Last night, I dreamed of the Apocalypse. Buildings all around me and infrastructure of every kind were collapsing in destruction, killing many people without explanation. I cried and sobbed into the arms of another when I learned of the loss of my brother and sister and eventually I awoke, alarmed and fearful that my dream had somehow carried through into reality...
Of course, the world did not end on December 21st. Nor do I believe it was ever implied that it would from any source other than the misdirected fear of people who create their world from the perspective of victimization. But perhaps the Apocalypse really did occur... So, as I listened to the radio today, and the commentators reported about the recent tragedy of Sandyhook, I contemplated the Apocalypse that had occurred for a small community, and a group of families, whose known worlds ended in a burst of gunfire.
I desire to write tonight about the responsibility of SELF CONTAINMENT in mastery. Freedom in this world can not exist without the conscious direction of intention, of thoughts, or the guidance of emotional response to the many happy and horrible events that occur around us.
So, how do you experience Freedom in the face of the senseless massacre of 20 children and 6 adults?
How do you find safety again? How can we come to agreement as a society about how we should handle the owning of weapons? How does a small community ever recover from such a disaster of human design?
Some of the questions raised by an event like this will never be answered in justice. Those that insist upon the protection provided by privately owned fire arms will forever be bound by fear and mistrust, still unable to prove that gun ownership could prevent such tragedies from occurring. Those that insist that outlawing the ownership of these weapons will prevent tragedies will never convince an opposing viewpoint to let go of the need for protection, nor will they serve to truly provide safety to themselves or their loved ones.
The Apocalypse that has occurred is not the physical destruction of the world. It is the ending of a world which can be controlled by Society's restrictions upon the Freedom of individuals. The world which emerges from here is one which is created solely by the collective convictions of the individual. One which will no longer abide by the laws of man, but by the creative power of thought directed by the individual's will, and by the strength of the individual's emotions.
SELF CONTAINMENT is accomplished when an individual takes full responsibility for and realizes with accountability that their thoughts and energy truly shape the entirety of their reality. That no outside event, no other person determines the shape and experience of reality. While this idea takes a very hard look at the nature of tragedy, it also points toward a path which leads to a more brilliant future.
The horrific nature of the tragedy in Newtown seems to rule out the possibility that ANY interpretation of this event by an individual is even possible. Our proximity to the needless deaths of 26 innocent people make it abominable in our minds and produce powerful negative emotions. But I believe it is significant to also consider that these 26 people are not personally known by the vast majority of Americans or others watching around the world.
Compare this event to the deaths of Afghan civilians as a result of U.S. led bombing operations in Afghanistan from October 7, 2001 - February 28, 2002. During this period the L.A. Times reported that at least 1,067 Afghan civilians lost their lives directly as a result of American air strikes. You most likely do not personally know these 1,067 people either. And while at Sandyhook there were 26 people gunned down in a single day, imagine that more than 7 fathers, mothers and children were killed every single day with American tax dollars for a 5 month period. In other words, Sandyhook was repeated every 4 days in Afghanistan on your dime, on your watch, on your Presidential vote. But we don't think much about that. We don't grieve for them. We don't dwell on that tragedy in the media. Those 1,067 people were regarded as a necessary SACRIFICE to secure our American Freedom.
Some might say that the events I point to in Afghanistan are fundamentally different to the tragedy at the Newtown elementary school. They might justify the actions of the U.S. military and speak about unavoidable collateral damage. But does this argument mean anything to an Afghan father forced to deal with the deaths of his wife and child? Is his reality any different from the father of one the children who died in Newtown? I have no interest in making a case for BLAME. I only wish to point out that our well justified grief over the tragedy of Sandyhook is an INTERPRETATION of events only. And can our grief for those in Sandyhook have any meaning when we ignore events like the 1,067 deaths of civilians in Afghanistan?
How does SELF CONTAINMENT have purpose in the face of these events?
Many are asking questions about God, about Law, about Society and about Individualism as a result of these events. In my own path of Freedom, it is the mastery of directed thought, the understanding of my interpretation of the world and events around me that lights a way from the darkness of tragedy. I can't say that focusing upon thoughts of peace and safety will ever heal the wounds of the parents and families of the ones who died in Sandyhook or Afghanistan. But as a world consciousness, I can say with certainty, that safety from tragedy will never be assured if we collectively react with FEAR, with MISTRUST, and with unbridled EMOTIONALISM.
Don't get me wrong. I am not condemning the collective or individual grieving that is the dominant response for many to these tragedies. I only wish to bring light to the possibility for a more brilliant future.
FREE WILL is an inalienable part of our existence. With that truth is implied the responsibility to direct our inner energy, our thoughts and emotions to create our interpretations of the uncontrollable events of the world. Freedom can only exist when one accepts this responsibility. And we will only attain the brilliance of our potential Selves if we exercise our ability to interpret reality, thereby proactively CREATING our experience.
Is an Apocalypse in dream form any less real than that experienced by the parents of 20 murdered children? Does it matter if those parents are from Newtown or Kabul?
The actions of one individual can never be controlled by a society. Nor can the actions of an entire society be controlled by one individual. This is the price of our Freedom. OR... If you choose SELF CONTAINMENT, this is the reward of our Freedom.
Choose your world. The Apocalypse has already come and gone. So make it good.
**
I am free of attachments.
I am the eternal witness of what is.
I am the cosmos and the eternal presence.
I am letting go of Abhasa, of all the ambiguous, false and all fallacies reverberating in the fragmented perception.
I am truthful and, through truth, I create reality.
The Great Master remains attentive and watchful as a conscious witness of what is, not labeling anything as good or bad - just living in the reality created by the eternal presence of Source... in the present moment.
**
**Excerpted from "The Great Master" by Toby Alexander.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Survival vs. Rainbows - Rainbows always win!
So... Having written myself a blazing future into the meta-physical philosophy of Freedom - I ran smack into a wall. Survival can be a bitch when its made out of brick. It slowed me down, challenged me, and in general halted my adventurous musings on the nature of life and Freedom - cause I was too worried about where my next PB&J was going to come from! I had endeavored to speak about Sovereignty - but what I found instead was Rainbows. And it took me a while to feel my way into a solution to the problem at hand. As usual... : (
It struck me that experiencing Freedom through Sovereignty is simply impossible if my mind is focused upon the business of survival. If I don't feel confident in the source of my next meal, the roof over my head, my form of transportation etc. how could I possibly feel anything remotely near the experience of Sovereignty? Plus, in a state of uncertainty, where survival seems even slightly threatened, every obstacle that occurs seems larger than the last one with hardly any chance presenting itself for a leg up.
I laugh now at a previous blog post, in which I referred to my previously held job title as an Art Auctioneer on a Cruise Ship, thinking that the era of glamour was now receding into my past. Because now, what I do for a living is sell Rainbows.
What? You're joking right? (this is the standard response after I have answered the 'what do you do?' question)
No. I sell Rainbows. Sold three last week actually.
Turns out I'm not actually crazy, and it is simply the name of a product that helps people enjoy a healthy and clean indoor environment - but none of that is the point. The point is SURVIVAL vs. SOVEREIGNTY. If you have ever met a door to door salesman, or that guy at the used car dealership who obviously was concerned about his next meal, then you've seen the look of desperation - the air of self preservation that disregards everything else - particularly your preferences as a customer. And the direct selling business is all feast or famine as many in the business will tell you. Because so many fail to succeed in this line of work and end up in some other more secure type of job, the few that succeed often go on to become self improvement gurus and motivational speakers...
And anyone who has ever pitched a Business Opportunity is selling none other than, yep, SOVEREIGNTY. That sought after quality of life where you make your own hours, determine your own paycheck and define your own freedom!
So what's wrong with SURVIVAL?
Well nothing really. In fact, I don't think anybody ever actually contemplates surviving. Its the NOT surviving that truly captivates our attention. Even when that is a very remote possibility.
As an exercise in SURVIVAL I would suggest not going to the grocery store. Just eat the rest of your food. And if you are someone who has actually eaten the last item in your fridge than you know what I am talking about. Even when the fridge appears totally empty, I have discovered that there is still probably 5 or 6 days worth of food in there! (for one person anyhow) I discovered upon this experiment (somewhat not of my choosing) that the initial anxiety of "I'm running out of food! What if I don't SURVIVE?" soon was replaced by more confident and calm thoughts. Thoughts like, "I have plenty of food to eat today" and "Not only do I have plenty of food to eat today, but I have plenty of food for tomorrow and probably the rest of the week" - I had discovered that my threshold of scarcity was actually somewhat abundant. And then, all I could focus on was the abundance.
I think if I were to sum up the most important thing I have learned in the last six months, it is this:
I make decisions based on the success I envision rather than the challenges I have.
There is so much talk about overcoming obstacles and fighting against this problem and that problem, fighting illness, poverty, overcoming disability and bad circumstances, etc. etc. etc.
Well - I'm starting to realize that none of those stories tell you anything about how someone attained SOVEREIGNTY from their problems of survival.
When making choices in line with the success, the thriving, the joy you envision, suddenly the obstacles in the way just melt down and become bumps, hurdles easily cleared, minor setbacks on a larger road to success. I feel like I'm writing the Success Guru Garbage chatter that gets people pumped up only to fail.
