Courage and (((HUGS))) Helping Us Grow Spiritually...

The Tao Te Ching states that Courage is derived from Love (慈 loving 故 causes 能 ability 勇 brave)

This card 'jumped' out at me twice whilst shuffling, so I supposed that there is an important message within~

Courage~ Courage is standing up for what you most believe in. The most important person to believe in should be YOU. Trust your thoughts; with a candidness to understand your motivation, be mindful, consciously and creatively aware. Search within the lessons, seek to separate your intuition from the fear, trust that Spirit will guide. Surround yourself with white light, meditate to find the clarity within; without ego or judgment. This will lead you to the truth. You will find your strength in the midst of the fear. As you proceed forward, do so with Honesty, Authenticity, Gentleness, Confidence and Courage. 


I am trying to gain some clarity on the meaning behind this card as I look back on my experiences of the last 8 years. There have been so very many times when I have questioned, "Can this really be?" As I was choosing my card for today, this card slightly fell out. I replaced it and continued to shuffle. The card fell out at me again. So I take heed. 

Courage or Strength. We often hear, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." I really believe that we say and pass along phrases that we don't really understand completely. Strength refers to the ability to withstand, to exert great force, stress, or pressure. As I see it, strength is power based, more physical than mental;  accessing inner physical strength to push forward, but doing so without truly understanding with any kind of intellectual clarity. So naturally I had to dig deeper to understand what this phrase meant to me. What I discovered was Courage. What doesn't kill us serves us to access the courage to dig deep to discover and stand up for what we believe in with dignity. Courage is the ability and willingness to confront the fear, the pain, intimidation, uncertainty and perhaps danger, and to further do so with understanding and virtue. There is a calming in Courage, a gentleness, a compassion and love.   

Be courageous in your beliefs, seek to understand the truth with clarity. Stand passionately courageous,  knowing that you are good, honest and whole, armed with integrity, intelligence and foresight. Be Courageous. 

(((HUGS))) Helping Us Grow Spiritually...

You are Not Alone... if You Ask.. the Elk

♦You do not have to do everything alone, help is out there waiting for you♦ if you just ask for it♦ The Gift of the Elk♦ We are a community♦ We are one in this together♦ If you have been engaged in a competitive manner, the Elk offers rather to strive to work within the group in order to reach a common goal♦

Often, we believe that we are alone in the problem and often we are correct. That's because the solution is in the community, those that surround us.  Be conscious that you may be closing yourself off to aid. Allow your energy to be open to receive. You may be pleasantly surprised that you are supported and that there are answers.

There is something to be said for community, getting along, doing the right thing and moving towards a common goal; 'for the good of all.'  Especially when we feel that we have been wronged. Pitch in to lift someone up rather than slamming them further into the ground. The awareness is that even when you think or perceive that you know all the circumstances, you don't. We all have our reasons for doing everything. With a conscious awareness, let's open up our visual awareness to see the many possibilities that are available! Let's find a sunset that we can all enjoy!
A bit off topic.... but while I was writing this I remember back to when I was a young girl. I knew that there was often more to the story than what people wanted me to believe. Two of my best friends were girls that had a difficult time finding friends. One had had lice and the other was poor. Another friend that I met on along the way was black. She lived between my house and a girlfriends home. I would stop on the way home and we would play for a bit each day. I chose to see more. There had to be a story behind the stories. I know that this has led me to who I am today. I do look to see the story behind the one that people want to tell. This is the flip side. If you see someone who is acting out, my answer would be that 100% of the time, there is a story. Strive to hear the story that is being told rather than the story that someone wants you to believe. This serves the community in a manner that is building rather than destroying. 

Back to the Elk....Rewards♦
The appearance the Elk signifies a time of plenty. All that you need, you will receive. Long and steady, rather than quick and easy, is the key to opening the lock, freeing the door to your goals. Sometimes all it takes is the next step. The Elk brings courage, confidence and empowerment today in moving you forward and achieving your goals♦

♦You are Beautiful♦ have an incredible day, with peace in your heart, love in your words and radiance in your smile, Namaste♦

Black Elk, Oglala Lakota♦♦"You may have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle. That is because the power of the world always works in circles, and everything tries to be round.... The sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. The wind in its greatest power, whirls. Birds make their nests in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours. Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing and always come back again, to where they were. The life of a man is a circle, from childhood to childhood. And so it is in everything, where power moves...."
♦Nobility,Endurance, Beauty, Pride, Stamina, Strength, Respect♦

Dear God ✾ to teach and to flow ✾

Greetings Morning! Welcome back! A gentle peaceful morning it is. On this day I choose the ♦Spirit of the Water♦ to reflect upon my day. She is relaxed, yet versatile, peacefully adjusting as she moves throughout the day, always calm, even whilst the winds blows through and around, for she understands that it is not her who is enraged.

