Life on Track

Transcending the Negative: Gratitude

Gratitude is a basic feeling of appreciation for the goodness and wonder of life.  When we
look for the good in everyone and in every experience, we uplift others and ourselves.
This promotes a sense of good will.  Everyone needs encouragement, and when we give
encouragement we are more likely to get encouragement back.

When we experience challenges, we can choose to appreciate the learning opportunities that
come with them, regardless of whether we view them as fortunate or unfortunate.  We can
look at the experience for what it has to teach us. 

When our goal is to avoid an uncomfortable or painful situation, we experience ourselves
as needy and weak.  We give the external situation power rather than discovering
power within ourselves.  This prevents us from using our creativity to view the
challenge differently.  As a consequence, we cheat ourselves of the pleasure of
being able to overcome it.  Gratitude shifts us to the higher vibration of love
and appreciation, which restores our sense of personal power.

It may be difficult to perceive good in what appears to be a negative situation,
but we seem to need these difficult situations to move us forward in our lives. 

Take a moment to be grateful for the challenges you have mastered and to
appreciate what you have learned.

Pain, Passion, and Purpose

This is a special weekend.  Those in the Christian tradition celebrate the death and ressurection of Christ.  The same pattern is also present in many other spiritual traditions. In this blog I would like to share the benefits of pain, and how it may lead to passion.

We all have times in our life when we face pain, disconnection, and separation. Initially, we may judge this experience as bad or negative, finding ways to avoid confronting the difficult emotions. Pain is much more powerful when it is honored with empathy and support. When we do so, a deeper spiritual message emerges.  By facing it, we can discover the old patterns of thought and belief and bring them under the power of forgiveness.

These old patterns reflect the ways of viewing the world from an earlier time.  When put in perspective
they give us compassion for ourselves and others. Instead of separation, we find connection, and an
opportunity to reflect and renew.  These new insights then can foster growth and give us a renewed
sense of mission, passion, and purpose.

It was three years ago today when my father passed.  This was one of the most significant transforming experiences in my life.  Instead of separating, our family came together and in the process discovered  a deeper sense of purpose. As we reflected upon it, we discovered the values through which we were connected, in the present and over the generations. Coming from a farming and education background, we set up a foundation fund for the support and education for organic farming in the local community. The project this year is for the "Seed Savers."  I call it "Seeds for a New Earth."  It gives hope. 

When we put structures into place that honor our higher values in an individual's memory,
a person does not die.  Instead, we honor the spirit that lives on forever.

What Makes for The Good Life?

The media and common knowledge suggestions that money
and consumption makes for happiness.

Today new research in positive psychology has shown
that without community and a deeper sense of purpose,
a focus on wealth alone may lead to emptiness and
depression.

New visions of the good life have also become the topic of
interest, in magazines such as "Time" and "Yes." 
Research cited in these magazines suggest the following
contribute to the good life.