AFFIRMATIVE THOUGHTS - THE FINDING GOD ON THE TRAIN STORY EVOLVES - A MEMBER SUPPORTED SITE

NewThoughtNoteForTheDay - FIRESTORM OF GOOD - Finding God On The Train - 5.28.2014

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I do think we expect too much from

God, and too little from the billions

of us humans who have free will

and a consciousness quite capable

of creating heaven on earth.

 

The note here offered reminds us that

we are the creators of the good the world

so desperately needs. We are the hands

and feet of God. We are, collectively, capable

of igniting a firestorm of good.

 

FIRESTORM OF GOOD

 

It is not so much what we do in this life,

but rather who we are - the values we

enliven, the purpose we undertake,

the small acts of kindness we sponsor,

the central theme of our doings – which

when taken in unison, hopefully,

brightens the world.

 

Today, let us take stock of the light we

generate, considering our stewardship

of the resources we now control,

the ingredients for the illumination

we now possess, realizing every spark

is capable of spreading a firestorm

of good.

 

So, without hesitation, let us fan

the flames needed for a brighter world,

ensuring our hearts, minds, and spirits

are fully lit, being in our own way,

the hands and feet of God, always ready

with a kind word and an unwavering light.

 

AT G. 5.28.2014

 

WITH LOVE, G. 

 

NewThoughtNoteForTheDay - ENGAGED IN TODAY - Finding God On The Train - 5.23.2014

  

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ENGAGED IN TODAY

 

Let us focus our attention on living the life

we are engaged in today, letting tomorrow

fend for itself, understanding premature

living ruins today, muddling the possibilities

of an authentic and pertinent tomorrow.

 

Let us consider what we might do now

to properly navigate this “now” we so

fully inhabit – a positive, friendly gesture,

a new undertaking, a lingering desire

fulfilled - or just a hardy laugh, a broad

smile, a moment of fun.

 

Let us agree to relish today and the life

at hand, refusing to be waylaid, disrupted,

or thrown off course from mindful living,

packing up our cares and woes for a more

appropriate time and setting – how about

tomorrow.

 

AT G.  5.23.2014

 

WITH LOVE, G. 

NewThoughtNoteForTheDay - JUST BEING NOW - Finding God On The Train - 5.22.2014

 

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The stage of life is set for our savoring,

we the protagonists of this extraordinary

existence, who wake from birth to find

a being, sentient, able to partake of the

cosmic feast, founded on a billion days of

becoming, asked only to stay aware and

alive.

 

May the magic of life, today, overtake you,

enthrall you, and inspire you.  

 

JUST BEING NOW

 

Let us refocus on the life we are living

and experiencing now -  let us truly

be present - to see, to feel, to touch,

to taste, and to hear what impacts us

now, surrounds us now – one with it,

connected to it – fully aware now.

 

Let us refocus on each object, each

person, each encounter, without

thought or mental commentary –

absorbing its existence, its tangibility,

its multidimensional nature, its

vibration – allowing it to grasp our

attention, admiration, and respect.

 

Let us refocus and savor this

momentous now – our opportunity

to live it, coexist with it, once again

rejoining the activity of living and

being alive, without interpretation,

analysis, or judgment – just being

alive, now.

 

AT G. 5.22.2014

 

WITH LOVE, G. 

NewThoughtNoteForTheDay - EXPECTATION OF POSSIBILITY - Finding God On The Train - 5.21.2014

 

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Hope is the emotional elixir that keeps

us moving forward, refusing to be daunted

by even the most negative of circumstances,  

a belief in a possibility, a strong expectation

that whatever impasse we now suffer is only

temporary: and in the end, all will result in

a favorable outcome.

 

In fact, the existential loss of courage

and hope, which actually defines the

psychological state of depression reflects,

I believe, the more intrinsic loss of faith

and meaning in our current existence,

suggesting the necessity of frequent and

ongoing assessments of our level of hope,

ensuring we have not lost our edge.

 

EXPECTATION OF POSSIBILITY

 

Hope is what pulls us forward, onward,

with an expectation of possibility,

as challenges mount and obstacles

will surely impede, we proceed with

a sense of calm reserve, knowing our

uncanny vision will find its medium.

