tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2947750203835354222024-03-13T19:54:09.748-07:00Dragonfire: The Creative SparkAs a writer, I have come to realize that the creative challenges I face in writing are the same challenges I face in life. The choices we make create the work of art that is life.
This blog is devoted to what I am always learning about creating a life of joy and community. I hope that I can make a contribution to your own life.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381552406896230051noreply@blogger.comBlogger123125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294775020383535422.post-57321882261268196202017-11-04T12:19:00.001-07:002017-11-04T12:19:49.309-07:00Are You Looking for a New World?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0LiK2viSI38/Wf4SU9FNgdI/AAAAAAAAAWM/xkkZ7GMtp5Evngh5edR30qnCci3x-n7ugCLcBGAs/s1600/ebookaroo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0LiK2viSI38/Wf4SU9FNgdI/AAAAAAAAAWM/xkkZ7GMtp5Evngh5edR30qnCci3x-n7ugCLcBGAs/s320/ebookaroo.jpg" width="320" height="107" data-original-width="1200" data-original-height="400" /></a></div>
<p><em>Muse, Huntress, Liquid Cool, Fallen Angels, Few are Chosen, Wolf Moon</em>, and many other science fiction and fantasy books are waiting for you to download and read them. The giveway is Nov. 1-15.
<p>I love having <em>The Dragon Who Didn’t Fly</em> being part of giveaways, and I also love reading the descriptions and discovering new authors. All fiction writing requires imagination, but the special talents involved in creating new worlds always inspires me to look at my own world and imagine how it could be different.
<p>Take, for example, this description of <em>Muse</em>: He’s a melancholy bard. She’s expecting to settle into a boring and predictable life. They’re the world’s only hope against a nightmare. Yes, I downloaded it.
<p>Visit <a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/sffpromonov">this link</a> to get your free books.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381552406896230051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294775020383535422.post-34640512336423509502017-10-24T07:51:00.000-07:002017-10-24T07:51:28.322-07:00Over 40 SciFi and Fantasy Books Free<p>From Oct. 24 through Nov. 5, a number of science fiction and fantasy authors have teamed up to give away books. Choose from titles such as "The Awakening of Magic," "Talisman of Earth," "The After War," "Rise the Renegade," "White Rabbit," and many more. Get them <a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/scifiandfantasy">here.</a>
<p>These books have been hand-selected for your reading enjoyment. The offer ends Nov. 5.
<p>I'm on my way to the site to make my selections. I hope you'll join me.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381552406896230051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294775020383535422.post-86438841580797538192017-08-16T14:22:00.001-07:002017-08-16T14:22:33.149-07:00Great Outdoors Giveaway: Week 3<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DYunzMFRNks/WZS3NznDmrI/AAAAAAAAAVg/dHtasB2gNYsLqwq37FIbhNSCtIQepPbCQCLcBGAs/s1600/eco-lit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DYunzMFRNks/WZS3NznDmrI/AAAAAAAAAVg/dHtasB2gNYsLqwq37FIbhNSCtIQepPbCQCLcBGAs/s320/eco-lit.jpg" width="320" height="214" data-original-width="977" data-original-height="652" /></a></div>This eco-lit giveaway is now in its third week.
<p>Here are quotes describing some of the books:
<p><em>The Long, The Short, and the Tall: Life with Rescue Dogs</em>: "Happy Stories, Funny Stories, Sad Stories - But Always True Stories about Life with Rescue Dogs."
<p><em>The Awe of Nature: Why We Should Seek It Out</em>: "The Awe of Nature is a thoughtful narrative that takes readers on an extraordinary journey from the wonders of the Amazon rainforest to the terror of forest fires in northern Saskatchewan."
<p><em>Unicorn Magic</em>: "Feyland: a new computer game that allows Scottish teenager Corinne MacArthur to escape the sadness haunting her everyday life after losing a loved one. It's a game where legends come to life, the lines between reality and fantasy become blurred, and the impossible becomes—probable?"
<p>I intend to download many of these free books, and I hope you will, too. To see them, please go to <a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/animals-nature-ecology-and-great-outdoors">the giveaway page.</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381552406896230051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294775020383535422.post-41519442435018882152017-08-11T15:17:00.000-07:002017-08-11T15:17:28.954-07:00A Sampling of Free Books from the Great Outdoors Giveaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NPL8n71n6jo/WYx-fOi8cuI/AAAAAAAAAVI/ovdtUSizdakuSgT4nU1kX3Okz_pBfqsagCLcBGAs/s1600/dragonfly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NPL8n71n6jo/WYx-fOi8cuI/AAAAAAAAAVI/ovdtUSizdakuSgT4nU1kX3Okz_pBfqsagCLcBGAs/s320/dragonfly.jpg" width="202" height="320" data-original-width="201" data-original-height="319" /></a></div><p>This eco-lit giveaway, which is taking place from August 1 to August 31, is well underway. Because I believe in promoting books that help to support our ecological awareness, I am part of it.
<p>Here are some quotes describing some of the books:
<p><em>Junction, Utah</em>: "A nomadic river guide discovers what there is to love and lose in an undiscovered corner of the West." I read and reviewed this book and highly recommend it.
<p><em>Wildly Simple</em>: "Written by an experienced integral coach, Wildly Simple: Free Your Happiness through the Power of Nature offers you tried-and-true nature connection practices you can start today, no matter what you’re struggling with in your life. All you need is dash of willingness and an organized guide at the ready. Here’s your guide...now are you willing?"
<p><em>Riding Out the Devil</em>: "Jack is only interested in helping horses. Period. Human owners irritate him.
<p>He’s working with an anxious gelding when a mystery woman calls his cell phone. As she does once each year, she makes the same short statement before hanging up.
<p>Already rattled, that evening he receives bad news which sends him back to his native England for the first time in 17 years."
