GROW OR GO HOME

We have total freedom from birth to face up to our potential and give meaning to our own lives, no matter what has happened to us or around us. Each day is a new day- a new beginning and we are given an opportunity every moment to make the conscious decision to strive for self-actualization- fulfilling our potential with goodness and growth. Each day we are also given the conscious choice to or shrink away from responsibility choosing to view ourselves as helpless victims of circumstance and our environment and live empty inauthentic and dysfunction lives as a result. The decision is yours. We here at GOGH are here to help inspire those who enjoy the positive energy and enjoy being alive, and to those who need to hear an inspirational word when we are thirsty for encouragement and doing better. Dark times lie in every individual and are part of life and a part of growing. GOGH to inspire and be inspired.



GOGHers are those who have an active interest in growing and learning and developing the positive attitude and outlook it takes to make this the best life it can be. We are dedicated to the personal and spiritual growth of those who wish to better and enjoy life in the present moment. Happiness is always an active choice and an inside job. Each of us determines our own weather and we are not driven by the outside circumstances of life. Life is 10% of what is happening and 90% the way we CHOOSE to react to it.
That which holds us back: Service to the self and the pursuit of activities that support our human existence: Material things, status, wealth, power, preoccupation of the self, judgment of the self and of others—all driven by the EGO.
That which propels us into greatness: A commitment to promoting others achieving a positive reality along with one’s own. Information is shared freely and lovingly. Lack of ego satisfaction, Personal journeys are recognized and valued. Love and positive light is seen in all things. Individuals seek to radiate unconditional love. Each individual is responsible for individual and collective growth and strive for community growth and progress; setting positive examples and being responsible for the energy each of us carries with us. Each of us have the ability to create positivity everywhere we go and to each person we encounter. You never know the impact your kindness has on another, even if it is never made aware to you. There are no limits to your greatness. Be the person you want to meet.

Characteristic of the Human Ego and false self that lead to unhappiness

 

“The ego is a false sense based on mental concepts. It is identification with the body and the mind—primarily identification with thought form. “ – Eckhart Tolle

 

Patterns of Egoic Behavior

• Blaming, Judging, accusing, gossiping and complaining. The ego always has to have something to oppose and complain about. It enjoys judging others and blaming behaviors that cause the individual to reflect outwards to keep attention and focus away from inward reflection.
• The need to be RIGHT, having enemies or constant opposition, and applying negative labels to people. Some people always have to be right or have the last word. These are the behaviors of line crosses and people who do not know when to stop or let go.
• Demanding recognition for something you did and getting upset if you did not get it. The ego needs and demands to be recognized. It wants to be better than others and seeks constant approval that will never be met. If you are self-satisfied and minimize ego- you will no longer need this approval or validation.
• Attention seeking behaviors such as constant talk of problems, illness, how you are the victim in circumstances, creating drama, stirring the pot and making a scene. We all know these people. The only things they have to discuss are negative things in life. Nothing ever new that is good happens to them. They revel in being the victim of their unfortunate and unfair life circumstances. Their story rarely changes. Don’t be this person and stay away from those who are. They drain your energy and leave you empty.
• Giving your opinion when no one asked for it and/or when it does not change the situation. If you are not looking to improve a situation or change the energy to a positive- keep your mouth shut. You sound like an idiot and no one wants to hear it.
• Being concerned with how the other person sees you than concern for the other person. Once again these people are completely self-absorbed and are only interested in what is going on in their or heads and lives. Shift focus on something other than yourself. There is a great big world out there that you could be improving instead of creating self-absorbed situations in your mind. It’s not ALL ABOUT YOU.
• Trying to impress others with possessions. Keeping up with the Joneses or showing off what you have is completely petty and self-absorbed. Try doing a random act of kindness instead.
• Taking things personally or being easily offended. There are too many positive things in life to focus on or be a part of. If you are easily offended or take things too personally, you are once again way too self-absorbed. It’s not all about you.
• Needing to be seen or to appear important. If you are a good person, people will recognize and see this. If you feel the need to choose attention seeking behaviors or things that would make you seem or feel important, you are way off track and will never feel satisfied.

Don't Resist the NOW

“To offer no resistance to life is to be in a state of grace, ease, and lightness. This state is then no longer dependent upon things being in a certain way, good or bad. It seems almost paradoxical, yet when your inner dependency on form is gone, the general conditions of your life, the outer forms, tend to improve greatly. Things, people, or conditions that you thought you needed for your happiness now come to you with no struggle or effort on your part, and you are free to enjoy and appreciate them - while they last. All those things, of course, will still pass away, cycles will come and go, but with dependency gone there is no fear of loss anymore. Life flows with ease.”
― Eckhart Tolle

 

