Is Life a Game?

Last night I watched, Park Avenue: Money, Power & The American Dream. (If you want to understand Occupy Wall Street a bit better, it’s a good movie to watch to understand the perspective of the people that wanted their voices heard. You can watch the entire movie free, just click this link to watch it on PBS. You can also watch it on Netflix.) After watching it, after seeing all of the energy going to making, hoarding, or simply thinking about money — I began to think about something else: Life, feeling alive.

We’ve heard many times, “follow your passion.” Authors say the key to life is to follow your bliss, or be guided by what you love. But many people are left wondering, what? What is my passion? What do I love most? What brings me bliss? Another famous quote is, “Do what you love and the money will follow.” But many people wonder, how? Exactly how will the money follow? And more importantly, when?

Instead of wondering what you love, or questioning what  you are passionate about, just focus on what makes you come alive. For example: What lights you up? When does energy feel like it’s unlimited?

Stop. Think about what I just asked. When you have an answer, continue reading.

Now, for the next question…

How can you finally realize, finally see, that this spirit, light and energy is within you? It’s always there. You don’t need an outside activity or circumstance or thing or person to bring it about. But when it is sparked or revealed, when someone or something does bring it out of you, it’s a good reminder. But don’t confuse the reminder for the real thing. Spirit, soul, energy, spark, You! You as Life itself — free, unbound, unleashed. The finger always points back to you. And whether or not you feel free or bound, is in your level of awareness. Whether or not you are confusing the reminders for the real thing.

In that Park Avenue movie I mentioned, you could be a multi-billionaire, have an impressive education or fabulous homes, have an attractive partner & family, be loaded with power — but what would that give you to feed your soul? Even with all that, you can still be impoverished and spiritually bankrupt.

When I say spiritually or in essence spirit, I mean exactly what I said: spirit, and not religion. People often forget that spirit simply means breath. Life! Spirit is from the Latin word spritus, translated as breath. And spirituality is the same as the Latin word, spritulis, breathing. Religion has nothing to do with it! So when I say, ‘impoverished and spiritually bankrupt’, I mean something is missing, and no partner, child, job, income, home, career, appearance, talent, intelligence, and even health, is going to fill this void. Something will always be ‘not quite right’, not fully alive. It’s like a house partially lit up, and the home owner can’t figure out how to keep all of the lights on, even though the house is always fully powered.

I wrote a blog post a few years ago titled, FOCUS on what you love: it’s important. I also wrote, Lost time, Lost Life. Writing this blog post today, made me think of both of those past blog posts. But this one today is different. It’s coming from a different perspective.

What makes you come alive and feel complete? What gives you energy and makes you feel whole? I promise you that it is not something that money, or a person, a career, a clean bill of health, or a set of circumstances can fulfill and sustain.

Without the game of ‘something will make me feel better’ or ‘if this was in place, my life would be better’ or ‘without this, I’m not complete’ — without that thought or belief, is the game over?

Without those thoughts and beliefs, what would we be chasing? Who would we be jealous of? What would we be fighting for? What would we be afraid of? What would we be trying to prove? What would be the point of life? It all gets really simple when we pull ourselves out of the game. When we finally put away the measuring sticks and get honest with ourselves. When we see there is nothing to fight for or against. But it’s hard for us. Just the thought of it makes us uncomfortable. We squirm in our seats and in our minds. We can’t imagine life without it.

We are all children! We love games! We are so used to playing games; planing ahead, dreaming & fantasizing, and working or fighting for something. Thinking that ‘when this happens’ everything will be better than it is now.

What would happen if that all stopped? If we ended the game?

Stillness, silence, finally peace? Maybe. Or better yet, what about something easier. What if we played the game, but played with the awareness that it’s all Play. The root of the word play can be found in the Proto-Indo-European legh “to engage oneself,” and also Middle Dutch pleyen “to rejoice, be glad,” and German pflegen “take care of, cultivate,” and Old English plegan “occupy or busy oneself, make sport of, mock.”

