Living Traditional

“There are many things in Life that will catch your eye, but very few that capture your heart… pursue those that capture your heart.”

How many times have I settled for less? How many times have I walked past the beauty? I ask myself, “Why am I so blind?” The true question for myself is, “What is it that catches my eye, and what is that?” A healthy response is required and I must admit I have not always responded in a healthy way. For someone or something to capture my heart is enduring, a certain knowing that I am in the right place at the right time. The challenge for me is keeping my heart open. If there is a break in the connection or something feels amiss, how do I respond in a good way?

Oh, how I recoil from those old tapes that continue to play inside my quite remarkable brain and its memory. The damage I have done not only to myself but those intimately involved with me. Thankfully, today, I have adjusted to those hair trigger memories, those god awful reactions, and see them for what they are. Today, I let them pass through me, then respond at a later time in a more coherent way…thank god for age and the gifts it can give us. Keep your heart open and walk that treacherous path of vulnerability regardless the outcome. Learn to trust your intuition and ask for what you need! At whatever cost, keep your heart open!

“May lack and struggle only serve to make you stronger; and may beauty, order, and abundance be your constant companions.”

Life has its’ twists and turns, highs and lows and moments of calm. All of our experiences are temporary and from moment to moment, history is being made and can not be undone. These moments, when Life feels as if it too much to endure or bear, are the exact moment to take a deep breath and rise to the occasion. This response is not to be used as an opportunity to attack or retaliate against some sense of wrong doing, but a moment to become that better person. A question we might ask ourselves in this moment of struggle is, “How can I use this situation to encourage a healing response and transform this energy being experienced?”

Look within, as this is the beginning point for history being made. How do I stay true to my fundamental values and respond accordingly? This is a personal and unique opportunity for each one of us. Beauty, order and abundance starts within. We can not give away anything we do not give ourselves. Seize this moment and be the manifestation your heart desires and in alignment with your True Nature. Strength is building more compassion, kindness and empathy. Within this framework of our minds and our hearts, we discover the beauty and abundance that surrounds us and respond accordingly. Everything is going to be okay! Trust and Faith are the prerequisites.

“If we keep doing what we are doing, we are going to keep getting what we are getting.”

To change has always been a challenging thing for me. When I was younger, if someone wanted to change me, I put up the iron shield and said, “Don’t try to change me, this is who I am.” Now, my defense mechanisms within me have “changed”. I have learned to appreciate someone else’s viewpoint and can take it into consideration. Hmmm… Maybe this is something I need to look at and there might be some value in it for me and my relationships.

Change is not always easy. Our attempts to create a new reality can feel monumental, maybe impossible. Pause, take a deep breath, sit in this moment of life. For myself, I take baby steps in that direction of change, as if to shift the direction of the wind that is blowing. When we desire different results, we must be open to change, as if we are saying “Yes to Life”, and what it is giving to us. If you want to fight Life, it will fight back. If you welcome Life, it will respond accordingly. Repeating old patterns that have led you to that dead end street, will give you the same results. Seeking a different outcome means changing the way you are approaching life. This includes body, mind, heart and spirit. And yes, there are no guarantees from this warranty. There is no book on how to live you Life, but we need to be attentive each day how the flow of Life is streaming through us and we have to ask ourselves, “Is this the Life I want to live?” If not, make adjustments, my friends. Welcome the change of weather patterns and those within yourself. Take baby steps, it doesn’t have to be an earthquake!

“Our chance for Life begins each morning with a smile….and ends each night with Peace.”

There is an old African saying, “As the circle begins, so shall it end.” Each day of our lives is a gift, never knowing how many more we will be given. So I have to ask myself, “How do I want to live today?” If I welcome Life, it will return the favor. If I fight Life, it will respond accordingly. Knowing this, I become aware of the fact that I do have a choice. We all carry some hurt, resentments and disappointments. The question remains, how do I carry these feelings and how are they affecting my daily life? Do we have the capacity to see beyond these wounds and open ourselves to the opportunity to see the gift in Life? Yes, I have failed many times, like you. Thank god we are human. I wake each morning and realize that I have been given another day here on Earth, as if it is borrowed time, perhaps a bonus. A time to appreciate my family, the contributions I have given to my community, the many things I have created, Nature that surrounds me, and all that I have been given. Gratitude!

