Just heard from a good friend that she is still looking for work and her husband just found a job. They both lost their jobs due to the economy last year. It has to be a very scary time for many people. These times are rich with potential for a real inner shift to take place. This shift can happen because our comfort zone gets demolished and we are forced to take a serious inventory of who we are and where we want to go. This inventory includes: our sense of self, our confidence, our adaptability, our frame of mind, our flexibility, our energy, our sense of a higher power, our courage, our willingness, our purpose, our intention, and our heart and compassion.
In times of challenge, we can rise to the challenge, be afraid, feel stuck and immobilized, or lay low and hope things change. The best approach is to begin by acknowledging that we are full of feelings in response to what is going on. These feelings are generated by our thoughts about our circumstances. Our thoughts shape our experience. So why not have thoughts of what is most important, what plans sound positive and resourceful, and what kinds of action would be helpful to take? This is a time when risk-taking, intuition, and creativity can play a big role in encouraging real change.
If we play it safe we will tend to do what is familiar and easiest to do. Following the beaten path may end us up right where we started. Taking a different path, one that is less traveled has a greater possibility for creating new and improved results. Courage is a factor here because to go out of our comfort zone means going beyond what is known. This breaking from the ordinary often brings about extraordinary results.
Where do you need to take the leap of faith in your life and cross the invisible bridge toward something you have longed for? Indicators that your chosen path is worth following are that it is a path with heart, with purpose, with energy, and it feels right in your mind, your gut and in the place of higher knowing. Then you can be sure this is what life is about; to go for what truly matters to you.
“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now!” Goethe
The Ocean's Roar Is In Me Still
On my vacation I was listening to the roar of the ocean and feeling the sun on my skin and I thought the ocean is always roaring whether I can hear it or not. You probably are thinking of course it is. You would be right but is the roar in you?
This insight about the roar and me missing the ocean here in Colorado got me thinking. Of course the roar is in you and me at all times because we are beyond the physical limitations of our body. Our consciousness knows no limits. If I want to tune in right now I can sense the primal soup of the ocean in the particles of my body and in my unitive consciousness with all humans walking along the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Artic or whatever ocean they may be dipping their toes into right now.
Does that sound too way out for you? That is ok if it is but ponder this: there is a collective consciousness that all of us are plugged into whether we are conscious of it or not. This consciousness exists in the quiet moments we tune inward. This consciousness exists right now as you notice your breath and someone along the Ganges does the same. There is at our highest level of realization something we could call one-mind, one-heart, or one spirit, which represent the unity all humans share here on this planet.
The other reality is the same particle of the planet that where breathed in and out by the earliest earthly inhabitants are still circulating through us. The particles of primitive man, Napoleon, Joan of Arc, Jesus, Michelangelo, Groucho Marx and all others stir within us as they have since the beginning of life. Even the negative ions of the surf flow through us and mine were just refreshed lately.
Yes we are all more connected than we realize at so many levels. We all feel the push of the tide by the moon even if we are two days away by car from the ocean. We feel the chaos going on in Iran in our consciousness. We sense the joy from championships in Lakerland and Pittsburg even if we really don’t care about professional sports. We feel in our hearts the fear of so many that struggle during these challenging times.
Look around you and take a moment to think about what acts of kindness you can spread this week with your Earthly family. All giving comes back in wonderful ways.
Peace and joy to you this week of Summer’s arrival.
Note To My Father-in-Law
If I could send this, I would first send much love and compassion to you and my mother in law. I see and hear your suffering as you struggle to deal with what is going on in the world. It is a complex world full of differing points of view. There are those that see the world going to hell-in-a-hand-basket and those who have hope. There are those that are conservative in their political slant, which means wanting things as they were, there are those that are middle ground who just want things better, and then there are those on the progressive end who want change to help America realize its potential.
All points of view are just points of view not good or bad, right or wrong. Except that the ego-mind can sometimes argue very strongly that our point of view is right and other points of view are wrong. That is human nature to have passion for our ideas and beliefs. Each of us has the right to our own beliefs and viewpoints even if those around us do not agree. Again there is no right or wrong here except in our ego-mind.
Peace of mind is not possible when ego-mind is in charge. If a person believes things are not going well then ego-mind is focused on the negative. If we feed the mind with negative opinions (Rush and others), negative news (Fox), you are going to grow your negativity and fear. Fear is the natural response to the ideas put out by those that are full of negative judgment and focused on what is wrong with everything. This Blame and Complain Game is very disturbing to our peace of mind. If we play this game we will create great unrest in ourselves.
If we want peace of mind and happiness, we will do better to not feed our mind with negativity, blaming and complaining. That is a simple mental health fact. Whatever our viewpoint is, it is always best to look for what is positively possible, to have hope, to focus on solutions if we want to be happy. Yes, change can be disruptive and unsettling but the flexible mind filled with compassion, hope, optimism, and expanding awareness will make the best out of what is.
