Spreading the Word

No, this is not a religious tract. But it does have something to do with spirit and positive attitudes.

Think about it:

“Imagine what the world would be like if all the gossip began with: ~ You are loved, pass it on?”

 -- Words by Noetic Alchemy

And if you find it hard to love others, work on it. It helps if you love yourself first, not out of egotism, but your own appreciation of self as good and earnest. You try to do the right thing and you have no doubts about that. If this is working in you then you likely are able to move to the next step.

Every religion in the history of Man exhorts us to love others as ourselves. Christianity is not the only belief system to support this tenet. Most of the others, if not all, have followed the same logic.

If we love others we care for them and nurture them. We seek to do no harm. This starting point avoids judging them, thinking negatively about them. If they are strong and well, they are like partners in the community; making us all strong. If they are weak and unwell, we have work to do. That work teaches the other that we mean well. We are not enemies. We are alike. The base of this relationship is well laid and the future has much potential.

The same can be said of our brothers and sisters in community. We seek commonality, not sameness. We are each unique but still serve joint interests for the common good. Our differences enrich our brotherhood and potential. Our hopes and dreams spring forward with different skills and talents. Together we are strong.

We have much to love in each other. We have much to gain by it, too.

An anonymous offering from the Internet shares this thought with us:

“If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place.”

           

Go after it. Don’t assume it. Don’t take it from someone else. Earn it and learn from the effort. Compare notes with what you’ve learned before this moment. Grow. Develop your own strengths and talents. But seek what you need and want. Share it with others so they do the same. Together your community will gain strength and happy futures. If you don’t try, they most likely won’t either. Seeking makes progress possible. No seeking; no progress. You may be stuck in a rut.

A similar piece of advice from the Internet, of course anonymous, reads:

“Keep your eyes open and your feet moving forward. You’ll find what you need.”

That takes faith in your own capabilities. It also takes faith in the good nature of strangers. That requires a leap of faith. It is not without peril. But remember this admonition from a Methodist pastor:

“God prefers kind atheists over hateful Christians.”

~Tom Tate, Rose City Park United Methodist Church (state unknown)

Not a bad way to end this posting. Know yourself and love yourself. Do the same for others. Trust strangers and do good together. A good lesson. We learned it both in Kindergarten and church school. Trust it. It works!

August 24, 2012