This past week a young new acquaintence introduced me to the song 'At Gate 22' by Quebec song-writer and singer Pascale Picard. She is a very new singer and this song was introduced only last fall. Being a little old-fashioned in my taste in music I might never have discovered her, so I'm grateful to my new friend for this introduction. I solidly recommend you listen to her -- very interesting voice, and style!
But back to the song 'At Gate 22'. The song is about making choices. The singer sings about choosing to leave, and yet admitting that a part of her will stay behind, at Gate 22, from where she's embarking on a new journey.
I thought this was a classic example of what happens to us all. Again and again, we find ourselves at cross-roads - and actually this happens each and every day, sometimes in big situations, sometimes in small. Do you remember what Yogi Berra said all those years ago? "If you see a fork on the road, pick it up!" :-)! I know I'm being flippant - and I wish it were this easy. But easy or not, life is movement -- and I would tend to agree with whoever said, "It is better to make a wrong decision than no decision at all," when the other option is stagnation. When feeling stuck, don't dig your head in the sand like some ostrich -- check within, with your heart, and do what makes it sing. And however nice this song is, I'd recommend you don't leave a part behind at Gate 22 - and 'wherever you go, go with your whole heart'... these are words on a bookmark I bought in Delray Beach last fall, I don't know who said them but I found them profound. Any journey, read also any action, if worth taking, is worth taking well, committing yourself fully, and engaging yourself whole-heartedly -- so that at its culmination, when you finally 'return home' your journey will have been a hero's journey!
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
"Before I built a wall I'd ask to know...
What I was walling in or walling out." - Robert Frost
These lines, written by the poet Robert Frost were the Thought of the Day in my local newspaper a couple days ago. Not having seen them before, I was struck by the words. I have no problem with pronouncing that a majority amongst us is on automatic-pilot when it comes to building walls around our hearts and our minds. We have prejudices, biases, preconceived notions about life and people in general. We don't stop to think what our rationale for doing this is. It doesn't even occur to us to investigate another way of thinking, or being. And while it's true that we need an inner defense mechanism for our safety and survival in terms of instinctively staying out of harm's way, unfortunately we humans go too far in shutting out people, objects, events and experiences that would bring us joy and happiness, and enrich our lives, giving them meaning, making us feel and be truly alive.
So, back to Robert Frost's words, and slowing down when we are in the process of erecting a wall... it's a good ideas to evaluate why the wall's being built. Who and what are we keeping out -- and who and what are we walling in. In both cases what drives the building of a wall is our fears. Better than building a wall then is to investigate the fear that appears to be the justification for the wall. Protecting the fear will only make a dark place darker. Why not break down walls and let in the light? Worth thinking about - yes?
Wishing you all Love and Light today...
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
These lines, written by the poet Robert Frost were the Thought of the Day in my local newspaper a couple days ago. Not having seen them before, I was struck by the words. I have no problem with pronouncing that a majority amongst us is on automatic-pilot when it comes to building walls around our hearts and our minds. We have prejudices, biases, preconceived notions about life and people in general. We don't stop to think what our rationale for doing this is. It doesn't even occur to us to investigate another way of thinking, or being. And while it's true that we need an inner defense mechanism for our safety and survival in terms of instinctively staying out of harm's way, unfortunately we humans go too far in shutting out people, objects, events and experiences that would bring us joy and happiness, and enrich our lives, giving them meaning, making us feel and be truly alive.
So, back to Robert Frost's words, and slowing down when we are in the process of erecting a wall... it's a good ideas to evaluate why the wall's being built. Who and what are we keeping out -- and who and what are we walling in. In both cases what drives the building of a wall is our fears. Better than building a wall then is to investigate the fear that appears to be the justification for the wall. Protecting the fear will only make a dark place darker. Why not break down walls and let in the light? Worth thinking about - yes?
Wishing you all Love and Light today...
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Our inner GPS -- and where we end up
Where we end up in life depends on the path we choose, each time there's a fork in the road. And these forks show up again, and again, and again -- needing us to make wise choices each time. Sometimes our choices are not so wise, and that's a good time to remember that we have our inner GPS... if we keep it switched on it will guide us right. This GPS is our 'inner' voice and our emotions, and they work in conjunction to warn us that a re-evaluation and correction is needed when we go off course in our lives. Sometimes the GPS makes us go where we resist going and so we shut it off, getting hopelessly lost on our paths. But it's good to remember that it remains within, and can be counted upon as soon as we are ready to listen.
Careful listening, then...
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Careful listening, then...
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Every second you are creating your future...
'Be here now', 'Watch your thoughts', 'Be positive' is repeated again and again by those who know. Would it be helpful to understand, in simple language, why it's a good idea to follow these maxims? It is a good idea because we create for ourselves that which we think, each moment - consciously, and unconsciously. If this were true, which it is, why would we choose to not have thoughts that would help us manifest all that is good, wise, beautiful, restful, joyous? The reason that we often cannot control our minds is because buried deep in us are issues that, unknowingly to us, actually control our behavior. Then, despite wanting something better we end up attracting that which we don't want.
Below is a link to a documentary that illustrates very well, the functioning of the subconscious mind. I'm confident it will be very helpful to understand yourself better. It was sent to me by my friend Doreen Agostino, a healer in her own right. The purpose behind the making of the film was different -- but I'm using it to draw your attention to how we all are hurting in some way or another, and how we develop behaviors to couch our pain. Awareness then is the key to making any changes.
"The new breeds of children are showing us another way, illustrated in this Emmy Winning Documentary. The outcome is a beautiful gift of hope and inspiration for all!
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1278136665600416977."
Please cut and paste this link in your browser window. You are in for a treat!
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Below is a link to a documentary that illustrates very well, the functioning of the subconscious mind. I'm confident it will be very helpful to understand yourself better. It was sent to me by my friend Doreen Agostino, a healer in her own right. The purpose behind the making of the film was different -- but I'm using it to draw your attention to how we all are hurting in some way or another, and how we develop behaviors to couch our pain. Awareness then is the key to making any changes.
"The new breeds of children are showing us another way, illustrated in this Emmy Winning Documentary. The outcome is a beautiful gift of hope and inspiration for all!
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1278136665600416977."
Please cut and paste this link in your browser window. You are in for a treat!
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
What I'm doing today...
Have you heard: 'If you fail to plan, you plan to fail'? Well, not wanting to make dire and ominous pronouncements to get anyone in panic mode I'll explain in a second what this comment is doing here. Used by most motivational gurus it is definitely very valid - but, how are we going to use it in our gentle world of spirituality, and how does it relate to the Law of Attraction?
This is how I look at it. As human beings it is very natural to allow our emotions to control our lives. These emotions are generated all the time by what's happening in our environment - inner and outer! Some examples of the inner environment are any and all thoughts originating from pleasant or unpleasant past experiences. The unpleasant experiences will immediately generate negative emotions, but the pleasant memories too evoke nostalgia, sadness and perhaps a sense of loss around what isn't there any more. Some examples of the outer environment are all of those things, people, situations, events, news that come into our lives, generating negative emotions in us. And before we know it we are like small, rudderless boats getting swept around in the huge ocean of emotions that our lives produce, ceaselessly. So, what was that about planning and failing? Where does that fit into all this? Well, here's the connection...
When we consciously make plans our thoughts and energies are diverted from being hapless boats, leading undirected wasteful lives, to developing rudders, and exercising our choice and our will to go in a certain direction. So, sit down a moment and think about what it is you'd like to be, do or have in your life. This question often stumps a lot of people and all they can think of is more money, win the lotto. Ok - just a moment there - what would you do with the money, that's what I'd like you to think about. For many people even this is too hard - they just don't know... a very valuable tip here is to then list ALL the things you DON'T want and DON'T like. This is a great start for most. NOW, MAKE A LIST OF THE OPPOSITE of the above. Easy? Now you are beginning to get some idea of what you DO like.
Using the above system, think about all that you'd like to accomplish, that would fill you with JOY when it's December 2008, and you will sit back and evaluate the year. My last post on this blog for 2007 had asked you to list five things you could be grateful for in the year 2007. Fast-forward to December 2008, and think about what would be so cool to have, that you would be grateful for it. Even if you come up with 3-4 things, it's a start. After that simply look at these 'goals' as often as you can - 3 times a day is great, and allow yourself to FEEL a few seconds of GREAT JOY, that you'll feel when they're accomplished.
And this is what I'm doing today. I've recently been feeling that some old desires and wishes are not bringing the same deep sense of JOY they did when I had started off with them, and so I decided today to re-evaluate my direction. Whatever you do, don't forget, the KEYNOTE of the human experience is an effervescent feeling of JOY within. If JOY is missing, you are not on track...
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
This is how I look at it. As human beings it is very natural to allow our emotions to control our lives. These emotions are generated all the time by what's happening in our environment - inner and outer! Some examples of the inner environment are any and all thoughts originating from pleasant or unpleasant past experiences. The unpleasant experiences will immediately generate negative emotions, but the pleasant memories too evoke nostalgia, sadness and perhaps a sense of loss around what isn't there any more. Some examples of the outer environment are all of those things, people, situations, events, news that come into our lives, generating negative emotions in us. And before we know it we are like small, rudderless boats getting swept around in the huge ocean of emotions that our lives produce, ceaselessly. So, what was that about planning and failing? Where does that fit into all this? Well, here's the connection...
When we consciously make plans our thoughts and energies are diverted from being hapless boats, leading undirected wasteful lives, to developing rudders, and exercising our choice and our will to go in a certain direction. So, sit down a moment and think about what it is you'd like to be, do or have in your life. This question often stumps a lot of people and all they can think of is more money, win the lotto. Ok - just a moment there - what would you do with the money, that's what I'd like you to think about. For many people even this is too hard - they just don't know... a very valuable tip here is to then list ALL the things you DON'T want and DON'T like. This is a great start for most. NOW, MAKE A LIST OF THE OPPOSITE of the above. Easy? Now you are beginning to get some idea of what you DO like.
