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Daily Question, September 13

What stories have I heard that inspire me to treasure life?

  • Karlson kooper

    When I hear about friends, colleagues and family members dying in their very young age without any history of sickness, I cannot but begin to treasure this life of vanity. And when i think about coming close to dying in a lake, I begin to treasure this life of nothingness.

  • ABC

    The boy followed the trodden path to feed the horses. Hungry and tired he was clear that he didn’t want to be there. He came to the horse paddock. The horses were not there. Along the long way home he saw a rock worth climbing. He forged his own path, beaming with the adventure of it all. A view, heights, a sheer drop, new sights for his eyes. Thank goodness the horses weren’t there.

  • Hot Sauce
    The stories I often hear about people nearly dying and then having a kind of unintentional shamanic vision of sorts (near-death experiences) often say that they felt God's love intensely and learned that we should have the same kind of love for each other and are here to learn how to do that. At the end of our life, we will undergo a "final exam" of sorts to review how well we have learned love in our lifetime. I am not sure how literally I believe these experiences, though I am certainly open t...

    The stories I often hear about people nearly dying and then having a kind of unintentional shamanic vision of sorts (near-death experiences) often say that they felt God’s love intensely and learned that we should have the same kind of love for each other and are here to learn how to do that. At the end of our life, we will undergo a “final exam” of sorts to review how well we have learned love in our lifetime. I am not sure how literally I believe these experiences, though I am certainly open to them being a literal journey into the afterlife. Regardless, the idea that we are here to learn how to love God, others, and ourselves is a great rule to live by, and hearing these stories is helping me to remember to use every experience in life as an opportunity to learn and practice love.

    Read More
  • Debra

    My own biological mother’’s story. She transitioned very young in life at 45 years of age from cancer leaving four children and a husband in the immediate family and oh, so many more. What I treasure about her is that while on this earth she shared her amazing musical talent and inspired others to recognize their own. She had an abiding faith in humanity and God and was fun-living as well. I miss her to this day. I was seven. I can still hear her playing piano and singing.

  • Don Jones

    When I heard, pondered upon and realised that true existence is the vastness of the sky. The sun, the stars, you and me are just small happenings, brief happenings really. It was then that I came to treasure this all to brief happening.

  • Ed Schulte
    Well not so much a story BUT an inspiration and a very powerful pointed reminder of the richness of what is called, 'Life" I have just complete a review of the Lord's Prayer based on the Aramaic language and the means of conveying words during the time 2000 years ago when few could read ...then the spoken word had to be very directed/relative to 'life survival' of the listeners. The basic foundation of the Lord's Prayer is that each of the seven lines id directed specifically at one of th...

    Well not so much a story BUT an inspiration and a very powerful pointed reminder of the richness of what is called, ‘Life”

    I have just complete a review of the Lord’s Prayer based on the Aramaic language and the means of conveying words during the time 2000 years ago when few could read …then the spoken word had to be very directed/relative to ‘life survival’ of the listeners.

    The basic foundation of the Lord’s Prayer is that each of the seven lines id directed specifically at one of the Seven Self Consciousness centres on the Human body { aka “Chakras” in eastern and New Age parlance ] Then people listened with the whole body, not just ears.

    Starting at Father [ head/crown ] Heaven [third eye] , Name [ throat ]…, on down to the lowest the “root.

    Having be raised as Catholic, I have until now questioned their understanding of the Lord’s Prayer, its history etc etc ….it was more a story, imo, to them and so now I have much greater insight to the power which those words contain.

    Read More
    • Butterfly

      Thank you, Ed, that’s really interesting. I’d like to learn more about that.

      • Ed Schulte
        Hi Butterfly. Yes this is "interesting" for myself as well. IOM a very, very important project at this current "time" in Humanities journey back to our origin AND then forward to higher potential. As this work becomes more finalized I will return to this form and update you. It was actually Pollyanna's post (below)) that caused me to consider posting.....(there is a similar situation here in a small town in Canada) ....she ended with the word "redemption" ...That word is the key word in ...

        Hi Butterfly.

        Yes this is “interesting” for myself as well. IOM a very, very important project at this current “time” in Humanities journey back to our origin AND then forward to higher potential. As this work becomes more finalized I will return to this form and update you.

        It was actually Pollyanna’s post (below)) that caused me to consider posting…..(there is a similar situation here in a small town in Canada) ….she ended with the word “redemption” …That word is the key word in the final ( seventh line ) of the Lord’s prayer. And the corresponding centre/Chakra has become greatly misunderstood, ( thanks to ignorance of religions etc which have suppressed the EQUAL Feminine counterpart of the Divine Trinity). By the bye I did use “Father” as the “word” of the first line ….not wanting to get to radial right off the bat…..but I will say this to you since to have interest ….the original word was “Parent” …not “Father”….Parent = “Father and Mother”. What a difference the stroke of a patriarchal pen can make to 2000 years of human behaviour!

