Categories Menu

Let’s Pray for Russia, Too

I have loved the pro-Ukraine sentiment in my part of the world. I have seen Ukraine flags hang in front of homes. I listen to the news that shares in large part the strength of the Ukrainian people. I attended church a few weeks ago and the program had a Ukrainian folk singer singing his heart out for his people. As I walked into the sanctuary I was handed a Ukrainian flag to pin on my lapel. We prayed for the Ukranians. I continue to ask myself what about praying for the Russians and the Russian leaders? In my professional practice I work with individuals identifying in large parts the underlying patterns that are driving them. The bully/victim dynamic is a classic driver. The war we are watching before us is about a bully (Putin) invading Ukraine (victim). When we look closer we see there are several victim groups. From what we have heard the Russian people don’t really know what is going on thereby watching their sons go...

Read More

Insights on Interruption and Change

In Thursday’s press briefing to his state, NY Governor Cuomo said three things in dealing with Covid-19 that caught my attention: 1. One person cannot fight the pandemic. It takes all of us. 2. When there is a disruption in your life; you look for how you can “make better,” not “make the same.” 3. Improvement requires change. All change comes with opposition. Take a moment to think about this. Any major life shift can be substituted for the word pandemic. “Starting a business,” “healing from an illness,” “reuniting a family,” “getting married or divorced,” “buying a house, etc.” Allow this to be a template lesson. A successful elimination of Covid cannot be done alone. It can’t. Look at the roles necessary for its elimination: US Government: Country vision for what’s emerging, direction, information and funding Governors: State vision, local numbers, implementation of US Government plans Mayor: Distribution of funding, oversight of stay at home orders Essential workers: Providing services necessary for us to remain at home Public: Stay...

Read More

Let’s NOT Go Back to Normal

I opened an email survey from my health provider a few weeks ago. It was about fifteen screens in length and asked Covid-19 related questions. Questions such as, what would make it safe for you to return to our office? And it listed some options with a bubble in front of each. Choices included “everyone wears a mask.” “Only people without coughs can be in the waiting room.” You get it. About half way through the survey a question read, “How soon do you think it will take to get back to normal?” And the answers ranged from weeks to one year. I sat and stared at the question. Questions are linear and I often have difficulties with them as I feel boxed in and want to re-write the question so I can answer it. And I wanted to do this with this one. What the heck does “normal” mean and why would we ever in a Progressive Universe want to regress to something “normal”? I sat stunned. God...

Read More

A Whole Lotta Reading

Summer is coming to an end and books are scattered throughout my home awaiting for me to pick up and continue reading. The content of these books are SO rich, I must share them with you. I have embedded active links to Amazon for your convenience, should you desire to explore them further. Boundaries, by Dr. Henry Cloud and John Townsend I watched a TED Talk on rejection where the speaker, Jia Jiang, consciously set himself up for 100 days to be rejected so that he could get over rejection as a driver for his behaviors. (to see the TED Talk, go to my Facebook page: Facebook.com/bonnieannebarnard). I was determined to have a 100 day challenge for myself, and I chose boundaries as my challenge. My boundaries can be so flabby they need their own workout program. SO, I decided to give them one. So far I am on day 10 of 100 and I am now able to see where I violate myself, and I have only twice...

Read More

Recognizing Holy Week and the (Metaphysical) Resurrection

Forget the meaning of Holy Week for a moment and just bask in the two words, “Holy Week.” Wouldn’t it be powerful to claim, every Monday morning as we awoke, that this week is Holy? Just the words raise my vibration before diving into the meaning… Now, let’s dive. Metaphysicians look at Holy week different than traditional believers. To the metaphysician, sacred scripture is valued not as a literal, historic text, but as a symbolic text for ripening and revealing the Soul. Rev. Ike, metaphysical Christian and the founder of Science of Living, said of the Bible it is “the greatest book of self-image psychology.” Again, referring not to history, but to a usable text for developing an understanding of self. From this lens, let’s look at the events of Holy Week and then apply them to our own lives. Here is the chronology. Parentheses connote the metaphysical interpretation: Lazarus Saturday: Jesus (savior, helper of Jehovah) raises Lazarus (helplessness) after being dead for four days back into a living...

Read More

What Do the Grinch, Scrooge, Moses and Joseph Have in Common?

As a Christmas lover, I rushed to the local movie theatre to watch the NEW Christmas movie. This year it was The Grinch. A full length movie about how the Grinch became a Christmas-destroying menace. Guess what happened in his childhood that lead to his self-perception and his behavior? Yep, you guessed it. Like Scrooge, Moses and Joseph … he was abandoned. The experience of abandonment, like abuse, and neglect can be a prescription for self-destruction and violence towards others. In the case of Scrooge, his form of self-destruction was withholding generosity from himself and others perpetuating a miserly experience for all involved. His financial and love withholding had a direct impact on himself, his family, and his community. He was painfully alone and loathed by those who knew him. His nephew Tiny Tim who wore a leg brace and could die from his family’s inability to pay his health care premiums for this pre-existing condition. And, Scrooge determined the salary for Tiny Tim’s dad as Scrooge was his...

Read More