 

It is hope that enables our hearts and

minds to defy logic and reality, so sure

are we of a positive outcome, we in turn

accept no other alternative, and with the

strength of will, along with extraordinary

circumstances, coincidentally succeed.

 

Perhaps, when our hope is assessed

as full or less, it drives our attitude

to flourish or flounder, so potent is

this approach to living, that our very

well-being flutters in the balance,

and in turn, the creation of our magic

or misery hinges on its appearance.

 

AT G. 5.21.2014

 

WITH LOVE, G. 

NewThoughtNoteForTheDay - AS WE GALLOP - Finding God On The Train - 5.19.2014

 

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Karoshi – a Japanese word meaning death

from overwork.

 

http://www.ilo.org/safework/info/publications/WCMS_211571/lang--en/index.htm

 

AS WE GALLOP

 

Grasping the momentum of the day,

we strive for balance, a complex

equilibrium in a challenging world –

solutions enumerated, considered briefly,

with a course of action decided on before

a clear perspective is even formulated.

 

All this, as we are ratcheting up the

workload, reducing resources, expecting

more for less by even fewer, the pace

of our footsteps ever faster, until a full

run becomes the only option, as we

gallop to keep from stumbling on the

treadmill of our desires.

 

Whoa! Possibly, we should refrain from

whipping ourselves, and those who must

comply, for not managing the undoable;

and instead, consider shutting down

all devices external and in our heads,

for a few moments of breath-catching

reflection, remembering when work

was productive and fun, and we looked

forward to a day of doing it.

 

AT G.  5.19.2014

 

WITH LOVE, G. 

NewThoughtNoteForTheDay - SPARKS - Finding God On The Train - 5.18.2014

 

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SPARKS

 

Inside us all is a spark of genius waiting

to be summoned, to be pressed into active

service, to be tapped in moments of our

greatest need – ready to provide a fresh

perspective, an unthought-of solution.

 

Inside us all is a spark of courage waiting

to come forth in times of struggle or moments

of our most acute need – able to withstand

any trial or tribulation – a strong tower

when life presents its severest challenges.

 

Inside us all is a spark of spirit waiting

to guide us to the blessings and grace

that has always been ours for the living,

a loving hand to grasp in moments

of our unmet need, a tender voice

to remind us of our true capabilities

and inner strengths.

 

AT G. 5.18.2014

 

WITH LOVE, G.

 

 

NewThoughtNoteForTheDay - LOOK UP AND BEYOND - Finding God On The Train - 5.16.2014

 

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My blog focus this week has been on dealing

with loss and suffering in our lives. As I shared, 

my youngest son died last summer, and his

birthday was this week. So, I used this time of

my personal suffering, to address this topic in

my posts. I featured a number of related notes

written right after his death.

 

I would like to close out this series, and this

week, with the note I recorded on my son's

birthday this week. It underscores, I believe,

a simple truth involving all the pain and

suffering we are forced to experience; in the

end, we must choose life, finding the courage,

even in the darkness, to look up and beyond.  

 

LOOK UP AND BEYOND

 

In quiet moments of sincere reflection,

when the why’s and how’s of this life

often confound us, we must reach deeper,

realizing the currents that push against

this or that event were created to set in

motion an end result, possibly, beyond

our comprehension.

 

These mysteries may strengthen or

weaken our resolve, our desire to find

a straight line through the chaos of dotted

events inflicting our lives, when quite

possibly, it is not our understanding

that matters, but instead our ability

to find our balance and stand erect

once more.

 

So, here and now, let us look up and

beyond the pain and suffering, taking

stock of our resources and reserves,

refusing to be dealt a fatal blow,

grasping our will with all our might,

as we choose unhindered life this time,

next time, every time.

 

AT G.  5.16.2014

 

WITH LOVE, G. 

 

NewThoughtNoteForTheDay - A GENTLE CARESS - Finding God On The Train - 5.15.2014

 

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My posts this week have focused on loss and

suffering, motivated by the birthday of my

youngest son, who died this past summer. 

 

Before his death, I had been delving deeper

into Buddhism, especially deep meditation

and mindfulness, as revealed by Sharon

Salzberg and her work with the Insight

Meditation Society.  