<p>I intend to download many of these free books, and I hope you will, too. To see them, please go to <a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/animals-nature-ecology-and-great-outdoors">the giveaway page.</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381552406896230051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294775020383535422.post-35684262324142572492017-08-01T09:47:00.000-07:002017-08-01T09:47:48.654-07:00
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hy7BY2YGabs/WXplFc9zW7I/AAAAAAAAAUo/zD4uMcfd86EU3nwb-UVdJJoqoiGAPUfbACLcBGAs/s1600/eco-lit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hy7BY2YGabs/WXplFc9zW7I/AAAAAAAAAUo/zD4uMcfd86EU3nwb-UVdJJoqoiGAPUfbACLcBGAs/s400/eco-lit.jpg" width="400" height="267" data-original-width="977" data-original-height="652" /></a></div>
<p>In June I had the great pleasure of participating in a giveaway of eco-lit fiction and nonfiction. I feel strongly about promoting books that help to support our ecological awareness.
<p>I intend to download many of these free books, and I hope you will, too. To see them, please go to <a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/animals-nature-ecology-and-great-outdoors">BookFunnel.</a>
<p>The giveaway will be from August 1 to August 31.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381552406896230051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294775020383535422.post-12044321911886047762017-07-21T11:58:00.000-07:002017-07-21T11:58:16.586-07:00The Fixers<p>I'm thinking today about the idea of "self-improvement." So many courses are available that promise to improve your self-esteem, your ability to market, to clear out issues from the past, and many other tempting possibilities.
<p>In many (not all) of these offerings lurks the suggestion that something in you is broken and that if you take this course, you'll get fixed. All you have to do is buy the "Inner Mechanic's Guide."
<p>This approach resembles the basic concept of Western medicine: that the body is a machine in need of repair. In contrast, holistic approaches to health propose a system of mind-body integration.
<p>Because I, like many of you, grew up going to Western medicine doctors, I've been trained in the mechanical approach to the body and have translated it to the emotions and mind. I often find myself thinking I have to fix something about myself. Today, when I caught myself thinking that, I suddenly heard a very definite "No." And it felt good.
<p>I don't need to be fixed. And neither do you. Everyone has areas in their lives—thoughts, beliefs, and habits—that may keep them from living the lives they want to experience, but that doesn't mean we're broken. We developed the thoughts and behaviors that now <i>seem</i> to be malfunctioning because we thought we needed them to be happy and/or safe.
<p>Once we realize this, we don't have to blame ourselves for having them. When we discover that we no longer need them, we can thank them for doing their best, thank ourselves for doing our best for ourselves, and move on.
<p>This is much easier to do when we know that we're not broken.
<p>I'm not.
<p>Neither are you.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381552406896230051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294775020383535422.post-85624851589157316352017-06-06T09:36:00.002-07:002017-06-06T09:36:52.499-07:0020 Free Books About the Natural World: Part 2
<p>Last week I wrote about the group giveaway in which I’m involved. It means a lot to me to be able to promote positive environmental ideals with other politically and spiritually committed authors. You can download as many as you want.
<p>The giveaway is from June 1 to June 15. Go to <a href="http://wildpolitics.co/20authors">http://wildpolitics.co/20authors</a> for more information and to download.
<p>Here are some examples:
<p><b>Wild Roots: Coming Alive in the French Amazon/Donna Mulvenna</b>
<p>This memoir will make you want to reclaim your life and live out your wildest dreams.
<p><b>Against the Grain: Phil M. Williams</b>
<p>A tyrannical high school principal. A young anarchist with nothing left to lose. One way or another, this place is goin’ down.
<p><b>The Heart of a Mouse Mandy Pang</b>
With themes of friendship, and family, this woodland adventure story encourages readers to work through their fears, and find the courage within themselves to follow their dreams.
<p><b>All Things Breathe Alike: A Wildlife Anthology
<p>Donna Mulvenna, Jessica Groenendijk, and Margi Prideaux</b>
Some believe the natural world is our real home. Could the eternal pull we feel toward the golden warmth of a rising sun, the tumbling waves of the ocean, or the soothing sound of birdsong, be nature’s way of calling us back? One wildlife anthology. Three passionate nature writers. Nine evocative stories.
<p><b>Junction, Utah: Rebecca Lawton</b>
<p>This WILLA award-winning novel is “A fresh female voice and a bold take on environmental awareness–great read!”
<p>In the coming days, I will list other books.
<p>The giveaway is from June 1 to June 15. Go to <a href="http://wildpolitics.co/20authors">http://wildpolitics.co/20authors</a> for more information.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381552406896230051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294775020383535422.post-55706563310776806102017-06-01T07:44:00.000-07:002017-06-01T07:44:26.902-07:00Love Your Planet: 20 Environmental Authors Explore the Natural World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7kAajZCuOPQ/WTAoDHendgI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/5FzBPHp8x4UHq3JaAeyqnpIMfhmzBoCKgCLcB/s1600/GreenMerchants_NEWSLETTER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7kAajZCuOPQ/WTAoDHendgI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/5FzBPHp8x4UHq3JaAeyqnpIMfhmzBoCKgCLcB/s320/GreenMerchants_NEWSLETTER.jpg" width="320" height="217" data-original-width="756" data-original-height="512" /></a></div>
<p>Dear reader, I’m not what you’d call an ace promoter. I barely know how to tweet, and the idea of self-promotion makes me want to crawl beneath my desk.
<p>That’s why I was so excited about the idea of joining a group promotion with authors of fiction and nonfiction who explore our relationship with the natural world. Political events of this year are teaching us that defending the natural world means defending ourselves and future generations of all species. To be involved in a group promoting writing that supports these values inspires me.
<p>After visiting the Florida Everglades and falling in love with it, I decided to write about a water dragon who lived in a swamp whose existence was endangered. That’s how <i>The Dragon Who Didn’t Fly</i>, the first book of <i>A Dragon’s Guide to Destiny</i>, began.
