It is never what you think it is. Or is it really?

Choosing your own reality is a concept that seems very weighted to me. Choosing your own reality is heavy in a way and dangerous but at the same time essential to spiritual growth and enlightenment.

What this means is that you have to let go and realize that from this moment forward the world is not what you thought it was and you have to choose for yourself what it will be. People have used a thought very similar to that one to change the world, hike mountains, overcome disabilities, and in fact achieve enlightenment. The world is not what I thought it was. Think about it. What if tomorrow you woke up and renamed everything and gave it new meaning? What if you chose to see the world not riddled with war, debt, and diseases but rather full of individuals and groups who worked together to make the world a better place? What would your new world look like?

Now, bear with me here dear reader… What you just read is a change in mindset. What I’m really talking about here is a change in reality. I’m saying that on a metaphysical and spiritual level you can choose to change reality. A feather can float through your desk, the water can turn to wine, the Braves can win a World Series. You can choose to make life, your reality, into what you want it to be. You can choose to use this reality to change the world, climb mountains and all that if you want, but your choice will become a simple one. You will want to save the world. Not like Superman; but your world. You will through your choices in reality reshape the whole world.

Did I lose you there? It is a bit of a worm hole, but if you really sit down and spend just 10-15 minutes contemplating that Truth, I think you’ll find that deep down you already knew that.

When we grow up we’re told that a dog barks, a river flows, the sun rises, granny snores, vegetables are good for you, Africa is poor, America is right, they are them and we are us. This goes here, that goes there, you are this and they are that. Our parents are gods, our teachers are gods, they lay down laws that will rule our lives and define our realities for the rest of our lives. We accept this reality and build on it because we are sponges and we look to our ‘gods’ as bringers of the truth. And, if you were raised in a church, you had another God looking over you as well that had his own set of rules that were also defined to you by either your parents or pastor or family members. All of this is to say that you didn’t really play a major role in defining your reality the first time around. By the time you were able to make up your own mind about the world around you there were already too many limits on your system of thought. You can’t do that! You won’t do this! The system is rigged! The World is a dark and dangerous place! All of that you’ve already accepted by the time you’re ready to ‘make up your own mind’ about the way things work. What I’m saying is, “Bullshit!”

When it comes to shaping reality, you’re in total control. There is no Boogie Man out there trying to get you; unless you say there is. The System is not rigged; unless you say it is. Reality is what you make it to be. Now, here is where the danger comes in. I can’t walk up to my work’s rooftop and say ‘diving off of here will result in my landing safely on the ground’ and expect that to just happen. Why? Because I have not truly accepted that as part of my reality. I could say it. I could want it to be true. But, saying and wanting does not make a truth. Belief in my reality comes from a whole acceptance of that reality. It’s not the “Happy Hippie” walking down the street seeing all flowers and rainbows and wanting the world to be a better place for you and for me; this is Truth. You and I have to create reality not expectations and ideas or positive thoughts and actions; Reality!

Now that is a step dear reader. Creating reality is a step that once taken you’ll feel like Neo and his Red Pill.  There is no going back there is no closing of the mind once you’ve started creating reality. Once you choose to start replacing the world that you see with the world that is full of Truth and Reality then you’ll never see your limits and limitations ever again. Time, Space, Matter, all can be what you want them to be. It’s you’re world boss; we’re just all living in it. 

This Little Light of Yours…

I came across a lesson the other day that said, “Forgiveness is the key to happiness.” You may want to read that opening sentence again dear reader before you continue on and let it sink in just a bit. “Forgiveness is the key to happiness.” Not money, not bacon, not family, not cars, not rock and roll dreams and not a walk off homer into the bleachers on a summer afternoon. Forgiveness.

The idea here is to ultimately forgive everything, everyone and yourself on your way to true happiness. Now the ‘everything’ there is a bit tricky in that it’s hard for you to forgive the desk you’re writing on or the rain. The desk is an inanimate object and the rain is just a product of a larger system of weather and both are just doing their jobs so it becomes easy to forgive them for what they are since really they are not causing you any offense. ‘Everythings’ can be easily forgiven for any perceived offense because they are innocent of any wrong doings and because when viewed in the larger metaphysical sense, they are just another part of you and your dream anyway.

The ‘everyone’ part is the one that you’ll see thousands of times a day. (spoiler here dear reader, the solution is almost the exact same as the everythings) If I asked you to look for someone in your life that you need to forgive I’m sure a face would pop into your mind pretty quick. A family member, coworker, neighbor or classmate would probably be at the top of the list. So think about that person. You've already seen them. Now let’s do this together. First, think about two or three things that really annoy you about them. Ok, stop! I said only two or three, not two or three hundred. Easy right? Now think about one, just one thing that is that person’s best quality. Are they sincere? Are they dedicated to something? Are the passionate about something? What is it that they do that you find admirable or impressive? Now think about that one thing and see it coming from them as a beam of light, just shining out of them somehow, maybe from their chest or head or whatever.

