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.

You Don't Have To Engage

Written By Don Shetterly

For some reason, I do not understand, we as humans think we need to engage in every fight that comes along.  Just a little tip here which I'm sure you've heard before, You don't have to engage.

Now, I know, everyone will claim they don't engage.  Many will state they rise above everything.  Many will deplore what is going on.  However, what is said to the masses and what is done while no one is looking do not match up.

I'm sorry.  I hate to be the bearer of honest news to everyone, but I see this day in and day out.  It isn't hard to figure out with a couple of clicks on the internet.  What we say to the world and what we do are not the same actions.

The more significant point is you don't have to engage with the turmoil and screaming of the day.  The world will go on whether you do or not.  If we're not careful, we're just adding more fuel to the fire.

Yep, somehow we think that dumping our own fuel on the fire is helpful, but basic science teaching says that dumping fuel, only increases the fire.  I know you'll tell me you don't do this.  It is all those other people that do.  This is where I cringe and just let you continue to think that you don't do this.

I get it.  We are humans.  When we feel scared or threatened or attacked, we want to bring it on and let everyone know just what we think.  It does make sense.  However, don't you need to ask yourself if you're really helping the situation by responding the way you do?

As Oprah said the other day to Jimmy Kimmel, "You don't win by meeting any kind of negativity head-on."  There is much truth to this statement.

Everyone thinks they are right and so they engage.  They don't listen to what someone has to say.  It doesn't matter if you are on one side of the issue or another in this country.  No one listens to another because they have their minds made up.

When we continuously engage in this screaming and negativity, we're not helping anything.  Most of all, we're keeping our mind, body, and nervous system revved up, and that's not healthy.  It creates more stress.  Stress creates illness and health issues.  The end result is we end up hurting ourselves.

I'm not saying to crawl under a rock and hide, but you don't have to engage.  You can listen to someone say something that you don't agree with because maybe they have a point in there that you need to hear.  You can do what others don't do to you thereby modeling behavior that is more healthy and respectful.

Most of all, don't get in the middle of the mud pit and expect to come out looking any different than the other people.  Rise above it with love, understanding, and compassion.  Use your life to help teach and show others a different route through it.

Remember - you don't have to engage!

I Refuse

I'm writing this long before it is published, but it will most likely be relevant at any time it is posted.  In today's age, we have become hatemongers with one another.

We don't care about another point of view or belief.  We just demand that ours is the correct one and all others are wrong.

So today, I state the following.

Join with me if you plan to do the same.



I Refuse!

• I refuse to partake in the hate-mongering that is thriving online.  If I cannot say something nice about someone, I will be silent.
• I refuse to partake in the sensationalized drama that is spread through ridiculous social media postings with its only intent is to get you to click on something.
• I refuse to partake in one-sided arguments where facts are omitted, but belief and opinion are the only arguments.
• I refuse to propagate pictures and images and social media posts that demean any group or political ideology or persons that are different than me.
• I refuse to spread false lies and innuendo just because someone on social media claims it is true.  I will check the facts out and if I cannot verify it, I will not spread it forward.
• I refuse to pass claims along that appear to be valid, but have no basis in fact or ones that have been proven to be untrue.  I will take a minute to think before I forward and like a social media posting.
• I refuse to add more screaming and yelling to the mix of social media, especially when no one is listening to anyone but themselves.
• I refuse to live my life on social media because even though I may have connections, I know that it is the true friends you can see and talk to in life that make a big difference.
• I refuse to get worked up about every social media posting just because the crowd has their pitchforks raised in the air and chanting in unison.

Social media is a good way to help advance things in the world, but lately all I have seen is a place that is degrading to humanity.  The only way we can rise above all of this is if we don't propagate on that which we despise and hate.

If we are not part of the solution, we are part of the problem.

You can expect my social media posts to be respectful, compassionate and hopefully ones that help others heal and advance their lives.  If I fail in this regard, please private message me and show me where I failed.  I will try to correct it immediately. 

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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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Will The Words Matter That Have Been Spoken

After the past several months of an election season, we're now coming to the end of it.  If everyone really stepped back and looked at what they said and posted and shared, I honestly wonder what we would think of our words.

Would we really be proud of all that we said and the way we said it? 

Would it hold as truth in 1000 years as it does today?

