Aligning with Grace

I have this yard stick, or as a dear soul friend today pointed out - a litmus test - that helps me navigate this often confusing and turbulent world. We live in times filled with misinformation, violence, and division. If I chose to focus on that, I would constantly live in fear and erode years from my sanity and life. How to decide what is real? How to know whether to trust or believe in anyone, most especially, those in leadership or seeking it? The answer for me, is very simple. It contains the essence of every ethical, spiritual, and practice traditions: Are the words and actions rooted in Love? I look at the information, I consider the character of a person and what and how they are presenting their information - and: I simply ask myself whether what they are saying or how they acting - is in alignment with love. Does it engender love - or at least strive to? We may not always succeed in all of our endeavors, but what is our intention in the long run? Is it to be a better person a...

In these tumultuous times that we find ourselves in, I've been thinking a lot about safety. Feeling safe, or being safe, is more than the obvious - that is to say - being safe from violent actions or situations. It also includes safety in words, thoughts, attitudes, and conditions. Let me explain.  If I am in an environment where negative conversation and attitudes are constantly on display, I don't feel safe to be myself, or reveal who I really am. So, I become diminished in terms of the possibilities that are at my disposal, and that are available for others as well. And often, negative words and thoughts can get out of control and degenerate into something worse. I believe in the power of words. I believe in the power of positive prayers and thoughts and their ability to shift or change, or even heal a situation. Why? Because I have seen this happen again and again. In these times, I often feel anxious and unsettled because of what I hear or read in the media, o...