Universal Message
The desert is one of Mother Earth's vast open hearts exuding beauty, peace and healing love to all those who will receive it. I just got back from a trip to Death Valley in the Mojave Desert. I'd never been there before and wondered what all the fuss was about. Well, I got it. One would think Death Valley would be pretty boring to experience with nothing more than sand and mountains, but we went during the explosion of wildflowers, and what a sight! This was just after the high holy days of Easter and Passover. The meditative quality of the desert and its wildflowers created a space within me where I began to contemplate my existence and the significance of the recent past high holy days. The Bible and Torah ask us to "love one another". Buddha is quoted as saying, "If these minds love one another the home will be as beautiful as a flower garden." In the Muslim religion, it is said that "...you will not complete your faith till you love one another." You get the point. So there I was in the desert feeling the love, the energy and at one with the Universe. Great. Now what happens when I get back to Los Angeles and its #1 rated worst traffic in the country? Will I still be able to "love one another" as I'm being cut off on the freeway? Or, as I interact with a customer service person impatient to my questions? That's the real trick.
Last year an elder told me, "Strangers used to be nicer. Not anymore. People are actually getting meaner." Are they? Maybe, maybe not... But I do know one thing, I'm going to do my best not to contribute. What helps me to "love one another" is to give someone the benefit of the doubt or a pass on their bad behavior -especially when their negative actions seem to come out of nowhere. I remember having a negative experience with a customer service person once and after speaking to the manager, I was told that this individual just had a parent pass away. Their "bad behavior" with me was due to their inner sadness and pain. Not that it's okay to be unkind when we're upset, but it allows us to give someone a pass...We're all human and fallible. And until we've walked in someone else's shoes, we never really know what they're going through at any given moment.
Last year an elder told me, "Strangers used to be nicer. Not anymore. People are actually getting meaner." Are they? Maybe, maybe not... But I do know one thing, I'm going to do my best not to contribute. What helps me to "love one another" is to give someone the benefit of the doubt or a pass on their bad behavior -especially when their negative actions seem to come out of nowhere. I remember having a negative experience with a customer service person once and after speaking to the manager, I was told that this individual just had a parent pass away. Their "bad behavior" with me was due to their inner sadness and pain. Not that it's okay to be unkind when we're upset, but it allows us to give someone a pass...We're all human and fallible. And until we've walked in someone else's shoes, we never really know what they're going through at any given moment.
I love your newsletters! I save them for those stressful days when I need a pick me up. There's always something inspirational to carry me through the week or month. Thanks!
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What you wrote about your time in the desert made me tear up...good stuff!
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