As the day comes to an end, I look back and acknowledge what has happened throughout the day, the hills and the valleys, and conclude Today was a good day to live. I thank the Creator for giving me the gift of Life not knowing when it will end for me and embrace all the emotions that swirled through me.

“I have held many things in my hands, and have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.”

Oh my, the things I have tried to control, hold onto and manipulate, whatever the reason, some conscious, some unconscious. Whatever the reason, it never worked and I still suffered. I believe a part of my wanting to control situations was to avoid the anxiety or fear of not knowing. Another element was the surrendering to the force of Nature’s Laws. Was I willing to give up control of the situation and sit in the emotional turmoil that would follow?

There is an organic process in all of Life, and we, as humans, believe we can alter or direct her direction. Ha! Try again and again. Failure meets failure. When I allow the circumstances before me to unfold, without my interference, to allow the natural Life Force to reveal itself, I find my path. What do I truly possess? It is not material, but more on a spiritual realm. I possess a loving heart, words of kindness and encouragement, a devotion to the betterment of humanity and respect for Mother Earth. This cannot be taken from me. I will die knowing I have lived a divine life I was born with, without any mortal sins, but a perfect holy soul. It was given to me as I arrived here on this planet Earth, and with this heart felt gift, I live a fulfilled Life. I say to everyone,”Claim your holiness and live the life that was given to you. Follow the path of your heart desires!”

“Let us not look back in anger; nor forward in fear, but around us in awareness.”

How the past has haunted all of us, and the worries of the future. The old tapes that run inside of our minds, and what is the future to bring is our common ground. We can not erase the tapes nor predict the future. So what is left to do? For myself, all that is left is how do I respond to the past, the present, and the future. Experience does help us if we are willing to learn. Abandon your patterns that have not lead you to success and fulfillment to your dreams. A new path is required. Life has a way of challenging us into new ways of functioning during our short time here. The question that remains, “Are you ready for the challenge and the willingness to change.”

‘The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”

Sometimes I wonder is it fate or destiny that rules my life. How many of life encounters have been my choice, synchronicity, or just is. I ask myself do my choices really matter in the bigger scheme of things. Our history is such a spiral of war and peace, as the pendulum swings back and forth, as if both are necessary in the mystery of life. This can be both an inner battle or external. For myself, they are much the same, the conqueror and the conquered, which only leads to the next uprising.

So I ask myself what is the meaning of life and how do I respond. Today, I am focusing on how I want to live versus how I want to die. Today, I decided to turn a new leaf and begin writing the last chapter, maybe the best chapter yet. Blessings to all of you who are sitting on that rock, pondering your destiny.

“There is only one thing more painful than learning from experience, and that is not learning from the experience.” It has been told to us that the morning Sun, our eldest brother, brings a teaching each morning. How many times have we greeted the sunrise in prayer, welcoming the unknown teaching? How many times have we greeted the sunset and thanked the Sun for the teaching? Life is such a teacher for each one of us. When we have learned from our experience we don’t continue our wayward patterns but move forward. We do this with an open heart, forgiveness and a welcoming of each day. For myself, this a mindful practice, and yes, lifelong. David Kukkola

“Into every Life there comes a door; a time when we must change. You make the choice as best as you can, your Life to rearrange.”

The challenge and the opportunity for me to change my behavior and attitude towards Life have been many. I remember the many times I resisted, stubborn as a mule stuck in the mud. I remember my attitude, “How dare you try to change me!” It was as if my core was being threatened, attacked. Yet, in hindsight, it was not the external circumstance that was to blame or the enemy. It was me, uncertain and insecure, my failure to address the internal mechanisms that were triggering the ole mule I have become. Today, I forgive myself for resisting, understanding I did not have the humbleness to say Yes to the door Life was offering me. Today, I surrender to Life, and welcome that hidden rearrangement being offered, as I wander into the Mystery.

“Our ability to display stability is our greatest testimony in this trouble world.”

During the course of my life I have encountered different episodes and events that have rattled my cage. Some have been small and some have had the appearance of being unbearable. Yet, when I take that deep breath and allow the situation to unfold itself, much like the silken pond, Life has its’ ability to create some sense of order. Life, for myself, is much like the ocean. There are big waves, small waves and at times the ocean is a silken sheen. I have taught myself to be less reactive and more quiet, allowing things to unfold, while observing the shifts in circumstance. What seems most important to me is understanding that Life is a teacher and each moment, situation or circumstance allows me the opportunity to respond with an open heart and learn how to be a better person during this short visit here on Earth.