In my travels through the Internet, I came upon a story recently that intrigued me. The sorority I had belonged to in college, Delta Gamma, was in the news. So I took a look.
Apparently a DG sister with responsibilities for Greek Week social activities for her chapter was outraged-- outraged-- that she was receiving complaints from their Matchup, Sigma Nu, about how awkward and boring they were, and that the frat brothers would not want to hang out with them. So she sent an email demanding that the sisters shape up.
Not just any email...but an “exercise in digital rage, worthy of a Quentin Tarantino curse-a-thon or David Mamet dressing down,” according to a CNN report. It was filled with so many f-words, expletives, and profanities that it was leaked to a site called Gawker, and inspired news articles around the web, a “hilariously unhinged” dramatic reading by actor Michael Shannon, as well as U-tube parodies by Barbie, an animated Joe Pesci, and various standup comics. You can Google it...Delta Gamma sorority rant. Some of profanities were so new to me that I had to go to Wikipedia to find out what they meant.
The email and parodies stimulated long strings of comments....people love to make judgmental comments. About half condemned the writer as crazy, hysterical, deranged, shallow, and representative of the depths to which young people today had sunk, particularly those in sororities and fraternities. And she had ruined future job and grad school prospects with this “online tattoo.”
The other half found the email and parodies hysterically funny, and even liked the rhythm and “take no prisoners” writing style. It helped that she looks very attractive and angelic in her photos. In one TV news story, one fellow commented no girl could have written that; it had to have been a guy. So women’s lib is alive and well. I enjoyed the whole circus.
For me, I flashed on memories of my own college sorority days, some 55 years ago. My freshman year, I definitely was one of those “awkward” and “boring” girls and was cut by all the sororities but one, which I chose not to join. Sophomore year rolled around, and I figured I had nothing to lose by loosening up and having fun with rush. That, plus my 4.0 GPA, brought an invitation from Delta Gamma.
Sororities didn’t have their own houses, so we clustered in different areas of a very large dormitory...complete with house mother, sign-in and out sheets, room inspections, and curfews...9 p.m. my freshman year. Definitely another era. We had white glove tea parties, as well as parties with fraternities. I wrote and directed some prize winning skits for big campus events, made some great friends, and definitely enhanced my college experience. I even met my first real boyfriend at a party with graduate students.
So how does this relate to Religious Science?
I found the answer in the writings of Walter Starcke. I was asked to teach a class based on Starcke’s book, “It’s All God.”
Walter Starcke puts it in perspective. He clarifies the necessity of finding a realistic balance between living in the Absolute and the Relative world -- to find the balance between our humanity and our divinity. It's not a matter of “one or the other,” but rather, discovering the key to doing both at the same time.
God is ever present--he says. God is all there is--the good, the bad, the ugly. The human and the divine are one and the same, that even Christ was flawed and made mistakes. If we can accept our failures and weaknesses and those of others as opportunities for expansion, growth and learning, we can evolve our own Christ consciousness.
The email writer resigned from Delta Gamma; the story has died down. But who knows, she may show up on "Good Morning America," or "Oprah," who can ask “what were you thinking when you wrote this?”
And she can show she has matured into a thoughtful, compassionate, tolerant young lady. She’s only 20 or 21...lots of time to live and learn.
And so it is.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Saturday, February 2, 2013
I Am Living My Best Life Now
There is One Power, One Presence that flows through, in and around all things. It flows to me, expresses as me. I am an individualized expression of that Power, that Presence. I am one with the Divine, a Divine being here on this plane of consciousness.
I declare that I am living my best life now, before I step into my next great adventure. I am living effectively and effortlessly, experiencing the good, the better, the best that life has to offer. I am generating momentum to move forward dynamically in the four pillars of life: health, prosperity, creative expression and loving relationships. I get out of my own way to launch my vision. I release old, worn-out ideas and allow energy to flow into me, activating and powering my new vision of life.
I live in love, knowing the single most important thing in the Universe IS love. I release any feelings of fear and emptiness, and of the need for praise, power, pleasure and safety. I allow love to flow to me, and through me, and for me. I know Divine Love powers my life’s journey through a Universe of limitless possibility. With love, I live my best life now, and in the days and years to come.
