Living in the moment
What distinguishes we fellow humans from other earthly denizens is our ability to choose a course of action with considerable deliberation or with nothing more than whimsy as our guide. Either way we are creating both our future and karma when we do so.
So what?
If we choose unconsciously we remain a pawn of the "Fates"! And that's okay. But I believe we have been mandated by life to choose consciously and lovingly.
So here is a guide to choosing that will empower you:
(Note to the reader: I found these in my notes but the original source is unknown!)
These twelve fundamental choices will make or break your life.
1. We can regret the past and fear the future or choose to live fully here and now. < The Power of Now >
2. We can choose to feel bad in the present moment or choose to feel good. < The Choice to Feel Good >
3. We can be seduced by our ego or choose to heed our inner wisdom instead. < The Choice to Trust Yourself >
4. We can choose to remain lost and confused or choose to get clear about what we want to create. < The Choice of Being a Conscious Creator >
5. We can attempt to control the impossible or choose to surrender to inspired action. < The Choice to Trust Our Higher Power >
6. We can remain frustrated and immobile or choose to create momentum through sustained action. < The Choice to Act >
7. We can choose scarcity or choose abundance. < The Choice to LIVE Abundantly >
8. We can continue to resist what's so or choose to accept reality as it is. < The Choice of Acceptance >
9. We can choose to stay stuck with stressful thoughts or choose thoughts of peace. < The Choice to Live in Peace >
10. We can choose to remain helpless victims of circumstance or live and act from a place of power. < The Choice to Claim One's Power >
11. We can choose to be a people pleaser in order to secure their love and approval or we can progress toward a life that honors our values and brings inner fulfillment. < The Choice to Live with Integrity >
12. We can wish the world was different than it is or we can choose to accept it as it is. < The Choice to Accept Reality As It is >
Each of these choices are made one way or another everyday. Its up to you to choose again and again the ones that will deliver more joy, momentum, progress and growth. Choose this day which you will serve. Choose wisely.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
How to Live Courageously in Turbulent Times
The world is dynamic. Life uncertain. We are challenged everyday to find something to believe in. Something we can rely on. Something we can live for. A Purpose. A reason for being, for living , for toiling...for acting in the face of the forces of FUD.
Fear, uncertainty and doubt are the tools. Used by the enemies of truth to confuse us, we are easy targets. All of us. Our arsenal is simple yet powerful. Truth. Sober , vigilant and awake.
We rise to challenge those whose mission is to keep us one of the sheeple...with the full armor of truth. To restore our sovereignty we walk in faith.
Faith in what you may ask? In yourselves. In life. In the mysterious and magnificent muse which created us...and whom lovingly sustains us. Faith in the invisible and seemingly impossible. Faith in each other.
What do we do? Nothing? Perhaps. We need to see our lives in a transcendent way. The big picture. No. The biggest of all possible pictures. We need to see our lives as integral parts in the expression of truth. Transcending by trance ending the fog cultivated by the agents of confusion.
I know this may seem a bit obscure. The rational mind may find this path irrational. So be it. Truth is paradoxical or its not truth at all. As the German mystic monk Meister Eckhart observed: "What ever you can say about God is untrue." Think about it. Let the apparent contradiction sit in the middle of your resistance. Truth will set you free..if you allow it.
We can transform our desperation into aspirations. We can believe in the power of the truth to set of free from the corrals of sheeple. The path is simple but not easy. It will require courage. It will require action in the face of the great unknown and it will require faith.
Let's play it as a game. Not an ordinary game. But a game worth playing. Heraclitus suggested that play is the path to authentic action. In fact, he asserted that we are most nearly ourselves when we achieve the seriousness of a child at play. The game is a means to put a structure to our actions and to keep us going in the midst of life's challenges. If it is truly a game worth playing, it will keep us engaged.
Moving beyond quiet desperation... embracing truth requires that we play it as if our life and sanity depend on it. Because it does.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Four Things You Need To Know
1. A life which does not fully engage your interest is boring.
Change it!
Engage life with passion. Follow your bliss. Take the fork in the road that engages your curiosity. Explore. Discover. Live.
2. A life which does not fully engage your values is unfulfilling.
Change it!
