The Archangels Clarify
So, I was feeling antsy yesterday and wanted to write, but I didn’t have a topic in mind. Writing is very therapeutic for me, and I love it, so it’s not unusual for me to feel like writing before I know what I want to write about.
I think it was Saturday that I posted an article about the public schools in Louisiana required to post the Ten Commandments in all classrooms, and it was not a very soothing, encouraging article. The Angels were not participants in my rant, and I guess I felt like I wanted to do something more positive. I’m only human, guys, and I’m not always in a state of bliss and serenity, which was obvious if you read that article. Although I was mad at the politicians who passed the law, and I strongly disagreed with the decision, I thought of some of the smiling people in the picture I saw and wondered if some of them thought they were doing something good. Maybe they thought they were being good Christian soldiers and working for God.
That led to me thinking about trying to do a good job living your life, and how some people, with the best of intentions, added to the world’s problems, rather than helping to find solutions, and I landed on a topic regarding living a good life. I envisioned a tidy, bow wrapped package of an answer from the Angels, and that is not what I got! For me, at least, the answer was very deep, not in a bad way, but in a way that made me realize that living a good life is anything but simple, and it’s certainly different for everyone. Further, it has as much or more to do with the relationship we have with ourselves, as it does with the actions we take in life and the things we do. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time.
Question: What qualifies as “living a good life?”
Answer:
Such a simple, yet complex question, is it not? Let us begin by speaking of what it is not, or rather the things which are not required. They may be present, but they are extras, rather than requirements.
Material wealth is not needed in order to live a good life. It is attractive, certainly. It can make life easier and more enjoyable at times, absolutely. Everyone, for the most part, wishes they had more of it, yet it neither guaranties nor is it needed in order to live a good life.
Fame and recognition are not needed in order to live a good life, either. Some people enjoy these things, are driven by them, but you may live a good life with or without them. Similarly, popularity or whether or not you are well-liked or have many friends has little to do with living a good life.
Accolades, awards, a high ranking for whatever reason, in whichever category, is unimportant in regards to living a good life. Neither does wielding power or control over others play a significant role.
Now, let us look at things that do not guarantee living a good life, but may lead to that eventuality. Because helping others generally leads to the giver feeling good about his or her efforts, and how you feel about yourself has everything to do with living a good life, this is one possible avenue that can lead to living a good life. When someone sees another person benefit from their efforts, the giver usually benefits internally as well, and that can lead to a good life.
Defending what you believe to be right, not for selfish reasons, but for the sake of righteousness not only for yourself, but for others is another stepping stone to living a good life. So is being kind to others, not for personal gain, but simply because kindness matters.
Teaching or guiding others in circumstances where they have no idea how to proceed is another path to living a good life. Doing so with only their greatest good in mind is a selfless act, especially if there is nothing to be personally gained by it. Helping the lost to find their way is a genuinely giving thing to do. No one likes to feel lost. Pointing someone in the right direction and showing them a way out leads the way to living a good life. Offering hope is another way to live a good life. Hopelessness robs a life of so much. If you can find a way to offer or restore hope to someone it can lead you to a good life.
None of these things will lead to anyone living a good life on their own, but they can lead the way. All of these possibilities have something in common, and that is, they must all begin within you. We see the four foundations for living a good life as experiencing love, joy, hope, and peace during the majority of the lifetime, good days and bad. You cannot offer these things to others if you do not know them and have experienced them for yourself. Indeed, you may not be able to give them to others, no matter how badly you want to, in a way that leads them to living a good life, if they do not choose to accept them and nourish them. They must be willing to do that for themselves. In fact, these things must be sought and generated by the person. It is not just a simple handoff.
Living a good life has little to do with external factors. It has everything to do with how you face life internally. Living a good life means accepting and dealing with what life brings your way in a fashion that allows for love, joy, hope, and peace. It is understanding that, although life is not easy, it is a gift. No one can live it except the person to whom it belongs.
Helping and serving others is a way that can lead you to living a good life, but it will not happen without your self-acceptance and the intention to be good to yourself, even as you are being good to others. You must understand that all of life is connected and that all things in life, good and bad, are shared, therefore are connected.
When someone is near human death, if they have joy, love, peace, and hope, if they know they did the best they could, and if they know they are greater than the sum of all the things they accomplished or failed, simply because they were created with unconditional love, they are ready for the next step. If they know they are a being of light, one of many who are all connected, they will know they lived a good life, and they have. Incidentally, if they do not know this, we will make sure they learn and remember it during the life review.
You see, all of life is important. Living a good life is knowing that you are an important part of the whole, as are all others. No one is perfect, and all people make mistakes. It is in the acceptance of this along with the knowledge that, however you lived your life, the good things and the bad things you experienced and that you caused others to experience, you contributed to life on a universal level. This is living a good life.
