Of God and Godlets

We are always in search for something, all our lives we are on the lookout for anything we thought of importance that we need to find. Sad thing is, we never seemed to find it, nor come as close to ever discovering whatever that is we are searching for. 

And the ultimate search people often does is to find God.  Almost everyone at some point would like to find God and probably to ask for a lot of things, maybe forgiveness, peace, stillness, answers to questions, some maybe for healing, happiness, bliss and warmth in God's everlasting presence. There will be many who "may" point the direction where we can find God, from heaven (wherever that is, I don't think simply by looking up, right?), to inside of a church, to the books supposedly the words of God, to someone who is "knowledgeable" about God.

I don't intend to debunk anything nor anyone, I am merely hoping to understand this search for the Truth about God.

We often limit God, we personalize the omnipotence of God's greatness, one thing is the infinite magnificence of God is way beyond anyone can comprehend, way, way beyond. We even referred to God as a He, but then how do we really know the gender? Can God be a She? We believe God is pure Love, and then we say God punishes the wicked, the bad, the immorals and the damned. But we believe otherwise. God is Love, period. God will not punish, God will not send the angels and smite every first born, nor God will make it rain with fire and brimstone. That is not God. 

“It is no coincidence that Jesus talks endlessly about love. Free love. Unconditional love.”
― Donald Miller, Searching for God Knows What

Whichever way we search for God, we fail to realize that our search goes outwardly, like God can be found in a place, or we expect God to appear as a burning bush or part the sea. That's not going happen, no matter how much we spend time and effort, as God is not outside, God is not out there somewhere, God is Us, God is inside Us. We fail to realize that our search for God has to be inwards, towards the center of our being. Find and believe that the kingdom of God is not that far away, it is within us, we are the kingdom, we are the Truth of God, we are the epitome of God's Love. We are Love. In our mindlessness, we fail to understand that to search within ourselves is the way in finding God. We were created in God's image, thus We are "godlets." Someone I love so dearly coined the word, "godlets" to make me understand that as human as we like us to be, we are God's spitting image. We are capable of magnificence and greatness if we only allow ourselves, and believe to be. So God is everywhere, God is ANYONE. A famous line of a song in the musical play Les Miserables, I remember the most goes, 

"To love another person, is to see the face of God."

That is absolutely true, each one of us is a reflection of God, little "godlets" that if we only understand that, the world will be the paradise we dream it to be. But, reality check, we are made to believe that God dwells somewhere else, "Seek first the kingdom of God" - Matthew 6:33, one just cannot go to somewhere in Europe to find a castle where God lives, right? What it simply meant is that we have to search within ourselves and find who we really are, knowing that we are God's "godlets" with a huge capacity to love, the power to achieve anything, that we possess both the wisdom and the knowledge of the universe. 

There is a God, yes, of course, but God is not up there, but rather inside each and every one of us, and to cause harm to another person and speak ill of a friend, we are talking to God. If we cause one to suffer, we do it to God. We do our best to be pleasing to God right? Let's do it here, right now, to someone we care about, and to anyone we may meet out there, anyone who needs to see God, in us, in you.

A Better Life, It Is Possible

“The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov 

For every hundred men, starting from age 25, upon reaching the age of 65, only 1 rich, 4 are financially independent, five are still working and the rest will be broke. Which tells us that only 5 out of 100 people are successful in life. Now why is that? Why only 5 end up living their dreams? Why do we need to struggle in life? Why are there so few who actually lived their lives?
The answer is simply, 5 out of 100 knows why they exist in this world and the remaining 95 spend their lives without knowing what their purpose in life is. To make it clear, our life purpose is the reason we are here in this world, it is our assignment! It is the what we are meant to contribute and make a difference in the world and make it at least a better place to live in. It is what we are created for by God to share to the world. A problem to solve for humanity. Usually, this goes beyond ourselves and is far great than us.  

“The purpose of life is to contribute in some way to making things better.”
― Robert F. Kennedy

More often our thoughts are all about us, ourselves and you only, and probably not working in life with our life's purpose. In making ourselves the center of our thoughts is self-centeredness, which limits our abilities to succeed in life.
Are we in this world just to earn a living and provide for our family? I don't think so, because that is too small to be the purpose of our life. If where the purpose of anything is not known, often it is being abused; if we fail to identify our life purpose, we often end up being used, abused and support others to achieve their life purpose. Sad to say the reality is most of us are employed today, we start our morning everyday performing a routine helping our employers to realize their vision and serve their purpose. I don't mean to say that it is not right to work for an employer, it could be an instrument to get some skills and resources which can help in serving our life purpose. But, we need to know what our life purpose and have a plan to serve it. Would you like to be just an employee for the rest of  your life?
To know what our life purpose, we need to search for our own answer to these questions: Why am I in this world? How can I make my life count? These clues can probably help figure it out:

1. Know that one thing you can do and very good at.
2. Discover what you love and enjoy doing.
3. Is there anything you are so passionate about?
4. Is  there anything you can do and be your best regardless not receiving any monetary reward from it?

