Sunday, September 30, 2012
Human[BEING]
In life, we get stuck in the roles given to us by our parents, society or the roles we give ourselves. We try so hard to be the best mom, dad, wife, husband, son, daughter, etc, and the list goes on and on; so much so that life is no longer about the relationships you could be building with any given person but whether or not you are measuring up to the role you think you are playing at that moment so much so that authenticity goes out the window.
When you live this way, all that matters at any given moment with any given interaction is who you think you are, who you think they are and who you think they think you are. You end up doing whatever is required to achieve that role, that you miss the essential lesson[s] in the art of living. We are here to learn, grow and evolve as human beings, but the key to that is to find the balance between human and being. You see, all those roles belong to the Human part of you and they are important, but its not enough to fulfill you and live a meaningful life - no matter how hard you try. To be fulfilled, one can't forget about the Being part - the light within you, your divine spiritual nature which just is and doesn't play any roles.
Human & Being are not separate, they are interwoven. If all you think you are is what you see in the mirror, Human, then you will always be looking to fulfill any role you think you need to be to get a sense of self - to exist. Those roles are so dangerous because as you identify with them, they may lead you to believe you are bigger, better, stronger, know more or can do more that you your fellow humans which are actually your equal in every level except in your mind - we are all one. You will feel superior; thus, you make others feel inferior. You see, only from the state of Being - your divine spiritual nature - can you treat others with love in your relationships. To love is to recognize yourself in another; and that's the love that unites us all.
-- Inspired by Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Pairs of Opposite
Carl Gustav Jung (26 July 1875 - 6 June 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist, an influential thinker and the founder of analytical psychology (also known as Jungian psychology). Jung's approach to psychology has been influential in the field of depth psychology and in countercultural movements across the globe. Jung is considered as the first modern psychologist to state that the human psyche is "by nature religious" and to explore it in depth.
C.G. Jung says that in the world we live in, there are certain qualities that are absolute truths. These qualities come in pairs of opposites and you can't have one without the other. Such as -
Fullness and Emptiness, Living and Dead, Light and Darkness, Hot and Cold, Time and Space, Love and Fear, Good and Evil, Beauty and Ugliness, to mention a few.
These qualities exist outside of ourselves and inside of us. Therefore, when one is not in tune with their true nature - the true self [not the false self which is the EGO] one is constantly striving to define and attach oneself with these qualities in order to feel like we exist. The danger with that is that when one strives towards the attainment of the good and the beautiful - for example - and is not in tune with ones true nature, we then fall pray to the effects of the opposite qualities - evil and ugly, since these are one with the good and the beautiful. When, however, we remain true to our own nature, we distinguish ourselves from the good and the beautiful, therefore, at the same time, from the evil and ugly.
According to Jung, he emphasized the importance of balance and harmony in ones life. He cautioned that modern people rely too heavily on natural science and logical positivism and that we would benefit greatly from integrating spirituality and appreciation of unconscious realms. He considered this process of individuation necessary for a person to become whole.
In summary, Jung asks us to strive not after any of these external qualities which ultimately will always leave you empty, but after YOUR OWN BEING. Bottom line, there is only one striving, the striving after your own being. Once this is clear to you, you would not need anything else, thus you would come to your right goal by virtue of your own being.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
A bit of Meditation
The practice of meditation or sitting in silence, its not something that you are just going to flow on your first try. In fact, its probably not going to make sense to you at all. You are going to be fidgety, anxious, confused and not sure of what you are doing or what its suppose to happen. You are probably not going to like it and for most, you are going to quit, because you are going to lead your self to belief that you are no good at it; its simply too difficult.
The truth is; we have 5 senses that need stimuli and you have been facilitating that stimulus with external things all your life. How could you possibly be any good at just sitting there with nothing to do? The first few times you try, you are going to be bored out of your mind with the intense need to fixate on something. Come on, nothing truly worthwhile is ever easy. You can't fear failure so much to the point that you refuse to try new things. The saddest summary of a life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should have and as Sherman Finesilver said,
"You’ve failed many times, although you don’t remember. You fell down the first time you tried to walk. You almost drowned the first time you tried to swim. . . . Don’t worry about failure. My suggestion to each of you: Worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try." "The greatest failure of all is the failure to try." -William WardFor some, meditation will be a struggle but don't deny yourself that struggle because if you never experience struggle in life, you never experience growth. One thing I've have learned about meditation, is that is a direct reflection of how you deal with life. Mediation makes you honest with yourself; honest with who you really are and whats on your mind - there is no one else there but you. So, give yourself that opportunity to feel who you are.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
We were born ready...
