Meditation Instructions for Sun., January 26, 2020

For this Sunday, January 26th, the focus for our meditation will be on Informed.  Have you ever heard of the “sheeple” effect?  It is when people become overly docile, compliant or unduly influenced by others, i.e., they blindly follow the herd without thinking for themselves.  I recently saw a video that seemed to perfectly illustrate this concept.  People on the street were stopped by a reporter and asked for their opinion on an important topic.  Everyone had an opinion but when asked what facts led them to that position an unsettling number admitted they had not done any foundational research in the form of looking up source material.  They instead claimed they were taking another person’s word for it that the view they held was the right one.  This can have devastating consequences as shown in the fraud manipulated by Bernie Madoff years ago.  Many of his duped victims simply assumed he must be legitimate because someone else they knew had invested with him.  It led to a Ponzi scheme of tremendous proportion that resulted in financial ruin for many innocent people.  Had people taken the time to become better Informed about Madoff they would have quickly learned there was an increasing ring of suspicion about his endeavors.  Today our country is grappling with many important issues, and it seems that a sense of apathy or misplaced loyalty is leading some to blindly follow what they are being told by people in authority.  I’m not one for reflexively bucking the system, but I am coming to appreciate how being better Informed can more effectively direct how to use our time and resources on issues that are critical for our communities and nation.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us ask to be shown how to remain Informed on matters that are important to our future.  May we feel supported and encouraged in our desire to seek Information that helps guide our decision-making, and may more of our citizens recognize the importance of being Informed rather than accepting someone else’s word on issues that are critical to our future.

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 actively seek to be Informed on issues that are important to my community?  How does it feel in my body when I recognize the value of gathering better Information to make my own decisions?  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., January 19, 2020

For this Sunday, January 19th, the focus for our meditation will be on Perseverance.  So, how has the experiment from last week’s meditation topic been going for you?  If your experience is similar to mine, it has admittedly been a challenge.  I have intentionally sought out news sources I might otherwise avoid, but there have been numerous times when my initial reaction to a video or article was that it was utter nonsense.  My thinking behind this experiment is not to abandon all our filters and blindly accept everything we read or hear but to do so with the intention of being more neutral and open-minded.  Perhaps it is my graduate school training in the “scientific method,” but I like to think I can approach an issue with objectivity and let the facts speak for themselves before reaching a conclusion.  I am also a registered unaffiliated voter and quite often have cast my vote in a split ticket where I look at a candidate’s platform on issues that matter to me rather than their party affiliation.  Even with this background, the experiment has been difficult.  Over the past week I have taken in “news” coverage that was biased in both directions.  No party dominates this realm of what sometimes appears to be purposeful misinformation – they both contribute to the problem.  When I have encountered articles or videos that in my opinion contain obvious falsehoods my recourse has been to step back and ask why they believe (or want to believe) what they are promulgating.  In other words, what is it that has caused segments of our society to feel so disenfranchised they are willing to accept information that seems blatantly distorted?  Why do they feel their lives have suffered or they have been denied opportunities given freely to others?  It is a different approach that I have tried to pursue with sincerity and a genuine desire to seek understanding.  I still don’t have all the answers, but in adopting this method it has allowed me to Persevere in trying to digest content I would have previously dismissed.  In the process, I have also learned at least one positive aspect about the side of an issue where I have held an opposing opinion.  It isn’t so much about trying to change our mind on various issues but more about opening our mind to try and understand the different point of view held by others.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us ask for the ability to Persevere through the challenge of trying to remain objective and fair-minded in gathering information.  May we feel encouraged and supported in our desire to gain a broader understanding of important issues and through this effort come to find more in common with others than the differences we believe separate us. 

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 am able to Persevere in a challenging life experience?  How does it feel in my body when I find my Perseverance allows me to succeed at a task?  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., January 12, 2020

For this Sunday, January 12th, the focus for our meditation will be on Balance.  It probably comes as no surprise to most of you that social media skews the content of what you see based on what you have viewed previously and particularly what you have indicated you “liked.”  As a result, you are only fed more content that is similar to what you have already seen.  Perhaps this is no problem when it results in your watching more of those cute pet videos, but it does create an issue when it comes to the news or information you are fed through your social media accounts.  I believe one of the fundamental issues furthering the divisiveness in this country is our failure to truly consider the other’s point of view.  The problem is how can we even attempt to take in another’s perspective if we never are exposed to news that differs from what we already believe.  I am going to challenge every person who reads this post to engage in an ongoing experiment between now and the November elections.  At least once a week, I am asking you to read an entire article or listen to the complete coverage of an issue from a news source you normally shun.  If you find yourself wholly dismissing any news coverage from a more conservative source, such as Fox News, try to objectively take in just a single story from either their broadcast channel or website.  Think CNN or NPR are biased, inflammatory news sites not worthy of your attention?  Suspend any biases you may have for just a moment and try to listen to some of their coverage.  This may initially be difficult, for you will likely want to immediately go into “critic” mode and find fault with how they are portraying a particular story.  Instead, I am asking you to approach this exercise from a position of neutrality and objectivity.  Simply expose yourself to these alternate (for you) news sources on a regular basis.  See if there is an aspect they present that surprises you by revealing information you didn’t previously know.  Ask yourself how the differences in their portrayal of a particular issue reflect some underlying shift in how people with opposing opinions see the same issue.  More importantly, ask yourself is there some small piece of information in their viewpoint with which you could agree?  It comes down to the parable of the three blind men placed in a room with an elephant who offer vastly different descriptions of the same animal because of the limitations of what they can perceive through their restricted areas of touch.  Unless we make a conscious effort to broaden our perceptions, we are allowing ourselves to be blindfolded by the incomplete information we receive.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us ask to be shown how to bring more Balance into our lives in terms of the information we gather to form opinions.  May the energy of our prayers encourage more people across this nation to open their minds and be willing to honestly consider the viewpoints of others they might have previously dismissed.  Through this experiment, let us ask that greater Balance be infused in our culture and help reduce the great divide that only seems to want to further weaken our country.

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 make a purposeful attempt to Balance the information I rely on in forming my opinions?  How does it feel in my body when I am willing to remain objective and Balanced by honestly considering alternate viewpoints?  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., January 5, 2020

For this Sunday, January 5th, the focus for our meditation will be on Protection.  I was fortunate to only serve in a peacetime military and never had to experience an armed conflict.  I did, however, know many people who had served in combat and not a single one would ever be characterized as a warmonger.  Those who have been in battle know all too well its hazards.  It tends to change those who are thrust into the unspeakable horrors of war.  This week our military troops began an overseas deployment to a very unstable region in the world.  I will not debate the merits of whether their deployment is warranted.  From my perspective it is not about the high-stakes chess match of international diplomacy but has more to do with human lives pitted against others in the name of defense.  You can support those individuals who have sacrificed much by serving in the military without supporting the politics that cause them to be sent into danger.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us fully apply our energy to create a light of Protection for all members of our military forces who are now potentially on the cusp of an armed conflict.  May they be embraced by our light and feel supported and Protected from harm as they carry out their duties.  Additionally, may their loved ones be comforted and assured as they await their safe return home, knowing they are surrounded by the energy of Protection. 

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 know I am being Protected from harm by the prayers of others?  How does it feel in my body when I am supported and Protected through those who care for me?  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