Today, most I must time to rejuvenate my soul. Mindful and aware, that we are not our emotions, only experiencing them, understanding that these experiences are based on my perception of the events. More importantly, I understand that I have a conscious choice to accept, embrace and then to also let it move on, to experience more.

The truth is that life does flow, if we allow it to. Some things happen that teach us to be mindfully aware not to resist. This is especially true around experiences that appear as obstacles. We must learn to gently allow for nature to take it's course, with an awareness that the winds come and go to teach. Today is a day to embrace the wisdom within, knowing, with flexibility and softness.

Divine Wisdom, the power of discovery; with the knowledge and insight to seek and to learn the inner depths of one’s soul. The Spirit of Water knows her soul, she understands the path that has lead her to where she stands today and will move her towards where she needs to be. She allows this discovery to guide and move her, compassionate and with kindness, with gentleness in her touch. 



With Love, Kindness and a Heart filled with Awareness, I write an open letter to God. This is a letter of forgiveness and grace. 

Dear God; 
I know that I have done much wrong throughout my life. My actions, reactions, decisions and choices have hurt others many times. Many who have trusted and respected, when trust and respect were not warranted or due. I have acted many times harshly out of ego, greed or fear, not clearly understanding the damage that I was causing.  My mistakes are mine alone, I have been in control of every decision that I made. I knew, even at a young age, somehow, that what I was doing was wrong. I also know that these actions have caused much hurt within. So much fear, so much rejection.


As I grow older, I am able to look back at my life and the experiences as a whole. Consciously aware of my mistakes, my sins, I know and understand deep within my heart and soul that my actions have always been a reflection of my feelings of unworthiness. Seeing the whole is often difficult because this is not who I believe that I am nor who I want to be. So I have chosen to move forward.


Can we ever just leave the past behind and move forward?  I have always believed that the way out and through is forgiveness. Forgiveness of self. Forgiveness and understanding of the way it was and Grace for the way it can be. I seek forgiveness of my sins; selfishness, greed, anger and ego. I ask forgiveness where I have been blind, hurtful, when I have  taken what was not mind to keep. I ask forgiveness and seek grace.

I ask forgiveness as I begin my life moving forward, responsible and renewed that I have learned. My lessons have served me in a manner that have taught me to be a more gentle, kind, loving and compassionate. This is of self and of others. As I make choices, as I respond and react, I am consciously committed to not judging others nor myself according to my ego or pain. I will move forward with an awareness of my thoughts, feelings and emotions. I do so with an understanding that we all make choices based on our experience of love. We are always a reflection of the love within ourselves. This is at the core of my values and beliefs, who I am and who I want to be.  I seek forgiveness in order to move forward, whole and complete, with kindness and strength. 

I admit that I sometimes do not clearly understand the ways of the universe, the world of discovery. I have sought long and hard to move forward in my life, to do what I want to do, what I feel is a part of who I am. 
I am not perfect and I therefore do ask for leniency. I promise to do my best to serve, that I will be genuine and respectful of anothers path, especially when they are acting out in pain. 

I ask, that when I hit a road block, when I stumble and I fall, to do so with a gentleness of self. Some days are more difficult to get back up again. I ask for patience with my forgiveness of self. I ask that the light always shine within me and radiate outwards. 

I ask that I have faith, in that there is always forgiveness, and that in moving forward there is acceptance.      

 
May today there be peace within. As I begin my journey of today, may I do so with compassion in my heart, gentleness in my eyes, kindness in my touch, love in my thoughts and a smile on my face. And I do so with  gratitude. I give gratitude for the many wonderful things in my life, experiences, friends, family and the beauty that surrounds me. I give gratitude for the many lessons that I have learned and the path that I have chosen to experience. May I see the good, the wonderful and the beauty in all that surrounds and those that I meet. May I move forward with a sense of Peace and Gratitude with every step I take and may love be the essence in all that I do. 