Using the above system, think about all that you'd like to accomplish, that would fill you with JOY when it's December 2008, and you will sit back and evaluate the year. My last post on this blog for 2007 had asked you to list five things you could be grateful for in the year 2007. Fast-forward to December 2008, and think about what would be so cool to have, that you would be grateful for it. Even if you come up with 3-4 things, it's a start. After that simply look at these 'goals' as often as you can - 3 times a day is great, and allow yourself to FEEL a few seconds of GREAT JOY, that you'll feel when they're accomplished.
And this is what I'm doing today. I've recently been feeling that some old desires and wishes are not bringing the same deep sense of JOY they did when I had started off with them, and so I decided today to re-evaluate my direction. Whatever you do, don't forget, the KEYNOTE of the human experience is an effervescent feeling of JOY within. If JOY is missing, you are not on track...
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
What does your God look like?
This came in from Dr. Symeon Rodgers and I realized I couldn't have said it better --he so echoes my opinion on this matter. Here he is, then:
Do you ever find yourself with a dialog in your head about how God will punish you if you do X? Whenever you do, just read this passage, attributed to the Egyptian monk, St. Anthony the Great in the 4th century. It will set you straight: "God is good, dispassionate and unchanging. ...God neither rejoices nor grows angry, nor is He won over by the gifts of those who honor Him. He is good and He only bestows blessings and never does harm, remaining always the same. We human beings, on the other hand, if we work to retain our resem-blance to God, we are united to Him. But if we fall into evil, we are separated from Him. It is not that He grows angry with us in some arbitrary way, but it is our own evil that prevents God from shining within us and exposes us to the demons who torture us. And if through prayer and acts of mercy [including not judging!] we gain release from our sins, this does not mean that we have won God over and changed His mind, but that through our actions and by turning toward God we have cured ourselves so that we once again enjoy God's good-ness. To say that God turns away from the wicked is like saying that the sun hides itself from the blind."
Good stuff to ponder over...
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Do you ever find yourself with a dialog in your head about how God will punish you if you do X? Whenever you do, just read this passage, attributed to the Egyptian monk, St. Anthony the Great in the 4th century. It will set you straight: "God is good, dispassionate and unchanging. ...God neither rejoices nor grows angry, nor is He won over by the gifts of those who honor Him. He is good and He only bestows blessings and never does harm, remaining always the same. We human beings, on the other hand, if we work to retain our resem-blance to God, we are united to Him. But if we fall into evil, we are separated from Him. It is not that He grows angry with us in some arbitrary way, but it is our own evil that prevents God from shining within us and exposes us to the demons who torture us. And if through prayer and acts of mercy [including not judging!] we gain release from our sins, this does not mean that we have won God over and changed His mind, but that through our actions and by turning toward God we have cured ourselves so that we once again enjoy God's good-ness. To say that God turns away from the wicked is like saying that the sun hides itself from the blind."
Good stuff to ponder over...
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Friday, January 25, 2008
To have a good life - starting right now
Trust me this works! To have a good life, 'visualize' yourself, three or four times a day, LAUGHING with your head thrown back, perhaps tears rolling down your cheeks because you are laughing so much, and the Universe will give you plenty to keep you happy and laughing this way.
Don't believe me - just try it!
LOLOL --
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Don't believe me - just try it!
LOLOL --
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Disappointments in life...
We all know the feeling -- there's been a sense of expectation; nothing can go wrong now, we think; we've put our best foot forward; there's eager anticipation in the heart... and then BOOM - everything falls apart - things happen that weren't supposed to happen - 'NO FAIR' we want to scream! This is not my fault! And even as we watch, the castle-in-the-air starts to disintegrate; soon the images get hazy, and hazier... the only 'image' is in the heart and the solar-plexus, and yecch, doesn't feel good at all in there.... Now what?, we ask ourselves. OK - hold it right there...
And no, reaching for the pills is not allowed. At least, not yet! And don't worry, you'll still be able to sleep. DON'T use artificial and chemical means to dull the pain within. Your body needs and deserves more respect and care than that. Try this instead...
Stop all action and activity. Sit down comfortably. Slowly start breathing in through the mouth, and exhale deeply through a slightly open mouth. Three breaths into the exercise, you will realize you are getting better every few seconds. Do this long enough (7-10 or 12 times) to get a feeling of balance back in the body. 'Visualize' the empty space created through all the exhalations, and now 'see' yourself filling this inner space with a golden-white light, healing and soothing you -- slowly see this light spread everywhere within -- stay with the sense of calm and peace that begin to pervade, and KNOW that this is what you deserve, and not the sense of turmoil within, which will attract more of the same.
How many times have you heard, 'Every cloud has a silver lining'? 'When one door closes, another opens', 'Our faith is continuously tested', and finally 'Adversity introduces a man to himself' (and women too :-)!)! So, excuse me, just a sec, while I remind you that tomorrow is a new day... and the REST of your life is waiting. OR, put another way, 'Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life' - how about that?
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
And no, reaching for the pills is not allowed. At least, not yet! And don't worry, you'll still be able to sleep. DON'T use artificial and chemical means to dull the pain within. Your body needs and deserves more respect and care than that. Try this instead...
Stop all action and activity. Sit down comfortably. Slowly start breathing in through the mouth, and exhale deeply through a slightly open mouth. Three breaths into the exercise, you will realize you are getting better every few seconds. Do this long enough (7-10 or 12 times) to get a feeling of balance back in the body. 'Visualize' the empty space created through all the exhalations, and now 'see' yourself filling this inner space with a golden-white light, healing and soothing you -- slowly see this light spread everywhere within -- stay with the sense of calm and peace that begin to pervade, and KNOW that this is what you deserve, and not the sense of turmoil within, which will attract more of the same.
How many times have you heard, 'Every cloud has a silver lining'? 'When one door closes, another opens', 'Our faith is continuously tested', and finally 'Adversity introduces a man to himself' (and women too :-)!)! So, excuse me, just a sec, while I remind you that tomorrow is a new day... and the REST of your life is waiting. OR, put another way, 'Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life' - how about that?
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
What did the Buddha ask for at the hot dog stand?
There is an old joke. What did the Buddha ask for at the hot dog stand? He said, "Make me one with everything." This is a light-hearted reference to what we call illusion OR duality OR maya, and asking to be made ONE (non-duality) with everything (the Universe, the cosmos, everyone and everything in our environment) . It is what the sages talk about, and exhort us to develop an understanding of. Life as we know it is an illusion - to go beyond this illusion is Enlightenment. Couched in these words makes Enlightenment a difficult goal, because words like Illusion, Duality, and Maya appear to be out of the realm of an average person, no matter how intelligent (intelligence and spirituality are not synonyms).
Reams and reams and reams have been written about this subject. My penchant for simplicity of thought, no matter how complex the subject, to make this profound truth easy to understand is one of the primary reasons for writing this blog. From where I stand, a result of the knowledge garnered along the way while on my own journey of searching for the experience of 'truth' I'd like to say, 'yes, this is hard' and 'yes, this is easy'. It will be hard, so long as we refuse to be open to hearing new information, which most people do because it sounds so foreign to their existing belief system. And yet, it can be so easy, if we allow a ray of light, to light up the dark space inside us, which certainly needs courage because we are on uncharted territory, and it is natural to feel fear.
In the early days of my journey, I remember tellig a friend, 'I am walking where there is no path - there isn't even any flat gorund where I'm walking. But the compulsion and desire to search for my truth is so strong that I have hewn paths on rocks - paths that were non-existant.'
Are you curious? Do you have the courage?
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Reams and reams and reams have been written about this subject. My penchant for simplicity of thought, no matter how complex the subject, to make this profound truth easy to understand is one of the primary reasons for writing this blog. From where I stand, a result of the knowledge garnered along the way while on my own journey of searching for the experience of 'truth' I'd like to say, 'yes, this is hard' and 'yes, this is easy'. It will be hard, so long as we refuse to be open to hearing new information, which most people do because it sounds so foreign to their existing belief system. And yet, it can be so easy, if we allow a ray of light, to light up the dark space inside us, which certainly needs courage because we are on uncharted territory, and it is natural to feel fear.
In the early days of my journey, I remember tellig a friend, 'I am walking where there is no path - there isn't even any flat gorund where I'm walking. But the compulsion and desire to search for my truth is so strong that I have hewn paths on rocks - paths that were non-existant.'
Are you curious? Do you have the courage?
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Why bother?
Yes - why bother? Why bother about this whole business of spirituality? 'I'm a good person and good human being,' you tell yourself, 'God fearing, follow the tenets of my religion, give to charity, visit the church/temple/mosque/synagogue regularly - so what's left?' you ask. A few counter questions: How much in touch with the inner workings of your mind and emotions are you? Are you often sad, or have a gnawing feeling in your stomach and/or the solar plexus? Are you afraid - of potential losses, be they personal, familial, professional or related to relationships? Do you have a sense of guilt that you can't understand? Are you aware of anger simmering just under the surface? Do you cover this anger with an artificial and forced 'good naturedness', and then feel false within? And what about restlessness, anxiety, panic-attacks, insomnia, pessimism, a sense of doom, stomach problems, blood pressure issues? Are you sarcastic (underlying all sarcasm is deep-seated anger and resentment - and no, sarcasm is not the same as a sense of humor)?
If you answered 'yes' to some of these, it would be a good idea to investigate the deeper lying causes - and through the 'darkness' of these states, shining at the other end of the tunnel will be the light of Enlightenment.
Research carried out at the University of Montreal some years ago showed that between the ages of 35 and 45 (judging from my clients' ages, I'd say also the 20s)people ask themselves the deeper questions about the meaning of life, their own lives, but this curiosity may or may not lead to a search for answers. In my experience at different times in our lives we all become aware of the glimmerings of a deeper presence inside us, but the choices we make after that to further investigate these or not determine where we end up -- either we become happier, calmer, more contented, satisfied with our lies, or the opposite of all these and including experiencing ill health in the form of a host of physical challenges.
The choice is always ours...
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
If you answered 'yes' to some of these, it would be a good idea to investigate the deeper lying causes - and through the 'darkness' of these states, shining at the other end of the tunnel will be the light of Enlightenment.
