Priorities

Found this online -- thought is was a brilliant way to put things in perspective...

Where should our thoughts go? Where do our priorities lie? What is so very sad is that everything on this list is preventable. Drunk Driving -- everyone knows: don't do it. Second hand smoke? 'Nuff said. Diabetes -- completely reversible, cancer does not have to be a reality in anyone's lifetime, smoking? again. Heart disease. Even the terrorism, to some degree. We could change the world... and why don't we? Because many do not know they they are immense and powerful.

Today on this lovely day for loving each other
what if we made a pact to actually send love out to everyone? To focus on the kind of world, body, lover, life we would like to have? Instead of griping why it isn't how we hoped? We are the creators and the mover-shakers -- we are the dreamers.

Remember: "Your life has an inner purpose and an outer purpose. Inner purpose concerns Being and is primary. Outer purpose concerns doing and it is secondary. Your inner purpose is to awaken. It is as simple as that. You share that purpose with every other person on the planet - because it is the purpose of humanity.
Your inner purpose is an essential part of the purpose of the whole, the universe and its emerging intelligence. Your outer purpose can change over time. It varies greatly from person to person. Finding and living in alignment with the inner purpose is the foundation for fulfilling your outer purpose. It is the basis for true success. Without that alignment, you can still achieve certain things through effort, struggle, determination, and sheer hard work or cunning. But there is no joy in such endevor, and it invariably ends in some form of suffering."
-- Ekhart Tolle

And I just can't get that Buddha story out of my head...because there is actually a tale of Buddha and his young disciple, who comes forward and asks what he may do to experience Nirvana... Buddha says — love everyone in the world as you love me. And so the disciple bows, accepts the grace of the Master and goes off to achieve his direction. After some time he returns to the Master and the Buddha asks him how goes his quest and the young man bursts out in confession that he can love everyone in the whole world but two people and Buddha asks, which two? And he said my wife and my brother, because they had an affair and both have abandoned my company, my heart is broken and I cannot forgive them. And the Buddha is silent for a moment and then he says. Very well, Disciple I release you of your task: you no longer have to love everyone in the world as you love me.... He says: You only have to love just those two.

What would happen if this became our practice? I know this sounds hippster-ish but it is a very valid intention, and we obliterate ourselves with our food practices, our thought and body practices... what would happen if we could love into the world. Heal, perhaps? Expand. Grow. Love. Just love... what would happen then?