Standing Against Evil in Oneness

Featured / Lee Boerner / 6 Comments

Many of us are watching recent world news headlines with some degree of horror. What is happening in Europe right now is a strong example of that and there needs to be a sane, consistent, and unified response to that very definite threat. Yet, when I sit back and seriously consider the patterns of humanity, I am astounded by the repeatedly disturbing behaviors of our species. We often see the plans of madmen forming destructive forces to grab what they want from others. History has shown us that bullies, corrupt political power figures, and certain well-funded organizational structures use acts of evil to take resources, power, and even innocent lives for the purpose of fulfilling insane egoic desires. This happens at home and abroad.

At most times in our brief history, there is evidence of evidence of wars, slaughter, and sheer destruction. Often, it is not in our backyard. In fact, it may be occurring in a place where people and cultures look very different from our own. It may be a place that we are not planning to visit. We might have definite stereotypes about life in this locale. It may seem so far away and so separate from us. This can make it seem as though this does not have to be a concern of ours. But it should be. We need to care enough to insist that ignorance, greed, and power are not reasons to allow this to continue to happen to others, anywhere.

All too often, much of humankind has looked the other way in the face of insane threats and actions. The reasons for this may be many. We might have even wondered how others (or even ourselves) have acted with indifference or ignorance as certain events unfolded. Some of us might claim no awareness or need for action to stop the spread of evils occurring elsewhere. We might be fearful and want to avoid that which could put us in the path of danger. We might have found ways or hoped to benefit through financial profits or positions of power. Or we might simply be in denial and not want to face what we fear.

The time is always right to do what is right.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

It is time to face the pattern created by those who would take everything for themselves. This is a time when we must find and show strength by coming together for good and righteousness in Oneness. The strength available to us is not that of more wars to counter the malefic power that is being expressed through violence. In fact, this type of power is one that could result in total destruction of humanity. Instead, we must stand up to the wrongdoing with forces that we have not fully recognized or utilized in our human history.

It is time for humanity to own a collective responsibility for what can occur. We may not know anything about the people or cultures of others. It might seem that we have no responsibility for what is happening across the globe. But we do have a very important part to play in the lives and safety of others when it comes down to what we will allow. Even if we feel powerless or uneducated about foreign places, we can become forces of good for our world, our communities, and for the men, women, and children that need our help. An awareness of our Oneness and the steps we take to help matter.

The arsenals of good contain possibilities for each of us to find our own ways to project and protect with goodness as one family. We are being called upon to speak truth to one another about what we see happening. It is time to consider our brothers and sisters in their plight in the direct path of the darkness that would use them to begin an unrelenting march to conquering good in the world. This might sound hyperbolic to you but consider where this could take us if it is allowed.

What Can We Do?

Each of us can use our voice to call for a collective awakening. We can demand that leaders take positive steps to act in unity to halt the march of madness that has been acceptable. We can require leaders to act in unity to act in unity for the good of all people, all countries. We can use our collective spending power to raise the awareness and consciousness of governments and corporations to move from prioritizing greed and increased profits to one that takes into account the earth and her inhabitants. In addition, we can be certain to spend our own earnings to support those who are going to be there to care for and rebuild after the pillages of a strike against innocent people.

Finally, we can use our spiritual strengths to cry out through prayer and send blessings to protect those in harm’s way. This time is a test of human consciousness to put the Oneness that is us first through love, compassion, and awareness. Pray, send love, and ask for miracles of protection for your brothers and sisters being targeted. Do it now. Ask that human consciousness continues to expand and grow higher as important decisions are made for humanity to go forward.

We all have things to do now. Let this work begin with each of us as we grow in our goal of Oneness. May the Holy Source help all of us do what we can to raise the consciousness on this planet.

