Purposeful Growth

You are not alone…and neither am I. Do you feel your fundamental connection to all people, all living things, the earth, and the Universe? Doing so will ease your life. The human experience is a paradox–we seem to be alone, yet we also feel connected to others. To experience being human we have a unique individuality.

Your DNA and mine differ by less than one percent, yet my fingerprints are unique in all the world, as is my retinal scan. Behavioral scientists can categorize all human behavior into a relatively small number of common characteristics. Yet the

combination of my set of preferred behaviors and my inner calling set me apart. Not too long ago, a friend of mine spotted me from 200 feet away, walking down a hospital corridor. He said, “I thought that was you by the way you walked.” I hadn’t seen him for two years, but he knew my walk. 

All of my uniqueness contributes to my ability to experience
life as my life. I perceive the world through my eyes,
filtered by my beliefs, focused by my interests and goals.
Yet to be truly alone, totally alone, and forever alone is a
living hell. What’s the most severe and debilitating
punishment for prisoners? Solitary confinement. How are
school children punished? Isolation from the class. The
paradox is that we must feel separated to experience
humanness, yet we must feel connected and loved to be happy.

Thinking of my moments of greatest joy, I recognize these
are times when I connect intimately with another soul.
Spiritual masters over the centuries tell us that we’re all
a part of each other and the Universe. We feel that

connection intimately when we are either deeply touched by
joy–as in the birth of a child or the embrace of a loved
one–or when we are deeply saddened–as in the death of a
loved one or a human tragedy such as 9/11, hurricane Katrina, or the recent railway bombings in India. 

What some label synchronicity and others call coincidence is the elaborate interconnection of our lives. The phenomenon of six degrees of separation is proof enough of our connections to each other. Our connection to God is less obvious–until a moment of great joy or deep despair. Then what do we commonly utter? Oh my God! Notice the middle word–my. We instinctively recognize our linkage to God when we seek help.

Life is easier when you live your life conscious of the
separation/connection paradox. Experience life in your
separation, which allows you to grow personally and
individually, while simultaneously being comforted knowing
that you’re not alone.

You and I share the same DNA, we breathe the same air, and our energy fields merge and mingle. We ingest the elements deposited by ancestors centuries past. We’re formed of materials spewed forth by exploding stars millennia ago. Our thoughts, our moods, our words, and our actions affect others in the next room and the next continent. We’re hopelessly and wonderfully interconnected. We’re not alone–never have been, never will be. Life is easier when you recognize and honor your connection to all.

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Ten Steps to an Easy Life

This entry was posted on Friday, July 21st, 2006 at 2:40 pm and is filed under Life Balance, Spiritual. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.