Guest Author - Adam Alexander - BEing the Change

In the second of my Guest Author Series in response to my ‘Unearthing Lost Treasures’ article I'm handing 'be the change - tread the path' over to another wonderful writer and a good friend - Adam from 'Adam's Peace'. This is another site of which I value my subscription and Adam's articles based on the subject of Peace in all its forms have incredible depth and feeling. Adam has been through many changes and has recently returned to his roots asking readers to submit questions which he then answers in a manner that is enlightened and very sincere. This all comes together to make excellent, thought-provoking reading.

As a suggestion you could start by reading Adam's response to my question "As we (the human race) appear to be accelerating towards a point of Spiritual Growth or Ascension, what do you see as the greatest hurdle and why?" which you can find at 'Path to Ascendancy'. His answer touches on one of my major sticking points with Society with the sentence “we wouldn’t be able to mark a specific day on our callendar and say that we became an adult, mentally…”. Call over and read the rest.

While you are there why not take Adam up on his offer and use the Contact Form to leave Adam a question, then see for yourself how he develops the answer in ways that will resound deeply within you. I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome Adam to my site and without further ado I'll hand you over.

Hello, I am Adam Alexander of Adam's Peace. Adam's Peace is where I explain how to bring peace into your own life with the goal of bringing peace to everybody. I'm guest blogging because I could not resist the urge to give something back to Damian, who has helped me incredibly over the past several months in my own pursuit of peace.

Now, I realize that a blog isn't only created by the author. The author takes feedback from his readers and changes his opinions and rewords difficult concepts, learning and growing along with the audience. The feedback comes in the form of emails, comments, or even just the site statistics. Because it is impossible to fail to communicate, I would like to thank the entire community around Be the Change - Tread the Path, which happens to be my own community as well, by sharing the useful information that I have learned from Damian.

I would like to talk about why Being the Change works.

First, though, I think it is more fair to explain why being the change doesn't work for a lot of people. The number one reason is because those people just aren't changing. Yes, they're talking about changing, and planning on changing, but that doesn't work. If the ancient Egyptians had planned to build a pyramid, drawing the placement of every brick, researching the tools needed, and doing everything necessary to start, but nobody showed up, then nothing will have been built. The same goes for my life. There are times when I plan out the most functional websites, complete with very rich, very powerful tools, but then, I just don't start writing out the code and nothing ever comes of it. I can write a to-do list the night before, but unless I pick it up the next day and start doing each and every task, none of those tasks will get done, unless by habit alone.

The only time that we can do anything is right now. Yes, time goes on, and we remember the past, as well as plan for the future, but the simple act of procrastinating almost always guarantees that we will never even start. Hours turn to days, and days turn to weeks, and pretty soon, we're left looking at our past, wondering where the decades have gone.

Right now is all that we have, and by not taking advantage of this very moment, we are not being the change, nor are we treading the path. If you decide to stop reading this post now, with the promise to start reading again later, I won't hold it against you... If you're feeling the urge to get something done, well, these words will still be here when you return.

Now, why does being the change work, when we're living that change right now?

First of all, nobody respects a hypocrite. There is little point in trying to change anyone if you do not demonstrate that you have already made that change. If you are trying to teach other people that living in poverty is good for your spirituality, then do not put ads on your website. If you are a manager, and you are trying to motivate your employees, then get down in the dirt along side those employees and show them how it is done every day. If you are trying to bring peace to everybody, then show others that you live a peaceful life.

Of course, don't be arrogant about demonstrating your changes. Simply let others see what you are doing in your own life, and let them make the decision to mimic you.

Secondly, you gain experience that can be helpful in teaching others. This helps those who you want to change immensely, since there is little point in re-inventing the wheel. If a person who wants to make changes that you recommend comes up to you asking for advice, would you be able to give good advice if you have never taken your own recommendations? If I convinced everybody to go bungee jumping, a task that I've never done myself, then would it be wise to ask me how to attach your harness? Can I give good advice on how long and elastic the bungee should be?

The third reason why being the change works in changing the world, is because you get the benefits of changing your own life. Albert of Urban Monk is talking about Aristotle and his description of the pursuit of happiness. In it, he mentions that every person has different activities that make them happy. Without changing your own life, you can not know what truly makes you happy, and you will, instead, adopt society's half-hearted attempt to describe what success and happiness should mean to you.

Without taking the time to make a change in your own life, you will let your dreams and aspirations fall to the wayside as you strive for what society tells you that you should dream about. Is driving a large truck fun? How about owning that large truck, making the payments, paying the mechanic, and being bled dry by rising fuel costs? Some people wouldn't care about the difficulties of owning that large truck, but others would care deeply and it would make them very unhappy. Owning a business seems glamorous to many people, but most recognize the stress involved, including struggling to make the business self-sufficient, constantly worrying about laws that you don't know about, but you might be breaking anyways, and the great hunt for good customers and better employees. Personally, I think that owning a business, especially overcoming these obstacles, would be a very fun challenge.