Since I probably won’t be allowed to send this, I do want to encourage all family members everywhere to please be open to each other without judging. Have compassion for each other and be willing to really listen to how each other views the world. You just might find yourself understanding and expanding your own point of view. The fact is if you focus on the negative and blame and complain, your life will not be much fun and those you care about you may shy away because this negative energy is not enjoyable to be around. If you focus on having love and compassion for each other and welcome all viewpoints then healthy dialogue is possible and there is true hope for the world.
The Myth Of Guilt
My Experience tells me guilt is a human invention mostly driven by religion. In my 12 years of Catholic education I was trained to be very proficient in feeling guilty. I was regularly given lists of things I should feel guilty about, things called sins. In the school I attended we had to go often to confession to tell about our sins so we could be forgiven. It seems this whole made up set of wrongs where created to make us feel guilty?
As a person able to think and reason about my own past and beyond the heavy conditioning of the mind, I have often wondered what is the purpose of such extensive training in guilt. How come we invented such ideas as sin, hell, damnation and guilt? I suspect it had to do with some plan to control the masses. Really if you think about it, if you want people to do what you want them to do, you must get them to feel no ok about themselves. Those that don’t feel accepting of who they are tend to not speak up, to note vote, to do what they are told to do, to act like sheeple.
Guilt in my work with myself and others seems to be a totally useless emotion and that we don’t really change because we feel guilty. In fact we change when we get clear our thinking or behavior isn’t working for us. Guilt only makes us feel bad about ourselves, which means we tend to contracted into old behavior rather than to expand into new behavior.
The opposite of guilt is feeling positive about ourselves, feeling self-love and self-acceptance. These qualities of positive self esteem are so needed in a world today run too often by people who seem to have no positive sense of self except related to how much power and control they have over others.
So what to do with the years of accumulate guilt? For some 35 years of more I have been working on purging myself of the negative beliefs and ideas dumped on me by some very unconscious people. Here are a few steps I have found very helpful:
1. Forgive, let go and move on – my Catholic education is the past I hold nothing negative about that anymore. Today I am fully free of whatever happened yesterday.
2. My heart is an infinitely wiser guide than my head in how to be in the world in a positive and purposeful way. I follow my heart not the conditioning of my mind.
3. Through being mindful and having impartiality, I can notice when old programming surfaces and can then intervene. In this moment I make sure my thinking is highest it can be in consciousness and compassion.
4. Today is rich in potential and I live it as fully as I can. No past beliefs or ideas can get in my way if I am completely present to the higher self/spirit in me. I am free to be.
Hope your weekend is full of sun, enjoyment, and the peace of mind that comes from saying goodby to guilt.
Questions Worth A Thoughtful Exploration
Lately a lot of questions have been rolling around in my brain as is often the case. I wanted to share some of them with you because I thought you might find them valuable in sorting out what is true for you. Here are my questions for this Friday:
1. Is angry aggression ok to use against people you disagree with philosophically?
2. Is hate and racism acceptable for any reason in today's society?
3. Is blaming and complaining the way to get our nation headed in the right direction?
4. Is it really ok to claim to be a right-to-life person and kill those who act in opposition to your point of view?
5. Is intolerance of others a sign of an open or closed mind and heart?
6. Is a closed heart able to act for the good of humanity?
7. Are those that spread blame and hate not responsible for inciting dysfunctional actions in those that commit acts of violence?
8. Are the two recent shootings a product of radical right-wing thinking and how are their actions different than radical right-wing Moslems?
9. Is rigid thinking and people who don’t like to be questioned a problem in this country?
10. Is it ok to be on a mission to change people to your point of view if your thinking is rigid or your compassion is not engaged in what you are doing?
11. Is it really ok to have the making of profits the guiding principle of our country?
12. Is it acceptable to treat others poorly because they think different then you do?
13. Is it ok to attack the plans of other when you don’t have any plans to bring about positive change?
14. Is anyone’s belief truly more right than anyone else’s belief?
15. Are our thoughts real or just a collection of words in our head we give meaning to?
16. Is there a knowing in us beyond the rational mind?
17. Why would any man made religion be any better that another?
18. Does sin, heaven, hell, damnation, guilt, apocalypse, good or bad exist in any other place than the human mind?
19. Do you feel empowered enough to speak up for what you think is right and fair?
20. Is the need to dominate and control others a healthy urge?
21. Is there really any limit to the capacity of the human heart to love and have compassion for self and others?
I hope you found these questions provocative enough to expand how you think about human nature.
Have a thoughtful and fun Friday.
