.
It seems that the more important something is in our lives, the more words we have to describe it. For instance, when we are experiencing a dry spell in the weather, chances are that ‘rain’ ceases to be just ‘rain’, but rather gets a more descriptive word attached to it.
As long as it is not truly raining yet, there can be a mist, a fog, a drizzle… Then when the amount increases it may ‘look like rain’, or ‘almost forming puddles’. And then, when there finally is that great big downpour everybody has been waiting for for so long, it is ‘raining cats and dogs’.
When there is too much precipitation in an area, the focus may be how to drain all that water from roads, pastures and gardens in such a way that it doesn’t hinder our lives. And suddenly sewers, channels, conduits, ditches, culverts, ducts, pipes, gutters, troughs, sluices, spillways, races, flumes, and chutes become important.
Language is funny like that.
But then of course it is not language in and of itself that brings all those words to mind. It is our thinking, our focus that brings all the words pertaining to that topic to the foreground. The more something is on our mind, the more we are pondering a concept, considering where it will lead us, contemplating the consequences ~ the more ways we will find to describe what is going on.
That way we give ourselves the opportunity to be more and more precise in our account on what is going on in our lives, and in our direct environments. We give ourselves a chance to be more detailed in our explanation.
As language tends to be descriptive, depending on what is important in a particular area, a specific culture, or a distinct way of life, those concepts almost always can be described well, and in enormous detail, with a single word or sentence.
Looking at this from the opposite direction, one could say that when we need many words and sentences to describe something, it may be a concept or topic that we are not (yet) very familiar with. It may be something we have just discovered, or something that we are finding has a greater meaning and significance to us than we had thought up to that point.
And therefore we could perhaps also state that the greater need we feel to be detailed in our depiction of what is going on in our lives, the more important it is to us…
Whichever way we look at it, listening carefully to the descriptions used by someone can give us a whole lot more knowledge on what is going on than just the factual information we are given at that point in time…
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Friday, November 27, 2015
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Initiative
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It seems that in this point in time the big question ~ one that may shape our lives more than any other question ~ is whether we take the initiative, or rather sit back and wait for that golden opportunity to come our way.
Just looking around, meeting and observing people who, each in their own way, are working so hard to make things work for them; it certainly seems that the time in which ‘Good things come to those who wait!’ has passed.
On the other hand, how much of an initiative should we take? How forceful should we be in ‘making things happen’, before we become too pushy?
Where is that fine line between being patient, and being inactive? That line between ‘making things happen’ and ‘forcing things to go our way’?
There is no one answer to those questions as it is a personal process we go through. It has everything to do with the (personal) choices we make and what we, as an unique individual desire in our lives.
That being said, it does seem that taking the initiative works better nowadays, than to sit and wait for things to happen. Even if that initiative is to ask the Creative Force in a meditation to point you in the right direction.
In other words, we have to let the ‘Powers That Be’ know that we are ready for (some kind of) action. That we are eager to bring new and different things into our lives, and that this ~ at least from our perspective ~ is a good time to get started with it.
On the other hand, when we have always pushed things right to the limit in order to make them happen the way we see fit ~ we may be running into walls more often now than we used to do. It can be a case of taking too much initiative, and perhaps it is time to take a step back and see what comes our way…
In this time of polarities, the point of balance lies somewhere in the middle.
If we don’t start getting the ball rolling, nothing will happen. On the other hand, if we kick that ball far and wide; we may loose that ball altogether.
When we take the initiative ~ based on a plan that suits our personal desires ~ we are entering into a conversation. It is a conversation not just with the other parties needed to make our plan a reality, but also a conversation with the ‘Powers That Be’; that sense that is there often without us being able to truly point at it. It is often expressed as a ‘gut-feel’…
So when we take the initiative, it is a good thing to listen to all the information that comes back to us; be it from people, in energy, or that deep inner gut-feel. And as soon as we do that, chances are we are on a roll!
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.
It seems that in this point in time the big question ~ one that may shape our lives more than any other question ~ is whether we take the initiative, or rather sit back and wait for that golden opportunity to come our way.
