Lip Service Compassion

Written By Don Shetterly

Lip service compassion seems to be the norm these days.  It is pretty awful how humans are treating one another.  Everyone claims it is the other people that do this, but they fail to see their role.

You've got the ones that have their beliefs and nothing is going to change them.  They shout their beliefs and views from the mountaintops, caring little what others think.  They believe they are right and everyone else needs to see their way of looking at everything in life.  It is nothing more than lip service compassion.

There are those that get up and scream at everyone thinking that all of the noise is horrible.  While that may sound great, there are far too many that only give it lip service compassion.  They want everyone to see things in their view and they will not entertain anyone else's thoughts, especially when they go against their beliefs.

You will also see people who feel they do have it right and might be closer to being human, but then they go out and start screaming to the world how stupid everyone is.  If you try to suggest you do not want to be part of the screaming, they tell you how privileged you are.  In their mind, they are noble, but it is nothing more than lip service compassion for the world.

I don't care what subject it is, there will be people that will take offense to whatever you say.  If you said there was a rock on the sidewalk, some would claim it should be there.  Some would claim it should not be there and others would not see it.  All the while, everyone would act as if they were right and everyone else is wrong.

At this point, I'm so tired of hearing the screaming disguised as lip service compassion.  No one is changing anyone's mind because everyone is screaming rather than listening.

The holidays are a time when we come together to give thanks for all we have along with those we love.  It is a time when we celebrate peace and joy on earth.  Unfortunately, our lives don't give proof to what we say.  We practice nothing more than lip service compassion.

If you find yourself blaming some group of people or political difference, they aren't the problem.  You are!  If you find yourself demanding that others are wrong and they only need to listen to you, then you're the problem.  When you spend more of your time pointing out the faults in others, they aren't the ones to blame.  You are!

Of course, only you can change what happens.  No one else can make you into a compassionate person especially if you don't truly see yourself.  No one else can make you change your behavior because that is solely up to you.

We as a world, need to stop the lip service compassion.  We need to find a way to embrace one another as fellow travelers on this journey called life.  If we keep standing opposed and self-righteous to one another, we will not make it.  If we think we have the answers and everyone else is wrong, we're adding to the horror this world faces.

It is time for us to wake up as a people and stop lip service compassion towards one another.

When Everyone Else Is Wrong

Written by Don Shetterly

These days we see this everywhere we turn, but especially in online social media.  When everyone else is wrong has become the norm for the day.

We look at others online or where we live as being wrong while we are right.  Sometimes, maybe far too many times, we see our significant others as the one being wrong, while we are right.

Yet, we don't stop to take a look at things from a comprehensive view.  We just think we are the ones that have the answers and have everything together.  We don't seriously entertain the thought that we might be the problem, not the answer.

Sure, we give lip service that we do take everything into account, and we see all sides of an issue, but the honest truth is, we don't.  I'm sorry if that bursts one too many bubbles, but as humans, we are so good at being disconnected, that we don't see life around us for what it is.

As humans, we've become so good at numbing, avoiding and distraction, that we barely see the issue before us in a complete way as it appears to our eyes.  We've altered truth for our reality.

Whether it is in politics or relationships, or in a boss and employee moment, we often see our side of things.  It could be in the simplest of ways that seem so insignificant, but all too often we think we are right and everyone is wrong.

It is human nature to protect ourselves.  That is the ego, devoid of awareness and consciousness.  It is part of us to walk around seeing only through our filters.

If you find yourself thinking everyone else is wrong, there's something flawed in your thinking.  If you find yourself saying, "but in this situation, they are wrong," you're missing out on something you are not seeing.  Not everyone else is wrong all of the time.  You're not right all of the time.

Instead, if we focus on where we agree and look to learn and understand from those we disagree, we will become wise.  If we allow ourselves to be opened up to that which we despise in the hope of more understanding, we will become wiser.

There is far too much right versus wrong thinking these days.  You see it on social media every day and you see it in relationships and other situations.  It has consumed all parts of our life.

We must learn how to step back from the ego and embrace awareness of our mind body so that consciousness shows us the way.  We must learn to listen and connect with our heart, rather than our head which filters everything we see and hear in our life.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2/22/18 by Don Shetterly

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Rolling In The Mud Pit

Written By Don Shetterly

I know, it feels like you have to engage with others slinging the mud.  In all reality, you don't have to join in the mud pit.  For those people who are sensitive and care deeply, it feels like you have to fight back and stand up for what happens online.

Now, before you get me wrong, let me explain.  I am not talking about turning a blind eye to anything, especially abuse and people who are a bully.  It is my opinion that if you engage them and as a result, they engage you, you are rolling around in the mud pit with them.  If two people roll in the mud together, you can't tell them apart.

It is like someone that calls names on the playground.  If you call them names back, are you any different?  In my view, one becomes the same as the name caller.  If one bullies another and you do the same back, are you any different.  I would suggest that we are not.

