Rick Santorum drools ignorance from his pie hole

I do not normally incorporate politics into my Responsive Universe blog, but after reading this Rick Santorum article on the Huffington Post, I just about threw up in my mouth. I will apologize now if I insult any readers, but I have to speak my mind…

The GOP candidate was responding to comments he made last October when he said that he “almost threw up” after reading JFK’s 1960 speech in which he declared his commitment to the separation of church and state.

The republican candidate has been hammering the religious rhetoric in an effort to court evangelical voters ahead of Super Tuesday. Last week, he questioned Obama’s spiritual beliefs.

“[Obama believes in] some phony ideal, some phony theology … not a theology based on the Bible, a different theology,” he said.

“I don’t believe in an America where the separation of church and state are absolute,” he told ‘This Week’ host George Stephanopoulos. “The idea that the church can have no influence or no involvement in the operation of the state is absolutely antithetical to the objectives and vision of our country…to say that people of faith have no role in the public square? You bet that makes me want to throw up.”

Here is the problem Rick: The people of “Faith” you speak of are the zealous Christian religious right. I guess you are so racist and ignorant that we exclude all other religions and faith from American Government? First off, how dare you judge Obama or anyone else about their religious beliefs. How can one truly be religiously enlightened when one is so pious that they think they have the authority to judge someone else’s faith. Funny, I thought one of the principles America stood for was freedom of religion and freedom from religious persecution. Religion does not belong in our Government other than the law to protect it. Santorum is basically saying that religion and state should stand together married as one based on the Bible. How is that any different than Muslim extremist states enforcing strict religious law on its citizens? Ever heard of the Taliban? Is there a middle point to Christian extremists? How far to the right would Santorum go if given a long lease? Are we to trust Rick Santorum when it comes to our faith?

I know there are plenty of religious crazies out there that pipe off from time to time. How about that radio evangelist who keeps giving us new doomsday forecasts? The scary thing is, Ricky is neck in neck with Romney in a primary race within the most powerful country in the world. That is scary.

Here we are sitting well within the event horizon of the information age. Humans have made some amazing medical and technological discoveries within the last decade. As a species, we continue to evolve within this amazing Responsive Universe. Yet, when I hear the ignorance and racism drool out of Rick Santorums mouth, I see our social evolution back-sliding into a tar pit. Sorry to be so terse, but Rick Santorum makes me want to throw up.

John C. Bader
www.responsiveuniverse.com

To Suffer is to Love – a Poem

To love is to suffer

To suffer is to feel

To feel is to be present

Yet love is undeniable

Its influence exceeds all ills

It is hate, grief and guilt that slays

It is compassion and clarity

that bears the promise of energy and space

To suffer is to love

So find your center

Away from the bitter cold

Celebrate and empower;

to bloom like a flower

John C. Bader

www.responsiveuniverse

Letting go of Loss and Grief

As humans born into a social world of triumphs and tragedies, love and loss, we will face a myriad of challenges in life – nothing is seems is more difficult than the loss of a love one.

Joseph Campbell once said, “We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the life that is waiting for us”. This statement rings wisdom on many levels. We as humans like to be in control of our destinies. Being that suffering is intrinsic to life; the habit of trying to control our surroundings can in itself cause suffering. Americans especially have this need or urge to be in control. Here in the west, there is a need for immediate gratification and convenience as well the need to manipulate and manage our surrounding environment. You see it with the pressure to be financially successful and even with the United States government and its sometimes misguided foreign entanglements. Of course not all aspects of control are considered a bad thing, but it does cause problems when life rears unpredictable results like loss. We also attach ourselves to such adornments of love, companionship and communion. Losing something or someone dear to us is exacerbated by attachment and loss of control. Love and friendship connects us in ways that create immense grief when this love and friendship is taken away. We can’t be at fault for loving someone or something – it is human nature. Still, there is a need to let go of the attachments that cause us suffering. Grief is one of those attachments. Being that loss is inherent to life, it is also something we can’t control. When we can’t control something as intricate and amazing as the life of a love one; there can be this feeling of helplessness that envelopes us. Much like earlier blogs in regard to the concept of space as it relates to our mind and the universe, we need to make space for loss. We need to not cling to transient affections when all that is left is memories. Cherish the great memories but let go of the guilt, anger and grief. Letting go does not mean we do not care. Letting go simply means we stop trying to control outcomes that are completely unavoidable. It means to stop doing the impossible by trying to control destiny. Instead, we should focus on what we can control which is ourselves. This is done with love: Love for ourselves and how it relates to our True Nature and love for those here in the now and hereafter.

