Anniversary, a day to remember

Anniversary, a day to remember 

We all have anniversaries of some sort. Wedding, graduation, death of a loved one, moving into a new home, or some sort of commemorative date for remembrance . Each has its own significance and celebrated in its own way depending on traditions and rituals of our families, cultures and more over ourselves. It is a time for reflection. It is a time to pause and reassess the past and see how it plays into the present and therefore gauge or plan for the future. 

Take wedding anniversaries for example. It is a time to rejoice of another  year passing of a couple being together. They remember the hard year that they have witnessed, and all the fun that they have had, and in that communion of being together and recollecting events,there is a lot of cathartic release of bad energy allowing the entry of good vibrations and energy to enter the new season. Some may look at it like drudgery or simply blow off the fact that another year  has passed, but in reality simply brushing the date aside or stuffing it into a drawer does not help the experience. Regardless of the number of years, 1, 5, 10, 15, 20....50 the number only serves to reinforce the lastingness and strength  of the relationship versus the number of years spent tolerating the spouse. By letting go and openly discussing the troubles, we actually allow the exit of the negative out of the relationship. By discussing the past events of fun and good times, we plant the seeds for the upcoming years harvest of a healthier and productive relationship.

Take graduation anniversaries. It is a time to remember finite days or finite years of hard work, late nights, sacrifice, and due diligence with the conclusion being a happy finish and a long waited goal accomplished. We all have some sort of graduation to look forward to. Be it graduation from school, higher level training courses, or even as simple as diapers, it is still a day to remember. The success was noted by the person experiencing the work in progress, be it a child, and adult or even an infant or toddler. We do not call them baby steps for nothing !

Take death anniversaries. This is usually a time of mourning, a time for sadness, and no celebration. Unlike the other sorts of anniversaries, we usually spend time brooding, but we do spend that time remembering. Instead of remembering the bad, why not rejoice in the good fact that the deceased person is free? Instead of remembering the date of death, note this date to be the one of physical freedom. The date that they joined their other prior deceased  loved  ones. A date of no more physical or mental suffering in the material world. The date should remember a life lived, not a life gone. If you bring forth the remembrance of goodness of that individual you then learn to celebrate their life and their passing and not dismiss their life and only focus on the end. 

A shift of focus changes our awareness. Our shift of awareness changes into peace. Our shift into peace brings about enlightenment. Do we ever have a date that we can say we attained enlightenment,that we can celebrate just the same? A date that we can recall and remember every minute, hour, day, week, month and year, a date that we harnessed freedom from our troubles. If that date occurs for you at this moment and you stay in that state of awareness and joy, then it does not become necessarily an anniversary but a whole time period of celebration. Remembering the date of enlightenment is interesting as it does also let go of the past ills through introspection, but a lot faster. It gives one a unique perspective of time vis a vie  time standing still. Awareness of the moment and evolution after hard work into the state of enlightenment relinquishes the feeling of time and its persecution or its mastery over you. Time then neither exists nor it ever did, and so the celebration anniversary is not of the date but of the experiential state of heightened existence. Just like traditional anniversaries when everyone comes and celebrates with you, it would be great if everybody has this enlightenment anniversary, it would be a time to party indeed. 

Wishing you a happy anniversary, in every aspect of your life. 

Don't hit the snooze button

Don't hit the snooze button

Ahhchooo ! The familiar sound of the sneeze in spring time is heard everywhere we go. It is the sound that plagues all allergy sufferers. The itchy eyes, the running nose, the scratching throat are all the symptoms that I and many of my fellow spring lovers have to tolerate while we try to enjoy the spring garden and balance the allergies of the bloom. Be it pollen, the tree sap or the multitude of natures pollination processes that cause our bodies to react adversely to the insulting stimuli, we still plow through the season. Just like the physical body warning us of the environmental allergies and upcoming dangers of walking through a field of pollinating flowers so too warnings from within are ever-present.  We mount a response that may look quite odd to a being from another world, as "they" might say "well if you are reacting to something in a bad way, then do not keep exposing yourself to it." A brilliant idea but then why do we ignore the internal and external alarms and yet forge on. 

