posted March 21, 2007 11:52 PM         

Look for the gifts

"In school you get the lesson and then take the test ... In life you take the test and then get the lesson."

-- Unknown Source

"When it is dark enough, you can see the stars."

-- Charles Beard

How is a problem in your life really an opportunity?

Problems invite us to go inside to recognize a bigger picture of ourselves and of life. This bigger picture brings meaning to what is unfolding. When you feel trapped in a problem, see if you can shift your perspective. Ask yourself, “What is my soul inviting me to learn from this situation?” The answer will always revolve around a quality or value, like gratitude, freedom, compassion, love, will, humour or acceptance. The answer will also always promote union rather than separation.

As soon as we find the meaning in our challenge, our resistance to it melts away. Often, awareness of the lesson is all that is needed to resolve the problem. If not, the awareness brings us courage and ways to work through it.

"The period of greatest gain in knowledge and experience is the most difficult period in one’s life."

-- Dalai Lama

"Out of clutter, find Simplicity. From discord, find Harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity."

-- Albert Einstein

posted March 22, 2007 02:52 AM         

At this point the only problem that I have or have ever had with Steve is his betrayal of my daughter's friendship and trust and hurting her the way he did today.

Other than that I have never had a problem with him. In fact, many times I have told him that I respect and admire his intellect and that we do agree on many things. Not everything though and there is no reason why we can't disagree without you sticking your nose in and trying to make something more out of it than truly exists.

I don't know what you think you saw on the other threads here that caused you to draw your assumptions but you do seem to have a problem with coming to unfounded assumptions and making unfounded accusations.

Truthfully I think you create as you did on this thread situations that truly don't exist such as you saying we were picking on Steve and blah, blah, blah so that you can defend him in order to win points with him. In doing that you not only are exploiting myself and my daughter but everyone on this thread who disagreed with Steve and his condescending attitude toward the rest of us for your own manipulative agenda. I draw that assumption from the countless times that I have seen you do precisely this on many, many other threads.

Another unfounded assumption that you have drawn here is that I, or anyone else on this thread were telling Steve he should change or be something he is not. Though change IS a sign of growth. To be completely honest, I could give a rats a$$ less if Steve ever changes. Change comes from within each individual. No one can make someone else change and for that reason I don't try to change other people. Frankly, I am still working on the things I would like to change in myself. I don't have time to worry about changing anyone else.

Regardless of your obvious attempts and working overtime to make it appear as you want it to be to serve your own agenda, I think that Steve knows, that while I am not real happy with him at this time, I like him and respect him and his viewpoints, even the ones that I will never agree with him on. I like his passion about his beliefs and overall I think he has good heart and good intentions. I think I have told him these things so he should know it. I have also told him that he expresses himself in writing very well and is probably a born writer. But he is not a perfect human being just the like the rest of us. However, change has to come from within Steve and only if he wants to change. Either way, my life will go on.

Having friends who do not enable him and who are also co-dependents might help him a whole lot more than those who only wish to impress and win favor with him. A true friend is one who does not just tell their friend what they think they want to hear but also can tell them when they are wrong.

Now is that brutally honest enough for you, MM? I think you should give it a rest.

posted March 22, 2007 03:02 AM         

quote:

---

Mirandee you sound like a great mom. ~ BR

---

Thank you, BR That was very sweet of you to say.

Incidently, you asked me once in a post how I handle constant antagonizers. See above reply to MM for your answer. After tearing them a new a$$hole I put them out of my mind and out of my life for good. Which I feel is the best way to deal with them.

Though honestly, in my real time life I haven't had any constant antagonizers. I normally get along with people. I have only had to put one person out of my life in all my years.

posted March 22, 2007 03:18 AM         

I've went for a long drive, listening to Van Morrison, Flaming Lips and David Gray, drank ??? Smirnoff Black Cherry Ice's, had another anxiety attack....

Pop the popcorn, any of you late-nighters.
When I finally blow, it's a rather uncharacteristic, jolting conflagration...
see, I'm not allowed to be human like other mortals,
so when I FINALLY lose patience and show any anger it sticks to my a$$ for years after and stalks me like a plague.

But isn't that what you've wanted all along,
Stephen? Isn't that what you've been pushing for---Growth?

