Living Traditional

“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.

“Not with thoughts of your mind, but in the believing of the sweetness of your Heart, you snap the cock and open the golden door and disappear into the bright room, the everlasting ecstasy, the eternal now.”

Oh, the many times I acted from what my mind was dictating and abandoned my heart. I don’t know if it was my younger days of influences and experiences or maybe something even more ancient. What I do know is that when I follow my Heart, in spite of the mindless chatter, I am moving with Nature’s rhythm. Her laws and movement maybe contrary to my expectations, but I trust Her more than I trust myself. It is a sort of surrender to the unknown, knowing you are being led somewhere. Some say it is God’s will, not mine. May I be filled with Her grace in all that I do.

“May you be blessed with all things good. May your joys, like the stars at night, be too numerous to count.” I sit here today and think about the too numerous times I have fallen into the trap of despair. Whatever the circumstance, tragedy or conflict, there lives a trap door we all fall into. The Deities of Misery love company. It is important to acknowledge the emotional turmoil we experience here down in the dark side of the valley, but be cautious. This is not the place to pitch a tent and set up camp. A short visit will do. Return to that sweet spot, called Life, pay homage to the sunrise and give the sunset a moment of gratitude for all that you have, regardless of how small it may seem.