The Art of Living

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As we live our daily lives we may find it easier to slip into a routine. A set structure that allows us to get through the day ‘on an automatic pilot’. And as we do that, hours stretch into days ~ days stretch into weeks...

Stepping back from the routine, looking at the way we may live our lives from a certain distance ~ chances are that we decide that there should be more to living our lives. That we should live our lives with enthusiasm. Doing the things we are truly passionate about.
Searching out new things, adventures ~ in a sense re-inventing ourselves at every bend in our path.

From this perspective the routine filled life and the enthusiastic, passion filled life are polarities. Where one is predictable and gives a feeling of security ~ the other looks adventurous; it may even give  an idea of ‘living on the edge’, or ‘living dangerously’.

Finding the point of balance between these two extremes can be a true art. The art of living.

Where on one hand we don’t want to get stuck in a routine to such an extend that we loose our enthusiasm, our zest for life. On the other hand we don’t want to chase so many adventures that we fail to live our lives productively ~ re-inventing the wheel every time because we want to do the things we do in new ways.
The point of balance would give our lives enough structure for us to feel comfortable, yet leave us enough space to embark upon new adventures; to do things we have always don a certain way in a new way. Any new way. Independent from what the outcome will be ~ whether this new way of doing things is more efficient or less...
Most importantly, the point of balance is that point where we permit ourselves to focus on those things in life we are enthusiastic about ~ the things we feel passionate about.

Needless to say that finding that point of balance is a true art!
Apart from having the desire to express your zest for life, it takes courage to live your life passionately. It takes a great sense of creativity to find new and creative ways to do your daily chores.

The art of living your life according to your own values, your own rules.
The art of prioritizing the things in life that will bring out the best of yourself.
Being the artist who is shaping and forming his or her own life with a passion!
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Changes ~ the other kind...

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In some instances changes really do come in with a ‘bang’.

And whether that is because we haven’t noticed  the build-up of small changes that quietly have laid the ground work for this one, great, big change that is suddenly and unexpectedly invading our lives and our environments; or whether it is one of this things whose time it is ~ and there they are, once the changes happen it is more often than not a shocking, and unpleasant experience.
 Out of the blue we may find ourselves in a situation that changes rapidly, is beyond our control, doesn’t seem to move in any purposeful direction that we can determine ~ and all we can do is to hold on for the ride!
It can feel like everything we knew is being taken apart to the point that we may get the sense that nothing is left, and with that we may even lose our sense of normalcy. Sometimes we discover that we weren’t at all who we thought we were; find out that things we always thought were very important to us are in fact easy to let go of...

When the initial chaos subsides, usually a new structure emerges.
The phoenix does rise from the ashes, indeed!

The danger of a sudden and enormous change that rips through our lives is that we become despondent as the changes take place and only find ourselves focussing on the negative aspects of what is happening. Like the sense that things are out of (our) control. Or the sometimes very practical sides of it ~ like being without a home, or finding yourself without a job.

Yet the moment we can bring ourselves to open to the positive aspects of the changes ~ we may see that we are given the opportunity to ‘start over’. That there can be a place where we can be at home that we might never have thought of ~ but there it is. We even may discover that we have better friends than we thought we had!

Then, when the dust is settled and we find our lives getting a sense of purpose and structure again ~ at that time when we can look back at that period in our lives when we went through these enormous changes ~ we may well find that we have emerged from that period a stronger, better person.
And as time moves on, perhaps there will be a moment when we recognize that while the whole process of the changes was scary, chaotic, a period of darkness even ~ it has turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it has forced us to move into a new direction; a new cycle in our lives!
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Changes

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When I think of changes, especially when I perceive them as big changes ~ I often expect them to show up suddenly, unexpected. A sense that changes will come into the world and into my life with a ‘bang’...

And although this may happen every once in a while ~ usually changes appear silently, even without being noticed. They may start out as small changes in plans or priorities; the occasional time when you change your mind. And bit by bit these innocuous changes take hold. Pretty soon, they will start to become the basis for bigger changes ~ like changes in attitude, or behavior. And before you know it you  may have a desire to find yourself a new home, in a new city ~ and be on the lookout for a new job! All the while wondering where all these changes have come from.

