Pick A Side

By Don Shetterly

These days, it seems that too much social interaction revolves around everyone doing a pick a side.  It really is a sad testament to humanity when we can't even discuss an issue of the day without people becoming opposing forces.  It doesn't matter what the issue is.

I try hard not to pick a side on things.  Yes, I have my beliefs and opinions, but they are mine.  There's no need for me to force them on anyone else.  Far too many do that on all sides these days, and I don't think it is a good thing for our world.

Growing up, I had too many in my family that thought they always knew what was best.  Nothing stopped them from pushing their beliefs and opinions on me even if the facts did not support them.  The church we went to had a very narrow way of interpreting how we view just about everything in life including who would or would not get into heaven.

These experiences I went through left me feeling bewildered because either you saw it their way or you were just flat out wrong.  There was no allowance for differing viewpoint or beliefs.  It was one way and one way only.  You had to pick a side.

I see the same thing in everyday life where if you don't pick a side, you're banished to the side of the road.  Yet, if you point this out to anyone, they act as if "others" have the problem and not them.  They can not see the tree in front of them because of the log in their eye.

Many times I see people writing similar things to what I am saying here.  They are so tired of having to pick a side and would like people to be more respectful.  I'm not sure if the more tolerant voices get drowned out by the screamers or what, but we're hurting humanity.

Too many of the things that we deem as important in life that we will fight everyone for, are not as big as we believe they are.  Yes, there are some important issues, but to degrade others through hateful screaming and name calling does nothing to help.

I see people that bash others for behavior they do, and yet they do the same to others.  It makes me wonder if any conscious people are remaining these days.  Surely, as humans, we are more than screaming, name calling and hatemongers.  Surely, there's more to our existence.

When you pick a side, and it doesn't matter which side, you're hurting others and you are degrading yourself.  You have dehumanized the world through the lack of listening, care, and compassion.

When you pick a side, you show to the world that it is "us" against "them" and nothing good comes out of that.  No, it isn't everyone else that does this.  We point the fingers as if it is, but we could not be more wrong.

Much of this happens because we are not connected to the mind and the body.  We have our opinions and beliefs, but we are so disconnected that we have become less than human.  Change needs to start within each one of us.  We need to be the change we wish to see.

Stop playing into the game where you pick a side because you're only adding to the screaming in the world.  It is devoid of love and compassion.  We need love and compassion are so badly in the world.  You do not have to follow the crowd even though our society attempts to force that upon each of us.

Stand tall in love and compassion.  Learn how to be consciously connected to your mind and body.  By doing this, together we will help the world evolve to a better place.

Try to be more mindful of life.  Stop and evaluate how you spend your day and be aware of your actions.  One of the things that most miss in their day is truly being aware and conscious of how they present themselves to the world.  We are so unconscious in our activities which elevates these problems to epic proportions.

Are You Afraid Of Electric Lighting?

Written By Don Shetterly

I'm seeing so many conspiracy theories these days that it almost makes my head explode.  This person is afraid of this device.  Another person is scared of another device.  Other people are fearful of gadgets and things too numerous to mention.

Everyone has their own set of facts, beliefs, and opinions to back their conclusions up and prove they have the truth.  I've seen it so many times.  Quite frankly, I'm getting so tired of seeing it everywhere I turn.

These days in our society, it doesn't have to be proven, it just needs an "element" of truth in what is being stated.  In our news, we sprinkle in a few facts along with the opinions of guests on these shows and act as if we invented the best news source in the world.

Let's start with modern day devices.  Lately, I have been seeing how microwaves spy on you and how Alexa is spying on you.  Does anyone know if these things are right?  Most likely not, but it doesn't stop them from forcing the world to hear their beliefs that this is true.

Alexa has been in the news supposedly spying on everyone.  Maybe it is true, and perhaps it is not.  I have no way to know.  If she wants to listen in on our conversations, she is going to get very bored.  They can't hardly keep up with programming her with answers, so I doubt they have time and capital to fund the massive workforce that would be required to monitor everything.

I have seen so many people treat the Alexa device as if it is some evil person coming after them.  I shake my head because these people act like any technological advancement is a bad thing.  Be wary they say.  Run, they say.  Hide, they exclaim.

For me, I'm one that believes in invention and progress.  Actually, I think we are running far behind where we should be.  There should be more advancement and growth, not less.  Will there be mistakes and hiccups along the way?  You betcha!

It all reminds me of the story I heard about Thomas Edison when he was inventing the electric light bulb.  In his wintertime hometown, he wanted to build an electric light grid so the town would be lit up.  He offered to pay for it out of his own pocket, but the townspeople said NO!  They were afraid of the electric lights.  The lights were new.  They feared them as if they were the worst things invented.

