Poverty and Wealth

Why are successful people unhappy? And why are they leaving their social positions to live a modest, humble life?

Photo by Charl Folscher on Unsplash

By the middle of the 20th century, a film The man who knew too much by Alfred Hitchcock was a huge success. The film popularized a song performed by Doris Day, who recorded more than six hundred songs throughout her career. The chorus said:

What will be, will be.
Whatever it is, it will be.
The future is not ours to see.
That will be, will be.

The concern about the future difficulties we face in life has always troubled us. From an early age we hear from our parents - study if you don't want to have a bad job - as if happiness were totally tied to a good job, to the possession of money and material goods.

We observe today though a reality that has never been considered. Successful people who feel unhappy, leave social positions to live modestly, but in a gratifying way. Those who have always lived in large cities, move to smaller towns in search of a simpler life. Others hang their diplomas and abandon outstanding careers to dedicate their time to philanthropy.

How many of us wouldn't find peace close to nature, planting, harvesting and living a simpler life?

Cultivate inner peace

Cultivating inner peace, a pleasure in life, love for nature, peace in the family, and spreading our wealth to those in need can indeed provide us with what we deeply desire.

Poverty and wealth are invaluable invitations to personal growth. In both situations, we will be able to achieve the real objective of our journey on Earth.

In poverty, we have the sacred opportunity to learn to serve, to exercise patience and resignation.

In wealth, we have the opportunity to experience charity and self-sacrifice.

We will know that we are facing poverty properly when we adapt to the simplicity of life and accept the renunciations that we need to carry out. Likewise, in the face of wealth, it is important to be sensible in the use of goods and facilities to which we have access.

Final Thoughts

We all have been exposed to poverty and wealth one way or another.

Poverty, wealth, lack and fortune challenge us for growth and the sublimation effort. Both are opportunities that we are offered so that we learn to manage our condition of material poverty, enriching ourselves with spiritual blessings.

It's up to us use our wisdom, our time and our assets to help those around us. If we do so, we will realize that through these actions we will gain a deeper understanding of live. Cultivating light and peace, regardless of financial situation, will make us feel valuable and happy.

Knowing and respecting the Divine Laws will allow us to direct the steps towards the greater good, will make us truly poor of folly and authentic rich of solidarity and love.

Adapted from Momento Espírita, originally published on March 10, 2018.

See Also

• The Power of Love
• Weighted observation
• The most important bridge
• Bridge of Life
• A Thinking Power
• Divine Poem

Divine Poem

All that surrounds us is Divine poetry. Including ourselves.

Photo by Sergey Shmidt on Unsplash

Our Father, who is in heaven, on earth, in fire, in water and in the air. Our Father, who is in the flowers, in the song of the birds, in the beating heart. Who is in compassion, in charity, in patience and in the gesture of forgiveness.

Our Father, who is in me, who is in the one I love, in the one who hurts me, in the one who seeks the truth. Our Father, who is in the one who walks with me and in the one who has already left, leaving my soul wounded by longing.

Hallowed be Your name for all that is beautiful, good, just and graceful, for all the harmony of Creation. Be sanctified for my life, for so many opportunities, for what I am, have and feel and for leading me to perfection.

Thy kingdom of peace and justice, faith and charity, light and love, come to us. Kingdom that I am called upon to build through meekness of spirit, a reflection of inner greatness.

Thy will be done, even though my pleas cherish more my pride than my real needs.

Although I only hear silence as answer to my prayers, I do feel You say: son, wait, the eternity is all yours.

Give me our daily bread today so I can share it with my brother. The material comfort I now have are of no use if I do not remember those who live in distress.

Bread of the body, bread of the soul, bread that is life, truth and light. Bread that brings breath and joy, the Gospel of Jesus.

Forgive my offenses, my mistakes, my faults. Forgive when my heart becomes cold, when I allow evil to manifest itself in the form of aggression.

May I listen more than speak. May I seek to welcome others instead of judging them. May I sow peace instead of cultivating violence. May I be able to thank more than ask.

Forgive me, just as I forgive those who offend me, even when my heart is hurt by the bitterness and discomfort of ingratitude of others.

May I, Lord of Life, remember that no pain is eternal and that the only way to sublimity is the humble road of reconciliation.

