Quick quick quick

Quick Quick Quick.

Rushing around we try to get from point A to B then to C in fast order. We eat quickly, we think quickly, we do things quickly and speak too quickly. All we are really doing is hurtling quickly to our eventual demise without living. We think we are living,  but in fact we are just running to nowhere quickly, as if running on a treadmill without anywhere to go.  On the spot running is good if you are trying to lose weight and exercise in other words, with a purpose, but not if you are being chased. What are we bing chased by, you might wonder? Time. However if you sharply stop and turn around and face your adversary you might actually become the victor and not the victim. Make Time your friend, and your friend ,time will become. Being and not just doing becomes a state of mind and matter, and you then start to live. 

Quick, quick, quick... you might miss out on a really tasty savory gourmet meal as you wolf down your specially prepared meal at your local restaurant.

Quick, quick, quick... you might miss the opportunity to help a poor homeless person on the street as you look the other way rushing to your destination.

Quick, quick, quick ... you might miss the blooming of the beautiful tulips that will not come back for another year and only bloom for a few weeks in the year as you keep looking at your smart phone.

Quick, quick, quick... you might miss your child or grandchild being young and playful as  you are too busy doing chores.

Quick, quick, quick,, you miss out on a real bargain on a quality purchase at a store as you race for the advertised sale on cheaper items.

Quick, quick,quick... you might miss out on the breathtaking sunsets as you try to find parking as you go out for dinner to a restaurant. 

Quick, quick, quick you might miss out the tone and subtly in a conversation with your friend trying to tell you about  a fateful thing that had happened to them, as you rush through to get to your talking turn and agenda of speech.

Quick quick quick... you might miss out on learning anything from that book as you speed read through the chapters.

Quick, quick, quick.. you might miss the red traffic light as you are too busy texting or talking to someone on the phone while driving and not concentrating on the road.

Quick, quick, quick.. you might miss out on your entire life, as you are not mindful of your surroundings. 

All too often this plague of "quick, quick, quick" infiltrates our mind, and body and consciousness and then your new set point for your life begins at 200mph.  It is time to slow down and feel the moment. Meditation on a routine basis helps with that, such that it becomes your normal state of thought, speech and action. Time is on your side, but only depends on whether you accept the abundance of it and walk with time beside you as your friend, or not as your adversary that is chasing you. On the former you will have the abundance to live, and in the latter the scarcity to die. Look at your own internal clock and then look around you. 

When people say statements of fact like " things have changed so much" or "kids grow up so fast" or "time and tide wait for no man." These are maybe relatively true, but at which point of reference are we speaking about matters. The flowering plant, or child or entire cities that change, do not change in an instant or at the snapping of your fingers. It takes time for change to occur. The only reason why it feels like the passage of time was an instant, is because you were not mindful and so missed it. You awake from your dream-like state of chaos and "living quickly" and you have zipped way past any coherent sense of orientation of time and space. There is no reason to keep hurrying unless you have a big S on your chest, wearing blue tights,a red cape and saving the planet. Quick, quick, quickly  hurry up and slow down before it is too late for you to enjoy the moment that may ironically lead to the eventual opportunity that you would have missed to lead a happier, healthier and peaceful life.

Spend some "time" to really feel the passage of time. This is a very satisfying practice, and then you can say that you have truly " lived". Seeing the development and the changes of your city, or garden, or the growth of your child are worthwhile gestures to undertake for sure, but the evolution of yourSelf in your own body is a feat unto itself. Your soul or spirit or Self is immortal, and you are inside this mortal ever changing body as you jump from minute to minute, day to day, year to year, decade to decade. You are in fact "body jumping. " Leap frogging in time is basically what we are doing. I would propose that we walk into and  through the moments and while you are at it simply enjoy the walk ! 

What is your speed limit today?

Knowing nature

Knowing nature.

When we pause to look around us we see interesting marvels unfold. Look at the trees. They know exactly when to shed their leaves or bring them forth. They sense the sunlight durations, the temperature, the moisture and their innate life force that brings them back from hibernation. The birds know exactly when is the right time to start making nests, and on which branches of the trees to set up shop. Grass knows when to regrow. Salmon know exactly which stream of their birth to return to, to start mating. Spring is here and with it all of nature comes alive, as if an elaborate computer program was initiated and various subroutines are being carried out on a planetary scale. Nature relies on itself and its connection with the universe. It just knows. It seems to have a kind of faith and instinct of survival and an evolutionary trial and error mentality.  If we are part of nature do we have this same ability?