Today, we can't imagine a city or a home or a street without lights.  We don't run from electric lights in fear.  We don't pass around conspiracy theories about electric lights.  These are welcomed advances now in our lives.

We may want to think how we view progress and innovation.  If we don't keep advancing, others will.  If we stay stagnant in what we know, we've doomed the human race.  Part of being human is growth.  Part of the mind body connection is about awareness and growth.

Let's not be afraid of electric lighting, but instead embrace that which makes us fearful.  Don't follow blindly, but don't be scared to step out the door because someone has convinced you that it might be too frightening (metaphorically speaking).

Let's embrace our mind and our body.  Let's be more than we are today.  We will not get there by hiding our heads in the sand.  We won't discover and become more aware and conscious if we're against stepping out into the unknown.

Even in the light of all that has happened with data collection, we need to be cautious, but not over the top.  Each one of us should be careful of the things that we share online because any time you type the words on the screen, you no longer have control over them.

Angry Rants

Written By Don Shetterly

I'm overwhelmed these days by most things online.  It feels like there is enough stress in a day and then seeing angry rants just pushes it over the edge.  I'm not sure why we as a world are at the place we are, but I'm worried for the future of our civilization.

No one seems to want to listen to another.  We only seem to want to scream and push our point of view on everyone.  I think many feel like no one hears them and if that's the case, the result is to scream louder to compensate.

Everyone seems to have their point of view and belief system.  While that is fine, when you force it upon everyone else, what do you profit?  How do you make their life better?  How do you make the world better?  After all, they are "our" beliefs.  Often times, "our" beliefs are not backed up by as much truth as we think they are.

I see the I'm right, you're wrong in the angry rants.  It doesn't matter the issue.  The ego is crafty and smart and powerful.  It says, my way or the highway and to heck with your views, thoughts, or ideas.  The only thing is, if we are all right, and everyone else is all wrong, then we've got a mess on our hands.  Surely life is more than you're wrong, and I'm right.

Angry rants go on about this individual or group of people.  It often centers around politics and the latest headline of the day.  I'm bewildered when I see the constant stream of it online, weeping in sadness for how we treat one another.

Surely our lives are more than angry rants of who is right and who is wrong.  Are we not more than all of the mind-numbed issue ranting of the day?  If you really look at it, it is not a conscious behavior.

I'm not saying that we should ignore injustice, abuse, and bullying.  In fact, I think we have to speak up, but there are different ways of doing that.  Many that are being used today are not effective and become nothing more than a noisy gong.  We are drowning each other out.

I get the frustration with what is happening throughout the world.  It feels frightening at times and stressful most other moments.  It feels like there is nothing stable or permanent.

In my mind, I see the pendulum of the planet swinging so far back and I wonder how much further it can go.  What will happen when it reaches its furthest most point?  My mind wonders about what will happen when it swings back and hits all the other balls hanging there without motion.

Some days I feel like the only one seeing this, but lately I've noticed I'm not alone.  There are others that see this and try not to add to the anger in this world.  I am inspired and hopeful by these connections.  The peaceful and loving ones are beginning to emerge.

Each and every human needs to stop and take stock of their lives.  We need to be mindful and aware of what we are putting out into the world.  There is more than one way to communicate and right now as a civilization, we're really messed up.

May we figure this out before the pendulum swings too far back.  I hope that everyone who reads this will stop and think about it for one moment.  We cannot expect everyone else to do what we want when we're doing the very same behavior.  We cannot expect others to listen if we do not hear.  If we are screaming, we can not expect them to be silent.

We may think we are right and quite possibly that is true.  However, being right comes with a responsibility to see others through the eyes of love and understanding.  In fact, love and understanding see beyond who is right or wrong.  Angry rants do very little to help.

How do angry rants impact your life?  Do you see anything that you can do differently to be part of the healing in this world?

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Blog Post And Images (c) 12/14/17 by Don Shetterly

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We Point Fingers

Written By Don Shetterly

Lately, all across the planet, it seems to be human means we stand opposed to one another.  We point the fingers and exclaim that everyone else is the problem.  We hold our heads up high while bashing everyone who doesn't believe our way.

The issue doesn't matter.  From the more serious ones to the little ones, we point the finger and say "you're either with us or you're against us."  There is no middle ground.  There is no listening.  There is no acceptance of anything outside our personal belief systems.

It doesn't seem to matter how enlightened people claim to be or how religious and God-loving they are.  Everyone points the fingers while thinking they have the truth.  They believe they have all the answers.  They believe no one knows what matters the way they do.  When I say they, I mean the "collective we" in our society.

We See Things Our Way...

