Jim Palmer's Blog, page 38
February 23, 2014
It’s what’s in your life right now
The perfect scenario for…
waking up,
experiencing transformation,
charting a new path,
starting over,
finding peace,
being happy,
doing it differently,
letting go,
moving forward,
listening to your heart,
following your passion,
honoring your highest truth,
forgiving yourself,
loving yourself,
becoming more human,
is exactly what is showing up in your life right now.
(Photo by Darla Winn)
February 22, 2014
Who says religion has to divide people?
We believe …
Every person can fully embrace and follow their religious tradition, spiritual interests, or philosophical views without creating division, destruction, hostility, or hatred.
Every person can find a rationale and motivation within their religious tradition, spiritual interests, or philosophical views to be an instrument of goodness, peace, love, and compassion in the world, and affirm the inherent, equal, and unconditional worth of every human being.
Every person has the right to follow their own inner guidance in choosing their own religious, spiritual, or philosophical views and practices.
Every person can participate in a process of personal growth, self-actualization, and fulfillment of one’s highest beliefs and aspirations, and encourage the same for others.
Every person benefits when each of us follows our own unique inspiration for building a world that works for everyone.
All of us have something valuable to learn from each other, and that the future of our world rests in our willingness to work, play, live, grow, and be… together.
We Believe in Good Declaration
Jim Palmer
The evolution of compassion
We walk through this life with compassion. It arises first when we see the difficulties and pain of others, and we feel from the depth of our heart that we want to alleviate their misery. We come to the aid of the individual in need who we encounter on the path of life, and we seek the transformation of the system that contributes to such misery. In time, our compassion deepens and we discover that the mental anguish and suffering that plagues people’s lives is a result of their ignorance or a failure to see things as they truly are. We are mindful of how people become trapped in stories about themselves, God, others, and life itself, and suffer as a result. As our compassion continues growing, it shifts from an occasional emotional response to a particular person’s plight, and becomes more of a way of being in the world. This way of being first involves turning into yourself and realizing that the entire narrative of the world that produces suffering is false. We see that it is not true that each of us are separate and individual beings, fighting, clawing and competing each day for love, peace, joy, freedom, well-being and happiness. We understand that things are not as they appear, and that the notion of being separate from God, each other, and well-being is a lie. We realize that the suffering of our world is simply what we have generated out of our own ignorance and falsehood. As a result, we come to understand that one of the deepest expressions of compassion for all people and all things is to simply be and live the truth – to refuse the falsehood, shed our ignorance, and embrace the truth. We recognize that seeing things as they really are aids the liberation of all.
February 21, 2014
You are my hero
So many of you need to be acknowledged… for all those things that no one else sees, notices or knows about you.
You’re still standing. That alone needs acknowledgement. No one can fully know the path you have walked, the heartache you have suffered, and the pain you have endured. It could have easily taken someone completely out of life. But you’re still here.
For many of you life sometimes feels like trying to run a marathon with your wrist handcuffed to your ankle. You’re doing the best you can under difficult conditions and circumstances. It’s tough and I know that, and you should be acknowledged for the fact that you sign up each day for life.
Many of you give so much of yourselves to others. You show up and you love. Sometimes that love goes unnoticed, doesn’t seem appreciated, and not always returned.
Some of you had been deeply wounded in life. Some have been victims of horrendous abuse, while others have fought the demons of depression. Many of you have experienced catastrophic loss.
Let me be the first to acknowledge each of you for your courage. Thank you for showing us that there is hope for every human being, whatever we have had to face and endure in life. Thank you for the love, compassion, kindness, gentleness and understanding you so liberally extend to others even though you have so seldom been on the receiving end of them.
You may come across people who make a hobby out of judging others. Maybe there are some folks who enjoy making sport of your life, or are so quick to judge you and your path. Don’t listen to them. It’s not worth your energy to concern yourself with them. They don’t know you or your life. Try not to let them get you down. Don’t give them permission to push into your life.
Look, I’ve talked and interacted with many of you and heard many of your stories. I have nothing but the highest admiration for each of you – who you are as a human being, and the life you are living. Many of you have been kicked down in life more times than most people could imagine but you keep getting up. This world needs more people like you.
