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It is a good thing to have directions as to how to get where you want to go. Be it a map, an app, or someone kindly guiding you; telling you where to turn ~ whatever form it takes it will help us to get where we want to go faster.
It seems that finding the direction we want to take in career, in how we are productive in life, is a little bit harder. There are so many ways to go, so many things to choose from… And unless we start our own business, we may have strong desires to do one thing or another; that doesn’t mean that we will be able to find that perfect job that will accommodate that for us.
Then, if we do start our own business we may find ourselves bogged down with mundane things like administration and bookkeeping, rather than spending our time and energy doing the things we set out to do…
Often, we make the best choices as they come up and find ourselves over time walking a more or less comfortable path through life. A path that enables us to pay the bills, and to spend time with family and friends. And even when we are not quite going in the direction we envisioned while we were younger, the fact that life is comfortable makes it all okay. Sort of.
Until we reach that point in life when we realize that this is our chance to change directions. To finally start doing the things we dreamed about way back when; to truly make a difference in the world…
Then the search is on to find that perfect, individual direction that is uniquely ours. The next step might be the hardest of all; to change directions and to start doing the things we feel passionate about.
From a spiritual standpoint the main directions, North, East, South, and West, represent perspectives. Some would even add the directions ‘Above’ and ‘Below’ to the mix.
Looking upon the directions as perspectives gives us a way in which we can gain insight into where we stand in life, and what we want to do next. It is an ancient practice to start walking in the direction of which the perspective will help best to gain insight into a situation or to solve the problem we are facing.
That way, one would start walking to the North in order to see an overview of the situation ~ sort of like a meditative walk… Walking East may give insight as to where we stand in life. Moving South may show us the next step, while moving to the West can give us the instigation to actually take the steps needed to move forward in life.
This means that the directions can be really useful to us, especially when we want to change directions in life!!
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Friday, June 27, 2014
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Why we do the things we do
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There are any number of reasons why we do the things we do. Some are better than others, yet most may bot be the best reason to do anything at all; and that in itself should be food for thought…
So here are seven reasons that come to mind:
On the surface there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with the first reason; ‘It’s our job’. Having a job is a good thing, especially if you like your job. It is a way to provide for yourself and your family; a way to ‘pay the bills’. Yet what if it is not a paying job, but more a ‘self-appointed’ job? A chore that no-one is willing to help out with because it is our job? Then suddenly this reason connects with reasons 2, 3 and 4; and the question arises: “Is this really true? Is it truly my job?”
The second reason is even less clear cut. Is what we do expected from us by ourselves or by others? Or are we just thinking others are expecting it from us? In all likelihood, even if those others are not expecting it from us, they won’t protest if we do the things that someone would need to do anyway…
Numbers 3 and 4 are often intertwined. As long as we are doing what we are told or taught to do, we will gain the approval of others ~ be it parents, teachers, or bosses… And while it may be a good thing to do the things we do in the way we were taught how to do them, that probably shouldn’t be why we do them. Approval ratings usually are highly overrated where it is about the everyday things in our lives…
The last three reasons turn out to be more sustainable reasons.
When we do the things we want to do in life we very often find ourselves in a state of contentment, of happiness; even a peaceful state of mind. (Unless of course we want to do those things because we think it is expected of us to do those things.) When we are doing the things we truly and honestly want to do, chances are they will make us happy!
Ultimately, the very best reason to do the things we do is when we are passionate about them. When they inspire us.
When we find those things we are passionate about and put in the time and effort to actually start doing them; chances are we got it made!!
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.
There are any number of reasons why we do the things we do. Some are better than others, yet most may bot be the best reason to do anything at all; and that in itself should be food for thought…
So here are seven reasons that come to mind:
- It’s our job.
- It is expected of us.
- It is what we need to do to gain approval from others.
- It is what we are told/taught to do.
- It is what we want to do.
- It is what makes us happy.
- It is what we are passionate about.
On the surface there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with the first reason; ‘It’s our job’. Having a job is a good thing, especially if you like your job. It is a way to provide for yourself and your family; a way to ‘pay the bills’. Yet what if it is not a paying job, but more a ‘self-appointed’ job? A chore that no-one is willing to help out with because it is our job? Then suddenly this reason connects with reasons 2, 3 and 4; and the question arises: “Is this really true? Is it truly my job?”
