Thought for the week
So many of us resist change, yet it comes to us whether we like it or not. Life is change in so many ways.
The seasons change constantly.
The weather changes, sometimes within minutes, sometimes it takes weeks.
Our family and friends change. They grow up and grow old. They grow close and grow away.
Plants and gardens change. They bloom and wither, bear fruit and weeds, bring pleasure and work.
The environment changes. Buildings rise up, communities move in and out of areas, the wilderness takes over, the weather patterns change.
Our world is in constant change.
Change of Attitude
One of the ways we can handle change is through a change of attitude. Our attitude is something we can control. We can change our attitude and thereby we can live a happier life. If we can see life as an exciting adventure which is constantly changing, it becomes an exciting life. We don't know what is going to happen next but if we have an attitude of happy anticipation we can greet each change with the confidence that we can handle it. If we can see change as something to be embraced, not something to be avoided, our lives will become happier and more adventurous.
Is there something consistent, something we can depend on, in this storm of change? There is something which stands like a lighthouse against the constant waves of change. This lighthouse is our true selves, Soul. If we can get to know this inner part of ourselves it can be a place of refuge for us, no matter what storms of life rage around us.
Questions of life
For those of us with a busy and ever changing life, the thought of having a Soul or to put it correctly, being Soul, is often way down on our list of priorities. This is natural and is part of the whole objective of our physical life, to keep us distracted so that we don’t seek our true self, Soul. It works very well. Most people spend their lives busy and working to fulfil some goal of physical worth, only to see it crumble to dust when they die.
After several lives we begin to seek something more than just physical goods and attachments. We begin to seek the truth behind life:
How it works,
Why it works,
What is its purpose?
How do we fit into life?
Why are we where we are?
How did it all start?
When we begin to have these thoughts and questions, we change to become a seeker. A seeker of the truth behind life, its purpose and our place in it. We want to learn more about life and our quest for new knowledge leads us to new things, new insights and new changes. We begin to embrace change as we can see that it teaches us something more about life and the Souls we share our life with.
How to reconnect with Soul
To explore these questions, we can try a simple spiritual exercise. Go to a comfortable quite place where you can be at peace for 15 to 20 minutes. Firstly think of a question, it could be from the list above or something personal. Ask your God, guide, guru, angel or master to give you an answer to this question, if it is appropriate for you and for the general good, at this time. Then sing HUuuu on your outgoing breath. This is an ancient name for God. It is used in many cultures and can be found in the word Alleluia, a corruption of Allah and Hu. It is also in the word Human. Hu meaning God, and man meaning mind, so that a human is a combination of God and mind.
So sing HU for a number of minutes or as long as you like and just observe your thoughts as they float around your consciousness. Some thoughts may be of interest and can be explored. When you finish you may have an answer or you may just have a more comfortable feeling that the issue is under control and does not concern you as much any more. It’s a good idea to write down any insights you get while contemplating.
Life is spiritual
We go through life’s changes so that we can learn not to be attached to the physical things we collect in life. These changes teach us that life is spiritual. We are a spiritual being with a changeable human body, living in a changeable world. We seek the unchanging but it is not of this world, it is of our spiritual world. When we realise that the security and unchanging stability we seek in our lives is that lighthouse within us, Soul, life becomes a more enjoyable and enlightening experience.
Wishing you well on your voyage through life and I hope you find your lighthouse soon.
*Ed Parkinson
P.S. The concept for the lighthouse came to as I wrote this Thought for the Week. It is only a rough unfunished picture but I think it illustrates the point reasonably well.
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