I gratefully receive and give thanks for these wonders of life, and more. I release my word into the Law of Mind, knowing it returns to me, multiplied abundantly.
I declare that I am living my best life now, before I step into my next great adventure. I am living effectively and effortlessly, experiencing the good, the better, the best that life has to offer. I am generating momentum to move forward dynamically in the four pillars of life: health, prosperity, creative expression and loving relationships. I get out of my own way to launch my vision. I release old, worn-out ideas and allow energy to flow into me, activating and powering my new vision of life.
I live in love, knowing the single most important thing in the Universe IS love. I release any feelings of fear and emptiness, and of the need for praise, power, pleasure and safety. I allow love to flow to me, and through me, and for me. I know Divine Love powers my life’s journey through a Universe of limitless possibility. With love, I live my best life now, and in the days and years to come.
I gratefully receive and give thanks for these wonders of life, and more. I release my word into the Law of Mind, knowing it returns to me, multiplied abundantly.
Friday, February 1, 2013
I Emerge Into My Authentic Self
There is now and always only One: One Creative Mind, One Divine Intelligence, One Universal Power. As an individualized expression of that Mind, that Intelligence, that Power, I awaken to my spiritual magnificence. And as I live my purpose in harmony with the Universe, I help to create a world that works for all.
I step forward and allow that greater idea of who I am to emerge. I AM divinely fulfilled in all areas of my life -- loving relationships, creative expression, radiant good health and financial prosperity -- as my actions, thoughts and feelings attract that good into my experience. I am emerging with a larger consciousness of my authentic beingness, of my purpose here on this plane of consciousness.
As I live in a Universe of limitless possibility, I am harmonized and powered by Divine Love. I allow Spirit to express through me, as me, for me so that the perfect actualized ME emerges. I let go of anything that prevents my emergence into my divine purpose, into my authenticity.
I gratefully receive and give thanks for the emergence of my authentic self, and more. I release my word into the Law of Mind, knowing it returns to me, multiplied abundantly.
And so it is.
I step forward and allow that greater idea of who I am to emerge. I AM divinely fulfilled in all areas of my life -- loving relationships, creative expression, radiant good health and financial prosperity -- as my actions, thoughts and feelings attract that good into my experience. I am emerging with a larger consciousness of my authentic beingness, of my purpose here on this plane of consciousness.
As I live in a Universe of limitless possibility, I am harmonized and powered by Divine Love. I allow Spirit to express through me, as me, for me so that the perfect actualized ME emerges. I let go of anything that prevents my emergence into my divine purpose, into my authenticity.
I gratefully receive and give thanks for the emergence of my authentic self, and more. I release my word into the Law of Mind, knowing it returns to me, multiplied abundantly.
And so it is.
I Vision and Embody
There is One Infinite Intellligence, everywhere present, a Mind that knows all things, contains all knowledge and wisdom. I am surrounded by and connected to that Mind, that Intelligence. I allow the beauty, truth and wisdom of the One to flow to me, and through me, and for me, and as me. I am a conduit for God's ideas of who I can be, and what I can do here on this plane of consciousness. I am Spirit having a human experience.
And I declare, right here and right now, that as I vision for my life and become more of that which I envision, I become an avenue through which God manifests Its ideas here on Earth. I know my dreams are possible; my talents and abilities come alive as I know myself to be a greater person than I ever imagined. I am the Universe in miniature, a limitless being born to reveal hidden splendor. As I conscioiusly participate in the evolution of my soul, I am inspired by the ideas held in the mind of God as they live and express through me.
I gratefully receive and give thanks for my continually expanding potential, and more, and release my word into the Law of Mind, knowing it returns to me, multiplied abundantly.
And so it is.
And I declare, right here and right now, that as I vision for my life and become more of that which I envision, I become an avenue through which God manifests Its ideas here on Earth. I know my dreams are possible; my talents and abilities come alive as I know myself to be a greater person than I ever imagined. I am the Universe in miniature, a limitless being born to reveal hidden splendor. As I conscioiusly participate in the evolution of my soul, I am inspired by the ideas held in the mind of God as they live and express through me.
