THE COUNSELOR'S CORNER: The power of a reflective and loving life

The following are thoughts that have surfaced within me over the years. They have helped me. I hope they help you. Experience the present moment. It is where you will experience God. Let go of thoughts of how other people should be. Never embrace anger. Experience what is beneath anger. Hurt, pain, sadness, powerlessness. Let go of negativity. It puts me into an emotional prison. Be grateful in this present moment. It opens my heart to God and helps me see goodness everywhere. You can't heal what you can't feel. No one falls apart from feeling too much emotional pain. We fall apart when we block what we are feeling. Always be loving toward everyone. It creates an emotional freedom in the other person and myself. Take an abundance of quiet time each day to meditate and listen to God. It brings a depth of peace and joy. Don't preach to others. Just love others. Share your journey but don't tell others what their journey should be. Find some friends with whom you can share your emotional and spiritual journey in life and they can share their journey with you. Everyone wants to be loved. But many are afraid to allow themselves to be loved. Just keep loving others and keep loving yourself by prayer, meditation, exercise and loving words toward others. God is never condemning, but only loving. We get caught up in condemning others and stifle love. Only in God is my soul at rest. Emotional and spiritual health is never based on criticism or complaining. There is a goodness and a presence of God in everything I see and everyone I see. Look for it. People will feel better when they experience your kindness and compassion. Stay in your heart and your head will follow. Earth is filled with the grandeur of God. The embrace of what we have to feel will lead to a resurrection of emotional and spiritual peace. Spirituality should be based on surrender, not on fear. Holy people over the centuries did two things persistently: Much quiet time with God and a kind and generous heart toward everyone. Life was never meant to be Utopia but life is always a journey to a deeper union with God. Pain and Joy, when embraced, open us up to a Divine Encounter. When I become tense and anxious, I am living in the past or the future and I am avoiding the present moment. Be always reflective and loving. Everyone has been created to live forever. So, live forever in love, gratitude and joy. It allows God to take over, heal us and guide us. Whatever happens to me is irrelevant. What is relevant is how I embrace what happens to me. Every moment becomes a door opening up to God. When I embrace NOW, I start embracing eternity. Don't rush. Walk slowly through life. You will encounter an inner peace with God. Happiness is not looking forward to the next moment or reliving the past moment. Happiness results from experiencing the present moment slowly and reflectively and realizing God is present in this moment. -------- Fred Cavaiani is a licensed marriage & family therapist and limited licensed psychologist with a private practice in Troy. He is the founder of Marriage Growth Center. He conducts numerous programs for groups throughout Michigan. Cavaiani is associate editor and contributing writer for Human Development Magazine. His column in the Legal News runs every other Tuesday. He can be reached at 248-362-3340. His e-mail address is: Fredcavi@yahoo.com and his website is FredsCounselorsCorner.com. Published: Tue, Mar 29, 2022