The second reason is even less clear cut. Is what we do expected from us by ourselves or by others? Or are we just thinking others are expecting it from us? In all likelihood, even if those others are not expecting it from us, they won’t protest if we do the things that someone would need to do anyway…
Numbers 3 and 4 are often intertwined. As long as we are doing what we are told or taught to do, we will gain the approval of others ~ be it parents, teachers, or bosses… And while it may be a good thing to do the things we do in the way we were taught how to do them, that probably shouldn’t be why we do them. Approval ratings usually are highly overrated where it is about the everyday things in our lives…
The last three reasons turn out to be more sustainable reasons.
When we do the things we want to do in life we very often find ourselves in a state of contentment, of happiness; even a peaceful state of mind. (Unless of course we want to do those things because we think it is expected of us to do those things.) When we are doing the things we truly and honestly want to do, chances are they will make us happy!
Ultimately, the very best reason to do the things we do is when we are passionate about them. When they inspire us.
When we find those things we are passionate about and put in the time and effort to actually start doing them; chances are we got it made!!
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Friday, June 20, 2014
Dogma
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The dictionary gives the meaning of ‘dogma’ as: a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true. Once a principle becomes dogmatic, what may have started as a set of beliefs becomes set in concrete as a set of rules is laid out ensuring the original principle stays ‘pure’.
Therefore the rules should never be broken. More often than not, once we get involved with any dogmatic principle, we are told that the consequences of breaking those rules will be enormous ~ in a bad way.
Where the original principle or set of beliefs may have been open minded and productive, once it is expressed through a set of rules there is a tendency to put the rules first; and to a certain extend forget about the original principle or set of beliefs that started it all.
From that perspective, dogma, while it keeps the original principle pure ~ it also ensures that this original principle cannot evolve. It can only function within the set of rules that was applied to said principle, which in turn are not allowed to be broken or changed one iota.
In the continually moving and changing energy of today, chances are existing dogmas become outdated.
They don’t evolve but eventually are replaced by new dogmas as new ideas, new beliefs are proven to be true.
Traditionally, perhaps the strongest dogmas exist in religion, and strangely enough in applied science; as it is dogma that protects the investments made. In a sense one could say the pharmaceutical industry functions this way.
Yet also healing itself can become dogmatic. As soon as the desire to heal a person becomes a mechanism to cure an anomaly that person may suffer from ~ rather than treating the person as a whole ~ there is a tendency to just follow a set of rules that ‘are tried and true’ without leaving room for that process to unfold in the unique, new, personal way that suits that person best…
This also means that predictions that are based upon a perceived truth that is set in concrete, may or may not be helpful.
On one hand, the prediction may well be based in empirical evidence, and as such be true ~ for most people. On the other hand, as soon as the process is shaped to fit the dogma, an ever greater group of people may feel that the results of the process are less than they could have been. This is because following dogma, the outcome is already set.
Perhaps it is time to follow the rules that are based in empirical evidence, yet staying open for the unexpected, the new, the wonderful, even the miraculous to come into being.
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.
The dictionary gives the meaning of ‘dogma’ as: a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true. Once a principle becomes dogmatic, what may have started as a set of beliefs becomes set in concrete as a set of rules is laid out ensuring the original principle stays ‘pure’.
Therefore the rules should never be broken. More often than not, once we get involved with any dogmatic principle, we are told that the consequences of breaking those rules will be enormous ~ in a bad way.
Where the original principle or set of beliefs may have been open minded and productive, once it is expressed through a set of rules there is a tendency to put the rules first; and to a certain extend forget about the original principle or set of beliefs that started it all.
From that perspective, dogma, while it keeps the original principle pure ~ it also ensures that this original principle cannot evolve. It can only function within the set of rules that was applied to said principle, which in turn are not allowed to be broken or changed one iota.
In the continually moving and changing energy of today, chances are existing dogmas become outdated.
They don’t evolve but eventually are replaced by new dogmas as new ideas, new beliefs are proven to be true.
