Monday, May 23, 2011
peaceful authenticity
you know what i love about pong? i can be peacefully authentic and feel support and love. every time pa new topic is presented, i can see how awesomely it connects with my life. i love talking to strangers and i love making connections. but recently i have been burned and am picking up the pieces of a peaceful work relationship turned sour. i want to wait and see what happens. i want to be peaceful with the situation and make a choice from the heart. and i want to believe i am good at the work i do. i am working on settling into this as well. and my friends tonight helped me see value in being authentic. even though ive decided to do nothing for now, perhaps soon i will have to make a choice and will come from a place of peaceful authenticity. i sure as hell hope so.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Spiritually De-cluttering Your Life
Last night I led a discussion on spiritual de-cluttering and making room for clear, concise, conscientious and aware living, moment by moment, without getting wrapped up in all the stuff that surrounds us.
Emotional clutter is taking in all the emotions around you and making them a part of you.
Spiritual clutter can be a multitude of things, including taking on issues/moral values of others and feeling burdened by them. It could also be feeling not clear about your intention or purpose in life.
Clutter can also be a negative field of energy around you.
Sometimes important life-changing decisions stir up feelings inside you and you feel at a state of unrest.
Is an emotional state of being also a spiritual state of being?
Clutter is not seeing your own sense of power.
Awareness is the key to clearing your life of physical, emotional, and/or spiritual clutter.
Clean your physical clutter and see if you're still feeling unsettled. Maybe you need to clean your internal house?
Many times spiritual clutter can be unintentionally hurting ourselves and beating ourselves up over past mistakes or not feeling good enough or feeling like a failure: "No other external environmental stuff is so important that I as a spiritual being should beat myself up over it."
"I'm the God of my world--and nothing out there is worth beating myself up about."
Ask yourself, "What purpose does this situation serve?" "What purpose does this state of being serve?" "What am I creating now?"
I'm the God of my own creation--am I a good God, a bad God, a loving God?
"I create love in myself. What's my big story?"
In life, you are given what you can handle. Clearing clutter is a process.
Be honest with yourself about yourself and what you can handle. Others may need to adjust to this. Let them.
Create a clear, concise purpose of who and what you are. Stay focused and motivated.
"Let me be still and listen to the truth." -ACIM
Namaste. Blessed be.
Kelly
Emotional clutter is taking in all the emotions around you and making them a part of you.
Spiritual clutter can be a multitude of things, including taking on issues/moral values of others and feeling burdened by them. It could also be feeling not clear about your intention or purpose in life.
Clutter can also be a negative field of energy around you.
Sometimes important life-changing decisions stir up feelings inside you and you feel at a state of unrest.
Is an emotional state of being also a spiritual state of being?
Clutter is not seeing your own sense of power.
Awareness is the key to clearing your life of physical, emotional, and/or spiritual clutter.
Clean your physical clutter and see if you're still feeling unsettled. Maybe you need to clean your internal house?
Many times spiritual clutter can be unintentionally hurting ourselves and beating ourselves up over past mistakes or not feeling good enough or feeling like a failure: "No other external environmental stuff is so important that I as a spiritual being should beat myself up over it."
"I'm the God of my world--and nothing out there is worth beating myself up about."
Ask yourself, "What purpose does this situation serve?" "What purpose does this state of being serve?" "What am I creating now?"
I'm the God of my own creation--am I a good God, a bad God, a loving God?
"I create love in myself. What's my big story?"
In life, you are given what you can handle. Clearing clutter is a process.
Be honest with yourself about yourself and what you can handle. Others may need to adjust to this. Let them.
Create a clear, concise purpose of who and what you are. Stay focused and motivated.
"Let me be still and listen to the truth." -ACIM
Namaste. Blessed be.
Kelly
Monday, January 31, 2011
Happiness is the Power of You!
January 31, 2011
Tonight Jason led a great discussion on happiness from The Little Book of Power, by Marie Jackson. :) Very cool!
Here are some of the highlights:
Tonight Jason led a great discussion on happiness from The Little Book of Power, by Marie Jackson. :) Very cool!
Here are some of the highlights:
The Power of You, The Power of Me
- In lieu of making a choice, what is your default?
- My life is who I am as an intention of the Universe, a divine miracle, an abundance that shines for all to see.
- Be at peace with your spirit. Breathe. Smile.
