Sunday, November 24, 2013

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING...???

 

To 'be mindful' is a commonly used phrase by Buddhists. It's a popular aphorism to many people. Sometimes we think we know what it means. But 'knowing the meaning' doesn't reap the benefits. If practiced, it can truly be a major key to Peace of Mind. To be mindful is very closely aligned with Be Here Now. If one wants to be centered in the Now, it requires mindfulness.
Mindfulness is what helps to keep one anchored in the Now.
All of us, at one time or another, cause our own problems by concentrating and focusing what happened Yesterday or what 'will happen' Tomorrow. Memories held tightly as to how one has been 'wronged' in any which way -- is what keeps them alive and painful.
Fear of what might happen Tomorrow keeps this pain anchored in the Past. When we create negative, forceful, miserable daydreams we are keeping ourselves locked into a mental hell which is so difficult to emerge from. Especially if one keeps playing
The Blame Game card.
It is amazing how we assign the job of 'making me happy' to others -- and all existing conditions and situations that surround us. "If Only" is what we believe is 'The Answer' to how we want to feel.
The real clincher here is that it may not only seem to 'us' that what has gone wrong or how we have been wronged it is definitely not our fault.....it may seem to most everyone else!!, that yes, indeed, we are the poor victims who didn't deserve anything of what happened. Thus, making it appear that we are the Winners in The Blame Game.
Before I go any farther, let me be reeeeally clear here that I am not any kind of advocate of martyrdom...in which one patiently suffers abuse and 'prays for strength to endure the abuse.'
Suffering is a 'human condition' that serves as a springboard for us to search for and find our Inner Power. We create our own reality. That is Free Will.... two words that are very often  most miserably misinterpreted.
I have mentioned this presently super strong Energy, that we are all experiencing, in nearly every article I have written. This is, in part, the reason we keep wondering WHAT in the world is going on with us! It's there alright... Some of the ways we are 'suffering' as the result of this New Energy could be lessened a great deal if we practiced Being Mindful. As time goes on, this energy will continue to be encouraging us to Take Responsibility for how we are Creating Our Reality..
Sometimes we all wish "Shit just happens" were true...but sorry, folks, that has no part in an intelligent, expanding Universe.
Blaming Others for our problems will intensify that already great pressure that gives us all kinds of mental, emotional, and physical symptoms. This is not to say anyone is 'wrong'... it is a necessity to love ourselves unconditionally regardless of how badly we think we have screwed up. But, we must remember that WE DO NOT 'improve' under threats of guilt, punishment, or hell fire, (or 'karma' if it is interpreted as punishment)... Not at all...  Fear may result in a change of behavior but it won't be the kind that is lasting or meaningful in terms of bringing one joy, peace or any semblance of Feeling Good.
Some of the most all encompassing words of wisdom that Seth ever uttered were these:
"The Point of Power Is in The Present"
Most of us thought we caught on to that when we first read it, but it is something not understood immediately, but rather, is a gradual process of enlightenment  that is 'felt by the soul' rather than intellectually comprehended.
If one is in the habit of continuously thinking negatively (some call it realistically :)  one has to, first of all, recognize this and own it. I am not talking 'religiously' here... this is actually 'scientific' stuff here...this Law of Attraction! There is no Instant Fix nor a Happy Pill to pop, or some pink fluffy phrase like 'Think Nice Thoughts'..that will change your life overnight... But accepting the FACT that 'thoughts' are the root cause, the beginning of ALL creation...all things that are manifested, is necessary. Emotion is the FUEL that causes this thoughts to blast off into reality. And even more basic ... what you BELIEVE is what its all about..because your thoughts and emotions are the result of your Beliefs...whether or not you even consciously recognize all those beliefs.
Seth never admonished us to Never Think Angrily or feel ANY kind of what we call 'negative emotion'... What he did say was: think of your emotional state as walking into a room... walk in the front door and sit there as long as you need to...then when you are tired of it...walk out the back door. We all know this doesn't mean sit there for months or years until your mind becomes distorted and difficult to retrieve. We all DO know better than that.
Abraham has perhaps the best suggestion in how to deal with habitual (and thoughts DO become habitual!) thoughts that bring us misery. Slowly climb up 'the emotional scale'...thinking one slightly better thought than the previous one. From Depression (the worst) to Anger (a huge improvement) to Frustration, To Hope, to Possibilities, to Feeling Better... and you will vacillate back and forth between those steps and that is FINE... as long as you keep INTENDING that you WANT to overcome, that you WANT to Feel Good again.
Your habitual thoughts are like Velcro...like super glue...So don't try to 'fix them' or 'undo them'...just reach for BETTER ones. This works when you begin to accept the possibility that YES, I do create my reality and things CAN change. We are not talking instant radical change here... But Take it Easy... and know you can do this! In the meantime, a good start is simply, mentally stand back and 'watch and observe' your thoughts. They may be 'yours' but...they are NOT 'you'..:)
Follow up article in a few days: Examples and more concrete ideas as to this process

