"I COULDN'T GET TO
MY SPIRITUAL HEART
THROUGH MY RATIONAL MIND.
MY MIND HAD TO STOP
FOR MY HEART TO OPEN."
- RAM DASS
MY SPIRITUAL HEART
THROUGH MY RATIONAL MIND.
MY MIND HAD TO STOP
FOR MY HEART TO OPEN."
- RAM DASS
|
In our current COVID19 reality… we can choose to use this time to consider our future, personally and collectively. The future I envision is NOT a return to an exact duplicate the past, but a VISION into our collective cultural and evolution as a species. I’m not the only one.
I’ve been reading articles and watching videos produced by many of our contemporary visionaries who are doing the same thing, on a much greater scale. Fascinating stuff! Steven C. Hayes Ph.D., an American Psychologist who focuses on Behavioral Analysis, writes about his research-based model that can be applied to a wide spectrum of health and wellness issues, including anxiety, depression, psychotic thoughts, addiction and more. “When people consider their future and apply evolutionary scientific concepts to actions, and policy choices to alter that future, humans are consciously evolving.” So friends - let’s consciously evolve! Hayes spent a lot of time researching the power of negative thoughts and shifting out of them. His scientific research is in alignment with what the New Thought philosophies have been practicing all along. I love when science confirms spiritual practice. In this article, he writes about the evolution of consciousness: “How Humans Create Their Own Evolution: The Evolution of Consciousness Enabled Conscious Evolution”. I recommend it to get your brain juices flowing. LINK First, start within your own thoughts, dreams, visions and fantasies for a future where all life is respected and recognized for the unique gift it provides for the web of life. “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Next, honestly look within yourself for any and all levels of bias, judgement, stereotypes and fears that arise with your thoughts about your evolution, humanities evolution, and the evolution of whomever you have labeled as the “other”. Consider, what systems are in place that hold back the vibrant potential of the collective? What traditions have lost their value? What behaviors are so mindless that they are no longer worth keeping? Take all the time you need to contemplate these questions. Keep a journal of your own evolution! NOW is a time to both think and act to consciously evolve as a person and species. Finally, pick one area that touched the place of curiosity within you and research it to learn more. How does it effect you, your community, the planet? Could it be worse? Could it be better? How? What ideas do you have about that? Explore them deeply. Open your mind to be teachable, and explore both sides of the situation. Allow it to cause you to question all that you believe to be true. Grow. Learn. Evolve. What would a world that works for ALL look like to you? “In order to carry a positive action, we must develop HERE a positive vision.” ~ Dali Lama Think about it and share your comments below. I look forward to reading them. Namaste’
0 Comments
 I believe we can learn to watch for the signs of an incoming emotional storm just as we can watch the sky and see the tell-tale signs of a storm on the horizon. I call it our emotional weather. What’s your emotional weather right now? Is it sunny, cloudy, lightning, a tornado?
Learning how you and your body react to and present itself in times of stress can be beneficial when you are not as mindful to notice. Do others tell you your face is getting red? Can you feel any heat in your cheeks or forehead? Or do you find shoulders are hugging your ears and your fists are clenched? Can you feel the tension in your muscles? Based on the level of stress you’re facing at this time, if it’s not actively managed, that stress level could easily increase. We all need to blow off steam from time to time, we need to know when and how to do that safely. Having previously lived thru a period of intense grief that lasted months, I knew some basic self care tasks. The very best is slow, deep breathing. LINK Neuroscientists “have uncovered a direct and powerful connection in the brain between breathing and states of mind. We now know that the breathing center directly controls the activity of higher order brain functions,” says Mark Krasnow, a professor of biochemistry at Stanford. “There’s a feedback circuit. Now we can understand better how this control of the breathing center changes the rest of the brain.” As we practice slow, deep breathing, this changes the oxygen level, heart rate and our brain chemistry, we are calmed, relaxed and we basically “chill”. Consciously managing our breath we can change our physiology and regulate our minds and bodies. This takes focus at a time when it’s difficult to do so. The daily practice of slow, deep breaths assimilates the body to the process so it is more readily available and effective as a calming tool.
In New Thought philosophy, we see ourselves as spiritual beings having a human experience. This global pandemic is the current human experience. Many of us living in self isolation with thoughts of fear, some of us may begin to feel, like we too have a mental health concern. Watching your own and your loved ones stress barometer is crucial. No doubt, we all yearn for a sense of normalcy in our lives right now; a return to what we’re familiar with. Yet, in this now moment - this is life. World wide, all of us are dealing with the coronavirus - distance - isolation - flatten the curve - sanitize - fear and stress management - shock, sadness, pending loss, concern for loved ones, immune system boosting and trying to remember what day it is. As the classic Eastern saying puts it “life is filled with 10,000 joys and 10,000 sorrows.”