Never apologize for who you are or your life. There is nothing for you to defend or prove… ever! Your worth and value was settled and secure before you ever took your first breath. You are good. You are beautiful. Don’t ever let any person tell you any different.
You need so much more acknowledgement than anything I could ever write in a post. You don’t need a special Facebook page to have fans. Consider me one of your biggest fans, and someone who believes in you. Someone who doesn’t pretend to understand what you have or are walking through, but someone who respectfully offers my acknowledgement of the miracle of you and your life.
Groupthink or Freethinker – Your Choice
Last night in class, I led a lengthy discussion about groupthink, and the need to be freethinkers.
Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people, in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an incorrect or deviant decision-making outcome. Group members try to minimize conflict and reach a consensus decision without critical evaluation of alternative ideas or viewpoints, and by isolating themselves from outside influences. Loyalty to the group requires individuals to avoid raising controversial issues or alternative solutions, and there is loss of individual creativity, uniqueness and independent thinking. The dysfunctional group dynamics of the “ingroup” produces an “illusion of invulnerability” – an inflated certainty of being right.
Contrast this with freethought, which is the viewpoint that holds opinions should be formed on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism, rather than authority, tradition, or other dogmas. Freethought holds that individuals should not accept ideas proposed as truth without recourse to knowledge and reason. Thus, freethinkers strive to build their opinions on the basis of facts, scientific inquiry, and logical principles, independent of any logical fallacies or the intellectually limiting effects of authority, confirmation bias, cognitive bias, conventional wisdom, popular culture, prejudice, sectarianism, tradition, urban legend, and all other dogmas.
Max Striner wrote, “The primary problem is getting people to the point of truly owning their minds.”
February 20, 2014
Throw away your artifical should-ner
I should be…
reading more,
meditating more,
learning more,
praying more,
progressing more,
philosophizing more,
doing spiritual practices more,
posting enlightening thoughts more.
Says who? Where did that “should” come from? Do the above things if you want. Don’t do them if you don’t want. Your life is your spiritual path. It’s the next thing that happens. It’s not necessary to burden your life by thinking you must interject something for some artificial “should” list. Be mindful of the truth today. Respond to situations as they require. Seek to no harm. Have compassion. Do whatever aids the liberation of all beings. Be an expression of loving-kindness and goodness. Let all of these unfold spontaneously along the everyday paths of your life. Let go of all the anxiety, stress, and burden of what you are “supposed” to do or be. There is nothing that needs to be added to your life to improve it.
February 18, 2014
Inhabit your true self today
Inhabit your true Self today. See things as they truly are. See people as they really are. Be mindful of the suffering of those around you. Do what will aid the liberation of others today. Seek to do no harm. Be an expression of loving-kindness, compassion, and goodness. Do not look at others through eyes of judgment. See every person as your mother or father, son or daughter, sister or daughter. Honor your highest truth today. Be kind and compassionate with yourself. When you get off track, simply be aware and return to the life that is unfolding before you in that moment. Don’t complicate it. Respond to each situation today as it requires. Don’t become embroiled in drama. Realize that you are undisturbed, at peace, and full of joy in your true self.
This is how I know I am alive
Right now in this moment I am struck by how fast life goes by… and the people you love… and all that you love about life. There is no belief, concept or doctrine that can spare me of the sadness and ache of this. I’m pretty sure this is what I’m supposed to feel. This is how I know I’m alive. This is what it means for me to be human.
February 17, 2014
Religion’s epic mistake
“You must have a healthy mistrust of religion because it is largely the effort of the mind to systematize, standardize, formulize and institutionalize Truth and God, which is not possible.
Almost all religion is flawed at the core by conceiving of God as a separate entity. Aristotle wrote, “The least initial deviation from the truth is multiplied later a thousandfold.” Religion’s concept of God as separate is no small deviation from the truth. It is an epic falsehood that is the source of deep suffering in our world.
It’s the lie Jesus came to expose, and then we managed to make a religion out of Jesus to keep the lie going. Which only goes show how inventive we can be when threatened by the truth.”
- Jim Palmer, Notes from (Over) the Edge