Do not get caught up in guilt and shame and regret. You have no way of knowing everything you have accomplished during your life while you are living it. When a human life ends, there is a life review, and you will be able to see a more far reaching impact of your life. You will see the positive and negative effects you caused, however it does not end there. You will see what good came from what you might perceive as a negative impact you had and vice versa. You cannot control how others react, and sometimes good intentions go awry, just as bad intentions can have a positive impact. Most importantly, you will be able to see how and why everyone and everything is connected, and that your impact is only one of many that come together to affect so many things and people. In short, you contributed to the overall.
As humans, it is very difficult to grasp this universal connection you all share. There is still a strong sense of polarity among you, and you still often perceive everything in terms of good or bad. What you will eventually learn is that there are not good or bad things or people. There is no separation. There is only connection. And while the goals of love, joy, hope, and peace are worthy of pursuit, they are connected to and dependent on the other side of things, including sadness, hatred, fear, and anger, in order to rise. They are connected, just like everything else.
Life is about knowing and experiencing all of these things, so that everyone may choose which kind of life they wish to live, so that they may choose to live a good life. This is why we beseech you not to condemn those who contribute to the chaos in the world. They serve an important purpose. Their misdeeds and misbehaviors will clarify what living a good life means, and their actions will lead to better choices. We do not say to tolerate or succumb to the actions of these people, only to realized that the potential for much good is present because of their actions.
Living a good life is a combination of how you react to life internally while you are interacting with external factors. It is learning to maintain your love, joy, hope, and peace, in the face of chaos. It is making a choice to pave the way for others to experience these things, should they choose to do so. It is doing your best, regardless of the circumstances, while knowing and accepting that you will make mistakes and fail at times, but being willing to try again and again.
No life is easy, regardless of circumstances. Life was never meant to be easy. It was meant to teach you and allow for you to experience things and evolve. Love, joy, hope, and peace are available to everyone. Whether or not you choose to make these things a part of your life is up to you.
Final Thoughts
I was talking to my friend, Kathleen, and we agreed that last week triggered a lot of anger, at least for us. We don’t like to feel angry. It doesn’t feel right or comfortable, and we both work very hard to keep our vibrations high and avoid putting ourselves into situations that trigger us, so we don’t fall into the anger trap very often, and when we do, we don’t stay there long. Still, the whole Ten Commandments thing really made an impact.
I have no doubt the Angels’ message was partly meant to make me think about that anger and remind me that the incident serves a purpose. There are already lawsuits being filed or planned to put a stop to the new law, and the outrage has been constant. That is unity in motion.
I’ve made a lot of judgements regarding the people involved in this. When I say judgements, I don’t mean condemnation. I just have a tendency to analyze people and situations, and I’ve come to believe a few things based on what I know. These are just my opinions, and I don’t share them with malice. They’re just conclusions I’ve reached based on what I’ve read.
The governor behind this nonsense has to know that it can’t and won’t stand. I think he likes the notoriety of pushing the religious envelope and seeks the support of people who think the law is a good idea. All those smiling people in the photographs I saw … I don’t think they’re smiling because they think the law will be helpful to students or other people in the schools. I think the majority of smiling people are celebrating what they consider to be a victory over others. They won, however temporarily (and God, I hope it’s very temporary), and those who are opposed to the law lost. That’s about power and control, not doing good or helping people.
Having said that, their actions are leading to more unity among the masses, and that is a good thing. I guess in my mind, it comes down to losing a battle but winning the war, and that’s what’s going to happen once unity is established and people join forces to stop these infringements on people’s choices, limits on personal rights, and the promotion and entitlement of certain agendas.
These zealots are not pursuing these things in order to help other people, and most are not acting in service to their God. Regardless of what they profess to loudly, I think most simply think their way is best, and they want everyone forced into compliance of what they deem as best. They don’t care if it upsets people, if it goes against others’ beliefs, or if it’s fair. They. Don’t. Care. They simply want their own way. That may happen temporarily, but it won’t last. The Angels say they’re losing ground, and I believe them. They keep pushing their agenda, and more and more people are uniting against them. They’re outnumbered!
The Angels remind me that they serve a purpose, and I’ve already eased out of the anger zone. Hopefully, it will be sooner, rather than later, that things are righted, and these shows of force start to fall by the wayside. It’ll be up to the rest of us to make sure that happens, whether it happens through voting, elections, or personal endeavors of our choice. I think it says something that so many people are opposing these kinds of laws, when two-thirds of the US population are listed as Christian, and yet these laws are being contested and fought against by so many Americans. That’s proof that the majority of Christians do not want to take over the world or the country, like the ones screaming on TV. Most will stand in opposition, I believe. The sooner, the better.
Blessings, all.
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