I wonder about those questions because I'm not so sure we could answer them in a positive way about them.  I doubt that in a 1000 years, what is so critical today, will be even remembered at that point.  I have a feeling that all this screaming and yelling will essentially be for nothing.

Yet, it doesn't stop anyone from doing it.  Group 1 says something and so group 2 responds.  Group 2 responds and now group 3 and group 1 have to respond.  Of course, then the next level of that involves more pointed and heated words.  It involves one-upping the other groups.  It requires that we out-flank the others and really make our point knowing.  

As it continues to escalate and build, it becomes nothing more than screaming and yelling at one another where no one is listening.  I'm sure that when this election is over, everyone will view things differently, but life will go on and little will be paid to each individual's role in this entire process.  It won't even enter into most people's minds how they participated in this horrible display of childish behavior.

I often look at what I see online and in the news and think, what if our children behaved this same way?  Most likely the child would have his backside spanked and they would be set in a corner to think about how their actions were so horrible. 

Yet, adults are doing the same thing and they don't stop to think about it.  I'm not so sure our children aren't smarter than adults most days.  Adults are modeling this behavior for their children and then getting upset when the child shows it back to them.  How two sided can you get?  Just look at what is happening to our children and the bullying and violence taking place in our schools!

More importantly though when all we can do is scream and yell and make outrageous statements backed up by little or no facts, how is that good for our society?  It does nothing to advance humans on this planet.  It does nothing to care about one another or see if there is a way we can work together for our common good.

I wish people would really look at what they say.  I can't see how many people would be proud of the words they used and how they showed complete disrespect and contempt for one another.  Aren't we as humans better than that? 

Do we just hate ourselves so much that we hate others in the process and we don't care if it shows? We don't care what happens.  It is all about what we think is right and to hell with the rest!

Most likely we will just have lowered the bar on public discourse, especially when it comes to our political process. Imagine what the next political season will entail because we have set the bar so low in this one.  At the end of the day, I doubt any of us will be further along in learning how to help one another, listen to one another or have the most basic respect for each other.

May our children teach us how to see the world and each other, because in my view - the adults are failing the children and the world in a big way. The things people say to one another should be at a higher standard than we are today.  May we all find that point and elevate the discussion and respect in this 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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Helping Find Balance In A Crazy World

Lately, it seems like things are upside down.  It feels like we live in a crazy world and finding balance in it can be anything but easy.  The more the voices scream and the rabble-rousers get attention, the more it just spirals out of control.  After awhile, I think we all want to say, enough is enough!

I try to limit my daily intake of the screaming about politicians and other crazy things of this world.  A little consumption every day can be fine and good, but too much of it and it quickly becomes toxic.  A few years ago, I stopped watching the news on TV because it seemed like it was becoming nothing more than a bunch of screaming.  There was no listening.  There was no balance.

Today, things have multiplied and while I don't think we need to silence people, I do think that people need to evaluate what it is they are saying every day.  I think people need to evaluate how they are portraying others and if they truly have the love in their heart that they do.  Finding balance in a crazy world is not as easy as those that scream at the top of their lungs hurling insults at one another or showing no respect and love for one another are too plentiful.

In my email today, another mailing came through from a major online company that deals with personal and spiritual growth.  While I love some of the products they put out, I'm really not willing to entertain frequent emails from them about their political views.  It doesn't matter if I agree or disagree with them on politics.  I did not sign up for their email newsletter to have yet, one more source of rabble-rousers to wade through each day.

According to their email, some let them know that they did not appreciate these types of emails and the owner of this company scoffed in their face.  If you try to reply back to the email, you get this message that "no one reads it".  So essentially, he can say whatever he wants and force it into my email inbox, while I'm held hostage by his actions.  This, to me, is not an enlightened spiritual and personal growth person.  It doesn't add balance to this crazy world.

My only recourse is to unsubscribe, which I have already done.  They just lost a customer and no, I won't be going back.  If they want to put out a political viewpoint newsletter, give me the option of signing up for it.  Don't just shove it in my face and make me out to be the bad guy for not wanting to read it.

In this crazy world, we can choose to do what we wish to with our days and I've more than had enough of the rabble-rousers on both sides of the political spectrum.  All anyone is doing is screaming at the top of their lungs while the opposing voices are doing the same thing.  Does anyone think that any good will come out of that?  Not everything has to be about politics.  There is much more to life than this.