        But I intend no judgement in that last line ……Better to see/hear/feel that there is “redemption”potential in the fact that this IS the year ‘2020’ and there is potentials now…. well beyond a little coincidence…. that we all would like to have “20/20″ vision.” again!

        Be Well Be Present

        Read More
  • Pollyanna Gladwell

    The tragic numbers of people dying by suicide in Ireland.

    I know 2 families affected this year alone and, through a close friend, of at least 6 more in the last 4 years – one a girl of 14 – and all in the small town I live in. I hear of many more attempts at my 12-step meetings, but there, at least, they are followed by redemption.

    • Michele

      This is very raw to me having someone close commit suicide July 13th. Thank you for your response.

    • Antoinette

      Dear Pollyanna, that’s awful! I’m terribly sorry to hear this is going on where you live . What is causing all of these suicides? Are they related ? It’s very unfortunate that people can’t see that there are other choices that can be made. I’m sorry for this stress you must be feeling. Sending you loving kindness and compassion dear.
      Be well. ?

      • Pollyanna Gladwell
        Thanks for your sweet message Antoinette. It is very distressing especially when it’s a young person. As to causes, sometimes it’s unknown but in the ones I know of, it has been connected with substance abuse and, obviously, mental health problems - often ascribed to cyber bullying. There is a major government initiative to reduce the numbers by increasing community awareness resources, and the total numbers have fallen slightly, but the cases under 24 years old have increased. T...

        Thanks for your sweet message Antoinette.

        It is very distressing especially when it’s a young person. As to causes, sometimes it’s unknown but in the ones I know of, it has been connected with substance abuse and, obviously, mental health problems – often ascribed to cyber bullying.

        There is a major government initiative to reduce the numbers by increasing community awareness resources, and the total numbers have fallen slightly, but the cases under 24 years old have increased. The statistics seem to be very slowly compiled but I don’t know why that is.

        Peace love and joy to you and all contributors. xx

        Read More
  • Mica

    I ‘went to’ an Adyashanti retreat ‘at’ Spirit Rock yesterday and was blessed by his ‘presence’ as much as anything he said.
    One of the questioners mentioned Krishnamurti of Ojai, and I enjoyed reading about him in Wikipedia. Here’s one of his quotes:
    “I maintain that Truth is a pathless land, and you cannot approach it by any path whatsoever, by any religion, by any sect.”

    • Antoinette

      What does that mean ?

      • Mica
        Thank you, Antoinette, To me, I think it means that you can’t just blindly follow someone’s teachings without thinking for yourself, or something of that sort. For a long time, my husband and I followed a guru who taught that "Truth is One, Paths are Many." I don’t think Truth is One – I think it’s messy and complex. A famous scientist said you find clarity on a mountain top and truth down below. But Krishnamurti and the Dalai Lama were good friends, and Krishnamurti didn’t criticize...

        Thank you, Antoinette, To me, I think it means that you can’t just blindly follow someone’s teachings without thinking for yourself, or something of that sort. For a long time, my husband and I followed a guru who taught that “Truth is One, Paths are Many.” I don’t think Truth is One – I think it’s messy and complex. A famous scientist said you find clarity on a mountain top and truth down below.
        But Krishnamurti and the Dalai Lama were good friends, and Krishnamurti didn’t criticize the Dalai Lama for his position. Another way in which Truth is messy?

        Read More
        • Cathy
          I appreciate what you've written here, Mica. For nearly 20 years, I was involved in a cultish movement under the guise of a very ordinary looking small-town street corner church. That was messy, and the leaving, even messier. Those years I most certainly did blindly follow someone else's teachings, not thinking for myself. I've been out of that for about 25 years now and quite honestly, free from its imagined/self-imposed strictures, for about 5 years. I now celebrate freedom every single day! T...

          I appreciate what you’ve written here, Mica. For nearly 20 years, I was involved in a cultish movement under the guise of a very ordinary looking small-town street corner church. That was messy, and the leaving, even messier. Those years I most certainly did blindly follow someone else’s teachings, not thinking for myself. I’ve been out of that for about 25 years now and quite honestly, free from its imagined/self-imposed strictures, for about 5 years. I now celebrate freedom every single day! This is why I love what you wrote, my friend!

          Read More
          • Mica

            Wow – your experience sounds more painful than mine. A friend told me some former Trump ‘fixer’ has a new book where he says it started out like being in a cult for him. My son says he was raised in a cult, buy my friend figured it wasn’t as destructive a cult as the one in the last sentence. ‘Don’t know if that is clear..

