Altering the experiment

I’m sure you’ve all heard the definition of insanity as “doing the same thing, over and over, and expecting different results.”  Well, seems I’ve spent much of the past several lustrum doing the same thing, over and over again.  You know what I’m talking about, reading the same self-help books that everyone else is, setting goals, and the like.  Well, there is very little new in the self-help field.  I know, I took the time to procure many of the “classics”.  The Law of Attraction (more like a “Principal” if you ask me) isn’t a secret…  I’ve tried to follow through after reading all the books now housed in my basement (they’re currently in stacks, awaiting donation), but for some reason, my heart just wasn’t in it.  “What AM I doing wrong?” has been a question I’ve asked for over a decade now.  So, one day I remembered the first sentence of this post, and decided I really need to change my approach.  Instead of reading another self-help book, or attending another motivational seminar, I decided to start doing something completely outside the box I’d built around myself.

I started looking at various alternatives, most of which would cut deeply into my already paltry retirement fund, and finally decided I would take a class or two in Reiki, or energy healing.  I mean, what could be different from being in pharmaceutical and medical device discovery and development?  Anyway, I recently finished an intensive long weekend course, resulting in completing all the training and attunements to become a Reiki Master (Non-Traditional).  I can’t say I received any bolt of lightning or instant enlightenment, but some very peculiar things occurred during the course.  If nothing else, it got me out of my left brain a little, and started me thinking from a different perspective.

Now, what shall I do with this new-found knowledge?  I’m not sure, limiting myself right now to giving Reiki to my four-legged roommates.  Of course, the hands-on attention alone is doing them (and me) some good, reconnecting us as the close friends we are, and giving us time to spend together.  So, I think in that regard, it’s been worth it.  Now, let’s see what the next step(s) might be… 

We’re all in this together

 

The Lakota Sioux have a wonderful saying, “Mitakuye Oyasin,” which translated literally means “We are all related.” It is a prayer for the peace and oneness of all things. It goes beyond that, I think. I think inherent in the meaning is the principle of connectedness. “We are all connected” is what I hear whenever I utter or write this phrase.

I’ve made some great friends over the years, and of course, there’s always family. As I’ve grown older, I realize that among friends and family, when they hurt, I do too. I’ve often joked with friends, “What’s up?…I sensed a disturbance in the Force.” More often than not, my intuition was correct, and I’m sure there are times when you’ve experienced the same.

I read many personal blogs and correspond regulary with several people. I’m even given to talking with friends and family over the phone or in person. Imagine that!!! Over the years, I’ve come to realize that none of us has a monopoly on either joy, pain, or loneliness. And, as we sense these things in ourselves, others sense them as well. Sometimes it takes reading between the lines, other times, right in your face.

One thing I know is there is nothing we experience that has not been experienced before. And, if we use all of our senses when listening, or close our eyes while reading, and become mindful of the person writing the email, blog entry, or whatever, we can get a sense for what they might be going through, good or bad. Stop, look, and listen, just as we were taught in school. This place is where the connection is made, where the magic occurs.

This begs the question, what can you do to help in those dark times others are going through? Sometimes what’s needed is validation of their experience and perception of it, other times, you may need to help them carry their load. Either way, you have made the connection real.

What could you do today to ease the pain others have? What words of wisdom from your life can you offer? How strong is your back to help carry the load?

Remember, we are all related. MITAKUYE OYASIN!

May the Great Mystery make the sun rise in your hearts! — Lakota blessing