This company is more than free to do what they want to do, but so am I.  I can and did choose to unsubscribe and no longer purchase their products.  That's how I am exercising my rights.  If we really want to be enlightened, then maybe some of these same people should begin acting like they are.

I try hard to not write about politics.  My attempt if I mention it is to discuss ways we can help the world using some of the real life examples of the day as a platform to lead the discussion.  My political views have nothing to do with what I write about or who I am.  They are but one tiny aspect that makes me human.  There is 99.9% of me that is made up of things in this lifetime that I find far more important than politics.

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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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How Do You Impact The World?

What can we do today that impacts the world in a positive way?  I don't mean, how can we tear each other apart.  I don't mean, how can we judge one another.

I really want to encourage everyone to consider ways that they can positively impact the world around them.  I believe that one person does and can make a difference.

These days, there is far too much fighting and screaming at one another.  These days, there is far too much horror and hatred being inflicted upon one another.

It isn't all the other guys that do it.  It isn't just those that disagree with us that rip and shred the fabric of society apart day by day.

It is in the comments we leave on websites tearing down those that dare to disagree with us.  It is in the political rallies where we punch and scream and shout at one another as if we are somehow better than the other.

It is in the posts we share on Facebook and Twitter and throughout the social media land. It is how we address one another or scowl at one another.  It is how we treat others with respect or disrespect.

There are many ways that we impact the world and if we search deep within us, we will know the truth of what we put out into the world.  It is up to each one of us to do some soul searching because the world needs us to come together as one, not pit one against the other.

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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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032016

Actions Speak Louder

Growing up, I was in a home where there was no shortage of my father lecturing to you for hours.  He acted as if had all the right words and he didn't shy away from telling you what he thought or what you should do or how you should think.

I see the same with my brothers.  Maybe I do the same thing, I don't know but I would like to think that I don't.  If I fail, it isn't because I have not tried to do things differently.  Especially when it comes to religion and issues of the day, my older brother will flat out tell you how wrong you are and how religious he is and how he knows best.

Actions speak louder than words.  Our actions, say much more than we will ever say in words.  Our actions precede us in our communications with others.  So even though you think that your words are correct and right and for all to hear, often your actions speak louder.

We can see this in the politics of our day.  We can see it in the comments that get posted on social media and on websites.  We can see this in almost every aspect of our day.  If we don't see it, then most likely we are living under a rock because it is there.

I am amused and saddened at how much the masses and the leaders of the masses speak as if they know all.  Their actions don't back up their words and in fact, their actions often say the complete opposite of what they are trying to get you to believe.

Too many times, the actions and words do match up to an individual that is not as enlightened as they think they are.  Just because they speak loudly or they seem to have a following, it does not mean they know what they are talking about.  It does not mean everyone has to follow them blindly as they all march to the cliff.

Words are great but they need to be backed up by your action.  If you say you love everyone, but talk down about certain groups, then you may want to re-evaluate what it means to love everyone.  If you say you have the answers, but it is nothing more than your beliefs and opinions, you may want to re-evaluate what truth and answers are.

All too often, those that spout and spew words in a manner that they expect everyone to follow is nothing short of following a clanging symbol.  It might get your attention, but it is not a complete orchestration of music.

Its time that we learn to listen more with one another and to learn how to respect one another more.  There is far too much yelling and screaming and pontificating going on in this world and in this country.

We don't help each other by screaming at one another and telling each other how wrong we are.  We help each other by listening and respecting and loving one another.  Of course, its not merely words that we say which shows this, but our words backed up with action that aligns for everyone's greater good in this 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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031216

Selected Bigotry By Religions

I see this all the time and it really bugs me.  In fact, I just read a Facebook comment that said "if Christians and other people of faith were not required to accept and service the homosexual lifestyle choice and marriage against their will and faith, that basically the religious people wouldn't care so much.  Hmmm... let me think about that one some more.

I normally don't wade into the social issues much because there are so many people screaming.  It just bothers me when I see comments like this posted.  It feels like selected bigotry by religions.  Their statement makes them feel validated but that's about it.  It is highly disrespectful to gay people that they so vehemently hate.

