Before I continue writing about Openness, I realized I should write a little more about me–and what is the point of all this, so…
So, why should you bother reading this blog? Well, maybe you know me, or like me, or read some of my posts on Mastodon. I have labeled myself a writer, philosopher, and aspiring mystic. I come with no fancy credentials, or degrees. Like other things in my life, I backed into this, as I have spent most of my life in banking. But I always loved to write. I loved writing essays in college, while listening to Classical music, pretending I was creating something great, like Beethoven or Mozart.
I don’t profess to be some “great writer”, although my mother told me I had a “way with words”. (Love you, Mom.)
When I was a boy, I recall an assignment to write about a picture of Mickey Mouse. Everyone else wrote a few sentences, but I wrote pages. I’d love to find it—not because I think it was so great—but what did little-kid me write in those pages?
I think of the line from Chariots of Fire—“When I run, I feel (God’s) pleasure.” That’s how I feel when I write—like I am doing the “real thing” I am here to do. Not that the other things I do are “less than” or less important.
There’s almost 50 years of ideas in this mind and heart—that I will now spill out onto the digital page.
In the words of Leo Babauta from Zen Habits, “Come along and play with me.” I will write “religious stuff”, as that is my background as a Convergent Christian, but I believe in a very “reimagined” version of Christianity, learned from reading and listening to the likes of Richard Rohr and James Finley, and other Christian mystics they have alerted me to.
If you have had bad experiences with “Christianity”—don’t check out. There is going to be much, much, more here than just some in-your-face Christian rhetoric.
I have years of essays and journals in storage ready now to be cracked open. I intend to weave my experiences with the counseling I studied in school, my own “musings” on this life, as well as Jewish and Christian scriptures and readings, but not exclusively. I think God is speaking to us in many different ways if we have “ears to hear”, so I may write on something in Nature, or something from Science Fiction, whatever speaks to me.
I ultimately want to lay out my thoughts on the world—such as things I now call “The Approaches”, or the “Theory of the Realms”, or the “Unholy Trinity”. I intend to write on the importance of Practice, and emotional/mental wellness, and how we navigate this complicated world with peace and balance. Of course, a blog entitled “Align with Love” is going to talk about love-a lot. It’s going to talk about Alignment a lot, and what that even means. I also want to encourage you, as there are too many voices in the world forever telling us we are not “good enough”.
I hope to say things you probably heard many times before, but in a different way, so you can finally hear it all the other times it was said. I want you to hear healing words, words that will help you on your Journey of Life.
Think of me as an adjunct to whatever Practices you do to stay sane, connect with God, Spirit, or Higher Consciousness, or maybe just something to meditate on. I will help point you to other things and people that can get you more “in sync” with yourself, and align you more deeply with those “Realms”, and Love, as I mentioned earlier.
I am not a therapist, counselor, Pastor, or Priest. I’m just a Friend, who wants to share his thoughts.
The plan right now is to release a weekly Meditation or Essay each Monday, and then something from “the Vault” on Friday, that is old for me, but new for you.
So, play along, and read along, for you might learn something, and you might hear something that will help you in your daily life to become that person you are supposed to be—as others have said, your “True Self”. That is the hope. And when you read, put on some tea or coffee, or whatever you like to drink, and slow down, breathe, and read what I have for you in the future.
Healing words require you to slow down.
And yes, please comment, or throw out ideas for topics that you want me to write about it, as you get more familiar with what I am writing about. Please know I will try to read everything, but may not be able to respond to everything, as I do have a “day job”. I appreciate your time to even read this—and I will try my very best to make it worth your while.
“Be Open. Be Light”
-Eric, the Wordsmith
BP4