The same is true when dealing with life circumstances that do not feel right to us but yet we do it. We stay or take on a job that we know is going to be non progressive or mind numbing. We eat the food that we know is going to make us feel sick afterwards. We stay in a relationship that has become toxic and destructive. We maintain friendships when we know that they are going to become detrimental. We buy something that we know we are going to regret later on  or that we cannot afford to buy it. We take on yet another alcoholic beverage knowing full well that we are already at our limit. There are numerous examples of actions that we take regularly and repeatedly without listening to the universal mind that is connected to your mind and spirit. This universal mind is warning you not to proceed, but we hit the snooze button on our spiritual clock anyway. When the bad outcome occurs, we blame it on luck, fate, God, or anyone else except taking responsibility for our actions. 

If we listen with faith, an open heart and mind, we will hear the alarms go off and so make better informed decisions. Some would call it intuition, and others would call it intelligent decision making, and yet others would call it divine intervention. Whether it is "gut feelings" or instinct or what I like to call it, awareness, it is an everpresent tool that we have to ward off dangerous situations. We have the ability to sharpen our senses through practice, and so just like learning to ride a car, we can learn to listen and hear the univeral guide of intention helping us like a "Spidey Sense" used by Spiderman superhero. Precognition is a wonderful thing, yet we have fooled ourselves in the delusion that this cannot be, and foretelling a particular future is impossible.However the gut feelings and instinctive senses are always there. Is this not essentially precognition? Why are we not listening and why are we so quick to hit this snooze button of our intuition?

Our egos run the show and are the ones that hit the button. To prove that we can survive and be the better in the dying relationship, or buy something that is unaffordable and prove that we are richer, or consume that extra alcoholic beverage and be arrogant enough to drive pretending to be sober, or take on that job and love it or die trying to enjoy it. This is what the ego does best. Ignoring the alarm and take the risk of waking up late to your life is a common phenomenon that we all have faced at some point in our lives if not on a daily basis. Being more mindful, quiet, and attentive allows us to discern the gentle voice from within that guides us to better decisions. If practiced well, and carefully and regularly, you can hear the gentle voice and you will learn that it is not a voice ladened with fear and caution, but a voice paved with instruction and beneficial insight. 

Tuning in to the universe offers us the chance to bring forth advantageous opportunities and we are guided with more well advised routes. In the end it our free will that makes the choice to take the action or like everything else we do, snooze it by the ego. I would urge you to listen to your Self and the universe as you take on your day. You may find that there are hobbies that you are pursuing that you do not even like, yet you keep doing it with arrogance and misplaced gusto because you "have to." Redirect your energies to feeding your spirit rather than your ego. Find the things that make you happy, and in turn you will find happiness in all things. I personally do not use an alarm clock to wake up in the morning and I instinctively wake up at the same time every day, fresh and ready to go. No alarm clock, no hitting snooze. No ego, no ignoring the universal mind of intention. 

Does your alarm clock talk to you? What does it say? 

song for the new year

Song for the New Year

(Thank you for reading this blog,

Hope that your mind it helps to unclog)

We welcome with open arms a new year,

A time for personal change is finally here,

Again ego based resolutions we will make,

Not from the heart so they will only break,

Let's fill our Selves with understanding and compassion,

A parade of forgiveness is the new fashion,

Letting go of the past for goodness sake,

Envisioning the joy we choose to bake,

Rejuvenated, empowered and enriched are words we sow,

Peace, harmony, and happiness we feel and know,

Love or hate is always a choice,

Let's pick the former and rejoice,

Unselfish caring for others gives us our divine connection,

When Beings of Light we see in our reflection,

We climb onto our horses of strength as we ride,

Bringing in hope to the New year we gallantly stride,

This year let's explore the realm of time and space,

Unwrinkling  our thoughts revealing a happier face,

All our troubles of the present we hereby release,

Happily our mind, spirit and consciousness are now at peace.

Dear Santa

Dear Santa

The season of joyous celebrations are here again. Whether it is Hanukah, Christmas or Kwanza, it is a time of family, friends, communing with nature and feeling the magic of it all. Delicious foods are  prepared, gifts are wrapped, homes are adorned with warm cosy decorations and musical cheer is spread through out the lands. It is a time of remembrance and a time of faith to unfold and ring in the New year. There is always a balance between hardship  and good times that we all face on a daily basis. This season is there to remind us of a vindication from ill times, troubled minds and sorrowful states with the promise of hope, love and faith regardless from where and which religion these teachings originate. 

