Summer Ends

It’s not what you look at that matters,

it’s what you see.

-Henry David Thoreau-

As I reflect on the transition from the season of Summer to Autumn, there are a host of memories that flood my mind, some of which I am pleased to find while others are lost, or I choose to decline. I remember this last week-end of Summer as a time when the family gathered at the lake cottage one more time to do what we’d done every Sunday. The add on was taking out the docks, bringing in the boats, closing the cottage and saying good-bye to this special place to make way for another season of grace.

Today is different. Most all the people I grew up with are scattered to the wind in form and spirit, which means the generations have continued to move on in time and space. The cottage was sold, the matriarchs and patriarchs died, the children became parents/grandparents and the mobility of our ever changing landscape put people in different places and spaces. It’s now another season and yet the joy, laughter, humor and humus of newness continues wherever we choose to bring abundant life to life. It all continues to grow, change and rearrange.

The magic of childhood is now captured in the freshness of another season, another opportunity to experience new ways of being and becoming something that begins with another ending. There’s a new beauty, a new mood in each season. There’s a sense of aliveness that embraces the changes we go through with each seasonal change within ourselves, our environment and those around us. Summer gives us permission to play and relax while Autumn asks us to ponder the changes that inevitably will strip us bare of everything physical.

Ripeness begins to fill the air as we look across the threshold of Summer’s end to the beginning of Autumn. When August turns to September there’s a shift in consciousness, a bidding farewell to that which has been and a greeting to that which can be. It’s another rite of passage we count as both loss and gain, gratitude and liberation. Rustling in the cool morning breeze, the leaves speak of fertility and bliss to me, of transforming apples to cider and trees into gold, red and orange scenes of endings and new beginnings. What do you see?

The soul of the season speaks to the innermost places of our Being. Listening deeply to the crickets in the fields, the leaves fluttering on the trees, the geese flying free; we can once again discover our interconnectivity. We move with the rhythm of the tides, of the changes and rearranges that come with each new season of our lives. Our children leave for school and eventually follow the rule of leaving home to build their own while we, in advancing age, can grow into sagely wisdom honoring the many roads less traveled and not.

Boldly we walk alone together into the Autumn of our lives, into the mystery of our lows and highs. We stand together as the leaves again drop from the trees to become a bed for those who will lie sleeping underneath the blanket of Winter ease. “Taste and see,” she says to me; Mother Nature seeing me on bended knee. “Abundant life is yours with every season, see?” I stand in awe, knowing the eventual fall into her bosom who so lovingly holds it all. The divine light of Summer gives way to Autumn’s call. . . . A gift, for all. . . .

Let us say farewell to this soulful season of Summer as it lingers on in the heat of the days to make way for the Autumn season that cools the nights and opens newly colored ways. Blessings abound as we let go what has been to let come what will be; as we all together sing our songs in another changing reality. Come what may, we smile today as leaves transform and new life is born in the migration of time. The humorous rule that fires the fool to see everything as play is here laughing today. Have a fantastic wonder-filled day as you smile awhile and laugh a lot, giving Life all you’ve got. . . . Are you smiling yet? ? ?

• As you bid farewell to Summer and give greetings to Autumn, make some space every day to embrace the grace of each season. Reflect on this past Summer and what it’s opened for you in this new season of Autumn, and what you’d like to bring it to. Give attention to your intentions and live into them daily. . . .

• As you make this transition, reclaim your sense of humor. Open yourself to the wonder of all that’s here in this life. Feel the coolness of the evening with a smile, the warmth of the days with laughter, the gentleness of the morning with a grin that encourages you begin again.

• Finally, recognize the soulful season of life you’re in and take whatever sad song you’re singing and make it better, better, better. . . Ahh yes, it is a brand new day! ! ! !

Blessings,

Fr. Rick+

August Inspiration

The power of imagination

makes us infinite.

-John Muir-

As I sit pondering this last month of summer, I find myself imagining the inspiration of  engaging  something wonderful that could radically change me, my family, my surroundings and the world. Within this power of imagination everything seems relative, yet within my grasp. I notice the leaves on the trees in these dog days of August and realize that in a month or so they will begin to turn from green to red, gold, orange and eventually be on the ground as humus to greet the coming cold and winter snow.

These thoughts in themselves fire my imagination to the infinite possibilities there are in any given day on this glorious and mysterious planet we call Home. Imagine what it takes to create the four seasons with the trillions of interactions that keep the balance and harmony within the ecological systems. Ponder how we humans ignore the interconnecting nature of all our relations with these visible and invisible systems. Reflect on the mystery of what it takes to create these diverse miracles of Life we take for granted and hardly notice.