Finding Confidence
Where did we loose confidence along the way? Seems like the very young don’t lack confidence to try just about anything. I suspect the world around us throws all these curves our way and we strike out so much that we no longer trust ourselves. Society plays a role, our families, schools and churches also do.
How do we get boldly back out there in life and go for it again? How do we find our stride and walk with the sureness of someone heading where they want to go with all the needed tools onboard?
The addicts I work with are filled with self-doubt because they have been so out of touch with themselves. So that leads you and I to a way to find our way back to confidence, be in touch with who we are, what we think, how we feel. Get to know our inner dialogue, find our heart, and listen to our intuitive knowing.
As we finish school and venture out into the world we learn through our work, our experiences, our searching for what feels right. We figure our way through the early trials of becoming an adult. Over time we learn the game or the rules of adulthood and we may actually feel we have it figured out. Awe the innocence of early adulthood is so blissful at times. Be unaware sometimes works for a while as the ego paves over any self-doubt. Later fortunately the ego can take a back seat to the insightful wisdom gained from life.
We have relationships that continually teach us about others and ourselves. Slowly we may understand that giving is living fully. We may find ourselves with a good and patient partner who teaches us how to love. Our children have such trust that we may remember confidence once again through their eyes.
Careers use to be for a lifetime but now they change frequently and confidence may rise and fall as you adapt to yet another change. Mastery in our work life may be something we achieve and that confidence comes on slowly over time.
Then there is spiritual growth, which is in essence returning to the source of who we were when we came into our bodies. This attention to who we are in relationship with the Creative Force of the universe can awaken a belief in self beyond the ordinary expression of day-to-day life. As one expands into a higher realm of our own reality, confidence knocks at the door through consciousness. To make contact and to realize our unlimited nature may be the ultimate freedom.
This inner journey back to confidence can be colored by those around us but ultimately it is solo in nature. Where is the next step in your realization going to come from? How do you know and how will you help it to happen? Can you imagine walking through your life with a confident step, an open heart, and the purpose filled determination to leave the world a better place in your own unique way?
Healthcare = Peace of Mind
Let’s get clear about this one fact. In the United States healthcare is above all else about profits for health insurance companies. The more denied claims, the less services provided, the bigger co-pays are about maximizing profits. Almost all other civilized nations offer health coverage for all with the well-being of its citizen’s as the #1 objective. There is something very wrong with a system that cares more about profits than about people and that is the Insurance Industry in America.
My passion is peace so why do I write about insurance companies and healthcare? The reason is that for genuine peace of mind we need to know that our health is covered. If we don’t have health coverage or it is very inadequate then it can be difficult to be peaceful inside. If we are not peaceful inside it will be hard to have a peaceful world.
Corporations for profit lack the heart to care about their services. If the people don’t ultimately matter then there is no heart to the services they provide. There are actually doctors working for insurance companies who job it is to deny claims and they get bigger bonuses the more claims they reject. Is that being a heartless corporation or what? Where there is no heart there is no peace.
The single payer system can be government run with heart and without profits being the single guiding force. When everyone in this country has their healthcare covered, there will be the possibility for real peace within the people. A peaceful people is what we want to inhabit our planet for the good of all.
The time is critical right now in Washington DC to push for real change in healthcare. Please contact all your elected representatives and let them know you expect healthcare for every citizen that is fair, reasonable and not driven by the profit motive. Canada, England, France, Japan, Cuba and many more countries have government run programs that really work well for their people.
The insurance companies put out millions of dollars of misinformation about single payer systems using fear to protect their profits. Insurance companies also pay our elected official large sums of campaign money to buy influence. Insurance companies are also invested in tobacco companies to build their profits. These corporations don’t really care about you even if they spend lots of money trying to convince you that they do. This is not acceptable and real change is possible now if you get involved.
Please contact somebody involved in making these critical decisions today and advocate for real and positive change in America’s Healthcare system.
Fear, Death and Other Fun Topics
Today I was at the dentist and thinking this is not much fun. I had to admit though the rather vigorous cleaning had to do with me running away from my fears and avoiding going in for a regular cleaning and checkups. As I am writing this, my stomach is feeling anxious as it did all morning in anticipation of my after lunch appointment. Because of the fearful churnings, I even passed on lunch. As a kid the dentist we went to was brutal with no painkillers and I spent long hours sitting there waiting as my brothers and sisters screamed in the chair. Sounds like a horror movie and in fact it felt like one.
That fear still resides in me as strongly as if I was back there in the small body of a child. Fear is a powerful emotion. Sometimes it gets so strongly implanted that it runs are decisions about life. That is true for me about dental issues and even to go to see a doctor. Fear is a complicated and highly charged emotion. It is about being afraid, about trying to close down to avoid suffering, and comes from desire to be safe. These reactions are totally human and probably are ultimately related to unresolved issues about death. Excuse me but that sounds so psychological doesn’t it?
