Riscul
Râzând,
Rişti să pari nebun.
Plângând,
Rişti să pari sentimental.
Întinzând o mână cuiva,
Rişti să te implici.
Arătându-ţi sentimentele,
Rişti să te arăţi pe tine însuţi.
Vorbind în faţa mulţimii despre ideile şi visurile tale,
Rişti să pierzi.
Iubind,
Rişti să nu fii iubit la rândul tău.
Trăind,
Rişti sa mori.
Sperând,
Rişti să disperi,
Încercând măcar,
Rişti să dai greş.
Dar dacă nu rişti nimic,
Nu faci nimic,
Nu ai nimic,
Nu eşti nimic.
Rudyard Kipling
Showing posts with label Anglo-American. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anglo-American. Show all posts
Interesting Article from MDLinx
draurelromila1@gmail.com has forwarded you an article from MDLinx Psychiatry , part of the MDLinx network
|
Poem superb - Charlie Chaplin
In ziua in care m-am iubit cu
adevarat" - poem scris de Charlie Chaplin
"În ziua în care m-am iubit cu adevãrat, am înțeles cã în toate
împrejurãrile, mã aflam la locul potrivit, în momentul potrivit.
Și atunci, am putut sã mã liniștesc.
Astãzi, știu cã aceasta se numește … Stimã de sine.
În ziua în care m-am iubit cu adevãrat, am realizat cã neliniștea și
suferința mea emoționalã, nu erau nimic altceva decât semnalul cã merg
împotriva convingerilor mele.
Astãzi, știu cã aceasta se numește … Autenticitate.
În ziua în care m-am iubit cu adevãrat, am încetat sã doresc o viațã
diferitã și am început sã înțeleg cã tot ceea ce mi se întâmplã,
contribuie la dezvoltarea mea personalã.
Astãzi, știu cã aceasta se numeste … Maturitate.
În ziua în care m-am iubit cu adevãrat, am început sã realizez cã este
o greșealã sã forțez o situație sau o persoanã, cu singurul scop de a
obține ceea ce doresc, știind foarte bine cã nici acea persoanã, nici
eu însumi nu suntem pregãtiți și cã nu este momentul …
Astãzi, știu cã aceasta se numește … Respect.
În ziua în care m-am iubit cu adevãrat, am început sã mã eliberez de
tot ceea ce nu era benefic … Persoane, situații, tot ceea ce îmi
consumã energia. La început, rațiunea mea numea asta egoism.
Astãzi, știu cã aceasta se numește … Amor propriu.
În ziua în care m-am iubit cu
adevãrat, am încetat sã-mi mai fie teamã
de timpul liber și am renunțat sã mai fac planuri mari, am abandonat
Mega-proiectele de viitor. Astãzi fac ceea ce este corect, ceea ce îmi
place, când îmi place și în ritmul meu.
Astãzi, știu cã aceasta se numește … Simplitate.
În ziua în care m-am iubit cu adevãrat, am încetat sã mai caut sã am
întotdeauna dreptate ºi mi-am dat seama de cât de multe ori m-am
înșelat.
Astãzi, am descoperit … Modestia.
În ziua în care m-am iubit cu adevãrat, am încetat sã retrãiesc
trecutul ºi sã mã preocup de viitor. Astãzi, trãiesc prezentul, acolo
unde se petrece întreaga viațã. Astãzi trãiesc clipa fiecãrei zile.
Și aceasta se numeste … Plenitudine.
În ziua în care m-am iubit cu adevãrat, am înteles cã rațiunea mã
poate înºela ºi dezamãgi. Dar dacã o pun în slujba inimii mele, ea
devine un aliat foarte prețios.
ºi toate acestea înseamnã … Sã ºtii sã trãiești cu adevãrat." `
Nu trebuie sa ne temem de confruntari…
….Din haos se nasc stelele ...
Charlie Chaplin
THOMAS JEFFERSON
sursa :
- Posted by Beverly Thoma~Bullock on January 20, 2012 at 12:55pm in POLITICS OF THE USA and AROUND THE WORLD
- Back to POLITICS OF THE USA and AROUND THE WORLD Discussions
( cititi si partea a doua )
Thomas Jefferson
This is amazing. There are two parts. Be sure to read the 2nd part.
Thomas Jefferson was a very remarkable man who started learning very early in life and never stopped.
At 5, began studying under his cousin's tutor.
At 9, studied Latin, Greek and French.
At 14, studied classical literature and additional languages.
At 16, entered the College of William and Mary.
At 19, studied Law for 5 years starting under George Wythe.
At 23, started his own law practice.
At 25, was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses.
At 31, wrote the widely circulated "Summary View of the Rights of British America and retired from his law practice.
At 32, was a Delegate to the Second Continental Congress.
At 33, wrote the Declaration of Independence .
At 33, took three years to revise Virginia 's legal code and wrote a Public Education bill and a statute for Religious Freedom.
At 36, was elected the second Governor of Virginia , succeeding Patrick Henry.
At 40, served in Congress for two years.
At 41, was the American minister to France , and negotiated commercial treaties with European nations along with Ben Franklin and John Adams.
At 46, served as the first Secretary of State under George Washington.
At 53, served as Vice President and was elected president of the American Philosophical Society.
At 55, drafted the Kentucky Resolutions, and became the active head of Republican Party.
At 57, was elected the third president of the United States .
At 60, obtained the Louisiana Purchase , doubling the nation's size.
At 61, was elected to a second term as President.
At 65, retired to Monticello .
At 80, helped President Monroe shape the Monroe Doctrine.
At 81, almost single-handedly created the University of Virginia , and served as its first president.
At 83, died on the 50th anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence , along with John Adams
Thomas Jefferson knew because he himself studied the previous failed attempts at government. He understood actual history, the nature of God, his laws and the nature of man. That happens
to be way more than what most understand today. Jefferson really knew his stuff. A voice from the past to lead us in the future:
John F. Kennedy held a dinner in the white House for a group of the brightest minds in the nation at that time. He made this statement: "This is perhaps the assembly of the most intelligence ever
to gather at one time in the White House with the exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone."
"When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe ." -- Thomas Jefferson
"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." -- Thomas Jefferson
"It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world." -- Thomas Jefferson
"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." -- Thomas Jefferson
"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government." -- Thomas Jefferson
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." – Thomas Jefferson
"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." Thomas Jefferson
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." -- Thomas Jefferson
"To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical." -- Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:
"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by
inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property - until their children wake-up homeless on the continent
their fathers conquered."
I wish we could get this out to everyone!!!
Eternally Present
Past Life Healing
The key to working with past lives is maintaining awareness of the current reality in which the present takes priority.
Exploring our past lives is a valuable way to understand ourselves better and often leads to healing and the resolution of issues plaguing us in this life. However, the key to working with past
lives is maintaining an awareness of the current reality in which the present always takes priority. Past lives can be fascinating and entertaining, or emotionally seductive, and we can get lost in
them, losing touch with the most important thing—the life we are living right now.
Of course, there is a deep connection between our past lives and our current life, so it's sometimes hard to say where one begins and the other one ends. For example, we may be aware that one of our closest friends or partners is someone we knew from a past life, and that connection feels like an unbroken chord reaching into the past, reminding us of the vast nature of the soul. We may have issues with this person that stem from the past, or we may just be blessed with a deep love that we are fortunate to have with us in this life. Either way, the issues must be resolved in this life, in the present moment. The love is our gift to experience in this life, not in the past. In many ways, the gift of dealing with our past lives is the profound revelation of how truly eternal we all are. Once we comprehend this, we can let go of focusing on the details of the past and simply allow our awareness of the eternal to positively influence our ability to be in the present moment.
You will know you have received the full fruits of past-life exploration when you find yourself even more powerfully present in the eternal now. The past becomes less distinct as it resolves itself, merging with the present and the future in the nexus of consciousness that holds all time and space. We realize that this moment holds everything within it, the resolved and the unresolved, the past and the future, and that it is from this moment that we must live our lives.
Steve Jobs
Aceasta este transcrierea textului citit de Steve Jobs, CEO al Apple Computer, la 12 iunie 2005, la ceremonia de absolvire a studentilor Universitatii Stanford.
Sunt onorat sa fiu cu voi astazi, in ziua plecarii voastre de la una dintre cele mai bune universitati din lume. Eu n-am absolvit niciodata facultatea. Adevarul fie spus, acum e momentul in care m-am apropiat cel mai mult de o absolvire. Si vreau sa va spun astazi trei povesti din viata mea. Atat. Nu cuvinte mari. Doar trei povesti.
Prima poveste este despre unirea unor puncte.
Am renuntat la Facultatea Reed dupa doar 6 luni, dar am stat aproape de facultate pentru inca 18 luni inainte sa o parasesc definitiv. De ce am renuntat?
