Thoreau, revisited …

By on April 27, 2012 in lifestyles, nature, people, philosophy, Uncategorized

I have been rereading Walden by Henry David Thoreau – which I’ve not perused in over 30 years. To think that a man not yet thirty wrote this is truly profound. His observations are both incisive as well as insightful – considering they were written in 1845! And though thankfully times have changed for both men and women, I still discover wisdom in his prose. Herewith some of my favorite excerpts, so far – shortened to exact meaning and not to disrespect the author:

Most men … are so occupied with the factitious cares and superfluously coarse labors of life that its finer fruits cannot be plucked by them. He has no time to be anything but a machine. How can he remember well his ignorance – which his growth requires – who has so often to use his knowledge? We should feed and clothe him gratuitously sometimes, and recruit him with our cordials, before we judge of him. The finest qualities of our nature, like the bloom on fruits, can be preserved only by the most delicate handling. Yet we do not treat ourselves nor one another thus tenderly.

I sometimes wonder that we can be so frivolous, I may almost say, as to attend to the gross but somewhat foreign form[s] of servitude … there are so many keen and subtle masters … worst of all when you are the slave-driver of yourself. Talk of a divinity in man! How godlike, how immortal is he? See how he cowers and sneaks, how vaguely all the day he fears, not being immortal nor divine, but the slave and prisoner of his own opinion of himself. Public opinion is a weak tyrant compared with our own private opinion. What a man thinks of himself, that it is which determines, or rather indicates, his fate. Think also of the ladies of the land weaving toilet cushions against the last day, not to betray too green an interest in their fates! As if you could kill time without injuring eternity.

Who shall say what prospect life offers to another? Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant? We should live in all the ages of the world in an hour; ay, in all the worlds of the ages. I know of no reading of another’s experience so startling and informing as this would be.

Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes, and not rather a new wearer of clothes. If there is not a new man, how can the new clothes be made to fit? If you have any enterprise before you, try it in your old clothes. Perhaps we should never procure a new suit, however ragged or dirty the old, until we have so conducted, so enterprised or sailed in some way, that we feel like new men in the old.

I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion.

We now no longer camp as for a night, but have settled down on earth and forgotten heaven.

And I’ve not yet gotten to page forty! Hope you enjoyed reflecting on these as much as I did.

Comments { 0 }

OUR DEEPEST FEAR

By on April 10, 2012 in inspiration, life, nature, philosophy, relationships, Uncategorized

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

~ Marianne Williamson

image: toltecartist.wordpress.com

 

Powerful forces of change are afoot in the world today. Yet we can still experience peace in our daily lives. Moving into a place of hope and positivity is a choice, though sometimes it surely seems otherwise. However with practice, I’m convinced that it’s within the grasp of most anyone, for each decision and movement we make is based in freedom or from fear.

In The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz expands on his philosophy that we live life in a dream. This societal dream is one in which we are immersed from an early age. Based on dominance, control and fear, it reveres technology while ignoring our sacred relationship to earth and the natural world. We are reminded that knowledge lies within each of us. Becoming aware of it is the challenge of our human condition. Ruiz teaches that “We go deep into hell and we suffer in order to acquire awareness … To get from hell, we need awareness which we acquire through intent and spirit … Heaven is a place without fear.”

Toltecs perceive humans as part of the earth’s greater ecosystem. As plants convert the sun’s energy through photosynthesis, so humans recycle energy back through emotional energies. We work for the earth twenty-four hours a day, just like the bees and the ants. “The work we do for the planet is to make emotions. Making emotions is the main function of the human mind.”

The prime emotion we may move toward when we release trepidation is love. Ruiz studies all the world’s major spiritual traditions, discovering a common thread of love running throughout. Churches teach it, so do parents. Often however, the kinds of love we see demonstrated carry a charge of fear – from the fire and brimstone preacher to individuals who give love with strings attached. True love is unconditional and cannot exist in the presence of fear. We fail to experience it while under the threat of losing it if we do the wrong thing.

