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I came across this question in another place, and I thought it both thought-provoking and profound. I found myself thinking across my life, stopping at the memories of events that happened to me that were frightening and/or challenging... I thought of my first role in a play... my first instrumental solo...Not even close, although, at the time, I was scared to my toes! But maybe they were a child's preparation for harder and harder tests... When my father, my hero, got very drunk, and almost beat me to a pulp... When I was gang-raped? Was that the moment? And no- hard as they were, those were not the moments, although getting through these horrific events has helped define who I am, and what I have chosen to believe spiritually (and screwed my head up big-time for a while). But what has gotten me through? What moment was the one that dropped me to my knees, and called upon all of my courage to survive? And what was it that got me through it? What got me through my ex of 30+ years asking me for a divorce? Was that the most horrible moment of my life? Was it when they were discussing removing my leg [which happened here during my time on Inward Quest, btw...]? What did I do? How did I survive? The answer to the question I read, provoking this one, was love...Yes, love. Love got her through her terrible time. Faith in something Greater than I got me through mine. Quite simply, I prayed. When I was completely and totally frightened beyond expression, I prayed....And that Something pulled me through. I would tell you the story-but- I will get edited by the dire Editor of this site, so I will leave you here.... Please tell your tales, think about it and share! Jaianniah
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Some people have harder life-experiences than others, and I cannot claim to have experienced such hard stuff. After I got in touch with Abraham's teachings, I also learned to interpret my life under a better light. But I think that a person cannot measure other people's suffering by the "size" of what happens to them - some people suffer because they have brain tumors, others, from a scratch, and who is to say that the suffering of a scratch is "inferior" to that of a tumor, when the amount of suffering is really in the mind of the person that suffers? Abraham's teachings really helped me heal my scratches, but only because they helped me to learn how to think and interpret things from a different point of view. Love is a helper, too - to be loved, and, most of all, to try to love unconditionally. However, in order to answer this question in sincerity and honesty, what has really helped me to face the challenges of life is a very simple decision I took long ago: that no matter what people think of the idea of a God, and no matter what happens to me and to those I love, I will always stick to the idea that there is a God, Creator of all things, and that I am never alone, even though I am not entitled to any special help from Him. I also believe that life is a kind of dream of the soul, from which someday I'll wake up to learn that the real life of my soul is better, more beautiful and greater than I have ever ventured to imagine or dream off. I feel as if I am lucid-dreaming, and, most of the time, being conscious that the "reality" I see is not "really" the "real" "reality" :), I feel fine (even knowing that this is the psychologists' definition of crazyness per se). Things only get confusing when I forget I am dreaming, when I get so much involved in some weird nightmare that I lose consciousness that I am the creator of the nightmare. Those are the moments I stop and ask God why I am still here, when I feel so detached from whatever other people care about (houses, cars, jewels, money, success, fame and so on). The answer to this question I already know: I am here to learn how to love unconditionally all these people who cares so much about these things that sometimes they inspire me with the worst feelings of contempt. As I get a little better at understanding the motives of others, and try to feel compassion instead of giving up to hatred, I feel I am growing, even though my steps are small and harder to take. My favorite of Abraham's sayings is this: You are never done. To me it means there's room to grow, and that, eventually, I'll learn unconditional love, and I'll learn to love this planet and the people in it the way they are - which, I must admit, seems to be, right now, my personal impossible mission :) 1
@VitoriaRegia- This is an answer of a person who knows who she is, and more importantly, why she is here- now- for a brief stay on the "physical plane". My hard knocks were nothing compared to the brief and inexplicable mystical experiences I was having now and again. I read a book by William James, and it was that book that opened the door for me. I was married then to a man who did not believe in the God I could honestly feel. But I have a hard head. cont-.....>
(29 Jan '17, 04:54)
Jaianniah
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@VitoriaRegia- God did not want me to suffer! I did not understand that. I lacked courage in my soul, and that is a bad place to lack courage. But some of what I suffered was not consciously chosen. I know about the pop belief going around that we "pick" our lives before birth. A very pop author began that idea to explain suffering. But that author seems to have forgotten what was spoken 2,000 years ago. "Take care of the poor." Not- "They chose it before birth, so let them suffer." -cont.