Totul a inceput inainte ca eu sa ma fi nascut. Mama mea biologica era tanara, absolventa necasatorita de liceu, asa ca s-a hotarat sa ma dea spre adoptie. Si a simtit foarte tare nevoia sa ma incredinteze unor absolventi de facultate, asa incat lucrurile pareau stabilite dinainte pentru mine sa fiu adoptat la nastere de un avocat si sotia lui. Numai ca atunci cand am aparut pe lume, ei s-au razgandit si au considerat ca-si doresc o fetita.
Asa ca parintii mei, care erau pe o lista de asteptare, au primit un telefon in mijlocul noptii prin care erau intrebati: "Avem un baietel care poate fi adoptat. Il doriti?". Au spus "Bineinteles!". Mama mea biologica a aflat mai tarziu ca mama adoptiva nu absolvise niciodata facultatea si ca tatal meu adoptiv nu absolvise liceul. Asa ca a refuzat sa semneze actele de adoptie. S-a razgandit doar cateva luni mai tarziu, cand parintii mei adoptivi i-au promis ca o sa ma trimita la facultate.
Si, 17 ani mai tarziu, chiar m-au trimis. Dar am ales in mod naiv o facultate care era aproape la fel de scumpa ca si Stanford si toate economiile parintilor mei s-au evaporat pe plata studiilor mele. Dupa 6 luni, n-am mai vazut valoare in acele studii. N-aveam nicio idee despre ce sa fac cu viata mea si nicio idee despre cum m-ar putea ajuta facultatea in viata. Si m-am vazut la facultate, cheltuind toti banii pe care parintii mei ii stransesera in toata viata lor. Asa ca m-am hotarat sa renunt si sa am incredere ca pana la urma toate lucrurile se vor dovedi a fi ok. Eram cam speriat la acea vreme, dar privind inapoi imi dau seama ca a fost una dintre cele mai bune decizii pe care le-am luat in toata viata mea. Minutul in care am renuntat m-a ajutat sa nu mai merg la cursurile care nu ma interesau si sa merg la cele care mi se pareau utile.
N-a fost chiar totul romantic. N-aveam o camera in care sa dorm, asa ca dormeam pe podeaua camerelor prietenilor. Am returnat sticle de Cola pentru cei 5 centi pe care ii primeai inapoi pentru returnarea unei sticle. Si am mers in fiecare duminica seara cei 7 kilometri pana in partea cealalta a orasului, doar pentru a beneficia de o masa gratuita la Templul Hare Krishna. Mi-a placut la nebunie. Si toate lucrurile acelea care mi-au starnit curiozitatea si intuitia s-au dovedit a fi nepretuite in viitor. Sa va dau un exemplu.
Facultatea Reed avea la acea vreme cel mai bun curs de caligrafie din SUA. In tot campusul, orice poster, orice titlu si orice indicator erau superb caligrafiate. Pentru ca renuntasem si nu mai eram obligat sa merg la cursurile normale, am decis sa merg la cursul de caligrafie si sa invat cum sa scriu frumos. Am invatat despre tipurile de fonturi, despre varierea cantitatii de spatiu dintre mai multe combinatii de litere, despre ce face caligrafia sa fie o arta. Era frumos, demn de tinut minte, subtil artistic intr-un mod in care stiinta nu poate explica. Si am gasit acest lucru fascinant.
Bineinteles ca, la acea vreme, cursul in sine nu avea niciun fel de aplicatie practica in viata mea. Dar 10 ani mai tarziu, cand am dezvoltat primul Machintosh, mi-am amintit toate acele lucruri. Si le-am integrat in Mac. A fost primul computer care a folosit fonturi extraordinare. Daca n-as fi renuntat la celelalte cursuri si daca nu as fi avut astfel timp sa merg la cursul de caligrafie, Mac-ul n-ar fi avut niciodata mai multe tipuri de fonturi si un scris atat de bine proportionat. Si din moment ce Windows doar a copiat Mac-ul, e foarte probabil ca niciun fel de computer sa nu fi avut astfel de fonturi. Daca n-as fi renuntat, n-as fi facut niciodata cursul de caligrafie, poate computerele personale n-ar fi avut fonturi atat de frumoase ca acum. Bineinteles ca la acel moment, tanar fiind, era imposibil sa unesc punctele. Dar cativa ani mai tarziu, imaginea a fost cu mult mai clara.
Asa ca, nu poti uni punctele daca privesti in viitor. Poti sa le unesti doar daca te uiti inapoi in viata ta. Asa ca trebuie doar sa ai incredere ca punctele se vor uni cumva in viitor. Trebuie sa ai incredere in ceva - instinctul tau, destinul tau, viata ta, karma, orice altceva. Abordarea asta nu m-a lasat niciodata balta si a facut diferenta in toata viata mea.
A doua poveste este despre dragoste si pierderi.
Am fost norocos sa aflu ce imi place sa fac tanar fiind. Woz (Steve Wozniak) si cu mine am inceput povestea Apple in garajul parintilor mei cand aveam 20 de ani. Am muncit din greu si in 10 ani Apple a ajuns sa creasca de la un garaj in care munceam noi doi la o companie care valora 2 miliarde de dolari si avea 4.000 de angajati. Tocmai ne lansasem cea mai noua creatie (computerul Machintosh), iar eu tocmai implineam 30 de ani. Apoi am fost concediat. Cum poti fi concediat de la o companie pe care tu ai infiintat-o? Ei bine, pe masura ce Apple a crescut, am angajat pe cineva, despre care credeam ca are talentul sa conduca Apple alaturi de mine, iar pentru primul an lucrurile au mers bine. Apoi viziunile noastre despre viitor au inceput sa fi divergente, asa ca el a pus piciorul in prag. Si atunci cand a facut-o, Consiliul nostru Director a stat alaturi de el. Asa ca, la 30 de ani, am fost dat afara de la Apple. Si a fost o poveste publica. Singurul lucru care contase in toata viata mea de adult se dusese pe apa sambetei. Si eu eram devastat.
Cateva luni n-am stiut ce sa fac. Am aflat ca dezamagisem o intreaga generatie de antreprenori, ca scapasem bastonul de maresal tocmai atunci cand eram foarte aproape sa-l primesc. M-am intalnit cu David Packard si Bob Noycesi, am incercat sa ma scuz pentru ca o dadusem in bara atat de urat. Eram un esec public si toate gandurile mele imi spuneam sa fug din Vale ([n.r.] Sillicon Valley). Dar, incet-incet, a inceput sa ma cuprinda un nou gand. Inca imi placea ce fac. Si intamplarea de la Apple nu schimbase lucrurile foarte mult. Eram respins, dar eram inca indragostit. Asa ca am decis sa o iau de la capat.
N-am vazut atunci, dar s-a dovedit ca a fi concediat de la Apple a fost cel mai bun lucru care mi se putea intampla. Povara pe care o porti atunci cand ai succes a fost inlocuita cu usurarea pe care o simti cand o iei din nou de la capat, mai putin sigur de ce o sa ti se intample. M-am eliberat de stres si am avut astfel sansa sa intru intr-una dintre cele mai creative perioade din viata mea.
In timpul urmatorilor cinci ani, am pornit o companie numita NeXT, o alta companie numita Pixar si m-am indragostit de o femeie extraordinara, care a devenit sotia mea. Pixar a creat Toy Story si este astazi (in 2005) una dintre cele mai de succes intreprinderi de animatie din lume. Intr-o schimbare remarcabila a sortii, Apple a cumparat NeXT, eu m-am intors la Apple si tehnologia pe care o dezvoltasem la NeXT a stat la baza renasterii Apple. Iar Laurene si cu mine avem o familie frumoasa impreuna.
Sunt foarte sigur ca nimic din toate aceste lucruri nu s-ar fi intamplat, daca n-as fi fost concediat de la Apple. A fost un medicament greu de inghitit, dar cred ca pacientul avea nevoie de el. Uneori viata te loveste in cap cu o caramida. Nu-ti pierde increderea. Sunt convins ca singurul lucru care m-a ajutat sa-mi pastrez directia a fost faptul ca imi placea ce fac. Trebuie sa gasesti lucrurile care-ti plac. Si asta e valabil atat pentru munca ta, cat si pentru partenerul tau de viata. Munca ta o sa-ti umple o parte insemnata din viata si singurul mod in care vei fi cu adevarat satisfacut este sa crezi ca faci o munca extraordinara. Si singurul mod in care poti face o munca extraordinara este sa-ti placa ce faci. Daca n-ai reusit inca, continua cautarea. Nu te multumi cu putin. Asa cum e si cu partenerul de viata, vei sti atunci cand l-ai intalnit. Si, la fel ca in orice alta relatie extraordinara, lucrurile vor merge din ce in ce mai bine pe masura ce trec anii. Asa ca nu te opri din cautare. Nu te multumi cu putin.
A treia poveste este despre moarte.
