Coming to terms with fear, having the courage to experience the pain and power of it, and challenging it are at the heart of spiritual growth. Without the ability to recognize fear, it cannot be identified. Without the courage to experience it, fear cannot be challenged. Without a challenge, fear grows stronger and more thoughts, words, and deeds are shaped by it. Confronting fear and healing the sources of it is the epic journey that none can avoid, only delay at best. The consequences of fear are painful and the longer its healing is delayed, the more of them are created. The consequences of love are constructive and joyful and the sooner it is cultivated, the more of them are created. This is the spiritual journey in a paragraph. The Christ reduced it to three words two millennia ago – Love your neighbor – but few have been able to follow that guidance because few have the ability and courage to experience and challenge their fears.
Each presidential election in the
The politics of fear is as ugly as it is dangerous. We have crossed a threshold in human evolution. Henceforth, our evolution requires the choice of love instead of fear, harmony instead of discord, cooperation instead of competition, and reverence for Life instead of exploitation of life. The first great achievement of constitutional democracy was to harness conflicting pursuits of the ability to manipulate and control for the common good. The second great achievement of constitutional democracy was to transform physical mortal combat into bloodless contests. The losers live to fight again, to put another army (campaign), strategies, tactics, and weapons on the battlefield.
This great structure is straining under the burden of our new evolutionary requirements (harmony, cooperation, sharing, and reverence for Life) and the next development in governance is not yet evident. In the meanwhile (now), it is for each of us to vote for the candidate that expresses more love in word, deed, action, and policy (and against the candidate that expresses more fear). Whether the structure is constitutional democracy or parliamentary democracy, the same consideration now overrides all others. This is the link between presidential elections and your spiritual growth. In order to recognize love and fear in others, you must first be able to recognize them in yourself. They are not always as evident as they seem. For example, caretaking (manipulating the gratitude of others in order to feel better about yourself) is often mistaken for love. It is fear.
If you think you detect fear in another (such as a candidate), see if you can identify the same fear in you. That is where you can challenge it. You cannot challenge the fear of another or cultivate another´s love but you can challenge your fear and cultivate your love. The new governance will reflect this reality in a fundamental way.
For more information on this topic, see my welcome message, entitled Time to Vote, at the top of the home page of www.seatofthesoul.com.
As someone who is not American and who is following and interested in the Presidential Election in your country I have to say that my jaw drops with a lot of the ugliness in campaigning there. It seems to all come from one side. I won't say what side that is but readers can judge for themselves.
Political campaigning- coming from that certain party- has to be the ugliest in power terms in the world. They give good politicians a bad name both consciously and unconsciously.
For some comic relief (and I know that you have that in your country) have a look at a clip of our Taoiseach (Prime Minister) in Ireland meeting Gordon Brown the British Prime Minister recently. The clip was broadcast on the BBC programme Have I Got New For You:
(Don't mind the intro and outro)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNuecTcJ4lw
Hee...hee...
posted by Darren J.: October 22, 2008 at 4:26 AM Delete:
However, these American elections would make me move at an accelerated clip towards the voting booth to register my support for Team Obama. The McCain/Palin ticket is just too hideous to contemplate. God help the world if they get in.
Please, USA, the Bush administration has done enough damage - you need to take a stand, and stop being manipulated by the politics of fear.
posted by Unknown: October 22, 2008 at 10:13 AM Delete:
I disagree with you- based on my experience.
The Democratic/Republican political parties in America are very much like the Fine Gael/Fianna Fáil parties in Ireland. They have some big differences of course (nationality of course being the first one) but they are very similar.
posted by Darren J.: October 22, 2008 at 10:22 AM Delete:
'They have some big differences of course (nationality of course being the first one) but they are very similar.'
That's my point exactly. Parties may differ on certain points, but generally they are very similar. Ergo, the left and the right side of the same butt.
That said, even I would never put McCain/Palin on the same body as Team Obama.
posted by Unknown: October 22, 2008 at 10:39 AM Delete:
I could talk about this all night. But I'll try to keep it short.
There is a political, cultural difference between parties. Obviously there are some parties who are similar. They all have more in common with one another as, unlike the average Joe, people in the political class believe in putting their head above the parapet if (sometimes when) necessary or actively supporting their own candidates/politicians who do so.
In Ireland Fine Gael (from my experience of the party- in Dublin) are a party of the professional class who genuinely believe in social justice. Fianna Fáil have more of a mix of people including a large cowboy wing.
