The Official Website of Michael Corthell

 

“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh We all need a thing that takes us out of our day to day, and reminds us that all will be well. Meditation, a nap, does that for me. Let it be. “The period between four and six in the morning is called the Brahmamuhurta, the Brahmic time, or divine period, and is a very sacred time to meditate.” ― Sri S. Satchidananda, The Yoga Sutras

Some people want God, the Universe, to come to their rescue, and give them a new life, a new job, or some new and improved situation, but they don’t want anything in their lives disturbed. That's crazy, right?  For instance, if I wanted to remodel my home and told my contractor that I didn’t want him to touch anything, he would have told me that I didn’t really don't want to remodel. If I wanted new paint, a new floor, or new cabinets, none of that would be possible if the old stuff wasn’t changed out first.  Many times we need to be stripped, broken and removed from what we have come to rely on in order for us to be rebuilt with greater spiritual strength, focus and stamina.  It never feels good when security and other things are being taken from us, but if we can trust the process, we will experience greater good on the other side of the process. We need to trust God, and give Him permission to tear things down so that He can make things new(and improved).  It can be painful,

“I’m not telling you it is going to be easy; I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it.” – Art Williams When we turn the corner, and find ourselves facing in the right direction, then all we have to do is keep on walking. “Recovery didn’t open the gates of heaven and let me in.  Recovery opened the gates of hell and let me out!” – Anonymous

 

 

“Gaslighting are lies with a purpose to confuse and control.” ― Tracy Malone Invalidation, and the devaluation done by psychopaths and narcissists makes people feel crazy and unmoored ― it is the root of gaslighting ― either in personal relationships or in politics. Victims are told not to believe their eyes and ears. Their feelings are then purposely denied or manipulated in order to make them question their own reality and even their own sanity. “Remember, a fact is a fact, no matter how hard the liars  amongst you might try hushing it up.” ― Billy Childish

“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries.  Without them humanity cannot survive.” ― Dalai Lama Compassion can be painful but it doesn't have to be. Many of us hurt because when we feel connected to everything, we also feel responsible for everything. And we cannot turn away from injustice. Our destinies is bound up with the destinies of others. We must either learn to embrace the Universe as One(holy) or be burdened by it. Each of us needs to grow strong enough to love the All, but also be 'empty' enough to withstand its worst horrors. “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” ― Mother Teresa

“I don't know what good it is to know so much  and be smart as whips and all if it doesn't make you happy.” ― J.D. Salinger Everyone seeks happiness in the world and there is ONE best way to find it ― by controlling your mind. Happiness doesn't depend on what's happening 'out there'. It depends on what's rattling around inside your head. We are all as happy as we can be if we WANT TO BE.  Be POSITIVE in thought and deed. “Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting some on yourself.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

 First recognize the universe is in you -- you are part of it. Many believe it is all 'out there'. Not true. We somehow think some external force is going to swoop into our lives and save us from all the challenges we are experiencing. Again not true. The Universe is inside you, it is your partner. Two, we have to let go of what is preventing us from succeeding. When we’re caught up in the "I just need to trust the universe” state of mind, we can focus too much on the practice of "letting go" as an abstract thought. But trusting the universe isn't just about hoping we'll be saved. It's about being practical, about approaching our fears head on and learning what specific limiting beliefs we have that we need to let go of. When the desire for change is bigger than the desire to stay in our comfort zone, big things can and will happen. Three, The universe will serve you, but not always please you. For example, would really please me to get a boat load

  And at the very least; Everybody is a somebody to somebody.

Think positive, be positive and positive things will happen. Thoughts create emotions, emotions create more feelings and these feelings dictate our behavior. Therefore, it’s vitally important that our thoughts be positive. Staying positive greatly increases the probability of attracting positive people, events and circumstances into our lives. “Plant seeds of expectation in your mind; cultivate thoughts that anticipate achievement. Believe in yourself as being capable of overcoming all obstacles and weaknesses.”  – Norman Vincent Peale

What areas? I say empathy for one. What do you think?