In fact, with everyone screaming at one another or the ones they deem as being horrible and disgusting and abusive, the screaming is only rolling around in the mudpit with them.  It serves little purpose.  They are not going to listen.  They don't care about anyone's viewpoint but their own.

I grew up in a house like this where whatever was said by my Dad or older brother mattered.  Even if they were flat out wrong, they would still argue with me.  Here are two instances that are minor but show what I am referring to in this post.

One time my sheep needed some medication and I knew it.  I always read up on the latest techniques for caring for my sheep.  My neighbor which also had sheep worked with me to help me learn how to properly care for them.  Because I said to my dad that we needed to give this medication, he fought me.  In his eyes, I didn't know anything.  It took me getting my neighbor to come over and convince him that we needed to do this.  No matter what I said or did, my dad would not listen.  He was flat out wrong, but it was his way or no way.

Another time when I was a kid, my older brother tried to convince me that we needed to somehow buy a riding lawnmower.  I was much younger than him, but understood far more.  He argued with me that if we bought the lawnmower on payments, we only had to pay for it during the summer.  As a small kid, I knew this was not how things worked.  He argued until I just walked away and got my parents to convince him that he was wrong.  He was not going to allow for the fact that maybe he didn't understand things.  He was convinced he was right.

While these examples are minor, it is the same basic thing we are doing online and in family and friend circles today.  We just scream at one another.  We don't listen and we don't even hear the other side.  Everyone is an enemy that doesn't know anything.  While others may be flat out wrong, they might have valid points and if we don't attempt to see those, we're rolling around in the mud pit.

The human ego loves to be right.  It wants to be heard above anyone else.  It wants to know that it is in control.  The heart is shoved aside as if it doesn't matter even though it begs for everyone to engage it over the ego.

In this day, we're spending more time in the mud pit screaming with one another and it is almost impossible to tell each other apart.  We think we're adding something to the day, but we're adding to the problems.  The egotistical people who think all others are the enemy are not going to listen to reason.  Their ego will not allow them.  To engage with them in this way, will only exasperate the situation.  In fact, if you ignore their rants, it would drive them crazy and insane.  The only thing is the human ego is not wired to do that.

If you're very sensitive like I am and have been abused in the past, this behavior drives you crazy.  I struggle with it.  I weep for it.  This world is being cranked up into a danger zone and if we don't reverse this quickly, our collective health is going to suffer in ways that we cannot even see.

We can all do our part to not engage with the abusive bullies of our day.  We can work to help further civilization and humanity, or we can just get down in the mudpit with everyone else.

I no longer watch the news.  I do read some headlines, but the news is toxic and this goes for just about any side of it.  We've lost sight of this so much that we can no longer tell the difference.  It feels like we cannot survive without this toxic news we gulp down every day.

Making the world a better place isn't about what everyone else does.  It is what we do as individuals.  Collectively our attitudes and responses make up civilization.  If we do that which we despise, we're no better than those we deem as adversaries.

Let us get our own life in order and let that shine for the world to see.  No, it may not drown out the screaming voices in the mud pit, but I believe there are enough of us that together will be much louder in the end by not engaging.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 11/29/17 by Don Shetterly

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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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Asleep Statement Of You're Wrong, I'm Right

As with anything I write up here, don't just take my word for it.  Try it out and test it in your own life.  I don't claim to have all the answers.  I just speak\my own truth of the experiences I have been through in my own life.

In the example given on the blog post, Are You Asleep, from June 13, 2017 Thomas thinks that he is right and everyone else is wrong.  He uses his "labels" and "insults" to prove it.  He uses his view of the facts to prove it, but the bottom line is no one knows as much as he does.

This is sad and it is playing out every day in our world.  There is no listening to one another.  This is not being awake.  Everyone seems to be asleep at the wheel with the behavior they display online and to one another.  We will never make it as a civilization at this point.

Yet when you look at how Thomas behaves, there is no working together, even though he thinks he has all the answers.  He is so asleep that he alienates everyone who tries to understand what it is that he seems to know.  No one wants to listen for very long to someone that can only call names and hurl insults.

While it would be easy to assume that this behavior applies to issues that Thomas has in his own life, this is not an isolated moment these days.  Far too many people are partaking in this behavior.  Some come right out and say things, while others just forward and like the things people like Thomas say.

It is not behavior that is consistent with someone that is awake and conscious.  It is not behavior that helps each other strive to be more.  Rather, it is more of a bullying tactic with little regard and respect for other people.

To awaken from our sleep, we must realize that others have just as much value as we do.  We must understand that to listen and show respect, love, and compassion for others is what truly makes us human.  It makes us alive and full of hope and possibility.


Thomas thinks that he has to convince everyone just how wrong they are.  It is his duty to show them the error of their ways and not stop until they realize that.  For he knows that his world and everything else in the world depends upon his insight and knowledge.  No one else sees things truly like he does, and he believes that all are asleep.  Thomas will not consider for a moment that he is asleep.

Make sure you check out the next part in this 11 part series

 Part 5 is "Asleep:  Burning The Candle"

 

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
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Us Versus Them Thinking

Not everything has to be an 

"Us Vs. Them" 

"You're Wrong, I'm Right" 

kind of issue.