Many Western religions scorn the physical body and its propensity for desire and physical love. Yet if we dissociate from our bodies because we’ve learned not to trust them and to fear their sensate nature, we break faith with the natural world and deny our inherent knowing. The body conveys consciousness into the world. In addition, spiritual practice with an unquiet mind in abandonment of the physical body is like driving a car with our eyes shut and our hands off the wheel. Most physical and mental exercise in our society is based on this sort of driven philosophy, where we push ourselves beyond endurance to “perfect” the body or to “challenge” the mind.

Perhaps we are less afraid of our inadequacies than of not measuring up to some perceived standard. Realize such standards are set to rein in the masses and foster social order. They then are disseminated by the minions of media, hypnotizing many into believing their mandates. As far as I can see however, our spirits are limitless. Accessing the truth of this allows us to blossom and flower into our full potential as sentient human beings, contributing to a more peaceful and just planetary community. We become the change, liberating ourselves and others, instead of kicking back, zoning out and becoming swept up in its jaw-clenching grip.

image: beautiful-tree.blogspot.com

 

Comments { 2 }

No Limits

By on April 6, 2012 in inspiration, nature, philosophy, random thoughts, spirituality, Uncategorized

A human being is part of a whole – called by us the ‘Universe,’ a part limited to time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest – a kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. 

~ Albert Einstein

image: Leonardo Da Vinci

I recently posted this to Facebook, where a friend commented that it’s a difficult task to be limitless. Yet I think in some ways this is the very thing we most, in the deepest recesses of being, want for ourselves. It almost feels like an imperative, driven from a need to yearn for limitlessness, like the Universe possessing a longing to express itself through all its life forms (we humans likely being the most recalcitrant when it comes to a reception of that nature).

And what is it that makes us perceive ourselves separate from, say, the snail? Many agree it’s because humans alone possess a rational mind from which springs thought. Reflection. Emotion. I love my mind; thrill at its accomplishments – how I can, for example, pick up a set of pastels after having put them down over twenty years ago and render a decent portrait.

I love crafting words into sentences – tweaking this and cutting and pasting that. I love that birds can fly and have such an expanded view of the sky and the forest and sea – but I wouldn’t actually wish to be a bird. Instead if I could, I would project my consciousness into that creature enough that I could experience flight without distressing it in any way. But as a bird, I would be exposed to a great deal of uncertainty as well as having too short a life span to grow beyond my species’ limitations.

The human mind can rule a person to such an extent that some of us truly do forget quite easily (thus the optical delusion of consciousness). We forget where we placed our keys, but also we have difficulty in connecting with our primal origins, which is another form of forgetting, perhaps a kinesthetic one. To free the mind, I must be willing to release that which I once felt supported me. The walls of personhood begin to crumble, and who am I, if not my history, my heartbreaks, my victories? Yet these are the same walls preventing me from granting a greater power more direct access. Ironically, relinquishing walls gifts me with a wider freedom and ease. But it can be alarmingly unfamiliar too, and I have a built-in resistance to change that must be DNA-deep (though I work to soften it daily).

As I open and relax into expansiveness, I discover other, deeper layers that begin to soften as well. Yet words and concepts are one thing. Actually embodying this sort of magnitude of change takes practice. But as it becomes more familiar, it feels right, somehow. I begin glimpsing how my own life works. Conversely, I notice the underpinnings of others – their pain and suffering at living illusion and making it real. I know. I’ve been there. Now I can wish for them to awaken to that spacious beauty within, just like the trees and the ocean and the wind. The forest becomes my home, as does the sea (and, when I fly in an airplane or in dreams, the sky). This home is sacred. Thus I seek balance – not just for myself, because I do not exist outside the cosmos. What is personal extends beyond boundaries to all of life – for we are all dancers in this great cosmic experiment.

image: homeinteriordesignthemes.com

Comments { 0 }

The Highly Sensitive Person

By on March 14, 2012 in health, inspiration, people, philosophy, relationships, Uncategorized

Are you a sensitive person? Perhaps you’re familiar with the saying, “Be in the world, not of the world.” It can be very difficult for a sensitive, open person to participate in the reality most human beings seem comfortable with. For if we honor our senses, if we approach others with openness and honesty, one of two things might happen. We could experience another person respecting our willingness to be fully authentic and present with them, or we might be taken advantage of. How do we interact with others, then – how do we strive for authenticity while remaining on guard? How can a sensitive person learn to function in a society which, in effect, asks us to “toughen up and get over it?”

