giving us the wrong color hair or skin. Others may feel they were born into the wrong family, i.e. one of poverty and not wealth..
In truth, despite all we hear about creating our lives in the moment, were we to trace our lives back to the beginning, we would see that there was a fate, destiny and direction that already seemed to predetermine our lives. And when we look back, we would see that it was a path of mostly good, despite where we may have started out, i.e. rich or poor.
Life is Skewed to Our Good!
When we begin to experience our lives getting off this path of good and cluttered with unknown "weeds," we also can then trace these back to the times we sought to go against the plan that seamlessly was laid out for us and began to follow or assimilate the plans laid out for another. At those times, we'd find that we winded up going around and around in circles, fighting with ourselves.
The truth is that when we're on the wrong path for our lives, it causes all sorts of disruption in our lives. We struggle and strain to get through each day. This is not only the case for those born into poverty, as even when poor, people adjust to a rhythm of life that brings a certain element of peace to their days.
In spiritual circles, we often hear these words:"Let Go and Let God;" "Divine Order," and "All Things Work Together For Good." These are not just vain repetitions but are Truths: there is a path of good...a fate...a destiny ... a purpose ...for our lives.
Cultivate the Right Attitude
By resting in this knowledge and by cultivating the right attitude towards life, we would find our lives flowing in the right direction; moment by moment, as we are indeed co-creating the next stage of our lives with the Spirit within us. When we work against the grain of this, then disruption and chaos cannot fail to ensue.
Often, we resist because we don't think the path where we're being led is on an attractive roadway. We don't want to go! What we often do then is fight with our own Souls in order to get to some place where we truly do not belong. The truth is that we're not solely responsible for doing this.
The societies in which we now live seem to want to re-program us all to be noticed by the world. In terms of success, many in leading motivational roles seem to want us to be visibly successful...wearing and showing our success for the world to see. Indeed, many unformed and uninformed people are getting into the motivational arena because of the financial gains they can get from people who have lost their way through life. Many are promising us and pointing us in one direction: to visible success.
Watch Out! There are many "false prophets"
Over the years, I've benefited greatly from the teachings of spiritual luminaries, such as Deepak Chopra, MD; Rev/Dr. Michael Beckwith; Dr. Wayne Dyer; Gary Zukav; Michael Singer and others. I've pointed out on this blog over time the wisdom of these teachings and have promoted their books and others on this page and in other posts. But today, the motivational field is getting crowded with confusion. Some are pushing mind-control techniques, which may serve us in the short-time to reach specific goals, but do nothing to help us achieve Wholeness.
Those seeking sincere answers to the separation they feel from their true selves (Souls) often spend thousands of dollars following people who take them to bridges leading to nowhere! To many, it seems, finding Wholeness means teaching you ways to program your mind. That is so far from the Truth! Your mind often is part of the problem separating you from Wholeness. While controlling your thoughts and programming your mind may lead you to obtaining a financial windfall and getting the trimmings of success, it will not lead you to Wholeness. For That: Search Within!
Although I've studied many different spiritual paths, I find the essence of who I am resonates with traditional teachings. I love the Bible and find so much comfort in the words of those who have gone before. After so many years of study, I know now that elaborate, world-wide Soul seeking is not at all necessary to find wholeness. To stay connected to ourselves (our Souls) moment by moment, day by day, we must stay aware of the Presence within us as we go about our daily tasks.There is no escape from thinking of God throughout the day: He is all in ALL that we do! We must recognize his works and not let our EGOs take credit! Meditation and prayer in the early morning and at night also serve to help us stay connected. For the sake of community, I recommend church attendance. Local churches work hard to keep their membership going. Your presence always would be appreciated by regular attendees. Going to church, mosque, temple or synagogue, we also can find reinforcement for our path with like-minded people.
My strong advice: Without much contemplation, don't go following the mirage of success so many contemporary programs are promoting. Many borrow bits and pieces from traditional religions, and may do a few things right, but overall offer nothing but confusion.
Our Seeds Already Have Been Planted
The seeds for our trees of life may have been planted at our birth, but those trees are growing into perfection every day as we walk through the world. Born pretty, beautiful, ugly or just plain, our lives will unfold the way it should, no matter how much we strive to fight against the destiny and the purpose that was laid out for us.