What is resistance to life and how does it apply to us? We all resist many things in life- more often than not. There is the old saying “Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it.” This doesn’t mean to not have goals and strive for great things and favorable circumstances. But we all know that all of those things are not attainable all of the time. Much of life is circumstances we do not prefer or do not like. It is all essentially up to you if you are a happy individual or not. The happiness is a choice of how you perceive the world and choose to interpret situations around you. We often find ourselves in places we do not want to be or people we don’t want to be around, but we have to be there anyway, don’t we. Most of us have to work, since most of us are not instant scratch of lottery winners or trust fund babies. Letting go of resistance to the now is allowing the now to transform into something better than we had allowed it to be before. If you must be at work- be there- and be there now. What that means is to be present in the moments that are now. Make the most of your day as a choice and be present in the work you do and the people you interact with. Most of us in conversation are never really present in who we are talking to or what we are talking about. We focus on what is in our minds such as grocery lists and what we might do later that day or on the weekend. We are never really present with who we are with or what we are doing. Our focus is on the past, the future, or the thoughts our minds. The mind is always on, but you could be missing something interesting NOW. You could be creating sincere conversations and work situations. If you are at the doctor’s office in the waiting room- make the most out of it. Don’t dwell on waiting- do something fun in the present moment. Bring a great book to read or something to do. You have to be there anyway.

My personal least favorite are the grocery store, the post office and the gas station. I try to remove myself from my own egoic mind and be where I am. Smile at the other people there and say hello. Be in the moment wherever you are no matter where you are. You always have the choice to make the most of your situation. You don’t not have to be trapped in the mind with your constant thoughts and miss the life that goes on around you now. I’d rather be on a yacht on the Greek isles right now eating feta cheese and olives….but I am not. I am here in the present moment- and choosing to be Present- wherever I am. Enjoy the NOW wherever you are and make the most of the time we have-which is the present.

Shift of Focus to NOW

“It was always the becoming he dreamed of, never the being.” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald

 

 

Much of our focus lies on what has either happened in the past or thoughts of what is to come in the future. Rarely are thoughts of the present and enjoying in detail what we have in front of us right now. We tend to dwell on the past and allow our thoughts to be occupied what has beens and what ifs- instead of realizing that the present moment is the time to live and create memories of true living.

Being present in the now is the only time that we have available to us. Enjoy the present and make the most of it while you are in it and create a wonderful future.

Life Is....

Life is raw material. We are artisans. We can sculpt our existence into something beautiful, or debase it into ugliness. It's in our hands.

- Cathy Better

Free Your Mind

Here is a small expert from a Buddhist view on detachment. It is always our attachments in life that cause us the greatest pains, miseries, and sufferings; such as:

·       The object of our desire that we cannot attain or keep, whether they be material possessions or otherwise.

·       Unrequited love.

·       The disappointment of relationships- family, friends, lovers.

·       Unmet demands of people or situations.

·       When things don’t pan out the way we wanted them to.

 The word and concept of detachment can be misleading, as it denotes being free of all things, possessions and relationships- when that is not the case at all. The concept and implementation of detachment releases us from our Ego and allows the freedoms of negative emotions that attachments always keep us in that constant state of emotional rollercoasters- somewhere between happiness and disappointment.

 

Question: What is the meaning of detachment?

Answer: The Buddhist meaning of detachment is slightly different from what the word normally means in English. Detachment in Buddhism is connected with renunciation. The word renunciation in English is also misleading, for it implies that we have to give up everything and go live in a cave. Although there are examples of people like Milarepa who did give up everything and live in a cave, what they did is referred to by a different word, not the word that is translated as "renunciation" or "detachment". The word that has been translated as "renunciation" actually means "the determination to be free". We have a strong determination: "I must get out of my own problems and difficulties. My mind is totally firm on that goal." We want to give up our ego games because we are determined to be free from all the problems they cause. This does not mean that we have to give up a comfortable house or the things that we enjoy. Rather, we are trying to stop the problems that we have in relation to these objects. That leads us to detachment.

Being detached does not mean that we cannot enjoy anything or enjoy being with anyone. Rather, it refers to the fact that clinging very strongly to anything or anyone causes us problems. We become dependent on that object or person and think, "If I lose it or cannot always have it, I am going to be miserable." Detachment means, "If I get the food I like, very nice. If I do not get it, okay. It is not the end of the world." There is no attachment or clinging to it.

In modern psychology, the word attachment has a positive connotation in certain contexts. It refers to the bonding that occurs between a child and parent. Psychologists say that if a child does not have the initial attachment to the parents, there will be difficulties in the child's development. Again, it is problematic to find the appropriate English word to convey the Buddhist meaning, for the Buddhist connotation of attachment is quite specific. When the Buddhist teachings instruct that we need to develop detachment, it does not mean that we do not want to develop the child-parent bond. What is meant by "detachment" is ridding ourselves of clinging and craving for something or someone.

VIA- http://www.berzinarchives.com/web/en/archives/approaching_buddhism/introduction/basic_question_detachment_nonviolence_compassion.html