Thursday, June 13, 2013

Attitude of Freedom

The last of human freedoms is to choose ones attitudes – Victor Frankel

Presently I have been reflecting what imprisons me? As Joseph Campbell once said, Life has no meaning, what we are looking for is the experience of life. We shut ourselves off from this experience”.  Just think our individual brain is filled with one hundred billion of cells.  Each of use these billions of brain cells differently in our life that either liberates us or makes us feel trapped.   

The human brain has two separate hemispheres and communicates with each. The left side is about past and future.  It thinks linear.  All about organizing details and how we associate it. It thinks in language with a little voice that remembers to do things.  Also the left is the calculating intelligence and the little voices saying I am separate. 

Accessing my right side of my brain I experience myself as a consciousness being inter- connected. I feel greater freedom when I connect with the greater whole and now since my brain is too left dominated. 
Seeing what is positive or possible helps me better deal with my circumstances then saying what is lacking or critical.   When I reframe my cynicism to optimism I better activate my creativity and flexibility.  

In Learned Optimism, Dr. Martin Seligman promotes seeing the silver lining in the grey clouds.  The challenge is creating meaningful experiences out of what many see as a meaning less world.    

Finding greater clarity and truth in our individual circumstances can open the doors to greater joy and life purpose.  Also seeing with greater understanding allows me greater freedom to see why and how things are the way they are.  More freedom gives me greater choices.   It is not that pessimism is bad and optimism is good.  It is about finding the proper balance in every specific experience of each.  Greater awareness and practice of optimism expands possibilities, outlooks and options.  It is not to say that pessimism does not have important role in our lives, however it does not have to be the most dominant.  

If everything is my life is based on how and being more wakeful in my experience of life then having greater clarity will help me best go forth.  The more I can experience my true nature as pure, radiant, and peaceful, the more liberated I become.  All great champions train in contemplative practices to both visualize winning and program their brains toward happiness, love and wisdom.  Now may I please remember life’s most important choice- either I have an attitude of freedom or suffer the consequences of not doing so.

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