Direction and Decisions

How do you know where you're going in life? Many people zoom ahead with no clear direction. This may be OK, depending on your circumstances. Sometimes we need to push through a tough time, we're enjoying the ride we're on or we just want to be one with the world as it passes by. And if this is your intent- then FULL speed ahead!

And what about the people around you? Your friends, family, colleagues, classmates and those unknown to you (both near and far) all are enroute as well. As you take a step forward in your life, your energy affects the momentum of others as well. The people you interact with make decisions that impact their own life- and perhaps if you have touched their life in some way you're affecting the outcome of their life as well.

We could take the easy example here and say that if you make a decision to donate to a charity, you have now impacted the ability of the charity to do work (they can do more work, buy more things or advertise more to ensure future donations of others). So someone on the receiving end of the charity benefits from your life decision -- no matter how small that decision was to you. And further, the people in the charity are also affected by your life decision (they have work to do that day and a purpose for continuing their work with that charity).

But let's look at a more subtle example. As you go about your daily life you make hundreds (or thousands) of decisions every day. Most of them are not thought out with deep intent (you drive your car, you take care of your family, you work, you play, you pray). Yes, you make some big decisions every day (for work and your personal life) but I'm talking about the casual direction you're taking your life without thinking about it. Here is some food for thought:

• The food you eat. Is it organic? Is it wholesome? Is it fair trade? Will it strengthen you or tear you down? Is it filled with chemicals? Was it expensive? Does it taste good? Was anyone harmed in the processing, harvesting, or selling of that product? Is it filling a need? Do you like it? How does your choice in that meal you're eating affect the nearly 7 billion people on earth?
• The clothes you're wearing. Were they expensive? Can you afford them? What is the country of origin of the products they were made from? Who manufactured it? Where? Do you LOVE it? How long will you own it? What will happen to it when you're no longer interested in wearing that outfit/shoes/bag/shirt? Does the color match your personality? Does the style match your life? How do others see you in the clothes you're wearing? 
• The house you live in. Can you afford it? Does it meet your needs? Did the people who built it do so with care? When you chose that house, who could not live there because you do? Did your decision to inhabit that abode, in that city, in that part of the world, affect anyone else (like the builder, the past tenants, your family, or the producers of the building supplies)?
• The entertainment you choose. Is it fulfilling your needs? Was anyone harmed (or enhanced) in the production of that venue? Do others around you enjoy this attraction? Are spirits lifted by this medium (yours or the people who made it)? Does the sale of this production enhance the global economy? Are you setting the right example to your family?

So those were some thoughts about how your small daily decisions deserve a little global thought. I hope we all grow our consciousness, each day, to incorporate more thoughts about the people with whom we are connected more than one time removed. It's easier to see in things like manufacturing, economics and production, but a little more difficult to comprehend in the energy that we expend. But rest assured that even as your currency travels the globe, so too do your energetic vibes of happiness and sadness, fear and pride, love and hate. We are most definitely connected, and the direction that we choose to take our lives affects many (if not all) people on earth. Make thoughtful decisions. Live in peace.

Bonus thought:  YOU are just as affected by the decisions of others everywhere. 

Internalization

Have you ever talked to someone who wasn't there? A friend? God? Yourself?

We talk out loud to comfort ourselves. It feels differently to hear our own voice out loud instead of in the hollows of our soul or the ringing of our brain. What's in our heart is often difficult to say to the emptiness of a room, in a voice with a purpose.

When you hear your own thoughts and your own voice out loud, you begin to accept what you are saying and convince yourself of your own beliefs. This pattern of learning is called "internalization."

There is a biological definition of internalization (when you consume your dead cells) and an economic definition of internalization (where your broker manages your spread). But the most powerful summary of this dynamic is the spiritual connection you have within yourself and amongst others of your true connection with the world. Psychologically- do you initiate a true search of your inner beliefs, your assimilation into your culture, your feelings of self-worth and your acceptance of others? Socially- do you feel at one with your community while accepting your place in the crowd? Do you fully grasp your command of presence and stir feelings of group awareness? Are you present? And content? And contributing to the cause?

They say you can't know the world until you know, understand and accept yourself. I applaud this elevated view of one's psyche.

May you strive to see yourself from the outside... while always feeling yourself and your true being from the inside.

Peace.

Reflection

Ying and Yang. Hot and Cold. Power and Fear. Hope and Despair. Love and Hate. Faith and Apathy.

We live in a world of extremes. Ice falls into the abyss while hope shines above. This photo is an eloquent reach between the near and the far. Details in the present and hope high above in another plane. Sparkly lights of enchantment in front of me - the heart of the story above and beyond me - rainbows of light refracted all around me - and nowhere to go but forward.

You have to have more than one option. Remember that your faith will guide you, your future is forward, and the light of hope (that you pass on to others) is all around you.

Celebrate beautiful days. Reflect in gloomy ones. And cherish your blessings always.

Lost? Often.
Listless? Yes.
Listening? As best I can.
Loved? Abundantly.