"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.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
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.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Unhappy
If you are not happy there are only 2 choices.Change your experiences or change your expectations. Change your life or change your beliefs.
Anthony Robbins
What do you do when you are not happy. Most of us focus on what is making us unhappy and ruminate on all the things that are wrong with it, and even all the things that are wrong with us for having a problem with it. We complain to our friends and family, and discuss what is wrong in some detail. This never quite solves the problem however. Not only are we still unhappy but now our friends and family are unhappy too.
There are really only two effective solutions. The first is to change your experiences. To change your life. We need to find more effective ways of living so that we don't even run into all those problems. In other words, we need to find effective ways to avoid having problems. If we are in a relationship we don't like, we would find a way of finding a new relationship, either with that person or with someone new, that is not problematical. If we are in debt we would find a way of making sure we don't get into (more) debt in the future. If we go on doing what we have always done, we will always get the same results. If at all possible, we must change our actions to change our experiences which will change our life.
The second solution is to change your expectations. To change your beliefs. This is often the more difficult solution, depending on how deeply your beliefs are entrenched. If we are in a relationship we don't like, we would not expect so much from that relationship, or alter our beliefs about what a relationship should look like. If we are in debt, we would change our expectations and beliefs about either how much money we can make or how much money we need to spend on different things given our income level. We must examine our beliefs and weed out the unrealistic ones; the ones that have been handed to us by our parents, other influential people, and society that are not useful for us now
If you are not happy there are only 2 choices.Change your experiences or change your expectations. Change your life or change your beliefs. To ruminate on your problems is to invite more problems into your future; because you are focusing on the problem and what is wrong instead of on the solution and what will be right. Complaining to others makes things even worse because you, and they, are seeing yourself as a victim who has no control over your circumstances. The only effective thing to do is to find a way to either change your experience of life or to change your actual circumstances.
Anthony Robbins
What do you do when you are not happy. Most of us focus on what is making us unhappy and ruminate on all the things that are wrong with it, and even all the things that are wrong with us for having a problem with it. We complain to our friends and family, and discuss what is wrong in some detail. This never quite solves the problem however. Not only are we still unhappy but now our friends and family are unhappy too.
There are really only two effective solutions. The first is to change your experiences. To change your life. We need to find more effective ways of living so that we don't even run into all those problems. In other words, we need to find effective ways to avoid having problems. If we are in a relationship we don't like, we would find a way of finding a new relationship, either with that person or with someone new, that is not problematical. If we are in debt we would find a way of making sure we don't get into (more) debt in the future. If we go on doing what we have always done, we will always get the same results. If at all possible, we must change our actions to change our experiences which will change our life.
The second solution is to change your expectations. To change your beliefs. This is often the more difficult solution, depending on how deeply your beliefs are entrenched. If we are in a relationship we don't like, we would not expect so much from that relationship, or alter our beliefs about what a relationship should look like. If we are in debt, we would change our expectations and beliefs about either how much money we can make or how much money we need to spend on different things given our income level. We must examine our beliefs and weed out the unrealistic ones; the ones that have been handed to us by our parents, other influential people, and society that are not useful for us now
If you are not happy there are only 2 choices.Change your experiences or change your expectations. Change your life or change your beliefs. To ruminate on your problems is to invite more problems into your future; because you are focusing on the problem and what is wrong instead of on the solution and what will be right. Complaining to others makes things even worse because you, and they, are seeing yourself as a victim who has no control over your circumstances. The only effective thing to do is to find a way to either change your experience of life or to change your actual circumstances.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
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.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Wings
Anything that ruffles your feathers is just a reminder that you've got wings. -- Stuart Rosen
What ruffles your feathers? We get angry all the time because things aren't the way we want. A certain person or group ignores us, or worse yet treats us in ways that hurt us either emotionally or physically. Injustices happen; one person or group gets more than what we think should be their fair share of resources, and so the other gets less than what we think they should get. One person or group is cruel to another. When we get angry it is either because we, or other people that we identify with, are not getting what we want.
