Are you, like me, a storyteller at heart? Each morning my mind is filled with stories I’d like to tell, but my inner critic takes over and convinces me no one will care. I proceed to find things to fill my day, and the stories remain untold. Over time some stories have forced themselves onto paper, but only because I had nothing left but to let them out.
I’ve decided to start publishing the stories trapped in the confines of my computer. Today, the decision was forced upon me when I considered the future of my children and grandchildren. I thought of all their opportunities, challenges, and accomplishments witnessed by others but not by me. This led me to consider all the ways their lives have already enriched my life. Each contact we have with another has the potential to impact all participants now or in the future.
The high school choir teacher who gave a shy, quiet boy a life long love of music and it’s ability to express deeply felt emotions. The military leader who taught the value of each member, no matter their life before joining the team. The CEO of a large multinational corporation who spoke of the potential of each employee to make a meaningful contribution, whatever their position. The religious leader pointing out religion is not a future insurance policy but a door to a full spiritual life today.
I’ve been fortunate to share in the growth of my children from birth to adulthood. While I hope they’ve learned from me, I know their lives have been shaped by many who’ve touched them in ways no one may know. We now have a grandson who can light the world simply by being in it.
I look forward to the daily stories to be written based on experiences yet to be lived. Write your daily story; the world needs it.
My life always includes a contemplation of God. Yes, that God, the one that has fallen out of favor in today’s society. Many claim to not believe in any god and that we live in a post-spiritual age, but they continue to search for spiritual expression.
I was raised and educated in a traditional, liturgical, Christian community and still find beauty in the Stained Glass, and music of the Pipe Organ. For me, God is not some mythological, supernatural being with a long white beard and a magic wand, but God is the essence of the natural world.
Societies throughout human history have used God to explain the unknown and to provide their pre-history. Today we can still encounter God at the intersection of the known unknown and the unknown unknown. God is the Big Bang, astrophysics, and quantum physics. Dark matter, dark energy, and maybe the grand unifying theory. God can also be found in a child’s laughter, the music of a bird, and the shape of a cloud. There is no one way to a relationship with God, but its important to accept and feed your relationship.
The world’s three predominant western religions all began in the same region, worship the same monotheistic God, and began in service to the poor and abused in society. Each developed a priestly class, which eventually became a major source of power in their society. That power devolved into a desire to maintain the status quo and to solidify their power base at the expense of service to the vulnerable and to new ideas they could not control. These religions shaped western civilization over the past two thousand years in every way imaginable, and we need to recognize both their positive and negative impacts.
Today there are voices within religious community that recognize the need for change and speak of religious renewal. This renewal would be welcome by many, but its success now and in the future is dependent on the wholehearted acceptance of knowledge and willingness to accept responsibility for past errors.
Curious what you might see and hear at a traditional Christian liturgical service? Check out my latest entry in Spirituality. Wonder what music you may hear? Follow the link in the post to Spotify, where I create a new playlist weekly.
How important are personal traits in your life? A lifetime hiring, training, and managing people in diverse positions, as well as success and failures in personal relationships, have taught me a person’s success is dependent on the following traits.
Honesty, Integrity, Respect, Ethics, and a desire to succeed.