I have just picked up a book called "The Tipping Point". I haven't read it yet; but the premise is this: that anything, at any time, can be the thing which causes a sensation. It could be a 'good' sensation (like a sudden burst of humanitarian efforts due to one incredible program), or a 'bad' sensation (like the Columbine school shooting spree in the Colorado, USA, school - which other kids now copycat).
My effort is to bring compassion and awareness into our lives. My particular passions happen to be wellness and also entertainment. It's for people to see that there is hope - possibility - and gentleness, while also realizing the "truth" that "nothing begets nothing": if you aren't aware, you can't get healthier.
If you aren't aware - you will also keep your friendships, work relationships, and your world-interactions at a superficional (1- or 2- dimensional) level. Perhaps that what someone wants to do: stay stuck, stay closed, stay small, stay hurt, stay unhealthy, stay unhappy, stay addicted, stay frustrated with life, stay lonely, stay in a dark apartment without sunlight, stay drunk, stay broke. That is a choice.
But it's also a choice to meet the world as it truly is, partake in 'possibilities', banish our fears, embark on adventures, love deeply, become healthy & strong...
The best thing to know is that you can have awareness --and change -- at any time.
Friday, April 29, 2005
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
The race
I read a wonderful blog today, from an acquaintence in Cleveland: a corporate facilitator and coach, and Zen Buddhist:
When we slow down and see things truly, deeply, "mindfully", we stop the movie which is playing in our mind about that situation. Disappointment comes when we have a different impression of what's occuring - when we play our "movie" alongside reality. But what if we can see reality? What if we are fully present to what's occurring, and others are with us, intimately, doing the same thing?
It takes longer to see mindfully, to pause and reflect, to ask and to understand, to notice, than to barrel through our "movie" of what's occurring. .. yet, how many lives would be saved if addicts stopped pushing aside reality and attended to problems? If workaholics just came home from work, and hugged their families?
If we know how badly we feel after eating fast ("junk") food, why don't we remember what our spirits and lives feel the same way after living fast (junk) moments??
This quote comes after I've been reading books about being mindful, slowing down to pause and consider what's happening in a given moment. Slowing down gives us a chance to see a situation as it is, not from habituated reactions and theatrical (actor-like) ideas.April 26, 2005
(www.jackzen.com)
Not so fast there ...
We want instant food, instant knowledge, instant networks, instant growth, instant trust, instant innovation, instant transformation, instant sustainability.
What does it take to realize that depth is the casualty of speed?
When we slow down and see things truly, deeply, "mindfully", we stop the movie which is playing in our mind about that situation. Disappointment comes when we have a different impression of what's occuring - when we play our "movie" alongside reality. But what if we can see reality? What if we are fully present to what's occurring, and others are with us, intimately, doing the same thing?
It takes longer to see mindfully, to pause and reflect, to ask and to understand, to notice, than to barrel through our "movie" of what's occurring. .. yet, how many lives would be saved if addicts stopped pushing aside reality and attended to problems? If workaholics just came home from work, and hugged their families?
If we know how badly we feel after eating fast ("junk") food, why don't we remember what our spirits and lives feel the same way after living fast (junk) moments??
Monday, April 25, 2005
We need to remember our primitive human-ness
Today I read an article on the body storing fat . The article (mentioned on the front page of my website), mentions that our bodies, which are still based on primitive mechanisms, will store fat; if we don't exercise (or eat) on a regular basis, our bodies assume we will never eat again, and we will store our fat until its needed by the body for protection or energy sources. In essence, our bodies become like hibernating bears in winter, needing to protect themselves for survival later through the cold months.
Ever wonder why you get goofy when you haven't eaten (or have eaten badly)? Your body is trying to take sustenance from your tissues to fuel your brain, the "control center" of the body, to keep the rest of the body alive! The unfortunate thing is, that the body will give up muscle tissue first -- the very thing which your body needs to stay lean -- and your brain capacity is reduced so that the basic survival features of the brain (pumping the heart, etc) can receive prime attention. The stored fat will go untouched for a very long time. What's worse, the damage which can be inflicted to yourself (and even mental damage on others, if you have an emotional tirade or 'meltdown') can be a very long-lasting reminder of your unhealthful decisions.
This means that anyone who skips meals is actually INCREASING their fat storage, not reducing it. This is, again, a basic primitive physical survival mechanism.
Moving on in my thoughts about our primitive nature, I started thinking about our natural tendencies to over-think problems, or even get overly excited about difficulties. If I return to the idea that we are merely primitive humans who just have a few fascinating toys (like cars, computers, cell phones...), it's natural that our minds work overtime for our survival. Buddhists say that "Thoughts are not truth; they are merely thoughts"; but our minds create the 'concrete-ness' of these thoughts. I think it's a primitive mental survival mechanism from long ago: perceived dangers get our attention faster.
