citizens of the world - revisited

Spiritual resource to share: our humanity

I read this book and loved it from the first page! M. L. Rossi, author of the smart and sassy book, What Every American Should Know about the Rest of the World writes “Just call me a cultural romantic. I love to explore other worlds. I love to live where the history is unfamiliar; the architecture thrills me; the language, the food, the rituals are altogether exotic. I love being immersed in the entirely foreign, being in a place where I have to learn about life there from scratch.” I could so relate!


Her book has pointed out simply and clearly what is needed to become a well-informed global citizen. She goes on to share two of the ways to do this:

1. To understand where you are in the world, you need a map
2. Life is a lot easier if you know the language.

Maps and vocabulary are going to be key ingredients to becoming a global citizen. But there may be more to it.


Prior to becoming very familiar with traveling to other countries, I did some coursework with intercultural communication at a university. It was interesting to know of different customs, cultural mores, the development of a people’s pride, etc. These were almost like mental exercises to test one’s level of credibility of other cultures and determined how static or flexible was one’s sense of values. I learned that the more unlimited the mindset, the more unlimited the life experience.


So maps, vocabulary, tolerance, credibility, flexibility and an open mindset are all part of being a global citizen. If we add to each of the qualities above a more spiritual view, I think we have it all. Here are some key spiritual qualities that I have exerised along my travels and stays:

Equality - To understand where you are in the world - you need to understand we all have an equal place in the world. It is knowing that there are other ways to think and to live. This means respect, humility and accepting that you will need to lean on a power higher than yourself to be able to truly love mankind.


Speaking love - Life is a lot easier if you know the language. To be able to speak another’s language is an act of humility and respect (especially if you can speak the language well!). However, it is even more important to actively love the individuals I
am coming into contact with for the first time whose ways and culture are quite different from mine. “When the heart speaks, however simple the words, its language is always heard from those who have hearts.” writes Mary Baker Eddy. Love is a universal language.


And “Love is the fulfilling of the law” as it says in the Bible. I have found when I nurture those qualities of humility, and love, and respect and wisdom, I am shown the appropriate ways of showing respect and care. I will be welcomed in to more people's experiences and experience a richness and depth to life that I have come to love.


Credibility – understanding that you can love, help, heal, receive gifts from others graciously gives you a humble authority to see and do good.


Tolerance – comes easily when you are open to learn, to not judge and to ask questions. There are other ways to see beauty, progress, success, fulfillment. There are an infinite number of ways to think and to be. Be firm in your understanding that we are all rooted in universal qualities such as Truth, intelligence. The expressions of these qualities are infinite, but we can be confident that these qualities are evident in every experience we encounter.


Discernment - The exciting thing I have found is that we DO have one Father and Mother - Everyone IS my brother and sister! Understanding cultures helps me to see what in my thought is original thought and what may be a result of my picking up influences around me. It also helps me protect my thought against prejudices and stereotyping.


Flexibility – always be ready to be surprised. Realize that you don’t know what you don’t know and be open to learning. In a world of infinite good and infinite possibilities, goodness blooms in many different ways. On the other hand, I enjoy other cultures, in that i enjoy seeing how diverse, how infinite is God's expression in His children. There are whole new ways of expressing marriage, family, education, commerce, leisure and more.


An open heart – let in the glory of Life. Life’s lessons are learned from everyone and everything. Seeing with an open heart puts infinity on the faces of strangers and places. It is also knowing that there is one heartbeat – a pulsating force of Love that flows through each of us. I have grown so much in the atmosphere of those who have grown up in cultures different than my own. The largest lesson is to learn to
love and listen.

I have come to see that each one of us is a country, a continent, a compound idea of infinite Spirit. Did you know that MBEddy defines both earth and man as a compound idea? My ability to have a little more compassion has grown, as I exercise my thought in contemplating others' perspectives. My relations with others have improved as I learn to listen more and be open to new ideas.


Two of my favorite citizens of the world are my mother and a former colleague. What they have in common was that they love people deeply and unconditionally. My mother has not yet traveled outside of her country, but every friend I have ever introduced to my parents, from Ethiopia, Iceland, Germany, Cameroon, Colombia, Brazil, Colorado, next door – it almost doesn’t matter where they are from – she just loves them. Likewise, a former colleague: She speaks nine languages and moves from one culture to the next with hardly a blip. They both know what it takes to be a global citizen. The best "global citizens" I know are those who love most unconditionally. They love beyond cultures and borders. It is to know that we are all God’s children and we are all welcomed and at home in the world.


