The more I practice introspection and learn about myself as a spiritual being, and about the world as I've created it, the more I see that "should" and "shouldn't" are red flags of warning relative to one's peace of mind.
I think it's a reasonable statement that most of us would prefer to be living in a state of peace of mind. So if you are hearing "should" or "shouldn't" in your head, you are most likely not experiencing peace of mind. As Michael Singer tells us in his book, The Untethered Soul, most of us have an "inner roommate" who is into drama, waving the red flags mentioned, and generally into creating chaos.
Anyone (including your inner roommate) who is using those red flag words on you is trying to force you against your will. That may be telling you how you should or shouldn't behave, think, choose, be, and so on. Obeying these red flags means that we are either doing something we don't want to do, or not doing something we do want to do. If we don't obey them, then we often find ourselves apologizing, simply for making a choice that feels good and appropriate for us. This is what Ana Forrest refers to as "apologizing for your existence," which is a very unsatisfying habit.
Next time you say, "I'm sorry," take a moment to note if you truly are sorry. It's something we say out of habit, and it's tremendously over-used where not needed, and under-used where it's truly needed.
The first step is awareness. Begin to notice how much you are hearing "should" and "shouldn't." It's quite enlightening to pay attention to these red flags.
Joy and love,
Leta
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Monday, March 18, 2013
Madness, for sure!
It's official, it's madness. I just put a note in my calendar to not plan any trips in March in the future. I LOVE college basketball, and I don't want to miss any of The Big Dance. Actually, I guess it's only partial madness for me--I don't watch every single game. But I did just fill out my bracket, and I'm picking Louisville to win it all this year (just for the record).
What are YOU passionate about? What gets you excited, moves you, makes you smile, love the thrill? Can you get excited about simply being alive and having another day here? Edwene Gaines says, "Earth is the party planet, didn't you know?" There is so much fun and magnificent stuff to enjoy here in this glorious playground Earth.
Have a great week!
Party on,
Leta
What are YOU passionate about? What gets you excited, moves you, makes you smile, love the thrill? Can you get excited about simply being alive and having another day here? Edwene Gaines says, "Earth is the party planet, didn't you know?" There is so much fun and magnificent stuff to enjoy here in this glorious playground Earth.
Have a great week!
Party on,
Leta
Sunday, March 10, 2013
More from "The Untethered Soul"
I am currently facilitating a class on Michael Singer's book, The Untethered Soul.
Here's a quote: "What you'll see, if you watch carefully, is that you have a phenomenal amount of energy inside of you. It doesn't come from food and it doesn't come from sleep. This energy is always available to you. ... When it is flowing strongly, you can actually feel it coursing through you in waves. It gushes up spontaneously from deep inside and restores, replenishes, and recharges you. The only reason you don't feel this energy all the time is because you block it. You block it by closing your heart, by closing your mind, and by pulling yourself into a restrictive space inside. This closes you off from all the energy."
We want to keep this awesome energy flowing, don't we? Why block it? We do that when something happens that we don't like, that doesn't match our rules about how the world should be. It may be an event, a remark, something unexpected--lots of things can rattle our world-view. Most of these rattlers are really pretty trivial in the grand scheme of things. For instance, why let one "bad" driver spoil a whole day?
Alas, many are truly hooked on melodrama, and creating huge deals out of trivial things. As Mr. Singer states, "It's not healthy."
How do you not block your flow of energy? Begin to really pay attention to your heart. It is an awesome signaler that something is disturbing you. Breathe, relax around your heart, and release the energy--just let it flow on out with your exhale. It's a small exercise with a huge payoff--lots of free-flowing, creative energy.
Breathe!
Leta
Here's a quote: "What you'll see, if you watch carefully, is that you have a phenomenal amount of energy inside of you. It doesn't come from food and it doesn't come from sleep. This energy is always available to you. ... When it is flowing strongly, you can actually feel it coursing through you in waves. It gushes up spontaneously from deep inside and restores, replenishes, and recharges you. The only reason you don't feel this energy all the time is because you block it. You block it by closing your heart, by closing your mind, and by pulling yourself into a restrictive space inside. This closes you off from all the energy."
We want to keep this awesome energy flowing, don't we? Why block it? We do that when something happens that we don't like, that doesn't match our rules about how the world should be. It may be an event, a remark, something unexpected--lots of things can rattle our world-view. Most of these rattlers are really pretty trivial in the grand scheme of things. For instance, why let one "bad" driver spoil a whole day?
Alas, many are truly hooked on melodrama, and creating huge deals out of trivial things. As Mr. Singer states, "It's not healthy."
How do you not block your flow of energy? Begin to really pay attention to your heart. It is an awesome signaler that something is disturbing you. Breathe, relax around your heart, and release the energy--just let it flow on out with your exhale. It's a small exercise with a huge payoff--lots of free-flowing, creative energy.
Breathe!
Leta
Sunday, March 3, 2013
the cosmic field of play
This is a daily meditation written by Rev. Noel McInnis.
Life is a symphony, and the action of every person in this life is the playing of their particular part in the music. Hazrat Inayat Khan
Until the Original Moment when space and time began, God had no room in which to move. And so it was in the beginning that God spoke forth the Word: Let a cosmic playground be, where all that is may know its own enjoyment by taking itself lightly.
Thus the cosmic field of play brought forth from the at-one-ment of God's own being. Seeing this as good, God said, Now let there be amongst the play some time of rest from playing.
Hence began the periodic darkness, whose service is enhancement of the light. This, too, God saw as good. Now let the field of play be filled with players, God decreed, and the procession of life began.
Seeing still that all was good, God finally declared, From amongst the players, let those come forth whose game it is to write their own script. Eventually, the cosmic field of play emerged as you and me, and we, God said, are very good, good enough to continue writing our own scripts forever.
Play passionately!
Leta
Life is a symphony, and the action of every person in this life is the playing of their particular part in the music. Hazrat Inayat Khan
Until the Original Moment when space and time began, God had no room in which to move. And so it was in the beginning that God spoke forth the Word: Let a cosmic playground be, where all that is may know its own enjoyment by taking itself lightly.
Thus the cosmic field of play brought forth from the at-one-ment of God's own being. Seeing this as good, God said, Now let there be amongst the play some time of rest from playing.
Hence began the periodic darkness, whose service is enhancement of the light. This, too, God saw as good. Now let the field of play be filled with players, God decreed, and the procession of life began.
Seeing still that all was good, God finally declared, From amongst the players, let those come forth whose game it is to write their own script. Eventually, the cosmic field of play emerged as you and me, and we, God said, are very good, good enough to continue writing our own scripts forever.
Play passionately!
Leta
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