But I believe I am coming to know that the only failure is believing that survival is something we have to fight for on the journey to realizing our dreams. SOVEREIGNTY is achieved through perspective. A mindset that actually has a healthy disregard for reality. When challenges come up, you ignore the "challenge" and continue to make choices as if you have already succeeded and as if by magic, reality molds itself to the will of your mind!
Do I suggest you try the favorite childhood test of "I can fly, I can fly, I can fly!" while jumping out the second story window?
Well, the "I can" statement brings immediately into the mix the prospect of survival. Because if you are trying to reinforce 'I can' in your mind, you are simply fighting against the belief "I CAN'T fly" - which is probably a wise belief unless you own an airplane.
In SOVEREIGNTY the statement becomes "I fly with the birds, beyond the horizon, up in the clouds." One does not attempt this from the second story window, because with this powerful belief, a hot air balloon, or prop jet pilot will magically appear with an invitation to soar into the atmosphere.
For most of my life, I tried to figure out how to survive on the road to achieve my desires - and what I often did was run into walls. Sometimes I bounced back, sometimes I fell down - and trust me, getting back up and trying again was NOT the solution. Though that's often what I did.
No. Now there aren't walls. Just hops and skips, and little jumps toward the other side of a Rainbow. As if the challenges from my past have suddenly shrunk smaller than a Leprechaun - and don't get me wrong, I'm not so naive to think that I have all the answers, and nothing will ever go wrong again. Its just that when it does, I will no longer be dependent on my problems. I will no longer focus on them, giving all my power away to them and their ability to slow me down, hinder my path, or destroy my confidence. SOVEREIGNTY is something found in the heart. And once its found, there is no longer a need to be courageous because the solution comes from within.
Glad to be over that hurdle. The cool part is, to get over it, I didn't even notice jumping. I just kept my eyes on the finish line and suddenly I was on the other side. Cool how that works.
Abbadham.
It struck me that experiencing Freedom through Sovereignty is simply impossible if my mind is focused upon the business of survival. If I don't feel confident in the source of my next meal, the roof over my head, my form of transportation etc. how could I possibly feel anything remotely near the experience of Sovereignty? Plus, in a state of uncertainty, where survival seems even slightly threatened, every obstacle that occurs seems larger than the last one with hardly any chance presenting itself for a leg up.
I laugh now at a previous blog post, in which I referred to my previously held job title as an Art Auctioneer on a Cruise Ship, thinking that the era of glamour was now receding into my past. Because now, what I do for a living is sell Rainbows.
What? You're joking right? (this is the standard response after I have answered the 'what do you do?' question)
No. I sell Rainbows. Sold three last week actually.
Turns out I'm not actually crazy, and it is simply the name of a product that helps people enjoy a healthy and clean indoor environment - but none of that is the point. The point is SURVIVAL vs. SOVEREIGNTY. If you have ever met a door to door salesman, or that guy at the used car dealership who obviously was concerned about his next meal, then you've seen the look of desperation - the air of self preservation that disregards everything else - particularly your preferences as a customer. And the direct selling business is all feast or famine as many in the business will tell you. Because so many fail to succeed in this line of work and end up in some other more secure type of job, the few that succeed often go on to become self improvement gurus and motivational speakers...
And anyone who has ever pitched a Business Opportunity is selling none other than, yep, SOVEREIGNTY. That sought after quality of life where you make your own hours, determine your own paycheck and define your own freedom!
So what's wrong with SURVIVAL?
Well nothing really. In fact, I don't think anybody ever actually contemplates surviving. Its the NOT surviving that truly captivates our attention. Even when that is a very remote possibility.
As an exercise in SURVIVAL I would suggest not going to the grocery store. Just eat the rest of your food. And if you are someone who has actually eaten the last item in your fridge than you know what I am talking about. Even when the fridge appears totally empty, I have discovered that there is still probably 5 or 6 days worth of food in there! (for one person anyhow) I discovered upon this experiment (somewhat not of my choosing) that the initial anxiety of "I'm running out of food! What if I don't SURVIVE?" soon was replaced by more confident and calm thoughts. Thoughts like, "I have plenty of food to eat today" and "Not only do I have plenty of food to eat today, but I have plenty of food for tomorrow and probably the rest of the week" - I had discovered that my threshold of scarcity was actually somewhat abundant. And then, all I could focus on was the abundance.
I think if I were to sum up the most important thing I have learned in the last six months, it is this:
I make decisions based on the success I envision rather than the challenges I have.
There is so much talk about overcoming obstacles and fighting against this problem and that problem, fighting illness, poverty, overcoming disability and bad circumstances, etc. etc. etc.
Well - I'm starting to realize that none of those stories tell you anything about how someone attained SOVEREIGNTY from their problems of survival.
When making choices in line with the success, the thriving, the joy you envision, suddenly the obstacles in the way just melt down and become bumps, hurdles easily cleared, minor setbacks on a larger road to success. I feel like I'm writing the Success Guru Garbage chatter that gets people pumped up only to fail.
But I believe I am coming to know that the only failure is believing that survival is something we have to fight for on the journey to realizing our dreams. SOVEREIGNTY is achieved through perspective. A mindset that actually has a healthy disregard for reality. When challenges come up, you ignore the "challenge" and continue to make choices as if you have already succeeded and as if by magic, reality molds itself to the will of your mind!
Do I suggest you try the favorite childhood test of "I can fly, I can fly, I can fly!" while jumping out the second story window?
Well, the "I can" statement brings immediately into the mix the prospect of survival. Because if you are trying to reinforce 'I can' in your mind, you are simply fighting against the belief "I CAN'T fly" - which is probably a wise belief unless you own an airplane.
In SOVEREIGNTY the statement becomes "I fly with the birds, beyond the horizon, up in the clouds." One does not attempt this from the second story window, because with this powerful belief, a hot air balloon, or prop jet pilot will magically appear with an invitation to soar into the atmosphere.
For most of my life, I tried to figure out how to survive on the road to achieve my desires - and what I often did was run into walls. Sometimes I bounced back, sometimes I fell down - and trust me, getting back up and trying again was NOT the solution. Though that's often what I did.
No. Now there aren't walls. Just hops and skips, and little jumps toward the other side of a Rainbow. As if the challenges from my past have suddenly shrunk smaller than a Leprechaun - and don't get me wrong, I'm not so naive to think that I have all the answers, and nothing will ever go wrong again. Its just that when it does, I will no longer be dependent on my problems. I will no longer focus on them, giving all my power away to them and their ability to slow me down, hinder my path, or destroy my confidence. SOVEREIGNTY is something found in the heart. And once its found, there is no longer a need to be courageous because the solution comes from within.
Glad to be over that hurdle. The cool part is, to get over it, I didn't even notice jumping. I just kept my eyes on the finish line and suddenly I was on the other side. Cool how that works.
Abbadham.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Who Am I? - Self Actualization in Action
In my last post, I mentioned that there would be 12 entries describing the various aspects of Freedom that I am aiming to illuminate, disseminate and propagate - but as I allowed the first entry to settle, I realized some clarification was needed. I have been pondering a question for the past few months since I left my life aboard cruise ships and the platform of SELF ACTUALIZATION seemed to provide the perfect springboard to begin to answer it. So, the 12 will have to expand...
I had the good fortune of meeting a wonderful friend who was not only curious about my motives and experience, but was also intent on clarifying that understanding by way of intellectual challenge. I had been in the process of describing that during 7 + years of eating a version of a vegetarian diet (sometimes that diet included eggs, milk and fish along with the plant sourced food) that I refused to acknowledge myself as a Vegetarian. I would insist that I simply eat a vegetarian diet.
"Isn't that a cop out? Aren't you just being unwilling to commit yourself to who you are and what you stand for?"
My intention had been to express a revelation I had about identity and how it is related to the structure of our self belief and has the potential of limiting one's choices. I wanted to communicate the idea that rather than responding spontaneously and authentically to the needs of the moment, it is so easy to make choices governed by the belief structures we create that we often cause detrimental limitations in our experience of freedom because those rigid beliefs do not adjust to the changes going on all around and inside us.
Recent case in point. I saw on the internet the other day that a Fruitarian (someone who only eats fruit, drinks water and breathes air for physical subsistence) died as a result of B12 deficiency.
I obviously can't speak about the direct cause of this person's death, and it is not my intention to disrespect the bereaved, but I have to wonder, was there ever some signal emanating from within that person's body saying "I need Meat. Give me Meat. I want B12!" that was ignored due to the commitment to the belief "I am a Fruitarian" ?
The above example is obviously extreme and few people ever come to a life or death choice regarding their personal identity beliefs. Or do they? Is it possible that some of the beliefs we hold with an iron glove contribute to our physical decline? Is it possible that we hold some beliefs that don't serve our happiness, wellness or relationships?
With these questions in mind it was my intention to honor my freedom, and the ability to change as conditions required and therefore would only say, "I eat a vegetarian diet" and not say "I AM a vegetarian." Just in case the need to eat a hamburger arose.
"But aren't you only going in Halfway? How can you say that you are fully living anything when you refuse to acknowledge an aspect about yourself that is obviously so clear?"