We judge but demand others not judge us.  We torment and ridicule, but we hate it when the same is done to us.  We fail to listen to others and their points of view while demanding that they adhere to ours.  We speak as if are the only ones with the right to talk while telling all others to shut up and sit down because they have nothing of value to say.

I'm not saying all things that are said, need to be heard.  In fact, I believe many need to practice some self-control and learn which things are good for public discourse and which things are not.  In this day and age of the internet, we all feel that every thought that passes through us must be shared with the world instantaneously.  Thanks, social media, for doing us such a big disservice!

Instead of focusing on what is in our own heart and learning to let go of our own anger and pain and stress of life, we inflict it upon everyone we meet.  We show them our hatred through our words and our actions.  We show them our pain through our inability to just let go and move on.

We Are Part Of The Problem...

We give a voice to the crazy thoughts of the day when we point our fingers at them in judgment.  We give a voice to the crazy talk when we have to share, pass on, retweet, and like everything they say.  We are as much a part of the problem as the ones sharing the trash.  Yet, we hold ourselves up high as we are somehow enlightening the world.

If you add crazy to crazy, you're only going to get a more crazy response.  If you add hatred to hate, you're only going to see more hate.  If you antagonize anger with anger, you're going to see anger on display at every corner.

We need to really stop and think about how our actions are contributing to the overall demise of the world.  We may believe that we are doing something positive, but when we elevate the crazy trash of the day, then we are part of the problem.  We need to stop being part of the problem.

Let's stop judging ourselves and therefore others.  Let's stop pointing the finger at others and therefore ourselves.  Let's stop hating and showering anger upon the world, expecting love in return.

Instead, let us show love to the world by first starting to show love within ourselves.  Let love begin within us.  Let us rid our hearts of hatred, judgment, and anger so that we can fill it with love.  Let us let go of all those we point the finger at, and see the spark of light that is within each human being.

Remember, when you point a finger at someone else, you have three fingers pointing back at you.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

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Sorry But Stress Is Present In Life

Written By Don Shetterly

Sometimes I see things stated and my eyes bulge out of my poor little mind. I am amazed at how unconscious and aware we can be even by those who claim to be conscious.  I believe that the things we preach to the world especially when they are our beliefs have serious consequences, and we need to be far more aware than we are.

I saw a quote online that said, "there is no such thing as stress in the world.  It is all in our mind." 

I had to read the quote a few times to make sure I saw the statement that I did.  Yes, that is the statement that I read, and it boggles my mind.

I had to read it and do a double take to make sure I saw what I did.  Yes, that is the statement.

This statement could not be further from the truth.  In fact, it and truth are strangers in distant galaxies.

There is stress no matter where you look.  Some of it is positive stress which we need in our lives.  Some of it is toxic stress.  No matter what you think your thoughts can do, stress is present.

• If you walk outside in the hot sun, the stress of the heat makes your body work to cool and find equilibrium.  
• If you get in the car and drive down the street, there are cars not obeying the traffic laws and rules of driving so that they can present stress to you. 
• There is the boss that yells at an employee in front of a meeting for something beyond their control.  That is stress on your mind and body.  
• There is the demanding boss that wants you to follow their every whim and demand with no respect for you.  That is stress.
• There is the stress of the kids needing help with homework, or to take them to every activity meeting they have.  
• There is the stress of trying to get your family fed and answering emails and texts from the boss.
• There is even stress from moments gone by in how it impacts your current thought processes on a million different subjects and points.  
• There are the financial consequences of spending too much and dealing with your ever changing budget that creates stress.
• There is that rude person who tries to ruin your day or just get in your face for the stupidest thing that they can.  
• There is the stress of a significant other feeling left out or putting demands upon your time that causes stress.
• There is the stress of all those things you were taught and learned as a young child that now sometimes makes current moments not seem reasonable to you.  In the process of those connections that happen unconsciously every minute of their day, they create stress that we don't often see.
• Learning and growth are most likely stressful moments because it takes you out of your comfort zone and into something new.

There is hardly a day that goes by where we have no stress.  If we walk around not recognizing the stress in our lives, we're not as awake and aware and conscious as we think we are.  We may be able to talk the talk, but if we can't connect the talk with real life action or the places in our bodies that it resides, we're only fooling ourselves.

If you don't recognize stress in your life, you're only setting yourself up for a big fall later on in life.  At some point, it will build up to a breaking point, and it will get your attention.  You can mark my words on that.  I've lived it.

We can't go through life putting the happy smile on our face while we ignore stress and connections to the past.  If you try to do this, let me tell you from first-hand experience that the result will not be a good one.  I don't say this out of belief.  I say it from experience.

