Change Your Relationship With The NOW

The Zen master Hakuin lived in a town in Japan. He was held in high regard and many people came to him for spiritual teaching. Then it happened that the teenage daughter of his next door neighbor became pregnant. When being questioned by her angry and scolding parents as the identity of the father, she finally told them that he was Hakuin, the Zen Master. In great anger the parents rushed over to Hakuin and told him with much shouting accusation that the daughter bad confessed that he was the father. All he was replied was “is that so?”

News of the scandal spread throughout the town and beyond. The master lost his reputation. This did not trouble him. No one came to see him anymore. He remained unmoved. When the child was born, the parents brought him to Hakuin. “You are the father so you look after him.” The Master took loving care of the child. A year later, the mother remorsefully confessed to her parents that the real father of the child was the young man who worked at the butcher shop. In great distress they went and apologized to Hakuin and asked for forgiveness. “We are really sorry. We have come to take the baby back. Our daughter confessed that you are not the father.”  “Is that so>” is all he would say as he handed the baby over to them.

The Master responds to falsehood and truth, bad news and good news, in exactly the same way. “Is that so?” He allows the form of the moment, good or bad, to be as it is and so he does not become a participant in human drama. TO him there is only this moment, and the moment is as it is. He is nobody’s victim. He is so completely at one with what happens that what happens has no power over him anymore. Only if you resist what happens are you at the mercy of what happens, and the world will determine your happiness and unhappiness.

Imagine briefly how the ego would have reacted during the various stages of the unfolding of these events.

Ego and the Present Moment

The most important, the primordial relationship in your life is your relationship with the Now, or rather with whatever form the now takes, that is to say, what is or what happens. If your relationship with the Now is dysfunctional, that dysfunction will be reflected in every relationship and every situation you encounter. The ego could be defined simply in this way: a dysfunctional relationship with the present moment. It is at this moment that you can decided what relationship you want to have with the present moment.

Once you have reached a certain level of consciousness, (and by reading this you almost certainly have), you are able to decide what kind of relationship you want to have with the present moment. Do I want the present moment to be my friend or enemy. The present moment is inseparable from life, so you are really deciding on what kind of relationship you want with life. Once you have decided you want the moment to be your friend, it is up to you to make the first move. Become friendly toward it, welcome it no matter what disguise it comes, and soon it will become friendly toward you, people become helpful, circumstances become cooperative. One decision changes your entire reality. This decision has to be made again and again and again- until it becomes natural to live in such a way.

The decision to become friends with the present is the end of the ego. The ego can never be in alignment with the present moment, which is to say, aligned with life, since it is its very nature to ignore, resist, and devalue the Now. The stronger the ego, the more time it takes to over your life. Almost every thought you think is concerned with past of future, and your sense of self depends on the future for its fulfillment. Fear, anxiety, expectation, regret, guilt, and anger are the dysfunctions to the time bound state of consciousness.  

Via A NEW EARTH- By Eckhart Tolle

Advancing In Perspective

 

Happiness does not depend on outward things, but on the way we see them.- Leo Tolstoy

 

Life is generally nothing more than how we see it- our perspective on things. This determines the emotional mindset of every individual that has ever drawn breath. It is also my favorite super power to play on, aside from my magnificent dancing which sort of resembles DeeDee from the cartoon Dexter’s Laboratory. My advances in my “creative thinking” have come a long way over the years, thus causing an increase in my happiness’s.

 

I was having an interesting morning the other day, that of which a few years back I would have instantly dubbed it a terrible morning. But it was the perspective I chose that made it just the opposite. It was the kind of morning where time was not on my side. I spent much of it inside of my closet giving every article of clothing I owned the brow for not being something magnificent I wanted or Pintrest worthy.  “What the hell is all this crap and where did all the good outfits go? These outfits all suck..”. Ok- checkpoint one on pre-coffee brain- I am lucky to have these clothes, and I know it. There would be tons of people in line to have my “subpar” outfits any day of the week. Pick something and go!

 

After finally getting it together, I leave the house, pull out of the garage and then try to close my garage door…which isn’t working. I give another round of the brow, And then checkpoint two -come to the realization that I am extremely lucky to own a home and have a garage door…which may or may  not work. If you own a home, things go wrong from time to time. If you have the privilege to own anything, they will break or need repair. And I feel privileged to have the opportunity.  