Research carried out at the University of Montreal some years ago showed that between the ages of 35 and 45 (judging from my clients' ages, I'd say also the 20s)people ask themselves the deeper questions about the meaning of life, their own lives, but this curiosity may or may not lead to a search for answers. In my experience at different times in our lives we all become aware of the glimmerings of a deeper presence inside us, but the choices we make after that to further investigate these or not determine where we end up -- either we become happier, calmer, more contented, satisfied with our lies, or the opposite of all these and including experiencing ill health in the form of a host of physical challenges.
The choice is always ours...
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Monday, January 21, 2008
It's time somebody told you...
Time somebody told you --
That you are lovely, good and real.
That your beauty can make hearts stand still--
It's time somebody told you --
That your love is total and so complete,
That your mind is quick and full of wit,
And that your loving is just too good to quit (from).
-------------------
Time somebody told you
How much they want, love, and need you,
How much your spirit helped set them free,
How your eyes shine full of the white light,
How good it feels just to hold you tight.
-------------------
So I had a talk with myself,
Just me, nobody else,
'cause it was time somebody told you --
***********************
Believe it or not, the above is a powerful healing 'positive action', one of many used by Holographic Repatterning* practitioners. What each and everyone of us needed as a child, and the search for which is constant in our lives, is unconditional love - in search of which we, sadly, manage to distort our lives. To have an experience of this unconditional love, you can tape the above and play it back to yourself, but ideally get someone you trust and feel safe with to gently read it to you. The result is cathartic, and finally very soothing, and emotionally fulfilling, and uplifting.
*Holographic Repatterning was developed by Chloe Wordsworth, and is one of the very powerful healing modalities I have encountered. It can be done long distance over the phone as well. You may google the words for more information or email Chitvan Malik, a very competent, California-based practitioner at earthangel@earthrays.com.
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
That you are lovely, good and real.
That your beauty can make hearts stand still--
It's time somebody told you --
That your love is total and so complete,
That your mind is quick and full of wit,
And that your loving is just too good to quit (from).
-------------------
Time somebody told you
How much they want, love, and need you,
How much your spirit helped set them free,
How your eyes shine full of the white light,
How good it feels just to hold you tight.
-------------------
So I had a talk with myself,
Just me, nobody else,
'cause it was time somebody told you --
***********************
Believe it or not, the above is a powerful healing 'positive action', one of many used by Holographic Repatterning* practitioners. What each and everyone of us needed as a child, and the search for which is constant in our lives, is unconditional love - in search of which we, sadly, manage to distort our lives. To have an experience of this unconditional love, you can tape the above and play it back to yourself, but ideally get someone you trust and feel safe with to gently read it to you. The result is cathartic, and finally very soothing, and emotionally fulfilling, and uplifting.
*Holographic Repatterning was developed by Chloe Wordsworth, and is one of the very powerful healing modalities I have encountered. It can be done long distance over the phone as well. You may google the words for more information or email Chitvan Malik, a very competent, California-based practitioner at earthangel@earthrays.com.
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
The 'P' Game - Part II
A few more tricks:
- When feeling gloomy, stretch your lips sideways, as though in a smile, go w-i-d-e-r and wider... s-t-r-e-t-c-h - till the lips open and the smile turns into a grin and suddenly you'll feel a lift from your solar plexus and heart, and a chuckle will rise in your throat. Now ask yourself, if this doesn't feel better than feeling low and down?
- When feeling low, and blue, stop everything and in your mind's eye, see yourself laughing helplessly, your head thrown back, laughing loudly... you're imagining this, but if you suddenly find yourslef laughing, hey - who's keeping score? - just go for it!
- One of my favorites when I'm in a negative frame is to picture myself in a field of flowers - the mental images of rows and rows of lavender, or red poppy-fields work like a charm for me to shift my energy. Find your own favorites.
- Another favorite of mine is to picture myself in a green grassy field or valley - trees - chirping birds - flowers - butterflies - a blue sky - some white clouds perhaps - a gentle warm sun, with it's healing rays on me, as I sit or lie there.
The idea behind these 'tricks' is to break the cycle of obsessive circular thoughts long enough to allow you to move to pleasant thoughts, and optimism.
Let's hear how these worked for you.
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
- When feeling gloomy, stretch your lips sideways, as though in a smile, go w-i-d-e-r and wider... s-t-r-e-t-c-h - till the lips open and the smile turns into a grin and suddenly you'll feel a lift from your solar plexus and heart, and a chuckle will rise in your throat. Now ask yourself, if this doesn't feel better than feeling low and down?
- When feeling low, and blue, stop everything and in your mind's eye, see yourself laughing helplessly, your head thrown back, laughing loudly... you're imagining this, but if you suddenly find yourslef laughing, hey - who's keeping score? - just go for it!
- One of my favorites when I'm in a negative frame is to picture myself in a field of flowers - the mental images of rows and rows of lavender, or red poppy-fields work like a charm for me to shift my energy. Find your own favorites.
- Another favorite of mine is to picture myself in a green grassy field or valley - trees - chirping birds - flowers - butterflies - a blue sky - some white clouds perhaps - a gentle warm sun, with it's healing rays on me, as I sit or lie there.
The idea behind these 'tricks' is to break the cycle of obsessive circular thoughts long enough to allow you to move to pleasant thoughts, and optimism.
Let's hear how these worked for you.
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Little tricks - to win the 'Positivity Game'
This past week I've had many questions about how to tackle the part of us that has trouble being happy. One of the tricks often mentioned in self-help articles in women's magazines on how to pick yourself up on a gloomy day is to wear something bright, and/or use bright-colored lipstick. I tried it a few times and it did work, but the effect was temporary. I'm going to draw up a list here, of such tricks which can be used by both men and women - so put away that lipstick - that will slowly teach you how to master the game of being more and more positive. Some have been mentioned in earlier posts, and one is new:
- When engulfed by negative thinking, find a quiet space, keep a piece of paper and a pen/pencil handy, then close your eyes and very slowly and deliberately figure out what these 'inner voices' are saying. List them. Now go back over the list, and one by one speak to each thought. Say: 'Thank you for the information', and breathe it out. Do this with each negative thought. Once this is complete, breath IN a beautiful golden or golden-white light to fill in the empty space created by breathing out the earlier thoughts.
- The above 'breathing-in' the light technique may be used anytime during the day, as a pick-me-up.
- Another version of the above, and a great way to start the day is to give yourself a 'Light Shower'... Here, see a shower of Light spraying you, with its warm, gentle rays healing you physically and emotionally, and filling you up, giving you the necessary energy for the day.
More on this tomorrow, but in the meanwhile enjoy these.
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
- When engulfed by negative thinking, find a quiet space, keep a piece of paper and a pen/pencil handy, then close your eyes and very slowly and deliberately figure out what these 'inner voices' are saying. List them. Now go back over the list, and one by one speak to each thought. Say: 'Thank you for the information', and breathe it out. Do this with each negative thought. Once this is complete, breath IN a beautiful golden or golden-white light to fill in the empty space created by breathing out the earlier thoughts.
- The above 'breathing-in' the light technique may be used anytime during the day, as a pick-me-up.
- Another version of the above, and a great way to start the day is to give yourself a 'Light Shower'... Here, see a shower of Light spraying you, with its warm, gentle rays healing you physically and emotionally, and filling you up, giving you the necessary energy for the day.
More on this tomorrow, but in the meanwhile enjoy these.
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Forgiveness - Part IV - HO'OPONOPONO
This is the article, based on Joe's story he told at Delray Beach, Florida, and which I'd mentioned in yesterday's blog.
HO'OPONOPONO
by Joe Vitale
"Two years ago, I heard about a therapist in Hawaii who cured a
complete ward of criminally insane patients--without ever seeing any
of them. The psychologist would study an inmate's chart and then look
within himself to see how he created that person's illness. As he
improved himself, the patient improved.
"When I first heard this story, I thought it was an urban legend. How
could anyone heal anyone else by healing himself? How could even the
best self-improvement master cure the criminally insane? It didn't
make any sense. It wasn't logical, so I dismissed the story.
"However, I heard it again a year later. I heard that the therapist
had used a Hawaiian healing process called ho 'oponopono. I had never
heard of it, yet I couldn't let it leave my mind. If the story was at
all true, I had to know more. I had always understood "total
responsibility" to mean that I am responsible for what I think and do.
Beyond that, it's out of my hands. I think that most people think of total
responsibility that way. We're responsible for what we do, not what
anyone else does--but that's wrong.
"The Hawaiian therapist who healed those mentally ill people would
teach me an advanced new perspective about total responsibility. His
name is Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len. We probably spent an hour talking on
our first phone call. I asked him to tell me the complete story of his
work as a therapist.
He explained that he worked at Hawaii State Hospital for four years.
That ward where they kept the criminally insane was dangerous.
Psychologists quit on a monthly basis. The staff called in sick a lot
or simply quit. People would walk through that ward with their backs
against the wall, afraid of being attacked by patients. It was not a
pleasant place to live, work, or visit.
"Dr. Len told me that he never saw patients. He agreed to have an
office and to review their files. While he looked at those files, he
would work on himself. As he worked on himself, patients began to heal.
"'After a few months, patients that had to be shackled were being
allowed to walk freely,' he told me. 'Others who had to be heavily
medicated were getting off their medications. And those who had no
chance of ever being released were being freed.' I was in awe.'Not
only that,' he went on, 'but the staff began to enjoy coming to work.
Absenteeism and turnover disappeared. We ended up with more staff than
we needed because patients were being released, and all the staff was
showing up to work. Today, that ward is closed.'
"This is where I had to ask the million dollar question: 'What were
you doing within yourself that caused those people to change?'
"'I was simply healing the part of me that created them,' he said. I
didn't understand. Dr. Len explained that total responsibility for
your life means that everything in your life- simply because it is in
your life--is your responsibility. In a literal sense the entire world
is your creation.
"Whew. This is tough to swallow. Being responsible for what I say or
do is one thing. Being responsible for what everyone in my life says
or does is quite another. Yet, the truth is this: if you take complete
responsibility for your life, then everything you see, hear, taste,
touch, or in any way experience is your responsibility because it is
in your life. This means that terrorist activity, the president, the
economy or anything you experience and don't like--is up for you to
heal. They don't exist, in a manner of speaking, except as projections
from inside you. The problem isn't with them, it's with you, and to
change them, you have to change you.
