The Mystery of Life: "What's 'Round The Corner?"

EDITOR'S NOTE All scenic photos this post- Geology Page on Facebook. 
Top  photo: Fingal's Cave, Scotland (cont'd at bottom of post)

"It began in mystery, and it will end in mystery, but what a savage and beautiful country lies in between."  Diane Ackerman: A Natural History 

Most of us make choices each day that should provide long term security for ourselves and our families. Yet, even with the best of planning, none of us can be sure what lies around the corner...waiting... as a surprise experience for us.

If we think about life in a mostly positive way, we'd expect that whatever lies ahead to be pleasant and adding joy to our days. If we have a tendency to negativity, we can live in fear of what may lie ahead. 

This is the area of life...this living with the mystery of life...that separates the faithful from those who are atheist or agnostic. 

But then, again, there's grace. 

Grace is the unexpected happening that takes a seemingly negative person, or even a positive-leaning person, into a different level of being. We can be moved from extremely dire circumstances into one of hope and joy, by a single act of grace.

So an obvious question for most of us: how do we acquire grace or get grace to show up more and more in our lives?

That question may challenge many of us for most of our lives....if we are undiscerning. 

Grace may seem to occur in our lives at random times, i.e. at times we didn't know how an answer to our prayer could manifest. Then, out of nowhere, grace showed up transforming a bad or negative experience into a very good, or excellent, outcome. To us then, grace may seem like a miracle. 

But for those who study the actions of God, we learn that grace shows up most often in the lives of those who believe in a power greater than him or herself.

When we are able to leave space in our lives for a superior power to take over, after all of our own exhausted efforts have failed: we leave room for God to act; we receive grace. 

When we believe that God is the foundation of all that we do, we do receive more frequent "acts of grace."

Grace is not arbitrary:
"Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all those things will be added unto you,"
Matthew 6:33

It is difficult even for those who believe in God to believe absolutely in his showing up for us at those times when we most need him. That's because the human mind is conditioned to know what's ahead with a fair amount of certainty. When we don't know or can't predict with a high level of certainty what will happen, fear and anxiety result. 

Fear: false evidence appearing real. And there's lots of this evidence around to support our negative thoughts. Anxiety is the physical manifestation of that fear. Once it gets going, it's often hard to stop our minds from getting all tied up in knots. 

Managing this cycle of fear and anxiety has created lucrative businesses for many, as psychologists and psychiatrists manage phobias and other human emotions. But for those of us, not deeply traumatized by the occurrences in life, and who want, and are capable of managing the cycle ourselves, there's another way ...an even simple way. (Warning: This process may take many years, even decades, before you reach a comfortable plateau or your final destination.) 

Look to God who Lies within. 

That's where the source of the seeming grace, i.e. miracle, lies. Connect to this source of power within us and light a fuse that spreads throughout your mind and body. 

By connecting within for everything we seek, we become our own power source of seeming miracle upon miracle. 

"I'm in his Presence" is the term a very humble Carmelite monk, Brother Lawrence, used to stay connected to his source of power, GOD, throughout the course of the day. In tasks large and small, Brother Lawrence reached within to stay in the presence of God, overcoming obstacle upon obstacle in his life. 

The real difference between us and Brother Lawrence is not that he was a monk and we're not; it is that we simply won't believe it is that simple: 
• How can we believe that all of life's problems can be solved by simply staying connected to God? 

• How can it be that results emanating from seeming acts of grace came by hitting the center of our being and hanging on tight?

Surely, Life is much more complicated than that! 

But is it really? 
Or...Is it in our minds? 

On any given day, attending Catholic or any other mass, we can be witnesses to individuals seeking God's mercy. We witness their acts of contrition, believing that they did something wrong and must plead and beg God for forgiveness. They get on their knees to pray. 

We pass on, leaving them to their activities and prayers. 