This was the part of the question I didn't really have an answer for. Until now.
Isn't the quintessential description of a person in our American society framed by the ice breaking question of "What do you do?" How many times have you met someone and asked or been asked this question - only to be face to face with a short uninspiring answer? I was lucky over the last few years because people would ask me and I could rather proudly say "I have the best job in the world! I sell Art on a cruise ship!" Which of course would result in any number of amorous responses including oohs and ahhs, while I was sitting there thinking, "You know, it often wasn't as great as it sounds"
Doesn't the idea of SELF-ACTUALIZATION imply that any answer to this question will never be disappointing? "Oh, I am an accountant." or "yeah, I work in a cubicle all day" or "I sell insurance" or "I am a second grade teacher." All spoken in a dismissive or bored manner tend to highlight the lack of passion we may have developed in our chosen field. In fact the answers we provide to the "What do you DO, EAT, WEAR, LISTEN TO, WATCH, BELIEVE IN, etc." question is one of the primary ways in which we define ourselves and each other, and wouldn't life be so much better if the answers we had to those questions felt INSPIRING?
While any number of the above answers might be offered with exuberance and confidence, intriguing the listener or at the very least your self, what is the distinction that makes that happen? How can I adjust my perspective so that I talk that way? Haven't you ever met people who were so inspired by what they DO that it is actually justified asking that mundane and all too often asked question? How do you ACTUALIZE the desires you hold at the core of your being into what you DO, ARE and HAVE?
I would like to invite you to try on a phrase. Use it to start any answer about who you think you are or what you do. It goes like this: "I am joyful when..."
Suddenly the answer to the question is WAY more interesting... "So, what do you do?"
"Well, I take great joy in combining numbers and finding ways to make the additions outweigh the subtractions"
OR
"I am joyful talking to people all day, offering them a product which I know they appreciate having"
OR
"I am joyful when I see someone feel peace of mind from the insurance policy I sell them"
OR to complete my personal answer - "I feel joyful while eating a vegetarian diet"
This kind of answer inspires interest, connection and a source of magnetism - inviting the interest of others and the opportunity to share our inmost desires.
I am beginning to realize that I could make all sorts of I AM statements about my life, and affirm those parts of my life that are matching with my desires. And the ones that don't sound good when preceded by "I am joyful when..." are giving me a clue as to which aspects of my life probably could use a little tweaking -
For instance in my case: "I am diabetic" doesn't sound so great in the "I'm joyful when..." statement. But, when replaced with "I am joyful while experiencing vitality and harmony in my body" I am saying something which not only resonates as true, but points me in the direction of what I desire. The first statement lumps me into a statistic causing me to feel victimized by a situation outside my control and discouraged by my lack of ability to change anything about it. The second statement makes me feel hopeful and capable of bringing my desires in to my experience and provides a platform from which to make choices like practicing yoga every day in my home, or taking a walk in the sun.
I'm not necessarily suggesting that the next time you meet someone new, you should just burst out with, "I feel joyful with more credit card debt than I can repay" but maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to try out some of your "I AM" belief statements with the "I feel joyful as..." test. If you have a thought or belief that doesn't feel right when applied to the "joyful test" it might just suggest that this belief pattern isn't serving you. Perhaps it could use a little refinement and exploration.
For instance, "I feel joyful receiving enough money to pay all my bills on time" - this is the SELF ACTUALIZATION shift that can make such a huge difference in how we experience the world and our situation. It also allows you to define yourself and your beliefs from a platform of joy, rather than a platform of "What Is" - It allows us to fully embrace each aspect of our being, while allowing the space and FREEDOM to change and evolve as necessary.
So now that I've gotten that out there, to answer the question "What do I DO?" since I don't sell art anymore - one option is: "I feel joyful walking other peoples' dogs."
May great Joy and Freedom be yours. Namaste.
The title and subject of this post was also inspired by a chapter from "Rooted in the Infinite" by Rebbie Straubing.
I had the good fortune of meeting a wonderful friend who was not only curious about my motives and experience, but was also intent on clarifying that understanding by way of intellectual challenge. I had been in the process of describing that during 7 + years of eating a version of a vegetarian diet (sometimes that diet included eggs, milk and fish along with the plant sourced food) that I refused to acknowledge myself as a Vegetarian. I would insist that I simply eat a vegetarian diet.
"Isn't that a cop out? Aren't you just being unwilling to commit yourself to who you are and what you stand for?"
My intention had been to express a revelation I had about identity and how it is related to the structure of our self belief and has the potential of limiting one's choices. I wanted to communicate the idea that rather than responding spontaneously and authentically to the needs of the moment, it is so easy to make choices governed by the belief structures we create that we often cause detrimental limitations in our experience of freedom because those rigid beliefs do not adjust to the changes going on all around and inside us.
Recent case in point. I saw on the internet the other day that a Fruitarian (someone who only eats fruit, drinks water and breathes air for physical subsistence) died as a result of B12 deficiency.
I obviously can't speak about the direct cause of this person's death, and it is not my intention to disrespect the bereaved, but I have to wonder, was there ever some signal emanating from within that person's body saying "I need Meat. Give me Meat. I want B12!" that was ignored due to the commitment to the belief "I am a Fruitarian" ?
The above example is obviously extreme and few people ever come to a life or death choice regarding their personal identity beliefs. Or do they? Is it possible that some of the beliefs we hold with an iron glove contribute to our physical decline? Is it possible that we hold some beliefs that don't serve our happiness, wellness or relationships?
With these questions in mind it was my intention to honor my freedom, and the ability to change as conditions required and therefore would only say, "I eat a vegetarian diet" and not say "I AM a vegetarian." Just in case the need to eat a hamburger arose.
"But aren't you only going in Halfway? How can you say that you are fully living anything when you refuse to acknowledge an aspect about yourself that is obviously so clear?"
This was the part of the question I didn't really have an answer for. Until now.
Isn't the quintessential description of a person in our American society framed by the ice breaking question of "What do you do?" How many times have you met someone and asked or been asked this question - only to be face to face with a short uninspiring answer? I was lucky over the last few years because people would ask me and I could rather proudly say "I have the best job in the world! I sell Art on a cruise ship!" Which of course would result in any number of amorous responses including oohs and ahhs, while I was sitting there thinking, "You know, it often wasn't as great as it sounds"
Doesn't the idea of SELF-ACTUALIZATION imply that any answer to this question will never be disappointing? "Oh, I am an accountant." or "yeah, I work in a cubicle all day" or "I sell insurance" or "I am a second grade teacher." All spoken in a dismissive or bored manner tend to highlight the lack of passion we may have developed in our chosen field. In fact the answers we provide to the "What do you DO, EAT, WEAR, LISTEN TO, WATCH, BELIEVE IN, etc." question is one of the primary ways in which we define ourselves and each other, and wouldn't life be so much better if the answers we had to those questions felt INSPIRING?
While any number of the above answers might be offered with exuberance and confidence, intriguing the listener or at the very least your self, what is the distinction that makes that happen? How can I adjust my perspective so that I talk that way? Haven't you ever met people who were so inspired by what they DO that it is actually justified asking that mundane and all too often asked question? How do you ACTUALIZE the desires you hold at the core of your being into what you DO, ARE and HAVE?
I would like to invite you to try on a phrase. Use it to start any answer about who you think you are or what you do. It goes like this: "I am joyful when..."
Suddenly the answer to the question is WAY more interesting... "So, what do you do?"
"Well, I take great joy in combining numbers and finding ways to make the additions outweigh the subtractions"
OR
"I am joyful talking to people all day, offering them a product which I know they appreciate having"
OR
"I am joyful when I see someone feel peace of mind from the insurance policy I sell them"
OR to complete my personal answer - "I feel joyful while eating a vegetarian diet"
This kind of answer inspires interest, connection and a source of magnetism - inviting the interest of others and the opportunity to share our inmost desires.
I am beginning to realize that I could make all sorts of I AM statements about my life, and affirm those parts of my life that are matching with my desires. And the ones that don't sound good when preceded by "I am joyful when..." are giving me a clue as to which aspects of my life probably could use a little tweaking -
For instance in my case: "I am diabetic" doesn't sound so great in the "I'm joyful when..." statement. But, when replaced with "I am joyful while experiencing vitality and harmony in my body" I am saying something which not only resonates as true, but points me in the direction of what I desire. The first statement lumps me into a statistic causing me to feel victimized by a situation outside my control and discouraged by my lack of ability to change anything about it. The second statement makes me feel hopeful and capable of bringing my desires in to my experience and provides a platform from which to make choices like practicing yoga every day in my home, or taking a walk in the sun.
I'm not necessarily suggesting that the next time you meet someone new, you should just burst out with, "I feel joyful with more credit card debt than I can repay" but maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to try out some of your "I AM" belief statements with the "I feel joyful as..." test. If you have a thought or belief that doesn't feel right when applied to the "joyful test" it might just suggest that this belief pattern isn't serving you. Perhaps it could use a little refinement and exploration.
For instance, "I feel joyful receiving enough money to pay all my bills on time" - this is the SELF ACTUALIZATION shift that can make such a huge difference in how we experience the world and our situation. It also allows you to define yourself and your beliefs from a platform of joy, rather than a platform of "What Is" - It allows us to fully embrace each aspect of our being, while allowing the space and FREEDOM to change and evolve as necessary.