Some ways we can help today:

Communicate your impressions and opinions with your politicians asking them to take positive actions.
Share insights with others about the importance of our involvement in the well-being of others.
Donate what you can, even small amounts, to reputable non-profit organizations who will do what they can to help those in harm’s way.
Advocate for the inclusion of others in systems and networks to protect them (and us) from corruption designed to enrich a few and dominate others.
Consider what you and your loved ones have in common with others who are desiring a safe and productive life.
Meditate on and pray for the well-being of others.

Wishing you love and light in the spirit of Oneness!

Celebrating Change

Featured / Lee Boerner / 16 Comments

You might be aware that there is a lot of talk about a “shift” that is now occurring in the density of consciousness on this planet. This means that there is a growth change in the collective consciousness of humanity. As a group, we are moving away from a desire to primarily serve ourselves. Instead, we will move into to a higher awareness that increasingly includes a focus on service to others.

Of course, such a shift in consciousness brings some resistance. We are being called to uncover that which no longer works for humanity. This can bring fear of loss as well as uncertainty about the unknown. If you are familiar with the spiritual energies of the chakra system in the human body, this change can be likened to shifting upwards from primarily operating from solar plexus energy (third chakra) with its focus on self, strength, and power. The mass consciousness energy of humanity is now beginning to evolve to a primary focus in heart-centered energy (fourth chakra). The result will be increased healing, balance, harmony, and love in the way humans think and live.

Photo by Siddharth Shrivastav on Pexels.com

This shift in conscious awareness is fantastic news! The result will be more awareness, love and compassion for the challenges and pain faced by others. A kinder, gentler world. It will also include finding more love for ourselves. Self-love, not self-centeredness. Self-love requires us to live in the knowledge of who we truly are. This means we will be more loving of ourselves and others. We will develop a sense of personal boundaries that will no longer accept mental, physical, or emotional abuse of ourselves or others. As we grow into the normality of this type of existence, we will find ways to resolve problems through fairness, empathy, and understanding. The move into this new energy will reveal our true potential for giving and receiving love.

As our individual and collective hearts open, we will be moving towards increasingly bringing aspects of divine love energy to earth and humanity. This will include a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood with even those who think, live, and worship differently than ourselves. Although it is clear that we have not yet reached that level of conscious living, there are reasons to celebrate the beginnings of this awakening process now. Coming to understand and act from an awareness that we are all one is an important part of this shift.

The good news is that each of us can do a lot to aid in this rising of consciousness. For example, we can watch and change our own thinking with the intention of reversing old tendencies to judge others harshly. This simple action will make a difference in the way we view the world. It can change our experience from one filled with anxiety and fear to one offering hope and understanding. It only requires that we start by observing our habits, feeling our emotions, and stopping harmful patterns of response such as anger, judgement, and vengeful actions.

The social and community chaos that is so clearly present at this time gives all of us a lot of opportunity to practice changing our own responses to disagreement and conflict. The following steps can be useful as we look for ways to stop judging and find ways to work together:

Step back from your emotions and observe the situation.
Recognize the need for change if it is not the way you want to be in the world.
Be grateful for that awareness, and seek to understand reasons for how it happens.
Bless the other(s) involved and ask for the healing of negativity and fear in each of you.
Silently send all parties involved love and energy of Divine light for the highest good of each one of you.
Take these healing steps with love and humility.
Recognize that there is no room for self-righteousness, dishonesty, and service to the egoic self in a new, more loving existence.
Bless others and yourself for finding new ways to live and interact in the world.
Thank the Divine for help with this change process.

“In the end these things matter most: How well did you love? How fully did you live? How deeply did you let go?”
– Buddha –

This shift in consciousness is something to celebrate! As we experience the change in ourselves and in the world, some of the following can help to focus on supporting and building the rising consciousness:

Practice gratitude regularly by listing people and things for which you are grateful (list at least 50).
Celebrate joy in your life by listing as many things as you can that make you happy.
Discover new ways that help your own healing and ways of dealing with painful issues.
Continue your personal evolution by finding new ways to grow intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally.
Use helpful methods (such as reframing old perspectives) to let go of fear.
Share positive feedback (including smiles) with others.
Participate in activities that assist those who are working to improve our world.
Celebrate the loving support and spiritual blessings in your life.
Recognize and honor the Oneness of humanity, this creation, and all of existence.

