right now:
There are Tibetan Buddhist monks in a temple in the Himalayas endlessly reciting mantras for the cessation of your suffering and for the flourishing of your happiness.
Someone you haven't met yet is already dreaming of adoring you.
Someone is writing a book that you will read in the next two years that will change how you look at life.
Nuns in the Alps are in endless vigil, praying for the Holy Spirit to alight the hearts of all of God's children.
A farmer is looking at his organic crops and whispering, "nourish them."
Someone wants to kiss you, to hold you, to make tea for you. Someone is willing to lend you money, wants to know what your favourite food is, and treat you to a movie. Someone in your orbit has something immensely valuable to give you -- for free.
Something is being invented this year that will change how your generation lives, communicates, heals and passes on.
The next great song is being rehearsed.
Thousands of people are in yoga classes right now intentionally sending light out from their heart chakras and wrapping it around the earth.
Millions of children are assuming that everything is amazing and will always be that way.
Someone is in profound pain, and a few months from now, they'll be thriving like never before. They just can't see it from where they're at.
Someone who is craving to be partnered, to be acknowledged, to ARRIVE, will get precisely what they want -- and even more. And because that gift will be so fantastical in it's reach and sweetness, it will quite magically alter their memory of angsty longing and render it all "So worth the wait."
Someone has recently cracked open their joyous, genuine nature because they did the hard work of hauling years of oppression off of their psyche -- this luminous juju is floating in the ether, and is accessible to you.
Someone just this second wished for world peace, in earnest.
Someone is fighting the fight so that you don't have to.
Some civil servant is making sure that you get your mail, and your garbage is picked up, that the trains are running on time, and that you are generally safe. Someone is dedicating their days to protecting your civil liberties and clean drinking water.
Someone is regaining their sanity. Someone is coming back from the dead. Someone is genuinely forgiving the seemingly unforgivable. Someone is curing the incurable.
You. Me. Some. One. Now.
Source
. . . . . . .
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Self-hatred??
Self hatred. Could there be a heavier, shame-soaked, cringe-inducing concept?
Hating yourself.
Hatred.
Hate of self.
You hating...you.
Park that thought for a minute.
You're self-referencing. You're successful (and you're bright enough to know that that's a relative term.) You're a generally wide-awake, highly confident, compassionate, secure citizen of the collective. You know who you are. You're committed to knowing more. You practice mindful speech, you send light to the people who piss you off, you get regular massage treatments, you own a few sex toys, you do workshops. Clearly, you treat yourself well. You know you're worth it.
Self hatred? You?
Me?
I HATE MYSELF. THERE, I SAID IT.
I used to think my list of self-criticisms, we're just criticisms. Innocuous opinions I held about myself that were mild, understandable, reasonable even - part of being aware of my "shadow". Growth points. That on-going, fucking incessant chatter (as chill and dignified as it is,) goes something like this:
I SORT OF SUCK BECAUSE I SHOULD ... (and I bet you can insert your own list here...) lose ten more pounds, work less, be kinder to my man, more attentive to my boy, less concerned about "arriving", more responsive to my readers, less fixated on Twitter, more informed about world politics, less spendy, more willing to adopt a child, less judgmental of all of the shitty customer service and mediocrity in the world, more motivated to get my ass on my bike, less obsessive about strategic planning, more inclined to socialize, less irritated by small talk, more inclined to do less, and blah-blah-fucking-self-critical-unrelenting-BLAAAAH.
Add to that list: dust bunnies, a few missed birthdays, a grandmother that deserves a phone call, an overflowing Facebook inbox that I ignore, a nightstand piled high with books in progress (although I keep buying more books,) and some memories of thoughtless things I said to good people who may have been hurt by my ego ... and, well, it's not adding up to a lot of self-compassion or oozing Goddess worth, is it? It's not sounding so light, so harmless, or so innocuous, is it?
Park that thought for a minute.
I ADORE MYSELF. TRULY. NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.
I could list 10,000 reasons, here and now, why I'm The High Priestess of Loveliness. My heart is galactic. My mind is laser-razor. I've made some good choices this time around. AND YET ...
Those little paper cuts that I inflict on my spirit are not random or rootless. They are effective. They have a source. Yes, self-criticism may be well-intentioned. It may be fed by old hurts, family of origin, past lives, modern culture, mortal coil. But it's seeded from the murky marsh of loathing. And to greater and lesser degrees, it's part of everyone's psychic biosphere. The trick to drying it up is to shine some light on it.
Self-criticism is not "love", and it is certainly not indifferent. It's a form of hatred. And when I name that, when I see it for what it is (raw and uncomfortable and saddening...) when I refuse to sugar-coat self criticism, judgment, agitation, and constantly trying to improve myself, then I'm one quantum leap closer to freedom. Out of the swamp. Grounded in love.
. . . . . . .
The most lucid material I've come across on self judgment, ego and presence is The Unfolding Now by AH Almaas. source
Hating yourself.
Hatred.
Hate of self.
You hating...you.
Park that thought for a minute.