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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I'm Right and You're Wrong

In my view, I think we all do this.  To some degree, we all think I'm right and you're wrong.  I doubt there is a person on this planet that doesn't practice this every day or at least every week.  If there is, I would like to meet them.  I believe some are better at accepting others than some people, but let's not let anyone off the hook at this moment.

You see, its easy for us to think that this is something everyone else does.  The philosophy of I'm Right and You're Wrong is so prevalent in our society that no one even is aware they do this anymore.  Look no further than politics or religion or even most relationships.

I'm not going to sit here and tell you I don't do this, because I do.  It is something I really have to watch myself on because I can quickly look at others and think they are wrong.  I sometimes get a little too high and mighty for myself.  For me, I can chalk it up to the way I was raised.  If you didn't go to our church or think like my father, you were wrong.  It has taken me years of deprogramming to let go of that narrow minded thinking I was raised in.

What I've found in my own life is that if I view others as being wrong and I'm right, then I will enjoy a miserable experience each and every day.  There is no joy in that.  There is no love in that.  There is no feeling of being at one with another, because with that thinking you separate yourself from all others.

Say it with compassion and love...

Sure, maybe there is something you know that others have not realized yet, but if you use it to look down at them or beat them with a bully stick, than do you really have something good? What if instead of using your "enlightened thought" to slap the other person, you use it to help them understand what it is that you know.  Say it with compassion and say it with love!  You'll get much further.

There are some things that just don't matter in the grand scheme of life.   Sometimes, things are insignificant in the grand scheme of life and they just don't matter.  They might matter to you, but if you compare them to the thousand years of civilization in a great big universe, do they really measure up?  It is often better to pick and choose what is important, rather than trying to apply that to every moment of every day.

Even though we grow up with certain habits and procedures, it does not mean we have the only way to do stuff in life.  Often while we hold these teachings to be the right way, they are nothing more than what we were taught.  It is up to us as adults to begin learning what really matters, what really works in our life, and what we are going to care about in any given day.

I choose not care about some things...

On a TV show, I saw one character ask another their thoughts about some random subject.  His response was "I don't have an opinion."   Of course, the befuddled the person asking because they said, "you've got to have an opinion - its too important."  His response was, "I've only got so much ram and I can only care about so many things.  Some things I choose not to care about."  It was a good example.

Unfortunately we spend too much time in front of the screen watching our favorite news programs and allowing them to incite us to cement our beliefs for that moment.  We don't allow ourselves to think independently as we gulp down minute by minute news stories.  We see things in one way only and we watch the things that back up our views.  Often, we are not as enlightened and smart as we think we are.

 

You can either beat someone into submission to believe that you are right and they are wrong, or you can help lead them to discovery.  If you lead them to discovery, there is a good chance that both of you will learn something on the journey.

When we say I'm right and you're wrong, it is about attempting to control others so they see things our way.  The more others see things our way, the more safe and secure we feel.  It is not an enlightened moment of human interaction, but one of narrow mindedness and fear and control.

Challenge yourself - just don't take my word for it.  Challenge yourself to not see others as wrong.  We're just screaming at one another these days and the more we think we are right and everyone else is wrong, the more we're condemning this world to a lot of unnecessary pain and suffering and evil.

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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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Tired Of The Things People Do?

Are you tired of the things people do?  Are you tired of how they behave in ways that you find reprehensible?  Do you think others just don't live in life the way you think they should?

Maybe you think they should change and they don't.  Maybe you think they should live a life in the way you see it, but they continue to do things that displease you and upset you.  Maybe they believe in things you don't and you think they are wrong, or they take actions that you find totally upsetting. 

Here's the secret to getting people to change.  If you want people to change, then don't criticize them.  Don't tell them how wrong they are.  Don't scream that they know nothing and you know what is best for them.  Don't hold your ideals and beliefs as the true source of information calling everyone else stupid.  Don't say you love all people and then show nothing but hatred and contempt through your words and actions.

Focus on changing yourself first...

If you want people to change, focus on changing yourself first.  They might be mirroring what they see in you.  They may look up to you and if you act a certain way, that may become the teacher for their own life.  Focus on changing yourself first and then watch what happens to those around you.

If you want people to change, allow them to be who they are.  Allow them to be in the moment of their life where they are discovering themselves and learning and growing.  If you inject criticism into their process, you might very likely be stopping them from changing.

Stop trying to force your way of thinking...

If you want people to change, stop trying to force them into your way of thinking.  There is a good chance that you might not be 100% right either and will need to adjust your thinking in the future.  There is a possibility that someone you want to change may already have arrived at that spot a little early.

If you want people to change, give them the ability to feel loved without judgment in your presence.  Let them know that you love them no matter what and no matter how many times they feel they screwed up or stumbled.  Let them know that your love for them is without judgement.  It will get the best results.

