A Picture Worth Millions of Words, and a Pair of Invitations

A friend and client of mine, Cindy R., who lives out on the West Coast, sent me this photo today.

It’s wonderful when someone I haven’t spoken to in a while sends me something out of the blue. I know then that I’ve made a difference for them, and that’s really what this is all about.

I teach because I can’t not teach. I taught for free, on whatever level and platform I could speak from, for a lot of years, first in recovery and now here. If my private practice somehow dried up and blew away, I would again reach for the sky and teach for free. I don’t do it; it does me.

When I got this photo today I immediately fell into the only role that I may love more than being a teacher, and that is being a student. My friend was taking the time and effort to teach me. The person who posted this on Facebook took the time and effort to teach me, as did whoever put this montage together, and the willing model who held out his hand–to all of us.

I bow to these unknown teachers of mine, and to all of the other unknown teachers who have contributed to whatever clarity there is to be found working through this old fool’s body and mind. I bow to Cindy R. I bow to you for once again taking the time to help me clear by coming here and reading this.

The wheel keeps turning, around and around, over and over, because that’s what a wheel does. We reflect the Light that we are. The cleaner the mirror, the clearer the reflection.

This photo doesn’t say anything you and I don’t already know. But how well do we know it? How deeply? Does it yet steer us in our day to day lives? To what degree? Repetition is the mother of clarity. Let us remain humble enough to remember that this journey is never over–thank goodness!

Forget about chasing the light. How can we chase That which we always already are? Let us chase the dark instead; there’s where the real payoff is. Let us find what in us is not awake. When the false dark falls away, there is Truth, always already shining. It can’t not shine. That’s what it does, because that’s what it Is. You shine for me to light up my dark places. I do the same for you. We are this Shining.

I have spent many thousands of hours and millions of words sharing the message this photo delivers in a single, swift hammer blow. I will keep on doing so too. I invite you to take your path seriously (and yet humorously) with me as we move into this bright new year.

Like rocks in a tumbler, let us continue to smooth each others rough edges. Let us learn together–from whatever source we stumble upon. And mostly, let us love each other. For in the end, that’s all there is, Just This Love finding new ways to adore and explore Itself. Thank you for being.

With Love, from Love, to Love,

Fred   
1.1.14

One more thing! I promised Open Circle in San Francisco that I would post about about the upcoming tele-conference that they are kindly hosting for me. I also promised to send out a couple of newsletters on it, so those of you on our mailing list will be getting this post’s newsletter. The meeting will be a small shot, but it will be heard around the world on January 19. What a miracle.

Consider joining us. It’s at 1:00 pm New York time, 10 am Pacific. It’s $10 if you have it. Here’s a link to it. Bye for now. FD