Yes we do is the simple answer. We too share this innate ability of knowing what to do next. We exist in our lives with the constant bombardment of stress, anxiety, doubt leading to fear and depression and moreover indecision. We lose our way and find comfort in habits that only further hinder our progress. Alcoholism, smoking, drug addiction and over eating are just some of these habits. There is no  wrong or right issue about these habits, given the fantastic nature of free will, however it is simply that these habits do not let us progress and evolve and grow. Disease states such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and eventual heart  and brain disease are simply out of sync states of our bodies when we are maligned with our mind, spirit and the true nature of our consciousness. When ripples in water are disrupted from their natural direction, so their flow of energy is impaired and they pocket and accumulate in one direction or the next. Similarly when your own flow of energy is disrupted disease accumulates in our bodies. Overindulgence in any habit, be it alcohol, drugs, smoking, eating, lying,  promiscuity upsets the delicate balance and flow of  your nature leading to the disarray of your personal evolution. 

Restoring the balance is key to leading a healthier, non judgmental and free existence. It is a necessary step in order to branch out from " existing " and then learning to "live". Having the courage to face and accept these habits, realizing that you have them and that they do not have you, is a start. We must all realize that we are more than the sum of our parts, and that just like nature, you too can maintain the balance. Humbleness and gratitude are all part of that knowing. The tree is humble in the protection it provides to the birds that rest on its branches, and has gratitude that the elements sustain its own life. So too we can find the essence of peace through understanding natures' time tested methods of survival.  Trusting in our genetics to do the right thing comes from trusting in ourselves, and the faith of simply knowing that everything will work itself out. This is not a fool hardy endeavor, as the only thing stopping you is the naysayer voice of fear that you allow yourself to hear in anything and everything you do. Blocking this voice, and listening to the voice of your Self allows the connections to grow, the opportunities to arise, and the desirable goals to manifest. 

Do you know your nature as well as you know your backyard?

Taking your prescription

Taking your prescription

We have pills these days for everything and anything. We have a pill to make you happy, or cut back the excessive happiness. We have pills to control your cholesterol and your blood sugar, only to help you eat more fast food and sweets. We have pills to make you fertile or make you infertile depending on your preferences. We have pills to increase your blood pressure or decrease it too. We can get a prescription, in other words, a health care provider gives you a pre-scribed medication for your particular problem. However compliance is always an issue. I find that if you ask someone "are you taking your medications?" the answer is usually yes. If you ask " how many times have you missed the medication this month?" The answer is usually surprisingly revealing of an average 60% non compliance. 

When you wish to feel better from whatever illness you must take the medication prescribed, if warranted of course. You cannot expect  results to occur if you just sit there and look at the pill in the bottle and hope for results. A quick leap of faith and a gulp of water helps the medicine go down, and healing processes begin. But you have to take the pill. Now supposing the ailment that requires attention is more non physical. Such as the feeling of lack of creativity, the lack of joy, the  feeling of hopelessness. Well there are lots of metaphorical pills for such ailments that are  prescribed by the universe. You have to take the leap again and take the prescribed pill. Meditation helps like as if going to the doctors office. Narrate to the universe what is your problem situation and just as you expect that the doctor gives you a solution after you tell him or her what  are your symptoms, expect that the universe will do the same. You have the diagnosis, the treatment is forthcoming always with a good  prognosis. 

Let's see what is in your pill box.

For lack of joy, there is the pill of being in the moment. Being still and conscious of the moment allows the joy of just being to creep in. No judgement of the moment enables you to ENJOY the moment, in other words ENter JOY.

For lack of creativity there is the pill of letting go. By freeing yourself you allow the creativity to return back to you like a boomerang. Holding on too tight suffocates the creative spirit within. Letting go sets it free to return with more positive force

For hopelessness there is the pill of faith. Having faith  in the moment of hopelessness, leap frogs you out of despair and directly into being hopeful.

For fear there is the pill of love. If you redirect your fear with feelings of love, the healing is rapid and instantaneous.

For jealousy and envy, there is the pill of respect. The more you respect yourself, there comes a point where you value yourself more than seeing your disillusioned "lack" that leads to envy and jealousy of another. Hence you then respect others for whom you only held envy and jealousy.