♦Be Kind, because you can♦it is a choice♦ 

the Gift ~Loves Means Never Having to Say 'I'm Sorry.'

Love Means Never Having to Say 'I'm Sorry.'

As I writer and an artist, I understand that interpretation is subjective. 

Lately I have given much thought to a couple of the catch-phrases that were linked to my childhood.

As I moved forward into young adulthood, these cute phrases often hijacked my highly influential thought processing. Especially when it came to LOVE. ♥Ooie Gooie Love♥  I often did not understand the meaning behind the phrases, but the cartoons were so adorable, how could they not be true! 
So here I sit, 40 years later with an understanding of what lent its insight into and often swayed my decision making with an added perspective to my experiences.

The First of these Catchphrases is 'Love Means Never Having to Say I'm Sorry.' This was a big one and came from the movie, 'Love Story' by Erich Segal. I have struggled to understand this, as I believe that being able to say I'm sorry can be one of the hardest things to do for many and a Gift.
While meditating today, the understanding POPPED into my head! Finally! Hey sometimes I am a sssslllloowww learner! I really  need to understand things right down into my bones!

With that, my understanding speaks in regards to the Principle of Loving Allowance, which states, 'the loving allowance, for all to be, in their own place and time.' It also speaks to the words of Luke 23:34, 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.' 

As I now understand, it's not about never saying 'I'm sorry', it about, never HAVING to say 'I'm sorry' because of the acceptance of one another's journey. We all have lessons. It's about growth, allowing each other to make mistakes, with kindness and compassion. When we do so, it's easy to acknowledging, which brings us one step closer to moving forward. 

Saying 'I'm sorry' is about Acceptance and Choice. It's about understanding and forgiveness that it's ok. That we are ok.  This asks  us to be Mindful, with Conscious Thought, Deed and Word and when we screw up, to understand with compassion in our heart, to know that we all have lessons and to move forward with an understanding that we have learned and will continue to learn throughout our relationship. Growth. Without Ego, without Judgment, rather with Respect and Tenderness.

So, Go Ahead, say that you are sorry, because you can! With the mutual understanding that you love one another and that your intention was not to hurt the other and that you really mean it, with sincerely and from the heart! that's what this is about!   

If You Love Something, Set it Free. If it Comes Back to You, it's Yours, if it Doesn't, it Never Was.

This is the second catch-prase that has been attached to my thoughts lately. I actually broke up with a really nice young man because of this phrase! I did not have any concept of its meaning at all. And after much thought, I still don't! After much thought and reflection, I decided that I still don't understand the phrase. With that, I created my own catch-phrase, one that I can understand and acknowledge,

If You Love Something, Let it Breathe. Walk beside You, with Kindness, Admiration, Respect and Compassion. enthusiastically cheering one another's journey, lessons and growth, for it is within that journey that true love is found.

The time has truly come when it's required of us to be better people. The 'me' generation had its moments, but honestly, as much as we are here to learn individual lessons, we are all in this together. 

Be Kind, Be Generous, Be Grateful, Be Understanding, Kiss, Love, Hug, Offer Respect, Compassion, Sincerity and Truth. 

Today, I wrote a new prayer, from my heart, with kindness and love...
May today there be peace within ♣ As I begin my journey of today, may I do so with compassion in my heart, gentleness in my eyes, kindness in my touch, love in my thoughts and a smile on my face ♣ May I see the good, the wonderful and the beauty in all that surrounds and those that I meet ♣ My I move forward with a sense of Peace and Gratitude with every step I take ♣ and may love be the essence in all that I do ♣ have a wonderful day ♣ 

♦Be Kind, because you can♦it is a choice♦

Truth... Walk in Your Own Light

What if?

These thoughts come to me and I just can't seem to get away from them. They drive me crazy, they poke at me and keep repeating themselves over and over again. So I write.

My husband and I have been through a continual series of events and experiences, that after each event we are still left wondering,
'What the heck is wrong in this world?' and secondly, 'What is my role and just how do I fit in?'

So today, I decided to do what I do best. Paint. I am one of those artists that slobbers paint on canvas and

calls it Art. I love my designs. I don't ask anyone else to love them, or like them, for that matter; they are personal. My art is one of my venting strategies. Painting allows my mind to add clarity to my thoughts.

What I discovered through today's process, was the awareness that I am living in a world that demands so much, yet seemidly offers so little. What I realize is that this is the human side of life. 'To err is human.' The Spiritual Side to this, is that there is much of offer, much beauty that stands before us.