Just looking around, meeting and observing people who, each in their own way, are working so hard to make things work for them; it certainly seems that the time in which ‘Good things come to those who wait!’ has passed.
On the other hand, how much of an initiative should we take? How forceful should we be in ‘making things happen’, before we become too pushy?
Where is that fine line between being patient, and being inactive? That line between ‘making things happen’ and ‘forcing things to go our way’?
There is no one answer to those questions as it is a personal process we go through. It has everything to do with the (personal) choices we make and what we, as an unique individual desire in our lives.
That being said, it does seem that taking the initiative works better nowadays, than to sit and wait for things to happen. Even if that initiative is to ask the Creative Force in a meditation to point you in the right direction.
In other words, we have to let the ‘Powers That Be’ know that we are ready for (some kind of) action. That we are eager to bring new and different things into our lives, and that this ~ at least from our perspective ~ is a good time to get started with it.
On the other hand, when we have always pushed things right to the limit in order to make them happen the way we see fit ~ we may be running into walls more often now than we used to do. It can be a case of taking too much initiative, and perhaps it is time to take a step back and see what comes our way…
In this time of polarities, the point of balance lies somewhere in the middle.
If we don’t start getting the ball rolling, nothing will happen. On the other hand, if we kick that ball far and wide; we may loose that ball altogether.
When we take the initiative ~ based on a plan that suits our personal desires ~ we are entering into a conversation. It is a conversation not just with the other parties needed to make our plan a reality, but also a conversation with the ‘Powers That Be’; that sense that is there often without us being able to truly point at it. It is often expressed as a ‘gut-feel’…
So when we take the initiative, it is a good thing to listen to all the information that comes back to us; be it from people, in energy, or that deep inner gut-feel. And as soon as we do that, chances are we are on a roll!
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Friday, November 20, 2015
A small world
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Have you ever had an experience like you have traveled abroad for your holidays, and in a restaurant you meet a class mate from high school? Or something similar?
It really is a small world!
This is certainly also the case when we are talking about whatever is happening in the world.
Any newsworthy event often will be broadcasted around the world within minutes of it happening. This means that we don’t have to travel places to unexpectedly meet old friends anymore, in order to tell ourselves and others that it is a small world.
With a continued newscast on whatever is happening in any place in the world, it may well seem that whatever it is, is happening right in our own backyard.
The good thing about it is that we are instantly aware of things that are taking place, and with that awareness comes the opportunity to react immediately ~ be it through sending light and healing, by being angry and engaging in a war-like manner (Not sure if that would do any good, but…), or by sending humanitarian help.
The other side of it is that, as it feels it is happening on everybody’s own backyard, everybody wants to do something about it. Everybody wants a piece of the action, in a sense. Even when they are living half-way across the world…
Then there are any number of perspectives in between; including the positions of countless ‘armchair quarterbacks’ from around the world.
And when everybody has put their two cents in, chances are that the solution is not any closer.
Often because we all react as if it has happened in our own back yard, where we decide on whether to use it for barbecuing or rather plant an ‘English style’ garden. And as we come up with our solution to solve the problem at hand ~ a solution that would work really well in our own back yard ~ it may not help quite as much solving the situation in the actual place where it took place.
Then again, with so many points of view, we should be able to pool our resources more effectively and come up with the ‘perfect solution’ every time.
But this might take ‘bigger people’. People who are willing to listen to each other, who don’t take every word personally. People who stand up for what is truly important, not only to themselves, but to humanity as a whole. People who set out to find solutions rather than win elections, perhaps…
Whichever way we look at it, it seems that the smaller the world gets, the bigger people we need to be!
.
.
Have you ever had an experience like you have traveled abroad for your holidays, and in a restaurant you meet a class mate from high school? Or something similar?
It really is a small world!
This is certainly also the case when we are talking about whatever is happening in the world.
Any newsworthy event often will be broadcasted around the world within minutes of it happening. This means that we don’t have to travel places to unexpectedly meet old friends anymore, in order to tell ourselves and others that it is a small world.