<p>All of the books represented in the giveaway are free, and you can download as many as you want.
<p>The giveaway is from June 1 to June 15. Go to <a href="http://wildpolitics.co/20authors">http://wildpolitics.co/20authors</a> for more information.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381552406896230051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294775020383535422.post-45386563672948785192017-05-24T07:27:00.000-07:002017-05-24T07:27:07.710-07:0060-second Meditation<p>We have to start somewhere. And on those days when focusing on anything for as long as 60 seconds seems challenging, this very mini-meditation may help you shift gears.
<p>Even if you meditate regularly and for much longer periods of time, sometimes derailing a runaway train of negative thoughts is the best thing you can do in the moment.
<p>And a moment may or may not be 60 seconds long.
<p>I found that after after doing this meditation, I felt more focused, and in fact I wrote this blog with more ease than usually happens.
<p>So why not visit the url below? It'll only take 60 seconds.
<p><a href="http://www.pixelthoughts.co/#">60-second Meditation</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381552406896230051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294775020383535422.post-26281847512419286492017-05-17T15:11:00.001-07:002017-05-17T15:11:52.305-07:00Lambs Do It
<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-APxMUUYfnZc/WRzKDsUK_EI/AAAAAAAAATg/yW2OUO_CptkmZikSz1MZSvIYYlvs3yjvQCLcB/s1600/256px-Sheep%252C_Stodmarsh_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-APxMUUYfnZc/WRzKDsUK_EI/AAAAAAAAATg/yW2OUO_CptkmZikSz1MZSvIYYlvs3yjvQCLcB/s320/256px-Sheep%252C_Stodmarsh_6.jpg" width="284" height="320" /></a></div>
<p>The other morning I saw a flock of sheep and lambs. The lambs ranged in age from recently born ones who followed their mothers on very shaky legs to some slightly older ones.
<p>The older lambs were learning that legs were perfect for leaping and bouncing and frolicking through the meadow. They expressed their joy at being alive in bodies with every careless kick of their heels.
<p>Later on, when I was thinking about what I’d seen, I thought, “The magic is that they are whole and perfect. They don’t doubt themselves or lack self-esteem. They don’t hear voices telling them they should be cleaning or writing worrying about the future. They will never know guilt.”
<p>And I wondered why I couldn’t be like that. That question turned out to have its own magic because it sliced away the layers of guilt and “should” and self-doubt and the long list of things I should change about myself. At my core, I’m as whole and as perfect as the lambs—but most of the time, I forget that.
<p>What’s the difference between me—and you—and the dancing lamb or the fawns who raced through my former back yard or the bright-eyed curiosity of baby raccoons? It could be those big brains that humans take pride in. Anyone who has ever upgraded their operating systems knows that each new upgrade creates many chances for error.
<p>Imagination, for example, is a great human gift, and I count it as a priceless upgrade, but it doesn’t discriminate between imagining the best and imagining the worst.
<p>Maybe the biggest problem is that the initial user’s manual we get to go with our big brains is the long set of instructions we get from our parents. Animal parents also instruct their children but mostly about real dangers—like humans. Our parents teach us about dangers that may or may not ever come to pass.
<p>This leads to the unique human mental/emotional state called anxiety. It’s difficult to kick up your heels when you’re worried about what might happen in thirty years.
<p>If I want to experience that I’m perfect, I need to live less in the past, where I learned all the things I should worry about and all the things for which I should judge myself. I also need to stop taking all those worries and judgments and expecting more of them in the future.
<p>That’s called living in the present. That’s what lambs do. We can do it, too.
Photo credit: Keven Law, Los Angeles, USAAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381552406896230051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294775020383535422.post-16253599124979673882017-05-12T07:58:00.000-07:002017-05-12T07:58:44.499-07:00Songs That Inspire Me<p>As a writer, I often find myself in awe at the gift of poets and songwriters to say in a few words what may take me pages.
<p>This week I'm sharing two songs that have recently inspired me.
<p>The first many of you will know: "Dear Prudence," by the Beatles (from the White Album). The song was inspired by Mia Farrow's sister, Prudence, who was with the Beatles in India at the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's weeks-long retreat in Rishikesh, India. Prudence was intent on learning Transcendental Meditation well enough to teach it and stayed in her room most of the time. The Beatles were worried about her and tried to draw her out. Though they didn't succeed, they wrote the song. (For more detailed information, see <a href="http://www.pophistorydig.com/topics/dear-prudence-1967-1968/">this article.</a>
<p>For me, the song is a hymn to being in the present moment.
You can listen to it <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oA8k-0epNTg">here.</a>
<p>The second song, "You'll Never Be the Sun," was written by Irish songwriter Donagh Long. This version is sung by Irish singer Delores Keane and American singer Emmylou Harris. Many other versions are around, but this is my favorite. "Life is tough, but you'll get through it" has rarely been expressed so poetically. You can listen to it <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fbQhbFS2SE&list=PLUdmMccuxH2F0n0ZjbJJC5z6_exjd-iZF">here.</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381552406896230051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294775020383535422.post-9742432890086597882017-05-04T11:31:00.000-07:002017-05-04T11:31:09.959-07:00The Shedding Season: What We Can Learn from Cats<p>It's the season when cats take off their winter coats—all over the place. Being the humble slave of two black cats, I have particular reasons to notice the results of the shedding process.
<p>I notice two things about shedding. The first is that it's messy for me. The second is that the cats, once having shed their fur, ignore it. They have truly shed it, and it no longer belongs to them.
<p>We humans don't have the same ease with our own shedding of beliefs and habits. If you've ever tried to release a habit, you will have noticed that it doesn't fall away as readily as cats' fur. It seems to have a stickiness about it.