'Life is difficult," wrote the late Dr. M. Scott Peck, to begin his insightful book, "The Road Less Traveled." In this volume, Dr. Peck advises us to chart our course and to seek our own path to find answers to this difficult life. Some of us have done exactly that...but in doing so, we've found the answers led us back to those so many others have already traveled and recorded to save us the trouble.

The Bible, for *Christians, is such a recording. 

Jesus is one such Soul who charted the course for us.

Then, there's also Brother Lawrence, "Practicing The Presence of God."

I have found in my own long search that one of the key reasons there's a delay comes from this confession said in the Catholic Liturgy:

"Father, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof...but only say the word... and my soul shall be healed."

Think about that. You're asking God to be in his Presence, but it's all messy inside! You would not do that to your friends, indeed even more so to your enemies, i. e. invite them into an untidy or messy house. Yet, you want to entertain God with your garbage strewn all over the place. 

Over the years, as I grew spiritually, I still took pride in many, many "Don't Look At Me, God," moments. John Ortberg in his book, "God is Closer than You Think," cites these times as those moments when we're aware of doing, saying or thinking something wrong, yet doing it anyway. 


So, if you're like me, you may start cleaning house: you may begin to find the myriad ways you can begin to prepare for the coming of his presence, permanently, into your life. Not just glimpses of him in moments of grace. 
                                                                                                                                                                                    Looking for what's around the corner? 

We will never know with any certainty what's around the bend. But by walking closely and connecting within, we can have a fair amount of predictability that the outcome will be filled with ...grace and mercy. 

The feeling is one I repeat from an old song John Ortberg's used in his book: 

Yet...is it really summertime? Or, is it just 'round the corner...
and in your mind?

Summertime, and the livin' is easy:

"Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is highYour daddy's rich and your mama's good lookin'"  

Namaste',
Che'  





EDITOR'S NOTE (cont'd): Confirming the image of Fingal Cave, Scotland,  Mike Ross, a researcher and writer based in San Jose, and also a friend, wrote:  "The image is of Fingal Cave in Scotland, which made the same-slow-cooling lava flow as the famous Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland. This is also a similar process that created Devils' Postpile in California's Sierra Nevada._ 

*NOTE: Religions other than Christianity have their own Holy books: Judaism, The Torah; Hinduism, Baghavad Gita; Islam, The Quran; Mormonism, The Book of Mormon, and Buddhism, The Tipitaka. Of course there are many other religions with their own teachings.  of the Senses

Bloom Where You're Planted

I read with great interest Business Insider's Jeff Bezos story (Jeff Bezos' Early Life and Rise To Wealth) on his rise to becoming the second richest man in the technology world. Despite his seemingly unattractive temperament, and like him or not: the guy was honestly made for great things. What comes clearly through is that he took no safe roads and mostly traveled along those much less traveled.

In short, the guy is brilliant and whatever he focused on, even early in life, he's turned into gold. 

Wish we were all made that way. 

The thing is...many of us would want to think that we can duplicate Bezos' path and get the same results. This would be so wrong.

I strongly believe in destiny. 

Some people are born to achieve great things, despite whatever they may have lacked in the circumstances surrounding their early lives.

Steve Jobs of Apple, inc., also was similarly destined for a great life. Jobs, like Bezos, had a biological parent (s) who disappeared early in his life. Yet, he rose.

Circumstances are just that: conditions which we can maintain, transcend or sink below. It's all about what's on the inside and no one, nor condition, can take that away from you. Believe that. 

Oprah Winfrey, certainly, will always come to mind
 when we look for examples of people
who have transcended the circumstances
of their birth.

Some people may try to bury your light through disparagement, hostility and just pure evil acts. But they won't be able to stop you from achieving your goals, and letting your light shine, unless you buy into their garbage, 

You must allow the force that is within you to lead you through every obstacle other people place in your way, every hateful act or word they direct at you. What is important is that you must be running your own race and not looking over your shoulder to see what another person, who is set up to run a different race, is doing.

