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Heather's Views triangular trees in a row

It's summer; here's to expression, exploration and experimentation

Dr. Heather Dawn Clark

Dear Ones,

Yippee! It's summer! As a child, my favorite time of year was always summer. What I remember was the freedom of being out of school and the joy of that freedom. Our family spent most of July and August at our cabin on a small prairie lake. In fact, it was not Walden Pond by any stretch of the imagination, but to my friends and I, it was heaven! There at Clearwater Lake, we were free from the daily routine of school, free from the rules and responsibilities of everyday life. We were free to express, explore and experiment. From water-skiing to flirting, we were learning about ourselves and life.

Ralph Waldo Emerson in his famous essay, Self-Reliance, wrote: "These roses under my window make no reference to former roses or to better ones; they exist with God today. There is no time to them. There is simply the rose; it is perfect in every moment of its existence. . But man postpones or remembers; he does not live in the present, but with reverted eye laments the past, or, heedless of the riches that surround him, stands on tiptoe to foresee the future. He cannot be happy and strong until he too lives with nature in the present, above time."

I love this quote! It evokes the Truth in me. Roses do not look backwards with nostalgia, pining for a happier time. Roses do not compare themselves with each other. They do not judge their parts. They do not grieve over a lost bud or fret over a petal that will fall.

Remembering what really matters, we look at the universal desire for freedom. We can only find that freedom when we are true to ourselves by turning within to the splendor of Infinite Life. When we are connected with that Life, joy is always our experience.

Here in America, we place great value on freedom. The constitution guarantees us "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Yet, if we have not set our own course, made our own decisions, and lived our own lives - we are in bondage.

Think about decision-making as it applies to your life. How many of your decisions, big or small, have you made independently? As a Religious Scientist, I will heartily declare that I am the "captain of my fate, the master of my soul." But, how do I decide which shoes to wear, which brands to buy, which cereals to eat, and which show to watch? When I think more deeply, I see that many of my everyday decisions have been made unconsciously. The only way to steer clear of influence is to turn within and commune with the Self.

Only in the present can we realize our unity with God. Only in the present moment can we truly experience freedom and joy. It's never too late to free yourself from the bondage of false beliefs! It's summer; here's to expression, exploration and experimentation.

Love,
Heather

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