Being a citizen of the world, we know each of us has a place and a purpose. Each nation has its own color and unique contribution to the world. With love, humility and respect, we can all find our way to bring more progress and peace to all mankind at the street level and on a global scale.











To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.

humble expectations

Spiritual resource to share: a spiritual approach to new experiences

I was surprised when clicking off my Godwords* before our trip that it started with humble expectations. But as we headed off to the airport, with our bare minimum luggage and packs, long list of contacts and addresses - humble expectations were the one thing I kept reminding myself were most important.

This wasn't a trip in which we were trying to get away from it all, nor was it a luxury trip. It was a trip designed for the four of us to have time together to explore and play off our own discoveries of what we were learning and enjoying with each other and with the people we met along the way.

Humble expectations helped me to NOT outline, and to be open to new experiences. So, if the food, accommodations, travel arrangements or weather were not what we were used to, we have already set up the framework of this trip to be ready for anything and thrive outside of our own comfort zone!

O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts

Humble expectations helped to clear the deck so we could see beyond what was familiar. Drawn to what is infinite and good, we weren't disappointed!

The first week, we lived in a clean and airy beach cottage with electricity and running water, just a two minute walk to the beach. Every day, we would do something - sea kayaking, ziplining, visiting an animal rescue center, hiking up through the jungle, eating and smelling our way through with the help of a new friend whose family had lived there for decades.

Every afternoon we would take in the beach, or explore the town or just relax. Dinners were out in the bohemian town of Puerto Viejo where reggae, arabic and hip hop could be heard on the streets. Nights we were together, talking, reading, writing, falling asleep to the sound of the waves or the wind....

The last two weeks were spent up in the mountains of Costa Rica where we went to language school and volunteered in the community and took in the incredible diversity of the flora and fauna and the people.

"The earth is full of Thy riches" and I was enriched by just letting go of any outlining and letting in the beauty and the fun that was there for the taking.

To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.

the happy thing about doing good

Spiritual resource to share: your time

 

 

So what's the big happy thing about doing good?

• You realize that God does indeed have infinite resources to bless mankind.
• You find yourself in another's good.
• You see the nature of grief transform into the nurturing opening nature of goodness. 
• You understand that giving and receiving are one. 
• Time flies when you are doing good things. 
• The love that we have for one another - for those who have passed and for those with us now - always leads to more love. We can never lose that.

And besides that, "Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love. It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to share it."

    

And I can prove it.

 

 Last week, my son and I drove across the state to a friend's house to help her clean out her lower level.

 

This is a very dear friend and a special situation as her lower level had become the recipient of the many pictures, slides and memorobilia of her parents both of whom passed on in the last three years. At least twice a day, she walked through her lower level to get to work, reminding her of the need to organize, discard, shelf and repair those things that held such good memories. It was just hard to do on many levels.

 

"Can we help?" I asked. And soon, Gabe and I packed up and were up and out the door.

 

Once we arrived, we set a plan in place and while our friend was at work, we got to work! We were surprised at how quickly we were able to get the placed cleared out! Photos were stored in airtight containers, other memorabilia were boxed and labeled, new shelves were put up and stocked, a couple trips were made to the Goodwill and soon, the unobstructed windows were pouring in light, letting us see a beautiful view of the harbour. A final sweep and wash down of all counters and shelves and we had a whole new space of possibilities!

 

I loved the look on our friend's face when she came in to her house! Happy, surprised, grateful.....and we felt the same way! Immediately, we were talking possibilities of what to do with that sunny open space! How quickly was something that seemed so heavy turned to lightness!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.

there are no big events

Micah, Ellen and Gabe skimming across the infinite

Spiritual resource to share: what is changeless

I am swimming in big events. Our lives have kind of swirled around teens traveling to all corners of the world. In the next month, we've got family and friends going to Thailand, Germany, Chile, Sweden, Lithuania and England and coming from Spain and from Colorado and another from Korea.

There is great anticipation for these events and - as we've seen with our tearful goodbye to our Thai daughter - a mix of sadness and grief/gladness and gratitude. I'll have to admit catching myself off balance here and there.

In quiet moments, I have found myself thinking through the idea that there are no big events in Mind (Mind, another word for God). This takes me to some fundamental truths I have come to trust and live by.

