If we've never walked in the shoes of someone else, we should not judge them. If we have never cried one of their tears or felt the depths of their sorrows, who are "we" to judge? With huge skeletons piled in the wake of our own past, and present, how do we exercise the audacity to traduce the characters of others? We've made a horrible habit of stating our opinions about the social and private affairs of others, without consideration of the events that molded them and the experiences that have shaped their identities. We've been critical without critiquing ourselves and we inflict harm which does nothing but cause more pain and unnecessary ignorance and limited understanding.
In a so called religious society where we are admonished to not judge others, its ironic that it's one of the first actions we commit, yet we vehemently protest judgment when its unleashed on ourselves and immediately illustrate events and occurrences that have defined our being to have our actions or character understood. Why do we not pay this courtesy to others? Why have we decided to be blinded by our own powerfully misguided egos and the influences of peer groups? Shouldn't w exercise patience and be committed to knowledge and understanding? Shouldn't we place ourselves in a position to learn more about someone and then ultimately learn more about ourselves? Every human being has a story , a question, an answer, an internal whirlwind, and a peaceful stillness, that is unknown because we are too busy judging by what "little" we know and the "few" encounters we've had with them.
We must learn to exercise the patience and love that "we" desire and open ourselves up more. We must stop living everyday drowning deep in what we "think" and wake up to an innumerable amount of possibilities. We need to stop judging the surface and start scratching deeper to find the roots. It is wrong for us to desire to be understood without the desire and patience to understand others. When we learn more about each other, we live in knowledge and understanding.
Have a great day everyone.
Aljin Haynes
Empowerment Leader &
Emboldened Activist for Change
Enlightened and Empowerment Ministries
Impacting the World One Spirit at A Time
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
To React or Not To React
It is so simple to be nice and embrace others, but we find it such an arduous task. Being nice to others has become the equivalent of climbing Mt. Everest, swimming the English Channel, and diving head first off the jagged cliffs of Victoria Falls in Africa. We associate niceties with weakness, with a defective mentality, or categorize it as strange. Its almost been executed with out a fair trial and twisted like the plots of a mystery novel. But why the hell has it become so hard to be courteous and accommodating? Why can't we find a kind word to offer or genuinely give a damn about the welfare of others?
Some would answer those questions with the response that they are only "acting" or "reacting" to the "common" daily attitudes of others. Some would say that the actions of others orchestrate how they practice human dignity and self respect. But why do we allow the errant actions and poor behaviors of others to dictate our own behavior and personal conduct? When did we become so "reactionary" and "weak" that we allow the emotional response of situational exchanges to ruin our character and eviscerate our inner strengths? What others do should never drive us to emotional instability. What others do should not put a stamp on how "we" act or "react". Our personal dignity, our common decency, and our "wholeness" as an individual should never be dismantled by the stubbornness or weaknesses of other individuals, groups, and circles.
I am under no delusion that we can be robotic automatons that turn our emotional antennas "on" and "off" conveniently to address every encounter. But we have the knowledge and wisdom to curb our reactionary tendencies and exercise control without losing control and losing our dignity. No matter what others do, we can still keep the sunshine in our day and treat them, and others, with respect. Despite the negative vibes of a few, we must remain positive; even if we have to take a moment and walk it off. We can not afford to allow others to rule our actions, our thinking, and our words.
Be kind and be loving. Even if others are not.
Aljin Haynes
Empowerment Leader &
Emboldened Activist for Change
Enlightened and Empowerment Ministries
Impacting the World One Spirit at A Time
Some would answer those questions with the response that they are only "acting" or "reacting" to the "common" daily attitudes of others. Some would say that the actions of others orchestrate how they practice human dignity and self respect. But why do we allow the errant actions and poor behaviors of others to dictate our own behavior and personal conduct? When did we become so "reactionary" and "weak" that we allow the emotional response of situational exchanges to ruin our character and eviscerate our inner strengths? What others do should never drive us to emotional instability. What others do should not put a stamp on how "we" act or "react". Our personal dignity, our common decency, and our "wholeness" as an individual should never be dismantled by the stubbornness or weaknesses of other individuals, groups, and circles.
I am under no delusion that we can be robotic automatons that turn our emotional antennas "on" and "off" conveniently to address every encounter. But we have the knowledge and wisdom to curb our reactionary tendencies and exercise control without losing control and losing our dignity. No matter what others do, we can still keep the sunshine in our day and treat them, and others, with respect. Despite the negative vibes of a few, we must remain positive; even if we have to take a moment and walk it off. We can not afford to allow others to rule our actions, our thinking, and our words.
Be kind and be loving. Even if others are not.
