Archive for April, 2010
Living Moments of Gratitude
It’s incredible what feelings an elderly man burdened by a lot of pressures from the world media can generate.
Pope Benedict is in Malta – and although initially there was a feeling that the welcome would be lukewarm, the Maltese have risen once again to embrace the spirituality that gives meaning in life.
Although it may seem incomprehensible for some people, the energy generated by the pope… the feelings of love, compassion, excitement respect and enthusiasm shown by the children and the people is just incredible.
The pressure on the pope related to the issue of paedophile scandals is enormous and it must really be a big burden. No one can ever justify such bad behavior by people who should be protecting the innocent – and it is not right that certain authorities tried to hide this.
I think as Christians we should be humble enough to accept that we make mistakes like everyone, and maybe the Catholic Church has an opportunity to look with humility and understand what is happening, what are the signs of the times and what can be done to prevent this…..
Having said this…
I think that even the perpetrators of these acts are humans who need help, even if the act itself was horrible… and we must be careful not to judge the people themselves, but the acts they do, even if they still should pay for the consequences.
Let us also remember with gratitude the great work that the Catholic Church does around the world… the many missionary charities like Mother Theresa’s, the help done in silence by priests, brothers and laymen in Church institutions……
Let’s learn to look at and celebrate what is beautiful, what is good, what gives sustenance and hope to Man’s Spirit.
The reality is that the priests of the Church are humans with good intentions but also with their fragility, and the Media, being what it is focuses only on what’s wrong. And it could be argued that this is the Media’s job, but unfortunately the many good deeds done are rarely recorded… we only want to know what shocks us.
The good news today was that the Pope did meet with the victims of paedophile abuse in Malta and it was a very moving and healing experience as expressed by one of the victims afterwards.
This is the beauty of reconciliation and healing of wounds and it is something that can only happen if we as humans are
humble and do not play God by trying to judge people, even if the actions are wrong. We have to be careful not to be cynical by looking at what is negative only.
So, let’s make sure that we address ALL mistakes and acknowledge the damage done to people who suffered because of these scandals.
The victims of paedophile abuse did not deserve this suffering and they were victims who suffered because of the mistakes of others. We must make these people feel that their pain is real and that we acknowledge this and open our arms to love them for their suffering.
But let us also celebrate feel gratitude and acknowledge the beauty of good works that the Church has done over the years and is still doing EVERYDAY in spite of its mistakes.
May God bless everyone and provide us with a structure such as the Church and other genuine Spiritual movements or Religions who provide us with hope, love, connection and compassion for each other…..
And to my Maltese brothers and sisters…. enjoy the moment and enthusiasm of the Pope’s visit and let’s look at how we can connect and live in harmony together.
Let’s make this experience a lasting expression of a small nation with a big heart.
How to Create Goals that Power your Action
Goals and Goal setting have become such common buzz words that at times they tend to lose their relevance.
In today’s world you may at times wonder if, in fact, goal setting is truly the milestone of True Life Success.
Does goal setting guarantee you will lead a fulfilling life?
Will Goals in themselves create that sense of completeness and happiness that at times seems so evasive?
Are we rushing through life in search of ticking away goals and at the same time loosing our soul as we toil on the hamster’s wheel?
Do we actually NEED to have goals in life?
Well, can you drive a plane to its destination without a flight plan? I bet you would not dream of entering a plane captained by a nutty pilot who would not have a flight plan, now would you?
The fact is, we DO need goals in life. It’s just the TYPE of goals that can make the whole difference.
If we are creating superficial goals that merely depend on routine and what others expect of us, our goals may simply become a drudgery that give us no satisfaction in life. If we are simply influenced by goals that are glamorized by the materialistic media we may find ourselves achieving regular, uninspiring, short term goals- but the feelings of emptiness inside still remain.
So what kind of goals can power our passion for life? What goals can truly create a sense of meaning and intrinsic satisfaction?
It’s the goals that have a clear direction aligned to our Values and Life Purpose.
Unless you are really clear where you want to go – unless you have a real ‘Why’ you want to get there, your goals will remain superficial at best.
‘If you don’t know where you are going, how can you expect to get there?- Basil S. Walsh
So if you want to create goals that power your action you need to:
1. Clarify what your main Life purpose is and what legacy you want to leave behind you
2. Get clear about the Values you will choose to live by
3. Understand how these Values will effect the way that you take decisions in your life
4. Create your Big Dream based on your Life Purpose and Values
5. Clarify the important roles in your life, e.g. wife/husband, father/mother, professional etc.
6. Filter all your daily goals through the sieve of your Big Dream, Life Purpose, Roles and Values
7. Make the priority list of your goals based on these important Rocks of your life.
Once you filter your daily goals through your Core Values, Life Purpose and important Roles you will discover that your priority list of Goals changes. You will find it easier to slot your important goals high up in your priority ‘To Do’ list.
Your focus and actions will be so much sharper.
And what’s more? Because your Goals now flow from a meaningful direction influenced by your True Inner Essence your actions will require less effort and struggle.
When your goals flow from your Life Purpose and Values they will sustain you, not drain you.
So make sure you clarify your Core Values and set out a clear direction for you life- the goals will follow and power your Action.
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Manifesting your Beliefs and Values
This is the Holy Week for Christians and I love to keep tradition alive.
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I used to go and visit the Holy Week Exhibitions when I was young and now I am doing it with my kids. So today, Holy Friday I thought I would write a note of reflection after some visits to the Exhibitions that I did yesterday evening.
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In Malta the tradition of such exhibitions is really strong and it seems to be getting even stronger. Exhibitions of small statuettes depicting the Passion of Christ in private homes of people who open them up for public view, live Enactments of the Passion in the streets and dramatical representations of the Last Supper seem to be sprouting in greater numbers in Malta.
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Why do I see this as important?
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Simply because it is a way of manifesting one’s Beliefs and Values- whatever those beliefs and values may be. It is a way of bringing out tangibly in the material world an expression of the meaning one gives to life. It is a colorful way of expressing the unique characteristics, traditions and traits of a country and its people.
I am amazed by the passion that people have. People who spend weeks preparing their small statues and convert their garages into a devotional place open for the public to view.
I think that whatever your personal views about religion and spirituality may be, the fact that such people have a clear set of values and are ready to publicly manifest them is an attribute to be admired.
We live in a world where many people feel lost and without direction. People who have no clear idea what to believe and what to express externally about themselves. A world that has at times become enveloped with shades of grey – shades of uncertainty and lack of clarity.
Looking back in history we can see that excessive religious zeal and blind beliefs have at times led to a lot of suffering and endless wars (and it still does). So I am in no way promoting fervent fundamentalism – far from it because extremism can cloud my mind and make it closed to other people’s interpretation of what truth is. Rather than understanding the spiritual message of love and connection that most religions promote, fundamentalism creates a shackled mentality that sees my beliefs and the rules I create around them as the only way to salvation – at the expense of appreciating and loving mankind. The message of Christ and of most of the other great spiritual Leaders was that of love and compassion and we must all be careful that overzealousness does not snuff out this message.
However being fully aware of your Values and Beliefs in life and having the guts to manifest them tangibly is something that we require to consider seriously.
Are you clear about what you Value in life? Can you speak clearly about your beliefs whilst totally respecting other people’s views? Are you ready to extend yourself to others and create more fraternal love in this beautiful world of ours?
Whatever your beliefs may be, I wish you all MANY BLESSINGS in life and may your Beliefs and Values sustain you.
