Baffling

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Every once in a while the things I see happening around me are absolutely baffling to me. I have to admit ~ recently more so than say a decade or even longer ago. Back then things seemed to make a lot more sense. They seemed to have a certain order to them, a certain predictability. And looking back I have come to realize that I liked that...

In those days when in the Fall the leaves first colored in reds and yellows, and then fell from the trees ~ that was part and parcel of Autumn. And while they would be swept away from the streets to prevent  a slippery layer to be formed ~ in parks and gardens, and of course in the forest plenty fallen leaves were left for the kids to play in and for all kinds of small critters to seek shelter from Winter’s cold.
Throughout Winter the grass would stop growing and turn brown or even disappear completely ~ only to return again as soon as the warmer days of Spring would come.

Nowadays, as soon as the first leaves start falling off the trees, city workers appear with hearing protection and leaf blowers ~ not just on the streets, but also in the parks. And yes, even clearing the leafs off the shoulders of roads well away from the city center. Leaving every nook and cranny of town immaculately leafless...

And yes, this is one of those things that baffle me.
In this time of economic hardship in which the City Fathers are tightening their belts kicking and screaming ~ they have still managed to allocate the money for each and every last leaf to be picked up in Fall.
Perhaps even more baffling ~ in this day and age in which so many people feel it is so important to do the ‘right thing’ for our environment, without a second thought all the little life-saving hiding places  for little critters like the field mouse and the hedge hog are cleared out. Taken away. Gone...
And pretty soon so are the hedge hogs... And the field mice...

Without the leaves, the kids really do need to go to the forest to find any to play in.
Without the leaves the grass stays green a little longer. Only to turn brownish anyway when it gets colder. And having taken the leaves, the natural fertilizer, away in the Fall, come Spring I’m sure those city workers will re-appear to spread some artificial fertilizer...

It just doesn’t make sense to me at all.
Truly baffling.
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The Inner Voice

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The inner voice is that which speaks from our core; from our connection to our source. It is that quiet stream of information that knows all we would ever need to know...

In a sense ‘the inner voice’ is a misnomer as a lot of people ~ even those who listen to it on a regular basis ~ may not actually hear a voice, yet rather receive sensory information from this quiet, all-knowing place. In other words, the information comes through a sense of feeling, a sense of knowing. And yes, there are also those that ‘get it’ through the sense of sight, of taste, or indeed through the sense of hearing.

As the inner voice stems from a quiet place it makes sense that we need to be quiet ourselves in order to actually ‘hear’ it; receive the information it is giving us through whichever sense is easiest for us to pick up on it...

That is where meditation comes in.
Meditation can be described as seeking a connection to our core, our source. It also allows us to be quiet enough to ‘listen’ to what we need at that moment. Whether that  which we need is a plan to reach our goals, a way to handle a certain situation, or to take a day of rest.

And while taking the time to listen to our inner voice, to meditate, can be very helpful in our life ~ we also need to be aware enough to register what our inner voice is actually telling us...
In our busy lives, even when we take the time to meditate, to listen, we often still need some trigger from outside of ourselves to truly become aware of what we are being told. And these triggers can be anything! Anything that gives us the right association.

It can be a picture, or a story, or a color. It can be a question someone is asking you. It can be something as down to earth as ‘that movie’ being shown on TV. And yes, even an advertisement ~ whether on a billboard along the freeway or a commercial on TV ~ can do the trick.

The only thing it requires to work as a trigger is that you are on the lookout for it; that you are aware what it is telling you on an inner level ~ that you are listening...

Once you have become aware of what your inner voice is telling you ~ it is up to you to either use that information, to act on it, to shelve it, or to discard it.
Your inner voice gives the input; what you do with the input is free will choice...
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Knowing

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Tell me about the things you know...

Each and every one of us knows a lot of things. Whether it is something we have learned, or something we know about a friend. We all know common sense type of things like it is a bad idea to step out into traffic without looking both ways.

And then there are perhaps even more things we think we know. Like we think we know how someone will react, we think we know how we are supposed to behave in a certain situation. We think we know how other people see us, or think about us...

