Grateful Brand was created to serve as a reminder of the importance of being grateful, expressing this gratitude through positive messaging and acts of kindness.
This is an image taken by the Hubble Telescope of a cluster of stars. I would not want to be the one responsible for counting each and every one, but it never ceases to amaze me that most of these massive bodies of energy are billions upon billions of years old. Our sun is billions of years old and the earth is approximately 4.5 billion years old.
If we dare to assert that in all this time, we were part of some greater plan, that would mean that we are billions of years in the making! How amazing is that idea?
With such effort, time and energy going into producing us, we certainly have a lot to be grateful for. In addition, we had better make good use of ourselves while we can, because in the grand scheme of things, our lives are merely nano seconds on the timeline of the Universe.
Grateful Brand was created to encourage universal love, kindness and gratitude, not to endorse nor promote any religion. With that being said, as the creator of this blog, I am deeply inspired by my own personal spirituality and many love promoting figures of various faiths.
As the title of this post may incite, how can one be afraid of saying "God," especially one who claims to be rather in tune with many qualities that God supposedly embodies?
For centuries, men of self proclaimed devout faith have interpreted and enforced the abiding of precise criteria that, according to their interpretations, must be met to be loved in the eyes of God and to receive the affection of their communities.
While I do not approve of how the concept of sin is used to strangle good people into submission, as human beings, sin abounds, yet the degree of consequence for most of these sins is, in reality, quite benign. You need only repent your sin to receive love. Many faiths assert that their followers are loved unconditionally in spite of their sins. But what is one to do when an innate otherness forces them outside the parameters of the criteria of good men and women?
This is my predicament. As a gay man, I have struggled with faith for years. I have even gone through an extended period of not believing simply because atheism or being agnostic made sense. More importantly, not believing made it easy to simultaneously expel the variable of emotion that so often goes hand in hand with faith.
As I have matured, the scope of my beliefs and wants have evolved, which has resulted in me seeking out a belief system and medium for expressing what I feel. Gratitude has become the basis of this belief system and I attend a nondenominational church to express this gratitude to the Universe.
I have become comfortable with saying "the Universe" because the usage of "God" has been manipulated, skewed and bastardized to an alarming degree. Some of the most vehement proponents of Christianity seemingly hold the usage of "God" hostage, exploiting what should be synonymous with love for the purpose of hate. The Westboro Baptist Church and their website, www.godhatesfags.com, is an extreme example. But they are not the catalyst for my struggle with faith.
Friends, family and colleagues, in casual conversation, have all said that the presumed choice of being gay is wrong and a sin in the eyes of God, yet some of the same people have asserted that God created the Universe and everything in it in his image ... and God makes no misstates. So where does this leave me?
In America, I am free to live my life, though there are people who petition and vote for the limitation of my liberties in contrast to heterosexuals. Unfortunately, the world at large is much crueler. There are people whom I will never meet but would justify my death by saying, "it is God's will." This puts things into perspective. I am a good person who avoids uncomfortable conversation about faith for fear of rejection. Imagine being a good person but being subjected to the death penalty for falling in love.
I say, "the Universe," because no one will object to my open sexuality in association, and therefore I feel safe. My belief system is neutral and thus, I am comfortable. Conversations regarding my belief in the infinite power and possibility enveloped in the Universe never result in me defending myself nor being shamed or demeaned.
This neutrality also allows me to affirm and celebrate who I am. In 1855, the excentric poet, Walt Whitman, penned his most famous work, Song of Myself, in his book, Leaves of Grass. The first stanza of this poem reads, "I celebrate myself." I literally wear this quote as you will notice.
Being able to affirm ones sense of self worth and feeling balanced in mind, body and spirit is a wonderful sensation. But in spite of my affirmation, I am gripped by a lingering fear that pauses my confidence when wanting to live fully and boldly as a good person who wants to believe in God. Because of this fear, I have relegated myself to the Universe. Some might argue that they are one in the same but in my psyche, I have become accustomed to an alternative as a result of mankind stripping away my equality; denouncing my otherness as a flaw.
