KEEPING OUR SELF CENTERED

[The following is a reworked reprint of my blog of December 31, 2012.]

I am free to use all [my] capacities to alleviate the suffering of those around me. In living for others, I come to life. – Eknath Easwaran, “Words to Live By”

I heard a speaker recently make the point that is so essential to freedom from self. In effect, he said that it is in living for others that we are opened to God's gift to us...the gift of God Itself.

His message was quite moving. For it is true, it is not enough to live to help only our family, our community, our friends. We must be ready, willing and available to help any and all who come to us in need...and especially those with whom we are less than enchanted. Those we resist because they are wrong...according to self-centered us.

It is only by allowing into my life those with whom I disagree that I discover they are truly my angels...for nothing and nobody sends me to God so quickly...so sincerely. That is when I understand the words, "Help me seek to understand rather than seek to be understood," not to mention,  "Relieve me of the bondage of self."

The balancing act, that which requires us to turn to God, is in keeping our own Self centered, in keeping our own primary purpose in life first in our consciousness. For if we lose our center, forget our primary purpose, we are back to being self-centered...alone again, un-naturally.

We learn that self-centered is that place where none other is allowed entrance into our consciousness, certainly not a higher power and for sure not God. We learn to move on up, deeper...to our Self center.

Thank you.