Now, before you get all up in arms with me and accuse me of intolerance,  religions are protected in the constitution and they have buildings to go and preach at whatever they believe every single day of the year.  They take in lots of money in a year and while I don't think they use it wisely most of the time, they don't pay taxes on it.  Lots of people in the church earn a good living and some have a pretty nice income.  Some religions and people of faith understand things good and too many others show the evil side of religions.

Tired Of People Tearing Each Other Apart

Some days I would like to leave my life’s compass behind and just lay into some people.  Part of me just wants to put some people in their place.  The anger at the crap I hear every day in the news is enough to make a fish walk on land.  I’m so tired of the screaming of the mindless opinions on the internet, in the media, the churches and of course – politics.

While I’m sick and tired of all of the rhetoric out there, I try to keep myself from joining the masses.  After all, there are enough sick minds out there and I sure don’t need to add my two cents worth to the fray.  There are far too many people screaming and proclaiming they have the “truth” and what they “believe” is what everyone else should believe. 

Most of the people screaming don’t even understand what they are screaming about, but it doesn’t stop them anyway.  Facts mean very little when put in the totality of the beliefs they hold dear.  After all, it isn’t about justifying yourself to anyone.   It is just about pushing your beliefs upon others whether they have any interest in them or not.  It is like my dad used to say, it’s my way or the highway. 

Scars And Wounds Of Pain

Finding balance in our life can be difficult at times, especially when an event tears open past wounds. When we have been wounded, reminders of those scars can bring the old pain right to the surface. Often times, these moments appear distorted to us making it difficult to step back and see the bigger picture.

In our civilization, so many have been wounded that it is heartbreaking. As a result, everyone has taken up so many causes that the messages are being drowned out. The causes are noble, but with everyone screaming at the top of their lungs, the whisper of the messages goes unheard.

One thing that can be so helpful in life is what we do to heal ourselves. There is no greater change we can show the world than to heal our wounds and offer up our healthy and balanced side. There is no greater affect we can have on the world than to find peace and light within ourselves as we travel through the darkness of our own life.

Healing the scars and wounds of pain gives us strength and courage. Through the courage and strength we find, our impact upon the world is often in much bigger ways than we realize. Let us do everything we can from the healed and peaceful state within our life, so that our motives and actions carry the loudest sound around the world.

(c) 11/12/10 by Don Shetterly - use by permission only

The Path We Take

Each of us in this society, the world and the universe have a role to play. It is up to each one of to realize and understand what our role is and become intimately acquainted. There is a time of searching in our life that brings us to the moment we are at and if we do not heed that call, than we are not living up to our full potential.

This path of each individual impacts all of us in one way or another. All too often in our community, we tend to follow the lead of the person with the biggest megaphone instead of listening to our internal self which is illuminating our path. We give up reason and logic for the hope of someone telling us what we should do, how we should think and where we should go.

We sit ourselves in front of reality shows and non-stop commercials as mind numbed humans hoping to find something meaningful for our life in that moment. In all reality, we are longing for an illusion of what fictitiously is out there for us rather than opening up to that which is within our minds and our bodies.

For much of my life, I was taught to follow those in authority without questioning what they said. Whether it was in the church, in school or at home, I was not "allowed" to question all that was being shoved down my throats. If I dared question things, it was met with quick rebuke and condemnation. My path became that of following blindly what was fed to me because I knew that if I did not do this, life would be difficult at best.

As I grew up and went to college, I struggled with people that were different than me. In my mind, anyone that did not conform to the way I was taught to think was the person that was wrong or misinformed or considered in some cases to be evil and sinful. Some of this may sound very harsh but it was what I experienced. Most of my life was very difficult in connecting with people because even though I would never say it to anyone, I often looked down upon others because they did not believe, act and feel as I did in my life. This is what I was taught from an early age and I knew no different.

It was not until I started into college that I began questioning things more and seeing others act in ways that although they were different than what I would do, I did not see any harm arise from their their views. As I began to evaluate some of the things I grew up with, I started to learn that I did not have all the answers. My way was not the only way and just because I thought I was right, it did not mean that I was the king of my domain. In fact, I began to learn in life that often it is not about who is right or wrong but about what you learn along the way that matters. It is the unfolding of the process and walking the journey that moves us from being a person to becoming a conscious human.

To me, I see our current society doing so much that reminds me of my past. There are groups that are screaming at the top of their lungs trying to proclaim they are right. They use various adjectives and descriptions of the people who do not agree with them. It is not just one side of various issues as it is both sides. It dominates our society and our world.