August is inspiring me to imagine the infinite wisdom and creativity that caused this fragile earth, our island home, to be created. It’s also inspiring me to recognize that we are not just residents but stewards of this bountiful and beautiful habitat. To recognize we are part of the wholeness rather than apart from it demands an awareness that we had before we got lost and forgot the interconnectivity of everything that is. What new power of imagination would help us to become more conscious, to care and co-create with the generative spirit of Life again?

What small adjustments could we make to become better stewards of this blue marble traveling through space? What small actions could we engage to enhance the inner awareness of humanity at this time in our lives? What ‘leaves’ do we need to shed as summer ends and autumn begins and, what if the most significant difference we could  make was simply to become more wise and understanding? Would that be enough? Would it make a difference and if so, why would we not make this change in awareness?

As we walk through this interactive human life, it seems we’re always wanting someone else to change rather than looking at what we need to change individually within ourselves. When I get angry with something ‘out there’ and not give attention to what’s going on ‘in here,’ I miss the opportunity to transform the world through me: I miss the gift of inspiration that shows me my own lessons that still need to be learned. I rationalize and forget to remember that nothing changes until it changes within me.

As John Muir’s above quote says: The power of imagination makes us infinite. So, what are you imagining in this season of soul? What images are being shaped in your heart, mind, hands, feet and voice? What images are you feeling and sensing that bring Life to Life for you? What inspirational thoughts can you imagine that will make a difference in your life and in the lives around you that are positive and generative? What gifts have you hidden that want to emerge through you at this time in your life, no matter what?

We live in a time of great growth and change, and the infinite power of imagination can create both positive and negative opportunities to create a world that resonates with both harmony and discord. The choice is up to us individually and collectively. Now, in this month of August, imagine beyond imagination something you can initiate that will change your world. Imagine a new attitude that inspires and fires your imagination and that of others. Imagine being a tree letting go of what’s unnecessary in the coming season to let come what’s necessary beyond it. Be the gift, the inspiration. Be the flowing river, the rooting tree. What do you see?

• This week spend some significant time in nature and listen to what the trees, birds, earth, rocks, clouds, breeze and streams of water have to say to you. Recognize the finite and infinite within the whole creation and awaken to the seeds  being sown in you. . . .

• When you find yourself complaining or feeling down this week, open yourself to the power of imagination. Imagine the wonder, wealth and wisdom that’s here inside you and everything you see. Don’t rationalize, simply see through the illusion of confusion and be inspired by the infinite possibilities that are always here within and without. . . .

• Recognize this week that Summer is rapidly coming to an end and Autumn is right behind. Ponder these days and ask: “What are these moments of Summer asking of me?” Discover the power of imagination that can awaken infinity in you. Remember Alice in Wonder-LAand and how you might be her. . . . Hmm. . . .

Blessings,

Fr. Rick+

Adjusting Your Sails

The pessimist complains about the wind.

The optimist expects it to change.

The leader adjusts the sails.

-John Maxwell-

As I look back over my life, I see that I’ve been a pessimist, an optimist and a leader. Today I see that I’m still all three to one degree or another. My ongoing work is to lead my life in a way that strives to be more of a leader than a pessimist or an optimist. It’s an ongoing process that demands great awareness and inner discipline to adjust my sails rather than complain or optimistically expect change to occur on its own. I suspect each of us finds ourselves in this same ongoing paradox from time to time. 
 

The other day I was in a conversation with a person who was deeply entrenched in pessimism which pushed my buttons to immediately point out the optimistic side of the issue. This pushed the other person into greater pessimism attacking me for my foolish uninformed optimism. Miraculously I saw what was happening and went quiet while they ranted on. Eventually they ran out of steam as I remained quiet trying to find the necessary lines to adjust my sails. This unconscious quiet adjusted the sails for me. 

There’s a teaching aid in sailing that says: “When in doubt, let it out.” This comes to play when there’s too much wind for the sail set. The remedy is to spill wind off the sails by loosening them which lessens the resistance, rights the boat and slows it down. It occurred to me in the moment that my quiet had reduced the resistance and slowed the argument down. In the silence, we both had a chance to regroup and find a neutral zone to reconcile our differences and create a new conversation that was more harmonious.

This lesson and many others is continually teaching me to be a better sailor, a better listener, a better navigator in the winds of change that keep blowing everywhere. It also reminds me of the many times while sailing that I haven’t heeded the lesson, blew out a sail and even tipped over a boat because of my lack of attention to this leadership lesson. I’m beginning to learn daily that this metaphor is one I need to remember in every interaction I have with every person, place, situation and thing.It’s an essential art.