Some parties do their level best to make sure that all of their policies are top drawer. That's the biggest difference between some parties.
posted by Darren J.: October 22, 2008 at 10:55 AM Delete:
posted by Darren J.: October 22, 2008 at 11:19 AM Delete:
I can see where you're coming from - the differences and similarities in Irish politics seem to be clearer than in many other countries, which makes it a lot easier to pick a side.
I really hope you do enter politics - politicians who put as much thought as you do into their own motives and intentions are fairly rare, and exactly what the world needs more of.
posted by Unknown: October 22, 2008 at 11:42 AM Delete:
posted by Unknown: October 22, 2008 at 11:45 AM Delete:
www.leovaradkar.ie
posted by Darren J.: October 22, 2008 at 12:16 PM Delete:
posted by Kate and Lyla: October 24, 2008 at 6:49 AM Delete:
I'll read his books before I start commenting on his blog.
I am HIGHLY impressed about his politics.
Your books, Gary, and M. Scott Peck's books have changed my life. I know I have found a third American who has/will increasingly change my life.
posted by Darren J.: October 24, 2008 at 11:42 AM Delete:
posted by : October 24, 2008 at 3:50 PM Delete:
I think Gary you have been relegated to my second place spiritual guru. :)
posted by Darren J.: October 25, 2008 at 1:59 PM Delete:
Cameron - I also thought Hillary was America's best bet, and Obama lacked experience. Is it possible that his lack of experience may be his saving grace? If years of political experienced produced Bush Snr, George W, and McCain, then maybe we need to start looking for other attributes in political leaders.
posted by Unknown: October 27, 2008 at 11:00 AM Delete:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3Ned5TQoW4
This is a link to the CNN report on Barack Obama's early days in politics if you are not familiar. What do you think?
Aside - Hello Darren! I enjoy your enthusiastic posts as well as Marie-Ora's. Gary has been a very inspirational figure in my life as well. His words nuture me more and more each day!
posted by : October 27, 2008 at 4:40 PM Delete:
Neale Donald Walsh made the point in his book 'Conversations with God' that 'politics is your spirituality demonstrated'.
Darren J Prior said...
I typed Neale Donald Walsh into the internet and found his site and blog.
~
Thanks Marie-Ora and Darren for mentioning Neale Donald Walsh & his blog! (and thanks Gary for publishing their mentionings!!!)
I feel blessed to have been born on the 9th of July.
Why blessed, I hear you ask??
Well...as the saying goes - "some of the best things in life are free"
And what better gift to receive for one's birthday than "some of the best things in life!"
So, what free gifts did I recieve for my birthday??
Well...Gary's blog began on July 10, 2008!!
And, as I have just discovered...Neale Donald Walsh's blog began on July 9, 2007!!...
Neale Donald Walsh's blog
Speaking of blessed...I read that "Barack" means blessed.
I hope Barack Obama is elected.
The world will be blessed if he is!!
posted by ...being here, doing this...: October 27, 2008 at 11:00 PM Delete:
posted by Unknown: October 28, 2008 at 12:48 AM Delete:
I have found that the process of choosing a candidate from a position of love or fear gives me a different take on things. It causes me to look more deeply at my choices. I find that fear and love can coexist within me at times and it's not always easy to differentiate between the two. So as I look over the political landscape, I find a mixture of the two emotions there as well. Maybe the landscape is just a mirror reflection of what's inside of me? Perhaps if I were 100% love, that's all that I would then see in the world? In any case, that is what I am striving for. Thank you for your help.
JAM
posted by : October 28, 2008 at 8:22 AM Delete:
posted by : October 28, 2008 at 2:17 PM Delete:
"Is it possible to be a politician without being ruthless, and power hungry? Or is this part and parcel of politics, and something you cannot avoid if you want to be successful in that field? What do you think Cameron? And Darren?"
All politicians are chancers. A lot of them are good and not ruthless though. They are all tough though. Politics is a gruelling business and our good politicians don't get the credit or appreciation they deserve.
I wish more people were involved in politics. In today's world- in Ireland anyway- a lot of people look at you like there is something wrong with you if you are interested and/or involved in politics. I think there is something wrong with you if you aren't. I think Barack Obama will bring in a new age in politics. At the time if I was American I would have voted for Hillary Clinton but now I think that Barack Obama is the man for the job. I admire Hillary Clinton hugely though.
posted by Darren J.: October 28, 2008 at 2:20 PM Delete:
posted by : October 28, 2008 at 4:03 PM Delete:
I don't think politics a game you can survive in without having to walk on a couple of people - for those politicians who strive to be ethical it must be a constant struggle with 'does the end justify the means?'.
posted by Unknown: October 29, 2008 at 2:25 AM Delete:
"Which candidate are you voting for, and why?"