John C. Bader
www.responsiveuniverse.com

The Definition of God without Bullshit and Dogma

We live on a unique planet of modest size, orbiting an average star in a galaxy that contains several billion other stars. Further, littered across the vast Cosmos are billions of other galaxies home to billions more stars.

Everything tangible and intangible in the Cosmos is made of energy. Everything seen and unseen within this grand Universe is composed of particles and waves of light that are interconnected.
A Universe boundless in periphery; its energy and form immeasurable; everything connected at the sub-atomic level weaves this complex tapestry that is everything.

Despite the immensity of the Cosmos; despite the far-reaching realm of space and time, there is a connective quality to all that exists. Everything is linked to this responsive field of energy. It is here in the quantum Universe that actions create reactions and energy can’t be destroyed, it simply changes form. In an interstellar dominion of noble gases, dark matter and pin point light, there is a responsive element that unites humans with an omnipresent link to love and energy.

This is what defines the Responsive Universe and is the source of energy healing, karma and the afterlife. This is the true, unadulterated definition of God.

John C. Bader
www.responsiveuniverse.com

(image by antifan-real.deviantar…)

Does Evolution lead Humans to Extinction?

The Universe gave birth to all known elements that exist here on Earth. A simple chemical circumstance; born from basic elements like hydrogen and carbon, lead to the origins of life on Earth. The right mixture of compounds, light, temperature and natural electricity (lightning) is all that is needed to breed the building blocks for cellular structure. These early compounds were the ancestors of DNA. Gravity brought various molecules together to form the first cells which then became more complex elementary compounds. It took hundreds of millions of years for the first tiny plant like organisms to form, giving off oxygen. We as humans are a thread that connects back to the first cells that inhabited Earth over a billion years ago. Humans are a survivor of adaptions and evolution. Four billion years of evolution can breed many possibilities; especially when there are basic life building elements like water, carbon, oxygen and light.

“We are the product of 4.5 billion years of fortuitous, slow

biological evolution. There is no reason to think that the

evolutionary process has stopped.”

- Carl Sagan

Humans continue to evolve today. Over the course of the next few thousand years there will be shifts in our development both biologically and socially. Will adaptation and natural selection weed out the fettered and unnecessary? I thought long and hard about this philosophical quandary and at first my heart settled on the notion that people who are connected to the sublime energy that is our surroundings and the Universe; people with compassion and a giving nature would evolve to the next level in our human story – leaving behind those that live through greed, fear and ego. I think my own heart has romanced my better intuition away from reality.

All we have is history to look back on. For hundreds of thousands of years man has evolved leaving behind the Stone Age to be greeted by the Modern Age. Still under the social static of religion and progression is this human instinct to dominant – For thousands of years there has been war as stronger tribes or nations weed out the weak manipulating and raping resources along the way. What does this mean for our evolution? I got to be honest and say that my gut tells me our evolution is a path to human extinction. With climate change, global starvation and water and natural resources being plundered, the future does not look positive.

For hundreds if not thousands of years, there have been philosophers, light workers and philanthropists that humbly give and do not selfishly take – yet this is a minority that though noble, is not something that has evolved into our commonplace society. Our world has always been ruled by a powerful few that controls the masses. I know in my heart and soul that giving, compassion and love is the true path of our evolutionary existence, but will this path lead to a holistic utopia or will greed and gluttony send us on a path of extinction?