Once we know what we don't want, we have a better understanding of what we do want. There is no time we want something more than when we are clearly reminded that we don't have it. There is no time we are not motivated to do something to get what we want. If everything is going well, there is no need for change. There is no motivation to do anything different. We are happy to be in our comfort zone. But we are not learning, growing or acheiving.
It is only when we get very upset about something that we are seriously motivated to fix it. This is when we start to find out our true powers. This is when we learn how to solve problems and get what we want. It is when we start to find out we do indeed have wings. We are focused on what we want, on the solution, so that the solution begins to present itself. We learn and grow. We taste success. We learn to fly. And that is what really makes life enjoyable. We have fun discovering we can do things we never thought we could do.
What ruffles your feathers? We get angry all the time because things aren't the way we want. A certain person or group ignores us, or worse yet treats us in ways that hurt us either emotionally or physically. Injustices happen; one person or group gets more than what we think should be their fair share of resources, and so the other gets less than what we think they should get. One person or group is cruel to another. When we get angry it is either because we, or other people that we identify with, are not getting what we want.
Once we know what we don't want, we have a better understanding of what we do want. There is no time we want something more than when we are clearly reminded that we don't have it. There is no time we are not motivated to do something to get what we want. If everything is going well, there is no need for change. There is no motivation to do anything different. We are happy to be in our comfort zone. But we are not learning, growing or acheiving.
It is only when we get very upset about something that we are seriously motivated to fix it. This is when we start to find out our true powers. This is when we learn how to solve problems and get what we want. It is when we start to find out we do indeed have wings. We are focused on what we want, on the solution, so that the solution begins to present itself. We learn and grow. We taste success. We learn to fly. And that is what really makes life enjoyable. We have fun discovering we can do things we never thought we could do.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Action
Organized thought leads to spiritual and mental growth provided it is expressed through action. One does not grow spiritually or mentally by thought alone. Growth is the result of thought expressed through voluntary and definitely controlled habits of actions. ..... Napoleon Hill
It is tempting to think that our life will improve if we just think more positive thoughts; although for many of us, that is difficult enough all by itself. We've all heard of "the power of positive thinking". It would be great if we could just sit and meditate and visualize the things we are wanting, and have everything we want just drop into our lap. But that is not the way life works.
Thought that is not expressed through action is soon forgotten. It is not taken seriously, either by ourselves or by the Universe. We all know that if some idea is important enough to us, we will do something about it. We are active physical beings after all. We will physically try to make it happen. If we sit and visualize our shiny new car but don't even go to the dealership to find out about getting it, then we are just wishing. There is no intention on our part to actually have this car, or serious belief that it will happen.
Our thought must be focused through visualization of what we want, and then expressed through action. Action serves to further focus our thought, and be more aware of our progress towards what we want. It may be stumbling and inefficient at first, but it does get more productive over time, while your intuition is helping you. Both parts of the equation, thought and action, must be present if we are to get what we want. We have to do our part through organized thought as well as voluntary and definately controlled habits of action, if we want to grow into success. Think, then act.
It is tempting to think that our life will improve if we just think more positive thoughts; although for many of us, that is difficult enough all by itself. We've all heard of "the power of positive thinking". It would be great if we could just sit and meditate and visualize the things we are wanting, and have everything we want just drop into our lap. But that is not the way life works.
Thought that is not expressed through action is soon forgotten. It is not taken seriously, either by ourselves or by the Universe. We all know that if some idea is important enough to us, we will do something about it. We are active physical beings after all. We will physically try to make it happen. If we sit and visualize our shiny new car but don't even go to the dealership to find out about getting it, then we are just wishing. There is no intention on our part to actually have this car, or serious belief that it will happen.
Our thought must be focused through visualization of what we want, and then expressed through action. Action serves to further focus our thought, and be more aware of our progress towards what we want. It may be stumbling and inefficient at first, but it does get more productive over time, while your intuition is helping you. Both parts of the equation, thought and action, must be present if we are to get what we want. We have to do our part through organized thought as well as voluntary and definately controlled habits of action, if we want to grow into success. Think, then act.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