- I have a right to be here and be BRILLIANT!
- Be mindful of the depth of your spirit.
- Remember your POWER.
- Be at peace with your effort.
- There is divinity within me!
The Power of Resilience
- A kite rises against the wind, not with it.
- Inch by inch we grow, we overcome an obstacle, we make new choices.
- A man never made a more resilient material than the human spirit.
- I have choices. I can envision something better.
- Sometimes the best choice is to do nothing because right now you can't see a choice to make. Be at peace with that.
- This too shall pass.
- You're the craftsman of your soul.
- Beautiful, aware souls shine brighter when around beautiful, aware souls. :)
SHINE BRIGHTLY, PEOPLE!!!!!
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Compassion
December 20, 2010
Introduction: What does compassion mean to you? Is it easy or difficult to define, and why? How much influence does compassion have on your day-to-day practices and activities? Why is compassion important?
To help explore the answers to these questions, I would like to use a deck of conversation cards provided by the Fetzer Institute. They were developed to help bring the power of love, forgiveness, and compassion to the center of individual and community life. The 52 cards are actually divided into each of those categories, with a quote on one side, and on the other, a topic for a discussion and something to do. (Depending on how they are received, we may explore the other two topics - love and forgiveness - similarly in the future.)
Highlights: Discussion opened with answers to the question, "What does compassion mean to you", which ranged from being empathetic, performing selfless deeds, etc.
We shared experiences of compassion from others. Many recounted times around loss of loved ones where others were genuinely compassionate in those times of grief. This reminded me of the card with the quote:
The suggested discussion on the card was: "How do painful experiences affect your capacity to be compassionate toward others?" The activity was: "Observe, without judgment, how you react to your own and others' suffering today."
The next card had the quote:
The suggested discussion on the card was: "Share an experience when you listened to your mind over your heart. When should you listed to your heart? Your mind?" It was shared that reactions may not be compassionate, and it's often only realized after the fact. The activity was: "List some recent situation s when your heart or mind dictated your actions. Note how you can allow your heart to lead more of your actions.
At this point, discussion was already running over time, so I shared three more quotes:
Introduction: What does compassion mean to you? Is it easy or difficult to define, and why? How much influence does compassion have on your day-to-day practices and activities? Why is compassion important?
To help explore the answers to these questions, I would like to use a deck of conversation cards provided by the Fetzer Institute. They were developed to help bring the power of love, forgiveness, and compassion to the center of individual and community life. The 52 cards are actually divided into each of those categories, with a quote on one side, and on the other, a topic for a discussion and something to do. (Depending on how they are received, we may explore the other two topics - love and forgiveness - similarly in the future.)
Highlights: Discussion opened with answers to the question, "What does compassion mean to you", which ranged from being empathetic, performing selfless deeds, etc.
We shared experiences of compassion from others. Many recounted times around loss of loved ones where others were genuinely compassionate in those times of grief. This reminded me of the card with the quote:
"Only other wounded people can understand what is needed, for the healing of suffering is compassion, not expertise."
- Rachel Naomi Remen in Kitchen Table Wisdom
The next card had the quote:
The greatest distance in the world is the 14 inches from our minds to our hearts"
- Agnes Baker Pilgrim in Ode Magazine
The suggested discussion on the card was: "Share an experience when you listened to your mind over your heart. When should you listed to your heart? Your mind?" It was shared that reactions may not be compassionate, and it's often only realized after the fact. The activity was: "List some recent situation s when your heart or mind dictated your actions. Note how you can allow your heart to lead more of your actions.
At this point, discussion was already running over time, so I shared three more quotes:
The Charter for Compassion was read aloud in parts; commitments to compassion were offered on slips of paper that were chosen by the participants; and take-aways were shared."When people shine alight on their monster, we find out how similar mos of our monsters are... When people let their monsters out... it turns out that we've all done or thought the same things, htat this is our lot, this is our condition."- Anne Lamott in Bird by Bird
"True compassion is born of the truth that we are one; that separateness is an illusion; that we are infinite beings... From this place of deep humility, we can draw limitless strength, and endless compassion."- Erin Piatt on Charter for Compassion site
"I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. I speak of rthe trees for the trees have no tongues."- The Lorax in The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
PONG and compassion
Jess led a discussion on compassion Monday night and one person said that perhaps we should make compassion one of our main guidelines and focal points. I agree! Let's commit to compassionate living! :) I know I can be more compassionate in my daily life, especially with people who are hard to get along with or with situations that are frustrating or upsetting.
