Inner Peace Guided Meditation for the Whole Wide World ~ Sunday October 13 2024

Fortunately, for all of us, the Sun is still coming up every morning.  The Earth is still rotating on its axis, and Stars continue to shine in the Heavens every night.  Creation seems to be operating just fine, give or take a few hurricanes.

At the same time, Human Beings are still trying to figure out how to live together in some kind of peaceful relationship.  And, we are still on a major learning curve to understand how to care for this jewel of a planet!  We could say that right now living on Earth is very challenging!  Even after centuries of spiritual teachers saying the same things about how we can live peacefully together on Earth,  we continue to hate and fear and fight and argue.  And we wonder why we have difficulty falling asleep at night!

So, how do we turn this situation around?  How do we move ourselves from fear and anger and fighting to being calm and cool and coherent?  Obviously, we have tried many things, some have worked, others have not.  Most of us understand that arguing and making others “wrong” does not work out very well.  But, we haven’t quite understood how to do “compassion” or “loving-kindness” on a daily basis.

In my experience, being compassionate or heart-centered every day is a challenge.  This is especially true during a very high-volume, contentious election year, along with mega-storms, wars and rumors of wars, and refugees everywhere.  Whew … !!!

I certainly find all this turmoil challenging.  So, several years ago, I resolved that I would not “hate” anyone.  I also decided that I would do my best to be aware every time I start down that “slippery slope” of irritation, frustration, blame, or any other negative emotion.  I don’t always manage to do this all day every day.  But, I have found that I am getting better and better at catching these debilitating thoughts and feelings before they gain momentum.  I have learned from experience that I will not be a “happy camper” by the end of the day if I allow myself to get caught up in anything negative.

On the other hand, if I am able to stay “conscious” and mindful throughout the day, I can shift any train of thought to a healthier track.  I think of my meditations as a commitment to mindfulness.  I start my meditation as I am waking up in the morning.  I have found that if I get up, make a cup of tea, and then sit down to do my meditation, my to-do list is already rolling.

Every day seems to be its own challenge so I have gotten to be more and more patient with myself.  I have also learned to be more compassionate with myself when situations are challenging.  I have also learned that the more attention I bring to my heart during the day and during my meditations, the better everything works!  Amazing … !!!  Maybe that is why the first 2 commandments begin with “Love”.

I am sure we are capable of learning to live with each other on this planet.  I am also sure we can do much better caring for Creation.  This century is definitely a challenge for Everyone.  So, thank you for showing up!  And, thank you for all the good work you are doing every day.

 

Mary Christopher