Changing other people begins by changing ourselves.  You will get much further in changing others, when you have changed how you think, feel, and see.  Criticizing others will bring absolutely little real change.  It only sows disharmony.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

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It's Far Too Easy To Judge Others

Everyone thinks that they know the other guy, the other place, the other side of an argument but in all reality, unless you've walked in their shoes, you don't!  Wow, that was rather blunt, wasn't it?

Yes, it was blunt, but it seems like every day I continue to see how easy it is to judge others and yet we really don't know what its like to be them.

We think we know what others deal with but in all reality we are viewing their lives through our own filters.  Our filters are based upon our life's experiences and the people we have met, the places we have traveled.  Our filters are based upon the beliefs that we grew up with and were taught, along with how our own subset of society we live in looked at other people.

Thinking we see what others deal with is not the same as walking in their shoes.  We have no idea what it means to have lived the life they know or they hope to know.  Even if they tell us and describe it, we will never know what it truly means until we have actually lived through what they have experienced.

I began to see a different world...

At one time, I thought I was aware of so much in this world because I try to stay open to all things.  However, when I traveled for one particular job, I began to see a different world than I realized existed.  Yes, we see an occasional news report, but it is nothing like being in the midst of it and seeing it with your own two eyes.

I learned that in many ways, I had no clue what it was like for the people and places that I saw.  I felt sadness for them, but to them it seemed like it was just another day.  I doubt they wanted my pity anyway.  I wanted to help, but I realized the situation was so great that even if I took all the money in the world, I doubt it would truly solve the problem.  Yet, I saw a selfishness and superficial attitude towards these people and places that would just add to their suffering.

It is far too easy to judge others.  We get all high and mighty thinking we know what is best.  In all reality, we are nothing more than a clanging symbol when we think we are love.

It is far too easy to judge others and tell them what they should do based upon our own life's experiences, but we miss the part that they have endured and lived through experiences that are much different than ours.  We may be talking trains and planes, while ignoring that fact that they are talking horses and cows.

We are right and they are wrong...

It is far too easy to judge others and demand they see things our way.  After all, in our own little word, we deem we are right and they are wrong.  We deem them to need to be enlightened to what we know.  Yet, we fail to understand that we do not hold any more of the answers in life than they do.  We just see things differently and we've applied life in different ways.

It is far too easy to judge others while claiming how superior and great and intelligent we are.  We hold our ego and pride out in front of us, rather than opening our hearts and ears.  Judgement comes from the ego, but love and helpfulness and compassion come from our hearts.  It is our heart that should be guiding us, not the judgement of our ego.

It is far too easy to judge others, while thinking that we don't do this.  It is so easy to convince ourselves that we are far better than that.  Each of us can only truly know what is in our own heart by taking a close look and inspecting our words, thoughts, and actions.  Words alone will fail us, but actions out of love will lift the entire world to greater heights.

We need each other to survive this journey called life.  Together our world will go further, but when we judge others, we divide the world into chaos.  Let us consider how we can see each other through the eyes of love, not judgment, and walk hand-in-hand together through the journey of life.

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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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Fear Is Running Our World

We've had far too many events happen lately that just make me cringe.  From the shooting in Orlando to the one in Louisiana and Minnesota along with the Arab that was detained, fear is running our world. There is no other way to state it.  There is a good chance that by the time this is posted, what I wrote will be out of date. 

Gun sales are at an all time high and if you think fear does not play a role in that, then you may want to take a second look.  People are so afraid of other people, they feel that guns are the only way they feel safe.  They are afraid.  Fear is running their lives. You can deny it all you want, but if you take a moment to look at it, you'll see it.  I'm not saying anything about guns, other than fear drives guns.  Why else would the gun sales skyrocket?

To see someone that was dressed in Arab clothing and become suspicious of the person and report them is beyond comprehension in my mind.  We fear what we do not know.  We fear these people because we're taught to fear them every day.  Through the media and especially the politicians, we know nothing else than the fear we should feel at the utterance of their name or image we see.

We are so afraid of one thing or another.  I remember living in a small town and I was meeting a friend of mine at a youth baseball practice session in the local ballpark.  I was sitting on the bleachers minding my own business and the parents demanded to know who I was and why I was there.  It was not for information purposes, but because they didn't know who I was.  They were afraid.  Yet, the same people would be fine worshiping alongside a child molester in their church.

Associate with our own kind...

When we put up walls and fences and only associate with our own kind, we're not helping to make the world a better place.  When we fear everyone around us that doesn't act like us or think like us, we are not making the world a better place.  When we fear everything but what we believe and we listen to the news pundits and politicians as if they speak our truth, we are not helping to make the world a better place.

When we degrade others and put our beliefs and religions as the forefront of all knowledge and truth, we are degrading all of humanity.  We are making each one of us out to be less than we are because we cannot see others with a pure essence or someone just like us.

When all others are wrong....

When we proclaim we have the right way and all others are wrong, it is then that fear is guiding our heart.  There is no love in that statement.  When we do this, we automatically assemble all those that are teetering on the brink of collapse to heed our call to hate one another.  Through that hatred, we see mass shootings such as Orlando and others.