Namaste'
_/\_
 
 

Monday, November 11, 2013

War Will NEVER Bring About Peace..When Will We Learn...

 
 

Today, I read a post by a Facebook friend that made me cry...  It was written by a vet ... but not in defense of war, nor did he want to be 'thanked'... I could barely believe what I was reading because I was always wondering if any of our older vets would actually speak up so bravely the TRUTH about war... and how people are mentally manipulated to 'serve god and country'....
I have said for years that the ONLY reason all this 'honoring' is taking place is a desperate attempt to hide behind some kind of justification for what we have participated in -- rather than face the truth about the horrors and atrocities we have committed. Yes, I know, some (not all!) other countries 'do the same thing' but NO other country (except our little controlling cheer-leader buddy Israel) is as quick to go to war as the U.S....
We are divided, individually, within our own 'belief system' when it comes to what we personally profess to believe is right...versus what we are still willing to participate in... 
It is so ludicrous to me how we made fun of suicide squadrons...or how we accuse Muslims of being the 'war loving' religion... but look at the actual history of our own country.
This nation was 'founded on Christian principles'... Right?...which we 'enacted' after we killed off much of the Native American population in order to claim 'our land' and establish our religion-based ways, especially our 'freedom'-- and 'freedom to worship god'... at any cost. All this 'serving god and country and freedom' is STILL what is propagandized today as we send troops in to 'help' other countries.... I find it so hard to believe that ANYONE cannot see through the political ploys for 'control'... but many still opt for the delusion that war is about 'serving god and country.'
I am NOT condemning the people who participated in any wars... If one wasn't drafted-play soldier or go to jail...soldiers 'joined up' for various reasons all of which made sense at the time.... Who knows  how many times I have done the same thing in past lives!! So after we did what we did: go overseas and kill strangers -- we had/have to go about 'justifying' our participation rather than look in the mirror and say, 'what in the name of god and country have I done...'... What kind of lies did I fall for...
The grandest excuse of all is: "It's not OUR country's fault...it's all those OTHER bad leaders in OTHER bad countries fault'... We 'must' intervene and intercede to 'help them.' For our own protection and peace, of course.
I can more or less understand religious people's excuses for defending war because of their beliefs: 'I am serving my god and country by killing and participating in the malicious destruction of war'... And we know the God of the Bible was really into war!' They are afraid to think otherwise. It becomes their 'duty.' I 'owe it' to God and country.
However, I 100% totally fail to understand how ANYONE, who claims to be metaphysical and create their own reality, can justify the utter absurdity of war as a means of 'gaining peace.' 
Thankfully, people are Awakening and if the draft were ever to be reinstated, there would be a true rebellion. 
We KNOW 'the way of war' is a complete, utter, total failure... it brings about NOTHING but more hate, more destruction, more war. Calling soldiers 'peace keepers' is the height of all oxymorons. This 'lest we forget' crap keeps our focus and attention on perpetual slaughter.
Until we 'change our minds' nothing will change. Until we truly want PEACE enough to not participate in war, nothing will change. As Jimi Hendrix said: "When the Power of Love overcomes the Love of Power... the world will know Peace."
When enough people in our country (and any other) truly want peace, it will be reflected by peace in our country. In some,  we already see that reflection. When we as individuals want peace and CHOOSE to live that peace... it will be reflected in our own personal reality/lives...
If you Google something today... Google the words to John Lennon's "Imagine" ... because as the song says, and as I myself say as I write this, "I know I'm not the only one."
And as my FB friend says: If we really want to honor our vets, we can do so by making sure that we don't bring about more vets to honor. Think about that.
Peace
_/\_
Namaste'
 

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Giving Attention to the "News" ...OR....Conspiracy Theories...