Almost all our planets composite in the 8th house, that's how it's always been--
DEEP turmoil, Growth/Awakening, Adoring Forgiveness...back to square one, back and forth, round and round, here we are.

Slate wiped clean as if NOTHING ever happened. Ground Zero.

"Rare compassion"

You know that is a horrible lie.

posted March 22, 2007 03:56 AM         

I usually avoid doing that, cuz it appears you're drawing sides, when you're really not. Just wanting to be gracious for kindess, as it deserves to be noted and appreciated.

There has been so much wisdom shared in this thread from everyone here-- everyone.
I usually avoid to single out, to appear to disclude, but of course having EGO,
that is at times subjective, I have those who I can most relate to~~

Swerve I've been awed by your and BlueRoamer's honest, awakened Sage observations. Neptunian wisdom in it's entirely Clear, Mystically Unfiltered and Rational perspective.

posted March 22, 2007 04:11 AM         

you're up! oh yeah--California time

posted March 22, 2007 04:16 AM         

Lia your compliments mean a lot to me, from one sadge to another. Thank you. Pluto is tearing me a new one right now, feel like I'm being sanded down to a fine paste. It's nice to hear some kind words.

posted March 22, 2007 04:37 AM         

I did decide to play, and I was the last performer of the night. I did a song with some guy I met randomly outside the place. He liked one of my songs, and made up lyrics for it on the spot. After that I sang Who's Gonna Run Your Wild Horses by U2. I wasn't perfect, but I got through it well enough not to feel completely embarrassed for myself.

Here's how tiny the place was (this pic was taken from just outside the kitchen):

posted March 22, 2007 04:42 AM         

from Stephen:

quote:

---

Lisa,

How can you even wonder if being admired is my motive?
All I have said has only angered people against me.
If my motives are impure,
they are far more likely to be masochistic.
But they are not.
My intention is to experiment with truth.
Try try try to understand, if you can.

---

If you go back and reread my post, I didn't address you personally until midway through my post, after the farmer parable.
I intentionally didn't address you until then, because in the beginning of my post I was speaking of spiritual bragging in general-- the topic of this thread.

I haven't viewed people "angered against you". I've seen a lot of encouragement here and probably much more loving responses than most people would have received in your position. All I see is people offering up their own personal beliefs, that happen to be contrary. They are expressing the Freedom of their individuality, not condemning you for your own. There is a vast chasm between "being angered against" and expressing Free Thought.

quote:

---

And just because I see things differently that you do
does not mean that I do not love and respect you.

---

Did you believe that I did not love and resect you because I think differently?

quote:

---

That is what nobody here seems to understand,
despite all their talk of tolerance and egolessness.
I am complex.
I am entirely capable of loving you
and telling you the bitter truth at the same time -
entirely capable of respecting you
and not respecting the ideas you identify so strongly with.

---

As am I.

quote:

---

Don't take it personally.
Prove your egolessness.

---

Prove?

That an exit word for a Sag.
We prove nothing to no one,
nor do we ever feel compeled to.
We're not very concerned with explaining ourselves,
although when we sincerely care for someone
we will try to make the effort for their sake.

I have never claimed
egolessness at any time.

Remember our discussion in Universal Codes in "Osho~The Awakening" thread?
I've often expressed this viewpoint here at LL~

There is a misperception with the term "enlightenment"
and that misperception is that one has arrived.
There is NO staid thing in the Universe.
The Summit is reached, but never remains where you are.
You shall coast down into the Valley, to climb again.
I think it's from the illusionary security of "control",
so comforting, for people to think of a guru, buddha, messiah, clergyman, etc., as someone who is perpetually perfect in their station of virtue and wisdom.

But there has been no Being, even if Messiah or Buddha that doesn't continue to experience all the myriad and very natural emotions of jealousies, passions, angers, etc.

We equate higher truths as perfection, but the higher truth actually is an understanding that there is no level of perfection and acceptance of this as a pure and blissfully, radiantly expansive eternal journey.

I believe that Vice is natural, and that imperfection is Beautiful as our natural state of being.
I don't agree with many metaphysical, nor religious belief that perfection is our attainment.