Traditionally, perhaps the strongest dogmas exist in religion, and strangely enough in applied science; as it is dogma that protects the investments made. In a sense one could say the pharmaceutical industry functions this way.
Yet also healing itself can become dogmatic. As soon as the desire to heal a person becomes a mechanism to cure an anomaly that person may suffer from ~ rather than treating the person as a whole ~ there is a tendency to just follow a set of rules that ‘are tried and true’ without leaving room for that process to unfold in the unique, new, personal way that suits that person best…
This also means that predictions that are based upon a perceived truth that is set in concrete, may or may not be helpful.
On one hand, the prediction may well be based in empirical evidence, and as such be true ~ for most people. On the other hand, as soon as the process is shaped to fit the dogma, an ever greater group of people may feel that the results of the process are less than they could have been. This is because following dogma, the outcome is already set.
Perhaps it is time to follow the rules that are based in empirical evidence, yet staying open for the unexpected, the new, the wonderful, even the miraculous to come into being.
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Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Medicine
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In a time when ‘medicine’ and ‘medication’ have almost become interchangeable concepts, it seems a good idea to have a look at the older, perhaps even shamanic perspective of ‘medicine’.
When we look up ‘medicine’ in the dictionary of today it reads: “The science or practice of the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease (in technical use often taken to exclude surgery).
Or a compound or preparation used for the treatment or prevention of disease, esp. a drug or drugs taken by mouth.”
The older, more shamanic meaning of medicine is closer to the “practice of the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease” part of that definition than it is to the second part. One’s ‘medicine’ is that which keeps one strong and healthy, as well as it is that which that person has to offer to keep others ~ or even the tribe at large ~ healthy and strong.
From this perspective, ‘medicine’ can be to take a week in which we cancel all of our evening appointments so that we create time for ourselves to sit back, relax, and ensure a good night’s sleep. In doing so we may reduce our stress levels, which in turn may prevent us from getting sick.
It is as simple as it is effective…
Another way of applying ‘medicine’ is to buy, cook, and eat the foods our bodies need, rather than what we want. For instance lowering our sugar intake, or eating fruits and veggies ~ or even eating some heavier proteins when our bodies feel the need for them.
If we do our grocery shopping with this in mind, we may find that before long we are eating healthier foods that are more tuned to our individual needs. This then may result in losing a bit of extra weight; yet can just as easily result in gaining a couple of pounds when we are ‘underweight’ from a health perspective.
When we do this, the food we eat, the spices we use to prepare it, the attention we give to it ~ it all becomes part of our ‘medicine’. Our personal way to stay healthy.
In our modern way of living our lives, especially in the high frequency energy we are living in today, anything we can do for ourselves to lower the level of stress in our lives ~ whether that is through avoiding stressful situations, handling stressful situations more effectively, releasing built up stress sooner ~ can be looked at as our ‘medicine’ as it will help us to stay healthy.
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.
In a time when ‘medicine’ and ‘medication’ have almost become interchangeable concepts, it seems a good idea to have a look at the older, perhaps even shamanic perspective of ‘medicine’.
When we look up ‘medicine’ in the dictionary of today it reads: “The science or practice of the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease (in technical use often taken to exclude surgery).
Or a compound or preparation used for the treatment or prevention of disease, esp. a drug or drugs taken by mouth.”
The older, more shamanic meaning of medicine is closer to the “practice of the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease” part of that definition than it is to the second part. One’s ‘medicine’ is that which keeps one strong and healthy, as well as it is that which that person has to offer to keep others ~ or even the tribe at large ~ healthy and strong.
From this perspective, ‘medicine’ can be to take a week in which we cancel all of our evening appointments so that we create time for ourselves to sit back, relax, and ensure a good night’s sleep. In doing so we may reduce our stress levels, which in turn may prevent us from getting sick.
It is as simple as it is effective…
Another way of applying ‘medicine’ is to buy, cook, and eat the foods our bodies need, rather than what we want. For instance lowering our sugar intake, or eating fruits and veggies ~ or even eating some heavier proteins when our bodies feel the need for them.
If we do our grocery shopping with this in mind, we may find that before long we are eating healthier foods that are more tuned to our individual needs. This then may result in losing a bit of extra weight; yet can just as easily result in gaining a couple of pounds when we are ‘underweight’ from a health perspective.