~
On Nov 3, 2008 Melanie La'Brooy writes in an article in The Age newspaper (Melbourne, Australia):
"Given half a chance, I'd love to vote for Obama"
"A poll by the US Studies Centre concluded that Australian voters would elect Obama in a landslide. If we could vote. Except we can't. Because, um, you know — we're not actually American...
...Obama's vision of a better, more egalitarian America has been criticised for being idealistic but isn't that exactly what politics should strive to be?
So maybe my crush on Obama and the canvassing of Australian voters' intentions weren't so pointless after all. Perhaps the lesson that politicians the world over should take from polls showing that a majority of the world's citizens would elect Obama if we had the chance, is that it's not only Americans who long for a political leader who can inspire us with hope and infuse us with a belief in a better world. For it would seem that people all over the world, not just Americans, want to believe."
Amen
.
posted by ...being here, doing this...: November 2, 2008 at 5:23 PM Delete:
Of course the road ahead is fraught with difficulty, but I do believe that the World is forever changed today.
Every morning I walk my dogs, and stop and chat to the security guards, the homeless on my corner, the garbage men - every single one of them had hope in their eyes, and a smile on their faces today. 'Maybe he will stop the war in Iraq, and show people fighting and war is useless', said Dalton the security guard. 'It's a new day', said the schoolboy waiting for his lift. 'I can love America now', said Baba, the homeless man who lives in the park nearby.
I don't think Americans realized how utterly disgusted the World was with them under the Bush presidency - not just a couple of liberals - people you would not think would read a newspaper voiced their contempt every time the USA came up in conversation. No-one saw America as anything other than a predatory, bigoted, elitist, racist, homophobic, warmongering bully.
Today, at least for today, the proud American Eagle has been restored to its perch of Democracy, Hope, Equality and Liberty in the World's eyes.
We live in a global village, and we are all a part of every thing that happens, good or bad, so this election is everyone's business - not just for those living in the USA. Thank-you America.
posted by Unknown: November 4, 2008 at 11:37 PM Delete:
http://blog.beliefnet.com/conversationswithgod/2008/11/a_political_leader_says_it_comments.html
Gary's post on saviour searching and the U.S. election would be worth reading also for a lot of people also although not necessarily everyone. I'm not pointing at anyone on this blog but you all know what I mean by saying that because the world has a U.S President- will in January- who has ideals and the power to genuinely make the world a better place does not mean we should foresake our own ideals. Indeed we should be encouraged. Indeed most of the world is encouraged now but not everyone has high ideals.
posted by Darren J.: November 7, 2008 at 6:27 AM Delete:
"No-one saw America as anything other than a predatory, bigoted, elitist, racist, homophobic, warmongering bully."
~
As I read these words....I also read what was going on inside me. How was I feeling about what Marie-Ora was saying? Did I agree? And, if I agreed, was there a strong emotional reaction occuring within me?....or did I calmly discern the truth of her words and internally "nod" in agreement?
All relationship is a mirror.
How we see others reflects how we see ourselves.
If we discover a strong emotional reaction to what we see in others (or to what someone else is saying)...it is worth investigating within ourselves to see whether we are engaging in judgement.
If we find no emotional reaction...it may be that we are discerning (observing without judging).
Then again, it may be that we are not fully aware of the depth of our emotional reactions.
It may appear to us, that on the surface we are being discerning...but that discernment may be superficial, and preventing us from discovering a deeper dynamic of judgement.
My way of dealing with this possibility is to try and remain aware of my emotions (in terms of physical sensations in my body), my intentions, my thoughts and the words I am using...and to investigate the possibility that I may carry within me some of the traits I am describing in others, or read of being described in others.
In this case...I would look within myself to try and discover whether there were hidden parts of me that were "predatory, bigoted, elitist, racist, homophobic, warmongering, bullying".
If I do discover these same traits...then I work towards healing those aspects of myself which originate in fear...by cultivating their antidote.
I work to inject consciousness and will into the space between these frightened aspects of myself, and my reaction.
As I challenge the pain within...I allow myself to feel its intensity...and then use my will to choose to respond from a place of love and trust, rather than react out of fear and doubt.
The election of Barack Obama is a reflection of how Americans have chosen to respond, in a loving and trustful way, to a painful and traumatic chapter in World history.
The Worldwide joy and celebration of his election is an indicator of how the people of the World have responded in a like manner.
Our healing has begun!
.
posted by ...being here, doing this...: November 7, 2008 at 7:12 PM Delete:
I have an idea of where you are coming from - as a white person growing up under apartheid, I was often bewildered at the amount of hatred directed at us - I certainly do not come from a racist family, we didn't make the laws, and yet, in the world's eyes we were all culpable to some degree.