I gratefully receive and give thanks for my continually expanding potential, and more, and release my word into the Law of Mind, knowing it returns to me, multiplied abundantly.
And so it is.
Life Lessons
Whether it's at family gatherings over the holidays, or at other special events with important people in our lives, these could be good times for us to capture some of the wisdom of the older generation. This is the theme of 30 Lessons for Living, an extensive study and book on older Americans by Gerontologist Karl Pillemer.
Pillemer developed a series of questions we could ask around the holiday dinner table or other family gatherings. Since I’m officially an “elder,” here is how I would answer a few of them.
Question: What kind of advice would you have about getting or staying married?
I call my 43-year marriage (until my husband transitioned four years ago), the 80% solution. By that I mean we shared core values, and were not only lovers, but friends who liked, respected and trusted each other. We were both introverts, so we valued our alone times to recharge. Fortunately our house was large enough for separate recharging stations....he had the living room and I had the rec room.
We were on the same page for the big decisions. For the other 20%, the challenges and hard choices, we were able to avoid major conflict. When there was conflict, we were able to forgive and move on.
Question: What kinds of advice do you have about raising children?
I have to admit that my husband, Larry, and I were helicopter parents. But we knew the kids needed to individuate; we were there for guidance and support. We gave the gift of time, love and energy.
When my son, David, was a toddler, I spent time drawing cartoon animals for him. He would say, “Draw cow, Mommy.” Before I knew it, he was on the floor, listening to the story of Peter and the Wolf, and drawing wolves. He enjoys drawing to this day.
As a teenager, he wanted to go to rock concerts. Larry would drive him there and wait outside.
When he was about 14, Larry took him to some Valley club with live country music. David sat near the front, and Larry hovered in the back. Apparently a couple near David offered him some marijuana. Then they saw Larry hovering nearby. "Who’s that dude?" "Oh, that’s my Dad!" Marijuana disappeared fast.
Question: Difficult or stressful experiences can yield important lessons. Is that true for you? Can you give me examples of what you have learned?
I remember being engaged to a naval lieutenant in San Francisco back in the sixties, and we broke up. I was depressed for about a year, had insomnia, the whole ball of wax.
Then I joined the Foreign Service, had great adventures in Europe, and met my husband, who was a much better match. The lesson: one door closes, another opens.
Question: Did you have any turning points--key events or experiences - that changed the course of your life?
Being diagnosed and dealing with breast cancer back in the early 90's was a life changer. I decided I wanted to live and I did everything I could to thrive and survive.
The biggest change was discovering Religious Science and Science of Mind. I needed tools for positive living and I found them here...especially in Spiritual Mind Treatment. I never dreamed this health challenge would lead me to become an ordained minister. Sometimes we simply cannot see the gift, or the blessing, in what looks to be a formidable challenge.
Question: Have you learned any lessons regarding staying in good health?
Yes, be proactive, think for yourself and research whatever symptom or condition comes up in your life, so you can take appropriate action. This may mean going beyond conventional medicine. After the breast cancer and conventional treatment, my research indicated that those who took supplements survived longer; I developed my own protocol and take a lot of supplements to this day.
If there is a magic youth pill, it’s exercise. I started the Dynamos at this Center because Reverend Mike saw me at a local gym on an exercycle, and suggested I start a health and fitness group.
Very important to our mental, physical and spiritual health is our connection to the One. I use Spiritual Mind Treatment on a regular basis for radiant good health, for myself and others. I know that the Power of the One flows to me, and through me, and for me.
The most important life lesson gleaned from Pillemer’s study?
“Live like your life is short.” Time can pass in a nanosecond. It certainly seems that way.
From Ernest Holmes we can know, “Even in our troubles we are not cast down, and though we appear to be deserted, we are not destroyed. All our experiences are working to the end that we learn the lesson of life and return to the Father’s House as freed souls.”
And so it is.
Pillemer developed a series of questions we could ask around the holiday dinner table or other family gatherings. Since I’m officially an “elder,” here is how I would answer a few of them.
Question: What kind of advice would you have about getting or staying married?