So now that I've gotten that out there, to answer the question "What do I DO?" since I don't sell art anymore - one option is: "I feel joyful walking other peoples' dogs."
May great Joy and Freedom be yours. Namaste.
The title and subject of this post was also inspired by a chapter from "Rooted in the Infinite" by Rebbie Straubing.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Building a Pattern of Relief: A Mini Course in 12 Ways of Mastery
This is the first entry of twelve regarding a more clear definition for the mastery of freedom. I noticed in the past few weeks that Freedom seemed to be something of an undefined term. Just what is freedom anyway? There are so many people, each with their own perception of just what it means to be free. Am I talking about freedom to go where I want to? Freedom to do what I want to do? Be who I want to be? Say what I want to say? Is Freedom just about property? Is it about Lunch?
This question has presented itself over the past few weeks as I have relocated to Denver, Colorado. While visiting a close friend of mine in Boulder, our reminiscing about days gone by prompted a long discussion about philosophy, that spanned the better part of an entire day and included at least half a dozen new friends and way too many beers. It seemed clear to me during this discussion, that the logical mind often desires to win answers - eventually reaching conclusions for which there is no acceptable argument, and giving a definitive answer to the question at hand. But life rarely presents itself in this manner. Winning at life could look so different depending on who is playing - and by what set of rules?
In response to the question which has arisen, I will outline 12 aspects of Freedom, which I believe will cover all the areas of answers which don't necessarily win or lose arguments, but will put those arguments in a context that brings peace to the question. And, it is my intention that in the writing and sharing of this information, the aspects of life which define Freedom become more definitively grounded in my own experience - in such a way as the quality of each aspect is recognizable in my presence as well as my actions and communications. So, I would like to invite you to follow along these next 12 entries, as in my experience, commitments like this often make for some bumpy travel ahead, and I could use some companions along the way : )
The first aspect of Freedom I would like to discuss is SELF-ACTUALIZATION.
As I have contemplated my own Freedom over these past weeks, I have been shaken by my own recognition of the thought patterns which direct my perception. These habits of thought determine so many things about my experience and I have often found that they direct my day with ZERO conscious participation on my part. I have been aware for many years now of the influence the sub conscious mind has on our experience. But what is astounding me is how many thoughts exist in my mind that I didn't consciously choose and are not serving me, or are not leading to the experience of Freedom that I desire.
I think the number one most habitual thought pattern that is recognizable as an aspect of personality, is that which puts me in a bad mood first thing in the morning. I think most people are aware of the "I'm not a morning person" excuse. I have certainly repeated that one, I don't know how many times. Certainly since I was a child. When the alarm goes off, I am the snooze king. And even once I'm awake, I would really rather just go back to bed. But once I do get up, I generally adopt a zombie like demeanor, and have little to offer except grunts and requests for coffee. While I recognize that we do have biorhythmic cycles or circadian rhythms, is it really necessary to be in a bad mood, just for waking up? Is it possible that being in a bad mood is simply a habitual pattern and network of negative thoughts? Is it possible that when I wake up in the morning instead of feeling oppressed I might feel some excitement for a new day? OR at the very least a little bit of RELIEF????
So, Self-Actualization, is partly a process of self recognition. Of holding up a mirror as one moves through the day, observing, taking note and sometimes congratulating or chastising. I found myself thinking one day - "How can I be Free when there are so many thoughts I didn't consciously choose determining my experience?" But, as that thought arrived, I simply replaced it with another one, which feels better to me - "I am Free to create each thought in every moment to match my own desire" - phew, that's a relief. But easier said than done right? While habits may die hard, and thought patterns in particular, this process of thought rejuvenation - of consciously participating in the patterning of my mind is actually causing a feeling of renewal - even though I don't catch every negative thought, every reaction, or emotion that doesn't make me or someone else feel good. This process of renewal is bringing RELIEF from old emotions that seemed to inhabit my experience like an unpleasant neighbor. Relief from emotions whose existence I never questioned, I just accepted them as a fact of life. Like being cranky first thing in the morning.
What excites me about this process so much is I can actually build and remodel not only my thoughts, but what flows from my thoughts, my speaking, my actions and by nature of the process of creating, the people, circumstances and events which comprise the experience of my life. I remember thinking the first time I heard the words SELF-ACTUALIZATION or ENLIGHTENMENT and thought that it was this unreachable state of being that was reserved only for Gurus and Ascetics, Monks and Priests - the holy people who meditate under a Bodhi tree and experience this unbelievable burst of TRUTH and BLISS, and that everyone else was, well ordinary, unremarkable by comparison and unable to participate in any experience resembling bliss or truth. But, I am finding that it is just a process of being, natural and easily chosen. Even making mistakes along the way does not seem to ruin the process. If I take a vacation from choosing my thoughts and run on Auto Pilot for a while, well, the next moment provides a new opportunity. I will choose the next thought when my awareness is ready and that thought won't be judging my recent vacation.
So, Freedom is the result of actively choosing one's thoughts, of continually observing and refining those choices to build a network of ideas and feelings which flow out to the world and create the platform from which to experience the life of our choosing. Freedom is in fact the very process of consciously participating in the choosing of who we are to become and how we will act within the world that surrounds us. This is sometimes as easy as choosing the next thought. One that gives a little relief. One that provides a pleasing experience of change, or the shift from negative experience to a more positive experience. Relief is generally characterized by something negative - pain, stress, or shackles which is alleviated, eased or removed. Meaning that most negative experiences, thoughts, and emotions are an experience of oppression - the opposing force when we are considering Freedom. Thus, in any situation, experience or emotion, it is my commitment of SELF-ACTUALIZATION to discover RELIEF, that I may more fully uncover the Actual experience of Self, the embodiment of Abaddham.
I appreciate those of you who have read about this first aspect of Freedom - and I hope this helps Self Actualization become an experience which you can ease-fully engage, and that the feeling of relief leads you into a greater Freedom. Perhaps as a society, if we were to more fully embrace the concept of SELF ACTUALIZATION through the discovery of RELIEF, freedom would not be something we would need to fight for or protect. For as you will see in the next aspect I explore - Freedom attained through self actualization is something which cannot be taken, cannot be threatened, and cannot be lost. And it is something which does not depend upon an outside power or force to be sustained. It is the true definition of SOVEREIGNTY.
See you along the path of Freedom, and may it be one of renewal, of freshness and vigor.
Abadhita.
The content of this post is inspired in part by the 12 Responsibilities of Mastery from Azurite Press, Inc. and by "The Great Master" by Toby Alexander.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Yoga Means Union
There is no greater comfort than realizing that the world is exactly the way that you wish it was.
And THAT is what freedom is for.
Though I could leave this blog with just that Twitter-like idea I would like to draw upon this idea that has taken hold of me and see if I can spin a little story that keeps me pointed in the right direction.
If you practice Yoga, or you know someone who practices Yoga, most likely, you are familiar with the idea of attempting to bend your body into all kinds of pretzel like contortions either inside a sweaty hot box of a room that you think you might die in if you don't drink some ice water, or its accompanied by some stinky incense and someone giving the equivalent of a Hail Mary in Hindi...
Not what Yoga is for.
Beyond union as in joining together, Yoga means the union with the Divine self. It starts with the premise that each human being is an emanation of the Divine. Whether you are Christian, Muslim, Buddhist or a flat out Atheist - it is an indication that you are an aspect of a greater potential. So, when practicing Hatha Yoga - I often find myself desiring to make the pose look perfectly - to get my body to respond to what I want it to do, in short to extend my legs and spine in opposing directions while holding my hands in prayer and thinking happy thoughts.
Easier said than done.
But I began to realize that it wasn't about doing the pose perfectly. Its about being in alignment perfectly. But what does that mean? Alignment with what? Alignment with the unrealized potential. Alignment with the Divine inner being. Alignment with God or Christ or the Buddha. Alignment is something intangible - but EVERYONE KNOWS what it is when they feel it... And in a moment, I will give you the experience of alignment so that you can know exactly what it is I am talking about.
So. In Yoga it is my practice deepen each pose in alignment until I find resistance. I do not sacrifice alignment to get my hand out further or my leg up higher or my body in some deeper version of the contortion I am subjecting it to... At least, that is my practice. I often come out of alignment. But when I do, I back off, I relax my effort, I find the place of alignment, and in doing so I embrace the potential being I have yet to become, the Divine emanation from source, the inner Self, whatever you want to call it. So, what happens when I leave the Yoga place?
It is the SAME. That is what Yoga is for.
When you are humming along, your life is going pretty good, and then you get an irritating phone call, your car's check engine light comes on, your boss gives you too much work and an impossible deadline, and it ruins your mood, you are experiencing RESISTANCE - as surely as if you were in Yoga class trying to do the splits! Well, I can't do the splits and I my muscles seem pretty far from being able to do them, BUT doing the splits is not important. Remaining in alignment IS. So when you experience RESISTANCE in the form of a bad mood caused by any various sets of outside factors - it is time to back off, relax, take a breath and reorient yourself to who you want to be, and that is by what you want to FEEL. Do not worry about being asked to do the splits. Simply go until you reach some resistance and then find your alignment again. This will allow you to go a little deeper next time.