Elaine Aron, in The Highly Sensitive Person, asks not that we get over our sensitivities, but, in effect, to get with them and learn to honor ourselves just as we are. A general trait of highly sensitive people is that we have no control over stimulation. And though some of us can get used to certain stimulations, overstimulation still depletes us. When we feel depleted, it seems to me that some of us retreat into ourselves and others lash out (as if to say Leave me alone! without quite knowing how to ask). Waiting until we are grossly over-stimulated can create several unpleasant scenarios. One might be that we unintentionally hurt others. Then we are bound to feel badly about ourselves.

Society and many of our family members do not like it when we seem to require special treatment (thus we need to learn to treat ourselves with care). Another consequence of failing to honor our needs is that we push ourselves until we become ill. In both cases, we can learn to appreciate our sensitivities and set guidelines to help us cope. This begins with more fully exploring who we are and what we are made of, so that we might better understand what our needs might be.

When my children were young, we lived out in the country. Coming from a large family myself, I didn’t get a lot of one-on-one time with my parents while growing up. After bringing my daughters into the world, I was determined to give them what I felt I did not get enough of, including time and parental attention. As young girls, they wanted to interact with others and to experience the world outside familiar surroundings. One of the only ways for them to do this, given where we lived and the lack of structured youth activities, was by visiting a distant city or even the mall! No matter when they asked to go somewhere, I would drop what I was doing and arrange a trip. After all, they didn’t ask very often and I was their only mode of transportation. But at certain times, I felt so overwhelmed that, during our drive, I would blurt out in frustration, “I just can’t do this one more time! Can’t you just be satisfied being home?” and so on. Taken aback, one of them would invariably respond, “Well, Mom, why didn’t you just say ‘no’?” 

Though saying ‘no’ seems simple to me now, at the time it seemed absurd. As a highly sensitive person, I recognized the incredible gift I was given in mothering my daughters. I wanted them to be exposed to art, music, culture, friends. I wanted them to have all I could provide, putting myself last on the list. If you are a parent, perhaps you know what I mean. However when we put ourselves last, we invariably grow to resent it. We can’t draw water from a dry well. No matter how much we love those we are here to serve, we need to serve ourselves first, in a profound way. This doesn’t mean we are selfish. It does mean we learn to honor our need for rest, introspection and regrouping. As we do this, we set a healthy example for others to follow, including our children.

We live in a very driven culture, and increasingly, a driven world. Sensitive or not, we all need to stop and refuel. Yet the sensitive person needs down-time. If you are one of “us,” please stop waiting for someone to give you permission to live your life. Stop simply hoping others will treat you kindly, the way you would treat them. You might be waiting a very long time. Start with honoring your own feelings, treating yourself with respect. (If you have trouble doing this, honor yourself enough to get help.) Learn to ask for what you need and stick with it. Don’t backdoor your needs by trying to earn others’ approval first. As Rick Nelson sang in Garden Party, “You can’t please everyone, so you got to please yourself.”

 

image: Scott Parrish

 

And to view Rick Nelson performing Garden Party:

watch?v=fxdiraVxwkI

Comments { 2 }

Tricks of the Brain (repost from Natural News)

By on March 6, 2012 in consumption, health, inspiration, lifestyles, Uncategorized

Seven tricks your brain is playing on you

by Mike Bundrant (images added by Bela Johnson)

We all want to believe we are tough to fool. The problem is, even if you are not so gullible, your brain still works a certain way, making associations that create vulnerability to being easily fooled, or fooling yourself. It takes work to release yourself from these natural assumptions that are presumed to originate from a mix of hard wiring and cultural conditioning. Getting beyond them is surely a worthwhile thing to do, however.

