Pride the Progress Killer

Proud as a peacock is not necessarily a bad thing.
Majestic Peacock designs on Zazzle

I've been pondering spiritual things lately. I look back on the road I have traveled and think about the life I have led so far. I have learned to take an active role in where I am headed. For a person who used to just drift through life, I have accomplished much in a short time. I say this as a mark of experience, not a boastful thing. 

Pride is a serious obstacle when it comes to moving forward. It is the wall that many of us collide with on our journey. It gets us in trouble more often than not and it is a tool that the universe uses to bring us down to size. The flip side of pride is humility. It is difficult to walk in strides that are humble in this day and age. The world tells us to be prideful and puffed up. 

We take selfies and post them on all our social networks. We seek out the vain things of the world. These items are usually trending fads and tend to drift off into the distance soon after they are in possession. Where is the next fad or hoopla? Caught up in the spirit of the moment we often sell out our progress to higher planes of consciousness. These are stumbling blocks, not stepping stones. The latest label will never give you longevity only momentary pleasure.  

My journey around life has taught me a few serious lessons. I am never better than my fellows. I am a resident of Mother Earth like the rest of us and I understand it is my choice to be a blessing while I am here. I am to learn all I can about the human condition as I drift through my short days here. The things I have been given in the way of gifts are to be nurtured and shared, but not in a prideful way. Uplift another human being with what we have been given. This is how we sow goodness on the earth. 

There are ways to move through responsibilities that are uplifting and in the process they create a sense of accomplishment. Complaining that we have to do something just causes a thing to feel heavier. The joy of checking one more thing off the to-do list should trigger a desire to do better. Inner satisfaction is gained when we keep our minds on the duties we need to perform and a feeling of well-being comes about through this outlook. I cannot tell you how many times I have wanted to put off doing a garden chore or tending to my animals. I step into the area that needs attention and I realize what a blessing it is to be able to work with these things. The garden gives forth goodness and the animals return good feelings and comfort when they are well cared for. These are the privileges I have been given. No matter how hard a task is, go about it in a positive way. This makes the work so much easier. The job usually goes faster, too. While in the midst of a to-do list item, I have often been given an inspirational thought or an answer to a question that has bothered me. Hard work is good for the body and the soul. 

Recommended Reading

Kahlil Gibran

Excerpt:

On Work

You work that you may keep pace with the earth and the soul of the earth.
For to be idle is to become a stranger unto the seasons,
and to step out of life's procession, that marches in majesty and proud submission towards the infinite. Kindle Version on Amazon

Progress - not perfection - stay active

Sometimes the mountain we must climb is inside our hearts and spirit.
Image: M Burgess - Mt. Charleston, NV

It is progress, not perfection that we are trying to achieve.
-AA Big Book

Are we a better person today than we were yesterday,
last year,
or even five years ago? 

If the answer to this question is yes, then we are living true to our potential. 

If a person spends time learning new things they are progressing. Too many times people set aside learning as a disagreeable activity. 

My run into darkness taught me a lesson I will never forget. Sometimes, we make poor choices, and we often have to live a lifetime of consequences for these decisions. The results may not be known to those around you or be evident to new people you meet, but inside each and every one of us there is a history of things we regret, feel guilty about, or are ashamed of. These are not who we are. We are an accumulation of experiences, some positive, some negative. The energy that makes up who we are shines through if we continue on a path that is ever learning. Sometimes these thoughts and memories are like a mountain we must climb inside our hearts and spirit.

Ask yourself:

• What do you really want to know? 
• How much do you want to know about this world? 
• How can these things be accomplished? 

 -- Meditate -- Treat Yourself Well

Do you have a prayer ritual or a meditation routine? Is there a God or higher power at work in your life? If not, consider getting the spiritual base in your life solid. Begin with a peaceful morning and throughout the day, take a timeout -- even if it is only for five minutes with a pleasant thought in your head and a breathing action. The meeting I attended Saturday instructed us to breath in faith and breathe out fear. I like this better than the one one one one -- and and and and -- breathing method that I know. 

meditation and spirituality

Include positive statements in your waking moments and rituals.I have to constantly remind myself not to call me stupid or ignorant. I have begun to say it out loud, "Stop calling me that!" I shout sometimes. The way we treat ourselves is a reflection of how we feel inside at times. This may also be a clue as how we would treat another human being. Once we bridge that relationship to ourselves that enlightens us to take good care of our friend (meaning ourselves) a new world begins to unfold. From this point on we can have good relationships with not only inner self, but those around us. 

To Thine Own Self Be True

How do you do that?

Ask more questions  --  Make a list

• How can I better take care of this person? 
• What does this individual really want to do? 
• What do I excel at? 

Ask these questions occasionally. Guage your future decisions on these answers. Yes, put a wish list and a bucket list together. Do a to do list for today, for this year. Shelter your mind from poisonous thoughts and actions and call to action an effort on your person. Do three things today that can be achieved in a short amount of time. Take on the world a list item at a time. See where you can conquer items in your life that hold you back. Checking those things off of your list is a feeling of satisfaction and it can often be a way to tackle a bigger chore or task or even a college degree. 

This is where I am at now; at 48 years old, I decided I needed a degree. Education and employment rule my life at the moment. That and a pair of wonderful guinea pigs. We will get to those later. I have homework to do. 

Be good to you, ok? Oh, and remember to smile sometime today. 

Find something to make you smile or laugh when you get down. It is a healing thing and an emotional bridge to a better state of mind. The cares of this world get too heavy at times and must be set aside if only for a bit so the spiritual and mental faculties can be given a chance to regroup. Focus on what is really important -- the emotional state of your mind and your health. 

Upheaval and stress led me to do one of two things in the past: fight or flight. Today, I still squirm a bit when life gets difficult, but I have the ability to stand in one place today and not run and hide. Facing difficulties are not always easy, but they are worth it. 

Learn to be Brave!