Universal Perspective
Solving Problems by Increasing Options
Most problems can be solved, goals reached, if we have the courage to get out of our cage… self-imposed limitations in our thinking… and explore the abundant universe waiting to assist us.
Introduction
The raccoon photo series above, and the text surrounding it, present the universal perspective philosophy in a nutshell. To solve our problems we must stop limiting ourselves to answers we’ve been given by well-meaning caretakers and become open to the best ideas from world religions and cultures, history, science, philosophy, psychology, and so forth. This is not easy to do but this multi-media self-help section can be a great help. This banner will appear throughout Universal Perspective to reinforce this powerful concept. Here’s a quote from To Heaven Through Hell that tells the story behind the photos:
“It was April already. I knew I’d have to let my pet raccoon Rhonda go soon if she were to survive in nature by herself. The crawdads, minnows, and frogs were abundant in the marshes of the nature reserve and there were lots of birds’ eggs and plants for her to eat. She’d need some time to learn to fend for herself before her first winter out of captivity.
I let her go one Sunday morning. I got up early and went outside to sit in the chair by her cage…to talk to her like I often did. I told her I knew she was unhappy by herself and things just hadn’t worked out for us the way I’d planned. I wanted her to stay with me for the rest of her life, but I assured her she’d love it where I was taking her and be able to find a mate and do all the things raccoons are really supposed to do.
I coaxed her into a small cage with some Cheetos, her favorite snack. She was her usual comical self, climbing in, then back out, taking her sweet time. I finally got her to stay in the little cage long enough to close the door and carry her to my truck. My friend Theresa drove with me to the reserve forty miles away.
When we found the creek leading down to the marsh, we unloaded the cage, put it on the banks, and opened the door. Rhonda had never been free in her whole life, so she wasn’t sure what was happening. She began to scratch the moist sand beneath her cage, but made no effort to leave. She looked around her curiously at the big trees and the water outside. It took her thirty minutes to climb out of the cage and walk down to the creek.
I showed her the canister of pet food I’d brought as I put it under a big tree. Then I went over to the other side of the creek so she could go without further distractions.
She explored the mossy waters near the edge of the creek, then waded all the way in and swam slowly toward the marsh. I’d cried all morning, but now felt a peace and acceptance. As she disappeared into the distance, I reminded myself that I, too, would be free one day to be everything I was made to be.” (Chapter 16, Pages 142-143, April 1986)
No matter what religion you inherited or what kinds of problems you’re facing, becoming free to think for yourself and and learning good problem-solving skills is the key to success. In To Heaven Through Hell and its related materials here in Universal Perspective, you’ll find many good strategies and resources that can help.
