Before and After Things Change | Tracks In The Dust

Archive for the category “Before and After Things Change”

29 Jan 2013

Finding the Smaller World Around Us

There are days where it seems like the world is small. Yet, other days it seems so distant. It is easy to feel so solitary.

Sure, there are so many ways to prove our world is large. You can measure the circumference; you can look at a map and compare the continents; you can even compare the amazing number of different cultures and their religions and beliefs You can look to latitude and longitude and measure in degrees, or measure the ocean between us or the length of the road to get there.

The world still seems small these days. The Internet can often make it appear large, yet in this “the information age”- we are subjected to more information about people in the most far away places that “discovery” seems so much less adventurous these days. There are a number of TV channels that are dedicated 24 hours to showing you the most detailed things about the world around us, the people, the places, the animals and climates, the wonders of the deepest oceans or the farthest away galaxies. You would think that would make us all feel small by comparison, and you are probably right. We are living in the “world-wide” web we have built.

But the exposure to all of these things also bring us the chance to consider a point of view on things we never knew existed. Still, we isolate ourselves. We are allowed to ponder the life of a small girl in a country that has little in common with ours and make judgement on her actions ; we are able view real-time the Earth’s polar regions deteriorating at such a rapid pace w (and deny its impact in the same moment we watch).

So in this age of information and technology, we common folk have a dilemma. We can care about everything and then in fact not be able to consider anything precious. We can make light of the differences and criticize their existence as futile because it doesn’t fit our expectation of what the world should be.

We are subjected to so many choices here in the US, an “over abundance” of input. For some it tends to make life even more anxious. Just walking down the cereal aisle at the supermarket can be daunting. It can make you stop to ponder the size, shape, taste and sugar content of dozens of choices and experience the frustration of conflict. Will we pick the right one? the one that tastes best – or is most healthy? Or is the best value ? Just how are we spending our time and worry?

Now like the cereal aisle before us, we have nearly unlimited input via the Internet. We can hit the search button and make most anything appear. I keep imagining that if the “World of the Future” exhibit at the 1964 Worlds Fair had talked about the Internet, some people would have been more willing to accept flying cars rather than the idea of access to so much of the world.

So it may be wise to be sure, to consider the small world around us. Pay closer attention to the people, places and things that immediately surround us. Understand that there are certainly a lot of similarities for the human race all over the globe. Acceptance, the need for love, basic human understanding and the simple needs of food and shelter. Those and more are in demand in the human condition but it starts at home with our family, our children our relatives and friends. Go find the smaller world around you. Try it.

Posted in Before and After Things Change and tagged Acceptance, Advice, Compassion, Faith, Grace, life is precious, Reality Check, Small World, Sprituality

10 Dec 2012

3 Comments

Waiting for the End of the World

Okay, It will happen. Someday.

Waiting for it seems a waste of time. There are many who seem to be searching for it. They work to interpret the “signs” and decide that the Mayan’s calendar has it right, or some tea-leaves, crystal balls, Nostradamus, alien codes written in farmers fields, zombies coming to walk the earth or some religious faction incited by a self-declared prophet.

With the coming of the latest Mayan forecast looking like this December 21st, the fascination begins again.

For some they look at things so seriously that they are out buying provisions, digging shelters. Grab your family, food and ammunition. You are going to need it in the world ahead (I thought it was the end- maybe just a new chapter?)
For others there is a planned party to watch the event front-row center and lift a glass (or something else I suppose)
Yet others take on some interest like it is the next blockbuster disaster movie that is going to produce world-wide earth moving events destined to make the environment itself be the course of our demise… in full surround sound.

All of it is kind of ironic. Our “individual” worlds are so fragile. The end of the world may happen at any time for us, like a personal journey that has already been written. Step off a curb, slip on a rock, let that pain you have ignored take you away from the human fold as quickly as you arrived.

IF we choose to wait for it to happen, looking for it behind every news story or internet article, it kind of makes us all victims… victims of our human need for knowing our destiny. We cannot really know that “next” moment in our lives, any more than we can predict the moment that will become “the end of the world”.

So I choose to look at it this way. The world will come to an end in my lifetime. It will more than likely be my personal demise. But it may be that the aliens, planets, earth itself or our own foolish nuclear destruction take the course. Living for today, making the best of my time on this Earth to help others, share the Word, provide sound advice to my children, love my spouse and “embrace God’s grace” is still the best way to celebrate the end of the world. The world as we know it has exciting possibilities if you believe that the alternative will be all that much more glorious.

Get off your cloud and get living while you can!

Posted in Before and After Things Change and tagged being remembered, December 21st, Definitions, End of the World, Eternity, life is precious, Maya calendar, Maya civilization, Sprituality

03 Dec 2012

2 Comments

“Happy” Holidays

Every time about this time of year I kind of think about what’s left for the year before it’s over.