But what if the only rule that we had to live by was complete honesty. No shades of truth,  not white, black, blue or red lies, not manipulation, nor judgmental or perceived, but rather, the truth from within, from the heart. What if that was all that was asked of us. What if, then, we were rewarded according to these truths. Further to this, we were penalized when we were untruthful. As I see it, this would be in exact opposite of how the world is managed today.

On today I had an experience, which moved me towards a powerful lesson. The experience was that I have been surrounded by people that have chosen to lie. The Lesson reflected my emotion. Being Spiritual does not mean that one is never angry or frustrated. I was angry, mostly because I dislike lying. I find it unfair. I have often said that the most difficult to deal with people that are liars because you cannot anticipate their moves, they come out of left field. 

I have moved forward from this, first into the lesson and then onto the solution. I have come to a place of understanding and for this, I am truly grateful. Studying psychology, I understand that people lie out of fear and ego. I almost said out of greed, however, if you put greed into context, out pops the truth. Contemplate it. The world is full of this sort of manipulation and we have fallen, hook, line and sinker for it. 


So what if we could change this and be rewarded, then, for truthfulness. Corporations could still make money. Rather than saying, 'we need to charge this because...', simply, 'we need to charge this because this is how I value who I am.' and let the people decide based on truth.

With these thoughts on anger, fear and frustration, I then moved towards the Biggest Gift within the experience, and that was the understanding to not beat myself up because of my feelings and emotions. When faced with situations such as this, find the lesson first. In doing so, seek to surround yourself with as much peace, love and light as you possibly can, remembering to be gentle and kind with yourself. It's OK to be angry, so the first lesson and gift is to give yourself a big huge break (and a hug if you can!). This is where truth can be found.

With gentleness of self , heal the hurt within; sending unconditional love and support to You! Know that you are safe, that you are worthy, that you are lovable, loved and loving So Go Within and Embrace the Emotion. The next step is to towards the solution, whole and complete. Move forward thoughtfully, mindfully, with kindness and compassion in your heart and a clear head, with the awareness that you are making clear, conscious, intelligent and informed decisions and choices.

What they do is not up to you, nor is it a reflection of you. What you do and how you choose to move into the solution is a reflection of your love for yourself. Love Yourself.


So on this day, I awoke with a sense of calm, pure beautiful calm; and a feeling of gentleness that exists within this very moment. With that; I pledge to do what I can and not worry about the rest. You can't take it with you, the 'things', only the lessons, and the love, within and around, and of those we've loved and the hearts we've connected with. May today there be Peace within...Begins with a Kind, Beautiful and Loving Spirit.

Find your place of Calm, of Pure Love, find your Honest and Loving connection to the Divine Spirit Within. 
"What if, for just one day, we would act out of inner desire rather than waiting for the outside pressure to move us." (fullmooninfo)

Surrender to love, let the path before you unfold. With a Gentle Spirit, Stand apart from the crowd, don't force your way through or walk along with them. Know your truth. You will find everything that you need is along the path you are walking. Surround Yourself with the Love; Experience the Love that is within and around you, on the path that you have traveled, the one that lay before you, and the road that travels ahead. See Love in the people you share your hopes, your dreams, and your truth. See the beauty that exists within your soul and before your eyes. 

Choose to walk in your own light, with love, guided by an inner wisdom and Spirit. Move forward mindfully, with your heart open wide and experience the joy and magic that love bringsღ

 

Behind every face, there is a story

Behind every face, there is a story. Behind every tear, a narrative. Behind every smile, every hug, every handshake, kiss, touch and every embrace, a testament to who we are and our truth as to how we arrived at this place. 

For every frown, there is also an account. For every shout, every scream, every bellow, release of anger, fear and/or frustration, a story, a memory, a set of circumstances that has led us to this place. Often these stories are distant, locked away or buried deep within.

We have all traveled a path. Embrace the path that has led you to who you are for that is your Journey. See the beauty within, the lessons, the gifts and the love. Know that for each story, the pages are filled with a unique set of circumstances. A path of experiences and remembrances, all leading to our current reality, our perception of the life around us; what we let in to accept and what we reject, renounce or often abandon.

