Thank God I got a good nights sleep last night and a great walk this morning. My much needed meditation and quiet time seems to show up exactly as needed whether in the middle of the night from 3-4am laying in bed or on the porch as the sun comes up. I continue to feel into my body to connect my awareness to the feeling of joy and Holy Spirit. Just my doing this opens my eyes to it is done already. Today I feel a spaciousness and calm, a general warmth and tingling, breath, heartbeat, itchiness here and there and gratitude, as if my cells are thanking me.
Today I am pondering influence. A friend was talking about those in her “circle of influence” and it got me to thinking about influence and self determination, undo influence and what IS influence really? I kind of went in circles with this wondering if mind influences heart or vice versa. Influence feels like an in-flow-ing. I have to admit I do want to influence others in a positive, helpful, loving way. I want to influence the extending of love instead of judgment, peace instead of conflict, together-as-one instead of separation. I also can see I shrink back from the concept of
Does the influence inspire me to be myself?
influence as it feels like some sort of stand over tactic to get someone else to do what I want them to do. I realize that influence is related to power and this makes me uncomfortable. Is there a way to influence and promote the power of Love rather than the love of power?
Here are some questions to ask re influence whether you are doing the influencing or are being influenced:
Does the influence inspire me to be my Self?
Does the influence inspire another to be his or her Self?
Does the influence increase awareness in the qualities of Love or decrease awareness in Love?
Is influence how the mind inspires? It can be influence which leads to inspiration (see above) or it can be influence which leads to imprisonment in one form or another. Think of the influence of food ads, technology overload or guilty thoughts. I find more and more on my walk in learning to extend love unconditionally that nothing is good or bad it is just seen in Love or not seen in Love therefore judged, separated and condemned. Is this what is happening with me and tiredness? I am no longer separating it from myself via judgment? Am I learning it too, can be seen and be in Love and I can still ask for guidance, clarity and peace AND experience tiredness at the same time.
