Somewhere along the line I made a wrong turn. I got so caught up in the big picture that I lost sight of the little one -- that changing the world starts with changing the one.

And the one who most needs to change is me.

Lao Tsu said a journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step. Well, I took that first step a long time ago. Then another, and another, and another, each leading me closer to here.

The funny thing is, where I am today isn't where I was headed when I set out.

Getting where we want to go isn't easy. Problems and dramas drag us down. Situations arise that throw us off course. And alas, there are those who use their positions of influence, power or wealth in ways that disrupt our carefully crafted intentions, restrict our choices, or create other difficulties with which we must deal.

The challenges for us all is to avoid being so dragged down by the negativity and discouragement that so often result that we lose track of where we're trying to go and what it takes to get there.

Q: You speak often about our lives bringing experiences needed by our souls. How can I know what my soul is trying to get out of this life, and how it fits into the bigger picture of its evolution?

A: Great question. To put this life into context, it helps to step back from the energies of the moment and consider what you know about yourself through your observations on this life.

What patterns have played out so far? What kind of challenges have you created? Did you accept them willingly? Did you go kicking and screaming? Were they thrust upon you?

What a wonderful Thanksgiving our family had while visiting my sister and her family in New York City this past weekend. Firteen family members all lived peacefully and joyfully without any arguing or fighting while sharing 2 ½ bathrooms! It was miraculous!

John wrote the article “Taking a Time Out from Our Dramas” the other day. He is obviously right; we want peace in our lives. The trick is in how you attain such peace. At the end of John’s post he said:

Maybe the contests of power that fill the news will begin to subside, too, when we resolve not to join in their battles, but to sit quietly and invite in new perspectives and approaches that don't require the perpetuation of such conflicts of competing extremes.

Experience. Expand. Experience. Expand. That's the cycle that keeps playing itself out in our lives.

They're created to bring situations for us to experience, hopefully to learn things about ourselves and our lives. Then we get the chance to expand by putting it to work. Once we do (or don't), the cycle repeats itself.

It's that way with the dramas of our lives and world around us. These situations are there for a reason, and they're going to play out to completion, one way or another.

On Thursday I had met with several friends at a local restaurant. One of the conversations we were having was about Facebook. I was asked if I was on Facebook and said yes but that I don’t go into often or do much with it. So some friends from that group added me on their friends list.

Over the weekend, realizing that they might do this, I went into Facebook to clear up all requests etc. Sure enough, they had added me. I accepted their invitation and moved on about my business since I had so many other things to catch up on.

“True success and wealth are not about how much money one has. Rather they are all about how much one does for mankind.

"Thank you. I love you.”

- Seth
(c) Copyright 2008, 2009 Tom Massari. All Rights Reserved.
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