These days I’m really attracted to making things easier. Not just easier in a physical way, but easier for the soul, for the spirit. This is also why I’ve been so attracted to meditation and beingness over the years. It’s why I completely stopped living my life the way I was, and started over with an entirely different game plan and perspective.

Why would we want to make a game hard and forget it’s a game? Ugh. Sounds like suffering to me. Sounds like confusion, drama, and misery. When a game is hard and we know it’s a game, it’s fun! Sometimes the harder the better, the more challenging the funner! And if we prefer an easy game, like coloring in a book, or bouncing a ball alone — that is great too! Beautiful! But the point is, enjoy it. Make it enjoyable. Lighten up. See it all as play.

When all else fails in life, and you can’t seem to find balance, or see the fun in it all, listen. Just listen. See what awesome subtleties you might be missing out on. Listen to what your heart (not your mind) tells you. Listen to your breath. Breathe deep. Then plug your ears and listen to your heartbeat. Feel alive. Feel the wind on your skin, and the fabric on your body. Feel the weight of your head, and the texture underneath your feet. Isn’t it amazing?! When was the last time you did this? Why are you not always doing this? Feeling your heart, your breath, your gift that is your life — this is HUGE! Relish it. See it as pure pleasure. See it as divine. Have fun with it. Come alive. Be simple. Learn what it means to play. Be a child again. Remember what it means to be full of energy, full of light, full of life. It’s who you are when you stop trying. When you finally allow yourself to be you. When you allow life to be Life.

Who is responsible for the Boston Marathon bombing? …Are you sure?

The news about what happened in Boston is everywhere. The response I generally heard from the media after the tragedy was: “we are going to get them & bring justice!”. Get who? The guys you think you saw in security camera footage? The blurry pixelated faces? The two bodies covered in winter clothes? Then, with whatever leads the police supposedly had, they shut the city down for a manhunt? Eventually hunting down a 19 year old & killing a 26 year old? And of course these two were from a foreign land with an unpronounceable name (for the average American). After the hunt, the police tweeted on Twitter: “CAPTURED!!! The hunt is over. The search is done. The terror is over. And justice has won.” Uhh, yea, OK.

Anyway, (*sigh*), how is it that they (the police, government, & the average American) think the problem is an isolated incident? That terror is over when two young people are killed or hunted down? The problems we are facing in the U.S. are way bigger than what happened in Boston (we have many more threats to consider). And things will continue to get worse if we do not look at the bigger picture. What is the environment & culture & thinking that breeds or inspires such hate? (Not just the hate that bombed, but the hate that hunts, kills & blames.) And is shutting down a city (telling people to stay home) for a manhunt of a teenager & his brother (supposedly shown in an unclear video) wise? How can we call that justice? And how is the hunt (& killing) of them by the police even legal? Whatever happen to innocent until proven guilty in a court of law?

There is a friend of one of the ______ …..do I call him a victim, or a terrorist, or the accused? (I’m not even sure now, since the media & government has decided that for us.) There is someone that personally knows Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. His name is Troy Crossley. He started a campaign (more like a hashtag campaign called: #TroyCrossleyTruth on Twitter) to spread awareness about what is happening.

The mother (Zubeidat Tsarnaev) of Tamerlan Tsarnaev & his  younger brother Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, has spoke out against what is happening via BBC NEWS on April 20th. She said that what is taking place is a set-up & that her oldest son, Tamerlan, was controlled by the FBI for years.

You can also read this post on THE WEEK by Chris Gayomali. He is also questioning what is happening.

Alex Jones (who is a bit of a Negative Nancy in my opinion, & I can’t hear him too much, because it’s… just too much) has some good points. He raised the points (along with photos) in two videos he made about the Boston bombing. You can view them HERE & HERE.