For pity there is the pill of compassion. Instead of pitying another person for their perceived deprived situation you fill yourself with compassion such that you are compelled to help them to rise them to an elevated level. Once elevated they are no longer lower to a imagined standard and so no reason to pity them.

For anger there is the pill of mindfulness. By being constantly mind-full you have no room for the emotion of anger as you are "full" of being aware of not only your surroundings but also all your emotions and so can have the pause momentarily to breathe and catch yourself from your passion of anger.

For hate there is the pill of forgiveness. When the extreme and destructive emotion of hate rears its ugly head, you can only send out beams of forgiveness at whatever you are hating. By forgiving what ever you believe has hurt you, the feeling of hate gets starved of its fuel and melts away like fog being hit by the morning sun. 

For uncertainty and doubts there is the pill of gratitude. By being thankful even before something has happened in your life, you bring forth the expectation of a good and favorable outcome. If you know the future you are prepared for it. So bless your future with gratitude and see it come true of your own devising.

The effect of these universal pills are cumulative. The more you practice and consume these pills, the more healing and progress you make, then one day you may be so much in a state of mindfulness you do not "catch the proverbial cold" Compliance is very important. We all fall off the band wagon from time to time but getting back on your regimental pill taking habits with regular meditation and mindful behaviors you can achieve your goal of staying spiritually healthy. A healthy spirit translates into a healthy mind and body and consciousness.

Have you taken your pills today? 

Down into the rabbit hole we go

Down in to the rabbit hole we go.

Do you remember the famous tale of Alice in Wonderland? She chased a rabbit into a hole and landed into a bizarre world. She was chasing the curiosity, which led her into trouble. A most interesting lesson if you can follow through the storyline, especially when you realize that you are in fact Alice and you go down a hole every day of your life. The question really then becomes have you come out of the hole or are you still burrowing and have lost sight of the entrance hole. What world are we living in, if not a fragmented psychedelic version of Wonderland  that we like to call reality ?

Whether it is in the jobs that we drudge through or the drama of family reenactments, or simply the mountains of stimuli that encase us, we are overcome and overwhelmed. The pressures and stresses of our lives leads us further down the hole that we have chosen to go through. The key words here are that "we have chosen." No one puts a gun to our head or makes us do anything that we choose not to do. Our lives are our own, till we choose that it is  not, and in the process lose ourselves. We have no one to blame but ourselves for allowing that loss of identity and the loss of control of our lives. One day we turn around and cannot see the hole entrance and then the subsequent feelings of being overpowered by this tunnel of misery come flooding in. The tunnel appears to close in on itself and on top of us. Getting buried alive is not to be taken lightly. It not only makes it harder to find a way out, but chokes the spirit till we finally die a silent meaningless death inside without the chance to cry out, "save me, I want out..."

All is not as grim and all is not as lost. You have the chance to build strong scaffolding that will ensure the tunnel of life stressors does not collapse upon you. Being aware of your surroundings is your tool, your spade to dig you out of the mess. "Letting go" and not constantly being in a state of  reacting, allows you to dig a wider tunnel with adequate space. Your strength of resolve ensures that you have a second shaft for air, a necessity  that all expert tunnel  builders will tell you. However in the end, your ability of free will, is what helps you to choose to go or not to go down the rabbit hole. Many will say that they live for others and have given themselves to others so completely that they have lost their identity unto others. You can easily make excuses and blame someone, something or a particular  circumstance but again that too is a choice of your life. Live a life of excuses or live free of excuses. There are plenty of people in the world who live free and simpler and perhaps more peaceful lives. Avoiding the rabbit hole does not translate into avoiding to live. It means you either are better prepared to go down the hole or find a better hole to go down to explore. 

If you do go down the hole, I would strongly suggest taking a flashlight. The more in tune you are with ourself, the brighter your inner flashlight to help you illuminate your path. Listen to your heart and brave the journey into the hole and out the other side. Most things through the hole and in your tunnel of your life are in fact beautiful but cannot be touched with anything except your heart.  Your pride will tell you that this is impossible. Your sense of experience will alert you that it is too risky. Your rationale will inform you  that it is pointless. Your heart and your soul will whisper "give it a try". 

Enjoy your personal Wonderland, just do not  be led by a strange rabbit, even if he had a cool hat.

Mirror mirror on the wall...