We cannot proclaim to be better than those we despise if we do the same things that we hold up as being horrible.  We cannot proclaim to be better if we return hate with hate, all the time acting as if we have love in our hearts.  We are all guilty to some degree and many of us are guilty to a much greater degree.

We no longer respect and talk with one another as neighbors.  We no longer see others in the eyes of love because fear is running our world.  We engage in rhetoric that adds to the problem, but solves nothing.  We engage in rhetoric that brings us in unison with the masses, but does nothing to help make the world better.  We engage in beliefs that pit one person against another, rather than opening our arms and showing love to one another.

Fear is so alive...

It is time we begin to face up with how much fear is running our world.  Fear is so alive and this world is running scared.  Yes, I know there are dangers.  I have seen this happen too close to me, but we cannot do the same thing that is being done to us, because if we do, we will only lose the most precious part of our existence.

We are all one.  We were all created as humans traveling on this planet through the journey of life.  We can either choose to continue and keep our heads buried in the sand, or we can rise above and learn to love, not hate.  We can be more than we are, if we want to, but we must stop letting the rhetoric of the day be our source of strength and sustenance to our soul.

The ego keeps score.  The ego dictates how great it is and how right it is.  The ego shows you how wrong everyone is and how much they should be silenced.  The ego has nothing to do with love.  It has nothing to do with love in our heart.

It is up to each one of us, what we do and how we impact the world.  Each one of us can continue on the same path we are, or we can make a difference.  It isn't the other people who we need to worry about in life.  It is what is in our heart that will make the difference.  For when our hearts unite as one, hate will have no home.  Ignorance will not be fed.  Rhetoric of the day will sound like a noisy cymbal out of tune.

It is up to each one of us, what we choose to do with our day.  We will either become part of the solution or we will continue to add to the hate that is alive through the fear that is running our world.

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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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Learning From Brexit Ignorance

I've been thinking so much about this vote ever since it happened.  No, I'm not from Europe or the UK.  I actually live in the United States.  To be very honest, I was not following Brexit until the last moment.

It seemed or at least gave the appearance that it was racially motivated in many ways.  Maybe that's a harsh assessment, but I'm sure in the days, months, and years to follow, we will come to understand why this happened and what exactly made it unfold in the way that it did. Most likely if it is racially motivated, most will not even see the log in their own eye, but they will see the stick in the eye of another person.

Looking back on Brexit at this moment, I can see how many regretted what they voted for and would like to reverse course.  There were several that celebrated their victory, while seeming to ignore the consequences of their actions.  There were political leaders that thought it was a win while other people realized just how much of a financial cost it was to them.  Ignorance of what everyone voted for was at an all time high.

Impacted the entire world...

It was not just a Europe and UK vote.  It impacted the entire world in many ways and I'm sure it will significantly strain the global and individual economy of the world population. We no longer live in an isolated world because the internet has connected people from one part of the planet to the other.  We are all connected, even without the internet.

I don't understand the ignorance of how people could vote for something and not be fully informed.  We live in a day and age where we swallow what is fed to us on TV and in the news.  We tweet, like, and share the banter of the day through social media.  It is as if it becomes the gospel truth.  Yet, we don't stop to really think through our actions and decisions.  We just keep the rhetoric going day in and day out.  We are not learning from our actions, but perpetuating fear and ignorance.


Right now, I can only think of the slogan, "a mind is a terrible thing to waste" and yet, that seems to be what happened in the UK.  It is also happening in the US with our political system where everyone gets up and screams, rants, and raves all day long, but no one really engages the brain while listening.  Listening has long been forgotten in our normal communication between humans.

We really need to learn to respect one another.  We've gotten so good at hating one another, that it seems as if love is almost irrelevant.  We abhor those that don't think the way we do.  We despise those that look different than us.  We make sure the world knows how right we think we are, while condemning everyone that thinks differently.

A family of intolerance...

I grew up in a family where you had to walk the narrow line of what the family believed.  If it was in regards to church, you didn't deviate from what you were expected to believe.  If it was other people, they were always wrong in spite of you being right or wrong.  If it was some group or organization or company, they were the ones that just didn't understand.  We cowered in our corners with people who thought like we did so we could feel confident in our narrowly focused views.  It was a family of intolerance.

I've just dealt with the experience of the Orlando Massacre and I'm really getting tired of seeing hate and ignorance on display.  I've seen some glorious moments of beauty as people came together in Orlando and all over the world, but I've also seen and heard the bigotry and hateful rhetoric being spewed as if somehow they have the moral superiority.

When will we begin using our hearts and our minds, rather than fear to determine our course of action?  When will we begin seeing each other as human, rather than someone we automatically hate and despise and want to destroy.  I feel for the ones that are despised because I know how that feels.  The fear you live in robs our planet and civilizations of so much.

Maybe we can learn...

Maybe we can learn from Brexit and discover greater truths within ourselves or obstacles that hold us back in life.  Maybe learning from Brexit will help ease some of the fear and stress that everyone is experiencing.  I hope things reverse course and stability comes back into the world, but right now, its anyone's guess what will happen next.  Ignorance is having a hay-day. 

