Aloha.
I'm Rev.
Cindy Paulus,
And I was reflecting on perfections,
Imperfections,
And acceptance of who we are.
It seems there's always something that we're striving for.
There's so much we can do to try to make our life better.
There's always something that we say we can work on,
And you know,
It goes on and on and on.
I wonder,
I really wonder if sometimes we just say,
Oh,
Okay,
Well,
This is the way I am.
Everything's okay,
And I'm just fine.
This is it.
I haven't found that to be the case.
I think there's always this driving force that we have,
And there's always so much that we can do in this time and space to be a better reflection of our higher self,
And once you open that door to seeing what you could possibly be and what you're really here for,
It kind of goes on and on and on,
And if you really learn to meditate,
You can kind of see that reflection coming forth in many ways,
And we each have ways it affects us.
For some people,
It may be drugs.
For some people,
It may be drinking.
For some people,
It may be eating.
We all have our,
What do we call them,
Our comfort zone things that we gather around us,
Wanting to just be okay,
You know.
Meditation is actually,
In a way,
An answer and the opposite of all of the above,
Because meditation isn't for the faint of heart.
Meditation brings that stuff up.
Now,
That's a good thing,
Isn't it?
It's good to see what's our driving force and what's causing all of those things to come forth,
But once you see that and discover it,
You have to be able to accept it and embrace it and understand it and then let it go,
And that is quite an interesting story.
It's very hard to define it,
But I've seen it existing so much,
And it's behind a lot of what people do without them even realizing why they're doing what they're doing.
So,
I think it is important to take time and say,
You're going to find things in meditation.
You're going to find things when you go within that you may have hidden for a long time,
And the more you evolve,
The more you are uncovering what's behind a lot of your life.
This is,
I've seen this in many,
Many artists.
I've seen this in many musicians,
And actually,
It's behind a lot of what I've seen great musicians create music about.
I've seen great artists do art about,
Books written,
Right?
Books written about just this discovery.
Of what you're seeing there inside that comes out,
And the best gift you can have,
I think,
In life is to be able to see stuff like that,
To accept stuff like that,
And be strong enough to be compassionate and understanding and loving to yourself on this long,
Long journey that we're on,
Because it is a long,
Long journey,
And you're going to encounter stuff on this journey,
Because that's part of what your soul is showing you to deal with while you're here,
And it is not always easy,
My friend,
And a lot of us do a lot to run and hide from it in ways we don't even know.
That's where psychologists come in,
But I know people have been seeing psychologists for 20 years,
30 years,
And most people say it's not a one-time thing when you see a psychologist.
It goes on and on and on,
Right?
But the same thing is,
You can be your own inner psychologist.
Now,
I'm not saying it takes the place of the other.
Maybe one actually causes a need for the other,
But you can be your inner teacher,
But it takes a lot of strength.
It takes a lot of fortitude.
It takes a lot of compassion on this journey,
This long,
Long journey home.
So,
I would just ask that you be very understanding of yourself as you go within,
And very courageous,
And able to see the truth,
And also what's not true,
The maya,
The dream,
And how it's been created,
And that inner fortitude,
That inner compassion,
That inner strength,
That inner guidance,
If you have faith in it,
Will see you through.
And it may not be easy,
You know?
And I tell you,
Sometimes I think the things that are the most valuable in life are the hard lessons.
I don't know why that is,
But sometimes.
So,
Be prepared to hang in there.
Be prepared to go for the long run,
To go for that truth within.
I just wrote a poem this morning I'm going to share with you.
Oh,
Lord,
Lately it occurs to me what drives this circle of life and brings it to that place where it's complete.
I wonder if there ever is a time that we can just stop and say,
All right,
I'm fine.
There's so much more there seems to be waiting to be fulfilled in me.
It makes me wonder why,
Oh why,
I need to feel this place so divine,
Brought to earth,
And make it mine.
I know it's all a dream of sorts.
And I've been dreaming for so very,
Very long.
But there comes a time where it just seems that I find that higher state of mind,
That higher ground that can't be defined,
Where everything is all right.
And I'm okay with what is left to find.
This life is a sort of masterpiece,
A drawing that God created.
And I'm a living part of that art that is the song that I once found is mine,
Repeated in so many different ways of time,
Circles amidst circles,
Leading back to be allowed to find that place inside that is so fine,
That love of God so divine.
And if it were to be that love that lives eternally,
Is brought to some place where it can rest and I can find it living here inside,
I think I'd still try my hardest to make that inside all right,
To share in every day of life.
This life is inside out.
In some ways,
The outside drives within.
It's a strange long journey that we find.
So very,
Very hard to define how we make that love that's so perfect and so full of light present here within our life.