Mirror Mirror on the wall.....

It is very interesting that we look at ourselves in the mirror and we only see what we choose to see. We actually do not see who we really are, physically, mentally or spiritually. This is very much akin to visiting the circus  and going into the hall of mirrors. Each mirror depending on its concavity or convexity can portray distorted images of ourselves. These reflections vary according to our own opinion even if the mirror is appropriately and correctly made. 

We see ourselves through myopic vision and through a muddy filter of self criticism. Our ego sees us as grandiose and larger than life. Our mind sees us as inferior and ugly. Our experiences may see us through shame and inadequacy. Our pride may see us as self loathing. Our heart may see us as wounded and vulnerable. Our soul sees us as pure, bright and whole. It is not the mirror that needs to change but which part of ourself sees us. Moreover once this slight fine tuning of attitude occurs, we then reflect that image of the truer self in other words,  the image we wish to portray. 

Try a little exercise. Look at yourself in the mirror in the morning after getting up. Do not hurry to put on your Egyptian sarcophagus mask of make up, and simply look at yourself. Then see yourself. There is a subtle difference in words but an enormous  difference in reality. Write down what you look in one column and what you see in another. You will be surprised that the list is exactly opposite. When you "look" you are observing the superficial you. When you "see" you are observing the deeper true You. Try this exercise with a few trusted friends, but instead of the 2 columns just ask them to make a list of what they see. Instinctively your trusted friend will observe a very different persona and list of attributes that you may or may not have come up with. However this clearly demonstrates that observation is in the eye of the beholder, and moreover self criticism can be dangerous in that the true you may never come out if all you do is listen to this albeit false "version" of yourself. I have spoken to friends and asked them what they thought about themselves and found they may have a very self defeating portrayal of their identities. In fact most of the times I pointed out my observations about them, that were not only the opposite, but more positive. Was I wearing my myopic positive corrected   prescription glasses or was I simply seeing their truer natures?

Indeed self criticism  is important to help you  improve your personality, your goals and sharpen your skills. However this can lead to a darker path of self deprecation that ends up locking you in your cupboard and afraid of the world. Both extremes are possible without the leading rope of our spirit to guide us to a better and genuine self image and reflection. If unchecked a mirror of vanity can unleash an ego on the path of fabled destruction as seen in Snow White and the Seven dwarfs !  A cracked mirror is a sign of a fragmented mind. A shattered mirror is a sign of a broken heart.  Fears, doubts, anxieties and over self criticisms are usually the forces that initiate the damage to the mirror. An inability to see clearly through the broken pieces of mirror or see the forces that cause the fracture in the first place, is what leads to our eventual collapse. This inability to envision your Self is clouded by the ego. But how do you start seeing yourSelf?  Start by using different senses to see.

Courage to even look beyond your bad experiences is the first step. Then comes the acceptance to see through your wounded ego. This is hard as your ego will put up a terrific fight. Forgiveness to your aching heart comes only after you have tamed your windy mind with patience. Penultimately faith in yourSelf cuts through the negativity and reveals your awaiting  spirit. Gratitude at everything past and present that has happened or is happening to you, releases you to launch into a future with a clearer and truly representative reflection. 

"Mirror, mirror on the wall who is the fairest of them all?"

The mirror replies: "You tell me...."

My my what a big stick you have

My My What a big stick you have?

 Have you ever noticed a person walking with a cane or a stick? They come in all shapes, sizes, colors and materials. The mechanics are most interesting. They are designed and fashioned to act almost like a tripod or in most instances as a crutch or to be an assistance in ambulation. They take the stress off most of the weight or full weight while either sitting down or standing up or in between the ambulation steps. The purpose is to provide support for the injured  party during a period of weakness. So too is the nature of a helpful friend, a supportive spouse, a nurturing parent or caregiver. One must never forget the individual who has to put up with the stress. In many cases it can be you as the injured party needing support, or you can be the kind stick providing the stressful support. 

With each step a lot of force and pressure is wielded into the stick or cane. Overtime if appropriate care towards the stick is not given it may crack or break under the exorbitant pressures. Even these supportive devices need a break from time to time. Have you ever talked to your cane, or crutch and asked this helpful individual as to how they are doing. Perhaps they need to relieve some pressure and tell their side of the story. This aide has been with you at a significant period in your life when  you most needed them. Perhaps reuniting with them before the stress fracture occurs is just as important as connecting with them at the beginning of the journey. According to Newtonian physics and third law,  there is an equal force placed on the stick as is placed on the individual, namely the law of action and reaction. So if you understand this principle you realize that this happy coexistence, this equal measure of force,  will not hold up unless both sides are equally strong. 

