In this world we tend to push hard against the things we don’t want or don’t believe should exist. There are two basic problems with that action. First, the most we focus on something, the more we allow it to capture our attention, the more we feed it and the more energy we give to it. The surest way to stop an argument is to agree with the other person instead of disagreeing. It just takes all the wind out of their sails, they calm down, and then you can have a real conversation. The second problem is that in order to truly solve the issue, we have to raise our level of thinking above the level of thinking that got us into the mess to begin with. That often takes a much deeper look at the roots of the issue, or sidestepping the issue by looking at it in a much broader context. Next time you are confronted with some aspect of the world that you disagree with, perhaps you can just ask yourself, how can you do both?
Month: September 2016
Communication is one of the trickiest aspects of life. We say one thing and the other person hears something else. We mean one thing and our partner takes it completely the wrong way.
We all understand the importance of clear communication with others. We often overlook the importance of clear communication with ourselves.
Do you pay attention to how you talk to yourself? How that little voice inside your head tells you what’s bad about you, how things will go wrong, why it’s all your fault?
How we speak to ourselves is truly the symptom of how we feel about ourselves. Many people have said that if we spoke to our friends the way we speak to ourselves, we would soon have no friends.
So how about taking a gentler approach to how you speak to yourself?
Of course, we first must listen to what we are actually saying to ourselves. But after listening, how about re-framing those words in a kinder, gentler manner?
Try it, see how how you feel, and let us know.
We all see the problems of the world around us. From poverty to hunger, war to brutality, the evidence is unavoidable. But what is it evidence of? Many of us want a world of peace and harmony, were we can strive to be the best humans we can be. But in order to have that, we must really get to the root of the issue of why there is so much strife in our world. The level of thinking that got us into this situation will not get us out. Yes, we can band-aids that may relieve some suffering, but how do we evolve a permanent solution? I believe the key is to go deeper, to not rest at the level of the surface physical challenges, but to go to the heart of the energetic/spiritual cause of this manifestation. Only by changing the hearts and souls of humanity, one person at a time, can we truly achieve the loftiest of goals.
Sometimes we all need a break. A break from work, from our computer, our phone, even our home. But how often do we allow ourselves the gift of that break? How often do we truly unplug, turn off the phone, and go head out to nature? It doesn’t have to be a big deal, perhaps even for one day, one weekend, or one week. A true vacation is one where we are just enjoying life without any worries or concerns. How often do you give yourself a chance to have a vacation, even a mini one?
It is so common in our world to focus on what actions we want to take. The tasks, the individual steps we physically have to take to accomplish a goal.
Normally, not much thought is given to the energy we put behind the tasks, or how the energy in the task affects the outcome.
While both are important, the implications behind the energy we put into the task are much greater that the physical effort.
The donation we make to the charity for world peace, or the political candidate, can ripple through the consciousness of those around us, or around the world.
The belief, the desire, the vision we hold for the future are all a part of what our actions can manifest. The joy we feel when buying a present for a dear friend can create help to make that present even more special to them.
The more conscious we are of the energetic quality we put into our actions, the more we can purposefully affect a greater outcome than mere acts alone.
We are often told, when we dream big dreams, to be practical. But what exactly does that mean? Being practical is about making something useful and applicable. How are big dreams not practical? Just because we want to change the world for the better, or revolutionize some industry, in order to do that we have to take many small steps to get there. Each one of those small steps are very practical, for even if we don’t succeed in our main objective, we will learn so much in the process, that we will never be the same. We only need to take that knowledge and apply it to other aspects of our lives for it to be practical. So next time someone chides you to be practical, just keep dreaming those big dreams and reply “I am.”
Healing is quite an amazing thing. It comes in all shapes and sizes, and looks different for everyone. Sometimes when we are healing, we don’t feel well, even worse when we getting sick. Does that mean we shouldn’t heal? Does the discomfort prevent us from taking our healing journey? All grow comes with some discomfort. Whenever we step outside of our comfort zone, we are faced with the new and unknown and it can often be quite scary. Don’t let that momentary discomfort prevent you from healing and transforming into the beautiful butterfly you were meant to be.
What are we willing to sacrifice for the sake of certainty?
We all seek security and certainty in many aspects of our lives. We feel we need the certainty of that paycheck, of the commuter train, of our usual grocery store. We expect and want things to be the way they have been.
So when do we allow life to show us something different? Show us a new path, a different way to approach the life we are given?
Our imagination does not operate when we are stuck on certainty. Our creativity does not flourish when we are stuck in our routines.
Security is an illusion, and the only true certainty is that our imagination creates our life. Do you want a different life? Then imagine it different! How would you want it to be different, what colors, sounds, smells would be in this different life?
If we can take the leap from certainty and security to trust and appreciation, we can open up whole new worlds…
We celebrate so many things in life, our favorite winning team, a TV show we enjoy, when a hero in a movie triumphs over the villain. How much time do we take to celebrate ourselves? Not in an egotistical, self-centered way, but in a joy-of-living sort of way? Don’t we have great triumphs in our own lives? Don’t we deserve to be recognized for being there for our friends, our family, even our co-workers? Or perhaps for our clients, our vendors, or our employees? If we make the effort to stand up and be authentic, doesn’t that deserve to be celebrated as well? So what can you do to celebrate your own life? And how can you have fun doing it?
Independence is a concept born of a desire for freedom. When people are oppressed, enslaved and treated as cattle, their natural urge is to find a way to break free of those bonds. It is only after that hard fought freedom is attained and enjoyed for a while that we can come to the understanding that there is not true independence, only interdependence because ultimately we are dependent on each other for the majority of our existence. People who live in the city are dependent on the farmers who live elsewhere, the farmers in the rural areas are dependent on the suppliers where they get their equipment and supplies, those manufacturers are dependent on their workers, and those workers are dependent on the farmers for the food they eat.