This is not only applicable when with others but also when we’re alone sailing by ourselves. How often do we find ourselves complaining, judging, condemning others and even ourselves? How many times do we put on rose colored glasses and gloss over the difficulties hoping that everything will be alright without adjusting our attitudes?  When we remember that we’re the skippers of our boats and have to steer and adjust the sails, we awaken to our responsibilities and accountabilities for leading our lives. 

The next time you find yourself in troubled waters with cross currents and heavy winds, remember this metaphor and when in doubt, let it out. Discover the leadership that lies within you and the masterful art of adjusting your sails for smooth sailing . . .

Fr. Rick+

Interdependence Day

Humankind has not woven the web of life. 

We are but one thread within it. 

Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. 

All things are bound together. All things connect. 

-Chief Seattle- 

Two hundred forty seven years ago, fifty six men representing the thirteen British colonies in the ‘new world’ signed a Declaration of Independence to “Absolve from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and all political connection between the colonies and Great Britain.” For the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, they mutually pledged to each other their lives, fortunes and sacred honor. 

In this pledge, all fifty six men and their families literally gave their lives, their sacred honor and their fortunes for this greater good as the British army hunted them down, destroyed their property and did whatever was possible to silence them, disperse and destroy them. They however, never faltered. Rather, they inspired a small nation of ‘free people’ to rally against the British and seal their independence. They discovered their roots in equality, liberty and a common life. They did a freedom dance that sparked a movement that’s still evolving. 

Where would you say we are today in this twenty first century nation called the United States of America? Are we aligned with the self-evident truths that all persons are created equal? Do we agree that all people are endowed by the Creator with the Inalienable Rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness/Wellbeing? Do we respect the dignity of the web of life like Chief Seattle and the many native Americans who gave their lives for their independence and freedom? 

As I ponder this amazing story, I wonder what great purpose I’m willing to sacrifice myself and sacred honor for? What am I willing to stand for, give my life for, knowing that great freedom comes with great risk? What might be calling us all to this kind of resolve? What purpose could be inspiring us to act boldly to create the good, the great, the truth and wellbeing for all? Maybe it’s no longer independence from a foreign power but an awareness of the interdependence of all humanity and all creation we need to be standing up for, sacrificing for, giving our lives for! 

This week, as we raise the flag of our United States of America, can we see ourselves as a catalyst for a United Global Community that respects the dignity of every human being and the whole web of life? Can we see the invaders as mind parasites sapping our energy, creating indifference and distracting us from the exploitation of all that is natural, precious, beautiful and alive? Can we recognize these energies within and without that seek to enslave us with prejudice and self-serving indifference? Can we awaken to a new way of being together as One? 

I used to think the enemy lived in foreign countries, spoke different languages and was far off. Today, I see the enemy within ourselves, within our systems and within our own mind sets. Knowing they are we causes us to look within. Can we ever have Peace on earth and good will toward All without changing our own thoughts, words and actions? As we more clearly see the enemy within, can we stop projecting, heal our wounds and create a new reality for the whole? If so, we will respect the dignity of every human being and the sacred unity of Mother Earth. 

The world is in need of new leadership, new resolve and a lived interdependence that heals the whole creation of sentient and non-sentient beings. It needs a renaissance, a resurrection of Divine Love that’s always here and waiting for our inspired awareness. The Great Spirit is an energy personified in the one and many that’s calling us to bring forth new beginnings, awaken the Divine within and heal all wounds without end. “All things are bound together.” “All things connect” calls for a radical shift in consciousness to transcend and befriend! How are you in? 

· As you celebrate Independence Day this week, allow your heart to recontextualize this holiday as a call for ongoing Interdependence and see what difference it makes. 

· Whenever you see American flags flying; stop, look and listen to the shift in consciousness that’s calling you to a radical new interdependence of lovingkindness for all of creation. 

· Give great thanks for the infinite possibilities and potentialities that lie before us in this 21st century and commit to help embrace and befriend the whole of creation in new ways!

In Peace,
Fr. Rick+

Summer Solstice

At the Summer Solstice, all is green and growing, 

potential coming into being, the miracle of manifestation 

painted large on the canvas of awareness. 

-Gary Zukav- 

The wind whispers secrets in its own incomprehensible language as the stars sing in the depths of the night inviting our awareness and participation. These words were inspired by my many journeys into the depths of our forests, great lakes and night skies far away from the ambient light of our cities. This week we’ll be experiencing the Summer Solstice which marks the longest day of light in the Northern Hemisphere. For some it’s just another day. For others it’s a special manifestation of the kosmic rhythm of the universe. 