Learn to recognize stress for what it is.  It is present.  Instead of trying to act like it doesn't exist, go in and allow yourself to see it for what it is.  Allow yourself to find ways to acknowledge and let go of it. 

It is not just an exercise for the mind because stress finds a place within our body.  If we don't see its existence, it takes us permanent residency and then crowds out the joy and peace and love you so badly desire for life.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

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I Help Lift Others Up

If I see through the eyes of acceptance, I help lift others up.

Far too often, we want to force people into our way of thoughts and beliefs.  We do more harm than if we accept others as they are and see them through the eyes of acceptance.

When you accept others for who they are, not your judgment of who they should be, it is then that you are lifting them up to heights they never could have imagined. 

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

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What Do We Actually See

It is far too easy to fool ourselves at times.  What we think we see and what we actually see are often not in sync with one another.  Our mind and our body have a good way of getting us to believe what we see, even if it is not the truth.

Whether it is in the latest "belief" of what is true in our society or politics or spiritual practices, often we have our minds made up and we're not going to allow anyone to introduce anything different to us.  We have our paradigms locked away in our box and that is it.

Unfortunately, the more we do this, the more we limit ourselves to what really exists.  There's no one that can tell you what exists in your world.  Many do try to do this and many will listen as if it is the truth, but the thing is, only you know what exists in your mind and body.

We are usually oblivious to it...

Even though we know what exists in our own mind and body, we are usually oblivious to it.  We've put it in specially marked boxes that only filter how it will appear.  Yet we think that with our filters we apply, that is how it is - end of story, period!

I was raised with a strict adherence to one way of looking at things.  I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt now that most of what I was taught would not hold water.  It would be like trying to carry water in a bucket full of holes.  Yet, it took me forever to understand that and now that I have, I am glad I finally came to my senses.

In the physical body, we often think that a doctor or healing practitioner or some other person has the answers to issues, illness, and ailments we face.  We don't realize that we hold the key to our own healing.  We see one way of looking at it, but we fail to see the entire picture.  We have our filters fully engaged.

If we are challenged...

Often if we are challenged to see beyond what we see, we come back and strike at the person.  We show them just how stupid they are in our eyes.  We hurl insults as if they are the ones that need to be enlightened.  We fail to see that it isn't about them.  They are only acting as a mirror to the depths of our own life.

It is up to us to allow ourselves to see beyond what we think we see.  It is through our own awareness and growth, that we begin to allow this.  It is through awareness that we become more conscious.

If you think you see your life clearly, you are probably chasing a mirage.  We need people who desire to truly get to know themselves from the inside out.  We need people in this world that truly want to be human, fully connected to every part of themselves, not hiding behind the filters we put up.

For when we truly see all that is in us, it is then that we are on the path of self discovery, growth and awareness.  Surely, to be human means that we are here to find our true potential and possibility.  Surely, we are not meant to hide from getting to know ourselves in every way possible.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

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Your Healing Belief Is Wrong

Far too often these days, we go to our corner in the boxing ring and we come out fighting.  We don't read or listen or attempt to understand the other person's point of view.  This is especially true in the healing world.

For several years, I despised the medical establishment.  I wrote about it and filtered it through my own paradigms in what I shared with others.  I've since come to appreciate and understand the medical world much more than I once did.

From the moment they almost took my life from me in a medical procedure until now, I have had a distrust of them.  Fortunately I came back to life, but when someone messes with you breathing in your body and taking that away, you tend to see things differently. (Read about my Near Death Experience.)

When people say that "your healing belief is wrong", they are limiting all that is possible and kind of limiting all of life.  Yes, they may have a point, but if you come out of the ring swinging as if any other thought is wrong, then you're not interested in learning more about what is possible.

I've seen plenty of things in my life that are placebos.  I've seen many procedures that only show part of the picture, not the entire thing.  We tend to look at our medical conditions through the eyes of fear, not through awareness.  When we do this, we cloud our best judgment.

Why can't there be multiple paths to the same treatment?  In treatment, I don't mean covering up and numbing the body.

Why can't there be elements of truth in every medical or healing procedure that does work?  Do we have to melt everything down into "it works or it doesn't"?

Because of our own paradigms and beliefs, we often miss the bigger picture of what is doing the healing work.  I've been in enough classes and programs to see that people build a "procedure" or a "program" around one thing they can prove which often diminishes the pure essence of it.

I believe we have far much more power within ourselves to affect real change in our lives.  I've seen it personally in my own life and that of many others.  I believe we don't have all the answers, and that in each healing modality or truth out there, there is a core truth that makes a difference.  It is the core truths that I focus on, not what the masses are led to believe.

Sometimes you can use some healing modality without subscribing to the beliefs within it.  The best way to look at it in my opinion is to test it and if it works, see if you can reproduce it again.