We'll it's been a while since I posted anything, but, like my original post says, I've been on the road of looking within and finding out who I truly am. This past year sure did that to me! My first step was learning to let go of who I thought I was - as you can see in my recent post and the rest was my journey. So are we born ready to begin that journey that takes us down our own personal rabbit hole of questions and answers or no answers? I believe we are. Here is my reasoning: We are not what we think we are. As my friend Moises would say:
Your are NOT what you see in the mirror
You are NOT what others see in you
You are NOT what you think you are
You ARE that self that lies dormant in you
You HAVE only a life time to discover it and wake it up.
What do I mean, yes thoughts/consciousness creates reality, so essentially we are what we think, but what I mean is that we are not just this body and this mind that "controls" it. We are divine spiritual beings living a temporary human experience. If we are created in the image of God and God is everywhere, then that means that God is in us. Which has led me to understand that if there's a presence of God in me then that means I am a distinct portion of his essence which means I too have inside me that divine spark that makes things happen. So if God is everywhere and there is no place God is not then this includes you - What an awareness when you know that you carry God in you. So, once we connect to this understanding we regain the power of our source and we stop seeing ourselves as a separate entity from the miraculous power of God and begin to feel that oneness with everything. Affirm: I am a divine, precious soul. Once you believe in yourself and see your soul as divine and precious, you will automatically become a being who can create a miracle. (Daily Affirmations - Dr. Wayne Dyer)
So are born ready? Yes! It is only through the illusion that is life and the thoughts and opinions of others that we believe we are not. Ready for what? Ready to continue with a journey that was paused by ego and limiting believes given to us by society; family and friends.
"Men are disturbed not by the things that happen, but by the opinions of the things that happen" - Epictetus (55-135)
Everything we think we are is largely credited to the experiences and testimonies of other people, from a source outside of ourselves. How often do we truly experience things for ourselves, instead we blindly follow what is being said simply because it is easier to do that than to question it and go out there and see if it's true or not. Funny thing about that is that we do that with the small things, for example, if a friend asks you to try a certain type of food that you believe you don't like but have never tried it - How do you know you don't like it? Probably because someone important in your upbringing led you to believe that it wasn't good or just heard from enough people that it wasn't good. Only if after you try it and you don't like it does it become your reality.
"Do not believe what you have heard. Do not believe in tradition because it is handed down many generations. Do not believe in anything that has been spoken of many times. Do not believe because the written statements come from some old sage. Do not believe in conjecture. Do not believe in authority or teachers or elders. But after careful observation an analysis, when it agrees with reason and it will benefit one and all, then accept it and live by it. - Buddha (563 B.C. - 483 B.C)
Conduct your own experiments; experience life through your eyes and no one else's and if after you've experimented for yourself you get to the same conclusions as what was being said, then great, believe it then and if you don't, that's great also, believe and live by your findings. So if we are born with a spark of divine power in us and is only by domestication and programming from others that we are led to believe otherwise, then is just a matter of reclaiming what we once intuitively knew. So are we ready? Yes, we were born ready. Ones journey to a better life full of positivity and awareness of self, without limits and blockages can start at any moment. One can say that someone may not be ready on the basis that due to their lack of ability to truly understand themselves because they have been raised to look externally for their answers instead of internally and maybe nothing life changing has happened to them yet so they can't change, then yes that is true - but that is still a belief that came from an outside source and a belief is just a thought that we have agreed to believe and live by; It can be changed by creating a new thought. Change comes from within and what can be more life changing than saying I want to change, no need to wait for pain and suffering to come your way. YES, that's how most change occurs, but only as a last resort because we weren't aware enough to listen and trust in our internal knowing because we had a really loud voice yelling in our heads called EGO telling you how to live and who you are. Which brings me to my last point:
"I think therefore I am not, only when the mind is silent I am" - unknown
Do you remember the old cartoons that showed a character talking to a little angel version of them and a little devil version of them on his shoulders? We'll thats the internal battle of good vs evil we all have - the EGO(lil devil) vs true self(lil angel, God). There is an old Cherokee legend of an old Cherokee elder teaching his grandson about life. He said a fight is going on inside me,it is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. He continued, The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too. The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, Which wolf will win? The old Cherokee simply replied, The one you feed. If you remember that in the cartoon, the lil devil is always yelling and is very loud compared to the lil angel who is always wispering into your ear. How could we possibly hear that voice of reason and wisdom - the lil angel, your spirit, God - if we haven't learned to quite down the ego, the lil devil, the mind. The answer to that is meditation my friends.