Make a list of everything you value. Most of it will be BS. Make the list anyway. Tune into the feeling of each value. How does it feel? If it doesn't light your fire its not your value. You just think it is. So how do you know what you actually value? Easy. You'll move heaven and earth to get it, to experience the "feelings" that make this value real for you. Pick your top five and began to reorganize your life around them. Life is short. Living your true values will make the brief journey worthwhile.
3. A life which neither engages your interest or expresses your values is likely to be a life of frustration.
Change it!
No need to continue living a life of quiet desperation. Put the bottle of booze down, drop the needle, stop invading your mother's prescription for oxycontin and don't toke that joint my friend... Get real. Maybe for the first time in your life. Look at the person in the mirror. What do you see? Is there anyone home? I can assure you there is. You'll come alive the moment you decide its your life and you can do what you came to do. To live your best life, not their best life for you. So get interested in the person you see in the mirror. Let your hair down (that is if you still have any) and play as if your life has a purpose. As Captain Piquard commands: "Engage!" Drop the sorry narrative you call your life and get real.
4. A life filled with challenges that require strength where you are weak will drain your life energy, rob you of the the true joy of living and give you the ultimate reason not to get out of bed...you'll be dead.
Change it!
You have only one life to live. Turbo charge it. How? By delegating all the tasks, duties and obligations that drain you to other people. Pay em to do it. You'll feel a few tons lighter almost immediately. Then you'll be free to focus on your strengths. Not just things you are good at, but things you are good at and actually enjoy. Beyond power & status, beyond the illusion of fear is the reason you came here in the first place. That reason is to fully self-express your uniqueness. When you do you will discover, perhaps for the first time, that life is a gift that keeps on giving.
Change it!
Engage life with passion. Follow your bliss. Take the fork in the road that engages your curiosity. Explore. Discover. Live.
2. A life which does not fully engage your values is unfulfilling.
Change it!
Make a list of everything you value. Most of it will be BS. Make the list anyway. Tune into the feeling of each value. How does it feel? If it doesn't light your fire its not your value. You just think it is. So how do you know what you actually value? Easy. You'll move heaven and earth to get it, to experience the "feelings" that make this value real for you. Pick your top five and began to reorganize your life around them. Life is short. Living your true values will make the brief journey worthwhile.
3. A life which neither engages your interest or expresses your values is likely to be a life of frustration.
Change it!
No need to continue living a life of quiet desperation. Put the bottle of booze down, drop the needle, stop invading your mother's prescription for oxycontin and don't toke that joint my friend... Get real. Maybe for the first time in your life. Look at the person in the mirror. What do you see? Is there anyone home? I can assure you there is. You'll come alive the moment you decide its your life and you can do what you came to do. To live your best life, not their best life for you. So get interested in the person you see in the mirror. Let your hair down (that is if you still have any) and play as if your life has a purpose. As Captain Piquard commands: "Engage!" Drop the sorry narrative you call your life and get real.
4. A life filled with challenges that require strength where you are weak will drain your life energy, rob you of the the true joy of living and give you the ultimate reason not to get out of bed...you'll be dead.
Change it!
You have only one life to live. Turbo charge it. How? By delegating all the tasks, duties and obligations that drain you to other people. Pay em to do it. You'll feel a few tons lighter almost immediately. Then you'll be free to focus on your strengths. Not just things you are good at, but things you are good at and actually enjoy. Beyond power & status, beyond the illusion of fear is the reason you came here in the first place. That reason is to fully self-express your uniqueness. When you do you will discover, perhaps for the first time, that life is a gift that keeps on giving.
Friday, April 8, 2011
What does 1984 have to do with 2011?
Sweet mother of pearl! The hallowed halls of government of the people, by the people and for the people are ringing from sea to shining sea with lies, double talk, triple talk and just plain bullshit. It matters not which party does the talking. We the people are its victims.
It reminds me of one of the best quotes from George Orwell's 1984:
"In a way, the world-view of the Party imposed itself most successfully on people incapable of understanding it. They could be made to accept the most flagrant violations of reality, because they never fully grasped the enormity of what was demanded of them, and were not sufficiently interested in public events to notice what was happening. By lack of understanding they remained sane. They simply swallowed everything. . ."
