Disconnection is the Root of All Violence

The beauty we see in nature is the same beauty we must know in ourselves and each other.
Photo credit: Darin R. McClure

I was really inspired by a story I read about a teacher's response to the dreadful events at Columbine. This teacher recognized that "all violence begins with disconnection." She knew that bigger problems start with smaller patterns of loneliness and isolation. Read her story here and be prepared to shed a tear or two.

Being a "Disconnection Detective," an emotional first responder begins with ourselves. As we heal our own separation by knowing and reflecting on the truth that the Divine is alive and well within each one of us and that we are created uniquely and perfectly we align ourselves with that truth and our prayers become more powerful.

We cast off our darknesses not only for ourselves but for each other. We learn to come from the heart and to see our Divine selves within ourselves and within each other. We drop the veil of separation.

It's no coincidence that our Spiritual Mind Treatment begins these two steps:

1. Recognize: Use the words you speak to acknowledge the One Creative Intelligence, Express your conviction that Spirit is all and permeates the Universe.

2. Unify: Declare that you are one with the Universe and everything that is true of the Universe is true of you because you are made of the same stuff.

and that the strength of our Recognition and Unification is the power behind our prayers.

Knowing that we are truly all one in this life and that it is a good life.

How Do You Cleanse Yourself?

"Laughter is the shortest distance between two people." ~Victor Borge

     I must admit, my life is very full.  Although some may call it hectic, I love all that I do and all of the people in my life. But at times I really have to stop and remember what I am doing and where I'm going next...my girls' schools, lacrosse practices, games, meetings, work, etc... Thanks to my iPhone calendar I do a pretty good job at staying on task.  Through all of the busyness and continual doings, relief is a simple and cleansing daily practice for me. My beau, my girls and I all love to LAUGH.  There's usually not an evening where we don't sit down to dinner without someone cracking a joke or telling a funny story about the day. In fact, as I am writing, I'm hearing the laughter of my daughters as they recall a past event with their cousin and aunt. Also important is that as we all laugh together, we stay connected as a family unit, and that is priceless.


"Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face."  ~Victor Hugo

     There was a time in my life when laughter was not a practice, and I was pretty much living in despair. My marriage was failing, I was financially stretched, and my light was definitely NOT shining. Time seemed to move at a snail's pace and rarely would you find me in a happy mood. As soon as my marriage was complete, my beloved sister-in-law surrounded me in her love and her presence, and wow, was that a gift! She and her family were always laughing and goofing off. The times with them were filled with belly-aching laughter and streaming tears of joy. As far as I'm concerned, ROTFLMAO was invented in her household. All of the muck and mire seemed to vanish. My time of winter became the sun that began to shine upon my face and I was healed.

 
"What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul." ~Yiddish Proverb

     As a child, when I was feeling down, I found solice in watching re-runs of "I Love Lucy," which would literally make me laugh out loud and everything was alright. I guess it was intrinsic at the time. As an adult in my darkest times, I sometimes forgot to turn to laughter, but now I realize how important it is. If I am alone and feeling overwhelmed with no one to laugh with (on rare occasion), I can turn on my television and catch an episode of my favorite TV show, "The Big Bang Theory" and instantly find something to laugh about. Or, I can read a funny book or logon to the internet and find something to chuckle about. When that happens, the stresses of the day are no longer stinking up my emotions and my consciousness and my soul is cleansed with the healing power of laughter.



     What practice do you best utilize to cleanse your soul? If you don't have one yet, try laughing. You'll be amazed at the results.  After all, as Milton Burle said, "Laughter is an instant vacation," and who couldn't use a nice vacation.  Bon voyage!