Personal Growth Planet Blog

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there.”
~Rumi

I imagine this field that Rumi refers to.

I see it as this sunny, peaceful space where flowers are always in bloom, birds sing and everyone lives in harmony.

Fully visible is what lies beneath those heavy layers of judgment, criticism, blaming, superiority, ignorance, fear and hatred that we all are blanketed by from time to time.

We can be our best selves and and can see the best in others.

But, is this field a practical possibility in everyday life?

I’m just as surprised and angry about the ignorant and insensitive remarks Republican State Representative Pete DeGraaf of Kansas made recently.

As the Kansas state legislature attempts to whittle away at a woman’s right and support to make her own reproductive choices– including abortion– DeGraaf callously compared being raped to having a flat tire.

Perhaps he didn’t literally mean it.

Maybe he inadvertently chose an unfortunately cruel analogy to argue his position that insurance policies should not cover abortions for women who are left pregnant after a rape, unless of course they “plan ahead” for a rape pregnancy by pre-purchasing “abortion-only coverage.”

On a day like today, I am grateful for impermanence.

When I am in a place of grouchiness and am facing such things as an equally grouchy teenager, a large car repair bill, cold temperatures, gray skies and more I am somewhat soothed when I remind myself that this moment in time won’t last forever.

This may not exactly be what the Buddha meant when he taught about impermanence, but I do find some comfort in it, at least temporarily and on the surface.

But, of course, there is a cost to this mind game I tend to play.

“Don’t mention the war.”

This caution– quoted from a particularly funny episode* of the British comedy series “Fawlty Towers”– has been periodically used by my family since I was a kid.

When one of us uttered the words, “Don’t mention the war,” it meant that a particular topic was sensitive or touchy for someone. That subject of conversation was better left unmentioned.

In other words… don’t “go there.”

This tradition continues today and I’m sure it’s not just my family that does this. How many times have any of us intentionally NOT brought up politics or religion around a certain family member or friend because it’s clear that the topic will only lead to a pointless debate where nobody really listens?

“Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on Earth, the peace that was meant to be…”

Growing up, this was always one of my favorite hymns to sing in church. I still feel bolstered and uplifted when I sing it for myself today.

Peace can appear to be an elusive state. Wars seem to abound. Knowing and perceiving this can quickly deflate that sense of uplift and hope.

Some may claim that conflict is inevitable. Others may insist that human beings are self-centered and territorial and that, with a scarcity of resources, there is bound to be aggression and wars.

…It’s not necessarily your best friend either!

I don’t know of a single philosophy that deems the ego to be all that positive a thing.

We’ve all probably heard someone (maybe even ourselves) called “egotistical” or being accused of having a “big ego.” This is never meant as a compliment.

Many spiritual teachings counsel us to meditate, question and do whatever is necessary to get rid of the ego.

September 11th used to be a date of happy anticipation for me. It is the day before my wedding anniversary, so it is something I– previously– associated only with eagerness for the celebrating to come on the 12th.

After 2001, however, this all changed.

Yes, I still look forward to and do celebrate my wedding anniversary with my husband on September 12th each year. But, the day before is a more confusing experience now. For me, there is a sadness and a bit of anxiousness mixed in with my excitement to commemorate the love that my husband and I have shared over the years.

Peace means something different to us all.

It might mean a quiet morning with a cup of tea, a good book and nothing else but the sounds of birds singing and the rustling of wind in the trees.

Instead, peace might be the adrenaline rush that comes with biking on a mountain path, sweat dripping, heart and other muscles pumping and the wind in your face.

Peace may just be the absence of bickering, fighting or angst. It could be the realization that the kids, you and your partner or others in your home, community and world have ceased their usual wars for awhile.

By Amy Phillips-Gary

It is nearly impossible to share love with others and your world if you do not fully love yourself.

Sure, I’ve heard this before and I whole-heartedly believe it.

It’s super easy for me to love and feel at peace with myself after I’ve connected deeply with another person, helped out a stranger or was given a compliment.

At those times I feel warm, fuzzy and all aglow. I am proud walking around as me and these great feelings spill over as I easily appreciate the wondrousness of all around me.