Please be clear! I’m not saying anyone did or didn’t do it. I’m not saying that I take this person’s side or that person’s side. I am saying two things: think for yourself & take responsibility for your life. That means, don’t just allow the media & this government to create your thoughts or resolve things for you. Look for yourself, & choose the bigger picture. Let’s also look at the source of problems & not just the symptoms. If we don’t have peace of mind, & we feel that we are hated, & we feel threatened — why? Why is this happening? And is there a way to bring about a change? Not just in your own life, but in life as a whole. What are our priorities? Are they ones that truly matter? If you thought you (or someone you love) would be in a bombing tomorrow — would you live your day differently? Would you act, think or speak differently? What would your priorities be? Would they suddenly change? And if so — why aren’t those your priorities all the time? What is stopping you?

Disasters & tragedies can bring clarity — insight on what matters most. But for some, disasters & tragedies can bring about more fear — which can lead to more ignorance. It’s always up to us. Always up to me, & you. We influence each other. Let’s be the ones that live for what matters most. When you decide what is most important for you, & you have the courage to live it — it inspires others to do the same. Let’s inspire each other. Let’s bring justice & peace to our own lives by how we live each day. Then, collectively, the world will eventually reflect that. Until then, we must start with ourselves.

[If you would like, you can click on images to enlarge them. That way, you can read the embedded quotes clearly.]

Are you an artist? Please say yes.

I found a great quote last week by Michel Foucault: “What strikes me is the fact that in our society, art has become something which is related only to objects and not to individuals, or to life. That art is something which is specialized or which is done by experts who are artists. But couldn’t everyone’s life become a work of art? Why should the lamp or the house be an art object, but not our life?”
It actually ties in really nicely with some thing I wrote on my website several years ago: “I realize that everything I choose to do in my life is a creative choice – working on art, studying various modalities, designing my day-to-day life, or taking 2 weeks off just to be silent. All of these choices are serving a larger picture that I am creating. I now believe that my life is my most important & creative work.”

Another quote I really liked was from Mike Giant. Well, actually, I just liked the whole video (embedded below), he shares his philosophy on life. Mike definitely looks the part of the artist, but I really like that he gives credit to his personal values, for fueling much of his creative & self-expressed lifestyle. Definitely watch the video, but here is a small quote: “I try to be non-violent and peaceful. And being able to make a living as an artist allows me a lot of that — meditative working time and a relaxed way of living. “

Everyone has the opportunity to be creative & live their values. Most of us are very lucky. We have so much at our fingertips to create a life that reflects who we are on the inside. Even if someone is in a dire situation, or has very little to work with, there is always an opportunity to shine, to feel free & to be creative.

For all of us, this quote by Jean-Paul Sartre is something to consider: “What is important is not what happens to us, but how we respond to what happens to us.” Every moment is uniquely ours. Everyone is an artist. Each person’s life shows many of their creative choices. And often times, those with very few options can be the most clever, the most imaginative. The most creative artist isn’t the one who has the most paints, or the most talent, it’s the one that has the most heart. Let’s not forget the Latin root of the word Courage. It’s Cor, which means Heart.

Live your life with heart! Have the courage to live your life from the inside out. Let your life reflect all that you love. Use your imagination. Don’t be shy!

[Portrait of Mike Giant is from The Wild Styles site.]

Compassion brings us to a STOP, and for a moment we rise above ourselves.

Stop to watch these videos. See what you might be unknowingly endorsing.

