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When working with computers ~ and who isn’t nowadays ~ it is important to make a back-up every once in a while. To place all your ‘files and stuff’ on some kind of different, separate memory; be it a memory stick, an external hard drive or a number of DVD’s.
In doing so, it gives you the expectation ~ if not the certainty ~ that you can recover your work, fun, and whatever else is on your computer in case of an emergency. Things that can happen as computers are ~ like us humans ~ sturdy yet fragile. When pushed over the edge, the fall can be long and hard...
So as we feel it is ‘normal’ to create regular back-ups of our computers ~ it makes me think what we do for ourselves. What do we have to fall back upon when things go wrong; when we are pushed over the edge? Where can we recover our ‘files and stuff’ if something goes wrong?
It seems that it is a good thing to take a step back from all our activities at regular intervals; to step out of the flow of things in our lives in order to see what is going on. Often that is something that is hard to see when we are in the middle of things ~ moving away from it a little bit can create just that distance we need to start reevaluating our lives, to see if our priorities are still the way they work best for us; to examine whether what we consider our values really are ours and are still helping us along in life...
One could say that this is how we would do a back-up on ourselves. On our ‘files and stuff’.
The other thing that happens when we step away from the push of day to day life is that we get a much more clear picture as to what is going on. It really does help us to decide where to put our time and energy ~ much like we would ‘clean up our computers’ before doing that back-up, it allows for a clean up of all those little things that have crept into our lives; demanding our energy and attention while we are not even always aware of how they got there or what ~ if anything ~ they have to add to our lives.
In other words ~ even if it works slightly different for us as humans as it does for our computers ~ it is still important to take the time for a back-up every once in a while...
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Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Friday, October 25, 2013
Getting answers
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I think all of us want answers; I know I certainly do. Yet often the answer that is given is not exactly the information I was after. This may result in asking the proverbial 100 questions.
Not that there is anything wrong with asking questions ~ in a sense it is far better to ask those 100 questions than to never figure out the answer.
So perhaps even more important than getting the answers is to ask the right questions. What is it you really want the answer to? And often it pays to spend time figuring out what our question really is before we ask. Doing that ensures that the answer we are given will hold the information we were after in the first place.
In this day and age there are many possible ways to ask our questions, and to get our answers.
We can ask friends, family, mentors, teachers, coaches... Or we can enter the ‘world wide web’, stating our question in the search engine of our choice ~ receiving often tens of thousands of possible answers within milliseconds.
When we ask our questions in meditation, it may take a little longer to get the answers ~ partly dependent on how well versed we are in the meditative process; partly because it is easy to doubt the answers we get that way (Did I really get that right?); and partly because when we ask our questions in meditation, the answers may come to us in many different ways. Sometimes we get the answer right away in that very meditation. Other times the answer can come to us in a dream... Very often, once the question is stated in a meditation, life will give us the answer.
That sounds really cool! Yet what it means is that we are getting the answers we are seeking continuously as we are living our lives. Through casual conversation. Through something we read in the paper. Through a bird ~ or any animal really ~ that attracts our attention...
They are all answers to our questions; the difficult part is to figure out which of our questions is being answered; followed by realizing what the answer is, and believing that this really is the answer we were seeking.
Getting the answers is not as much about asking the succinct question as it is about the acceptance if the information we are given and the realization of all of its implications. It is often more about the process and truly ‘getting it’, than it is about any one answer we receive...
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.
I think all of us want answers; I know I certainly do. Yet often the answer that is given is not exactly the information I was after. This may result in asking the proverbial 100 questions.
Not that there is anything wrong with asking questions ~ in a sense it is far better to ask those 100 questions than to never figure out the answer.
So perhaps even more important than getting the answers is to ask the right questions. What is it you really want the answer to? And often it pays to spend time figuring out what our question really is before we ask. Doing that ensures that the answer we are given will hold the information we were after in the first place.
In this day and age there are many possible ways to ask our questions, and to get our answers.
We can ask friends, family, mentors, teachers, coaches... Or we can enter the ‘world wide web’, stating our question in the search engine of our choice ~ receiving often tens of thousands of possible answers within milliseconds.