Wishing you love and light in the spirit of Oneness!

What Separates Us? Can Acting in Oneness Save Us?

Featured / Lee Boerner / 2 Comments

These are chaotic times. Very often, after only a few minutes of watching what used to be consistent quality reporting of current events, the only recourse for my sense of calm and sanity is to turn off the device I am using to watch the news. It does not matter whether it be on television, radio, or social media. There currently seems to be an unrelenting drum beat of media newsfeeds to keep viewers charged up emotionally and afraid. Media is not the only separating factor in these times. However, my question today is why media is complicit in the current extreme polarization of humanity.

To put it another way, why is such fear and negativity done purposefully and without regard for the well-being of the country and its citizens? We know that stirring up emotions has historically resulted in increased viewership and higher profits. But the price we pay is too high if it keeps us fired up, angry, and ready to fight. It then becomes a barrier to us ever coming together. This is not the only barrier, but it is a major barrier nonetheless.

Before I go further, please understand that I am not talking about the amazing work done by real news journalists. I continue to have the highest respect and gratitude for those who do the slow moving and grinding work of the research and fact-checking necessary to to report news and important stories truthfully and ethically. This commentary is not meant to criticize them in any way. The important work of journalism is necessary for education, balanced truth, and good ethics in a democratic society.

There are times that the “breaking news” banners displayed across our viewing screens are appropriate. Yet, it seems clear that the never-ending, sensationalistic style now used by many media outlets is meant to keep unsuspecting consumers of this type of news propaganda coming back. We must admit that this has been true on both sides of important issues. Those funding and running media sites seem to have increasingly chosen to feature stories and spokespersons that are not standing for truth. Some purveyors of untrue news have even publicly admitted that they knowingly say and report on issues in a way that is not true, or even what they themselves believe. A few who have profited from the choice to do this have publicly admitted that it has been “good business practice” for them to act in such a way. We must begin to require truth in public communication.

The polarizing trend of dishonesty in speech and media reporting has already contributed to dividing families and communities. Dishonorable people are given powerful opportunities for speech and media coverage. It can be challenging for us to identify the full truth when conspiracy theories and intentional exaggeration thrive in the media. The ensuing emotional and mental exhaustion of trying to take all this in brings with it anxiety and potentially a loss of hope that things will get better. In fact, this separation of people and their beliefs has somewhat undermined our ability to recognize that solutions lay in the groundwork of recognizing our Oneness. Finding our way back to truth as soon as possible is important work.

How can we find our power in Oneness?

The impact of the current growing chaos and radicalization in today’s culture is exhausting. As individuals, we might feel powerless to change the dishonesty that is pumped into our homes daily. Very importantly, lies must be revealed by truth. We do have collective power. We can speak the truth. We can turn off our devices as we need to. We can make choices about supporting products and sponsors of dishonesty. Importantly, we need to discern the truth behind the source or system that is creating the turmoil. We must ask important questions. Is this making others rich and powerful? If so, who are these people and where is the money coming from (and going to)? What are the true motivators? Who wants to make people afraid and separate them? Through identification of a dishonest problem, we can contribute to righting the situation.

Key to all of this is the importance of being vigilant in our own consumption of what at first appears to be fact. We must find the truth and share, as fact, only what we are certain is true. We cannot let untruth be the basis of what we believe and how we act. We have to recognize and stop rewarding those who fund and promote the dishonesty. Who are those who willingly and knowingly lie and manipulate to enrich their own egos and lifestyles? We now know that media has the power to influence us in ways that are not fully understood by the consumer. Solutions can only be found through oneness by communicating and collaborating to make things right.