  • Linda

    I live in the Pacific Northwest where we are suffering under a heavy blanket of smoke from all the wildfires. You see the best and worst of humanity during times like this. Life is precious, and it can be lost in an instant.

    • Antoinette

      Dear Linda, I’m so sorry for what you are going though. Clean air is a necessity. You are right, life is precious and I appreciate you reminding us. May you be safe and well.

    • Mica

      Me, too, Linda – SF Bay Area. May you stay safe and healthy!

  • Carla

    Stories that move me generally include experiences of a story teller coming to a personal surrender; then a coming to believe in a Creative Source that assists them walking forward; in turn propelling them to selflessly pass this Gift of new life on to others. Others who identify with their own brokenness share in the commonalities.

  • Michele

    The poor 13 yr old boy, Wyatt Tofte, from Oregon dying with his dog in his lap from the wildfires. His grandmother, Peggy Mosso, also died. You never know when your time is up and even when it is up if it will be horrific and tragic.

  • Zenith

    I think awareness of children who die due to cancer. My own younger brother was killed in a car accident at the tender age of 17, 6 months before his 18th birthday. It reminds me that anyone of us can leave at anytime. It is scary and is why I treasure every moment I get with loved ones.

  • Javier Visionquest

    “Nothing in your life is insulted by being referred to as a story”

  • Butterfly

    I have recently been listening to and working my way through a huge collection of recordings of lectures and talks by Ram Das. These have been lovingly put together and are freely available on Youtube and Ram Das is such a good storyteller.
    Listening to these recordings has helped me to deepen my sense of connectedness.
    Here is a link for anyone interested https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64vQVBwaxJc
    Wishing you all a peace filled day ❤️

  • Antoinette
    History is filled with lives of inspiration. It’s not easy to pick one! Adversity is an aspect of life that challenges us no matter who we are. With the corona virus taking its toll on people all over the world I’m inspired to see how people keep helping others. I’m inspired by compassion and loving kindness that seems to be within us. I’m inspired by how many people make the choice to meet adversity with kindness. To choose to make a difference no matter what the cost, even ...

    History is filled with lives of inspiration. It’s not easy to pick one!
    Adversity is an aspect of life that challenges us no matter who we are.
    With the corona virus taking its toll on people all over the world I’m inspired to see how people keep helping others.
    I’m inspired by compassion and loving kindness that seems to be within us.
    I’m inspired by how many people make the choice to meet adversity with kindness. To choose to make a difference no matter what the cost, even if it means risking their own health. This is an example of loving kindness and compassion in action ! We see it all around us in so many ways from the people who deliver our food to the teachers who teach our kids and of course the countless healthcare workers who keep showing up!
    I’m inspired by people and their amazingly huge hearts! I’m grateful we have a world full of compassionate sentient beings because what would we do without each other ?

    Read More
  • Kevin
    Because I have had the privilege of working with and ministering to children, teens and adults for most of my life, I have been inspired by numerous people of all ages who have clawed their way back from the brink of despair, danger and a pervasive sense of hopelessness, to live a better life filled with purpose and new-found joy. It is these people, some of which I still have notes, artwork, and photos given to me, that continue to inspire me each and every day to live life to the fullest and n...

    Because I have had the privilege of working with and ministering to children, teens and adults for most of my life, I have been inspired by numerous people of all ages who have clawed their way back from the brink of despair, danger and a pervasive sense of hopelessness, to live a better life filled with purpose and new-found joy. It is these people, some of which I still have notes, artwork, and photos given to me, that continue to inspire me each and every day to live life to the fullest and not take anything for granted.

    Read More
  • Cathy
    At first take, I find myself trying to think of sudden death stories, tragic stories I've read of, or heard about where someone died too young or of drug overdose or alcohol abuse. I think those stories inspire us to treasure life, and I am sure many in this Lounge will have good ones. I look forward to reading them when I check back later today! In my reading earlier this morning, while not a story, this offering by Mike Martin seems to be my current life-treasuring inspiration: "If we on...

    At first take, I find myself trying to think of sudden death stories, tragic stories I’ve read of, or heard about where someone died too young or of drug overdose or alcohol abuse. I think those stories inspire us to treasure life, and I am sure many in this Lounge will have good ones. I look forward to reading them when I check back later today!

    In my reading earlier this morning, while not a story, this offering by Mike Martin seems to be my current life-treasuring inspiration:

    “If we only see the harvest as a time to be grateful, we miss the opportunity to be grateful for rest, planting, and caring.”

    Read More

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