Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Seeds for the Future
This year Paul Hawken provided profound insights in his commencement address to the University of Portland Class of 2009. He inspired the graduates by saying:
YOU ARE BRILLIANT, AND THE EARTH IS HIRING. The earth couldn’t afford to send any recruiters or limos to your school. It sent you rain, sunsets, ripe cherries, night blooming jasmine, and that unbelievably cute person you are dating. Take the hint. And here’s the deal: Forget that this task of planet-saving is not possible in the time required. Don’t be put off by people who know what is not possible. Do what needs to be done, and check to see if it was impossible only after you are done…
When asked if I am pessimistic or optimistic about the future, my answer is always the same: If you look at the science about what is happening on earth and aren’t pessimistic, you don’t understand data. But if you meet the people who are working to restore this earth and the lives of the poor, and you aren’t optimistic, you haven’t got a pulse. What I see everywhere in the world are ordinary people willing to confront despair, power, and incalculable odds in order to restore some semblance of grace, justice, and beauty to this world.
Hawken urges that the youth of today strive to connect instead of control, and that they participate in a type of Mercy Corps working behind the scenes to heal this wounded planet. So we are invited to be apart of a global movement to defend the rights of those who do not even necessarily know that we are championing them and their world. As we plant the seeds for the future we can transform our economy by healing the future instead of stealing it. Mr. Hawkins goes on to point out that we can either create new assets for the future, or we can use those assets of the future that restore instead of exploit. Working for the earth is a way to be rich, not a way to get rich.
The final lines in Hawken’s speech of May 3rd, 2009 says it all.
Hopefulness only makes sense when it doesn’t make sense to be hopeful. This is your century. Take it and run as if your life depends on it.
Let’s pray that the youth of today feel so inspired!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Earth Heart Healing
I believe we are at critical time where the spirit of earth is knocking at our individual and collective doors. Can we allow it in?
This spirit is wonderfully described in Rumi’s poem “Guest House.”
This being human is a guest house.
Every day a new arrival.
A joy, depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame , the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whatever comes.
Because each has been sent
As a guide from beyond.
Have you ever sensed that you have guide from beyond helping you? Not as a form of mental torture yet a door to freedom. The hardest thing in my life is to face my darkest shadow. So I welcome my guide. The question is can I quiet my mind and listen to my heart for this too is my guide. For me my torture can only be calmed by allowing spirit to come in and touch my soul. This spirit comes from the mystery; the wind or just simple beautiful bird at your window. Can we be awake and listen to its silence to let it in?
Sometimes I get very anxious when I look back on all the lost opportunities I have had due to this shadow of fear. From loss, grief, sadness, and the hardest place the unborn part of my heart. Flipping to the opposite side of this emotion, I wish to liberate myself by opening my heart to a new place. Beyond, forgiveness, shame to place of possibility where I can serve what is true deep in my soul.
Only if I am gentle with myself and not so self absorbed can this miracle occur. I guess a revolution of kindness is at our door step waiting to enter if we can just trust our guides. Yes, people are generous in crisis, such as hurricanes, death and many other forms of natural and human forms of disasters. However, our very earth and body are screaming out to be seen, heard, healed and prayed for.
The earth today is filled with increased stress and constant pressure. Our fast-paced world has heightened mental illness since there is less normal balance. Simply we can suffer from greater, illness, injury and tension. However, we can find the eye or I of the hurricane in response to the little everyday problems, noise and increased demands. Our stress is self inflicted and caused by our emotional reactions to events. The key is to change our relationship to these events with a new attitude of “its no big deal or no worries.”
Quieting my mind and listening to my heart is how I have been reframing my stress. If I can show up with the good and bad while treating them as equals. Showing up to what Awakening to my heartbeat I can learn how to manage it and reverse the damage stress and worry can cause. I believe the all wise and enlightened being have found peace this way. If I can step into the consciousness of the heart the more time I can to run the deep with inner peace.
Wise teachers from the beginning of time I learned about the power of this emotional regulation or mending our broken hearts. Just focusing on positive feelings such as appreciation, care, or compassion, I can create dramatic changes in my heart rhythms. This process allows me to alter a series of neural, hormonal, and biochemical events. This lessens my stress and anger and leads to my greater well-being. There is a chain of biological changes including lessening blood pressure and stress hormone levels. I can increase my immune system activity, and anti-aging hormones by simply focusing on my heart energy.