When we ask our questions in meditation, it may take a little longer to get the answers ~ partly dependent on how well versed we are in the meditative process; partly because it is easy to doubt the answers we get that way (Did I really get that right?); and partly because when we ask our questions in meditation, the answers may come to us in many different ways. Sometimes we get the answer right away in that very meditation. Other times the answer can come to us in a dream... Very often, once the question is stated in a meditation, life will give us the answer.
That sounds really cool! Yet what it means is that we are getting the answers we are seeking continuously as we are living our lives. Through casual conversation. Through something we read in the paper. Through a bird ~ or any animal really ~ that attracts our attention...
They are all answers to our questions; the difficult part is to figure out which of our questions is being answered; followed by realizing what the answer is, and believing that this really is the answer we were seeking.
Getting the answers is not as much about asking the succinct question as it is about the acceptance if the information we are given and the realization of all of its implications. It is often more about the process and truly ‘getting it’, than it is about any one answer we receive...
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Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Different places
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That place where we live; the same place we know inside and out, that is comfortable to us ~ is often a place of which we think it has little news to offer us. We know what is there, we know how to react to it as much as how it will respond to us.
Until we start moving to other places; places that we are less familiar with. Places that are different from what we know ~ sometimes culturally, or linguistically; or just as far as the scenery goes ~ have something new to offer to us. And as we are taking all the new things in, we bring back into our lives a certain sense of wonder...
It is that sense of wonder that allows us to look at our new surroundings with an open mind. To see whatever is around us at face value ~ without immediately tying it to our own interpretation. Not comparing it to what we already know; what we are familiar with.
The nice thing is that after having visited new places ~ and have activated our sense of wonder ~ we can when we return to our more familiar environment experience it too with our newly found sense of wonder.
It is like visiting different places gives us new eyes.
A new way of looking at things that we are so familiar with...
One could say that this is a process that would be very beneficial to us if we could use it for looking at ourselves.
Thing is, that in the routine of our day to day lives, we start looking upon ourselves as a very familiar place; a place that has nothing new to offer to us. We start seeing only the familiar sides of us; those aspects of us that are comfortable to us. The parts of us that we know inside and out...
And it is a good thing to every once in a while place ourselves in a position from where we can look upon ourselves differently; from where we can discover new and unknown aspects of ourselves.
It is a good thing to step out of our comfort zone every once in a while.
As soon as we step outside of our comfort zone, it is like we are visiting different places. And pretty soon a sense of wonder may overwhelm us, as we start seeing ourselves from a totally different perspective; doing things we never thought we could ~ or things we never thought we would be able to do.
Bringing those new discoveries about ourselves into our every day lives is no doubt the greatest advantage of visiting different places...
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.
That place where we live; the same place we know inside and out, that is comfortable to us ~ is often a place of which we think it has little news to offer us. We know what is there, we know how to react to it as much as how it will respond to us.
Until we start moving to other places; places that we are less familiar with. Places that are different from what we know ~ sometimes culturally, or linguistically; or just as far as the scenery goes ~ have something new to offer to us. And as we are taking all the new things in, we bring back into our lives a certain sense of wonder...
It is that sense of wonder that allows us to look at our new surroundings with an open mind. To see whatever is around us at face value ~ without immediately tying it to our own interpretation. Not comparing it to what we already know; what we are familiar with.
The nice thing is that after having visited new places ~ and have activated our sense of wonder ~ we can when we return to our more familiar environment experience it too with our newly found sense of wonder.
It is like visiting different places gives us new eyes.
A new way of looking at things that we are so familiar with...
One could say that this is a process that would be very beneficial to us if we could use it for looking at ourselves.
Thing is, that in the routine of our day to day lives, we start looking upon ourselves as a very familiar place; a place that has nothing new to offer to us. We start seeing only the familiar sides of us; those aspects of us that are comfortable to us. The parts of us that we know inside and out...
And it is a good thing to every once in a while place ourselves in a position from where we can look upon ourselves differently; from where we can discover new and unknown aspects of ourselves.
