When asked "What thing about humanity surprises you the most?", Dalai Lama answered: "Man, because he sacrifices his health in order to make money; then sacrifices his money to recuperate his health. Then he is so anxious about the future that he doesn't enjoy the present, and as a result, he doesn't live in the present or the future. And he lives as if he's never going to die and then dies having never really lived
People do the strangest things. We will do almost anything to get money, including sacrificing our health. And then spend that money on sorting ourselves out again, both mentally and physically. We treat getting money as if it is the most important thing for us to do. But we finally get it, we find out the true cost of it. We find out that when we neglect our health, we will have to pay for that. And the cost may be greater than the money we have received.
We so often get anxious about the future. We save for a rainy day. We insure all our belongings just in case something happens in the future. We lock our doors. But while we are doing that we are forgetting about all the good things that are happening right now. We can't enjoy the present when we aren't even aware of what is around us because we are thinking about what might happen in the future. And we can't live in the future because we don't know what will happen. We don't live in the present and can't live in the future, so we don't really live at all.
We live as though we are never going to die. We are so afraid of death that we don't even think about it. We don't plan for it. We don't appreciate the life we have yet we don't want it to ever end. We don't want to take any risks we feel we don't have to; just in case we do end our lives. So we die having never really lived. It is only by realizing that we could die any minute, which is the case after all, that we can really appreciate our life for what it is. A beautiful but short time what we should really make the most of while we are here.
There is a better way to live. We can put money in it's proper place in our priorities. Nothing is more important than our health. If we aren't healthy, we'll never enjoy our money anyhow. We can be fully aware of the present, of what is happening inside and outside of us right now, so that we can enjoy all it has to offer. We can live fully in the present. And finally we can realize just how precious and short our life really is and resolve to get as much out of it as we can while we are still here. Only then can we really live our life.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
What is
Be here now! Give up the small ego definition of "what should be" and just experience and celebrate what is.
James Arthur Ray
How often do we really experience and celebrate what is. Even if we like what is, we are judging it and comparing it with something else. And often wishing it could be better. "The weather is great today; why can't it be like this all the time. I wish it was like this for the picnic last week. It would be nice if it were even warmer, with less wind. It's too good to last for long so it will probably rain tomorrow." This is the kind of thoughts that constantly go through our minds.
Our ego is always thinking about what "should be" in order to make you the kind of person you see yourself as, and to make you happy in that image. We have aquired an idea that sunshine makes you happy and rain makes you miserable. But there is really no objective reason for this beleif, any more than there is for the beleif that you will never be happy unless you have a lot of money. Nothing is inherently good or bad. It is only so because of comparisons and judgments that we have learned over the years, which don't support our growth. It is much healthier to just take sunshine, rain, wealth, and poverty as they are; neither good or bad, should or shouldn't.
Be here now! Give up the small ego definition of "what should be" and just experience and celebrate what is. Where are you now? You may be remembering what was, or thinking about what you think the future will be like. But you can't change the past, or control the future, so those activities are pointless. The only thing you have control over is this moment. Seize the day. Appreciate what you like about this moment and change what you don't, or if you can't change it physically, at least change your thoughts and feelings about it. But you can't do any of that unless you stop worrying about what "should be" and focus on what "is"
James Arthur Ray
How often do we really experience and celebrate what is. Even if we like what is, we are judging it and comparing it with something else. And often wishing it could be better. "The weather is great today; why can't it be like this all the time. I wish it was like this for the picnic last week. It would be nice if it were even warmer, with less wind. It's too good to last for long so it will probably rain tomorrow." This is the kind of thoughts that constantly go through our minds.
Our ego is always thinking about what "should be" in order to make you the kind of person you see yourself as, and to make you happy in that image. We have aquired an idea that sunshine makes you happy and rain makes you miserable. But there is really no objective reason for this beleif, any more than there is for the beleif that you will never be happy unless you have a lot of money. Nothing is inherently good or bad. It is only so because of comparisons and judgments that we have learned over the years, which don't support our growth. It is much healthier to just take sunshine, rain, wealth, and poverty as they are; neither good or bad, should or shouldn't.