Along similar lines one can anticipate climate changes.
Sort of like it has been depicted in the movies where in 48 hours a nice, moderate ~ or perhaps subtropical climate changes into an environment that is frozen solid. With all the problems that would bring with it...
Yet in all reality, weather patterns have been changing for the past four or five years ~ I suppose world-wide; although I have really noticed it in my native Country of the Netherlands. At first we just experienced a nice, unexpectedly warm and sunny Spring time. Granted, the following Summer was a bit rainier than anticipated. But the Fall season seemed to sport regular plain Autumn weather. And to the surprise of many (and delight of some) the Winter temperatures dropped low enough for ice skating rinks to open for the first time in years...
Throughout that year, all I remembered was that beautiful, warm Spring.

Now that we are a number of years later ~ Spring seems to be consistently warm and sunny, Summer is a lot more rainy and humid than I remembered Summer weather to be when I grew up. And the average temperature in the Winter appears to be dropping below the quite moderate temperatures I used to be used to.

While it doesn’t seem like much ~ it most definitely counts as a change in weather patterns; and probably as a change in the climate as well.
This particular change didn’t come in with a lot of fanfare. It started quietly, with a pleasant surprise of nice Spring weather!

And who knows what is still to come?
Will it evolve into a far more wet climate? Or the opposite ~ a dryer weather type? Will the Dutch climate move up a notch from ‘temperate’ to ‘sub-tropical’? Something that may seem wonderful at the surface, but which may bring great and unanticipated changes along with it...

Whatever changes may come into our lives and our world next ~ chances are they will start quietly but will not be any less profound than if they were to come in with a ‘bang’!
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Harry Potter

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I went to see the last part of the Harry Potter saga ~ certainly one of the more modern tales between ‘good’ and ‘evil’ ~ and yes, I was delighted to see him win!
Over the past eight years I have certainly not been the only one engrossed in his learning process ~ and, leaving the magical touches behind for a moment; that process was not all that different from each of ours. Like us, Harry Potter to embarked upon a personal life path that brought him lessons, obstacles and rewards.
And what begins with the ‘good’, innocent Harry Potter and a guy ‘who must not be named’ who wishes him dead ~ bit by bit, step by step, became one of those epic battles between ‘good’ and ‘evil’. In the story Harry and Voldemort are enemies that are potentially equally as strong, though vastly different in experience and attitude.
The young Jedi and the Dark Side pitted against each other all over again...

But, as in all epic stories about ‘good’ and ‘evil’ ~ not only are they dependent upon each other in the world outside of ourselves; they have their roles and plays inside of ourselves as well. And ultimately, to destroy ‘evil’ means that one needs to part with aspects of ourselves. The skeletons in our closets. The dragons haunting our dreams. And all those little things like jealousy, greed, etc. The darker side of ourselves.

It sounds simple. (And how I wish I would be able to accomplish it in the eight year time span it took Harry Potter to get there...)

In our real, every day lives these things come up as our life lessons. And with every lesson we learn, we hope to shine a little brighter ~ until at some point the ‘good’ in us wins and enlightenment ensues!

Yet it seems it needs more than just handling whatever situations come up in our lives.
Of course it is necessary we face, solve, or even resolve those situations. But at the same time it is also important that we are willing to stand for the very best person we can be! To aim at doing the things we want to do to the very best of our ability. To truly set out to discover and use our talents, our potential.
In other words, to really take steps to let our ‘reality Self’ shine!

The brighter our Selves shine, the more the darkness dissipates.

It is a process in which not only the very best of our Selves, the ‘good’ will win ~ in a sense it is just as magical as the wizardry taught at Hogwarts!
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Good and Evil

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Most cultures have stories about the battle between ‘good’ and ‘evil’. They are often long and drawn out tales of epic struggles.
Ever since I was a kid I have liked those stories. At the time the significance was pretty much lost to me ~ that understanding came quite a few years later. But the really cool thing about those stories is that in the end ‘good’ always wins. ‘Good’ is always stronger, smarter, and more ingenious than ‘evil’.
And who doesn’t want to be smart and strong, and yes, good?

