Heartbeats

The heartbeat is a universal symbol of life.  With each beat it screams, “I’m alive”, “I’m alive”, “I’m alive” — the reaffirmation that you’re still alive is just a heartbeat away.

It’s the silence between the notes that creates the music, without silence, we wouldn’t be able to hang on to every note, to every word.

Music without silence would sound like a bunch of garbled noise that never ends.

Likewise, it’s the choices we make from heartbeat to heartbeat that paint the picture of our lives.

When there are no more notes, the music ends, and all that we are left with is silence.   When there are no more heartbeats, there is no more life, and all that we are left with is silence.

What was once animated, returns to it’s source while the physical embodiment decays into the earth.

You can pick the notes you put into music like you can pick what you do with each heartbeat.

If it’s your choice why do many people decide to spend their lives judging others, instead of themselves? Why do so many of those people justify their actions with religious beliefs when those religions teach no such thing?

Perhaps these people are actually empty on the inside so they attach themselves and their ego to a group of people that help amplify and associate with their ego problems.  They identify themselves as mere followers but by passing judgement they are actually performing the role they designed for God.  Ironically enough they’ll still walk around telling people that only God can judge us.

If only God can judge us then why do people cast judgement and try to change things they don’t like about people?

Most religions, Christianity especially, teach the acceptance and tolerance of people for who they are regardless of their beliefs.

Jesus Christ gets credited for a lot of the ego derived actions of his so called “followers”.  Mostly for stuff he would never want credited to his name, yet they continue to do these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

The biggest lesson Jesus taught us was to love everyone, no matter what. It’s not your job to change or judge people. When somebody didn’t believe something Jesus told them, he loved them anyway. If you want to have a positive impact on humanity, spend your heartbeats being more like how Jesus really was, instead of how you think he should be (ego).

Jesus took it upon himself to teach people compassion. He accepted and loved people for who they were, even his biggest critics, even his enemies. He knew you couldn’t change people and judging them never helped.

He taught us to accept others and show them love always.

When people don’t agree with you, love them anyways. When they don’t think like you do, love them anyways. When they don’t do what you would do, love them anyways.

Dr Wayne Dyer has another bit of sound advice to offer us.

“Whenever you have a choice between being right or being kind, choose kindness.”

99% of the disagreements you have are irrelevant.

Whether or not you’re right doesn’t really matter, there’s just nothing to gain in most circumstances. When you try to be right in these disagreements you’re really having an ego battle with another person. There are no victories, even if you get your way the other person’s ego will be hurt. This type of hurt to the ego builds up inside.

It builds up and eventually it will find it’s way back to you. It will come back to you in the form of resentment, anger, revenge, or in some other way, but it will find it’s way back to you. Every time you feel the need to be right, you risk burning a bridge and hurting your relationship with that person.

It didn’t really matter who took the trash out last week and it didn’t matter which actor played in a certain movie.

Right now there is a petty argument going on somewhere that will cause someone a lot of hurt and end a good relationship over something stupid.

There are times when you will have to be right.

If someones life is on the line, maybe a job is on the line, or someone can be hurt in some way from you choosing to be kind instead of right, then do whatever it takes to be right.

These are the 1% of the times when you should choose to be right instead of kind.

However, you’ll find your life more peaceful if you choose to be kind instead of right, especially for things that don’t matter.

Kindness goes a long way.

Life is like a mirror, when you smile it smiles back. Kindness works the same way. Be kind and others will be kind back.

Whatever you choose to fill your heart beats with in this life, if you follow these two teachings, you will have a positive impact on those around you and live a more peaceful and loving life.