With a continued newscast on whatever is happening in any place in the world, it may well seem that whatever it is, is happening right in our own backyard.
The good thing about it is that we are instantly aware of things that are taking place, and with that awareness comes the opportunity to react immediately ~ be it through sending light and healing, by being angry and engaging in a war-like manner (Not sure if that would do any good, but…), or by sending humanitarian help.
The other side of it is that, as it feels it is happening on everybody’s own backyard, everybody wants to do something about it. Everybody wants a piece of the action, in a sense. Even when they are living half-way across the world…
Then there are any number of perspectives in between; including the positions of countless ‘armchair quarterbacks’ from around the world.
And when everybody has put their two cents in, chances are that the solution is not any closer.
Often because we all react as if it has happened in our own back yard, where we decide on whether to use it for barbecuing or rather plant an ‘English style’ garden. And as we come up with our solution to solve the problem at hand ~ a solution that would work really well in our own back yard ~ it may not help quite as much solving the situation in the actual place where it took place.
Then again, with so many points of view, we should be able to pool our resources more effectively and come up with the ‘perfect solution’ every time.
But this might take ‘bigger people’. People who are willing to listen to each other, who don’t take every word personally. People who stand up for what is truly important, not only to themselves, but to humanity as a whole. People who set out to find solutions rather than win elections, perhaps…
Whichever way we look at it, it seems that the smaller the world gets, the bigger people we need to be!
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Friday, November 13, 2015
Personal roots
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We tend to look at our roots as a base, a foundation that rests in family, culture, and the little rituals that go with them. And while these are absolutely part of our roots, there is a third part to our roots that can be much more personal.
Rather than looking at family and culture, we can also from a very personal perspective observe where we have come from through our memories.
These can be memories of early childhood. For instance, the earliest memory we can recall in all likelihood tells us something about what is important to us throughout our lives.
They can also be memories that seem to come from other times, other places, and yes other cultures entirely. Memories of totally different life-experiences where we may have been doing things, learning things, that somehow tie in to our current every day lives.
It is not terribly important whether we sense those memories as things we are imagining, or truly as a reality we had once be part of. Whether we have that ‘wild imagination’ or a perspective that allows us to re-experience what once was, either way the images that come up ~ the visions we become aware of ~ are part of our personal roots and form (part of) the foundation of life as we are living it.
At first glance, these intensely personal roots may be totally different from the values and principles of the family and culture we grew up in. Although often there will be ties between the two…
This way it may happen we grew up in a family where our father and father’s father were doctors, while we ~ based on our personal roots ~ appear to have a great affinity for shamanism and healing.
It illustrates how the tie may be obvious, albeit not an easy one necessarily!
For having the shamanic/healing affinity may prompt us to break with family tradition ~ something that in some families is frowned upon to say the least…
And yet, that set of memories or imaginations that form our personal roots are an important part of how we live our lives. While on one hand we have absolutely a free will choice to actually pursue whatever these memories and imaginations are telling us; they often will link us to our heart’s desires. They can point us into that very direction in life we feel truly passionate about.
Not from a perspective that says that we have to turn back the clock and become that person we were in our memory or imagination; but rather taking those visions ~ those affinities ~ and bringing them forward into this point in time.
Growing a new tree upon old, old personal roots.
.
.
We tend to look at our roots as a base, a foundation that rests in family, culture, and the little rituals that go with them. And while these are absolutely part of our roots, there is a third part to our roots that can be much more personal.
Rather than looking at family and culture, we can also from a very personal perspective observe where we have come from through our memories.
These can be memories of early childhood. For instance, the earliest memory we can recall in all likelihood tells us something about what is important to us throughout our lives.
They can also be memories that seem to come from other times, other places, and yes other cultures entirely. Memories of totally different life-experiences where we may have been doing things, learning things, that somehow tie in to our current every day lives.
It is not terribly important whether we sense those memories as things we are imagining, or truly as a reality we had once be part of. Whether we have that ‘wild imagination’ or a perspective that allows us to re-experience what once was, either way the images that come up ~ the visions we become aware of ~ are part of our personal roots and form (part of) the foundation of life as we are living it.