<p>Cats know that when the weather gets warmer, they need to get rid of excess fur so that they’ll feel comfortable. Humans, however, even though they may intellectually know that the release of a negative physical, mental, or emotional habit will ultimately make their lives for comfortable, emotionally feel that they need the comfort they’ve come to associate with that repeated pattern.
<p>We can also make the shedding process more difficult when we blame ourselves for not being able to do it. You'll notice that cats never blame themselves for anything (even when we think they should). Remember, they're thinking about how great it will be to get rid of that fur. If we can shift our thoughts and feelings to the reward of feeling better, we can more easily shed.
<p>This reluctance to shed can take many forms. I am currently in the process of revising a novel I initially wrote a number of years ago. I know it needs some major—and drastic—changes, but I read so many words that I really like. I hate to push the delete button, but I must if I ultimately want to write a better book.
<p>So, up until now, the process of revising and editing has been emotionally messy. I’ve resisted it and tried countless ways to change it and still hold onto the words I like. It hasn’t worked and let me to a massive writer’s block yesterday.
<p>Instead, I cleaned the house, going after those clumps of fur. Today I have decided to write like a cat. I will look at those words, appreciate them, and know that there are a lot more where they came from. I will shed.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381552406896230051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294775020383535422.post-32031725672611151082017-04-26T09:09:00.001-07:002017-04-26T09:09:15.135-07:00Is Blogging Harmful to the Brain?<p>Note: Since many people are subscribed to my blog here, I'm continuing to post here. This post is also on my site at <a href="http://www.cmbarrett.com">http://www.cmbarrett.com</a>
<p>I was at an event with friends last night. One said that too much immersion in social media lowers intelligence. Judging by some of the posts that come onto my Facebook feed, I would say the damage has been done.
<p>Here, though, is the irony for a writer. Long gone are the days when you could submit your book to an agent or publishing house and sit back and let them do all the publicity work. (It is quite possible that those days never were.) Even traditionally published authors are now expected to put on their big-girl or big-boy pants and engage with social media.
<p>Some of this engagement is downright soul-sucking, for example decoding Amazon algorithms. What, you might ask, is an algorithm? In its simplest terms, it's the secret formula that enables readers to find your book among the millions of books on Amazon. For me, though, the word "algorithm" conjures up memories of struggling with math, and that makes me want to curl up into a ball and read the nice book I found at the library.
<p>I have no doubt that trying to master algorithms harms the brain, but I will conquer them. Maybe.
<p>Other forms of social media are somewhat less frightening in the math department but still challenge me. One must always avoid saying "Buy my book" in either a shout or a whimper. One must think of entertaining things to say. This is difficult to do on demand—which brings me back to blogging.
<p>I abandoned this blog in November, 2016, around when I first stepped into algorithmic territory. Having finally figured out how to link my blog to my site, I have returned. I don't know how often I'll post here, but I'm aiming for once a week. My aim is not that good.
<p>Still, I'm excited to be writing my first Word Press blog entry, so for me that's a win.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381552406896230051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294775020383535422.post-88570462591867069902016-11-11T09:04:00.001-08:002016-11-11T14:23:03.126-08:00Post-Election Stress Relief <p>So many people are stressed out, frightened, and angry. Brain biology teaches us that when the primitive brain, which controls the fight-flight-freeze reaction, is activated, it draws blood from the frontal lobes, which control the ability to think and act with the gifts of intuition, reason, and logic.
<p>With that in mind, I’m offering a list of things you can do right now to reduce stress in your life.
<p>1. <b>Breathe.</b> Stress and anxiety can lead to shallow breathing, which in turn increases these feelings. We need oxygen, and we need to relax the solar plexus muscles. When you feel yourself getting stressed and anxious, stop and take several long, deep breaths.
<p>2. <b>Drink water.</b> This goes along with breathing. Fear and anxiety can create toxic emotions that turn into physical toxins.
<p>3. <b>Take flower essences.</b> Dr. Edward Bach began his work following the horror of World War I and the influenza epidemic. As a world-wide economic depression deepened and fascism began to rise in Europe, he developed the Bach Flower Remedies, which helped countless people restore emotional balance.
<p>
They are as helpful today as they were then. I will provide a future post about this and for today will list a few that can help immediately.
<p>
Rescue Remedy is one of the world’s most popular Remedies. Combining 5 Bach Flower Remedies, it can help with shock, trauma, terror, numbness, and other emotions.
<p>
Sweet Chestnut is valuable for despair. Mustard helps with gloom. Star of Bethlehem helps with shock and trauma.
<p>4. <b>Tap.</b> If you aren't familiar with EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) or other forms of tapping, this is a great time to learn. <a href="http://www.eftdownunder.com">EFT Down Under</a> is one of my favorite sites for learning.
<p>5. <b>Be cautious about social media.</b> I see lots of inspiring posts on Facebook, for example, but there’s a lot of negativity, too. I’m not condemning the people who post negative articles, but I’m avoiding the self-destructive urge to click on those links.
<p>6. <b>Reach out to friends.</b> For many of us, this is a time to connect to others for mutual support.
<p>7. <b>Be active.</b> If you belong to groups working for social justice, increase your participation.
<p>8. <b>Practice mindfulness.</b> This may mean meditation, yoga, chi kung, or any discipline that returns your focus to the Now.
<p>9. <b>Cherish the present moment.</b> Mindfulness also means remembering that what we create in the present becomes our future. And fear of the future poisons the present moment.
<p>10. <b>Don’t hate.</b> It’s so easy to do at present. I’m reminding myself that it takes two sides to make a divided country (or world). I may vigorously disagree with people, but to deny their humanity diminishes my own.
<p>Finally, I’m sharing links to two poems that are guiding me through the present moment.