"I know this is tough to grasp, let alone accept or actually live.
Blame is far easier than total responsibility, but as I spoke with Dr.
Len, I began to realize that healing for him and in ho 'oponopono
means loving yourself.
"If you want to improve your life, you have to heal your life. If you
want to cure anyone, even a mentally ill criminal you do it by healing
you.
"I asked Dr. Len how he went about healing himself. What was he doing,
exactly, when he looked at those patients' files?
"'I just kept saying, 'I'm sorry' and 'I love you' over and over again,'
he explained.
"That's it?
"That's it.
"Turns out that loving yourself is the greatest way to improve
yourself, and as you improve yourself, you improve your world.
"Let me give you a quick example of how this works: one day, someone
sent me an email that upset me. In the past I would have handled it by
working on my emotional hot buttons or by trying to reason with the
person who sent the nasty message.
"This time, I decided to try Dr. Len's method. I kept silently saying,
'I'm sorry' and 'I love you,' I didn't say it to anyone in particular.
I was simply evoking the spirit of love to heal within me what was
creating the outer circumstance.
"Within an hour I got an e-mail from the same person. He apologized
for his previous message. Keep in mind that I didn't take any outward
action to get that apology. I didn't even write him back. Yet, by
saying 'I love you,' I somehow healed within me what was creating him.
"I later attended a ho 'oponopono workshop run by Dr. Len. He's now 70
years old, considered a grandfatherly shaman, and is somewhat reclusive.
He praised my book, The Attractor Factor. He told me that as I improve
myself, my book's vibration will raise, and everyone will feel it when
they read it. In short, as I improve, my readers will improve.
"'What about the books that are already sold and out there?' I asked.
"'They aren't out there,' he explained, once again blowing my mind
with his mystic wisdom. 'They are still in you.' In short, there is no
out there. It would take a whole book to explain this advanced
technique with the depth it deserves.
"Suffice It to say that whenever you want to improve anything in your
life, there's only one place to look: inside you. When you look, do it
with love."
http://hooponopono.org/lectures.html
Beautiful story, what?
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
HO'OPONOPONO
by Joe Vitale
"Two years ago, I heard about a therapist in Hawaii who cured a
complete ward of criminally insane patients--without ever seeing any
of them. The psychologist would study an inmate's chart and then look
within himself to see how he created that person's illness. As he
improved himself, the patient improved.
"When I first heard this story, I thought it was an urban legend. How
could anyone heal anyone else by healing himself? How could even the
best self-improvement master cure the criminally insane? It didn't
make any sense. It wasn't logical, so I dismissed the story.
"However, I heard it again a year later. I heard that the therapist
had used a Hawaiian healing process called ho 'oponopono. I had never
heard of it, yet I couldn't let it leave my mind. If the story was at
all true, I had to know more. I had always understood "total
responsibility" to mean that I am responsible for what I think and do.
Beyond that, it's out of my hands. I think that most people think of total
responsibility that way. We're responsible for what we do, not what
anyone else does--but that's wrong.
"The Hawaiian therapist who healed those mentally ill people would
teach me an advanced new perspective about total responsibility. His
name is Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len. We probably spent an hour talking on
our first phone call. I asked him to tell me the complete story of his
work as a therapist.
He explained that he worked at Hawaii State Hospital for four years.
That ward where they kept the criminally insane was dangerous.
Psychologists quit on a monthly basis. The staff called in sick a lot
or simply quit. People would walk through that ward with their backs
against the wall, afraid of being attacked by patients. It was not a
pleasant place to live, work, or visit.
"Dr. Len told me that he never saw patients. He agreed to have an
office and to review their files. While he looked at those files, he
would work on himself. As he worked on himself, patients began to heal.
"'After a few months, patients that had to be shackled were being
allowed to walk freely,' he told me. 'Others who had to be heavily
medicated were getting off their medications. And those who had no
chance of ever being released were being freed.' I was in awe.'Not
only that,' he went on, 'but the staff began to enjoy coming to work.
Absenteeism and turnover disappeared. We ended up with more staff than
we needed because patients were being released, and all the staff was
showing up to work. Today, that ward is closed.'
"This is where I had to ask the million dollar question: 'What were
you doing within yourself that caused those people to change?'
"'I was simply healing the part of me that created them,' he said. I
didn't understand. Dr. Len explained that total responsibility for
your life means that everything in your life- simply because it is in
your life--is your responsibility. In a literal sense the entire world
is your creation.
"Whew. This is tough to swallow. Being responsible for what I say or
do is one thing. Being responsible for what everyone in my life says
or does is quite another. Yet, the truth is this: if you take complete
responsibility for your life, then everything you see, hear, taste,
touch, or in any way experience is your responsibility because it is
in your life. This means that terrorist activity, the president, the
economy or anything you experience and don't like--is up for you to
heal. They don't exist, in a manner of speaking, except as projections
from inside you. The problem isn't with them, it's with you, and to
change them, you have to change you.
"I know this is tough to grasp, let alone accept or actually live.
Blame is far easier than total responsibility, but as I spoke with Dr.
Len, I began to realize that healing for him and in ho 'oponopono
means loving yourself.
"If you want to improve your life, you have to heal your life. If you
want to cure anyone, even a mentally ill criminal you do it by healing
you.
"I asked Dr. Len how he went about healing himself. What was he doing,
exactly, when he looked at those patients' files?
"'I just kept saying, 'I'm sorry' and 'I love you' over and over again,'
he explained.
"That's it?
"That's it.
"Turns out that loving yourself is the greatest way to improve
yourself, and as you improve yourself, you improve your world.
"Let me give you a quick example of how this works: one day, someone
sent me an email that upset me. In the past I would have handled it by
working on my emotional hot buttons or by trying to reason with the
person who sent the nasty message.
"This time, I decided to try Dr. Len's method. I kept silently saying,
'I'm sorry' and 'I love you,' I didn't say it to anyone in particular.
I was simply evoking the spirit of love to heal within me what was
creating the outer circumstance.
"Within an hour I got an e-mail from the same person. He apologized
for his previous message. Keep in mind that I didn't take any outward
action to get that apology. I didn't even write him back. Yet, by
saying 'I love you,' I somehow healed within me what was creating him.
"I later attended a ho 'oponopono workshop run by Dr. Len. He's now 70
years old, considered a grandfatherly shaman, and is somewhat reclusive.
He praised my book, The Attractor Factor. He told me that as I improve
myself, my book's vibration will raise, and everyone will feel it when
they read it. In short, as I improve, my readers will improve.
"'What about the books that are already sold and out there?' I asked.
"'They aren't out there,' he explained, once again blowing my mind
with his mystic wisdom. 'They are still in you.' In short, there is no
out there. It would take a whole book to explain this advanced
technique with the depth it deserves.
"Suffice It to say that whenever you want to improve anything in your
life, there's only one place to look: inside you. When you look, do it
with love."
http://hooponopono.org/lectures.html
Beautiful story, what?
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Forgiveness - Part III
In mid-2006 my dear friend Cezanna Malter sent me an article by Joe Vitale*, who I then knew as an author and one of the interviewees in Rhonda Byrne's The Secret. I knew that Joe had written several books on Marketing, I call his brand of marketing 'Holistic Marketing', and when I read this article I was completely blown away. It had nothing to do with marketing but a concept, and a dimension of forgiveness that was SO easy, and SO difficult at the same time. The article had a story so powerful that it gave me goosebumps. If this could work... by golly - the potential was mind blowing.
In mid-October, 2007 I had gone to a writer's workshop in Delray Beach, Florida where Joe was the keynote speaker. I sat smugly in the audience because I knew all about the background to the story he was telling us, his story from the aforementioned article, and which his new book was based on. During the short break I walked up to him and told him I had a testimonial for him, how his article and the 'formula' contained in it had changed my life. He asked me to share my story with the attendees which I did, and in the bargain received a 'thank you' from him in the form of one of his books :-). Back to the main story, however, and the formula Joe had mentioned, to use, to heal any difficult situation with anyone at all. Get ready, take a deep breath, and grab a chair - you don't want to be standing when you hear this :-)!
Well, after relating the story (the story will be in tomorrow's blog), Joe suggested that ANY TIME you find a situation which is impossible to deal with, think about the person at the center of it, and repeat like a mantra: "I'm sorry; please forgive me; thank you; I love you." Now, you're not supposed to be on your knees before the person, nor be saying it aloud to them, but just in your head, simply keep repeating a few times in the day, and depending on the situation for whatever number of days you feel the need to do it (when something difficult or unpleasant shows up in my life, I breathe in and out, slowly and deliberately a few times, and repeat this three times -- or depending on the situation I might repeat it a few times in the day, or even for several days).
In my experience doing this has ALWAYS, but ALWAYS shifted the energy around the person and the problem. Though mind you, you will find your whole system balking at the idea the first few times -- WHAT? - you might wanna shout - I SHOULD SAY SORRY, and ask for forgiveness? What ROT! --- The thing to remember, however, is that you are not begging anyone for their forgiveness -- you are merely taking action to heal something that in its present state is creating an unpleasant situation for you. For me personally, I find that living with disharmony takes a heavy emotional toll on me, and so in a situation where I have no control, I use this system to do whatever is possible for me to do, and take action in the only way open to me. I start by repeating the formula quite mechanically, without thinking too deeply about it, till the emotional charge is gone and then I start feeling good, and productive, about being pro-active and doing something right to improve an 'unhealthy' situation.
Hey, treat it like a game -- before you know it you will have created magic. Isn't that worth a lot, would you say? Go on - try it :-)!
*Joe Vitale is a certified metaphysical practitioner, a certified Chi Kung healer, an ordained minister, a certified hypnotherapist and an author.
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
In mid-October, 2007 I had gone to a writer's workshop in Delray Beach, Florida where Joe was the keynote speaker. I sat smugly in the audience because I knew all about the background to the story he was telling us, his story from the aforementioned article, and which his new book was based on. During the short break I walked up to him and told him I had a testimonial for him, how his article and the 'formula' contained in it had changed my life. He asked me to share my story with the attendees which I did, and in the bargain received a 'thank you' from him in the form of one of his books :-). Back to the main story, however, and the formula Joe had mentioned, to use, to heal any difficult situation with anyone at all. Get ready, take a deep breath, and grab a chair - you don't want to be standing when you hear this :-)!
