Here & Now

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Picture two 2-liter bottles in front of you, one filled with water & the other soda. You shake both for one minute straight & open the bottle immediately after. What was the result for each? This is a picture of the difference of our mental, financial, energic & relational constitution depending on our perspective. On what they call the Left & the Right, there is a shared march toward instability masked in competition. My people, it is obvious that the current standard isn’t working for our benefit. So, let us turn our attention to a perspective that can help liberate & unify us.

Islam gave us, Thus, you should desire for others what you desire for yourself and hate for others what you hate for yourself. Do not oppress as you do not like to be oppressed. Do good to others as you would like good to be done to you. Regard bad for yourself whatever you regard bad for others. Accept that (treatment) from others which you would like others to accept from you ... Do not say to others what you do not like to be said to you.— Nahjul Balaghah, Letter 31. Christianity offered, Do to others what you want them to do to you. This is the meaning of the law of Moses and the teaching of the prophets.— Matthew 7:12. In the Persian system, Zoroastrianism it was said "That nature alone is good which refrains from doing to another whatsoever is not good for itself." Dadisten-I-dinik, 94,5. Before all of these, the people of Kemet (Black Egypt before the Arabs invaded) had the saying, "That which you hate to be done to you, do not do to another.” Across cultures & time there has been a prescription for much of the illness in our world. Turning focused attention to contemplation & practical application of this principle crowned, The Golden Rule, will produce the results we thirst for.

We all know what anger, confusion & judgment feel like. Have you been lied to? Have you been treated unfairly? Has someone cut you off while driving or eaten the piece of cake you separated special just for you? All instances that can go from us being a little upset to prepared to fight. A key is to recognize the energy that arises! Mild or major, there is an increase in the energy available to us in these moments. Unfortunately, this energy boost & subsequent program reaction leave us less than we were when we began the interaction. It is here that we have tremendous opportunities Family. We can train ourselves to capitalize these energy increases through focus on constructive contemplation/constructive action. Like the bottle of water, we simply experience an electrical jolt that leaves a few bubbles on the sides of the bottle & floating on the surface. It is a sign that the water has ‘woken up’. On the other hand, when we allow moments to shake us up to the point we explode, we are often left with less than what we started with. That is less money, a less respected reputation, less confidence in our relationships & in many instances, less life. Anyone that has had an occurrence like this knows, it all happens so fast. Statements such as “She said…”, “He did..”, “I thought I saw…” follow an abundance of obvious & sometimes, extremely unique situations that draw an automatic reaction from us. A life time of good work can be diminished in one statement or one slap. What is anyone supposed to do?

Practice perspective. These are the reps I would love for every person I know & every person they know to be doing on a daily basis. The brother or sister will do what they always do, run down the things they do not like. The twist is, instead of simply complaining or condemning the other or the circumstance, consider the activity. What was done & what about it rubbed you the wrong way. If you’re really serious about getting healthy, make a list as you go. Anytime you are offended, upon thinking through what is actually done (not what you feel like was done) & what about it offends you, then turn the camera on yourself. Got through your actions over the month prior & see if you are behaving in the way you want others not to. By the way, doing this for what you admire about others is extremely beneficial too. The reality is that we all have programs that we have running in the background all the time. They have many names & come in many forms & it is all the same, a program. This very old tool is extremely effective & gives us the ability to reprogram our background to our liking. By consciously considering what we do & do not desire in our experience, we can actively reprogram our lifestyle to be in harmony with our inner standard & thus achieve a great level of peace. Cost no money, requires no travel & can be done without the assistance of others (except maybe the Spirit).

Time moves fast. There is not a lot of it we can afford to lose to regret & shame. Family, take it seriously & take action. Practice exploring the things that you do not want others to do to you, that which you know & as it happens in the future. Write down what exactly is the key issue in the occurrence & exactly how it affects you. Then determine where in life you are doing that same thing. Then stop that! Practice this everyday & you will have much more inner & outer peace by this winter holiday season.