In many ways evolution is a personal choice. We all have choices to make on even the most personal levels: Eating right and exercising; meditation and expanding our minds – connecting to nature and the sublime energies that created the Universe. These acts of progression lead to a more self-actualized future. It is our obligation to teach our children the same virtues. If an environment fosters the capacity of change, then adaption will foster the evolution of species. As environments change, so do the creatures that inhabit it. Change is relative and if the right surroundings are present, then anything can happen. The birth of humans is proof of that…

John C. Bader
www.responsiveuniverse.com

Moderation

“The brief elation we experience appeasing sensual impulses is very close to what the drug addict feels when indulging his or her habit. Temporary relief is soon followed by a craving for more. And in just the same way that taking drugs in the end only causes trouble, so too does much of what we undertake to fulfill our immediate sensory desires. We must acknowledge that there can be no hope of gratifying the senses permanently. At best, the happiness we derive from eating a good meal can only last until the next time we are hungry”

- His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Moderation is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as to “lessen the intensity or extremeness”. Moderation is the balance between something intense and something not intense at all. In social terms moderation is a continued tug-of-war in self management – an endless vigilance in personal responsibility. It is up to each individual to determine when enough is enough; whether it is drinking coffee or alcohol, smoking or eating. Whether it is exercise or just working hard to make an honest living, moderation is a gauge of awareness that should not be overlooked in our daily lives. I think it is alright to indulge in the occasional greasy hamburger and fries. I think it is fine to drink a martini or have a glass of wine with dinner. I believe almost everything in moderation is okay as long as it does not hurt you or hurt others in the present or long-term. Moderation is a balance of positive energy. We need to question our needs and wants as they relate to our addictions and compulsive tendencies. If someone is indulging in a vice such as alcohol or worse, illicit drugs to temporally remedy a deep-rooted control pattern, you are only reinforcing negative scripts and becoming reliant on something that is only going to make matters worse. Yet, I believe certain vices can be enjoyed in moderation for the benefit of an individual. I am not saying drug experimentation is the path to follow. Nor is smoking something people should take up in moderation. Simply said, life is an exciting journey and along the way you may indulge in certain vices that if used responsibly and in moderation can make life more enjoyable. It is up to each individual to regulate their own levels of moderation and also determine what indulgences are positive or negative based on their very own personal situations. A trigger of mental awareness can be used in situations where moderation is needed. Ask yourself, do I need another drink? Do I need to eat this whole burrito when I am already full? Simple self-reflective questions will help make better self directive decisions so we do not live in excess. We are smart people; we know when enough is enough. The key is to take heed to such mental triggers and actually listen to them. Use moderation as a tool in life and you will suffer less!

John C. Bader
www.responsiveuniverse.com

Love yourself first and then find love and compassion for others.

Some of us find it hard to love ourselves. What does that really mean to love ourselves? It can be easy to find faults in who we think we are. Maybe you think you are unorganized or have a couple bad habits. Maybe you get stressed out easy or are taking a prescription for depression and or anxiety. Maybe you wish you ate healthier or exercised more. Maybe you do not like crowds or being the center of attention. Maybe you love being the center of attention; basking in the glow of ego and self-absorption? We tend to look at ourselves in the mirror and not approve of what we see in the reflection. All of this self-loathing is rooted to our egos and false perceptions. It makes us want to be someone else or we mentally berate ourselves as if we are unworthy and un-lovable. It is one thing to love who you are and it is a completely different thing to love what you are. There is a fundamental difference to be actualized. Our perception of who we are is rooted in societal pressures, what we see on television, in print ads, etc. Our happiness is regulated by a shallow self-esteem and the approval of others. But what about loving what we are?