Yet as soon as it is about us ourselves ~ we seem to be at a loss about what to think.
We appear to not know anything. And that does strike me as odd.
Because we do know a lot of things about ourselves. We know what foods we like and don’t like. We know how to do all kinds of things. We know which colors suit us and which colors we shouldn’t wear at any time.
But those are all fairly superficial things.

On top of that we all know more about the more inner things, even important things. We know that feeling that something ‘is not right’. We may not know how to react to that immediately ~ yet it is clear that there is ‘more to it’.

From a spiritual perspective it is often said that we know all we need to know ~ even if we don’t know what that is. That ~ for instance through meditation ~ we can reach to our Source for the answers to pretty much any question we might have.
So from a spiritual perspective, we know a lot of things!

So between that inner sense that there is ‘more to it’, and the spiritual perspective that we know everything we need to know ~ we most definitely know how we are doing. We can tell another person the things we know about ourselves, about how we feel. Perhaps about an uneasiness, or something that seems to have changed within ourselves just recently.
And while we may not be able to put the pieces together and make sense of it all ourselves ~ for someone who doesn’t know us that is often a lot easier. To someone who is a good listener, the things that to us seem to be unrelated, unimportant things about ourselves ~ can speak volumes. They can paint a picture that is clear and succinct.

So, if we know all these things ~ it makes me wonder why it is so hard to become aware of them so that we can act on them...
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Too small

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Have you ever noticed that a space that is quite reasonable in size tends to shrink really quickly as soon as animals are involved?

Just the other day I saw a picture on Facebook of a three-sitter couch with no room to sit on it. And cars have a similar problem; a fairly big SUV seems to shrink to the size of an old 'mini morris' as soon as the dogs jump in. Equally, a sizable living room feels like less than half its size when a dog gets excited and starts to playfully run around in it.

In my living room the furniture is covered with nice, soft, fluffy fleece blankets to accommodate the three cats.
Yet the problem occurs in the bedroom.
The bed that is easily big enough for my partner and me, is definitely too small for three cats. And when I am claiming my space, taking up part of the bed a quiet scuffle ensues: which cat gets the right to cuddle up. And again, the bed has become too small...

The funny thing is that in all these cases at least part of us thinks that what is happening is cute!

When any of the above situations would involve another person, or even a couple of other people ~ then there is nothing cute about it anymore.
Like when someone comes to visit unexpectedly, telling you that they are just dropping in for a few minutes ~ yet two hours and a continuous stream of complaints later the visitor finally takes off, leaving you totally exhausted; almost feeling like you were a stranger in your own space.
Or someone coming asking for help, for counseling without ever intending to do anything about the situation they are finding themselves in; taking your time and space ~ and energy...
Either way, the space has shrunk to a somewhat uncomfortable small size.

The question that comes up is why we often happily give up (part of) our space to our pets ~ and feel it is a nuisance when it concerns other people.
Part of that may be that pets offer their energy, loyalty and friendship in return for taking over our space ~ unconditionally. With people that is usually more complicated.
Another question, and perhaps this is the more important question, is why we seem to have a tendency to give up our space to begin with ~ be it to our pets or to other people ~ and to then come to the conclusion that the space we are in has become too small...
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Headaches

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Headaches are no fun.
Whether it is about a real headache, the painful affliction; a migraine even ~ or more like a problem that refuses to solve itself; they are no fun.
And come to think of it ~ one may actually cause the other...

This in itself should be reason enough to have a look at what is causing the headache...

A person suffering from a literal headache usually knows the underlying cause. It can be stress, tiredness, too much work at the computer ~ whatever it is for that individual.

The problem that we may be nudging, kicking, screaming at, reasoning with; and still it refuses to get solved ~ to get out of our hair ~ can have entirely different causes.
In being unique, individual human beings, what is bothersome to one person is great fun to the next. What is a nuisance to me, might be just where you always wanted to be. As such two people may be working against each other solving an issue as their goals can be vastly different.

From a more spiritual perspective, there is always the possibility that while we have our eyes set at one thing, yet the universe has something entirely different in mind for us ~ chances are our troubles with solving the issue aren’t going to be over anytime soon...

And this then gives a direction to look at...

My wise teacher Julian ~ www.julianteachings.com ~ used to say: “A problem is an obstacle in the flow to a predetermined outcome.”
In other words if we are dead set to handle a situation or issue in a certain manner without looking at alternatives, we may be setting ourselves up for trouble...