I call my 43-year marriage (until my husband transitioned four years ago), the 80% solution. By that I mean we shared core values, and were not only lovers, but friends who liked, respected and trusted each other. We were both introverts, so we valued our alone times to recharge. Fortunately our house was large enough for separate recharging stations....he had the living room and I had the rec room.
We were on the same page for the big decisions. For the other 20%, the challenges and hard choices, we were able to avoid major conflict. When there was conflict, we were able to forgive and move on.
Question: What kinds of advice do you have about raising children?
I have to admit that my husband, Larry, and I were helicopter parents. But we knew the kids needed to individuate; we were there for guidance and support. We gave the gift of time, love and energy.
When my son, David, was a toddler, I spent time drawing cartoon animals for him. He would say, “Draw cow, Mommy.” Before I knew it, he was on the floor, listening to the story of Peter and the Wolf, and drawing wolves. He enjoys drawing to this day.
As a teenager, he wanted to go to rock concerts. Larry would drive him there and wait outside.
When he was about 14, Larry took him to some Valley club with live country music. David sat near the front, and Larry hovered in the back. Apparently a couple near David offered him some marijuana. Then they saw Larry hovering nearby. "Who’s that dude?" "Oh, that’s my Dad!" Marijuana disappeared fast.
Question: Difficult or stressful experiences can yield important lessons. Is that true for you? Can you give me examples of what you have learned?
I remember being engaged to a naval lieutenant in San Francisco back in the sixties, and we broke up. I was depressed for about a year, had insomnia, the whole ball of wax.
Then I joined the Foreign Service, had great adventures in Europe, and met my husband, who was a much better match. The lesson: one door closes, another opens.
Question: Did you have any turning points--key events or experiences - that changed the course of your life?
Being diagnosed and dealing with breast cancer back in the early 90's was a life changer. I decided I wanted to live and I did everything I could to thrive and survive.
The biggest change was discovering Religious Science and Science of Mind. I needed tools for positive living and I found them here...especially in Spiritual Mind Treatment. I never dreamed this health challenge would lead me to become an ordained minister. Sometimes we simply cannot see the gift, or the blessing, in what looks to be a formidable challenge.
Question: Have you learned any lessons regarding staying in good health?
Yes, be proactive, think for yourself and research whatever symptom or condition comes up in your life, so you can take appropriate action. This may mean going beyond conventional medicine. After the breast cancer and conventional treatment, my research indicated that those who took supplements survived longer; I developed my own protocol and take a lot of supplements to this day.
If there is a magic youth pill, it’s exercise. I started the Dynamos at this Center because Reverend Mike saw me at a local gym on an exercycle, and suggested I start a health and fitness group.
Very important to our mental, physical and spiritual health is our connection to the One. I use Spiritual Mind Treatment on a regular basis for radiant good health, for myself and others. I know that the Power of the One flows to me, and through me, and for me.
The most important life lesson gleaned from Pillemer’s study?
“Live like your life is short.” Time can pass in a nanosecond. It certainly seems that way.
From Ernest Holmes we can know, “Even in our troubles we are not cast down, and though we appear to be deserted, we are not destroyed. All our experiences are working to the end that we learn the lesson of life and return to the Father’s House as freed souls.”
And so it is.
Reboot Your Life
Have you seen “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead,” a documentary on DVD? It's inspiring. Joe Cross, an Australian who was fat, sick and nearly dead embarked on a 60 day juice fast, traveling across America to document his progress and talk to people along the way.
He met another man, a truck driver weighing 429 pounds who was suffering from some of the same ailments as Joe, and the two of them transformed their health, their bodies and their lives through juicing.
It was amazing to watch the truck driver emerge from the blob and become a handsome, dynamic human being who embarked on a new career as a nutritional guru. Joe Cross also started a web site to assist people in juicing and healthy rebooting.
So I thought, I’m tired of this fat around my waist. I need to reboot my diet. But let’s not stop there...let’s reboot my life.
Now what exactly is rebooting? To reboot a computer is to restart and reload the operating system...probably because of some new software or hardware or to restore it after a program failure.
Personally, we might see rebooting as simply stepping outside our lives for a moment to view it from the outside. To see the New Year as a time to start fresh and make some positive changes. To do things...big or little...out of the ordinary to shake our routine. To make a Clean Sweep..of the house, our stuffed closets and cupboards, our busy schedules, our states of mind. Redo the To Do List. Empty our email box and start over. Ask: what no longer serves me? What am I tolerating? Can I become toleration free?