Cand aveam 17 ani, am citit un text care spunea ceva de genul: "Daca traiesti fiecare zi ca si cum ar fi ultima din viata ta, la un moment dat vei avea dreptate". Citatul m-a impresionat si de atunci, pentru cei 33 de ani care au trecut, m-am uitat in oglinda in fiecare dimineata si m-am intrebat: "Daca astazi ar fi ultima zi din viata mea, as vrea sa fac ce fac astazi?". Si atunci cand raspunsul a fost "Nu" pentru mai multe zile la rand, am stiut ca trebuie sa schimb ceva.
Ideea ca in curand o sa mor a fost cea care m-a ajutat sa fac cele mai importante alegeri in viata. Pentru ca aproape orice - toate asteptarile noastre, tot orgoliul, toate fricile referitoare la esec - toate aceste lucruri palesc in fata mortii, lasand afara singurul lucru care este cu adevarat important. Ideea ca o sa mori este cel mai bun mod in care poti evita capcana fricii ca ai ceva de pierdut. Esti deja dezbracat. Si nu exista niciun motiv pentru care sa nu-ti urmezi inima.
Cu aproape un an un urma, am fost diagnosticat cu cancer. Am facut un CT la 7.30 dimineata si a aratat in mod clar o tumora in pancreasul meu. Habar n-aveam ce e un pancreas la acea vreme. Doctorii mi-au spus ca acest tip de cancer e aproape sigur incurabil si ca n-ar trebui sa ma astept la mai mult de 3 pana la 6 luni de viata. Doctorii mei m-au sfatuit sa merg acasa si sa-mi pun lucrurile in ordine, un fel de a spune ca ar trebui sa ma pregatesc pentru moarte. Si esti pus in situatia in care incerci sa le spui copiilor tai, in doar cateva luni, toate lucrurile pe care ai fi vrut sa le spui in ultimii 10 ani. Si esti fortat sa te asiguri ca toate lucrurile sunt puse in ordine astfel incat sa fie cat de simplu se poate pentru familia ta in viitor. Esti fortat sa-ti iei ramas bun.
Am trait cu acel diagnostic toata ziua. Mai tarziu, am facut o biopsie, mi-au bagat un endoscop pe gat pana in stomac si intestine, mi-au facut o punctie in pancreas si mi-au luat cateva celule din tumora. Am fost sedat, dar sotia mea, care era acolo, mi-a spus ca, atunci cand s-au uitat la celule sub microscop, doctorii s-au intristat pentru ca se dovedea a fi o forma foarte rara de cancer pancreatic, incurabila cu chirurgia clasica. Am facut acea operatie si acum sunt bine.
Acest moment a fost cel care m-a apropiat cel mai tare de moarte si sper sa fie la fel si pentru urmatorii ani. Faptul ca am supravietuit ma face sa va spun cuvintele urmatoare cu ceva mai multa experienta decat atunci cand credeam ca moartea e un concept pur intelectual.
Nimeni nu vrea sa moara. Chiar si oamenii care vor sa mearga in Rai nu vor sa moara pentru a ajunge acolo. Si, totusi, moartea este singura directie clara spre care ne indreptam cu totii. Nimeni nu poate scapa de moarte. Si asa trebuie sa fie, pentru ca Moartea este in mod sigur cea mai buna inventie a vietii. Este agentul de schimbare al vietii. Elimina vechiul pentru a face loc noului. Chiar acum, voi sunteti noul, dar peste o vreme, nu departe de acest moment, veti deveni incet-incet vechiul. Si veti fi eliminati. Scuze ca sunt atat de dramatic, dar e adevarat.
Timpul vostru e limitat, asa ca nu va pierdeti vremea traind viata altcuiva. Nu va inglobati in dogme - traind cu rezultatul gandirii altor oameni. Nu lasati zgomotul opiniilor altora sa va ascunda vocea voastra interioara. Si cel mai important, trebuie sa aveti curajul sa va urmati inima si intuitia. Ele stiu deja ce va doriti cu adevarat sa deveniti. Toate celelalte lucruri sunt secundare.
Cand eram tanar, exista o publicatie uimitoare care se numea Catalogul Intregii Lumi. Un soi de biblie a generatiei mele. A fost creata de un om pe nume Stewart Brand, nu departe de locul unde ne aflam acum, si el a adus-o la viata punandu-i un strop de atingere poetica. Asta se intampla la inceputul anilor 1960, inainte de aparitia computerelor si a publishing-ului digital, asa ca revista era construita cu masini de scris, foarfeci si camere polaroid. Era un soi de Google in forma printata, cu 35 de ani inainte sa apara Google. Era idealist si mustea de notiuni extraordinare si instrumente utile.
Stewart si echipa lui au scos mai multe editii ale Catalogului, dupa care lucrurile au inceput sa nu mai mearga bine, asa ca au fost nevoiti sa scoata ultimul numar. Era la mijlocul anilor 70, iar eu aveam varsta voastra. Pe ultima coperta a ultimului numar era o fotografie a unui drum de tara in zori, genul de drum pe care te gasesti atunci cand pornesti intr-o aventura extraordinara. Sub poza erau cuvintele "Ramai flamand. Ramai naiv". Asta era mesajul lor de adio. Ramai Flamand. Ramai Naiv. Si eu mi-am dorit intotdeauna sa raman asa. Iar astazi, cand voi absolviti si incepeti o viata noua, va doresc asta si voua.
Ramaneti flamanzi. Ramaneti naivi.
Multumesc mult.
DailyOM: The Most Fulfilling Road
July 15, 2011
The Most Fulfilling Road
Finding Your Next Step in Life
It is when you are willing to listen to yourself and be fearless that figuring out your next step becomes easy.
Our lives are made up of a complex network of pathways that we can use to move from one phase of life to the next. For some of us, our paths are wide, smooth, and clearly marked. Many people,
however, find that they have a difficult time figuring out where they need to go next. Determining which "next step" will land you on the most direct route to fulfillment and the realization of
your life purpose may not seem easy.
There are many ways to discover what the next step on your life path should be. If you are someone who seeks to satisfy your soul, it is vital that you make this inquiry. Often, your inner voice will counsel you that it's time for a change, and it is very important to trust yourself because only you know what is best for you. Personal growth always results when you let yourself expand beyond the farthest borders of what your life has been so far. When figuring out what your next step will be, you may want to review your life experiences. The choices you've made and the dreams you've held onto can give you an idea of what you don't want to do anymore and what you might like to do next. It is also a good idea to think about creative ways you can use your skills and satisfy your passions. Visualizing your perfect future and making a list of ways to manifest that future can help you choose a logical next step that's in harmony with your desires. Meditation, journal writing, ta! king a class, and other creative activities may inspire you and provide insight regarding the next step in life that will bring you the most satisfaction.
It is when you are willing to listen to yourself and be fearless that figuring out your next step becomes easy. Beneath the fear and hesitation and uncertainty lies your inner knowing that always knows which step you need to take next. If you can allow the taking of your next step to be as easy as putting one foot in front of the next, you'll notice that your next step is always the one that is right in front of you. All you have to do is put one foot forward and on the ground
Daily OM
Finding Answers Within
You Have All the Answers Within You
When you realize that you always have the answers within yourself, you can stop searching outside
of yourself.
Many of us seek the answers to life's questions by looking outside of ourselves and trying to glean advice from the people around us. But as each of us is unique, with our own personal histories, our own sense of right and wrong, and our own way of experiencing the world that defines our realities, looking to others for our answers is only partially helpful. The answers to our personal questions can be most often found by looking within. When you realize that you always have access to the part of you that always knows what you need and is meant to act as your inner compass, you can stop searching outside of yourself. If you can learn to hear, trust, and embrace the wisdom that lives within you, you will be able to confidently navigate your life.
Trusting your inner wisdom may be awkward at first, particularly if you grew up around people who taught you to look to others for answers. We each have exclusive access to our inner knowing. All we have to do is remember how to listen. Remember to be patient as you relearn how to hear, receive, and follow your own guidance. If you are unsure about whether following your inner wisdom will prove reliable, you may want to think of a time when you did trust your own knowing and everything worked out. Recall how the answers came to you, how they felt in your body as you considered them, and what happened when you acted upon this guidance. Now, recall a time when you didn't trust yourself and the results didn't work out as you had hoped. Trusting your own guidance can help you avoid going against what you instinctively know is right for you.
When you second guess yourself and go against what you know to be your truth, you can easily go off course because you are no longer following your inner compass. By looking inside yourself for the answers to your life's questions, you are consulting your best guide. Only you can know the how's and why's of your life. The answers that you seek can be found when you start answering your own questions.
Empowered Forgiveness
Apologies
If we can remember that our response to others is important, we can realize that trust and
forgiveness go hand in hand.
