In this month's exploration of inner equilibrium and an optimistic attitude, I came across a short piece that I had written over thirty years ago on fear:
"Today, we can make a choice to give up any fear of life and fear of the world around us. We can dare to stop believing that the world is a dangerous place. We can affirm our Oneness with Life and its underlying harmony. We can learn to rest in simple assurance that Life takes care of Life, and therefore, we are cared for; we are Loved. We let that great Truth be the healing of every worry, every anxiety, every fear. We are at Peace, because Life is One."
A few days ago, I was mulling over the relevance of this piece in the light (or dark) of the world of 2023. Can I truly offer you such a view point this September? Even after my morning affirmation, when I turned to the business of an unfolding busy day, I felt a gap between the uneasiness of these times and the peace that underlies positive expectations. I pulled together my breakfast and coffee, then realized I hadn't yet seen what the weather was bringing. I opened the blinds to morning sunlight and a clear blue sky that engulfed everything in a bright flood of freshness! The shift in perspective was staggering--I stood fixated at the sink window, watching the green leaves of a tree just inches away, dance over the glass. Here was my morning affirmation made real: This day is New. "As the sun makes it new, day by day, make it new. Yet again, make it new."
Revelation, sudden or gradual, is beyond our thinking structure. In other words, revelation is not thinking; it is a leap beyond the limits of our thoughts, expectations, affirmations, analyses, into understanding or 'seeing'. As the spiritual adage puts it, "Enlightenment is an accident, but spiritual practice makes us accident prone." Fear is part of the body's natural protective response to danger. Yet, fearful thinking and rehearsal of that thinking, pushes us further and further away from what is in front of us and our capacity to consider each new situation in its actual context. A mind that is open to more than one perspective and anticipates positive, creative solutions is not focused on fear, nor on yesterday's outlook.
An optimistic nature (and outlook) seizes the newness of the day--you don't know what the future holds, why not expect the Good, today. (Susan Nettleton)
For Poetry, follow the links. https://wordsfortheyear.com/.../the-cure-by-ginger-andrews/