At first glance, these intensely personal roots may be totally different from the values and principles of the family and culture we grew up in. Although often there will be ties between the two…
This way it may happen we grew up in a family where our father and father’s father were doctors, while we ~ based on our personal roots ~ appear to have a great affinity for shamanism and healing.
It illustrates how the tie may be obvious, albeit not an easy one necessarily!
For having the shamanic/healing affinity may prompt us to break with family tradition ~ something that in some families is frowned upon to say the least…
And yet, that set of memories or imaginations that form our personal roots are an important part of how we live our lives. While on one hand we have absolutely a free will choice to actually pursue whatever these memories and imaginations are telling us; they often will link us to our heart’s desires. They can point us into that very direction in life we feel truly passionate about.
Not from a perspective that says that we have to turn back the clock and become that person we were in our memory or imagination; but rather taking those visions ~ those affinities ~ and bringing them forward into this point in time.
Growing a new tree upon old, old personal roots.
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.
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Family lines
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Family lines are interesting as they can show us where we come from. Not only where we come from physically, but also where we come from geographically. And that can be both surprising and eye-opening as it can let us see where this ‘thing’ that always is done a certain way within our family line actually comes from. That ‘thing’ can be a specific manner of speech, a gesture, a habit; yet whatever it is, if we go back far enough down our family line we are likely to find the source of it.
The more familiar we are with our family lines, the more we may feel an affinity with family members of previous generations. Suddenly we sense with which family member something like for instance a great appreciation for nature has started. And bit by bit we can become aware of traits and trades that are important to us.
But there are more things that come with family lines, for instance the things that ‘run in the family’. Things like ‘creativity’, ‘sportsmanship’, ‘athletic abilities’, ‘intelligence’, ‘commercial prowess’, and on an on.
And then there are also the ‘family burdens’.
There may be illnesses that ‘run in the family’, or attitudes that set the family apart in a way that may be interesting, although perhaps not altogether positive. There may even be so called ‘family karma’, life lessons that seem to come up generation after generation within the same family.
What we do with it in our own lives, of course is totally up to us.
We can use our ‘commercial prowess’ in the family business, or start our own business; or even find ourselves a really good marketing job. And then again, we can choose to not use that specific trade that runs in the family at all.
And whether it is about the ‘family burdens’ or the more positive things that run in the family, either way it is important to make that choice. To decide if and how we want to bring that particular trait forward into our own lives, into the culture we are living in right now, into this point in time.
Because today is the point in time that we can make our choices, our decisions; this point in time is when we can make a difference!
And while we are part of a family line, it is up to us to take the next step. It is up to us to decide whether we follow suit, or rather apply ourselves in a totally different, new way or field.
And that doesn’t deny where we have come from, or any of the things that ‘run in the family’. Those things just give us the best set-up possible to reach and unfold our utmost potential!
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.
Family lines are interesting as they can show us where we come from. Not only where we come from physically, but also where we come from geographically. And that can be both surprising and eye-opening as it can let us see where this ‘thing’ that always is done a certain way within our family line actually comes from. That ‘thing’ can be a specific manner of speech, a gesture, a habit; yet whatever it is, if we go back far enough down our family line we are likely to find the source of it.
The more familiar we are with our family lines, the more we may feel an affinity with family members of previous generations. Suddenly we sense with which family member something like for instance a great appreciation for nature has started. And bit by bit we can become aware of traits and trades that are important to us.
But there are more things that come with family lines, for instance the things that ‘run in the family’. Things like ‘creativity’, ‘sportsmanship’, ‘athletic abilities’, ‘intelligence’, ‘commercial prowess’, and on an on.
And then there are also the ‘family burdens’.
There may be illnesses that ‘run in the family’, or attitudes that set the family apart in a way that may be interesting, although perhaps not altogether positive. There may even be so called ‘family karma’, life lessons that seem to come up generation after generation within the same family.
