An Open Heart

I wrote a piece for Facebook that I didn’t want in this space. I intentionally kept it off this blog because I want to step away from politics and bring this space back to its purpose. I had a few last words about the election that I felt were important to say and I wanted to say them before I get to the work that is in front of me. That thing doesn’t go with this thing. I’m trying to start fresh here but my human side wouldn’t just let it go first. We will call it an ego problem. I’m honest if I’m anything.

So having said all that I want to point out that I am just like you. I am a work in progress. I don’t know what the end result of that progress will be in this lifetime. What I hope to achieve is an open heart.

I don’t have to tell you all the ways prejudice effects my progress. If you’ve read here, you know. I am intolerant of intolerance. I abhor ignorance. It has always been important to me to know for myself. The thought of formal education feels murderous to my soul. It is hard for me to accept that others are not like that. It is hard for me to accept that people will walk through life blindly without trying to find truth for themselves. But then again what is truth? My conversations have always been short with anyone that does not share my values. I’ve felt it a waste of my time to get to know these people. I know you all know this about me. It is my cross. The thing is I want to do something about all this.

I’m here to suggest that we all examine our prejudices and be honest with ourselves. You don’t have to share what they are like I did but you have to be very frank about them with yourself. I think if we all do this we will be able to do something that has never been done. We can all open our hearts and face one another with love and welcome.

Prejudice is manmade. It isn’t a real thing. What is prejudice? It is just what it says. Prejudgment. Not one person alive ought to judge the soul of another but we do it all day. We all walk our own paths. We all fight our own demons. We all are damaged in some way. It is the human condition. If we didn’t judge the souls of others and we saw the beauty in those around us, the witness to that beauty might be all a soul needs to bring it forward and let it lead. That includes all manner of people, those thought both good and evil. We cannot know because this is not what we do.

How many times in a day, a week or a month have you truly opened your heart to another person? How many times have you looked at others without any judgment? How many times have you met a person and automatically recognized them first for the brilliance of their soul? How many times have you looked at the people in your family and just accepted them exactly as they are without any feeling that you need to change them? This is your family we are talking about and I bet you cannot say never even to that.

If you are down to try a little experiment with me, here’s what we will do for the next week:

1.       Smile at every stranger and in the quiet of your mind, just say to them, Hello Soul.

2.       Do not prejudge a single soul. Not those you know. Not those you meet this week. Not those who you know have done terrible things and also those you know who have done awesome works. Just don’t judge them either way.

3.       Forgive yourself for whatever you feel you need forgiveness for and don’t take it back.

4.       Send love to the people of the world you do not personally know. Send it to those you both agree & disagree with and to those you don’t know either way because you don’t know their reputation at all.

5.       Think on the people who you feel have wronged you and send them love like beams of light straight to their hearts.

6.       If you cannot do #5 do this meditation:

Imagine you are walking to a playground and as you walk you get younger and younger until you are about 4 years old. Imagine yourself playing with your friends and other children that you do not know. Now for a second think about those people who you cannot send love to. Picture now that they are walking towards you on the playground and as they get closer they get younger and younger until they are also 4 years old. Now spend some time watching them play. See their innocence. See their childlike perfection that has yet to become a person who in the future might hurt you. Now think about people you have hurt in your past and see them walking towards you growing smaller as they get closer. Now you all play together. Think about that time when you were all innocent with no intent to hurt anyone and yet we all have. None of us have made it through life causing zero harm to others. We are all just innocent children on a playground wanting to just be loved as we are. Now join hands with everyone on the playground and walk yourself back to the present. Try to keep this innocence with you.

7.       Try as hard as you can to just give love for this one week. Forget about why you feel any sort of judgment against any person or any group of people. Doesn’t matter what they’ve done or what you think they might do.

8.       Every time you fall off this love wagon just remember to get back on. I know just like you, I will be falling off a lot and having to saddle back up. I am going to give it my all and I hope you will too.

9.       This week I turn 50 and this is the gift I’m giving to myself. I’ll be happy to accept the same gift from you.

Let the games begin and the hearts start to open.

The light within me salutes the light within you.

PeAcE