Thanks, Jess!
Thanks, Jess!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Everyday Fear
December 13, 2010
Introduction: Usually, fear is associated with bodily harm or danger to oneself (or another), or more extreme cases of anxiety such as phobias. But there are other common fears that affect our day-to-day decisions and how we react when faced with something unexpected; and they have little or nothing to do with physical danger or extreme anxiety.
For the discussion, think about the types of decisions you make on a day-to-day basis; does some level of fear influence your decision?
Have you experienced fear over something happening, only it never comes to pass?
We will discuss your examples and talk about where we think these fears originate, then see how they apply to present reality.
We may discover how examining our fears might allow us to gain an understanding of ourselves, what is truly important, and even as a way to practice love and acceptance.
Highlights: The discussion opened with a statement that the intent is not to overcome our fears, but to attempt to objectively examine them for what they are so that a conscious choice can be made about what to do about the experience of fear, if anything.
The Wikipedia article on fear was referenced to for the opening definition, list of common fears, and an explanation of the difference between External and Internal fears.
Five contemplations were shared to demonstrate that some of the things we fear are inevitable.
A story was shared about how a child fearing rejection from a step-father tapped into the power of fear and turned it into something else. The child decided to see this father as the only father they had, which led to a fulfilling, accepting, and loving relationship.
Fear isn't inherently good or bad, but our experience is often negative. Instead of saying or thinking "I'm afraid" and seeing it as part of you, realize that you are experiencing fear and you have a choice of action or inaction. Sometimes, you may discover that your fear is based around a conscious thought (an internal fear).
The body is a reliable source of information, and can often be listened to when trying to determine what action to take when experiencing fear. Of course, when something happens that causes the survival reflexes to kick in, there is little time for conscious thought, and the body simply takes over.
Expressing your fears to someone safe, who will not judge or hold it against you, can be an effective way to cope with fear.
Thich Nhat Hanh's thoughts on being present while planning were shared as a reminder to not lose ourselves in the fear and uncertainty of the future.
Introduction: Usually, fear is associated with bodily harm or danger to oneself (or another), or more extreme cases of anxiety such as phobias. But there are other common fears that affect our day-to-day decisions and how we react when faced with something unexpected; and they have little or nothing to do with physical danger or extreme anxiety.
For the discussion, think about the types of decisions you make on a day-to-day basis; does some level of fear influence your decision?
Have you experienced fear over something happening, only it never comes to pass?
We will discuss your examples and talk about where we think these fears originate, then see how they apply to present reality.
We may discover how examining our fears might allow us to gain an understanding of ourselves, what is truly important, and even as a way to practice love and acceptance.
Highlights: The discussion opened with a statement that the intent is not to overcome our fears, but to attempt to objectively examine them for what they are so that a conscious choice can be made about what to do about the experience of fear, if anything.
The Wikipedia article on fear was referenced to for the opening definition, list of common fears, and an explanation of the difference between External and Internal fears.
Five contemplations were shared to demonstrate that some of the things we fear are inevitable.
A story was shared about how a child fearing rejection from a step-father tapped into the power of fear and turned it into something else. The child decided to see this father as the only father they had, which led to a fulfilling, accepting, and loving relationship.
Fear isn't inherently good or bad, but our experience is often negative. Instead of saying or thinking "I'm afraid" and seeing it as part of you, realize that you are experiencing fear and you have a choice of action or inaction. Sometimes, you may discover that your fear is based around a conscious thought (an internal fear).
The body is a reliable source of information, and can often be listened to when trying to determine what action to take when experiencing fear. Of course, when something happens that causes the survival reflexes to kick in, there is little time for conscious thought, and the body simply takes over.
Expressing your fears to someone safe, who will not judge or hold it against you, can be an effective way to cope with fear.
Thich Nhat Hanh's thoughts on being present while planning were shared as a reminder to not lose ourselves in the fear and uncertainty of the future.
Welcome
This blog was created to publicly share weekly group discussions of the Power of Now Group. Initially intended to focus on the teachings of Eckhart Tolle, over the years the participants have included a variety of personal development and spiritual growth topics.
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