  TMI- Too much information. Do you feel bombarded? I sure do. We've all been there at the nice lunch with casual friends basking in the fact that outside of a little schmutz falling on a blouse or tie that nothing awkward will take place. That is until Clyde decides to regale the assembled diners with excruciating details about his new home remedy for toenail fungus. Even the faint groans of the diners and the subtle covering of one's face with a napkin fails to deter the mouth that can't stop over-sharing. I had to address that common frustration for all of us so that I could get to this. What about the other kind of TMI? The kind that has hit us right square in our brains when we are trying like the gray- matter grown up warriors we are to make a well informed decision? This includes what dish detergent to purchase so that our dishes will not be cleaned but "sparkly, lemony clean" to who we think would be best suited to run this wonderful country of ours. You may think before the election season that you had a pretty good idea of your political leanings but if you have spent much time ingesting the papers, radio and heaven forbid the television you may be wondering where Captain Kangaroo and Mr. GreenJeans are because there is no one, according to the electronic media who does not have skeletons in their closet or who secretly does not want to ship us off to another galaxy or turn us into...SOCIALISTS! Speaking of socialism. I remember studying this rather extensively in my youth and wonder if I've not been paying attention and the definition has taken a turn somehow. I will research further. So I had to address that common experience so that I could get to this one. Buckle your seat belts people as I'm on a roll. What does one do when their health care practitioner in the 15 minutes the insurance company allows them to interact with you prescribes you a new medication that you have seen on television? Sounding like an auctioneer on speed, the kindly health care provider shares with you that it is just perfect for you and will fix you right up as they tear the prescription off the pad and bolt out of the room to the next patient. Problem is that you have been bombarded with too much information about this new prescription already. After the calm gentlemanly voice talent tells you how wonderful your life will now be with this new pharmaceutical the voice changes strangely to the hurried health care practitioner telling you that you may experience everything from Rickets to Boils to unexplained diarrhea. Who of us while watching these commercials hasn't turned to our significant other and done the 2 hands balancing motion. "Hmmmm, no more headaches but sudden without warning flatulence?" That's a tough call! Let's cut to the chase. I had to share that with you so that I could share this. Last one. From a spiritual perspective as we attempt to make our way towards our authentic self we face the very same dilemma. When we are dealing with spiritual matters however, we often like to throw in a measure of guilt if we don't follow a prescribed path, or certainly a path in which we were raised. This is very prickly territory that I have wandered through personally and I send love and acceptance to all who are brave enough to address it. In our quest to get it right we develop rituals and a process and then we hold ourselves to some standard that creates the barrier between us and the Divine (insert preferred name here) that we were trying to break down to begin with. So what to do? I think for all of the above there just is not one single thing that is right for everyone. This is especially true for one's spiritual journey. Gather your information in a balanced fashion and then sit quietly and listen. Sit and listen to where your heart nudges you. Be confident that inside of you contains all of the right answers to even the thorniest of questions. These answers may not make sense to anyone else but they will be perfect for you. Keep your own counsel. Do not be in a hurry to receive the answers to your questions as your life is not a sitcom (although on some days a case could be made) completed in 22 minutes actual air time. It is the way of the Universe at times to exhort all of us lovingly to patience by having us wait and puzzle out the answers with the gently hints and whispers and mere suggestions from spirit. Be well. I send my love. Stay cool. It is 109 degrees where I live today. sigh. |