Death is word we like to avoid and fear is an emotion most of us tend to not acknowledge as if it makes us less of a person. Both death and fear are however simply words with which we have given meaning. My dental fears are charge with my memories and thereby seem real. These fears are not real in the moment unless I bring them forward from the past. That is what the mind does; it makes real what it focuses on. Think for a moment of the positive powers of the mind.
Death is only an idea that so many of us have tied to an unpleasant experience. In the East and with people who have come to some kind of peace with the idea of their dying; death is just a passage to another form, a different journey, a long resting place, or the escape from an old body broken down by life. If death scares you, take some time to examine your beliefs and find a more peaceful relationship with the Big Rest.
Maybe going to the dentist made me feel more vulnerable and that stirred me into this direction of seriousness about fear and dying. It seem to me that asking questions of ourselves about things that matter is not only Ok but important. Sorting out our personal understanding of things bring the questions forefront instead of lurking in the backrooms of our mind where they cause unanswered anxiety.
Sorry for the heaviness but what questions are you avoiding asking yourself and causing you unneeded worry or apprehension?
Inspiration Is All Around You
Inspiration is a real gift and I feel so inspired lately by the creative spirit in my fellow citizens of the planet. While in Carmel and Monterey I visited a few galleries that were filled with beautiful art. One of the abstract painters Carolyn Cole really inspired me to get out my paints and start exploring again. What inspires you into creative expression?
Another very inspirational experience is a CD and DVD which I first saw part of on Bill Moyer’s show last year. The Playing For Change CD and DVD are now available and they are a pure joy to watch and listen to. For more information and to check this music out, go to www.playingforchange.com. If you are a political progressive you can buy this wonderful set at www.buzzflash.com where part of the money from the purchase goes to keeping Buzzflash.com informative, free of advertiser influence, and going strong. What kinds of music lift you to a higher plane of personal expression?
We saw beautiful homes, landscaping and oceans scenes that were picture perfect. A state park called Point Lobos, just south of the town of Carmel, was full of the most incredible scenery. These beautiful natural settings like Point Lobos and Big Sur are not the creation of humans but our taking good care of them is full of human expression. You can tell the many staff and volunteers take pride in their parks. For more on these fabulous parks check out: http://www.parks.ca.gov/. Where in nature are you uplifted?
The Monterey Aquarium was an opportunity to see what happens under the surface of the blue Pacific. The fish, shark, seahorses, and otters were worth the price of admission but the Jellyfish exhibit was unlike anything I have seen before. The one window was like a giant painting being explored as we watched. Another showed these tiny jellyfish with a light show going on inside in the deep dark sea. Being at the ocean to me feels like home but I knew so little about what was under the surface. Isn’t that like life? There is so much to each person if we can get below the surface.
If you are open and look around you will find inspiration in many forms. If you are willing to go a little deeper and listen a little more compassionately, both inwardly and with those in your life, you will find life to be full of inspiration all around you.
Have a good week.
Let Peace Be Your Way
Today is June 7th and this is my first blog of the month, this is also the longest time away from my blog since I begun over 800 days ago. I just got back from a wonderful week in Carmel Valley, CA where there as lots of time to play tourist, read, have time to meditate, workout, eat good food, and have lots of fun. It feels great to be rested and energized.
While I was away from blogging I had lots of time to think about what was most important to me and my work. I kept on coming back to the idea that peace is my passion. In President Obama’s inspirational speech in Cairo he mentioned peace numerous times as if he was sharing what is in most of our minds. In these times of uncertainty, peace feels even more important.
Peace begins inside of you and I. If we want a peaceful world we must first begin to find peace within. Here are five reminders of what will help bring peace into you, your life, and around the planet:
1. Attitude is essential – if you have positive mind you will be more peaceful. If you are hopeful, you will be more peaceful. If you are forgiving, you will be more peaceful.
2. Respect for all feelings – if you respect and accept all your emotions, you will feel more peaceful. Feelings are not good or bad, they are just reactions to our thoughts.
3. Listen to your heart – your heart has an endless capacity to love and have compassion. Start by having love and compassion for yourself every day. Let the love in your heart spread caring and kindness out into the world around you.
4. Have supportive self-talk – today make a commitment to shrink your inner critic. Have your inner dialogue be one of support and encouragement. Practice being kind in your words to yourself.
5. Be present – live in the now, leave the past behind and the future for tomorrow. In each moment are infinite possibilities waiting to be realized in you. Seek to enjoy life now and live it with passion and purpose.
Please explore these five ideas until you have them working well inside. The world needs you and I at our peaceful best and we can get there using these five steps.
Going On Vacation, Stories Worth Reading This Summer
I will not be blogging from May 30th through June 6th because I am on vacation, walking on the beach and taking it easy. While I am away I have a special list of novels you would enjoy reading that are both entertaining and enlightening.