By emulating those we admire, we can improve ourselves. But we should take extraordinary care in not losing ourselves by fully copying someone else and trying to fit into an image that does not honor our truth. It also makes no sense to go through life sour and seemingly burdened because someone has something more in one area or another than we do. In every area of life, there always is someone with something more or less than we have in our lives.
We can begin by observing the microcosm of our family, then branch out to observing our friends, then to our community ...then the country and then the world. Essentially, that's how many people exponentially we'd have to compete with in order to even the score.
Would any of that make sense?
Who gets to decide what's the best...what's beautiful or what's not?
(Look at the mineral/crystal images above and below: doesn't each have a beauty all of its own? Should the topaz be a flouride, or the flouride, an amethyst?)
"For the body is not one member but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole body were hearing, where were the smell?But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body?" 1 Corinthian 12:14-19
Think of Yourself Like A"Piece of Equipment"
Many of the man-made tools and equipment we've made to facilitate our lives are intended for specific purposes. As one example, let's think here of various pieces of equipment at a gym. Can we for a moment imagine the pain, misalignment and disjointedness that would occur, were we to use the wrong equipment for parts of the body that they were not intended to support?
In a way, we also should view ourselves each as "machines," designed for certain roles in life."Made in the image and likeness of God," we are each programmed for a specific purpose. Like the man-made machines, which are constantly being perfected, we also day-by-day are programmed for improvement and success.
When we realize that our different gifts are intended to be used for different purposes, we can understand fully why disharmony often results when we try to take over what does not rightfully belong to us.
Don't Fit Badly Into Your Own Life!
Have you ever seen people fitting very badly into their own lives? On the surface, they may appear to be successful, but you can certainly detect the lack of joy from their ill-fitting lives. Do you wonder how they get through their days with so much unhappiness and lack of peace?
Even when we have achieved our own stripes in our own way in life, we may cling to feelings of discontent because someone, somewhere, is doing something different.
Why?
Envy has to be the surest way for us to lose the blessings we've been given and destroy every ounce of good that came our way through our own striving. Do not lose what you have earned through your conscious efforts by needless comparisons and envy!
We should go within ourselves and ask the following questions about what we're doing or planning to do:
Am I in sync with my Soul?
Am I following my own path?
Am I being truthful to my own skills and talents?
Get Back To Wholeness Through Acceptance of Your Own Gifts
When you're able to answer a resounding YES to these questions, then you're on your way back to wholeness. Even if you've strayed a far way off course, by steadily listening and re-connecting with your Soul, you'll get back onto your intended path. You'll be back to the peace and the success that was intended for your life.
Be content with the path that was laid out for you! Get back in touch with your Soul!
Namaste',
Che'
 |
| Credit: Sociedad Argentina de Horticultura |
He found all his trees looking desolate. When he inquired of the oak tree its reason for sadness, it said it wanted to be as tall and majestic as the pine tree; when he asked the pine tree its reason for discontent, the pine tree said it wanted to be a grapevine to produce grapes; the grapevine... yes, you guessed it...wanted its life taken because it did not bear beautiful, large fruit like the peach tree. As to the geranium, it was unhappy because it was not like the lilac, tall and fragrant.
 |
| Credit: Sociedad Argentina de Horticultura |
We can picture the seeming tranquility of the garden, yet tell the tale of discontent among the various bushes, trees and flowers, because we know the truth: it's a fallacy. But were the same story to be told about humans, sadly, we know: it's truth.
 |
| Truth! |
When we see a drooping plant, we also know it's not in the best of health and something outside of itself must be causing its demise. For drooping plants and trees, often it is lack of care to the plant itself or pollution from the environment that's causing the problem. For humans, it's the lack of self care and often preoccupation
with worry or stress.
 |
| Credit: Mentors' Channel |
Think about those among us, whose stories we do not really know, but who we see dragging themselves around with the burdens of life hatched to their backs. The distortions could indeed come from physical illness, but often it comes from heavy emotional baggage, like envy or making comparisons, that creates disharmony in many areas of us lives.
 |
| Credit: Sociedad Argentina de Horticultura |
We feel Cheated!