It is a good thing to step out of our comfort zone every once in a while.
As soon as we step outside of our comfort zone, it is like we are visiting different places. And pretty soon a sense of wonder may overwhelm us, as we start seeing ourselves from a totally different perspective; doing things we never thought we could ~ or things we never thought we would be able to do.
Bringing those new discoveries about ourselves into our every day lives is no doubt the greatest advantage of visiting different places...
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Friday, October 18, 2013
Worry
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Nothing gets us worried as much as economic hardship, or trouble with a family member or loved one. And in this point in time one may well lead to the other. In other words, pretty much everybody has something to worry about nowadays.
As soon as worries creep into our minds, it seems like they start to blow themselves up ~ getting bigger and bigger, until we cannot see a way out anymore. At which point the worry has pretty much taken over all our rational thoughts about the issue at hand. It also has taken over our inner peace; that place from which we may start any meditation which can bring new insights into the situation.
In other words, as soon as we start worrying about something or someone, we may be stepping into a space that can be paralyzing us, ensuring no real movement to a solution will be possible.
The Dalai Lama says the following about worry:
“If a problem can be solved it will be. If it can not be solved there is no use worrying about it.”
To me, the interesting part of this quote is the first one; ‘If a problem can be solved, it will be.’ It doesn’t say that we need to solve it; it only states that if the issue or problem can be solved, it will be solved. Often this happens fastest when those who are directly involved take steps to solve it. If we are not directly involved, we may be able to guide and give direction to those who are ~ yet often our influence is limited. We cannot solve another person’s problems or issues. And when we start worrying about another person’s problems or issues ~ how ‘natural’ that worry may be ~ we are in danger of placing ourselves in a position where we have a hard time moving along in our own lives.
As such, worry is a negative energy to give to any situation. It has a tendency to add to the problem rather than to the solution.
When we feel worried, it is a good thing to evaluate whether we can influence the situation and bring it to a solution, or not. If we cannot solve the situation ~ as the Dalai Lama says ~ there is no use worrying about it.
When we are not worried, we can use our minds and our energy in a more open and productive manner. We can keep taking productive steps on our own paths. We can meditate, and send lots of Light and Peace to that situation we feel needs a solution ~ and in doing so perhaps we can illuminate the situation to such extend that those directly involved may find their way out of that, often scary, always unwanted situation.
.
.
Nothing gets us worried as much as economic hardship, or trouble with a family member or loved one. And in this point in time one may well lead to the other. In other words, pretty much everybody has something to worry about nowadays.
As soon as worries creep into our minds, it seems like they start to blow themselves up ~ getting bigger and bigger, until we cannot see a way out anymore. At which point the worry has pretty much taken over all our rational thoughts about the issue at hand. It also has taken over our inner peace; that place from which we may start any meditation which can bring new insights into the situation.
In other words, as soon as we start worrying about something or someone, we may be stepping into a space that can be paralyzing us, ensuring no real movement to a solution will be possible.
The Dalai Lama says the following about worry:
“If a problem can be solved it will be. If it can not be solved there is no use worrying about it.”
To me, the interesting part of this quote is the first one; ‘If a problem can be solved, it will be.’ It doesn’t say that we need to solve it; it only states that if the issue or problem can be solved, it will be solved. Often this happens fastest when those who are directly involved take steps to solve it. If we are not directly involved, we may be able to guide and give direction to those who are ~ yet often our influence is limited. We cannot solve another person’s problems or issues. And when we start worrying about another person’s problems or issues ~ how ‘natural’ that worry may be ~ we are in danger of placing ourselves in a position where we have a hard time moving along in our own lives.
As such, worry is a negative energy to give to any situation. It has a tendency to add to the problem rather than to the solution.
When we feel worried, it is a good thing to evaluate whether we can influence the situation and bring it to a solution, or not. If we cannot solve the situation ~ as the Dalai Lama says ~ there is no use worrying about it.