Which do you tend to believe?
The 'daily news' or conspiracy theories?
We live in a society that expects us to 'choose sides' and align ourselves with those sides that we choose.
From the time we are toddlers...but especially when we start school...
it simply is a given that we were expected to believe what is told to us and are seldom, if ever, encouraged to question the WHY of what we are taught.
In fact, we seldom heard 'there are often many sides to a story.'
It used to be that 'listening to the evening news' approached the status of being a ritual. One never, ever questioned that what the broadcaster said was anything but the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
The same held true for all the subjects that our teachers and all other authority figures taught to us... And then there was religion. It was not only unheard of to question anything that rabbi, priest or minister said... to do so was a sin!
Granted, things have changed... Somewhat, at least. For the most part (although not all together...) people ... some people... started questioning the things they were taught that were never to be questioned. The reactions to these bold and daring people  who dared to question authority of any kind were viewed in various ways. Some admired them openly, some secretly, and there were those who would seek to 'punish' either by making fun of them, or with harsh criticism -- to wanting these bold and brazen derelicts to be somehow legally punished. 
We have gotten a lot more allowing of other people's opinions or questioning...
but only to a point. And a lot of our tolerance for the opinions, beliefs, or actions of others depends upon 'the subject'...
Let's take, for instance, 'the news.' Gone are the days when everyone believed every word that was uttered by  a newscaster had the same validity as what Moses spoke descending from Mt Sinai... However... I believe its safe to say (IMO) that we still have many people who hold in contempt those people who would dare go so far as to say that 'news is mind control and/or brain washing.'
Enter: the Conspiracy Theorists.
Now for some, the ideas held by these theorists is just going too far!!
For some, questioning what the whole process of 'the news' is all about is bordering on lack of patriotism... especially if one is believing those conspiracy theories!
As with all things that we experience, we need to 'question' just how it makes us feel and what purpose is it serving in our lives. Why do you feel 'obligated' to attend or defend certain of our habits or beliefs. Beliefs, perhaps, that we are not even too well aware of.
We never come away from 'the news' with a good feeling... you know you don't. Yet, some people say they must 'remain informed' of what is going on. Really? If we were honest, we would admit that it is 'fear' that keeps us tuned in to those things we do NOT benefit from because 'we know about them.'
Much of the same thing applies to conspiracy theories....even if they have been 'proven by experts to be correct'... Again, what we need to ask ourselves is:
How does this make me feel? Does this tend to keep me in fear? If so, what purpose are they serving?
Its fine to be aware of what is happening. As the P's told us... be aware but remember to be the Watcher...the Observer... not a Participator in what keeps you locked into anger, fear, or any kind of resentment.
What brings you joy, excitement, a feeling of hope and peace, and connects you to the Stream of Well Being, as Abe would say-- those are the things to give your focus and attention to. As metaphysicians, we have to remember that Attention and Focus are the tools we use in creating our own reality. Not all of us live in the same world.
We can't forget that it all starts with our thoughts...and what we dwell upon, what we give our focus and attention to that creates our reality.
We have a choice as to what we want to believe... and guess what... we don't HAVE TO BELIEVE what others believe! We have free will, remember?? :)
So, let's be SELF-ish enough to want what is really best for us,
and be determined to allow the good to come in...stop blocking with either 'the news' or 'theories' ...Let's not forget our Inner Power.  
The things that feel good and excite you!--go for it!...and be determined to 'be your own boss.'
_/|\_
Namaste'