In our hearts we have the long list of "things" that we write to our minds that we want or desire, our own personal " Dear Santa..." Yet what we really want within our hearts is peace, happiness, stability and most of all, love. Everything else that comes additionally to these ideals, is simply icing on a very elaborate cake, made with a host of unhealthy mental ingredients. The fictional letter we write in our hearts outlines our deepest desires and longing for a clearer and positive  vision for our futures. However why does this get transplanted with a materialistic filled list of personal possessions? It is the ego that jumps in at the opportunity to write this letter for You, and You then take a back step to your own center stage and watch the runaway production of your life unfold. In my humble opinion, take it back. Polish your own writing skills of your heart and take note of what you really desire. Allow the spirit of the season harness your unmet wants of love with compassion, your bitterness with forgiveness, your disappointments with faith. 

Together you can then forge a better future for yourself once your letter decisively reads " Dear Santa.. I choose to love" or " Dear Santa..I invite hope into my life" or " Dear Santa.. I am compassion"  or " Dear Santa.... I am joy." A change in tone of the letter is sometimes all it takes to make the difference in experiencing the holidays or having a holiday experience. It is with the leap of faith in not just the universe but moreover within yourself that you activate the essence of this magical season that is all around you. Once you understand this ability, you can use it at any time, knowing then truly that this season is all year round within you. Each religion that celebrates around this time has a symbolism of a candle burning. This is to reiterate to everyone that the light of love, faith and compassion shines bright and without borders of race, religion, age or gender. 

I hope that your reply to your letter comes swiftly and reads ".....may all dreams come true, love Santa"

Wishing you all a very happy and blessed holiday season !!

Competitions are not for losers

Competitions are not for losers

Just another 1/8th of a second and he could have beaten him to the Gold medal. Just another extra hour of work on this project more than the other competitors, could have closed the deal on this financial venture. Just another few more correct answers would have got me the better scorecard on the examination to get the better job that was given to someone else.  Day in and day out we compete with some other person. It is a force of nature and survival in order to get ahead. Instinctually, we do this in all walks of life. Whether at work to be more productive to make more money , at the gym trying to look better than another fellow exerciser, at the store haggling to get a better sale price, in school trying to achieve a better grade to beat another student. We teach this to our children to give them an edge to become better,stronger, faster, healthier, wealthier in order to live better, successful and happier lives. Nothing wrong with this philosophy especially since just about everybody everywhere does it. We sometimes force our children into the mind set of more education, more exercise, more, more and more is better. Society has trained us into these principles by virtue of survival. If you do not adapt, you perish. One little problem with this paradigm, we are competing against the wrong opponent. 

The opponent we should be comparing or competing against is ourselves. Striving to do better with oneself is far more nourishing, and rewarding in the long run as you yourself turn out to be stronger, quicker and more enlightened to help bring about a more advanced, a more aware and more peaceful society. We are all searching for a more improved and easier life, yet we literally kill ourselves in the process, without realizing the best possible life is the one we are living in the moment. By improving the self, we automatically improve the outcomes of our lives. For the skeptics I give you an example. 

At a pharmaceutical company the R & D division is spending billions of dollars to come up with the right drug to cure cancer. This is being done by several companies so that each one can get the patent to beat the competitor and then charge a whopping amount to make even more billions of dollars. Each person in the entire company is stressed and leads stressful lives to attain this goal. Now imagine the opposite. Each company individual strives to compete against themselves to lead healthier, more mindful lives. Through meditation, through awareness resulting in healthier exercise, mindful food choices, keeping a nourished brain and attitude, each person brings their 100% to the table from a place of peace versus from a place that they may lose their jobs. This is then magnified by everyone in the company right from R& D to sales and to administration which in turn helps to bring about a better drug to the market. Now say if all the companies choose to work together instead of against each other, not for profit, but for only helping others, how quickly do you think a cure for cancer or any other disease process could have been found? Cooperative competition, some thing to think about.

Competition is healthy as it keeps us sharp, focussed and keeps us in the game, and  moreover keeps us strong in the game, however if you keep the competition with yourself you run a stronger play in the game. You should have no one to fear, and no one to compare to, as this helps the ego quieten down. The ego is essentially your self preservation watchdog that is continuously  the surveillance to see who to compete against in order to preserve it self. Once turned off the ego can not hinder your own personal growth with doubts and fears of non-self competition. Not worrying about what others might say or think or do "against" you, you are free to flourish and  become superior to yourself at this very moment and continually improve moment to moment in the future as you progress. 

