At a recent open house for a friend's dance studio, I listened to a young, talented, horn player who reminded me of one of my favorite memories. I accidentally walked in on Maynard Ferguson while he was meditating pre-show. I was walking back from a bathroom, and opened a door one door earlier than my warm-up room...and there he was...sitting cross-legged on the floor, all Buddha-bellied, eyes closed, breathing in and out, with his belly expanding with each inhale. I know I didn't stand there for more than a few seconds, but in my mind it seems like I was there for many minutes. He didn't stop...didn't hesitate or break rhythm. Whether or not he knew I was there, he didn't allow me (negative to his positive, from the interruption) to sway his focus. I closed the door (quietly) and walked down the hall.
That is a great approach for how to face all the negativity and the negative wave merchants surrounding us. Ignore them as if we were so focused (we should be, right?) on the positive stuff...the interesting stuff...the stuff we really give a damn about...that we don't even see them. If we 'see' them, we give them value. They suddenly have matter and energy, which gives them existence, which means they can affect us.
to be continued...
- m
Friday, June 3, 2011
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
So last blog (don't look at the date...it's been a while) I talked about my mission on Earth, and living every moment fully, blah blah blah...
Tonight while talking with a friend from India, she mentioned on her last trip how she met with an astrologist. For those of you who are not familiar with the concept of an Indian astrologist, they are not like the crackpots you see on late-night TV. They are serious practitioners who look at the signs of the sun and the signs of the moon, based on the exact date and time you were born, and can tell your life as it was, as it is, and as it will be. In India, they are highly-respected religious analysts, who are called upon to advise for every occasion...even to analyze the success or failure of real estate (newly purchased house, purchase under consideration, etc.). They can even determine if your family has been cursed somehow, and how long it will follow your family, the generations the curse will skip, and prayers you can say or rituals you can perform to lessen the impact of the curse.
All sound like hocus-pocus? Not according to my friend. According to my friend, these folks hit the mark with a high percentage of accuracy. That's impressive that they can provide an analysis based solely on your birth date, birth time, and location.
During this conversation about her 'analysis', she suggested that she put him in touch with me...just from a curiosity perspective. I thought, sure, why not. I'm only somewhat superstitious and very curious about many things. So, again...why NOT? But then, I started thinking what if he tells me something or somethings very negative...things I don't want to hear. Or worse yet, what if i lie about my birth date, time, and location? Will it impact my life negatively? Or could it even impact someone else's life negatively? What it by providing invalid data I actually caused something awful to happen to someone who actually had that birth date, time, and location?
Always looking for an inspirational topic to write on, I thought this could be a good book idea. Maybe. Maybe not. More to come on this...in the meantime, here's a link for your own research.
- m
Tonight while talking with a friend from India, she mentioned on her last trip how she met with an astrologist. For those of you who are not familiar with the concept of an Indian astrologist, they are not like the crackpots you see on late-night TV. They are serious practitioners who look at the signs of the sun and the signs of the moon, based on the exact date and time you were born, and can tell your life as it was, as it is, and as it will be. In India, they are highly-respected religious analysts, who are called upon to advise for every occasion...even to analyze the success or failure of real estate (newly purchased house, purchase under consideration, etc.). They can even determine if your family has been cursed somehow, and how long it will follow your family, the generations the curse will skip, and prayers you can say or rituals you can perform to lessen the impact of the curse.
All sound like hocus-pocus? Not according to my friend. According to my friend, these folks hit the mark with a high percentage of accuracy. That's impressive that they can provide an analysis based solely on your birth date, birth time, and location.
During this conversation about her 'analysis', she suggested that she put him in touch with me...just from a curiosity perspective. I thought, sure, why not. I'm only somewhat superstitious and very curious about many things. So, again...why NOT? But then, I started thinking what if he tells me something or somethings very negative...things I don't want to hear. Or worse yet, what if i lie about my birth date, time, and location? Will it impact my life negatively? Or could it even impact someone else's life negatively? What it by providing invalid data I actually caused something awful to happen to someone who actually had that birth date, time, and location?
Always looking for an inspirational topic to write on, I thought this could be a good book idea. Maybe. Maybe not. More to come on this...in the meantime, here's a link for your own research.