<p>This links to St. Francis’s poem that begins, <a href="http://www.poetseers.org/spiritual-and-devotional-poets/christian/st-francis-of-asissi/poems/">“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.”</a>
<p>The second is Thich Nhat Hanh’s <a href="http://www.julianmaddock.info/poetry/please-call-me-by-my-true-names.html">“Please Call Me by my True Names.”</a> This is a beautiful plea for compassion.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381552406896230051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294775020383535422.post-58255607000063466922016-08-12T14:48:00.001-07:002016-08-12T14:48:53.520-07:00A Mindfulness Meditation<p>Because today it is almost too hot to think (whenever I try, I feel brain cells melting), I am doing a very short post, a poem I wrote an introduction to a seminar I led on mindfulness. Re-reading it has reminded me to be mindful and to look for those aspects of the present moment that I can enjoy.
<p>I have an appointment with life.
<p>It is here,
<p>It is now.
<p>I free myself from the stale air of the past.
<p>I smile at the imaginary darkness of the future.
<p>Breathing in,
<p>Breathing out,
<p>I open my heart to the miracle of the present moment.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381552406896230051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294775020383535422.post-13888710841444947512016-08-06T17:25:00.000-07:002016-08-06T17:25:26.419-07:006 Mindful Ways To Survive the Electoral Season
<p>Although this post is specifically directed to U.S. readers, the suggestions can help in any potentially confrontational situation.
<p>After the Republican and Democratic conventions, I realized that I wasn’t looking forward to the coming three months. Some very sharp divisions had emerged, and I had feelings about the candidates that differed from those of close friends.
<p>I didn’t want to argue. I didn’t want to prove that I was right. With peace in mind, I set out to determine how I could survive August, September, and October. Here’s my list of tools.
<p><b>1. My Friends are More Important Than My Opinions.</b>
<p>I treasure my friendships. I do not treasure my political opinions. In the end, no matter who wins the election, I will need my friends.
<p><b>2. I Don’t Want My Ego to Be Running This Show.</b>
<p>In the final analysis, my political opinions are no more than an extension of my ego. My ego is the one who has to be right and who has to have agreement that it’s right. I want to live outside that constricting space.
<p><b>3. Kindness is More Important Than Correctness.</b>
<p>I may disagree with people, but it’s more important to care about them.
<p><b>4. It’s Helpful to Spend Less Time on Facebook.</b>
<p>There are many, many opinions on Facebook. I am tempted to respond to the absolutely ridiculous things that some people are saying. Such temptations should be resisted. One way to avoid temptation is to listen to a guided meditation instead of reading an idiotic post.
<p><b>5. Life Goes On.</b>
<p>Unless it doesn’t, in which case it was really a waste of time and energy to get aggravated about political issues.
<p><b>6. The Present Moment Is What Matters.</b>
<p>In the present moment, there are no ballots, political debates, or disagreements. There is only the spacious Now, and how I live it will determine how all following moments unfold.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381552406896230051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294775020383535422.post-58600523968568125082016-07-31T14:02:00.002-07:002016-07-31T14:02:20.791-07:00Time Out<p>This week I took a break from blogging to watch highlights of the Democratic Convention. As this isn't a political blog, I won't make any comments. Later this week, blogging will resume.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381552406896230051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294775020383535422.post-20502440356527543272016-07-22T13:15:00.000-07:002016-07-22T13:15:06.974-07:00Mindfulness and Pardoning<p>This morning I thought about St. Francis of Assisi’s prayer:
<p> “Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
<p>Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
<p>Where there is injury, pardon;
<p>Where there is doubt, faith;
<p>Where there is despair, hope;
<p>Where there is darkness, light;
<p>Where there is sadness, joy.
<p>O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
<p>To be understood as to understand;
<p>To be loved as to love;
<p>For it is in giving that we receive;
<p>It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
<p>It is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.”
<p>Each line in this prayer might form the basis for meditation. This one most affected me.
<p> “It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.”
<p><b>I Only Meet Myself</b>
<p>I have been doing a method called shadow work, which involves deeply exploring those aspects of self that we learned as children to name wrong. We bury these thoughts and behaviors deep within ourselves, hidden from even our own awareness.
<p>I, for example, was told that it was wrong to talk about myself by naming either my accomplishments or my problems. I made successful efforts to suppress such temptations.
<p>That doesn’t mean they dissolved. The desire, though concealed, had an energetic charge that attracted lots of people who had no problem talking about themselves. I disliked them for their selfish and WRONG demands to be noticed.
<p>Shadow work revealed that beneath my disapproval lay envy. Why did I have to bury my desire to express myself when they didn’t?
<p>The more honestly I examined this discovery the more fully my judgment released. It took some time, but I learned to forgive those bad people for getting away with it.
<p><b>Hidden Gold</b>
<p>In the foreword to <i>The Dark Side of the Light Chasers</i>, by Debbie Ford, Neale Donald Walsch speaks of learning that his “faults” were simply assets that he’d exaggerated. His bragging was overamplified confidence. His recklessness was exaggerated spontaneity and enthusiasm. He only needed to practice dialing down the volume of self-expression.
<p>Herein lies the beauty and power of pardoning. If I can hear people going on about themselves without judgment, my act of pardoning them also pardons me for that disowned aspect of myself. I can look at it as a gift to be used wisely.
<p>I am learning to balance talking about myself with thoughtful and caring listening to others. I may say, “I think I know how you feel because I have had this experience” and find other ways to build bridges instead of isolating ego towers.
<p>With this and other suppressed aspects of myself, I am learning to uncover the gifts that have remained hidden for so many years.
<p>Truly, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned—and set free.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381552406896230051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294775020383535422.post-77396129927291207202016-07-15T14:55:00.001-07:002016-07-15T14:55:50.972-07:00Mindfulness and the Bodhisattva
<p>In Mahayana Buddhism (practiced in Tibet, China, Vietnam, Japan, Korea, and Indonesia), a bodhisattva is someone who intends to become awake in order to liberate others. While most of us wake up wondering, “What can I do to make myself happy?”, the bodhisattva begins each day wondering what he or she can do to make others happy.