Many of us feel that there is really no need for each of us to make an effort to learn, to grow in awareness, and to connect with one another to speak out and take positive and legal action to reverse a web of lies. If we are afraid, that is a good place to start. What is it that makes us give up personal power and retreat to negative standards set by others? If our beliefs are narrow, self-righteous, or hateful towards any others, we are in definite need of self-examination and righting our course with love and compassion. It is a fact that we humans must overcome our own fears to stand up for what is true and right. History tells us what happens when we do not.

“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”
-Socrates

In speaking with many people these days, it is common for them to share their growing sense of anxiety and hopelessness due to the prevalent dishonesty and its acceptance in our cultural environment. It is during such conversations that it becomes clear that it has never been more important for each of us to act from a place of loving intention for justice and the greater good. As we identify injustice and corruption, we can begin to define a way that is best for ourselves to help call attention to and right the situation. Ways to contribute to the healing of society range from low-key personal methods to more public ways such as through well-informed accurate speech, judicial action, and directed use of our spending power.

Many believe that these chaotic times are an opportunity to recognize beliefs and actions that have built over time to bring more power and control into the hands of a very few. We have choices to make as individuals that can bring the collective consciousness to a higher place. The belief in the need for Oneness is not an impractical and foolish type of idealism. It is a concept that has power. In fact, it is necessary for the continued growth of humanity. We are not victims and things are not hopeless. We are powerful when we act from love and positive intention. Acting from a place of loving intention for the greater good aligns you with those who serve a higher good and authority.

As we face future challenges during these difficult times, the following are suggestions for moving forward in the spirit of Oneness:

Meditating and praying to raise your own awareness
Asking for guidance and spiritual protection
Praying for protection for those working hard for truth, justice, and fairness
Holding a vision for the positive future you desire for the world
Letting go of fear by surrendering outcomes to a Higher Power
Recognizing the power of love and good intention
Acting in ways that are constructive and uniting
Standing up for truth and fairness through the voice of a constituent, consumer, and citizen
Resisting acting and speaking from a place of anger
Visualizing light, blessings, and healing for the planet including water systems, air, and land
Imagining yourself “planting” columns of love and light in unexpected places to help others
Asking for protection for all people, animals, plants and other inhabitants of the earth
Creating a protective image such as a mirror to reflect negativity back to those sending it to you
Loving yourself and finding gentle ways to reduce your anxieties
Having love and compassion with open hearts for all others
Remembering to have gratitude for the blessings in life
Recognizing Divine timing and surrendering any sense of control to it

Wishing you love and light in the spirit of Oneness!

Welcome to Walking In Oneness

September 14, 2021 / Lee Boerner / Leave a comment

This website and blog are dedicated to sharing ways of finding and nurturing love, balance, and healing during this chaotic time. If you are seeking to find or expand your own unique spiritual and human connection, you will find shared stories, tools, and encouragement. This is not a place where only one belief system or religion is honored. It is a place meant to honor each and every path that can lead to a sense of oneness with all that is. It is a place to help you discover and nurture your uniqueness and gifts.

We all know that our world is very polarized at this time. We’ve somehow lost our ability to trust one another and work together. Many have forgotten the need to care for the earth and its inhabitants. We’ve reached the point where we now have limited time to heal and solve problems both in ourselves and on this planet. Many have stopped walking in oneness. This website, blogs, and shared comments are meant to plant seeds for ways to reconnect with love in the realization that we are truly one.

You may find the ideas, resources, and experiences discussed to be very familiar. On the other hand, some of you might find the subject matter and perspectives to be very different than anything that you’ve previously considered. The hope is that you will enjoy and benefit from the exploration of these important issues. Please know that they are shared with love and humility and not meant to be replacements for your own truths. I believe that there are as many ways to Truth as there are souls.

The heart of the matter is always our oneness with divine spirit, our union with all life.
– Thich Nhat Hanh

What is a belief in Oneness? And why does it matter?