 
Just like medical procedures that are elevated as the "cure-all" of the world, there are many healing modalities that don't fully measure up either.  It isn't going to get us anywhere if we dismiss everything that each teaches.

If we open up to the core truths within each one, we will get farther in our own lives.  If we see our knowledge of healing as being true to this moment, it helps us go and discover more than we knew was possible.  It is all up to us, but please don't put on blinders as to what heals.  You're just limiting your options if you do.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

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The Choice Is Up To You

One of the things that I learned a long time ago was just how much I could either impact my life in a good way or continue to go down the path that basically got me nowhere!  The choice was up to me in how I lived my life, how I let go of things in my life, and what I allowed myself to see.

There are far too many operating on autopilot following the crowd of beliefs, opinion and ways of looking at their own health.  Original thought and discovery has for the most part exited the building.  Understanding that we make choices is like a foreign concept.

Yes, people give lip service to these things and then they follow it with a "but" this won't work for me.  Many want to claim they are all knowing and are doing the most they can do, BUT they include the reasons and excuses that it won't work for them.

We are all entitled to our reasons and/or excuses of what works in our life and what doesn't.  I'm not suggesting that whatever reasons we have are invalid or inappropriate.  They may actually have a good basis for existence.  Unfortunately, the reasons become more who we are, rather than who we truly are.

I proved them wrong...

If I would have listened to the doctors years ago, I would have never recovered from Conversion Disorder, walked again and held a job again.  The doctors were reacting from my situation at that point and drawing upon their medical knowledge in the moment, but I proved them wrong.  I was not about to stay down in life.

There have been many times throughout my healing that I felt like I would never make it.  The odds were too great and the struggles were too difficult.  If I would have made the choice to just feel like I couldn't go on or find another way, I would not have made it this far.  I could have done that, but it was a choice that I had to make.

Some might tell me, "you don't understand" or "you're special" or you are different than everyone else.  I've heard many of those reasons of why I made it and others could not.  Yet, I was in those same shoes, doubting and wondering if I could make it.

Believe beyond myself...

It required me to believe beyond myself and keep moving forward even when I could not see what was lying ahead.  It required me to let go of all that I thought I knew and believed and felt was fact in my life, to see what else I was missing.  It required me to go in and not accept the condition I was in, so that I could find the way forward.

Is this easy to do?  No, it is not!  It takes a lot of determination and courage and strength.  It takes someone never giving up even when the odds are stacked against them.  It takes seeing outside of what you think you know to be true that is beyond the blinders we all wear.

The choice is up to you in what you do with life.  Sure, some of us are going to stay where we are no matter what.  That is our choice.  Some of us will try to go into healing and find how difficult it is and stop for an extended rest.  Some of us will shed the shackles were bound with and through determination not stop until we find greater peace in our life.

In my view, healing from atrocities sucks!  I wish no one had to go through anything, but to this day, the only way I've found to conquer it is by healing through it.  I've learned that I have to muster up all the strength I can and fight through it as I discover things I never knew existed.

What we do with our mind and body is our choice.  Just don't let that choice define your entire existence.  Go beyond it and see what is possible - what is healthy - what is freedom and peace.  Go into the darkness of the unknown so you can find the light of all that there is.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

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What Is Truth?

These days it seems like the lines between fact and fiction have blurred.  Truth is almost in the eye of the beholder it seems.  From fake news on TV and social media to people claiming they have the truth, but it turns out is nothing more than opinion and belief.  Truth seems to be everywhere, but nowhere!

We proclaim truth every day on social media.  You see it in almost every post.  We proclaim truth on news media shows from the different newsmakers and pundits claiming they have the truth.  We see people fighting about their truth and paying little attention to anyone else.

Truth seems to be something that is known to the person holding that truth.  However, there is truth based upon scientific fact that has been proven with time.  There is truth as in what people perceive their beliefs to be.  Yet, we still don't all hold the same truth.

We hold the only truth...

We all have our truth that we hold dear and precious to our heart.  We will defend our truth to the end of the world most times.  We think we hold the only truth out there and others have not discovered what we know.  Okay, maybe not everyone - but there is a vast majority doing this these days.

Why not instead of looking at all things as the only truth, see if there is something you're missing.  Can you truly back up what you're saying, or is it just regurgitated truth?  Can you truly prove what you think is truth, or are there holes in it?

Does not come with blinders...

Truth can be your present truth as long as it does not come with blinders that keep you from seeing more.  Truth can be powerful, but it also can be limiting if you're not willing to see beyond what it is that you know.  We all claim we see beyond what we know, but the evidence in our country and on social media says otherwise.

