Refusing to judge another

"Great Spirit, help me never to judge another until I have walked in his moccasins"
Sioux Indian Prayer

Dear Hearts,

How many times do we pass judgment on another throughout the course of our day? It may be about something someone says, or their selection of clothes or their performance at work. Yet, we never know what another is really going through in their life. If we did know, instead of judging, we might be filled with compassion and empathy.

There's a story about a cashier who was a bit impatient with a customer. The customer felt slighted and promptly reported her to the manager. The manager told the customer that the woman's 3 year old son was in the hospital, critically ill. The cashier was a struggling single Mom, who because of finances, couldn't miss a single day of work. After working all day, she went to the hospital and was up all night with her son. She was mentally and physically exhausted. At that moment, the irate customer had a moment to imagine what it might be like to walk in her shoes. All of his judgment disappeared.

It's often tempting to pass judgment on another. However, that's not our job. Our job is to love and to be compassionate. Our job is live the Golden Rule, (paraphrased) "Do unto others, and think about others, as we would have them do and think about us".

With love and blessings,

Rev. Barbara

"To thine own self be true...."

"One of the highest places you can get to is to be independent of the good opinions of other people."
~ Wayne Dyer


Dear Hearts,

We can so easily be pulled off-track by what another's opinion is and if they approve or disapprove of our actions. Often those opinions prevent us from following our dreams or what we know to be right for us. Think how free we would be if we acted independently of other's opinions! That's not to say that we ignore other people's opinions, but we must be true to ourselves.

Each one of us is here to follow our bliss and our hearts desires, but that sometimes get caught in the tangle of other's opinions. We allow other’s opinions of us to become crippling to us and at times we may abandon the very thing that means the most to us.

If something feels right to us, then it is our duty and obligation to follow it through. Our business is to grow and become the best individuals we can be regardless of other's opinions or thoughts. Let's remember that the surest way to fail is to try to please everyone. Today, let's trust ourselves enough to be true to ourselves and follow our bliss and our heart's desires.

With love and blessings,

Rev. Barbara

Peace begins with me

"When the seeds of brotherly love take root in the hearts of people, wars will cease."
Paramahansa Yogananda

Dear Hearts,

As we think about the wars that have been fought over the years, it's easy to generalize it into one country against another. The truth of the matter is war could not take place "out there" unless war first took place within the hearts of men and women. We say we don't want war and yet often our personal life is a war zone ~ our families are at war with one another, our conversations are filled with gossip and judgment. We say we don't want war, yet the streets of our mind have such violent thoughts that they would not be safe for another to enter. If war is taking place inside of us, then war will out picture in neighborhoods, cities, and countries.

Peace begins with you and me. Can this be the day we turn from warring thoughts to peaceful thoughts, from warring words to words of peace, from warring behavior to loving kindness? How can we plant seeds of peace in every area of our life? It's all up to us. When peace is truly embodied in our hearts, there will be no more wars. Let's let that peace begin with us....today.

With love and blessings,

Rev. Barbara