Here are seven common assumptions that a lot of brains simply can’t resist.

1. Any reason will do

Did you know that people who use the word because when making a request dramatically increase their chances of getting the favor?

Social psychologist Ellen Langer performed an experiment in which she asked to cut in line to use a copy machine. She tested three different ways of asking, and recorded the results:

Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine?
60% said OK.

Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I’m in a rush?
94% said OK.

Using because I’m in a rush yielded a huge approval boost. Even more impressive was the next trial:

Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I have to make some copies?
93% said OK.

Using the word because is more important than the ensuing reason. It seems that just having a reason is enough, regardless of what that reason may be, even if it doesn’t make much sense or actually justify the special request. Think about it. 93% of people responded positively to because I have to make some copies.

image: bu.edu

2. People who have education, money or popularity must be credible

Even though people have been lied to, disappointed, ripped off and even murdered by those who came “highly recommended” by popular sources, we still think whoever manages to make it into the spotlight must have something important to say.

If Oprah recommends a book, by gum it must be worth reading. What if she recommends a friendly book by someone who turns out to be a cold-hearted killer with a sociopathic god complex? She did! And he was convicted. He didn’t even write the book with his name on it. He just managed to get some publicity from sources people think are credible because they managed to get some publicity, too.

Are you smart if you graduated Yale? Not necessarily (George W. Bush). Are you a person of integrity if you preach the word of God? That doesn’t quite do it (Jimmy Swaggart). Do you care about others just because you have a foundation? Hardly. (Bill Gates).

image: boston.com

3. If popular people are doing it, it must be cool

For the classic example here we must return to the father of spin, Edward Bernays. In the 1920s, doing PR for the American Tobacco Company, he positioned some young models to march in the New York City parade. He then told the press that a group of women’s rights marchers would be lighting “torches of freedom.” On his signal, the models lit Lucky Strike cigarettes in front of the eager photographers. The New York Times (1 April 1929) printed: Group of Girls Puff at Cigarettes as a Gesture of Freedom. This helped to break the taboo against women smoking in public.

Are you modeling any popular, cool people? Why?

image: tobaccocontrol.bgm.com

4. You’d be happier if you were living a life of leisure

It is easy to imagine a life of leisure and fool ourselves into thinking this would make us happy. Get rich quick schemes portray a lifestyle that is full of vacations and downtime, as if these were the keys to fulfillment. Many people obviously agree. The lazy man’s dream!

The truth is that a lack of things to do most leads to boredom and depression. Humans are industrious and creative by nature. We need challenge and accomplishment. We need to be passionately engaged in something purposeful. Leisure is important, but only in the context of a productive life.

image: ourvanity.com

5. If someone tells you something that is true, the next thing they say must also be true

Hypnotists rely on this one to lure you into a trance. This is the structure of the pocket watch technique. They dangle the watch in front of you and begin. You are sitting there in the chair….noticing the gold watch….yes, it is ok to blink…..and your eyes are beginning to get heavy. Say a couple of things that are true to build credibility, followed by one thing the hypnotist – and the subject – want to become true. The hypnotist repeats this pattern over and over as the subject follows him right down the rabbit hole. Eventually, the mind opens to all kinds of suggestions.

No successful scammer got away with anything that didn’t sound credible. The most successful scammer gurus teach all kinds of useful things before they take people for loads of cash in exchange for a few more useful things.

image: parasearcher.blogspot.com

6. You’d be happier if you had more money, recognition or fame

Actually, you’d are more likely to be less happy and sicker. A study by three University of Rochester researchers showed that reaching materialistic and image oriented goals actually fosters ill-being. In spite of their accomplishments, people tend to have more negative emotions like shame and anger and more physical such as anxiety, headaches, stomachaches, and loss of energy.
On the other hand, individuals who focus on personal growth, relationships, community involvement and physical wellness tend to be more satisfied as they succeed in those areas. They also show fewer signs of stress and greater overall fulfillment.

image: inmagine.com

7. Someday…

Ah, magical thinking. It’s so nice to sit back and wait for great things to start to happen. We often hold an image of an idealistic future in our head, hoping that it will come to pass. It may be comforting to believe you will become healthier and wealthier just because time is passing and it is nice to be optimistic, but daydreams don’t include the real, day-to-day decisions, actions and sacrifices that go along with achieving something worthwhile.

