The opposite of Fear is not Fear

I have seen multiple posts stating "both sides are coming from fear" or "both sides are using fear" to push agendas, or to guide perspectives. (Could be political, could be media, could be anything)

Each time I saw this idea I thought to myself "If both sides are employing fear...isn't that the same side?"

Each side's agenda may oppose the other, but if each is employing fear, whether intentionally or unintentionally, both are occupying the same side. The opposite of fear is not fear.

Who knows WHAT to believe? It is a hard question to answer given said agendas, fake news, misinformation, contradicting information, and the use of fear to steer our perspectives.

Fear comes from the mind’s inability to know, to understand, and to predict, when our sense of security depends on knowing, understanding, and predicting. It comes from the mind’s uncertainty when certainty has become our security.

It can really be tough when the options we see are fear on one side and fear on the other side. The opposite of fear is not fear.

There was a time when "pick the less of two evils" seemed like the only option. I get it, I really do. I do not see that way anymore.

If there are only two "sides" with fear occupying one of them, then love must be on the other side. The opposite of fear is love.

If we do not see love as the "opposing" side of fear, then we have temporarily lost part of our personal power. We may have been guided into believing that the only options are fear on one side and fear on the other. We may have also been guided into believing that the only options are those that are outside of us.

If either of those are the case, we have been mis-guided. No judgment: it is what it is...until it is not. Again, I have been there. We can begin to take back our personal power and choose love instead of fear.

The opposite of fear is love. We experience love and all that emanates from it on the outside to the degree we experience love on the inside. Increased love on the inside increases love on the outside.

From where does love emerge? Love does just that, it emerges. It emerges from within. It emerges from the deepest parts of who we are, and with it comes trust, a true sense of self-security, independent of what is happening outside.

Peace comes with it, as does kindness, compassion, gentleness, forgiveness, mercy, understanding, and increased love. Love felt and shared is not divided, it is multiplied.

Choose the side of love, even if you…wait, especially if you have to create that side yourself. That IS our personal power. It is time for me, and you, and us and we, to create the “side” of love. Truth in the heart can inform the perceptions of the mind. Our mind-conditioning is such that we tend to value more what we experience OUTSIDE of ourselves than what we could experience INSIDE. Again, truth in the heart can inform the perceptions of the mind.

Recognize that truth exists in the heart. Connecting to it via prayer, nature, meditation, breath-work, silence, yoga, and lots of other ways, will allow the heart to inform the mind of truth; the truth within, and the truth without.

As we do this individually, and therefore collectively on any collective level, the “side” of love will grow, as the “side” of fear will weaken. Love’s intentions and influences expand and impact more than those who are choosing the personal power “side” of love. When we experience someone else in that space, we see it as an invitation to go there too.

Be that which your heart desires to see in the world. Be not that which your mind fears in the world.

Much Love,

Luke

Easter / Resurrection Thoughts...Could the resurrection signify more to us individually.

                                                                                                         Written on 4-21-19 Easter Sunday

Today, on Easter Sunday, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we celebrate a renewal of what once seemed lost. The loss of a Healer; a Teacher; a Comforter; a Guide; an Example; a Friend; and most importantly, a Savior. The literal view of Jesus’ resurrection brings His physical form back to life, and with it, the promise that all will likewise be resurrected. I believe there is more, much more than “only” a literal view of the resurrection; a view that has application over and over again in our lives.

I don't consider myself an artist,
but I will claim my efforts, and
the experience of writing and
drawing this piece. 

Resurrection, as stated in one definition as a “restoration to life”, is preceded by a “dying”, if you will; a “falling away”, or a “letting go” of something. However, until the resurrection, the death of Jesus seemed permanent; it was not just a “falling away”, or a “letting go” of something; it seemed as an ending. An ending, even after Jesus told His disciples “[I] must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.” (Matthew 16:21) We see in verse 22 that, at least Peter did not understand Jesus’ words. “Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.” Jesus responds to Peter “Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” I do not consider myself a scripture scholar, but what I see here is Jesus perhaps speaking to the same part in Peter that He was speaking to in His disciples after having fed the multitude of four thousand with seven loaves of bread, and having but one loaf of bread with them in the ship. Jesus says to His disciples “Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? Perceive ye not yet, neither understand? Have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? And having ears, hear ye not? And do ye not remember? When I brake the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said seven.” (Mark 8:17-20) Could it be that Jesus was not speaking to Peter, but to Peter’s “of men” understanding? Both Peter, and the disciples…and us, have something in common? Could it be that we see only with our physical eyes…our “of men” eyes, having eyes, yet see not, and ears, yet hear not…and have we forgotten? Or have we honestly and innocently while here in mortality never truly understood? Could it be that we “savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men”, like Peter? Could it be that we have forgotten the “things of God” that be within us…each of us…all of us…as one body.

Most understand the concept of Jesus’ physical resurrection. His physical body was brought back to life. Could it be that the physical resurrection is a surface view of resurrection? Jesus’ body was brought back to life…not just again, but anew, never to again experience death. Something indeed “fell away”, or was “let go” in order for Him to return as an eternal physical being. Could it be that there were aspects of His being that no longer served His purpose, or that no longer represented His deepest, truest self? Something that held Him back from His next step in progression. What if, in those three days-time between crucifixion and resurrection that not only were there aspects of His earthly being that “fell away”, but that other aspects of His eternal physical being were brought into His presence. Perhaps eternal truth, perhaps eternal light, perhaps eternal love.

Could Jesus’ resurrection signify more for each one of us in our own personal lives, much more than His physical form being brought back to life, and our own physical resurrection someday? Not to diminish His resurrection in any degree, but to add to the meaning and application of how Jesus’ resurrection can have a present affect in our own lives now, today, and every day.