It seems like we don't always learn from our past.  It seems like we continue carrying the same ignorance from one generation to the next.  May we learn something different.  May we shed all that we think is right and test it to truly see if it is.  We can no longer continue to cower in the corner with only those that agree with us.  This is a recipe of disaster in the making.

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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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Dare To Disagree

Many of us want to show how enlightened we are.  We spout off new age rhetoric or feel good phrases.  We show the world just how much we know.  We often claim we are much more than we truly are.

Yet, do we really do as we think we do or are we disillusioned by the cloud of rhetoric we spew online and that which we give to those nearby.  Are we really practicing what we preach and portray or is it a facade that is a persona we give to the world.

Being vulnerable is not easy.  Just ask Brene Brown how vulnerability shows up and just how much it can take you down.  As a result, we hide our vulnerability with our puffed up words and actions.  We portray one thing to the world, while holding our true selves as a secret and hidden entity in our life.

If you want to test this thought, try reading social media postings from the people whom you disagree.  See if you can hold your tongue or your fingers from typing for 2 minutes, not wanting to obliterate the other person's thinking because you are right and they are wrong. See if you can have the same love and compassion for your fellow man that you portray every day to the people that vehemently disagree with you.

See if you can hear their anger and poison filled words and yet be okay knowing that this is their issue, not yours.  I know that is not easy to do.  I struggle with it as well just like most of us do.  The media and various issue groups use this to their advantage as they pit one person against another.  This is how they win.  This is how they hook people into following their news and political revolutions.

I think you do need to be careful that you don't immerse yourself in the rhetoric that seems hateful and full of poison because it can truly drive you insane.  There is far too much of this posted every day on social media and it is not good for society or humans as a whole.  We don't have to pick fights and take sides.  We can rise above this.

Sometimes the best thing that can be done is to just say nothing.  Allow the people to rant and rave all they want but if they don't have an audience, they will soon burn out.  They will be like a candle flame that consumes itself.

The media loves the people who are outside the lines because it emotionally engages those that follow the stories so they will be hooked for days and weeks to come.  It isn't all the media's fault though because the people who consume this stuff are just as much a part of the problem as the media or the ones spewing the rhetoric.

We owe ourselves a lot more in this world and a better experience of what it means to be a conscious individual.  We cannot say we love one another while calling each other all kinds of names and showing our hatred for those who dare to disagree.

We cannot say that we enlightened only if we have others in our lives that agree with us and what we think.  It is a shallow part of the pool and dangerous indeed when we only huddle with those that share the same water.

At the same time, being human requires us to learn how to be conscious and aware.  It requires that we learn what civility and respect is all about in life.  It means that even though we may disagree with others, we need to see the big picture and will this disagreement define our entire existence, or is there more common ground that we share with those that are unlike us.

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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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Love Is Not Condemnation

My heart goes out for so many lately and this is something that frequently shows up in life.  All too often, we see people equate love with condemnation.  We see people think they are showing love by condemning people.

Love is not condemnation.  Love is about acceptance of others as they are.  It is not about pointing out what is wrong in someone else or how they go against your beliefs.

Love does not boast.  It is not proud.  Love is kind and forgiving.  Love is patient.  Love is not rude and it keeps no record of wrongs.

If you truly love others, you don't condemn them and point out to the world just how bad a person they are.  If you truly have love in your heart, you do not grandstand for the entire world to see how you feel that you are right and all others are wrong.

Pointing The Finger

We never do this, do we?  Pointing the finger at everyone else is something everyone else does, right?  I'm being factitious in how I write this, but it is a serious issue.  It seems like these days, we are all too quick in pointing the finger at everyone else.

We see what others have wrong in them and it takes us less than a split second to make sure they know about it.  After all, isn't it our duty to do this.  Isn't it our right to tell others how bad they are or where they are screwing up?  Facebook makes it just so darn easy to do this.

Watch people post a comment on some message board and see how quickly there are people pointing out the stupidity of what they said.  Watch how quickly they point out something that wasn't written 100% correct and had a misspelling.

Or take some issue on the internet and watch how quickly people appear righteous and better than everyone by telling them how wrong they are or how quickly they will be going to hell.

My Beliefs Are Right

I find it disturbing to say the least, what I see taking place in this country.  I grew up in a home where the beliefs of my father and of the church were right, but anything contrary to these beliefs was wrong.  It did not matter what anyone believed.  It did not matter if I had any beliefs contrary to my father. 

We are in a time where a select few individuals are so dogmatic that if you don't follow their belief system, you are wrong and going to hell and etc, and so forth.  It is sad because I don't think that makes people strong or a nation great.  All it does is pit one group against the other.

In fact, these days the discussion in this country and world is how to stake your ground and then argue against the side that believes differently about you.  It is not about listening to one another and advancing this world forward in a positive way.  It is not about hearing each other out so we can learn from one another.

