 Sometimes, you can find some real gems on Facebook. I came across a post of this story from Tales of Hasidim by Martin Buber. It's quite a poignant story. So often people turn to their religious teachings and miss the point of acting from compassion. Our Source, God, whatever name you choose to define it by, is the essence of unconditional love - pure and beautiful. Unfortunately, some bend religious teachings to support and or justify their hate, their fear or to control. The media has been drumming up the issues of refugees, transgender rights and politics to name a few. It is disconcerting how much hate and fear is flying around these topics. How can someone be cruel to someone else (face-to-face or not) and then feel they're a good person just because they went to church/mosque/synagogue/temple? For those who preach that God hates gays or is against them, they truly do not know God. How can we preach that God is love, yet only for certain kinds of people? We're applying conditions to what's actually unconditional. The story above is a great reminder to live from a place of compassion and love - for self and for others. We all have the capability to do so. It's all about choice. We are innately good, we are innately love. It's time we start recognizing it and owning it. In helping ourselves and others, we're actually more in alignment with our Creator and we live from a space of Truth - whether we believe in a God or not. Namaste, Adrienne :)
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 I recently read Dying To Be Me, by Anita Moorjani. It's about her NDE (near death experience) when she had stage 4 cancer. Not only did she have an NDE, within 6 weeks of that experience, her cancer was gone. It's a fabulous account and is full of wonderful wisdom gleaned from the other side. This book is definitely worth a read. In her story, she discusses her childhood in Hong Kong. Of Indian descent, she was raised in the Hindu traditions, yet her early education was in a Catholic school run by nuns. She talks about an instance when a classmate of hers asked why she and her family didn't attend church on Sundays. When she replied that her family is Hindu, he said, "You need to tell your parents to take you to church to pray to God every Sunday, otherwise you won't get to heaven when you die." When Anita got home, the following dialogue occurred with her mother: "Mama, my friends and the Sisters at my school say that I have to go to church on Sundays, and I have to study the Bible if i want to go to heaven when I die." Her mother replied: "You don't have to worry about that. Just tell everyone at school that we're Hindus; and when you're a little older, you'll study our scriptures, the Vedas. People from different places have different faiths. You'll come to learn that after we die, we're reincarnated into other circumstances." Anita: "I don't think the kids in my school are going to buy that, And I'm scared. What if they're right? They can't all be wrong. How can the Sisters be wrong?" (My favorite part) My mother pulled me close and said, "Don't be scared, Beta. no one really knows the truth - not even Sister Mary. Religion is just a path for finding truth. Religion is not truth. it is just a path. And different people follow different paths. " Anita came to realize the truth of this statement during her time on the other side. There is no one religion where we go after we die. She learned many other truths as well and shares them with others, as she experienced them, in her book as well as in speaking engagements. I once heard the comparison of a bicycle wheel and religion. God/Source/Creator is the wheel and the many spokes are the different religions. Different spokes, same wheel. Instead of spending our energy trying to convince others that our spoke/religion is better or is the only way to Source, we should be directing that energy to actually getting to know Source, the God within and the God without. Religion is a tool, a path - it is not the end all, be all. We're all on our own paths, our own journeys - but no matter the path they all lead us back to the same space. Love, Adrienne :)
 I once attended a presentation on vinegar and wine given by a wonderful man named Kurt Ammann who has a vineyard in S. Africa. I really enjoyed his talk and trying the different types of vinegar that they make on his property. He made a comment about wine that was a "hmmmm" moment for me. He said, "The same wine tastes different to each person." As I let that sink in, it got me thinking about how in life, no two people see it, experience it or live it the same way. Each experience we have collectively "tastes" different to every person involved. Some savor the experience, others dump the wine out of the glass in disgust, while others chug it down and go looking for more. What one may find as sweet, another can find too sour. This little anecdote is important because we sometimes need to be reminded that not everyone sees things the way we do. Back in the day when I used to drink, I very much enjoyed sparkling white wine. I'd been told that it's not "real wine" or that red wine was way better (I never tried a red I actually liked). Who cares? I'm the one drinking it and enjoying it, thank you very much. Why do people feel the need to impose their own experience onto mine? More importantly, why would I let them? Besides understanding that we all experience the same things differently, it's important to remember that the only time other people's opinions dictate our own experience is when we let them. We all have our opinions - some are just way more vocal and pushy when offering theirs. Your experience is yours, their experience is theirs. How much their opinion changes your experience is up to you. If you let them, some can ruin your experience or, on the flip side, they can direct you towards a new way to experience that you hadn't tried before. At the beginning, middle and end of the day - it's your life. By becoming more cognizant of how others impact your experience, along with the understanding that we all experience life through different eyes, the more conscious and aware you'll be - which will bring about a whole new experience unto itself. Wine anyone? Cheers! - Love, Adrienne
 I've taken some flack for the work I put into myself as I make my way along this journey of self-discovery. I've been told it should be less about me and more about others; that I'm selfish. I disagree. There are times where you really need to make it all about you and there are times when you really should put others first. The difference lies in if what you're about to do is for the purpose of your ego or for your Soul/Essence/True Self. For example, if you decide to run a stop sign just so you can get in front of a line of traffic, only to then turn 1/4 mile down the road - you're catering to your ego. There is no thought for the others in traffic - whom you have now just slowed down - only your need to hurry up, get ahead and put yourself first. That's the Ego: me, me, me. Now, let's say you have a ton of responsibilities that are demanding your time, yet you go out for an hour or so to walk in Nature. You're taking the time to decompress and reset your rhythms so you can go about the rest of your day without the threat of burn-out looming over you. That's self-care and looking out for the "I." There is nothing selfish about walking your spiritual journey. There is nothing selfish about taking care of yourself and giving precedence to your relationship with your Soul. The most important thing we can do is get to know who we truly are, to break down the falsehoods of the ego and stop living as how others have defined us . As we connect to our Real 'Self' - we begin to live out the compassion and love we truly are. We begin to see others with different eyes. We begin to act instead of react. The ego is all about reacting - it thrives on emotional triggers and playing out drama. If it's all about your ego - put others first. If it's about your Soul connection - put that first, every time. There's a Zen proverb that I love: You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day, unless you're too busy, then you should sit for an hour. This world is in the state it is because we're letting our egos run the show. Imagine if we all worked on our Soul connection and lived in the truth of who we really are - it would be a much different reality. I encourage everyone to take the time to quiet the mind and connect to your real Essence. Take some time each day to consciously breathe, reflect and connect. It's a life changer! Much Love, Adrienne :)
 Last week I had the happy opportunity to take part in my cousin's special day. It was a joyous wedding and I was brought to tears quite a few times due to the amount of love that abounded. Being the sentimental somewhat crafty one in the family, I came up with an idea for a slightly unique wedding gift. No matter how much we care about or love someone, we will inevitably hit some rough patches. Without those rough patches, how can we grow? I approached her guests during that down time after the wedding and before dinner and asked each one to write down a piece of wisdom/encouragement for the couple. I folded all of the flower shaped papers and placed them in a decorated Mason jar with the sign: "The... who needs Dr. Phil when you have... Wisdom Jar. " While I was considering what advice I'd offer, this project got me thinking about relationships in general - friendships, romantic, familial, you name it. It occurred to me that there are 3 C's for successful relationships:
Have a beautiful week! Love, Adrienne :)
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October 2024
AuthorHello! I'm Adrienne Almamour, an empathic intuitive conduit. I assist people by detecting and clearing their subconscious emotional energy blockages. This blog is a commentary and reflection of life from an intuitive standpoint which also incorporates ways that allow us to be from our heart. |
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