Once in a while the act of SURRENDER is healthy. Author and social psychologist, Dr. Amy Johnson says “surrender literally means to stop fighting. Stop fighting with yourself. Stop fighting the universe and the natural flow of things. Stop resisting and pushing against reality.” LINK Give up the struggle that is really rooted in your subconscious fear. It’s really just an attempt to control your life in an uncontrollable situation as we move through this historic world wide COVID 19 scenario. It’s almost like a sci-fi thriller! Surrender to the NOW moment. This is a time for global perseverance. As a human race, we have survived other calamities, wars, disease, depressions. We will overcome this as well. If our thoughts effect our life experience, I consciously choose to control my thoughts (it’s really all I can control) to create a tolerable, positively inspired and hope filled experience. How about you?
I want to thank Lynn Ungar for her poem and compassionate insight.
Pandemic What if you thought of it as the Jews consider the Sabbath-- the most sacred of times? Cease from travel. Cease from buying and selling. Give up, just for now, on trying to make the world different than it is. Sing. Pray. Touch only those to whom you commit your life. Center down. And when your body has become still, reach out with your heart. Know that we are connected in ways that are terrifying and beautiful. (You could hardly deny it now.) Know that our lives are in one another’s hands. (Surely, that has come clear.) Do not reach out your hands. Reach out your heart. Reach out your words. Reach out all the tendrils of compassion that move, invisibly, where we cannot touch. Promise this world your love– for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, so long as we all shall live. –Lynn Ungar 3/11/20  “The cave you are afraid to go into, contains the treasure you seek.” ~ Joseph Campbell With every breath, there is the opportunity to LOOK FOR THE GOOD. With every breath, there is the opportunity to create good experiences, opportunities and outcomes. Consciously make the choice to turn the experiences of life into observances of good. Not that I’m big on quoting from the bible, but in the creation story, it is said that the creator looked at what was created and called it “good”. Can WE not look at things and call them “good”? (If you don’t think it’s “good” now, then work to make a change somewhere either internally or externally, so you can call it “good”!) In the book Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love and Wisdom author, Rick Hanson says, that when we “join modern science - with ancient teachings, that even in seeming turbulent times, we can have greater emotional balance, healthier relationships, more effective actions, and greater peace of mind.” Here’s the tricky part… meaning we need to trick our brains! That’s right, it’s up to us to override our brains “negativity bias” which, Hanson says, is when “our brain preferentially scans for, registers, stores, recalls, and reacts to unpleasant experiences”. Hanson encourages us to NOT suppress negative experiences, but to purposely contribute to a collection of positive ones.  In order to do that, I invite YOU to look for the good! One way, is to keep a gratitude journal, a daily list of positive experiences. I recommend listing 3 positives each day! Or say out loud before or after every meal something your grateful for. Or express gratitude overtime you cross a threshold into another room. The idea here is to create a memorable habit for yourself to express gratitude in your daily routine. There is another interesting suggestion coming further in this blog.  I’ve learned to LOOK FOR THE GOOD - I can’t always see it right away. I’ve created this habit of saying…“I can’t wait to see the good, that comes out of this!” (Put this affirmation on your refrigerator, car visor or bathroom mirror and practice using it often!) As we each FACE challenging times such as the current global pandemic, just moving through the mental, emotional, physical process will test us individually and collectively. I have gone full circle with my own process. That said, I am choosing to FACE this with the trust that something better is on the other side of this experience for the entire planet.
