Contemplation – Day 33

While everyone in this World strives to get somewhere and become someone, only to leave it all behind after death, you aim for the highest stage of nothingness. Live this life as light and empty as the number zero. We are no different from a pot. It is not the decorations outside, but the emptiness inside that holds us straight. Just like that, it is not what we aspire to achieve but the consciousness of nothingness that keeps us going.

I release self-pity by changing the stories I tell about my life.

It took me a long time to understand that as I relieve myself of all the expectations that my family and my culture have placed on me, I start knowing who I am. In the ‘I am’ there are no roles and it is rather freeing. I have no one to please with being ‘some way’ other than being me. Being ’empty’ in my understanding is being free to be me. 

Read: DAY33,  40 Rules of Love, form Release to Embrace (click)

40 Days – Day 33

40 Days of Lent – From Release to Embrace

Rule 33

While everyone in this World strives to get somewhere and become someone, only to leave it all behind after death, you aim for the highest stage of nothingness. Live this life as light and empty as the number zero. We are no different from a pot. It is not the decorations outside, but the emptiness inside that holds us straight. Just like that, it is not what we aspire to achieve but the consciousness of nothingness that keeps us going.”

Listen to the Rule on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/U3xAoj91c1M

Today, we are releasing Self-pity and embracing God’s Love for us. 

Our Lent Booklet reminds us today that though life brings challenges and difficulties, losses and changes, we must remember that Spirit’s great gifts are always flowing for our resilience and capacity to heal. Feeling sorry for ourselves, only brings resentment, blame and hopelessness.

“Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at will change” Wayne Dyer, Ed.D.

Today, I invite you to contemplate on Rule No33 and the quote below. Let me know how practicing releasing self-pity  worked for you today. 

Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. James 5:13

Today we affirm: I release self-pity by changing the stories I tell about my life.

*Rules are from ’40 Rules of Love’ by Novel by Elif Shafak. See more about the book here (click)  

Let’s walk this journey together!

Join me by reading the daily blogposts I create – SEE THEM HERE (CLICK) – and joining the UNITY CONNECTED FACEBOOK GROUP where I invite you to share about the contemplative questions.  (click on the buttons below to join)

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Contemplation – Day 32

Nothing should stand between you and God. No imams, priests, rabbis, or any other custodians of moral or religious leadership. Not spiritual masters and not even your faith. Believe in your values and your rules, but never lord them over others. If you keep breaking other people’s hearts, whatever religious duty you perform is no good. Stay away from all sorts of worship, for they will blur your vision. Let God and only God be your guide. Learn the Truth, my friend, but be careful not to make a fetish out of your truths.

When I resist with love, I am choosing life.

One of the reasons, I could never join a cult or any religious organization was that I could not accept any authority to tell me how to pursue the knowing of God. I grew up during the socialistic regime in Eastern Europe where Big Brother was supposed to be our guide and ‘brain’. We were to melt into a giant grey melting pot of facelessness and personality-less-ness. We were to believe in and follow every word without hesitation.

I cannot believe in anything without having personal experiences of what I am suggested. God is a living being for me – not a human! – with ‘whom’ I have a personal relationship with. Neither do I suggest that the way I experience God is THE way of experiencing It.  One should resist with Love and find one’s own way of connecting. 

Read: DAY32,  40 Rules of Love, form Release to Embrace (click)

40 Days – Day 32

40 Days of Lent – From Release to Embrace

Rule 32

Nothing should stand between you and God. No imams, priests, rabbis, or any other custodians of moral or religious leadership. Not spiritual masters and not even your faith. Believe in your values and your rules, but never lord them over others. If you keep breaking other people’s hearts, whatever religious duty you perform is no good. Stay away from all sorts of worship, for they will blur your vision. Let God and only God be your guide. Learn the Truth, my friend, but be careful not to make a fetish out of your truths.”

Listen to the Rule on Youtube:

Today, we are releasing Resistance and embracing God’s Love for us. 

Our Lent Booklet reminds us today that sometimes resistance is choosing Loving. There are moments when we need to let go of whatever is not life-affirming and so resist them. 