<p>To do so, they don’t sink into self-hood (or ego), which they recognize as a false creation of the mind. It’s a state of “me-ness” that goes against the natural condition of oneness. Trying to hold the self apart and protected causes tension and pain. When threatened, the “me” gets angry. Observing “me’s who present more successful façades causes envy.
<p>I was sure that this “me” obstacle would disqualify me for even baby bodhisattva status. Like many people working on spiritual awareness, I was always bumping into a stubborn ego. In the midst of wondering, I came across this quote by Thich Nhat Hanh:
<p> “A bodhisattva doesn't have to be perfect. Anyone who is aware of what is happening and who tries to wake up other people is a bodhisattva. We are all bodhisattvas, doing our best.”
<p>That opened new possibilities. I recognized that being mindful of my habitual negative (ego-driven) thoughts ultimately means accepting them instead of trying to bury them. The way to selflessness is not around the troublesome self but through it.
<p>Developing deeper self-esteem satisfies the need for attention of an entity I have come to see as a lonely and generally unhappy three-year-old who built an ego to clothe her naked needs.
<p>Self-acceptance provides a better wardrobe. The warmly dressed and deeply loved child who has assumed ego form can retreat to become the inner child who supports one’s joy, creativity, and faith. With that foundation, it becomes possible to turn one’s attention to the needs of others.
<p>When we clear out space to accept ourselves as we are, we learn to accept others as they are. That kind of acceptance teaches us kindness and generosity.
<p>We can say, “Just like me, this person suffers, feels guilty, has made mistakes, and wants to experience love.” Every time we recognize ourselves in another, we expand our capacity for mindful compassion.
<p>This is surely the path of a bodhisattva.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381552406896230051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294775020383535422.post-87661539345301990182016-07-10T11:40:00.000-07:002016-07-10T12:27:33.378-07:00Mindfulness Matters
<p>This is not a political blog, but, in the aftermath of the police murders of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, I have decided that I have to speak out here.
<p>Several years ago, a state trooper pulled my car over because he didn’t like the way I paused before pulling onto the highway (which, by the way, was not illegal). He asked to see my driver’s license.
<p>My bag was on the back seat of the car, and I could only reach it by getting out of the car. I opened the door. (This was a BIG mistake.)
<p>The cop pulled a gun on me.
<p>I am a small-sized, white senior citizen woman. If I’d been a young black man, I probably wouldn’t have survived the incident. As it was, I believed (and believe) that a cop who pulled a gun on a little old lady could go further. The wrong move on my part could have been fatal.
<p>Doing my best to be calm and mindful (and still, very still), I said,” Officer, if you want to see my driver’s license, I have to get it out of my purse, which is in the back seat.”
<p>The danger switch in his brain suddenly turned off. He asked me why I took so long to get onto the highway, and I explained that the habitually heavy traffic on that part of the road made it necessary. He looked at my driver’s license; he told me I could go. I drove very carefully.
<p><center><b>“First, they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.”</b></center>
<p>This line begins a famous poem by Pastor Martin Neimoller about the cowardly behavior of German intellectuals after Hitler’s rise to power. In the poem they take the trade unionists and the Jews. It ends:
<p>“Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.”
<p>The message of the poem fully applies to the present. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayer, in a recent dissent in Utah vs. Strieff ( a Fourth Amendment case regarding whether an otherwise illegal police stop could be justified by an outstanding arrest warrant) describes those regularly targeted by the police as “the canaries in the coal mines, whose deaths, civil and literal, warn us that no one can breathe in this atmosphere.”
<p>Girls and women know they may be sexually harassed, molested, raped, or otherwise attacked for being female. In 2013 more than 1600 women were killed by men. (That's <i>reported</i> deaths.) The Orlando massacre represented the greatest number of LGBTQ people killed in one incident but not the first.
<p>Neimoller and Sotomayer point out that as long as any group can be violently targeted, no one is ultimately safe. To me, this means that when you stand up for the rights of others, you stand up for your own rights.
<p>This is true not only politically but spiritually. Many religions share the theme that to relieve suffering is a spiritual obligation. Buddhism teaches us that all of life is interconnected.
<p>This means that even if we can’t directly experience the suffering caused by a particular injustice, we share it. When we acknowledge that sharing, we are moved to relieve the suffering. This is not white or male or heterosexual guilt, it’s the understanding that what happens to one happens to all.
<p>What action stems from that awareness? I’m seeing that question asked more and more on social media lately. I’ve seen some answers, too. For me the only answer is a question.
<p>That question is: “What does love ask me to do?” Everyone must find their own answers, and those answers can only be discovered through mindfulness.
<p>For tomorrow, Monday, July 11, my answer is to attend a march and rally in Springfield, MA to protest the recent killings.
<p>If you find an answer or answers to direct your life, please let me know by posting.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381552406896230051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294775020383535422.post-351893765204290752016-06-30T15:00:00.000-07:002016-06-30T15:00:27.087-07:00Mindfulness and Independence
<p>On this weekend that celebrates U.S. independence, I’m thinking about the foundation for true independence, a condition of much deeper freedom.
<p>Mindfulness, I believe, is that foundation. When we allow ourselves to be mindful, to observe what goes on both within and without, we declare independence from the ego, who wants to tell us what we should notice.
<p>The ego has a declaration of <i>dependence</i> in that its survival depends on noticing only what threatens or enhances its survival. It filters its observations through a thick veil of fear: that it won’t win, won't come out at top. It fears that it will land at the bottom. It fears its extinction.
<p>Some observe that the ego acts like a child, a child who has lost its innocence, who has learned the adults it counted on for survival are also vulnerable and fearful. This child has also learned that to relax, to be in the present, to see without survival filters, is dangerous.