When I grew up, the sect of churches I went to was the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches (GARBC).  Now these people could ostracize you quickly if you didn't adhere to their beliefs. All of their beliefs were backed up by scripture upon scripture verse found in the bible.  They could argue with you for hours based upon the verses in the bible they knew.

Making The Right Decision

I think we all struggle with knowing what to do at times in our life.  Making the right decision is difficult at best on small decisions and horrifying when the tough ones show up.  In fact, if you look at the different services offered in our world, you can see just how difficult it is to do.  People make careers out of helping others make the right decision.

People go to other people in hopes of these healers, psychics, ministers, politicians and authority telling them what they should do.  Of course, not everyone thinks they do this, but if you break it down to the pure essence of what happens, this is what takes place in my opinion.

It is difficult when making the right decision.  It is hard knowing what decision to make.  I get it.  I'm not much different I don't believe than anyone else out there alive in the world.  I have my struggles and my insecurities and fears just like the next guy.

Life Is Not About Right Or Wrong

Growing up, everything in life was black and white and I'm not referring to race issues. I'm referring to how you lived, the decisions you made and the rules by which you followed each day. I know not everyone lived this way but in my family, with the world I lived in, everything was one right or wrong.

We would go to church each Sunday and listen to a minister dictate what was right and wrong for our life. Of course, they could back it up with scripture, rules, discipline or whatever was at their disposal. There was a plentiful supply of ammunition in order to make things fall into one of the two categories, right and wrong.

Today, we don't have to go far to see the same thing taking place in our society. Whether it is medicine, new age concepts, religion, politics or news, we are living in a time where everything is one side of an issue or another. There is no middle ground. There is no common ground. It is either my way or the highway so to speak.

No one stops to listen to the other person's point of view and sees where maybe they agree. It is all about scoring points and sensationalizing the stories of our day. It is all about control and manipulation to get others to agree with our defined set of beliefs and rules.

Yet, by doing this we show how little we value others who do not share our set of beliefs, rules and opinions. While I'm sure we have our own set of facts, data and research to back up what we say, it is in many ways, still an opinion or belief we hold. Many things that we hold as absolutes in this world do not come close to measuring up to that designation.

If we truly want to hold fast to humans enduring for years to come, we need to begin to not just see things as black and white, right and wrong. We need to open ourselves up to listen to others and truly hear what they have to say. For if we impose our will, our beliefs and our judgments on other people, than we are holding not only them as captive to us, but we have lost site of who we are as a human.


Further Reading:
1) Freedom From Pain (Blog Post 9/10/10)
2) Beliefs Are Often Regurgitated Rhetoric (Blog Post 6/3/11)




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http://www.donshetterly.com

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Fundamentalist Brainwashing

Over the past several days and in fact in the past few years especially, I have watched through the observer's eyes just how little people really listen to one another. There is a fever of people feeling that what they feel is right justifies how they view everything else in life and how they act. It is like my father used to repeat over and over, "my way or the highway".

Growing up in a fundamentalist home, I saw that if you didn't believe as the family patriarchs expected you to believe that you were a less than human. You were pronounced wrong by the judge, jury and executioner. It mattered little what facts or evidence you had because when the patriarchal judge made the ruling, it was final. There was no appeal process and even if there would have been, the ruling would have been for the the patriarchal judge.

Of course, everyone in said kingdom (i.e. the family) was expected to follow the ruling exactly whether they agreed with it or not. There was no questioning the ruling or evidence used to base the decision on for the judgment. In fact, you did not even silently purport to disagree with what had transpired. It was like the patriarch could read your thoughts. If no thoughts were read, than somehow the patriarchal judge could would find out. If they found out, you were damned if you do and damned if you did not.

There were two major consequences of any action where judgment was rendered. This went both for the "guilty" party and for any other party that tried to show compassion or understanding towards the "guilty" party. The consequential actions included but were not limited to 1)the silent treatment and 2)counseling by the church pastor (minister). If the silent treatment did not bring the expected result or bring the "guilty" party into line, than the minister was brought in to show the "guilty" party the error of their ways. Of course, these consequential actions were in addition to any punishment that may have been issued and declared.

While this may sound extreme or unusual to many reading it, it was a normal experience in my family. The patriarchal judgment was supreme and everyone was expected to follow the judgment without question for as the church taught, the "father" was the head of the family. Any deviation from that meant that you were not following God and becoming Christ like, which meant you were headed to hell. Everyone in the family had heard enough Sunday morning sermons to know that they did not want to go to hell. It was a very effective system for the patriarchal judge in the family but complete brainwashing for the members of the kingdom.

Today, I continue to see this same scenario play out in the world around me. Whether it is in politics, churches, societies or political parties, the references are familiar. I have seen it play out in my family over and over again and it still continues to this day. The only thing is, I no longer wish to play this game. This game has become old to me and is no longer one I want to participate in to be part of the kingdom. This does infuriate the kingdom though but in my mind, I no longer am concerned.

