Full Circe Tangents on Dogs and God and Dogmas

My spirituality is complex.  I wasn’t raised in organized religion though both my parents dabbled at times and my Mom came back to Christianity later in life.  I’d describe myself as an atheist looking for a better answer and dabble in meditation, Buddhism, and other largely secular beliefs like attraction and abundance.

Through the suggestion of a friend I coupled my meditation practice with journaling with a focus on the words “love, creativity, passion, joy and source” with the foundation of attracting abundance. I’m curious to see what transpires as this practice’s effects more fully weave into my daily life.  I initiate this practice and any approach to self-improvement by starting from a place of wholeness and while accepting there is space to expand myself beyond the person I am now.  Lately I’ve been expanding and it’s mostly physical and causes tightness at the waistline but that’s another blog on my desire for a six pack.

Tangent: “God Friended Me” is a new TV show and I found the show’s concept interesting.  In the trailer God sends a friend request to an atheist who then starts getting friend requests suggested by God and down the rabbit hole he goes….the trailer was worth watching.

That God would use a conventional tool like social media is odd but why not?  My primary go-to for spirituality is a book by Neale Donald Walsh called “Conversations with God.”  The format is a back-and-forth dialogue with God captured on legal pads by the author and is both practical in its language as well as in the messaging.  God’s tone in the dialogue is often playful, challenging and even employs irreverent humor which stuns Neale.  Gods reply: how could humans be have the gift of a sense of humor and yet God would not? The Twitter-sphere has a whole series of irreverent tweets on God’s mysterious inspiration for animals on Earth (Irreverent Factor 8) and I find them hilarious.

“Conversations” is a source of content for my daily affirmations. Here’s a few examples of my affirmations:

“Life is a process of creation not a process of discovery.”

“Discomfort is an opportunity for growth.”

“Relationships are a gift in remembering who you are.”

“I’m unattached to the outcomes of my actions because I choose love over fear always.”

And this one, which is pure comedy to say out loud some days:

“I’m strong and flexible and committed to my health.”

At least laughter has its health benefits.

Are any of these the ultimate truths? I don’t know.  A friend said last night, “We all have our own truths” and yet I think we all want something pure, distilled and unquestionable.   For me choosing “love over fear” as a foundational thought is always the highest choice for me to take and achieving mastery has yet to be accomplished. (I’ll still go slightly out of turn at 4-way stops. Oh the shame.)

Full Circle: Finding God in my Dogs or my relationship to them.

My “Dogma ate my karma” still pops into my life in the form of a pretty well-worn bumper sticker.  And “Conversations” guidance on dogmatic beliefs is recurring.  If “relationships are a gift in remembering who you are” my dogs give the regular gift of unconditional love. My care of them, kindness and compassion towards them – even when I have to let the old one (Pancho) out multiple times to “go potty” every night.  He’s now 14 ½ and slow on the trail but still happy as ever and feeding him expensive pain pills and dealing with an “unpredictable” GI tract is no fun but it’s what has to be done.

The Chihuahua, an 8-pound ball of fury and hate, named Homie has come a long way from the shelter in Monte Vista, Colorado where his spent his first year.  He’s my little cuddle buddy and he’s slowly, painfully slowly, learned to trust others and accept their love.  Most of the time.  I have empathy for his history and his unfortunate neurochemical habits.  Most of the time.  Homie still attacks almost every dog he meets and holds a lifetime record of 1,826 wins to 0 losses in his own mind.  The dogs are flawed, I’m flawed and they don’t care but I do and my relationship to them is an expression of my dogma and is a constant reminder of who I am and how I want to be.  Maybe my dogma has kept them from peeing on my karma.

I’ll keep talking to my dogs. What’s your one go-to resource for spirituality?

Anthony Poponi is a comic, improv artist, brain chemistry nerd and community-minded advocate and owner of Humore.us. He’s brings his love of connection and laughter to audiences as keynote, emcee, workshop host or moderator and his mission is to increase laughter and connectivity to combat the human health crises of isolation and disconnection.

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