Be here now! Give up the small ego definition of "what should be" and just experience and celebrate what is. Where are you now? You may be remembering what was, or thinking about what you think the future will be like. But you can't change the past, or control the future, so those activities are pointless. The only thing you have control over is this moment. Seize the day. Appreciate what you like about this moment and change what you don't, or if you can't change it physically, at least change your thoughts and feelings about it. But you can't do any of that unless you stop worrying about what "should be" and focus on what "is"
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Let Go
"When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be." - Lao Tsu
It is very difficult to let go of who you are. You have a history that is very hard for you to ignore. You have a self-image which has been burnt into your brain from countless repetitions, either by someone else or by yourself. You assume you must be the person your parents, teachers, and other important people in your life have said you were when you still beleived they knew everything about you. You continue to look for people, ideas, and conditions that support that self-image. And you find them.
But when you cling to a certain self-image, it blocks the possibility of other and quite possibly more useful ones. Who else might you be? More importantly, who else would you want to be? And most importantly, why not? We have the capacity to be just about anyone we want, if we will only clear the way by giving up our idea of who we are and allowing other options to develop.
When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. Have you ever thought about all the things and ideas you need to carry around with you in order to be the person you think you are. Wouldn't it be nice to just drop all that; to abandon the pretense. When you clear the clutter, you give the space for something new to develop and grow. Something better. Something that supports the person you were really meant to be.
It is very difficult to let go of who you are. You have a history that is very hard for you to ignore. You have a self-image which has been burnt into your brain from countless repetitions, either by someone else or by yourself. You assume you must be the person your parents, teachers, and other important people in your life have said you were when you still beleived they knew everything about you. You continue to look for people, ideas, and conditions that support that self-image. And you find them.
But when you cling to a certain self-image, it blocks the possibility of other and quite possibly more useful ones. Who else might you be? More importantly, who else would you want to be? And most importantly, why not? We have the capacity to be just about anyone we want, if we will only clear the way by giving up our idea of who we are and allowing other options to develop.
When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. Have you ever thought about all the things and ideas you need to carry around with you in order to be the person you think you are. Wouldn't it be nice to just drop all that; to abandon the pretense. When you clear the clutter, you give the space for something new to develop and grow. Something better. Something that supports the person you were really meant to be.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Limited Perception
"It is one of the commonest of mistakes to consider that the limit of our power of perception is also the limit of all there is to perceive."
C.W. Leadbeater
We rely on our perceptions very much, particularly our sight and hearing. They are the only way that our brain has of determining what is going on around us. We react very quickly to our perceptions. If we touch a stove and feel great heat, we withdraw our hand very quickly. If we see a car coming, we get out of the way fast. This kind of quick reaction is necessary to our survival.
But our perceptions can be very deceiving. They can be altered by our previous experience or by what others have told us. If we find ourselves walking down a dark alley in the middle of the night and hear footsteps following us, we perceive a murderous criminal (because we expect dark alleys to be where murderous criminals hang out) and start running. But those footsteps could well belong to someone who isn't any more murderous than you are and only wants to talk to you, perhaps to ask for help.
Often we rely on our previous experience, or more accurately our perceptions of that experience, to tell us what do do in a similar experience. But that isn't always accurate either. Maybe the last time you were in a situation like this was unusual circumstances or was very situation dependant. We tend to generalize from one situation to another and that often gets us into trouble.
"It is one of the commonest of mistakes to consider that the limit of our power of perception is also the limit of all there is to perceive." Our perceptions do have limits. They are not the full picture of everything that is possible. So even if you perceive that there is no hope, no way out of a particular situation, you can have faith that there are more possibilities and more choices than you can see right now; and if you expect them and look out for them, they will eventually be revealed to you. Don't make the mistake of assuming that the world consists only of what you can perceive right now.
C.W. Leadbeater
We rely on our perceptions very much, particularly our sight and hearing. They are the only way that our brain has of determining what is going on around us. We react very quickly to our perceptions. If we touch a stove and feel great heat, we withdraw our hand very quickly. If we see a car coming, we get out of the way fast. This kind of quick reaction is necessary to our survival.
