As spiritual beings, we are ultimately made of energy. That energy comes from an omnipotent Creator who is pure love and brilliant light! As offspring of this transcendent being, we inherit its spiritual DNA, so to speak. Therefore, we are essentially also made of Divine love and dazzling light. So, does that mean that we all therefore, go around spreading our love and light wherever we go? I think we all know that is not true. Why? It is because we are spiritual beings who inhabit a physical form. Living in the physical world leaves us vulnerable to the pits and falls of the fearful, mindless individual ego that we all have, as well as the collective one that can be felt deeply by each of us.

I was reading something this morning about the disparity between focusing on the belief that we are born with certain rights and should fight for them; and the spiritual understanding that we are born with responsibility and an obligation to use our infinite energy mindfully, wisely, and consciously. That responsibility comes with real and lasting consequences. What does that mean? Let’s do a short meditation to illustrate this.

Find a place where you will be comfortable and undisturbed. Begin by closing your eyes and then taking a nice long deep breath in through your nose. Hold it and slowly release it through your mouth. Take another slow breath in, hold it, and as you release it feel the peace and relaxation growing inside of you.

Now, notice in front of you is a tiny point of light. That light begins to widen, and a scene opens before you. You find yourself in the midst of a very overgrown garden. Amidst the tall grass, dense brush, and weeds there are many fruit and nut trees. Despite the obvious fact that this place has not been tended to for some time, the trees are lush with many varieties of fruits and nuts. Just beyond the garden is a meandering stream that trickles over rocks and splashes down sloping embankments. On the opposite side of the stream is a forest that seems to be at the base of a tall mountain.

You are completely immersed in the beauty of this natural and peaceful place. It seems like it’s been years since anyone has been here and you feel so grateful for having inadvertently discovered this hidden treasure. You reach up and grab some of the trees’ bounty and settle down by the stream to enjoy your tantalizing treat. The sound of the flowing, lapping water and the soft rustling of leaves as a gentle breeze stirs them about, bring you into a stillness and a quietness that feels otherworldly.

You begin to think reflectively about the probable fact that some time, probably a long, long time ago, someone planted these trees and tended to them with love and care. You wonder about those people and what they were like. How many years have passed since they walked this earth? As these thoughts float through your mind, you begin to hear the muffled laughter of children. Yet, there are no children to be seen. There is a faint smell of burnt wood from a campfire and fragrant food seemingly cooking over the flames. You look around to find the source of the pungent aromas but are unable to.

As you fall deeper into that familiar place within, you begin to see shadowy images of what look like early American pioneers. The women are dressed in simple aproned dresses that come down to their ankles. Their hair is pulled back and knotted up in a bun, and many of them have cotton bonnets on their heads as well. Some of the men have long hair tied back in a ponytail. They are also dressed simply, and some have long jackets on, that looked like they were made from the skins of animals. The happy children you heard a moment before are playing in the branches of the trees. The garden is no longer overgrown and colorful flowers bloom around the bases of the trees. Some of the women are tending the trees and gathering the fruit and nuts. Across the stream you can see several strong, lean men with long, rather old-fashioned looking rifles, held tightly in their muscular arms. They seem to be hunting for meat to provide for their families and the small rural settlement.

As quickly as the images appear they vanish. You try to understand what you have just experienced. After some introspective moments, you realize that perhaps, those were the people who planted the trees in the garden, and the fruits of their labors were literally left behind, along with their creative and loving energy. The men and women who, through their love, bore children, taught them how to live and those children most likely carried on their legacy.

The sounds you heard and the scents you smelled were distant, lingering, and actual or authentic memories of the past. The people who settled this land are long gone but the energy footprints they left behind can still be seen and followed by people like you and me. We can still sense them and be affected and inspired by their lives. As you contemplate what just happened, you realize that all around us are those remnants or energy footprints of the lives we have all lived. You now understand that those memories will continue to linger among the people of the earth long after we have passed from this world and possibly forever.

You can now open your eyes and return to the present moment.

Returning to the above statement about our rights verses our responsibility and obligation, brings me to the point of the meditation. Many of us spend so much time ranting about our right to this or that, we forget that within those rights lies an even more important point that needs attention. As we defend our civil, political, and personal rights, we should also be building our legacy. What do we want our lives to stand for and what energy footprint do we want to leave behind for others to follow and emulate?

Energy, as Albert Einstein said, cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be changed from one form to another. To reiterate, we are energy created by God. Indeed, that energy cannot be destroyed even after we leave the physical world. When we use our energy, through thoughts, words, and actions, with the intention to create more love, kindness, compassion, and unity, those positive qualities stay both with us and behind us. Doing the opposite, of course, will have an equal, negative influence as well. The world will continue to feel the impact of the energy footprints of each and every one of our lives. We have a responsibility and an obligation to our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and beyond to live a noble life worthy of their respect and admiration.

We may aspire to be a great leader with high goals and aspirations. Yet, if we set aside our morals, ethics, and common decency to achieve such goals, we fail our families, our communities, our countries, and the world, not to mention we fail our beautiful, infinite soul. We are far more powerful and impactful than many of us realize. Our energy is our infinite power than cannot be destroyed no matter how many times we physically perish.

Let us be forever mindful of how we utilize this energy each moment of every day. When we cross to the other side of the veil, and we reflect on the life that we just lived, will we smile with contentment or cringe with regret? We may have already created energy footprints we are not be proud of, but the good news is we can still change the form of that energy to one we will be honored to leave behind.

Let us choose love and kindness always, and all will be well.