 
But the plot remains the same. Behind every connection there is possibility. the possibility to Love and to be Loved in return. Seek in others, the beauty within themselves. The beauty that they may have forgotten, unable to see or fearful to embrace. Show them, guide them, with gentleness, kindness, compassion and care.
Send them love, knowing that it is important to our growth to let go, allowing others them to discover what may be hidden, and to then, to release, to heal, to grow and best of all to ღLoveღand ღbe Lovedღ

                                 ღYღU, GLღRIღUS YღU!ღ

ღBreakthroughღ╮!Get this PARTY STARTED!ღ THIS is YOUR MOMENTღYour moment to SHINE!ღ You moment to Experience Fully!ღ

                          !MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Such a Complete Wave of Love and Appreciation when we truly understand. AND it is so very Exciting, Inspirational and MAGNETIC! 

I have been working on my workshop for the past many days. To be honest, working on a workshop that I had no idea was going to be doing at this time, it kind of just happened.  BUT I did know that this is what I am meant to do. I always knew. I know this from the bottom of my toes to the tip of my nose!  

While I was driving to town to pick up some of Janet's amazing buns, as usual my mind took on a life of its own. I have long believed that if we are doing what we truly know that we should be doing, our passion, our destiny, as some might say, we do it with undeniable faith. It doesn't mean that every step of the journey is easy, that there are no roadblocks, because there sometimes and often are. What it does mean is that those closed doors, those deniers, those nay-sayers and no-sayers, they are WRONG! That is THEIR story, not yours.

There are countless stories that support this and I am pretty sure that you have heard them as well...really there are millions out there! the Choice is to Discover your story and start living it! This came to me as I was listening to Leanne Rimes singing the Coyote Ugly song. I love her voice! It just hit me like a ton or bricks! Whamp! I recalled hearing that one of Shakeria's teachers told her that she sang like a frog! She could have just stopped, dropped and headed towards a life as a seamstress, account manager or McDonald short order cook, although there is absolutely nothing wrong with any of these positions, but for Shakeria, SHE knew that she was meant to sing and dance! Similar stories of J-Lo, she was told that she was too fat! That 'fatness,' her figure has earned her millions of dollars! There are also countless stories of authors that went to 30-40-50-60 publishers before they found one that believed in them, their story, their truth. 

It's not important what you want to be, what is important is WHO you want to be, and that is TRUE to YOU! Your Hopes, Wishes and Dreams!

Being who we truly are takes way less effort than what we believe others 'want' us to be. Or rather it's different. Different because there is no humming or hawing, is this right? is this wrong? is this the way that they want it to be? is this the way they think it/I should be? Rather, this is who I am and I will do everything in my power to MAKE it HAPPEN. I will study, I will train, I will learn, I will work hard and I will be the BEST me that I can be, but it will be ME. 

If doors are closed, GO to ANOTHER DOOR! If nobody answers, KNOCK AGAIN. If nobody answers, GO to ANOTHER DOOR! Find a window, look for a trap door, swoop down the chimney!... but keep going!



The absolute BEST place is begin is with Forgiveness. Why... because of what comes with it, the baggage, the blame, the guild, the unworthiness, on and on. the Baggage that you are hanging onto, the fear, the negativity, the anger, the resentment, that you are hanging onto is not WHO YOU ARE. kick that baby out the door! It's all an illusion! It's part of who 'THEY' are and their journey. It's YOUR time... FORGIVE AND LET GO...

Forgiveness is Whole and Complete. Within this forgiveness comes an undeniable feeling! An undeniable healing and awareness! What is left is LOVE, pure and simple ღAND it feel INCREDIBLEღ 
When you finally let it all go, it leaves you with the moment when we say with excitement "I GET IT! I finally GET IT! Right down into my bones." "I forgive YOU and I release your hold on MY ESSENCE!" then, you are able to Step forward, with a brand new awareness, a renewed sense of self, of who YOU are, what YOU truly value, YOUR Gift to the Universe! 
                                                      ღYღU, GLღRIღUS YღU!ღ

Move forward embracing the Spirit within and Radiate this wherever you go! Being YOU. and then start knocking! Create Your Reality. Knock some more! Bang Down that Door if need be!
                                                    ღYღU, GLღRIღUS YღU!ღ

Create it in the NOW, this thought, this idea, this moment! With excitement and love. LET it GO, fully and completely, ღlet it go to let the LoVe and your inner light flowღ