Learn to be silent. Let your quiet mind listen and absorb.
- Pythagoras [580 B.C. - 500 B.C.]
All man's miseries derived from not being able to sit quietly in a room alone.
- Blaise Pascal [1623-1662]
Dr. Wayne W. Dyer says in his book Wisdom of the Ages: 60 Days to Enlightenment, that if you want to shed miseries, learn to sit quietly in a room alone and meditate. We have, on avg, about 60,000 thoughts per day, the problem is that, more than likely, those are the same 60,000 thoughts you had yesterday and that you will have tomorrow. Learning to meditate is figuring out a way to enter the spaces between your thoughts, the gap - the silence. In this silence is where you find peace. Is like in music; it is the spaces between the notes that makes the music. Without that gap, that silence in between there is no music only noise. We too can create music with our lives instead of just a bunch of noise.
Quick lesson about meditation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA_AFwZDJsw&feature=related
We can all fly and become the supermans of ourselves!
Become the Real You - Meditation is a tool to help us return to our essential, original nature. We are training ourselves in how to respond to everything in life from that basic core of essential goodness. Relinquishin the illusions, fantasies, and distractions that confuse our lives; we are learning to Let Go of the conditioned responses and habits that keep us stuck. Meditation helps you find The Real You. This is how we reclaim what we once knew as babies and as toddlers before our EGO was formed. When you silence the mind and look with in you are connecting with the wisdom of that which created you and that my friends can happen at anytime. I believe that we are all standing in front of that door waiting to open it but we are so clouded with false beliefs that gives us limited vision and we can't even see it. Sometimes all it takes that one person to connect with you with love, kindness, compassion and joy and can help you feel that freedom to be who you truly are and then you can open that door to discover you have always been - and your journey begins.
Your are NOT what you see in the mirror
You are NOT what others see in you
You are NOT what you think you are
You ARE that self that lies dormant in you
You HAVE only a life time to discover it and wake it up.
What do I mean, yes thoughts/consciousness creates reality, so essentially we are what we think, but what I mean is that we are not just this body and this mind that "controls" it. We are divine spiritual beings living a temporary human experience. If we are created in the image of God and God is everywhere, then that means that God is in us. Which has led me to understand that if there's a presence of God in me then that means I am a distinct portion of his essence which means I too have inside me that divine spark that makes things happen. So if God is everywhere and there is no place God is not then this includes you - What an awareness when you know that you carry God in you. So, once we connect to this understanding we regain the power of our source and we stop seeing ourselves as a separate entity from the miraculous power of God and begin to feel that oneness with everything. Affirm: I am a divine, precious soul. Once you believe in yourself and see your soul as divine and precious, you will automatically become a being who can create a miracle. (Daily Affirmations - Dr. Wayne Dyer)
So are born ready? Yes! It is only through the illusion that is life and the thoughts and opinions of others that we believe we are not. Ready for what? Ready to continue with a journey that was paused by ego and limiting believes given to us by society; family and friends.
"Men are disturbed not by the things that happen, but by the opinions of the things that happen" - Epictetus (55-135)
Everything we think we are is largely credited to the experiences and testimonies of other people, from a source outside of ourselves. How often do we truly experience things for ourselves, instead we blindly follow what is being said simply because it is easier to do that than to question it and go out there and see if it's true or not. Funny thing about that is that we do that with the small things, for example, if a friend asks you to try a certain type of food that you believe you don't like but have never tried it - How do you know you don't like it? Probably because someone important in your upbringing led you to believe that it wasn't good or just heard from enough people that it wasn't good. Only if after you try it and you don't like it does it become your reality.