Let’s sink some teeth into our future plans by getting real, creating a strategy, working hard and making adjustments to life’s feedback along the way.

image: mannahattamamma.com

Comments { 0 }

I’m Looking Through You (Where Did You Go?)

By on March 1, 2012 in love, psychology, relationships, Uncategorized

I’m looking through you

Where did you go?

I thought I knew you

What did I know?

You don’t look different, but you have changed

I’m looking through you

You’re not the same.

~ Lennon & McCartney

This song runs through my head occasionally, along with the reminder that if I don’t like something about another person, the need to change lies within me. It matters not what another says, who they are, what they represent. The closer in proximity, the tighter the relationship, the stronger the message and/or the reflection.

I’m looking through another person when I expect them to give me something only I can provide for myself. I’m not truly seeing them, only my desire for whatever it is I want met, and now. And I’m not honoring this unique individual and their equally challenging life, nor empathizing with their own complex inner turmoil or even acknowledging a possible attempt at providing what it is I’m looking for. Lost in my own illusion, I’m spiraling into the orbit of my own personal galaxy. Not only am I miserable, I am contributing to the misery of another.

You’re thinking of me the same old way

You were above me, but not today

The only difference is you’re down there

I’m looking through you,

And you’re nowhere.

How humans wish for another to be that image of perfection toward which we strive, for whom we sacrifice so very much! If only they would cooperate as our ideal, life could be smooth, even sublime. This illusion is fostered through, among other things, romanticism spoon-fed us by the media. And the consequence of attempting to maintain a fantasy is perpetual disappointment. If we want real love and/or enduring relationship, we need only discover our own fundamental loving nature. From that wellspring of caring, we sow seeds that pop up like wildflowers in fields of enduring reflection.

Life stretches onward with challenges, that being its nature. Yet contentment grows, despite obstacles, as we discover a deeper peace than we believed possible when accepting responsibility for our own value. Instead of frustration and time wasted in futile efforts to bend another’s will, we discover the grace inherent in letting another person truly be, flowering into and unto themselves. And we discover, deep within, an innate joy in granting this gift, to and from our own authentic beloved selves.

 

photo credit: Bela Johnson

 

Beatles- I’m Looking Through You

 

Comments { 0 }

YOU ARE THE DIAMOND

By on February 21, 2012 in inspiration, relationships, spirituality, Uncategorized

image: cheekyangels at flicker.com

 

From birth to death, life is steeped in paradox. Like the diamond, we begin as fairly humble material. As human beings grow to physical maturity however, the depths to which one may be moved in acts of loving kindness is matched only by another’s capacity for venomous hatred. The creative expression of a Michelangelo and the destructive acts of a Hitler can melt our hearts with joy or sorrow in their turn, as we are ultimately confronted with our own proportionate creative and destructive potential. Most of us live somewhere in the muddy middle, though we all experience thoughts which constantly draw us to and fro, back and forth between right and wrong, good and bad, love and hate. Yet as surely as a lump of coal quietly strives to become the diamond, we are drawn to the refractive brilliance of the polished gem within. For the human soul, transformation holds that kind of allure.

We live in challenging times. Figures such as Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden personify our collective Shadow. The war on terrorism uses fear and aggression in an attempt to eradicate these undesirable elements and, in the process, becomes a representation of the Shadow, itself. Patriotism has become just another excuse for righteous anger, but there is no such thing as a holy war. War itself is the most unholy act on the planet – the taking of lives, many of them innocent, in the name of justice.