There is another kind of love… In fact, there is another way to love yourself; and this other kind of love transcends all the passive chaos that envelopes our busy lives. We are products of the Universe and thus are born from quantum positive energy. There is a quality to this that is pure and unfettered. We are the sons and daughters of vibration, light and love and that is something no one can take away from you. This is our True Nature, vast, boundless and reliable. It is easy to love yourself when you look at where the source of our being is rooted (True Nature). Look up at night and marvel at the stars. Appreciate nature and the love for a pet or child. This is a love that is all powerful and unchanging. Put your confidence into this type of love and soon you will realize all of your shortcomings in life, all of your bad habits and self-loathing are just products of a self-esteem driven by ego. Such worries and deceptions will seem trivial and unnecessary once you find empowerment from an inner source.

There is nothing confident and steadfast about our egos. Much like money, the ego comes and goes and for many it regulates our happiness and suffering. The more control we take away from the ego, the more we connect to the steadfast vision that is our True Nature. Love what you are (a product of the Universe born from love and energy) and happiness and confidence will root itself in your life. Once you have this unadulterated confidence of what you are, soon your perspectives in life will change. Soon you will make little changes in life, like eating better, exercising or getting more organized. Soon, very soon, you will connect that love of what you are and who you are as one – A quality of oneness bathed under the light of self-actualization and enlightenment.

We may not be able to fully defuse the ego. As I have written before, the ego is a necessary evil on the road to evolution. Still, we can be mindful of its ills and separate its thought processes. Once you love yourself for what you are, you will begin to love yourself for who you are. Once one has reached this milestone in life, our work is not finished. Now, it is time to love others and find compassion for those still in need. Love is powerful and is the connection between the Universe and humankind.

John C. Bader
www.responsiveuniverse.com

Happy Valentine’s Day! Love – A Poem

For Annamarie…

Love-

An emotion that glows in our hearts

It symbolizes commitment and compromise

Two individual people joined as one

on a windy road to eternal bliss under the sun

Life’s challenges can steer a wavering course

Inundated by stormy wind-swept waves

our love for each other shines above with sun drenched rays

Despite the dark clouds of pain and uncertainty

a vibrant rainbow arches across a bright sky

Revealing a warm tropical day

Free of doubt and remorse

Full of prosperity and love

Peace and happiness shower us from above

Twelve years ago we married and became one

My reasons for asking for your hand

have not altered once –

You are the root of my passion and desire

Trust reflects from your soft, warm eyes

Friendship and compassion exude through your affectionate smile

Another year has passed and here we are:

Together forever…

A constant wind carries our everlasting love

Sweeping us off our feet as we breathe in the February air

As light fades to dusk

We stand hand in hand

On a beach we hold close to our hearts

Deciphering the riddles drawn in the sand

John C. Bader

www.responsiveuniverse.com

The life we live and the life we choose

I guess it is a movie weekend, and why not, aren’t the Grammys on tonight? I do not normally blog about movies but I will make an exception this weekend. I watched a unique film last night with my wife Annamarie and it left a profound sense that has stuck with me till morning. You know you have watched a powerful film when it sticks with you for a couple days. Directed by Emilio Estevez and starring his father, Martin Sheen, the movie The Way really touched me.

A story about a Father losing his son is enough to pull on the purse strings of your heart; especially if you are a Father or Mother yourself. The Way was a thoughtful and inspirational story about family, friends and the challenges we face with coping with lose. Martin Sheen plays Tom, a typical baby boomer American doctor who comes to France to deal with the tragic loss of his son (played by Emilio Estevez). Rather than return home, Tom decides to embark on the historical pilgrimage “The Way of St. James” to honor his son’s desire to finish the journey.

Along the way, we are introduced to several characters: a Dutch man trying to lose weight, a Canadian who is trying to quit smoking, a writer who has lost his creative edge and of course Tom who is coping with the loss of his son. The story line, characters and scenery were inspiring – the wife and I were ready to drag out the back packing gear right after the movie and disembark on our own pilgrimage.