In life there will always be times when we are affected by the actions of another person. When this happens, we often receive an apology. More often than not we say, "It's alright," or " It's okay," and by saying this we are allowing, accepting, and giving permission for the behavior to happen again. When we say "thank you," or "I accept your apology," we are forced to sit in our feelings rather than ignore them.
There are many of us who feel that it is easier to brush off how we really feel than to express our discomfort with something that has happened to us. While this may initially seem like the best thing to do, what it really does is put us into an unending pattern of behavior; since we are not honest with another person, we continue the cycle of letting them overstep our emotional limits time and time again. By doing this we place ourselves in the position of victim. We can put an end to this karmic chain by first acknowledging to the other person that we accept their request for forgiveness; often a simple "thank you" is enough. To truly create a greater sense of harmony in our relationship, however, we need to gently, and with compassion, express our innermost concerns about what has transpired. By taking a deep breath and calling upon the deepest parts of our spirit, we can usually find the right words to say and verbalize them in a way that lets the other person recognize ! the consequences of what they have done.
If we can remember that our response to others is important, we can begin to realize that trust and forgiveness go hand in hand. And when we react in a way that engenders a greater amount of honesty and candor, we will establish a more positive and empowering way of being and interacting others.
You Have All the Answers Within You
Many of us seek the answers to life's questions by looking outside of ourselves and trying to glean advice from the people around us. But as each of us is unique, with our own personal histories, our own sense of right and wrong, and our own way of experiencing the world that defines our realities, looking to others for our answers is only partially helpful. The answers to our personal questions can be most often found by looking within. When you realize that you always have access to the part of you that always knows what you need and is meant to act as your inner compass, you can stop searching outside of yourself. If you can learn to hear, trust, and embrace the wisdom that lives within you, you will be able to confidently navigate your life.
Trusting your inner wisdom may be awkward at first, particularly if you grew up around people who taught you to look to others for answers. We each have exclusive access to our inner knowing. All we have to do is remember how to listen. Remember to be patient as you relearn how to hear, receive, and follow your own guidance. If you are unsure about whether following your inner wisdom will prove reliable, you may want to think of a time when you did trust your own knowing and everything worked out. Recall how the answers came to you, how they felt in your body as you considered them, and what happened when you acted upon this guidance. Now, recall a time when you didn't trust yourself and the results didn't work out as you had hoped. Trusting your own guidance can help you avoid going against what you instinctively know is right for you.
When you second guess yourself and go against what you know to be your truth, you can easily go off course because you are no longer following your inner compass. By looking inside yourself for the answers to your life's questions, you are consulting your best guide. Only you can know the how's and why's of your life. The answers that you seek can be found when you start answering your own questions.
Empowered Forgiveness
Apologies
In life there will always be times when we are affected by the actions of another person. When this happens, we often receive an apology. More often than not we say, "It's alright," or " It's okay," and by saying this we are allowing, accepting, and giving permission for the behavior to happen again. When we say "thank you," or "I accept your apology," we are forced to sit in our feelings rather than ignore them.
There are many of us who feel that it is easier to brush off how we really feel than to express our discomfort with something that has happened to us. While this may initially seem like the best thing to do, what it really does is put us into an unending pattern of behavior; since we are not honest with another person, we continue the cycle of letting them overstep our emotional limits time and time again. By doing this we place ourselves in the position of victim. We can put an end to this karmic chain by first acknowledging to the other person that we accept their request for forgiveness; often a simple "thank you" is enough. To truly create a greater sense of harmony in our relationship, however, we need to gently, and with compassion, express our innermost concerns about what has transpired. By taking a deep breath and calling upon the deepest parts of our spirit, we can usually find the right words to say and verbalize them in a way that lets the other person recognize ! the consequences of what they have done.
If we can remember that our response to others is important, we can begin to realize that trust and forgiveness go hand in hand. And when we react in a way that engenders a greater amount of honesty and candor, we will establish a more positive and empowering way of being and interacting others.
Transformation Through Spiritual Process (by Deepak Chopra)
Transformation Through Spiritual Process
To renew yourself, die to the old every day. Jesus spoke about death as a prelude to resurrection, and he also spoke about the need to be born again. Christian doctrine has focused
almost entirely on trusting in the resurrection of Jesus as a sign that every soul will be resurrected one day. But when he said, "You must be born from above," Jesus put the
emphasis on transformation in this lifetime, not some faraway future.
Being born from above means a rebirth in spirit. Some individuals may be able to organize their spiritual life around one dramatic breakthrough, but for most, spiritual rebirth is a
process akin to the long process that causes people to mature psychologically.
The spiritual process brings transformation steadily, one step at a time, yet the overall result is dramatic. One's attachment to the ego and its belief in separation, including the
ultimate separation of death, is being jettisoned.
If being born again is a process, you can contribute to it every day. In fact, this is the only viable way to creatively shape the spiritual path so that it belongs to you
personally. From Jesus' perspective, however, none of these labels is the true you; they distract from the reality that you are spirit embodied in flesh.
If you wanted to, you could redefine yourself every day. As the fixed self gives way to a dynamic, fluid self that is open to the unknown, freedom dawns. In that freedom, you go
beyond death by discovering that you encompass life and death in a state of pure Being.
The external influences aren't the real you, and until you go through the process of detaching yourself from old definitions, you cannot confront the unknown. Everything new that
comes your way winds up passing through a filtering process until it fits your likes and dislikes, social status, income, education level, and so on.
Spiritual experience is unfiltered; it comes directly and spontaneously.
Adapted from The Third Jesus: The Christ We Cannot Ignore, by Deepak Chopra (Harmony Books, 2008).
Artistul lumii tale de Deepack Chopra
The Artist of Your World
posted by Deepak Chopra May 6, 2011 5:01
am
Adapted from Power, Freedom, and Grace, by Deepak Chopra (Amber Allen, 2006).
There is an ancient saying from India about the soul: "Fire cannot burn it, water cannot wet it, wind cannot dry it, weapons cannot cleave it. It's ancient, it's unborn, it never dies." The
soul is the source of all unreality, but the domain of the soul is beyond your everyday reality. That's why you need to experience the domain of your soul to stay in touch with your soul, to
experience the qualities of the real you.
How do you experience the domain of your soul? By spending time in silence, by quieting the time-bound conversation in your head and tuning in to the timeless, peaceful quiet of your soul. When
you experience complete silence in your body-mind, then you recognize that you are not your thoughts but the Being who is having the thoughts.
Slowly, by spending time in silence, you notice that the scenery comes and goes, but the seer is always there. You realize that you are not the scenery; you are the seer, the witness of the
scenery. As you shift your identify from the scenery to the seer, everything starts to slowly awaken. You glimpse the soul, and you begin to experience more expansive states of consciousness:
Cosmic consciousness, divine consciousness, unity consciousness.
You begin to realize that you are painting the scenery. In the past you did it unconsciously, randomly, chaotically. Now, like a great Michelangelo or Leonardo da Vinci, you consciously create
a masterpiece that influences your destiny and the destiny of others.
Cum sa fii liber: principiile libertatii conform lui Harry Browne
Cum sa fii liber: principiile libertatii conform lui Harry Browne
De Frederick Mann / Cuvant inainte de Roger Gallo
Sursa: EscapeArtist.com
Libertatea consta in lipsa dorintei de a detine controlul asupra altor oameni.
In 1973, autorul Harry Browne, in mijlocul unei lungi cariere ca iconoclast, a scris o carte care a fost cea mai iconoclastica lucrare pe care a scris-o vreodata.
Cea mai mare parte a cartilor lui Harry erau carti de Investment si, departe de a fi o lectura fada, totusi nu pregateau cititorul pentru emotia si revelatia care urmau sa vina, odata cu cartea sa despre Libertate. Cartea, intitulata Cum mi-am gasit libertatea, intr-o lume lipsita de libertate, era mai mult decat suma partilor sale componente. Era de-a dreptul filozofie, fara tot bagajul pe care il presupune cuvantul filozofie.
Ea ii pune la dispozitie cititorului linii directoare definite in mod limpede, care
explica cum sa obtii libertatea, explicatii clare referitoare la cat de des ne sabotam propriile eforturi in a deveni liberi, precum si sugestii despre cum putem sa slabim/reducem acest sabotaj in
noi insine.
Am citit “Cum mi-am gasit libertatea intr-o lume lipsita de libertate”, in 1973 si mi-a schimbat radical viata in mai bine. Cartea mi-a aratat ce inseamna libertatea si cum se ajunge la
ea. Ea a fost instrumentul in crearea acestui website, pentru ca am inteles ca nu voi fi niciodata liber in Statele Unite, dar ca as putea gasi libertatea in mijlocul altor natiuni, prin aflarea
diferentei dintre litera legii si spiritul legii.