We might discover common ground with our enemies, but this cannot happen until enough of us face the harsh reality of our own inner foes. The Shadow is part of collective consciousness. We cannot eradicate it; we are dealing with a primal force. We can, however, face it in ourselves and work on accepting, loving and integrating our denied qualities. At this point in time, might we break the tension of extremes? War feeds Shadow elements of hatred, oppression, prejudice, racism and more. When we chase that Shadow outside ourselves, we collectively energize leaders to point fingers at.

How might we encourage transformation on a daily basis? Fear of our own quixotic nature may be the single biggest obstacle to the changes we so desperately seek. How might we unconsciously sabotage our own noble efforts? The process of disentangling threads of fear which intersect the fabric of our lives is onerous as it is rewarding, and there are few shortcuts. We can only face what comes to us and do our best. Like a lump of coal, we are imperfect. Remembering the potential of that coal however, we refine our character over time by meeting ourselves and others as honestly as we are able.

Goethe asserts that behavior is a mirror in which everyone shows his image. All human beings share common emotions. If someone’s behavior triggers us, our power lies in being able to sit with feelings that emerge, rather than blaming that individual for possessing elements denied within. Labeling another may ring true, but searching inside for these traits gifts us with the power to transform them. As we heal through acceptance and unconditional love for ourselves, we are able to witness character defects in another with greater compassion and unconditional reception. As we practice this skillfully, the most resistant among us opens to communication. We become examples for others to follow. We become what singer/songwriter Carole Isis terms diamonds in the heart of all life.

 

(The following link will lead you to Carole’s performance of You Are The Diamond):

watch?v=KKtA-h_MTnk&context=C36bef40ADOEgsToPDskJWZZjCNeTsBicms23OSDoc

 

                       

Comments { 2 }

And So It Begins

By on February 15, 2012 in health, nature, philosophy, spirituality, Uncategorized

image: richeast.org

 

Born into a world fraught with duality, none of us spring fully formed from the head of Zeus the parent. Instead we labor, step by step. We learn, the slowest alongside the fleet of mind; plod through our lessons from walking to speaking to writing. In a single day, an infant will gurgle with glee, howl with abandon. Blissful in repose one minute; tiny fists pummeling the air at what cannot immediately be satisfied, the next. Is duplicity our fundamental nature? Or simply an illusion brought about by living on a polarized planet?

Challenges increase with age. Again and again we reach for the warmth and comfort of the light, only to be cast back to earth like Icarus with melted wings. If defeated by darkness, we seethe in a self created Inferno, buried alive in our own mental excrement – awaiting renewal like a bear in its den. Invariably just as Spring follows Winter we resurface – rising like the phoenix from the ashes – only to discover the dance continues.

 

 

If we fail to grasp the inevitable facts of our existence – that we are here to learn and grow and that this growth most certainly will involve adversity, we remain poised over a widening gap in consciousness. If we wish to experience integration and a modicum of sanity, we learn to roll with the soft body of emotions. Becoming the observer of the mind while remaining grounded in the body physical gets us through the most challenging of times.

We know what it is to feel pulled beyond our limits. At times it seems as though we might spontaneously combust in a situation or condition whose duration seems without end. And even though I know by this stage in my life that this too shall pass, I am given to wonder with each fresh challenge if the duration increases with each subsequent travail, until I am food for worms – transforming me even then into something wholly rotten and at the same time wholly new!

In The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Sogyal Rinpoche speaks about the bardos, or in-between stages typically associated with a time when our eyes close on this world. And yet he reminds us that this life, too, is a bardo. What we learn, our practice in this life, prepares the ground for our death and what lies beyond.

 

image: jeffspirit.com

 

I don’t believe we are meant to be defeated by darkness, anymore than the creatures of the ocean are doomed by a life in the depths. Darkness exists in nature in far greater excess than does light: the endless expanse of the heavens, the shadows in the woods, caves and the human womb. From the depths derives our potential, bursting forth like stars, pinpoints of brilliance birthed from an inky matrix.

