ELDER'S MEDITATION

[laurie6781]

Elder's Meditation of the Day February 1

"You can't just sit down and talk about
the truth. It doesn't work that way. You
have to live it and be part of it and you
might get to know it."
--Rolling Thunder, CHEROKEE

We all read books that have much information in them. Often we
pick up on little sayings that we remember. Inside of us is the little
owl, the owl of knowing.

It talks to us- guiding us and nurturing us. Often when we get infor-
mation, it's hard to live by, but it's easy to talk about. It's living the
Red Road that counts-Walk the Talk.

If we really want freedom in our lives, if we really want to be happy,
if we really want to have peace of mind, it's the truth we must seek.

My Creator, help me in my search for the truth today.

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Elder's Meditation of the Day February 2

"Even the seasons form a great circle in their
changing, and always come back again to
where they were. The life of a man is a circle
from childhood to childhood and so it is every-
thing where power moves."
--Black Elk (Hehaka sapa), OGLALA SIOUX

In these modern times it is difficult to understand why we
should think circles and seasons. People and society are
always moving, through distance, over yonder, going here
and going there-hurry up, grow up, be successful, climb the
ladder of success, etc.

The Elders tell us to slow down, to be patient, pray and think
circles. Circle thinking applies to relationships, business and
every area of our lives. We need to teach our awareness to
look for seasons and cycles.

My Creator, teach me the seasons of growth.

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Elder's Meditation of the Day February 3

"It's very hard to do things in the right
manner, but as long as we do things
right, we are in turn with the Great Spirit."
--Rolling Thunder, CHEROKEE

When we are right with the Great Spirit, we are right with all things.
It is impossible to be out of harmony with anything or anybody when
we are in harmony with the Great One.

So, if during the day a problem crops up and someone makes us mad,
the best thing we can do is talk to the Creator first, ask for His help,
then continue our conversation with the other person.

In this way, our emotional nature will keep aligned with our thoughts,
and we will always stay right with the Great Spirit.

Great Spirit, I ask You to guide me on the Red Road today.

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Elder's Meditation of the Day February 4

"We say there is a right time and place
for everything.It's easy to say, but hard
to understand. You have to live it to un-
derstand it."
--Rolling Thunder, CHEROKEE

The Elders tell us there is a right time and a right place. Don't
plant seeds in the fall- wrong time.

One way we find out about the right time and right place is our
experience. If we are lucky, we have a few friends who will
share their experience; this will help us too. The best way is to
let God guide us.

Only He knows the right time and the right place. So we need to
pray and ask Him for guidance.

Great Spirit, show me patience so I can live in the right time and
right place.

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Elder's Meditation of the Day February 5

"Let the person I serve express his thanks
according to his own bringing up and his
sense of humor."
--Charles A. Eastman (Ohiyesa), SANTEE SIOUX

"It is better to give than receive." But it doesn't really matter if
we are giving or receiving. There is an identical feeling associated
with both.

We get this feeling every time we receive. We can't control when
we receive gifts but we can control when we give gifts. Therefore,
the more we give, the better we feel.

When we are given gifts, or someone does something for us, it is
the Indian way to honor this person.

Great Spirit, let me honor and be respectful to those who are good
to me today.
__________________

[laurie6781]

Elder's Meditation of the Day February 6

".we hold on to our otuhan, our give-aways,
because they help us to remain Indians."
--Lame Deer, LAKOTA

Our traditional communities and villages function on interdepen-
dence. Share the deer and give freely of what you have to
another.

Another way to express this principle is, it's better to give than
to receive. To share what you have eliminates complexity. The
Elders say, live a simple life. One of the principles in the Unseen
World is, the more you give, the more you get.

You can become a channel for abundance for your family, tribe
or community. A giving person sets up a flow or replacement.
Whatever you share will be returned to you in an amount equal
or greater.

The Indian way is for everyone to give to another, thus the com-
munity wins.

Great Spirit, today, teach me the principle of giving. Let me be
Your channel of abundance.

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Elder's Meditation of the Day February 7

"I can tell you that understanding begins
with love and respect. It begins with re-
spect for the Great Spirit.All things- and
I mean ALL things-have their own will and
their own way and their own purpose; this
is what is to be respected."
--Rolling Thunder, CHEROKEE

Everything on earth has a purpose and is designed special. No two
things are created identical.