<p>As a result, early attempts at reaching a state of mindfulness may, instead, bring up resistance from the ego, who doesn’t want us to see beyond it to the childhood experiences and decisions that created it.
<p>Thich Nhat Hanh often says to smile at negative emotions. “I smile to my anger. I embrace my anger as if it were a crying baby.”
<p>The first step in a declaration of independence from the past is to smile to our resistance. When we do this, it softens, little by little, and when we are ready to know the answers about how we became who we are, our deepest truth will speak.
<p>The practice of mindfulness is a journey, and each step gives us a greater level of independence. This is true cause for fireworks.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381552406896230051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294775020383535422.post-68027060456730136182016-06-24T14:40:00.003-07:002016-06-24T14:42:15.570-07:00Adventures in Mindfulness
<p>My friends think I’m very adventurous because in June 2015 I moved from upstate NY to western Massachusetts. Although I had two close friends here, I basically had to get out and meet people—and I am an introvert.
<p>Now, a year later, I’ve met many people, got involved in some major group activities, and am becoming integrated into life here. In addition, I’ve explored the area and know my way around. I did, however, avoid one adventure: going to the BIG MALL, the kind that has hundreds of stores and miles of parking lots.
<p>This week, that opportunity, out of necessity, came to me. My Apple desktop started to make unpleasant sounds. After a phone call to Applecare yielded no results, I had to take it to the Apple Store at the big mall 20 miles away. This involved highway driving, which I’ve largely not done, to an unknown and quite possibly confusing destination.
<p>I planned for it with mindfulness, looking up the best route, locating the Apple Store on the map of the mall, and telling myself that thousands of people have found this mall. I have read no reports of someone becoming lost forever there. Secretly, though, I thought I might be the first.
<p>Before I left, I took time to meditate and center. I realized that—maybe—I could shift the energy of anxiety into that of excitement. I would be doing something new. I would be expanding my boundaries. I would be having an adventure. By no means was I sure about this, but I at least managed to make some space for it amidst the worry.
<p>I got lost on the way there, ending up at a reservoir. There, I flagged down some nice people who told me how to get to the mall, a mere half-mile away. Huge as I had imagined it to be, the mall had three levels of both stores and parking.
<p>To my surprise and relief, shopping carts abounded in the lot. This made the job of hauling the desktop to the Apple Store a lot easier. I was about to take a cart when a young woman walked by and offered to lift the computer into it. I so appreciated this kind act. (When you become a senior citizen, you learn how nice people can be.)
<p>The guy at the Genius Bar was knowledgeable and explained everything he was doing. Though I was sad to have to leave the computer there for diagnostic work and repair of a failed hard drive, I felt it was in good hands.
<p>When I got home, I saw one of the repair people from the complex where I live. He said that if I ever needed help carrying anything heavy, I should call him. He’d be glad to help.
<p>Instead of a disaster, I had an adventure. I learned that I could find and negotiate the big mall and met friendly and helpful people.
<p>Most importantly, I expanded both my geographical and mental boundaries. Am I ready for more adventures? Well, next month I’m invited to two picnics in unknown areas, and at one of them I don’t expect to know too many people. I’ll be there.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381552406896230051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294775020383535422.post-55903279778817064082016-06-24T14:40:00.002-07:002016-06-24T14:41:22.352-07:00Adventures in Mindfulness
<p>My friends think I’m very adventurous because in June 2015 I moved from upstate NY to western Massachusetts. Although I had two close friends here, I basically had to get out and meet people—and I am an introvert.
<p>Now, a year later, I’ve met many people, got involved in some major group activities, and am becoming integrated into life here. In addition, I’ve explored the area and know my way around. I did, however, avoid one adventure: going to the BIG MALL, the kind that has hundreds of stores and miles of parking lots.
<p>This week, that opportunity, out of necessity, came to me. My Apple desktop started to make unpleasant sounds. After a phone call to Applecare yielded no results, I had to take it to the Apple Store at the big mall 20 miles away. This involved highway driving, which I’ve largely not done, to an unknown and quite possibly confusing destination.
<p>I planned for it with mindfulness, looking up the best route, locating the Apple Store on the map of the mall, and telling myself that thousands of people have found this mall. I have read no reports of someone becoming lost forever there. Secretly, though, I thought I might be the first.
<p>Before I left, I took time to meditate and center. I realized that—maybe—I could shift the energy of anxiety into that of excitement. I would be doing something new. I would be expanding my boundaries. I would be having an adventure. By no means was I sure about this, but I at least managed to make some space for it amidst the worry.
<p>I got lost on the way there, ending up at a reservoir. There, I flagged down some nice people who told me how to get to the mall, a mere half-mile away. Huge as I had imagined it to be, the mall had three levels of both stores and parking.
<p>To my surprise and relief, shopping carts abounded in the lot. This made the job of hauling the desktop to the Apple Store a lot easier. I was about to take a cart when a young woman walked by and offered to lift the computer into it. I so appreciated this kind act. (When you become a senior citizen, you learn how nice people can be.)
<p>The guy at the Genius Bar was knowledgeable and explained everything he was doing. Though I was sad to have to leave the computer there for diagnostic work and repair of a failed hard drive, I felt it was in good hands.
<p>When I got home, I saw one of the repair people from the complex where I live. He said that if I ever needed help carrying anything heavy, I should call him. He’d be glad to help.
<p>Instead of a disaster, I had an adventure. I learned that I could find and negotiate the big mall and met friendly and helpful people.