Forgiveness Confucius said, “The more you know yourself, the more you forgive yourself.” We can be so preoccupied with our judgements that we don't see the mirror reflecting back to us, that we often are just like, what we are judging another for. Byron Katie, creator of The Work” shared that she used a process to neutralize her judgement by writing down the remark and inserting “I” for the others name. What a wonderfully mindful and awakening process. I plan to try it! Let’s do it together! In an article titled “Why is Forgiveness Important?” author Beata Souders, PsyD candidate states, “The value and benefits of cultivating forgiveness are evident and start with us. Self-forgiveness is an important aspect of one’s ability to forgive others and can be a gateway to living a more fulfilled and loving life.” Appreciation In “You Can’t Sleep Through Your Awakening”, Jane shares a story of a young girl in Nepal who focused on gratitude achievement. This great idea is what Jane calls anticipatory appreciation. “Instead of or in addition to sitting down at the end of the day and reflecting on things to be grateful for, she looked ahead to her day and chose three moments that she expected to be joyful ones, setting the intention feel gratitude and then she would let it all go. Jane gave it a try and shares her experience, realizing… “Hey, this stuff is working!” “What we see depends mainly on what we look for.” ~ John Lubbock Compassion This is our ability to recognize that another being is suffering, experiencing difficulty, or upset and we are moved to acknowledge the difficulty of their experience and act in some way. That act of caring and kindness in place of judgement means you realize that we all suffer in some way. Jane shares that “Bringing forth the feeling of self-compassion is deeply nourishing and healing. When we love ALL of ourselves, when we treat ourselves with nurturing compassion, and when ‘ALL OF US’ is welcome (to be who we are), then we stop projecting the disowned parts of (ourselves) onto others.” It is the disowned parts of ourselves that cause us to suffer. Learning to deeply know that who we are is enough, takes self-compassion. I encourage you to utilize the wisdom of Kristin Neff, Ph.D. a leading expert on self-compassion who says, “Instead of mercilessly judging and criticizing yourself for various inadequacies or shortcomings, self-compassion means you are kind and understanding when confronted with personal failings – after all, who ever said you were supposed to be perfect?” (Just in case you need to hear the answer to that question, the answer is NO ONE.)  Embodiment Embodiment is the conscious act of incorporating or including the information or practices into who you are and your life experience. It requires a willingness to practice and fail, an awareness to see opportunities to practice and when we’ve missed an opportunity to practice. We must use the information or practice when we can, as often as we can and allow the practice to become a part of us, changing who we are and how we show up. Jane shares that “If we are letting the PAST dictate who we are right now in a way, that is unhealthy or painful,and using the PAST as confirmation of our faulty beliefs - then we are blocking our true reality from shining through.” Oh No! That’s OUR SPARK we’re hiding! This amazing book offers the tools for uncovering hidden treasure behind a few old hurts and healing them. If you are serious about shifting your way of being, just a tiny bit, this is the book for you. “We can (change and heal) that, by re-visiting the past and (re-imagining) it, in a way that is life affirming.” Jane teaches us how to “use our triggering moments to alert us to the possibility that something painful under the surface has been touched. Then, with gentleness, kindness and compassion, we unearth it, and bring it to the surface.” Join me in this rich opportunity to FACE life fully with the tools of Forgiveness, Appreciation, Compassion and Embodiment. Visit our SPARKLERS! page to meet Rev. Dr. Jane Simmons, the author of “You Can’t Sleep Through Your Awakening”. “It is by going into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure.” ~ Joseph Campbell “I can’t wait to see the good that comes out of this!”
Namaste’
So far, I’m discovering that I am becoming more and more ok with this process of social isolation, to assist with slowing down the spread of the coronavirus. But, truth be told, I’m used to being home and working out of the house. Not everyone is ok with this, so I understand it’s harder for others. The R.E.M. song “The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” took on a new meaning for me this week. Our world has drastically changed due to this pandemic situation. Each country and each person has to come to terms with how they will deal with it based on their perspective, resources and consciousness. Be intentional for yourself in deciding what that will look like and be flexible as new information requires you to possibly change your plan. Maybe now this is the opportunity for really spending some time with our self, to come to know ourselves more deeply and become our own best friend. Enhance your mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual relationship with yourself. When you don’t have the time to nurture even one of these areas, all of them begin to suffer. Now is the time to balance and enhance your life!  If we can’t go OUT, we can go IN. On one hand, our normal routines are disrupted. On the other hand, we can re-frame this experience into the GIFT OF TIME! Think of it as a golden opportunity to go within to find deeper meaning and purpose in your life. Self examination is a healthy exercise in mental, emotional and spiritual maturity. Ask yourself: What am I spending time thinking about? What feelings are coming up in me? What do I really believe about religion, spirituality, philosophy, psychology, science? Knowing what you believe is helpful to get through this situation.