What if for one moment, you looked at your truth as the point where you are currently at.  It is the launching point to discovering more, possibly even a greater and stronger truth than you know at this moment.  Let it be the guiding force to see further ahead, rather than the limiting cave you live in.

What is truth?  That's a question I pose to everyone reading this.  What is your truth?  What is your definition of truth?  I'm sure I don't have all the answers.  Let's start a discussion and do it respectfully.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

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Belief and Being Authentic

You cannot hide behind belief and be authentic.  You can only come to terms with what is absolute truth in your life, but never failing to re-evaluate to see if that still holds true.  For belief hides us from seeing all that is lying before us and cloaking us in a layer of ignorance.

By Don Shetterly, 11/2/16

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

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Intolerance Is Not Love

I posted something yesterday on my twitter feed and within a short time, I lost well over 50 followers.  I lost count at some point because they were coming in so fast, I could not keep up.  It amazes me just how intolerant people are.

I realize gay marriage can be a volatile topic, but I try to be very respectful, warm, and compassionate in all that I write and share.  I don't try to force you to believe in what I do, but I don't shy away from putting out there in the world, that which impacts my life.  I try to stay open to all things, all thoughts, views, beliefs and actions.  Sometimes I may fall flat on my face doing this, but I try hard.

Many of the profiles that unfollowed were of "enlightened people" or at least that is what they claimed.  Some of the profiles claimed love and tolerance and being open.  Some gave the impression that they were the best people in the world.  It surprised me reading some of the profiles because either those are just words they wrote, or they don't understand what they wrote in the profile.

I step outside my comfort zone...

You will not see me back away from issues because they are too tough to deal with in our world.  I know that the only way I can learn and grow is if I step outside of my comfort zone.  Now, don't get me wrong in what I'm saying here.  There are plenty of things that I see which absolutely don't resonate with me and even if I step outside of my comfort zone, I don't bathe in them.

Welcoming thoughts and ideas and beliefs you don't agree with helps us understand one another and it helps us to grow.  It does not mean we have to agree or disagree with these things.  It does not mean we have to embrace them.  We can expose ourselves to them and then see how they apply to our own life.  It means that we can evaluate them and then decide what we want to do with these thoughts, ideas, beliefs, and opinions.  It can help us understand another individual from a new perspective.

It is not love...

To categorically reject something you see posted is shortsighted in my mind.  It is not what makes a thinker great.  It is not what makes a person truly human in my view.  It is not love.  It is intolerance.

I was saddened yesterday when this happened and I was grateful that a few encouraged me publicly and privately.  I try to be a very caring and respectful person, so when that many reject one little tweet I made, it really hurts.  I'm sensitive and I don't deal with rejection very well.  It was the absence of love and tolerance.

I want to challenge us to be more than we are.  I want to challenge us to include more people than we do.  I want to challenge us to listen more than we do and allow some other thought, idea, belief or opinion to look us straight in the eye.

As a civilization, I think we can be more than we are.  I think instead of intolerance being the new norm in life, we can rise to meet the possibilities of the future.  We can rise up with love.  If we walk hand in hand, we will be stronger, than if we cut the hands off of our fellow humans.

To those that unfollowed, I'm sorry that you decided to do this.  I hope you will reconsider and challenge yourself to greater heights.  I hope you will help me understand things that I don't understand or know at this moment.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
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Preaching hate

I'm sorry if this makes some uncomfortable, but its the only way I can deal with the tragedy in Orlando.  I've had people stop following me on Twitter today because I talked about hate. I guess they don't like the fact that I'm gay.  I'm not going to apologize for this.  I am who I am and if anyone cannot accept me, it was nice meeting you.

I'm not sure how you can say the following statement and immediately watch scores of people unfollow.  I could think of all kinds of words to say about that action, but I won't step down into the depths of hatred and return the favor.  Take a look at what I said and see if that is a bad thing.  In my mind, it isn't.  Who knows, maybe people who hate are somehow more intelligent.  Maybe that's it.  I don't know.

You can't preach hate every day and expect a different outcome. Hate only breeds hate.

— Don Shetterly (@mindbodythought) June 12, 2016

Its sad.  We have hate that is fueled by the preaching of hatred across this land.  Whether it is in the church pulpit or the political arena, it seems we just like to hate.  We teach hatred as if it was a key in life.  All the time, we don't even know that we are so hateful to others.  Too many puff their chests up and act like somehow they are better and more superior.

In fact, most people that show their hatred are the ones that cry about how much of a victim they are.  They claim that if they can't spew and forth their hatred on to others at every turn in life, that somehow they are being victimized and silenced.  They don't stop to see just how their words, thoughts, and actions are some of the most hateful things that they produce.