Without over-analyzing the movie, the premise was about “the life we live and the life we choose.” It seems few of us chose our life. Sure we are born in a specific family and community. We have religious affiliations, friends and our parents expectations but how many of you can say today that where you are in life now was entirely of your choosing? When I was in my early twenties, I never imagined that I would marry have children, move to Illinois from California – lose my hair, work in a completely different profession than what my college degree describes – writing a self-help book involving meditation and daily life practice? Let’s just say, I never thought I would be where I am today – whether good or bad.

Loss is a completely unavoidable and also unpredictable facet of life. We will never know when someone around us may die prematurely or that our own demise may come without a moment’s notice. Without getting into details now, my wife and I have faced loss on an intimate level and it changes your life forever. It is the experiences in life that shape who we become – both the positive and negative – the triumphs and tragedies. Life is sublime and the life we choose is only one facet, but the life we live is truly where the beauty and energy arise from within. We need to live our lives fully, reverently and compassionately so that when we reach the golden years, we can look back on our lives and smile.

John C. Bader
www.responsiveuniverse.com

Star Wars and Buddhism?

Okay, I got to laugh… I just got back from the movies with my wife and 10 year old son Ethan. We saw Star Wars, the Phantom Menace. I was truly amazed by all the Buddhist symbolism in the movie. I recall stumbling across some Joseph Campbell musings on the Star Wars subject years ago and I really paid attention to the symbolism today in the theater. After doing a little more research I found that others were interested or at least intrigued by the connection.

Per Eli Williamson-Jones website and even a book written by Matthew Bortolin, titled, the Dharma of Star Wars, I found this interesting scribble of info:

In the beginning of Star Wars Episode I, The Phantom Menace, we learn the Jedi Knight’s teachings of mindfulness of the Living Force is identical to the Buddhist teaching of mindfulness of the present moment. Jedi Master Qui-Gon instructs his student Obi-Wan to not center on his anxieties and to keep his concentration in the here and now where it belongs. Anticipation of the future is sometimes necessary but not at the expense of the moment. This is being mindful of the living Force. Only by touching the present moment deeply in the here and now, are we able to live fully. There is no life outside this present moment in the past or the future. When asked why his monks were so peaceful and serene, the Buddha said, “They do not repent the past, nor do they brood for the future. They live in the present.” – Matthew Bortolin

I thought I would google and see if creator, George Lucas was indeed a Buddhist – would be kind of funny if he was a re-born Christian – it certainly would not make any sense… Turns out Lucas was a friend of famous philosopher, Joseph Campbell. According to adherents.com Lucas is in fact a Buddhist and the force is strong with him (except maybe not with Red Tails – ouch!)
I guess it all makes sense now.

Well, anyway, Ethan and I are stoked about the next five Star Wars movies being released in the coming months.

Enjoy your Saturday evening – My son and I will be dreaming about star fighters and far of planets tonight.

John C. Bader
www.responsiveuniverse.com

Saturday Morning Musings

Well, I have been up since 2am. Truthfully, I tossed and turned in bed until 3am and finally just got up. I have been lending a hand in the final editing of my book, the Responsive Universe, so I spent the greater part of the early morning looking for misspellings. My greatest fear is misspelling the word meditation – I already caught the error several times (mediation). Apparently it is an easy mistake to make. This book began as a journal of sorts and now it is this rather overwhelming project that has engulfed my creative juices for years. It is in the final editing phase and I hope to have it in print and online by late summer.

The sun is just now beginning to rise in the east. I just let the dog out and was greeted by a brisk morning breeze. It snowed a little last night and as the sun rises into clear skies, there is this beautiful reflection of pink and purple, transitioning to oranges and reds – all reflecting off the snowy landscape. With hot coffee in hand, the experience is just short of sublime.

My 10 year old son just awoke and now the day has officially begun. I am happy to say it is Saturday and I now have the entire day to enjoy. Later, it is Stars Wars, the Phantom Menace on the big screen. I grew up with Star Wars and my son has been born into the club so to speak. He has watched the movies a thousand times on DVD but this will be his first opportunity to see it on the big screen. I am looking forward to it as well.