The final and probably best reason why being the change works, and works well, is because you will affect people that you will never meet. Just by living by your own personal values, acting right now to improve your life and the lives of those around you, you plant the seeds of change in everyone you meet. Most will ignore that seed, but a few will nurture it, and let it grow until they are the change that they want to see in the world. They will, in turn, 'pay it forward' by planting seeds of change in other people. One small change can, if given enough time, revolutionize the world.

I would like to close by repeating that being the change only works if you are the change right now. You can't change the past, but you can learn from it. You can't experience the future, but you can plan for it. The only time where you have direct power is right now, so be the change now, and you'll receive all of the benefits that come with treading the path. Peace and joy come from not just being able to change gracefully, but by being the change that you want to see in the world right now.

I'd like to thank Adam for that brilliant article which is acts as a wonderful 'taster' which I hope has whet your appetite and stirred you enough to follow the link to Adam's Peace. I know it will be worth your while :-)

Take care and by BEing the change may you find Peace in your life,

Damian

Reflections @ Easter

Today is Easter Sunday and I have been feeling much more ‘Christian’ recently in more of a standard religious way. Possibly for the first time in my life I have actually taken a real interest in the story of Jesus and the message that Easter sends out to the world and what it means to me.

I wouldn’t consider myself a committed Christian nor have I ever felt the need to visit a Church of any kind. Organised religion, in my mind, is, and has always been, one of the most destructive and negative forces in the World – ever. For someone to kill another human because they do not share the same belief system is ludicrous in the extreme. War to be waged ‘in the name of’ religion is a total hypocrisy.

But recently I have seen the positive side of it all. How religion gives people hope, solace and comfort. The guidance, community and belonging that many find in being a part of a congregation. The collective meditation that occurs during a service relieves some from everday stresses and strains and their belief supports many at times of great need.

Jesus to me was a man who stood up for the little people and spoke out against the oppression and corruption that he saw in HIS world. He expressed the hope of a people that had become disillusioned with their Holy Men and the Government of the time and the way they used belief as a form of control.

A revolutionary who preached an alternative way of life, encouraged understanding, and promoted personal and spiritual development. His church wasn’t a musty building made of stone – his church was inside himself. He didn’t need absolution for the way he lived his life – he knew he was on the right path. He trusted his intuition and was an inspiration for others.

I can relate to this picture of Jesus and try to live my life as best I can. Yeah, OK – I accept I’m human and I make mistakes but I always try to learn from them. I analyze my reactions and measure myself against everyone I know. I mirror the good I see and respect in others and I am much harder on myself than anyone else ever could be.

I am in a position in my life where I make sure I learn at least one new thing each day about the World and also one new thing about myself. It’s not enough for me to only look outwardly, there must be some time spent each day looking inside myself and tinkering with what I find. A tune-up of my sub-conscious with the aim of making it ‘purr’.

I do this in the hope that during my time in this world I cause the least pain or distress to others as is possible, but at the same time not allowing people to use me or those I care for. The way I see it, I don’t go out of my way to hurt anyone else so I don’t expect anyone to do it to me. I am the best friend that anyone could ever have, and will always attempt to ‘turn the other cheek’ – but I will always hold on to retribution and vengeance as an option.

So where would we find Jesus if he was born today? I don’t think he’d be a fat-cat business man, nor would he be shopping in GAP trying to keep up with the passing trends of the day. I think he’d be happier with the New Age crowd, Moshers, Punks, Skaters and Hippies. They’d be the ones that would pick up on his message of Peace, Love and Charity – casting off the material trappings and searching for Truth.

He’d want an end to wars based on deceit – selling the hope of ‘nobility’ to young people looking to make a difference and conned into serving a country that only sees them as a number. The ‘Rulers’ of today are no different to those in Ancient Times. Their motives are still greed and power and to retain control at all costs.

The Jesus of today would look to his so-called ‘Leaders’ and be mightily disappointed, he’d get out there and challenge the lies and deceit, the obsession for material one-upmanship would disgust him, he would look for alternative ways to get his message across - and there’s no doubt that Jesus would Blog.

Take care and may (insert own deity here) bless you,

Damian

The holy man on the train.

I’ve had to work in London this week and usually travel around with my head in a book not taking any notice of the people and places around me. But as part of my quest for enlightenment and to work on continually developing my self I have made a conscious effort to be more open to the world and people around me.

I often travel on the tube when I work in London, which is usually a couple of days every two or three weeks. I find the tube a lonely place with so many people crammed together but trying desperately to look anywhere but at each other. Living in the North of England, near Manchester, I am more used to people striking up conversations with strangers but for some reason the more South you go, the less this is seen as acceptable.