I’m treating this experience with a sense of awareness of what is happening in the world news, but not getting freaked out. I’m making sure I look at all the good already in my life right now and be grateful for it. I’m treating the public health social distancing order as an opportunity for a stay-at-home vacation. I purposely remember… it’s temporary, I have no control over it or how long it will take. I notice my disappointment when I hear of more restrictions as the best recommendation and send loving energy to myself and others across the world. I also see the wisdom in the effort to slow the spread of the virus and make it a manageable situation if possible. We are certainly not the only ones dealing with this pandemic. If we haven’t grasped the interconnection of the multiple organisms, systems, countries, etc. in our world by now - I hope we are awakening to the true level of interdependence that exists.  When I day dream about what I want to do, now that I’m in Vacation Land, I realize my life can move at a much slower pace, no alarm clock or intense schedule to follow. I can slow down a bit, consciously managed my stress level and do things to increase my health and vitality. In vacation land, once we get over the desire to hang out in our pajamas all day, we usually see the wisdom of maintaining some type of daily schedule or routine. Our dogs, cats and twice daily meditation practice helps keep our household in it’s normal groove. That, and the dry erase board with a list of fun things to do on one side and indoor and outdoor projects on the other!  We also will be looking for things to occupy us to overcome the limiting belief “that we might go crazy without our normal routines.” It’s an ideal time for spiritually enhancing our tools of introspection, journaling, meditation, and more. Check out the abundance of resources on the SPARK website! LINK1, LINK2, LINK3 If we can shift our perspective just a tiny bit and see our living space with new eyes there is plenty we can do with this gift of time. Keeping our surroundings clean and clutter free will boost our energy and attitude, making being in our space more enjoyable.
Clean out the closets, dressers and storage areas, practice the Marie Kondo method. LINK I read her book before relocating across the country and I was able to release a number of items that did not need to make the move. Her website offers a number of wonderful tips including “The six basic rules of tidying”. Honestly ask yourself “does this item bring me joy?” Pack up the items that received a NO response and donate to a local charity. Congratulate yourself on your progress and allow your environment to spark joy in you! Keep balance by making time for the fun stuff! The internet has opened wide with people sharing ideas for fun activities for all ages. Search for things you haven't yet experienced such as the museums offering virtual tours LINK and LINK, the symphony offering free concerts LINK, opera events LINK art museums LINK and more LINK. Explore the animal planet LINK and beyond. LINK I had a teacher friend, who would say to her students “If your bored, it’s your own fault.” Use your mind, to awaken your curiosity and sense of adventure. It’s our minds that will help make VACATION LAND more fun.
What if?…. Where does your mind go when you hear these two words? Does your mind begin to list negative outcomes, issues and concerns? What if?…. You trained your mind to go UP into the realm of positive possibility instead? Instead of allowing the “what if?” to pull your thoughts DOWN, “what if?” you allowed the “what if?” thoughts to pull you UP? (Read that again.) We each have the ability to make this choice to engage our resilience.  Wikipedia states that “Psychological resilience is the ability to mentally or emotionally cope with a crisis, or to return to pre-crisis status quickly. Resilience exists, when a person uses mental processes and behaviors in promoting personal assets, and protecting (the) self from the potential negative effects of stressors". We each have the responsibility to ourselves to work toward building our resilience. This is something we must learn to do for our self, no one can do it for us. One of the best ways we can empower ourselves and build our resilience muscles is to remain present, aware and mindful of what we have power over… our thoughts, words, actions, responses and reactions. When we play the “What if?” game with our thoughts and our life experiences, our habitual responses and social norms are lifted to the forefront of our minds. We typically don't “think” about it, our response just happens. Noticing this about our self will point out how strong those habits have become over time. When we can exercise our mind to look at life with the tiniest bit of positivity or faith, our focus remains in the realm of unlimited possibilities.
Audlin says “When you are ready to get "unstuck," stop spinning your wheels and step off the treadmill of counterproductive actions, "What If It All Goes Right?" shows you the way. Discover step by step how to bring peace, prosperity and possibility into every area of your life... one thought at a time! What if this is the answer you’ve been waiting for?” Right now, practice the “What If UP?” game. Think about the repetitive thoughts that have been plaguing you recently. Consciously ask yourself, what is the BEST possible outcome? (You may think the worst at first, but you have the power to turn it over.) Take a deep breath, know that you’re okay and not alone.
If you’re struggling right now because this “What If UP?” game was too difficult, watch my SPARK! chat and read the blog called “Anxiety Thoughts” or “Got Concerns?”. LINK and LINK Check out the Virus Anxiety web site LINK or our support page LINK and reach out to talk or text with someone. We are all in this together - worldwide. Allow others to support you and support others when you can.