Your supporting person is only as strong as they are allowed to become. Through caring that they show you, you get stronger. So too this can be reciprocated. Be it a friend, a spouse, a parent or a primary care provider, the relationship is that of a much needed supportive cane. Treating him or her with respect, attention  and love,  is as valuable as you treating yourself in the same manner. Hence this develops the much needed strength to fulfill Newton's third law, ensuring many more years of steadfastness of your supportive device.

How strong is your stick or cane on any given day?

Looking up at the stars

Looking up at the stars

The loud  noises of the car horns, the brightness from the city street lights,  the luminescent buildings and electric commercial  signs, combined with the fast pace of our lives leave much to be desired as  we keep our heads down towards the ground and get to our preconceived destinations. We sometimes even miss our fellow walkers as we bustle through our day neither  making connections nor connecting to our surroundings. Yet we are always looking up at the stars for guidance to our personal chaos. When we get the rare chance to be outside at night, and the light of man made origin turns off, we see a new sort of radiance of light emerge as we readjust our eyes to the night time. 

The stillness is deafening. The serenity can be disconcerting to an agitated and distracted mind. The radiance is that of the star light. Like pin holes in the heavens, the night sky shines brightly down with effulgence. It is unfortunate that we either miss this amazing sight due to the artificial light pollution or our eternal material distractions in life. So too is true when we turn off the outside light and look inward at the beauty of the light of our souls. We look to the heavens above for guidance, yet it is the soul within that is always in connection with this heavenly pathfinder. The infinite stars not only represent the light to guide our nights, but also the infinite possible directions that we can take with our lives. Shining bright through our creativity, our Self expression, our inner radiance guides our day and night lives. 

How do we tap into this light? In my opinion, first acknowledge that you are You, and accept yourself for who you are. Perfections and flaws alike, simply accept that who you were, who you are today and who you will become in the future. Once you do this, you are giving the true You a chance at recognition by allowing your ever ominous, looming and overbearing mind to bow gracefully in acknowledgment at something other than itself. This chance gives way to the spirit, your true nature to start voicing its opinion.  

Next comes facing the next hurdle which is your fears and doubts. By confronting them all head on with a warm embrace. Feel the light from the candle of your soul start to burn brighter, and brighter till it has engulfed your fears and shone the light to disperse all the darkness. No corner of the room of your mind's eye should be left without being illuminated. This almost is like a mind cleansing of your old thoughts, doubts, anxieties, worries and more over your own self critisizm. Once you have dealt with these "demons"you become lighter to float and be as airy as the luminesence that you are trying to reveal. 

Being free to touch the stars with the belief that anything is possible is the next stage of evolutionary mindfulness. Dispensing the notion of disbelief is accomplishable if you try in the physical to be present at night time outside and feel yourelf as part of the stars above. Why do we look to the stars for guidance when we know that our souls if unburdened by the chains of the mind, have the  power to connect to the creator and the universe in an instant. The infinite stars are like infinite destinations waiting to be explored. To borrow and paraphrase a quote that " as it is on earth, so it is in heaven" I would add that as the inner light shines within, so does it shine from above, as seen in the twinkling of the luminescent night sky.  

Standing outside, the more our eyes dilate in the night and we get accustomed to the darkness, the clearer we see the stars, and if you have ever focussed on these stars you see more of them and with progressive brightness. The "twinkle" is like the stars looking back at you and winking as if to say we see you, we  hear you and we are here to help. Similarly the more you clean up your mind to start experiencing the stillness, the clearer the mind's eye vision gets to start seeing the bright star of your shining true Self glow and take over your sky, your life, and your experiences. The clearer your mind, the clearer it can see your spirit and its  ever present and progressive radiance. A fun exercise that usually only children do and easily dismissed by the intelligent and more evolved adult is counting the stars as they come out every hour. It is interesting how many more stars a child can count than the adult, since not only is their mind more free of clutter but also free and innocent enough to enjoy the experience of the moment. How many stars can you count?

Look at all the stars out tonight, which one do you want to touch? The night is yours and so is the destination.