Meditation Instructions for Sun., February 24, 2019

For this Sunday, February 24th, the focus for our meditation will be on Solutions.  Everyone knows someone you would likely consider to be a chronic complainer.  These are the people who must always find the glass half-empty.  There is certainly a time and place for recognizing when things are wrong and in need of change, and in my opinion the world would not be a better place if filled with mindless sycophants.  The problem with complainers is they are either unwilling or unable to appreciate the positives that may exist and seem to only want to spur others to join them in their rage and discontent.  In my professional and personal life, I have long held the maxim that if you are going to raise a complaint you must also be willing to bring a possible Solution to the table.  You may not have the perfect answer, but when you approach a problem from the perspective of trying to fix it rather than place blame or simply rant there is often a synergy that results.  Other people feel encouraged to pitch in ideas that complement yours so that a viable and practical Solution is more easily found.  I have found in this way people are more receptive to criticism or having inadequacies pointed out.  They recognize the impetus for the complaint is to create improvements rather than find fault.  Our society today, particularly with the anonymity of social media, seems a breeding ground for complainers.  People feel free to lob criticism and blame others but seldom offer reasonable ideas that could serve as a Solution.  Imagine instead if complainers put as much thought and effort into coming up with a way to remediate a problem as they did in trying to get others to hear their incessant cycle of negative thoughts.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us ask if we fully embrace the notion of lighting a candle rather than cursing the darkness.  May we be shown how to work toward Solutions instead of voicing complaints.  May the light and energy of our prayers also help shift this nation from one focused on criticism and complaint to a willingness to work together and find real Solutions.

In our efforts this week let us also continue to use the energy of our prayers and meditation to amplify the light that covers and fills this nation.  As we perform our meditation this week let us begin by re-energizing the brilliance and power of the light we create.  Just as before, begin by forming a concentrated ball of light that is so bright it is almost impossible to look directly at it.  Raise this sphere of light up high over the nation and then let its rays cascade down to create a solid, impenetrable dome of light that completely covers every inch of our country.  From shore to shore and border to border let the entire continent be filled with this brilliant, dense light that will serve to magnify the best and highest qualities of our country and the people who live across its vast lands. 

Please follow the same practice as before: Get centered in your body, ask to bring in your guides and others who are there to assist us and connect to the circle of others participating in this project.

Ask yourself what do I feel in my body when I have taken time to think of a practical Solution to a problem?  How does it feel in my body when I am able to propose a Solution that helps improve a situation?  Then send the energy and intention of those feelings to the nation.

Be sure to disconnect from the circle at the end and express thanks for those who have helped us in this effort.

If you have feedback or experiences you would like to share please let me know via e-mail to kmiritello@gmail.com

Meditation Instructions for Sun., February 17, 2019

For this Sunday, February 17th, the focus for our meditation will be on Feelings.  One of my guilty pleasures is watching episodes of a television show called, “Hoarders.”  It is just as it sounds – about people who are extreme hoarders.  Trust me, there is no more powerful motivator to begin cleaning out a closet than to watch this show.  It is part NASCAR effect in waiting to see if a crash will occur, but I also am fascinated by watching how the professional psychologists deal with the very difficult challenges of people who are in denial about their hoarding behavior.  One of the psychologists has a saying she likes to use that goes, “If you don’t Feel, you won’t heal.”  Many of these people are so insulated from their Feelings because they are too uncomfortable for them to deal with.  They not only insulate themselves emotionally but also physically by surrounding themselves with layers of material things.  While most of us may not have to deal with issues of hoarding, we all at times succumb to not wanting to acknowledge or deal with negative emotions.  It’s one thing to bask in the positive moments of praise, happiness, contentment, etc., but quite another to have to face sadness, guilt, criticism, rejection, etc.  Yet life is filled with both, and those opposite ends of the emotional spectrum are unavoidable.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us ask to be gently shown how to fully embrace all the emotions we experience in life.  May we learn how to more fully participate in every emotional moment and avoid suppressing our Feelings so we may reach complete healing instead.

In our efforts this week let us also continue to use the energy of our prayers and meditation to amplify the light that covers and fills this nation.  As we perform our meditation this week let us begin by re-energizing the brilliance and power of the light we create.  Just as before, begin by forming a concentrated ball of light that is so bright it is almost impossible to look directly at it.  Raise this sphere of light up high over the nation and then let its rays cascade down to create a solid, impenetrable dome of light that completely covers every inch of our country.  From shore to shore and border to border let the entire continent be filled with this brilliant, dense light that will serve to magnify the best and highest qualities of our country and the people who live across its vast lands. 

Please follow the same practice as before: Get centered in your body, ask to bring in your guides and others who are there to assist us and connect to the circle of others participating in this project.

Ask yourself what do I feel in my body when I allow myself to truly Feel even the deepest of emotions?  How does it feel in my body when I am willing to Feel not just the positive but also the negative emotions I experience so I may be more whole?  Then send the energy and intention of those feelings to the nation.

Be sure to disconnect from the circle at the end and express thanks for those who have helped us in this effort.

