Inspiring Stories of Love, Healing, & Empowerment

[Guest guest]

Found a site that might be of use to others...same kinds of ideas as

found here.

http://www.inspiringcommunity.org/inspiringstories0612

The Three Principles

May we do our best to choose what's best for all

May we open to guidance from the divine

We commit to love, healing, and empowerment for all

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Global Community for All is based upon the above three principles.

These life principles can be practiced by anyone with an open heart

and an open mind. Putting them into practice in your daily life may

not be easy at first, yet if you are willing to make the effort, and

to open to love, healing, and empowerment from others in the

community and from the divine, you are likely to find that it becomes

easier all the time as your life becomes richer and fuller.

By gathering regularly with friends and other members of our beloved

community, and by encouraging each other to live by these principles

on a daily basis, we strengthen our own lives and empower those

around us. These simple, yet powerful principles inspire us to work

together to make the world a better place for ourselves and for all.

May we do our best to choose what is best for all

The Power of Choice. Every one of us makes hundreds of choices every

day. Every choice we make has an impact on our lives. Even seemingly

insignificant choices can affect what we experience and sometimes how

we feel as we move through the day. When hunger strikes, we can reach

for that healthy, nutritious snack, or we can choose the sugar high

of junk food. This choice impacts our body and health, and may even

affect the way we think and feel about ourselves.

The more important the decision, the more profound its effect. For

instance, how do I act towards that person who treated me badly?

Where do I choose to focus my time and energy? Do I choose to be

passive and wait for things to happen to me, or do I set clear

intentions and create what I want in my life? These major decisions

have a profound impact not only on how our lives unfold, but also on

how we feel about ourselves and how we relate to others. Every choice

we make, however big or small, affects us in some way.

How Do You Make Choices? What do you use to guide you in making

choices and decisions throughout your day? If you are interested in

living a richer, fuller life, there is a way you can give your

choices a clear focus and direction. There is a foundation upon which

you can base all of your decisions which can make life better not

only for you, but also for all around you. This foundation is to

choose based on what's best for all.

My we do our best to choose what's best for all.

Imagine a world where everyone makes choices based on what's best for

all. Imagine if every parent, spouse, friend, teacher, businessman,

and politician truly did their best to choose what's best for all

involved in every decision they made. We would certainly live in a

much more caring, supportive world.

Now imagine if you based all of your choices every day on what's best

for all involved. You might have to make compromises and even

sacrifices at times, yet think of how much fuller and clearer your

life could be. Think of how much better you might feel about yourself.

It's the Intention. " But how do I know what is really best? " you

might ask. The answer is simple. It doesn't matter. What matters is

not the choice you make, but rather the intention behind your choice.

Many times you won't know what's best. You will not be clear which

choice is best for all concerned. What matters is that whatever

decision you make, you are clear in your intention of choosing based

on what's best for all.

If it later turns out that you made what appears to have been a bad

choice, there's no need for guilt. By simply knowing that you did

your best to choose with a sincere desire for what's best for all,

your conscience stays clear and open. This then allows you to more

easily learn from your mistakes, and to live with a clear heart and

mind.

What's Best for Me, Too! Choosing what's best does not mean you have

to always sacrifice yourself for others. An overly exhausted mother

can lose her temper easily. Some time off for this mother might seem

selfish, yet it can help her to be a better mother to her children.

At times, giving to yourself is what's best for all.

Big Choices Make a Big Difference. With the many choices we make

every day, it would be impossible to consciously think about what's

best all the time. With smaller choices, there's no need to

consciously think about it. We know that we carry this intention with

us in all that we do. What is important, though, is that whenever we

find ourselves facing a difficult or important decision, we remind

ourselves of our intention to choose based on what's best for all.

By making a commitment to practice this principle every day and in

all aspects of your life, choosing what's best will gradually become

a natural part of who you are. You may be surprised to find your

heart feeling lighter and your mind becoming clearer. Your decisions

become easier and more focused, and your life becomes much richer and

fuller.

