For one week, I am going to step into an exercise of grace. I feel encouraged to take a full, 7-day week examining thoughts, as well as the words I let leave my mouth. Thoughts have power, and I want to make sure mine are in accordance to the higher law that I seek, so that the thoughts I think and the words I say may be used as a tool to uplift, inspire and release.

For one week, I will not allow a complaint to leave my lips. Not even a small one. The idea is to turn inward when the urge to elaborate misery rises in me, so that I may understand the thought, examine its worth, and let it go. Judgements are not all “bad”—they provide a function for our experience in the body. Judgements can keep us from engaging in behaviors we find “despicable,” like murder or willfully belittling others and ourselves or eating food that is damaging to our health (to state an example). Judgment keeps us from repeating unhealthy habits, and reminds us to engage in things we decide are helpful. Judgement maintains a sense of order and balance that is necessary for life on this planet. I understand. But my goal, transpersonally, is to move beyond judgement: to look at life with eyes that accept all things as part of the same whole, so that perceived notions of light and shadow may integrate and be welcomed as one. So there is no more running from what is considered “darkness.” Because there is no real “darkness.” When all that is “dark” is looked at, it becomes part of the light; it starts to make sense, in the scheme of things. It starts to look a lot like love.

By paying attention to the words that I use in my day-to-day, I will gain further insight into what I’m creating, outside of me. A word that I speak out loud is a word that I’ve thought, probably more than once. The more it is thought, or spoken, the more power it wields. Which is no surprise: we are mighty powerful creatures! Our realities are shaped by what we think exists. If we look at the world with eyes of fear, we empower the fear-thoughts. If we look at the world with eyes of love, we empower the love-thoughts. One is not “better” than the other. Both can sustain us for some time. Both can destroy us, if we want it to. But because I get to “choose-my-own-adventure,” I want mine to be worth living for, just as much as I want the world in which I perceive to be worth it, too.

It is beneficial to my health, safety and sanity to live in a world that I believe is safe, giving, and spirited. A world of opportunity, of miraculous happenings, and loving standards. A world that both provides and nourishes, that guides and reveals and blesses all of its inhabitants, and moves beyond suffering, because it takes excellent care of itself. A prismatic, multi-colored, multi-gifted world that plants, harvests, and sews more and more recyclable, life-giving love. This is a world that I live in already. And now, I want to open my eyes to it, my ears, my heart, and experience it live in full action. Starting with my thoughts about what I perceive to be true.

So, thank you for reading this, if you are reading this. Part of this journey is to take all that “world” stuff and remember that I am cared for by God/Source/Spirit/Consciousness—whatever name the divine force in us goes by on that day— in a powerfully, loving, ceaseless way. I want my faith in the world, in myself, and in this divine presence to uplift, inspire and release ME from any walls I’ve built that keep me hidden, tucked away, or scared. I want to transform my ideas of death, and my fear of it, so that I may live freely, with love and the potential for miracles as my compass. Thank you, again. And may love [and mindfulness] light the way.

As the flower of “I am” unfolds, the “we are” chorus sings brightly.

The more I let the petals open, the more I wonder: who is singing with me? And then I remember, I’m not singing alone. I’m singing with all of you. We’re all singing together. And with everyone singing, there’s no worry of who is in and who is out, because we’re always all in, aren’t we? The world is not separated into parts. It’s like dividing the sun. It is still the sun. We are that sun. And the sun, for as long as we’ve known, goes loud.