You're self-referencing. You're successful (and you're bright enough to know that that's a relative term.) You're a generally wide-awake, highly confident, compassionate, secure citizen of the collective. You know who you are. You're committed to knowing more. You practice mindful speech, you send light to the people who piss you off, you get regular massage treatments, you own a few sex toys, you do workshops. Clearly, you treat yourself well. You know you're worth it.
Self hatred? You?
Me?
I HATE MYSELF. THERE, I SAID IT.
I used to think my list of self-criticisms, we're just criticisms. Innocuous opinions I held about myself that were mild, understandable, reasonable even - part of being aware of my "shadow". Growth points. That on-going, fucking incessant chatter (as chill and dignified as it is,) goes something like this:
I SORT OF SUCK BECAUSE I SHOULD ... (and I bet you can insert your own list here...) lose ten more pounds, work less, be kinder to my man, more attentive to my boy, less concerned about "arriving", more responsive to my readers, less fixated on Twitter, more informed about world politics, less spendy, more willing to adopt a child, less judgmental of all of the shitty customer service and mediocrity in the world, more motivated to get my ass on my bike, less obsessive about strategic planning, more inclined to socialize, less irritated by small talk, more inclined to do less, and blah-blah-fucking-self-critical-unrelenting-BLAAAAH.
Add to that list: dust bunnies, a few missed birthdays, a grandmother that deserves a phone call, an overflowing Facebook inbox that I ignore, a nightstand piled high with books in progress (although I keep buying more books,) and some memories of thoughtless things I said to good people who may have been hurt by my ego ... and, well, it's not adding up to a lot of self-compassion or oozing Goddess worth, is it? It's not sounding so light, so harmless, or so innocuous, is it?
Park that thought for a minute.
I ADORE MYSELF. TRULY. NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.
I could list 10,000 reasons, here and now, why I'm The High Priestess of Loveliness. My heart is galactic. My mind is laser-razor. I've made some good choices this time around. AND YET ...
Those little paper cuts that I inflict on my spirit are not random or rootless. They are effective. They have a source. Yes, self-criticism may be well-intentioned. It may be fed by old hurts, family of origin, past lives, modern culture, mortal coil. But it's seeded from the murky marsh of loathing. And to greater and lesser degrees, it's part of everyone's psychic biosphere. The trick to drying it up is to shine some light on it.
Self-criticism is not "love", and it is certainly not indifferent. It's a form of hatred. And when I name that, when I see it for what it is (raw and uncomfortable and saddening...) when I refuse to sugar-coat self criticism, judgment, agitation, and constantly trying to improve myself, then I'm one quantum leap closer to freedom. Out of the swamp. Grounded in love.
. . . . . . .
The most lucid material I've come across on self judgment, ego and presence is The Unfolding Now by AH Almaas. source
Thursday, January 5, 2012
"This year, I will
spend more time at the beach,
with sand between my toes.
This year, I will
give up on the goal of less coffee
because more coffee means more pleasure,
and some vices are good.
I will indulge in a second piece of cake when offered,
and ironically stop worrying
that I'm so permanently skinny.
Who cares.
This year, I will
stop saying yes
when I really mean no,
and stop saying no
when I'm too afraid to say yes.
I will stop caring what perfect strangers think,
and hold close the opinions
of those who care for me.
This year, I will
leave aside mandatory daily moments for
savouring the first sip of coffee
rather than chugging it down in a rush,
prolonged belly rubs for a furry friend called Kobi
rather than distracted pats,
five minutes of daydreaming
rather than relentless mental list-making,
a few seconds of smelling my perfume
rather than carelessly putting it on.
This year, I will
write
so very much,
just for my own pleasure
and no-one else.
I will take time to enjoy words
rather than edit them.
I will marvel at their simplicity
and unknowability,
especially those untranslatable ones:
Cafuné (Brazilian Portuguese): The act of tenderly running your fingers through someone's hair.
I will also run my fingers through someone's hair,
while thinking of these words.
This year, I will
be more protective of my time,
it's in short supply these days.
This year, I will
stop making lists of things
I cannot possibly hope to achieve,
or even want to undertake.
But I will write a new list
if I don't have the
courage, sense, or wisdom,
to follow this one.
* * *
Happy new year!
http://hila-lumiere.blogspot.com/2012/01/this-year.html
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Habit 1 & 2
By Franklin Covey
Gray, melancholy day. We get into a mood and the whole day goes bad.
Carry your weather with you regardless of how people treat you. Don't be victim of your mood or victim of your condition.
Habit 2: Being Proactive
Between what happens to us, that is stimulus and our response, is a SPACE. In that space lies our power and our freedom to choose our response and in those choices lay our growth and happiness.
Example: Victor Frankl (prisoner, therapist, author) who went through unbelievable indignities observed in the Nazi concentration camp that different people reacted differently to the same circumstances. As he was laying on the torture table, he discovered 'the last human freedom'; he visulaized lecturing his students in Austria and telling them about his atrocities that he endured. He said having a a sense of purpose is what saved him; a contribution yet to be made. Basic human capbility that man has is the freedom to choose. This became the for his brilliant autobigrophy the basis for "Man's Search For Meaning".