If I can how to engage in my heart more I bring my emotion, body, and mind into balance. Quieting my mind and listening to my heart brings focused clarity, optimal health, and high performance. Also allowing me to accept my shadows provides me with the courage to be present to even the greatest things that haunt me. Whether things are a blessing or a curse, I challenge what Rumi suggests,
Be grateful for whatever comes.
Because each has been sent
As a guide from beyond.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Overcoming the Inner Critic
My spirit becomes in jeopardy when this inner critic creates a fog around truth. It can disguise my reality and an act of self recrimination can devalue my very soul. We also live in a critical culture where we reinforce “what is not” instead of “what is.”
This whole process results from the simple act of judging instead of observing. When I get too personal then I get down on myself stimulating a negative spiral. Understanding the ramifications of this bad habit can make the difference between night and day.
Self talk develops in early childhood by what messages we are given and evolves as we grow. It takes many forms from rationalization, analysis, justification, questioning, scold, gossip, doubting and many other mental forms. I know that as a child I sent myself numerous unhelpful inner signals.
So identifying how we judge ourselves becomes the first step for us to lessen unwholesome facets of this negative mental talk. Simply becoming aware when we judge ourselves is essential to not becoming entrapped by this state. Also understanding how such an inner attack sucks my energy and depresses me alerts me its harmful result. Investigating such self talk can prevent such emotional impact. Finally when I observe not judge myself I find myself more in an acceptance than rejecting mind set.
Our judgments have roots in what we believe as true. Such beliefs can imprison one that since such truths creates doubts and confusion. So challenging the very truth of such judgment is critical to get to the facts of such assumed truth. Finally, my attitude and relationship regarding of such judgment determines how deeply I may become emotionally distraught by such judgment.
From my earliest days I have adopted negative self talk such, “come on stupid,” “you’re an idiot” degrading my self esteem. Awareness of such self deprecating talk is the beginning to gaining a more wholesome ego. As a child I created self berating ways that have taken a toll. Instead of standing up for myself I would berate myself. Such judging measures would subtract not add to my confidence. Suppressing my energy and self esteem increases my descent into the negative.
Now I have the opportunity to better reflect what is true regarding self talk. If I am alert to my old patterns there are many chances for me to counteract this tendency to verbally beat myself up. My happiness and well being is at stake if I do not confront this pernicious habit. I can look at things two ways. One depletes and the other offers possibility. Even though the choice should be obvious putting this into practice is another matter. In closing reframing how I relate to my inner voice is vital to my future. Being kinder and more gentle with myself requires me to focus on what is right instead of what is wrong.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Celebrating Your Higher Self
This sense of oneness arises when I fully show up. Also, when I am not being preoccupied, rushed, and anxious or in some place where I am not totally there. I become more vital with this natural flow of experience. This non separate self is about arriving where into the present.
The question for me is how to train myself to show us to life and to constantly remember not to be caught in up in "the many stories" or self talk that my ego slips into. One trick for me is to fell less in my head focus on my body sensations.
My favorite activity is go to the woods and allow of my senses to smell, hear, feel, see and taste what is happening outside at that very moment. How liberated this makes me feel when I can simply show up!
However, my mind is a very tricky and complicated thing. My thinking is like a radio on scan going to hundreds of different channels of reception. My secretion of thoughts is like my constant production of cells and enzymes. While thinking is necessary, part of which we are, it use to drive me crazy that way its goes non stop and repeats most of the same old thousands of thoughts every day. When I do not get so identified by my mind and tap into awareness I free myself from unnecessary inner dialogue
I have found that when I look closely at many of my thoughts is there is some form of dissatisfaction. Also I recognize that wanting drives much my minds as does fears. The incessant flow of thoughts can create the concepts about how life is, instead of directly allowing our senses to experience reality.
Much of my thinking can become self-absorbed with what is wrong we me, what’s lacking and other uncertain ideas that divide me from what is truly going on. This process can disconnect me instead of engage me with my world because my judgments create a separate reality. The simple act of observing allows me to see what is happening. While over judging prevents me from showing up to seeing the divine.
When I transform my mind I can lessen my creation of suffering. Also, I can discover what is true and enjoy a richer life.