When we do this, the food we eat, the spices we use to prepare it, the attention we give to it ~ it all becomes part of our ‘medicine’. Our personal way to stay healthy.
In our modern way of living our lives, especially in the high frequency energy we are living in today, anything we can do for ourselves to lower the level of stress in our lives ~ whether that is through avoiding stressful situations, handling stressful situations more effectively, releasing built up stress sooner ~ can be looked at as our ‘medicine’ as it will help us to stay healthy.
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Friday, June 13, 2014
Discount coupons
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It seems that nowadays pretty much everything is, or can be, discounted. Where it used to be the Sunday paper that would carry the discount coupons, now there seems to be a whole industry around coupon-ing; complete with its very own reality shows on TV.
And while it used to be groceries and personal care products that seemed to be the thing to get your coupons for, recently DIY stores, and other big megastores are joining the fray. To the point where one store makes it known it will accept all coupons of similar stores…
And it isn’t even just the stores that put out the discount coupons, or certain types of stores that discount their products big time. Even furniture stores that so far would just stick to their ‘sales prices’ will keep lowering the already affordable price to make the sale.
It seems that the winner in the ‘discount-coupon-war’ is the consumer.
And yet, I am not entirely certain about that. After all, if there is so much of a difference between the advertised price or ‘ticket price’ and the price at which the store is still willing to sell the item ~ especially when it is a store that has been in business for an extended period of time and which shows no signs of going out of business ~ than I find myself left with the sense that the original price was way too high!
It would mean that if I would buy something for the ticket-price, I’m paying way more than I should be paying for that particular product. Sometimes as much as double the price…
Of course I understand that any store, independent what type of store, or what kind of product they sell, is in business to make a buck. But when you can drop your prices so much while still making a buck; that seems to be plain greed.
Granted, the greed is more prevalent in some industries than others. It is well known for instance that margins on groceries are small; something that makes the discount coupon go up in value ~ even though it is only for a couple of dimes on each coupon.
But on other items, especially he ‘big ticket’ items, it seems to pay to be willing to walk away from a deal in order to see if that would bring the price further down yet.
Where I live this is becoming the normal thing to do, especially where it is about electricity, telephone service, TV service, Internet service. Changing from one company to another in order to save your pennies is no big deal anymore…
Seems we truly live in a ‘discount society’…
.
.
It seems that nowadays pretty much everything is, or can be, discounted. Where it used to be the Sunday paper that would carry the discount coupons, now there seems to be a whole industry around coupon-ing; complete with its very own reality shows on TV.
And while it used to be groceries and personal care products that seemed to be the thing to get your coupons for, recently DIY stores, and other big megastores are joining the fray. To the point where one store makes it known it will accept all coupons of similar stores…
And it isn’t even just the stores that put out the discount coupons, or certain types of stores that discount their products big time. Even furniture stores that so far would just stick to their ‘sales prices’ will keep lowering the already affordable price to make the sale.
It seems that the winner in the ‘discount-coupon-war’ is the consumer.
And yet, I am not entirely certain about that. After all, if there is so much of a difference between the advertised price or ‘ticket price’ and the price at which the store is still willing to sell the item ~ especially when it is a store that has been in business for an extended period of time and which shows no signs of going out of business ~ than I find myself left with the sense that the original price was way too high!
It would mean that if I would buy something for the ticket-price, I’m paying way more than I should be paying for that particular product. Sometimes as much as double the price…
Of course I understand that any store, independent what type of store, or what kind of product they sell, is in business to make a buck. But when you can drop your prices so much while still making a buck; that seems to be plain greed.
Granted, the greed is more prevalent in some industries than others. It is well known for instance that margins on groceries are small; something that makes the discount coupon go up in value ~ even though it is only for a couple of dimes on each coupon.
But on other items, especially he ‘big ticket’ items, it seems to pay to be willing to walk away from a deal in order to see if that would bring the price further down yet.
Where I live this is becoming the normal thing to do, especially where it is about electricity, telephone service, TV service, Internet service. Changing from one company to another in order to save your pennies is no big deal anymore…
Seems we truly live in a ‘discount society’…
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