It has been an insightful morning as I laid in bed thinking about some recent events and then reading from a book called the Impersonal Life. Before I write further about those insights, I wanted to Celebrate and be Grateful for 1000 posts here at the Explore Life Journal. I just realized after writing my blog post yesterday that I had post #1000 on Wednesday. That is one heck of a lot of writing and my gratitude is for all the inspiration that flows through me. This flow of inspiration is from my Higher Self/intuitive knowing/the Spirit within. What I have learned is that if I can keep my ego out of the way, the flow is strong and enduring.
1000 posts feel like a wonderful accomplishment because I have been blessed by each insight, each question, and each exploration of an idea written about here. All of this has enriched my life. My hope is that it has enriched all of you who take the time from your busy day to stop by and read. I have intentionally kept each post short enough to read in a brief period of time. My hope is that on occasion you the reader have explored the ideas much beyond reading them.
My commitment is to continue the pursuit of being the best I can each time I write and be an ever evolving and clearer source of compassion and consciousness. I write to inspire the highest expression of my readers and myself.
Back to the morning insights: first insight was that I have been struggling with feeling overwhelmed at work and trying to understand the source of that? In this work I hear so many stories about the abuse and neglect of my clients as children and then how that manifests in their lives as adults. These stories tend to remain in the sphere of my own consciousness and from what I can tell have a weight to them which I feel at some level. It has been my history that when I do these kind of intense services that I need a break every few years to renew myself. Thus I have had a cycle of counseling others for a few years and then quit my work and go broke while I try to heal my psyche. This cycle has not worked financially but has allowed me to be renewed.
What is challenging is that everyday I workout and do inner work to encourage my mental and emotional well-being. This works to a degree because I can do a job for several years and be ok until I just can’t seem to keep on top of the piling up of human suffering. The reason I am so vulnerable to the secondary trauma of my clients is that I come with an open heart. My work, to do it well, means I must be in a very compassionate place even if I am telling a client with kindness they are full of BS. If I bring anger, attitude, righteousness, or take their actions personally I am coming from my ego-mind not my heart.
As I write this I am gaining insight. With awareness I can make informed choices to find and explore new and more effective ways of self-care.
This is getting to be a lengthy post and my second insight is not yet mentioned. Should I continue? Yes because this is a special post and I want to share the most consciousness I can. One other thought, then on to the second insight: I have added a protest letter to my posts lately because I am not only committed to being more conscious but also to be more engaged in working for peace. Please join me in my peace efforts if you so desire.
The second insight keeps expanding as I read from the Impersonal Life (no author is given). The basic lesson of that book is, “Be Still And Know I Am God.” So far this is what I am understanding from this lesson: when I quiet myself down (be mindful) there is a knowing in me beyond my mind that realizes that I AM (which is my Higher Self) one with the Divine Source of the Universe. Let me restate that so we can both understand it more deeply. First we must be quiet enough within to make contact with our higher knowing. This knowing comes from a place beyond our ego, our personality and our noisy self-talk. This knowing place within can be called our Spirit (Higher Self, Soul, The Divine Within or whatever works for you) and it is known in this teaching as I AM. I AM is capitalized because it is acknowledging its divine origins. There is a divine nature within all of us because we come from The Source/God/Yahweh/Great Spirit.
This is one of those ideas I hope you the reader takes much time to explore. It is my focus to understand and realize this lesson in 2010. I invite you to share this journey with me.
Hurray!!! YES!!! Made it all the way to 1000 posting!!!
Now for the letter promoting peace:
Dear President Obama,
There is always so much on your mind and this must weigh very heavily on your heart. Thank you for taking on all you do and all the caring you have for this nation.
As a way to lighten your burdens, it is my suggestion that you move us away from war not deeper into it. We do not as a nation need to take this on. This is first the responsibility of those of the nations we have invaded: Iraq and Afghanistan. Secondly the religious fanatics are the responsibility of all those who share faith with them, their brothers and sisters who have compassion not anger as their guiding force. Thirdly this is a planetary issue that all nations must work toward resolving, not the US and a few allies.
Peace to you and your family,
Joseph Bernard, Ph.D.
You can send President Obama emails at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact