Noise

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Have you noticed how there seems to be more noise around us lately?
There seems to be more traffic noise, more noise related to work being done; for instance with leaf blowers that have taken over the rakes and brooms of old. And with the ability to listen to music everywhere we go, a lot of people have sounds in their ears pretty much anywhere they are going.
The other night when I was having dinner with family in a restaurant it even seemed that people were talking louder, were noisier.

Some time ago I have read some research into the songs birds sing; often to mark their territories. For a number of years the songs of birds were measured. As research goes it was about the number of different birds, the number of the same birds, the time they were most active singing their songs, and last but not least, the volume of their songs.
As it turns out, since we as humans get up an hour earlier during the Summer months, adapting Daylight Savings Time, the birds adapt as well. They have started singing earlier. And as the noise level of our society has risen, the volume of the bird songs has gone up.

It seems only logical that, having sounds ~ or even plain noise ~ everywhere around us for so many hours a day, that we ourselves have grown louder too. That we speak louder, laugh louder, sing louder…

Yet when there is so much noise around us, where will we find the quiet, restful places we can retreat to in order to listen to ourselves? To that very soft, inner voice that guides us, that answers our questions, that provides us with solutions we hadn’t even thought of before? Where do we find a place where the sound of the breeze rustling through the coloring leaves is so mellow, that we can actually hear the beat of our own hearts and the sound of our breathing in and out…
Where can we still experience the quiescence of a sunrise or sunset in that perfect moment between day and night; night and day…
With all the noise and sounds and music we bring into our lives, its rhythms leading our personal rhythms into higher frequencies, its volume turning our personal volume further and further up; where can we find silence?

For it is in the silence that we can recalibrate ourselves. In the silence we can regain our personal rhythm, take a deep breath, and reconnect with the unique person we truly are…
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Silence

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Silence is golden, or so it has been said. The fact that we are allowed to have our opinions, and to voice them in public, doesn’t necessarily mean that we have to do it.
There is a difference between the need to be heard in a certain situation, and sharing our opinions in order to hear our own voice. In order to pat ourselves on the back because we know best and we have shown them…

On the other hand it is a good thing to stay informed and to be able to express ourselves; it is just that there are a place and time for everything, and sometimes letting a situation play out without getting involved is the wiser perspective.

But there is more to silence than ‘being silent’. Silence can be used as a tool too. An interesting one, as it can span the polarities in its use; it can either be the wise choice that allows for that other person to make their own discoveries, or it can be an aggressive statement on how wrong the other person is.

Then there is also silence to be found, enjoyed, even cherished.
The silent place in nature, and that point of silence within ourselves. The silence that comes with an unexpected peacefulness. A silences that is restful, regenerating, and sometimes even rejuvenating. It is that aspect of silence that seems to be more and more important to us ~ to our sense of wellbeing ~ and at the same time seems to be ever harder to find.

There are still a few places where we can experience that profound silence, for instance within caves. It is in that silence that we can finally hear our thoughts, our heartbeat; the rhythm of our breath. In that silence we can connect with the point of silence within ourselves and begin to observe what is going on, both within ourselves as well as outside of ourselves. We begin to notice our thought patterns, and perhaps more importantly, whether they are leading us in a positive direction.
From this point of silence we can much more easily discern what to accept, and what we want no part of in our lives. We can become aware of our true needs and desires in life; on the physical, mental, and spiritual levels of our existence.

So important do we feel this silence is, that we build ‘sensory deprivation cabins’ where we can find such a profound experience of silence…

It is something to keep in mind as we surround ourselves with all kinds of sounds in our busy day-to-day lives; silence is golden; or perhaps in the higher frequencies of today, even a diamond!
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Best intentions

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We all want the very best; not just for ourselves, but also for those we care about. Our children, our families, partners, friends… So whenever we take action to make something good happen for them, we do so with the very best intentions.

And yet, every once in a while that doesn’t work quite the way we had in mind.

The human thing to do, is to project that which we feel is best for us unto the lives of those we aim to help.

And this can be something fairly inconsequential like preparing the favorite dish ~ which might turn out to be our own favorite dish other than their favorite dish. Or showing the other person the best way to do something, slightly different from the way they are doing it; with no perceptible difference in the final result. Yet it can also be more major; like pushing our child to study, while the child really does want to work with his/her hands ~ to learn a trade.
Another way our best intentions may sort of backfire is through our definitions of success. When to us success involves a high paid job, a big house, and an expensive car, we may ~ with the best intentions ~ wish that for those we care about. Yet they may have their own, totally different way of defining success…

The list is endless. The more we intend to help those we care about, the more often we may find that our best intentions are different from what that other person desires, or even needs.

There are however several ways to circumvent this.
First and foremost, when we have the intention to help, we may wan tot ask the other person how we can best be of assistance. How can we help? And even when we would have done things differently, to help in that manner which the other person perceives as most helpful at that moment.
Another way is to ‘walk a mile in the other person’s shoes’. To release our own need to be helpful or even ‘right’; to truly seek out where the other person is coming from, and where they are headed.
And when we have a fairly good understanding as to the perceived best way to help from the other person’s perspective, only then do we jump in to help. With all our good intentions.

Yet the most certain way to truly help those we care about, is pretty much to support them in whatever they are setting out to do, the way they are doing just that. To be their soft place to fall when things go wrong.
And to never come with those dreaded words: “I told you so.”
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Transformation

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According to the dictionary, transformation is a thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance. And in one form or another we all strive for transformation in our lives.
As a child we want to grow up; we want to transform into the adolescent who is bigger and stronger and therefore is allowed more freedom. As an adolescent we want to become the adult. When we are stressed we aim to transform into a more stress free version of ourselves; when we are caught up in so many things that we are continuously on the move we desire a transformation into something calmer, where life moves a little more smooth.

The dilemma often is that, while we do desire that transformation (at least at some level) we tend to be dreading the changes that come hand in hand with that transformation.
There are no half packages though… With one, the other will be right there…

Yet, with each transformation we wish our lives to be better.
And as we only have limited control over all of the circumstances, happenings and events in our lives, the true transformation has to be within ourselves…
That would mean that we would not necessarily aim to transform a specific situation, but rather the way we view the world. In other words, transform our perspective; start looking at the world through ‘new eyes’. It may guide us to see that same situation in a new light; see different aspects of it, and so on. It may even allow us to perceive why that specific situation entered our lives; and therefore show us what our part in it is.

Many teachings emphasize the benefit of observing the world from a perspective of detachment. It seems like ultimately that is the one transformation we may be striving for. To let go of the emotional inner dialogue, the opinionated attitude, or even the indignation that something like that can be done to us ~ and to get to the point from which we can observe the situation as it is. Honest and truthful. Factual.

The more we an transform ourselves into that direction, the less likely we are to get caught in situations filled with drama; and if we are, we can just see it for what it is. Chances are whatever the situation is we are facing, it will become easier to handle; problems will effortlessly get solved.

As we get more detached, less emotionally involved, less opinionated, we are not stepping back from the world; we rather are giving ourselves a chance to be totally aware and in balance with the world in the present.

If we want to transform, it seems like a really good transformation to aim for…
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Grace

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The simple elegance or refinement of movement, or courteous goodwill; whichever way you interpret grace it is a good thing. It is more than kindness, it implies compassion, and perhaps one could even say that it is an inner quality that radiates outward bringing a natural elegance to the way a person moves and behaves.
Grace is a state of being that is also seen as an outward reflection of spirituality. More precisely of the spiritual standards a person may live by. For instance when a person has found inner peace which enhances their inner and outer balance, priorities shift. And as that person lives more and more according to their peaceful, balanced inner compass, this will often be recognized as a state of grace. A simple elegance.

We can learn how to move elegantly, how to be polite; do the things we do exactly the way they are done in the social circles we belong to. Yet these are all ‘polish on the surface’, or sometimes even masks we wear to fit in.
A state of grace is achieved by learning about ourselves. Learning to accept ourselves as the unique human being we are ~ with all our good sides and things that we may still want to work on a bit. And as such it is an ‘inner job’.
It has nothing to do with fitting in, or saying the right words because we feel those are expected from us. It has to do with a desire to help and support others on their paths, while being ourselves the best way we know how to, in total equality. It involves trust in ourselves and having faith in others.

But what sets those that live in a state of grace apart more than anything else is the way they may examine both polarities in order to find the point of balance between them. To see and understand both sides without judging either one of them.

Of course this doesn’t mean that someone living in a state of grace is a ‘push-over’, on the contrary! It just means that the need to be right for the sake of being right; the drawing of the line in the sand, just because you can has lessened to the point where it doesn’t rule our (inter)action, our lives anymore.
After all, the more we can totally accept ourselves, the less we feel the need to defend ourselves, our actions, our opinions…

Living in a state of grace gives us choices. And it brings a simple elegance into our lives.
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Stepping Back

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Whenever we find any situation gets a bit too intense, it is a good idea to step back from it. To either take a little time away from it, or to literally create a bit more distance between ourselves and the situation at hand. To give ourselves the opportunity to take a deep breath before we move on with it. To set it aside for a moment, and do something else before we focus on it again. To sleep on it.