We want to feel safe, protected, nurtured, and satiated. While this can go overboard (ie: some people overeat to feel emotionally safer), this is essentially the basic premise of our human existance. By eating regularly and healthfully, we nurture our bodies without 'want'. By surrounding ourselves with loving and safe people, we don't explode into quivering nervous wrecks.
Explained in other words, if we live our lives from healthful situations, we don't have to play catch-up with 'want' or desire or unfulfillment. . . we have to learn to recognize situations of unhealth, if "dis-ease".
Examples:
- If someone eats junk food (or skips meals altogether), not only does the brain shut down from lack of nutrients, but the body shuts down and the mind also. Solution: learn to make wise choices of food, so the brain and body can work optimally - and the emotions can be stable.
- If someone is feeling uneasy because of a relationship, he/she is no longer feeling "safe"; this will leave the mind 'wanting' and become anxious and nervous. All sorts of imbalances in the mind (and anxiety in the body) can occur. Solution: learn to recognize the patterns of unhealthy relationships and learn to see clearly. This needs to be done in an atmostphere where we are not distracting ourselves with time-consuming addictions or 'hobbies', which take our minds away from solving the problems. Learn how to take steps to change or leave the situation.
This is very hard. We are not a culture where we have been trained to look at the root problems, and solve them concretely. We have therapists who "just listen" ('talk therapy'), so that we 'get it out', and that's supposed to be a solution. Or we are told to distract ourselves. Or, as a culture, we are told to just immerse ourselves in a hobby. And, we have so many marketing people pushing junk food on us, which chemically-excite our bodies so we can't hear its cries for real sustenance.
Christianity, Judaism, and Islam say to pray to God to solve our problems. Their teachings say that we cannot (and should not) solve any problems ourselves, and, in fact, by solving problems ourselves we will anger God. (I can point to audio teachings from clergy which say this). This creates a culture of people who are completely devoid of the simple techniques to SEE problems at all... they spend so much time ignoring all issues that they create even more problems, which escalate the situations to epidemic proportions! In my humble opinion, this is not any solution: this is part of the disease. This way of thinking prepetuates staying in stuck lives and harmful patterns, waiting, waiting, while meanwhile they go on hurting others and themselves!!
The only solution is facing our lives directly, assssing who we are and what we do. We need to notice how we do everything, so we can move forward 'in solution'. While the Buddhists say, "just accept; be gentle with yourself and just accept", I have a different thought: assess, and be value-ful and change what is wrong. This may take a while to peel away the layers of conditioned-living, and it takes patience. It also takes love and support from ourselves and those around us. It takes honesty. It takes acceptance. And it takes us always wanting to get to the BOTTOM of the problem, the very ROOT, and knowing that there is a better way of living life healthfully, inside the mind and inside the body.
Ever wonder why you get goofy when you haven't eaten (or have eaten badly)? Your body is trying to take sustenance from your tissues to fuel your brain, the "control center" of the body, to keep the rest of the body alive! The unfortunate thing is, that the body will give up muscle tissue first -- the very thing which your body needs to stay lean -- and your brain capacity is reduced so that the basic survival features of the brain (pumping the heart, etc) can receive prime attention. The stored fat will go untouched for a very long time. What's worse, the damage which can be inflicted to yourself (and even mental damage on others, if you have an emotional tirade or 'meltdown') can be a very long-lasting reminder of your unhealthful decisions.
This means that anyone who skips meals is actually INCREASING their fat storage, not reducing it. This is, again, a basic primitive physical survival mechanism.
Moving on in my thoughts about our primitive nature, I started thinking about our natural tendencies to over-think problems, or even get overly excited about difficulties. If I return to the idea that we are merely primitive humans who just have a few fascinating toys (like cars, computers, cell phones...), it's natural that our minds work overtime for our survival. Buddhists say that "Thoughts are not truth; they are merely thoughts"; but our minds create the 'concrete-ness' of these thoughts. I think it's a primitive mental survival mechanism from long ago: perceived dangers get our attention faster.
We want to feel safe, protected, nurtured, and satiated. While this can go overboard (ie: some people overeat to feel emotionally safer), this is essentially the basic premise of our human existance. By eating regularly and healthfully, we nurture our bodies without 'want'. By surrounding ourselves with loving and safe people, we don't explode into quivering nervous wrecks.
Explained in other words, if we live our lives from healthful situations, we don't have to play catch-up with 'want' or desire or unfulfillment. . . we have to learn to recognize situations of unhealth, if "dis-ease".
Examples:
- If someone eats junk food (or skips meals altogether), not only does the brain shut down from lack of nutrients, but the body shuts down and the mind also. Solution: learn to make wise choices of food, so the brain and body can work optimally - and the emotions can be stable.
