You do indeed have a past, but not now! And, yes, you have a future, but not now! You can consume your now with thoughts of 'then' and 'maybe,' but that will keep you from the inner peace you could experience.
“When you realize that eternity is right here now, that it is within your possibility to experience the eternity of your own truth and being, then you grasp the following: That which you are was never born and will never die. . . . (90)”
“Mike brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the automotive industry to his new position with Parts Direct, which he acquired through a 27 year tenure in a senior management position with Standard Auto Glass, Canada's largest national chain of automobile glass replacement and installation service centers. As a result Mr. Cassidy also has extensive experience at upper management levels with many automobile insurance companies due to his previous position held as Vice President of Canadian Retail Operations for Standard Auto Glass.”
Awakening is about introducing a child to sensory experiences, including tastes. It doesn't always require the parent's active involvement. It can come from staring at the sky, smelling dinner as it's being prepared, or playing alone on a blanket. It's a way of sharpening the child's senses and preparing him to distinguish between different experiences. It's the first step toward teaching him to be a cultivated adult who knows how to enjoy himself. Awakening is a kind of training for children in how to profiter - to soak up the pleasure and richness of the moment.
Experience was of no ethical value. It was merely the name men gave to their mistakes. Moralists had, as a rule, regarded it as a mode of warning, had claimed for it a certain ethical efficacy in the formation of character, had praised it as something that taught us what to follow and showed us what to avoid. But there was no motive power in experience. It was as little of an active cause as conscience itself. All that it really demonstrated was that our future would be the same as our past, and that the sin we had done once, and with loathing, we would do many times, and with joy.
“We all have different kinds of tastes and thoughts about what we are all about because the music is such a personal thing for us. ... I think we have always made an effort to make our lyrics build a bridge between the personal experiences we have and the personal experiences of someone coming to a show. That people say it has helped them in some way puts the highest meaning in the band. We feel we are out there making a living doing what we love, and it is affecting people.”
“Personally, the experience is amazing. To see where these kids live and grow up, it's an experience all in itself to just talk to them individually and feel that you have made some kind of positive impact on their life. Most of them really are good kids stuck in a bad situation and we are there to try to bring out that motivation and determination in them to succeed in life. And the kids have started to warm up to us. They are starting to bring their homework more often and have gained more interest in what we have to share with them.”
When we begin to reflect Christ, the Bible, when more understood as being centered around Christ, seems to be potentially every man's biography regarding God's promised experiences and truth for him - his individual, unique path of humbling oneself before the Lord and then being exalted by the Lord back into his true and righteous personhood. Many followers may speak of it merely to try to change other people (before changing themselves), but the prophets speak of it as a living word which miraculously tells their very own experiences.
People will react to you as a result of their own mindset, rather than as a reflection of your worth. Most people use others as mirrors for their own darkness. If you have been hurt by such people, perhaps you can use these experiences to become a different kind of person—one who reflects the light within others instead of using them as mirrors. Maybe your experiences of pain can lead you to being a great leader, someone who lights up the world. Your most painful struggle is ripe with opportunity.
This in essence is my goal. To set an example by doing what is good. If I live openly and honestly, I set an example of virtue, humanness, restoration, and healing. I give others permission to join me on my journey despite the fear of failure or the rejection it might elicit when they know they are not alone in their experience. The more of us who amass the courage to embark openly on this path, the more normal this experience becomes, effectively eliminating the tactic of shame and isolation that the enemy so often uses to cause us to falter.