Its time we wake up. Its time we demand accountability. Its time for Congress and the Administration to stop the snow job.
God help us all....
It reminds me of one of the best quotes from George Orwell's 1984:
"In a way, the world-view of the Party imposed itself most successfully on people incapable of understanding it. They could be made to accept the most flagrant violations of reality, because they never fully grasped the enormity of what was demanded of them, and were not sufficiently interested in public events to notice what was happening. By lack of understanding they remained sane. They simply swallowed everything. . ."
Its time we wake up. Its time we demand accountability. Its time for Congress and the Administration to stop the snow job.
God help us all....
Thursday, November 4, 2010
From "No How" to "Know How"....in 60 seconds or less
Is knowledge primarily a mental construct? Or is as much an attitude? Let's take a look.
When we think we know, we hold a position of confidence internally that we can draw upon "on demand" to bring to bear our "knowing" to gain mastery of the presenting circumstance. This application of knowledge gives us power. This capacity to act consciously in the moment is our real power.
But what happens when we don't know or that we don't know that we don't know or we simply lack the confidence in our ability to face and resolve the problem in front of us?
We get stuck...stopped in the "not knowing" of the circumstance. Our doubts pile up, inertia replaces action, our motives become confused and worry contracts our options. Not very pretty. Yet it is what it is; ignorance fueled by fear. The consequences are often painful causing us to suffer "the slings and arrows" of misfortune brought upon us by our own ignorance. We hesitate to act because we feel that we cannot act. We say "no how" when we are not feeling "know how."
Its not clear if we are merely incompetent or actually just plain ignorant. What's missing in this daily dilemma? A feedback loop with reality. Until we reconnect this feedback loop, our ignorance will remain.
What can we do about it?
For most of us the learning loop was shut down a very long time ago. We are disconnected from what's really happening. Learning has ceased. We just don't know it. That is the paradoxical nature of ignorance; we don't know that we don't know. The primary reason for our ignorance is staring us right in the face; we actually stopped learning...and we don't know it. Its really quite maddening.
Fortunately the solution is simple; complete the reality circuit. This is the beginning of wisdom. The opportunity is present in every moment; to move from ignorance to knowing. The critical time is in the recognition of your "not knowing" and remaining vigilant of your shift into "no how" mode.
Gain wisdom. Learn. Move your mind from ignorance to knowing through your conscious willingness to learn. Go for Know How! It takes less than a minute...
When we think we know, we hold a position of confidence internally that we can draw upon "on demand" to bring to bear our "knowing" to gain mastery of the presenting circumstance. This application of knowledge gives us power. This capacity to act consciously in the moment is our real power.
But what happens when we don't know or that we don't know that we don't know or we simply lack the confidence in our ability to face and resolve the problem in front of us?
We get stuck...stopped in the "not knowing" of the circumstance. Our doubts pile up, inertia replaces action, our motives become confused and worry contracts our options. Not very pretty. Yet it is what it is; ignorance fueled by fear. The consequences are often painful causing us to suffer "the slings and arrows" of misfortune brought upon us by our own ignorance. We hesitate to act because we feel that we cannot act. We say "no how" when we are not feeling "know how."
Its not clear if we are merely incompetent or actually just plain ignorant. What's missing in this daily dilemma? A feedback loop with reality. Until we reconnect this feedback loop, our ignorance will remain.
What can we do about it?
For most of us the learning loop was shut down a very long time ago. We are disconnected from what's really happening. Learning has ceased. We just don't know it. That is the paradoxical nature of ignorance; we don't know that we don't know. The primary reason for our ignorance is staring us right in the face; we actually stopped learning...and we don't know it. Its really quite maddening.
Fortunately the solution is simple; complete the reality circuit. This is the beginning of wisdom. The opportunity is present in every moment; to move from ignorance to knowing. The critical time is in the recognition of your "not knowing" and remaining vigilant of your shift into "no how" mode.
Gain wisdom. Learn. Move your mind from ignorance to knowing through your conscious willingness to learn. Go for Know How! It takes less than a minute...
Sunday, October 17, 2010
The Paradox of Love
What is love? A feeling? A state of mind? A chemical state? Whatever it is, if it is from our ego then we can be assured that it is not love. It may feel so good that our heart's feel like they are about to burst. Yet, it may send us to the deepest levels of hell when our ego-bound ideas run the show.