The above quote was excerpted from the book Money and the Law of Attraction by Abraham and Esther Hicks. Visit the website and sign up for daily emails. LINK It is Universal principal that what we focus on is like a magnet, our thoughts are that powerful. Blame it on physics. Here’s a couple articles published by INC, and on SHIFT that speaks to the power of our thoughts. LINK and LINK
What if?…. we started today, right now to consider the BEST possible outcomes for the experiences we face? Our decision as to which direction our thoughts go, will set into motion the eventual outcome. Breathe easy and “What If UP”! Namaste’ Currently, in the world news, we’re hearing a lot of language rooted in FEAR… there’s just too many topics to list to which this constant barrage of fear language is centered on by the news media and repeated on social media. Whatever it is that worries you - YOU have the power to choose to manage the information with a different perspective than one of fear. Each of us have the power to control our perspective and our reactions.  If you have been following SPARK! for a while now, you have heard before that our thoughts create our reactions and emotions. Here’s the Inner Look: Our brains are so amazing that our emergency response mechanism, called the amygdala, wakes up the thalamus which in turn signals the brain stem. It is generally understood that the brain stem is the home of our fight, flight, freeze response. The brain stem jumps into action, first by flooding the brain with stress hormones telling the sympathetic nervous system to signal the organs and muscles into action. Next, the hypothalamus taps on the pituitary gland who prompts the adrenals to release more stress hormones. You are fully activated, ready for anything and on full alert. All of that took 2 seconds! (It took longer than that to read the “Cliff Notes/SparkNotes” version of this process.) Is it easy to learn to monitor and circumvent this process? No. However, it is not only possible, you do so a lot and are able to manage it more often than you think. It’s a skill set that can be practiced. Our capacity to learn to be present in the now moment and fully aware of what is really happening, to integrate all the information coming at us and filter it through a “reality” filter is a necessary and complex skill set of the human experience. Our awareness of real danger verses the thought of fear or danger is crucial. Let’s be real… a possibility of something happening does not equal the probability or, a guarantee, that it’s going to happen.
So, lets look at this wise statement for a minute: If your depressed, lonely, sad, or feeling hopeless - your thoughts are focused on a past experience. The past is the past and cannot be changed. The best thing we can do is forgive, and not repeat the experience or behavior of the past. If your anxious, frightened, agitated, or worried - your thoughts are focused on a future experience. The future has not yet happened so there is a great deal of potential to influence the outcome. The best thing we can do is think about what we want and take deliberate steps to create it with every decision we make. The present moment is the only place we experience the true reality, our true emotions, and our true options. The present moment is the only place we can make a choice. In this now moment, we get to choose what thoughts we embrace and allow to empower us or what thoughts will bring us down into a place of believing we are less than, unworthy, powerless and fearful. Our ability to be introspective and honest with ourselves, to really examine what triggers us into the thought/feeling response of fear, is worth the time and effort.
Reinhold Niebuhr’s classic Serenity Prayer “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” I really like the sentiment of thought in Niebuhr’s prayer, however the words did not speak to my heart, so in true JB fashion, I re-wrote it to fit my philosophy of life. My version goes like this: Unitized version of the Serenity Prayer by Rev. Joanne Burns "In my Oneness with the Divine, I have the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the ability to awaken my Courage to change the things I can; and the Inner Wisdom to know the difference." If either one speaks to your heart, use it as a tool to help you remain centered while living with the constant barrage of fear language by the news media and repeated on social media. Or, be creative and write an affirmation or two that assists you with the concerns you’re dealing with. See my talk or blog on “Positive Affirmations” or “Anxiety Thoughts”. LINK 1 and LINK 2
I’ve been observing my own judgements as an attempt to be more aware of my thoughts. I became curious about what I was making up about myself, others, my environment and what is happening in our world. I realized all these stories, labels and judgements we create are closely related to the act of blaming. Blaming is the act of censuring, holding responsible, making negative statements about an individual or group that their action or actions are socially or morally irresponsible, the opposite of praise. When someone is morally responsible for doing something wrong, their action is blameworthy. (Wikipedia) Whether I am blaming myself or someone else, the conscious or unconscious negativity attached to the blaming thought is not helping me to create the energy vibration I desire to live in.
 What is the significance? The adult human body is approximately 70% water and infant bodies are about 90% water. When hurt emotionally the water can be changed, for the worse by negativity. OUR WORDS are making a huge effect on our bodies, and our planet.  If you haven’t yet seen the movie “What the Bleep Do We Know!?” or “What the Bleep: Down the Rabbit Hole” you may enjoy these trailers, there are many to choose from.
