Perfection
Perfection
Rainbow Eagle
I recently had an opportunity to reconnect with a friend of mine who also happens to be a powerful resource of ancient Native American wisdom. He is an Elder of the Oklahoma Choctaw Nation who travels the world, teaching, learning and integrating the information that is shared with him. He has been chosen by his Elders to spread the message of peace and appreciation for our Earth Mother as an authorized teacher of the Seventh Fire Peace Shield.
Rainbow Eagle describes the role of the Elder as a counselor. Rather than demanding rigid adherence to commandments of rules for conduct, Elders speak from the place of having spent a lifetime observing and maintaining as their center, Earth Mother. Their perspectives are framed from their many years of living and practicing their Native American culture. They consider the circumstances and suggest options. They point to possible outcome alternatives and on council with others, and do the best they can to foresee unintended consequences. Time and experience, memory and appreciation, respectful consideration and taking the long view, and prioritizing with the Earth Mother as the ultimate source of life and wisdom, make for temperate, insightful advice.
As the Seventh Fire Peace Shield Teacher, he is a standard bearer for the knowledge and timeless wisdom of his aboriginal, indigenous, peoples. His depth of acceptance and honoring of the spirit, wisdom, and cyclical nature of our Earth Mother instills a sense of hope in every one who hears him.
Rainbow Eagle is an historian. He is a seer. He has studied across cultures and has sought to make sense of the world. He was described to me as “one of those spiritual leaders who people trust with their most sacred secrets. These range from ancient primal wisdom and knowledge from secret societies to hollow earth theories.
In his quest to understand human behavior, especially the origins of Western culture Rainbow Eagle has researched some of the words and customs that defined us. Our use of words direct, define, and limit us. Our definitions of words tell us what we think we can do, how and why we think we can do it, and who we think we become in the process. Our words allow us to share and describe our world. The Eskimo have more than fifty words, variants, for the main feature in their landscape, snow.
Meaning of Perfection
Rainbow Eagle spoke about how our culture has significantly –and sometimes, intentionally– distorted the meanings of some of the words written in ancient times by ancient cultures, i.e., Aramaic, the original language of the New Testament Bible. Their modern interpretation is very different from their initially stated intention. One example he discussed is the word, perfect, and the loaded phrase, being perfect.
Perfection, as we tend to think of it, is to be God-like. It is complete. It is pure. It is without flaw. It is clear, and precise, and exactly what it is supposed to be.
From a religious perspective, it is innocence prior to sin. So, perfection cannot happen during one’s lifetime.
To strive or need to be perfect, or to do something perfectly, is an unrealistic goal.
Is perfection unattainable?
Brené Brown, writes in an article for CNN, “The quest for perfection is exhausting and unrelenting, but as hard as we try, we can’t turn off the tapes that fill our heads with messages like “Never good enough” and “What will people think?”
“Why,” she continues, “when we know that there’s no such thing as perfect, do most of us spend an incredible amount of time and energy trying to be everything to everyone? Is it that we really admire perfection? No — the truth is that we are actually drawn to people who are real and down-to-earth. We love authenticity and we know that life is messy and imperfect.”
Brené Brown is the author of “The Gifts of Imperfection” (Hazelden) and has a blog on courage.http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/11/01/give.up.perfection/
Rainbow Eagle teaches a much more nuanced interpretation of perfection. In Middle Eastern languages, much of the meaning is derived from context, from culture, from implications. This is one of the challenges of writing treaties between Western and Middle Eastern nations. The meanings of words and phrases in the Middle East are not as clear and precise as we feel is necessary in Western dialogue. Perfect in one culture is not as perfect in another.
While perfect in the Western interpretation is an unattainable goal, from the Aramaic and Native American interpretation it is simply doing the best you can, given your circumstances.
I can live with that. From the PetMassageTM perspective, this makes perfect sense.
PetMassageTM Offers a Perfect Application
As PetMassageTM Practitioner, we are the Elders. I, as the founder of PetMassageTM am your mentor Elder. My authority is based on my instruction from the Akashic Record; that I am to teach you a specific set of skills that will enhance the lives of dogs. Then, I offer suggestions for how and when to use them.
You, based on your life experience, your training, memory, and appreciation, offer suggestions to dogs. Your communication with dogs is through your touch, your emotional responses, and your manual and spiritual witnessing. You bring what you have to the table and offer a bountiful spread. It is the dog’s choice what to partake. Your touch and our presence influence the dog’s choices.
Many of our PetMassageTM students and practitioners are “perfectionists.” They get upset with themselves when they do not understand, or master skills right away. They can be very hard on themselves. They expect to manifest as experts immediately; without putting in the time and practice to develop depth to their skills.
For example, your first attempt at painting a flower with watercolors will not be nearly as successful as your fiftieth. During the intervening forty-nine paintings, you’ll have learned to paint. Think of what your one hundred and fiftieth floral painting will look!
In another example, there is the act of touching a dog. Everyone can do that. There is the act of touching a dog with an intention such as loving or soothing or healing. Everyone can do that, as well.
Then, there is the act of touching a dog using a specific set of skills that direct you to control the depth of pressure, direction of movement, sinking time, staying time, and withdrawal time. There is control of the size of touch zone, the shape of your breath, your posture, your safe body language and ergonomic mechanics. All this, with awareness of integrative healing approaches, and freely adaptable intention. Each response is “perfectly” appropriate to allow the dog opportunities to accept the suggestions for releasing tension and creating wellness. That, my friend, is part of the practice of PetMassageTM. It takes time and practice to develop.
Everything is perfect
I would like to believe, as Rainbow Eagle maintains, and another friend counseled several years ago when I was having a difficult time releasing resentment (thanks again, Jerry) that we are all doing the best we can, given our current level of understanding, spiritual development, and circumstances. Even the driver next to you, texting on his mobile, profoundly unaware of the traffic, and you, next to him, with all his “givens” is doing the best he can. His inner harmony is perfect, even as he’s being a perfect ——-. (Whoa. You counted the dashes?) (Petunia is a 7 letter word.)
This quote from Deepak Chopra came across my Facebook feed as I am writing this. “It helps if you remember that everyone is doing their best from their level of consciousness.” Would you say, “Synchronicity?” Hello Deepak.
Along the way to becoming truly adept at PetMassageTM, we are always doing the best we can, given our current experience and circumstances. And, because you are doing the best you can, you are always perfect, for now; and you can be mo’ better as you gain experience.
Each PetMassageTM is exactly right for you and your dog. You and the dogs you work with are meeting at the exact right moment for you both, when you can creatively share in each others perfections.
1sacristy