Everyone is so busy screaming that they have no way to actually hear and listen to the other person. Through our screaming we fail to see the worth and value of each other. It is sad that we are becoming a society that gives little value to who each other is because everything has been replaced with judging what is right or wrong about the other person. Our opinions have become fact and our judgments have become the law of the land.

If we continue down this road we are on, we will wake up one of these days with swords in our hand while we continue to out scream one another. As I found out during my college years, there is much more to be learned and realized by opening ourselves up to all that is around us. Listening to our fellow humans is the way forward. Accepting all that we are taught on the TV and in the media is nothing more than following the masses and closing our minds. We have much more potential than this as humans. We do not need to pull ourselves up to what is being thrown out as the truth and accept it as if it is the only morsel we will ever eat.

We need to open our eyes and question everything we do. We need to search for what life really means and what it means to be human. It is much more than going to a job every day, coming home to a routine and then absorbing all that the media tells us is good and true. It is much more than pushing our minds and bodies so hard that we make ourselves sick as we succumb to what the medical ads and doctors dictate is the most healthiest thing for our ailing body. It is much more than just following some new age line of thinking or sitting in a church pew and agreeing with everything being taught.

No, it isn't easy to stand up and say, "I don't think I quite agree with you." When people are all on one bandwagon, it is not easy to stand alone and say, I see a different way through this. Often it is difficult for us to even convince ourselves that we truly need to go in and examine our innermost thoughts and our own awareness. Much of the time, it feels easier to just go with the flow, not rock the boat and follow that which you've always followed.

As humans, we are meant to evolve and we are meant to be more than we currently are in our life. Trials, difficulties, pains and ailments are meant to get our attention and keep us going inward. These things are difficult beyond measure but without them around us, we may not grow like we are meant to grow in our lives.

If you get only one thing out of what I have written, please go in and search that which is within yourself. What about you makes sense and what doesn't? What ideals do you follow and why? Question yourself extensively and do not accept easy answers when you ask yourself these questions. Make yourself uncomfortable when you search yourself and find out why you truly feel the way you do about life. Look and find that which is a higher truth rather than that which is based upon fears, opinions and jumping on the bandwagon of judgment by others.

For if we all do this, we not only improve ourselves as people, but we evolve ourselves into a higher level of consciousness. By doing this individually, we are then able to offer up much more to those around us and to the world as a whole. We become contributing humans rather than one of the masses and the entire universe benefits. There is so much more out there for each one of us but if we keep our eye sights fixated on that which is comfortable, than we are missing some of the greatest wonders of the universe.

(Above Picture (c) 1/10/07, Miami, Florida)

Our Screaming And Yelling Affects Others

People, who scream and fight and argue, really cause me a lot of distress. It gets to me quickly and it leaves me feeling very agitated. Finding the silence of peace and calmness in our communities seems to be as rare as winning the lottery.

Sometimes in the morning when I am sitting out by my pool for my morning meditation, I can hear the neighbors screaming at the kids they are watching. In fact, as I am writing this, I can hear them scream and a car alarm buzzer is going off in the background. These things disrupt my quest for peace and calmness in the morning. I'd much rather hear the birds singing any day than listen to the noise from the neighbors.

Another example is watching TV. Even shows like America's Got Talent where Piers Morgan likes to argue with the other judges is something that really gets to me. His name calling, lack of respect and extremely critical persona make me very sad for whoever it is on the receiving end. While I do realize this is reality and drama TV, it affects people more than we sometimes want to accept.

Even on the new season of the Apprentice (with the unemployed contestants), the constant bickering and screaming made me feel on edge. I felt like a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. I could even feel my arms, shoulders and back tense up during this show.

When I was a kid, there was a show called "I Love Lucy" or I believe that was the name of it. Supposedly my parents would not let me watch it because the show would upset me and make me angry. Again, it was the screaming and yelling on the show that got to me.

All my life, I have struggled with this. I grew up in a home where my father constantly yelled, screamed and berated everyone around him. There was no pleasing the man! It doesn't take much either to affect me these days. There are times that someone talking fast, nonstop and loud is very difficult for me to be around.