That's obviously the key to winning in both Bezos' and Jobs' trajectory. They blazed their own path! They created their standards for excellence and allowed those to lead them into the highest levels of achievement.

As I become more focused on observing my and other people's walk through life, I see far too many people trying to compare and contrast their success with those of others and always seeking an advantage by wanting to know "how."

Sometimes, the other person is not even capable of explaining how they arrived where they did...they just followed the road. 


They followed their destiny!

Creating a well laid out path for many may be their way of achieving success. But it also may stifle their ability to create, especially outside the box they have so carefully built for themselves. Then, they look over at the other person and see the JOY in their hearts and souls and wonder why they have not been similarly blessed.

We know at a certain point in life that our fortunes can rise or fall based on the steps we take in each moment, at every cross road. The best we can do when we have to make a choice, then, is to follow our heart.

That's where we will be rewarded with JOY, instead of emptiness: by following our heart...which leads to our fulfilling our destiny!
And following our hearts will not always be an easy thing to do. There are many who followed their hearts and were led into failure after failure. The key here is to know whose dream it is that you're following.
(See this: "Successful People Who Failed At First." 

"Do what you love and the money will follow," is an adage we often hear.

I was reminded of this when a few months ago I encountered the brilliance of a truly dynamic and joyous young woman coming into her stride at Accenture. Without a doubt I see the trajectory of light shining above her, and based on the little I know of her, I know she will continue to follow it. This young woman truly loves Math and figuring things out. (I believe she holds a degree in Systems Engineering.) What impressed me even more than her brilliance is the loveliness of the spirit that also shines through her. 
Go Alexandria! 

Even if we're a tree of a different color and are not similarly blessed with brilliance, we should get to know own skills, abilities and talents.

Once we ascertain those, I urge you to bloom where you're planted. 

Your light, your joy of life, will always shine through, leading you to a path of good. 

All images of the lit tree were taken
at a recent "Roars & Pours" event at the
Phoenix Zoo.

And if at the end of your days that light is all you could contribute to the world, then ...
"so mote it be."

That was your destiny!

Namaste'
Che' 

The Art of Storytelling: It's Spiritual!

Credit: Geology Page. Check it out on Facebook. 

In the art of storytelling, we've simply got to forget ourselves! You may wonder, quite appropriately, what does storytelling have to do with a spiritual blog. Follow me to the end. 

I recently listened to five great storytellers at a night of storytelling, hosted by my local city's public library.* It was a wonderful night of listening. 

Those of us in the audience laughed, wiped away tears, pondered and wondered in awe as the stories were told. Each storyteller had a very different story to tell. Each storyteller fascinated us, coming from different walks of life: one was a newspaper reporter; one was an activist; another, an archivist; and yet another, a retired school teacher. Then there was also an attorney and school board member making up the fifth in the group. 

The topics of the stories ranged from: an angelfish; a son named "Ethan;" a special woman, Patti, with her even more special doll-child, "Grace," and a zebra, "Iris;" a disabled sister; and a day rallying for the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday in Arizona. 
 
After hearing their stories and as left I the meeting room, I reflected out loud to my companion: every person has a story to tell.

Yes. We all do. We each have a story to tell. 

The reason most of us can't tell our stories is that we don't know how to get ourselves out of the way!

Our ego blocks us. 

Seeking to tell the "perfect" story, yet wanting to cover up any flaws we believe our honesty would convey: we often can get tangled up in ourselves, and the story gets lost. 

At the heart of any good story is honesty. At the heart of any good story, too, is a willingness to laugh at ourselves. At the heart of any good story is our ability to put aside our own vulnerabilities. At the heart of any good story is a deep caring for our audience to get what we're sharing. Those requirements come from the heart...and also the spirit. 

By putting aside ego, we can reach out to communicate directly and heart to heart with our audience. 