Sometimes in our minds we have a picture of how things should be,
and often what we see is different from what they really are. When
this happens we often want to control how things are, making them
act or behave according to our picture.

We need to leave things alone. God is running all things. How do we
do this? In out minds we tell ourselves to love all things and respect
all things just as they are. Accept what we cannot change.

Great Spirit, teach me the value of respect and help me to accept
people, places and things just as they are.

[Giyana]

Laurie, I just want you to know that I read here and just don't reply because you have great wisdom...

Gianna

[laurie6781]

(((((Gi)))))

I have used "Elder's Meditation" for many years now to start my day.

They have helped me tremendously over the years.

I like the simplicity. I like the logic. I like the 'spirituality'.

I just hope that they can help others like they have helped me.

Love and hugs,

[laurie6781]

Elder's Meditation of the Day February 8

"No individual or group can block another
individual's path or change it against what
fits his nature and his purpose. It might
be done for a time, but in the end it won't
work out."
--Rolling Thunder, CHEROKEE

Every person is born for a purpose. We may know our purpose very
early in our lives, or it may take us some time.

Very often we need to experience many things before our purpose is
clear to us. Sometimes we pick our goals to please others. Sometimes
others pick our goals to make themselves happy.

Often this makes us unhappy. We need to pray to the Creator and ask
Him what our purpose is. When we live outside our purpose, our path
is full of obstacles.

When we live inside our purpose, our path is smooth. When we are
aligned to our purpose, we are happy and content.

Great Spirit, whisper to me, in terms I can understand, what You would
have me do and I will do it.

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Elder's Meditation of the Day February 9

"It can be 100 degrees in the shade one
afternoon and suddenly there comes a
storm with hailstones as big as golf balls,
the prairie is all white and your teeth chatter.

That's good-a reminder that you are just a
small particle of nature, not so powerful as
you think."
--Lame Deer, LAKOTA

No event, no relationship, no joy, no sadness, no situation ever
stays the same. Every setback is only temporary. Even setbacks
change. Why?

Because the Great Spirit designed the world to be constantly chang-
ing. We are not the center of the universe, we are but a small part.
The whole is constantly changing, and we as humans are constant-
ly participating in the change.

We have two choices, to resist change or participate in the change.
Every change can be resisted, and every change can be made in co-
operation.

What will I choose today, resistance or cooperation?

Great Spirit, teach me to make cooperative changes.

[laurie6781]

Elder's Meditation of the Day February 10

"The ground on which we stand is
sacred ground. It is the dust and
blood of our ancestors."
--Plenty Coups, CROW

Mother Earth is the source of life and the place all life returns to.
She gives us life. She feeds us through our journey and she waits
for us to return to her.

The Indian way is to recognize the earth as the place of our ances-
tors. That is why certain places on earth are considered sacred areas
and sacred land; this is the place of our ancestors.

We all need to reflect upon the earth, the place where our ancestors
lived. We need to have love and respect for the earth.

My Creator, let me honor the place of our ancestors, Mother Ea

[laurie6781]

Elder's Meditation of the Day February 11

"Oh God! Like the Thunderbird of old I
shall rise again out of the sea; I shall
grab the instruments of the white man's
success- his education, his skills, and
with these new tools I shall build my
race into the proudest segment of your
society."
--Chief Dan George, SALISH

One thing the Indian people do well is adapt. This is why we sur-
vive. We must learn to keep our culture, but also to learn the
good things that other races have to offer.

Education is the future weapon of Native people. We must learn
the legal system, health, science and engineering. Indian people
have great contributions to make to the world. We need to edu-
cate ourselves so we can better protect the land and our children.

Otherwise, we will lose the things and the land that we have.

Great Spirit, make me teachable today.

[laurie6781]

Elder's Meditation of the Day February 12

".the spirit still has something for us
to discover-an herb, a sprig, a flower-
a very small flower, maybe you can
spend a long time in its contemplation,
thinking about it."
--Lame Deer, LAKOTA

The world today is about hurry up! get there faster! Work harder,
produce more, hurry up, eat quickly, be on time, don't get stress-
ed- headaches, conflict, drink to calm down, go to training on
stress management, time management-STOP! STOP! STOP! STOP!
STOP!

Go spend 5 minutes with a flower or a plant. Look at it-think about
it-look at its beauty, smell it, close your eyes and smell it again.