- m
Sunday, February 21, 2010
My mission on Earth
'Here is the test to find whether your mission on Earth is finished: if you're alive, it isn't.'- Richard Bach
My mission is definitely not finished. Oh no, in some ways it has only just begun! As I get older, I begin to understand the importance of living each day as if it were the last one. With so many things yet to do and see in my lifetime I'm not sure I'm going to accomplish it all. I've heard people with children say that when you have children, you are suddenly aware of your mortality. I think that holds true for anyone who finds meaning in their life, or has been granted something or someone meaningful. It's easy to lose sight of the 'mission' and take each day for granted when you are young, and even easier to be tempted to wish for life to move faster when things aren't going so well or when we have an event in the future to look forward to. Each day I find myself saying more and more 'If I only new then what I know now...'
But what if I did? Would I have want to change anything, or would I leave it as is? You see, by using that knowledge and changing my life events, my life would be different. I would be different. I don't think I want that. For the time I have potentially wasted or wished away, I was becoming me. For the pain I experienced, and the bad decisions I made molded who I am now, and I like me.
Left with less time to meet all my directives of my mission, I can use my past pain, experiences, and decisions to stop wasting and wishing my life away and instead live every blissful, happy, painful, learning, and challenging moment as if someone was going to steal each one away from me if I didn't protect it and own it.
- m
My mission is definitely not finished. Oh no, in some ways it has only just begun! As I get older, I begin to understand the importance of living each day as if it were the last one. With so many things yet to do and see in my lifetime I'm not sure I'm going to accomplish it all. I've heard people with children say that when you have children, you are suddenly aware of your mortality. I think that holds true for anyone who finds meaning in their life, or has been granted something or someone meaningful. It's easy to lose sight of the 'mission' and take each day for granted when you are young, and even easier to be tempted to wish for life to move faster when things aren't going so well or when we have an event in the future to look forward to. Each day I find myself saying more and more 'If I only new then what I know now...'
But what if I did? Would I have want to change anything, or would I leave it as is? You see, by using that knowledge and changing my life events, my life would be different. I would be different. I don't think I want that. For the time I have potentially wasted or wished away, I was becoming me. For the pain I experienced, and the bad decisions I made molded who I am now, and I like me.
Left with less time to meet all my directives of my mission, I can use my past pain, experiences, and decisions to stop wasting and wishing my life away and instead live every blissful, happy, painful, learning, and challenging moment as if someone was going to steal each one away from me if I didn't protect it and own it.
- m
Sunday, September 13, 2009
"To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders." - Lieh Tzu
When I first read that quote, I thought it implied that I need to stop thinking. After letting it 'sit' for a while in my mind while I put away laundry, and prepped things for work tomorrow, I got it. I immediately made a decision when I read the quote. By doing that, I exemplified what Tzu was saying NOT to do. In our world of instant information, and texting, BlackBerry messaging, E-mail, and cell phones, we absorb layers and layers of information and have to perceive it and process it quickly so we can move on to the next data tidbit. Unfortunately, by doing that, we may be missing out on fully understanding the attempted communication. But the quote applies to other things. Simple things...like food. Growing up, my parents expected us to eat what ever they put in front of us. If we didn't, we had nothing to eat. Period. Now I'm not saying we starved to death (Mom, I know you are reading this), but we learned to be thankful for the food we had. We also learned there was no reason to fear food. Mom and Dad took us everywhere. We ate out at 'fancy' (fancy for Iowa in the 70s) and if we ordered something, we ate it. But, we could also try everyone else's food. As an adult, I'm shocked when I meet adults who won't try a food, or music, or an activity because they are afraid they won't like it. Think of all the life experiences they are missing. So sad.
Having a still mind is also a great way to construct a strategy. Take for example a business meeting. Typically, the agenda is announced so attendees are aware of what topics will be discussed. That also means people probably come to the meeting with a predisposed reaction to all of the topics. Now, I'm not suggesting that agendas are a bad idea or that meetings shouldn't be organized. What I am saying is that it may be better to go into the meeting with an open mind and allow yourself to absorb the data fully before you respond. I have a difficult meeting planned for tomorrow, and although I was initially instructed to come prepared essentially with a speech, I am going to enter with a completely still mind. Ohm.
All the best, m
Having a still mind is also a great way to construct a strategy. Take for example a business meeting. Typically, the agenda is announced so attendees are aware of what topics will be discussed. That also means people probably come to the meeting with a predisposed reaction to all of the topics. Now, I'm not suggesting that agendas are a bad idea or that meetings shouldn't be organized. What I am saying is that it may be better to go into the meeting with an open mind and allow yourself to absorb the data fully before you respond. I have a difficult meeting planned for tomorrow, and although I was initially instructed to come prepared essentially with a speech, I am going to enter with a completely still mind. Ohm.