(29 Jan '17, 05:02)
Jaianniah
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@VitoriaRegia- I have finally found some unconditional love, and it is the first time in my life I have not had to be somebody else to be loved. It's hard to attract good to yourself when there is anger and unforgiveness deep inside yourself. That was me. I will post an answer to my own question. There are people on this site who do not like me, vote down what I post, etc. How silly. Please stand strong. I would like to see much more of what you have to say. Combine LOA with this plane, and...
(29 Jan '17, 05:08)
Jaianniah
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@VitoriaRegia- you find the One who created the Law. God. Or Buddha, or a Higher Power, or whatever anyone believes. I was raised with Freedom of Religion, and to respect ALL the Varieties of Religious Experience. It sometimes shocks me to be mocked for what I believe. Don't worry. God is there, alright. He is Everywhere, in Everyone, in Everything. So is the LOA. He made all the rules, including that one. I want to be truly healed of heart. I am getting there. Thank you, dear. You made my day!
(29 Jan '17, 05:19)
Jaianniah
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@Jaianniah, thank you for your kindness. I have read some of your stuff and I find you not only brave and courageous, but a great contributor to the site. The great break-through for me was to realize that I don't have to believe this or that or the same that other people believe. Whatever I believe, has consequences in my life, and it's by the studying of the consequences of my beliefs that I learn more about the journey...
(29 Jan '17, 19:39)
VitoriaRegia
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@Jaianniah, where I live I also find a lot of people who don't understand and oppose a lot of what I believe and say, so I kind of know how you feel :) But I am learning to accept the fact that whatever I think and believe is valuable only to my own life, that other people have their own journeys to travel. Some people find it difficult to believe things that nobody else believes, so everybody seems to be trying to convince others of their own reality...
(29 Jan '17, 19:48)
VitoriaRegia
1
@Jaianniah, I write what I write because it makes me feel good to think that a little something could help somebody - I know all of it will not help everybody, and that some of it will really annoy other people. We expose ourselves a little when we expose our beliefs, but criticism comes only from people who are not in the same vibration frequence in which we are. And why should they be? Our work is to take care of our onw vibration :)
(29 Jan '17, 20:01)
VitoriaRegia
I like this whole conversation the two of you have had, it is a good aware conversation and is helping me get back into that awareness as you'll see in my answer that I had just posted. I had to wait a while for the answer to come, I used to be aware enough that the answers would come instantaneously. I'll get back to that, if I keep this going. For now one answer to one question will be enough.
(01 Feb '17, 01:37)
Wade Casaldi
@Wade Casaldi- Thank you for your comment. Even if I did not know you, wasn't, [valley girl voice here] you know, like, married to you, like, [end valley girl], I would still up vote this comment. But because we are married, now we cannot vote for one another. [valley girl]Life, is, like, a lollypop, like, and sometimes, you know, you get the fuzzy end. You know? (Quote from Marilyn M.) If I had known this would happen, I would never had done it. (That was a joke, Wade.) Love you, Babe.