 

 

Comments { 0 }

Metamorphosis

By on February 8, 2012 in life, philosophy, spirituality, Uncategorized

Transformation. We hear it, see it, maybe even feel it – but how does it pertain to us personally? Does it imply that our lives will completely change? Does it require us to alter the way we think and speak? Does it mean we’ll have to leave a marriage, say goodbye to old friends? There are all sorts of renderings that take place in life, whether we embrace them or not. For transformation demands change: change of condition, form, appearance, nature or function. Metamorphosis ensues when something has outgrown its skin; outlived its purpose.

We cannot control what others do or say (though some of us spend the better part of our precious lives trying), but we can control our responses. It may not be easy, but we can transfigure ourselves through honest self evaluation. This requires reflective time spent alone – where meditation or prayer give rise to conceptual expansiveness and self forgiveness. While it is never easy to admit to less savory shortcomings such as the need to dominate others or have the final word, gaining insight through contemplation can nourish relationship to ourselves as well as with others. We can learn to stop blaming another for our unhappiness or discomfort and look within to affect lasting change. In other words, we can transform our thinking, transform our way of being in the world.

What holds us back? A big stumbling block for many is a lack of self worth. This leads to the unconscious belief that we can’t have what we most desire. Some make excuses to keep themselves down: no money, no time, no training. If this fits, consider no faith, and instead try opening to possibilities and affirming a willingness to accept a wider purview. Move tentatively forward, knowing the gods usually meet us halfway. While cultivating patience, resolve to know yourself better by exhibiting a more authentic presence in the mirror and to the world. Infinite possibilities spring from the depths of tranquil self awareness.

 

image of dolphins in Kealakekua Bay - John Dunlea

 

Hello darkness, my old friend …

Comments { 0 }

The Dragon’s Breath

By on February 2, 2012 in 2012, health, life, lifestyles, Uncategorized

 

This year finds us moving through the Chinese Year of the Water Dragon, the first in over sixty years. Any Dragon year is intense. It can be rife with change and thus potential strife. Dragon collects treasure in its cave. We are challenged to release material things as well as concepts and even emotional baggage which no longer serve our ultimate potential as human beings. Dragon is yang, fiery and confrontational. This Dragon’s element of water tempers these qualities, but make no mistake – transformation this mythical creature represents is afoot.

In The Hero Within, Carol Pearson offers, “Heroes take journeys, confront dragons, and discover the treasure of their true selves … People who are discouraged from slaying dragons internalize the urge and slay themselves.”

The Warrior is an important facet of the Hero, but it has been distorted in our culture. Usually reserved for white males, this distorted Warrior casts women in the role of “witches to be slain” or “princesses who … serve as the hero’s reward,” damaging men who become trapped in the myth as they fail to develop their more caring, compassionate nature. It immobilizes women who do not speak their truth for fear of castigation.

We all want to be loved. We all seek acceptance. Yet there comes a time in all our lives when we are faced with a decision: do we continue along as we have been taught, or do we embrace the innate gifts and challenges that are uniquely our own? Do we remain paralyed with a fear of rejection, or do we take the Hero’s journey? And if we decide to embark, just how do we go about it?

It takes great courage to face substantial change. To look honestly at ourselves and discover what lies beneath the conditioning and hype of our existence can be daunting. Meanwhile others may feel threatened by our explorations and emergent voices and, when confronted in this way with their own fallibility, may seek to criticize or even distance themselves from us. We are constantly filtering and ferreting out what is real and learning to stand by it.

One of the opportunities in transformation of any kind is applying knowledge rather than simply falling into spewing rhetoric. It’s easy to clutter minds with information while failing to make time for integration. Daily practice and self encounter/examination allows for the winnowing away of what no longer fits, what no longer serves the heart’s highest good. And before we know it, perceptions shift – and we are through the Looking Glass.

 

photograph: Annie Liebovitz

 

Comments { 0 }