A teaching given by my Elder.

Elder Wisdom!

A teaching given to me by Ojibwe Elder Larry Matrious

First: Draw a circle on paper. Second: put a dot in the center of the circle. Third: put a mark at the top of the circle. You can indicate that mark to represent North. Then put a mark on each side of the circle and the bottom. Mark those as East, South and West.

The circle represents balance and the dot in the center represents you.

Now write in next to the East, Emotion. Next to the South, Physical. Next to the West, Spiritual. Next to the North, Mental.

These are the four parts of your being.

The dot in the center can move in the circle depending on what is pulling you. Your task is to keep the dot stable and in the center.

Everything in the circle is about you and ONLY you.

Everything outside the circle is material things around you. Clothes, cars, home, people, work, food and all that surrounds you.

Now. How does it work.

You walk into a room and you see a beautiful flower. It calls to you and your first reaction is Emotional, it warms your heart. Then Mental as you think of how beautiful the flower is. Physically you feel strong like the healthy flower. Spiritually you are grateful that creator gives beautiful gifts. You are in balance and the dot is in the middle of the circle.

After a few days the flower will begin to wilt and spoil. Emotionally you become sad that the flower is dying. Mentally you try to think of a way to save the flower. Physically you become stressed that the Flower is dying. Spiritually you become frustrated that Spirit would let this gift of the flower die. The point in the center now moves North and East as you become consumed with Emotion and Thought.

Your work is to find a way back to Center. That is not easy but you must focus away from the Emotional reaction and the Mental thinking. So you increase your Physical by exercise or walks and increase your Spiritual focus by being kind to yourself. Find gentle surroundings. Gradually the dot will come back to center as you apply action to stay in balance in the center to everything around you, outside the circle you will come to realize that what is around you does not have to have bad effect so long as you maintain balance within.

What is within the Circle is the Soul of you, Your oneness in connection to all that is the creation. What is outside the Circle is the material things of life. You begin to walk in Spirit and apply the balance of self to all the matter/things around you.

Rather than being focused on the material things, you walk in Spirit and apply Spirit: Thinking, Emotion, Physical and Spirit Presence to all things you come upon.

We are raised in this world today to be consumers and obsessed with the material things in life. As those things consume us we lose connection with our self and lose the ability to stay in balance. 🥰

This is one key to how I live my life.

Published by

James Beard aka Noodin

              Cultural Storyteller, Educator, Speaker, 

              Author