Many of us may feel we weren't served up the right ingredients to make for a happy walk through life. We feel somehow that life has cheated us by making us the wrong height, weight, and/or giving us the wrong color hair or skin. Others may feel they were born into the wrong family, i.e. one of poverty and not wealth..
In truth, despite all we hear about creating our lives in the moment, were we to trace our lives back to the beginning, we would see that there was a fate, destiny and direction that already seemed to predetermine our lives. And when we look back, we would see that it was a path of mostly good, despite where we may have started out, i.e. rich or poor.
"Everyone on this earth should believe amid whatever madness or moral failure, that his life and temperament have some objective on the earth.Despite the circumstances into which we may have been born, all of life is skewed to keep us moving progressively forward, not backward. This should be the first clue to us that our fate...our destiny ...is one of successful living.
Everyone on the earth should believe that he has something to give to the world which cannot otherwise be given." G.K. Chesterton.
 |
| Credit: Sociedad Argentina de Horticulutura |
Life is Skewed to Our Good!
When we begin to experience our lives getting off this path of good and cluttered with unknown "weeds," we also can then trace these back to the times we sought to go against the plan that seamlessly was laid out for us and began to follow or assimilate the plans laid out for another. At those times, we'd find that we winded up going around and around in circles, fighting with ourselves.
The truth is that when we're on the wrong path for our lives, it causes all sorts of disruption in our lives. We struggle and strain to get through each day. This is not only the case for those born into poverty, as even when poor, people adjust to a rhythm of life that brings a certain element of peace to their days.
In spiritual circles, we often hear these words:"Let Go and Let God;" "Divine Order," and "All Things Work Together For Good." These are not just vain repetitions but are Truths: there is a path of good...a fate...a destiny ... a purpose ...for our lives.
Cultivate the Right Attitude
By resting in this knowledge and by cultivating the right attitude towards life, we would find our lives flowing in the right direction; moment by moment, as we are indeed co-creating the next stage of our lives with the Spirit within us. When we work against the grain of this, then disruption and chaos cannot fail to ensue.
Often, we resist because we don't think the path where we're being led is on an attractive roadway. We don't want to go! What we often do then is fight with our own Souls in order to get to some place where we truly do not belong. The truth is that we're not solely responsible for doing this.
The societies in which we now live seem to want to re-program us all to be noticed by the world. In terms of success, many in leading motivational roles seem to want us to be visibly successful...wearing and showing our success for the world to see. Indeed, many unformed and uninformed people are getting into the motivational arena because of the financial gains they can get from people who have lost their way through life. Many are promising us and pointing us in one direction: to visible success.
Watch Out! There are many "false prophets"
 |
| Credit: Sociedad Argentina de Horticultura |
Over the years, I've benefited greatly from the teachings of spiritual luminaries, such as Deepak Chopra, MD; Rev/Dr. Michael Beckwith; Dr. Wayne Dyer; Gary Zukav; Michael Singer and others. I've pointed out on this blog over time the wisdom of these teachings and have promoted their books and others on this page and in other posts. But today, the motivational field is getting crowded with confusion. Some are pushing mind-control techniques, which may serve us in the short-time to reach specific goals, but do nothing to help us achieve Wholeness.
Those seeking sincere answers to the separation they feel from their true selves (Souls) often spend thousands of dollars following people who take them to bridges leading to nowhere! To many, it seems, finding Wholeness means teaching you ways to program your mind. That is so far from the Truth! Your mind often is part of the problem separating you from Wholeness. While controlling your thoughts and programming your mind may lead you to obtaining a financial windfall and getting the trimmings of success, it will not lead you to Wholeness. For That: Search Within!
"Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you." Matthew 6:33
 |
| Be as sturdy and simple as an apple tree. Do what YOU do best! |
Learn to Differentiate Truth from "Fiction"
We must learn to differentiate between motivational teachings for success and finding the Wholeness we seek by reconnecting with Soul.I now tell people with whom I share spiritual insights that following their simple traditional religion ...where they may be able to honor the Eucharist or do simple rituals ...is the best way to stay connected with the goodness within themselves.