“When a man gives his opinion, he's a man.  When a woman gives her opinion, she's a bitch.” ― Bette Davis Feminism is hated by many in our society because women are hated by many. The spirit of anti-feminism manifested in our culture is a direct expression of misogyny because it is the political defense of woman-hating itself. Don't be fooled  —  any objection to women's rights, such as the right to vote, educational opportunities, property rights, and access to birth control fits the definition of anti-feminism. “...women don't have to be men's equals to be considered contenders; they have to be better. That's the lie of it all. You have to be better to prove yourself worthy of being equal.” ― Mackenzi Lee

The more that you begin to understand that you alone create the world you experience, the more critical it becomes for you to discover just what kind of person is doing the creating.

“Just like there's always time for pain, there's always time for healing.” ― Jennifer Brown Looking at the bigger picture. During the course of the year 2020 I finally realized(and accepted) that the entire human race is functionally insane...nuts...the cheese has always been sliding off our crackers.  But I also observed, and understood that many people have come to the same conclusion. That brings me hope, because to recognize our own insanity is, of course, the very beginning of sanity. It is the beginning of healing and transcendence. “As soon as healing takes place, go out and heal somebody else.” ― Maya Angelou

“The Simple Path” Silence is Prayer Prayer is Faith Faith is Love Love is Service The Fruit of Service is Peace ― Mother Teresa When the journey you're on lights up your soul, there's no standing still. Your feet touch the ground, but not for long. ''Do not follow where the path may lead.  Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.''   ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

“All differences in this world are of degree, and not of kind,  because oneness is the secret of everything.” ― Swami Vivekananda A s a practical matter, if we want to preserve our planet's ability to provide a viable, life sustaining ecosystem, we all must come to understand that all lives are connected, and interrelated. We must understand that what we think, what we say, what we do, and what we believe has a corresponding effect on others, and the entire universe. “Technology is destructive only in the hands of people  who do not realize that they are one and the same process as the universe. ” ― Alan Watts

If we want positive things to happen, we should do positive things to make them happen. Voting for good, positive, empathic people is part of ensuring a better country, and a better world.  Bad people don't give a damn about good people  —  they care about themselves  —  they care about turning good people into bad people  —  they enjoy the pain caused in doing so.  Nothing comes from nothing and evil doesn't birth good.

“To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe.” ― Marilyn vos Savant As the saying goes, we will believe it when we see it, or what we believe is what we see. If we take those idioms at face value, we had damn well look closely. AND take note: the act of observation changes the thing that was observed as well as the observer.  [That is quantum-ness !] “To see is to forget the name of the thing one sees.” ― Paul Valéry

 

“Your life must now run the course that's been set for it.” ― Kazuo Ishiguro The lucky few(in my view) who are fully woken and self-actualized just know what they're doing is the only thing to be doing. They believe that the world is conspiring all around them to make it happen, and not just giving them permission, but driving them in the direction they need to go, even giving them secret nods, winks and clear hand signals. Yes, these folks believe that fate is getting everything out of the way so they have the clearest path possible toward their destiny. “We are forced to fall back on fatalism as an explanation of irrational events (that is to say, events the reasonableness of which we do not understand).” ― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace

Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved,  and believes in the goodness in people. What people want, what they really need is kindness shown to them when they feel they don't deserve it. That simple act, of seemingly undeserved consideration, can start a chain reaction of kindness. Nothing so rewarding and important as to make people realize that they are worthwhile. That's how one act of charity can change the world, and put us on the path to peace. “You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson Kindness has no religion. Religions are narrow, but kindness is like a wide open sky.

Mindless fear is greater than mindful fear. “You can't possibly be afraid of death, really, you can only be afraid of life.” ― Carl R. Rogers Looking at graveyards is good. I think about all those lives that are recorded in eternity. It gives me perspective, I think about what's important in life. Thinking about all those lives and eternity is where I get most of my inspiration for wisdom and life. So, it would be wise to remember that everyone dies a day at a time. I think there's some equality in that truth. “Though we are terrorized by death, it's not different from birth, it just happens” ― Bangambiki Habyarimana

“Miracles surround us at every turn, if we but sharpen our perceptions to them.” ― Willa Cather I have to stop right here and inject some realism into the miracle discussion I'm presenting this morning. Let's consider this: When we read in the news that someone was saved from certain death by a strange set of circumstances, most will say, ''It was a miracle he wasn't killed.'' But, if someone is killed by some weird chain of events ― say oil was carelessly spilled, the safety device was turned off or broken ― that must also be a miracle. Just because it's a negative event doesn't mean it's not a miracle too. “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” ― Albert Einstein