Deep water reflections

Deep water reflections. 

I was traveling recently and at a beautiful hotel while having lunch I noted something from the corner of my eye. There was a moderate sized ornate decor made of concrete as a part of a fountain pool. There was a hidden  light attached to the back portion of this decor hidden from my sight yet the reflection unto itself in the water gave the illusion of a much deeper water level and that the motif decor was actually in the water at the base of the pool ( since I could not see it reflecting on top from my vantage point).  This got me thinking.....

The water was so still and the motif was so perfect in appearance that I had to  do a double take and go and examine this more carefully at the pool's edge. The first thought was that this is the similar situation with ourselves. When our mind is calm, serene and pure, we reflect only that. It is immediately noticed in our thoughts, speech, and action. When the water is constantly agitated then you can barely tell that there is a reflection through the ripples and  the distortions. In fact the reflection may look very ugly in appearance through distortions of the water. The reflection is who we have become, the water is our mind acting as the reflector, and the object being reflected is our true self that is hidden from plain sight  till we choose to project it. 

Secondly, the world only sees our reflection, what we wish it to see is our choice but if the water, the mind is not still, then no matter how good we,the object, truly is, can never really be viewed through this medium. When the reflection is crystal clear, the world seeks to look at it with interest. When the reflection is distorted, the world does not even know a reflection exists.

Thirdly, through this illusion the depth is always not fathomable. Ergo, when the mind is calm and the water is still, we see that the reflection may be deeper than imagined. There is more depth to the character and personality  of the individual than initially suspected at first glance and requires further evaluation. The person is perhaps more knowledgeable, more fun loving, more of a pleasure to be with. We start reflecting our truer self. 

Fourthly, the reflection is still just a projection, a mirage, an illusion if you will. This body is an illusion. The mind the medium. The soul the trueness of who we are. The water (the mind)  may evaporate away, hence the reflection ( the body) disillusioned but the object ( the soul ) remains. 

Meditation helps to steady the waters to provide a better reflection. Bringing forth a kinder, gentler, purer self. The nature of the medium is important too. If the mind is full of anger, hate and negativity it cannot reflect anything, just like if you were looking into a pool of black oil, it reflects nothing. If you have an agitated mind then the numerous ripples of water reflects a distorted illusion. If you are at peace with yourself, then with a controlled mind, you reflect the same deeper persona.

You can either choose to reflect the negative person you "think' you are via your mind and then be but a glimpse of a shadow of a ghost. Or you can choose to reveal yourself to an ever watching world, your true quality of  happiness and joy.

What do you wish to reflect today?

F.E.A.R

FEAR !!

" You better not jump too high, you might fall" 

" Do not stay out too late, something bad can happen to you"

" You have to get a good job, or you cannot pay your bills"

" Do not get your boss cross, you might get into trouble"

These are such examples from an infinitely long list of fears or excuses that are instilled into us right from our tender child hood days. We perpetuate these fears into our children as a means of control. The stern look, the pointy finger, the shaking of the head, with the deep voice of " NO" that dissuade us from doing anything that is other than some one else's will. Fear is used as a tool by others for control or to prevent you from moving forward. We are so instinctively used to believing others rather than our own truths that we are led down a primrose path of falsehood. We end up simply reacting. My theory on FEAR is it is an acronym for Falsely Elevated Action Reaction.

Every time we are exposed to a thought, an idea, a word, it is an action. We usually react to these things from a place within us not of truth but from preprogrammed set of reactions developed since birth. Depending on how that reaction made us feel at the original point of insult, we then will repeat that same response when exposed to the stimulus. Almost like our immune system that reacts to block off an invading foreign organism, our preprogrammed reactions return  to counter act the actions. These reactions may be inappropriate but that is what leads to this concept of fear. Understanding this idea is the first step to awareness and battling this fear. 

Imagine a lion. Ferocious, scary, dangerous. These descriptions will give you the idea that the lion is an animal to fear.  Majestic, powerful, protective, strong. These descriptions will give you the idea that the lion is an animal to love. The lion has not changed its nature. Yet 2 different perspectives make it appear either lovable or fearful. These are reactions proposed by the 2 separate observers based in part to the feelings not facts that they have experienced in their lifetimes. One was told that the lion was to be feared and the other was told that the lion was to be loved and admired. These are just reactions to actions and falsely elevated since neither are correct. Having understood this idea, you can now move forward with this awareness and so enlightened you can be more cognizant of the moment you "feel" the fear. 