I’m using ‘kosmic’ as it includes the inner cosmos of our Being as well as the outer cosmos that extends out into infinity. They are a sacred unity that flow in, out, around and through the multiverse within the universe. There’s an implicit unity in the Kosmos that we’re all a part of while there seems to be an implicit separation when we use the word Cosmos. I’m pointing to the sacred unity of all that’s seen/unseen, visible/invisible, known/not known, here and now. 

In this season of soul we call summer, there’s an ever present overlap with the season of winter as it houses the Winter Solstice marking the shortest day of light in the Northern Hemisphere. The two appear to be opposites yet are a sacred unity in their interplay with darkness/light, hot/cold, awake/sleep, life/death and all so called opposites that are actually a unified field flowing in, around and through infinity. There are no real opposites, only interconnected poles of movement from one extreme to another and . . . we are all a part of it. 

It’s been said that the wind is part of us as it gathers and remembers our voices to send them through the trees, leaves, flowers and fields. This metaphor speaks to the awareness of our interconnectivity with everyone and everything. How are you giving yourself new opportunities to experience the trees, leaves, flowers and fields? How are you using the looking glass of our many electronic devices to awaken new awareness? How are you helping save our natural resources, expanding consciousness and unfettering the silent voices crying out for help? 

We’re presently on a trajectory that can take us into a whole new realm of conscious evolution or to a place of unrelenting catastrophe. Imagine what could happen if we’d spend more time in Nature listening attentively to her calls. Imagine spending less time in front of our screens enticing us to buy more, get more, do more. What if we listened to the wind as a messenger from a higher altitude touching us in the very depths of our souls where there’s no conflict, no aggression, no having to prove ourselves? Imagine being more still, more awake, more relaxed, more understanding, more loving, more calm and centered. Might the wind be calling us home? 

The Summer Solstice is here again to help us remember our interconnectivity with greening and growing, with new possibilities and potentialities coming into being through us, for us and the whole of creation. It mirrors the miracles of manifesting darkness and light, fear and love, grief and joy, apathy and revelation. It asks us to paint new pictures on the canvas of our awareness; to create new realities that honor the whole of creation. It wants us to awaken from our sleep, expand our consciousness, respect the dignity of creation and enlighten up. What do you say? 

*At the depth of your soul there is no conflict. Stop and drop into this depth. Let it teach you through the wind, rain, flowers and stillness; the manifestations of all creation that are coming and going, ebbing and flowing, here and now, ever embracing Life’s ongoing cycles. 

*Reflect on the kind of awareness that’s necessary to tap into this summer season of soul and what it might ask or even require of you here and now as you keep learning how. . . . 

*Reflect on the Spirit of Life that’s here, there and everywhere within and without, no doubt! 

F. W. Rick Meyers+

Retribution and Restoration

Acts that proceed from your calm center
are always more effective than 
acts that proceed from your
fear, guilt or anger.
~Alan Cohen~

As we enter the first week of June, we are hopefully celebrating the warm weather, leafing trees, flowers and plants that have come to help us awaken to the wonders of Life.  This season of soul is that of restoration transformation and enlightenment for new ways of being and becoming. This all appears as we overcome the separation we may have experienced from difficult winters and failed springs.  This season of soul invites us to engage the many opportunities we have for a new creation that's within us and flowing through us.  Restoration is a product of the season!

Restoration is a means of getting back to the original blessing of what's been diminished or lost. We've all experienced separation that's disconnected us from what we love.  We've also experienced failure and disappointment in small and large ways.  We've lost our tempers, our joys, our civility, our stability, our possessions and even our faith.  These separations and failures, however, can be opportunities for transformation and enlightenment.  They can help us awaken to a transformative process of forgiveness, love and reconciliation when we choose to do so.

Retribution on the other hand is a reward and punishment strategy.  It's connected to the original separation that comes from an either/or mindset.  It's a judgement that distinguishes right from wrong depending on who's doing the judging.  It uses the strategy of repression and oppression on oneself and others.  The process here is punishment, judgement, blame, fragmentation and condemnation when we choose not to listen to the inner promptings of a higher level of Being. There's no healing and reconciliation here; just crime, judgement and punishment.

