Shame

 Everyone carries shame. It is a fundamental human feeling. When we carry shame in secret, it distorts our inner world, which creates a distorted, uncomfortable, undesirable outer world. It makes us feel as if we have something bad inside of us that we need to keep hidden, something that, if it were known, would make people run away from or reject us. When we build up resentment and fear, we become paranoid, imagining that people are saying and thinking things about us. Shame can make us lash out or act out; say and do things in an effort to get rid of the feeling. When we do this, we only deepen the shame because only in owning and experiencing the feeling for what it is, can we let it go.

What would you do differently?

Friedrich Nietzsce posed a wonderful thought: " What if a demon were to creep after you one night and say, "This life which you live must be lived by you once again and innumerable times more; and every pain and joy and thought and sigh must come again to you, all in the same sequence..."

What would you do? Would you throw yourself before a moving vehicle and curse the demon who visited you? Or would you answer, "I have never been offered such a joyous blessing?"

How do spend your days now? Who have you not forgiven? Maybe yourself? Do you need to be awakened to the blessings you already have, or are you already in the place you call heaven?

Ask yourself, "What if?"

Daily Priorities

Priorities are not merely something we establish once a year, once a month, or even once a week. Our priorities are visible in the myriad decisions we make and actions we take each day.

Being closely in touch with our inner selves and our Higher Power helps assure that our priorities reflect our genuine needs and desires. When we are securely centered, we will not be unduly influenced by other people but will know what is truly important to us and necessary for our health and well being.

We set our priorities when we do our grocery shopping and plan our meals. We set them when we choose between playing tennis or reading a book or going to see a friend. We set them when we decide how to respond to a negative comment from a co-worker. Our daily priorities reflect who we are and determine what we are becoming. Let's set them with care.

Sharing

 I will share my joy with others. Simply living a happy life gives me much to pass around. Living well and happily is no small accomplishment. It means that I am doing something right, that I understand some basic truths about living and prospering in this world. Life is fundamentally simple, but recognizing this and actually simplifying my life requires a strong and mindful resolve, the strength of character to resist the complicated aspects of life that lead to self-destruction. What I have come to know through happy living are the profound lessons passed down through the ages. Appreciating joy in my life and sharing it with others enhances and increases its presence for me.

Today I will share my joy.

Just as the wave cannot exist for itself. but is ever a part of the heaving surface of the ocean, so must I never live my life for itself, but always in the experience which is going on around me. It is uncomfortable doctrine which the true ethics whisper into my ear. You are happy, they say; therefore you are called upon to give much. ...Albert Schweitzer

Self Pity

"Poor little ol' me." The PLOMS. How often do we succumb to this temptation? Usually it's an excuse for not doing what we know we should do, but do not want to do. Or it's a way to manipulate someone else into doing something for us which we should be doing ourselves. If we spend our time moaning and groaning about how unfairly life is treating us, we do not have much chance of  creating a truly wonderful life experience.

Trite as it may sound, the cure for self-pity is to think about those who are less fortunate and start counting our blessings. Taking some action, doing some small thing for someone else, perhaps a phone call -- these are constructive steps to take us off the "pity pot."

When we begin to feel sorry for ourselves, let's remember the true blessings we already have and move out of the vibration of self-pity.