Compassion is the desire that moves the individual self to widen the scope of its self-concern to embrace the whole of the universal self.
– Arnold Toynbee

Compassion is sometimes the fatal capacity for feeling what it is like to live inside somebody else’s skin. It is the knowledge that there can never really be any peace and joy for me until there is peace and joy finally for you too.
– Frederick Buechner

I can do no other than be reverent before everything that is called life. I can do no other than to have compassion for all that is called life. That is the beginning and the foundation of all ethics.
– Albert Schweitzer

Our task must be to free ourselves this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.
– Albert Einstein

Compassionate action involves working with ourselves as much as working with others.
– Pema Chodron

WAYS YOU CAN HELP:

Abstain from buying products that are tested on animals. Any product that doesn’t print on its label Not Tested On Animals, probably does. Choose to buy products that don’t.
Stop eating animals & animal products. Check all food labels carefully. Look for vegan or vegetarian food labels. Support your local plant-based restaurants.
Volunteer at local animal shelters & animal sanctuaries. Adopt an animal, give a helping hand monthly, or work during their fundraising events.
Donate to organizations that speak up for animals. Support organizations that rescue, care-for, & spread the message of compassion towards animals.
Help with animal rescues. All kinds of support is needed: transportation; temporary animal homes; emails; phone calls; research; & much more.
Contact your city council & government officials. Let them know that this is a public concern & is unacceptable. Write them, call them. Let them know this is important to you.
Share what you know with everyone. Many people are completely unaware of what is happening with food production, as well as animal testing — let them know what is going on!

If we have the energy of compassion and loving kindness in us, the people around us will be influenced by our way of being and living.
– Thich Nhat Hanh

[The quote used as the title of this blog post is by Mason Cooley.]

John Frusciante: It’s all one thing

I was trying to explain the unexplainable this week. I was teaching meditation online, as I do from time to time, and it’s always such a strange thing to try to describe the indescribable, or explain the unexplainable. Saying things like: “Moving away from the idea that someone is doing something, or that someone needs to do something in order for something to happen.” and “If suddenly I tossed a ball your way, you would catch it without thinking. It would be effortless & thoughtless.”

We get so wrapped up in the ‘survival of I’ world. So imbedded, even lost, in the world of distractions, that we have drowned out the subtleties of life. Our innate & intuitive knowing, & our spontaneous effortless nature, has become a mystery to many of us. Beingness & awareness have become words to explore, instead of who we are as a whole.

No one does anything. No one makes anything happen. There are so many factors involved in everything. And forces beyond our comprehension.

If I think of the greatest things, or most significant things in my life right now. What I love most, what means the most to me, what is truly contributing or important to my life. If I make a list, not one thing on that list would be anything I would have control over. Nothing on that list would be something that I solely put together or chose for myself. They are things that happened for whatever reason. Things just fell into place.

I stumbled upon this John Frusciante video (posted below) a day or two after that meditation session. As I listened to John speak, it reminded me of so many thoughts that I had.

As John Frusciante was speaking, I felt such an affinity to so much of what he was saying. Many mental notes of past thoughts I’ve had ran through my mind…
Nothing is new
Love is unconditional
Creativity births itself
They would pop into my mind as he shared his ideas.

John also exuded an energy like he had so much more to say, but that it couldn’t find its way out. Somethings can’t be expressed in a structured limited language. The written word can never fully describe what one can only feel or intuitively know. But as I continued to listen to John’s interview, I continued to jot down thoughts…
We have no control
Get out of the way
Give up control
Embrace the moment (as it is)
Love who you are
Trust the unknown
Have compassion always
It’s never about you
Don’t take it personal
Allow life to flow
Spontaneity is the key
There is only now
Stop thinking start listening
Intuition is everything
Follow your feelings
Let yourself be moved
Don’t be afraid to risk (you have nothing to lose)
Understanding is overrated
Live without reason

It’s all so interesting. The paradox that life is. How simple life can be when we stop trying so hard. How effortless life is when we allow ourselves to be.

Just like we look at earth like it’s one thing, or the solar system, or our bodies — why not see that it’s all one thing? From the micro to the macro, it’s all the same force. Everything is moving, everything is being moved.