So, if you have ever done this before, you too have practiced Yoga. Even if you have never done a Yoga pose, or looked at a single word in sanskrit.
When you are in ALIGNMENT you are experiencing UNION with your DIVINE essence. (substitute any idea of your greater potential that feels most comfortable to you if you don't like DIVINE essence) In fact, if you don't like DIVINE essence, you are probably out of alignment anyway! I'm kind of playing with you a little there. Anyhow.
That is what YOGA is for. ALIGNMENT with your GREATEST POTENTIAL SELF!
So find your edge. Be willing to find a smile, when you are at your edge. And if you can't find the smile at your edge, then back up and go look for it until you find it. When you get it, go back to your edge and have another go. When you can stay at your edge and you do not have to go looking for your smile anymore, than you have come into alignment and your edge has expanded. This is applicable in every aspect of your life, whether it is with money, with love, with friendships, your job, your family, your car... EVERYTHING in your experience is about ALIGNMENT and EXPANSION.
So. I am feeling good right now, because I know that you are about to feel good to. I happen to believe the hippies and their optimism about the idea that everything is LOVE. If you or I, or anybody comes into ALIGNMENT with LOVE than they are in line with EVERYTHING with ALL THAT IS, and in that state of being ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. Which is to say, you are totally and completely FREE.
So. Don't you wish that ANYTHING REALLY IS POSSIBLE? Don't you wish that you could live a life that seems beyond your wildest belief of what you think you even deserve? Well both of those thoughts are actually holding resistance to the TRUTH that they uncover. BUT.
I'm going to give you a little dose of FREEDOM. Which is to say, I'm going to give you some LOVE. And I don't mean that I am about to dance around and tell you that you are a beautiful being and that I love everyone and all that syrupy nonsense. I am going to give you the experience of feeling LOVE.
Click on the link, and I guarantee you by the Law of the Universe that you WILL experience FREEDOM, you WILL experience LOVE in just a few short moments. As you watch the video, notice any sensations in your body. Notice any feelings you start to have. Enjoy it. Bask in it. Feel your emotions as they pass into you and KNOW that when you feel this way, you are in absolute ALIGNMENT with the GREATEST POTENTIAL being that you are - and if you would practice your Yoga (meaning when you reach your edge, you find your smile, you find feeling good you seek again to reach alignment) this life would become an ongoing experience of JOY, ECSTASY, LOVE, and FREEDOM and as your limits expand, you will find that standing out on your edge you are filled with the sensation of true FULFILLMENT. And then you will know beyond a doubt that the
World IS exactly what you wish it was. Just like the next five minutes when you click on this link. Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSrAJsWvEIc
ABADDHAM!!
And THAT is what freedom is for.
Though I could leave this blog with just that Twitter-like idea I would like to draw upon this idea that has taken hold of me and see if I can spin a little story that keeps me pointed in the right direction.
If you practice Yoga, or you know someone who practices Yoga, most likely, you are familiar with the idea of attempting to bend your body into all kinds of pretzel like contortions either inside a sweaty hot box of a room that you think you might die in if you don't drink some ice water, or its accompanied by some stinky incense and someone giving the equivalent of a Hail Mary in Hindi...
Not what Yoga is for.
Beyond union as in joining together, Yoga means the union with the Divine self. It starts with the premise that each human being is an emanation of the Divine. Whether you are Christian, Muslim, Buddhist or a flat out Atheist - it is an indication that you are an aspect of a greater potential. So, when practicing Hatha Yoga - I often find myself desiring to make the pose look perfectly - to get my body to respond to what I want it to do, in short to extend my legs and spine in opposing directions while holding my hands in prayer and thinking happy thoughts.
Easier said than done.
But I began to realize that it wasn't about doing the pose perfectly. Its about being in alignment perfectly. But what does that mean? Alignment with what? Alignment with the unrealized potential. Alignment with the Divine inner being. Alignment with God or Christ or the Buddha. Alignment is something intangible - but EVERYONE KNOWS what it is when they feel it... And in a moment, I will give you the experience of alignment so that you can know exactly what it is I am talking about.
So. In Yoga it is my practice deepen each pose in alignment until I find resistance. I do not sacrifice alignment to get my hand out further or my leg up higher or my body in some deeper version of the contortion I am subjecting it to... At least, that is my practice. I often come out of alignment. But when I do, I back off, I relax my effort, I find the place of alignment, and in doing so I embrace the potential being I have yet to become, the Divine emanation from source, the inner Self, whatever you want to call it. So, what happens when I leave the Yoga place?
It is the SAME. That is what Yoga is for.
When you are humming along, your life is going pretty good, and then you get an irritating phone call, your car's check engine light comes on, your boss gives you too much work and an impossible deadline, and it ruins your mood, you are experiencing RESISTANCE - as surely as if you were in Yoga class trying to do the splits! Well, I can't do the splits and I my muscles seem pretty far from being able to do them, BUT doing the splits is not important. Remaining in alignment IS. So when you experience RESISTANCE in the form of a bad mood caused by any various sets of outside factors - it is time to back off, relax, take a breath and reorient yourself to who you want to be, and that is by what you want to FEEL. Do not worry about being asked to do the splits. Simply go until you reach some resistance and then find your alignment again. This will allow you to go a little deeper next time.
So, if you have ever done this before, you too have practiced Yoga. Even if you have never done a Yoga pose, or looked at a single word in sanskrit.
When you are in ALIGNMENT you are experiencing UNION with your DIVINE essence. (substitute any idea of your greater potential that feels most comfortable to you if you don't like DIVINE essence) In fact, if you don't like DIVINE essence, you are probably out of alignment anyway! I'm kind of playing with you a little there. Anyhow.
That is what YOGA is for. ALIGNMENT with your GREATEST POTENTIAL SELF!
So find your edge. Be willing to find a smile, when you are at your edge. And if you can't find the smile at your edge, then back up and go look for it until you find it. When you get it, go back to your edge and have another go. When you can stay at your edge and you do not have to go looking for your smile anymore, than you have come into alignment and your edge has expanded. This is applicable in every aspect of your life, whether it is with money, with love, with friendships, your job, your family, your car... EVERYTHING in your experience is about ALIGNMENT and EXPANSION.
So. I am feeling good right now, because I know that you are about to feel good to. I happen to believe the hippies and their optimism about the idea that everything is LOVE. If you or I, or anybody comes into ALIGNMENT with LOVE than they are in line with EVERYTHING with ALL THAT IS, and in that state of being ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. Which is to say, you are totally and completely FREE.
So. Don't you wish that ANYTHING REALLY IS POSSIBLE? Don't you wish that you could live a life that seems beyond your wildest belief of what you think you even deserve? Well both of those thoughts are actually holding resistance to the TRUTH that they uncover. BUT.
I'm going to give you a little dose of FREEDOM. Which is to say, I'm going to give you some LOVE. And I don't mean that I am about to dance around and tell you that you are a beautiful being and that I love everyone and all that syrupy nonsense. I am going to give you the experience of feeling LOVE.
Click on the link, and I guarantee you by the Law of the Universe that you WILL experience FREEDOM, you WILL experience LOVE in just a few short moments. As you watch the video, notice any sensations in your body. Notice any feelings you start to have. Enjoy it. Bask in it. Feel your emotions as they pass into you and KNOW that when you feel this way, you are in absolute ALIGNMENT with the GREATEST POTENTIAL being that you are - and if you would practice your Yoga (meaning when you reach your edge, you find your smile, you find feeling good you seek again to reach alignment) this life would become an ongoing experience of JOY, ECSTASY, LOVE, and FREEDOM and as your limits expand, you will find that standing out on your edge you are filled with the sensation of true FULFILLMENT. And then you will know beyond a doubt that the
World IS exactly what you wish it was. Just like the next five minutes when you click on this link. Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSrAJsWvEIc
ABADDHAM!!
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
A Rampage of Appreciation
Isn't it wonderful to have a chance to expand? Doesn't it feel so delicious to have a little bowl of ice cream after a delicious meal? Don't you think it is wondrous that we can share our thoughts and feelings on the internet together, to exchange, to learn, to vent, to share, and to enjoy?
I am deliberately drawing out this feeling of wonderful I am having, and am so glad to have this opportunity to share it with you.
You see, after my last post, a very dear friend of mine reached out with an email. She wonderfully expressed her appreciation for the ideas I had put up on the internet, and expressed a gratitude that she could still find a likeness of being, a shared journey, similar struggles and similar triumphs, so easily and from someone who had know her since being children. And she appreciated the words that I used as they seemed to her, to express so well that spirit that resonated for her - and in fact, that her appreciation extended in part due to the fact that it seemed to be about something for which there are no words, there is no description.
And I was thinking, but that indeed is the most perfect way to describe that feeling. That place of wonderful for which there are no words, and in which the only thing that we become capable of doing is loving that which we come into contact with around us. So as I contemplate this feeling tonight and I have often heard of the importance of giving appreciation liberally, I am full of the realization that the idea that we SHOULD appreciate, that we SHOULD be able to describe that wonderful place, that we SHOULD be able to bring about the wonderful life that we so dearly, desperately, and sometimes tragically desire is really all there is keeping us from that wonderful experience of becoming all that we dream to be.