Do not let me fall into the temptations of errors, addictions and selfishness, which make me a slave to my malevolence. Rather, may Your light be on me, illuminating me, so that I can find you within my soul, as part of my essence.

And deliver me from all evil, from all violence, from all misfortune, from all illness. Deliver me from all pain, all hurt and disappointment.

But still, when such difficulties are necessary, may I have the strength and courage to say: Thank you, Father, for one more lesson!

Final Thoughts

All that surrounds us is Divine poetry. There is a trait of God in every being. Let us seek Him in the blossoming of flowers, in the flow of waters, in the song of the wind, in the twinkling of the stars.

But above all, let us search for Him within us. We just need to close our eyes and feel Him giving rhyme to the verses of our lives.

Adapted from Momento Espírita, originally published on May 06, 2017.

See Also

• Weighted observation
• The most important bridge
• Bridge of Life
• A Thinking Power
• Divine Poem
• Poverty and Wealth

A Transformative Power

How far can your work, your thoughts and your habits take you?

Photo by Wikipedia

In the region of Puglia, in Italy, there is a charming province called Alberobello. The name derives from Sylva Arboris Belli, which means jungle of war trees. Well located geographically, between the Adriatic and Ionian seas, on top of a hill, since ancient times, it deserved the greed of conquerors of different origins.

The trulli houses (which means dome) are noteworthy. They are white, cylindrical and are built by overlapping stones. The ceiling is formed by a dome, also made of stone, where symbols are often painted.

Trulli exist only in this region, north of Puglia, but nowhere else is the concentration greater than in Alberobello. For this reason, they have been considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1996.

The province has a rich history of glories and sacrifices, and is currently a major producer of olive oil. Its calcareous soil gives life to twelve million olive trees, some of which are considered the oldest in the world.

In the past, this region was the bottom of the sea, with the soil covered in limestone, thanks to the natural changes that occurred on the planet. Devastated by audacious conquerors, their farmers kept breaking up the earth's crust until they found suitable soil for planting and life.

This gigantic work, which required great effort and persistence, resulted in this abundant production of olive oil almost enough to feed the entire country and still sell abroad.

What are capable of?

This region attracts thousands tourists every year interested in seeing what human beings are capable of doing. Our transforming power conquers the soil and overcomes the rock seeking fertile land for abundant production.

In these difficult days it's up to each of us to use our own extraordinary powers.

Faced with the stones of the difficulties, we can overcome our challenges if we want to. And by working together we become a stronger force for progress, converting deserts into gardens.

Our verb, our attitudes can encourage those around us who are indifferent and tormented to change their attitudes. Our actions serve as important examples to those around us who, stimulated by them, become an important support to solve serious problems that distress many.

Conclusion

With continuous effort, we will find the blessed soil of love for the planting of happiness and peace.

Aware of ourselves, we can make our life worthy, acting in a positive way. The unhappy land, still useless and covered with stones will receive the beneficial action of our actions.

Together we are able to eradicate ignorance, alleviate hunger and warm up those who suffer around us. Let us put our hands into action and use hearts and brains for good.

Adapted from Momento Espírita, originally published on September 09, 2017.

See Also

• The poetry of life
  
• Weighted observation
• Suicide: a global calamity
• A Thinking Power
• Poverty and Wealth
• Divine Poem

Weighted observation

Learn to choose your words. With them we can promote peace or restlessness.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

It was a time of crisis and jobs were scarce. A young man arrived in the city and, in order to sustain himself, he looked for a job.

Pleasant and honest, he was soon living comfortably with colleagues. He was also referred, thanks to a friend, to the position he currently held.

However after some time, he started to use profanity on a daily basis.

Independently of the situation, he would use blasphemies he offend Divinity in different ways. This annoyed colleagues who barely tolerated his presence.

Financially accommodated, he did his job with zeal. He took care of the trusted papers, gathered the documentation on his desk, kept accurate notes. Iin short, he was considered a good employee.

Possibly, this behavior was the secret of having won the sympathy of the bosses and colleagues.

But now, he was becoming a little difficult to live with. For any insignificance, he would utter profanity, including the Creator Father and all the saints that came to mind.