There must be many others in our society who have been raised from infants to play the same game. Yes, I'm sure the games had many variations from the one I was taught to play but all of them have one constant effect and that effect is brainwashing. If thoughts, judgments, experiences or critical thinking processes are manipulated and dictated by a few, brainwashing becomes the norm. The brainwashing does not end when the individuals flee the kingdom for by that time, these things have become intricate parts of the individual's nature, biology and everyday thought patterns.

We often identify brainwashing in other people, other societies, nations and countries, but usually for those who have brainwashed, they are unable to identify it in themselves. It is understandable because if critical thinking, judgment and experiences are controlled by a limited number of individuals (i.e. father, minister, siblings or other adults), than how can we expect our people of this world to be aware of a different path in life. It stands to reason like the church says, "what you sow, so will you reap".

The brainwashing of people takes place every day because the ego desires power, control, money and absolute discipleship by anyone it deems to be under its power. This starts many times in the family and is reinforced by the church. In our current day and age, the government, political parties and news media all play major roles in perpetuating the era of brainwashing. Each of these willing participants do not even recognize that they are involved or this is taking place because they have been so conditioned in their life, that brainwashing seems normal.

If you really step back in our world and observe, you will see this taking place throughout our world. It isn't just other countries that brainwash their citizens. It is all countries. If it is difficult to see, try turning the TV news off for a month or two and see how that changes you. You may want to critically look at all the beliefs you were raised with and question each one of them. Can you unequivocally prove every fact that rules your life? You may consider turning off the news websites that you follow and that feed your ego to give yourself a moment of evaluation. There are many ways to begin doing this and the ones I have listed are only a few examples.

We are becoming a world where screaming and yelling is done because we have been brainwashed into thinking our way is the right way, and we must save everyone else from the error of our way. It has been programmed into humans for many years. These right and wrong practices are bringing us dangerously close to a time where not only violence may occur but that we will be building a world of less than human offspring.

As humans, we are meant to evolve and grow and become more aware of ourselves and the world around us. Our brain is designed for that and yet, we are failing humanity in this day and age. For humanity and the world to be all that it can be, we must first start with ourselves. We must take steps to discover who we are exactly, what makes us tick and what the purpose is for our life. Anything less than this brings us to meaningless exchanges of brainwashing and each individual who chooses to not be fully aware and conscious inflicts harm upon civilization.

We are designed for much more than we currently are embracing in life and my ferverent hope is that each human in this world will begin to understand the role they are playing. Only then, will we have the ability to evolve as a world and as humans.

For Further Reading:
1) Anger In Our World
2) Our Screaming And Yelling Affect Others
3) Hope And Possibility Through Trauma


Blog Post & Images (c) 1/13/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only

Abundance: My Fear Of Money

Fear of money often holds me back from abundance. Even though I desire to connect to the flow in my life, I often sabotage this. Today, I allowed myself to write about my fear of money as this is a difficult subject for me. The following are my fears that I have of money.

I do fear being without money. I've been there and of course and came back from losing everything, but it really frightens me. I feel as if I'm going to be out on a street with people coming after me.

For some reason, I feel that I am a bad person when I don't have money.

Deep down, I'm not sure if I deserve it like others do. For I fail to see many times that I am not worth very much.

I feel that there are always strings attached to any money I earn or am given just as what was shown to me growing up.

I see money as being for those who have control and power which all too often I feel powerless, weak, and not in control.

Money is manipulation to me based upon my past experiences.

It seems normal to lack money and weird to have money.

I'm afraid it would corrupt me and take me off my path in life.

I'm afraid it will change me and turn me into a materialistic person.

I'm afraid that everyone will want it, demand it, or feel like it belongs to them should I have money.

I feel like expectations in life would be too much if I had it.

To have a lot of money, feels dirty, wrong and yet it feels like the answer to life's problems.

I fear I would not be able to say no to those who deceitfully asked for help.

I fear it could break up relationships and people would just want to be my friend because of the money.

I'm afraid money would keep me from remembering what it means to be human, to be a simple person and where I come from.

I'm afraid I would become a person that looks down upon others.

Maybe these are only my fears but they seem very real. I would like to enjoy a financial abundant life but never forget who I am and my role in the world. I would love to be able to open a healing center and offer services for those that cannot afford it. I would love to make our life easier by being able to hire people to do some weekly things like repairs, cleaning, pool maintenance and lawn mowing. I would love to be financially secure to travel. All of this would include helping others out anonymously when I know they needed it.

My picture of money was so messed up as a child. I remember the struggle when we were cold, hungry and fighting to survive. Buying groceries for my family, not having enough money to buy clothes were the norm. I remember going hungry in college to filing bankruptcy and starting over again in life. Life has been a mess for me financially.

I'm making progress toward abundance but I have all these fears and misconceptions. May I continue to learn how to accept "GOOD" and "ABUNDANCE" into my life. Let me realize my fears about all these things and remember, I am on this earth for a reason with a lot to accomplish.


Other Suggested Reading:
1) The Abundance Book by John Randolph Price

2) Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow by Marsha Sinetar

3) Open Your Mind To Prosperity by Catherine Ponder


(Above Picture taken on (c) 09/09/10)

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