The Most Important Principle. Choosing what's best for all of us is

the most important of the three principles. It provides a solid

foundation for the other principles. Thus, as we move through each

day of our lives, let us do our best to choose what's best for all.

May we open to guidance from the divine

Many Forms of Guidance. Guidance comes in many forms. Family or

friends may give wonderful words of wisdom in dealing with a

particular problem or situation. An inspiring book or TV program

might provide meaningful advice. All of this guidance can be useful,

particularly if it helps to support our desire to choose what's best

for all. The most powerful guidance, however, often comes from

sources unseen. By opening to guidance from the divine, we open to

the support of powerful forces greater than ourselves, which can help

our lives to grow and blossom ever more beautifully.

Many Meanings for Divine. The divine has different meanings to

different people. For some, the divine means God, Creator, Allah,

Great Spirit, or whatever we call the supreme consciousness or all

encompassing essence of the universe. For others, the divine involves

the realm of our forefathers or ancestors. For some it is the spirits

of nature or spirits from other realms. Still others believe that

each of us has one or more guardian angels, that we all have a

guiding spirit or spirits to help us along the way. Some people

believe in all of these. Yet even if you don't believe in any of

this, you might open to the possibility that there is a very wise

part of your self—a higher self or a deeper self—which can provide

you with divine guidance from within.

How we define or view the divine is not important here. What is

important is that we open to the presence of the divine, however we

choose to define it, and that we consciously invite this powerful

guidance into our daily lives.

May we open to guidance from the divine.

Many Ways to Ask. How do we ask for divine guidance? There are many

ways. You may already have your own meaningful prayer or meditation

practice. You may want to experiment with different ways you hear

about, read about, or come up with yourself. Choose whatever way

feels best to you.

One beautiful practice is to set aside a few minutes each morning

upon awakening. First, reaffirm your commitment to do what's best for

yourself and for all in your life this day. Then, ask directly to the

divine for guidance in making choices that are best for all

throughout the coming day. You might also welcome wisdom and guidance

from any angels, deceased relatives and friends, or other spirits

committed to what's best for all. You can do the same at bedtime

every night, setting aside time to ask for guidance during your sleep

and dream time.

Any time during the day when you need to make a significant decision,

or you just want to calm or center yourself, stop for a moment. Take

time to ask the divine for help, guidance, and inspiration in

choosing what's best for all of us.

All Requests Only if it's Best. In communicating with the divine, you

might at times request or pray for a particular result. When you ask

for something specific, by ending with " only if this is what's best

for all, " you open to a higher level of guidance. There are times

when in asking for something we may feel certain that we know what's

best. Yet there can be unforeseen consequences or reasons why what

we're asking for is not what's best. By always adding, " only if this

is what's best for all, " we allow divine forces to enrich our lives

and the lives of those around us in unexpected ways.

Challenges as Teachers. There are times when what's best is not

what's easiest or most enjoyable. Sometimes unwanted challenges,

difficult situations, and even pain can teach us important lessons

that in the long run help us to enjoy life more fully. When we open

and surrender to all experiences as gifts from the divine and

opportunities for growth and understanding, we open to a deeper level

of divine guidance.

Atheists Can Benefit, Too. Even if you are uncertain whether God or

the divine exists, give this key a try. You might be surprised at

what happens, particularly if you are open to change and growth in

your life. The results may not always be what you hoped for or

expected, but in the long run you are very likely to find your life

becoming much richer, fuller, and more satisfying.

By opening to divine guidance in all things and asking for guidance

in choosing what's best for all, we allow loving, supportive forces

much greater than ourselves to help bring whatever is best into our

lives and the lives of those around us.

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We Commit to Love, Healing, and Empowerment for All

Acceptance and Understanding. In order to build a foundation to

enable us to love, heal, and empower all, it is first necessary to

develop our ability to accept and understand ourselves and all around

us.

Avoiding the Real Me. After making it through a mid-life crisis, an

insightful man once commented, " I've spent my whole life trying to be

someone who I'm not. Now I'm ready to focus on accepting and enjoying

who I am. " So many people are trying to be someone they are not;

trying to be richer, to be better looking, to feel better, to gain

status, or just to be liked by others. So many people are not happy

with who they are.

