June 2015

Dear One,

Where did this year go? Actually where did my life go? I have had so many rich and exciting adventures, but the most wonderful experience is that they are still happening.

Now that I am 82 years old, I intend to dedicate my time pursuing this question:

How does change happen? How can we consciously create from our longing? How do we make a difference?

HERE ARE QUOTES FROM MASTER THINKERS.

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself." -- Tolstoy

"Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself." -- Rumi

"Those who cannot change their minds, cannot change anything." -- G.B. Shaw

"The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. The world cannot be changed without changing our thinking." -- Einstein

"What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself." -- A. Maslow

"Change is the end result of all true learning." -- Leo Buscaglia

"All that you touch you change.
All that you change changes you
The only lasting truth is change
G-d is change."
-- Octavia Butler

Perhaps the simplest thought is from Rabbi Hillel: It is almost 2,000 years old.

"If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
If I am not for others, what am I?
And if not now... when?"

After years of studying different spiritual teachings, different religions, different
philosophies this quote says it all for me.

All suffering comes from denial of the essential self.
Are you willing to stop blaming others and stop being a victim of your history? 

The first step to change is to change your thinking.

Take the time to remember that you were created in G-d's image.

Fall in love with yourself... all of you including the parts that you have shame and guilt about. Make a list of these "faults".

Are you willing to own your own terrorist? ( you can call it your lower self, your shadow self) You must embrace the parts of you that you have disowned.

Are you willing to see that you are not the victim of your fear? You are the creator of your fear.

Are you willing to take responsibility for your choices and know that you are the "creators" of your feelings and experiences?

OUR LIVES ARE SIMPLY THE SUM OF OUR THOUGHTS. 

If you thought exactly like the Buddha you would be the Buddha. If you thought exactly like Jesus, you would be Jesus.

Can you imagine the possibilities if you were to consciously choose to see with the eyes of G-d and hear with the ears of G-d? For me G-d is LOVE... the unconditional expression of love. Only by loving yourself can you change your experiences, but you must love all of you and that means accepting yourself without judgment and without excuses.

How do we become the creator of our experiences? The question is: "are we making our choices out of love or fear?

What I am learning (and I often forget) is that the only significant difference between me and my Divine Self is that when I operate and make choices from FEAR I am not in reality about who I am. When I change my thoughts about who I think I am, when I change my defensive reactions into loving responses...my experiences will change.

This is my spiritual practice. I am aware of my reaction... I stop...I breathe...and I observe and become a witness to the circumstance.

Ask myself what did I just tell myself? Is it true? Can I replace this thought with a loving response?
Are you willing to change? Are you willing to view your world through the lens of love?  Are you willing to change your thinking in order to change your experience?

My prayer is that I can... you can... we can.... And this is the only way we change the world is by changing our thoughts.

Dear G-d,
Help me to choose to know that I am safe.
Help me to choose to know that I am the creator of my experience.
Help me to choose to know that I am One with you, and that we are all One.
HELP ME TO CHANGE MY THINKING SO THAT I MAY CHANGE MY REACTIONS.

Help me to remember...

That my peace comes from knowing we are all pieces of G-d.

So be it,
Barbara


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