Daily Inspiration 5-25-16

"The roots of all goodness 

lie in the soil of appreciation 

for goodness." 

-- Dalai Lama 

In other words, appreciation feeds the roots and grows the plant or tree of our good. In better words, whatever you want more of, find a way to appreciate that wherever you see it, and if you don't see it, imagine it.

Sometimes this seems abnormal. For example, the way to find a better job, or one you like instead of one you don't like, is to find appreciation for the job you have. To many, that makes no sense. What makes more sense to them is that they should hate their job more in order to motivate them to make the change. Force the change might be a better way to phrase that.

But, the reality is that this only makes us more miserable, and we end up attracting more of that feeling from other aspects of our life. This isn't working, that isn't working, this sucks, that sucks, leading to a life sucks attitude, or an unworthiness attitude. I don't deserve things to work in my favor because these things are happening to me. This is just the way things work out for me (powerlessness), and more.

Now, here's the cool part. Just look at the last few paragraphs. How does the first one feel compared to the next two paragraphs? When things are not working out and we're feeling down and maybe even sprinkled with some unworthiness and a dash of powerlessness, generously lathered with some fear and blame, are we feeling appreciation for those things? Are we happy they are here? Hell no. We're pissed off and rehearsing the gathering storm of our unhappiness. 

Then maybe in some out-of-out-true-minds-way, we really are appreciating our unhappiness. In other words, we are feeling justified in it, getting comfortable with it, finding other things in our life and in the world that supports it, like being right and everything and everyone else is wrong, justifying our blame of the other or circumstances, and long list of supporting information.

Maybe you've met or known some people who seem to appreciate their unhappiness by continually attracting more of it in many different ways. It's a whole bunch of feeling sorry for themselves, with the world against them--me against the world and all that fantasy turned reality.

Continuing with the cool part, is to open our eyes and our mind to what is going on. What are the fruits on this tree? How does it feel? How do I want to feel? What am I appreciating? What am I accepting? Who am I blaming? In what ways am I justifying my position? My emotions? Is this what I really want? Or, would I rather have goodness? Would I rather feel great? Would I rather have everything working for me than against me? It's all about what we are appreciating or focusing on. Appreciation is simply focus. Value is focus. Worthiness is focus. So are their opposites.


What Are You Appreciating? 

Spread Some Joy Today--by being in your joy. Joy is a state of being. Be there.