True love is not romantic, not sexual, not physical...definitely not a feeling, certainly not a thought.
True love is the state of mind that only occurs when the clash of opposites are collapsed into a synthesis of higher understanding. It is transcendent. A daily death of the ego, a birth and resurrection of your true self.
Its not the projections of the ego onto the other, nor is it the hearts and flowers we give on Valentine's Day. It is the awareness of our higher self living in the the truth of the moment.
The great paradox of love is this: When you give the real thing away, you end up having more.
True love is not romantic, not sexual, not physical...definitely not a feeling, certainly not a thought.
True love is the state of mind that only occurs when the clash of opposites are collapsed into a synthesis of higher understanding. It is transcendent. A daily death of the ego, a birth and resurrection of your true self.
Its not the projections of the ego onto the other, nor is it the hearts and flowers we give on Valentine's Day. It is the awareness of our higher self living in the the truth of the moment.
The great paradox of love is this: When you give the real thing away, you end up having more.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Is life a problem to be solved?
If you use your analytical mind to figure life out from a personal perspective, you are likely using the wrong part of your mind. Life is not a problem to be solved. So stop trying to "figure it out."
Its all this "figuring" that got you in the intractable mess you call your mind in the first place. As good old Albert observed; "You cannot solve the problem on the level it was created, you must go up a level." Up a level in awareness. There you will see the so called "problem" from a new perspective.
There is nothing to figure out.
Really!
There is only the requirement to live in the now. Stop trying to solve your pain by turning your "ouwies" into problems. It only perpetuates the foolhardy notion that life is a problem to be solved. It isn't. And worst, it orients your thinking into a problem/pain paradigm. The result is the improper placement of your attention on your "don't wants"...and a life organized to manage pain.
The problem with the "problem" is this: Its all in your head. Well, mostly:)
Ouch! Stop it!
Stop expecting your mind to fix what's "wrong" inside of you.
Stop trying to "figure it out."
Stop asking your mind to "manipulate the world" in order to "fix" your personal problems.
And most importantly...Stop Resisting Reality! Any denial of essential facts or the shifting of personal responsibility for your choices and their consequences is the road to a deeper delusion...a delusional reality that can only lead to more pain and frustration.
Life is not a problem to be solved. Dissolve your so called problems by dropping the thinking which creates problems for you. And for God's sakes...trust yourself...then you will actually know how to live.
Liberate your soul...dissolve your troubles by rising ever higher in awareness. And remember this; Life is a reality to be experienced. Enjoy the beauty as it unfolds.
"Life itself is your career and your interaction with life is your most meaningful relationship" - Michael Singer
Its all this "figuring" that got you in the intractable mess you call your mind in the first place. As good old Albert observed; "You cannot solve the problem on the level it was created, you must go up a level." Up a level in awareness. There you will see the so called "problem" from a new perspective.
There is nothing to figure out.
Really!
There is only the requirement to live in the now. Stop trying to solve your pain by turning your "ouwies" into problems. It only perpetuates the foolhardy notion that life is a problem to be solved. It isn't. And worst, it orients your thinking into a problem/pain paradigm. The result is the improper placement of your attention on your "don't wants"...and a life organized to manage pain.
The problem with the "problem" is this: Its all in your head. Well, mostly:)
Ouch! Stop it!
Stop expecting your mind to fix what's "wrong" inside of you.
Stop trying to "figure it out."
Stop asking your mind to "manipulate the world" in order to "fix" your personal problems.
And most importantly...Stop Resisting Reality! Any denial of essential facts or the shifting of personal responsibility for your choices and their consequences is the road to a deeper delusion...a delusional reality that can only lead to more pain and frustration.
Life is not a problem to be solved. Dissolve your so called problems by dropping the thinking which creates problems for you. And for God's sakes...trust yourself...then you will actually know how to live.
Liberate your soul...dissolve your troubles by rising ever higher in awareness. And remember this; Life is a reality to be experienced. Enjoy the beauty as it unfolds.
"Life itself is your career and your interaction with life is your most meaningful relationship" - Michael Singer
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