After playing with rocks for an afternoon, I was truly content. I had fun. Rocks to me are treasures. I keep stacks of them in my yard, 3 and 4 feet high. I feel wealthy when I have piles of rocks.
I'm guessing that not everyone feels that way about rocks. As a matter of fact, I've heard some people curse them, as they seem to multiply in their yard, only to reach out for an ankle or a mower blade.
Perhaps this is the epitome of looking for the good in things. A rock is meaningless until a human gives it beauty or usefulness or distain.
This is a great opportunity to look at how I see the other rocks in my life. Do I look for the beauty and fun in all the aspects of my life? Is the detritus of my life mentally rejected and discarded as ugly and useless? Or can I find the beuaty of things and situations in a new context?
My rocks only acquire beauty and wealth in the presence of the context that I create for them. I can also accept the negative or positive context that someone else is only too happy to hand me.
My choice....
Peace
Larry
P.S. Leave a comment, follow me, make my day....
Showing posts with label Awareness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Awareness. Show all posts
Monday, September 13, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Being Empty
At the conclusion of a Heart Circle, we have a moment to say something about our experience. I said, "I feel empty."
At the time, it was very hard for me to know what I meant by that. The words seemed so inadequate compared to the experience. In the years since, I have gotten a better grip on the logic, if not the actual experience.
We can go into a room that is completed devoid of furniture, and we can see the space that is in the room. You can measure it, if you like. You can see it, you can walk around and dance and reach to the ceiling.
When the room is crowded with furniture, or even people, it seems like we have no freedom to move around, to dance, to flow freely. There's no space.
Is that true?
Did the space go away? Was it replaced? Or is the space "occupied?"
I would say it is the latter. The space is there whether it is occupied or not. The space is always there. When we remove the furniture, the space is still there.
The metaphysical, emotional, and spiritual potential within our lives is always present. It is the "space" of our lives. I frequently will go out and buy some "furniture" to occupy my space; goals, plans, schedules, history, pain, judgments, identity.
As I place it in my "room," I become accustomed to it and think it is a fixture. I forget about the space that underlies it. I begin to believe that it is more important than the space.
I begin to believe it is permanent.
Emptying the room seems pretty dramatic. Just throw it all out in the hall, in the basement, for the garbage truck. A lofty goal.
What if I just remember the space? What if I remember the immutable forces of this life that do not rely on the furniture to support, or to decorate, to create a "mood?"
What if I can remember the space of love, peace, potential that underlies all the furniture that I have drug into the room?
What if I can dance in the space, regardless of history or identity?
Help me to remember...
At the time, it was very hard for me to know what I meant by that. The words seemed so inadequate compared to the experience. In the years since, I have gotten a better grip on the logic, if not the actual experience.
We can go into a room that is completed devoid of furniture, and we can see the space that is in the room. You can measure it, if you like. You can see it, you can walk around and dance and reach to the ceiling.
When the room is crowded with furniture, or even people, it seems like we have no freedom to move around, to dance, to flow freely. There's no space.
Is that true?
Did the space go away? Was it replaced? Or is the space "occupied?"
I would say it is the latter. The space is there whether it is occupied or not. The space is always there. When we remove the furniture, the space is still there.
The metaphysical, emotional, and spiritual potential within our lives is always present. It is the "space" of our lives. I frequently will go out and buy some "furniture" to occupy my space; goals, plans, schedules, history, pain, judgments, identity.
As I place it in my "room," I become accustomed to it and think it is a fixture. I forget about the space that underlies it. I begin to believe that it is more important than the space.
I begin to believe it is permanent.
Emptying the room seems pretty dramatic. Just throw it all out in the hall, in the basement, for the garbage truck. A lofty goal.
What if I just remember the space? What if I remember the immutable forces of this life that do not rely on the furniture to support, or to decorate, to create a "mood?"
What if I can remember the space of love, peace, potential that underlies all the furniture that I have drug into the room?
What if I can dance in the space, regardless of history or identity?
Help me to remember...
Saturday, January 23, 2010
My Illusion
How do you wake up in the morning? It's an interesting observation to see exactly what kind of mood in which I awake. I haven't figured out the determining factors that contribute to my mood; my level of joy or misery, my optimism or pessimism, my level of acceptance or judgment, or my ability to love and feel loved.
But when I can recognize a lousy mood, I have a choice to change that mood. It's a whole lot easier to wallow in it and allow it to control my activities, not to mention my attitude and joy. But it takes consciousness to recognize it and realize that I have a choice.
When I practice my inner cheerleader, I can tell you, I feel kinda silly. I say, "Do you really think that's going to make a difference?" "I sound like that guy in that comedy sketch..." So be it.
Because it works! I simply say the words of what I AM BEING today, and the transformation begins. "I'm having a fabulous day today." It sounds pretty weak at first. With repetition it gains power and momentum. I add other statements of love, success, worthiness, and suddenly I am BOUNCING out of bed! Let me at it!
Cheesy. New Age-y. Silly.
Doesn't matter. It works. Works for me. Everyone's entitled to their illusions.
Peace & JOY
Larry
But when I can recognize a lousy mood, I have a choice to change that mood. It's a whole lot easier to wallow in it and allow it to control my activities, not to mention my attitude and joy. But it takes consciousness to recognize it and realize that I have a choice.