Watch the trailer called “Amanda sees Dr. Emoto’s Water Crystals” and consider how your self talk, self judgement and judgements of others is effecting you mentally, emotionally and physically. Try an experiment for 21 days and strive toward eliminating negative thoughts and words from your vocabulary. Use a rubber band or bracelet to help you keep track. Keep the bracelet on one wrist and if you use a negative word or thought - switch it to the other wrist and start counting again at day 1. This process was used by Will Bowen, Unity Minister and founder of “A Complaint Free World”. LINK I believe it took Bowen 6 months to get 21 consecutive days. It’s a real challenge to not complain for a full day. It really forces you to be aware of what you are saying and why you are talking. We have a tendency to fill the silence airwaves with random, meaningless chatter just to avoid an awkward moment of silence. Put the awareness of Dr. Emoto’s research together with the “A Complaint Free World” program and challenge your family and friends to a higher level of personal awareness. For the health of ourselves, our loved ones and the planet… let’s incorporate this wisdom and put it to work in our behavior! Join me in this greater awareness of the power of our thoughts, words and judgements. Notice for yourself: Is there something particular that you find yourself judging? If you hold up the mirror in relation to the judgement, what is revealed? What do you judge about yourself? What if you loved yourself unconditionally instead? How would that feel? What language would shift? Just notice… what feels better? (HINT: do that!)
On a scale of one to ten (one being non-existent and ten being “holier than thou”), how do you rate your patience level? Be honest now! Would your mom, spouse or best friend (not the dog) agree with you? So wherever you are, you’re not alone! I used to think “I’m pretty good at being patient”, but - maybe not! My patience rating would fluctuate multiple times a day. My biggest issue is at times I feel the need to rush, but it isn’t always necessary and I don’t like it. I have really paid attention so I don’t have to rush. For example, paying attention to how long things really take to do, like my morning routine, so I know for sure what kind of time I need without having to rush. I also reflect on my mindset when I am rushing or at least afterwards, so I can determine… what happened to push me into the rushing energy and anxiety level? Sometimes it’s not getting up with the alarm. Other times, I sit and drink my tea too long, basically not motivated to get going. Occasionally, one of the cats or dogs need my time to clean up something. I’m at fault with the first two, I can’t really blame my four-legged family too much because, well, that’s the responsibility I said “yes” to when I adopted or rescued them.  Sooner or later, I do ask myself, “Why am I rushing?” I don’t like the feeling of it. It’s a level of anxiety that I create myself and I can remove it from my life experience. That said, I have worked to shift into a place where I can be OPEN to the IDEA of being patient, the majority of the time. Well, maybe, most of the time. If you struggle with this, it may appear the IDEA of patience and BEING patient, is the issue. But, what’s underneath that? Impatience has as its core emotion = frustration. Whatever you need or want is being delayed and you may believe there will be an immediate or future consequence. In my morning routine example, my need to be dressed and out the door to start my commute on time will effect the amount of traffic I get to deal with, possibly make me late to my destination, possibly irritate those counting on me, who may or may not feel “forgiving” at the time. Or worse! And thinking about all that just adds to my anxiety and frustration! AHHH! (It’s time to breathe!)  Patience is the ability to accept or tolerate delay or trouble without becoming upset. Re-read the part that says… without becoming upset. It is the ability to stay calm during real or perceived chaos. Think about what that looks like for you. Consider a time when you have stayed calm in a storm. What happened and how did you stay calm? What inner resources did you pull from to do that? We can’t always control or avoid all the situations that have the ability to trigger our impatience. But we can practice our tools to keep our response in alignment with how we want to show up. How do we learn to be more patient? First, check in with your body and apply the H.A.L.T. technique I shared in the SPARK! chat LINK (1) and blog titled “Positive Affirmations" in the the February 2020 Bliss Blog archive. Second, by questioning what feelings arise in us. What are we attempting to avoid? Why is it so important we avoid the thought or feeling? What’s so scary about it? What belief have we attached to it? What experience in our past has solidified these thoughts? By asking yourself these types of questions, a really huge gift is being revealed about who you are and what makes you tick. This is a great time to write in your journal. The physical act of writing as a kinesthetic activity as opposed to typing on a computer allows you to tap into a deeper part of yourself. That’s what we’re after when exploring what makes us tick. It’s the subconscious beliefs and behaviors that are our trigger points of habitual responses. Still need more? Watch the SPARK! chat and called “Anxiety Thoughts” LINK and it's corresponding Bliss Blog located in the January 2020 archives.  To learn more about the types of patience and impatience symptoms, read this article and watch the video contained in it by Mind Tools. LINK These strong avoidance behaviors and thoughts are revealing that within the brain there is a strong neural connection dominating your life. So not only is there a need to be more patient - there needs to become a new way of being, meaning a new habitual response. Begin by putting these old sayings to work: “Neurons that fire together, wire together” and “Neurons that are out of synch, fail to link.” In order to change our habits we need to focus on both the behavior and the thought.