Life is a marathon not a sprint, and it is not a race but a journey to be enjoyed. At the Start line, a healthy, and aware mind will look either side at the competition and smile and see only itSelf looking back. The Finish line may be the end point in life, but getting there is half the fun, the other half is how good you look when you get there. So go win a trophy of excellence, a trophy of mindfulness, a trophy of peace and tranquility. Teaching that in the classrooms will benefit the next generation immensely as they embark on their own  journeys , their own races, hopefully not armed with the fear of competition with others but with the joyful contest within towards a brighter future in the winner circle. 

Gold, silver, and bronze medals all goes to You, the mindful soul.

Social responsibility

Social  Responsibility

This is a responsibility that we take for granted. A cardinal unwritten rule of social order, that everyone takes part for the betterment of the society as a whole. However it is far too often that individuals either feel entitled or groups feel that they are above the pecking order and so societal responsibility in general does not apply to them. Moreover entire groups come together and exercise their self declared and self appointed rights to be socially  irresponsible. Ironically they are working to the betterment of their own sub group of society and not towards society as a whole.  It is usually a group that "believes" that they have been repressed, treated unfairly, or down trodden and so revenge is exacted upon the oppressors but unfortunately the target is misdirected and becomes much larger and is aimed at the entire civilization regardless of the innocent. The group could be classified based on gender, race, religion, color, creed or orientation. There are always two sides to every story, and to this tossed coin of responsibility, one side naturally believes that they are right. The oppressed can be a group of white heterosexual  men who feel that they are disregarded when favored by other populous. It can be a group of black women who feel that they have had their civil liberties violated for decades. It can be a group of Asian monks who may feel that they have been persecuted for their religious beliefs. What do they all have in common? 

They have all pigeon boxed themselves into a category by their own volition and so when pressured by another entity, which is usually someone or a group that have also identified themselves as being different and opposite, they feel the need to fight out of a need for survival, and self preservation. In this way the responsibility to act becomes that of the self and not the society as a whole since clearly the society is factional. So the fundamental problem seems to stem from the upholding the identity of the self and down playing the identity of being part of something greater. If we are apparently more responsible towards our selves, are we truly being responsible towards ourselves by ignoring helping each other or the society as a whole? I was at a wedding reception recently where the waiters could not care less if the guests at the function were adequately taken care of. Their unwritten "responsibility" was to make sure  that the guests had adequate food, meals were served hot, and requests for beverages were appropriately and timely accommodated. This was not done as they believed they were getting paid regardless. So they stood  there out of indifference and ergo lack of responsibility. Simple courtesy towards them selves would have dictated that they "do their job" or social responsibility would have demanded that they act with courtesy.

Yet another example is the sub group of populations all over the world who use false excuses to misappropriate services rendered by the state. On grounds of mental or physical disability they misuse public offerings to the needy and deplete valuable and scarce resources. We can point fingers that it is corruption on all levels of either the group or the public administrators who turn the blind eye, yet, focussing blame on either side does not make the situation better nor does it accurately depict the problem. Both sides suffer from the severe lack of social responsibility due to the lack of self understanding. One might argue that they are both self aware, however that would mean they are both selfish, one side to take and the other selfish to not spend the time to say no. 

Self awareness is the integral part to sow the seeds of responsibilty to grow the tree of a society, and the eventual forest of a civilization. Each person taking action to help each other, to feed each other, to nourish and protect each other, then amazingly enough the circle comes right back and helps, feeds, nourishes and protects YOU !! If each person helped the person to their right, imagine your left shoulder being tapped and a smiling face saying " How can I be of service to you ?"  This is not a misguided attempt at explaining communism nor Marxism view points. This is a direct call to action to better oneself for the betterment of one Self, through the simple embracing of social responsibility. Whether you pick up stray garbage you see on your path on the street, or help a stranger find their way on unfamiliar streets, or hold the door for the next person, or pay the toll for the person behind you at the toll booth, or simply take interest and join the legitimate workforce, just make the effort of responsibility.  Love yourself, show love for your fellow beings, and embody love for your planet as a whole. There are no divisions in society, just those that you choose to create in your agitated and restless mind. 

How responsible do you feel today ?

