Suffering

I am reading The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav.

On page 182, he discusses the difference between our ability to explore the personality through psychology and our need to understand the purpose of the soul.

On page 183, he says, “Pain by itself is merely pain, but the experience of pain coupled with an understanding that the pain serves a worthy purpose is suffering.  Suffering is meaningful.  Suffering can be endured because there is a reason for it that is worth the effort.”

What is worth this effort?  

“What is more worthy of your pain than the evolution of your soul?”

I am grateful for the author’s discussion and insights all the way through this book.  His language leads to a deeper contemplation than has been available to me through the vocabulary which I had to this point.

Most valuable from the beginning has been his contrast between the five-sensory personality and the multi-sensory soul.

As we discover the difference between external power, that which is visible to the five senses, and internal power, that which is available to the multi-sensory soul, we become more attuned to intuition and other effects.

This defines some of the consciousness raising that is challenging and and energizing so much of the conflict and contrast of our times.

As a world, we are becoming more aware of other countries and the people in them, and by and large, we want a good life for everyone.

In the United States, our current government is eroding many of the historic protections and provisions which used to take care of more of us.

The reaction and awakening to this and the desire to take care of all of us extends to everyone in the whole world.

We are all precious.  We are beginning to realize this on a larger and more expansive scale.

It is a good problem to work through.

The foundation has been laid through many previous generations to prepare us for this advance of the soul.

© 2015 Kathryn Hardage

www.InspiredPractices.com

New Ways

A talk by Dr. Joe Dispenza reminded me how he creates his day.

He originally talked about this in the movie “What the Bleep?”

In the youtube audio I listened to, 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOnJ8FPNpm8, he discussed his interest in people who have had instantaneous healings.

Since they came from very different backgrounds, religions, cultures and races, he found only three things they had in common.

One thing was their belief that they could find a solution.

Another was that they were responsible for their condition.

A third was that they were willing to practice redirecting their thinking consistently for as long as it might take.

Dr. Dispenza reminded me that we all have millions and billions of thoughts every day and that they all create tiny connections in the brain.

It gave me a boost about giving myself something new to think about so that I could have different results in my life.

Since I have made significant progress in other ways, I have decided to give this a try.

I am looking forward to the differences it will make.

© 2015 Kathryn Hardage

www.InspiredPractices.com

Beautiful Time

In this time of new year and new beginnings, I feel myself moving towards my goals, but also remembering past obstacles.

I have learned to spend my time where I want to see  myself, but it is still a new habit.

As I continue to see myself fulfilling my purpose, I am coming into contact with people who are ready to receive what I have to offer.  

Even though I am not sure how these steps will pan out, as they are certainly new to me, I can feel that they are a part of who I am becoming.

I have been faithful and persistent about creating what I love to do and what I feel is valuable to society.

The Universe is bringing more and more opportunities to me to define my purpose and to express it creatively.

© 2015 Kathryn Hardage

www.InspiredPractices.com

Taken Care Of

I felt so taken care of this morning when I went to pick up my co-p box of fruits and vegetables.

The woman who helps organize the co-op has that wonderful quality of being able to recognize members even if we don’t order regularly.

She has the kind of mind that remembers orders and groups them together conveniently, and today, she also helped me carry my order to my car.

I was so happy I had made some grocery bags which I repurposed from fifty lb. onion bags, so  that I could give her one that she chose for herself.  She volunteered to save empties for me when there are onion or potato orders in the future.

Someone else who is taking care of me is a local deli which is saving empty five gallon food grade pickle buckets.  I am repurposing them into container gardens.

I usually go by every couple of days, generally calling ahead of time so I don’t waste a trip.  I went by the day after Christmas, and then did not check in for a week.

When I went by the day after New Year’s they had saved ten buckets.  I usually get one or two at a time from them.  It was fantastic.  They are really working to support me.

And then the young man who brought them out insisted on carrying them to the car.

I have been living a persistent idea of “giving more”.  

That is the idea which came to me when I hit a crisis to figure out why I am here and what it is that I have to offer.

I am choosing to share ideas which come to me in various ways.  

Some ideas are teaching ideas, inspirational ideas, practical ideas.

Some have a price, some are free.

But releasing them where they can be useful is the main key for me.

I am “releasing the hidden splendor” of the ideas which come to me.  (From a Robert Browning poem.)

Doing so enriches me and it also enriches the receiver.

And doing so allows me to be cared for.

The idea of doing things in order to “give more” comes back in so many ways.

© 2015 Kathryn Hardage

www.InspiredPractices.com

Create Beauty First

Beauty First

I have come to the conclusion that I have to take the time to create something beautiful for as long as I want to work on it before I return to my food preservation and pressure canning adventure.

As much as I have been enjoying working with food, it is actually not my first choice.  One of the reasons that I love preparing meals ahead of time is so that I can work uninterruptedly on projects which I love.

I just realized that my time has gotten upside down with respect to my priorities.  So I will return to making journal covers and the play of fabric colors and textures which feels so good to me.

Then, when I am full and overflowing with the happiness of creating beauty, I will be able to return to what we generally term “practical” work.

But why not think of creating beauty as practical?

We don’t really live our lives only in terms of necessity.

There are many more dimensions to life than just the necessity of providing for ourselves.

The article by Jeremy Rifkin, about the “radical new economic system” which will “emerge from the collapse of capitalism”, gives us many more options for living sustainably and satisfyingly.  http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2014/nov/07/radical-new-economic-system-will-emerge-from-collapse-of-capitalism

Buckminster Fuller also talks about the advantages of life today that do not require people to labor full-time and overtime.  http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/133403

My own sense is that the human mind likes to solve puzzles, and that we have now put ourselves in the position where we have to figure out an entirely new system which takes care of all of us.

Creating beauty is one of the ways in which we take care of ourselves.  We can also celebrate artists, musicians, dancers, and writers instead of penalizing them subject to a money-making quantity measurement.

How much joy and inspiration and appreciation and happiness and reflection do they provide and how do you put a price tag on that?

I offer another quote, this time from Neil Gaiman, that whatever else is happening, good or bad, “Make good art”.  https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/20415110-make-good-art

© 2015 Kathryn Hardage

www.InspiredPractices.com

We Made It

We launched ourselves into a new year.

It was more than surviving.

It had many elements of thriving.

In the wee hours of pre-dawn, it is easy to hear the quiet messages.

Good progress.

A stronger foundation.

Validation and expansion of ideas.

Self-respect.

Dignity.

More outreach.

A confirming sense of purpose.

Baby steps taken and new ground explored.

It is safe.

It is embracing.

It is deep celebration.

© 2014 Kathryn Hardage

www.InspiredPractices.com