After manually closing my garage door, I go out the front door to leave once and for all, when I run face first into a spider web, fully equipped with a friendly spider that is now in my face. This- will wake you up faster than any cup of coffee- I guarantee it. After an awkward series of gestures, I wipe Mr. Friendly spider and said web off of me and giggle- another wonderful day to enjoy silly encounters such as spider web in the face. Good Morning- I am lucky to be alive. Many would give anything for another day, regardless of the circumstances or how it started. Embrace life with an attitude of joy and happiness. It is not necessarily about what is going on, but just your perspective.

 

 

Manifest It

We create our own reality all around us. As the great metaphysician Florence Scovell  Schinn said, “your word is your wand.” Your words and thoughts attract the vibratory forces of what you think and say. You create your own reality. Do not condemn yourself or anyone else with a misuse of thought or word energy.   Speak good things into existence and they are more likely to manifest in reality.

 

 

 

 

Guides and Redeemers

 

A man is relieved and happy when he has put his heart into his work and done his best; but what he has said and done otherwise, shall give him no peace. It is a deliverance which does not deliver. In the attempt his genius deserts him; no muse must be friends; no invention; no hope.

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

What does it mean to do and being the best in all that we do? We live in a society today that is much different than the fifty years ago, thirty years ago, or even twenty years ago. I grew up in a large extended family in Germany, where it was not just taught, but expected to do ones best. My grandparents held minor league middle working class jobs. My grandmother worked at the military base launderette and my grandfather was lovinging called “the candy man”, as he filled candy and various snack vending machines around the base. I highly doubt that either of these jobs were their ideal dream jobs that they daydreamed about as children, but it was a job and they were proud of the jobs they both did.

Those were the days that people were loyal to their company and stuck around for the long haul, regardless of the position. They were the days that people took pride in what they did, whether it was being a laundry attendant, vending machine filler or flipping burgers at the local snack bar. People took pride in what they did, and did their jobs to the best of their abilities. It was a matter of personal pride.

How often do we go through the drive thru at a fast food restaurant to find the food service worker is less than pleasant, giving the distinct air of how miserable they are to be there? Why should we have to suffer their life choices and their inability to cope with them in a healthy manner? The bottom line is, we shouldn’t. Nor should people take on that attitude. It makes everyone involved miserable. Most of us have to work because it provides us with income that we need to make our living. We have to be at work on average about forty hours a week, more or less. You are there anyway- so why not choose to take pride in what you do and try your best to enjoy it. Whether you are an executive, flipping burgers or anything in between, you have a choice to make the best of any situation. If you work at KFC, be the best at frying chicken so at the end of the day you can have pride knowing that you have done your best. The key is to do your best at whatever you do and wherever you go.

Attitude can take you far- straight to the bottom or straight to the top. They choice is always up to you. People notice your attitude and how they felt being around you. It is ones imperative duty as a member of society to make the right choices and lead by example. Let your life be a message to others and your actions a legacy that others will be inspired to carry on. It does not have to be a grand thing you do, often rest in the simplest of statements of taking pride in the self, doing a good job and being kind. You are responsible for the energy you bring into a room. It is up to you whether you leave the energy better or worse than before you entered it. The good examples of humanity are fading all around us and it is up to us to take on the cause, before everyone forgets what it was like and we live in a world of mediocrity and unhappiness. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “we must accept in the highest mind the same transcendent destiny; and not minors and invalids in a protected corner, not cowards fleeing before a revolution, but guides, redeemers and benefactors, obeying the almighty effort, and advancing on chaos and the Dark.”

Setting Intentions

The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.

- John Milton

Charge the energy around you and set the intention of the day. It’s always personal choice of how your day and thoughts will proceed. Choose to make it a great day filled with success. The right state of mind is the key to your success or to your demise. It needs to be practiced so often that it becomes a habit.

 

1.      List 5 things you are thankful for every day. We are amongst the wealthiest in the world. Many people would do anything to have what we do- whether it be material possessions or circumstance.

 

2.   Thought of the day: My seeming impossible good now comes to pass, the unexpected now happens!

 

 

3.      Set the intention for the day: Visualization. State and command the kind of day you intend to have. Give it a quick visualization. This may seem silly- but the most successful sports teams in the world are coached in the art of visualization before a game. They visualize their plays and how they intend to win the game. Life is no different. Professional studies show that teams that practice a brief visualization have a higher percentage of successful plays and wins. This is a fact.

 

(Example: Today is going to be a great day. I will be successful in all of my endeavors and live in each and every moment of the day- being fully present and engaging with others.)

 

4.      You are responsible for the energy you bring into a room. This existence is not just all about you- even though it feels like it. You and the energy you bring into a room can either brighten or darken a room. Choose to be the bright energy and engage with others. You never know what they might be going through as well. We tend to get wrapped up in our own inner turmoil.  Kindness is the biggest gift you can give to another. Do something kind for someone else- even if it is just a smile, a positive call or text. Make it a point to do something kind for someone else today.