Organized chaos

Organized chaos

How often do we find that when we plan to do a certain number of things, they usually only work out to completion about 50% of the time, yet when we have a significant number of chores to do and we do not get pressured by the concept of time, we usually get all the chores done. Is this disorganized order, or organized chaos? I have found that this happens to me on a regular basis, such that on the days that  I restrict myself to the idea that I have numerous "things to do" but only a finite amount of time to do them, less than 50% of the items actually get done. Even when I wish to cram in some fun chores, I always run out of time. This is not true when I realize that I have numerous chores but then I forget about the finite time restriction and just do the things, and then when all 100% of the tasks, be they menial or not,  are completed,  I find that not only did I get everything completed but I also saved time and was ahead of schedule. Why does this happen?

 

When we get pressured by time, we are under pressure. We freeze under the compaction of the finite time interval and so we contract and become slower than expected. The opposite is true if we are freed from the pressure of time pursuation and become lighter. We think clearer and become more productive when we are not focussed on trying to complete everything within a time period but instead  within that time period we complete everything.  We enjoy doing what we are doing, and therefore stay so focussed in the moment that we then end up filling the moments of time with more efficiency. We limit ourselves when we think that we may not be able to complete a task. Better still go over in your head all the things that you wish to do, then say it out loud or write it down, and then forget the list and systematically just start doing those items. This calls forth your powers of intention to the forefront and you engage in being more productive and peaceful. 

Have you ever wondered why some things you can be thinking about with so much concentration and then suddenly they manifest and then at other times  random thoughts pop into your head but nothing occurs with them? This is the same concept. As you concentrate in your minds eye of an important idea, such as you wanting to meet a long lost friend, and then they happen to call, or you really are desiring some particular item to eat and then "coincidently" it is on the newly offered option on a  menu at your favorite restaurant. Countless examples of this happen daily. What is happening is simply you are using your thoughts to manifest your reality. Similarly, when you are angry at someone,and deep down some streak of unkindness rears itself and wishes harm unto that person. Why does that person NOT get harmed? Your focus of manifestation did not originate from a place of strength, goodness or peace and so had  no constructive power, but moreover you cannot concentrate anger into reality since you cannot remain angry too long to allow the concentrated thought to manifest, unless of course you are the Dark Lord of the Sith from Star Wars. 

Organized chaos is my term for describing the blending of this idea of living with freeing your time and concentrating your good thoughts and manifesting them into reality.  I try to note all the things that have to get done ( whether things to buy, things to do, things to achieve) and then focus my thoughts of what needs to get done, and then let it go. To my own amazement,  I will find myself not only having completed all that I wish to at some point, but with more favorable outcomes in a better timed fashion that I was originally anticipating. Coincidence or organized chaos?  Time is fluid, and so by keeping our consciousness in the same way the two can merge for better and more improved results.The more control you seek in your life, the more it will elude you. The more control of things you think you have, the less control you have in reality. However the more you think of things that you have no control over, that is  in fact precisely where you have the most control. Having faith that something will get done and then moving to that goal, sets in motion all sorts of energies and wave patterns from your mind into the physical realm, and a new reality is manifest. As mentioned earlier,  the more focussed on a thought from a negative space, the more it will not become reality. 

Your creative engine can initiate and harness the powers of the universe and move anything into the physical realm so long as you are fulfilling your purpose. When this engine breaks down and the link and connection to the universal power is severed then states of physical disease, depression, doubts, fears, hate and anger set in. While connected, anything and everything  at anytime and any place is not in the realm of impossibility. Some would call it fate, and some would call it miracles, and others would dare to call it faith.  I call it "navigating your life and seizing  your destiny." So the question ends up being that in the course of your day, are you going to organize and compartmentalize your chaos or are you going to set it free and go with the flow. Spicing and varying your routines are one such way to let your mind and body not get used to set routines of complacency such that any deviance from your "plan of action" leads to the fall of the house of cards.  Mix it up a little.

I would champion the idea that when you stop thinking in a limited dimensional box of time and space, and allow those walls to fall, you enable your soul, your quietly awaiting spirit to shine. When you do this your creative energy is released to create with dimensionless drive, your joy is compounded with your happiness, your courage becomes boundless, and you exponentially rise into a state of abundance in all that you think, say, do. Your Self shines brighter than the effulgence of the sun so handle your "chaos" with enthusiasm and vigor.

Have you organized your chaos or have you created chaos in your organization?