Aljin Haynes
Empowerment Leader &
Emboldened Activist for Change
Enlightened and Empowerment Ministries
Impacting the World One Spirit at A Time
A Spiritual Moment
In recent years we've seen the communication between neighbors, family, colleagues, and life long friends turn negative, nefarious, and in some cases to full blown violent exchanges. We've seen an increase in conflict among people who we've always thought were reserved and calm. We've witnessed productive and meaningful relationships turn in to counter productive and meaningless connections. We've seen young adults commit atrocious acts of violence against one another and we see even younger children waging wars against each over petty little things. The environment is ripe with anger, venom, and destructive hate. But why has this become some of our truth and gained such a foothold in our realities?
Have we become complacent with bitterness and division? Have we totally scrapped the idea that unity is among our most incredible powers and regressed into a society that salivates at the first sign of disunity? Has the "staged" and "scripted" negative dialogues and diatribes of "reality" television become the staples of our communities? Has politics played a role. In the loss of civiltyand commonality? Have we taken on the negatives and difficulties of everyday life and made them our daily motivations? What has influenced us to engage one another and vilify each other unnecessarily? Have our uncontrolled emotions been the catalyst? Have we lost all mental capacities to exchange without losing friendships, losing families, losing jobs, and losing our minds?
Wouldn't it be more peace making to visit the positive seeds inside of us and water them so that we can reconnect and reduce vitriol and poisonous attitudes? We have the power to govern ourselves and our emotions in a manner that can reset the circles around us, yet we've grown impatient like rag weed in an unattended garden and its destroying our ability to relate and respond effectively. Before we bury ourselves in the sands of isolation and suffer from the effects of growing ignorance and separation, perhaps we should exercise what we all really desire deep down inside..civility, humility, compassion, and love. And we need to exercise this right now before we become angry bitter people with no more love to give or receive.
Aljin Haynes
Empowerment Leader &
Emboldened Activist for Change
Enlightened and Empowerment Ministries
Impacting the World One Spirit at A Time
Have we become complacent with bitterness and division? Have we totally scrapped the idea that unity is among our most incredible powers and regressed into a society that salivates at the first sign of disunity? Has the "staged" and "scripted" negative dialogues and diatribes of "reality" television become the staples of our communities? Has politics played a role. In the loss of civiltyand commonality? Have we taken on the negatives and difficulties of everyday life and made them our daily motivations? What has influenced us to engage one another and vilify each other unnecessarily? Have our uncontrolled emotions been the catalyst? Have we lost all mental capacities to exchange without losing friendships, losing families, losing jobs, and losing our minds?
Wouldn't it be more peace making to visit the positive seeds inside of us and water them so that we can reconnect and reduce vitriol and poisonous attitudes? We have the power to govern ourselves and our emotions in a manner that can reset the circles around us, yet we've grown impatient like rag weed in an unattended garden and its destroying our ability to relate and respond effectively. Before we bury ourselves in the sands of isolation and suffer from the effects of growing ignorance and separation, perhaps we should exercise what we all really desire deep down inside..civility, humility, compassion, and love. And we need to exercise this right now before we become angry bitter people with no more love to give or receive.
Aljin Haynes
Empowerment Leader &
Emboldened Activist for Change
Enlightened and Empowerment Ministries
Impacting the World One Spirit at A Time
A Spiritual Moment
Treating ourselves like we matter is just as important as service to others. Throughout the daily machinations of our rigid routines, we often forget to visit the recesses of our own mind, spirit, and soul. As we've become increasingly obsessed with society, our social circles, our affiliations, and our positions with others, we leave out the most important component to successfully reaching nirvana and happiness,...us! Our mental and physical welfare are very important and we must refrain from lowering ourselves on our own daily priority list. How concerned are we with our own progression and growth as we are enamored with the progress and prowess of others? How do we find a healthy balance between sacrifice and self?
There is a difference between self sacrifice and self abuse. There is a difference between self elevation and self destruction. We need to slow down and take a few moments to meditate and rest our minds. We need to rid our souls of human stain and human static so we can have a more organic spiritual experience and a more healthy experience in life. We must make time to exercise our minds, exercise our bodies, and exercise our spiritual portals. We can not be expected to dedicate our entire self to the machine of life without regeneration and refocus on the purpose that drives us toward our destiny. We must suffer from burnout! We must keep the flame lit by cultivating the gardens of our minds and hearts.
Take time for yourself today to find that piece of you and to find that peace within you.
Aljin Haynes
Empowerment Leader &
Emboldened Activist for Change
Enlightened and Empowerment Ministries
Impacting the World One Spirit at A Time
There is a difference between self sacrifice and self abuse. There is a difference between self elevation and self destruction. We need to slow down and take a few moments to meditate and rest our minds. We need to rid our souls of human stain and human static so we can have a more organic spiritual experience and a more healthy experience in life. We must make time to exercise our minds, exercise our bodies, and exercise our spiritual portals. We can not be expected to dedicate our entire self to the machine of life without regeneration and refocus on the purpose that drives us toward our destiny. We must suffer from burnout! We must keep the flame lit by cultivating the gardens of our minds and hearts.
