Three Principles Living

Judith A. Sedgeman, EdD

Gratitude

Finding Ease, Loving Life

In my young adulthood, I looked at life as binary. There was “real life,” filled with stress, anxiety, pressure, obligations, exhaustion, responsibilities, demands. And there was the occasional “vacation,” when all that real life stuff was set aside and, for a brief time, days were filled with quietude, fun, ease, relaxation, and enjoyment of beauty. On vacation, you renewed your love of life. In real life, you dealt with frustration and disappointment. Oh, well. That was the price of adulthood and success, I thought. The goal seemed to be to...

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No One is Special (Everyone is Fine)

The drive for recognition, for specialness, is a denial of our true nature. We cannot make ourselves more special than our birthright as spiritual beings, gifted with the precious capacities to create, change, and enjoy our lives and fulfill all the dreams we can dream. We cannot top the the power that carries us into, and eventually out of and once more beyond, this world. So the use of our gifts to try to be more than the best we can each be moment-to-moment as we fulfill our life looks, to...

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Letting Go

In the past month, I stumbled into the subtle pride of expectations. When something has seemed true and reliable for a long time, we paint it into the background of our story and let it dry. For me, it was being strong, independent, and in charge of my own life. If I thought about myself at all, I envisioned myself living productively through all my decades, always doing the work I love, always enjoying energy, and always self-sufficient. It did not cross my mind that all the seemingly settled "forms"...

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Unconditional Love…

When I first got involved in Innate Health, I heard a lot about unconditional love being the answer, no matter what the problem might be. Back then, it sounded nice, but meaningless, to me. I was stepping into this new world from a life that was totally transactional, a life of “If…then”. If I got this contract, then I could give my employees a Christmas bonus; if my daughter got straight A’s, then we would take her to DisneyWorld; if I lost five pounds, then I could wear the red...

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Joy to the World!

I wish Joy to the world, not only during this holiday season, but always. Joy is the deeply beautiful feeling that connects us to all of life, beyond our differences and before our fears. It is innate to all people, and readily accessible, but, like a rainbow peeking through storm clouds, easily obscured or overlooked. It is born of quietude, a mind at peace, immersed in the present. We fall into joy naturally. The feeling wells up from within our spirit as we simply allow our minds to come to rest. Regardless of...

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Gratitude: a route to inner peace

Without any plan to do this, I have slipped into the habit, as I lay down to sleep, of thinking of something or someone from the past day for which I am grateful. And then, when I awaken, thinking of something I am grateful to look forward to in the new day. Often, I am surprised by what comes to mind. Almost always, they are small things, or momentary unexpected encounters with people, that elicit a smile and a peaceful feeling. Sometimes, they are big things -- pivotal moments in my life...

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