Unfortunately for the USA, scenes of tanks forcing their way into Baghdad looking for WMD that anyone with half a brain knew did not exist, the torture at Abu Ghraib prison, mounting civilian deaths, the incredible amounts of money siphoned off by Halliburton, the affront to human dignity that is Guantanamo, Enron the poster child for greed, the deliberate creation of instability in Latin-America to protect US business interests - I could go on and on. These are the images the world has seen of the USA, and they do invite harsh judgment.
That said, I do not believe at all that these events reflect the spirit of most of the American people - and where they do, I think the majority of those who support these actions are either very misinformed, or stand to benefit from the chaos in some way.
What is absolutely remarkable, is that a nation which a mere 4 years ago voted on the basis of fear, has now turned around and said 'no more', and rejected the terror propaganda which pushed them to vote for George W previously.
In Love and Light
posted by Unknown: November 17, 2008 at 4:04 PM Delete:
Hi ...being there, doing this...
I have an idea of where you are coming from - as a white person growing up under apartheid, I was often bewildered at the amount of hatred directed at us - I certainly do not come from a racist family, we didn't make the laws, and yet, in the world's eyes we were all culpable to some degree.
~
Thank you Marie-Ora for sharing your thoughts.
I can FEEL the pain you are talking about here about being judged and hated unjustly. As I read your words, I felt my chest area constrict and tighten. I felt as if I were being suffocated.
It is an intensely painful experience to be wrongly judged and condemned.
It makes me think about all the times others, including myself, have been judged and misunderstood through our lives.
It also makes me think about all the times I have judged and misunderstood others...condemning them without knowing all the facts.
The truth is...we can never know all the facts, the innermost thoughts and feelings of another being.
It is a lifetime's work in itself just to discover the innermost thoughts and feelings of OUR OWN being.
When I view these painful experiences from a spiritual (soul) perspective, rather than solely from the pespective of my personality...it is possible for me to find a way of using these painful experiences to grow spiritually.
By connecting and staying with my own inner pain, and feeling its intensity...for example, each time I am judged and condemned unjustly...I enter a state of emotional awareness.
From this aware position, I can make a conscious and informed choice to respond to my pain (and to the external trigger of this pain) in a loving and trustful way.
One way of doing this would be to set the resolution and intention not to inflict this same type of pain onto them or onto any other being...regardless of how they may have treated me, or my family, or my country, or my planet, in the past.
This does not mean that people should not be held accountable for their actions. All actions have consequences...and those who make decisions based on fear must be prepared to face the consequences of their choices.
Learning to respond in love and trust, however, leads to different consequences...
It is the process by which our world will be transformed.
posted by ...being here, doing this...: November 21, 2008 at 7:59 PM Delete:
It took me the longest time to get that if I really wanted to make the world a better place, I had to fix the hardest thing of all - ME!
My wallowing in the tragedies of the world did nothing to fix anything. When I 'got' that I had to examine my own feelings, and motives and paradigms, it was a monumental revelation. It's so much easier to point fingers, and bemoan the fate of people you don't even know, than it is to take an inward journey to overcoming your own dark side. Who was it ( I think it may have been Gandhi) who said something to the effect of 'be the change you want to see'.
In Love and Light
posted by Unknown: November 24, 2008 at 10:52 AM Delete:
Your work reminds me (& now my family also) of life and what it is - life is a choice between 'love and trust' or 'fear and doubt'. It is easy to identify which choice that I want to make. However when it turns experiences to be overwhelming personally, amidst those feelings I am grateful that I am held as the divine is present and because you and others, work and have worked, now and before, everywhere. In my awareness I know I am grateful to what you and Linda Francis give to this world and I am grateful I participate in it. Thank you both for being like you have been. I hope I constantly try to live in the ways that you teach - harmony, co-operation, sharing and reverence for life.
Bhamini.
posted by : November 29, 2008 at 6:26 AM Delete:
posted by Darren J.: December 3, 2008 at 10:06 AM Delete:
posted by Darren J.: December 3, 2008 at 10:27 AM Delete:
I can well understand that there is resistance to the Unionists - I gather they were not originally Irish, but the British government used them as 'colonists' to justify their presence in Ireland. (If I'm wrong, Darren J will certainly put me right).
Personally, I very much understand anti-Unionist sentiments, and I have always been confused as to why exactly the Unionists were so desperate to be part of Britain, particularly considering I remember something about the British Govt being keen to get out of NI, but not being able to, because of them.