Well, after relating the story (the story will be in tomorrow's blog), Joe suggested that ANY TIME you find a situation which is impossible to deal with, think about the person at the center of it, and repeat like a mantra: "I'm sorry; please forgive me; thank you; I love you." Now, you're not supposed to be on your knees before the person, nor be saying it aloud to them, but just in your head, simply keep repeating a few times in the day, and depending on the situation for whatever number of days you feel the need to do it (when something difficult or unpleasant shows up in my life, I breathe in and out, slowly and deliberately a few times, and repeat this three times -- or depending on the situation I might repeat it a few times in the day, or even for several days).
In my experience doing this has ALWAYS, but ALWAYS shifted the energy around the person and the problem. Though mind you, you will find your whole system balking at the idea the first few times -- WHAT? - you might wanna shout - I SHOULD SAY SORRY, and ask for forgiveness? What ROT! --- The thing to remember, however, is that you are not begging anyone for their forgiveness -- you are merely taking action to heal something that in its present state is creating an unpleasant situation for you. For me personally, I find that living with disharmony takes a heavy emotional toll on me, and so in a situation where I have no control, I use this system to do whatever is possible for me to do, and take action in the only way open to me. I start by repeating the formula quite mechanically, without thinking too deeply about it, till the emotional charge is gone and then I start feeling good, and productive, about being pro-active and doing something right to improve an 'unhealthy' situation.
Hey, treat it like a game -- before you know it you will have created magic. Isn't that worth a lot, would you say? Go on - try it :-)!
*Joe Vitale is a certified metaphysical practitioner, a certified Chi Kung healer, an ordained minister, a certified hypnotherapist and an author.
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Forgiveness - Part II
Yesterday's post gave us permission to roundedly blame others for the so-called 'bad stuff' that happened in our life, raising the whole issue of forgiveness and people's difficulty with it. Today we're going to step up a notch and view everything from a spiritual angle. If you've been reading this blog regularly you know that everything that happens in our environment we attract to ourselves. So, true forgiveness has to be directed towards ourselves - and none other... we need to forgive ourselves for holding on to a belief that attracted its likeness into our environment, in the form of scenarios that made us miserable.
Granted, that there is the human experience to contend with, and the difficulty we have with owning up to our mistakes. And that we have a great urge to beat up those who we consider the villains. If you find yourself stuck in that mode, here's what you could do (I've used this technique a lot): Before getting mad with someone, and berating them, see them first in an oval shape, of golden protective light, within which they are protected. Now, swear and get mad all you want, even throwing punches at them if you like (this is way healthier :-), than actually doing it), remaining aware that your bad energy is not touching them. This is a great way to vent your anger, and yet keep the other person separate from it.
**************************
I found this quote today:
"Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive.
And then go and do that. Because what the world needs are people who have come alive."
-- Dr. Howard Thurman, Author,
Philosopher and Civil Rights Leader
So come alive, dear ones - that is what we were created for, that is our true 'dharma', our destiny to fulfil, and the reason we were placed on the earth! We were not created to entangle ourselves with heavy, life-diminishing energies of our own creation, but to do whatever is entailed in becoming the most radiant version of ourselves...
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Granted, that there is the human experience to contend with, and the difficulty we have with owning up to our mistakes. And that we have a great urge to beat up those who we consider the villains. If you find yourself stuck in that mode, here's what you could do (I've used this technique a lot): Before getting mad with someone, and berating them, see them first in an oval shape, of golden protective light, within which they are protected. Now, swear and get mad all you want, even throwing punches at them if you like (this is way healthier :-), than actually doing it), remaining aware that your bad energy is not touching them. This is a great way to vent your anger, and yet keep the other person separate from it.
**************************
I found this quote today:
"Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive.
And then go and do that. Because what the world needs are people who have come alive."
-- Dr. Howard Thurman, Author,
Philosopher and Civil Rights Leader
So come alive, dear ones - that is what we were created for, that is our true 'dharma', our destiny to fulfil, and the reason we were placed on the earth! We were not created to entangle ourselves with heavy, life-diminishing energies of our own creation, but to do whatever is entailed in becoming the most radiant version of ourselves...
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
On Forgiveness
Forgiveness is an issue I struggled with a lot, and for very long. But when I discovered the psychosomatic reasons for various diseases, and the link between negative emotions and different diseases became clear to me I was pretty afraid. I realized that I needed to do a major internal overhaul if I didn't want to get saddled with minor and major health issues. I discovered that holding on to resentment hurts only us. The person who is the cause of it probably isn't even aware of our anger towards them -- and even if they were, it's possible that it's not causing them any sleepless nights. I read somewhere that resentment is like drinking poison, wanting the other person to die. How ridiculous then, this hanging on to feelings of hatred towards someone else?
So, what do we do? Here we are, with our whole life seemingly turned upside down, and a mess because of someone else - and we shouldn't even resent them? Or there may be minor slights, but slights nevertheless, when someone does or says something we take deeply to heart and are so angered and saddened by it that we believe it will forever be a part of us? Is there no justice? Aren't these others supposed to suffer as well? How dare someone come along and take away the satisfaction from us of at least hating and resenting them -- by askig us to forgive them?
Well, as always, the choice is ours. Keep wallowing in the negative emotions; develop diseases, some heavy-duty ones as well; keep the bitterness flowing; allow the toxins created by negative emotions to inhabit your cells creating mental and physical sicknesses, or then, be really good to yourself, and break away from your own circular thinking and look for solutions.
Yes, there are solutions, and with a little care and thought it is possible to liberate yourself from the vice-like clutch of the situation you locked yourself into. When stuck in such a place my advice to you would be to become very selfish. Think only of yourself and how you are harming yourself, and then for YOUR OWN SAKE ALONE do whatever it takes to move towards forgiveness. WHAT? FORGIVENESS? - I can almost hear some 'wounded' people still shout(granted you have very valid reasons for feeling thay way)? Well, my dear friends - first and foremost, FORGIVNESS ISN'T A PRIZE THAT WE IN OUR GRANDIOSITY ARE KEEPING AWAY FROM SOMEONE WE WANT TO PUNISH --that whole idea of forgiveness is passe, and a delusion. Forgiveness is something we have to offer OURSELVES... IT IS 'US' WE NEED TO FORGIVE, FOR HOLDING ON TO SUCH NEGATIVE AND POTENTIALLY DEBILITATING EMOTIONS, which may cause us untold harm. I'd like to ask you - do people who have hurt you, deserve your sacrificing your health and happiness for them? Isn't this just too crazy to believe and to do? No, you say! Yep, I was sure you'd finally get it!
But what steps must you take, you ask, to undo this knot tying you to the other person? Well, this will happen slowly, but first and foremost take your attention off the other person, and start focusing on yourself. Give yourself the love and attention that you deserve. Treat yourself as a queen, or a king -- a special someone, who merits good, and not shabby treatment. Make a little plan to take care of your Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual needs. And each time you think of the person you are having trouble forgiving, connect with the emotion thoughts of them create in you, and then slow down and breathe them out. This'll take a little while but you WILL succeed. It CAN be done -- I, and many, many others have done it, and so can you.
And one day, soon enough, you will see how liberating it was to discover that forgiveness was not about the other person at all. By keeping alive the memories of old hurts, WE are the ones who get neglected, when we give our time and attention to those who least deserve it. Wisdom lies in taking it back, to nurture, and take care of ourselves.
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
So, what do we do? Here we are, with our whole life seemingly turned upside down, and a mess because of someone else - and we shouldn't even resent them? Or there may be minor slights, but slights nevertheless, when someone does or says something we take deeply to heart and are so angered and saddened by it that we believe it will forever be a part of us? Is there no justice? Aren't these others supposed to suffer as well? How dare someone come along and take away the satisfaction from us of at least hating and resenting them -- by askig us to forgive them?
Well, as always, the choice is ours. Keep wallowing in the negative emotions; develop diseases, some heavy-duty ones as well; keep the bitterness flowing; allow the toxins created by negative emotions to inhabit your cells creating mental and physical sicknesses, or then, be really good to yourself, and break away from your own circular thinking and look for solutions.
Yes, there are solutions, and with a little care and thought it is possible to liberate yourself from the vice-like clutch of the situation you locked yourself into. When stuck in such a place my advice to you would be to become very selfish. Think only of yourself and how you are harming yourself, and then for YOUR OWN SAKE ALONE do whatever it takes to move towards forgiveness. WHAT? FORGIVENESS? - I can almost hear some 'wounded' people still shout(granted you have very valid reasons for feeling thay way)? Well, my dear friends - first and foremost, FORGIVNESS ISN'T A PRIZE THAT WE IN OUR GRANDIOSITY ARE KEEPING AWAY FROM SOMEONE WE WANT TO PUNISH --that whole idea of forgiveness is passe, and a delusion. Forgiveness is something we have to offer OURSELVES... IT IS 'US' WE NEED TO FORGIVE, FOR HOLDING ON TO SUCH NEGATIVE AND POTENTIALLY DEBILITATING EMOTIONS, which may cause us untold harm. I'd like to ask you - do people who have hurt you, deserve your sacrificing your health and happiness for them? Isn't this just too crazy to believe and to do? No, you say! Yep, I was sure you'd finally get it!
But what steps must you take, you ask, to undo this knot tying you to the other person? Well, this will happen slowly, but first and foremost take your attention off the other person, and start focusing on yourself. Give yourself the love and attention that you deserve. Treat yourself as a queen, or a king -- a special someone, who merits good, and not shabby treatment. Make a little plan to take care of your Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual needs. And each time you think of the person you are having trouble forgiving, connect with the emotion thoughts of them create in you, and then slow down and breathe them out. This'll take a little while but you WILL succeed. It CAN be done -- I, and many, many others have done it, and so can you.
And one day, soon enough, you will see how liberating it was to discover that forgiveness was not about the other person at all. By keeping alive the memories of old hurts, WE are the ones who get neglected, when we give our time and attention to those who least deserve it. Wisdom lies in taking it back, to nurture, and take care of ourselves.