All the best, m
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Forgiveness
'If there is something to pardon in everything, there is also something to condemn.' - Friedrich Nietzsche
Since I think Mom is the only one reading this blog, I'd like to start with an apology that this may not be my typical cheery or at least non-negative posting. Something happened today that made me think about how I am so easy to forgive. I'd always been taught that it was 'better' from the Godly perspective, and in general I believe it is 'healthier' to forgive. I know usually when I do forgive I feel a weight lifted. So I know it's the 'right' thing to do. But what I'm starting to notice is that the same people are forgiving the same people who are doing the wrongs over, and over, and over again. Is that really 'healthy' or 'better' or 'right'? If I were a psychologist, I would say 'no'. By forgiving the same person for their same irresponsible mistakes is almost like saying 'it's okay you did this awful thing, so please do it again'.
I'm not saying that we should not forgive any mistakes, and I'm definitely not saying I don't make mistakes. But if one person continually and intentionally does things that negatively affect other people's lives...at some point....shouldn't that person 'run out' of forgiveness opportunities?
- m
Since I think Mom is the only one reading this blog, I'd like to start with an apology that this may not be my typical cheery or at least non-negative posting. Something happened today that made me think about how I am so easy to forgive. I'd always been taught that it was 'better' from the Godly perspective, and in general I believe it is 'healthier' to forgive. I know usually when I do forgive I feel a weight lifted. So I know it's the 'right' thing to do. But what I'm starting to notice is that the same people are forgiving the same people who are doing the wrongs over, and over, and over again. Is that really 'healthy' or 'better' or 'right'? If I were a psychologist, I would say 'no'. By forgiving the same person for their same irresponsible mistakes is almost like saying 'it's okay you did this awful thing, so please do it again'.
I'm not saying that we should not forgive any mistakes, and I'm definitely not saying I don't make mistakes. But if one person continually and intentionally does things that negatively affect other people's lives...at some point....shouldn't that person 'run out' of forgiveness opportunities?
- m
Friday, August 7, 2009
Betting to live
I've heard it said that in order to win big when gambling, you have to bet enough that it will hurt if you lose. I've mostly lived my life that way...taking chances on people, places, actions, and I believe that could be my mantra. 'Bet enough that it will hurt'. I'm not saying that I always win, but that if you're not going to put your whole heart into whatever it is...why bother?
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Fear and Power
Good morning!
I was reading about Salman Rushdie this morning over my twigs and rocks (whole grain cereal w/walnuts). I was in college when he released his book Satanic Verses (1988) and unfortunately was more interested in marching band and my social life than learning about someone who had real things to say about real problems.
This morning I read that in February 1989 after releasing Satanic Verses, the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwā calling for Rushdie to be killed. Due to this, Rushdie had to go into hiding for many years. Although there are days where I wish I could disappear from the rest of humanity and leave all the craziness behind, I cannot begin to imagine what it would be like to be forced into hiding because an entire culture was instructed to kill you.
Growing up in the U.S., I thought the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini of Iran was someone to fear. So it's interesting that someone with power at the global level would be afraid of the words of a single writer. I guess his power was channeled through the fear people had for him, and he really had no power without that.
Although Rushdie is no longer in hiding, every February 14th he receives a message from Iran to let him know they haven't forgotten or forgiven and the vow to kill him is still valid. Yet he continues to write and live out his passion, act in movies, and very successfully move through life. So it appears he is the one with all the power after all.
I was reading about Salman Rushdie this morning over my twigs and rocks (whole grain cereal w/walnuts). I was in college when he released his book Satanic Verses (1988) and unfortunately was more interested in marching band and my social life than learning about someone who had real things to say about real problems.
This morning I read that in February 1989 after releasing Satanic Verses, the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwā calling for Rushdie to be killed. Due to this, Rushdie had to go into hiding for many years. Although there are days where I wish I could disappear from the rest of humanity and leave all the craziness behind, I cannot begin to imagine what it would be like to be forced into hiding because an entire culture was instructed to kill you.
Growing up in the U.S., I thought the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini of Iran was someone to fear. So it's interesting that someone with power at the global level would be afraid of the words of a single writer. I guess his power was channeled through the fear people had for him, and he really had no power without that.
Although Rushdie is no longer in hiding, every February 14th he receives a message from Iran to let him know they haven't forgotten or forgiven and the vow to kill him is still valid. Yet he continues to write and live out his passion, act in movies, and very successfully move through life. So it appears he is the one with all the power after all.
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