About a year ago I watched an Oprah about the power of attraction. I thought the show might be about Jeffery Dean Morgan or that hot, Argentina Polo player, Nacho Figueras, but it wasn’t. It was about the power of positive thinking, specifically in getting the things you want in your life.
One of the gals on the show was showing this board she made. She had taken pictures of things she wanted in her life and glued them to a poster board. Somewhere on the board she had a picture of Oprah because one of her goals was to meet and be on Oprah. Well, here she was!
Another gal on the show said she tells herself everyday that “the world is conspiring in her favor.” I really liked the imagery that thought put into my head. It’s like all the little creatures, birds, deer, faeries, elves, trees, even Mother Nature, sitting around thinking about how they can make my day, my world, a little better. I wrote that sentence in my loft above my writing desk.
In fact, I made myself a little positive attraction board. I even wrote about it in this blog: http://beingwrite.blogspot.com/2008/07/grumpy-dragon-wins.html. At some point I added to my board. I included a picture of a bright red, mustang convertible because I love them, and I picture of a beautiful black grand piano.
Well, my board became a little more real this week. I received a call from my fairy god mother. She wondered if I still wanted a piano.
Back tracking a little to make this story better…
When I was growing up, we had an old, upright piano. It had keys that stuck and we never had the money to get it tuned, but I still loved it. I bought a book on how to play piano and it came with these little clear stickers that had the notes on them and I stuck them to the keys. I spent hours trying to teach myself how to play. I think I learned the basics and even had one song I could play with both hands, it was Sailing Away by Styx!
I have ALWAYS wanted another piano.
So, my fairy god mother calls… she has a friend who has a baby grand piano she is thinking of giving away. We went to visit her yesterday. This woman is so kind! I told her the story of trying to teach myself how to play and she told me she had a similar story. She said she was torn about giving the piano away, but she could tell it was important to me, and she really wanted it to have a good home. I assured her it would be loved and played!
The piano is beautiful! It’s a 1907 Hardman & Peck. It was refurbished in the 80’s. I’ve honestly never been given something so beautiful and generous and it came from a complete stranger. The funny thing is, it looks exactly like the piano picture on my poster board!
It’s being delivered on Wednesday and if you see me before that with my kids, please don’t talk about it in front of them, it’s a surprise.
I can hear you pessimists out there now, laughing about my magic board. You can doubt the power of the board all you want, but just wait till that red mustang convertible drops out of the sky!!!
The world is conspiring in my favor! Now I just need to find the sheet music to Sailing Away.
Showing posts with label Karma. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Karma. Show all posts
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Monday, June 23, 2008
Karma
A good friend recently asked me, about Karma. It seems whenever tragedy strikes, people who are not at all involved like to place their opinions, beliefs and observations on the situation. I have found this to be all so true in our own situation. From the complete strangers on the 9news.com web blog to well meaning acquaintances everyone has an opinion. I have an opinion and I’ve decided to share.
First of all, I do not intend to force my opinion on anyone who chooses to read it. Secondly, even though I have what I believe to be a well thought out position, I am not so close minded that I can not hear or evaluate others opinions on the subject as well. I think this is a very important factor to being an intelligent person. The bottom line is NO ONE REALLY KNOWS!!
With questions of religion and personal belief, it is always nice to have an open mind. The only way you will ever know that you are right and say, the rest of the world is in fact going to hell, is after you have already died. So, lets just say for the sake of my own soul, that this is my belief and not a judgment on anyone else.
I believe in GOD, and I believe in Karma. What I don’t believe is the interpretation of Karma that includes EVERY reaction is caused by an action. Karma is simply the law of cause and effect. Karma is not and cannot possibly be the chief cause of all occurrences. Even Buddha himself doesn’t believe that, he believes and teaches that there are five natural laws. Karma is only one of them.
This popular thought of late that every time something bad happens to you, you must have attracted it to yourself is ridiculous. I believe in energy. If I have a good, happy energy I am going to attract good happy people to me, and thus create a better surrounding for myself. If I am nasty, hateful or evil, I will also attract those kinds of people. This is not to say that in my happy, positive energy I will not attract a nut or two!
I think I am a good person. I try not to hurt other people deliberately. I take care of my family and I do my best to forgive and live peacefully. I am not a Saint. I yell at my kids, I have been known to fight with my mother, I am not always the woman my husband hoped to marry. But I try! And when I screw up, I apologize and I try to do better next time. I just cannot think that these human errors are going to bring me misery.
I have heard the opinion that Steve being killed that night by a drunk driver was a result of bad Karma. The part I don’t really understand is whose Karma, Steve’s or Lisa’s or the boys, or his mom’s, or the boy scouts, or soccer kids, or mine, or Wades, or the rest of my family’s, or the rest of Steve’s family, or perhaps his friends, because all of these people were affected by his death. We all suffered from it, so is all of our Karma somehow the cause of our suffering?
You can say, it was Steve’s Karma, he died as a result, but that doesn’t make any sense to me either. He died on impact. He didn’t suffer at all. He was actually, in my belief, taken to Heaven where he is eating at a giant buffet with Elvis Presley and Grandpa Stoney, waiting for us to join him. Besides the fact that he was one of the best people I have ever known in my life. He would give the shirt off his back to help another. So no, I don’t buy it.
I like the more simple idea of Karma; I say it to my kids. Treat others, as you would like to be treated. Funny, I think that’s actually the Golden Rule. I know as part of my idea of Karma if I am mean or hateful to anyone, the energy is going to be reflected back at me. It’s as easy to see as a mother who yells at her child and then sees that child turn and yell at their sibling. That is cause and effect. It can be summed up by just saying hurt no one, and work to be grateful for your blessings.