Now I want you to hold that image and at the same time think of your best friend or partner or love or just someone that you really really like. What are their best qualities? I’m sure you can list quite a few. Now go back to the person that you don’t like that much and take their beam of light and move it over to your friend. Does it look right coming from them? Does your ‘enemy’ have a similar quality that your friend does? Can you see your friend as sincere, dedicated, or passionate? Of course you can.

The next time you see your ‘enemy’ or the first person you thought of, see that light coming from them first. Focus on that quality at all times. He/She is good at ______. He/She does ________ really well. Use that thought that beam of light coming from them to start replacing all the hundreds of faults you have with that person. Then start saying those out loud. ‘I forgive you ____ for being combative.’ ‘I forgive you _______ for being late for work.’ ‘I forgive you ______ for being indecisive.’ This list can go on and on. But, in the end you’ll find that it gets easier and easier to forgive them for what you perceive as ‘faults’ because just like the desk, they are not at fault. You have just as big of a roll to play in how you take they’re attributes and judge them as they do in delivering them.

I don’t like using all those yous and theys there to describe this because once you get into the process of forgiveness you’ll see that in the end it’s just we. The guy I can’t stand and my best friend have several things in common with each other and with me. We are all in this together and my interactions with each of them are only different because of the way I have chosen to judge them. Once I forgive them I will have accepted that forgiveness will give me everything that I want. And, happiness is what I want.

That’s what leads us to the ‘yourself’ portion of forgiveness. I’d like to spell all that out for you but I’m not quite ready for that just yet. (Maybe next week). But, I will say that once we’re able to wrap our heads around the concept that we are not fallible and full of sin we’ll be able to awaken and realize that as long as we can forgive in others what we have placed on them in the first place, we’ll find happiness. I explained this concept to myself the other day with the idea that: ‘That guy is a dick because I say he’s a dick. That guy is my friend because I say he’s my friend. Once I’m able to see that they are who they are because I’ve created them that way then I can begin to forgive both of us.’

If none of that made any sense dear reader I beg your forgiveness. Now forgive me and you’ll feel better. See! Easy as that. Not really.

I’ll continue this in a later post, but for now, try a little forgiveness and see. 

Here’s to you Mr. Jones

Well that happened. 19 years went by and the young guy playing third base for the Atlanta Braves turned into an old man who cast the shadow of a legend. In the era of free agency when players switch jerseys every time they sign a new contract, Larry “Chipper” Jones became a Braves player, stayed a Braves player and will forever remain a Braves legend. #10 will forever hang above the crowd and in our memories. Thank you Chipper!

Now Chipper has his detractors to be sure, but his career numbers don’t lie. As I’ve always said: “Haters gonna Hate, but put up the numbers and they’ll just call you Great.” (Ok, I’ve never said that and just made that up).

Anyway, just look at these:

8 Time All-Star

2 Silver Slugger Awards

1999 NL MVP

2008 NL Batting Champion

Jones ended his career in 2012 as a .303 hitter with 468 home runs, 1,512 walks, and 1,623 RBI in 2,499 games with 8,984 at bats. He has the most career RBIs for a third baseman. He is also behind only Eddie Murray on the all-time switch hitters career RBI list and he is the only switch hitter in Major League Baseball history to have a .300+ career batting average and 400 or more home runs.  Jones also joined Stan Musial, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, and Lou Gehrig as the only players in Major League history to record at least 2,500 hits, 1,500 walks, 1,500 runs, 500 doubles, 450 home runs and 1,500 RBIs while hitting .300 with a .400 on-base percentage and .500 slugging percentage.

SO THERE!!!

Baseball is all about the numbers and Chipper put up his numbers over 19years. So I was really happy to be there this past Friday night when the Braves retired his number and he got to parade around Turner Field one last time. Chipper’s will be the last of the 90s team to be retired and the last for a really long time for this franchise. First Maddux, then Glavine, Cox and Smoltz and finally Chipper. All five names that I’ll remember for the rest of my days and Braves fans will always honor. Heroes to my generation; legends for generations to come.

Really other than that, not a whole lot happened this past weekend. I had fun at the game with my oldest pal Dave and his wife Cuyler. Cuyler by the way has the trick to saving money at the ballpark and will forever be remembered as the woman who from this day forth will save me tons of cash when I go to Braves games! (Sorry, I would tell you what it is, but I’m afraid if too many people know, they’ll ban us from the ballpark.)

Until next week dear reader, Play Ball!