Take time for yourself today to find that piece of you and to find that peace within you.
Aljin Haynes
Empowerment Leader &
Emboldened Activist for Change
Enlightened and Empowerment Ministries
Impacting the World One Spirit at A Time
A Spiritual Prayer
We all have dreams and we ask that our dreams become our priorities so that we can live in sync with our destiny and not in sync with unfulfillment. We ask for our consciousness to be opened and for our minds to see the materials that our dreams and desires are made of. We ask that our glimpses of greatness inspire us to move forward and ignite a passion that can not be quenched by room temperature waters. We ask for our health issues to become prioritized and that our efforts to eliminate those issues become unstoppable. We ask that our distractions become healthy and beneficial and not destructive and destiny killing. We ask for our breath not to be wasted on deaf ears and to give us the power to speak anyway so that those who do listen will find treasure in our sharing.
We ask for the shades to be removed from our eyes further so that we may see the reality that we are "really" living in. We ask that our obstacles no longer be ourselves or the people we chose to be an obstacle to us. We ask that our hearts be emptied of hate and dislike for others and that we realize that they are just as broken as we are. We ask to remove our tendency to lay blame on others for our own inaction and our own limited thinking. We ask to live as we "are" and not as a reaction to how we are treated. We ask to be shaped by Divine thought and Divine Love and to not be molded by hateful thoughts and ignorant misunderstandings. We ask that people from different walks of life and people of incredible character have influence on us and that we absorb the positive energy they bring to our lives. We ask not to be prone to judge others and welcome the occasion to share with others our own faults and growth.
Amen.
Aljin Haynes
Empowerment Leader &
Emboldened Activist for Change
Enlightened and Empowerment Ministries
Impacting the World One Spirit at A Time
We ask for the shades to be removed from our eyes further so that we may see the reality that we are "really" living in. We ask that our obstacles no longer be ourselves or the people we chose to be an obstacle to us. We ask that our hearts be emptied of hate and dislike for others and that we realize that they are just as broken as we are. We ask to remove our tendency to lay blame on others for our own inaction and our own limited thinking. We ask to live as we "are" and not as a reaction to how we are treated. We ask to be shaped by Divine thought and Divine Love and to not be molded by hateful thoughts and ignorant misunderstandings. We ask that people from different walks of life and people of incredible character have influence on us and that we absorb the positive energy they bring to our lives. We ask not to be prone to judge others and welcome the occasion to share with others our own faults and growth.
Amen.
Aljin Haynes
Empowerment Leader &
Emboldened Activist for Change
Enlightened and Empowerment Ministries
Impacting the World One Spirit at A Time
A Spiritual Prayer
If we take this moment and request anything, we request that all of our days be filled with positive accomplishments and that our psychological constitution can withstand anything. We ask that our presence make a difference in someone's life and that we respect the presence of others in our own. We ask for the patience to pull back sometimes and not react in haste and in an emotional explosion. We ask that we divert our energy toward living in purpose and not living in perpetual complaint. We ask that our voices speak wonderful things and that we don't speak terrible things. We ask to see the positives in all events and refrain from going negative. We ask for "real" faith and not "religious" faith.
We ask to remember the best within us when others often mention the worst they know of us. We ask to become more confident of our abilities to erect our dreams one step at a time. We ask for the power to stop living by assumptions and start finding out actuals. We ask for heart strengthening relationships that don't get destroyed because of "little" matters. We ask for nervousness and uncertainty to release us and to release our courage. We ask for the intelligence to approach all of our affairs "practically" and not "emotionally." We ask for the tenacity to see something through until the end and accomplish what we want. We ask to be balanced, mind, body, and consciousness.
Amen.
Aljin Haynes
Empowerment Leader &
Emboldened Activist for Change
Enlightened and Empowerment Ministries
Impacting the World One Spirit at A Time
We ask to remember the best within us when others often mention the worst they know of us. We ask to become more confident of our abilities to erect our dreams one step at a time. We ask for the power to stop living by assumptions and start finding out actuals. We ask for heart strengthening relationships that don't get destroyed because of "little" matters. We ask for nervousness and uncertainty to release us and to release our courage. We ask for the intelligence to approach all of our affairs "practically" and not "emotionally." We ask for the tenacity to see something through until the end and accomplish what we want. We ask to be balanced, mind, body, and consciousness.
Amen.
Aljin Haynes
Empowerment Leader &
Emboldened Activist for Change
Enlightened and Empowerment Ministries
Impacting the World One Spirit at A Time
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