- If someone is feeling uneasy because of a relationship, he/she is no longer feeling "safe"; this will leave the mind 'wanting' and become anxious and nervous. All sorts of imbalances in the mind (and anxiety in the body) can occur. Solution: learn to recognize the patterns of unhealthy relationships and learn to see clearly. This needs to be done in an atmostphere where we are not distracting ourselves with time-consuming addictions or 'hobbies', which take our minds away from solving the problems. Learn how to take steps to change or leave the situation.
This is very hard. We are not a culture where we have been trained to look at the root problems, and solve them concretely. We have therapists who "just listen" ('talk therapy'), so that we 'get it out', and that's supposed to be a solution. Or we are told to distract ourselves. Or, as a culture, we are told to just immerse ourselves in a hobby. And, we have so many marketing people pushing junk food on us, which chemically-excite our bodies so we can't hear its cries for real sustenance.
Christianity, Judaism, and Islam say to pray to God to solve our problems. Their teachings say that we cannot (and should not) solve any problems ourselves, and, in fact, by solving problems ourselves we will anger God. (I can point to audio teachings from clergy which say this). This creates a culture of people who are completely devoid of the simple techniques to SEE problems at all... they spend so much time ignoring all issues that they create even more problems, which escalate the situations to epidemic proportions! In my humble opinion, this is not any solution: this is part of the disease. This way of thinking prepetuates staying in stuck lives and harmful patterns, waiting, waiting, while meanwhile they go on hurting others and themselves!!
The only solution is facing our lives directly, assssing who we are and what we do. We need to notice how we do everything, so we can move forward 'in solution'. While the Buddhists say, "just accept; be gentle with yourself and just accept", I have a different thought: assess, and be value-ful and change what is wrong. This may take a while to peel away the layers of conditioned-living, and it takes patience. It also takes love and support from ourselves and those around us. It takes honesty. It takes acceptance. And it takes us always wanting to get to the BOTTOM of the problem, the very ROOT, and knowing that there is a better way of living life healthfully, inside the mind and inside the body.
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Do we see our imaginings, or the deeper truth?
I was thinking today about how we view people. It's true that we see others 'subjectively'; that is, through the "filter" of our own lives and experiences, because there is no "objective" viewpoint. We see everything with eyes of other thoughts.
However, I think about people we love. Those wonderful yet flawed people, that we still see with eyes of love. They may do something silly, or downright stupid (ie: causing harm to themselves and/or others), yet we still love them. Why is that? . . . could we actually have a view into the goodness in their soul and spirit, where our love can see past the layers of behaviors, down to their 'universal love' core?
The Buddhists call this "seeing everyone as the Buddha" (Buddha being the enlightened one, so seeing everyone as the Buddha means that we are seeing who they can become), and the Christians talk about seeing everyone as becoming like Christ. Either way, this is a spiritual question about the core of a human which transcends the physical (which passes away), the emotional (batted-about like the winds), or mental (since thoughts aren't real -- they are simply thoughts).
In other words, do we have a conduit into the true goodness of those we love, or are we simply blinded by that which we want to see in them?
However, I think about people we love. Those wonderful yet flawed people, that we still see with eyes of love. They may do something silly, or downright stupid (ie: causing harm to themselves and/or others), yet we still love them. Why is that? . . . could we actually have a view into the goodness in their soul and spirit, where our love can see past the layers of behaviors, down to their 'universal love' core?
The Buddhists call this "seeing everyone as the Buddha" (Buddha being the enlightened one, so seeing everyone as the Buddha means that we are seeing who they can become), and the Christians talk about seeing everyone as becoming like Christ. Either way, this is a spiritual question about the core of a human which transcends the physical (which passes away), the emotional (batted-about like the winds), or mental (since thoughts aren't real -- they are simply thoughts).
In other words, do we have a conduit into the true goodness of those we love, or are we simply blinded by that which we want to see in them?
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Creating our reality
This is my first blog entry, and although I am normally a chatty-Cathy in writing-style, I find myself strangely shy about putting my thoughts in this format. Perhaps there is a learning curve :)
Meanwhile, despite my infancy in blogging, I am experimenting with "planning my day". The theory is that we, as with everything in the world, are inter-connected. The quantum-physicists have been discussing for many years about since matter is not solid (molecules are not 'firm', they have spaces), it can be manipulated. The Buddhists discuss that we are interconnected with each other, trees, the sky, etc, because each of these aspects need one another to live; that we can help affect others have a better day by sending out good thoughts. The Christians discuss prayer and God making things work out for the greater good, but not simply 'for us', so that the Divine is creating reality for us, but that we can help Him affect the world with our prayers. In each case, we are not passive 'accepters' of the world's occurences; we are co-creators of the world.