"Do not believe what you have heard. Do not believe in tradition because it is handed down many generations. Do not believe in anything that has been spoken of many times. Do not believe because the written statements come from some old sage. Do not believe in conjecture. Do not believe in authority or teachers or elders. But after careful observation an analysis, when it agrees with reason and it will benefit one and all, then accept it and live by it. - Buddha (563 B.C. - 483 B.C)
Conduct your own experiments; experience life through your eyes and no one else's and if after you've experimented for yourself you get to the same conclusions as what was being said, then great, believe it then and if you don't, that's great also, believe and live by your findings. So if we are born with a spark of divine power in us and is only by domestication and programming from others that we are led to believe otherwise, then is just a matter of reclaiming what we once intuitively knew. So are we ready? Yes, we were born ready. Ones journey to a better life full of positivity and awareness of self, without limits and blockages can start at any moment. One can say that someone may not be ready on the basis that due to their lack of ability to truly understand themselves because they have been raised to look externally for their answers instead of internally and maybe nothing life changing has happened to them yet so they can't change, then yes that is true - but that is still a belief that came from an outside source and a belief is just a thought that we have agreed to believe and live by; It can be changed by creating a new thought. Change comes from within and what can be more life changing than saying I want to change, no need to wait for pain and suffering to come your way. YES, that's how most change occurs, but only as a last resort because we weren't aware enough to listen and trust in our internal knowing because we had a really loud voice yelling in our heads called EGO telling you how to live and who you are. Which brings me to my last point:
"I think therefore I am not, only when the mind is silent I am" - unknown
Do you remember the old cartoons that showed a character talking to a little angel version of them and a little devil version of them on his shoulders? We'll thats the internal battle of good vs evil we all have - the EGO(lil devil) vs true self(lil angel, God). There is an old Cherokee legend of an old Cherokee elder teaching his grandson about life. He said a fight is going on inside me,it is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. He continued, The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too. The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, Which wolf will win? The old Cherokee simply replied, The one you feed. If you remember that in the cartoon, the lil devil is always yelling and is very loud compared to the lil angel who is always wispering into your ear. How could we possibly hear that voice of reason and wisdom - the lil angel, your spirit, God - if we haven't learned to quite down the ego, the lil devil, the mind. The answer to that is meditation my friends.
Learn to be silent. Let your quiet mind listen and absorb.
- Pythagoras [580 B.C. - 500 B.C.]
All man's miseries derived from not being able to sit quietly in a room alone.
- Blaise Pascal [1623-1662]
Dr. Wayne W. Dyer says in his book Wisdom of the Ages: 60 Days to Enlightenment, that if you want to shed miseries, learn to sit quietly in a room alone and meditate. We have, on avg, about 60,000 thoughts per day, the problem is that, more than likely, those are the same 60,000 thoughts you had yesterday and that you will have tomorrow. Learning to meditate is figuring out a way to enter the spaces between your thoughts, the gap - the silence. In this silence is where you find peace. Is like in music; it is the spaces between the notes that makes the music. Without that gap, that silence in between there is no music only noise. We too can create music with our lives instead of just a bunch of noise.
Quick lesson about meditation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA_AFwZDJsw&feature=related
We can all fly and become the supermans of ourselves!
Become the Real You - Meditation is a tool to help us return to our essential, original nature. We are training ourselves in how to respond to everything in life from that basic core of essential goodness. Relinquishin the illusions, fantasies, and distractions that confuse our lives; we are learning to Let Go of the conditioned responses and habits that keep us stuck. Meditation helps you find The Real You. This is how we reclaim what we once knew as babies and as toddlers before our EGO was formed. When you silence the mind and look with in you are connecting with the wisdom of that which created you and that my friends can happen at anytime. I believe that we are all standing in front of that door waiting to open it but we are so clouded with false beliefs that gives us limited vision and we can't even see it. Sometimes all it takes that one person to connect with you with love, kindness, compassion and joy and can help you feel that freedom to be who you truly are and then you can open that door to discover you have always been - and your journey begins.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Letting go of the Person I use to be.
"When you are free from craving for sense pleasures and when you are aware of emptiness, you are free in a supreme way and that will not change. It's like a flame struck by a gust of wind; in a flash the flame has gone out."
I've reached a place in my life where I have to think about the person I use to be and the person I am in order to discover the person I want to be. When I think of the person I use to be, I start to think about who I was in past lives and how those may carry over into this one. How it may affect me from truly being Me in this life. I just recently opened my Akashic Records. They are a universal filing system which record every occurring thought, word, and action: a collection of mystical knowledge stored in the etheric levels. The vibrational records of each individual soul and its journey are contained here, making it a profound spiritual resource for consciousness development and expanded spiritual awareness. The Records have been recognized as a reservoir of useful insight, guidance, wisdom and healing information from the past, present and future. The Records are governed by the Three Absolutes: Fear Not, Resist Not, and Judge Not. This makes for a very safe and loving and also encouraging environment.