Your point is good - the fact is you have to get people who were, if not sworn enemies, then at the very least on the opposite ends of a belief system to stop the suspicion, and hatred, and learn that under the labels we are all very much the same, and want the same things.
Here in South Africa, Nelson Mandela played a very big role, and even people who would have sworn he had horns, a tail and a pitchfork, were moved to tears at the sight of him wearing a Springbok jersey the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Sadly most of what he worked for is unraveling.
The more we share our stories, the more we learn how similar we are.
In a way, you and I are quite opposite, Darren. I gather you are quite 'purebred' Irish. I come the 'gene ocean' - not the gene pool. People say I look 'Scandinavian', or 'Nordic', but I have colored blood, courtesy of one great grand-mother. My one grandfather was a Jew by birth, if not by practice, in Nazi Germany. My other grandfather was a Calabrian (Southern Italian aka a mafioso by birth, not by choice). Between them and my grandmothers I have Protestant, Catholic, Jewish and Muslim blood, not to mention ancestors from every part of Western Europe, with the notable exception of Britain. And when I was born, my country of birth (Namibia) did not exist as a country, only as a protectorate of South Africa, known as 'South West Africa'.
We were raised to be very aware of diverse ancestry, so much so that nationalism is a bit alien to me. As much as my heritage means I 'belong' nowhere, it also means that I see myself as 'belonging everywhere, in a world without borders or discrimination....
I've probably rambled on too long, so let me stop there!
posted by Unknown: December 4, 2008 at 10:31 AM Delete:
"I come the 'gene ocean' - not the gene pool."
"I see myself as 'belonging everywhere, in a world without borders or discrimination"
~
Marie-Ora, you express that SO beautifully!
It reminds me of the attitude of my late father. I wrote this about him a while back...
"Dad was an amazing man who saw beyond the limitations of the "blood is thicker than water" attitude...to embrace a wider meaning of family.
Perhaps he had a rare insight into the real nature of our lives...as beings interconnected primarily by Spirit, not blood."
bhdt
posted by ...being here, doing this...: December 4, 2008 at 6:31 PM Delete:
As you say Gary our souls want harmony, cooperation, sharing and reverence for life. I have the reverence for life but given that I am so interested in politics the other three to me seem to be focused a large part of the time on my party. That said I debate online and try to be nice. But politics can be such an ugly business and I can be like an angel of death debating with some political party members/supporters online. I usually don't bother entertaining them outside of here as they zap my energy.
posted by Darren J.: December 8, 2008 at 6:17 AM Delete:
~
Just thought I'd share a lovely intuitive experience I had today that led me to discovering yet another way to "Love My Neighbor"
It came about as a result of my interractions on both this blog and Neale Donald Walsch's blog
The following comment was posted in the comments section of this post in Neale's blog. It describes this intuitive experience!...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Neale wrote: "I have always been fascinated by physic abilities -- my own, and others'. How about you? Have you ever had any astonishing (or just plain incredibly useful) experiences with a physic? Or with your own psychic abilities and your own intuitions? I'd really love to hear about them."
~
Well...this intuitive experience may be a day or so late for this post!...but it is SO interesting, I just felt I had to share it with you!!
This morning, I made a post in another forum about being awake and aware. Today, as I walked into my local library, I noticed a book on the display shelf. The title caught my eye immediately! The book was called "Awakening the Awareness Within"
I opened the book, and the first thing I saw was a quote from Gary Zukav about delighting in dependency upon the Universe. I then turned to the back page and saw "Conversations With God" listed under the Further Reading section.
On my next flick of the page, the following words leapt out at me..." 'Being' is all about living completely in the moment"...which is what I was referring to in my comments here yesterday (on "the day after tomorrow's" blog!)
And finally....I flicked to a page and read the heading "BEING OPEN TO SYNCHRONICITY"!
The back cover also had a quote from Rachael Kennedy from the "Conversations with God" Foundation.
So I did a little googling...letting my intuition guide me (by paying attention to my inner emotional landscape)...until I was satisfied that I'd found what I was being led to look for!!
It was a reference on the "Conversations with God" website that led to a website for the World Food Programme
As a result of following my intuition, I now have the opportunity to make a donation to this programme, as well as to mention it on other forums to help further raise awareness.
And as Gary's name came up, I also plan to post this comment in the comments section of Gary's blog post in which he quotes the words that sum up the heart of our spiritual journey..."Love Your Neighbor".
Being involved in the "The World Food Programme" is a GREAT way to "Love Our Neighbors" right across the globe!
bhdt
posted by ...being here, doing this...: December 9, 2008 at 9:38 PM Delete:
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