[Photo credit: Nabil]

TRUST LOVE // BREATHE EASY

I love great conversations, like the one I posted on April 10, 2011 between Ram Dass & Terence McKenna in Prague. This week I found another interesting conversation I want to share with you. It’s between Benjamin Smythe & Rick Archer (Rick is interviewing Ben). Although, this conversation might be easier for those that are familiar with people like Ramana Maharshi, or teachings based on Advaita Vedanta (known in the west as Non-duality) — I think it’s a universal discussion about life that we can all relate to. It’s about the things that we are all passionate about (in one way or another), even if we have opposing views.

I’ve embedded the video for you to watch, & below that, I posted my thoughts.

Please note: the interview is almost 2 hours long. So watch it when you have the time. But please watch it so that you can hear both sides of the conversation before you read my comments below. (The bold sentences in quotation marks are from Benjamin Smythe, my comments on his points are underneath.)

“What does any of this have to do with that love?”

I love when Ben said that line in the interview. It reminded me of the one thing that is my saving grace. The one thing that unblindfolds me & allows me to see clearly. It’s a question that brings me to the truth.

“What is the truth?”

You can veer from it without suffering. You can stray for a while, but when the suffering starts to appear (& it always will), it’s best that you return to the truth. The suffering is a direct indicator that you have gone too far.

This “truth question” is especially effective in my relationships (be it family, friendships, or romantic partnerships). When I get upset with someone, or I am on the verge of calling it quits because of opposing views. When arguments or frustration arises, & the relationship begins to feel like work, like a struggle. That is when I gently ask myself: “What is true?” And without a second thought, the only truth in that relationship is the love. I remind myself that love is unconditional. This means that it’s impersonal. It doesn’t get its feelings hurt; it doesn’t have needs or desires; it doesn’t believe in right or wrong — it just is. Whatever it was that I was upset about really doesn’t really matter. And more importantly, it will always change — so why get stuck on it.

When I bring my mind back to love in its highest form (love that is unchanging), what is unimportant falls away, & the dust begins to settle. This allows me to be in the moment (with clarity), & I am able to be present.

“Ok. that’s great — but how do I care?”

Ha! I really liked that line. It’s so practical. I think in one way we can say, “Yes, we are all connected & everything is prefect, so let’s let everything be”. But then, on the other hand, “Yes, we are all connected & everything is perfect — now be the change that you want to see”. If you feel that you have a level of awareness, take responsibility for those that don’t & increase your load. They are connected to you, remember? Pay for them, clean up after them, forgive them, assist them, share with them.

Just like a messy room, it’s fine the way it is. It never has to be cleaned & it’s not wrong for being dirty. But when the dust piles up, & the critters take over, & it begins to smell, & it’s hard to keep track of what is in there. I would say that it might be more pleasant for everyone that has to use that room if it were kept in order — or if someone was responsible for it. And the one who is asking, “Who is the one that is responsible for this?!” is always the one that is responsible. Because that person has the awareness to see the mess as a problem. Often, the ones that create the mess, don’t see it as a problem. So when I say that person who sees it is responsible, I mean responsible to help raise the level of awareness for those around them, as well as to get their hands dirty & help clean it up.

“Violence is not relative!”

I know that violence is relative simply because the person committing the violent act has a different view of it than I do.

I understand what Ben is getting at and defending. But to me it simply boils down to levels of awareness & levels of violence. Stabbing, shooting, or bashing someone is extremely violent, most of us would abhor such an act, yet most of the population does it in inadvertently when they eat animals. The average person eats approximately 198 animals per year. These animals are killed & eaten simply for taste or profit, not because people were starving or left without a choice. In some minds, that would be considered extremely violent.

But more than hate crimes, prejudice, racism, physical abuse, sexual abuse, or murder committed by people — we cause violent harm to ourselves in grater numbers. Nothing to me is more rampant than self-hate & self-harm. Nothing. (I’m only referring to the violence in our lives.) The physical & mental abuse we put ourselves through is so numerous, it’s beyond my comprehension.