Any one of these might give us something to better understand why we are in this world. Then we can develop and hone our skills in that particular talent or skill to become our best. More importantly, shifting our attention from ourselves to others. Think of how to use our skills to benefit the human race and to the glory of the God.
Each one of us is born to contribute something to the world. That is our life purpose, and once we discovered that, the lessons of what you sow you reap applies. The 5 people who succeeded in life knows this perfectly well, and what exactly did they do? While most of us focus on reaping, these people focus on sowing. They understand that what they sow eventually they will reap in the end. They planted their time and their resources towards giving and serving their purpose to benefit humanity; donating into the world by solving the problem and meeting others needs, employing us. This tactic eventually create more than enough harvest to take care of their personal needs.
However, most of us have the mindset of meeting only our personal needs, an employee mindset. It is a mystery when I see people getting a job for the sole purpose of getting a high salary. Getting the money to take care of personal needs. That is our main focus, the harvest than the sowing. We work tirelessly night and day for the money.  It is a universal truth that our needs need to be met, but we need to meet the needs of others too. If our major purpose to specifically to only meet our needs, then we must understand that this kind of thinking only leads to a life of constantly struggling to succeed. But there is a better way to live and that is to identify our life purpose and serve that purpose for the humanity. When we do this, we will be reaping an abundance of harvest that is more than enough for our needs.

To Be Reminded Of What's Important

Hi, missed me? Again my apologies, my hiatus is due to work which I put more energy and effort more than ever. Long story, and to cut it short, we lack manpower and work got tripled. End of story.

In lieu to this, I saw a trailer of the movie Titanic, as lately it ran once again in high definition, right. Now, I love this movie and how a fictional love story was incorporated within the historical catastrophe. It moved me to see people struggle to save their lives and the power of love that was ready to conquer even the biggest calamity and death.

This prompt me to remember what's more important, and what is more important really? Coincidentally I read a story, and not sure if it is true, that as the Titanic slowly sink in the middle of the Atlantic, one woman while being boarded on a lifeboat asked if she could come back to her room. She was given a few minutes  to do so. She hurriedly ran along the corridors to her room even when the ship is already tilting dangerously. Along the way she crossed a gambling room filled with money, in her room were her prized jewelry possessions, all waiting to be taken, but instead she snatched up three apples and hurried back to the boat.
She would have chosen her jewelries over the apples, but in the face of adversity, values are seen more clearly.

Unfortunately, many of us go through our lives with no clear sense of our true values. Instead our desires are molded by the culture and the advertisements that bombard us everyday. The result is that we find no consistency in our lives. No unity. Our desires change as fast as the culture and quickly swept off by the newest fashion, the most recent technology, or the latest wordly pursuit. In exchange, we often sacrifice a life committed to our values.

On the other hand, a stern conviction of our heart's values leads to a single, simplified life, one that is not swayed easily. It is built on the very things that we hold most true to our heart. And no advertising campaign is able to change it.

So, first let us identify this inside-out simplicity of our deepest heart values. This should not be difficult, it is highly important, even life-changing, yet, could be overlooked:

1. Take your quiet time.

2. Get a pen or pencil and a paper and write "What I Most Want to Accomplish with My Life"

3. Write whatever comes to mind. Don't think. Feel your desire. Hear what your heart says.

4. And when the moment feels right, stop.

Here's the hard part, to actually live by these values, when the pressure of "reality" and culture tags us somewhere else. To live with these values will need careful evaluation, intentional decision-making, a commitment to live differently with anyone else, and constant re-evaluation.

But taking the time to remember what's most important will always open the way to a life better lived. Which we should not always forget.

Simplicity And The Heart

There is a simple thought that we should learn about, that there is joy in pursuing less. Through it all, I have discovered that this thought appeals and resounds in the heart. Some people may argue with me and prove I am wrong, but I have come to an understanding that simplicity, the intentional promotion of the things I most value and the removal of anything that deviate me from it, is a message of invitation that is to appreciated, desired and should be accepted when offered.

Bottom line, simplicity adheres to the heart because, our heart knows that possessions does not mean joy. Happiness can never be found in having more, it is found in the pursuit of our lasting passions. Our heart knows freedom when we live it. Possessions burden us, far more than we think. Our heart longs to be free and to be only tied to things of true worth.

Our heart longs for financial sense. No one lives for the sake of having large amounts of debts. Our souls desire to live within means and not as a slave to credits. To be simple means financial freedom. 