For the people who believe Steve’s death was a reaction of some bad Karma I must say that hurts my family and me, and therefore creates Karma of your own.
First of all, I do not intend to force my opinion on anyone who chooses to read it. Secondly, even though I have what I believe to be a well thought out position, I am not so close minded that I can not hear or evaluate others opinions on the subject as well. I think this is a very important factor to being an intelligent person. The bottom line is NO ONE REALLY KNOWS!!
With questions of religion and personal belief, it is always nice to have an open mind. The only way you will ever know that you are right and say, the rest of the world is in fact going to hell, is after you have already died. So, lets just say for the sake of my own soul, that this is my belief and not a judgment on anyone else.
I believe in GOD, and I believe in Karma. What I don’t believe is the interpretation of Karma that includes EVERY reaction is caused by an action. Karma is simply the law of cause and effect. Karma is not and cannot possibly be the chief cause of all occurrences. Even Buddha himself doesn’t believe that, he believes and teaches that there are five natural laws. Karma is only one of them.
This popular thought of late that every time something bad happens to you, you must have attracted it to yourself is ridiculous. I believe in energy. If I have a good, happy energy I am going to attract good happy people to me, and thus create a better surrounding for myself. If I am nasty, hateful or evil, I will also attract those kinds of people. This is not to say that in my happy, positive energy I will not attract a nut or two!
I think I am a good person. I try not to hurt other people deliberately. I take care of my family and I do my best to forgive and live peacefully. I am not a Saint. I yell at my kids, I have been known to fight with my mother, I am not always the woman my husband hoped to marry. But I try! And when I screw up, I apologize and I try to do better next time. I just cannot think that these human errors are going to bring me misery.
I have heard the opinion that Steve being killed that night by a drunk driver was a result of bad Karma. The part I don’t really understand is whose Karma, Steve’s or Lisa’s or the boys, or his mom’s, or the boy scouts, or soccer kids, or mine, or Wades, or the rest of my family’s, or the rest of Steve’s family, or perhaps his friends, because all of these people were affected by his death. We all suffered from it, so is all of our Karma somehow the cause of our suffering?
You can say, it was Steve’s Karma, he died as a result, but that doesn’t make any sense to me either. He died on impact. He didn’t suffer at all. He was actually, in my belief, taken to Heaven where he is eating at a giant buffet with Elvis Presley and Grandpa Stoney, waiting for us to join him. Besides the fact that he was one of the best people I have ever known in my life. He would give the shirt off his back to help another. So no, I don’t buy it.
I like the more simple idea of Karma; I say it to my kids. Treat others, as you would like to be treated. Funny, I think that’s actually the Golden Rule. I know as part of my idea of Karma if I am mean or hateful to anyone, the energy is going to be reflected back at me. It’s as easy to see as a mother who yells at her child and then sees that child turn and yell at their sibling. That is cause and effect. It can be summed up by just saying hurt no one, and work to be grateful for your blessings.
For the people who believe Steve’s death was a reaction of some bad Karma I must say that hurts my family and me, and therefore creates Karma of your own.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Redemption
Well, we watched Kite Runner last night. I had read the book a few years back and I loved it all over again last night. The movies are never as good as the book, but only because you can not get the same level of involvement or detail. It did give me the same message which I find so hopeful and uplifting.
I believe the message Khaled Hosseini is trying to make is that we will always have opportunities to right our wrongs. I believe the universe brings these opportunities to us again and again, until we get it right. What a fabulous thing!
If you believe this, it means that our mistakes do not define us. Or at least they don't have to. I don't believe that the same people will give you numerous opportunities to get things right. You can only hurt someone so many times. But the same lesson can be learned with different people.
That is not to say, that we won't leave this life with things left undone. I am sure that my brother in law, Steve, would have fixed many things in his life if he had known he had such a short time. He didn't have the same life cycle that many people, who live long lives, have.
I am convince though, that given the time, we will be granted an infinite number of opportunities to get things right. It gives me a very happy and peaceful feeling to know that every new day, can be done differently than the last.
I can look at my past, as recently as yesterday, and figure out what I can do better today. Our redemption is only as far away as our recognition of our mistakes, and the desire to do better. I love that thought, it makes me feel very secure in myself. I know I screw up, but it's the same thing I tell my kids all the time. It's what you do afterwards that matters.
I believe the message Khaled Hosseini is trying to make is that we will always have opportunities to right our wrongs. I believe the universe brings these opportunities to us again and again, until we get it right. What a fabulous thing!
If you believe this, it means that our mistakes do not define us. Or at least they don't have to. I don't believe that the same people will give you numerous opportunities to get things right. You can only hurt someone so many times. But the same lesson can be learned with different people.
That is not to say, that we won't leave this life with things left undone. I am sure that my brother in law, Steve, would have fixed many things in his life if he had known he had such a short time. He didn't have the same life cycle that many people, who live long lives, have.
I am convince though, that given the time, we will be granted an infinite number of opportunities to get things right. It gives me a very happy and peaceful feeling to know that every new day, can be done differently than the last.
I can look at my past, as recently as yesterday, and figure out what I can do better today. Our redemption is only as far away as our recognition of our mistakes, and the desire to do better. I love that thought, it makes me feel very secure in myself. I know I screw up, but it's the same thing I tell my kids all the time. It's what you do afterwards that matters.
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