Cartea, care nu se mai publica acum, este foarte greu de gasit si este scumpa, atunci cand totusi poate fi gasita. Am fost deci foarte placut surprins sa gasesc online, o lista cu unele dintre
principiile lui Harry, pe BuildFreedom.com. Am stat de vorba cu proprietarul acestui website, Frederick Mann si i-am cerut permisiunea de a enumera acele principii pe EscapeArtist.com. A fost de
accord, in modul cel mai elegant cu putinta.
Principiile libertatii, conform lui Harry Browne
Harry Browne defineste libertatea ca a-ti trai viata asa cum vrei sa o traiesti. El pretinde ca te poti bucura de un grad inalt de libertate, chiar acum si spune
ca:
In speranta de a fi liberi, multi oameni se angajeaza intr-o continua lupta sociala – miscari asociative, actiuni politice de forta, scrierea de scrisori catre editori si parlamentari,
incercarea de a educa populatia. Ei spera ca, intr-o zi, ceva din toate acestea se va dovedi ca a meritat efortul.
Dar, pe masura ce anii trec, constata putina schimbare pe ansamblu. Se castiga mici victorii; infrangerile ii trimit insa inapoi. Se pare ca lumea continua sa mearga pe drumul sau, oriunde ar fi sa
mearga. Cei care sunt plini de speranta raman pana la moarte la fel de inlantuiti de aceasta speranta, asa cum au fost din totdeauna.
Planurile, diferitele miscari, cruciadele – nimic din aceste lucruri nu a mers. Si astfel, omul lipsit de libertate continua sa viseze, sa condamne si sa ramana tot acolo unde se afla si
acum.
Totusi trebuie sa existe o cale mai buna de iesire.
Din fericire, exista o astfel de cale.
Exista o cale care depinde, in intregime, de ceea ce alegi sa faci. Poti sa-ti traiesti viata asa cum doresti – indiferent de ceea ce decid altii sa faca cu vietile lor.
Incercand sa-i schimbi pe altii, pentru ca sa devii tu liber, asta inseamna ca vei incerca totdeauna sa faci ceva ce–ti scapa de sub control. Pe de alta parte, poti sa folosesti metode ca sa
te eliberezi pe tine – şi care sunt in intregime sub controlul tau.
Exista doua idei de baza, din cauza carora cei mai multi dintre oameni raman inlantuiti:
Nu cunosc multiplele optiuni si alternative care le stau la dispozitie;
Accepta fara nicio ezitare unele presupuneri care le restrictioneaza libertatea.
Harry numeste aceste presupuneri, capcane. Atata timp cat nu angajezi o provocare a acestor presupuneri (supozitii), ele te pot tine inlantuit. In continuare, eu nu pot decat sa va prezint o scurta
privire de ansamblu.
Capcane de presupuneri care va pot restrictiona
libertatea
Identitatea capcanei nr. 1: Sa crezi ca ar trebui sa fii altul decat tu insuti. Trebuie sa fii sincer cu tine insuti. Afla cine esti; fii tu insuti; fa lucrurile
in felul tau propriu.
Identitatea capcanei nr 2: Sa presupui ca altii vor face lucrurile in acelasi fel in care le-ai face si tu. Nu poti sa-i tii sub control pe altii, dar poti sa tii sub control felul in care
lucrezi cu ei. Harry Browne spune, "detii un control extraordinar asupra vietii tale, dar renunti la acest control, atunci cand incerci sa-i tii sub control pe altii. "
Capcana intelectuala: Sa crezi ca emotiile ar trebui sa fie conforme cu un standard pre-conceput din punct de vedere intelectual. Emotiile sunt cel mai bine privite ca semnale care-ti spun
cum te descurci.
Capcana emotionala : Sa crezi ca poti lua hotarari importante, atunci cand simti emotii puternice.
Capcana moralitatii: Sa crezi ca trebuie sa asculti de o lege a moralei, creata de altcineva. Pentru a deveni mai competent (si mai liber), trebuie sa-ti intaresti intelegerea
legaturilor cognitive dintre actiunile tale si consecintele lor. Moralitatea este, de fapt, un set de reguli foarte generale, referitoare la ce sa facem si ce sa nu facem, care in general au
consecinte foarte extinse. Daca folosesti orbeste legea morala a altcuiva, acest lucru va avea tendinta de a-ti reduce din competenta, pentru ca te impiedica sa-ti formezi propriile legaturi
cognitive dintre actiuni si con- secintele lor. Pentru a fi liber, trebuie sa-ti creezi propria ta lege a moralitatii.
Capcana altruismului: Sa crezi ca trebuie sa pui fericirea altora, in fata propriei tale fericiri. O lume care sa aiba valoarea maxima este functie de suma valorilor individuale
maxime. Te cunosti cu mult mai bine pe tine insuti si ce valoare ai, decat ii cunosti pe altii si ce valoare au ei. In consecinta, esti cu mult mai competent sa-ti maresti propria ta valoare, decat
pe a altora. In acest fel, valoarea maxima se obtine de catre fiecare individ, prin marirea la maxim a propriei valori personale.
Intrucat traim intr-o lume in expansiune, se poate mari valoarea personala, adaugandu-o in acelasi timp la valoarea altora. Ne marim valoarea personala, creând valori pentru altii, care sa le
aleaga dupa bunul lor plac. Presupunerea ca "egoismul" si "lacomia" sunt rele trebuie sa fie dezbatuta.
Capcana grupului: Sa crezi ca poti realiza mai mult, daca imparti responsabilitatile, eforturile si recompensele cu altii, decat ai putea daca actionezi pe cont propriu; ideea
ca fiecare poate sa vorbeasca in numele celuilalt.
Pentru a depasi capcana grupului, organizatiile pot sa fie organizate intr-o astfel de maniera, incat legaturile dintre actiuni, rezultate si recompense sa fie cat se poate de
directe. De exemplu, in loc sa angajezi personal suplimentar, o parte din munca poate sa fie subcontractata.
Capcana guvernamentala nr. 1: Sa crezi ca guvernele indeplinesc functii sociale utile, care merita sprijinul tau.
Capcana guvernamentala nr. 2: Sa crezi ca ai datoria de a asculta de legi.
Capcana guvernamentala nr. 3: Sa crezi ca poti sa contezi pe guvern ca sa duca la indeplinire o reforma sociala, in favoarea ta.
Capcana guvernamentala nr. 4: Sa te temi ca guvernul este atat de puternic, incat te poate impiedica sa fii liber.
Evident, imensa majoritate a oamenilor cred ca galagia si mazgalelile oamenilor din guvern constituie "legea." Exista de asemenea hoarde de birocrati, oameni din politie, din justitie care privesc
"legea" ca pe ceva sacrosanct. Daca te suspecteaza ca nu le respecti "legea", atunci au tendinta de a se simti extrem de amenintati si ar putea sa devina extrem de razbunatori. Sunt perioade de
timp in care libertatea ta depinde de abilitatea de a-i convinge ca respecti galagia si mazgalelile pe care ei le numesc "lege."
Capcana disperarii : Sa crezi ca exista alti oameni care te pot impiedica sa fii liber. Esti in totdeauna liber sa mergi mai departe si sa incepi o noua viata.
Capcana drepturilor: Sa crezi ca drepturile tale te vor putea face liber. USA se presupune a fi o tara in care anumite drepturi ale individului sunt garantate de catre
constitutie, iar oficialii guvernului se presupune ca au jurat sa respecte constitutia. Cu toate acestea, exista furturi, talharii, violuri, crime, etc. in fiecare zi. Mai mult, oficialii
guvernului violeaza drepturile individului, prin abandonare sub forma taxelor, reglementarilor, a si mai multor taxe si a si mai multor reglementari.
In alegerea actiunilor tale, esti cu mult mai atent, gandindu-te la consecintele care te afecteaza pe tine, decat actionand in concordanta cu "drepturile" tale. Asa cum spunea Max Stirner "Puterea
este un lucru grozav si util pentru multe scopuri; pentru ca "un om merge mai departe, mai degraba cu o mana plina de putere, decat cu o sacosa plina de drepturi."
Capcana utopiei: Sa crezi ca trebuie sa creezi conditii mai bune in societate, inainte de a putea fi liber. Esti cu mult mai eliberat si mult mai puternic daca te concentrezi pe
schimbarea si imbunatatirea propriei conditii – si crearea proprii utopii de libertate si bogatie – mai degraba decat sa incerci sa transformi societatea.
Asa dupa cum scrie Harry:
Cei ce si-au propus sa schimbe lumea nu au forta. Ei viseaza sa faca lumea din nou,
dar nu pot – si de aceea au pus accentul
acolo unde nu au putere deloc.
Oamenii liberi recunosc ca nu pot sa schimbe lumea si atunci se concentreaza asupra puterii pe care chiar o au – si care este enorma. Isi dau seama ca pot sa aleaga sa nu se implice in
situatii care nu li se potrivesc.
Asa ca au cautat situatii care li s-au potrivit. Si au descoperit cu mult mai multe oportunitati pentru astfel de situatii, decat si-ar fi imaginat cineva.