September 14, 2021February 6, 2022 / Lee Boerner / Leave a comment

Making life choices with an awareness of Oneness is one of the most important things you can do during your life’s journey. For your life. And for your soul. In short, living with this perspective involves an effort to think and act with awareness of wholeness, unity, and the potential to overcome a limiting belief in duality. Right and wrong, good and bad, me and you. This kind of labeling is no longer used to divide when you are living in Oneness. Instead, there is an increased consciousness that allows for a broader, more inclusive definition of love and compassion. No more assuming that another’s problem is not ours to consider. This is replaced by a desire to understand and help when we can. We then choose to serve others instead of only ourselves.

You can develop the right attitude toward others if you have kindness, love and respect for them, and a clear realization of the oneness of all human beings.
– Dalai Lama

You likely have your own definition of Oneness. This term has been claimed by many, including a wide variety of religions around the world. But this blog site does not intend to represent the view of any specific religious or secular teaching. This blog’s definition of Oneness is meant to include a wider perspective of humankind, the earth, and its inhabitants that includes a broader spiritual energy connection. The concept of all being part of One has the potential to change the way we view and deal with ourselves. It can also change the way we view and understand suffering, abuse, violence, and the exploitation of others and of our planet.

There is now an urgent need for humanity to move into the perspective of Oneness. To survive and thrive, we need to leave behind polarizing, individualistic beliefs that support only service to ourselves. Universal respect and compassionate concern for the welfare of others can rid society of identification with false dividing factors such as identity politics, racial discrimination, and dogma that excludes others.

Limited and distorted perspectives lead to a belief that those who differ from us are wrong or even somehow less human than we are. This is clearly happening in many cultures and societies around the world, including the United States. Holding on to this type of duality has harmed us in so many ways. You may have already experienced deep divisions within communities and even within your own families. Differing perceptions and disagreements about what is true and good have separated us in disturbing ways. We are now afraid that the resultant separation might not allow us to come together to love and solve problems again. Now is the time to focus efforts on new ways of growth, hope, and healing.

We have come to a time and place in our collective evolution where it is imperative that we make an effort to recognize the goodness that exists in others. One positive step is becoming aware of the commonality amongst us. Living in Oneness encourages you to ask yourself what does another love? What do they fear? You remember to put yourself in the other’s place to understand more about what they are experiencing. What might help them?

It is also important to recognize the thoughts and feelings that are your own. What is it that you need? How do you feel misunderstood? How can communication be facilitated in a kind and loving manner despite differences. Go ahead and feel your emotions without getting lost in outdated and blaming belief systems. Identify the changes you can make in your own life to move forward in the consciousness of Oneness.

Love is the recognition of oneness in the world of duality.

-Eckhart Tolle

When I began to develop Walking In Oneness, I asked myself why anyone would care about this subject. The following came forward:

It matters because moving along the path of Oneness brings an expansive shift in awareness and consciousness.

The awareness of Oneness can lessen the experience of pain and suffering due to the emotions of fear, separation, and denial that are common to a belief in duality.

With the knowledge gained from experiencing Oneness, we receive more of the joys, gifts, and support that already exist for us.

Finally, without the awareness of Oneness, we cannot open our hearts to fully love others, ourselves, or even our Creator.

The purpose of this blog going forward is to identify and share ways for moving through our lives with a sense of Oneness. Our growing consciousness and the solutions we need right now require us to think in new and different ways. You are encouraged to share constructive experiences that might be helpful to others. We can explore how our own beliefs and experiences found ways to build spiritual connection with others.

Our collective energies can contribute to the healing of the planet. What we think, believe, and do affects others and the world around us. Oneness matters. Whether you believe in God, Source, Buddha, Allah, Shiva, Great Spirit, Christ Consciousness, or the matrix does not matter. We are talking about the Divine energy that is within and around all of us. It connects us. In the end, everything is One. And it is really all about love.