You can get most of these books free at the library or cheap at your local used bookstore. Sometime stories are the best teachers and these novels are good stories. I will return to blogging on June 7th. Here are my recommendations, enjoy:
1. Siddhartha - Herman Hesse, A story of a person’s journey of awakening.
2. Old Path, White Clouds – Thich Nhat Hahn, the story of the Buddha
3. The Alchemist – Paula Coelho, a coming of age story of a person finding himself
4. The Mists of Avalon – Marian Zimmer Bradley, women coming into their power in magical times
5. Way of the Peaceful Warrior – Dan Millman, about a young person’s story of learning from a spiritual teacher
6. Stranger in a Strange Land - Robert Heinlein, another world’s perspective about us here on earth
7. The Way of the Wizard - Deepak Chopra, a story of magic and coming into power
8. Celestine Prophecy – James Redfield, the pursuit of the mysteries of life
9. Illusions – Richard Bach, The simple little tale that will expand your ideas of what is possible.
If you are in the mood for reading a novel, pick up one of these and enjoy the inspiration and the insights. See you in a week.
Summer Is For Breaking Patterns
Tomorrow will be my last blog for a week. My wife and I am going to Carmel Valley to stay at a friend’s while he is in England. I have stayed there a number of times but this time will be longer and we get to play tourist and enjoy the sights and activities of Carmel and Monterey. I feel a bit uncomfortable taking off this amount of time from my blog since for over 2 years I have been almost daily except for a few vacation days here and there.
Because I do a daily blog, that is my creative outlet, my opportunity to express myself and I look forward to it almost every day. Some days I get to writing when I am tired and my enthusiasm takes a little longer to fire up. However most days, writing this blog is an activity I really look forward to doing. Not doing it means I will probably have a notebook and write ideas for upcoming blogs.
This breaking of a pattern is really a positive thing to do. My workouts will also change emphasizing more recovery time and stretching. I will also read more for pleasure and to plant new seeds for my creative mind. These pattern shifts will allow me to access ideas and consciousness I would miss out on if I am too grooved into my daily routines. Habits usually create blind spots and numbness so this shaking up of my daily schedule will cause shifting on a number of levels.
Summers are great time to break away from the ordinary, from what is too familiar. This vacation is needed and wanted and will be a time to reenergize and renew. I look forward to walking on the beach very relaxed and not trying to get something done. The goal is to have fun, play around, rest and nap often and enjoy a fun place to explore. I get to play tourist guide for my wife and that is always enjoyable.
What routines are you going to break from this summer? What do you feel in your life needs a good stirring up? If I get some time in the next day or two I may make a couple of recommendations for reading or to stir you up.
One more blog tomorrow and then I will be gone. I hope your next week is a great one and that we both arrive at even more conscious place in a week.
Tune The Mind To The Learning And Positive Channels
Yesterday I was taking one of the treatment clients out for a walk because he had indicated that he was ready to leave our program. We listen to what our clients are saying because sometimes they have gotten what they feel they need to get their life back on track. Change is such an internal process. Often times however clients feels ready to go and later they come back because there is still further learning that needs to take place.
This sounds like life doesn’t it. We keep trying to make sense out of things and sometimes we seek help. Other times we keep going even when we fail because we are determined. The important thing is that we learn from life’s experiences otherwise we are bound to keep getting the same lessons. The biggest lessons come very clearly if we are open to what the universe is trying to help us understand. Too often however we don’t get what we are suppose to understand because we are too caught up in our thoughts and closed to seeing other perspectives. This close mindedness is something that never works to anyone’s advantage.
People who are very unhappy tend to have serious close mindedness going on. People who don’t enjoy life tend to be focused on what is wrong. People who are sure they know what is right and everyone else is wrong are not questioning the workings of their own mind. An unquestioned mind is like a parachute that does not open. You hit the ground hard and painfully when your mind is closed.
The workings of the mind are really quite simple. If you feed the mind full of negativity, complaining, and fear (nightly news), your life will be unhappy and most will not want to spend time around you. If you nurture your mind on optimism, hopefulness, appreciation and kindness, your life will be a joy to you and all you share your life with. People will want to know you because it will feel good to around the energy of your thoughts. You are the programmer of your mind so isn’t it time to be clear what your thoughts are and how they affect you?
Side note: Last night’s golf was fun playing in our summer league even though I was off my game. Playing golf is always fun for me even if I my shots are erratic. Then I got home to catch the end of the NBA game and it was fun too. The after game show with Charles, Kenny, Ernie and Reggie is almost as fun as the game for a basketball fan like me. Professional athletes make way too much money but on nights like this I almost think they are worth their wages in entertainment value.
Have a good Wednesday and keep the mind tuned to the positive channel.
