Hello world. The following was written 8/20/2015.
Sitting on my porch I was guided to play two songs by Ledisi from her Soul Singer album called, Coffee and Get Outta My Kitchen. The first song talks about abuse and the choices we make to leave or stay. In the second song she talks about no longer listening to the judgments of others or seeking their advice. I would highly recommend listening to these songs and hearing what is actually being said in them.
In everything we have a choice. We choose what to think about and focus our energies on. We manifest what we focus on. If we are focused on the negative, it manifests around us. If we focus on the positive, it will manifest as well. We choose what it is we focus on. We choose what it is we are going to believe and place our faith into as well.
In life we get to pick and choose who we surround ourselves with generally. Who we are going to spend our time with and give our attention and energies to. Think about the people you interact with and socialize with on a daily basis. How much of the interaction is negative based? How much is positive based? How much time are you focused on the negative over the positive? How often are you judging what is being said by others? How often are you giving unasked for advice? How often are they judging you? Giving you advice which isn’t asked for? How do these questions make you feel about yourself? How does it make you feel about them?
Listening to those songs and hearing the messages Holy Spirit was giving me, opened my eyes to an understanding. As children we are taught to judge and be judged. To ask for and seek out the judgments of others. To give back those same judgments in kind. To accept those judgments as Truth and believe them. To not question what is being said or done. We are told to suck it up and quit crying. Stop being a baby and whining. The list goes on and on. To accept whatever is being dished out to us, whether it be mental, emotional or physical, there is no difference in them. They are all forms of judgment being enacted.
The song Coffee depicts a woman in an abusive relationship. People are asking her why she is not pressing charges. As the abuse increases, why she is not leaving him. When he puts her in a coma and she comes out of it, are you going to let him go now? Then as she lays there near death and they bring her broken body back, she finally realizes she has a choice and walks away. Each time she chose to stay the abuse only got worse. It wasn’t until she almost died, she chose again and chose differently.
The song Get Outta My Kitchen uses the analogy of cooking in the kitchen as a way to weed out the judgmental advice giving people in her life. She has reached a point of recognizing the judgments being dished out and refusing to listen to them any more. She is tired of being told what to do and when to do it. What to say and when to say it. Who to talk to and see and who not to. What to wear or not etc. She is no longer willing to accept the judgments of those around her. So she walks away from the negative. She makes a choice to be true to herself and follow her own inner guidance.
It seems all of us must reach this edge before we choose again and choose differently ourselves. The edge of giving up on life and turning in our time cards. We all seem to reach the same edge from different directions and perspectives in life. I reached mine in a wheelchair in 2004 in my kitchen screaming at a God I hated to get me out of the mess I was in if He was real or I was checking out. I have had Faith and Trust in God and the Voiceless Voices I hear ever since. I made a choice that day to follow Him. I have been learning how to walk away from the negative judgmental people ever since. To surround myself with honest, authentic, loving, positive people every day. People who support me. Who allow me to be who I am as I am. Whether it be emotional or silent, I am accepted.
The only agenda on their mind is to connect with me. To share where we are at on our journeys and the trials we have weathered along the way. To listen to hear and not answer with advice not asked for. To share our own experiences and how we have made it through them. This is what I surround myself with. Those who are seeing their experiences in a different Light with Holy Spirit’s vision. Those like myself who are learning how to no longer judge. To allow and accept where we are and where our brothers are at, as they are. To simply Be and let everything flow perfectly. Everything which happens is for my benefit. When I allow and accept it as it is without judgment, I find I am at peace. This is the state I want to be in. Total peace.
Blessings on your journeys my brothers. Hugs and love. You are loved. I love you.