One day, this way of acting reached its peak. Looking for a document of importance, which he was asked for, he started fiddling with the drawers, on his desk, in the closet. He then showed his nervousness and started to sprang nonsense from his mouth insulting God, causing great discomfort in the workplace.

While colleagues were looking at each other, not knowing what to do, the head of the office, a calm and respected man, asked him:

Boy, do you believe in God?

And silence. Taken by surprise, the boy did not know how to respond. The thoughtful man asked the question again, which remained unanswered. So, he made the considerations himself:

If you believe in God and offend him, tainting the One who never hurt you, you are being light and unjust. However if you do not believe in God, the conclusion is that you are offending someone who in your opinion, does not exist. As this is contradictory, we must admit that you are sick, very sick.

Lessons from Paul

The Apostle Paul, a prisoner in Rome, wrote to his companions in Ephesus, Asia. In that letter, among many other warnings and guidelines, he stated:

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Bitterness, anger, anger, shouting, blasphemy and all malice are taken away from you.

That letter signaled the commitment we have to preserve the psychic environment where we are.

Conclusion

With our words we can promote peace or restlessness. It is important that we keep this in mind. As we think, speak, act, we can collaborate for harmony. Let's speak, building the good and providing an atmosphere of blessings to those around us. 

Adapted from Momento Espírita, originally published on August 30th, 2016.

See Also

• The most important bridge
• The poetry of life
• A Thinking Power
• Poverty and Wealth

The most important bridge

What would be the most important bridge in the world?

Photo by Everaldo Coelho on Unsplash

What would be the most important bridge in the world? Possibly, many images of mega-constructions have crossed your mind. Despite all of them being very useful, certainly none of them is the most important.

Now imagine a mother with her baby on her lap caressing her while breastfeeding with affection. Imagine a child lying on his father's chest, while he gently rubs his hand over his back. Definitely  touching scenes.

But, what does this have to do with the most important bridge in the world? There is, and a lot.

The bridge of dialogue

Our small gestures are the foundations that will support the most efficient and most important bridge in life: the bridge of dialogue. Many parents are unaware that it is from the very first days of their babies' life that the bridge of dialogue must be initiated.

Parents who know this start talking to the child while he is still moving in his mother's womb. And the baby responds, in its own way. However, when this important means of communication and unity is not built, the consequences can be disastrous, as a precipice can open up between parents and children.

Inattentive to this reality, many parents believe that it is only when the child is young that they should be concerned with an approach. Big mistake!

Many parents despair when they try to take a step towards their kids but find deep emptiness. There is no bridge, no way to approach. The children do not hear them. There is no understanding, only one great and sad distance.

Where did we go wrong? They ask themselves without answer.

Building a bridge between us

Finding the answer requires doing a retrospective of your attitudes towards children, even before they reached the world.

The scenes are almost always the same, changing only the scenery and the characters.

The young son, who still doesn't know how to communicate with words, is extremely sensitive to his parents' gestures. But it is treated as if it were just a doll, without reason or feelings. It is not worthy of attention because he does not know how to express itself. It is a mistake, because the children soon show their indignation by acting with rebellion or violence, or isolating themselves from the world.

For all these reasons, it's important to think about this bridge of affection that connects creatures. It needs to be built with care, using the best feelings of tenderness, attention and respect. The only ones that are efficient and durable. As much as technology advances, we have a thousand modes of communication but nothing can replace the warm dialogue between family members.

Being together is not enough

Simply being together is not enough.

It is not enough to sit in the same chair, turn on the TV and watch a good movie. It is necessary to be together, to feel the heart beating, the fleeting looks, the hidden fears.

Consider beginning the construction of that bridge of tenderness today and bring closer to you those who you love. Do not allow the erosion of indifference to open insurmountable ditches between you and those who we love. Approach body and soul, while there is still time.

Conclusion

When the bridge of dialogue is built on the basis of trust and mutual respect, there is nothing capable of overthrowing it. That way affective relationships will always be preserved. 

Think about it.

Adapted from Momento Espírita, Sep 14, 2018.

See Also

• Weighted observation
• The poetry of life
  
• A Thinking Power
• Poverty and Wealth
• Divine Poem