There is so much to be thankful for, and so much to reflect on. There are 2 holidays here in the US before it is all done, and it is such a great time to catch up with friends and family and celebrate life together. A time to be “happy”

No matter what you think you did this year, you can always do more. But no matter what you have you can always be thankful – Be thankful for the opportunity to be here on this Earth, reading things on the Internet, with food and water and sharing your love with your family, friends.

This time of year also means people have high expectations of what the holiday’s should bring. The idea Thanksgiving ( in the US can be a house full of food, family and football) and the picture perfect Merry Christmas. Often that ends up putting people in the most depressed sorts- when the simplest reasons to be HAPPY are just those things that “are” simple… Sometimes alone feeling abandoned, sometimes without much or anything to eat. It takes time to remember what happiness really is. It’s not about “things” or possessions, it is about something much simpler than that. It’s about being recognized for being a human-being on this Earth who, just like everyone else, is trying to make the best of the world as it has been dealt.

So as we are spending time looking for things to be thankful for… as we wander by and wish people a “happy” holiday season. Looks like we should be aware that for some it may be hard to see it, hard to feel it, or know where happiness is. They need to know your wish is sincere, you need to know you mean it.

Happy Holiday all!

Posted in Before and After Things Change and tagged being remembered, Christmas, Definitions, Happiness, Joy, Kindness, life is precious, Postive Thinking, Reality Check, Thanksgiving

04 Sep 2012

5 Comments

Predicting the Future

There are some days that I think how great it would be to predict the future. You would be able to know where things would be going. You could be confident that each day would be set. There would be no guessing about the challenges ahead. There would be less fear of the unknown. No worries about tomorrow. You could help so many others and yourself in so many ways.

Knowing the future would mean you could win the lottery or buy the next big stock (if I had only bought Apple stock when my friends told me). You could stop bad things from happening, and be present for the exciting things. Yes I know all the complicated science around changing events on the space-time continuum – they have made movies and books about that and site all of what Einstein was theorizing (even though many more have gone further in this whole thing). Even Dr. Brown explained it well ( for you Back to the Future fans). Still it might be cool to know. Maybe.

Then I realize that there’d be little to desire, not much to dream for. It would constantly be sad for the surprise and the adventure of our God-given life on Earth would be gone. We would know things we don’t want to know, and see things we could not change even as we knew they were coming. Even our own fateful demise would be waiting off in the predictable future. Our sense of self-value would be distorted. If we are all going to die eventually, does it benefit us to know when? Or should we instead be spending every day as the precious thing it is.

No.. Not really a good thing to know the future. All of the negatives would far outweigh the positives. Time is forever marching forward and we are moving ahead as it unfolds (okay there are scientists that will argue that one too). We are in Gods hands and our own path is ours to choose. Not really in the here and now though as much as in the choice for eternity after this life.

We can take each day as it comes and make it work for us. When so many people in this world cannot predict where their next morsel of food or drink will come;we should consider that “fortunate” predictability in our futures, and be thankful. Take consideration for the unknown. Realize that life is there to be cherished, and worry will not overcome you. Even as we know life will end, we can take this next moment in the future of our lives to be grateful for e opportunity to be here, to have known each other.

Posted in Before and After Things Change and tagged Change, cherish, Doubt, Fear, Future, God, Grace, life is precious, Postive Thinking, Precognition, tracks in the dust

30 Aug 2012

1 Comment

Lost in the Extremes

Take some time and breathe deeply. Concentrate on the environment around you and make sure to take in the environment around you. Center yourself.

Lately I have been around many people that are struggling with the extremes in their daily life, their perspectives seem to take on as far south and as far north as life’s compass will allow. It amazes me that they suffer through it and fight the urge to not listen to anyone who dissents to their view.

People are willing stand up for what they believe. And that is a fundamental thing about humankind, about our need to be grounded to our faith, love and core values. But there is also room on other levels for understanding. Room to know that although we should be on common ground on our spiritual plane, we can allow ourselves the benefit of the doubt on other things. That there could be more than just one way to look at things.

In this election year in the US for example, people are choosing extremes. There is a requirement for each of us apparently to fall on one side of the line or the other. Over time the center line has moved, and so it is not centered evenly. Because of that we make heroes out of the people who say what we want them to say. So many ways it leads to hate and lies, to bigotry and deceit, to manipulation of the truth to suit ones view-point. Sadly it is the fuel that may divide the country even more.

Another example is how often people wallow in their emotions and refuse to change their attitudes or frame of reference. Like a badge they continue to carry their sadness, anger or bitterness along with them every where they go. They want to deposit more of it rather than change, and struggle to understand why others don’t feel the way they do.

I think we cannot be ruled by the extremes, we need to open our minds to the possibilities that there are other paths to take. For many seem to be lost in the daily routines, the weekly demands of life. And it would appear that for many of them they have no spiritual center, so they seem to also lack and emotional center. They feel out of control – so the way to reach a feeling of control is to embrace the extremes with definite lines that cannot be personally crossed. They are lost in those places which are a struggle to return from – that require self-examination and resolve. The willingness for that needs the spiritual center. So on it goes.

Lost in the extremes.

From KnowtheSphere great observation about things related