I learned early on in the field of communications that the reader, i.e. the audience, is the key concern we should have when communicating information. The reason a story doesn't get clearly written or received with the response we intended is that we sometimes forget that our story must also draw in our audience.

When we become cluttered in our own minds about all that we must say to be perceived as articulate and wise, we can lose sight of communicating the story in a real and touching way.   



Obviously, adult storytelling is not like telling stories to children. The stories we tell to adults must touch listeners' inner core, and in order to do so, we must forget ourselves in the storytelling. We must get lost in the telling so we can draw our listeners in with us. To do so, we must: 

          1. Set the scene. 

2. Have a theme. 

There are several recommendations for telling the best stories. Here's an example of one pyramid.

3. Have a strong, core message. 

4. Leave the audience with something to think about. 

5. Leave the audience with a feeling that they could have been you.

6. Share from your heart.

7. Get downright personal. 

Heart listening is important in all communication

By the last point, I mean that literally. Tell the story in a way that people can see themselves in your shoes. By getting "personal," I mean share how you were feeling as the events in the story were unfolding, i.e. nervous, excited, ashamed, anxious, fearful? Sharing these emotions puts the storyteller at the same level as the audience; not above or beneath them. By sharing in this way, the storyteller is bringing our humanity together and saying, "it's happened to me, but it could have been you."

Listening with the heart is
important in story telling to
receive important feedback 

It's interesting that just before I was heading out to the storytelling session, I was chatting with a close friend. I was sharing a situation with her that she simply kept missing. We had to abruptly leave the conversation at one point, resuming after a 10-minute interval.

During that interval, I thought of why my friend was "not getting" what I was saying. As a trained spiritual director, I knew I had to practice "holy listening"  and understand what I could do to communicate my message better to her 

So, I totally disentangled myself, and thought of a new, more personable approach to communicate what I was saying. She easily got it then. I didn't say anything different, but I took more care by slowing down. 

Instead of talking assuming that she would pick up missing points, I began again with: "I know that my activities may be confusing to you. Here are the details."

I went point by point and took care to communicate, rather than assume she knew certain things. By caring enough for my friend that I communicate each point I would normally take for granted, she got what I was saying. I knew she appreciated me taking the time with her, as she basically said, "Thank you for explaining that" in the end.

Isn't it interesting that when I stepped into the audience at the library, the storytellers did not make the assumptions I did?


They did not assume that we would know any of the circumstances, details or emotions they were experiencing and feeling.

Step by step they took us through their story.
 Step by step they told their tales. 
Step by step we became engrossed in their stories. 

Step by step we felt what they were feeling.

Step by step they spoke, and step by step we heard what they needed us to hear.

Step by step...that's the Art of Storytelling.

Stained Glass Cabin in the Woods
created by Neile Cooper, stained glass artist
and jeweler

A night time view of the
Stained Glass Cabin
by Neile Cooper. 

Step by step... is how the heart embraces another. 

Step by step...we can forget ourselves.

Many artists, architects, sculptors, singers, dancers and others who build and/or create things in their work are natural story tellers. Look at the brilliant work of Neile Cooper, photographed on both sides. Tell me she does not have a wonderful story to tell with this "Stained Glass Cabin In the Woods" that she had built to celebrate her artwork?!  (See the full story here: "A Stained Glass Cabin Hidden In The Woods."  

The work of Spanish Architect Ricardo Bofill also celebrates his storytelling. (Architect Transforms Old, Abandoned  Cement Factory Into a Home.)  

By getting lost to ourselves and going within our hearts...we can open up a whole new world to others, even as we open ourselves to the world.

Think about this. Start telling your story. 

Namaste',
Che' 

*EDITOR'S NOTE: A special note of thanks to Liz Warren, faculty director of the South Mountain Community College Storytelling Institute, Phoenix, Ariz., and her team for putting together a wonderful evening of storytelling.