If I believed I were egolessness, how could I even begin to have such a philosophy?
http://www.linda-goodman.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/002463.html

posted March 22, 2007 05:08 AM         

BR, sorry, I thought you already knew Mirandee was my mom.
She is a very cool Mom to have and I know I'm blessed.
I just don't advertise it, because I have a thing about wanting to keep my individuality intact. People often assume you're the same mind or something. It's weird. Like, how many of you would want people to think you are the same as your mother? Her and I disagree about a lot of things. All of my friends used to say they wished they had a Mom like mine. Regardless that we're different kind of people, I could always talk to her about anything like a friend. And even throughout my crazy wild youth, when I disappeared for days and didn't call, and did numerous drugs, etc....I always believed she had faith in me. That I'd learn on my own and be ok in the end.

I'm rambling

AG, that's cool
I love that song, "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses?"

Hey, ILWL

posted March 22, 2007 05:23 AM         

quote:

---

Like, how many of you would want people to think you are the same as your mother?

---

posted March 22, 2007 05:51 AM         

Stephen, what I said to you in my post was almost word for word the same thing I said to you back in the "Free Will" discussion in UC a few months back. In fact, I wasn't as flowery in my presentation in telling you I thought you were being an A$$ back then as I was here, so I don't understand your extreme reaction.
If I were feeling more energetic I could dig up upteen insulting posts you've made in the last few days.
You haven't respected people, and although I do Love you, I have my own mind and convictions....and even though you're making me out to be something I'm not, I do care about people. So, I'm not going to go along with you. And if you can't deal with that....If you want 100% supporters at all times as friends, then I'm sorry, but if I have to sacrifice my Truth and Honor for someone's approval, then it's not worth it to me. Basically that would be sacrificing my Soul. A bit too much. These things are so important to me.
Honor.

In fact, the part of my post about "flatterers with self-fulfilling agendas"...
I said that because I was remembering a phrase I used in a post about Honor at CE. Read my second post and you'll find that same phrase there:
http://consciousevolution.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=157208&an=0&page=1#Post157208

Sometimes past things I've said seem to fit the present situation, so in they go, especially if I'm in a rush and not having time to think about the bigger picture.

posted March 22, 2007 05:52 AM         

I feel like a deer in headlights right now...vulnerable~exposed. Although not really "exposed" because what you said of me is an entire distortion of the truth, which makes it hurt all the more.

I saw what you deleted. A friend sent it to me. Yeah, it broke my heart.

I've cried for hours, unbelieving you would say something like that about me....even think it, after all that's traspired between us.

That I have "rare compassion"...that was the words that *ucked me up the most.

Also, the thing about apologizing to you in emails...presenting it as it you were blameless. Dare I mention how many times you apologized to me? And you know me...probably half the times I did apologize, I probably shouldn't have. I'm soft-hearted and hate bad feelings. I usually far to quick to forgive, when if anything I shouldn't be. Aries North Node~ my lesson is to become more fierce in this life. I always see the Beauty in people ~ The Potential.

posted March 22, 2007 05:56 AM         

Ok, here's where the anger and lack of patience comes in...

Just say it REAL, ok? Because if you are going to accuse me of something, I'd like to know what the hell that is, in REAL TALK. Not cryptic code.

posted March 22, 2007 06:20 AM         

It's been a hard call.

There's obviously lots I love about it here or I wouldn't be here.
Really, mostly, I consider it a sanctuary in some respects. (ironic teary laughter )

That's why I mostly hang out in Universal Codes, grasping for Beauty, Poetry and Truth like it's my very breath. My life is stressful, this is my solace. (crazy sad laughter again) It's an escape...for a long time it was a nice peaceful place where I felt Free to share my Beliefs and talk to people.

But, it's not like that anymore. It's a hostile environment. I don't feel Free....everytime I say something there's always the chance my words will be twisted beyond all recognition. I'm not paranoid. lol. It's happened again and again.

Like here.

You seem determined from the start, Mystic, to villify all of us here, when it hasn't been true.

Why?????????????

Instead of making accusations without KNOWING...instead of jumping to conclusions and degrading the character of people you don't even know, why not ask????

There's been manipulation here, but it's been from YOU.

You've exploited everyone here and I want to know why.

posted March 22, 2007 06:27 AM         

So, is this where I defend my Mom's character from hideously insulting assault
and therefore proceed to get a duo character asassination on EVERY forum at the site?

You begin to foresee these things.

You have things so warped, Melody.
But maybe it's working for you.