It's not what people do to us that hurts us, it's our chosen response that hurts us.
We must simply never build our emotional life based on the weaknesses of other people. We give our power , our future away, otherwise, we give them permission to mess up our lives.
Gray, melancholy day. We get into a mood and the whole day goes bad.
Habit 2: Being Proactive
Between what happens to us, that is stimulus and our response, is a SPACE. In that space lies our power and our freedom to choose our response and in those choices lay our growth and happiness.
Example: Victor Frankl (prisoner, therapist, author) who went through unbelievable indignities observed in the Nazi concentration camp that different people reacted differently to the same circumstances. As he was laying on the torture table, he discovered 'the last human freedom'; he visulaized lecturing his students in Austria and telling them about his atrocities that he endured. He said having a a sense of purpose is what saved him; a contribution yet to be made. Basic human capbility that man has is the freedom to choose. This became the for his brilliant autobigrophy the basis for "Man's Search For Meaning".
It's not what people do to us that hurts us, it's our chosen response that hurts us.
We must simply never build our emotional life based on the weaknesses of other people. We give our power , our future away, otherwise, we give them permission to mess up our lives.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Mission Statement
"My mission is to give, for giving is what I do best and I can learn to do better.
I will seek to learn, for learning is the basis for growth, and growing is the key to living. I will seek first to understand, for understanding is the key to finding value, and value is the basis for respect, decisions, and action. This should be my first act with my husband, my family, and my business.
I want to help influence the future development of people and organizations. I want to teach my children and others to love and laugh, to learn and grow beyond their current bounds.
I will build personal, business, and civic relationships by giving, in frequent little ways.
Our Family Mission: No empty chairs.
I live to serve my talents as communicator, artist, and independent businesswoman. I create balance in work, play, and community. I inspire those I interact with.
I want to be the kind of person my dog already thinks I am.
The mission of our family is to create a nurturing place of order, love, happiness, and relaxation, and to provide opportunities for each person to become responsibly independent and effectively interdependent, in order to achieve worthwhile purposes.
Care
About the world
About life
About people
About myself
Love
Myself
My family
My world
Knowledge
Learning
LIFE
Fight
For my beliefs
For my passions
To accomplish
To do good
To be true to myself
Against apathy
Rock
The boat, don’t
let the boat rock me
Be a rock
Be Remembered
To be humble.
To say thanks to God in some way, every day.
To never react to abuse by passing it on.
To find the self within that does and can look at all sides without loss.
I believe in treating all people with kindness and respect.
I believe by knowing what I value, I truly know what I want.
To be driven by values and beliefs.
I want to experience life’s passions with the newness of a child’s love, the sweetness and joy of young love, and the respect and reverence of mature love.
Finally, to go through life with a smile on my face and a twinkle in my eye.
Nothing less."--anonymous
I will seek to learn, for learning is the basis for growth, and growing is the key to living. I will seek first to understand, for understanding is the key to finding value, and value is the basis for respect, decisions, and action. This should be my first act with my husband, my family, and my business.
I want to help influence the future development of people and organizations. I want to teach my children and others to love and laugh, to learn and grow beyond their current bounds.
I will build personal, business, and civic relationships by giving, in frequent little ways.
Our Family Mission: No empty chairs.
I live to serve my talents as communicator, artist, and independent businesswoman. I create balance in work, play, and community. I inspire those I interact with.
I want to be the kind of person my dog already thinks I am.
The mission of our family is to create a nurturing place of order, love, happiness, and relaxation, and to provide opportunities for each person to become responsibly independent and effectively interdependent, in order to achieve worthwhile purposes.
Care
About the world
About life
About people
About myself
Love
Myself
My family
My world
Knowledge
Learning
LIFE
Fight
For my beliefs
For my passions
To accomplish
To do good
To be true to myself
Against apathy
Rock
The boat, don’t
let the boat rock me
Be a rock
Be Remembered
To be humble.
To say thanks to God in some way, every day.
To never react to abuse by passing it on.
To find the self within that does and can look at all sides without loss.
I believe in treating all people with kindness and respect.
I believe by knowing what I value, I truly know what I want.
To be driven by values and beliefs.
I want to experience life’s passions with the newness of a child’s love, the sweetness and joy of young love, and the respect and reverence of mature love.
Finally, to go through life with a smile on my face and a twinkle in my eye.
Gandhi's mission statement
Mahatma Gandhi's mission is captured in a short list of active/mission statements.
Let the first act of every morning be to make the following resolve for the day:
I shall not fear anyone on Earth.
I shall fear only God.
I shall not bear ill will toward anyone.
I shall not submit to injustice from anyone.
I shall conquer untruth by truth. And in resisting untruth, I shall put up with all suffering
Let the first act of every morning be to make the following resolve for the day:
I shall not fear anyone on Earth.
I shall fear only God.
I shall not bear ill will toward anyone.
I shall not submit to injustice from anyone.
I shall conquer untruth by truth. And in resisting untruth, I shall put up with all suffering
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)