SWEEPING FOR MINES

It’s a beautiful world out there, but it’s also a world that requires constant vigilance, so that we can continue to live in peace, joy, and balance. Look around at the world today: there are so many elements vying for dominance and control. It is quite an experience to get caught in one of the conflicts raging in the world today. And I’m sure that there are enormous lessons to be learned by anyone so involved.

In our individual lives today too, there are forces that need to be recognized first, then placed in proper perspective, and/or dealt with. I call this process sweeping for mines.

Every human is confronted with the push and pull of various forces throughout the day, and throughout one’s lifetime. The question then remains how to respond, if at all. Here are some things to keep in mind when you do your daily sweep:

1. The people who can most affect you are often the closest, and the ones you love. Realize that just because someone loves you, this is not a license to inflict emotional or other harm upon you.

2. Set behavior limits, and try to keep them. There are standards of behavior that are acceptable to you, and you should communicate them clearly to others. When they are breached, give notice calmly, and plan to take appropriate action.

3. Don’t be afraid to take a “time out.” Time outs have become popular tools for dealing with kids who misbehave. They are also an effective tool with adults. If someone is violating something that you hold dear, and planting a mine in your life, put them at a distance using this tool. The time limit is up to you.

4. Be aware of your free will, and respect others’ free will. Free will is an enormous gift to every human being, but it is sometimes abused. If you detect that your free will is being trampled upon, pull back, and decide what to do. You have every right to protect it. And of course, make every effort to not violate the free will of another: this helps protect your energy field in a huge way.

5. Avoid/limit exposure to the news media. I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating: the news media is interested in churning a story and has little or no concern for its effect on you. I almost never watch the news, but am aware of what’s happening. To counter the negative media input in the environment these days, I  increase the amount of my daily meditation.