When meditating I try to envision all the fears coming at me all at once, and when they have entirely encompassed me, I then shine my own light back at them through the engulfing darkness. I realize that they are fake reactions to baseless ideas pinned somewhere deep into my subconscious. I then thank them for their service and let the fears go. In so doing I have neither subjected myself to the actions or reactions and the F.E.A.R cycle is broken. Do not let yourself be clouded with this idea of fear that will paralyze you and holding you back from seizing your divine  destiny to create, to be happy, to be full of joy.

React or not to react that is the question !!

Jet lagged...yawn!!

The distant journey to the airport, the waiting in long ticket lines, the prolonged  tardiness at security check in, then the eventual flight that usually delayed. The seemingly endless 15 hour flight, and trip home, leads you exhausted, tired, and out of sorts. Jet lagged, grumpy, hungry, feeling like a dish rag, you try to get all parts of you back in sync. Your daily ablution needs are all out of whack. Your body is telling you to sleep and rest, but you plow through the emotions and nerve firings to drudgingly pretend to hold a conversation. Your mind is fiercely trying to come to grips with the time change and trying coordinate all your thoughts of things to do and see.Your soul is screaming, LISTEN to me I can help. But mind and body ignore the soul and you continue to remain jet lagged.

So often we face this same issue in our daily lives. Running from place to place, invariably not on time since we have so many things to do, fulfill responsibilities, and reach overbooked appointments  that we have no hope of completing properly. Our minds trying to plan and process the past, present and future moments all at once. Our bodies trying to catch up, and not getting enough rest, or exercise and poor nutritional choices that were never designed for the on the go person, eventually leads to a burn out of our spiritual engines, and we falter. Our soul screaming, LISTEN to me I can help. We are literally living jet lagged on a constant basis. 

Why do we do this to ourselves? When we slow down and be in the moment, we are actually more productive and more in sync. Mind body and soul all caught up we are more of a person than we have ever been. Giving all of ourselves to whatever we choose to think, say, and do. We can give ourselves more to each other just by realizing this idea. Easier said than done? Not true, easier done than said. A little tuning of our conscious moment, reveals the best moments ever. Creativity, happiness and wholesomeness is all reachable, if we just alter our travel plans a little and focus on the key points of departure and arrival of the moment, we will have landed fully synced.

People say that sometimes you travel the world to find yourself, but sometimes  looking within, you are right there, found, awake , refreshed and ready for your workings at your destination, the here and now.

"Final call for all synced jet set passengers... Are you ready to board?"

Defining Yourself

Defining yourself.

This is Susan she is the daughter in law of the famous Mr JohnSmith. This is Peter, he is a doctor. This is Mary she is the neighbor of that senator. This is George, husband of .....

Too often we are introduced as a family member of another, or the profession we hold, or the geography of where we live. Sometimes the introducer elevates their own status by adding descriptive adjectives to the introducer. This is an age old custom of human nature. This may be the way we are introduced but over the course of time we adopt that title set forth by society and shaking it off becomes hard. It becomes the definition we carry, like a word in a dictionary that can be looked up, we are the defined by what we can be looked up to in society. When that relationship falls or changes so does our definition into the past. We need new definitions and identities. Or do we?

Why do we have to define ourselves? We do it for the sense of belonging, a sense of time and place. We do it to ourselves, allowing society to make that definition for us. Letting go of the old names and adopting new ones that truly define us as who we are ,is the key.  We desperately need to be label free, but define ourselves as what the universal soul sees us, from within. Generous, kind, limitless, happy, passionate. Once we adopt these titles defined by ourselves versus those given to us, we then occupy a new space and then act in accordance with our new title, and then become more generous, kind, happy and passionate. 

Interestingly when our definition of ourselves changes and not necessarily in a positive way, society will view us differently. For example, John got divorced, he is a divorcee... James lost his job, he  is unemployed... Then we are not talked about by people in the open but through whispers and eye gestures. We no longer hold the power to elevate someone else's status, and so are disregarded. The rest of the story is never told. Perhaps John was in an abusive relationship and has to save himself, or that James was tired and frustrated in his former employment and needed to change.  