Un om liber nu incearca sa refaca lumea sau pe prietenii sau familia lui. El mai degraba evalueaza situatia cu ajutorul unui standard simplu:Oare asta este ceea ce-mi doresc eu? Daca nu, atunci cauta in alta parte. Daca asta este, atunci se relaxeaza si se
bucura
Un om
liber foloseste uluitoarea sa putere de alegere, pentru a–si face o viata confortabila pentru el insusi.
Puterea de a alege. O ai. Dar o pierzi, atunci cand crezi ca poti sa faci alegerea pentru altii. Nu poti.
Dar poti sa alegi pentru tine – din sute de
alternative surescitante, care-ti aduc fericirea.
De ce sa nu folosesti aceasta putere?
Capcana problemei arzatoare : Sa crezi ca exista probleme sociale, care cer participarea ta.
Capcana investitiei anterioare : Sa crezi ca timpul, efortul si banii cheltuiti in trecut trebuie sa fie luati in considerare, atunci cand iei o decizie in prezent. Stii vechea
zicala: "Nu arunca margaritare la porci."
Harry Browne spune:
"In fiecare caz, intrebarea care se pune este: Cu ceea ce ai acum, care e calea cea mai buna de urmat, ca sa obtii cel mai mult in viitor ?" Ceea ce ai platit ca sa ajungi unde te afli acum nu este
relevant; acele resurse s-au dus si nu mai pot fi regasite, orice ai face.
Capcana cutiei : O cutie este orice situatie de disconfort, care iti restrange libertatea. Capcana cutiei inseamna sa crezi ca pretul iesirii din limitele cutiei este prea mare,
pentru a fi luat in discutie. Problemele asociate cu mentinerea unei imagini false sunt parte din capcana cutiei.
Pentru a iesi afara din cutie, trebuie sa luam in consideratie trei factori, adica dezavantajul cutiei: pretul pe care-l platesti pentru a ramane blocat in cutie; costul evadarii din cutie; si ce
poti sa faci dupa ce ai evadat din cutie – adica beneficiile pe care le ai, evadand din cutie.
Evident, o casatorie poate fi o cutie. Exista un principiu foarte important: cu cat platesti mai repede pretul pentru a iesi afara din cutie, cu atat te costa mai putin. Cu alte cuvinte, cu cat
stai mai mult intr-o cutie, cu atat te costa mai mult.
Capcana certitudinii : Sa crezi ca este urgent sa actionezi ca si cum informatiile pe care le ai sunt absolut certe. Mai intai de toate, perceptia noastra este limitata si
supusa greselii. In al doilea rand, informatiile evolueaza in continuu. Maine vom sti mai mult decat astazi. Ceva din ceea ce stim astazi se va dovedi gresit, prin ceea ce vom descoperi maine.
Pentru ca actionam intotdeauna pe baza unor informatii incomplete – sau, in cel mai bun caz, pe baza unor informatii numai partial corecte, ne asumam riscuri in tot ceea ce facem.
Harry Browne mai spune:
Acel individ care ignora aceste riscuri poate sa-si piarda libertatea, in trei moduri importante :
1. E posibil sa accepte riscuri care ar fi de neacceptat, daca ar fi putut sa le recunoasca; si, actionand fara o gandire prealabila, poate sa se bage el insusi in cutii care sa-i restranga
libertatea.
2. Atunci cand lucrurile nu se intampla asa cum credea el, certitudinea sa anterioara
poate repede sa se transforme in disperare si depresie: la urma urmelor, era "asa de sigur." Acum, cand este descurajat, emotiile pot sa-l faca sa treaca din aceste consecinte rele, intr-o situatie
si mai rea. Cu alte cuvinte, a cazut in capcana emotionala.
3. Acceptand pareri drept fapte absolute, poate sa ingaduie ca libertatea sa sa-i fie restrictionata de informatii care s-ar putea sa nu fie adevarate."
Harry Browne identifica cinci "principii ale informatiilor":
1 Popularitatea nu este o dovada. Faptul ca "fiecare stie " poate sa insemne prea putin sau chiar nimic.
2. Fiti sceptici in privinta informatiilor noi.
3. Nu va asteptati sa gasiti o explicatie pentru fiecare lucru, sau fapt. Intr-o anumita masura va trebui in totdeauna sa actionati in intuneric.
4. Nu poti sa vezi tot tabloul; admite ca vezi numai o parte din el.
5. Admite existenta riscurilor si a responsabilitatilor. Actiunea implica intotdeauna riscuri.
Harry scrie:
"Tu esti autoritatea suverana a vietii tale. Tu esti conducatorul care ia hotararile referitoare la cum vei actiona, la ce informatii vei accepta. Faci asta in orice caz –
dar daca recunosti ca o faci, poti sa castigi un control mult mai mare asupra viitorului tau.
Dar fie ca accepti sau nu, tu esti suveranul. Conduci o viata – si atunci condu-o in totalitate.
Tu decizi ce informatii vei accepta sau vei respinge. Tu decizi care va fi urmatoarea ta actiune. Tu decizi dupa care lege a moralitatii vei trai.
Pentru a fi liber, nu trebuie decat sa iei decizia de a fi liber Libertatea te astepata – oricand esti gata pentru ea."
Deepak Chopra
Do You Suffer From Memory Loss? - Deepak Chopra
Do You Suffer From Memory Loss?
posted by Deepak
Chopra Apr 11, 2011 5:01 am
Since its inception as a field of rational scientific study, medicine has accepted the degeneration of brain function in elderly people as a natural occurrence. This deterioration was
thoroughly documented with "hard" findings–as we age, our brains shrink, grow lighter, and lose millions of neurons every year.
We have our full complement of neurons by age 2, and by age 30, the number starts to decline. The loss of any single brain cell is permanent, since neurons do not regenerate. On the basis
of this well-known fact, brain decline seemed to be scientifically valid; sadly but inevitably, to grow old must lead to memory loss, decreased reasoning ability, impaired intelligence, and
related symptoms.
These time-honored assumptions, however, have now been shown to be wrong. Careful study of healthy elderly people – as opposed to the sick, hospitalized ones whom medicine habitually
studies–has revealed that 80 percent of healthy Americans, barring psychological distress (such as loneliness, depression, or lack of outside stimulation), suffer no significant
memory loss as they age.
The ability to retain new information can decline, which is why old people forget phone numbers, names, and the reason for walking into a room; but the ability to remember past events,
called long-term memory, actually improves.
In tests where 70-year-olds were matched with 20-year-olds, the older people performed better than the younger in this area of memory. After they practiced the other kind of
memory–called short-term memory–for a few minutes every day, the older group could almost match the younger subjects, who were at their prime of mental functioning.
The secret, as with almost every other "natural" decline in old age, depends on habits of mind, not the circuitry in the nervous system.
Adapted from Quantum Healing: Exploring the Frontiers of Mind/Body Medicine, by Deepak Chopra (Bantam Books, 1990).
Daily OM
Underneath the Noise
Hearing the Whisper
Sometimes it is the softness of a whisper that is
needed the most.
You may have noticed that if you want to speak to someone in a noisy, crowded room, the best thing to do is lean close and whisper. Yelling in an attempt to be louder than the room's noise generally only hurts your throat and adds to the chaos. Similarly, that still, small voice within each of us does not try to compete with the mental chatter on the surface of our minds, nor does it attempt to overpower the volume of the raucous world outside. If we want to hear it, no matter what is going on around us or even inside us, we can always tune in to that soft voice underneath the surrounding noise.
It is generally true that the more insistent voices in our heads delivering messages that make us feel panicky or afraid are of questionable authority. They may be voices we internalized from childhood or from the culture, and as such they possess only half-truths. Their urgency stems from their disconnectedness from the center of our being, and their urgency is what catches our attention. The other voice that whispers reassurances that everything is fundamentally okay simply delivers its message with quiet confidence. Once we hear it, we know it speaks the truth. Generally, once we have heard what it has to say, a powerful sense of calm settles over our entire being, and the other voices and sounds, once so dominant, fade into the background, suddenly seeming small and far away.
We may find that our own communications in the world begin to be influenced by the quiet certainty of this voice. We may be less inclined to indulge in idle chatter as we become more interested in maintaining our connection to the whisper of truth that broadcasts its message like the sound of the wind shaking the leaves of a tree. As we align ourselves more with this quiet confidence, we become an extension of the whisper, penetrating the noise of the world and creating more peace, trust, and confidence. "
Finding Your Tribe
Your Allies on Life's Journey
The people who become members of your tribe are
in the world waiting and you are destined to find them.