Whichever way you choose to step back from it, the results may be the same; creating a bit more distance between ourselves and the situation at hand.
As such, it is a way of letting go, of releasing that which we are ~ perhaps overly ~ involved in.

It is a letting go that is not aimed at losing it forever; or removing it from our lives necessarily. It is more that we need some space in order to see all aspects of that situation clearly. To not just see the details, but also allowing ourselves to get that overview perspective. To see the ‘bigger picture’.
In the process we create a bit more space for ourselves to maneuver; a bit more room to position ourselves in order to get the very best outcome for that situation we can imagine.

We may all recognize the wisdom of doing so when we find ourselves in tense or difficult situations; or when we are facing complicated or tough decisions.
We may not do it as readily in our normal, everyday lives.

And yet, it is a good idea to take some time before a decision, in order to see the consequences for all involved. And that includes ourselves of course (interestingly enough we tend to forget that more often than we realize…). We benefit from allowing ourselves some space to observe what is truly going on, before we move forward. To hold that which is in our faces at arm’s length to have a good look at it…

Even when it is not something that strikes us as a hard decision, or a complicated situation, it will help a lot to step back from it for a moment. To take a breath. To sleep on it.
It brings us in the best position for making balanced decisions; balanced steps forward on our personal paths. And as our decisions and our lives become more balanced, arguably our spaces become more balanced, and with that those that touch our spaces, are touched by balance.

So the next time something ~ expected or unexpected ~ happens in life; step back and the a deep breath before you react or decide on your next step…
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Space and Time

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Every area has its own energy, its own culture, its habits, its language… It is what makes every place, every space unique! Over time all of these things are subject to change, some slower than others, still there is hardly any part on the earth today where everything is like it was for instance a hundred years ago.

Even within a small Country like the Netherlands, there are many dialects, many sub-cultures that have strong historical roots. Through immigration from other places it may seem that those more ‘original’ subcultures are fading a little bit; although to me it feels more like the influx of other cultures has enriched the ‘space and time’ of the area we call the Netherlands.

It doesn’t take a whole lot of imagination to see how all these areas with their cultural values, their language, their dialects, in and of themselves are like a tapestry. If we would then weave the separate pieces of tapestry together, the whole world becomes a grand, three dimensional, woven painting of space and time as it exists today. Underneath the surface might be the roots where the energy of each area is growing from; while tomorrow might be woven above that which is now…

And yet, the world is not expanding. Arguably its energy may not be expanding either.
It is just being woven into different patterns, showing different pictures at different times. And whether we want it to or not ~ whether we believe in it or not ~ it is still one tapestry.
One space and time.

Looking at it this way, it may seem that changes on a personal level are small and insignificant. Even changes that are brought about by small groups seem, when looked at from space and time as one tapestry, may seem inconsequential…

Yet in this giant tapestry, each thread has purpose. Each single color is important, no matter how small an area is woven with it. And if it wouldn’t be there, it would surely be missed.

On a world wide scale, at a precise moment in time, there appears this beautiful color in the tapestry. A color that most of us don’t remember ever seeing before. And from this single strand of beautiful color, pretty soon other colors emerge. Each of them unique and beautiful in their own right. And somehow those colors spread through space and time in a way that no one might have foreseen. Wherever they appear, individual strands of new color start coming up in the tapestry…

And that is one of the most precious and beautiful things one can behold!
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Darkness

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There are few words that have so many ‘negative’ connotations as the word ‘darkness’. It’s literal meaning is the partial or total absence of light. Yet according to the dictionary it also means wickedness or evil; the forces of darkness; unhappiness, distress, or gloom; secrecy or mystery; lack of spiritual or intellectual enlightenment; ignorance.

In a sense one can say that in most of the more ‘negative’ meanings the person or situation lacks light; whether it is as clarity or enlightenment. Or plain common sense. The one meaning where this is not as obvious is in case of ‘wickedness or evil’. Those are choices that are made; perhaps unenlightened choices, yet choices nonetheless.

It does bring up the question why we have so much of a charge with darkness.

It is true that when there is no light, or hardly any light, it is hard to see where we are going. It is hard to determine what is up ahead ~ whether that is on the road we are traveling or on our personal paths. And when we cannot see what is there, it tends to make us uncertain. And before we know it we start doubting ourselves. Can we get there? Can we do it? Can we handle whatever we will encounter as we proceed into this space that lacks light, that makes it hard for us to see what exactly is going on?

The thing with darkness is, at least from a physical perspective, that it refers totally to us relying on our sense of sight. And to then let our mind run away with it… As soon as we start listening to all of our senses, we tend to be less filled with doubt, perhaps even more courageous as we venture out into new and unknown territory.

When the darkness we encounter stems from ignorance, from a ‘not knowing what is at play’, we can always choose to inform ourselves. To actively pursue the acquisition of knowledge, and to purposely seek to know both sides of the issue. The more we know, the greater the clarity, the more light is spread upon the situation; and before we know it, the darkness is gone.

That leaves only one true perspective on darkness; and that is the conscious choice a person can make to be wicked. To consciously choose to do evil things; to do the things that cannot bear the light of day. To venture out in those things that thrive in darkness…

This all being said, darkness is not really this dark and negative force, but rather an invitation to us to let our lights shine, to enlighten ourselves!
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Short days

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The further North (or South) we live, the greater the difference in days and nights as we move through the cycle of the seasons. And while we may like those seemingly unending Summer days, that may not necessarily be true for the subsequent short Winter days. Especially when the days are overcast, the amount of daylight seems almost non-existent.

I imagine that a hundred, or even a hundred and fifty, years ago this was far less of a problem. When it got dark to the point that one couldn’t see what needed to be done anymore, there clearly was no need to do it at that time…
That made for long Winter nights, and possibly for large families.

Come the next Summer, the long days were filled with hard labor in order to prepare for the short, dark days and the cold of the next Winter.

However, in todays world we tend to stick to a different rhythm. The rhythm dictated by jobs, family, social contacts, and so on. And with lights everywhere, there is really no need to feel held back in any way by the short, dark days of Winter.
And just in case we do prefer a bit more light, a bit longer days, we can solve that too! Either by using specialty lighting, or by spending those Winter days elsewhere. Anywhere where the days are longer and warmer…

And while it is a good thing that we can solve problems like that; that we don’t have to feel ‘under the weather’ because of the lack of (day)light; in a sense this also causes a kind of ‘disconnect’ from nature as it exists in the area that we call home.
It is like we are forcing ourselves into a year ‘round ‘Summer rhythm’, in which we choose how long our days are and with how much activity we fill them. The natural period of rest and internalization, the time in which we would have huddled with the family around the open fire telling stories, is all but gone.

And so the old way of things, the old stories are forgotten.
We aren’t taught anymore how to spin tales, how to imagine new stories…

Still, when the days are shortening I feel a desire to drink hot chocolate, to eat soup, and to read a good book. To curl up on the couch and reflect about the things that have come and gone over the past year. To rest.
And to start making plans for times ahead, when the days will grow longer again…
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Structure

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Structure, whether it is a structure, a planning, a way of organizing our lives; a way to get the job done; or even a routine that makes life easy and comfortable for us, is one of those things that have two sides to it. As in this day and age pretty much anything has two sides to it.

Yet, when we take a look at structure both sides are truly interesting, and in a way can be good for us.
On one side there is the structure, the routine we like. The way we get up in the morning, the things we do, that first cup of coffee or tea… It is a structure that gives us comfort and a certain sense of security within our lives. On the other side there is a structure to how and when we do the things we need to do. Like showing up on time for our jobs, getting the job done in such a way it pays off. Doing the things that are required of us in a certain way at a certain time.

And, as said before, there is nothing wrong with either one of those structures in our lives. Apart from the comfort of knowing what is up next, it brings a measure of efficiency to the things we need to accomplish on a day to day basis.
In a sense it brings a certain rhythm to our days that is predictable, and comfortable.

But what happens when the predictability takes over, and we start having a hard time functioning outside of that structure, that rhythm? What happens when the structure is so tightly set that stepping outside of it becomes next to impossible? Or when that comfortable personal routine becomes a rut?

That is where the polarity shows itself.
Then it is definitely time to have a second look at the routines and structures in our lives…

Structures can give us a sense of freedom; the freedom of knowing what we are going to do and how we will accomplish what we set out to do. In its polarity a structure can become so tight that it takes away our sense of creativity. We can become so set in our personal routines that when we are not following them we feel something is off. Or even that we are doing something ‘wrong’.

At that point, to make a conscious choice to do things in a different manner; to purposely step out of our routine, out of the structure we have been working within for some time, can open up all kinds of new things for us!
A new way to do things, and even doing new things!

So whenever you feel the structures in your life taking over, consciously choose to create a new structure, a new routine for yourself; and you may be surprised at how much fun life can be again!
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Two things in life

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Where I live there is this advertisement on the TV that states that there are only two things in life; the things that are worth it, and the rest.
And every time I hear these words, I get this little pang of recognition; even though I am still not entirely clear on what the add is for. It is about this very simple way of sorting through everything that comes our way in life. The simplicity of a ‘yes or no’ decision.
Either it is worth it, or it is not. Period.

And I have to admit that I would like to actually look at things in that manner. With every little or big thing that crosses my path ~ of which I feel I have to do something with it ~ to just use that discernment and decide whether that particular thing is worth it to me, or not. Whether it is something I want to go for, or if it is something that I can do without. Without judgement as to whether it is good or bad; just the decision that is is or is not something I want in my life right now…

This is true for material things, but also for concepts, thoughts, attitudes, and even people.

It is an approach that is fairly foreign to me. I was raised that one has to help others, be polite to others, make time for others; and of course get a certain education, a suitable job, drive a reliable car, and on, and on, and on…
And while I have chosen differently in many of these things, it still is a challenge to view the world around me with a simplicity that neatly divides the world in two. The things I like, and the things I don’t like. The things I desire, and the things I don’t care for. The things that are worth it, and the rest.

From my personal perspective. So something can have a factual value, yet if I have no need for it, it is still not worth it to me…
No maybe’s, or perhaps. No ‘let’s try later’. No excuses. And no need for pro’s and con’s, or even to defend my decision. It would cut out a lot of drama from life as the reason for the ‘yes, or no’ decision is upfront and personal; in a good way. No second guessing, no choices we make in order to appease others, or to behave according to expectations…

The only thing that counts is the realization of those two things in life; the things that are worth it, and the rest.

It would be a breath of fresh air.
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What we have not

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Sometimes it is a good thing to step back from our lives, even if it is just for a couple of hours, and to look at how we live our lives. Where do we focus our energy; where do we spend our time? And perhaps most important how do we see our lives. Do we look at all the things that are positive, the things we have accomplished? Or are we looking at the things that we still have to do, the things that we have not yet been able to do, and maybe even the things we don’t have in live ~ both material as well as immaterial?

Somehow, how we view our lives seem to be related to what is going on in the world today; or more precisely, what we see on the newscasts about what is happening all around the globe. The more positive the newscasts, the more positive our outlook on life seems to be. The more negative, the more we seem to focus on the things that aren’t right (yet) in our lives.
In other words, the information we receive from outside of ourselves ~ even from outside of our environments and therefore our lives ~ influences how we see our direct environment and what is happening in our lives. What is happening with us.

This can place us in a somewhat dangerous spiral as the more negative the information from around the world becomes, the more negative we view our lives, and the more negative we see ourselves.

The question then becomes if, and if so how much, whatever is going on in far away places is affecting us on a personal level, and what we can do to change those things. And that is not quite as straightforward as it seems. Seeing the horrific images of war, hunger, and illness on TV really do affect most of us. The problem is that a lot of those things are well beyond our realm of influence, and therefore, on top of not feeling good about them, we are powerless to do anything about them. Which has a tendency to make it negative influence on our lives even greater. And pretty soon our focus is on all the things we have not. The things we cannot do, or have, or believe…

And even when a lot of things in our lives are going really well; as soon as we focus on the things we have not, cannot do, will not believe are possible; we make it that much harder for ourselves to be positive and accepting. To receive the goodness of life.

So rather than allowing ourselves to focus on the things that we have not, we cannot do, or we will not believe possible; we should focus on what we do have, the things we can do, and our positive vision for the future. To be grateful for what we have now opens the doors to a wonderful future!
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Looking in the mirror

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When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Do you see an ‘anonymous’ face, still half asleep, not wearing any make-up yet? A tired face showing signs of yet another day of trying to do too many things in too short a time? Or do you see the picture of health and beauty?

There are many things we can see when we look at ourselves in the mirror. Anything from the cold, hard reality, to the mask we wear when we go out into the world. That reflection of ourselves that is sometimes so unforgiving, and at ashore times more flattering than we ever thought possible.
Yet most of us just look at the superficial image. The surface of who we really are. And all too often we then feel the need to enhance that image into the picture we want to project out into the world.

But there is also another side to what we can see in the mirror. A deeper level.
If we are willing to look at ourselves with total honesty, to really see every aspect of us that is there ~ whether we are willing to show it to the world, or rather keep it hidden ~ then it might be a good idea to take some time and look in the mirror…

To observe to color and tone of our skin and the measure of health that reflects. The creases that may show when we smile; or perhaps the beginning wrinkles caused by too many frowns.
To look ourselves in the eyes, and see the attitudes, the joy, the experiences we have gained throughout our lives; and perhaps also a tinge of sorrow.
To notice our energy, that which we project into the world without even knowing it…

And when we are courageous; to perceive deep, deep inside ourselves that wonderful, unique, radiant being, filled with potential which all too often we keep hidden. Our true Self.

Wouldn’t it be great if that true Self would shine through a bit more? If we would live its uniqueness, and plan to achieve its potential?

And even if we don’t know what that potential is exactly, or how precisely we would go about letting our true Self shine through; how to live reaching for the highest goals of the true Self ~ as soon as we have the honest intention to start doing just that, magic happens.
Before we know it, our lives will begin to show subtle changes. Things may fall into place just a tiny bit easier. day to day life may just get a little more smooth…

So when we look in the mirror, it might be a good time to see beyond the surface and to start acknowledging ~ even if that is just to ourselves ~ what a beautiful, wonderful, unique person lies beneath that first glance appearance…
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Our senses

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We all have our senses, and therefore it makes sense that we gain input from our senses. After all, isn’t it true that ‘seeing is believing’. Not thinking, not reasoning, no, seeing is believing. That which we become aware of through our senses we can believe in.

And while ‘seeing’ arguably is the sense we use most in our day to day lives, it is no more or less important than our other senses: hearing, smelling, tasting, and feeling. The input we get from each of our senses determines our experience of life. We can have reason to say that this person is a good person, and yet, we ‘can smell a rat’. An argument that is being made can sound perfectly reasonable and logical, and yet we may feel that there is ‘something fishy’ about it…

So in the way we use our language we are fairly clear on the importance of what our senses are telling us. While logic can be twisted into a predetermined outcome, our senses take the information they pick up at face value and presents it to us, leaving it to us to find out whether it rings true to us.
It allows us to become aware of whatever is happening around us. And the more aware we become, the easier it gets to stave the information against our inner measure of truth.

The more aware we become, the easier it gets to pick up on the untold information. The information that lies in the tone of voice, the body language, the way the eyes wander away while the story is told. Sometimes up to the point that we sense on a physical level, and at the same time we sense at a non-physical level; or even an inner level. One could even say that we have our physical senses and our inner senses.

As we use our senses more and more, we gain ~ both on an outer or physical level as well as on an inner level ~ an enormous amount of information. And not just any information; it is exactly that type of information we can believe in. We can believe the information because we have become a part of the experience of our direct environment.

Of course there are also times when our sense can play tricks on us.
For instance when it is dusk; that time between light and dark when shadows change the way we see things, and the soft, misty veils give sounds that new, different pitch. Or when our minds are set in a conviction of what is going on; when our minds are determined to only accept that which we have already chosen to agree with…

Yet it is when our minds are open to make sense of our sensory input that we can most benefit from both our senses and our reason.
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Experience

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Throughout our lives we spend quite a bit of time learning things. Useful things like reading and writing, things we use every day of our lives. And then there are things we wish we had learned in school, and dependent on how much time we want to commit to it; we catch up later in life taking specific classes in those areas.
Perhaps the most difficult things to learn in class are the tools to live a productive life. The tools we need to make our dreams come true. The tools we need to become all of who we can be; to explore our potential to the fullest. Traditionally we learn those things ‘on the go’. We pick up on them as we come across a situation where those skills are needed.
We learn them from experience.

That being said, there are all kinds of classes and workshops that intend to teach us exactly those things; with the promise that our lives will be enhanced mightily after having taken that particular class. Once we embark on a journey of taking classes to experience life more fully, we may find ourselves in a position where after every class or workshop, there is always yet another class on the horizon, and another, and another…
It eventually may get us in a position where we have spend a lot of time learning things without really having tested them in ‘real life’. It is like we have a big cabinet with all kinds of things, tools, on the shelves without us taking any of it out to actually use it, and experience how whatever it is we learned can enhance our lives.

Only when we start using the things we have learned do they become skills. Learning them without using them, without experiencing them, ultimately doesn’t do us any good at all.

On the other hand, as soon as we start experiencing how things can work for us, it will start moving us forward on our paths just like that!

What this says is that whatever class we feel like taking, it will serve us best when it gives us a set of tools and tips that we can use in our lives immediately. When it teaches us something that we can try out that same day. When it motivates us to take that which we learned into our day to day experience right away.

As it turns out, a class that actually could accomplish that for us, doesn’t even have to teach us something new; the new thing in the class would be how we make it part of our life experience…
Because at the end of the day, experience trumps ‘learned’ every single time.
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Passionate

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What do you feel passionate about? And are you partaking in your passion, giving it time and energy?

It seems like in this point in time it is important to spend some time to figure out what it is you feel passionate about. To find out what it is you truly love doing. Where you want to spend your time and energy in sun a manner that you get back from it. In a way you receive fulfillment from the things you do; or even have a monetary reward coming your way. Or better yet, get both!

The reason is that as the frequency of energy gets higher and higher, it becomes more and more important to spend your time and energy on the things you love doing; the things you feel passionate about. It really doesn’t matter whether that is something creative, administrative, sales, marketing, coaching, teaching… The list goes on and on, yet the only thing that is important is that it is something you feel passionate about. Something you relate to with all of you, physically, mentally, emotionally, even spiritually.
And it is not true that when you feel you have found that which you are passionate about, that you will have to keep doing that until the ends of time either. As life progresses, as we continue to walk our personal paths, how we feel about things changes. And as that happens, it is likely that what we feel passionate about changes too, and therefore it makes sense to decide to make different choices; to follow our new passion…

The tricky thing is how to find what truly resonates with us; to find that which we are really passionate about. When we start thinking about it, it may turn out to be a lot harder than we thought it would be.

There will always be causes we feel passionate about. And we may choose to follow a cause like that, especially as it not only is as much part of us as we feel part of it, and if it would make this world a better place to boot!

There will also always be things from deep within ourselves we feel passionate about. This dream we have wanted to make true. This difference we always have wanted to make ~ in our own lives, the lives of others, or on a much, much larger scale… Or something we feel we are really good at, that we would like to explore further.

The point is time to see where it can take us, is now.
This is the time to start following that which you are passionate about!
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Right place, right time

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When we live our lives in balance with ourselves and our environments, chances are that we find ourselves more often at the right place, at the right time. That things fall into place easier than they have before. From a certain perspective, one could say that the greater our inner and outer balance is, the more smooth our lives will become.
This is partly due to the fact that from a balanced state we can handle anything that comes our way easier than when we feel overwhelmed by life to start with… On the other hand, when we are in that balanced state, we do have a tendency to work with the energies around us, rather than fighting them, which does seem to make things go our way.

From a spiritual perspective one could say that we are always at the right place at the right time. The problem is, we often don’t quite know what we are there for.
‘So here I am at the right place at the right time, and now what?’

We may have an preconceived notion that being at the right place at the right time will only give us positive experiences, but that is not necessarily true. It will give us an opportunity to have an experience we need for our growth, an experience we need for the next step on our personal paths. And the way we ‘rate’ the experience can therefore go either way, positive or negative; good or bad. Yet even when we feel we ‘could have done without that one’, it will have given us an opportunity to learn something, if only not to make that same mistake again.

So far, most of us are likely to see how this works. Whatever happens, we live, we learn, and we move on. It becomes a lot harder when we take this spiritual perspective on being at the right place a the right time a couple of steps further.
If we are always at the right place at the right time, that may mean that even when we are late for something, we may well be ‘right on time’. It may mean that this accident that happens two minutes after we have just passed that same stretch of road, wasn’t meant for us. And by the same token, when we would end up in an accident, we would still be at the right place at the right time…
Life or death decisions happen at the right place at the right time…

All we can do is to make sure we are in as balanced a state as we can muster, so we can handle whatever life throws our way with grace.
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Interruptions in the flow

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A rock in the middle of a river hardly ever interrupts the flow of the water. It can make for beautiful picture opportunities, especially if it is in the middle of rapids in the river…

Yet in our lives it seems that when the flow of life ~ or at least the flow we are finding ourselves in ~ is interrupted, we see that as a problem that has blocked our path. And where the water in the river doesn’t even thinks twice about changing its course ever so slightly in order to continue its flow, us humans do not always have the same flexible perspective.
We have a tendency to feel stuck.

In all reality our lives consists of many flows; many strands of flow that sometimes work together, and at other times seem to diverse directions. So while each strand of flow stands on its own, it does have an effect on other strands of flow within ourselves; within our lives.
For example, when we get in an unexpected stressful situation ~ for instance getting in a traffic jam while in a hurry ~ it may only interrupt one area of our lives. But then the stress itself may also affect the flow of our breathing, the rhythm of our hearts, our sense of wellbeing…

When the flow of life is interrupted ~ at whichever level, in whichever area of our lives ~ there are two ways to look at it:
The interruption is a problem which we can or cannot solve at the moment.
The interruption is a sign that there are other ways to get to where we desire to go; or that there are even better places to go to.


This also indicates that sometimes the irruption in the flow is easily solved, while other times we may find that we are pushed into a new and different direction; or at least into a fresh look at what we are doing, and why we are doing it. And while some interruptions do need our immediate attention and prompt solution, others can be relatively easily diverted as long as we have a flexible mindset that allows us to move around the obstacle rather than trying to move straight through it.

To be more like the water in the river that just alters its flow ever so slightly to go around the interruption in its flow…

So when we encounter an interruption in the flow of our lives, rather than being annoyed at being faced with this problem, we may well see it as an eye-opener to look closely at what we are doing.
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Accepted as truth

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There are many things we accept as truth. The things we have learned growing up; even the ways we saw our parents behave when we were very young can have set the pattern for the way we will behave as grown-ups. At some level we feel that is how it should be done; therefore it is truth.
Other things may come up later in life. For instance the things we are told by a respected teacher, or even a person having a respected profession like a doctor we may not question as to its truthfulness. We tend to just accept it as truth.

At some point we may find that there are things that we have personally experienced and through that experience have found to be either true or false. This way we start building our personal truth. And by the same token we may find that the way our parents behaved when we were still toddlers, ultimately has not added anything to our coping skills in life. In other words, there will be things that we have accepted as truth ~ perhaps even for a long time ~ only to find that they weren’t true after all. At least not for us personally.

There are also circumstances we may find ourselves in that according to general belief, or ‘general truth’, are close to impossible to change. These circumstances may have to do with our economic situation, our living situation, or with the state of our health… In whichever area of life it is, the common thread is that the ‘accepted truth’ is that once we find ourselves in those circumstances it is hard if not impossible to get out; to do better.

As soon as we buy in to this ‘generally accepted truth’, we find ourselves in a position that can spark all kinds of non-productive emotions. At first, it may rob us of initiative to do something about it. It can take away our sense of hope. And pretty soon we may come to ask ourselves why we are in this particular predicament. Why is this being done to us? Why are we being punished by the Universe?

Another question is “Why have we accepted this as (our) truth?”

If ever there was a time when we can find all the information we could possibly need to determine whether something is factually true or false; whether there are alternative perspectives, it is now!
And it is up to us to discern whether what we are told is to be accepted as our personal truth; whether we are willing to allow the opinions of others to shape and mold our lives…

In truth, there are no right or wrong answers. Each person is unique, and each circumstance is different. Yet it is a good idea to, every once in a while, see if the things we have accepted as truth actually ring true to us.
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Question everything…

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Question everything… and hold on to what is truly yours…

There are many things we do each day without question for many different reasons. Whether it is because we have always done them, because we have committed to do them, because we were told to do them, or because we want to do them; at the end of the day we just do them.

In just doing all the things we do on a regular day, we may even feel like we are a bit too busy ~ even scattered ~ for comfort. And yet when we only think about stepping back and doing less, that in itself may seem like an impossibility.

So perhaps it is time to start questioning yourself why you are doing the things you do… To purposely and consciously enter into that inner dialogue in order to gain insight into our very own, personal ‘reasons why’.

A good way to do that is to one day wake up in the morning and decide to question everything that day. Just one day in which you question every decision you make, every choice, every action. It really doesn’t matter whether the decision is for or against something; just ask yourself why you decide for or against it…

At first it may seem a bit ridiculous.
Why am I getting up? Because I have to, the alarm clock went off, and I have hit the snooze button twice already. But do I want to get up? Am I rested? Would I rather sleep in? And why? Am I still tired? Well, actually, I am rested. I need to get up in order to get to my job on time. Okay.

But pretty soon it will become clear that we do things because…
We do things the way we were taught to do them when we were young, never asking ourselves if they are at least applicable to our lives as we live them. We do things because we ‘have to’, without realizing that we ourselves are the ones calling the shots. Or we stop short on doing something because ‘we can’t’, while we in all honesty and likelihood have the ability to do it, but rather don’t want to do it, don’t feel like doing it, or simply choose to not do it. And then there are things we may do because there is something else we truly do not want to do, something we are resisting mightily. So if we fill our time with running errands, there will be no time left (again) to do this one thing we are resisting doing.

Taking just one day every once in a while to question everything you do, will allow you to gain insight into your priorities, hold on to the things you really want to do, the things that are truly yours; and to let the rest go…
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Overcoming the past

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I have fairly vivid memories of being hunted down. I had heard of others who had been captured and received unspeakable punishments, until death would come ~ salvation at last…
And now I am running through the forest. I can hear the hounds coming closer; the mob yelling and screaming as they follow their lead. Suddenly it is over; there is nowhere to run, the dogs are too close, and moments later I am taken prisoner.
The public trial is a couple of days later. The outcome is a foregone conclusion; if I would have had any hope at all, it is squashed quickly. The mob is angry and aggressive; some of the loudest  voices belong to young men whose mothers I have guided through their difficult births, and who I have brought herbs to heal in case of disease or accident…
I’m not certain if days or weeks had passed, when I finally welcomed Death’s embrace. It was over, the pain gone, and with a last look at my broken body I turned to the Light…

I have since learned that it actually did happen; it is part of our history. It didn’t happen just to me, but to countless women. Especially those who could heal others, and midwives. The wise women… And it wasn’t all that long ago ~ at least in the grand scheme of things…

Having chosen a comparable path, a similar direction in life this time around, these memories have been something I have had to come to terms with. From the anger about how that could have happened to me back then, to the fear of whether it would happen again ~ even though this is a different time. And then the indignation that this time around I certainly should be treated a lot better than that this time around!

Until I woke up one morning and realized that as long as I would allow me to be tied down by what has happened in the past, it would be pretty much impossible to move on into my future.
History, though factually correct, didn’t matter today. All there is is this point in time, this life, and whatever I choose to make of it. The world doesn’t owe me anything; it is a clean slate and it is all up to me to write on it.


As it turns out, we don’t learn all that much from history either. My memories are of the inquisition, but even now the establishment is taking a stand against healing that is not related to ‘modern medicine’, big pharmacy, and consequently ‘big bucks’… If I would publish what a remedy is for, I would put myself at risk.
Again.
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Today

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Today I keep thinking of Winnie the Pooh; more precisely about this little discussion he has with Piglet:
   “What day is it?” asked Pooh
   “It’s today” squeaked Piglet
   “My favorite day” said Pooh

It is something that is so easily forgotten, that today is that time that we have, right here, right in front of us. Yesterday is history, and tomorrow is yet to come. But today is here to be experienced, to be lived to the fullest.
After all we never know what live will bring, what problems we may have to face some other day; or even if there will be another day at all… Therefore, today should be our favorite day, every day.

So today things didn’t happen quite as expected. Of course, life hardly ever does. We can make plans, and take steps toward making those plans happen, yet sometimes, when it gets to be ‘today’ things happen, plans change. This may well be because we get distracted.
The question then becomes why we allow ourselves to be distracted. Is there anything not quite the way it should be with our plans, or with the way we propose to make our plans reality? Because sometimes those distractions are really pointers that while our plans are well thought out, there is something that can make the end result even better for us than we had ever anticipated.
Then again, other times distractions are just that, distractions. Excuses that ‘happen’ and that are giving us a reason to not do those things we had intended to do today.

And then there are those days that our flow of events is interrupted by an event so momentous, that it takes our attention, our focus right off whatever we were doing. It may be something that we are directly involved in, or can be something that grabs hold of us because it is happening close to us; close to where we work or live.
When something like that occurs, it just stops us in our tracks; it makes us reevaluate our priorities in life. And it can make us grateful for today. Grateful that today we can bask in the sunlight, enjoy our families, and make plans for other ‘todays’…

So, from that perspective, today is where it is at.
Today we can actually do things ~ as opposed to yesterday or tomorrow. Today we can either take or reject what life has to offer. Today we can make choices that may affect how we experience our lives, not only today, but also for the days to come.

So I agree with Pooh, today is my favorite day!
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Holding on

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If there is any advice that feels a tiny bit problematic at least, it is the advice to ‘let go of that you no longer need in your life’. It is something that is relatively easy when you are talking ‘stuff’. When the new house doesn’t have a lawn, there is no use in holding on to the old lawn mower. Or, as we may have lost weight, holding on to the old wardrobe seems futile, if not counterproductive. And so we let go of the items we no longer need.

When we are looking at experiences we may have had way back when, or emotional situations that have left their mark on our lives, ‘letting go of it’ isn’t quite as straightforward or easy.
We can make a conscious decision to place it in the past ~ where it belongs ~ so that it can no longer be a part of our lives today. Often this will work, especially when we combine that with exercises of affirmations that keep reinforcing our decision for as long as it takes for the result to be ‘natural’. For us to get to that point where we can truly say that it is no longer part of our lives in this moment.
A lot of times a process like that won’t work. No matter how hard we try, the experience, the emotions keep popping up; usually at times when we are least expecting them.

So perhaps, rather than working at ‘letting go’, the real question is why we are still holding on?

What is it in our lives that prompts us to hold on to things, feelings, experiences that are no longer useful to us? Is it a sense of security? Or something that we have always held true because of how we respected the person who told us it was so? Is it a cultural belief on how to behave as a ‘good person’? There are all kinds of reasons why we hold on to things, feelings, and experiences; most of them personal, all of them individual…
And until we know our own, personal reason why we are holding on to something, it is going to be hard to let go of.

The other thing that makes the question even more difficult to answer is that there is hardly ever a nice, concrete, logical reason why we are holding on to something. More often it has to do with how things, situations, or even people are connected in our minds; in our memories…

That being said, it is probably worth the effort to ponder the question; ‘If I have a hard time letting go, what is the reason for me to hold on to it?’
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Tiredness

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In this point in time where there are polarities wherever we look, it is like pretty much everything has pros and cons, for-s and against-s, even ‘good’ and ‘bad’ sides to it. At the same time it doesn’t make anything good or bad, in all reality; it is just our perspective at what is happening. And it seems that we are much more willing to take a stand on one side or the other of the issue than we have been in the past.

The same is true for being tired.
There is ‘good’ tiredness, the sense of being tired after a hard days work or play. A feeling of tiredness that is connected to any kind of activity, be it physical, mental, emotional, or even spiritual.
And then there is ‘bad’ tiredness. Being tired without having done anything, leaving nothing to show for it. It is a kind of being tired that is often connected to stress in some form. Perhaps the stress of a deadline at work, or the stress of being in a situation where we feel pushed into a corner without seeing a way out.

While ‘good’ tiredness is often remedied with a good nights sleep from which we are waking up refreshed and ready to conquer a new day; ‘bad’ tiredness has a tendency to linger on. And if we don’t take steps to turn it around, it may lead us on a downward spiral where each day seems heavier, and more difficult than the day before. Pretty soon even the simplest tasks become mountains we have to climb in order to get where we want to go. And if the ‘bad’ tiredness is permitted to take over completely, it may leave us strung out and depressed…
This does suggest that in today’s world a lot of people who feel depressed may feel that way because they have been in a situation that has put a strain on them for too long, rather than facing any obvious mental or emotional difficulty.

The thing to remember is that they are polarities of the same energy.
And while that in it self doesn’t solve the problem of ‘bad’ tiredness; it does give us a way out! The most obvious way out may well be to seek out activities that are related to ‘good’ tiredness. Like taking a little walk every day, getting yourself a ten minute exercise program (even if that is just swinging your arms, or sitting down and getting up from a dining room chair).

Any physical movement will help bring movement in other areas of our lives, and ultimately help us to restore the balance between the polarities.
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Fear and stress

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Fear is not necessarily a ‘bad’ thing, and in a sense the same is true for stress. There are many situations that can bring stress into our lives, situations we like or deem to be ‘good’ like first date butterflies, or situations that we feel we can do without, like being overcommitted in some shape or form. Whatever the cause of the stress, it will heighten our awareness and make us more vigilant. On the other hand, it is a state of being that, while it can help us in a short term, we shouldn’t accept as part of our lives in the long term as it can also damage our health.

From that perspective there are definite similarities between fear and stress.
When they are connected to something that is happening right there and then, something we are personally involved in that we can handle; chances are that the fear and associated stress in that moment will help us make the best choices in that split second, and take the right action in order to come out at the other end unharmed.

However, when they are connected to a situation that is out of our control, a situation that is not imminent, a situation that is played up and fed by the media as something that may happen, both fear and the associated stress can keep building in our systems. It will take away our discernment as to when to act quickly and decisively; yet even when we do, the stress won’t go away…

The result may well be that because of the extended period in which we experience feelings of fear and stress, our immune systems start weakening. Making us more susceptible to disease. And when we are in a general state of unease, or dis-ease, we may not be quite as aware or vigilant as we would normally be, or perhaps go to the other side of the spectrum and become extremely aware and hypervigilant. We may not sleep as well, and still feel restless…
And bit by bit, over time, we deplete the natural resources our bodies have to deal with things, to be healthy and happy.

Perhaps the best way to deal with the fear and stress that are brought on by events that are happening on a worldwide scale, yet are not affecting us on a personal level, is to send Light to all those that are involved. Independent if we personally agree the situation, the actions taken and how things are playing out; send Light. Pray for the best outcome for them, for us and for the world in general.

And then let it, and the fear and stress associated with it, go…
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Fear

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There are two kinds of fear; the fear of what is righting front of us, like the fear of being run over by a car when we are crossing the road, and the fear of things that may or may not come our way in the future, like an epidemic that is roaring its ugly head on a different continent…
And while the first experience of fear is immediate and related to our ‘fight or flight’ reactions, the second experience of fear has a tendency to creep into our system slowly while at the same time fails to show us a way out. The experience of this type of fear is often accompanied with the sense that we cannot do anything about it, and therefore there is no safe place for us to go, nothing we can do on a personal level to escape impending doom.

The immediate fear is in most cases very helpful to our survival in the world we life in. As long as it doesn’t get out of hand and starts ruling our lives, it prompts an evaluation and reaction that prevents us from doing something that could put us into danger. Like just walking out into traffic. It also comes up right when it is needed and dissipates fairly quickly after that. Granted, in some cases when we have had a ‘close call’ it may take a couple of days for us to overcome that pang of fear. But as long as we celebrate the good outcome, and not keep rehashing the close call in our memories, chances are we are back to being ourselves the next day ~ feeling fine, and hopefully a little wiser as we may have learned from the situation…
The feeling of fear and the associated stress have gone from our systems.

The sense of fear of future events isn’t by any means as straightforward. It is related to the thought that says ‘that could happen to me, to us’. It is a fear that is often fed, not by the threat itself ~ be it economic, violence, an epidemic or whatever ~ but rather by what we see, hear or read about it on the news. It is presented in a way that we need to insulate ourselves from that situation, and in order to do so we need to take big, sometimes worldwide, actions. We need to guard our borders such that this thing we are afraid of cannot enter.
At the same time, we are generally told that there is nothing we can do about it on a personal level. The natural reaction then, is for the fear to linger in our systems, and for stress about this situation that is well outside of our realm of influence to keep building.

So while an immediate fear can help us to stay alive, the fear of future events doesn’t really do anything for us, except for adding stress to our already stressful lives…
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Between a rock and a hard place

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It seems to be part of life that at times we are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Knowing we really should do (at least) two things which ar incompatible with each other. Both things having a time constraint, needing to be done ‘now’, having only one body to do them… And there you are.

In and of itself, the fact that we find ourselves in a situation like that is not the end of the world in any stretch of the imagination. The important things is, though, that we don’t allow ourselves to get stuck in that situation. That we take the time to step back from it, re-examine it, and perhaps even come up with more things that need to be done which, for the moment at least, we had overlooked.
This may sound strange as a net step, but it does often help us to put things in perspective. To see that our lives, even though hectic, are not just these two things that need to be done now ~ our lives are so much more!
It is that realization that wil permit us to start prioritizing whatever is happening on our lives; whatever things need to be done ‘now’. Often it will show us that the very first thing to do is to take a deep breath, and to take some fifteen minutes or so of ‘me-time’. Whether we use that to go for a short walk, or just to make ourselves a cup of coffee doesn’t really matter. What matters is that it gives us the opportunity to step away from a stressful situation for a moment…

After that little bit of ‘me-time’ making a list of whatever needs our attention and putting things in order of importance may well guide us into a more productive direction.

And the things that on more than one occasion has totally amazed me is that those two things that made me feel caught between a rock and a hard place, weren’t numbers one and two on that list. Yes, they made it onto the list, but more like in 5th and 7th place or so… Almost invariable I have found that there is a different path with different priorities that turns out to be way more productive for me at that particular point in time.

It shows that, while it is fairly normal to encounter a situation where we feel caught between a rock and a hard place, there is always an innovative, unexpected path leading to greater productivity.
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Whistles

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The sound of whistles is carried this direction by the wind. They signal that the engineers are moving the antique equipment in the railroad museum, about a mile from where I am at. It is tempting to walk over and have a look as the old steam engines are brought back to life, and monumental pieces of railroad history slowly start moving again, spitting out billowing clouds of smoke and steam.
The magic of the big wheels turning, the proud look on the face of the engineer, and the hard labor to feed the fire at the heart of the huge locomotive…

The whistles are most definitely sounds of an era long gone. A time when pretty much any journey, no matter how short to today’s standards, was an adventure. Not only because of the opportunity to explore new things, but because of the trip itself. To be brought to this other place at ‘breakneck speed’, pulled over the rails by this enormous, magical beast that is spitting out steam as it moves along. Hearing the cadence of the wheels, and the warning whistle whenever the engineer felt someone was to close to the tracks as he approached.

There are still places where the whistles sounds at the train’s approach of every railroad crossing. It is a safety feature, warning those that feel they can still make it across before the train actually gets there.
Yet somehow the magic has gone from railroad travel, as it has been relegated to being a quick and easy way to get from ‘A’ to ‘B’, especially in urban areas. It is a manner in which big, heavy loads can be transported across the country. Perhaps not that fast, but certainly reliable.
And arguably the biggest advantage of taking the train nowadays is the fact that you can sit down and get some work done. Trains even have WiFi, so you don’t have to miss a beat as you prepare for that meeting, or are doing your homework.
And looking outside is no longer something that sparks awe and wonder, but rather a check to see how much further you need to go.

A sign of the times…

We tend to speed ourselves from one event to another, whether that is by ‘train, plane, or automobile’, totally focused on the event; on what needs to be done. And maybe even on what we get out of it. The trip, the actual getting to where we have to go, has become an inconvenience rather than the adventure it used to be back then…

And somehow it feels like a shame to have lost that magical experience…
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Taking time

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It seems that in our lives today pretty much everything is scheduled. Even the smallest things are being done ‘by appointment’, and the question is more and more often whether we can fit it in our calendars.

That, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. At least as long as we can fit ourselves into our calendars as well. Setting up a time for our personal needs and desires. And, when we have made it into our own calendars, do we have the sense to keep that appointment with ourselves? Even when something ‘important’ comes up like a friend who would like to come over and hang out? Or something work related?
Do we tell the other person: ‘Sorry, I got an appointment’; even when it is with ourselves?

Ultimately, the real question is if we are willing to take time for something.
Often, when that something is work related we are. Also, when other people are involved we tend to keep that appointment. Yet taking time for ourselves seems to be hard to do…

And even then some things are easier than others. Taking time to smell the roses is part of life. Taking a time out; creating a little ‘me-time’. Most of us are well aware that we just need those things on a more or less regular basis.
But what about taking time to just be. Taking time to truly see the environment you find yourself in at that very moment? Taking time to appreciate your personal experience in whatever situation you find yourself in?

It seems that on average we are willing to take time for things and people, as long as we can schedule it. Taking time to be aware of the experience of the moment ~ of this very instance ~ is a lot harder. Perhaps because we feel we are losing something when we take time for it…

Losing the much needed time in our possibly too filled up schedules. Losing an opportunity that awaits us right around the next corner. Losing a different, more interesting experience…

On second thought, when we take time to be in this moment, we tend to be more effective in what we are doing. When we take time to be aware of what is going on around us, chances are we are going to find ourselves less and less in unexpected, chaotic or scattered situations that need our immediate attention.
When we take time to be, we may well find that it is time well spend…
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Colors

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There have to be thousands upon thousands of colors.
It doesn’t matter where we are, we are continually surrounded by them. Even in the middle of the city there are colors. Granted, they may be tones of grey, and brown. Dark and dusty colors. But they are colors nonetheless.
When we find ourselves in nature there are ~ depending on climate etc. ~ greens and browns, earth tones, and life in all colors imaginable.
And then there are the ‘in your face’ colors that we create. Perhaps as an art form, or to make a point. Some colors are associated with certain trade marks ~ ‘Ferrari red’ comes to mind.

There are colors we like, and those we dislike. Colors that make us look good and healthy, and colors that we really shouldn’t wear, no matter how much we may like them as a color.
And there are colors that make us feel good…

Sometimes, when we keep looking long enough at a shape or form, perhaps a piece of art or something natural like a tree, we start seeing colors around its outline, like an aura. As if those colors are emitted from that object.
Those often are a different brand of colors; almost as if they are painted in light.

It may well indicate that we ourselves also emit colors. Colors that we, in our everyday lives, don’t see, Colors that are there and that perhaps even are giving information about us to those sensitive enough to pick up on them.

Some people dream in colors; not just in color images, but in bits and pieces of color. To them certain colors have certain meanings which they may use in order to interpret their dreams…

All in all, whether we are consciously thinking about it or not, colors are an important aspect of our lives. And as the frequency of the energy we live our lives in is increasing, we may well start experiencing colors differently.
Start liking different colors, or hues, or tones. For instance that bold red color we have always likes so much may be a color that is replaced by a more earthy red. And while perhaps our wardrobes were filled with certain colors, we may find that suddenly other colors start creeping in…

Whichever colors we like best, life is beautiful in all its colors, even the dark and dreary ones…
If for nothing else that it gives us information. For instance about how comfortable we feel at a certain place, or with a particular person…
On top of that we, ourselves are quite full of color as well!

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Omens

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According to the dictionary, an omen is a ‘portent of good or evil’. So at the least, an omen is bringing to your attention that something is about to happen in your life. But what is an omen? When is a cat just crossing the street, and when is a cat crossing the street telling you to be careful in traffic?
As a rule of thumb, whenever something happens, no matter how simple it is, whether it is an every day occurrence or something you have never seen before; if it grabs your attention, if it stops you in your tracks, or just gives you food for thought, chances are it is an omen.
In other words, if a cat crosses the street (gets safely to the other side), but you hardly ever saw it; it may not be an omen for you. Yet if a cat crosses the street and not only do you see it, but you take a moment to admire its great agility, it may well be an omen for you.

What an omen is telling us is intently personal. It is best deciphered through a process of free association, where you write down what just happened, and write above it your first association with each word or concept. The associations will then give you an indication as to what the omen may be about.

So what we end up with is that each and every thing that happens during our day that truly grabs our attention may be an omen. Up to us to take the time to decipher them or to just move on with what we are doing… Personally I have a tendency to just keep living my life…

But every once in a while I see something, or something happens that sticks in my mind.

Last week while on the road, I was passed by a car that had advertising on its sides and rear. It was an older model, green Mercedes. The windows were rolled down, and the passenger blew the smoke of a cigaret out of the open window. Then I read the advertisement: “Karma Diagnostics” with a ‘0900’ number one can call.

It most definitely stopped me in my tracks. As the green Mercedes zoomed off in a different direction than I was going, the scene, the car and the advertisement kept playing through my mind.
I would say that is an omen!

There are any number of things it can be telling me, from good (or bad) karma coming my way, to a sign that I finally am getting a handle on that life lesson I have been working with for so long, to let go of ‘old ghosts’ (the cigaret smoke blown out of the window).

One thing is certain, as an omen, it doesn’t get a whole lot more interesting and curious than this.
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Feeling and feelings

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Lately I have come across more and more people who do take the time to ponder ‘feeling’ and ‘feelings’. People who find it important to distinguish between the emotional feelings and the sense of touch, or the sensory perspective in general. People who feel that the next step on their personal paths is to deal with their emotional feelings, to transform those so they no longer get wrapped up in emotional circumstances and situations filled with drama. People who may seem a bit ‘stand-offish’ until you see that their detached manner of interaction often will permit them to see a larger picture on what is happening…

Invariably, when they find themselves getting emotional, they will ask themselves what has happened to instigate that emotion. They will strive to see, whether they are part of that situation, or just observing it, what it is in themselves that prompted the emotional reaction. And what they themselves can learn from that.
The next step is to transform the emotion, and to take a step back from the situation to see it from a more detached point of view.

It is a way to simplify life in a very specific manner.
Not through getting rid of material ‘stuff’, but rather through letting go of emotional ‘stuff’ and in doing so greatly reducing the ‘drama content’ of our lives.

That being said, it is not by any means an easy path to walk. It requires us to have the absolute willingness to see everything that happens in our lives that we feel a reaction to inside ourselves as something that is about us. Nothing is ‘just out there’; especially not if it touches us emotionally or if it touches our lives. We are part of it, and it is up to us to learn from it, to transform it, and to detach from it in order to see whatever happened as part of a larger whole…

It means that there is nothing happening in our lives that ‘someone is doing to us’. And while we may get wronged from a factual perspective, for instance when something would be stolen from us, even then there is an aspect within ourselves we can transform to ensure we won’t have to experience that type of situation again.
It means we are taking total responsibility for our feelings, total responsibility for our lives.

It also means that we interact more and more through our sensory awareness, together with our more mental, reasoning abilities.
And ultimately we gain tremendous insight into ourselves, the world around us, and perhaps even the universe…
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Feeling

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In a sense we can divide people in two groups. Those who are more mentally oriented, and those who are more ‘feeling’ oriented. And while each group has their own pitfalls, one isn’t any better than the other. They just have a different way of experiencing the world around them.

Because of the different ways of relating to what is happening in their lives and in the world in general, it turns out that both groups can have a really hard time to get their point across to each other.

When a more mentally oriented person has reached a coherent, logical conclusion he or she wants to share; a more ‘feeling’ oriented person may not be able to translate that logical conclusion into a feeling they can comprehend.
And the other way around, when a ‘feeling’ oriented person has a strong and clear sense or feeling as to what is happening; a more mentally oriented person may keep asking ‘well, what does that mean?’, ‘what is the reason?’.

To confuse things even further, ‘feeling’ is a word used for both experiencing emotions, as well as for sensory perception. And yet ‘feeling the love’, while wonderful, doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the sense of touch…

The feeling of emotions, whether they are ‘positive emotions’ like love, pleasure, joy, etc. or ‘negative emotions’ like anger, or frustration, are things we feel inside of us, independent from how we experience the world around us. And while these emotional feelings can have a huge impact on our lives as we can get totally caught up in them, their transformation is an ‘inner job’ we can only do ourselves.

Feeling as is connected to our sensory perception, the use of our (inner) senses, has everything to do with how we interact with the world around us. They are usually experienced from a much more detached perspective; more like a signal we may pay attention to. For instance when we have the feeling something is about to happen. That feeling may result in us paying just a little more attention in traffic, and as a result we ‘feel’ we are better off taking an earlier exit than we had planned. As a result we may have avoided an accident just a bit further up the highway…
(The mentally oriented way to do the same thing might be to decide to take that earlier exit after the traffic report talks about an accident just a bit further up the road. It is a conscious, logical, perfectly reasonable decision…)

Feeling, as in using our (inner) senses, is just another path to get where we want to go.
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Random

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There are quite a few things we seem to do randomly, without giving them much thought. It even seems like more and more people operate that way, not necessarily because they are not organized, but rather because they are organized in a different manner.

In a world in which we still highly value logical reasoning, and thinking things through, following a more intuitive guidance does come across as random. And while there sometimes doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to the way in which someone is taking steps in order to accomplish their goal ~ as they seem to go about it randomly ~ that doesn’t mean that they won’t reach their goal. As a matter of fact, it more and more often so happens that they seem to reach their goals easier, more smoothly than those that follow the path of reason who have thought the whole process through…

As it turns out, using logic or intuition to get where you want to go, are both valid options; in all reality neither one is better than the other. It all depends on what is the easier route for you to go; what fits your way of sorting things out best.

But whether you are a logical thinker or a more intuitive person, at times we all have random thoughts that drift into our awareness. It can be the sudden thought that we are almost out of pet food, so we’d better pick some up, or a line of thought that is almost a daydream, half wishful, half reality…
Either way, those random thoughts have something to tell us.

This is especially true when over an afternoon or so, we keep becoming aware of a series of apparently random thoughts. And rather than pushing them away with the thought that we ought to be focussing better on the task at hand, we could benefit from writing each random thought down on a note pad.
This serves two purposes. First, having written it down, there is no need to keep thinking about it, and so chances are we won’t be distracted by that particular thought any further. Second, when we are having a number of random thoughts in a fairly short period of time, they are likely to interface with each other. Randomly…
Yet reading them back from our notepads makes it easier to see the common denominator, and it is this commonality which may point us to something that is happening in our lives that we should pay a little more attention to.

As it turns out, neither random processes, nor random thoughts come to us at random at all…
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Sun and rain

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The weather is funny today. One moment the sun is out and the temperature rises to a comfortable, if not warm summer level, only for the sun to disappear, the temperature to drop quickly; and before you know it big drops are falling from the sky.

Nature loves it!! It definitely thrives this summer!

And, if for nothing else, this type of weather does create the most wonderful picture opportunities with some moments towering white cloud formations against a back drop of blue skies, and the next dark grey, almost bluish clouds that really sets off the trees still highlighted by the sun.

Observed as elements, this kind of weather allows for fire and water to exchange places any number of times in a day. Looking at it that way, it would give us the opportunity to ponder our emotions.
How do we experience our emotions? Do we feel them and sit with them endlessly? Relish in them even? Or do we fully enjoy the good times, while noticing the ‘bad’ emotions as signals to change direction in our lives?

Emotions, or the water element, definitely has a place in our lives. As long as we don’t get stuck with them. On the other hand, actions, or the fire element can help us change direction, or take steps in the direction we set out in already. A good thing as long as we don’t forget to take time every once in a while to smell the roses.

So, perceiving this changeable weather as elemental qualities, may point us in a direction of re-examining how much time and energy we spend with our emotions, and how much time and energy is action oriented. Do we have a productive balance between the two?

Yet the most beautiful aspect of these days when sun and rain change places so often are the rainbows that keep popping up!
The colors reflected in the rain just outside the window. The colorful bands of energy that span both sides of the landscape; sometimes twice, one above the other…

They are truly bridges.
Bridging two sides, whether physical or in energy; or even etheric. And as the bridge they are they span the whole spectrum, from deep indigo to bright red, and everything in between.

I can’t help but wondering when I see a rainbow, where is this bridge leading to?
Is it pointing me into a new direction? Is it guiding me toward unknown places, new energy frequencies?
Or is it just trying to get my attention to hand me that ~ when finally I see it, obvious ~ solution I was searching for?
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Untitled

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Untitled implies undefined; literally unnamed.
It could give the impression that whatever it is, may not be important enough to bother with. Not interesting enough to take a look at…

Yet, mostly by mistake and my yearning to at least ‘save’ the file before it gets lost, every once in a while I find documents on my computer with the name: ‘untitled’. Had they been saved on my desktop ~ as I would normally save new documents to ~ I would probably have noticed and named the file appropriately.
However, sometimes the file finds its way into some folder that I, in all likelihood, had visited before. Not remembering which folder that might have been exactly; and being impatient about it ~ I probably would have duplicated and saved the document again; now on the desktop and properly named.

Leaving that untitled file hanging. Somewhere…

Yes, I know, this is a practice that can create numerous ‘double’ files in different locations. Yes, I know, it may not be the best way to use my trusty computer’s memory… But hey…

What it does do is that every once in a while I look for something and I go to that one folder where it should be at (and chances are it is). And apart from that piece of information I was looking for, I find this document that says ‘untitled’.

Often it turns out to be a little present to myself. something that I normally would not have revisited, but that is totally fitting for what is happening in my life right at that moment.
And as such, it can give me pause to think.
It can be a reason to stop, step back, and ponder the thought as to what I am doing, and why…

Now, I am not advising anyone to adopt this sloppy way of saving their documents in such a way that they are hard to find. There is a lot to say for a neat desktop and a comprehensive system when it comes to filing your work, your pictures, even your random writings away.

On the other hand, when we encounter something unexpected, unknown, or ‘untitled’; especially when we are really busy with all kinds of things and are at risk of losing grip on the situation we find ourselves in ~ it is probably a good thing to stop for a moment. To step back, and to see what this unexpected, unknown, ‘untitled’ thing, file or experience has to tell us.
It may turn out to be something truly worthwhile!
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At a snail’s pace

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Sometimes life seems to move so fast we can hardly keep up. All kinds of things are happening in rapid succession, and before we know it we find ourselves having more balls in the air than we know how to handle. And from that moment on it is just a matter of time before we find them all coming crashing down ~ and ourselves scrambling in order to catch up with whatever is still going on…

Other days, it is almost as if time doesn't move at all, and it seems nothing is happening. No projects, no chores. Just the one, seemingly endless day with nothing to do, nowhere to go. A day that is taken at a snail’s pace.

It is a day like that which easily could be labeled as boring.
We may even feel antsy when it happens to us, for surely there must be something we should do, some place we should be, someone we should meet. There are bound to be plans we should make for future events…
And yet, nothing happens.
Time could just as well be standing still…

But then again, perhaps it is on those days that we can benefit from taking life at a snail’s pace. Slowly and steadily. Munching away on thins layers of algae we may not even see. Enjoying the perfect conditions to just put out all its feelers to become aware of everything the environment has to offer.

To just sit and let our senses expand.

To become aware of what is inside of us, our heartbeat, our breathing rhythm ~ as well as what is outside of us. Our energy. The color of our mood.

And pretty soon we may become aware of a different world where all kinds of things are happening. We may suddenly distinguish the whispers of the trees, the tweets of the birds; perhaps even the messages that are brought to us on the wings of the soft breeze. We may feel that the colors of the flowers become more intense, or smell the scent of a thunderstorm approaching…

When life happens at a snail’s pace, it often is an invitation to experience the world differently for a little bit. To take a deep breath, and relax.
And then when we focus again on our regular life, we may well find that the snail has long since be gone. It may have eaten its fill and found a safe place to rest, hidden from our eyes.

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Life’s questions

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There will always be a number of questions that, when we truly set out to answer them, can impact our entire life as we know it. One of such questions is the following:
“Do we live our lives for others, or do we live our life for ourselves?”

The question in itself is burdened ~ at least for me it is ~ with all kinds of immediate thoughts on that it is a good thing to help other people, that focusing on yourself is egocentric, and a handful more of similar statements that may or may not be cultural dependent.
Each and every one of those statements carries a judgement with it. And whichever way we live our lives, the one thing that cannot be a good thing is to judge ourselves or others.

So back to the question…
Living our lives for others would mean that our wishes, our desires, even the choices we make in life are dependent upon other people. It would, when taken to an extreme, come to a point where what we need in our lives has become less important to what the other person needs, or wants; or just fancies right there and then.
Living our life entirely for ourselves carries the danger that we are no longer operating from a perspective of what we need in our lives, or which desires we are willing to make come true; we might adopt an attitude that says: “I want that and I want it now, no matter what others think or feel about it, no matter what I have to do to get it.”

Looking at both parts of the question as true, even extreme polarities ~ neither one is very appealing.

Yet if we want to become the best we can be, the best person, the best in our field of expertise; then it is important to make our choices accordingly. Not from the perspective of what anyone else would do, need, want or desire from us, but rather directed by our inner compass. That inner guidance, or drive, that gets us moving in the right direction. That allows us to unfold those aspects of our lives we are passionate about.
That being said, if there is no-one around to share you accomplishments with, it can be a lonely road to travel…

So perhaps the answer to the question is that we are living our lives for ourselves, and with others.
Where, as we make our own choices, as we guide ourselves in that direction that is best for us, we find ourselves in a position where we can encourage others to do the same.
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Motivation

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We all have our own motivation to do the things we do, to act the way we act, and to say the things we say. The fact that we are allowed to express our opinions in whichever way we see fit and to act upon them is one of those very precious things in life we call freedom…
That freedom has a lot to do with society and culture; with the people around us and the social mores we live by. In other words, at least at the surface this freedom is something that is granted to us by the society we live in; and therefore stems from outside of ourselves.

Our motivation to do, or not do something, to say something or be silent, to act or sit back is usually much more complicated.

Often our motivation is provided from outside of ourselves. For instance the motivation for being on time for the start of your shift at work may well be the paycheck at the end of the month, which you need in order to pay the bills. This may also be true when looking at the decision to speak up or not; very few people find the strength and courage inside themselves to become a whistle blower. And for good reason. Therefore the wiser choice may well be to stay silent…

Yet in this day and age it seems to be more and more important that the things we do ~ like our job ~ are something we are passionate about. Even though we may have to work harder to make a living, when we are doing something we feel passionate about it seems that ultimately the earnings come in more easily than when we are just ‘going through the motions’.
Doing the things we are passionate about usually are things that we feel motivated about from within. There is an inner drive, an inner guidance to set out and do those things. And when we do, we almost always feel more fulfilled as a result.

In other words, while there will always be an ‘outer motivation’ for any number of the things we do, our ‘inner motivation’ seems to become a more and more important part in making choices as to where to spend our time and energy. As to what we want to be part of, and what we choose to walk away from. As to what we want to say, and when to be quiet; and if we still want to speak up, how we choose our words.

As time goes on, our inner compass will become a more and more important part of our motivation for living our lives the way we choose to…
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Effect

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Pretty much everything we do is about the effect it is going to have. Therefore it is important to figure out what we are trying to achieve; what the most desired effect of our actions is.
And while we are sometimes just interested in pulling a prank on someone, more often we engage in more serious activities. We work a job to get a pay check. We clean the house and create the nicest of environments in order to make our house a home.

Yet it always starts with the effect we have in mind…
The dream we want to make come true. That one thing we want to see or do in our life time ~ which leads to the ‘bucket list’; the things we want to do before we ‘kick the bucket’. We want to be successful in whichever way we define ‘success’ for ourselves.
And once we have determined what the effect is we are going for, we device a plan of action that will get us there. In other words, we put the ‘cause’ in motion.

At least that is the plan…

The fact that it doesn’t always work out exactly that way becomes clear as we are living our lives. Almost on a daily basis we may come across ‘effects’ that we did not set out to achieve. At least on on a conscious level of thought or planning. Suddenly something happens, or we find ourselves in a situation where we never wanted to be, and yet, here we are.

As it is clearly an effect of something, in cases like this it is important to find what caused that specific effect to crop up in our lives so unexpectedly.
And like is true with the planned and desired effects we bring into our lives, these unplanned, unwanted effects we find ourselves facing often have a cause that is very close to us. It may be an attitude, an emotion. It can be one of our life lessons that has caused this in order for us to pay attention to something we may have overlooked before.

IN this day and age it seems that very often the somewhat hidden cause to the unwanted effect can be found in a certain indignation; or even in a perspective that says that ‘the world owes me …’. Like ‘I am a nice, spiritual person, and therefore nasty things shouldn’t happen to me’. Or: ‘I have given so much in the past, now I deserve to be given this thing I really want.’

Given the fact that those type of perspectives rarely result in the effects we desire, one could say we are better off adapting a more genuine, more kind attitude in dealing with the word around us…
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