This experience has brought so much peace and understanding to my life. It explains and helps you make sense of why you are the way you are and why you are in the circumstances you are in. If I have ever believed in the expression "Everything Happens for a Reason" is now more than ever. It has giving me a greater sense of purpose and reaffirmed me that the path I am on is the right one.
If you are a Facebook friend you have probably read all the self awakening quotes I am sharing. I hope they inspire you. Here in this blog, is where I really get deep into my thoughts and feelings.
I've been going to meditation every week for the past month and a half and I've learned the concept of being present; in the moment, in every situation I find my self in. With every inhalation and exhalations comes a new moment. Is this idea of Just Be. Buddhist teach that if you find yourself in a situation that you can't change, then Just Be. What does that mean? I am now finding out how much work is behind this Just Be idea, and by work I mean inner work - looking in oneself for wisdom, guidance and strength. The idea is not to follow anybody but to understand oneself. In oneself lies the whole world, & if you know how to look & learn, then the door is there & the key is in your hand. Nobody on earth can give you either that key or the door to open, except yourself.
A friend of mine share this quote with me the other day: “Children are natural Zen masters; their world is brand new in each and every moment.” - John Bradshaw. This is something I shared in an earlier post and I believe it now more than then, because I am looking within and striving for understanding of this idea and as I see my daughter live her life in such manner, I get inspiration and strength from her as well. She is my rock.
I am reading a book by the same author of Awakening your Inner Buddha - Lama Surya Das - called Letting go of the Person I used to be. Is a book of lessons on change, loss and spiritual transformation based on Buddhist Teachings. This book, along with meditation, it is helping me to stay centered and balanced in my life today. Shortly after my friend shares that with me, I read in my book about The Toddler's Creed:
If I want it, it's mine.
If I give it to you and then change my mind, it's mine.
If I can take it away from you by force, it's mine.
If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.
If I we are playing with something together, then all the pieces are mine.
If it looks like just like the one I used to own or have at home, it's mine.
The problem is that since we all get our sense of significance from the things we are attached to, "Mine" translates to "Me, Myself and I" as we grow up and develop into adults. The reality is that most of us are still "two-year-old toddlers" with this mindset. This self-centered attitude is the root of all the unhappiness we feel. The Buddha teaches that neither pleasure nor pain are ultimately very satisfying because both are feelings that come and go. Due to this toddler mindset, no matter how much we have or don't have, we keep seeking for more, we are never satisfied or fulfilled. We are never content. When you look within and choose to take a spiritual path toward wisdom and enlightenment, it implies that we are trying to be a little less toddler-like with the things we want and are attached to. Since many of us find this inner work hard to do or we just don't know how, we have been conditioned to believe that another person is going to "save me". That all we have to do is find Prince or Princess Charming, who will complete me and satisfy me in every way, then my life will make sense and everything will work out. Don't we all want to believe this myth. There some much emptiness to this illusion and that emptiness can only be filled by oneself.
Looking within means finding oneself and that is hard to do because it means letting go of the person we use to be. Letting go of the person we used to be means letting go of the attachments that "define" us. What makes it such a hard thing to do, to let go, is that we feel as if letting go of those attachments means we are letting go of ourselves rather than finding ourselves. A friend of mine share this with me: "It's hard...we want to feel significant in this life...accomplished and like we counted for something...so I feel like the world will fall apart without me (especially my family's) but the reality is that it won't. And truly realizing that is extremely humbling because then you ask yourself, "Well then, why am I here?". And the answer is, "To just be.". And when I embrace that, my world feels lighter and I'm able to be a better person, mom, daughter, friend...it's a cycle that feeds into itself." This is a person whom I know first hand understand the work involved to Just Be and, despite how hard it is, tries to put it into action every day of her life.
The path to enlightenment is the path of becoming more fully awake and conscious of ourselves.