Our Divine Essence. Deep down we are all beautiful, shining beings

worthy of love and support. The sweet innocence of babies and young

children is a clear example of this. Yet for most of us, the shining

essence with which we came into this life became obscured over the

years as our family and others were unable to give us the kind of

unconditional love and support we so craved.

As children, when we were repeatedly told that we were not good

enough or were punished just for being who we are, thick layers of

confusion and doubt developed, clouding our divine essence. Layers of

fear and insecurity were woven into our personalities as we learned

to survive in a world where others often cared about us only if we

made them happy or when we proved ourselves to be someone they wanted

us to be.

The Mask. By the time we are grown, most of us have developed a

protective mask or persona to hide these layers of fear and

insecurity from others, and at times even from ourselves. Though we

might outwardly appear happy or content, on the inside most of us to

varying degrees feel unhappy with who we are, wishing we were

somebody who we are not. We feel the heavy burden of the fears,

wounds, and insecurities which have built up. We long ago lost touch

with that beautiful, shining core still inside of us, buried under

unseen layers of fear, anger, guilt, shame, confusion, insecurity,

inadequacy, and more.

Yet, that shining essence is still there. It has always been there.

Most of us have had peak experiences at some point in our lives where

that deeper essence broke through; times where we felt deeply

satisfied about our lives, or where we were reminded of who we really

are. No matter how much you may have forgotten, no matter how thick

those layers may be, your shining core is and always has been there.

Accepting and Understanding Myself. You can choose right now to

invite that beautiful inner essence to shine through the clouds and

to shine again in your life. By doing your best to accept and

understand all of who you are—both your deep shining essence and the

layers of dark clouds within—you can open more fully to life, and

enjoy the gift of who you are.

When fears, dark thoughts, difficult emotions, or selfish desires

arise, first choose to accept that they are there, that they are a

part of you. Once you've recognized and accepted them, work towards

understanding these dark clouds and where they came from. And don't

forget to ask for divine guidance and for what's best for all as you

explore and transform these dark and hidden places. By choosing

acceptance and understanding of all parts of ourselves, the clouds

gradually begin to shift and disperse. Pathways to our divine core

begin to open, thus allowing our radiant inner essence to shine

through.

Courage. It takes courage to accept and work to understand our fears

and weaknesses. It takes even more courage to allow others to see the

clouds, to see us as we really are. Yet by allowing ourselves to be

seen—by doing our best to be fully ourselves in all our strengths and

weaknesses—our relationships can grow richer, deeper, and more

meaningful.

This may be awkward at first. It may be challenging, as some people

are unable or unwilling to accept certain parts of who we are. Some

may even reject us or ask us not to be our real selves with them. Yet

as those around us see us becoming more real and honest with them,

they may also be inspired to be more real and honest with us. Thus,

instead of continually reinforcing those clouds and dark layers in

both ourselves and others, we open to a deeper, more authentic way of

living and relating with others.

As these hidden parts of ourselves are accepted and understood, they

become increasingly lighter. Life gradually becomes fuller and more

free as we no longer have to expend so much energy in supporting a

mask or persona. Like that insightful middle-aged man, we are more

able to accept and enjoy who we are right now, with all our strengths

and weaknesses.

Accepting and Understanding Others. In accepting and understanding

yourself, you will notice that others, too, have many layers clouding

their divine essence. In trying to survive in this world they, too,

have lost touch with who they really are. There is darkness and

light, good and bad in all of us. As you work to accept and

understand yourself, it is most important that you choose also to

give this gift to those around you.

The Serenity Prayer sums it up beautifully:

God grant me the courage to change the things I can,

The serenity to accept the things I cannot,

And the wisdom to know the difference.

Acceptance of what is, coupled with understanding of what we can

change and what we cannot, allows us to find the courage to be all

that we can be, and to empower others in doing the same. Through

cultivating acceptance and understanding of our bright inner essence

and the dark layers which cloud that divine essence, we naturally

open to expressing love, healing, and empowerment.