Let’s all use our conscious power of thought to change the habits and avoidance patterns we created in the past to keep us safe. They are no longer just keeping you safe, they are holding you back from the kind of life you want now, today. Check out the condensed suggestions below from “5 Ideas for Breaking Habits that No Longer Serve You”. I encourage you to read the entire article by Andrea Samadi. LINK Condensed from “5 Ideas for Breaking Habits that No Longer Serve You” 1. Replace the unhelpful habit with a helpful habit and begin to strengthen the new neural pathway. 2. Try brain-training. With time and repetition, you can change old habits, and beliefs with affirmations. (See chat and blog titled “Positive Affirmations”.) LINK (1) LINK (2) 3. Create a daily habits tracking sheet to keep track of your daily habits or track it on your phone so you really know how much habits rule your life. 4. Replace negative thinking with positive thinking. 5. Find an accountability partner who you can count on to keep you on track with your goals.  What are the benefits to being more patient?
There are plenty! Such as the ability to be present to your own thoughts and feelings, which in turn allows you to share the same compassion for others in your life. You are better able to face irritants and obstacles with ease and a deep breath! Things are no longer a problem, you are able to gather the learning from these experiences. Overall, you experience less anxiety, negativity and stress allowing you to feel more balanced and “in the flow” of the universe. Life seems easier overall. These are just a few, take the time to pay attention and notice the benefits for you! Be creative and loving as you contemplate the habits that no longer serve you and create new systems and habits to create the life you desire. Change takes compassion, strength and courage! You’ve got what it takes! Remember to celebrate your tiniest successes! Allow yourself to have patience with yourself and those around you. W.A.I.T. is really about experiencing life from “wonder and inner trust”. Wait as you and your life slowly and consistently evolves into what you want it to be. Enjoy the journey! Namaste’ I’ve referred to AFFIRMATIONS a lot in my chats and blog. I’d like to help make sure they’re under-stood, so you know how they work and have a few examples so you can create your own affirmations. First - lets look at the acronym H.A.L.T. I shared in the video that if I’m hungry, angry, lonely or tired - I stop and take care of it. Its a clue that I need to do some self care and remember I’m a human being and not just a human doing. I learned this acronym from the 12-step community. They offer a lot of practical wisdom to help restore your thinking and behavior to a positive way of living. We can all benefit from the helpful information they share whether or not you are practicing the addiction recovery based lifestyle. LINK
Wherever you are on your journey, explore these practical spiritual tools to nurture your connection to something greater. Whether you believe in a god or not, science and quantum physics or not, the story of creation or evolution, it matters not when you use the tools available to create a more prosperous, healthy, and happy life. At the heart of the Unity philosophy is a regular and individual practice of using the practical tools to keep our mind and heart in a centered and connected place. When we recognize our connection to the energy of the universe, as Unity legend Catherine Ponder said, “We should get busy claiming our heritage of health, wealth, and happiness." A denial is the act of eliminating thoughts and beliefs we have come to regard as false, limiting, or negative. True denial releases the energy expended in holding nonproductive ideas. We do not deny the experience, we deny that it has power over us or that we are powerless. Denials are often partnered with affirmations. First, we clear away or release a false belief, limiting idea or attachment to outer drama… followed up by affirming an important truth. Together they are a excellent tool to shift our thoughts, attitude, and energetic vibration back to a better place. What Is an Example of a Denial? Denials about money: I release the idea that there is not enough, that I could run out of time or money. I am not subject to the mass consciousness of fear and insecurity with every turn of the market. False notions of lack and limitation have no hold on me. My value is not defined by my present net worth. What Is an Affirmation? LINK An affirmation is a declaration of the underlying universal truth, supporting us in the way an anchor holds a boat steady in its position on the water. An affirmation is a claim on that larger underlying truth, it’s our demand on truth to establish itself in mind, heart and experience. Affirmations are often partnered with denials as a practice of first clearing away or releasing a false belief, followed by affirming an important truth.