When we are not worried, we can use our minds and our energy in a more open and productive manner. We can keep taking productive steps on our own paths. We can meditate, and send lots of Light and Peace to that situation we feel needs a solution ~ and in doing so perhaps we can illuminate the situation to such extend that those directly involved may find their way out of that, often scary, always unwanted situation.
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Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Waiting
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For most of us waiting, or having to wait, equals lost time. Time spent doing nothing while we would rather have done something. Sometimes that is something work related ~ especially when we are really busy and can use all the time we have. Waiting can then throw us off our game and send our schedule spiraling out of control. Other times we would rather have done something fun, something relaxing ~ yet here we find ourselves waiting.
Often when we find ourselves waiting it is a matter of timing. For that appointment to start; or for participants in a meeting to arrive. And truth be told, when any number of people have to wait starting a meeting because one person hasn’t arrived yet ~ especially if that person is known to be ‘always late’ ~ that is a little annoying...
There is also another kind of waiting ~ a kind that perhaps has more to do with time, rather than with timing. For instance waiting for the first warm day of Spring or Summer. Or waiting for the time when that birthday party is finally going to happen. Waiting for a vacation, for coming home, for starting that new job, for Christmas... We have all times throughout the year that we really like and we ‘can’t wait’ until that specific time finally arrives...
This kind of waiting has a greater sense of anticipation associated with it.
As a child we were counting the nights until our birthday would arrive ~ and with it the special attention and the presents ~ and the closer that day came, the greater our anticipation of how good it was going to be!
In a sense one could say that this type of ‘waiting’ is a journey in itself. And instead of letting our impatience build up; allowing our irritation to grow ~ in short seeing it as something that is plain wrong ~ we can look at it as a journey we are taking until we arrive at that moment where time and the anticipated event come together ~ our arrival, in a sense.
When we have built anticipation rather than stress, that ‘arrival’ is filled with happiness.
That doesn’t mean that we wouldn’t call that person on being always late for meetings; having a stern conversation in order to make clear what (if any) the consequences are for future tardiness.
It does mean, however, that when we are looking at waiting as a journey in and of itself, we don’t get stressed quite as much when we have to wait for something.
We are more apt to start looking what a few moments of waiting have to offer us ~ to see where this particular journey may be taking us...
.
.
For most of us waiting, or having to wait, equals lost time. Time spent doing nothing while we would rather have done something. Sometimes that is something work related ~ especially when we are really busy and can use all the time we have. Waiting can then throw us off our game and send our schedule spiraling out of control. Other times we would rather have done something fun, something relaxing ~ yet here we find ourselves waiting.
Often when we find ourselves waiting it is a matter of timing. For that appointment to start; or for participants in a meeting to arrive. And truth be told, when any number of people have to wait starting a meeting because one person hasn’t arrived yet ~ especially if that person is known to be ‘always late’ ~ that is a little annoying...
There is also another kind of waiting ~ a kind that perhaps has more to do with time, rather than with timing. For instance waiting for the first warm day of Spring or Summer. Or waiting for the time when that birthday party is finally going to happen. Waiting for a vacation, for coming home, for starting that new job, for Christmas... We have all times throughout the year that we really like and we ‘can’t wait’ until that specific time finally arrives...
This kind of waiting has a greater sense of anticipation associated with it.
As a child we were counting the nights until our birthday would arrive ~ and with it the special attention and the presents ~ and the closer that day came, the greater our anticipation of how good it was going to be!
In a sense one could say that this type of ‘waiting’ is a journey in itself. And instead of letting our impatience build up; allowing our irritation to grow ~ in short seeing it as something that is plain wrong ~ we can look at it as a journey we are taking until we arrive at that moment where time and the anticipated event come together ~ our arrival, in a sense.
When we have built anticipation rather than stress, that ‘arrival’ is filled with happiness.
That doesn’t mean that we wouldn’t call that person on being always late for meetings; having a stern conversation in order to make clear what (if any) the consequences are for future tardiness.
It does mean, however, that when we are looking at waiting as a journey in and of itself, we don’t get stressed quite as much when we have to wait for something.
We are more apt to start looking what a few moments of waiting have to offer us ~ to see where this particular journey may be taking us...
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