When I can see, learn and accept my thought patterns then I can awaken. Next I can not be so identified by my thoughts and become free of them. I make my own mental prisons and I can unlock their very doors. How can I best show up to see the truth of my thoughts? When I observe the nature of my mind and see its pattern then I know what to expect. I easily become identified with my thinking and I need to remember that this is not who I am. Also, thoughts will pass with time so I must just watch and wait. Finally, my thoughts are like my breathing, I cannot fully control them so I must not take my thinking so personal.
I must focus on the hundreds ways of relaxing. For example riding a horse forces me to be relax and mindful. If I think about negative or fear things the horse picks up on this and may panic with me on it. Just like if I am rock climbing I am placed in a situation of being in the moment of face the consequences of falling. The latter is not the option I want to focus on.
In closing my higher self is about me becoming more whole and or holy. My higher self is a whole which unites the sum of my parts. Let’s celebrate showing up and pay full attention to what truly matters our higher self!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Resolve and Intention for 2009
Lao Tzu named this experience of unable to describe things as the Tao, “I do not know what to call it.” All things or the source is both shapeless and silent. Chang Tzu described as, “It is not a thing itself.”
Allowing my heart to explore the space between nothing and everything I find an ocean deep of compassion. This space of emptiness can allow me to accept life and death as all things arise and fall. Simply nothing is separated and everything is interconnected.
This transformation transcends me to a higher self. Lao Tzu described this, “to embrace all is to be selfless.” So when I remember my being and shift out of becoming I better see my universe. This shows me life is filled with endless circles defining time and space where there is no beginning or end. Serenity comes to me when I from observe this harmonic process. When I surrender this natural chaotic order everything falls into place in the present. The future and past are just clouds in the mind. Flowing with this immediate attention to what is happening at this moment a doorway of freedom opens. Now liberated I am transformed by this magic of acceptance.
So I pray to the four directions to behold me with:
1. Self love
2. spiritual protection
3. gratitude
4. divine guidance
May I celebrate that I;
- Listen deeper
- Forgive more
- Find what is true
- Embrace my shadow
- Stimulate self kindness
- Venture being vulnerable
- Risk personal heartbreak
- Profound caring for others
- Freely experience experience
May we find greater loving friendly insights Allowing the emergence of heaven and earth forces to interconnect I can expand my love affair with this universe. May all things be free and benefit from selfless compassion. May you find greater self kindness, harmony, peace and happiness for 2009!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Devotion to the Truth
It is time for me to address my crisis so to be honest with myself. This also pertains to acknowledging our collective heart. Somehow if I allow fear, doubt and other negative thoughts take over then I lose my way. I have attempted to push my limits including extensive exploration of my consciousness
To be fully present with today’s turmoil, I intend to act from a sense of inspiration instead of desperation. Fostering many wise teachings I must transform my life style even further to show greater respect for all places, people and things. Moreover, I now must redefine both my relationship with myself. Also when I remember to serve our fragile planet I help myself since we are not separate. May I show devotion to this awakening and seek what is true. I wish to be free and live in better way!
“WE MUST BE THE CHANGE WE SEE IN THE WORLD” - Gandhi
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Embracing Our Light
Our deepest fear is that we not inadequate. Our deepest fear is we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. - Marrianne Williamson.
We are experiencing a mysterious spiritual celebration. We are blessed by an opportunity to shine to our fullest potential. This wonderful party is about savoring, enjoying and connecting to life by coming out of the darkness of denial with a new fearlessness for what is true. Otherwise humanity’s selfish greed may delude us into a collective suicide ignoring very life itself.
How can we find this harmonious alignment with our universe? This comes from the awareness that the universe is kind not brutal. It is an act of dying and becoming reborn by letting go our separated self to see that we’re all a part of a greater self. Just reflecting about the light coming from all the stars above transforms our lonely isolated self into one cosmic connection. As we reflect by the light of the heavens, we are earth stars dancing in this celestial mist where all things come and go. May we be guided in the spirit of love, joy, and peace so to find a deep inner quiet of our oneness.
A Buddhist " Shambhala Prophecy" predicts that we must become warriors engaged by compassion. Also insight emerges that both tempers our passion and provides clarity by recognizing that all things are interdependent. We only can celebrate our world by lessening the "mind-made" dangers threatening our Earth. Realizing each of us is this Gaia we find that cherishing our world and selves is one and the same. Let’s inspired to give all our soul to something much greater than just ourselves. Let's no fear lighting our own light!