<p>Most importantly, I expanded both my geographical and mental boundaries. Am I ready for more adventures? Well, next month I’m invited to two picnics in unknown areas, and at one of them I don’t expect to know too many people. I’ll be there.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381552406896230051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294775020383535422.post-49066176815916893032016-06-16T15:10:00.000-07:002016-06-16T15:10:44.456-07:00Orlando, Mindfulness, and Love<p>
Since Sunday, June 12, a day that will be remembered and memorialized for a very long time, I’ve followed links to remarks by famous people, videos of vigils, and countless other sources. Although I began in a state of despair, my intention was to find hope. Before long, I recognized a personal and collective shift to understanding and the determination that those who were murdered shall not have died in vain.
<p>I saw signs of hope in the global LGBTQ refusal to allow the tragedy and the community to become pawns in right-wing anti-Muslim hate campaigns. I saw that community shelter and defend its Muslim members. In these acts, I saw deep mindfulness of what’s really important. And I saw leaders in the Muslim community express their solidarity with the gay community.
<p><b>The Greatest of These is Love</b></p>
<p>Constantly, whether the speaker was Staceyann Chin, a black Jamaican lesbian, or Stephen Colbert, TV superstar, this message was raised: the murders were directed against a community that claims the right to love. When you are attacked for expressing that right, the only response is to love more.
<p>Stephen Colbert said, “Love is a verb. To love is to act.”
<p>Staceyann Chin said, “I DARE you to love.”
<p><b>Love is Remembering</b></p>
<p>My first awareness of the tragedy came after I’d spent a weekend at a Quaker retreat. During that retreat, I heard this statement:
<p>“When we’re afraid, we’ve forgotten who we are, and we’ve forgotten who God is.”
<p><b>The Opposite of Love Isn’t Hatred; It’s Fear</b></p>
<p>Without this awareness, this mindfulness, we are in danger of hating the haters. Fear that the unknown is life-threatening transforms into hatred, which in turn gives rise to the urge to fight back in what is perceived as self defense.
<p>When we realize that we harbor our own fears, we open the door to compassion. We recognize that it takes courage to expand our boundaries and become open to people who seem not like ourselves, whose ways of living seem to threaten our fragile security about how we live.
<p>Until we can make the brave decision to no longer allow fear to dominate us, we can neither love or truly live.<p>
Those who will not learn will go the way of the dinosaurs. Deep down inside, they know this, but fear turns their vision outward and convinces them that if they could only eradicate what threatens them, they’d feel safe. If we reach instead, for love, it will tell us that we’re already safe.
<p>And so, much as I love the statement I heard at the retreat, I feel the need to add to it.
<p>“When we’re afraid, we’ve forgotten who we are, and we’ve forgotten who God is. And we’ve forgotten to let the power of love direct and move us.”
<p>We must remember—in the names of the dead and of the living.
<p><b>Sources</b></p>
<p><a href="http://www.afterellen.com/people/491697-poet-staceyann-chin-speaks-us-passionate-speech-orlando?utm_source=sc-facebook&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=post" target="new">Staceyann Chin’s speech</a>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1VZGUJ8GtY" target="new">Stephen Colbert’s remarks</a>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381552406896230051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294775020383535422.post-42203534781186187132016-06-10T16:57:00.000-07:002016-06-10T16:57:12.229-07:00Mental Carpentry and Mindfulness<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M8FwAmX13KU/V1tTa8qvrSI/AAAAAAAAASI/T_936GgpUMQMxccGuZK9NIYP2tsOkFcfgCLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-06-09%2Bat%2B5.34.29%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M8FwAmX13KU/V1tTa8qvrSI/AAAAAAAAASI/T_936GgpUMQMxccGuZK9NIYP2tsOkFcfgCLcB/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-06-09%2Bat%2B5.34.29%2BPM.png" /></a></div>
<p>I want to nail those doors shut against the temptation to re-open them. I am learning that the most effective carpentry technique is to get to the source of why, despite all my best resolutions, I want to go back.
<p>An example: I am currently addressing a temptation to blame others for what goes wrong (and “wrong” is my interpretation) in my life. I have made many vows. I have made conscious decisions that I no longer wanted to participate in the negative thinking lurking behind that door.
<p>It was like a New Year’s resolution. You probably know how well these go. That virtuous conviction that feels so good when you first commit to whatever major change you’re absolutely going to make deflates like a New Year’s Eve party balloon no later than January 2.
<p>I think that’s because the temptation has such a powerful pull. In my case, blaming people is easy. It absolves me of taking responsibility for my feelings, thoughts, and actions. As surely as someone who self-medicates with alcohol or drugs, I surrender personal responsibility.
<p>In other words, escape lies behind that door, and sometimes escape seems irresistible.
<p><b>Understanding Why</b>
<p>We forget that the behaviors we’ve shoved behind that door once served a purpose. We evolved them to solve a problem. In my case, I experienced some major upsets in a short period of time.
<p>Like all (or most) people, when something goes wrong, I want to know why so that I can keep it from happening again. This is very necessary survival behavior for all species. The deer learns that a human carrying a long piece of metal represents great danger and may develop the ability to sense the threat before its life is endangered.
<p>Humans are hampered by tangled emotions and thoughts directed by an ego with an agenda. This agenda often involves deciding who’s to blame. Survival behavior can be either to avoid this person forever or to fight back.
<p>I was doing the latter—but only in my mind. The low-key chorus in the background sang, “He’s ruined my life, which is hopeless because of him. I want revenge.” And on and on. And I thought I was actually hurting someone other than myself.
<p><b>Listening at Low Volume</b>
<p>I’m learning to let the chorus sing without getting caught up in its dramatic arias. That means being mindful. It’s owning a feeling without shame. In its ultimate form, it’s unconditional self-love.
<p>And that, I believe, is where we want to be. In that state (I think; I’ll let you know when I’m there), all the doors to past emotions and behaviors can be swinging wide open, but they offer no temptation.
We have experienced and accepted their existence. We have faced their darkness, and
that allows in the light.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381552406896230051noreply@blogger.com0