So, I would like to invite you to ride along on the easiest most enjoyable ride of looking about for the simplest level of true appreciation we can feel, even if it is just lip service and allow it to take you thought after thought into the place where the love of life, the appreciation overflows as if there is a cascade of wonderfulness flowing out of your mind and body.
I really appreciate that the sky is blue. And isn't it wonderful how that blueness looks different when the weather changes? And how wonderful it is to feel the sun shining when the weather is clear. And I'm so glad that the sun makes green grass grow, because green was my favorite color when I was a kid. And it was so fantastic to be a kid, to smell the grass on a soccer field, and the thrill of scoring a goal, what a wonderful feeling of triumph and how wonderful it is to have the vantage point to remember this feeling, and bring it forth into my conscious awareness and to have that affect my emotions in the NOW moment that is already passing into the next moment of potential brilliance!
And I appreciate my dear friend for reminding me that this place of wonderful is truly an indescribable place, that there is no way I could possibly CONVINCE myself to have this kind of experience but that it is only possible to FEEL my way to it...
Just like making a soup : )
Life, is like a soup.
You taste it, and you notice the wonderful flavors contained in it, and you look into your cupboard at the various ingredients and when you notice one which looks particularly wonderful, you put a little bit of it in your soup. And then you let the soup simmer for a little while, and then you taste it again and you notice how subtly the flavor has changed in the most delicious way and your taste buds soar with the awareness of the contrast and you keep this up making a richer more delicious soup little by little and bit by bit. That's the way. And this is what FREEDOM feels like, and I am so glad that you are reading this because it is so much easier for me to think when there is someone to listen : ) And it is so much more meaningful for me to feel this when others around me are feeling it - so thank you to my dear friend for reminding me that there is no substitute for tasting the soup, that there is no need for the words to describe it, there is just the feeling which is transmitted on every word in every action and through every breath. Ahhh.
And thank you to Abraham for inspiring me to write this rampage. I hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I did sharing it.
Abaddham!
I am deliberately drawing out this feeling of wonderful I am having, and am so glad to have this opportunity to share it with you.
You see, after my last post, a very dear friend of mine reached out with an email. She wonderfully expressed her appreciation for the ideas I had put up on the internet, and expressed a gratitude that she could still find a likeness of being, a shared journey, similar struggles and similar triumphs, so easily and from someone who had know her since being children. And she appreciated the words that I used as they seemed to her, to express so well that spirit that resonated for her - and in fact, that her appreciation extended in part due to the fact that it seemed to be about something for which there are no words, there is no description.
And I was thinking, but that indeed is the most perfect way to describe that feeling. That place of wonderful for which there are no words, and in which the only thing that we become capable of doing is loving that which we come into contact with around us. So as I contemplate this feeling tonight and I have often heard of the importance of giving appreciation liberally, I am full of the realization that the idea that we SHOULD appreciate, that we SHOULD be able to describe that wonderful place, that we SHOULD be able to bring about the wonderful life that we so dearly, desperately, and sometimes tragically desire is really all there is keeping us from that wonderful experience of becoming all that we dream to be.
So, I would like to invite you to ride along on the easiest most enjoyable ride of looking about for the simplest level of true appreciation we can feel, even if it is just lip service and allow it to take you thought after thought into the place where the love of life, the appreciation overflows as if there is a cascade of wonderfulness flowing out of your mind and body.
I really appreciate that the sky is blue. And isn't it wonderful how that blueness looks different when the weather changes? And how wonderful it is to feel the sun shining when the weather is clear. And I'm so glad that the sun makes green grass grow, because green was my favorite color when I was a kid. And it was so fantastic to be a kid, to smell the grass on a soccer field, and the thrill of scoring a goal, what a wonderful feeling of triumph and how wonderful it is to have the vantage point to remember this feeling, and bring it forth into my conscious awareness and to have that affect my emotions in the NOW moment that is already passing into the next moment of potential brilliance!
And I appreciate my dear friend for reminding me that this place of wonderful is truly an indescribable place, that there is no way I could possibly CONVINCE myself to have this kind of experience but that it is only possible to FEEL my way to it...
Just like making a soup : )
Life, is like a soup.
You taste it, and you notice the wonderful flavors contained in it, and you look into your cupboard at the various ingredients and when you notice one which looks particularly wonderful, you put a little bit of it in your soup. And then you let the soup simmer for a little while, and then you taste it again and you notice how subtly the flavor has changed in the most delicious way and your taste buds soar with the awareness of the contrast and you keep this up making a richer more delicious soup little by little and bit by bit. That's the way. And this is what FREEDOM feels like, and I am so glad that you are reading this because it is so much easier for me to think when there is someone to listen : ) And it is so much more meaningful for me to feel this when others around me are feeling it - so thank you to my dear friend for reminding me that there is no substitute for tasting the soup, that there is no need for the words to describe it, there is just the feeling which is transmitted on every word in every action and through every breath. Ahhh.
And thank you to Abraham for inspiring me to write this rampage. I hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I did sharing it.
Abaddham!
Saturday, May 12, 2012
If You're Gay and You Know it, Clap Your Hands!
First things first. Hooray!!! I am very proud to be a citizen in a country whose President is willing to state based on his integrity that the right of two consenting adults to marry should be recognized and protected equally for every person under the law.
But I want to take a look at this particular issue through my own peculiar lens. This one has been developing for me for a few days, and finally crystallized during a breakthrough session of hot yoga this evening. But I am very excited to share the results of my latest stew...
Its about the word 'Namaste'
If you are unfamiliar with this word, it is a common form of greeting or parting in India and can be translated to mean "the spirit within me bows to the spirit within you". It is often used in the U.S. to begin or end yoga classes and between devoted practicers of yoga. I had learned the meaning of the word early on when I first began practicing yoga in 1998 while attending some classes at Manhattan School of Music. But I have never had a direct FEELING experience of the greater implications of this word until tonight.
As you may have noticed it is one thing to have the philosophical ideology and agree that you can see that a divine spark exists in each and every one of us, an idea which is shared in one form or another by most of the world's major religions. However, it is a completely different thing to feel inspired to actually bow to that divine spark in someone who we don't particularly get along with, or agree with.
Since I began writing this blog I had been thinking that once I began a committed path to embodying my own greater vision of FREEDOM that any blocks in my way would surely pop right up to the surface. As predicted, my very first impulse brought a big block in to my experience.
The first thing that I wrote about was FREEDOM FROM DIS-EASE.
hmmm...
I was stuck. While I have a plan to carry this out and am confident I will be successful, I couldn't wrap my head around philosophically why, and I was also suspicious that I hadn't quite cracked the nut. Not to mention that the plan requires an evolving experience over time - and I am operating under the assumption that spiritual FREEDOM is an experience which can be created instantaneously, regardless of circumstance. So tonight, during my practice, I was focusing on alignment, with the intention to feel vitality, health and energy during the practice. Well at some point, I ran out of gas. If you know anything about insulin dependent diabetes, the risk of serious complications is very real when exercising and I have been dealing with this over the past four years, often having to cut short exercise sessions, or wake up in the middle of the night in a panic of sweat and disorientation, consuming whatever form of sugar is directly available at hand, often harboring the fear that not getting it in time could mean the end of me.
So, as I completed a standing bow pose I ran out of gas. I breathed. I felt light headed but it was probably the heat and I didn't feel as if I was in any danger. So I continued standing, breathing and focusing on alignment. Eventually the teacher mercifully allowed us on to our mats for a short rest. Then it dawned on me:
In seeking FREEDOM from DIS-EASE I was actually harboring the disease, giving my condition the environment to thrive. It is my experience and belief that whatever we place our attention on expands! Therefore, I made the slight shift to the feeling of FREEDOM to experience VIBRANT HEALTH. Wow! What a difference. Once I made this shift, my body began to experience a completely different range of energy. I completed the class and spent many minutes afterward processing the emotional release that accompanied my realization. Then, I felt GREAT!!! And not only that, I felt humble, and appreciated many things, from the yoga instructor, to the man who discovered insulin, to my doctor, and even myself for bringing myself into an awareness of FREEDOM through VIBRANT HEALTH by manifesting the condition of diabetes. (I like to take responsibility for all of my creations.)
AND due to my new alignment with TRUTH, I was moved to feel, Namaste. Suddenly, everyone around me became a benevolent conspirator for my experience of vibrant health.
So how does that relate to Gay Marriage? Well, my realization was actually accompanied by the following thoughts. (Most of my realizations are block concepts that seem to crash down all at once, taking several different subjects on all at once)
I already said that the Age of Protest is Ended.
I invite you to try on Namaste instead...
I would also like to take this opportunity to CELEBRATE and CONGRATULATE all Americans who have been looking forward to the day when marriage would be recognized as a human right bestowed in equality, not one granted only to the union of a man and a woman. There is still much work to be done in this area to attain true FREEDOM, but we are stepping closer. I believe that Namaste will break down the last wall. And if you are on the side of the wall that wants to keep it up...
The divine spark in ME recognizes and bows before the divine spark in YOU. I wish you well on your path to magnificence and brilliance.