Could I, and each of us if we choose, look to identify aspects of our own selves that no longer serve the higher purpose of our being? Could there be aspects of who we think we are, or are not, that hold us back? That hide who we truly are on the deepest, truest level, that if “let go” or if we allow to “fall away”, would bring out more of the eternal beauty that lies just underneath? We need not go looking for it outside of ourselves in other people, or in things with our physical eyes, ears, and logic…for it is found within; it is found with the eyes of the heart; the ears of the heart; knowing that Self, that YOU, and YOU, and YOU, and each person…EVERY person, is made of divinity. When we begin to “let go” of that which is not divine within ourselves…the “of men” aspects, we begin to see the divinity that has been there all along; glorious, light, love, and truth. We begin to see past others non-divinity and “of men”ness to the divinity within them as well. Compassion comes, light comes, love for neighbors come. Patience comes. Gentleness comes. Not only do these come as outward expressions towards others, but inward expressions toward self. There is a lot of talk of self-esteem and self-confidence. Imagine having more self-compassion, more self-patience, more self-kindness, more self-forgiving, and more self-love. This “Self” aspect does not truly originate from within our selves, but from God, the Divine, the grand Self, The I AM; the Giver of Self to each of us. This Self has no beginning and no end, therefore there is no end to compassion, kindness, patience, forgiveness, and love that can be experienced both inward to self, and outward toward others.

Could we, during this day of resurrection and renew, look for the “of men”ness in ourselves, that once recognized, can fall away. Or could we find an “of men” aspect in ourselves that we can just let go of? As we do, we renew…we uncover a bit more of the divinity within…we allow a resurrection of the divinity to take place within us that has been in darkness for days, likely more than three.

I think it is appropriate that resurrection, and renewal are associated with Spring-time. A falling away of the old, a time of rest; then with Spring, all things are again made new, including you. This not only happens with the change in seasons, but daily. We arise each day renewed…another day, another start, a fresh start. Could a deepest and truest self-resurrection of sorts occur at any moment? To this I say…It could.

The "Boxes" We Sometimes Live In

Boxes are good....Right?!

Boxes ARE good...for some things. But they are just as NOT good for other things.

We have all used boxes for:

• Moving Things
• Organizing Things
• Separating Things
• Storing Things
• Protecting Things
• Sending Things
• Unintended but CREATIVE...Things
• Fort Creating
• "House" Building
• Maze Construction
• Cat Toys
• And more... ...Things

Two "things" that boxes are really good at are keeping things IN while keeping other things OUT. 

Who DOESN'T have (at least one) box like this...

I know I do.

Boxes are not just physical...or are they?

You've heard it in relation to thinking...or being, I know you have, you've also said it in some way, shape, or form.

• "He thinks outside of the box".
• "We need a solution that is outside of the box".
• "She is inside her box when it comes to..."

When used in these and other ways, these "boxes" are understood to refer to the way a person sees or understands something, known as a paradigm. The definition of ‘paradigm’ according to google is - a typical example or pattern of something; a model.

We each have "boxes” or paradigms of thinking - believing - feeling - doing.  

The basic flow is this: our thoughts, combined with the meaning we have assigned them from previous experience (believing), dictate how we feel in any situation (read that sentence again). What we feel, then, flows into and informs our actions. Our actions are in direct alignment with what we feel...when we are "in the box". There is no choice "inside the box" because we believe that what we feel and perceive is an accurate representation of what is happening, and we respond accordingly. We experience this repeatedly (mostly mindlessly), specifically in the many situations we encounter each day, and generally in larger areas of our lives, including Health (all areas), Relationships, Finances, Career etc. These cycles accurately reflect the "boxes" we are in, even though we cannot see the boxes. Again, we believe to be true that which we feel and perceive. These "boxes" keep in what we believe to be true, while keeping out what is true.

The truth states that there is no box. Truth is stable, constant, and independent. It stands without judgment or applied meaning. There is pure choice in truth, for we get to see, in the truth, that the "box" is man-made, and full of ambiguity and story. The "box" itself does not exist; it is merely a figment of the imagination...a paradigm, a pattern of thought and belief; there is indeed only truth.

Judgment of, and a spread of man-made meaning applied to truth creates boxes while destroying truth-generated choosing.

Now, you may be wondering about paradigms or "boxes" that produce positive outcomes. There are indeed paradigms or boxes that contain productive thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and actions that lead to success in any area. These "positive" paradigms work until they don't.

We live in a world and a time that is in constant flux. What has worked in one season does not work in another season. We see it over and over again. The retail and on-line shopping industries are an example. Physical retail shops are required to make intuitive shifts in order to stay relevant in the whole of the shopping experience. Positive and productive retail paradigms that worked in the 1980s do not work today. It is the same with marketing and sales; Health, Fitness; Relationships; Education; Parenting, etc. Everything and everyone is evolving. The "season" of usefulness for a positive paradigm is progressively shrinking. 

Paradigms and "boxes" altogether will continue to fall away in favor of seeing "what is" and evolving vs "judging what is" and reacting. Seeing "what is" translates to seeing outcomes for what they are without judgment or story, then responsibly questioning "why" such outcome presented. "What about my process (paradigm) produced this outcome? What do I need to think differently, and believe, and feel, and act from in order to see a more favorable outcome? Or to be relevant in this, or a coming season?"

A shift from viewing outcome as an indicator of "what works", to an indicator of "what is" must take place; and will continue to take place as the world continues to evolve. An allowance of faith, trust and intuition in the presence of "what is", without judgment of it, but obedience to the nudges that come in that presence, will be the new way. It is not a paradigm or a box...it is where truth lives. This is the case in all aspects, business and personal.