The violence towards another being usually happens because we first have violent thoughts about ourselves. If we were to get a group of people together & ask them: “do you hate yourself?” They would more than likely laugh & say, “Of course not!” Yet live in their heads & hear their thoughts (& watch their actions) for a day, & you will find out whether they do or not.

Self-imposed suffering is the greatest source of suffering in my opinion. And if we got passionate about resolving that issue, I’m sure it would have a domino effect on many other issues that stem from self-hate, such as the violent treatment towards other living beings. The bottom line for me is: if people truly understood the impact of what they were doing, they wouldn’t be doing it. Some of us really can’t “see”.

We all have this lack of awareness in various aspects of our lives. Some lack it more than others, but still, all of us have this “blindness” to some degree. It’s up to us to take responsibility for our own suffering, & at the same time, help to minimize the suffering around us — by doing what we can to help & by doing what we can to not create more abuse. (This includes abuse to the earth we live on, & abuse to the living beings that inhabit it.)

I see the points that both Benjamin Smythe & Rick Archer are making. I just wanted to add my thoughts. And yes, by all means, use a net if you can! Try your best to save even the beings that cause harm (including yourself). Be kind to yourself. Be kind to others. Trust love. Breathe easy. One day at a time. One breath at a time. Every moment you are alive is an opportunity to be more aware, an opportunity to care a little bit more.

I think this poem by Rumi wraps up this conversation perfectly:

Out beyond ideas of wrong-doing and right-doing,
there is a field. I’ll meet you there.

When the soul lies down in that grass,
the world is too full to talk about.

Ideas, language, even the phrase each other
doesn’t make any sense.

To see more of Rick Archer‘s interviews, check out the Buddha at the Gas Pump website. For videos of Benjamin Smythe, check out EternalNectar or BenjaminSmythe channels on Youtube.

Unconditional Love & Self Empowerment Revolution Presents: Donald Neale Walsch!

I’m going to share three Donald Neale Walsch videos with you. Two of them are quite long & will take some time to view. Please save them for a moment when you need clarity or comfort. Watch them when you have an open mind & want to see more. All three of the videos touch on so many points I have covered throughout the years on Sunday Is For Lovers. I will mention a few quotes or points that I feel I have discussed before in blog posts, but the rest is for you to experience & to hear what you hear from the videos.  I decided to feature Donald Neale Walsch in my “Unconditional Love & Self Empowerment Revolution” series because I feel that he is a perfect example, an honest example, of evolution, of the ongoing process of self-realization, as well as self-empowerment via love. And when I say those words, I don’t mean the he has evolved or realized himself or empowered an individual self, but that he sees that there is no self. And that is something that I have been sharing though my work. And that wholeness (or non-duality) realized is what sets one free. Free from the idea of being an individual one, to being one that is inseparable from the whole.

Eckhart Tolle speaks with Neale Donald Walsch

“I am that [god/divinity/wholeness], & all the rest is… I am making it up.”

“Everyone can deliberately access that place of no-ness, nothingness — that place where thought recedes & wisdom emerges.”

“All the joys of life come to us, just as freely as the gifts come through us, if we just allow ourselves to get caught in the flow & get our self out of the way — get any thought out of the way that you think you are doing it.”

“You are convinced that you & I are separate, that you are something other than me. Only when you are clear that you are nothing other than me, will you understand that I don’t have your answer, you have your answer.”

“So that life might know itself, as life itself, through the process of life itself. That you might demonstrate, through the living of your life, what life is.”

Lilou Mace speaks with Neale Donald Walsch

“It’s about taking what is happening to us right now & changing our mind about it, changing our thought about it. Holding it in a new way. It’s about embracing the current circumstance, just the way it is. Without it needing to be any different. And beholding the opportunity in that. Beholding the gift in that.”

“What creates anger is the mind thinking that what is going on should not be going on. That something else should be happening. […] Obviously it should be like this. Do you know how I know? Because it is like this.”