Part of being human is the search for an individual identity. Bound to this strong need to establish a unique persona, however, is an equally intense desire for acceptance. It is when we find our individual tribes that both are satisfied. Our tribe members are those people who accept us as we are without reservation and gladly accompany us on our journeys of evolution. Among them, we feel free to be our imperfect selves, to engage unabashedly in the activities we enjoy, and to express our vulnerabilities by relying on our tribe for support. We feel comfortable investing our time and energy in the members of our tribe, and are equally comfortable allowing them to invest their resources in our development.
The individuals who eventually become members of your unique tribe are out there in the wide world waiting for you. You are destined to find them, one by one, as you move through life. Sometimes your own efforts will put you in contact with your future tribe members. At other times, circumstances beyond your control will play a role in helping you connect with your tribe. If you look about you and discover that you are already allied with a wonderful and supportive tribe, remember that there are likely many members of your tribe you have not yet met. On the other hand, if you feel you are still living outside of your tribe, broadening your horizons can help you find your tribe members.
However your life develops after you come together with your tribe, you can be assured that its members will stand at your side. On the surface, your tribe may seem to be nothing more than a loose-knit group of friends and acquaintances to whom you ally yourself. Yet when you look deeper, you will discover that your tribe grounds you and provides you with a sense of community that ultimately fulfills many of your most basic human needs.
A Reason to Smile
Five Minutes to Happiness
In the flip of a switch, a thought, we all have the capacity to be happy in
this moment.
Our families help us see where we have come from so that we may more
clearly decide where we'd like to go.
Everything we do or say has the potential to affect the whole; imagine how
powerful that is.
Healing Your Sole
Self-Reflexology
Our feet contain thousands of nerve endings and almost seventy acupuncture
points which can support all over health.
Our feet are home to literally thousands of nerve endings and almost seventy acupuncture points, which is why foot reflexology is so effective. By massaging and stimulating specific areas on the soles of our feet, we can provide general support for our entire body, improve sleep patterns, increase physical and mental wellbeing and also alleviate chronic conditions such as sinusitis and digestive upset. Although it is wonderful to work with an experienced foot reflexologist whenever possible, we can also develop a practice of treating ourselves to a self-reflexology treatment if we take some time for this purpose before we begin our day or in the evening to relax before going to bed.
There are a number of different ways to work the soles of your feet, including walking barefoot on river stones, rolling each foot over a golf or tennis ball, or just using your fingers and hands to massage your feet. When starting a reflexology session, it's a good idea to begin with loosening up your ankles – rotate each foot clockwise then counterclockwise about ten times. You might also want to pinch the end of your toes, which can increase circulation and drainage in your sinuses and stimulate your pituitary and pineal glands. Then you can begin massaging the ball of your foot, the arch, and the heel. If you find that an area is tender, it may indicate some distress or dysfunction occurring in the corresponding area of the body. You may want to explore what is going on with that organ or system.
Whether we are able to spend just a few minutes a day on this kind of self-care or a full half hour, our efforts are never wasted. By taking responsibility for our own health and taking time every day to connect with our body, we can not only assist our body in letting go of stress and dysfunction, but we can also continue to support an ongoing sense of wellness and vitality.
A Legacy of Love
Leaving the Earth a Better Place
From our first breath here to our very last, we will find infinite opportunities to influence our
environment for the better.
We inherit this great planet from our parents and from the generations that came before. Then, in concert with the surrounding culture, our elders teach us how to care for the land and the sea, ourselves and each other. They model ways of being in relationship with every other expression of life on earth. But whether they act with care or carelessness, compassion or cruelty, generosity or greed, we have the ability to choose our own individual way of relating with the planet and her inhabitants. From our first breath here to our very last, we will find infinite opportunities to influence our environment for the better. We can decide now to act with intention in order to leave this amazing planet brighter and more beautiful than when we arrived.
If we enjoy environmental activism, we might feel moved to clean up beaches or to plant trees. But, we need not feel limited in our ability to contribute positively. There are many ways to leave a legacy of love. We might begin by radiating affirmative thoughts and feelings about how magnificent the earth truly is. We might create and tend a special garden, one that provides an abundance of food and herbs for ourselves and our loved ones. Or we might create a garden filled with sweet smelling flowers to uplift our hearts. We might even honor the earth simply by trying to be the best person we can be while we are here. Such good will can have a domino effect, inspiring others to contribute in their own way as well.
We spend our lifetimes being nourished and enlivened by the rain, sun, soil and wind. Our experience is blessed by other living beings, from plants to insects to birds and humans. We receive so much; giving back just naturally feels good. When we live our lives with intention of leaving this temporary home a better place for generations to come, we are perhaps leaving behind the best gift of all.
Stepping Stones
One Day at a Time
Our lives are made of stepping stones, one experience after another in perfect and divine
order.
The years of our life do not arrive all at once; they greet us day by day. With the descent of each setting sun, we are able to rest our heads and let the world take care of itself for a while. We may rest assured throughout the night, knowing that the dawn will bring with it a chance to meet our lives anew, donning fresh perspectives and dream-inspired hopes. The hours that follow, before we return to sleep once more, are for us to decide how we want to live and learn, laugh and grow. Our lives are sweeter and more manageable because we must experience them this way: one day at a time.
Imagine the future stretching out before you and try to notice if you feel any tension or overwhelm at the prospect of the journey still to come. Perhaps you have recently made a lifestyle change, like beginning a new diet or quitting smoking, and the idea of continuing this healthy new behavior for years seems daunting. Maybe you have started a new job or are newly married and can feel an undercurrent of anxiety about your ability to succeed. If you can shift your focus from what may happen years down the line and return it to the day that is before you right now, you may find a measure of calm and renewed confidence in your capabilities. You may also discover an inner faith that the future will take care of itself.
The way we show up for our lives today and tomorrow has an enormous affect on who we will be and what we will be experiencing years from now. If we can remain fully engaged in the day at hand, enjoying all it has to offer and putting our energy into making the most of it, we will find that we are perfectly ready and capable to handle any future when it arrives.
Hearing the Whisper
You may have noticed that if you want to speak to someone in a noisy, crowded room, the best thing to do is lean close and whisper. Yelling in an attempt to be louder than the room's noise generally only hurts your throat and adds to the chaos. Similarly, that still, small voice within each of us does not try to compete with the mental chatter on the surface of our minds, nor does it attempt to overpower the volume of the raucous world outside. If we want to hear it, no matter what is going on around us or even inside us, we can always tune in to that soft voice underneath the surrounding noise.
It is generally true that the more insistent voices in our heads delivering messages that make us feel panicky or afraid are of questionable authority. They may be voices we internalized from childhood or from the culture, and as such they possess only half-truths. Their urgency stems from their disconnectedness from the center of our being, and their urgency is what catches our attention. The other voice that whispers reassurances that everything is fundamentally okay simply delivers its message with quiet confidence. Once we hear it, we know it speaks the truth. Generally, once we have heard what it has to say, a powerful sense of calm settles over our entire being, and the other voices and sounds, once so dominant, fade into the background, suddenly seeming small and far away.
We may find that our own communications in the world begin to be influenced by the quiet certainty of this voice. We may be less inclined to indulge in idle chatter as we become more interested in maintaining our connection to the whisper of truth that broadcasts its message like the sound of the wind shaking the leaves of a tree. As we align ourselves more with this quiet confidence, we become an extension of the whisper, penetrating the noise of the world and creating more peace, trust, and confidence. "
Finding Your Tribe
Your Allies on Life's Journey
Part of being human is the search for an individual identity. Bound to this strong need to establish a unique persona, however, is an equally intense desire for acceptance. It is when we find our individual tribes that both are satisfied. Our tribe members are those people who accept us as we are without reservation and gladly accompany us on our journeys of evolution. Among them, we feel free to be our imperfect selves, to engage unabashedly in the activities we enjoy, and to express our vulnerabilities by relying on our tribe for support. We feel comfortable investing our time and energy in the members of our tribe, and are equally comfortable allowing them to invest their resources in our development.
The individuals who eventually become members of your unique tribe are out there in the wide world waiting for you. You are destined to find them, one by one, as you move through life. Sometimes your own efforts will put you in contact with your future tribe members. At other times, circumstances beyond your control will play a role in helping you connect with your tribe. If you look about you and discover that you are already allied with a wonderful and supportive tribe, remember that there are likely many members of your tribe you have not yet met. On the other hand, if you feel you are still living outside of your tribe, broadening your horizons can help you find your tribe members.
However your life develops after you come together with your tribe, you can be assured that its members will stand at your side. On the surface, your tribe may seem to be nothing more than a loose-knit group of friends and acquaintances to whom you ally yourself. Yet when you look deeper, you will discover that your tribe grounds you and provides you with a sense of community that ultimately fulfills many of your most basic human needs.
