Word of the Month for October 2016: Protect

PROTECT

The Virtue is Protect and the Saboteur is Neglect.

Neglect Never Protects Love. 

We can protect ourself and others by protecting our heart, this means by following  our conscience which lives in our heart. By following the law of one’s conscience we can benefit our own life and be of better service to our society. By practicing this type of deep inner listening you are protected by your conscience because this is the voice of Eternity. Your conscience will never mislead you. It may make you go beyond what you thought was possible, but it will never mislead. When we practice deep listening, then we practice intelligence that reduces or even eliminates harmful actions.

Protecting virtuous qualities such as kindness, patience and compassion is the practice of spirituality. Ultimately, that’s why we meditate, practice mindfulness and even pray. We do these things to protect the quality of life. When we neglect our spiritual growth we become selfish, full of blame and resentment.  

Spiritual practice provides a shield of protection around you. Neglecting the practice of compassion leads to neglecting the poorest among us; the mentally disempowered, the physically challenged, the emotionally abused and the financially impaired. Blaming them for their undesirable conditions obviously doesn’t help them, but it doesn’t uplift the conditions of the society either. 

The practice of protection brings out the most noble in us. Neglecting the least among us will make us feel that those individuals aren’t trying enough or that people who have money and privilege try very hard. These are generalized beliefs. Help the strong and protect the weak is an old Kung Fu proverb. It’s so true. Helping the strong creates an alliance that provides more creative solutions that will better serve those who are currently disempowered for whatever reason.

If we neglect the least among us we are letting the seeds of greed, apathy and resentment to take hold of us. When this happens in a society our quality of life becomes in jeopardy. We will become a society of entitlement rather than generosity and benevolence. What do we want to be our legacy to the next generation?

Protecting can be helping your elderly neighbor carry her groceries into her home or driving slowly when you know the kids play in the street.

Protecting the landscape from harm by leaving it as clean or cleaner than when you were there is protecting love. Neglecting the trash that others left behind isn’t protecting the environment. We protect our family by purchasing quality food but when we’re finished eating we neglect what happens to the packaging. 

Protecting your emotional state in traffic by affirming that you have the inner strength to stay calm when others cannot is protecting love. Neglecting your ability to be strong when others are being careless in traffic isn’t protecting love.

Protecting your character protects you in the present. Protecting your thoughts words and actions protects you in the future. 

Protecting animals is good. Remember the mouse that protected the lion from the thorn in his paw? Those that seem small may really be the giants that walk among us. Those who are strong enough to be kind protect all of us.