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Nobody, but nobody, has the right to...
... diminish you, make you smaller, less than, insignificant -- but they CAN, if YOU give them that right.
There is a beautiful story about the Buddha and his followers:
One of the Buddha's bhikshus was sitting very dejected in the Sangha (a buddhist convent, monastery), during the evening contemplation. (Bhikshus - pronounced bhik-shoo in the singular, and bhik-shooz in the plural, as written here - are monks who have renounced society to be members of mendicant and contemplative community, which is what the Buddha's followers were, and for their sustenance they depended on alms from society, and went begging everyday.)
Noticing the unhappy bhikshu, the Buddha finally asked him why he looked so sad and upset. At this the bhikshu bristled with anger and told the Buddha that he didn't like going begging for alms everyday. That some village folk were far from kind. Not only did they give nothing, but insulted and rebuked him for coming to their door begging for food everyday.
The Buddha listened to the bhikshu patiently, and when he was finished, the Buddha said to him: "When I go out asking for alms, I receive the food I'm given. But when someone gives me what I don't need, rebuke and rude words, I don't receive them. Why do you receive them? Receive only what you need - the food, not the chastising and the unkindness."
Likewise, why should we 'take' from others what we don't need? Just because someone 'gives' us something doesn't automatically mean we must 'accept' it. We ought to be judicious - receive and keep that which nurtures and enhances us, makes us thrive and bloom. Refuse that which reduces and shrivels up our spirit. In doing so we give our power away to others. The choice is finally ours, because nobody can take our power away unless we forfeit it.
Be like the Buddha!
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
There is a beautiful story about the Buddha and his followers:
One of the Buddha's bhikshus was sitting very dejected in the Sangha (a buddhist convent, monastery), during the evening contemplation. (Bhikshus - pronounced bhik-shoo in the singular, and bhik-shooz in the plural, as written here - are monks who have renounced society to be members of mendicant and contemplative community, which is what the Buddha's followers were, and for their sustenance they depended on alms from society, and went begging everyday.)
Noticing the unhappy bhikshu, the Buddha finally asked him why he looked so sad and upset. At this the bhikshu bristled with anger and told the Buddha that he didn't like going begging for alms everyday. That some village folk were far from kind. Not only did they give nothing, but insulted and rebuked him for coming to their door begging for food everyday.
The Buddha listened to the bhikshu patiently, and when he was finished, the Buddha said to him: "When I go out asking for alms, I receive the food I'm given. But when someone gives me what I don't need, rebuke and rude words, I don't receive them. Why do you receive them? Receive only what you need - the food, not the chastising and the unkindness."
Likewise, why should we 'take' from others what we don't need? Just because someone 'gives' us something doesn't automatically mean we must 'accept' it. We ought to be judicious - receive and keep that which nurtures and enhances us, makes us thrive and bloom. Refuse that which reduces and shrivels up our spirit. In doing so we give our power away to others. The choice is finally ours, because nobody can take our power away unless we forfeit it.
Be like the Buddha!
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
If you had an empty page...
... or a blank canvas - what what you write, or paint on it? Here, try it now - pick up a fresh sheet of paper, take a deep breath through your nose and exhale through very slightly parted lips (doesn't dry up the mouth)-- do this twice more, and write non-stop for fifteen (more if you wish) minutes, emptying your mind. Then letting everything go, close your eyes and sit quietly for a few minutes.
The blank space here is intentional. I'm getting you to use the time you take to read the blog to calm your mind and dive into yourself for a few minutes. Enjoy the trip!
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
The blank space here is intentional. I'm getting you to use the time you take to read the blog to calm your mind and dive into yourself for a few minutes. Enjoy the trip!
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
He who knows...
From the age of about eight, for a period of about 3 years, I went to school in Dagshai, a small Army Cantonment in the Simla Hills region in Northern India, where my army Dad was posted. My numerous memories, from this period on, tell me that this must have been the start of my 'stirring awake' phase of life. At that time we had beautiful books that we were taught from. I remember my school bag, with beautifully illustrated, hard-bound books imported from England, constructed with high quality, thick, glossy paper.
The English Reader was one of my favorites - called The Radiant Way, it was used in my school all the way up to Grade 7 (we used to say Standard I, II and so on). [As I wrote, nostalgia made me check on Google, and I found a seller in London with one copy of The Radiant Way Book V]. Well, back to my story -- in The Radiant Way Book V (Grade 5) there was a little poem:
He who knows and knows he knows
He's a wise man, seek him.
He who knows and knows not he knows
He's asleep, wake him.
He who knows not, and knows he knows not
He's a child, teach him.
He who knows not, and knows not he knows not
He's a fool, shun him.
I remember being profoundly effected by this little poem. He knows WHAT? -- The question, what does the wise (wo)man know, haunted me. Sometimes I felt like the child, who knew that (s)he knew not, and sometimes I felt like the one asleep, who knew but knew not (s)he knew -- but this I knew, that even at that age I didn't live with my eyes and my mind closed - and I was not someone who knew not, and knew not I knew not. There was a part of me, that had a million queries - and through childhood games, playing with dolls, playing 'house', a part of my young mind pondered big questions.
My ongoing and onward quest brought me many answers, and the answers brought more questions, and finally, after discovering Psychosynthesis all the pieces of the puzzle fell in place. I found my right place in the above poem. For me the revelation came through Psychosynthesis, but as the old saying goes, 'All roads lead to Rome' - thus there are a myriad paths to the divine. We may choose any one, but so long as its an authentic path - and this I can't stress enough.
Take a minute to ask yourself where in the poem are you. If the answer doesn't please you then start a quest. It's never too late. If you need my help and support, I'll be honored to support and cheerlead you...
In remembering the name of my Grade 5 English Reader I couldn't help but note how the word Radiant came into my life such a long time ago :-).
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
The English Reader was one of my favorites - called The Radiant Way, it was used in my school all the way up to Grade 7 (we used to say Standard I, II and so on). [As I wrote, nostalgia made me check on Google, and I found a seller in London with one copy of The Radiant Way Book V]. Well, back to my story -- in The Radiant Way Book V (Grade 5) there was a little poem:
He who knows and knows he knows
He's a wise man, seek him.
He who knows and knows not he knows
He's asleep, wake him.
He who knows not, and knows he knows not
He's a child, teach him.
He who knows not, and knows not he knows not
He's a fool, shun him.
I remember being profoundly effected by this little poem. He knows WHAT? -- The question, what does the wise (wo)man know, haunted me. Sometimes I felt like the child, who knew that (s)he knew not, and sometimes I felt like the one asleep, who knew but knew not (s)he knew -- but this I knew, that even at that age I didn't live with my eyes and my mind closed - and I was not someone who knew not, and knew not I knew not. There was a part of me, that had a million queries - and through childhood games, playing with dolls, playing 'house', a part of my young mind pondered big questions.
My ongoing and onward quest brought me many answers, and the answers brought more questions, and finally, after discovering Psychosynthesis all the pieces of the puzzle fell in place. I found my right place in the above poem. For me the revelation came through Psychosynthesis, but as the old saying goes, 'All roads lead to Rome' - thus there are a myriad paths to the divine. We may choose any one, but so long as its an authentic path - and this I can't stress enough.
Take a minute to ask yourself where in the poem are you. If the answer doesn't please you then start a quest. It's never too late. If you need my help and support, I'll be honored to support and cheerlead you...
In remembering the name of my Grade 5 English Reader I couldn't help but note how the word Radiant came into my life such a long time ago :-).
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Friday, January 11, 2008
The next step after gratitude
Ok - assuming that you all have got your Gratitude Journals going full throttle and have gotten used to writing five things each and every night that happened that day, that you are grateful for -- and so now, what's next?
As a second step in our growth process, towards Enlightenment, let's get to know the dragons that live in the caves, within us. By the dragons I mean our fears, that reside within us. In the beginning it's a slow procedure, but as we keep going, we pick up the pace, and it gets faster and easier to find them.
The easiest way to take inventory is to pay attention to your reactions to whatever is going on in your environment. What are the things others do and say, that make you jump, get mad, be reactive, cause a sick feeling in your tummy, make you feel nauseous, want you to leave from there etc. I'm really, really sorry to have to tell you (because it might be hard to hear) that if and when such a thing happens, hard as this might sound, your reaction is not the other persons's fault, the cause of your reaction is only one -- that at a deep level you have some fear around what was said or done. This then is the best way to begin to understand yourself. Each time something 'unwanted' happens around you, that you feel yourself getting reactive, slow down and take a deep breath; don't give into the temptation to respond; stop the instinctive repartee, and instead as soon as you can, note down somewhere what happened, and how you felt.
Some of you might find it hard to accept this, but the only reason you are reactive is that there is a resonance in you, vis a vis what is said or done to you. It stirs something in you at some level - this itself is proof that there's some unhealed, wounded part of you that gets triggered, and needs to protect itself. The good news is that the more you get to know yourself the greater will be your understanding of these old issues and woundings, and the more the understanding, the better the chances of healing yourself.
I'm reminded of a quote from Maria Rainer Rilke: "There is only one journey. To go inside." For, if you've travelled the world, but can't trace what's within, your travels are not over - they'll never be over. The canyons and the valleys, and the rivers, the oceans, the flatlands, the deserts, the forests within, are awaiting your visit - holding precious treasures to offer you - the treasures of knowledge of who you are, and the gift of you, to yourself. Have you heard: 'You are the one, you've been waiting for!'
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
As a second step in our growth process, towards Enlightenment, let's get to know the dragons that live in the caves, within us. By the dragons I mean our fears, that reside within us. In the beginning it's a slow procedure, but as we keep going, we pick up the pace, and it gets faster and easier to find them.
The easiest way to take inventory is to pay attention to your reactions to whatever is going on in your environment. What are the things others do and say, that make you jump, get mad, be reactive, cause a sick feeling in your tummy, make you feel nauseous, want you to leave from there etc. I'm really, really sorry to have to tell you (because it might be hard to hear) that if and when such a thing happens, hard as this might sound, your reaction is not the other persons's fault, the cause of your reaction is only one -- that at a deep level you have some fear around what was said or done. This then is the best way to begin to understand yourself. Each time something 'unwanted' happens around you, that you feel yourself getting reactive, slow down and take a deep breath; don't give into the temptation to respond; stop the instinctive repartee, and instead as soon as you can, note down somewhere what happened, and how you felt.
