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Horizons Magazine
MARCH 2000
Spring cleaning, internet chatrooms, rededicate yourself to spiritual practice,
what inspires and excites you?
Hello and welcome to the March 2000 issue of Horizons Magazine. Spring is always a time for clearing out the cobwebs and sprucing things up, clearing out what's no longer useful and shining up what we can use again. Easier to do that with a garage or attic than to spruce up our outlook sometimes, huh? *giggle*
This Spring might be a good time to set or rededicate yourself to some kind of spiritual practice, and get involved in some kind of service work. Don't groan, it can be a really fun thing to do and you meet all sorts of people and get to experience a wide variety of perspectives. If responsibilities at home keep you there, you can still reach others from right where you are right now. You can do it through everyone you come across in your daily life and, if you have a computer connected to the internet, the possibilities are endless. I have friends who spend time in the chatrooms and that can be a whole field of service in itself.
Many shy and insecure people are behind the monitor in the chatrooms and some are asking for help. All are asking for friendship. As lightworkers, we can go online and offer kind encouragement in this new arena. By our words, we can inspire others to stay focused on what they'd like to accomplish and move forward after challenging situations.
It's easy to get stuck reflecting on the past or being static in the present when nothing in our life is helping us or encouraging us to move forward. It's easier to complain about a job than it is to look for better one. It's easier to neglect a partner than it is to discover new ways to delight him. It's easier to repeatedly recall how devastated you were over your divorce and the hateful way you were treated, than it is to sit down and decide what you'd like in the next relationship. Easier to spend time grumbling about the past than it is to set aside time to focus on what you'd prefer, and talking about that instead.
People don't do this on purpose. They do it because it is a pattern of thought they've gotten used to and they don't know how to think differently. With a little encouragement from a friend, they can begin to look up and move forward. With ongoing inspiration, they can move rapidly toward a future that's more to their liking. and you can provide that encouragement.
When I can stay centered and stay conscious, I can remember to say and do the right thing. We can help by inspiring others to be centered and conscious when we spend time together. Remind them often what you like about them. Encourage them in their dreams and listen to their ideas. I sometimes hear entire conversations that do nothing but criticize or gossip and uplifts no one. It reminds me that every moment is precious and every new moment begins Now. Would I want those words to that person to be my last words?
It reminds me that every moment we spend with someone, we are creating something and attracting something that will come back to us in our future experience. Do we really want to attract more of what we're talking about in any given moment?
With each friend you have, try finding out what they'd like to be doing 1, 3, 5 years from now and talk about that. Consider lots of ideas, this is a really fun project and I have a few friends I do it with, and all of us are experiencing that we do indeed attract our future experience to us.
Talk about what inspires and excites you and what would be nice to live a few years from now. Our time together is so precious - why not make the most of it. Why not prepave your future experience by conscious focus on what might be fun? Help usher friends and strangers into a more delightful future by cheering them on from the sidelines; encouraging the best in them to shine forth.
Suze Orman said "May every word you say be said as if everyone in the world can hear it, for in fact they can." And our actions speak much louder than our words. So what are you sharing with everyone in your world? What would you rather be sharing?
This Spring, I am renewing a promise to myself to try to be a better person. I want to spruce up my outlook and be less critical of things around me. I want to help encourage friends (and online aquaintences) to be all they can be. I'll strive to stay more conscious more of the time. And anytime I falter, I hope one of you encourages me to come back to balance, since we're all in this together : ) Enjoy our offering this month. Hari Om.