Ask & Ye Shall Receive...

Deep Inside

There are things you can see, things you can hear, things you can touch, taste and smell. And beyond all those, there are things you can know.

There is wisdom within you that requires no outside validation. There are things your heart knows that nothing can dispute.
Don't become so caught up in material, worldly matters that you ignore the miraculous living presence always glowing inside you. Pay attention to the incomprehensible essence that is your life.

In your hands you hold things that, sooner or later, will rust and decay. In your heart you can keep things that are timeless.
Food, clothing and shelter sustain and protect your body. Be sure to sustain and nourish your spirit just as diligently.

Deep inside the person the world sees, is the real and indivisible person you are. Let your inner self play an active and positive role in all you do.

-Ralph Marston

Equilibrium

Within the past year I have begun to embrace the philosophy of the law of attraction. That is (for you non-Secret folks) the idea that we are capable of shaping our existence with the power of our thoughts. When I first saw the Secret I was totally put off by the insistence that focusing one’s attention on world events–those mired in pain and suffering–manifests more of the same. As a journalist and more importantly a self-proclaimed militant, this seemed like some Christian-right propaganda. But in putting this concept–one seemingly oversimplifying centuries of socio-political mechanisms (racism, sexism, homophobia…) of oppression–into practice I’m reconsidering my judgment.

Changing my focus from being angry about oppression to concentrating more on ways to aide in its demise has brought me some much-needed balance. This simple paradigm shift has served as the catalyst for a spiritual awakening. Hate is real but love is abundant. Still, I battle with my rage almost daily. From the misogynist music blaring in my women’s gym (crazy-ass Lucille Roberts) every morning to the racist cops trying to intimidate me in my own neighborhood, it’s difficult to stay positive. How does one maintain spirituality while remaining politically awareness?

-Grenarican