Some of you might find it hard to accept this, but the only reason you are reactive is that there is a resonance in you, vis a vis what is said or done to you. It stirs something in you at some level - this itself is proof that there's some unhealed, wounded part of you that gets triggered, and needs to protect itself. The good news is that the more you get to know yourself the greater will be your understanding of these old issues and woundings, and the more the understanding, the better the chances of healing yourself.
I'm reminded of a quote from Maria Rainer Rilke: "There is only one journey. To go inside." For, if you've travelled the world, but can't trace what's within, your travels are not over - they'll never be over. The canyons and the valleys, and the rivers, the oceans, the flatlands, the deserts, the forests within, are awaiting your visit - holding precious treasures to offer you - the treasures of knowledge of who you are, and the gift of you, to yourself. Have you heard: 'You are the one, you've been waiting for!'
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
And THIS I KNOW is TRUE...
These are some things, I KNOW to be true:
- Gratitude WILL bring you more of what makes you happy
- Gratitude will bring you UNIMAGINED blessings in your life
- Gratitude will make you HUMBLE
- Gratitude will give you CONFIDENCE
- Gratitude will EMPOWER you
- Gratitude will help you discover your voice (at the risk of sounding like Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire :-)... God bless her... )
- Gratitude will BRING MIRACLES into your life
- Gratitude will bring UNDREAMT of SYNCHRONICTY of positive experiences and events into your life
- Gratitude will start CLEANING UP your subconscious mind
... simply because when in Gratitude, you will be in a state of mind that will attract all the above to you.
How do I know? I live this truth every moment, of every day!
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
- Gratitude WILL bring you more of what makes you happy
- Gratitude will bring you UNIMAGINED blessings in your life
- Gratitude will make you HUMBLE
- Gratitude will give you CONFIDENCE
- Gratitude will EMPOWER you
- Gratitude will help you discover your voice (at the risk of sounding like Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire :-)... God bless her... )
- Gratitude will BRING MIRACLES into your life
- Gratitude will bring UNDREAMT of SYNCHRONICTY of positive experiences and events into your life
- Gratitude will start CLEANING UP your subconscious mind
... simply because when in Gratitude, you will be in a state of mind that will attract all the above to you.
How do I know? I live this truth every moment, of every day!
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
'Our deepest fear' ... by Marianne Williamson
Some of the most powerful words I have ever read are written by the author Marianne Williamson in her book 'A Return to Love.' For those who don't read books much, and haven't heard of this piece of writing, I am copying it here:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.' We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." (A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles", Harper Collins, 1992. From Chapter 7, Section 3])
Some people mistakenly believe that Nelson Mandela is the author of these words, as he quoted them in his speech... which of course is not the case.
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.' We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." (A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles", Harper Collins, 1992. From Chapter 7, Section 3])
Some people mistakenly believe that Nelson Mandela is the author of these words, as he quoted them in his speech... which of course is not the case.
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
With reference to the January 2 post - on 'our mirrors'
I found this beautiful poem by Hafiz, which as I read it this time, seemed to illustrate the 'mirroring' I've been writing about. Then halfway down, it shifts beautifully to a deeper experience of the 'self':
THERE IS A WONDERFUL GAME
There is a wonderful game we should play,
And it goes like this:
We both hold hands and look into each other's eyes
And scan each other's face.
Then I say,
"Now tell me the difference you see between us."
And you might respond,
"Hafiz, your nose is ten times bigger than mine!"
Then I would say,
"Yes, my dear, almost ten times!"
But let's keep playing.
Let's go deeper,
Go deeper.
For if we do,
Our spirits will embrace
And interweave.
Our union will be so glorious
That even God
Will not be able to tell us apart.
There is a wonderful game
We should play with everyone
And it goes like this...
Blessings to Daniel Ladinsky for his translations of Hafiz in the book "I heard God Laughing" - Poems of Hope and Joy.
It is one my very valuable possessions!
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
THERE IS A WONDERFUL GAME
There is a wonderful game we should play,
And it goes like this:
We both hold hands and look into each other's eyes
And scan each other's face.
Then I say,
"Now tell me the difference you see between us."
And you might respond,
"Hafiz, your nose is ten times bigger than mine!"
Then I would say,
"Yes, my dear, almost ten times!"
But let's keep playing.
Let's go deeper,
Go deeper.
For if we do,
Our spirits will embrace
And interweave.
Our union will be so glorious
That even God
Will not be able to tell us apart.
There is a wonderful game
We should play with everyone
And it goes like this...
Blessings to Daniel Ladinsky for his translations of Hafiz in the book "I heard God Laughing" - Poems of Hope and Joy.
It is one my very valuable possessions!
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Who is entitled to ENLIGHTENMENT?
EVERYBODY! Everybody is entitled to ENLIGHTENMENT. It is not the home turf of a privileged few. It WAS, through the ages, it IS now, and WILL BE in the future, the first and foremost birthright of everyone who was, and will ever be, born. And not merely our birthright, it is our very raison d'etre - the reason why we are born as human beings, the destiny we are meant to fulfil, which is to finally overcome our conditioning, break through the bonds of all inherited and self-created fears, stemming from ignorance, and a lack of understanding of our subconscious.
If Enlightenment is every one's right, then why are so few associated with this hallowed state of being, one may be tempted to question? One of the dictionary meanings of the verb 'to enlighten' is to make free of ignorance, prejudice, superstition. I believe that these three and their variations, are among the principal causes of confusion in most people's minds who then believe that this phenomenon is the purview of religion, of dogmatic thinking, it is a state of being that demands sacrifice and necessitates the abandoning of living rich and fulfilled lives.
The sad truth is that Enlightenment has nothing to do with any of this. It is more akin to a personal peeling, layer after layer, of all the junk that coats the brilliant diamond we are within, till our radiant self is revealed. And once it is revealed, what happens next? Well, there's a zen saying: 'Before and after enlightenment, chop wood carry water!' Nothing changes, because we continue to live as human beings, and yet, EVERYTHING changes because all the masks we have been wearing get taken off our faces, and we no longer feel the need for the masks. The lightness of being at this state is invaluable, and has no parallel.
Try it my friends...
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
If Enlightenment is every one's right, then why are so few associated with this hallowed state of being, one may be tempted to question? One of the dictionary meanings of the verb 'to enlighten' is to make free of ignorance, prejudice, superstition. I believe that these three and their variations, are among the principal causes of confusion in most people's minds who then believe that this phenomenon is the purview of religion, of dogmatic thinking, it is a state of being that demands sacrifice and necessitates the abandoning of living rich and fulfilled lives.
The sad truth is that Enlightenment has nothing to do with any of this. It is more akin to a personal peeling, layer after layer, of all the junk that coats the brilliant diamond we are within, till our radiant self is revealed. And once it is revealed, what happens next? Well, there's a zen saying: 'Before and after enlightenment, chop wood carry water!' Nothing changes, because we continue to live as human beings, and yet, EVERYTHING changes because all the masks we have been wearing get taken off our faces, and we no longer feel the need for the masks. The lightness of being at this state is invaluable, and has no parallel.
Try it my friends...
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Why should I do the 'inner work'?
I'm often asked what will change in their lives, if people 'did the work' - took care of their inner world, understood the working of the subconscious mind, and connected with their authentic selves? "Will this stop all 'bad' things from happening in my life?" they ask, with 'bad' referring to all situations they find difficult to handle. In response I ask them if they ever saw the reading of an ECG machine: "When is the line straight? Isn't that when we are dead? Otherwise there is the zig-zagging line, with its ups and downs." And so it is with life. So long as we are alive there's the human experience to live through. The ups and downs of life won't stop. They'll come and go as before, like the ebb and flow of the ocean. What changes, however, is that the experience of the 'ups' deepens; we become more open to allowing joy, and other positive experiences into our lives. And, the real gift can be felt in the 'low' moments. If first we were wallowing, whining, grinding our wheels, feelig under the weather, getting into a funk, sulking, getting seriously depressed and needing anti-depressants, we now have our newly-discovered inner resources that help us pick ourselves up sooner than before. Equally important, the intensity of the 'downs' is far less.
And as we stay committed to our personal growth, we find that the picking ourselves up just keeps getting easier and easier, and we get better and better at it. And then, something wonderful starts happening. Because of the workings of the ever-present Law of Attraction, we find that our life becomes a mirror of our new positive frame of mind, getting better and better all the time, till miracles seem to keep showing up - these miracles are none other than the creations, through intention, of a happy, joyous inner self.
A demain,
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
And as we stay committed to our personal growth, we find that the picking ourselves up just keeps getting easier and easier, and we get better and better at it. And then, something wonderful starts happening. Because of the workings of the ever-present Law of Attraction, we find that our life becomes a mirror of our new positive frame of mind, getting better and better all the time, till miracles seem to keep showing up - these miracles are none other than the creations, through intention, of a happy, joyous inner self.
A demain,
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
What do you teach your children to pray for
I met someone yesterday and we talked a bit about our connection with God. He told me that at night he lays down with his two sons and that he has taught them to ask God for what they want the next day. I mentioned to him that I had a different way of looking at this whole business of 'asking'. He jokingly shared that one of his boys asks that they may have food for the next day. "It's crazy," said this affluent man, a little exasperated. "I keep telling my son, the fridge is full, don't worry, we have enough food, but that's what he prays for everyday." Then he went on, "And, my older nine year old son always prays that no thieves or robbers may come at night when we are fast asleep." He laughed again. I asked him if I may say something about all this, and he said yes, of course. And I asked him to stop encouraging his sons to 'ask' God.
"Teach them, instead, to list all the things that happened during the day that they felt grateful for. Instead of teaching them to ask, which they do from a fear space, teach them to think about what made them feel happy, joyful, grateful, and leave it at that. After that, they don't have to ask for anything - the Universe will provide them what makes them joyful and happy, unasked," I told him. and so it goes for us all. That's all we need to do - be grateful.