I've reached a place in my life where I have to think about the person I use to be and the person I am in order to discover the person I want to be. When I think of the person I use to be, I start to think about who I was in past lives and how those may carry over into this one. How it may affect me from truly being Me in this life. I just recently opened my Akashic Records. They are a universal filing system which record every occurring thought, word, and action: a collection of mystical knowledge stored in the etheric levels. The vibrational records of each individual soul and its journey are contained here, making it a profound spiritual resource for consciousness development and expanded spiritual awareness. The Records have been recognized as a reservoir of useful insight, guidance, wisdom and healing information from the past, present and future. The Records are governed by the Three Absolutes: Fear Not, Resist Not, and Judge Not. This makes for a very safe and loving and also encouraging environment.
This experience has brought so much peace and understanding to my life. It explains and helps you make sense of why you are the way you are and why you are in the circumstances you are in. If I have ever believed in the expression "Everything Happens for a Reason" is now more than ever. It has giving me a greater sense of purpose and reaffirmed me that the path I am on is the right one.
If you are a Facebook friend you have probably read all the self awakening quotes I am sharing. I hope they inspire you. Here in this blog, is where I really get deep into my thoughts and feelings.
I've been going to meditation every week for the past month and a half and I've learned the concept of being present; in the moment, in every situation I find my self in. With every inhalation and exhalations comes a new moment. Is this idea of Just Be. Buddhist teach that if you find yourself in a situation that you can't change, then Just Be. What does that mean? I am now finding out how much work is behind this Just Be idea, and by work I mean inner work - looking in oneself for wisdom, guidance and strength. The idea is not to follow anybody but to understand oneself. In oneself lies the whole world, & if you know how to look & learn, then the door is there & the key is in your hand. Nobody on earth can give you either that key or the door to open, except yourself.
A friend of mine share this quote with me the other day: “Children are natural Zen masters; their world is brand new in each and every moment.” - John Bradshaw. This is something I shared in an earlier post and I believe it now more than then, because I am looking within and striving for understanding of this idea and as I see my daughter live her life in such manner, I get inspiration and strength from her as well. She is my rock.
I am reading a book by the same author of Awakening your Inner Buddha - Lama Surya Das - called Letting go of the Person I used to be. Is a book of lessons on change, loss and spiritual transformation based on Buddhist Teachings. This book, along with meditation, it is helping me to stay centered and balanced in my life today. Shortly after my friend shares that with me, I read in my book about The Toddler's Creed:
If I want it, it's mine.
If I give it to you and then change my mind, it's mine.
If I can take it away from you by force, it's mine.
If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.
If I we are playing with something together, then all the pieces are mine.
If it looks like just like the one I used to own or have at home, it's mine.
The problem is that since we all get our sense of significance from the things we are attached to, "Mine" translates to "Me, Myself and I" as we grow up and develop into adults. The reality is that most of us are still "two-year-old toddlers" with this mindset. This self-centered attitude is the root of all the unhappiness we feel. The Buddha teaches that neither pleasure nor pain are ultimately very satisfying because both are feelings that come and go. Due to this toddler mindset, no matter how much we have or don't have, we keep seeking for more, we are never satisfied or fulfilled. We are never content. When you look within and choose to take a spiritual path toward wisdom and enlightenment, it implies that we are trying to be a little less toddler-like with the things we want and are attached to. Since many of us find this inner work hard to do or we just don't know how, we have been conditioned to believe that another person is going to "save me". That all we have to do is find Prince or Princess Charming, who will complete me and satisfy me in every way, then my life will make sense and everything will work out. Don't we all want to believe this myth. There some much emptiness to this illusion and that emptiness can only be filled by oneself.
Looking within means finding oneself and that is hard to do because it means letting go of the person we use to be. Letting go of the person we used to be means letting go of the attachments that "define" us. What makes it such a hard thing to do, to let go, is that we feel as if letting go of those attachments means we are letting go of ourselves rather than finding ourselves. A friend of mine share this with me: "It's hard...we want to feel significant in this life...accomplished and like we counted for something...so I feel like the world will fall apart without me (especially my family's) but the reality is that it won't. And truly realizing that is extremely humbling because then you ask yourself, "Well then, why am I here?". And the answer is, "To just be.". And when I embrace that, my world feels lighter and I'm able to be a better person, mom, daughter, friend...it's a cycle that feeds into itself." This is a person whom I know first hand understand the work involved to Just Be and, despite how hard it is, tries to put it into action every day of her life.
The path to enlightenment is the path of becoming more fully awake and conscious of ourselves.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Peace of Mind...
Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.