What we do with it in our own lives, of course is totally up to us.
We can use our ‘commercial prowess’ in the family business, or start our own business; or even find ourselves a really good marketing job. And then again, we can choose to not use that specific trade that runs in the family at all.
And whether it is about the ‘family burdens’ or the more positive things that run in the family, either way it is important to make that choice. To decide if and how we want to bring that particular trait forward into our own lives, into the culture we are living in right now, into this point in time.
Because today is the point in time that we can make our choices, our decisions; this point in time is when we can make a difference!
And while we are part of a family line, it is up to us to take the next step. It is up to us to decide whether we follow suit, or rather apply ourselves in a totally different, new way or field.
And that doesn’t deny where we have come from, or any of the things that ‘run in the family’. Those things just give us the best set-up possible to reach and unfold our utmost potential!
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Friday, November 6, 2015
Sands of time
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From the moment the hourglass is ‘flipped’, the sands of time start streaming down. Kernel by kernel it falls through the narrow opening making it very visible how the minutes, the hours, the days move by.
The fine, dry sand is almost impossible to grab a hold of. When we would try and hold it in our hands, chances are it will escape through the cracks between our fingers.
Just like time, we cannot stop its movement.
All we can do is watch how the sand in the top part of the hourglass diminishes as it slowly streams into the bottom part…
It can be somewhat hypnotizing to watch. Yet, as it is with time itself, just watching the sand fall from top to bottom is like feeling time slipping away through our fingers.
Like going through the motions, doing whatever is required of us; and yet having this sense that there should be more to life. Having the suspicion that we are missing exactly that one thing that life is all about; that makes all our hard work worthwhile.
That moment when we can sit back for a moment without telling ourselves ~ or being told by others ~ that we should get on with it, because ‘time is wasting’.
Perhaps the answer lies in how we perceive the sands of time.
What if…
Each kernel of sand in the hourglass represents a thought or action ~ even non-action ~ that we take? And each thought we have that is truly self-empowering, each action that is helping ourselves, humanity and even the universe starts moving in slow motion?
Then we can modify our thoughts, words, actions, and experiences in such a way that we ~ eventually ~ will have all the time in the world!
And if all the fine, dry sand on beaches and in deserts represent thoughts and actions from a different point in time? Either washed up on the shore to be re-examined, or patiently waiting for a change in climate that will transform it into fertile soil again.
In that case we may well benefit to listen to the sands of time…
More importantly; time, how we handle it, what we do with it ~ and how it treats us in return ~ are all under our own control. Our personal choices dictate whether time is slipping away from us, or if we ‘have all the time in the world’.
And while that doesn’t seem to have any influence on the clock on the wall ~ we may well find that as we choose to slow down the sands of time in our hourglass, we turn out to be more effective, more productive in whatever we choose to do in our lives, leaving us more time to just enjoy life!
.
.
From the moment the hourglass is ‘flipped’, the sands of time start streaming down. Kernel by kernel it falls through the narrow opening making it very visible how the minutes, the hours, the days move by.
The fine, dry sand is almost impossible to grab a hold of. When we would try and hold it in our hands, chances are it will escape through the cracks between our fingers.
Just like time, we cannot stop its movement.
All we can do is watch how the sand in the top part of the hourglass diminishes as it slowly streams into the bottom part…
It can be somewhat hypnotizing to watch. Yet, as it is with time itself, just watching the sand fall from top to bottom is like feeling time slipping away through our fingers.
Like going through the motions, doing whatever is required of us; and yet having this sense that there should be more to life. Having the suspicion that we are missing exactly that one thing that life is all about; that makes all our hard work worthwhile.
That moment when we can sit back for a moment without telling ourselves ~ or being told by others ~ that we should get on with it, because ‘time is wasting’.
Perhaps the answer lies in how we perceive the sands of time.
What if…
Each kernel of sand in the hourglass represents a thought or action ~ even non-action ~ that we take? And each thought we have that is truly self-empowering, each action that is helping ourselves, humanity and even the universe starts moving in slow motion?