Can I push the reboot button on the resolutions and goals of last year and power them up for this new year?
A while back I developed a Dream Big Plan. I started well, developed an outline for a book and crashed about half-way through the project. Just stopped.
I obviously need a reboot of goals and resolutions for this year. Maybe some of you do, also. We can look at what went wrong, meditate on it, figure out why it didn’t go as planned...and then bury it. Last year is gone. Let’s start where we’re at.
Let’s look at what's been going right. We must have done some great things that we're proud of. Acknowledge them! For me, I have managed to do some home remodeling, produce several personal photo books, become an ordained minister, and do some traveling.
I can acknowledge that, put it behind me and look ahead. Examining new challenges helps us to strengthen our resolve to reboot. For me, I found I am still working through the grief process after the loss of my husband of 43 years. It’s been harder than I thought it would be.
But bottom line: What do I want to do THIS year? Who do I want to be THIS year?
We’re so fortunate in Religious Science to have the wonderful tool of Spiritual Mind Treatment---affirmative prayer. We can treat for clarity to define our our goals, and for the strength, energy, vitality, health, and resources...financial and otherwise...to achieve them.
Knowing we are individualized expressions of the One Source helps us to reboot our personal as well as our spiritual operating systems. We can treat and use our feet.
Ernest Holmes would agree. I’ll close with my favorite Holmes quote.
“Today the possibilities of my experience are unlimited...Life lies open to me...rich, full, abundant..I have only to open the portals of my soul and accept that which is ready to express through me. Today I fling those portals wide; today I am the instrument through which life flows.”
And so it is.
He met another man, a truck driver weighing 429 pounds who was suffering from some of the same ailments as Joe, and the two of them transformed their health, their bodies and their lives through juicing.
It was amazing to watch the truck driver emerge from the blob and become a handsome, dynamic human being who embarked on a new career as a nutritional guru. Joe Cross also started a web site to assist people in juicing and healthy rebooting.
So I thought, I’m tired of this fat around my waist. I need to reboot my diet. But let’s not stop there...let’s reboot my life.
Now what exactly is rebooting? To reboot a computer is to restart and reload the operating system...probably because of some new software or hardware or to restore it after a program failure.
Personally, we might see rebooting as simply stepping outside our lives for a moment to view it from the outside. To see the New Year as a time to start fresh and make some positive changes. To do things...big or little...out of the ordinary to shake our routine. To make a Clean Sweep..of the house, our stuffed closets and cupboards, our busy schedules, our states of mind. Redo the To Do List. Empty our email box and start over. Ask: what no longer serves me? What am I tolerating? Can I become toleration free?
Can I push the reboot button on the resolutions and goals of last year and power them up for this new year?
A while back I developed a Dream Big Plan. I started well, developed an outline for a book and crashed about half-way through the project. Just stopped.
I obviously need a reboot of goals and resolutions for this year. Maybe some of you do, also. We can look at what went wrong, meditate on it, figure out why it didn’t go as planned...and then bury it. Last year is gone. Let’s start where we’re at.
Let’s look at what's been going right. We must have done some great things that we're proud of. Acknowledge them! For me, I have managed to do some home remodeling, produce several personal photo books, become an ordained minister, and do some traveling.
I can acknowledge that, put it behind me and look ahead. Examining new challenges helps us to strengthen our resolve to reboot. For me, I found I am still working through the grief process after the loss of my husband of 43 years. It’s been harder than I thought it would be.
But bottom line: What do I want to do THIS year? Who do I want to be THIS year?
We’re so fortunate in Religious Science to have the wonderful tool of Spiritual Mind Treatment---affirmative prayer. We can treat for clarity to define our our goals, and for the strength, energy, vitality, health, and resources...financial and otherwise...to achieve them.
Knowing we are individualized expressions of the One Source helps us to reboot our personal as well as our spiritual operating systems. We can treat and use our feet.
Ernest Holmes would agree. I’ll close with my favorite Holmes quote.