-John Wooden
How to achieve peace of mind. Very hard to do. Yesterday I learned that a key to success is having your mind and your heart working together as one. Finding that balance between the constant battle we have on a day to day basis. Your heart says one thing, your mind says another. How could we possibly find balance and inner peace. I read this article that my wife found on the internet and it really made me aware of this conflict which I know happens to a lot of us. The article is called How to Make Your Heart and Your Mind Work Together by Zen Habits contributor Jonathan Mead, you can check it out at http://zenhabits.net/how-to-make-your-heart-and-your-mind-work-together/
In the article he says that "It’s typical in our society to feel a conflict between what we want to do (our heart) and what we feel is practical (our mind)."
As I finished reading the article and took in all that it said, the one thing that stuck out the most to me is the fact that the solution is simple. That we must ask ourselves a simple question before we make any decisions: Is this decision/choice working for me or against me? In order to do this we have to clear the mind, and give it breaks so is not always on. When you calm your mind and your senses, you become conscious of your always-present inner Self. How do we do that, through meditation. It's one of the best, most individual and personal experience I've ever had. This will be my first step towards achieving control over my mind in hopes to have a better sense of my inner self. A free and silent mind is always in meditation, so I encourage one and all to try it. Either go to center to do it or find audio cd's with guided meditations. Whichever route you choose, know that Meditation is the gateway, through which you arrive to the world of freedom.
-John Wooden
How to achieve peace of mind. Very hard to do. Yesterday I learned that a key to success is having your mind and your heart working together as one. Finding that balance between the constant battle we have on a day to day basis. Your heart says one thing, your mind says another. How could we possibly find balance and inner peace. I read this article that my wife found on the internet and it really made me aware of this conflict which I know happens to a lot of us. The article is called How to Make Your Heart and Your Mind Work Together by Zen Habits contributor Jonathan Mead, you can check it out at http://zenhabits.net/how-to-make-your-heart-and-your-mind-work-together/
In the article he says that "It’s typical in our society to feel a conflict between what we want to do (our heart) and what we feel is practical (our mind)."
As I finished reading the article and took in all that it said, the one thing that stuck out the most to me is the fact that the solution is simple. That we must ask ourselves a simple question before we make any decisions: Is this decision/choice working for me or against me? In order to do this we have to clear the mind, and give it breaks so is not always on. When you calm your mind and your senses, you become conscious of your always-present inner Self. How do we do that, through meditation. It's one of the best, most individual and personal experience I've ever had. This will be my first step towards achieving control over my mind in hopes to have a better sense of my inner self. A free and silent mind is always in meditation, so I encourage one and all to try it. Either go to center to do it or find audio cd's with guided meditations. Whichever route you choose, know that Meditation is the gateway, through which you arrive to the world of freedom.
Friday, June 17, 2011
The power of connections
Yesterday I had dinner with my uncle and we were suppose to talk about marketing since I am going to be assisting him in that department in his medical office, but instead we talked about me. He wanted to know what was my reality today, this instance, based on the circumstance surrounding me. So I did - I talked and talked and talked and let my emotions out. All he did was listen, he only gave advice when he felt it was needed:
Life is all about people and the connections you create with them. To ensure that every person you come in contact with you uplift them and make them feel good about themselves. In turn, that will make you feel good about yourself.
Wow! How do you do that, how unselfish is that. He didn't have to care, he could've just went on talking about his marketing needs. Instead he made me feel good and inspired me to do the same in my relationships. At the end of it all he finishes by telling: That is marketing, it starts from within and if I touch and uplift each patient that walks through my door then my marketing in done.
I don't think I have been that inspired and that moved in a long time.
How I plan to apply that in my life; is to be and live the change I aspire others to be day in and day out. Let the uplifting begin!
Life is all about people and the connections you create with them. To ensure that every person you come in contact with you uplift them and make them feel good about themselves. In turn, that will make you feel good about yourself.
Wow! How do you do that, how unselfish is that. He didn't have to care, he could've just went on talking about his marketing needs. Instead he made me feel good and inspired me to do the same in my relationships. At the end of it all he finishes by telling: That is marketing, it starts from within and if I touch and uplift each patient that walks through my door then my marketing in done.
I don't think I have been that inspired and that moved in a long time.
How I plan to apply that in my life; is to be and live the change I aspire others to be day in and day out. Let the uplifting begin!
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