Then we can modify our thoughts, words, actions, and experiences in such a way that we ~ eventually ~ will have all the time in the world!
And if all the fine, dry sand on beaches and in deserts represent thoughts and actions from a different point in time? Either washed up on the shore to be re-examined, or patiently waiting for a change in climate that will transform it into fertile soil again.
In that case we may well benefit to listen to the sands of time…
More importantly; time, how we handle it, what we do with it ~ and how it treats us in return ~ are all under our own control. Our personal choices dictate whether time is slipping away from us, or if we ‘have all the time in the world’.
And while that doesn’t seem to have any influence on the clock on the wall ~ we may well find that as we choose to slow down the sands of time in our hourglass, we turn out to be more effective, more productive in whatever we choose to do in our lives, leaving us more time to just enjoy life!
.
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Tuesday, November 3, 2015
A sense of safety
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Have you ever sought refuge?
Perhaps as a child in a scary situation, running to your parents or grandparents to hide from it in their company, or in their arms? Or when life has been so over the top busy that you went on a retreat, creating a moment of peace and calm into your life? Or even moving indoors when a turbulent thunder storm hits the area you live in, turning on all the lights so you won’t see the lightning?
I guess we are all in need of a place where we feel safe. A place we can hide out in when the world is just becoming a little bit too much to deal with ~ for whatever the reason. And for many of us that place is ‘home’. Whether ‘home’ is an area that we are familiar with, or literally the roof over our head and the walls it is resting on doesn’t really matter a whole lot in our every-day-lives.
When everything gets to be too much to handle, we hole up in our own space, and after cocooning for a couple of days, chances are we are looking at the world differently and are ready to face whatever lands on our (personal) paths.
There are times, though, when this solution is no longer available to us.
Usually when a force outside of ourselves ~ often even outside of our realm of influence ~ enters our lives, our space, our thoughts, and takes over every sense of ‘normalcy’ when had known in our lives up to that point.
Recent history divides those forces up into two categories:
It prompts us to move to any place that we can find that will provide us with a sense of safety. A sense that even if we fall asleep, we will survive the night…
The sad yet interesting thing is that this sense of safety is much more readily provided for those fleeing any natural disaster, than it is to those fleeing a war-torn environment. We seem much more tolerant to those seeking refuge from nature, than to those seeking refuge from war.
And yet, at one time or another each and every one of us has sought refuge ~ needing a space that gave us a sense of safety…
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.
Have you ever sought refuge?
Perhaps as a child in a scary situation, running to your parents or grandparents to hide from it in their company, or in their arms? Or when life has been so over the top busy that you went on a retreat, creating a moment of peace and calm into your life? Or even moving indoors when a turbulent thunder storm hits the area you live in, turning on all the lights so you won’t see the lightning?
I guess we are all in need of a place where we feel safe. A place we can hide out in when the world is just becoming a little bit too much to deal with ~ for whatever the reason. And for many of us that place is ‘home’. Whether ‘home’ is an area that we are familiar with, or literally the roof over our head and the walls it is resting on doesn’t really matter a whole lot in our every-day-lives.
When everything gets to be too much to handle, we hole up in our own space, and after cocooning for a couple of days, chances are we are looking at the world differently and are ready to face whatever lands on our (personal) paths.
There are times, though, when this solution is no longer available to us.
Usually when a force outside of ourselves ~ often even outside of our realm of influence ~ enters our lives, our space, our thoughts, and takes over every sense of ‘normalcy’ when had known in our lives up to that point.
Recent history divides those forces up into two categories:
- Natural disasters like tsunamis, hurricanes, active volcanos etc.
- War.
It prompts us to move to any place that we can find that will provide us with a sense of safety. A sense that even if we fall asleep, we will survive the night…
The sad yet interesting thing is that this sense of safety is much more readily provided for those fleeing any natural disaster, than it is to those fleeing a war-torn environment. We seem much more tolerant to those seeking refuge from nature, than to those seeking refuge from war.
And yet, at one time or another each and every one of us has sought refuge ~ needing a space that gave us a sense of safety…
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