The most significant trait of the ‘good side’ may well be innocence. An innocence that is kept by “seeing no evil, hearing no evil, and speaking no evil”.

In the world of today this may seem naive. There are so many things going on in so many places all over the globe that ~ even when we might not call them outright ‘evil’, certainly are not ‘good’. And not seeing that, hearing that, or speaking up about that may seem like a person refuses to face reality.

On the other hand, if you have deep inside the Self the believe that a person ~ any person ~ is ‘good’. Even if that ‘goodness’ is buried underneath so many attitudes and mindsets that it hardly shows anymore ~ if you believe that the innermost core of that person is still ‘good’, it is very hard to see or hear the ‘evil’ (granted, the speaking ‘evil’ is a bit harder to escape ~ after all ‘innocent gossip’ is a form of ‘evil’ all in itself...)

One might think that this innocence ~ this naive perspective, this refusal to face the realities of life ~ would make a person weaker. It definitely seems to be viewed as a weakness in our world...
And yet, it is this innocence that makes the ‘good’ even better in the long-told tales of ‘good’ and ‘evil’.

Now, many years later I have a far better comprehension of the underlying story lines. It makes the age-old stories more interesting ~ it also makes it a bit more confusing as to how they could play out in our world today... ‘Good’ and ‘evil’ sounded so delightfully simple. And once you knew who the ‘good guys’ were, and who were the ‘bad guys’ ~ it was an easy choice who to side with...

But unfortunately, even ‘good’ and ‘evil’ are not as one-dimensional as that ~ as there is this inner layer to ‘good’ and ‘evil’ that brings the battle between them right into ourselves. And suddenly it is not only about the virtues that make one ‘good’ ~ it is also about how willing we are to stand up for that inner core of our Selves that is innately ‘good’.
Even if that means the sacrifice of worldly goods...
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Simple questions

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Sometimes the simple questions lead to significant understanding.

Some of the simplest questions I have been asked lately, I have been asked by one of my three black cats. Over many years of sharing my life with cats, I have come to know the species as opportunistic, manipulative, cunning. They are also cuddly, laid back, funny, purring creatures. Purrrrfect indeed!

And most of their questions have to do with food, attention, and most importantly getting it their way every time. In the past I have tried to keep some semblance of control ~ but all that I got for my efforts were icy stares and cold shoulders...

The question that comes up on a regular basis ~ apart from requests for food, more food and ‘better’ food ~ is one to open the front door. When I answer that the cat door in the back works great, the staring begins. And bit by bit the kitty gets more and more vocal about it. Until I finally give in.
As soon as I have opened the front door, she ‘s out.

Yet the next thing that happens is surprising ~ now that the door is open, one of the other cats comes in to eat.
Even more surprising is that sometimes that little cat asks loudly for that door to be opened while she is outside; presumably to be let in. Shortly after she prances in, the other cat follows...

All in all the question is a simple one: ‘please open that door...’
But there is a lot more that goes on behind that simple request... It doesn’t seem to be as much that the cat is lazy and doesn’t want to go the long way around the back, there is a different reason ~ and it is one that goes further that her individual desires, it serves a ‘greater good’. It is done ~ at least in part ~ to let the older cat enter easily when he is hungry; or when the weather is too cold and wet to be outside, cat or human alike.

Here this little black cat keeps track of her two companions, and in her own way, she makes sure their needs are filled along with hers.
In doing so she shows the world that when things are done for the ‘greater good’, you don’t have to sacrifice what you as an individual desire. Things can be done in such a way that not only your individual desires are fulfilled, but on top of that the wishes or needs of the group are also answered to.

And when that little cat is done with this entire procedure, she will come sit next to me, purring proudly as if to say: “Am I not the very best ever?”
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What’s next?