But alternatives for what?
There are always different ways to go about handling a situation. If you can’t reach your goal turning right ~ then turn left and go the other way around...
But what if it is the goal itself that needs an alternative? What if the goal is a step along the way at best; and all the while we are treating it as if it is the ultimate solution? And the closer we get to resolving the issue, the more we find ourselves pushed to keep going ~ like an irritation, a bother that every time you think you got it solved pokes up its head again...

It seems that for those headaches it is necessary to think outside of the box. To start thinking of not just another goal or a different path to a solution ~ it is likely to be very beneficial to think of an ultimate goal. Something we always wanted to do and never thought we would, or could. And when turning our attention to that ultimate goal, we may suddenly realize that the headache that has been bothering us for so long has quietly disappeared.
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Falling through the cracks

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Every once n a while there are things that not get done because they have fallen through the cracks. On average those are things that are not that important in the grand scheme of things ~ however at some point in time most of them do need some attention. They need to get done.

Thinking about that it brings a series of interesting picture to mind... Starting with the question ‘What crack are they falling through precisely?’
The picture of big fishing nets works up to a point. The smallest fish that can escape through the spaces in the netting were never meant to get caught ~ so for them to disappear is a good thing!
The picture of a crack in the floor through which things can fall down seems a better visual. Although the things that might fall through a crack like that are usually small, yet not always unimportant.
And as I see those type of pictures in my mind’s eye, I can’t help but wonder ~ a crack in time; what does that look like?

Because that is what is happening. The things that do not get done have a tendency to fall through a crack in time. We didn’t have time to give them the attention they needed at that moment; they didn’t get done. Physically they still linger, waiting for us to ‘make time’ to handle them. Uhm... Making time?

On one hand all of this has to do with scheduling, with commitments, and ultimately with the choices we make.
On the other hand, it brings up these questions about ‘time’. How we use it, deal with it, view it. And how things fall through the cracks when somehow the things we have scheduled and actual time don’t match up. And, possibly through the tension this brings about, a rift occurs. A crack in time through which the less important things disappear.

They disappear from our schedule; they disappear from our view. But do they truly disappear, and if so where to?
To another point in time? To another universe?
And if so, what happens with them there?

It is to some extend a philosophical question.
We don’t seem to be totally aware of all the implications of how ‘time’ works.

That being said, it does seem true that the more time (and energy) we spend on things that already have happened ~ on the past ~ or on thing that are not yet ‘in their proper time’ ~ so they are still in our future ~ the shorter our time in this moment seems to be.
And the easier it gets for things to disappear through that rift in time; for things to fall through the cracks...
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‘I cannot...’

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One of the easiest ways to create a blockage in the flow of our lives is that little statement that starts with ‘I cannot’...

While it is true that there are things that are truly outside of our ability, we tend to use that phrase often as an excuse to not do something, to not make that appointment at that time, to not get engaged in ~ for instance ~ the setting up of the new internet connection or TV channels.
In doing so, we tell the world and ourselves that there are things we cannot do. Whether that is an actual truth or not...

Usually it is not as much that we really are unable to set up that appointment at that time ~ or even are unable to learn how to set up the internet connection ~ as that we don’t feel like doing it. We don’t want to get involved in it. Or at the least we don’t want to spend our energy learning it ~ or doing it ~ right now.
And to veer away from the (possibly long) explanation on why you don’t want to do ‘it’ right now ~ whether it is an appointment or anything else that comes up in life ~ we may feel it is a lot easier to say: “I am so sorry, but I really can’t do that right now...”

The way we live our lives, knowing that everybody is quite busy keeping things together between work, family etc. ~ our response is taken as a factual statement, resulting in us being ‘off the hook’.

When we observe it from that perspective, the ‘I cannot...’ phrase seems to work well for us!
Not only do we not have to enter in a long explanation as to why we don’t want to do something, why now is not the best time to learn something we don’t feel a great affinity with ~ but also those around us have a tendency to take our ‘I cannot...’ statement as fact, allowing us to do the things we want to do in our own way, in our own time.