In gratitude, for finally becoming the person who could write this blog :-),
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
"Teach them, instead, to list all the things that happened during the day that they felt grateful for. Instead of teaching them to ask, which they do from a fear space, teach them to think about what made them feel happy, joyful, grateful, and leave it at that. After that, they don't have to ask for anything - the Universe will provide them what makes them joyful and happy, unasked," I told him. and so it goes for us all. That's all we need to do - be grateful.
In gratitude, for finally becoming the person who could write this blog :-),
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Friday, January 4, 2008
'Why Me' revisited
The Why me? Why me? syndrome must be eliminated from our lives as soon as yesterday -I can't insist enough that you do this! because until we stop this refrain no good things are going to come our way. The Universe doesn't know the difference between right and wrong. My dear mother, I know her soul is resting in peace, despite the fact that her English was not very advanced, had mugged up Shakespeare and would quote from him every chance she got. One of her favorites was, 'Nothing is good or bad; only our thinking makes it so.' Well, Shakespeare and my Mum knew a thing or two, I'd say -- because that's exactly how the Universe functions. It doesn't evaluate the good ad the bad - it just gives us more of what we think, and obsess about. It keeps track of where we put our energy, and gives us more of that.
Why Mes will just attract more Why Me situations in our lives. How to, then, stop this pattern, this chain of behavior? First stop saying Why Me, then list the good stuff already there in your life, and then, last but not least, 'see yourself' happy, happy, happy -- visualize yourself throwing yourself throwing your head back and laughing, joyfully - the joy erupting from your heart. The more you do this, the more reason you'll have for doing it.
Hey pretty/handsome - you look SO good laughing :-)! Don't stop doing it!
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Why Mes will just attract more Why Me situations in our lives. How to, then, stop this pattern, this chain of behavior? First stop saying Why Me, then list the good stuff already there in your life, and then, last but not least, 'see yourself' happy, happy, happy -- visualize yourself throwing yourself throwing your head back and laughing, joyfully - the joy erupting from your heart. The more you do this, the more reason you'll have for doing it.
Hey pretty/handsome - you look SO good laughing :-)! Don't stop doing it!
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Why me? Why me?
I spent a fair amount of time during certain parts of my life lamenting, why me? Why me? I sincerely believed I was, and had been, a good person - honest, kind, helpful, generous - and being, humbly, aware of all that I was, I couldn't understand why I wasn't being 'rewarded' by God, but instead got what I saw as punishment. If I knew then what I know now, instead of feeling like a victim, I would have stopped my suffering, moved on, and changed my life by changing my negative beliefs.
I didn't see people and circumstances in my life as mirrors, reflecting to me the negative beliefs I held in my subconscious mind - instead I got sad and depressed, obsessing over other people's so-called 'bad' behavior towards me, with me making no effort to break the cycle.
If the same situation were to happen today, I would 'thank' the messenger, instead of wanting to 'shoot' them, for reflecting to me, my interior self. Once I learnt this secret, I changed my life around completely. The paradox here is that it is so simple and yet so hard to bring yourself to this awareness.
If stuck in this place, grinding your wheels and not moving forward, first STOP all reactive behavior - then start a gratitude journal. This will give you a breather, a reprieve, and will break the cycle of negativity. After that, the choice is yours to dig deeper and work on changing the deeply held negative beliefs, through help from a therapist, or do whatever else it is you decide to do.
May a gentle sun always shine its warm, healing rays upon you...
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
I didn't see people and circumstances in my life as mirrors, reflecting to me the negative beliefs I held in my subconscious mind - instead I got sad and depressed, obsessing over other people's so-called 'bad' behavior towards me, with me making no effort to break the cycle.
If the same situation were to happen today, I would 'thank' the messenger, instead of wanting to 'shoot' them, for reflecting to me, my interior self. Once I learnt this secret, I changed my life around completely. The paradox here is that it is so simple and yet so hard to bring yourself to this awareness.
If stuck in this place, grinding your wheels and not moving forward, first STOP all reactive behavior - then start a gratitude journal. This will give you a breather, a reprieve, and will break the cycle of negativity. After that, the choice is yours to dig deeper and work on changing the deeply held negative beliefs, through help from a therapist, or do whatever else it is you decide to do.
May a gentle sun always shine its warm, healing rays upon you...
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Mirror, mirror, on the wall
Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Is the hardest lesson of them all!
Yes, I'm paraphrasing from 'Snow White, and the Seven Dwarfs', but the wall and the mirror I'm talking about are not the evil queen's mirror and the wall it's upon. The mirrors we see each day, everyday, all around us are our immediate environment. Some of these mirrors are the people in our lives, some known and some unknown, and other mirrors are the situations we find ourselves in, and the emotions these situations produce... all these are our true mirrors.
"How come?" you ask. Because, whatever is happening in our environment is a direct reflection of something from our subconscious minds. This then is the hard truth we may choose to accept, and work through, to have joy, beauty, peace and all those things we love to experience, to be reflected back to us. Or, we can choose to go in denial, continue as we always have been, blaming our lives, our luck, other people, our situation, and continue to remain in victim mode, because we are not ready or prepared to own responsibility for that in our environment which we don't like and which is distasteful to us. Our 'mirrors', then, bring us face to face with our hardest lessons.
These lessons, however, are gifts from the Universe, providing us with a constant measure to see how we're faring in our lives. But, to recognize them as the gifts they are requires us to take responsibility for who we are, and understand how we are the creators of what is happening in our lives, and why we are attracting what we are, despite not wanting to. This acceptance is of course very hard to come to. But, once we do it, it will give us the determination to choose the path which will help us to find the most radiant, and magnificent versions of ourselves.
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Is the hardest lesson of them all!
Yes, I'm paraphrasing from 'Snow White, and the Seven Dwarfs', but the wall and the mirror I'm talking about are not the evil queen's mirror and the wall it's upon. The mirrors we see each day, everyday, all around us are our immediate environment. Some of these mirrors are the people in our lives, some known and some unknown, and other mirrors are the situations we find ourselves in, and the emotions these situations produce... all these are our true mirrors.
"How come?" you ask. Because, whatever is happening in our environment is a direct reflection of something from our subconscious minds. This then is the hard truth we may choose to accept, and work through, to have joy, beauty, peace and all those things we love to experience, to be reflected back to us. Or, we can choose to go in denial, continue as we always have been, blaming our lives, our luck, other people, our situation, and continue to remain in victim mode, because we are not ready or prepared to own responsibility for that in our environment which we don't like and which is distasteful to us. Our 'mirrors', then, bring us face to face with our hardest lessons.
These lessons, however, are gifts from the Universe, providing us with a constant measure to see how we're faring in our lives. But, to recognize them as the gifts they are requires us to take responsibility for who we are, and understand how we are the creators of what is happening in our lives, and why we are attracting what we are, despite not wanting to. This acceptance is of course very hard to come to. But, once we do it, it will give us the determination to choose the path which will help us to find the most radiant, and magnificent versions of ourselves.
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Who knows how to hug?
Weird question? It won't be, in a second - just read on :-)...
I was watching a movie last night and noticed, yet again, that when people hug they almost always gravitate to their left, towards the right shoulder of the person they're wanting to hug, and decided to make that today's topic. What's the big deal, you're probably wondering? What difference does the side make to hugging? Isn't a hug just a hug? Wrong. It isn't.
I too didn't know any different, for the longest time. But a few years ago, I had gone to see my Psychosynthesis teacher and when it was time to leave, I stepped up to hug her, in the same manner as already described above and she stopped me. She said, that at a spiritual gathering she heard a Native American Elder say that white people didn't know how to hug. He said, everyone hugs on the wrong side, the opposite side of how it is actually supposed to be done.
Well, I'm not white, but I too, didn't know how to hug. Soon after this discovery I went to India and found the same thing happening there. By now I'd become the self-appointed hug-expert, always observing how people hugged. I found that whether white, brown, yellow or black - for some reason people automatically hugged 'wrong'. And the right way to hug - what is it? My teacher said that the Native American Elder had told this gathering that the right way to hug was to move towards the left shoulder ofthe person you were going to hug. In this way the hearts of the two people come together, one on one, and such a hug was suffused with heart energy, making the hug truly meaningful. And after her explanation, when I hugged my teacher to say goodbye I could feel the difference. There was a sense of closeness, a heart-to-heart that I hadn't felt before.
Experiment for yourself. Hug someone one way, and then the second - and you'll feel the difference. You'll understand what the whole fuss was about - making 2008 the year when you learnt to hug 'right'.
Once again, all the very best the whole year round,
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
I was watching a movie last night and noticed, yet again, that when people hug they almost always gravitate to their left, towards the right shoulder of the person they're wanting to hug, and decided to make that today's topic. What's the big deal, you're probably wondering? What difference does the side make to hugging? Isn't a hug just a hug? Wrong. It isn't.
I too didn't know any different, for the longest time. But a few years ago, I had gone to see my Psychosynthesis teacher and when it was time to leave, I stepped up to hug her, in the same manner as already described above and she stopped me. She said, that at a spiritual gathering she heard a Native American Elder say that white people didn't know how to hug. He said, everyone hugs on the wrong side, the opposite side of how it is actually supposed to be done.
Well, I'm not white, but I too, didn't know how to hug. Soon after this discovery I went to India and found the same thing happening there. By now I'd become the self-appointed hug-expert, always observing how people hugged. I found that whether white, brown, yellow or black - for some reason people automatically hugged 'wrong'. And the right way to hug - what is it? My teacher said that the Native American Elder had told this gathering that the right way to hug was to move towards the left shoulder ofthe person you were going to hug. In this way the hearts of the two people come together, one on one, and such a hug was suffused with heart energy, making the hug truly meaningful. And after her explanation, when I hugged my teacher to say goodbye I could feel the difference. There was a sense of closeness, a heart-to-heart that I hadn't felt before.
Experiment for yourself. Hug someone one way, and then the second - and you'll feel the difference. You'll understand what the whole fuss was about - making 2008 the year when you learnt to hug 'right'.
Once again, all the very best the whole year round,
Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.
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