Guilt, fear and anger are on the lower end of the map of the scale of consciousness - see David R. Hawkins M.D., Ph.D. - “Power vs. Force” -  They register at a level of 30, 100 and 150 while grace, forgiveness, love and reconciliation register at a level of 250, 350 and 500 on a scale of 0 to 700.  The difference here is stark and contrasting.  When we use retribution on ourselves and others, we create alienation, disconnection, fear and aggression.  When we use restoration, we create trust, acceptance and lovingness.  Awakening to this awareness inspires us to seek higher ground.

As I woke up to the news today, I felt a heaviness, a disorientation and sadness.  As is my custom, I opened my journal and began writing.  "The trees rest gently in the stillness of the morning without a breeze to tease.  The birds sing to greet the day while fires burn in the city streets and mothers mourn the loss of their children.  Welcome to another season of soul filled with darkness and light." These words brought me to the above quote by Alan Cohen that speaks of a calm center within each of us that waits patiently to be accessed in love rather than proceeding into fear, guilt and anger.

It's our choice to proceed in thought, word and action either with retribution or restoration.  It's a choice we make not only for our selves but for everyone and everything we see, hear, taste, touch, smell, know and don't know.  Thoughts create things and they're filled with affirmation and condemnation, restoration and retribution, separation and unity, fear and love, despair and joy.  The choice is ours every moment of every day and, in discovering this inner awareness, we can awaken to the inner soul that prompts us to consciously live the way of love, joy and peace!

• Ponder how the experience of retribution might help you follow the restorative way.  Give attention to your thoughts, words, and actions that flow from each.

• Focus on the calm center in the depths of your Being.  Cultivate this garden and enter into it daily for the next seven days.  Breathe in the fragrance of the flowers, the humus of the soil, the songs of the birds. Awaken to the wonder that lives here and let it inform you.

• As you notice your thoughts today, become aware of the retribution and the restoration that shows up.  Become aware of the negative and positive energies they generate.  Become aware of the differences and how your thoughts, words and deeds respond.  Become aware of this season or soul that wants to guide you into the wonder of Love.

Blessings,

F. W. Rick Meyers+

Passion and Purpose

If you can’t figure your purpose,
figure out your passion. For your
passion will lead you right into
your purpose.

-T. D. Jakes-

As we move from the season of Spring to Summer, it’s a very good time to take an inner look at what brings Life to Life for you. What sets your soul on fire as you wander about your house, your job, your relationships, your outer most being? What do you still dream about that ups your energy and fires your imagination? This ‘what’, when you become aware of it, is connected to your ‘why’, the reason you’re here at this time in space. It’s the passionate energy that arises when you engage it. It’s the felt experience you look forward to while dreaming of your ideal life!

As you identify your ‘why’, your passion, sit with it to feel the enlivening energy, the power that comes from focusing on the wonder of what you love. Experience in the here and now a life giving transmission of this divine energy that resonates through your entire system. It’s the energy you bring to what you do. You know the difference. You know the dullness that comes from the ho hum things that have to be done but don’t bring fire to life. You know what you do repeatedly without any passion or enthusiasm. You also know what fires your soul and enlivens your life.

As I’ve begun to monitor my passion and purpose over the past five years, I’ve come to see that the only person I’m destined to become is the one I decide to be. After decades of passionate service and soulful purpose, I went into semi-retirement thinking I could live a life with less passion, less purpose and less involvement in things I’d come to love. I was wrong. These past years have helped me see that in order to thrive, we have to continue to cultivate an awareness of why we’re still here. To retire from our purpose, our why, is to die a slow death.

I’ve worked in many types of jobs from menial labor to professional executive positions. Why I was doing the work rarely occurred to me. What did occur was the enjoyment and passion I had or didn’t have for the work. When I was just working for the money, I didn’t stay very long in the job. When I was working to fulfill a purpose, a vision, a why, I stayed on and thrived. So take a look at where you are and why you’re there. Notice where you’re enthused, fired up, wanting to engage, enjoying and bringing life to life, where your passion and purpose converge.

If, when you look, you discover any apathy, regret or despondence, STOP and ask why. Then ask what you could be doing internally to change the why. No matter what the circumstances, there is a why. It may not be the one that fires your imagination or brings passion into your life but in that why is another why that does. Look back at when you were the most enthusiastic, energetic, and passionate. What were you doing and why? The answer could be as simple as: ‘It made me feel alive’ or ‘I felt like I was making a difference’ or ‘I loved the sense of accomplishment’ or…?

In the Winter and Spring of our lives we experiment with discovering our passions and purpose. In the Summer of our lives we can then bask in the radiance of our purpose with passion to make a difference not only for ourselves but also for others. In the Autumn of our lives we find solace in the knowledge of our purpose and new ways of expressing it with a more refined passion. It all comes down to a felt sense of ‘Why am I here and what do I have yet to be?’ The soulful answer comes from the depths informed by experience. Here, the soulful marriage is complete. Here we’re ready to move from the growth of Spring to the maturity of Summer.

