Juy 18th We don't ever truelly have complete control over what happens in this world. The best we can do is put forth a good effort

The idea I get today about how I might improve a situation or solve the matter at hand may for all intents and purposes be the best idea or notion that anyone on this earth has!

The concept I would like to infuse, my answer to the problem may be the result of long and serious contemplation with everyone's best interest in mind. However in this life I have learned things turn on a dime and in directions I never considered or imagined.

When do we just make a suggestion and when do we insist or  make a demand ? Truth is, there are times we must needs make demands based on our experience and with considerations like safety or if someone's life is at stake.

The question usually arises, " am I forcing my will into this situatuion? " Human beings under these circumstances make decisions based on past experience and NOT ALL past solutions will apply to the current situation. There's a trade off.

I think we should consider this "what we would like to happen and what we don't want to happen needs to be removed from the equation! " Feelings and emotions blur the picture, they are predjudical and judgemental and lead to a reckless or inconsiderate decision making process. So how to proceed?

I say first have a discussion with the person whose guidance you trust. I've found I prefer someone who doesn't always give me a straight answer and instead tells me a story from his or her book of life experiences.

The decision is mine and mine alone which brings me to my second point - make the best decision I can with all the information available. We can't afford to rely on anothers input because it gives us a FALSE sense of security presently and IF things don't work out we will blame them for it. We don't ever truelly have complete control over what happens in this world. The best we can do is put forth a good effort.

July 17th The answer isn't in the past it's in the future!

When we reject something "new " that has been brought to us by the Higher Order of  things we pause. In pausing we have doubt and doubt creates fear.

You become fearful and you don't realize it at first. You think that there might be something wrong but you dismiss it. Instead of reflecting, serious reflection, serious meditation, constructive examination of self you go on a intellect binge.

" EVERYTHING is pretty good in my world " you spout to all who will listen AND
you add, "what is not good I can't do much about- huh, it's all good though " but you are lying to yourself. It's not ALL GOOD.

You are tripping and you don't even know it! Oh you'll soon know it when you fall completely and it will be more than skinned elbows! " How the hell did this happen?" will be your mantra but you're not asking the right question. Your focus is on the wrong direction.

"How do we prevent this from happening again?" You probably won't ask this and therefore never know which direction to go next. At a time when we should move forward we move backwards and look somewhere into past for the answer, for the reason we tripped up and fell.

The answer isn't in the past it's in the future!

papajohn

July 16th " God, pleeeeeeeeeeeeese help me?"

Do you know what I mean when I say that we get overwhelmed by the current situation, panic and
then say to ourselves in a most helpless way -  " God, pleeeeeeeeeeeeese help me?"

Then we try to  " capture "  that rescued feeling in our mind.

God pleeeeeeeeeeeeeese help me?" When, may I ask did He stop ( helping you) ? "

July 15th "Practice isn't much different than trying, just do it."

If you didn't improve even just a little bit since yesterday then you owe that day another try. AND, now you've just wasted part of today!

Try, try and keep trying until you change, until you transform. And when you transform you will become, you will be - you will be IT, now.

Practice isn't much different than trying, just do it.

July 14th "good grief Charlie Brown"

What is grief?

~ Deep sadness, imagined wrong, reason for being annoyed or angry. An injustice. Loss, sorrow, trouble, anquish, heartache, distress. (Thorndike Branhart circa 1950's) ~

We get hurt, disappointed and annoyed. What is more important do you think- the cause or the solution?

We tend to focus on the cause more than the solution and when we have been hurt, or we are disappointed or if we get annoyed, focusing on the cause leads to grief. Focusing on the cause of our hurt, disappointment or annoyance leads to deep sadness, imagined wrong, feeling of loss, sorrow, feeling troubled, anguish, heartache and distress. No? When we focus on the cause our re-action becomes more intense.

Today let's identify what's grieving us and take action. Grieving is a process. When my daughter passed on and went to be with the ancestor's I felt intense grief immediately. I knew I wasn't alone and sought out some folks who went through the same experience. It was a process.

Keep this thought in mind; " time does heal all wounds to a small extent, it is Love that heals all wounds starting right now." Seek out someone to love you when you're grieving - it's the best medicine.

papajohn

July 13th " Smile, smile, smile. When you can't smile anymore- smile! "

Does one drop of rain falling into the ocean make a difference in the volume of the sea?

Just as you might not think a raindrop fills the ocean a bit, your smiling at a friend or stranger does make a difference!

Smile, smile, smile. When you can't smile anymore- smile!

papajohn daily meditations

July 12th Our challenge today is " don't be alarmed."

This is what we've been taught-

ALARM: 1. sudden fear or fright. 2. a warning of approaching danger. 3. thing that gives such a warning. 4. call to arms or action. 5.a device that makes noise to warn or awaken people. 
verb- 1.  fill with sudden fear. 2. warn of approaching danger.

What alarms us in modern times? What brings sudden fear or fright, a warning of danger or a call to arms? What is in our DAILY lives that fills us with sudden fear?

1. clock alarm

2. coffee maker alarm;

a. coffee is done
b. coffee pot shutting off

3. smoke alarm;

a. low battery

4. car alarms;

a. door is open
b. key left in ignition
c. lights left on
d. low fuel
e. low tire air

5. oven/stove alarm;

a. beeps when setting time
b. beeps when time is up

6. fire alarm

7. house security alarms

8. air raid alarms

REMEMBER-

ALARM: 1. sudden fear or fright. 2. a warning of approaching danger. 3. thing that gives such a warning. 4. call to arms or action. 5.a device that makes noise to warn or awaken people. 
verb- 1.  fill with sudden fear. 2. warn of approaching danger.

Our subconcious has been programmed with many things, one which we're talking about today is alarm.

Does our concious decipher what is an " alarm " sound and what isn't an alarm sound? Or does it react subconciously out of the learned definition and early experiences of alarm sounds?

Things in our daily lives that alarm us by their sounds, by the definition we were taught, by our earliest " alarm " experiences;


1. microwave beeps, buzzes and hums.

2. cell phones beeps when pressing number pad

3. the many, many beeps of the automobile.

4. turning on electronic products such as;

a. air conditioners

b. air purifiers

c. humidifiers

d. computers

5. checking out at the grocery store/department store - cash registers many , many beeps!

6. walk now indicator on the corner of the block to cross the street

7. elevators

To name a few.

Our challenge today is " don't be alarmed."