 

5.      Shake off the negative energy. Negative energy is like lint- sometimes it just attracts to us like when you are wearing black pants- everything seems to attract to them. Negative energy can be the same way. Shake it off.

 

 

 

New Directives

 

 

Everything Begins with You. You are responsible for your life, your choices, your attitude and the energy you allow to radiate from you. Whether that energy is positive or negative, it is your choosing of the vibe you put out and attract back. The mind is a rather complicated entity, yet in the same regard, can be kept simple. When things are put into perspective, the mind goes from a complex thing to a simple and easy to maneuver your life and your actions- stress free and worry free.

 Napoleon Hill quoted, “Whatever your mind feeds on, it attracts.” Consider the content of your mind. What type of thoughts do we allow to occupy the mind? Usually, it seems to be occupied with  worry, doubt, and fear or our personal problems and life issues that come our way. Unfortunately, what most do not realize or consider is that the worry, doubt and fear aspect that we have become accustomed to having in our thoughts more often than not, attract those very things we worry, doubt and fear. Worry, doubt and fear are composed of negative energy frequencies. If lack and limitation of any sort is on your mind- you will more than likely attract lack and limitation.

The mind is a very powerful source of energy. It is a tool that we do not use to its maximum ability. Education and being smart is one thing, but this is training the mind to attract better energy frequencies, which are more likely to yield more positive results. We have the ability to use the mind power to direct it to whatever we may choose. Take possession of the mind instead of letting the mind and its problems take possession of you.

If you have a worry or concern, limit the amount of time those thoughts can occupy your mind. Instead of worrying, being fearful, having thoughts of lack or limitations, replace those thoughts immediately with thoughts of thankfulness and gratitude. The energy around you needs to be stabilized and grounded for a good beginning of positive thought process and a positive frame of mind. First and foremost, give gratitude for what you do have. Many people in this world would trade places with us instantly. I recently read an article from the New York Times for a class about modern slavery and human trafficking. It was in this I gained a huge perspective of my thankfulness and gratitude to be who and where I am in life.

The article was about a young Asian girl who at the age of six years old, was sold by her family to a brothel. At the age of six, she was sold as a commodity to a foreign pedophile as a child virgin. Thinking the nightmare of her life couldn’t get worse, it is common for young children prostitutes to be re-stitched as virgins to be sold again as a prized commodity.  The young girl tried to run away but was caught each time, in which punishment consisted of being put into a vat of human excrement filled with scorpions and spiders. The girl recalls being punished up to nine days in this manner. Things like this are happening in the world this very moment. So there is my personal perspective to give me instant gratitude.

When I am being a spoiled brat for wanting more material things, ways of life, the infinite quest for “more” -perhaps one should focus on the greatness that already surrounds us, the ability sometimes for happiness is just to recognize it. So many people would be willing to trade places with us. We have so much, but lack the ability to recognize it and the ability to be grateful.  This is the foundation upon which happiness and positivity lie. Whenever you have a problem, give thanks first for what is going good in your life. Then, focus on the solution of your problem- without worry, doubt or fear. One of the most important things to do is to give thanks in advance- for the solved problem, the solution or whatever it is you want. This will likely attract those positive energies your way- versus if you were focused on worry fear and doubt, it is those energies that would attract to you. It really is your choice what type of energy or vibe you put out. If it is negative- you will unfortunately attract that right back to you. If it is positive, positive energy will find you more easily. It is all a simple choice of the mind. Doubt, worry, fear, lack, and limitation should have a very limited role in your show. Give the lead role to a positive character. Let only good thoughts possess your mind so that you may be open to attract the good things that are all around you.  Good energies are out there, but they have to be called upon to work for you. Let that be your directive.

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

 

Spend Wisely

 

Don't waste your life in doubts and fears: spend yourself on the work before you, well assured that the right performance of this hour's duties will be the best preparation for the hours or ages that follow it.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

An ode to a rant on spending your minutes wisely: There are only so many minutes in a day, and it is always the individual choice on how we use them. In addition to how we spend our minutes it is also equally important on how we choose to think and process those minutes as well. It is easy to become overwhelmed with life which instantly leads to worry and anxiety for most of us. Most people live in a state of “autopilot”, which I have off and on over the years lived that way myself. It is the conscious choice for each individual to unplug ourselves from the Matrix of the Autopilot so to speak, and become conscious and exist presently in our own minds. The choice of greatness is readily available. Focus intently on solutions and the path to success in place of dwelling on fears, lacks and limitations. Negative thought patterns must be replaced with positive affirmations to ensure proactive conscious efforts of the mind that undoubtedly materialized in the physical world around us.  

