Life- The Wonderful, Yet Mysterious Mirror

Blogging- an interesting phenomenon. I have taken a short hiatus from my blog to allow life to unfold in its mystery and go with it.

Many times I am tempted to write from the perspective of the reader. However, this is when I’m led down a path that is filled with all sorts of perspectives, rather than my own, and it doesn’t serve my purpose in life.

The most interesting blogs are those who share “thoughts”… the ones that you can see into the person’s mind and heart.  These are the entries I read and reflect upon most often. They go into my wisdom pocket where I can pull it out when most needed.

With that said, if you blog, I suggest you always do it for yourself. There is a unifying thread through all of life, and you are a unique expression adding to the colors in this world. I believe it’s what we all yearn for.

I share this out of selfishness and selflessness. Can both be possible?

Absolutely.

Through my own journey of hitting rock bottom, I have found that taking care of self has been the most gracious choice I have made. It opened me to generosity, loving others, loving the moment, and seeing the world with new eyes.

It was through other people’s honesty and wisdom that I was able to move from the trenches of misery to a new freedom.

What I discovered through the honesty of others is when I deal with the small stuff in front of me, this wisdom just comes through. It isn’t through what “they say,” but rather what they share from the heart.

Often, however, especially in this day and age where information is so abundant, side tracking whispers in every moment tempting me to be lured away from this truth.

The most profound and powerful lesson through this is realizing I can only do one thing at a time… hold one thought at a time… and it’s those actions and thoughts that shape my life.

In it there is peace, power, and boundless positive effects that come through.

In my book, The Lavish Cheapskate, I share how debt was a great teacher to me. It taught me that the accumulation of debt I unconsciously reaped through the years had to be handled one at a time. And each debt had to be handled one payment at a time.

That lesson brought me limitless gifts. It showed me that money (and all things in life) is one with life- not separate- and must be honored through conscious choices.

Being a Lavish Cheapskate isn’t about “the stuff.” It’s about honoring every moment. Money, being a part of our everyday lives, is a powerful tool to teach us how to regard all of life. Although we want to perceive money as a separate entity, once we embrace that it isn’t separate, our entire lives shift.

I have also ventured into consciousness studies. I have spent the past several years studying the science of mind, and how it is aligned with our own personal journeys from a spiritual perspective.

It’s something I have been drawn to all of my life. It has shaped my path and has brought me to a place of understanding self so that I can, in turn, understand others.

I am also in recovery, and have been for the past ten years. Recovery is a humbling experience that takes you into the depth of your own being. The 12 steps are a part of a deep spiritual journey suggesting honesty with self and others.

I never considered myself a dishonest person, but found that dishonesty begins with the lies you tell yourself. It is a prison I built and protected for years and it did erode my life (although I didn’t see it until I went through this journey).

There is a term in recovery reflecting on judgment that says, “When you point a finger at someone, remember that there are three other fingers pointing back at you.” 

In the first several years of my recovery this helped me transform judgment into self-realization. A magnificent gift.

Today, I see the magnificence in others. When I raise my hand and point to someone and say, “You are magnificent!” I live in the same realization. There are three other fingers pointing back to me.

So that’s where selfishness takes on the alchemic effect of selflessness. J

I invite you to see the magnificence in others. From it, you will see the magnificence in yourself.

Life is a wonderful, yet mysterious mirror.

-May you live in lavish cheapskate liberation!   

Ardy Skinner