As I began to meditate this afternoon, the song "Man in the Mirror" started playing in my head. Not unusual, since you can't turn around this week without being bombarded by Michael Jackson songs. What was unusual is that it rarely happens when I start meditating, it's usually something that starts before I begin, and is something I must eliminate as I quiet my mind. In this case, I couldn't seem to get it out of my head, so I just went with it. It was the same portion over and over again. It was the chorus:

I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make that change

Once my mind began to ponder the words, the song stopped. What came next was a rapid fire montage of images and sound bites all centered around a single topic: The lack of focus on the self and our responsibility to improve the world we live in.

What I mean by that is that in our present society, we seem to focus on the affairs of others.

We seem to focus on the aquisition of material objects.

We worry about the Bildebergers, the NWO, the Democrats, the Republicans, etc.

The religious are convinced they have all the spiritual answers, and all others are wrong.

The atheists are convinced there are no spiritual questions, and all others are wrong.

If we spill hot coffee on our crotch, it's McDonald's fault for serving it hot.

If there are children starving, it's not our responsibility.

If we see a woman being assaulted, someone else will do something about it.


What we should be focusing on is on our own growth, both spiritually and mentally.

What we should be focusing on is how can we help to improve the world we live in and how we can help those who are less fortunate.

We should be taking an active role in the development of our children, instead of blaming the school systems for failing our children.

We should be taking responsibility for our own actions, instead of finding someone else to hold responsible when things go wrong.

We should be searching for spiritual answers, instead of just blindly following some ancient text thinking it has all the answers.

We should not deny the possibility of evolving from some primitive lifeform, as if it would somehow negate our existance as a spiritual being.

We should not use the evidence that we evolved from some primitive lifeform as evidence that we are not spiritual beings.

We should not see ourselves as the most important species in the Universe, since we only occupy a small dust speck in it.

We should not see the Universe as a place created just for us, when we will only be here for a fraction of it's existance.

The list goes on and on.


When was the last time you stopped to smell the roses?

When was the last time you volunteered for anything to help better the world we live in?

When was the last time you stopped to contemplate your existance?

When was the last time you took the time to check your child's homework?

When was the last time you just looked up at the stars in wonder?

When was the last time you questioned your particular religion and explored other possibilities?

When was the last time you took a good look at what resposibility you had in something that has gone wrong in your life?

When was the last time you seriously considered a viewpoint that contradicts your own?

When was the last time you took a really good look at the man or woman in the mirror???

[edit on 30-6-2009 by JaxonRoberts]

What wonderful, lofty, magnificent thoughts these are. You have hit it all right on the mark. What a beautiful understanding.

This has been one of those threads, your thoughts, that has made me feel the way I wish to feel...that is, uplifted.

There is so much stimulation we are bombarded with every day, almost every moment, that we have learned to react quickly to whatever it is that needs tending to--needs our attention at the moment. And these are typically "rapid fire", or one right on the heels of the other. The news, the traffic, the bills, the errands, our problem solving at work, other's making demands of us, and our responses to those demands. It never ends.

Life comes at us quickly; consequently we have learned to deal with it quickly. If you have a fast-paced life, you've had to learn this to survive in our fast-paced world. Learn to be "savvy".

But this has not necessarily served us well. In doing so, acting, thinking, and responding quickly, we have become creatures who simply "react".

It's not always easy to live life consciously, tackle problems consciously, and remember that every face, every face we meet everyday has a story behind it. How we handle a given situation often has implications of which we are not always aware. It's true of almost everything we do.

Your thoughts here, JR, serve us all well. Thank you for posting them.
S&F for you.

liw

Now that this 'revelation' has had a day to set in, I have to say that it has opened my eyes as to how much I have gotten caught up in things that truly just don't matter in the grand scheme of things. I just hope that it lasts and that I don't just end up back on the merry go round of superfilous nonsense again.

(This in no way means that I'm not up for a good debate! It sharpens the mind!!! LOL!)

S&F!

What we should be focusing on is on our own growth, both spiritually and mentally.

Thats sometimes the hardest thing to do for most people.. I have found its much easier to lay the blame out on many topics and subjects!
When the root is honestly us..

These elites and other power houses that control us.. Only control us becasue we control eachother.. We offer them a BIG hand in the way they wage war VS all of us.

If more people would face up in the mirror like many of us have in an absolute honest soul searching hard look..
We would realize, and fully understand they are few.. And we are many!

Yet until the time that everyone does this! They will have the control..
And sadly enough.. Not enough people are ready to do this.. Via so many factors that I couldnt sit here and claim to know why..
But I do know that its a factor that should be weighted by all members of this Earth.
You make a really good point with this thread my friend Jaxon..
Im glad you are a member here.. Your one of the many that keep me comming back.. As I feel what we are talking about isnt falling on total deaf ears and blind eyes..
Its just we are a little ahead of our time. And there are many here on ATS who are ready.. But until the rest want to join us, we can not move on together.. As we are all connected, and we are one.
Just waiting on the rest of the team to figure that out...
Yet you can not push them, until they are ready.. Each person has to find this out in their own time.. And in their own way..
Once you start pushing.. You become like Fanatics or extreamists..
And thats part of the control grid. And its clever, and refined down to the science!
Once we learn how to give everone their own space and time to learn the personal truths.. We will understand that the truth is personal, and can not be told, sold, or taught..

As I never trust a person who claims to have 100% truth.
I only trust a person who is searching for the truth.

Thanks for the thread! I hope more people see this and take their time to make it a personal truth.. AS each of us can see it in many different ways.

It means something to me, while it will mean something different to another. The mirror is tricky like that.. We all reflect our own image.
Such as when I look into the mirror I see me, not you.
Yet when I close my eyes, I feel you..

Never did like being told what I should and should not do.

I am always open to ideas and suggestions but my doctor, my accountant, and and my attorneys are the only people that I allow to tell me what I should do. Even then I don't completely trust them and do my due diligence before I apply their "shoulds".

As far as your suggestions you are right on spot. If we all applied your ideas to our lives we would have a much better world.

One of the greatest ways we can judge our actions is to look into another persons eyes and let that be our mirror. The eyes are the windows of the soul.

When we see a need in someone and we are able to fulfil that need then we are remiss if we do not do what we can to help.

Carry on my friend.

I'm going to take your list of "shoulds" and make a list called Words and Deeds to Live by and make copies. Leaving a copy of the list in bathrooms and other places just might change someones life.

The only change in my list will be that I don't use the word "should".

Yup. Personal responsibility needs to be cultivated. We also have to recognize our own authority and spend it wisely, not to give our power away.

Excellent post. I look for signs of enlightenment everywhere and directly after his death, while going through my Michael Jackson collection, I realized the true meaning of his words. Gandhi Said "You have to be the change you want to see in the world." Same meaning. Jesus said "The kingdom of heaven is WITHIN." Same meaning. I look for the common denominator in all situations. It's the connecting factor. S&F for you my friend.