Love is the greatest from of resistance. Love is always present waiting for us to awaken and engage. By turning to love, we claim our inherent worth and dignity. 

Today, I invite you to contemplate on Rule No32 and the quote below. Let me know how practicing releasing resistance worked for you today. 

Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. Romans 12:17

Today we affirm: When I resist with love, I am choosing life

*Rules are from ’40 Rules of Love’ by Novel by Elif Shafak. See more about the book here (click)  

Let’s walk this journey together!

Join me by reading the daily blogposts I create – SEE THEM HERE (CLICK) – and joining the UNITY CONNECTED FACEBOOK GROUP where I invite you to share about the contemplative questions.  (click on the buttons below to join)

Picture Source Unsplash/ Featured Image: rachel-walker–unsplash

Contemplation – Day 31

If you want to strengthen your faith, you will need to soften inside. For your faith to be rock solid, your heart needs to be as soft as a feather. Through an illness, accident, loss, or fright, one way or another, we are all faced with incidents that teach us how to become less selfish and judgmental and more compassionate and generous. Yet some of us learn the lesson and manage to become milder, while some others end up becoming even harsher than before.

I focus on the good I desire to experience.

When I started off on my ‘spiritual journey’, I first attended personal development or self-help seminars. At that time, I was often told that I would understand Spirit more when I become more vulnerable. I detested the word. Vulnerability in my eyes was a weakness that I wanted to avid at any cost. And so I did for quite a while.  I believed that strength was power over matter until I realized that Spirit is the highest power of all.

Today, I understand that there is no access to the world of Spirit and one cannot experience God’s ever present Loving without softening, becoming open and vulnerable to the guidance of Spirit.

Read: DAY31,  40 Rules of Love, form Release to Embrace (click)

40 Days – Day 31

40 Days of Lent – From Release to Embrace

Rule 31

If you want to strengthen your faith, you will need to soften inside. For your faith to be rock solid, your heart needs to be as soft as a feather. Through an illness, accident, loss, or fright, one way or another, we are all faced with incidents that teach us how to become less selfish and judgmental and more compassionate and generous. Yet some of us learn the lesson and manage to become milder, while some others end up becoming even harsher than before.

Listen to the Rule on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/EVtMHVpeuOk

Today, we are releasing Resentment and embracing God’s Love for us. 

Our Lent Booklet reminds us today that resentment is a state of ‘re-feeling and re-thinking’ a “disturbing and unpleasant experience from the past. Whatever we consistently think about and charge with feeling determines the way we see and experience our world.” We can chose to focus on the good we want to manifest instead.

Today, I invite you to contemplate on Rule No31 and the quote below. Let me know how practicing releasing resentment worked for you today. 

Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever
is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there
is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think
about these things. Philippians 4:8

Today we affirm: I focus on the good I desire to experience

*Rules are from ’40 Rules of Love’ by Novel by Elif Shafak. See more about the book here (click)  

Let’s walk this journey together!

Join me by reading the daily blogposts I create – SEE THEM HERE (CLICK) – and joining the UNITY CONNECTED FACEBOOK GROUP where I invite you to share about the contemplative questions.  (click on the buttons below to join)

Picture Source Unsplash/ Featured Image: rachel-walker–unsplash

Contemplation – Day 30

The true Sufi is such that even when he is unjustly accused, attacked and condemned from all sides, he patiently endures, uttering not a single bad word about any of his critics. A Sufi never apportions blame. How can there be opponents or rivals or even “others” when there is no “self” in the first place? How can there be anyone to blame when there is only One?.

I open to an optimistic outlook on life.

Well, another one of these ‘easier said than done’ rules. Today, I experienced someone cursing at me and blaming me for something that clearly was not my fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault actually. It was a moment of ‘patiently enduring’ because I knew that the real reasons behind the curse and the blame could not revealed and so could not be discussed.

I took a big breath and asked God the supply me with the additional strength and compassion so I could avoid going into reaction. I felt the anger generated by the accusation, rising insider of me but I stopped it. There is no point in trying to claim my innocence when the real problem could not explored.

Eventually, I managed to let it all go but I could not move into oneness.  Instead I moved into compassion with myself.