A Reason to Smile
Five Minutes to Happiness
It can be so easy to get caught up in the rigors of modern life that we tend to forget that happiness need not come with stipulations. Happiness becomes something we must schedule
and strive for — a hard-won emotion — and then only when we have no worries to occupy our thoughts. In reality, overwhelming joy is not the exclusive province of those with unlimited
time and no troubles to speak of. Many of the happiest people on earth are also those coping with the most serious challenges. They have learned to make time for those simple yet superb pleasures
that can be enjoyed quickly and easily. Cultivating a happy heart takes no more than five minutes. The resultant delight will be neither complex nor complicated, but it will be profound and will
serve as a reminder that there is always a reason to smile.
So much that is ecstasy-inducing can be accomplished in five minutes. Alone, we can enjoy an aromatic cup of our favorite tea, take a stroll through the garden we have created, write about the
day's events in a journal, doodle while daydreaming, or breathe deeply while we listen to the silence around us. In the company of a good friend or treasured relative, we can share a few silly
jokes, enjoy a waltz around the room, play a fast-paced hand of cards, or reconnect through lighthearted conversation. The key is to first identify what makes us dizzyingly happy. If we do only
what we believe should bring us contentment, our five minutes will not be particularly satisfying. When we allow ourselves the freedom to do whatever brings us pleasure, five minutes out of 14
wakeful hours can brighten our lives immeasurably.
It is often when we have the least free time or energy to devote to joy that we need to unwind and enjoy ourselves the most. Making happiness a priority will help you find five minutes every day to
indulge in the things that inspire elation within you. Eventually, your happiness breaks will become an established part of your routine. If you start by pursuing activities you already enjoy and
then gradually think up new and different ways to fill your daily five minutes of happiness, you will never be without something to smile about.
Gifts from the Universe
Accepting Your Family
Families can contain a fascinating grouping of personalities. Despite the potential for so many to have similar traits, there are many different ways to express them. As people marry
into families and have children, even more personalities enter the picture. There may be some people that we would not choose to be related to, but that's what friends are for.
If we trust in a universe that has a higher purpose for everything, then we must believe that family members are in our lives for a good reason. These reasons may be easy to see and appreciate with
some, but others may offer us a challenge. With those, we can look for something we can learn or perhaps teach. In the modern world where everyone seeks to be individuals, many move far away from
their families in an attempt to escape them. But when we've successfully built a world around us that requires no one's help, our families are the people who are still attached to us. We can still
choose whether or not to honor the family ties, and how to treat each other, but the fact remains that we are energetically tied to our families.
Our families help us see where we have come from so that we may more clearly decide where we'd like to go. If we can learn to accept our families for who they are, then we go out into the world
armed with the ability to deal with anyone. Some families are better than others at preparing us for the world. What we learn from our families, even if they are simply blank spots on our family
trees, becomes the basis of our identities as individuals. Rather than denying our connections, we can choose to accept their presence in our lives. Acceptance does not mean we have to like them;
we simply acknowledge that we are connected to them and honor that connection for like it or not, there is a reason. When we can embrace all that they bring into our experience, we may be grateful
for all we have learned from them and have to learn, while we experience everything that comes with family fully and completely.
Spreading Your Light
How You Affect Others Daily
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As the pace and fullness of modern life serve to isolate us from one another, the contact we do share becomes vastly more significant. We unconsciously absorb each other's energy,
adopting the temperament of those with whom we share close quarters, and find ourselves changed after the briefest encounters. Everything we do or say has the potential to affect not only the
individuals we live, work, and play with but also those we've just met. Though we may never know the impact we have had or the scope of our influence, accepting and understanding that our attitudes
and choices will affect others can help us remember to conduct ourselves with grace at all times. When we seek always to be friendly, helpful, and responsive, we effortlessly create an atmosphere
around ourselves that is both uplifting and inspiring.
Most people rarely give thought to the effect they have had or will have on others. When we take a few moments to contemplate how our individual modes of being affect the people we spend time with
each day, we come one step closer to seeing ourselves through the eyes of others. By asking ourselves whether those we encounter walk away feeling appreciated, respected, and liked, we can heighten
our awareness of the effect we ultimately have. Something as simple as a smile given freely can temporarily brighten a person's entire world. Our value-driven conduct may inspire others to consider
whether their own lives are reflective of their values. A word of advice can help others see life in an entirely new fashion. And small gestures of kindness can even prove to those embittered by
the world that goodness still exists. By simply being ourselves, we influence other's lives in both subtle and life-altering ways.
To ensure that the effect we have is positive, we must strive to stay true to ourselves while realizing that it is the demeanor we project and not the quality of our wondrous inner landscapes that
people see. Thus, as we interact with others, how we behave can be as important as who we are. If we project our passion for life, our warmth, and our tolerance in our facial features, voice, and
choice of words, every person who enters our circle of influence will leave our presence feeling at peace with themselves and with us. You never know whose life you are affecting, big or small. Try
to remember this as you go out into the world each day.
Healing Your Sole
Self-Reflexology
Our feet are home to literally thousands of nerve endings and almost seventy acupuncture points, which is why foot reflexology is so effective. By massaging and stimulating specific areas on the soles of our feet, we can provide general support for our entire body, improve sleep patterns, increase physical and mental wellbeing and also alleviate chronic conditions such as sinusitis and digestive upset. Although it is wonderful to work with an experienced foot reflexologist whenever possible, we can also develop a practice of treating ourselves to a self-reflexology treatment if we take some time for this purpose before we begin our day or in the evening to relax before going to bed.
There are a number of different ways to work the soles of your feet, including walking barefoot on river stones, rolling each foot over a golf or tennis ball, or just using your fingers and hands to massage your feet. When starting a reflexology session, it's a good idea to begin with loosening up your ankles – rotate each foot clockwise then counterclockwise about ten times. You might also want to pinch the end of your toes, which can increase circulation and drainage in your sinuses and stimulate your pituitary and pineal glands. Then you can begin massaging the ball of your foot, the arch, and the heel. If you find that an area is tender, it may indicate some distress or dysfunction occurring in the corresponding area of the body. You may want to explore what is going on with that organ or system.
Whether we are able to spend just a few minutes a day on this kind of self-care or a full half hour, our efforts are never wasted. By taking responsibility for our own health and taking time every day to connect with our body, we can not only assist our body in letting go of stress and dysfunction, but we can also continue to support an ongoing sense of wellness and vitality.
A Legacy of Love
Leaving the Earth a Better Place
We inherit this great planet from our parents and from the generations that came before. Then, in concert with the surrounding culture, our elders teach us how to care for the land and the sea, ourselves and each other. They model ways of being in relationship with every other expression of life on earth. But whether they act with care or carelessness, compassion or cruelty, generosity or greed, we have the ability to choose our own individual way of relating with the planet and her inhabitants. From our first breath here to our very last, we will find infinite opportunities to influence our environment for the better. We can decide now to act with intention in order to leave this amazing planet brighter and more beautiful than when we arrived.
If we enjoy environmental activism, we might feel moved to clean up beaches or to plant trees. But, we need not feel limited in our ability to contribute positively. There are many ways to leave a legacy of love. We might begin by radiating affirmative thoughts and feelings about how magnificent the earth truly is. We might create and tend a special garden, one that provides an abundance of food and herbs for ourselves and our loved ones. Or we might create a garden filled with sweet smelling flowers to uplift our hearts. We might even honor the earth simply by trying to be the best person we can be while we are here. Such good will can have a domino effect, inspiring others to contribute in their own way as well.
We spend our lifetimes being nourished and enlivened by the rain, sun, soil and wind. Our experience is blessed by other living beings, from plants to insects to birds and humans. We receive so much; giving back just naturally feels good. When we live our lives with intention of leaving this temporary home a better place for generations to come, we are perhaps leaving behind the best gift of all.
Stepping Stones
One Day at a Time
The years of our life do not arrive all at once; they greet us day by day. With the descent of each setting sun, we are able to rest our heads and let the world take care of itself for a while. We may rest assured throughout the night, knowing that the dawn will bring with it a chance to meet our lives anew, donning fresh perspectives and dream-inspired hopes. The hours that follow, before we return to sleep once more, are for us to decide how we want to live and learn, laugh and grow. Our lives are sweeter and more manageable because we must experience them this way: one day at a time.
Imagine the future stretching out before you and try to notice if you feel any tension or overwhelm at the prospect of the journey still to come. Perhaps you have recently made a lifestyle change, like beginning a new diet or quitting smoking, and the idea of continuing this healthy new behavior for years seems daunting. Maybe you have started a new job or are newly married and can feel an undercurrent of anxiety about your ability to succeed. If you can shift your focus from what may happen years down the line and return it to the day that is before you right now, you may find a measure of calm and renewed confidence in your capabilities. You may also discover an inner faith that the future will take care of itself.
The way we show up for our lives today and tomorrow has an enormous affect on who we will be and what we will be experiencing years from now. If we can remain fully engaged in the day at hand, enjoying all it has to offer and putting our energy into making the most of it, we will find that we are perfectly ready and capable to handle any future when it arrives.
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