When you look at your life, reflecting back over your varied experiences, how often do you see yourself being negatively impacted by the demands and expectations of others; family friends, society, work, culture, religion? How many times have you made decisions based on receiving the approval of or to accommodate the needs of others? Are you mirroring their choices or following their ideas of instead of your own?
How many times has the influence of others caused you to go against your own self interest?
I am not speaking of choices you made - not to do this or that -out of a decision to protect say, a relationship. Those choices are made from a place of self interest. "I want this relationship therefore I won't do something that will harm it."
I am referring to choices we make about what school to attend
what to wear . . .
who to talk to . . .
what friends to make . . .
the field of study we'll follow . . .
the career we choose. ..
I am referring to silencing our creative inner being because our impulse to paint, to dance, to sing or make music doesn't meet the approval of our family, friends, social or religious group.
I am referring to picking the study of law over literature because our parents don't think there is a career in writing; because someone else's influence overpowers our will to create a life of our own choosing.
Beyond the personal examples that might weigh more heavily on our hearts. . .
We are very blessed to be living in a time and in a nation where the cultural influence, as it has evolved, leaves room for expanded experience and individual self expression.
Look around at the shifting awareness levels our society is experiencing.
Gender norms are being challenged . . .
Gender roles are being rewritten . . .
Gender identification, sexual orientation and the divisions of power within society, down to accepted behaviors and sexual based power divisions are all being challenged and reassessed. Other countries and places in the world are not so tolerant of people with new ideas or ways of doing things and of looking at the world. Yes, we still have differences in religion, politics, sexual orientation, desire and what is acceptable. In some countries these differences are more rigidly defined, guarded, and enforced.
In some places you could be killed by a mob for breaking a taboo.
I know it doesn't always seem that way, but we live in a place and time when ideas about reality are less defined by religion and conventional thought; where science is playing a role in opening rather than closing the possibilities.
Our expanded understanding of Quantum physics, and other studies, String Theory for example, have offered explanations to ideas that were once solely in the realm of mystics and mysticism. Once only the shamanic experience postulated/described what Science now theorizes - worlds within worlds, where every possibility exists in it's own universe.
If there is one thing I have learned, or rather experienced through living abroad, it is that there is no one right way of being. What works in the USA may not work in another country. What works overseas doesn't always transfer here, may not be necessary or even appropriate.
For me, what truly makes living in the USA preferable is the flexibility found in a culture made up of blended ideas and influences. India is full of distinct cultures and languages but very little blending. There are many religions and religious cultures, but in India people pretty much stick to their ethnic/religious groups or casts and are largely intolerant of outsiders and outside influences. For the most part they do not inter-marry. People keep to their groups, even to the point of maintaining separate languages.
What makes America great is the co-mingling of our diversities, the melting and combining of solutions and possibilities within a blended society. Oh, we have our problems. This is not a Utopia, but this is a country built by many peoples from diverse cultures who have had to learn from each other in order to grow and prosper.
In our country's life, as in our own, some of our best solutions, our most fulfilling moments have come through allowing others and ourselves freedom to expand and create.
When we stop trying to influence and instead turn our attention to our own creations, to the reality we are choosing for ourselves we flourish.
We find our tribes.
We find them faster when we allow others rather than trying to control them.
Source, Life is expanding through us. It will have every experience good, bad, painful, pleasurable; all possibilities and permutations of reality will come into being. However, we can choose. We create our reality, are drawn into it, through our beliefs and what we will allow into being, by what we give focus to. It all exists. Through our belief we choose the reality we exist in.
What we give focus to draws us in or is drawn to us.
There is room for all ideas and experiences.
What are you choosing?
What are you giving your focus to?
And if you aren't giving your focus to what you prefer, what are you going to do about that?
How many times has the influence of others caused you to go against your own self interest?
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| Ask and it is Given Card 37 |
I am referring to choices we make about what school to attend
what to wear . . .
who to talk to . . .
what friends to make . . .
the field of study we'll follow . . .
the career we choose. ..
I am referring to silencing our creative inner being because our impulse to paint, to dance, to sing or make music doesn't meet the approval of our family, friends, social or religious group.
I am referring to picking the study of law over literature because our parents don't think there is a career in writing; because someone else's influence overpowers our will to create a life of our own choosing.
 |
| Ask and it is Given Card 37, back |
How many times and in what ways . . .
have we been guilty of imposing our choices, beliefs, and fears on others; of trying to influence their choices based on our biases, beliefs, and prejudices - our needs and self interests?
We are very blessed to be living in a time and in a nation where the cultural influence, as it has evolved, leaves room for expanded experience and individual self expression.
Look around at the shifting awareness levels our society is experiencing.
Gender norms are being challenged . . .
Gender roles are being rewritten . . .
Gender identification, sexual orientation and the divisions of power within society, down to accepted behaviors and sexual based power divisions are all being challenged and reassessed. Other countries and places in the world are not so tolerant of people with new ideas or ways of doing things and of looking at the world. Yes, we still have differences in religion, politics, sexual orientation, desire and what is acceptable. In some countries these differences are more rigidly defined, guarded, and enforced.
In some places you could be killed by a mob for breaking a taboo.
I know it doesn't always seem that way, but we live in a place and time when ideas about reality are less defined by religion and conventional thought; where science is playing a role in opening rather than closing the possibilities.
Our expanded understanding of Quantum physics, and other studies, String Theory for example, have offered explanations to ideas that were once solely in the realm of mystics and mysticism. Once only the shamanic experience postulated/described what Science now theorizes - worlds within worlds, where every possibility exists in it's own universe.
There Is No One Right Way Of Being . . .
Most of you may be aware that my husband and I are recently returned from 8 months in India.If there is one thing I have learned, or rather experienced through living abroad, it is that there is no one right way of being. What works in the USA may not work in another country. What works overseas doesn't always transfer here, may not be necessary or even appropriate.
For me, what truly makes living in the USA preferable is the flexibility found in a culture made up of blended ideas and influences. India is full of distinct cultures and languages but very little blending. There are many religions and religious cultures, but in India people pretty much stick to their ethnic/religious groups or casts and are largely intolerant of outsiders and outside influences. For the most part they do not inter-marry. People keep to their groups, even to the point of maintaining separate languages.
What makes America great is the co-mingling of our diversities, the melting and combining of solutions and possibilities within a blended society. Oh, we have our problems. This is not a Utopia, but this is a country built by many peoples from diverse cultures who have had to learn from each other in order to grow and prosper.
In our country's life, as in our own, some of our best solutions, our most fulfilling moments have come through allowing others and ourselves freedom to expand and create.
When we stop trying to influence and instead turn our attention to our own creations, to the reality we are choosing for ourselves we flourish.
Like attracts Like. . . and . . . We Choose!
We are drawn to others who are like minded, who have the same vibe or frequency as ourselves.We find our tribes.
We find them faster when we allow others rather than trying to control them.
Source, Life is expanding through us. It will have every experience good, bad, painful, pleasurable; all possibilities and permutations of reality will come into being. However, we can choose. We create our reality, are drawn into it, through our beliefs and what we will allow into being, by what we give focus to. It all exists. Through our belief we choose the reality we exist in.
What we give focus to draws us in or is drawn to us.
There is room for all ideas and experiences.
What are you choosing?
What are you giving your focus to?
And if you aren't giving your focus to what you prefer, what are you going to do about that?
There Is Enough Room For All Ideas and Experiences
My appreciation to the Abraham Teachings and Esther Hicks for inspiration and guidance.
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