In the grand scheme of things, the universal life force is flowing through you. Otherwise - what is that energy that propels you through life? (Someone just said “caffeine”! Yes, that is a boost but you weren’t born drinking caffeine.) You were born with the universal life force already activated in you. I believe, that life force is also our vibrant health which is the foundational truth I used in the affirmations regarding health above. What is the Universal Life Force? Different schools of thought, philosophy, science and religion all call this by a different name. It’s called Chi, Qi, Prana, Light, Holy Ghost, Ruach, Baraka, Wakan Tanka or simply God*. (*This is in not a comprehensive list.) The name Universal Life Force Energy is not associated with any religion or belief system. See more here: LINK Our body is made up of energy pathways you are probable familiar with; our nervous system. In ancient India, China, Japan, and Egypt it was understood that the human body has the chakra-nadi system and the acupuncture meridian system as two ancient models that describe the flow of universal life-force energy within the body. It’s fascinating research, but a bit too much to include here. The important question becomes what do you believe about your own life force? Affirm what you believe and really incorporate it into your life experience. One of the fascinating things I was curious about as a kid was that people acted in a way that did not match what they said they believed. That seemly simple but repeated observation became a driving force in my inquiry on life and living. That said, here are the other affirmations I used in the video:
“I have all the time I need to accomplish what needs to be done with love and joy in my heart.” “I constantly make sacred choices for my highest and best life.” Now, remember: affirming something does not make it so in that moment. What it does is begin to align your thinking, seeing, hearing, expectation, vibration and recognition of what you’ve been affirming when it arrives in your life. It helps to shift your thoughts to a higher, more positive reality making you ready to receive that higher reality. As you experience that shift, “feel as if” it is already manifested for you. It will bring your attitude, behavior and experience more in alignment with what you’re affirming. WARNING: What the practice of affirmations also do is present the opposite in your path so you can practice saying “NO” to the things that are not in alignment with your affirmed higher reality. I said, practice saying “NO”. Be ready for that, as seeing the opposite of what you are affirming can cause upset and confusion, thus causing you to want to quit and say it doesn’t work. Well, in both New Thought and the recovery communities, there is a saying “It works if you work it!”. That means, you need to really intentionally do the practices. LINK (1), LINK (2) Over time, you’ll see how you’ve shifted. Who knows, you may have just created a new empowering habit for yourself. How we talk to ourselves, influences how we allow others to talk to us. You’re more powerful than you know. Claim it for yourself! Namaste’  "Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake.” ~ Poet Wallace Stevens It’s winter, and for some of us we get to experience cold weather, snow, freezing temperatures…like it or not. I for one, am not fond of the cold. But, if the sun is shining, my day seems brighter, lighter and happier. Sunlight boosts our attitude and benefits our health in a number of ways. Below is a list of scientific benefits with a couple of links to interesting articles. LINK 1 and LINK 2
We are each unique individuals in various climates, so be sure to learn the particular sun protection information for you and you location.
This winter, in your personal practice of self care… go outside, spend a little time in the sun, watch a movie filmed in a beautiful sunny location, turn your living room into a plant filled sanctuary, throw a beach themed party and wear Hawaiian print shirts and dresses! Whatever you do, consider incorporating some vitamin N into your life.  What is Vitamin N? = Nature Author Richard Louv who wrote the best seller, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. It outlines the negative consequences of spending less and less time with the natural world. One of his newer books is called VITAMIN N: The Essential Guide to a Nature-Rich Life,500 Ways to Enrich the Health and Happiness of Your Family & Community. You can learn more about Richard and the 10 books he has written on the Children & Nature Network website. www.childrenandnature.org I’d like to share the writing of Harry J. Stead, and his article Walking is Medicine: Why Long Walks Will Change Your Life. LINK I had the opportunity to read this on a cold and dismal day. It was wonderful, he captured for me the essence of my trips into nature. He says “Usually, I walk without a plan. I have nothing to achieve; the beauty is in the walking, in the journey itself. I depend on instinct and walk interminably, one foot in front of the other, breathing in the cold air, marveling at the stature of the oak trees, nodding and greeting the dog walkers who pass me by. And then, quite suddenly, ideas arrive. Stories unfold. Meaning and purpose are restored. Beautiful words, long sentences, poetry and rhyme, answers to dreaded questions — these all come in flashing moments when I am absorbed in the landscape, in the eternity of the natural world. It always takes me by surprise, and I often regret not carrying a notepad to write my thoughts down; I just have to hope I will remember everything when I get back home.” This too, is my experience.  In the act of walking we are not only being fed by our surroundings, we are using the rhythmic movement of our body and crossing the center meridian of our being. Any time we move in a cross crawl pattern (right arm or leg passes over center to the left side of the body slightly, and left arm or leg passes over center to the right side of the body.), we are re-integrating our brain and nervous system which helps to restore our mind-body connections. It’s a very calming activity for our nervous system. Try it for yourself! Through mind-body science, we now understand that physical coordination precedes cognitive coordination. LINK
I hope you're encouraged to do the same! It’s a nice day outside! Namaste.
|
rev. Jo
Hi and welcome to my BLISS Blog! Archives
April 2020
Categories |
RSS Feed