• Irenaeus, a 2nd Century Greek Bishop said: ‘The joy of God is a person fully alive.’

  • As you awaken to the passage of time, notice when, where and why you feel fully alive.

  • Allow your passion, your aliveness to direct your purpose. Discover the joy of aliveness!

When you find yourself in a dour and depressive mood, close your eyes and go to a place deep inside yourself where you can feel alive, appreciative, inspired, harmonious and loving. Sit in the vortex of this divine energy and know it’s always here for you. Make a practice of resting in this space at least four times a day for a week and see what happens.

Blessings All Ways,

F. W. Rick Meyers+

Smiling Hearts

We shall never know all the good

that a simple smile can do.

-Mother Teresa-

I received a phone call from a friend the other day who was having difficulty with all the suffering and death that was going on in the world. He was worried that his anxiety and despair was overcoming his usual optimism. I asked him if he was finding anything to smile about. He seemed put off by the question and answered: “No, I’m not smiling! It’s too dark to smile.” I then asked him to go look in a mirror, note what he saw, then smile at all the goodness he could remember and tell me what he saw while doing so. He came back smiling.

When I look at the flowers and budding trees awakening from their winter sleep, I can’t help but smile. I’m reminded that the seasons of soul we humans experience are a jumble most of the time……The winter darkness, spring blossoming, summer fun and autumn harvest can all take place in a few moments in our lives. The coldness of an unkind word, the flowering of a smile, the excitement of an event and the apparent loss of life can all take place in a day while taking months in Nature. Looking at life from the place of a smile is really different from that of a frown.

Today, while writing in my journal, I began reflecting on how Brother Sun and Sister Moon smile on me all the time even when I feel overworked, stressed, uncreative and unappreciated. I began looking into my metaphorical mirror to see how much or little I was smiling. I came up short. I realized in that moment of reflection I too was frowning and complaining way more than I was smiling and encouraging. It surprised me and has prompted me to share this eureka moment with you. I’m even smiling now as I’m writing and wondering if you’re smiling too.

We humans are creatures of habit, and in the day to day running around in our so called ‘adult lives,’ we get emotionally lost in the shuffle of negativity, push, shove, anxiety, blame, shame and overwork. We end up doing things that don’t inspire or bring Life to Life. We cop out to passionless activities to pay the bills, half-truths to keep us afloat and frowns to keep us focused. Does any of this sound familiar? The thing is, we don’t have to live this way! What I keep hearing is “Take the best and leave the rest.” If there’s a heartfelt smile, it’s the best. If not, well?

Thich Nhat Hanh, a noted international teacher says: “Sometimes, your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” This is what I experienced this morning as I reflected on my place in the universe. I consciously smiled at my foolishness, at my self righteousness and holier than thou attitude. I smiled at my arrogance of ‘knowing’ and my judgements on those ‘unenlightened’ ones that don’t know. The surprise was, by simply stopping in that moment of awareness, a smile of recognition appeared and changed my day.

It’s strange how a simple smile can pry open the heart enough to change our disposition, our outlook on life and allow us to enter into a place of revelation and joy. The simple switch that needs to be flipped is our inner awareness. To become aware that we are ‘not’ smiling is the key. Early in our lives most of us were conditioned and habituated to keep a rather flat affect, a sober unexpressive face. This habitual pattern gets interrupted when something prompts a smile. To become a flower, a person of heart, a smiler; we simply need to consciously awaken to it.

A simple smile is a key to opening the heart. When we make the conscious effort to smile, our chemistry changes. Endorphins are released creating a pleasant mood which allows us to see the world from a vantage point of optimism and appreciation. New possibilities emerge, creativity is stimulated, new perspectives are seen. Optimism then generates intention and a willingness to experience new ways of being and doing. Doors open, courage reappears and it’s a new day.

Smiling is easy, contagious, enlivening and empowering. It’s at the heart of Abundant Life.

• Today and every day become conscious of your inner disposition. Notice your moods, your inner dialogues, your sour notes. Also notice what prompts your inner and outer smiles.

• When you notice a mood, an emotion that’s negative or even neutral; stop, reflect on a better emotion, an optimistic, forgiving, understanding, reverent, serene, alive moment and notice how it triggers a smile. Also notice how you can stay conscious of this.