Loving, Healing, and Empowering Me. Let me start with myself. I will

do my best to love myself, to heal myself, and to empower myself to

be the best I can be today and every day of my life. By first making

a commitment to ourselves, to our own personal growth, it becomes

easier to love, heal, and empower those around us.

Loving, Healing, and Empowering All. Now let us move to others. But

do we really want to give this gift to all other people? Can we

really love, heal, and empower everyone around us? What if we really

don't like someone?

When you feel a dislike towards a person, remind yourself that it is

usually their personality that you don't like—the mask or dark clouds

blocking their deeper essence. You can recognize that beneath the

mask, beneath those dark clouds in everyone is a shining divine

essence. While acknowledging those parts you don't like or

appreciate, do your best to find love and support in your heart for

the shining being hidden beneath all the clouds, beneath the mask or

personality that you don't like. You can choose to love and empower

the divine spark within all.

We commit to love, healing, and empowerment for all.

Negative Judgment. A common distraction from our intention to love,

heal, and empower is negative judgment. No matter how negative a

person's actions or behavior might be, judging someone to be bad as a

person does not empower or inspire anyone to be a better person.

When you find yourself feeling negative judgment, first acknowledge

the part of you that wants to judge—that wants to be right and better

than others. Remind yourself that we all have our faults and

weaknesses. Do your best to understand and learn from your judgment.

Then let it go. Open to finding first acceptance, and then

understanding and love both for your own divine essence and for that

of the person you judged. Choose to let your last thought always be

that of love. In doing this, we can powerfully transform our judgment

into love, healing, and empowerment.

Preventing Harm While Recognizing Divine Essence. What if we see

someone doing something that appears clearly wrong, or is causing

harm? In this case, you can be firm and take whatever action you feel

is best to stop any harm. Enforcing a serious consequence with

someone who has acted grossly out of self-interest may be the most

loving, empowering action you can take.

Yet even as you take firm action, try to understand what has brought

the person to do this. Be open to seeing their inner clouds. Then

choose to look beyond those clouds, beyond the inner turmoil that

causes people to do harm. In this way, you can act from a place of

love and support for their deeper essence, even while firmly stopping

them from doing wrong or causing harm. Through choosing to see

beneath all of the pain, suffering, and hatred, and to recognize and

connect with the divine essence within even those who would do us

harm, not only do we heal the world, we heal ourselves.

Imagine… Imagine for a moment a world where all people truly did

their best to love, heal, and empower each other. Imagine if a

significant number of the people on this planet truly did their best

to live by these principles or similar ideals. You can choose to

become one of those people right now. You can choose to make your

life and our world a better place.

It is fully possible. There are people of all races, religions, and

beliefs around the globe already committed to living by these or

similar ideals. Let us then choose with an open mind and an open

heart to add to their numbers. Let us choose every day of our lives

to do our best to love, to heal, and to empower ourselves and all we

meet to be the very best we can be.

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Final Words on Three Principles of Global Community for All

May we do our best to choose what's best for all

May we open to guidance from the divine

We commit to love, healing, and empowerment for all

These are simple, yet powerful principles. By remembering and living

them as we move through each day, our lives are bound to grow richer

and fuller. We can start each day by recommitting ourselves to these

life principles. At important points in the day, or even when

resting or taking a break, we can remind ourselves of our intention

to follow them. At night before sleep, we can give thanks for the day

and ask for love, healing, and empowerment for all who share our

world. We can apply these principles right now to difficult

situations in our lives.

Through doing our best to choose what's best for all, through opening

to guidance from the divine, and through loving, healing, and

empowering all, we are all helping to make this world a better place

both for ourselves and for all around us. And we can give thanks

that with Global Community for All, we have a loving community that

is in this moment, and in every moment committed to love, healing,

and empowerment for each of us, and wishing for us all the very best

in our journey through life.

For a two-page summary of Simple Keys to a Fuller Life, upon which

this essay is modeled:

http://www.weboflove.org/keystolife2

For more suggestions from a global perspective, see

www.weboflove.org/brighterfuture

Source: http://www.inspiringcommunity.org/threeprinciples