Well, enough rambling… time to touch up the coffee…

Enjoy your weekend…

John C. Bader
www.responsiveuniverse.com

Synchronicity of the Universe

It has been an interesting week.

I must say, I am a little tired….

I have been under the weather lately and my spirit and energy has been further eroded by the stresses of work, money and the uncertainty of the future. Change is inherent to all of us and our existence. Just when you think you have your ego in check and are centered, something can come along out of the shadows and shatter your confidence. Even on the road to enlightenment, there will be bumps and pitfalls.

I blog about connecting to something fixed and indestructible that exists within us all. It is our intrinsic potential for reaching enlightenment and our connectivity to the Universe – an energy that defines our connection to humanity, earth and the cosmos. It is a lot like the Buddhist “Blue Sky” analogy: Clouds are merely the transient troubles and challenges that float over our heads, sometimes even bringing storms and uncertainty. Yet, behind those clouds is always blue sky and sunshine. We can have confidence that though it might be cloudy today or all this week, the sun will shine again! It is important, especially in times of darkness, to remind ourselves of the permanence of our fundamental being as it relates to the Cosmos. We are a part of something so vast and amazing it boggles the imagination.

For me, during my times of down trodden, tired despair, the synchronicity or connectivity of the Universe can be seen in simple nature. For the last two days there has been a hawk visiting my back yard tree. My wife forwarded me a google search on “hawk symbolism” She came across a wonderful blog called Divine Sparks. I read about how “the hawk comes to you indicating that you are now awakening to your soul purpose, your reason for being here. It can teach you how to fly high while keeping yourself connected to the ground.”

I love the connections in life – the coincidences… When we live in a responsive universe we need to take heed to such awareness that arises from the space around us. This morning on my drive to work a full moon sat near the morning horizon. I knew it was not just for me, but it felt like it in the moment. Then all the stresses, fears and worry seemed to fall away.

John C. Bader
www.responsiveuniverse.com
(image by allaboutbirds.org)

Some of us are bright shafts of light – A Poem

Some of us are bright shafts of light

Others are just the shadows that follow behind….

Which are you?

Do you follow or do you lead?

Do you prescribe to archaic beliefs?

Are you the seed of ego and greed;

lead by blind faith and mediocrity?

Or are you compassionate and loving?

Unadulterated and unfettered;

And not a slave to false perception?

Happy and proactive;

Or just stressed and reactive?

Some of us are bright shafts of light

Others are just the shadows that follow behind….

The decision is yours and yours alone

To be confident and calculated

To have space and awareness

sheds light and responsiveness

www.responsiveuniverse.com

John C. Bader

Damn you Ego… Damn you to Hell! …well, maybe not?

I have stumbled upon a fundamental paradox on the road to enlightenment. I have studied Buddhism extensively over the years – even took formal classes – so of course I sometimes use the yardstick of Buddhism when applicable in my ongoing self-evolution. Yet it seems with any religious dogma, no matter how refreshing, there are still flaws in how it relates to us in the present.

The main focus of Buddhism is connecting to our True Self or True Nature (as I like to term it). There are three inseparable qualities to True Nature: Space, our boundless vision of the Universe, mind and surroundings; our clarity or awareness that arises from that space; and our responsiveness to that awareness which illustrates that all thoughts and emotions are merely distortions of our True Nature. In Buddhism we are told to treat all thoughts and emotions equal. In doing so, it keeps the pendulum of energy and experience from swinging too far into self gratifying bliss or the opposite, pain and suffering. In essence we are asked to find a middle ground in how we interpret our thoughts and emotions so we are balanced – only then can the indestructible quality of our existence arise from the ashes of ego and false self.