But our perceptions can be very deceiving. They can be altered by our previous experience or by what others have told us. If we find ourselves walking down a dark alley in the middle of the night and hear footsteps following us, we perceive a murderous criminal (because we expect dark alleys to be where murderous criminals hang out) and start running. But those footsteps could well belong to someone who isn't any more murderous than you are and only wants to talk to you, perhaps to ask for help.
Often we rely on our previous experience, or more accurately our perceptions of that experience, to tell us what do do in a similar experience. But that isn't always accurate either. Maybe the last time you were in a situation like this was unusual circumstances or was very situation dependant. We tend to generalize from one situation to another and that often gets us into trouble.
"It is one of the commonest of mistakes to consider that the limit of our power of perception is also the limit of all there is to perceive." Our perceptions do have limits. They are not the full picture of everything that is possible. So even if you perceive that there is no hope, no way out of a particular situation, you can have faith that there are more possibilities and more choices than you can see right now; and if you expect them and look out for them, they will eventually be revealed to you. Don't make the mistake of assuming that the world consists only of what you can perceive right now.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Today is the day
"Today is the day to begin anew the great adventure...This is the day in which to serve our highest dream. If we wait for circumstances to align in the way we desire, we may wait forever. Tomorrow is an illusion. Today is the day to breathe in the mysterious possibility that life now offers. Regardless of what surrounds us, this is the day to begin."
- Ann Mortifee
The new year has just begun. It is full of possibilities waiting to be discovered. What do you want to accomplish this year? Where do you want to be by the end of the year? Today is the day to begin. You may be seriously in debt, in an abusive relationship, have seemingly unmanageable kids, no friends, or a job you hate. Or all of the above. Your life will not change by itself; circumstances may never align in the way you want. But you can change it once you accept the fact that you got yourself in this mess and you will get yourself out of it. Gather the faith and courage that you actually can get what you want, which is really the most difficult part of the whole exercise, and get started.
Regardless of how miserable your life is, today is the day to begin. Why wait? We only have so much time on earth in this life. Seize the day. Today is the day to breathe in the mysterious possibility that life now offers. What do you really want and how can you work towards that? It doesn't have to be some spectacular happening; you just need to be pointed in the right direction, towards your highest dreams, even if it is one baby step at a time. Even if it feels you are going one step forwards and two steps backwards. The most important thing is to keep moving.
Tomorrow is an illusion. We can't do anything about tomorrow, no matter how much we may worry about it, or hope for it. But we can do something about today, about what surrounds us at this very moment. Even if it is just changing our attitude about it or perceptions of it, that is a good start. Today is the day to breathe in the mysterious possibility that life now offers. A new year has just started. Begin anew the great adventure. Take charge and make this year the best one ever.
- Ann Mortifee
The new year has just begun. It is full of possibilities waiting to be discovered. What do you want to accomplish this year? Where do you want to be by the end of the year? Today is the day to begin. You may be seriously in debt, in an abusive relationship, have seemingly unmanageable kids, no friends, or a job you hate. Or all of the above. Your life will not change by itself; circumstances may never align in the way you want. But you can change it once you accept the fact that you got yourself in this mess and you will get yourself out of it. Gather the faith and courage that you actually can get what you want, which is really the most difficult part of the whole exercise, and get started.
Regardless of how miserable your life is, today is the day to begin. Why wait? We only have so much time on earth in this life. Seize the day. Today is the day to breathe in the mysterious possibility that life now offers. What do you really want and how can you work towards that? It doesn't have to be some spectacular happening; you just need to be pointed in the right direction, towards your highest dreams, even if it is one baby step at a time. Even if it feels you are going one step forwards and two steps backwards. The most important thing is to keep moving.
Tomorrow is an illusion. We can't do anything about tomorrow, no matter how much we may worry about it, or hope for it. But we can do something about today, about what surrounds us at this very moment. Even if it is just changing our attitude about it or perceptions of it, that is a good start. Today is the day to breathe in the mysterious possibility that life now offers. A new year has just started. Begin anew the great adventure. Take charge and make this year the best one ever.
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