Our heart knows what is true. Many live a lie, running after things of limited nature. Society, culture and advertisement promise lasting enjoyment in bigger homes, fancier cars and in season clothing. But lasting fulfillment can never be found in short-lived pursuits. Our heart knows when it is being faked. Most of the time we acquire things to put on a facade to act like we are successful, famous, put together and all figured out. But deep inside we know we are not. And more so, in the deepest part we long to stop pretending and be real and vulnerable. 

Our heart desires to follow a dream, and pursue a passion. I am sure nobody would say, or very few would say that owning something is their GREATEST desire. I think most will say that they long to find love, meaning and live bigger lives than themselves. Simplicity gives the means for our heart to accomplish its greatest desires. Out heart finds happiness in lasting worth. What we see are mostly temporary and what we cannot are eternal. Our souls would want to live for the things that truly matter by finding joy in the invisible, lasting things that cannot be bought with money.

Out heart longs for the higher self. Contentment, generosity, gratitude and self control. I would like my life to be remembered and described with those words and owning less allows more opportunities for these positive habits to shine through.

However, we have been fooled. As a collective society, we have fallen to the lie that there is greater joy in having more. But we all know that is not true, right? Our heart has been fighting to have less of the things that  of no value all the while. 

It's time we stop running after empty pursuits and start listening to our heart that knows who we are best instead.

Choose, Success or Significance?

We all want to be financially stable, who isn't? To have enough to spend and more to store. It is a great motivator and controls most people's lives. It chooses occupations, and controls how time, energy and resources are used. It can influence relationships, schedules and even our families. There are more people so consumed by this passion that many are left broken and moralities in question.

 

I think we are not called to make this passion our life. In fact, compared to significance, it fades just like that.

I have learned that success is like a tide, it comes and flows with the rise and fall of economy.  As recent years have proven, financial success is always at the mercy of a national economy and increasingly, a world economy. When the economy goes down (as it always does), so does net worth.

Success also ends on the day we die. All wealth and possessions will be immediately transferred to someone else. And even if we get to pick where they go, the reality is that person is always someone other than us. And it is never enough. Financial success will never satisfy the innermost desires of our soul. No matter the amount of financial success earned, it always leaves us wanting more.

On the other hand, significance always lasts. Significance will always outlast us. Even when we are no longer present, our significance will still be ours. And nothing can ever take that away from us. It carries on. Significance keeps on giving. When you positively change the life of another human being and that person changes the life of another who impacts the life of another who influences another, it gets paid off forward. 

I think significance also satisfies our soul. While the thirst for success is never quenched, significance satisfies our deepest heart and soul. It allows us to lay our head on our pillow each night confident that we lived a valuable and fulfilling day.

Unfortunately, many people spend most of their lives chasing financial success. And while some achieve it more than others, many will never find it in the end. When they begin to shift their life focus to significance instead of success, they wonder why they wasted most of their life chasing something different.

Don’t waste any of your life. I suggest to seek significance today. How? Let's see...

Realize that life won’t last forever. We know that we will eventually die but no one wants to think about it. Sad, why? Because I believe that when we think that we will eventually expire, we can begin to live differently, at this moment. We are never too young or old to start to think about our legacy. How do we want to be remembered, and what do we really want to accomplish before we die? I don't want to sound morbid, I am just simply saying, that if we were to make a list of things we would like to be thought of, I am pretty sure we will not find there "drive a nice BMW!"

Try to live a life worth imitating. Live with character, integrity, and morality. Our life should look the same in private as it does in public. And while no one is perfect, just begin striving for a life of integrity. It will be noticed.

Let's try to focus on people. Not money. Begin to change our life’s focus from our bank accounts to the people around us. Rather than worrying about the how to get-rich-quick blah,blah, blah, spend that energy focusing on our family, our neighbor, or the disadvantaged in our community.

Maybe we can start with one person. Find one person who needs us today. Start there. Significance may be as inexpensive as one cup of coffee or as simple as one heartfelt question. If we are unsure on how to start, how about with a smile.

Let us find a career outside our job. Sometimes, our day job leads to significance. But if ours does not, find a “career of significance” outside of our job by learning something else and be great at it (like I did photography). Most likely, our gifts, talents, or expertise are desperately needed. Use our job to pay the bills, but use our “new career” to pay our soul.

I know that too many people think that, “once I make it rich, I’ll become significant.” I don't think so. Let's try to choose significance today. Begin striving for it now. If, then, financial success comes our way in the future, our mind will be in a better place to truly use our new success for broader significance.

Reduce our expenses. Yes we can learn to live with less. Living with less frees up our life to invest into others. And living with reduced expenses allows us the freedom to not spend so much time at the office and more resources on others.

Read books of people who sought significance rather than success. The lives and writings of these authors will inspire us to make more of ours.

People don't often look back on their lives and savor their professional achievements. Instead, they celebrate the impact they have had in the lives of others. Give ourselves much to look back and celebrate. Stop chasing success. Start seeking significance.

I am.