One of my favorite quotes from Mary Baker Eddy is that man is "the infinite expression of the infinite Mind." How then, can there be a big event in the infinite? It is all big. Or, in other words, it is all a part of the infinite.

My kids are not leaving one part of the infinite to go into another part of the infinite. God is always present. God is always there. God is always good.

I write a goodbye note to my courageous goddaughter who was ready to leave for Chile months ago. I know that all her Godlike qualities of adventure, joy and intelligence will be called on. I write to her: "Like a seed that has the full idea of a majestic tree, you, even as a baby, already had these qualities of God. These new experiences will draw out from you all that God has provided."

What is changeless is the divine adventure. The idea of "big" is lost in the infinite. Surrounded by omnipresent Love (a word for God), fueled by Soul (another word for God), and guided by Principle (another word for God), our kids live in an environment of God’s design. We are all swimming in the infinite! And that never changes.

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.

raising your sons by raising your eyebrows

Spiritual resource to share: loving and respectful discipline

We're back from a great vacation in Chicago! The time spent together - just the four of us - was wonderful. We hit up theatres and museums and different ethnic restaurants - everything we can't get up here in the northwoods- and had a blast! But my favorite part was just hanging out together in our rented apartment. We are family and we love each other, but it is especially nice to know we like each other. It reminded me to be grateful for the respect and love we share. In an old draft of a post written a couple of years ago, I wrote about raising kids with respect. Here's that post:

Two of my good friends are also parents of two boys. They explained that the dad had gotten the discipline thing down really well. He could just raise his one eyebrow, and the boys would know that they needed to stop whatever it was they were doing, re-think and re-group.

I love this idea! Although I don't think my eyebrows do this, the idea of disciplining gently and respectfully when our kids are caught doing something, well, not exactly right -- is certainly part of living the Golden Rule.

I remember visiting my cousins when I was a kid. Once or twice, the youngest crossed some line of good behaviour. My uncle quietly took him aside, talked with him, and then my cousin could join us again. I remember the love and respect the whole family had for one another. Definitely a good role model for me.

So, the next time I want to yell out -- "Who left the door open!!" or "Get back up here and do the dishes!" I'll remember that perhaps more would be accomplished if I could just raise my eyebrows. Love, respect and the expectation of good from one another go a long way.







To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.

making room for children

Spiritual resource to share:

childlike curiosity and goodness

We could all come up with dozens of qualities to list when it comes to children: joy, innocence, spontaneity, honesty (sometimes brutal honesty!) So when a respected healer and friend made the comment that we should all get more children in our lives - I knew what she was getting at. We all desire more of those childlike qualities, and we all needed to make more room for those qualities on our lives.

For some, this comes in the way of wanting to have children. But there are lots of other ways this can happen. The idea is to be open to children -- totally open, and see what shows up.

I have a favorite example of this. I once worked under a nursing home administrator as part of a course I was taking. This nursing home was very innovative in that it looked at the rich experiences of its residents and used their resources to enhance everyone's life at the facility.

So the residents ran their own convenience store and consignment shop, volunteered in the community, and taught and took a wide variety of classes from the typical arts and crafts classes to discussions on death and dying. But the BEST thing they did was to rent part of their space out to a child care program.

The administrator recognized the need for purposeful activity and the supply of grandmotherly love and wisdom that existed at the nursing home. She could also see that some overworked daycare workers needed to get some support in caring for their very young charges. The result was winning! Arrangements were made so that the child care program moved in to the lower level of the nursing home. Soon wagonloads of children were carted through the halls to the delight of the residents. The children’s chirpy greetings and laughter were infectious! Then those who could go and visit the child care room were put to work holding babies, rocking and singing and reading to them. It was brilliant!

Once when my oldest decided to go to boarding school, I was at a momentary loss. But it was a happy and progressive decision, and I realized that I wasn't losing anything (or anyone). In fact, it opened up possibilities to host other students at our house. I realized we could open up our house to all of our son's friends. This month, we had 11 of his dorm mates over for the weekend and last weekend all 22 of his cross-country team members and coaches spent the afternoon at our house after their state meet.

I'm convinced that no matter where we are in life - young and wanting to start a family, having a family and seeing your kids launch toward independence or retired - children - with all their joy and frankness and innocence - can always be a part of our lives.










To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.