Read: DAY30,  40 Rules of Love, form Release to Embrace (click)

40 Days – Day 30

40 Days of Lent – From Release to Embrace

Rule 30

The true Sufi is such that even when he is unjustly accused, attacked and condemned from all sides, he patiently endures, uttering not a single bad word about any of his critics. A Sufi never apportions blame. How can there be opponents or rivals or even “others” when there is no “self” in the first place? How can there be anyone to blame when there is only One?

Listen to the Rule on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QCOFvAcW4xc

Today, we are releasing Pessimism and embracing God’s Love for us. 

Our Lent Booklet reminds us today that our thoughts and feelings of pessimistic outlook become the reality of our life.

Truly the thing that I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me, (Job 3:25).

As we consciously focus our attention on the ever-present good we release pessimism. With that we start noticing the presence of beauty, or the sound of laughter that lift our spirit. Writing what we are grateful for each day, we eliminate pessimism and build a hopeful future.

Today, I invite you to contemplate on Rule No20 and the quote below. Let me know how practicing releasing pessimism worked for you today. 

For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Today we affirm:  I open to an optimistic outlook on life.

*Rules are from ’40 Rules of Love’ by Novel by Elif Shafak. See more about the book here (click)  

Let’s walk this journey together!

Join me by reading the daily blogposts I create – SEE THEM HERE (CLICK) – and joining the UNITY CONNECTED FACEBOOK GROUP where I invite you to share about the contemplative questions.  (click on the buttons below to join)

Picture Source Unsplash/ Featured Image: rachel-walker–unsplash

Contemplation – Day 29

Destiny doesn’t mean that your life has been strictly predetermined. Therefore, to leave everything to fate and to not actively contribute to the music of the universe is a sign of sheer ignorance. The music of the world is all-pervading, and it is composed of 40 different levels. Your destiny is the level where you play your tune. You might not change your instrument, but how well to play is entirely in your hands.”.

Leaning fully into love’s embrace, I choose to let go of perfectionism.

Today’s rule inspired me to write about ACTION. Read (and listen to) my blogpost here.  On another thought, I contemplated on the meaning of destiny today. For the longest time, I truly believed that I was living my destiny by being helpful and supporting humanity on many different level. I believed that God wanted me to repent by ‘trying to safe souls’. One day, I realized the only thing God wants me to ‘do’ is to be HAPPY. This is my destiny. 

Read: DAY29,  40 Rules of Love, form Release to Embrace (click)

40 Days – Day 29

40 Days of Lent – From Release to Embrace

Rule 29

Destiny doesn’t mean that your life has been strictly predetermined. Therefore, to leave everything to fate and to not actively contribute to the music of the universe is a sign of sheer ignorance. The music of the world is all-pervading, and it is composed of 40 different levels. Your destiny is the level where you play your tune. You might not change your instrument, but how well to play is entirely in your hands.”

Listen to the Rule on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/A2kVRDyHTNg

Today, we are releasing Perfectionism and embracing God’s Love for us. 

Our Lent Booklet reminds us today that the journey is more important than the perfect outcome. As we focus on the journey untraveled we will find beauty, a deeper connection with others and a greater appreciation for the little things.

Mistakes are only milestones and opportunities to grow, learn and become aware. When fears rear their head, we are reminded to stop, breathe, and bring ourselves back to the present moment. With each breath we remove anxiety and receive peace, love and acceptance instead.

Today, I invite you to contemplate on Rule No29 and the quote below. Let me know how practicing releasing perfectionism worked for you today. 

Surely there is no one on earth so righteous as to do good without ever sinning. Ecclesiastes 7:20

Today we affirm: Leaning fully into love’s embrace, I choose to let go of perfectionism.

*Rules are from ’40 Rules of Love’ by Novel by Elif Shafak. See more about the book here (click)  

Let’s walk this journey together!

Join me by reading the daily blogposts I create – SEE THEM HERE (CLICK) – and joining the UNITY CONNECTED FACEBOOK GROUP where I invite you to share about the contemplative questions.  (click on the buttons below to join)

Picture Source Unsplash/ Featured Image: rachel-walker–unsplash