The unusual thing is that as much as this bothers me, I found my own self doing the same thing. Only I don't berate the ones I love and I don't yell at them. I would never do that. The thing I do is scream and yell out of frustration at the little things in life. Sometimes I have very little patience or understanding for myself. Sometimes I demand perfection of myself while not forgiving any mistakes I make or could potentially make. I am very hard on myself. In fact, I am much harder on myself than I am on anyone else.

I had one of those wake up moments in life where I realized that my own personal outbursts were affecting those around me. From my relationship to my cats, everyone was on edge wondering when I would erupt. They never knew when the slightest little task as innocent as it could be would frustrate me and set me off. This was a big eye opener for me which made me take stock of my life.

I'm sure not perfect in this area of my life but I have really been working on it. I hate to think that something I'm doing brings tension to those around me. I know what it is like to grow up in a house of screaming and yelling.

Being a highly sensitive person, I know just how intense moments around me can impact my mind and my body in dramatic ways. I've worked to minimize some of those and to give myself moments of quiet in my day. I've stopped watching the news commentators on TV because so much of what they say comes from anger. It really just agitates the mind, especially my mind. For me, I see too many people screaming and yelling in life. It is too much for me to take most days.

There are many things we do in our own lives that strongly impact the lives of those around us. Often we don't realize just what these things do to others. We may realize that it is something we struggle with but we may not be fully aware of what we are forcing others to live through. We really need to be aware of this or at least be open to hearing from others how our behavior impacts them. Of course, we cannot go through life trying to be everything to all people.

I do realize that I am a highly sensitive person and that I am impacted stronger by things than most people. While I give myself moments of silence, I try to keep my distance from those that yell and scream. Finally now in life, I am able to really calm myself down so the little things don't get to me and erupt into screaming and yelling. I am learning that there is no need to add to the turmoil in our world. For me to be there for others, I need to offer my own peace and calmness, not my turmoil.



(Above Picture taken at the lighthouse at Ponce Inlet, FL - (c) 09/14/10)

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Illusion Or Reality

I see and hear so many people in this world screaming at the top of their lungs. Often, it is about politics or religion or some other injustice in the world. While these are noble causes that usually involve passion, emotion and action, they tend to be more extreme than they need to be.

Take a notice of how many things are displayed in the news. Or how about the format in which movies are created, entertainment is participated in or the activities we connect to. Everything seems to be bigger, greater, more dramatic and more extreme. It is like we cannot get enough or that we've set the bar so high, that now we need more stimulation in life.

Let's go back to the people screaming or should I say in modern terms, "people discussing things in life and social networking and the news". If you look past the screaming, you'll notice that no one is truly listening or respecting what others have to say. Opinion is now shrouded as fact. Sensationalism is portrayed as energy and passion. Whoever can out talk, out yell or out last their fellow human (a.k.a opponent), is deemed the winner in that moment of life. Of course, the moment changes rapidly these days and so the winner today, may be the loser tomorrow.

To me, this is a sad testament to not only our individual existence but the universal connections we share. It is easy for many of us to judge, critique and get caught up in viewing the world through those that excite and motivate our passions as we tend to see them currently in our lives. In many ways, we are no different than those we judge or embrace. We are as much a part of the screaming as they are.

Yet, how far is this getting us in life? Is it solving problems or truly making us more enlightened? Is it helping us to grow individually and collectively as humans?

While escape from every day stress and pains can often bring relief, we need to identify it as such and not live life as an illusion. The screaming, judging and need to have more sensationalism in our lives is an illusion. It is a mask for what we truly feel in our lives or the things we would rather not feel. Of course, this is old news to most people because deep down, we know this in our mind, body and spirit.

Maybe instead of trying to prove or disprove how much each of us participate in the network of illusion, we may want to play the role of observer. Try taking the next day or week and observing what input you take in to your life. I'm not asking you to set yourself apart from the world but to just observe and notice.

Ask yourself what is the purpose? What is it that I get from this? Then if you're bold enough, you may want to consider if you really need that input or could you replace it with something that connects you more with your mind and body offering much greater rewards to yourself.

Sometimes it isn't easy taking a good hard look at our lives. We feel that we have to follow along like everyone else. The funny thing is though, how collectively we are learning to live reality as an illusion. It is all around us if we just take a moment to look at it. We can fool ourselves and explain or rationalize the illusion in many ways, but in the end, it is still an illusion.


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