• Smile at others today and see how many smiles you receive in return. It’s an amazing way to be fully alive. . . . Are you smiling yet? Feel the wonder, the serenity, the aliveness!

Fr. Rick Meyers+

Adjusting Your Sails

The pessimist complains about the wind.

The optimist expects it to change.

The leader adjusts the sails.

-John Maxell-

As I look back over my life, I see that I’ve been a pessimist, an optimist and a leader.  Today I see that I’m still all three to one degree or another.  My ongoing work is to lead my life in a way that strives to be more of a leader than a pessimist or an optimist.  It’s an ongoing process that demands great awareness and inner discipline to adjust my sails rather than complain or optimistically expect change to occur on its own.  I suspect each of us finds ourselves in this same ongoing paradox from time to time.

The other day I was in a conversation with a person who was deeply entrenched in pessimism which pushed my buttons to immediately point out the optimistic side of the issue.  This pushed the other person into greater pessimism attacking me for my foolish uninformed optimism.  Miraculously I saw what was happening and went quiet while they ranted on.  Eventually they ran out of steam as I remained quiet trying to find the necessary lines to adjust my sails.  This unconscious quiet adjusted the sails for me.

There’s a teaching aid in sailing that says: “When in doubt, let it out.” This comes to play when there’s too much wind for the sail set.  The remedy is to spill wind off the sails by loosening them which lessens the resistance, rights the boat and slows it down.  It occurred to me in the moment that my quiet had reduced the resistance and slowed the argument down.  In the silence, we both had a chance to regroup and find a neutral zone to reconcile our differences and create a new conversation that was more harmonious.

This lesson and many others is continually teaching me to be a better sailor, a better listener, a better navigator in the winds of change that keep blowing everywhere.  It also reminds me of the many times while sailing that I haven’t heeded the lesson, blew out a sail and even tipped over a boat because of my lack of attention to this leadership lesson.  I’m beginning to learn daily that this metaphor is one I need to remember in every interaction I have with every person, place, situation and thing.  It’s an essential art.

This is not only applicable when with others but also when we’re alone sailing by ourselves.  How often do we find ourselves complaining, judging, condemning others and even ourselves?  How many times do we put on rose colored glasses and gloss over the difficulties hoping that everything will be all right without adjusting our attitudes?  When we remember that we’re the skippers of our boats and have to steer and adjust the sails, we awaken to our responsibilities and accountabilities for leading our lives.

The next time you find yourself in troubled waters with cross currents and heavy winds, remember this metaphor and when in doubt, let it out.  Discover the leadership that lies within you and the masterful art of adjusting your sails for smooth sailing…

Fr. Rick Meyers+

Weekly update for week ending April 22

Surprisingly, we’re already in the third week of April, which is the second week of Eastertide. My question for you is: What’s arisen in your heart, mind and soul as you’ve once again traversed Lent, Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter Sunday? Have any of these liturgies touched your heart, soul or mind in new ways? What new insights into your spirituality have you experienced and how are they inspiring your life today? I’m asking these questions because, so much of the time, we simply go through the motions and miss the profound insights hidden in the narratives.

How are you changing and rearranging as you continue to explore your beliefs? What ways are you discovering the greater heights, depths and breadths of your spirituality? Do you have a stilling practice, a prayer and meditation practice, some kind of mental, emotional, physical and spiritual practice? If so, great. If not, why not? I don’t mean to be dogmatic, but if we want to continue to grow into the fullness of Christ we must ongoingly exercise our ‘spiritual muscles’.

Take some time today, this week, this month to sit quietly and meditate on the resurrection, new life, Christ, anointing and blessing, flowing in, around and through you. Awaken to the possibilities of growing mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually as you breathe in, breath out, breathe in, breath out, breathe in, breathe out consciously and prayerfully with an awakened Presence. Relax your shoulders, your mind, your heart, your very being, everything to Renew!!!

Blessings All Ways,

F. W. Rick Meyers+

Easter Prayer

Help me to know, O Teacher, the Path to follow.
     Lead the Way and I will follow you.

In your Love is the power to calm the storms of adversity,
     Show me the power of the ever present Love.

O that I might learn to bless others selflessly,
     To be a silent benediction!

Incline my heart, mind and hands to your Love,
      And awaken in me the gift of your generosity.

Turn my eyes inward,
     That I may birth a new Life.

Help me enter into your Presence,
     Where the aspirations of my soul may become manifest.

Clothe me with compassion,
     That I may answer the cries of those in need.

In the depths of my soul, I long to serve the highest good.
     Help me remove the obstacles that stand in my way.

That I may live in radical and affluent Abundance, 
     Generously awaken to Divine Love.