AND to celebrate, let's all clap our hands!
ABADDHAM!!
But I want to take a look at this particular issue through my own peculiar lens. This one has been developing for me for a few days, and finally crystallized during a breakthrough session of hot yoga this evening. But I am very excited to share the results of my latest stew...
Its about the word 'Namaste'
If you are unfamiliar with this word, it is a common form of greeting or parting in India and can be translated to mean "the spirit within me bows to the spirit within you". It is often used in the U.S. to begin or end yoga classes and between devoted practicers of yoga. I had learned the meaning of the word early on when I first began practicing yoga in 1998 while attending some classes at Manhattan School of Music. But I have never had a direct FEELING experience of the greater implications of this word until tonight.
As you may have noticed it is one thing to have the philosophical ideology and agree that you can see that a divine spark exists in each and every one of us, an idea which is shared in one form or another by most of the world's major religions. However, it is a completely different thing to feel inspired to actually bow to that divine spark in someone who we don't particularly get along with, or agree with.
Since I began writing this blog I had been thinking that once I began a committed path to embodying my own greater vision of FREEDOM that any blocks in my way would surely pop right up to the surface. As predicted, my very first impulse brought a big block in to my experience.
The first thing that I wrote about was FREEDOM FROM DIS-EASE.
hmmm...
I was stuck. While I have a plan to carry this out and am confident I will be successful, I couldn't wrap my head around philosophically why, and I was also suspicious that I hadn't quite cracked the nut. Not to mention that the plan requires an evolving experience over time - and I am operating under the assumption that spiritual FREEDOM is an experience which can be created instantaneously, regardless of circumstance. So tonight, during my practice, I was focusing on alignment, with the intention to feel vitality, health and energy during the practice. Well at some point, I ran out of gas. If you know anything about insulin dependent diabetes, the risk of serious complications is very real when exercising and I have been dealing with this over the past four years, often having to cut short exercise sessions, or wake up in the middle of the night in a panic of sweat and disorientation, consuming whatever form of sugar is directly available at hand, often harboring the fear that not getting it in time could mean the end of me.
So, as I completed a standing bow pose I ran out of gas. I breathed. I felt light headed but it was probably the heat and I didn't feel as if I was in any danger. So I continued standing, breathing and focusing on alignment. Eventually the teacher mercifully allowed us on to our mats for a short rest. Then it dawned on me:
In seeking FREEDOM from DIS-EASE I was actually harboring the disease, giving my condition the environment to thrive. It is my experience and belief that whatever we place our attention on expands! Therefore, I made the slight shift to the feeling of FREEDOM to experience VIBRANT HEALTH. Wow! What a difference. Once I made this shift, my body began to experience a completely different range of energy. I completed the class and spent many minutes afterward processing the emotional release that accompanied my realization. Then, I felt GREAT!!! And not only that, I felt humble, and appreciated many things, from the yoga instructor, to the man who discovered insulin, to my doctor, and even myself for bringing myself into an awareness of FREEDOM through VIBRANT HEALTH by manifesting the condition of diabetes. (I like to take responsibility for all of my creations.)
AND due to my new alignment with TRUTH, I was moved to feel, Namaste. Suddenly, everyone around me became a benevolent conspirator for my experience of vibrant health.
So how does that relate to Gay Marriage? Well, my realization was actually accompanied by the following thoughts. (Most of my realizations are block concepts that seem to crash down all at once, taking several different subjects on all at once)
Whether you are for or against same sex marriage, try on Namaste. If you can bow to someone who seeks to rob you of your human right to commit to another in love and witness under the law. If you can see that they are probably really scared. If you can give them the space to learn to evolve at their own pace. If you can recognize the divine spark in them that is also in you, then you ARE FREE. If you can bow to someone who seeks to violate the sanctity of your deepest held religious beliefs. If you can see that they just want to have the same rights that you have. If you can give them the space to be who they really are. If you can recognize the divine spark in them that is also in you, then you ARE FREE.
I already said that the Age of Protest is Ended.
I invite you to try on Namaste instead...
I would also like to take this opportunity to CELEBRATE and CONGRATULATE all Americans who have been looking forward to the day when marriage would be recognized as a human right bestowed in equality, not one granted only to the union of a man and a woman. There is still much work to be done in this area to attain true FREEDOM, but we are stepping closer. I believe that Namaste will break down the last wall. And if you are on the side of the wall that wants to keep it up...
The divine spark in ME recognizes and bows before the divine spark in YOU. I wish you well on your path to magnificence and brilliance.
AND to celebrate, let's all clap our hands!
ABADDHAM!!
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
The Age of Protest Has Ended!
Hi. Thank you for taking a moment to join me here as I set down my thoughts on the subject of Mastering Freedom. Its a bit of a rant today, but I think I got where I needed to go.
Its Tuesday today. Tomorrow, or the next day, I will go to Chicago to pick up my very first car. (the car I used to drive was basically a hand me down - so I never actually bought it) Its a 1981 Mercedes Benz with a rusty yellow body, a little 4 litre diesel engine that sputters when you turn her off, and many, many miles to go. Part of the reason that I bought this car is because I like Mercedes and I've wanted to drive one for some time.
Most of the reason that I bought this car is because the moment I saw it, I knew I wanted it. That's American Freedom.
But I'd also like to contribute to the freedom of others. And so, as soon as I can, and as often as I can, I will run this car on waste vegetable oil, leaving nothing in my wake but a little steam and the faint smell of McDonalds.
I mentioned in my last post that in 2001, I became distinctly aware of American Freedom. That to protect our freedom, it was necessary to invade countries in the Middle East, to vanquish Evil Doers, to secure pipelines of crude oil for multi national companies that assist in continuing our wasteful dependent lifestyle through our ever increasing capacity for consumption. Maybe what the U.S. did was right. Maybe because our country went to war in Iraq our American Freedom was secured. My opinion about that is irrelevant, because I didn't fight in the war, and I didn't vote to go to war, and we could never know what would have happened otherwise. Like everyone else, I just paid for it a little bit.
But, in 2002, I stood in Washington Square Park several days in a row, participating in New York City's Silent Protest of the invasion of Iraq. I stood quietly with friends amongst many people I didn't know who all believed that peace is more important than oil, or WMD's or corporate interests. In fact, on February 15th, 2003 I participated in the largest peaceful protest in recorded history, and the people of the world stood together numbering by some counts as 10 million strong to firmly show that war is NOT the answer. Some even believe the number was closer to 60 million!
Though this protest did not change the outcome of the actions of the United States government, at least it helped many of us to feel better about the fact that our leaders were conducting a war we didn't believe in. There have been many forms of protest that resulted in the greater good, and brought forth the challenge for society to adapt to a new paradigm. People like Martin Luther King, Jr., Ghandi, the women's suffrage movement and everyone who through out history has followed a peaceful means for change, are a testament to the importance of protest.
While I salute, congratulate and am grateful to those leaders of the past, who have brought about meaningful and transformative change in history through peaceful protest, I would like to invite you to try on a new paradigm for change.
Rather than protest, rather than fight, rather than Occupy Wall Street, or Main Street, or Sesame Street; consider what you would do if the freedom you desire were already granted to you. Consider how far you could take your dream, or the image of yourself and how much it would change your experience. Then bring that out of yourself and do it. If you think the financial industry has ruined YOUR chances to become wealthy, well brainstorm a way that YOU could make more money, and turn it in to a business so that YOU can help others make more money! If you think that Obamacare is ruining YOUR chance for a fair healthcare system, then GO to a yoga class, lower YOUR own blood pressure by changing the diet you eat. If you think that gay marriage is going to ruin our American values by ruining the institution of marriage - then sit down with YOUR spouse and work on the problems that YOU have at home and bring down the divorce rate. If you think the Congress is corrupt and is blocking the integrity of our president, then start telling YOUR unspoken truths to someone YOU care about, or listen to someone's point of view that you disagree with and see if you can give them space to be heard.
And if you think that gas is too expensive. Then buy an old diesel Mercedes and run it on waste vegetable oil.
Freedom in the 21st Century is different from the way it used to be. It is no longer just the right to protest that which we disagree with. It is the RESPONSIBILITY to embody our own freedom, to bring about change by becoming that which we desire. To CO-CREATE together our vision of a brilliant future. Become a leader. Not of a protest movement or organization that you believe in. Become THE leader of YOUR future.
And share. Share it with me, or your bestie or a blank computer screen. Make it real. And make it NOW.
Today, I am happy to be leading my own cause to affordably get from place to place without contributing to pollution, or multi national oil conglomerates, or wars. (We get most of our oil from Canada anyway - you can look it up).
So you won't find me at peace rallies, or Save the Whales or fighting Big Brother. I'll be filtering little chunks of Freedom Fries out of my free waste oil, thinking about how good it is to have another moment to express true Freedom with all I am and all that I do.
You know what they say about the best things in life...
Abaddham!
Its Tuesday today. Tomorrow, or the next day, I will go to Chicago to pick up my very first car. (the car I used to drive was basically a hand me down - so I never actually bought it) Its a 1981 Mercedes Benz with a rusty yellow body, a little 4 litre diesel engine that sputters when you turn her off, and many, many miles to go. Part of the reason that I bought this car is because I like Mercedes and I've wanted to drive one for some time.
