To Do It Differently

How many times have you looked back at your life and thought, "If I knew then what I know now I would have done that much differently!" Quite often, reflections of the past bring up all the former hurts and failures you've experienced over a lifetime of actions. At times you just want to kick yourself over your own stupidity--for the pain you've caused yourself and others. The truth is, if you had the opportunity to do it differently, you would probably choose to do the same things over again.

Right now I'm sure you're saying, "Is she crazy?!!! There is no way I would choose to do the same things over again!" You understand the great pain involved in many of the choices you've made. There is no way you would purposely re-expose yourself and others to that agony again.

Hear me out. The first fallacy is the idea, "If I knew then what I know now." Life is a learning process--sort of a big experiment. You come up to an obstacle between where you are and where you want to be. You have to figure out the best way to get around it. Often there are many choices to choose from. You pick an option. Sometimes the option works out easily and you go on to the next obstacle. More often, the choice does not take you exactly where you want to go. Sometimes it brings pain. You have to choose again, but this time with the advantage of knowing something that didn't work. The point is, with all choices you gain understanding. If you had all knowledge before you made the choice, there would be absolutely no reason to be living this life on earth. Not knowing is the purpose of life!

The second fallacy is the idea that you would make different choices in order to avoid the pain involved. Think about this though. While no one enjoys pain, would you truly avoid it? Pain can be huge benefit. It is one of the best teaching tools available. Remember those times you have experienced pain. What did you learn? How did you grow? Who have you become as a result of your pain? The answers may surprise you.

This life of duality is meant to be experienced from all sides--good and bad. Ultimately if you had the chance to do things differently you would probably still do the same things because the choices you made were all part of your growth process. The result of this learning is wisdom and understanding. Live with no regret over the choices you have made. As painful as the process may have been, poor choices result in great treasure.  

The Problem With Politics

Like most people, I have my own personal view on politics. I take great pleasure in exercising my right to vote and have been know to become disappointed when things don't turn out like I had hoped. I am happy to live in a country where we have so many freedoms and the right to vote is protected by law. Still, for all those protections, politics in America is fundamentally flawed. I don't believe it is a problem with the code. I don't believe anyone could produce better laws without limiting some of the freedoms we enjoy today. The problem with politics lies in the hearts of the people.

At present, America does have a ruling elite. Yes, we have the "right" to elect our officials. Yes, two individual parties seem to promote different agendas. For all that, I see it as smoke and mirrors--an elaborate magic trick used to hide what really goes on behind the scenes. The powers that be--made up of those already in power and their financial supporters--are in a position to handpick our current and future leaders in an effort to retain their money and power. The changing power between the Democrats and Republicans is in place to make Americans believe there are different ideologies out there (and to give them a fight to focus on instead of the reality).

Look at our present circumstances. After eight years of "Republican" control of the White House (which was preceded by eight years of "Democrat" control), Barak Obama was swept easily into office. The thing is, I had a difficult time telling much of a difference in stand between Obama and McCain in the issues. Even more telling were their actions. Both Obama and McCain backed those massive bank bailouts and "stimulus" packages. This amounts to corporate welfare on a grand scale. The argument was, "We had to do this to keep the economy going." The reality was, big corporations were dying (and needed to in our evolutionary process). In an attempt to hang on to that money and power, those behind the scenes made sure their immediate needs were met.

Years of American apathy have allowed these circumstances to prevail. For the most part, life has been good in America. People had what they needed, and those with a little more ambition could increase their standard of living through hard work and good ideas. Now that the ecomony has bottomed out in the transition from industry to technology, people are beginning to wake up to the fact that all is not quite right in the world.

So what is the answer to this question of unbalanced power? We all need to think and act differently. Conventional wisdom tells us to listen to "both sides" and determine what sounds like the most workable idea. However, isn't this the same "wisdom" that got us into this mess in the first place? It's the wisdom society has taught us, and it carries all the flaws and biases inherent in that society.

The key is to find the wisdom of the heart. On a spiritual/energetic level, we are all connected. Have you ever been in a group and laughed at a shared joke or sung a moving song? Did you feel a part of a bigger collective? What about 9/11? Did you feel the world's collective pain during this catastrophic event? This is the sort of connection that exists within all things, and we have the ability to connect to it when we focus on doing so. This the shared wisdom that takes everyone into consideration and wants the best for all concerned. Such is the wisdom of the heart.

As a society--as a world--it is important to learn to make these internal connections to see the truth in all things. You may choose to call it God or global consciousness or energy--what you call it is unimportant. What is important is learning to access it. When you are connected, you begin to see what society is trying to hide. The truth will really set us free. When we have access to the truth, we can make better choices. We can make a better world. The problems in politics will be erased as we learn to make choices based on these internal connections--the connections of the heart.

Layers of Understanding

I have an appreciation for people older than myself--especially those who have achieved great age. Life has a way of giving new insights to old problems as you go along. Consequently, I value the insights of those who have already lived through some of the problems I currently deal with. With life experiences come new layers of understanding, new ways of coping in the world. Sometimes in our self-centered humanness we perceive that the very nature of truth has changed. The reality is what has changed is our understanding.

In my twenties, I had an experience with my grandmother that pained me a little. In talking to her about my cousin's wedding, she made the statement that my cousin made the most beautiful bride she had ever seen. What hurt me was that she had been to my wedding shortly before and even my sister's shortly after. My first thought was, "What am I? Chopped liver?" However, it really wasn't a huge deal and I let it go.

Several years later, I was talking to my mother. During the course of the conversation, she began to discuss how my cousin was more like my grandmother's daughter, as my grandmother had a large hand in raising my cousin because of the health problems of her parents. At that point, I realized why my grandmother had made the statement she had about my cousin being the most beautiful bride she had ever seen. My cousin was her daughter in many respects!

Within the past year, I have gotten even more insight into the whole situation. You see, I have been dealing with a daughter who has been diagnosed with a mood disorder. Even though my daughter is smart and has many talents, she is also very troubled and has been her whole life. She has never been what the world would call "normal". Consequently, it has taken me years to accept my daughter will never have the perfect life one hopes for their children. In looking back at the family history, my aunt (my cousin's mother) had very similar problems to my daughter. Understanding how my experiences with my daughter have pained me, I know my grandmother felt similar pain when thinking about her own daughter. My cousin, on the other hand, is much more "normal". She found a wonderful husband and they have had a terrific life together. Deep down, my grandmother recognized this. In my cousin, my grandmother finally had the happy ending she once longed to have in her own daughter. Because of this new insight, I am now happy in the realization that my grandmother finally found some peace and hope. That is what her statement meant.

There's an old adage that time heals all wounds. I believe this has a lot to do with the fact that experience often brings insights which lead to wisdom, mellowing the pain of the experience. Truth does not change, although our understanding of it often does. The difference lies in additional insights which change our perspectives from what they once were. These layers of understanding add a richness and depth to our lives here on earth. They add to our understanding of truth, and ultimately truth is what we are here to discover.