"Belief"

  
     While discussing her documentary series "Belief," Oprah Winfrey stated, "We're all yearning for the same thing, but we have different ways and different approaches to doing that."
     All around the world, many people have a yearning to satisfy similar needs: define personal identity and purpose; find meaning in life; be a part of something bigger; feel whole and strong; receive and give unconditional love and compassion; make sense of and handle sorrow, hardship, adversity, tragedy, pain, and grief; receive and give forgiveness, wash away sins, let go of the past, and make things right; increase self-discipline and be good; make a fresh start and move forward with hope; obtain answers to questions about the mysteries of the universe; feel calm, peace, and joy.
     We all have different ways to satisfy these yearnings.  This documentary series shows a multitude of religions that believe in a spiritual power who creates, provides, protects, and helps with physical and emotional needs plus gives answers to the big questions. People around the world use meditation, prayer, scriptural study, traditional ceremonies, and group activities as part of their belief.
     Your religion may be portrayed in this series, or you may have a different religious or non-religious approach to life.  You may have your answers or you may still be in the process of  defining your belief.      
         

Black Cats

      Superstition gives black cats an undeserved bad name.  They were believed to be the companions of witches or to be witches in disguise.  One folk belief is that if a black cat crosses your path, bad luck may come to you.  Magic seems to be involved.
     Even today, these thoughts can cross our minds when we see a black cat.  White cats are 2.7 times more likely to be adopted than black ones.  We pride ourselves about not having superstitions, but many of our beliefs concern luck, magic, and miracles.  Often a predominant religion in a culture believes they have the facts and judge other religions as containing superstition or irrational magical thinking.
     Superstition can invade our thinking.  When illogical beliefs from the past are repeated as truth, when luck, magic, and the supernatural prevail, when innocent people and creatures are slandered, our society may become just as troubled as the witch hunters of years ago.
     Look to the day when creatures will not be judged by their color, but by the content of their character.   

             
     
        

Witch

     Look beyond the stereotype of an evil woman in black and think about why this character was invented.  Fairy tales and folklore paint a picture of an old, unattractive woman living on the fringes of society who was accused of using magical powers.  People were leery of an independent woman who didn't fit in with patriarchal religious groups.
     From Eve to Hester Prynne, women have been accused of being influenced by the devil when they didn't abide by "the rules."  Today, we still are unsure about women who dare to live a nontraditional lifestyle or don't conform to what we think is proper.  We may not call them witches; we think we are too evolved for that.  But, when a woman is strong, powerful, and independent, we use another term that rhymes with witch.
     You would think after all these years of women's lib, men and women could welcome the same positive traits in both sexes; however, we still give more honor to the traditional stereotypes.  Many men want the little woman to cater to his needs, and some woman feel more feminine doing so.
     Ding, dong, the witch is dead.  We know that is all make-believe, but some women still get labeled with that rhyming word.      

Ghosts

 
     What's dead is buried, permanently gone, never to walk the earth again, or maybe not.  Some people believe they have seen or felt the presence of a dead person, a ghostly image, an unexplained draft of cold.  How upsetting it must be to think that spirits of the dead may exist among us.  Some people, however, get  comfort in thinking that dead loved ones can hang around to help and protect the living and that we can communicate with relatives after they have died.  We don't want to accept the idea that once people die, they are gone.
     Other types of ghosts can roam around in our thoughts and influence our behavior.  These ancient ideas should have died, never to inhabit our minds again.  We may strive to bury outmoded, irrelevant, useless thoughts, but they may be haunting our thinking, allowing prejudice and faulty reasoning to influence our opinions.  We may hear the voices of our ancestors stating their opinions as facts.  Our memories keep their thoughts alive.
     We need to see reality.  The past is gone.  The present and future belong to the living.  Don't let ghosts cloud your vision.

Routine and Tradition

     For many people, routine and tradition reduces anxiety.  The comfort and security of knowing what's coming next reduces the necessity of thinking through something new.
     We all have routines that get us through the day as we complete necessary tasks while dealing with occasional new challenges.  Annual traditions like celebrating the same holidays in the same fashion promote a common identity with family, friends, and society.  Religious traditions, rituals, and ceremonies connect us to the past, reinforce beliefs, and reduce fears.  Recreating the past promotes conformity and nostalgia.
     Traditional activities may reduce anxiety and make us feel better temporarily, but perhaps we should face anxiety and develop the best ways to handle it.  Many events are out of our control; many questions will have no answers.  Feeling anxiety may be a sign that changes need to be made in the way we think or in the way we do things.  Then we can redesign our lives.  Resorting to activities invented  years ago or by generations past may hamper our ability to clearly see the present and future.
     If you don't like your routines, if you feel traditions don't satisfy your needs, if you don't like it, change it.        

Mental Health

     Murder, suicide, extreme violence, all seem to stem from poor mental health.  Even though we may not be prone to such extreme behaviors, our own mental processes may not be as healthy as they should be.
     Faulty information can flow into our minds, contaminate our thinking, and influence our behavior.  Our sense of logic needs to prevail to curtail the manipulation of others.  We need to welcome and search for useful and true information.  We also need to increase our emotional maturity, self-respect, and respect for others.
     Good parents teach their children to think and become civilized.  When children or adults show  signs of poor mental health, their families and associates should assume responsibility to get them professional help.  Counseling and medication may be required.
     Please, when you know someone who has poor mental health, don't give them access to a gun!
   

Needy

     Because children require physical, emotional, and financial support, they are understandably needy.  Because of poor financial situations or ill health, some adults are also needy.  Other adults seem to be emotionally needy, requiring attention beyond what is best for them and those around them.
     As social creatures, human beings need a certain amount of healthy interaction with each other.  We need someone to love, support, and understand us; however, we should be aware when we expect too much from others or when others expect too much from us.  Sometimes the ties that bind are a little too tight when individuals become too dependent on each other to satisfy emotional needs.
     Independence and self-sufficiency may never be completely developed when one person in a relationship remains emotionally immature while the other becomes almost parental.  The needy person may become demanding and manipulative, often overreacting or sulking, skills that may have been used in childhood which never evolved into adult behavior.
    On  the other hand, some people may strive to be self-sufficient and seldom reach out for help, not wanting others to feel obligated or burdened.  They certainly don't want to resort to emotional appeals but wish to handle their own challenges and not appear needy.
     Obviously, people should help each other, while encouraging emotional maturity in all parties.  Don't remain a child or enable someone else to act like one.   Relationship can be damaged when we are too needy.   
         
        
      

October

     Delight in nature's spectacle before the leaves fall.  As the green departs, the brilliant colors appear for a few weeks, then the leaves dry and fall to the ground enriching the soil and feeding the trees.  All will rest until spring.
     Here in the deep south, we don't have many trees that produce fall color.  In October, we plant cool season annuals: alyssum, dianthus, pansies, and snapdragons, just to name a few.  These blossoms thrive until summer heat returns.
     The versatile pumpkin arrives in October which can turn into a pie or a jack-o-lantern.  Halloween ends the month with trick or treat.