Most of the reason that I bought this car is because the moment I saw it, I knew I wanted it. That's American Freedom.
But I'd also like to contribute to the freedom of others. And so, as soon as I can, and as often as I can, I will run this car on waste vegetable oil, leaving nothing in my wake but a little steam and the faint smell of McDonalds.
I mentioned in my last post that in 2001, I became distinctly aware of American Freedom. That to protect our freedom, it was necessary to invade countries in the Middle East, to vanquish Evil Doers, to secure pipelines of crude oil for multi national companies that assist in continuing our wasteful dependent lifestyle through our ever increasing capacity for consumption. Maybe what the U.S. did was right. Maybe because our country went to war in Iraq our American Freedom was secured. My opinion about that is irrelevant, because I didn't fight in the war, and I didn't vote to go to war, and we could never know what would have happened otherwise. Like everyone else, I just paid for it a little bit.
But, in 2002, I stood in Washington Square Park several days in a row, participating in New York City's Silent Protest of the invasion of Iraq. I stood quietly with friends amongst many people I didn't know who all believed that peace is more important than oil, or WMD's or corporate interests. In fact, on February 15th, 2003 I participated in the largest peaceful protest in recorded history, and the people of the world stood together numbering by some counts as 10 million strong to firmly show that war is NOT the answer. Some even believe the number was closer to 60 million!
Though this protest did not change the outcome of the actions of the United States government, at least it helped many of us to feel better about the fact that our leaders were conducting a war we didn't believe in. There have been many forms of protest that resulted in the greater good, and brought forth the challenge for society to adapt to a new paradigm. People like Martin Luther King, Jr., Ghandi, the women's suffrage movement and everyone who through out history has followed a peaceful means for change, are a testament to the importance of protest.
While I salute, congratulate and am grateful to those leaders of the past, who have brought about meaningful and transformative change in history through peaceful protest, I would like to invite you to try on a new paradigm for change.
Rather than protest, rather than fight, rather than Occupy Wall Street, or Main Street, or Sesame Street; consider what you would do if the freedom you desire were already granted to you. Consider how far you could take your dream, or the image of yourself and how much it would change your experience. Then bring that out of yourself and do it. If you think the financial industry has ruined YOUR chances to become wealthy, well brainstorm a way that YOU could make more money, and turn it in to a business so that YOU can help others make more money! If you think that Obamacare is ruining YOUR chance for a fair healthcare system, then GO to a yoga class, lower YOUR own blood pressure by changing the diet you eat. If you think that gay marriage is going to ruin our American values by ruining the institution of marriage - then sit down with YOUR spouse and work on the problems that YOU have at home and bring down the divorce rate. If you think the Congress is corrupt and is blocking the integrity of our president, then start telling YOUR unspoken truths to someone YOU care about, or listen to someone's point of view that you disagree with and see if you can give them space to be heard.
And if you think that gas is too expensive. Then buy an old diesel Mercedes and run it on waste vegetable oil.
Freedom in the 21st Century is different from the way it used to be. It is no longer just the right to protest that which we disagree with. It is the RESPONSIBILITY to embody our own freedom, to bring about change by becoming that which we desire. To CO-CREATE together our vision of a brilliant future. Become a leader. Not of a protest movement or organization that you believe in. Become THE leader of YOUR future.
And share. Share it with me, or your bestie or a blank computer screen. Make it real. And make it NOW.
Today, I am happy to be leading my own cause to affordably get from place to place without contributing to pollution, or multi national oil conglomerates, or wars. (We get most of our oil from Canada anyway - you can look it up).
So you won't find me at peace rallies, or Save the Whales or fighting Big Brother. I'll be filtering little chunks of Freedom Fries out of my free waste oil, thinking about how good it is to have another moment to express true Freedom with all I am and all that I do.
You know what they say about the best things in life...
Abaddham!
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Giving Up the Cow...
Hi. If you know me, I'm probably not the first person you would think of as needing to learn how to master freedom. I've picked up my life several times, seemingly at the drop of the hat, in search of new adventure and experience, from Iowa to New York City, band tours and concerts, road trips and wine parties, piano bars and late night restaurants, and most recently working on cruise ships, selling art and visitsing exotic islands.
Though it seems I have traveled where I want to, when I want to, worked when I want to, quit when I want to, and generally just all around done WHATEVER the hell I want to do, know matter what anyone else thinks - true Freedom still eludes me.
Since I became accutely aware in 2001 of the idea of American Freedom, it has been tossed about like a rag doll, manifesting in our collective experience as the unwillingness to take responsibility for our actions, or blaming other people for their opinions, way of life or values, and by the invasion, control and destruction of thousands of innocent lives around the world. I have been sickened and disgusted, encouraged and uplifted many times since then - and have come to the conclusion that the biggest vote we have in the world concerning our experience of freedom is made on the inside. I shall now quote Ghandi at the risk of sounding cliche - "Be the change you would like to see".
So now, I would like to thank you as a witness to my declaration to master freedom, inside and outside. It is my intention to embody freedom, liberation and the abundance of choice in my thought, actions and body. It is my hope that my change will act like a stone in the pool, sending little ripples of freedom to anyone who reads this blog encouraging them to take a step in the same direction.
So today, this starts with my health. I intend to experience and Master Freedom from disease. And if you know me, for the last four years, I have been experiencing Type 1 Diabetes or as it is sometimes called Juvenile Diabetes - generally referred to as an incurable disease.
I have discovered now at least one doctor who is reliably and sustainably assisting the healing of both Type-1 and Type-2 diabetics. Gabriel Cousens, MD. is a leader in the field of holistic healing through the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center and his creation of the Rainbow Green Live Cuisine - an integrative approach to daily living including a live food diet. You can check out more information by clicking www.treeoflife.nu or copy and paste to your web browser.
There is a 21 Day+ Program for reversing Diabetes at the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center, but I don't currently have $12,000 to go to it and I am not going to wait until August to start this process. So, with little to lose other than the slow diabetic march of degeneration to an undeserved early death, I embark on healing myself, and reporting faithfully on my progress, my results, and how it affects my life and the lives of those around me.
So if anyone is out there reading, I hope this accounting will serve as an inspiration to be free from whatever may be holding you back from experiencing your full potential self. Whether you suffer from poor health, lack of money, lack of love, or lack of FREEDOM, I invite you to join me in stepping into the full potential of magnificence I believe is the birthright and purpose of every human being - and if inclined, I appreciate your cheers of encouragement and well wishes, whether you have long embarked on this path, or are just beginning.
With that, I offer humbly to Krishna, my last and only cow.
(Don't worry, I don't worship Hindu gods - I am just referencing an old parable)
Abaddham!
Though it seems I have traveled where I want to, when I want to, worked when I want to, quit when I want to, and generally just all around done WHATEVER the hell I want to do, know matter what anyone else thinks - true Freedom still eludes me.
Since I became accutely aware in 2001 of the idea of American Freedom, it has been tossed about like a rag doll, manifesting in our collective experience as the unwillingness to take responsibility for our actions, or blaming other people for their opinions, way of life or values, and by the invasion, control and destruction of thousands of innocent lives around the world. I have been sickened and disgusted, encouraged and uplifted many times since then - and have come to the conclusion that the biggest vote we have in the world concerning our experience of freedom is made on the inside. I shall now quote Ghandi at the risk of sounding cliche - "Be the change you would like to see".
So now, I would like to thank you as a witness to my declaration to master freedom, inside and outside. It is my intention to embody freedom, liberation and the abundance of choice in my thought, actions and body. It is my hope that my change will act like a stone in the pool, sending little ripples of freedom to anyone who reads this blog encouraging them to take a step in the same direction.
So today, this starts with my health. I intend to experience and Master Freedom from disease. And if you know me, for the last four years, I have been experiencing Type 1 Diabetes or as it is sometimes called Juvenile Diabetes - generally referred to as an incurable disease.
I have discovered now at least one doctor who is reliably and sustainably assisting the healing of both Type-1 and Type-2 diabetics. Gabriel Cousens, MD. is a leader in the field of holistic healing through the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center and his creation of the Rainbow Green Live Cuisine - an integrative approach to daily living including a live food diet. You can check out more information by clicking www.treeoflife.nu or copy and paste to your web browser.
There is a 21 Day+ Program for reversing Diabetes at the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center, but I don't currently have $12,000 to go to it and I am not going to wait until August to start this process. So, with little to lose other than the slow diabetic march of degeneration to an undeserved early death, I embark on healing myself, and reporting faithfully on my progress, my results, and how it affects my life and the lives of those around me.
So if anyone is out there reading, I hope this accounting will serve as an inspiration to be free from whatever may be holding you back from experiencing your full potential self. Whether you suffer from poor health, lack of money, lack of love, or lack of FREEDOM, I invite you to join me in stepping into the full potential of magnificence I believe is the birthright and purpose of every human being - and if inclined, I appreciate your cheers of encouragement and well wishes, whether you have long embarked on this path, or are just beginning.
With that, I offer humbly to Krishna, my last and only cow.
(Don't worry, I don't worship Hindu gods - I am just referencing an old parable)
Abaddham!
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