The paradox is this: How would we know where the middle ground is without already knowing the extreme opposites of bliss and suffering. We need to have a matrix in place that takes in consideration all facets: bliss as it relates to our false-self, suffering as it relates to our false-self and this elusive middle ground called enlightenment. When we are born, society hands us our ego. True the ego is not found in the womb – it is society that molds an ego but much like the concept of Hell, the ego is manmade and in order to socially evolve it is a necessary function in our lives. Much like Hell which does not transcend humans and earth – humans create Hell through our own actions – there is this fundamental concept of right and wrong that facilitates such discussions about Hell. Likewise, there is a fundamental connection between ego and our true self (True Nature). It is true that most Buddhists would contend that the ego is not a part of us – it is merely a distortion. Still, even distortions are tangible evidence of who we are. When we look in a mirror, that image may be a distortion of our true self – a mirrored copy that is not real, but still it is rather difficult to deny that this image is not us. As stated in an earlier blog, we need the ego to evolve so that we can first reach the necessary milestones in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: The ego and our basic instincts feed subsistence strategies, love and warmth for example; only then can we begin to tackle self-actualization at the apex of self-directed growth.

The concept of an ego is in itself a yardstick in societal evolution. Whether we need the ego or not is really not the point – the ego exists whether we like it or not. The focus is not to say we do not need the ego but to acknowledge that it exists and then separate its facilities within our mind – make space for it so that when thoughts and emotions arise we can distinguish which ones are proactive to our evolution and development and which ones are merely there to create false-self and ultimately suffering. We cannot deny the ego but must find awareness for its power – the ego helped build a crude but necessary foundation in our human evolution. Now in the search for enlightenment, the key is to limit its authority and power so that true authentic empowerment can arise from within.

John C. Bader
www.responsiveuniverse.com

How our Past relates to the Future…

Here is a poignant thought about our past and how it relates to the future: Looking back on our childhoods and finding understanding and closure from negative experiences is paramount. But for us middle age people, what about those decades that have evolved and dissolved so quickly over time since we were children. We all have a path of suffering and resolution to trek on this adventure called life. How many of us look back on the past or even the present and feel the pressure of work, family and keeping up with the social strain and anxiety of ego. We all have dreams and aspirations and some of us are afraid to strike out and take risks. Some of us are incredibly cautious and calculated while others may be careless or stubborn. We all have our celebrations and tragedies and we all have our successes and failures in life. It is experience that forms us as humans from the inside out and from the outside in. We also have this benchmark set in our minds of where we should be in life. Ever heard of a “midlife crisis”? Questions arise – Have we measured up to our parent’s success or the success of our friends we have grown up with? Now as adults, are we meeting our past expectations?

My Father brought up a good point recently. He said there is nothing wrong with working hard and it is normal to feel the overwhelming stresses of life – it is something we all go through. He quips, the key is fulfilling your dreams to their fullest. Further, we cannot let fear hold us back. We need to work hard, occasionally taking risks and do the best we can. When we reach the golden age of life we need to be able to look back on our past and feel contentment. That’s right, contentment… You should not have to say “what if”. Follow your dreams and aspirations and do your best to achieve those goals that mean something to you. Even if you fall short, you can still have the satisfaction that you at least tried your best. It seems when we put positive energy into something we are passionate about, even if we fall short of expectations, the end result will still be something authentic, pleasant and worthwhile. Any effort, especially in the right direction of hard work, goodwill and karma will result in a positive outcome.

So, as our childhood memories begin to dissolve and fade and even our own children are all grown up, what will matter most will be how hard you worked and how you have carried yourself through life based on karma, creditability and love. Focus your energies on those notions and have satisfaction in knowing you did it all. My Father speaks from experience as he looks toward his seventh decade of life – he speaks about how with age our agility and youthfulness disappears. Once youth dies, we are heavily reliant on remaining family and friends that surround us and maybe just as important; our past actions and how we have carried ourselves through life. We need to be able to look back on our lives and smile – If you look back on your past now, no matter where you are in life, and can’t smile; you need to make some fundamental changes in your life now.

Live with an open mind…
Be conscious of karma…
Have compassion for your enemies…
Love yourself and others…

…. And that smile will show itself soon. That is the essence of a Responsive Universe.

John C. Bader

(image by !gotycki)