Anyway, the other day I was travelling from Victoria station to Euston station to catch my train back home and was looking around the carriage as the tube rattled along beneath London’s busy streets. It wasn’t that busy but the seats were full and I always prefer to stand as it is only four stops. There were people sat down and only one of other person, an elderly man in a suit, stood at the other end of the carriage.

I then noticed that the elderly man had taken a large crucifix out of his pocket. He then, quietly but very deliberately, blessed the tube carriage and all the people in it three times. Nobody else seemed to notice at first and I wondered if it was only me who could see this man.

He then paused for a while and then did it again three times. More people had seen him this time and looked up nervously trying not to catch his eye. Again he paused and then blessed the carriage thrice. By now everyone had looked up and I could see that they were a little unwary at his intentions.

The train then stopped at the next station and he slipped the crucifix back in his pocket, got off the tube and went on his way. His exit prompted some of the remaining people to laugh and a few began to comment how odd he was and that he must be suffering from mental illness.

I just stood there thinking about how previously this would have been my response too, but not this time. This time I thought how nice it had been that this man had decided to do something for the good of those he meets. He was sharing a part of himself that was obviously of utmost importance to him for the benefit of strangers.

Rather than spend his days engaged in negative activities or worrying about himself, this man had decided to travel around London ‘Blessing’ from afar. No shouting damnation or hysterical preaching – no knocking on doors trying to sell ‘the good word’ – no request for money in return for salvation – just his own lonely journey giving unconditionally.

I wish I had followed him off the train to talk him with him, I am sure his story would have been very interesting. I am sorry I didn’t think quicker and follow the moment by getting of the train to ask him why. But most of all – I regret not stopping him, taking his hand and saying ‘thank you’ for his selfless act that has inspired me further and acted as a pointer in my own journey that by understanding his mission I am on the right path to achieve mine.

There is much we can learn from those that the majority would consider as strange. They have nothing to prove and are not ruled by their own ego. It is clear that they are more attuned with their inner self and reveal themselves without fearing criticism.

Next time you notice the light in another take the time to stop and say hello no matter how strange they seem. It could be worth your while, it could be the sign you have been looking for – it could be me!

Take care and look for signs everywhere.

Damian

Education or conditioning?

Are you a questioner? Was school a frustrating time for you? Were you unable to accept that because the sky was blue and the grass green that this was the end of the discussion?

Me too, I always wanted to know why the grass was green and if what I was seeing as green was somebody else’s red. Each answer I received merely acted as a catalyst for further questions. I really should track down my Teachers and apologise :)

The system doesn’t allow for the nurturing environment that real Learning needs for it to flourish – this is where those of you who are parents (or become parents) come in. It is your role to develop and encourage the questioner in your children thus sowing the seeds of sustainable development and an early thirst for seeking knowledge and self-discovered wisdom.

School and the formalised education system is one of the biggest barriers to personal and spiritual development. Many of our most deep rooted hang-ups, fears and phobias are as a direct result of our negative experiences of the educational institution.

To move forward it is necessary to return to these experiences and explore each as a potential crossroads that still needs to be investigated. These may be where you developed personal flaws that are now manifesting as a block in your current awakening and many of these may be due to the accepted views of our current society.

The foundations of society are based on the educational system and as the current western society is itself founded on Christianity and the indoctrination of roman occupation this leaves little room for the development of alternative thinking.

Perception of time

To demonstrate this point let’s take a look at the accepted method of recording time first proposed by Dennis the Short in the 6th Century - the calendar. This pivots on an accepted point in time which is the presumed birth of Christ. Everything before his birth is denoted as BC (Before Christ) and everything after AD (Anno Domini – in the year of the Lord). This has become universally accepted but in theory is not politically correct.

If you had been born on the 1st January 2000 this would be 2451544.5 in the Julian calendar, 24 Tevet 5760 in the Hebrew calendar, 12.19.6.15.0 in the Mayan calendar long count and 24 Ramadan 1420 (1420-9-24) in the Hijra (Islamic Calendar).

Many of these alternatives have been around a long time before Christianity came into force and have an equal claim to being the correct method of recording time.

I’d like to clarify here that I hold no animosity towards the Christian faith (or any other for that matter) but wish to demonstrate the definitions that were in place long before you were born and now act to outline the way you perceive the world.

To be consciously aware of these classifications and then reach beyond these confines is a thoroughly cathartic experience. Think about what other areas there are that you take for granted as being ‘the way it is’ explore them and let me know.

Always remember that this is a journey we tread alone but often we join a fellow traveller along the path for mutual benefit.

Take care, thanks for walking with me for a while.

Damian

Note - If you’d like to see your own details the work has already been done for you – check out the Birthday Calculator at http://www.paulsadowski.com/BirthDay.asp as one example but I’m sure there are many others available on the Net.