“Today the possibilities of my experience are unlimited...Life lies open to me...rich, full, abundant..I have only to open the portals of my soul and accept that which is ready to express through me. Today I fling those portals wide; today I am the instrument through which life flows.”
And so it is.
12/12/12
Some people believe this date, 12/12/12, according to the Mayan calendar, is significant. Perhaps it signifies the end of the world, or a major global shift in consciousness to a higher level. Some think it signifies nothing.
But for many couples wanting to get married, this date is considered lucky. One survey indicates a 1,446 percent increase in weddings on 12/12/12, versus 12/12/11. Several states prepared for a rush on weddings on this day, including Los Angeles. The county clerk’s office expanded hours so people could apply online for licenses ahead of time.
This stimulated my thinking about a film I saw recently..."Take This Waltz," starring Michelle Williams and Seth Rogen. They’ve been happily and even lovingly married for five years and yet Michelle’s character, Margot, is dissatisfied. Life with husband, Lou, has become ordinary. There is a resigned acceptance, a bland familiarity, in the relationship. When she develops an intense, immediate and mutual chemistry with an attractive new neighbor, Daniel, her marriage falls apart.
Another character tries to warn her: “New things get old.” And, “Life has a gap in it...It just does. You don’t go crazy trying to fill it.”
And that’s what happens. She tries to fill the void, to find excitement and passion, and when that wears off, when the new becomes old, when the gap isn’t filled--her new relationship mirrors her former marriage. She remains discontented.
I wondered, is this Divine Discontent? Is she suppressing a fountain of energy, which if released, could move her toward her full potential, to achieve a major creative breakthrough, rather than sink into boredom or unhappiness?
None of the characters have a spiritual life, and only Rogen’s Lou is pursuing his dream to become a successful cookbook writer. He finds joy in the marriage and in his work as a chef, experimenting on chicken recipes. Margot and Daniel are both unfulfilled in their creative lives...Margot aspires to be a writer but is bored writing travel brochures; Daniel aspires to be an artist, is afraid to exhibit his work and works as a rickshaw driver.
Their divine discontent is suppressed, and manifests as erotic fantasies and games, a broken marriage and eventually another ordinary relationship.
This stimulated me to think about my own marriage...how did I manage to stay married for 43 years, until my husband made his transition? Yes there was entropy, especially as we grew older. Yes, there was an ordinary quality to life after those early years of wild passion. There was the arrival of children and a definite shift to love, not just being “in love.”
Forty-three years is a long time. What's my secret to a successful marriage? I call it the 80% Solution. It helps to choose well...someone who you not only love but like and respect, have common interests and values, and communicate well together. That enables you to be 80% on the same page as you go through the ups and downs of life together.
The other 20% are the challenges, the hard choices, the temptations and how you handle them. Someone can have lust in his or her heart, but acting on it is something else. Or if acted out, can it be forgiven? Or worked on? And more importantly, at least for me, is not to be joined at the hip in everything--that each person in the relationship has separate and rewarding interests and activities. This allows us to grow toward our full potential, to tap into any divine discontent and use that productive source of energy to bolster our mutual peace, joy and happiness.
By the end of the film, "Take This Waltz," Margot is seen alone riding a carousel, possibly lost in fantasy. All the characters are sympathetic. I could empathize yet know that different choices could have led to a happier outcome for all.
As Ernest Holmes says: “We cannot live a choiceless life. Every day, every moment, every second, there is choice If it were not so, we would not be individuals.” There is “not only the possibility of choice; but the liability of experiencing that which is chosen.”
And so it is.
But for many couples wanting to get married, this date is considered lucky. One survey indicates a 1,446 percent increase in weddings on 12/12/12, versus 12/12/11. Several states prepared for a rush on weddings on this day, including Los Angeles. The county clerk’s office expanded hours so people could apply online for licenses ahead of time.
This stimulated my thinking about a film I saw recently..."Take This Waltz," starring Michelle Williams and Seth Rogen. They’ve been happily and even lovingly married for five years and yet Michelle’s character, Margot, is dissatisfied. Life with husband, Lou, has become ordinary. There is a resigned acceptance, a bland familiarity, in the relationship. When she develops an intense, immediate and mutual chemistry with an attractive new neighbor, Daniel, her marriage falls apart.
