Everyman's Journal 2011, #67 © Rev. David Seacord October 23 The easiest way to empower and encourage another is simply to appreciate them. _______________________ Our lives are meant to be happy experiences, full of innocence and joy. Whenever it is ever anything else, something has 'gone wrong', and illusions that are not real have appeared, hypnotizing our minds, claiming to be real. Becoming grounded in being present requires each of us to develop an ever more accurate ability to discern between what is true and what is hypnotic illusion. The only fully-trustable standard of discernment I know in this self-education process is 'selflessness'… in other words, (minimally) recognizing that another's worth is equal to our own. This recognition allows us entry into the halls of humbleness and humility, and we can gratefully leave our delusional burdens of arrogance at the door. On this floor of lightness, of equalness, the discovery of each others beauty is precious and thrilling, and also deeply fulfilling. For this is the actual purpose of the Divine Plan in creating our individual soul rays… that we, in selfless maturity, could in-Joy the endless beauty of each other. This is life as the dance of God. And here is the only requirement to have this be ALL the time: That we see that everything is part of this dance. For how can there be any exclusion of the application of truth that does not invalidate truth? There is no way it is possible. As the ancient Zen master wrote: Simply cease to cherish opinions. Make a single separation and Heaven and Earth are set infinitely apart. As our hells are all built of our separations, our Heavens are all built of our Unity. May the practice of seeing Oneness guide us this day to the happiness which is our natural state. Namaste, David