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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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Friday, October 31, 2014
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
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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.
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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Friday, October 24, 2014
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…
.
.
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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Tuesday, October 21, 2014
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.
.
.
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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.
Friday, October 17, 2014
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!
.
.
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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