Although I've studied many different spiritual paths, I find the essence of who I am resonates with traditional teachings. I love the Bible and find so much comfort in the words of those who have gone before. After so many years of study, I know now that elaborate, world-wide Soul seeking is not at all necessary to find wholeness. To stay connected to ourselves (our Souls) moment by moment, day by day, we must stay aware of the Presence within us as we go about our daily tasks.There is no escape from thinking of God throughout the day: He is all in ALL that we do! We must recognize his works and not let our EGOs take credit! Meditation and prayer in the early morning and at night also serve to help us stay connected. For the sake of community, I recommend church attendance. Local churches work hard to keep their membership going. Your presence always would be appreciated by regular attendees. Going to church, mosque, temple or synagogue, we also can find reinforcement for our path with like-minded people.
 |
| Credit: Sociedad Argentina de Horticultura These Digitas Purpureas may bloom, thrive and stand out for a season...but they, too, eventually pass on. |
"Leaders, teachers, and philosophers speak and work for a season and then fall silent and powerless. He [God] abides. They die but He lives. they are lights that glow yet are ultimately extinguished. But He is the true Light from which they draw their brightness, and He shines forevermore." Alexander Maclaren, as related in "Streams In the Desert."
 |
| Sociedad Argentina de Horticultura |
Our Seeds Already Have Been Planted
The seeds for our trees of life may have been planted at our birth, but those trees are growing into perfection every day as we walk through the world. Born pretty, beautiful, ugly or just plain, our lives will unfold the way it should, no matter how much we strive to fight against the destiny and the purpose that was laid out for us.
 |
| Credit: Mentors' Channel |
By emulating those we admire, we can improve ourselves. But we should take extraordinary care in not losing ourselves by fully copying someone else and trying to fit into an image that does not honor our truth. It also makes no sense to go through life sour and seemingly burdened because someone has something more in one area or another than we do. In every area of life, there always is someone with something more or less than we have in our lives.
We can begin by observing the microcosm of our family, then branch out to observing our friends, then to our community ...then the country and then the world. Essentially, that's how many people exponentially we'd have to compete with in order to even the score.
Would any of that make sense?
Who gets to decide what's the best...what's beautiful or what's not?
 |
| Credit: Geology Page |
 |
 |
| on Facebook. |
Think of Yourself Like A"Piece of Equipment"
Many of the man-made tools and equipment we've made to facilitate our lives are intended for specific purposes. As one example, let's think here of various pieces of equipment at a gym. Can we for a moment imagine the pain, misalignment and disjointedness that would occur, were we to use the wrong equipment for parts of the body that they were not intended to support?
 |
| Credit: Sociedad Argentina de Horticultura |
In a way, we also should view ourselves each as "machines," designed for certain roles in life."Made in the image and likeness of God," we are each programmed for a specific purpose. Like the man-made machines, which are constantly being perfected, we also day-by-day are programmed for improvement and success.When we realize that our different gifts are intended to be used for different purposes, we can understand fully why disharmony often results when we try to take over what does not rightfully belong to us.
Don't Fit Badly Into Your Own Life!
 |
| Credit: Mentors' Channel |
Have you ever seen people fitting very badly into their own lives? On the surface, they may appear to be successful, but you can certainly detect the lack of joy from their ill-fitting lives. Do you wonder how they get through their days with so much unhappiness and lack of peace?
Even when we have achieved our own stripes in our own way in life, we may cling to feelings of discontent because someone, somewhere, is doing something different.
Why?
We should go within ourselves and ask the following questions about what we're doing or planning to do:
Am I in sync with my Soul?
Am I following my own path?
Am I being truthful to my own skills and talents?
Get Back To Wholeness Through Acceptance of Your Own Gifts
When you're able to answer a resounding YES to these questions, then you're on your way back to wholeness. Even if you've strayed a far way off course, by steadily listening and re-connecting with your Soul, you'll get back onto your intended path. You'll be back to the peace and the success that was intended for your life.Be content with the path that was laid out for you! Get back in touch with your Soul!
Namaste',
Che'