Some out there think that if you don't believe in the way their religious teachings command, that you are stopping them from exercising their freedoms.  Nothing could be further from the truth, but to those that hate, truth is the last thing that fills the voids in their mind.

Not everyone believes the way you do.  It is called freedom of religion and freedom of speech.  However, when you push your beliefs upon everyone else, you've made the entire world less human.  You haven't helped the least among you and you sure don't exemplify the words of the Bible that you so vehemently claim you practice.  I'm often surprised at how these individual do not know what is in the Bible that they spout at every turn.

The more we spew the hatred and divisiveness to one another, the more we set people in our world to see that it is okay to hate others.  Even if we are not smart enough to know we are spewing hatred, it does not excuse our words, thoughts, and actions.  The more hate is preached, the more you cannot expect a different outcome.

See, we're more worried about what others do in this country and world than we are about what we do.  We are more worried about how others don't measure up in our judging eyes, than we are learning to accept others and celebrate our differences.

Preaching hate is the norm of our day.  It is sad that it happens with such frequency.  I'm saddened by what I see on social media, by the politicians and the churches, and those that spew the hatred.  The more this happens, the more violence we will continue to see.

(click image to read)
 

Its horrible.  I sat here today, crying tears of sadness and pain for those that lost loved ones in this senseless and horrible shooting in Orlando.  Of course, everyone reaches for the political one-liners to spew even more hate.

When will we learn?  When will we understand that it isn't everyone out in the world that is the problem, but ourselves and our heart?  When will we learn that it is our thoughts, actions, and words that we portray to the world which can either build us up or tear us down.  If you're doing these things, you are just as much a part of the problem as those that are blinded by the hatred in their hearts.

I'm sorry if this blog post sound harsh, but it is how I see things.  I'm tired of being silent as to not offend anyone.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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Objective Truth In Science

This is a debate that has raged on for centuries and I'm sure what I write will barely move the meter much at all.  I come from a science background.  I've done research.  I have a degree in science, so if you discount what I'm saying, at least understand this much.

There are those that claim if it cannot be proved by science, discard it and dump it in the river.  They feel that it is either science that proves absolutely everything or nothing at all.  As soon as they make this clear, then go into their tirades against religion, alternative thoughts, and anything that doesn't agree with them.

Unfortunately even when the same people want to claim that belief has nothing to do with science, it is obvious that they don't realize that claim is nothing more then their own belief system.  Sure, they have some facts to back things up, but so do others that see the world through different eyes.  If you believe science has the answers, that is your belief system.  To fail to understand that is ignorance.

There are things that science cannot prove today as 100% fact or not 100% fact.  There are things in the past that science claimed was true, but were woefully ignorant and wrong.  Science is based upon theory that has facts to support it, but it does not account for everything we know or we think we know.

Even though religion thinks it has all the facts, it is woefully mistaken.  Religion uses belief based upon some (limited) facts of what really happened.  Through that belief, all truth is derived.  It is often at odds with science and I'm not here to give it validation or justification.

There are things we don't understand and in fact there is so much we don't understand.  Yet, we claim that science has all the answers.  Most of the time, I would agree but there are situations and circumstances that science is not able to prove that which we can see and experience.

Maybe science has not caught up to the time we are in.  Maybe science just doesn't know yet how to make sense of that which is before our eyes.  Does this mean science is not enough?  It may in the moment, but it could change in the future.  We don't need to shun science, but we need to put more effort into it, so that we can prove or disprove the unknowns.

To form such a rigid thought process of either religion or science having all the answers is ignorant at best.  To see the validity of both sides is to be an individual with a higher consciousness of thoughts.  You can't claim everyone that believes differently than you are wrong while claiming you don't have your own belief system called science.  You may be fooling yourself, but you're not fooling everyone.

Some latch on to what some say without question and gulp it down as if they have the ultimate set of facts and truth.  This is a recipe for missing what may be standing in front of their eyes.  I believe (it is my opinion) that in another 100 years or 1000 years, what we thought was ridiculousness now, may be a normally accepted truth based upon science.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 1/23/16 by Don Shetterly

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Unconsious But Enlightened

An epidemic is at hand I say.  I mean this is a breaking news story.  This is the "truth" for the moment.  I mean, you need to hear what I say because my product, my belief, my stuff I push upon you is the only thing that matters.

Every day we have far too many in this world that claim to be enlightened and all knowing and have the latest and greatest thing or news or belief.  Yet, being unconscious is at an all time high.

You can recite mantras, you can recite your beliefs but it doesn't mean you are any more conscious than the person next to you.

You can claim you know how to raise your vibration and clear your evil energy.  You can claim that you know all and those that don't are just not far along on their path, but it doesn't mean you are any more conscious than the person next to you.