Seeding Your Evolution Of Consciousness
As you know if you read my blog often, I question many things because I think that is essential to keeping an open mind and to becoming a more conscious human being. Two posts ago I wrote about the evolution of thinking that comes from life’s lessons. More ideas have been rattling around in my mind and heart about this topic. I would like to share with you several ways to encourage that growth process that I have explored on my own journey seeking to be a more awake and aware person.
Here is a list of techniques and practices to deepen your awareness, consciousness and compassion:
1. Mindfulness – the simplest form for waking up to the potential and possibilities in you is by practicing mindfulness. There are teachers of mindfulness throughout the country and probably in you community. The easiest one to explain briefly is the practice of breathing mindfully. In this practice you simply pay attention to your breath as a guide to being aware moment to moment. On a run today, I practice mindfulness and appreciated the beautiful new blooms of wildflowers along the trail and at the same time was aware of being present in the moment. You can use this technique while waiting in line, driving to work, eating, and in moments non-action.
2. Meditation – there are many forms of meditation and many teachers. I have explored numerous techniques from a variety of traditions and I most often practice walking meditation and Vipassana. The simplest form is one in which you notice your breathing, observe yourself, and label what is going on inside. If you have a thought say in silence, “thinking”. If you have an emotion say to yourself, “feeling.” If you have a sensation say within, “sensing.” After the labeling you return to breathing and notice what comes up next.
3. Questioning – this involves taking an active inventory of your thoughts, ideas and beliefs. Questioning is a mental practice that constantly searches for awareness and for truth. This practice is one I use to examine my points of view, to watch out for limiting beliefs, and to make sure I have not gotten stuck down the blind alley of rigid or ego based thinking.
4. Heartfulness – This is a method of the heart and inner knowing based on intuition and gut instinct. The heart is very trustworthy as a guide to awareness. If you feel open and receptive in your heart you are on the right track. The heart is about love and compassion and there is no greater human capacity than the hearts ability to care for and give to others and to self. In each moment you are either opening and expanding or closing and contracting. Following this opening and closing of the heart will teach you much about yourself.
If you take time each day to explore one or more of these techniques/practices, you will soon find yourself filled with happiness and free in ways you have not yet experienced.
Please let me know how it goes.
The Saddest Acre In America, Why?
Please excuse my questioning of this notion. We must all ask ourselves is the acre in the Arlington National Cemetery the saddest because of those who died or is it the saddest because this war never needed to happen? Those who died there died for political reasons not because it had anything to do with 9/11. America was lied into this war. Those that served Bush and Cheney did what they were told to do. They died for the agenda of oil and military bases in the region. Those following their commander’s orders don’t seem heroic to me, sorry if that offends you. They are professional soldiers trained to kill and they did their job as best they could.
What is truly sad to me is that Congress let this war happen, we the people let this happen, the media let this happen and actually promoted it. Together we stood by and let Bush and Cheney lead us into war that was all about seeking power, all about the egos of these two men and those who followed like sheep. Bush changed his reasons for the war almost daily because he is such an uncertain troubled person. Cheney is a fear monger who was in direct pursuit of oil and seeking to have more ego-driven power. The idea that anyone would believe anything Cheney (in the news recently) has to say after this nightmare he created is baffling to my human mind.
Those who died did so thinking they were doing what is right. If that is noble to you then so be it. Many of them who didn’t die are deeply troubled by what happened there as is indicated by the many suicides and their testimonies and made worse by their mistreatment by the VA. This mistreatment and discounting of their trauma speaks even more strongly of the insanity of war. When a person is treated as a hero and then mistreated by the VA, this must be even more unsettling to those that suffered by serving in this war.
Let’s make Memorial Day a day we exam ourselves, our government, and the mess that war is, so that we avoid this insanity in the future. We still have a huge, expensive, and deadly mess to clean up there. Instead of going on and on about those that have died, how about let’s start taking care of the living in America. The traumatized war vets need help, the abused need treatment, the hungry need food, the homeless need shelter, the prisoners need rehabilitation, the addicts need counseling, the lonely need friends and support, the depressed need hope, the sick need healthcare that works, the school dropouts need an education that meets their needs, and so many more need help. Isn’t it time for compassionate action? Thank you veterans who survived the insanity of leadership.
Peace to those that have lost family in war, to drugs and mental illness, to other of society’s ills. Let us all find the freedom that comes from caring for each other and the consciousness that comes from being aware and purposeful in serving others.
The Personal Evolution Of Thoughts And Values
What got me thinking about the topic of today was the realization I had writing one of my blog posts recently. Abraham Maslow a pioneering thinker about the healthy psychological development of human beings said, “we humans need to continue to grow to feel good about ourselves.” If you and I are growing and learning from life, then we are feeling positive about ourselves. This poses a question for me. That question is, if we are growing then isn’t our thinking and values evolving as we grow?