When I practice my inner cheerleader, I can tell you, I feel kinda silly. I say, "Do you really think that's going to make a difference?" "I sound like that guy in that comedy sketch..." So be it.
Because it works! I simply say the words of what I AM BEING today, and the transformation begins. "I'm having a fabulous day today." It sounds pretty weak at first. With repetition it gains power and momentum. I add other statements of love, success, worthiness, and suddenly I am BOUNCING out of bed! Let me at it!
Cheesy. New Age-y. Silly.
Doesn't matter. It works. Works for me. Everyone's entitled to their illusions.
Peace & JOY
Larry
Monday, December 21, 2009
What is the meaning of this?
As I go through a day, things continue to unfold the way they do. Some of the events are results of my intentions, some seem to be happenstance. Whether I think I contributed to the event or not, there is a meaning that I assign to that event.
If I am more concerned with the control that I have had over the event, I will probably assign a lot of judgment to it. If I feel that I "performed" well and accomplished my intention, I will judge it as good, and assign a meaning of good to myself and the results. If I didn't perform well, then the meaning could well be negative, maybe even adversarial to myself.
If am more concerned with others' participation in an event, I might assign it a meaning of kindness or animosity. This is particularly true if I decide that the person's meaning was wrong or bad, and I then use that meaning to color every interaction subsequent to that decision. I have given something a meaning that may or may not have been an intention.
And even when it is an intention of the other, "good" or "bad", the meaning I give it is purely in my head. What if I were to assign a different meaning to it that relieves me of putting my personal sense of value at stake? What if I choose the meaning that any particular event will have in my life?
When we are young, events happen in our life that can seem traumatic, or dramatic, and at that point we might create a meaning around that event that becomes a rule for living. The meaning that we assigned to that event might be accurate, but by making a rule around that event for similar future events we are trapped into behaviors that are myopic and dabilitating.
In a similar way, I fall into the same trap with each event in my day if I were to assign meanings to events that become bigger than the event. And the egoic mind loves to find meaning and significance in every thing that happens in our lives.
So where can I go from here? Awareness. That is my gift in the discovery. I can now be aware of the meaning that I am assigning to my day, my hour, my minute, and reconsider that meaning in the light of what my intention is for my life.
Unless my life were lived by default, I can consciously find a higher significance - or none at all - in the thread of my day that weaves the fabric of my life.
If I am more concerned with the control that I have had over the event, I will probably assign a lot of judgment to it. If I feel that I "performed" well and accomplished my intention, I will judge it as good, and assign a meaning of good to myself and the results. If I didn't perform well, then the meaning could well be negative, maybe even adversarial to myself.
If am more concerned with others' participation in an event, I might assign it a meaning of kindness or animosity. This is particularly true if I decide that the person's meaning was wrong or bad, and I then use that meaning to color every interaction subsequent to that decision. I have given something a meaning that may or may not have been an intention.
And even when it is an intention of the other, "good" or "bad", the meaning I give it is purely in my head. What if I were to assign a different meaning to it that relieves me of putting my personal sense of value at stake? What if I choose the meaning that any particular event will have in my life?
When we are young, events happen in our life that can seem traumatic, or dramatic, and at that point we might create a meaning around that event that becomes a rule for living. The meaning that we assigned to that event might be accurate, but by making a rule around that event for similar future events we are trapped into behaviors that are myopic and dabilitating.
In a similar way, I fall into the same trap with each event in my day if I were to assign meanings to events that become bigger than the event. And the egoic mind loves to find meaning and significance in every thing that happens in our lives.
So where can I go from here? Awareness. That is my gift in the discovery. I can now be aware of the meaning that I am assigning to my day, my hour, my minute, and reconsider that meaning in the light of what my intention is for my life.
Unless my life were lived by default, I can consciously find a higher significance - or none at all - in the thread of my day that weaves the fabric of my life.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
While I was walking my dog and myself, I noticed that I was wanting to train my dog more, to keep more control of his wanderings. When I noticed this little development, I tried to accept it as an expression of what I criticized in myself. And then I realized that my controlling behavior was about the fact that I didn't not seem to be controlling my own behavior, that I was not fulfilling my expectations of myself. I looked at how my day had gone, and realized that I had not remained focused on the tasks that I had set for myself! What an unpleasant awareness. But Change only begins with awareness and acceptance.
So I took a few minutes to recognize my judgement of myself, and to accept the way I had lived my day. Once again, I created a new starting point.
What was interesting was how much I followed through on my commitments to myself tonight. I had set out to accomplish some simple tasks, and I stayed on them and finished them. A great lesson I received from Life Success Seminars, "The quality of my life depends on the commitments I make and keep." Including the commitments that I make to myself.
A new starting point.
Peace
Larry
So I took a few minutes to recognize my judgement of myself, and to accept the way I had lived my day. Once again, I created a new starting point.
What was interesting was how much I followed through on my commitments to myself tonight. I had set out to accomplish some simple tasks, and I stayed on them and finished them. A great lesson I received from Life Success Seminars, "The quality of my life depends on the commitments I make and keep." Including the commitments that I make to myself.
A new starting point.
Peace
Larry
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)