Dreamboards created with my friend What is the biggest stumbling block to our success? It can seem really easy to blame all levels of external circumstances for our own unwillingness to push ourselves, but there will ALWAYS be outside circumstances, shifting in ways we couldn't imagine. So, really, that is an excuse.
What is the real challenge? How do we strike a balance between contentment and complacency? To be content, we must accept the circumstances of our life and come to peace with the decisions which brought us to this time and place. We must accept the people in our life as they are, and we must accept the decisions which brought them to this time and place. Even better, let's cultivate some gratitude for all those bumps, scrapes and mistakes! They fashioned us, honed us or set us free. Maybe all three! Being content means releasing doubt and regret, starting from now, this moment, without judgement and without fear. When we are reacting to circumstances or acting out to solve our past "failures," we sometimes find ourselves in the exact same story, wondering how we found ourselves repeating the same thing over again! Complacency is the poison which will tell you, "this is fate," "I always do this," "I shouldn't be surprised I ended up in the same relationship, I'm obviously flawed," then you just go ahead and believe that nothing will change. You could be looking at the most beautiful sunset you've ever seen, but your mind's eye will tell you, "same shit, different day." You will only see one more day gone by, and fail to recognize that this magical lightshow will never exist again in the exact same way. I make coffee to pay my bills. I have a college degree but I find so much joy in just this simple and finite job, which allows me to meet interesting people and never follows me home to keep me up at night. Sometimes when I'm asking someone about their day and then they ask me about mine, they will project things like, "same shit, different day," or "another day in paradise," or they will sympathize with the fact that I am "stuck at work," when in reality, I really enjoy my job. Of course I'd love to spend my whole day reading, or just doing reiki treatments or practicing yoga or whatever I want, but I laugh to myself and I sympathize with these people. Once we start to see the circumstances of life as a closed loop, we cease to see the magic inherent in life. That one question could lead to something completely new. The reality of life is that it is always new. It is complacency with the status quo which makes us fail to see our dreams manifesting before our very eyes. It is true that life is cyclical, the bonus being that we get to come around again, and usually a "missed opportunity" will resurface down the road in a new form, hopefully when we are finally open to its exploration. For what is life but a grand adventure? How are you enjoying your adventure today? Open your child-like eyes, full of hope and wonder, and see something new today!
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Above: Crystal Grid Matrix of Quartz Crystal "Behind this world, behind all physical phenomena, behind all names and forms, behind feeling, thought, emotions, and sentiments, lies the Truth. How can that which has no permanent existence be true? The Truth is eternal; only illusion makes the unreal appear real. That Truth is the Self, the silent witness and ruler, which is the only thing that will provide bliss and make a person absolutely free. Self-realization is not for the weak or cowardly; it is for the strong and courageous who can face all storms and sacrifice their ego on the alter of Truth."
I've been cleaning out my files and working on my "Knowledge, Spirituality and Personal Growth" Sector of my Bagua and I have to admit, it has been A PROCESS. Like, years worth of progress. I'm starting to feel I have a functional office, where I can accomplish some good work. The feeling of satisfaction and self-gratification is quite real!
One surprising/not-so-surprising aspect of this journey has been the re-discovery of so many notes and writings and ideas from years worth of collection. I'm the type who has a hard time discarding certain things. Not so far as to say that I am a "hoarder," but as a dear friend said once, I'm "sentimental." Firstly, I am a deep thinker and an artist. I am a writer. So I've kept just about every note I've ever jotted. This is why synchronicity is real, my friends. I circle back to find notes from 8+ years ago, which DIRECTLY relate to conversations I've had in the last week. Issues I'm still circulating through my consciousness. So much has changed. I've learned and grown. I've taken my hits. I've learned to be strong, to swing back, and when not to swing back (we hope!). Interestingly, through all the change and mental evolution, some aspect of my mind is precisely the same. More honed, perhaps. More concise, more concentrated and somehow more open. But at some level, unchanged. Below is an un-dated entry in a notebook. Reading it now is like my past-self reaching out from the abyss to sooth my present mind. Certain things, perhaps, are constant. Hope. Curiosity. Values. Dreams. That part of us which is forever watching, enjoying this process of evolution, regression, circling. "There is a dialogue our culture is lacking. Why is this conversation left out of public discourse? I suggest that we are all mini-philosophers, searching for answers we already know. Who are we? What is life's purpose? What is the meaning of self-determination? Why do we exist? Manifest destiny has become the manifestation and realization of the uninhibited individual, but what of the collective, what of society? We are a great ship of a nation, continent, hemisphere, world...universe...Why do we allow the fearful few dogs violent enough to battle without cease throw the helm side-to-side? As Americans, we like to believe we possess the right to control our individual destinies. What of our national destiny? Shall we go down in history as a nation that dominated or as a nation that lead? We are on the cusp of a revolution: social, technological...We view and evaluate our world, our lives. To what standards do we hold our judgment? Are there ultimate truths and universal morals, as all religions attempt to teach and so many of us attempt to practice? How can we tolerate a Christian who kills? What sacrifice is the freedom of another? How long will we accept suffering as a necessary part of life? Perhaps suffering is a part of life, because of death+birth; babies cry when they are born; war, hunger, disease...are these the necessary experiences that deliver us into suffering? Why must it be so? Shall we not even TRY another way? Is it true that we have enough resources to sustain our current population? If not, is it possible to peacefully decide who lives and who dies? Humans have few natural enemies, and most of these are microscopic. We are each teachers and students in the great academy of life. One of my goals is to bring together people and ideas, to help foster new ideas about humanity. I believe that understanding and cooperation will take a front seat in human civilization. So many could get by on so much less. Even a low-income American has more, eats more, enjoys more luxuries than most poor people in the world. In fact, America, income under $15,000k per year is considered impoverished. Ironically, a person working at minimum wage 40hours a week makes less than $12,000 per year. Meanwhile, some folks have $600,000 cars and their second or third car. " These thoughts were left unfinished but they are as relevant to me now in so many ways, maybe more so than they were at the time. I'm still asking the same questions. Still dreaming the same dream. Won't you join me? I don't need you to agree with my opinions, but I would truly appreciate a conscious and compassionate dialogue at the various levels of our society. What is our national projection? What are our goals, as a species? Are we finally awake enough and connected enough for a real conversation? I'm ready. Are you? |
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