READING AND HEEDING SIGNs in BETWEEN THE LINES

THIS POST, INSPIRED BY MY FAMILY , ALLOWED ME A FRESH OPPORTUNITY TO LISTEN, OBSERVE & GROW. CRISIS CONDITIONS US FOR CHANGE. NEW PERSPECTIVES PRESENT NEW CONCLUSIONS. I'VE  UNCOVERED A NEW PRINCIPLE  AND  LEARNED ANOTHER GREAT LESSON ABOUT LIFE AND ABOUT ME. 

There is no mistaking a real struggle when we observe one. Life itself is a struggle in the sense that effort is required to advance. Struggles can act as restraints and/or produce strength. Although the signs of struggle are obvious the underlying cause and effect of the struggle may be obscured. We hear, see and believe the things we can interpret and understand. We tend to resist or ignore things that fail to align with our personal perception of how the "laws of life" apply to us individually. In the past we believed that there were the rules and then there were the exceptions. But now we're convinced that there are no exceptions to "real" laws some call rules. There are universal principles at work behind the tendencies and behaviors common to us all. Normally it is more difficult to see behaviors in ourselves that are easily noticed in others. We all tend to be unconsciously blind to the manifestations of our own subconscious thoughts, words and actions disguised by our sophistication. As a matter of fact most of our contemporaries suffer from the same psychological predicaments. There are so many things that we have learned wrong, and as a result perform wrong. How we deal with mistakes and failures is a prime example of our conditioning towards adversity. When we feel discomfort, embarrassment or shame due to error or bad judgement, it is because we learned to react that way. The response to an action or situation is just as important as the original deed that created the state of affairs. Every mistake made is one less mistake left to make, as long as the lesson from the mistake is embraced. Yes, mistakes are educational. In reality every blunder becomes the best and most reliable source for learning. The blunder does not have to be our own. But to learn from it we must own the blunder. "​There go I but for the grace of God." Concentrate on the blunder not the blunderer. Enlightening the blunderer eliminates repeating the blunder. This gives validity to the scientific method. The way we embrace or loath a failure will allow us to face forward or fall backwards. When we express an attitude that admits and appreciates errors we can easily learn the lesson it teaches. In school we are taught the lessons then take the test. In life we face the tests first then hopefully learn the lesson. As flawed individuals, corrections and course changes are a life long experience.  Failure to evolve and grow at any stage creates stagnation. Just as fruit if we are not ripening we begin rotting.

Our connections to and relationships with one another mirror (directly reflect) our ability to receive, interpret and apply the messages that are constantly flowing to us. Life consistently speaks to us through one another. Yes, the agents for the delivery of the information God (the universe) wants us to heed comes through the people we associate and come in contact with. By acknowledging the messages and warnings life sends us through our associates, we acknowledge God and them.  Why is it that we miss these messages? Why is it so hard to read between the lines?  The reason is that there is nothing between the lines.  This expression, which alludes to deeper hidden messages, meanings, and interpretations advocate segregation and secrecy. This phrase originated in the 19th century and was derived from a single form of cryptography. Afterwards it was used to refer to the deciphering of any coded or unclear form of communication whether spoken or written. Jesus spoke in parables. Parables are stories used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson. These stories were "cast alongside" a truth in order to illustrate that truth. Parables are teaching aids not concealed communication. Exchange is the way of life. Without exchange there is no life. Consider evaporation, photosynthesis and how plants & mammals exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. Our interactions, differences, opinions and disagreements at times may clearly serve as that "other voice" as long as we're open to hearing it. One of the complexities we face is distancing as opposed to separation.  We should avoid burning bridges when we detach ourselves from negative associations, but this is a progressive balancing act. Only birds of a feather can flock together. Although it seems selfish to abandon our contrary contemporaries we may discover them slowly withdrawing from us. When and how we reach out to our older messengers is art each of us must refine individually. No message or messenger is without significance or meaning. The more we understand how these dynamics work in our life the better we can see ourselves not as controllers but influencer's. Difficult relationships should be examined carefully and thoroughly. As we find ourselves in the position of mentors and masters of our own lives, we must be careful not become lord over the lives of others. Forgiveness is an act we perform for ourselves although it is expressed towards others.