Wishes for a happy, successful and flourishing day to all!

-J. Brochu

On Happiness...

                                Happiness is not a matter of events, 
                 it depends upon the tides of the mind.
                    ~   Alice Meynell

The Proof is in the Pudding

Today I am extremely excited for one of my Best Friends Billy, who, by using the powers for positive thoughts, affirmations and prayers has landed his dream job in the Hustle and Bustle of New York City. About a year ago, he decided to leave Atlanta and venture on a journey to New York-a feat in and of itself. I am not sure if I would have had the gaul to leave my safely net here and just get up and go- but he did. He left the comforts and financial luxury of home for a life of the unknown.


Recently he had been working at a job not utilizing his advanced degrees at a medical office- just to pay the bills and be able to get by. He had been applying and interviewing for jobs around the city for almost a year and was feeling drained after not hearing back from various positions. Billy had always been a positive and uplifting person- one of the reasons I love him so dearly. But even the best of the best get dragged down by life and a series of disappointments. Add insult to injury, he had been informed that he would be laid off in the next coming weeks. After a distraught phone call from my dearest friend, which by the way is rare, I decided to send him a copy of one of my all time favorite books I was re-reading, The Writings of Florence Scovell Schinn, an innovative writer, philosopher and metaphysician from the turn of the century. Her writings are based on a lot of things we already know, but she takes these concepts and puts in them in a way they are better understood. Many of the concepts have Christian undertones, but even if you are not Christian or religious, these are just semantics and the concepts can be understood and applied even if you do not subscribe to that particular doctrine.
Upon receiving the book, Billy immediately began to read it and apply the concepts of positive thought and affirmation. He would call and we would discuss our readings together and what he was doing to produce positive changes for his life. We both began to pray for the “RIGHT” job for him- a job that would allow him to use his degrees and move up to the next level-a job that he could learn and grow and be happy at. Using the following quotes and similar ones, he began to visualize the right job for himself. In addition to this, he gave thanks in advance for the right job and went upon the faith knowing that the infinite spirit was never too late and that the right job would be provided. If indeed there was a job in NCY for him, he would find it in perfect ways under perfect grace. He began interviewing again but with a different outlook on life- one of positivity and grace.


“The spirit is never too late. I give thanks to the ….received on the invisible plane and that is manifests on time.”


Then Billy set a start date in his mind and wrote it down that he would be starting his new dream job on March 5th, 2012. Using laws of the following quote:


“Man must prepare for the things he has asked for, even if there isn’t the slightest sign of it in sight. “


He started looking for apartments and enjoying the city for what it was and left his negative thinking and worries behind. On March 12th, one week after he had set his goal to start his dream job, he received a phone call and was offered a position of Practice Manager of the Department of Neurology at Mount Sinai. I couldn’t be more proud of him! I am so excited for him and he could not be more deserving. This is just the tip of the ice berg on all the wonderful things that are coming his way.
Just a glimpse of what the powers of positive thinking can do!


Here is a link of some of Schnn's affirmations and quotes listed by catagory:


http://www.florence-scovel-shinn.com/florence-scovel-shinn-affirmations-success.html


Hope everyone has a wonderfully productive and positive day!

The Soul Mate

be'shert - Yiddish for destined to be your beloved.

Anam Cara- Gaelic for soul companion.

Soul mates- One who creates a divine spark when you meet and you know that person instantly.


I have always believed that a person has may soul mates in life. Not just the romantic assortment, but people who give you a certain sense of completion when you are around them. I am quite convinced that I have many soul mates. Some life long connections such as my wonderful Mother, and some that are instantaneous- and upon your meeting your entire energy changes when they are in the room. When they are not around you- you feel like something is missing and a part of you is not quite right.

Upon re-reading one of my favorite books, Sacred Contracts by Carolin Myss, I found a passage that really struck a cord. It was a wonderful reminder and I thought I'd share. From her book, Myss quotes another author John O'Donohue. In the Buddhist tradition, they view soul mates more as Kalyana-mitra----or "noble friends". O'Donohue says your Noble Friend-

 "will not accept pretension but will gently and firmly confront you with your own blindness. No one can see life totally. As there is a blind spot in the retina of the human eye, there is also in the soul a blind side where you are not able to see. Therefore you must depend on the one you love to see for you what you cannot see for yourself."

I am greatfull to all of my soul mates for being there and seeing what I am not able to see on my own. They are wonderful teachers, an I am lucky to have them in my life.