                                                 ღYღU, GLღRIღUS YღU!ღ

Glimmers of Hope and the Christmas Spirit

Glimmers of Hope 

In this moment~ if I can say~ i've been fair, i've been kind, i've been considerate & yes, generous♥ that i have given, without expectation, ego or judgement, from the heart~ the very best that I am able, in this moment~ that i strive to live with honesty and integrity, with truth and of course, with passion♥ to share and to care and to love without limit♥ then THAT'S a good moment, the spirit of Christmas♥ the spirit of love♥ the true spirit of generosity♥

♥Rest, Bless and Renew♥
Today is the Day♥ this Signifies a time of awareness; a time of embracing and connecting to the strength and love within and moving forward; ♥from victim to Victor (consciousness)♥
Each Experience, Each Lesson has brought you to today and has served you as a stepping stone to share and to teach♥Because you have learned♥that the true Power, the true Strength & it is Within♥ it is in the Present♥the true Power is in the Love♥

Each day is a new experience and we are Ever~Changing. Let go of the blame, any past experience that may be holding y♥u back, weighing you down, of what no longer serves y♥u~ wholly and completely embracing y♥u! The time has come to move forward, to embrace who y♥u are and Re-discover y♥ur true passions!
Commit to Releasing the Hold that they have on Y♥u!

Let the World see who you really are! Let your light shine!

Renew your commitment to self and allow yourself to Dream~ Learn to stay focused, in the now, the present, for this is truly where change begins. Forgiveness is the healer of the Soul.
It requires a soothing of the heart, body, soul and the mind. Surrender old hurts and begin anew; surrender to forgive yourself and others of any past hurts or lessons and L♥ve yourself. Wrap yourself in a waterfall of healing and love♥
Ask for the burden to be lifted and shed a healing light on them; allow them to be the lessons that they are meant to be. Bless each lesson and let them go, wholly and complete.
Confident and Renewed to take on new opportunities. Walk tall and proud knowing that Love and your Dreams begins Renewed.

Faith and Focus

Today... I am often asked, more so told, that living in the moment is difficult. The truth is, and my focus, is to live FOR the moment, this moment. The offerings of each and every moment.  Even if that moment is silent, for there is peace.

We hear that today is a gift.  It truly is! The unseen by many is 'the choice.' Within the moment is the choice, the choice to live with awareness, with joy and happiness. The choice to react and respond from a place of love. If you think that is diffucult... stop, for a moment to see all that you are hanging onto, all that you are carrying with you, all the baggage and the worries. See the bigger picture and ask how all of these things have served you. Ask how they serve your purpuse, in today. Feel how heavy and draining of your energy and time these burdens are.

Then, with love, blessings and awareness, let them go. Allow them to drift far, far away, until you feel weightless, with a renewed sense of freedom, of power. THIS, is where wholeness is.

This is the Present! This is where our Dreams discover their wings and take flight! As we let go, rooms are expanded, within, doors and windows are opened. This is where the Magic and Miracles enter. Faith and Acceptance. There is enough. There is always enough. AND we are worthy.

Breathe in deeply, with a sense of calm. Breathe out slowly and release what does not serve, make you happy or allow you to be completely present. 

Breathe in the Joy and Excitement of the Moment

I Shall Not Judge

I have had some incredible conversations with people over the past couple of days in regards to Judgment, Choice & Reality. It has been eye-opening and I have to admit, I love listening to different points of view and perspective. Some don't quite understand this, but over the past couple of years, I have had some pretty deep discussion and reflection over judgment and accountability.

In the dictionary, Judgment is defined as, "the act or process of forming an opinion or making a decision after careful thought; the act of judging something or someone; the ability to make good decisions about what should be done."

Sounds great! done!

That is, if we actually based judgment after careful thought and the decision was always good. We live in a world that has its 'judgment meter' all mixed up. Judgment must be based on our values, integrity, morals and differentiating right from wrong. Instead, so often judgment is based on personal gain, ego and fear. Fair judgment must be universal, otherwise it won't work. It seems that we have drawn new lines in the sand. It used to be that if we crossed the line, that was it. Over time, we began crossing the line, a little bit at a time, thinking, 'it's not so bad, it was just a little bit,' then a little bit more, and all of the sudden 'poof!' how did that happen? How come the line is WAYYYYYY up there and we don't know how to get it back within eyesight! Once we have cross the boundary, even just a little bit, it seems that we left consequences or accountability on the other side.

I want to continue this conversation and bring it with me throughout the day and see what response, conversation, discussion that it brings....