You can claim to have the latest gadget or supplement that will make your brain rewrite every bad thing that ever happened to you.  You can claim to have the latest miracle cure that with one zap cures you of all future illness, but it doesn't mean you are any more conscious than the person next to you.

See, we like to claim how great or wonderful or loving or conscious we are.  We like to claim that we know best and the latest fad we have found will be the savior of the world.  We like to portray just how conscious and knowing we are so that others will listen to us and boost our frail ego.

Being conscious means you need to know what your body feels like from the innermost depths and that's not a one time thing.  It isn't a moment where you've done some work and said, I'm enlightened.  It is a daily process of dealing with what comes your way in life.

Being conscious is about going in and actually feeling the body, not ignoring it because we are numb.  Being unconscious is sitting there in pain and not even knowing it, or sitting there with stuck energy and thinking your life is one happy meme after another.

Unconsciousness is the norm these days.  Very few people go in and really feel what they feel in their body.  Most are too busy being so numb to it that we continue to avoid what we feel each day.

Time and time again I see the unconscious behavior and I'm not just talking about how people act in a day.  I'm describing that when you go and stop for a moment, what do you feel in your body.  I've seen far too many including myself that do not feel a thing until they stop and begin a "PROCESS" of sensing in their body.

It is very easy to numb and avoid and be unconscious.  We can think we aren't, but well that is numbness and avoidance.  It is much harder to be conscious and find an enlightening moment where  you feel something in your body.  The minute you feel something in your body is the moment where you are connected to your body.

I challenge anyone reading this to see what they can find in their own body.  Don't take my word for it that you may be unconscious.    Find the moment of enlightened sensitivity where you connect with your body in a way that you never have.  Then follow that sensation through and feel the edges of where it goes.

There is no greater learning and awareness then when we go deep inside.  We have always been instructed to "know thyself", but we practice avoidance and numbness far more than we embrace consciousness and enlightenment.

By the way, I don't mean by enlightenment that it is some light from nirvana showing up.  It just means that you have connected to something greater within you and an awareness has kicked on.

Go ahead though... test this out and see if you can prove it to be valid or not.  Don't just take my word for it.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 12/24/15 by Don Shetterly

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Belief and Superstition In Healing

Some days my heart aches as I see what people believe and what they base their beliefs upon in life.  Some I feel is belief that is grounded and all too often, some of it is superstition, for lack of a better word.  One will get you further in my opinion than the other.

When you have experiences and you see firsthand the effect or outcome of what transpires, it is easy to hold that belief as reality.  I have had many instances in my life where I know with a shadow of a doubt, that something is true.  It is true because I experienced it and can back it up in my body as a reproducible experience.

When others tell you something is true because they believe it to be true, too many times it is not grounded in true reality.  I'm not saying this is an absolute statement, but I see it more often then not.  It makes my heart weep especially when people are passing on superstition.

It takes much more for people to be grounded and out of that grounding, to share something that is truly life changing for others.  There are few that do this and too many follow the beliefs of superstition.

Follow And Believe Sniff Test

Have you ever seen those cartoon characters on TV that their head literally spins round and round?  Some days I feel like that when I see some of the things that people believe and follow.  I'm not here to say what is right or wrong, but I think we follow and believe things that just don't pass the sniff test.

So today, let's consider a few things that would be part of a sniff test.  Hopefully I can write this in a way that is enlightening and not threatening to people.  After all, most people hold their beliefs very close and dear to their heart.  If you challenge them on it, they feel like you are threatening to kill them.

#1 Sniff Test - Your Experience

The way I see this is, has this been your experience?  Do you have some personal narrative to back up what you follow and believe.   Is it just something you think may be possible or it sounds plausible?  If you experience something firsthand, then you know without a shadow of a doubt that it is true for you.  However, even though it is true for you, it may not be truth for everyone.

Puff The Magic Ego

Too often I see people portray a vast knowledge to their following, but what I see beneath it is pure and simple BS.  That may seem harsh and it probably is, but it is the truth.  There are far too many in the new age world of enlightenment and alternative healing that love to puff the magic ego up.

You see this by how they act as if they have all the answers.  You see it by how they just make claims and far out pseudo science that is anything but repeatable and true.  You see it by how they "market" and "polish" their brand even though they have only half a clue of what they purport to be true.

Puff the magic ego... puff it up.  Make it out to be the one and only true source.  They are no better than the grandstanding religious people or the ones that are attempting to attract all the attention they can get.  Yes, these people can sometimes get you to think they are the way, the truth, and the life in the world.  They are cunning and crafty, but in the end, its the ego that walks before them in their footsteps.