In my work with people in addiction recovery, I see how once the use and abuse of substances took over their lives, their thought development and values seem to go on hold. In other words because they were numbing out, their ability to learn from life slowed way down. This means their thinking and values stayed about where they were when they started to use their substances of choice. When they go into recovery mode these thoughts and values begin to change and evolve because they are again open to learning and growth.
How does this translate to the rest of us that are not numbed out? First of all there are other ways to numb out, being a workaholic, drama addict, gambler, seeking power, money driven, extreme fitness fanatic, sexual addiction, approval seeker, self-destructive behaviors, and other ways that we avoid being fully present to the world. These ways and other can keep people so preoccupied that their growth is obstructed.
As I write this, I am having an insight as to why political people can be so stuck in the evolution of their thought and values. My insight is that because they are in pursuit of power their growth is slowed down and their thoughts and values become rigid or tend to be stated to others according to what they think others want to hear. (Some politicians, more on a local level, are driven by the desire to serve not because they seek power.) Let me try to say this in another way. Those who are driven to seek power short circuit the growth process and their values tend to not evolve. That is why we have so much political rigid thinking and values that show no evolution of thought.
Let me give you some examples:
• Thinking war is an option to deal with conflict, this is old rigid ego-driven thinking that doesn’t value life. There is no understanding of the connection of all human beings to each other.
• Thinking people of different sexual orientation are bad or wrong, this thinking is about old beliefs and self-righteousness. This moralistic point of view lacks an open heart and the appreciation for human diversity.
• Thinking that a world run by profits is ok, this thinking is full of rationalization and lacks the consciousness that people matter much more than money. There is no evolution of compassion here or awareness of higher values.
• Thinking that the using fear is ok to push your agenda, this shows the unhealthy power of the mind to rationalize manipulating others. This kind of control-seeking thinking has driven our country into many problems.
Hopefully these examples where helpful, if you take some time to think about these, you will come up with other clear examples.
So rigid thinking and old values say the person is not growing. Conservative means not wanting to change, holding onto the traditional ways. This to me means people who have stopped their evolution of thinking, who are unwilling to examine their beliefs, and who don’t question their values. This is a perfectly ok point of view for individuals to take. Holding on to what is familiar makes sense in an uncertain world. This rigidity however cannot lead a nation back to health. Withholding oneself from a regular self-examination will slow growth down and fill the person with self-doubt. Those that shout the loudest about their beliefs oftentimes are filled with self-doubt. If you turn on talk radio, you will here lots of opinions, many of which are rigid and from very frustrated people, people who have much self-doubt.
These insights or perspective are still evolving as I write this. Please question all of my ideas. Your mind, your heart, your values and beliefs need to continue to evolve so that you can grow and feel good about yourself. My life is committed to life long-learning, please join me on the path to personal growth and the realization of the human potential.
Insurance Industry Is About Profits Not About Providing Healthcare
I watch Bill Moyer on PBS last night and become a more informed citizen about the debate over healthcare in our country. I now fully understand why a single payer health care system is the only way the people will get what they need and not get screwed by the insurance industry. That is strong language but watch the show on the net and you will see what I mean. Checkout Bill Moyer’s Show both segments and below are some of the points I now understand more clearly:
• Did you know the insurance industry spent over a half billion dollars in lobbying and paying for influence?
• Did you know that over half of recent bankruptcy filings has to do with medical costs?
• Did you know that many of these bankruptcies are people who had medical insurance and even supplementary coverage?
• Did you know that insurance companies do their best to get rid of unhealthy people so they can keep their profits?
• Did you know that insurance companies have turned doctors and nurses into beggars trying to convince the insurance companies to pay for the healthcare their clients need?
• Did you know that insurance companies make millions of dollars in profits by denying coverage to their customers?
• Did you know around 20,000 people have died in the last year because insurance companies would not provide the coverage the customer needed?
• Did you know many millions of dollars of time and resources are wasted every year just to deal with our insurance systems?
• Did you know that in recent Congressional hearings on healthcare the insurance companies pressured Congress to not let single payer advocates be involved in the discussion?
• Did you know that Canada has in fact had a very successful single payer system working for over 30 years even though American insurance companies spread lies about the system ineffectiveness?
• Did you know that the American system is wiping out many independent practicitioners because of the burden of doing business with this totally inefficient system?
Insurance companies care about one thing, making profits not about providing the level of care needed to keep their customers healthy. Please take some time to get active and contact all your elected representatives both at the state and national level. We are all being taken advantage of by the insurance industry and our elected representatives are being paid to support them through campaign contributions.
This is a huge problem if you ever get sick but don’t wait to find out, please get involved now.
