Teshuvah

September 21, 2023 Michael Leave a comment

I remember a few years after being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes that I wrote a letter to my family. The letter was an attempt to describe what it was like to live with the condition. It is hard to describe because the trauma of the dis-ease is strong and multifaceted. In other words, it is not just physical. It affects the energy self, the mental, the emotional, the financial, the social……everything. I described how it felt like I was sent to the circus to perform the high wire act with no safety net. Everyday; 24/7 I was trying to balance on the thin wire of blood sugar control. It was an impossible task.

At the end of the letter, after describing what it was like, all I felt was sadness, hopelessness, victim consciousness, remorse, guilt, self-pity, resentment…should I go on? I ended the letter with a heartfelt and surrendering statement. All I could say was “I AM SORRY.” I could see how me being “sick” was affecting others and I felt like there was nothing I could do to “fix it.” My remorse was filled with embarrassment, shame and a sense of helplessness.

The Developmental Stage Big Picture

September 16, 2023 Michael Leave a comment

This is one of the most important talks to 1.) Become Aware of, 2.) Do Intellectual Inquiry Into and 3.) Experience.

You hear a lot of people talk about The Great Awakening or The Great Reset or a Paradigm Shift. Ken Wilber describes it in the most comprehensive and concise manners.

Metaphysical/Spiritual

It’s Not a Game

August 25, 2023 Michael Leave a comment

I have often used the analogy of a game to represent life, existence, Creation. Many people do. I have even talked about how, in the spiritual map of Kabbalah, it talks about an opponent. The Hebrew word for Satan is translated as Adversary. I think I have written several blogs where I use the game analogy to describe things of Dharma. What are “Things of Dharma?” Truth.

Up until today I would happily and with confidence use the game metaphor. I mean it juxtaposes nicely with The Five Phases. 1. Objective, 2. Component Parts, 3. Strategy, 4. Play, 5. Result. If it is a game then game theory can be applied and that also seems to fit.

Up until today. Today, I am dropping the game analogy from my repertoire of perspectives for this/my life. Today, I received a message that this ain’t no game.

Continue reading →

Diabetes, Metaphysical/Spiritual

Replacement Word for Healing

August 24, 2023 Michael Leave a comment

I don’t think the word “Healing” is working for us nowadays. I believe it has become corrupted and, therefore, is highly misunderstood.

I think that, at the core, is a battle over who are the healers. Western Medicine is predominant in our society/culture. Every other approach has been labeled “Alternative.” In Western Medicine healing is usually not the objective but rather a potential outcome. In many of the strong alternative approaches healing is the objective.

I have been in several volunteer group efforts within the Type One Diabetes community. Often times there will be a mix of perspectives from Doctors, Nurses, Certified Diabetes Educators, Parents and People who have the dis-ease. On more than one occasion I have been cautioned by a health care provider within the Western Medicine Model not to talk about healing or curing. We are here to offer ways to “manage the condition.”

I have had extensive experience with Alternative approaches to health and wellness as well as being fully ensconced in The Western Model.

What I would like to do in this post is make an agreement with you that we drop the word healing as description of what the goal is and replace it with another word.

Continue reading →

Metaphysical/Spiritual

The Great Work

August 23, 2023 Michael Leave a comment

What is the purpose of ‘Creation?” Why are you here? “What’s it all about?” Why do the ‘responses’ to these questions seem so illusive?

There are answers.

A few of them are very comprehensive. For example, a religion is a system that provides assumptions, understandings, agreements, procedures, governing principals. Most religions are based on Scripture such as the Bible, The Quran and The Bhagavad Gita.

There are also very simple and concise answers to these big questions. The New Age Spiritual movement that began in the 1960’s expressed it as simply “LOVE.” Or, some say it is Nature.

Both the comprehensive response and the short one falls woefully short of “hitting the nail on the head.

Continue reading →