Recently, I was moved by the compassionate words of a brilliant man who was bold enough to voice the confidence I wish I had regarding his conviction. With ease and eloquence, Jordan Bach--writer, blogger, advocate, uncle and all around good guy--championed via Youtube that, "God loves gays." From a personal standpoint, I have wanted to believe and embrace this without ever having a second thought, but it has been so painfully difficult to ignore the hate that many faithful people cling to and use as weapons. Jordan wears an amazing shield. That shield is love.
I first saw Jordan's video on the Huffington Post and I was moved to tears because I knew that even though he and I may never meet and I may never have the opportunity to shake his hand and thank him for his poise and strength directly, I knew that he stood with me in solidarity, and for that I am exceedingly grateful.
So many wonderful things have happened in February and the horizon is glowing. The saying, "time flies when you're having fun," is absolutely true. However, in transitioning from January to February, I found myself a little nervous. My goal is to post to Grateful Brand every day for a year unless I am simply unable to. Facing the rest of 2012, I wondered, "How am I going to continue this momentum? Where will I find enough inspiration to post every day?"
The answer I was searching for was obvious, but I am sharing it with you as well because we all can benefit from doing more of it.
Pay more attention.
If you are willing to pay greater attention to your surroundings, heighten your collective awareness and sharpen your senses, you will quickly realize that the Universe will provide you with the information or inspiration you seek. The worry stemming from my presumed inability to produce has given way to confidence because I trust that inspiration will present itself. I just have to be available to see it.
In other news, it's a Leap Year! This means there is one extra day in 2012. Today, February 29, is that day. Now that you are thinking in extras and surpluses, consider this: every day you wake up is an extra day. Celebrate yourself, celebrate life! Pursue those goals and dreams now! There will come a day when we all run out of extra days so make the most of today and every day henceforth, for we are not guaranteed our ration of time, let alone extra.
Keep a journal to collect your ideas and things that inspire you. Once you get into the habit, you will look back over what you have compiled and be very impressed with the positivity, the sources, your interests, wisdom, paths you should consider, etc.
Again, as always, I thank you for following me on this journey of gratitude and I thank you for sharing Grateful Brand with those you know.
I have been living in Los Angeles for almost two years and in that time period I have been fortunate to witness a recurring trend in my life.
What is not meant for me is taken away and that which is best for me is always provided.
This may sound divine in nature and it may very well be, but the Universe is all encompassing and thus should sufficiently cover all of my bases.
There have been dozens of instances where I've wanted something: a new job, a new car, a new relationship, more money, to move to a nicer building, etc. and none of these things was ultimately meant for me to have at the time I wanted them most. However, disappointment is not something that ever lingered for very long. In being in tune with the Universe, I simply chose to believe that an opportunity or want not granted to me was simply not meant for me to have at that time.
I recently accepted a new job with a fantastic company that is literally based a half mile from my home. I couldn't have asked for a better commute nor a more welcoming environment. But this instance of good fortune comes on the heals of me previously declining another opportunity that would have moved me to a place where I knew I would not be as happy as I am where I currently live.
So, I took a risk and asked the Universe to guide me where I needed to be and to my delight, I am staying right where I have been for almost two years; where I have been the happiest I have ever been in my entire life. This is not to say that I just sat down and waited for whatever was meant for me to miraculously fall into my lap. Through a lot of hard work and research, I was able to narrow the scope of my job hunt to a few specific companies and I prepared meticulously to present myself as the most viable candidate. I just feel that the Universe pointed me in the right direction.
Los Angeles, for all is grit, trash, superficiality, smog and traffic, encompasses so many wonderful things. I adore the relationships I have with my friends and family here, the weather is fantastic ... I could go on and on but the point is, I am writing this blog post feeling as though I am being taken care of. I feel incredibly fortunate and I do not believe this consistent good fortune would be shinning upon me if I was not grateful in light of my struggles and missed opportunities.
Show some gratitude and let the Universe move you.