The caveat comes within ourselves...
Each time we use that ‘I cannot...’ phrase, our subconscious registers that we are unable to do something. Anything. And as our subconscious rules a lot of the things we do seemingly automatically in our daily lives ~ every time we give it that message that ‘we cannot...’, we create a blockage in the flow in which our subconscious operates.
And bit by bit, we make it harder and harder for ourselves to get things done.

We are probably a lot better off telling ourselves: “I can, I can, I can ~ I really think I can!”
And then solve the other ‘stuff’ in our lives as it comes up...
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Listening

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Listening is important. It allows us to hear and understand what other people are telling us, and in doing so two things happen: we start learning what the other person is all about, and we enter into a meaningful interaction with another person.

And talking about ‘listening’, we often understand this as something we do with our ears... But there is a lot more to it!

Just in an interaction with another person the words that are said are only a very small part of the communication. As it turns out we get a lot more information from the intonation the words are spoken with and their body language ~ the manner in which they move, whether they make eye-contact or keep looking away... All these things turn out to be equally as, if not more important than the actual words spoken.

Of course the words are important as well, as they hold the content of the actual message.
And again, they can tell us a whole lot more than just that. There are people who approach everything they talk about from a negative. Recounting the things that don’t work, that cannot be done ~ rather than speaking about how they are going to make things work. On the other hand, there are people who approach things from a positive. Sometimes even to the point that when everything in their lives seems to break apart ~ they just look at you smiling and happily say: ‘What a wonderful learning opportunity have I been given on my path through life’.

Neither extreme ~ be it the negative approach or the overly positive approach ~ are entirely realistic.
Even when you cannot see it at that moment, there usually are things that are beautiful or positive in life next to the things that don’t work in your life. And it is okay to permit yourself to have a ‘bad-hair-day’ every once in a while when things are not working out the way you would want them to...

All of this means that perhaps the most important thing to listen to is ourselves.
When we listen how we put things into words; when we become aware of how we carry ourselves and move about when life happens ~ it can give us information on how we really feel about whatever is happening...
Sometimes it may show us that ~ while things that are happening are working out and our plans are coming together ~ we still have a slightly negative attitude about it. This can be because we are so busy that we are in an overload situation; or perhaps because we are not quite as certain about the plan as we thought we were.

Either way, that little voice inside of us can help us out.
And all we need to do is to listen to it...
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A Universal signal

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Every once in a while I am looking for a signal. A sign that will point me the way ~ that will tell me what to do. Or at least what to do next...

In other instances I would wish to receive an omen even. Especially when it is about things that happen in my life where I am not certain how to react. Should I call the person on it? Or is it best to just let it go; to not worry about it? Being proactive, or more laid back ~ and see if the situation will work itself out.

More often than not I find myself not picking up on any signal, any pointer or omen that can help me make up my mind. The result is that over say a year or so there are a number of unresolved issues ~ usually things that are perhaps not hugely important, but still lingering in the back of my mind.
And as life happens and other activities or situations are needing attention more urgently ~ that is exactly where those issues stay; in the back of my mind. Hidden from day-to-day focus, yet as more unresolved issues are added to the stack they seem to start take up more space, and even weigh heavier on my mind.

That in and of itself is no help when I am looking for a sign. A signal from the universe or a higher force indicating what I should do with these issues...

Until the other evening I was watching CSI New York on television, and there it was!
Well not the signal itself, but certainly a doable way to handle these, often minor yet unresolved things.

In the program the lead CSI character, Mac Taylor, suffers from a near death experience after having been shot. And while fighting for his life, he appears in the lives of his co-workers and has advice for them; sets things straight. Says the things one wouldn’t want to leave unsaid when there is that chance one wouldn’t make it...
One of the co-workers asks him why Mac hadn’t reported him. The answer was that he is good at his job; and by the way the Giants won that year. Huh??

Turns out the Mac Taylor character creates a ‘Universal signal’ to determine what to do with the accumulated unresolved issues on a year by year basis by picking an ‘improbable possibility’. If this ‘improbable possibility’ actually happens, he just lets go of all those things. If it doesn’t happen, he takes the time to resolve them.

That is brilliant! Why wait for a signal when you can set yourself up to receive one...
At least then you know what ‘Universal signal’ you are looking for in the first place. And on top of that it will give a clear indication whether to sit back and relax, or to step up and take action on that stack of stuff lingering in the back of your mind...
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