An idea was once introduced to me by a friend. Imagine you are sitting at a table with friends and eating a meal, and you come across some food item you do not like. You immediately say " This tastes horrible, I do not like it.." If you were not the one to make the food, it is so easy to comment, but 2 scenarios occur. What if the chef is unknown to you and is your friend and is present. You have insulted your friend at the table. If you did not know the chef you have just insulted someone else. If you cooked the food you would not dare to say such a comment, and moreover be devastated if someone else made a similar comment. In all scenarios, an insult does not change the food, only the definition you attach to it. Irony is that yet you consume this food with a negative thought, how do you think it will change the negative vibrations that then ensue in your body. What have you now defined about yourself? You are willing to eat at a table with friends, throw out negative comments with negative thoughts and words and make a food negative while taking it in to you, thus generating negativity. People will view you as a negative individual. 

I am not that what you say I am, but that what I say I am and I be.  

How will you define yourself today and forever? 

But but but....

All to often we spend our days making excuses for ourselves. We interject this 3 letter word into every sentence that changes the meaning of not only what we are trying to convey through speech and action but we end up changing our intentions. The word that turns us away from a lion's courage to a mouse's fright, is "BUT"

I really want to paint and be an artist as this gives me joy and freedom, BUT who will buy my work.

I wish to quit this meaningless job BUT who will pay my bills.

I desire to travel the world and help others, BUT who will help me with putting food on my plate.

I would like to be free to learn and explore, BUT that will not sustain the needs of my family.

I want to go and meet my friend BUT I do not have the time and I have too many pending chores

Have you noticed that in all the above statements of intention seem to stem from your soul. Your place of being, your purpose for your life are all clearly voiced by your heart and soul BUT then by adding one little word, your intention comes crashing down with fear, doubt and insecurities. This latter part of the statement then  launches you in the exact opposite direction from your pure intention, your purpose, and down a road which leads to your feelings of lack of fulfillment, your lack of joy, your lack of living as a being. What is this  word and where does it come from? 

My opinion is that it roots back to your subconscious fear, that is ever present and moreover always trying to survive by controlling you. We then get so hard wired that we then do the same to our children. " You can have fun and play BUT do not jump too high as you may fall and break a leg." What we have just done is give permission to a little child who is already looking to us for guidance, the chance to be free and play but then immediately we set up a limit on their chance of growth, with fears that are not of their own creation. 

We do the same in passing conversations with friends and family.

" I want to start a business where I make cute custom greeting cards....what do you think?"- you ask of your friend with great intention, and creativity in your voice.

" Oh I think that is a fine idea, BUT no one is going to buy your cards, they are cheaper at Hallmark, and if your business fails you will not pay your bills, and you will foreclose your house !!"

And so your plans to explore your creativity  are thwarted to make room for your continued mundane existence from which you tried escaping with your idea spark. Not by your fears, but that of others that spoke to your fear, and collectively all these fears pulled you down. 

Unfortunately being human nature for what it is, we speak to each other from a  fearful stance. If I am too fearful to try something, it surely must not be good for anyone else..... and so we seek to extinguish the flames of ourselves and others around us with negative ideas that are not even based in fact or truth but in fiction.   We use the tool of excuses for ourselves so many times in the day its a wonder we get anything done. Have you tried paying attention for half hour or an hour or even a day to the amount of times you either verbalize a " BUT " or think it in a conversation with others. Try keeping tabs and by being in the moment you will note the number of times you are changing your intention to the opposite. 

Too often we give in and  falter to the default settings in our minds of lack of resources, lack of health, lack of finances, lack of time....never realizing that self sabotage in the form of excuses is our own doing. Only through being present can we catch ourselves from this habit  forming demon. Human nature has the ability to change and adapt. In this way we can alleviate ourselves from these self defeating excuses and evolve and act from a posture of pure intention. This is a magnificent time to be alive, to be creative, to be heard. It is a time to come together collectively to broaden humanity's horizons, and elevate the human consciousness. Now is not the time for the word BUT to soften your resolve or diminish your dream. 

You want to create, to dream, to laugh, to be at peace, to be free, then just do it  BUT just be happy :)