 

Frankly, I was stuck on what appears to

be a major focus on suffering in Buddhist

practice.  Just days before my son's death,

I told Ann, my wife, that I thought this

suffering focus was just too negative, not

at all uplifting: preparing us for the worst

life had to offer, rather than the best.

 

A few day later, I found myself drowning 

in the deepest sorrow of my life. Drowning,

is a fitting analogy for the impact of  loss 

and suffering, especially of a loved one.

During these times, we are submerged in

sorrow, and must learn to spiritually swim

again, in order to survive, and restore our

own lives. 

 

As I was gasping for breath, I received the

note below, titled A Gentle Caress. To be

honest, at the time, I was angry at myself,

my son, God, life, and existence in general;

so as I wrote down the words of  this

inspired note - feeling like a fully tortured,

New Thought Job - I was light years away 

from any perfect peace. 

 

In time, as I understood this note,

I came to realize that God was not the

perpetrator of my despair - but instead,  

in our lives, like Buddhism, God prepares us

for and/or consoles us when suffering 

strikes, by offering us a gentle caress,  

a place of perfect peace. 

 

A GENTLE CARESS

 

Perfect peace is still available within

the turmoil, untouched by the chaos

of life, an oasis of sorts, when rumination

fails us, a space between each breath,

a soundless gap in consciousness.  

 

Perfect peace is ours for the effort,

there when we pursue no longer a

reason for the senseless, releasing

the careless, or needless consequences

of the thoughtless, and choose to allow

our need for logic to forgo its answers.

 

Perfect peace – a place of rejuvenation

and renewal, waiting for our arrival,

an offering of love, distinctly divine,

a gentle caress for the weary populace

of this life: here too, we may find our

serenity, our tranquility, restored.

 

AT  G.  5.15.2014

 

WITH LOVE, G.

 

 

 

NewThoughtNoteForTheDay - EVEN THIS - Finding God On The Train - 5.14.2014

 

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Even for the faithful, the loss and suffering

that follows the death of a loved one is

staggering. Our lives are destabilized,

often with regret, guilt, and despair our

constant companions.

 

When my youngest son died last summer,

I found myself caught in a consciousness

somewhere between life and death. Existing

in a waking purgatory, requiring all my faith

to climb out of and transcend.  

 

This simple note below, guided me during

this time, reminding me to refocus where

my life and God exists: in the here and now.

 

EVEN THIS

 

Today, here and now, is where our lives

reside, these are the moments that deserve

our reflection, our inner contemplation;

these are the times love touches us, and

our love touches the world.

 

Today, here and now, we make our mark,

we create the useful, the purposeful,

the meaningful – a life truly worth living,

and although our suffering is real, tangible,

we must never allow it to thwart our well-

being, our forward progress.

 

Here, now, this day we stand tall, breathe

deeply, fixing our sights on the worthy,

the valued, the essential aspects of our

lives – calling forth the courage, and divine

assistance needed to transcend, even this.

 

AT G. 5.14.2014

 

WITH LOVE, G. 

 

 

NewThoughtNoteForTheDay - PERHAPS - Finding God On The Train - 5.12.2014

 

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The death of my youngest son last summer, 

left me, and those who cherished him, reeling

in an emotional tumult of loss and suffering.

As we celebrate his birthday this week, without

him in our lives, I am revisiting a number of

notes I wrote during the trying time, right

after his death. Perhaps, these notes may

offer others, who are today also grieving,

some measure of support with living

onwards.

 

PERHAPS

 

Often our greatest loss leads to our

most significant awakening, perhaps

it is the very act of suffering that shakes

our souls awake, piercing our illusions,

requiring us to let go, so we can then

receive.

 

Perhaps, as we live this day, in search

of a fresh perspective, a new and more

heartfelt vantage point, let us return

to all that remains within our lives,

the bounty of gifts already received,

the love abundant, flowing like thick

honey from the jar of life, the opportunity

to be and flourish.

 

Perhaps, it is time to proceed onward

with fond farewells for what might have

been, knowing our attention must be

aimed at the very heart and soul of what

is now, here is our lives; an opportunity

worthy of our full adherence and our

complete commitment.

 

AT G. 5.12.2014

 

WITH LOVE, G.