Sometimes being informed gets a person mad and then if we take that anger and rechannel it into a constructive force for change than we the people can take back this country from those that only care about profits. Please join all of us who care and can see beyond the misinformation and get involved with issues you are passionate about. Your participation is truly needed.
We Keep Going
As I was hand writing my first draft of today’s blog in a notebook sitting along a lake I saw two ducks and their little family of ducklings go floating and quaking by. Then a mother and her three children and dog cruised along the path. Life just keeps on going, doesn’t it? Not matter what is going on in the world there is always us living things going about our business. No matter if the climate is changing or politicians bickering in Washington, D.C., life keeps on going.
It is easy to see why people tune out the noise of the chaotic world and just focus on living their lives without much attention to the bigger dramas of the world. We humans are very adaptable and that allows us to grow and find ways to thrive even in the hardest of times. Life keeps on going even if the money is tight. We still find ways to enjoy what we are doing.
Even when we are troubled by loss and uncertainty we keep on living as best as we can. The human spirit is a powerful force that is not easily daunted. Instead sometimes the difficult times are what bring out the best in us. To be challenged is to be called on to be possibly better than we ever have been before.
What challenges have you faced lately that could have knocked you off track but instead you just kept on living as fully as you could. Please take the time to acknowledge your spirit for living and to appreciate who you are in this moment as fully as you can. There will never be a person as good as you are at being who you are or giving what you have to give. Have a good holiday weekend and enjoy what life has to offer.
OH NO! I Had To Do Something I Really Don’t Like To Do
Yesterday I went to see a dentist; you have not read that before at this blog. My early dental experiences were a nightmare. I tend to avoid seeing a dentist as much as possible. Now I find out that I have a gum disease and I can either go every three months and see a hygienist or have problems. Yikes that was the most unpleasant news I have received in a long time. Oh well! The good news is that I probably will live through this.
The scared child in me hates to go have my teeth examined and I want to go run and hide. This inner child is different than the playful one I wrote about yesterday that loves to play games and have fun. This particular kid in me wants to avoid setting up the appointments I need and in general ignore the whole problem, which seems almost too unpleasant to want to endure. This fearful part of me wants out of this situation and acknowledging it at least stops it from growing to be a louder voice within. Ignoring the reality of this situation will not work.
Today, I make a commitment to do what it takes to get my gums as healthy as possible. In the midst of the treatment, I won’t be having much fun but I will be glad to heading in the right direction of keeping my teeth in good shape.
How do you push yourself toward what you need to do even when it doesn’t feel very good? How do you offset the demands of the fear that is frantically searching for more pleasant options? Again the power of just acknowledging feelings tends to shrink their impact. Your emotions don’t have to grow in strength if you pay attention to them. Feelings that are internally validated loose their control over you. When you acknowledge feelings, you become greater than they are. This means you take back the running of your life from your emotions.
Just a reminder: your feelings are great feedback about where you are going and what you are doing. When you are on track, you feel positive and energized; when you are off track you feel down and confused. Feelings let you know how you are doing and are great allies for creating a satisfying and rewarding life.
Golf, Nuggets, Bliss, and Book Launch
People are excited here in Colorado as the Denver Nuggets are making their way through the playoffs. They have never won this conference championship in their history and they lost a close first of seven game series. I got back home late from golf in which I may have shot my best round in my life and caught the last few minutes of the basketball game. I am such an athlete at heart and I love to play games like golf and ping-pong. I say this almost with a sense of embarrassment and I am not sure why. I guess in my late 50’s I feel like the kid in me shouldn’t be there and yet I know it is also totally ok to have the enthusiasm for play of a child.
This child in you and I is a real source for joy and a total blessing. If I could make my living playing sports at this age I would jump at the opportunity. I also love my work helping others, but it isn’t as much fun as just playing and enjoying games of movement, coordination, and focus. It seems like the hemispheres of my brain and the neurochemicals of joy are stimulated by sports. Playing freely and having fun is a great combination for me.
What do you love to do? What gets you all energized and excited? What lights the fire of passion in you? If you know the answer to these questions and you are living this kind of passionate life, you are incredibly blessed. If you know the answers but have yet to follow the clear guidance of the bliss inside of you than you are missing out on a wonderful life. Please choose to follow your bliss; this will insure that you will have lots more fun in all aspect of living. You can do this easily by tuning in, sensing and/or discovering within yourself what you love to do. This discovery will set you free in so many ways.
Book Launch Notice: My wife and I promised to help promote a book launch by Eldon Taylor who is writing about how our minds are programmed by societal influences and what we can do to reprogram our minds to create success. The book looks like it will be worth reading and there are many positive reviews. Checkout the link below to watch a very interesting 5 minute video about this new book from Hay House Publishing, a publisher I fully trust.
http://www.progressiveawarenesspromotions.com/innertalk/May09/index.htm