If you have feedback or experiences you would like to share please let me know via e-mail to kmiritello@gmail.com

Meditation Instructions for Sun., February 10, 2019

For this Sunday, February 10th, the focus for our meditation will be on Limitations.  There is a famous brief prayer known as the Serenity prayer attributed to the great theologian and philosopher, Reinhold Niebuhr, that goes, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”  I’ve always been intrigued by the notion that we have Limitations in the impact we are able to make in this life.  It can be so frustrating when we encounter obstacles and challenges that we feel helpless to surmount.  Some of these may have to do with our relationships with others, and we may be better off recognizing there is only so much we can do in trying to influence that person’s behavior.  Similarly, I see many people in a state of rage about what they perceive is happening in our country right now.  While I am no advocate for apathy, I readily acknowledge there are Limitations as to how much each individual can do regarding certain situations.  Rather than weaken our impact by acting with anger perhaps we would be better served by starting small in trying to make change.  There may be some wisdom in the popular maxim, “Think Globally, Act Locally.”  If we are upset about the state of our world, our nation, our communities, etc., we may not be able to make instantaneous global changes, but we can modify our immediate environment.  We can focus on our relationships with friends and family members, try to improve our work environments and communities, and over time come to establish growing changes that ripple beyond what we perceive as our tiny sphere of influence.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us ask to be guided as to where we have real Limitations that help us become more practical and realistic in our expectations.  May we be shown how to recognize these Limitations to better direct our actions so we may make true and lasting change where possible.

In our efforts this week let us also continue to use the energy of our prayers and meditation to amplify the light that covers and fills this nation.  As we perform our meditation this week let us begin by re-energizing the brilliance and power of the light we create.  Just as before, begin by forming a concentrated ball of light that is so bright it is almost impossible to look directly at it.  Raise this sphere of light up high over the nation and then let its rays cascade down to create a solid, impenetrable dome of light that completely covers every inch of our country.  From shore to shore and border to border let the entire continent be filled with this brilliant, dense light that will serve to magnify the best and highest qualities of our country and the people who live across its vast lands. 

Please follow the same practice as before: Get centered in your body, ask to bring in your guides and others who are there to assist us and connect to the circle of others participating in this project.

Ask yourself what do I feel in my body when I have encountered Limitations in what I have been able to accomplish in my life?  How does it feel in my body when my awareness of my Limitations helps me direct my resources in a more effective way?  Then send the energy and intention of those feelings to the nation.

Be sure to disconnect from the circle at the end and express thanks for those who have helped us in this effort.

If you have feedback or experiences you would like to share please let me know via e-mail to kmiritello@gmail.com

Meditation Instructions for Sun., February 3, 2019

For this Sunday, February 3rd, the focus for our meditation will be on Relativity.  I just returned home after a week in Southern California where the temperatures were in the 60’s and 70’s.  It was more jarring than I expected to come back to temperatures in the 40’s and 50’s.  Had I not been away this weather at home would have seemed absolutely balmy by comparison with what we usually experience.  It reminded me that everything in life is Relative.  We all have had episodes of crisis where we later thought back and realized we allowed ourselves to be in much more of a state of distress than was beneficial or perhaps even warranted.  At the time, however, it likely felt as though everything was falling apart.  Let enough time pass and eventually we find ourselves able to look back on those experiences and see the growth that resulted from what may have been a very painful period in our life.  In hindsight we are able to gain more perspective and see how that experience fits in with the bigger picture of our life.  Relative to everything else that has transpired since then perhaps some of those events appear less traumatic to us now.  It takes patience, faith and trust to allow time to help us recognize the Relativity of what we experience throughout life.  In the moment it may not be easy to do so, but eventually we put enough distance between ourselves and the event that it can be viewed with greater objectivity.  This week in our prayer and meditation let us ask to find the patience to wait for the passage of time to realize how everything we may be experiencing in our personal life or in our nation is all Relative.  May we eventually come to recognize the importance of Relativity in assessing difficult situations so we become less reactive and can better appreciate the growth they will bring.

In our efforts this week let us also continue to use the energy of our prayers and meditation to amplify the light that covers and fills this nation.  As we perform our meditation this week let us begin by re-energizing the brilliance and power of the light we create.  Just as before, begin by forming a concentrated ball of light that is so bright it is almost impossible to look directly at it.  Raise this sphere of light up high over the nation and then let its rays cascade down to create a solid, impenetrable dome of light that completely covers every inch of our country.  From shore to shore and border to border let the entire continent be filled with this brilliant, dense light that will serve to magnify the best and highest qualities of our country and the people who live across its vast lands.  

Please follow the same practice as before: Get centered in your body, ask to bring in your guides and others who are there to assist us and connect to the circle of others participating in this project.

Ask yourself what do I feel in my body when I recognize what I will come to feel about a challenging episode is Relative to the bigger picture of my life?  How does it feel in my body when I look back and realize what I thought were difficult times simply needed more distance to appreciate their Relativity?  Then send the energy and intention of those feelings to the nation.

Be sure to disconnect from the circle at the end and express thanks for those who have helped us in this effort.

If you have feedback or experiences you would like to share please let me know via e-mail to kmiritello@gmail.com