“Ninety-eight percent of the world’s people, are spending ninety-eight percent of their time, on the ninety-eight percent of things that don’t matter at all. And their spending two percent of their time (if they are lucky) on what really matters.”

“Life will never make sense to your mind. If you are trying to make sense of life with your mind, you might as well forget it. Mind is very logical, & life is not.”

Neale Donald Walsch gives us 3 things we can do:

I have a short blog post that speaks to the point Neale made in that last video. To view that post, click here. :)

No Past, No Future, No Problem

“When you say to someone ‘you’re history’ it doesn’t mean that you’re a part of it; it means that you’re obliterated. That’s what history means.”
— Unknown

I think my Change the Meaning of the Past post (on January 8th, 2012) was too brief & too fast. I got a few comments from readers that it was hard to catch all that Alan Watts was saying & they also wanted more to read. Well, I can’t slow Alan down & I can’t transcribe the whole video, but I can write a bit more about the topic & post an additional video for you.

The Alan Watts video that I embedded in this post gives a bit more detail & has good pacing. It’s quite relaxed & fun to watch (especially Alan’s printed pants).

To me, the bottom line of what Alan Watts is saying is: THE PAST IS THE RESULT OF THE PRESENT. I could probably talk about that sentence for an hour. Actually, I know I easily could. But for now, I want to take it in another direction. (Because you can watch the entire 6 part video on Alan’s view that I embedded above, & get almost an hour of talk about that sentence from him.)

I want to share a different take on: being, living in the present, & staying out of past/future based thinking.

To me, suffering is only possible if your mind is in the past or future. If you are truly in the present, suffering is not possible.

But someone might say: I am in extreme physical pain from an illness (or physical injury). I am completely present. This pain is happening right now, & I am suffering!

My question for you would be: but are you comparing how you feel right now to a time when you were not in pain? Are you comparing how you feel or how you look, to the past? Are you comparing the predicament you are in right now to a time when you were not in it? Are you adding to this moment thoughts about the future? Thoughts based on fear? Like: what if I never get better? What if this gets worse? What if I am never the same? Why is this happening? What if I die? What if this takes a long time? What if I lose what I have over this? What if I never feel good again? — Also, let me ask you: what is your point of reference for pain & pleasure? Is it not based on the past? So in my opinion, it’s not the pain (illness, injury, or situation) that is making you suffer — it’s you. It’s your thoughts. Thoughts overrun by past & future based thinking.

Try it out for yourself today. Or better yet, try it out for yourself this week. Set aside a piece of paper. Every time you get stressed, or feel uneasy, or feel that unwanted emotions are arising — make a note of it. I want you to write down what what you are feeling & thinking. Go into detail. After that, I want you to write down what is happening in the present. Write down where you are & what is TRULY happening in the present moment. Not what you are thinking is happening, but what is really happening. Just note the facts. Don’t paint a picture of them. Just write down the basic facts without adding meaning to them. At the end of the day, or end of the week. Go back & see if those detailed thoughts & feelings about the situation matched the basic facts of the present moment. And if any of the fears that were noted in the detailed thoughts were as scary, as uncomfortable, or as painful as you thought they would be.

Alan Watts has a quote that ties in nicely to what I was just sharing with you:
[Being free from the past] simply involves a change in your thinking. It involves in other words; your getting rid of the habit of thought whereby you define yourself as the result of what has gone before — and instead, get into the more plausible, and more reasonable habit of thought. In terms of which; you don’t define yourself in terms of what you’ve done before, but in terms of what you’re doing now. And that is liberation from the ridiculous situation of being a dog wagged by its tail.

Just remember: no past, no future, no problem! :) Stay present. See what is happening now as a gift.

[To watch the entire “Time and The More It Changes” video (in 6 parts) from Alan Watts, click here.]

[Photo of the “No Past, No Future” tattoo is from the F*ck Yeah, Tattoos! blog.]