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Every once in a while I have this sense that something is ending. The feeling that I have visited that place I may have frequented ~ for the last time. That whatever I have been doing will change...

Changing priorities. Or changing work. Changes in the home...
Or even silly things like not going back anymore to that supermarket where I have done my grocery shopping for ages ~ choosing another supermarket instead; even when it is further away, has no parking, and is always busy.

It is just one of those things that seems to happen more in this point in time. Perhaps the only thing I feel absolutely certain about is that this is a time of change.

Something else that seems to happen more and more is that things seem really good, or really bad. That they are absolute truth, or a downright lie. Totally good, or the darkest evil.
Polarities to the extremes.
So one might think that this makes it easier to make decisions. After all, if things seem to be so obviously right or wrong... And yet, I find that this isn’t the case. Every time I have my mind all made up about something or some situation ~ every time I think I have made my decision and now can move on from there ~ doubt strikes. Is this really the best decision? Is this going to work as well for me as I hope it will? Or would I be better off choosing another route; another way?

The first time I went through this process, I just went through all the options one more time and then made a decision. No big deal, right?
But gradually I started doubting more and more decisions and choices. Until I finally became hesitant to make any decisions at all.

And this brings an interesting situation ~ in a time in which everything is in change; a time that has so many opportunities and chances; a time where no matter in which direction you are looking there are new roads to walk, new horizons to be explored ~ I am stagnant. Seemingly unable to make a choice as to where to go or what to do. Questioning pretty much every step I take...

It is a situation that perhaps is easier to understand from a more spiritual perspective.
As more and more choices, chances and opportunities are presenting themselves to us in this time when even the smallest parts of our lives seem to be changing ~ even if that is ever so slightly ~ it becomes harder and harder to choose any of those things, yet one can’t have them all... Like a kid in the candy store.
The only way we feel we can keep some semblance of order in our lives is to be certain about the important things in live ~ which pushes those things into their polarity perspectives.

It is all perfectly logical.
I just wish I’d get some sign, some hint as to what’s next!
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No Words

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It doesn’t happen often, but every once in a while I just stare at a blank screen trying to come up with a topic for this blog. Any topic. And the words that usually come so easily seem to have abandoned me. Minutes go by. The cat gets up, stretches and walks to the kitchen. I hear the cat door moving, and he is out into the Summer night. And the screen on the computer is still empty. My thoughts are absolutely quiet. There are no words...

One could argue that when the mind is quiet, when there are no thoughts floating by, interrupting the stillness ~ that this is a good thing. An enlightening thing even. And I suppose that is true while meditating, or even when in a state of mindfulness.
However, when you seek to write ~ putting your thoughts to paper (or keying them onto the computer, as the case may be) the very absence of those thoughts is the interruption.

And I am beginning to wonder if this is what is called ‘writers block’.

Now, writer’s block assumes a blockage of some sort preventing story-lines to form. And a blockage, as my teacher Julian taught me long time ago, can be defined as “An obstacle in the flow toward a predetermined outcome”.
The outcome would be the post for this blog. The obstacle: no words.

Yet is there is an obstacle occurring in any process we endeavor in, the big question is why? What can be the reason for an obstacle, especially one that stands in the way of finishing whatever is the process at hand; or reaching the desired outcome?

The reason why something like this might happen can have to do with timing. Writing this at such a time when other things should have priority. In which case it is not the ‘predetermined outcome’, or ‘desired outcome’ that is the problem ~ only when this ‘predetermined outcome’ would become a reality.
Another reason could be the need for a vacation.
And then there is always the chance that all is quiet in my mind is what I need most right now. That it is a not so subtle hint that ~ at least for this moment ~ meditation is where it is at. To just sit and permit my already quiet mind to relax into a state of quiescence, not bothered by time-frames, dead-lines, or priorities that exist outside of Self.

Pondering that possibility, does stir up some thoughts that lazily bring to my attention that perhaps I should indeed give that a try. That just sitting back and be still for a little bit can be more beneficial to me at this moment, than pushing on...

I take a deep breath...
All is well...
All is quiet...
No words...
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