Touch it; touch with your eyes closed. Listen to it; listen to it with
your eyed closed. Slow your mind down. Think about the little things.
Now close your eyes and pray.

Great Spirit, this feeling of calmness that I have, let me have it all
day long.

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Elder's Meditation of the Day February 13

"I wanted to feel, smell, hear and see, but
not see with my eyes and my mind only. I
wanted to see with CANTE ISTA-the eye
of the heart."
--Lame Deer, LAKOTA

Why is it that some people seem to have peace of mind every day?
How do some people remain so darn positive? How do you stay pos-
itive if you work or live in a negative environment?

How is it that two people can observe the same difficult situation,
but one person is upset about it, and other isn't? Two people exper-
iencing the same situation react entirely different.

If each morning we ask the Creator to allow us to see with His under-
standing and with His love, we will open a new way of "seeing". This
eye of the heart is a free gift given to us if we ask for it in prayer
each day.

Grandfather, allow me to see the world and all things You have
made through "the eye of my heart."

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Elder's Meditation of the Day February 14

"Sometimes, life is very simple, but it is
we two-leggeds, we who are thought to
be smart that make it complicated."
--Larry P. Aitkin, CHIPPEWA

Sometimes it may take years for us to find out what we are really
after-it is to be happy. The Elders say, lead a simple life.

This doesn't necessarily mean poor, it means simple. There are some
things that makes life complicated such as needing control, needing
power or being resentful or angry.

These things make complications happen. We need to walk in balance
in every area of our lives.

Great Spirit, let me lead a simple life.

[laurie6781]

Elder's Meditation of the Day March 3

"For me writing has become prayers that
say, `Great Spirit, return to us our free-
dom, our land, and our lives.

We are thankful for the present from which
to learn how to be thankful for the past,
and how to be hopeful for the future."
--Barney Bush, SHAWNEE

We Native people have really been tested. This testing is having
our land taken from us, our culture challenged, and our way of
living altered.

Gratefully, we have not lost our spirituality. our spirituality has
been the key for our people making it through all of these tests.
Our prayers are strong. Indian people have also been able to ad-
just to change and still keep their culture and spirituality.

Today, we should be grateful to the Creator for the present, and
for the lessons of the past. May our future be guided by the Great
Spirit.

Great Spirit, thank You for Mother Earth and Father Sky. Thank
You for my life.

[laurie6781]

Elder's Meditation of the Day March 4

"My father told me.that Hopi earth does
contain my roots and I am, indeed, from
that land. Because my roots are there,
I will find them."
--Wendy Rose, HOPI/MIWOK

Everything that comes from the earth will return to the earth.
We should be able to realize the connectedness to the earth.
We should be able to feel toward Her just like She is our real
Mother.

We can easily feel this connectedness if we can answer these
three questions: why am I?, who am I?, and where am I going?
If we cannot answer these questions, then perhaps we need
to talk to the Elders.

Go to the Elders and ask, "Grandfather, why am I?; Grandmother,
who am I?; Oh Great One, where am I supposed to go?" The
Elders will help us with these three questions.

Grandfather, help me to stay centered today.

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Elder's Meditation of the Day March 5

"I have always searched for my
place and my people."
--Wendy Rose, HOPI/MIWOK

For every human being to feel connected, we must have the
feeling of belonging. That is one of the values and benefits of
a culture: it creates the feeling of belonging.

If for some reason, while you were growing up, you did not
develop the feeling of belonging, a search will be triggered and
a restlessness will be present in your heart.

You will have a hole inside you, something missing, until you find
your place and your people. Remember, we can get this feeling
of belonging when we realize we belong to the Great Spirit and
that He really loves us a lot.

My Creator, today, I belong to You. Let me feel Your presence.
Thank You.

[laurie6781]

Elder's Meditation of the Day March 6

"And there are Four Corners of the
Earth that we talk about, the Four
Colors of people, and the Four Winds.
You see the winds-they are spirits."
--Grandfather William Commanda, ALGONQUIN

The Elders teach us about the four directions. If we learn about
direction, we also learn about attention, about focus, and about
power.

Each direction has spiritual power. In the morning, go outside,
face the east and get still; then, listen to your thoughts. After
you have done this for a while, turn and face the west. Get quiet
once again and listen to your thoughts.

Did your thinking change when you changed direction?

Great Spirit, teach me the power of the four directions.