Help me see your glorious Light that shines within, 
     That I may be a window into the gift of Spirit!

Gratia, Gratia, Gratia….

Amen…..

F. W. Rick Meyers+

Looking Toward Holy Week

As we enter these last days of Lent and move into Holy Week and Eastertide, it's important to become aware, not only of the liturgies we engage, but also of the ways we process the thoughts, words and inner musings that arise from our external experiences. This Sunday we celebrate what is called Palm or Passion Sunday. It marks the beginning of the last week of Jesus' life, his entry into his passion,  joy, suffering, final days and ultimate death and resurrection to new Life. This is, for many, an event that took place two thousand years ago. It can also become a metaphor of what we all go through in our lives as we stumble along in our everyday experiences........ 

What are the pains and sufferings you've experienced in your days, weeks, months, years and decades of life? What are the slings and arrows of outrageous fortunes you've had to endure and how have you embraced these 'little 'deaths' in your decades of life here in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries? What are the new births, beginnings, that you've been given to carry you through to new ways of being and doing? How have they enlightened your life and those of others you've known? How have you been reviled and condemned, celebrated and transformed, thus bringing New Life to yourself and others? 

Might this be a time, not only to remember Jesus and his life, death and new life, but also what it represents for you in your everyday life? Could it be that a new life is opening for you as you wander through your own deserts and difficulties? Might it be a recognition that no matter how difficult and disconnecting life can be, that In Christ, the anointing and blessing of Divine Presence, you can die to the old and live into the new?  Isn't the gift of life always available to us, no matter what the difficulty? Isn't Jesus' ending and beginning not only his story but also your story, my story and our story as we embrace everything to renew? 

Ultimately, Holy Week and Eastertide is a glimpse into the wonder of a Divine milieu that can always turn death into life, sadness into joy and loss into gain again and again and again. Let us then, in these weeks of remembrance, enter into the sorrow of loss and the joy of gain in new ways of seeing and experiencing the world. Let us see through the profusion of confusion into the new beginnings of a transformed Life. What do you say? Could you make today and everyday that day? ? ?

Blessings All Ways In Spiritus,

F. W. Rick Meyers +

Changing the World?

If we are to change our world view, images have to change.

The artist now has a very important job to do.

We are not little peripheral figures entertaining rich people.

We are really needed.

-David Hockney-

I’m sticking with my view that everyone is an artist; but most of us don’t know it and those that do have a difficult time owning it.  As artists, we make things out of nothing.  We invent from our experiences and imaginations.  We see with eyes that are both rational and beyond the rational into a world that is both known and unknown.  We are the visionaries that see beyond what is to what can be, and often times, make it so.

We do all this through picture, story, drama, music, healing, wonderment, silence, voice, instruments, experiment, walking, sitting, moving, sculpting, building, tearing down, reconfiguring and exploring every discipline that can be imagined and is beyond the imagination.  We do not settle for what someone else dictates.  We are not afraid to fail because we know that failures are portals to new discoveries and possibilities.

We change the world through our varied perceptions of all that is and is not.  We do not allow ourselves to be dumbed down.  If necessary, we go underground, but eventually we have to let the art that lives within come out into the open.  We finally stop being intimidated by our own critical thoughts and those who look over our shoulders.  Waking up to who we really are and our mission to enlarge the views of the conditioned masses; we do what we must with passion, spirit and verve because we cannot not do it.

We recognize the importance of the artist in the world.  We challenge the status quo, the images of how others see the world, which is no small thing but a very big thing, a very important thing and an essential thing for the conscious evolution of the global community.  We make life together and discover a humility that is often the door to mastery and surprising accomplishments.  Often our progress is made in baby steps that we fail to see and know.  Healing comes through our work in visible and invisible ways!

We carry on in spite of the battles we fight with ourselves and our culture.  We learn to gently embrace the obstacles as we find allies along the way.  We discover community where we thought there was none.  We learn to share our gifts.  We come together in strange and wonderful ways with the most unsuspecting characters and begin to recognize a fellowship of creatives.  Waking up and doing our work becomes easier, more fluid, more free from the oppression we’ve suffered as artists of new creations.

If any of what I’m saying touches you, give thanks and recognize that you are waking up to the ‘Who That Is You’, the ‘Thee that is We.’  You are awakening to the Wealth, Opportunity, Wisdom and Well-being of an artist in the 21st century called into companionship and conscious contact with the power of the Divine, the Essence of Being, the Source of Light drawing us Home… Blessing All Ways and everywhere!!!

Fr. Rick Meyers+