(01 Feb '17, 12:22)
Jaianniah
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I wanted to give myself time to let this question awaken the answer in myself. I have found that during the most trying times that when something is happening that I function much like I do in my nightmares that I turn around to my victories. My mind goes into a state of what do I need to do to get through this? When I see a deer up ahead while driving. My mind goes into what do I need to do mindset, so it is a faith or trust that everything will be alright. I don't have time to fear because fear is not in the present, fear is in the future of what may be. I am too busy dealing in that present moment with what is. If we think of all movies we may watch where the characters handle incredible situations, really how they are handling these situations is being in the moment. The characters are in a very present mindset, hence, allowing the answers they need to be revealed. When I am sparring in karate, I don't have time for fear, my mind is on what is happening at the present moment. So with my mind in that present moment I am seeing that punch coming toward my face and at the same time bringing my hand up for a block, but as I am blocking I am seeing an opening for my punch. With my mind in that very present moment if someone is charging towards me, I can move out of the way and drop the person to the ground as I pivot out of the way. Any moment that I allow myself to fear, I am no longer in the present, and I end up receiving the thing that I fear; because there is no reaction in that moment. I think that a very good Bible verse for this is from Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God." When I think of that phrase I do not think that, "be still" means freeze, but more like this, "Place your mind in the present moment, be at peace in this present moment, and trust and know that in this moment, you are with God, and everything will be all right. You will be guided in this moment, you will be protected in this moment, you are safe in this moment, for you are with God in this moment." I really think that is it, I remember when I fell into the falls, and I was sliding fast towards the edge. My mind was on what I was doing and I was in that present moment, I stopped myself from going over, but, the most amazing thing was when I fell right back in and was heading faster toward the edge! It seems that in that moment, at the very edge right when I was about to go over, that my guardian angel must have saved me from going over, because my ankle got caught at the very edge in a hole only big enough for my ankle! I wasn't in any fear state of mind. I was in a very present state of mind of, "How do I get out of this?" "What do I need to do to handle this situation?" One very interesting thing in that God moment of stillness, I think of a Harry Potter movie that when all was lost and he was surrounded by demons, a very bright white deer appeared and saved him. He later finds of that guardian that he thought may have been his father, interesting that thought "Our father" was actually himself in a higher dimension beyond time and space. So in these moments of absolute desperation when all hope is lost but we are still in that ever present moment, could these moments be a moment of raising above the situation to our higher selves? For example to have my foot get caught in that hole just perfect for my ankle would require a being that is ahead of me in time, that knows exactly where my foot will end up, and to make that hole precisely right where I needed that hole for my foot to be. This is a moment out of time, perfect to save me, or more precisely, my physical body from destruction. I can say it was God or my guardian angle, and to this lower self, that answer suffices, but, who knows when I do die if maybe I'll see everything was me, and in that moment I'll meld into the mind of God, because God is all there is, and there is nothing else but levels of awareness and unawareness. @Wade, I really apreciate what you wrote here: "I don't have time to fear because fear is not in the present, fear is in the future of what may be. I am too busy dealing in that present moment with what is." For years I have been trying to deal with the present by analysing the past and planning for the future, and this simple sentences hit me and woke me up for this: dealing with what I have to do now is all I have to do just now. I feel lighter!
(01 Feb '17, 06:48)
VitoriaRegia
@Wade, that Harry Potter scene you talked about is one of my favorites. I always cry when I see it, because it is really an example of "raising above the situation". The whole paragraph you wrote about it makes a lot of sense to me.
(01 Feb '17, 06:52)
VitoriaRegia
@Wade @VitoriaRegia- and anyone else who might pass through these comments- I want to pin roses on you both. Lovely, lovely clear writing- and ideas! I find that that is why I have hung around this site so long! You see why I married him? (LOL!!!) We never, ever get anything done!!! We still yak all night, just as we did when we were 2,000 miles apart. but Wade has this great talent for saying in one sentence what takes me a page...or an hour. Great "conversation"! Really!
(06 Feb '17, 11:57)
Jaianniah
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I was trying to think of some super special answer, but in the end I think it was love. It was a phone call on my lowest day and it changed my life forever. I was in such a dark place mentally and emotionally, it is my honest belief that I wouldn't be here if that phone call hadn't interceded. I hadn't been shown such kindness in so long, and I had I forgotten what it was like to be cared for. Just to hear the genuine care in the voice on the other end was like being alive again. And the call was from a stranger so there was no history, no motives, nothing in the way. It was pure and simple love and concern for another human being. 5 years later I am healthy, safe and pretty happy. And it all leads back to the love shown to me that day. I didn't realise at the time how much that phone call moved me, but in tough situations I still recite the things that were said to me, and am now in a helping profession. Bit of a cliche answer and a bit sappy but it's the truth. @Bluebell- Kindness, especially shown to a stranger, is never sappy. Neither is love. As I mentioned, that is also what saved the woman I mentioned. Just love. Love has saved me- I have never known unconditional love. It is wonderful, and is changing me; hopefully, it is for the better. :) I am so glad that person helped you.
(06 Feb '17, 19:13)
Jaianniah
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Beautiful question @Jaianniah, thanks, really going to think about this one.
Thank you so much!. I just do not understand why it is marked "Community Wiki", though. I have asked these types of questions before, and they were not marked so. But I thank you- it really does not matter how it is marked, for I believe it is an important question. I am looking forward to seeing a lot of good answers, especially from everyone! That would be so great for this site!