Another character tries to warn her: “New things get old.” And, “Life has a gap in it...It just does. You don’t go crazy trying to fill it.”
And that’s what happens. She tries to fill the void, to find excitement and passion, and when that wears off, when the new becomes old, when the gap isn’t filled--her new relationship mirrors her former marriage. She remains discontented.
I wondered, is this Divine Discontent? Is she suppressing a fountain of energy, which if released, could move her toward her full potential, to achieve a major creative breakthrough, rather than sink into boredom or unhappiness?
None of the characters have a spiritual life, and only Rogen’s Lou is pursuing his dream to become a successful cookbook writer. He finds joy in the marriage and in his work as a chef, experimenting on chicken recipes. Margot and Daniel are both unfulfilled in their creative lives...Margot aspires to be a writer but is bored writing travel brochures; Daniel aspires to be an artist, is afraid to exhibit his work and works as a rickshaw driver.
Their divine discontent is suppressed, and manifests as erotic fantasies and games, a broken marriage and eventually another ordinary relationship.
This stimulated me to think about my own marriage...how did I manage to stay married for 43 years, until my husband made his transition? Yes there was entropy, especially as we grew older. Yes, there was an ordinary quality to life after those early years of wild passion. There was the arrival of children and a definite shift to love, not just being “in love.”
Forty-three years is a long time. What's my secret to a successful marriage? I call it the 80% Solution. It helps to choose well...someone who you not only love but like and respect, have common interests and values, and communicate well together. That enables you to be 80% on the same page as you go through the ups and downs of life together.
The other 20% are the challenges, the hard choices, the temptations and how you handle them. Someone can have lust in his or her heart, but acting on it is something else. Or if acted out, can it be forgiven? Or worked on? And more importantly, at least for me, is not to be joined at the hip in everything--that each person in the relationship has separate and rewarding interests and activities. This allows us to grow toward our full potential, to tap into any divine discontent and use that productive source of energy to bolster our mutual peace, joy and happiness.
By the end of the film, "Take This Waltz," Margot is seen alone riding a carousel, possibly lost in fantasy. All the characters are sympathetic. I could empathize yet know that different choices could have led to a happier outcome for all.
As Ernest Holmes says: “We cannot live a choiceless life. Every day, every moment, every second, there is choice If it were not so, we would not be individuals.” There is “not only the possibility of choice; but the liability of experiencing that which is chosen.”
And so it is.
Life Without Limits
Imagine this challenge. You’re born without arms...you can’t hug a friend, hold a knife or fork, lift or carry groceries, take care of your personal needs, experience touch from your fingers.
Imagine this, also. You have no legs, as well as no arms. You can’t dance, walk, run, not even stand. No arms, no legs. What would your life be like?
Nick Vujicic, a Serbian Australian evangelist and motivational speaker, shows us. You can Google Nick on the Web. “No arms, no legs...no limits,” he says.
He was born in 1982 without limbs, due to a rare medical disorder, tetra-amelia syndrome. He’s got a head, a torso, and two little foot-like appendages that help him to move around. He has a wheelchair that keeps him vertical.
As a child, he was lonely and depressed, even attempting suicide at age 10. When his mother showed him an article about a man dealing with a severe disability, Nick realized he wasn't the only person with such challenges. He turned his life around, learning basic tasks such as writing, computer typing, throwing a tennis ball, combing his hair, using the telephone and more.
At age 17, he founded his own non-profit organization, "Life Without Limbs." He’s now based in California and travels the world with his message of finding meaning and purpose in life, no matter what.
You think you’re too fat, too old, too young, too unattractive. You can’t stand that pimple on your nose? When you see Nick in action, you can’t complain about ANYTHING.
You can see him on U-tube, golfing and swimming and surfing. And he’s got his own music video, where he sings. And he stars in a short film, “The Butterfly Circus.” He plays a depression-era man in a carnival sideshow who joins a traveling circus, learns to stand on his own, and develops his own daring act of diving from a high tower into a tub of water, from he he surfaces. He inspires others. It’s a beautifully done film.