No matter what anyone specifically believes, we have all encountered examples where "serendipity" occurs; magical moments where amazing things develop which bring people closer, make new creative processes, 'coincidences' happen. I've heard it called "[people] dipping toes in the same Big Pond". Goethe mentions "when one decides on something, then providence moves too; all sorts of things occur to make the decision happen..."
I cannot anymore believe that we are simply victims in the world. We cannot say, "this happened to me", and think there is a great big turd (!) which befalls us everywhere we turn! As a wellness coach, I encourage my clients to assess themselves gently and honestly, and make changes to the aspects which aren't satisfying them.
If we have seen how awful things happen we we are having a bad day, can we make good things happen simply by planning them... and being ready if they don't happen as 'planned'? Can we actually wake up and 'decide' on wonderful things occurring (non-specific wonderful things, of course), so that we "create" our day, our week, our month? Can things which do occur which are inconvenient, actually happen so we have a better, more growing experience next?
I am starting this. Starting today, I have awoken with joy and gratitude, noting the wonderful things around me, and wishing for more of the same joy. I am not being specific about what I "need"; that is, I am not saying, "I need a million dollars dropped in unmarked bills on my front lawn" (although that would be awesome! ;) ). I am simply actively noting my interconnectedness o the world and offering myself in exchange for growth, learning, joy, and sustenance. I would like creative (artistic) opportunities which will fulfill my bill-paying needs. I would like to travel and learn, so I may pass the experiences to others. I imagine my dearest loved ones laughing, smiling, and having a great day. I imagine phone calls arriving to me with requests for unusual and creative things, enlightening visits with friends and associates, and peace inside them and me.
I sit in my plant-filled sunny-yellow sunroom, in my stuffed comfy chair, with the spring air flowing through, loud birds calling to one another, leaves bursting from their winter cocoons inside the tree branches, my cats watching nature's drama and joys unfold from their window perches, and I am so very grateful. With this gratitude I want to create more life -- more life for myself, and then for others, where we can experience the diversity of living.
Meanwhile, despite my infancy in blogging, I am experimenting with "planning my day". The theory is that we, as with everything in the world, are inter-connected. The quantum-physicists have been discussing for many years about since matter is not solid (molecules are not 'firm', they have spaces), it can be manipulated. The Buddhists discuss that we are interconnected with each other, trees, the sky, etc, because each of these aspects need one another to live; that we can help affect others have a better day by sending out good thoughts. The Christians discuss prayer and God making things work out for the greater good, but not simply 'for us', so that the Divine is creating reality for us, but that we can help Him affect the world with our prayers. In each case, we are not passive 'accepters' of the world's occurences; we are co-creators of the world.
No matter what anyone specifically believes, we have all encountered examples where "serendipity" occurs; magical moments where amazing things develop which bring people closer, make new creative processes, 'coincidences' happen. I've heard it called "[people] dipping toes in the same Big Pond". Goethe mentions "when one decides on something, then providence moves too; all sorts of things occur to make the decision happen..."
I cannot anymore believe that we are simply victims in the world. We cannot say, "this happened to me", and think there is a great big turd (!) which befalls us everywhere we turn! As a wellness coach, I encourage my clients to assess themselves gently and honestly, and make changes to the aspects which aren't satisfying them.
If we have seen how awful things happen we we are having a bad day, can we make good things happen simply by planning them... and being ready if they don't happen as 'planned'? Can we actually wake up and 'decide' on wonderful things occurring (non-specific wonderful things, of course), so that we "create" our day, our week, our month? Can things which do occur which are inconvenient, actually happen so we have a better, more growing experience next?
I am starting this. Starting today, I have awoken with joy and gratitude, noting the wonderful things around me, and wishing for more of the same joy. I am not being specific about what I "need"; that is, I am not saying, "I need a million dollars dropped in unmarked bills on my front lawn" (although that would be awesome! ;) ). I am simply actively noting my interconnectedness o the world and offering myself in exchange for growth, learning, joy, and sustenance. I would like creative (artistic) opportunities which will fulfill my bill-paying needs. I would like to travel and learn, so I may pass the experiences to others. I imagine my dearest loved ones laughing, smiling, and having a great day. I imagine phone calls arriving to me with requests for unusual and creative things, enlightening visits with friends and associates, and peace inside them and me.
I sit in my plant-filled sunny-yellow sunroom, in my stuffed comfy chair, with the spring air flowing through, loud birds calling to one another, leaves bursting from their winter cocoons inside the tree branches, my cats watching nature's drama and joys unfold from their window perches, and I am so very grateful. With this gratitude I want to create more life -- more life for myself, and then for others, where we can experience the diversity of living.
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