Oh, and he’s also written books, appeared on Oprah, “60 Minutes,” and other television shows, got married to the girl of his dreams and they are expecting a baby by the end of this month.
He’s made the most of his gifts...he’s handsome, with a strong voice, a great smile, and a determination and persistence to demonstrate his message: You can do it!
God is with you!
One U-tube video shows him on stage, on a platform, moving around with his little footlike appendages, speaking to the audience with humor and charisma. He says, “you might fall down.” And he falls flat on the platform. “Sometimes in life you fall, and you feel you don’t have the strength to get up,” he says. As he lies there, you wonder: how is he going to get back up?
“I will try to get up 100 times, and if I fail 100 times, do I give up?” he says. “No, it matters how you’re going to finish. Are you going to finish strong?” He demonstrates the seemingly impossible, maneuvering his trunk back up to a standing position. So if he has the strength to get up with no arms and no legs, then we can do it...we can finish strong.
Ernest Holmes would love Nick and his example of limitless possibilities. As Holmes says,”...the possibilities of my experience are unlimited. The Spirit flows through me, inspiring me and sustaining that inspiration. I have ability and talent and I am busy using them. This talent is divinely sustained and marketed under a Universal plan of right action.”
Nick Vuijicic is playing the hand he’s dealt. And winning that hand. It’s all about choice, he says. And if you don’t get a miracle, become one.
And so it is.
Imagine this, also. You have no legs, as well as no arms. You can’t dance, walk, run, not even stand. No arms, no legs. What would your life be like?
Nick Vujicic, a Serbian Australian evangelist and motivational speaker, shows us. You can Google Nick on the Web. “No arms, no legs...no limits,” he says.
He was born in 1982 without limbs, due to a rare medical disorder, tetra-amelia syndrome. He’s got a head, a torso, and two little foot-like appendages that help him to move around. He has a wheelchair that keeps him vertical.
As a child, he was lonely and depressed, even attempting suicide at age 10. When his mother showed him an article about a man dealing with a severe disability, Nick realized he wasn't the only person with such challenges. He turned his life around, learning basic tasks such as writing, computer typing, throwing a tennis ball, combing his hair, using the telephone and more.
At age 17, he founded his own non-profit organization, "Life Without Limbs." He’s now based in California and travels the world with his message of finding meaning and purpose in life, no matter what.
You think you’re too fat, too old, too young, too unattractive. You can’t stand that pimple on your nose? When you see Nick in action, you can’t complain about ANYTHING.
You can see him on U-tube, golfing and swimming and surfing. And he’s got his own music video, where he sings. And he stars in a short film, “The Butterfly Circus.” He plays a depression-era man in a carnival sideshow who joins a traveling circus, learns to stand on his own, and develops his own daring act of diving from a high tower into a tub of water, from he he surfaces. He inspires others. It’s a beautifully done film.
Oh, and he’s also written books, appeared on Oprah, “60 Minutes,” and other television shows, got married to the girl of his dreams and they are expecting a baby by the end of this month.
He’s made the most of his gifts...he’s handsome, with a strong voice, a great smile, and a determination and persistence to demonstrate his message: You can do it!
God is with you!
One U-tube video shows him on stage, on a platform, moving around with his little footlike appendages, speaking to the audience with humor and charisma. He says, “you might fall down.” And he falls flat on the platform. “Sometimes in life you fall, and you feel you don’t have the strength to get up,” he says. As he lies there, you wonder: how is he going to get back up?
“I will try to get up 100 times, and if I fail 100 times, do I give up?” he says. “No, it matters how you’re going to finish. Are you going to finish strong?” He demonstrates the seemingly impossible, maneuvering his trunk back up to a standing position. So if he has the strength to get up with no arms and no legs, then we can do it...we can finish strong.
Ernest Holmes would love Nick and his example of limitless possibilities. As Holmes says,”...the possibilities of my experience are unlimited. The Spirit flows through me, inspiring me and sustaining that inspiration. I have ability and talent and I am busy using them. This talent is divinely sustained and marketed under a Universal plan of right action.”
Nick Vuijicic is playing the hand he’s dealt. And winning that hand. It’s all about choice, he says. And if you don’t get a miracle, become one.
And so it is.
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