Monthly Archives: July 2011

Quotes - 2011, Stillness

How To Become More Aware

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I think self-awareness is probably the most important thing towards being a champion. – Billie Jean King

awareness

Continuing from yesterday’s post, What Needs To Change…

Increasing awareness of self and of what we truly seek are the next steps in our ‘change’ journey. These are skills which will be handy at any stage of our lives. Some of tools which can be employed at this stage are:

  • Self-Inventory: Becoming aware of what motivates us, what irritates us, why we get angry or passionate. Here’s more about it… Want To Stop The Suffering?
  • Active Journaling: A form of journaling that allows for closer contact with our spirit inside, more here: Emotional Freedom!
  • Shadow-Self: Combine the above two… For a given day, carry a journal and every hour on the hour jot down: What was my dominant thought the last hour? What am I dwelling on right now?
  • Stillness: Use a method for stilling our minds and for having directed-thought, some tips here: http://namastenow.com/index.php/stillness/
  • Assessments: Consider personality assessment tests as well as something like Strengths Exploration.
  • Personal Vision Statement: A vision statement may be crafted based on using the above tools. A vision statement is one that states in a few words the end state an entity wants to achieve. An example might be: I am a loved and admired husband and father.

These tools can be used to help us figure out what needs to change. Once we have that we can use the Vision Statement as our end goal and as a motivational tool.

dimensions of awareness

Work on transforming self can be done along the following dimensions:

  • Body: Focus is on wellness goals…
  • Mind: Focus is on intellectual and psychological well-being
  • Soul: Spiritual aims are the focus here…
  • Life-Purpose: In some ways this bucket combines the first 3 dimensions and puts the focus on how our existence impacts and improves people and things around us, our world…What is our contribution to Life?

There can be other dimensions… More on this overall process next time!

Daily Affirmation: Today I AM changing for the better!

Recommendation: What Got You Here Won’t Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith

What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More SuccessfulKindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6

Quotes - 2011, Stillness

What Needs To Change?

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I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand. – Og Mandino

what?

Be~Zen~Do is the overall change methodology that I’m proposing. To start on this journey we must know what it is that we want to change. It’s like knowing our destination before we can start using a GPS device fruitfully. As stated previously we do often know what we want to change. How confident are we that we’ve nailed exactly what needs to change? As an example we might think we want a promotion at work. And consequently we might consider changing our work pattern to gain that promotion. But what if that’s not what we truly seek? What if we really need deeper fulfillment in the form of another vocation all-together? If we get a promotion instead we might be moving farther away from what we truly desire and need to change!

next…

Our main effort should be to go after what truly needs to change.

  1. Do we need to change a job, a vocation, or should we be working on changing our perspective?
  2. How should we think about approaching change?
  3. What do we need to transform?

More on this next time!

Daily Affirmation: Today I think about important things!

Recommendation: The Greatest Miracle in the World by Og Mandino

The Greatest Miracle in the WorldKindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6

Quotes - 2011, Stillness

Be Zen Do!

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…I see them carried away headlong, grim and obsessed, in the general onrush of the human herd, unable to stop themselves or to change their direction. – Chuang-Tzu

change

From last week (How Do I Fix It?) lets continue on the topic of Change. We’ll discuss a general philosophy of be~zen~do and specific techniques from various sources to effect lasting change, even transformation…

be~zen~do

A basic easy to follow ‘change’ philosophy is Be, Zen and Do.

  • Be: Through reflection and other practices like journaling, meditation, affirmations and visualization figure out what we want to achieve. Create a vision of the end state.
  • Zen: Use mindfulness to our advantage as we pursue a change goal. Increasing awareness of self and our motivations is the key here…
  • Do: Apply appropriate techniques to cement habits and allow the change process to occur naturally and with great success!

Daily Affirmation: Today I AM a change master!

Recommendation: Change Anything by Kerry Patterson

Change Anything: The New Science of Personal SuccessKindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6

Gita, Quotes - 2011

The Infinite God Of All…

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11.13 And Arjuna saw in that radiance the whole universe in its variety…

11.38 Thou God from the beginning… Treasure supreme of this vast universe. Thou the One to be known and the Knower, the final resting place. Thou infinite Presence in whom all things are.

11.40 … God of all. All-powerful God of immeasurable might. Thou art the consummation of all: thou art all. – The Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 11)

vision

Arjuna at this point has a grand mystical vision of God and the entire universe. He experiences God in his vastness and infinity. He’s divinely awestruck and falls to his knees worshipping the God of All.

god

This chapter includes a mind-boggling description of the one God of all. The spirit inside us rejoices and can be more easily recognized when in meditation or while reading we contemplate God’s greatness and ever-presence. The world is our cocoon, we have nothing to fear, life is an adventure that never ends, and all is well!

Daily Affirmation: Today I AM humbled.

Recommendation: The Bhagavad Gita (Penguin Classics) by Juan Mascaro

The Bhagavad Gita (Penguin Classics)Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6

Quotes - 2011, Stillness

How Do I Fix It?

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If we have not quiet in our minds, outward comfort will do no more for us than a golden slipper on a gouty foot. – John Bunyan

why?

Here’s the amazing thing … We know how to fix most situations, we know what will help and what will soothe … but we’re still not able to do it? Why? Here are some reasons:

  • Lack of correct understanding: We might be aware only of the peripheral issue not the deep seated one.
  • Lack of skill: Don’t know what skills to apply in a given situation.
  • Hypnosis: We’re hypnotized, we live our daily lives like zombies, we keep going like the Energizer Bunny!

rocket science?

It’s not rocket science and once understood effecting positive change in our lives is fairly straight-forward. Will power is not the key. Stay tuned as we explore this whole subject in the coming days.

Daily Affirmation: Today I AM the subject.

Recommendation: Living the Science of Mind by Ernest Holmes

Living the Science of MindKindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6

Quotes - 2011

The Zen Of Enlightenment

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Zen opens a man’s eyes to the greatest mystery as it is daily and hourly performed; it enlarges the heart to embrace eternity of time and infinity of space in its every palpitation; it makes us live in the world as if walking in the garden of Eden. – D.T. Suzuki

zen –> awareness

The word Zen (Japanese) comes from the Chinese Chán which is derived from the Indian word dhyāna. Constant meditation, or paying full attention to all that we do and to all that we are, is the essence of Zen practice. Mind-fullness leads to greater awareness of self and our surroundings.

awareness –> enlightenment

Increasing awareness in turn leads to true understanding. When we understand things to be as they are, we start to see, we start living in wisdom. In such a state we’re joyous, enjoy a keen intellect, love life, get along with most folks and cannot be disappointed or saddened for too long.

Daily Affirmation: Today I AM joyous and wise.

Recommendation: Savor This Moment by Karla Dornacher

Savor This Moment Embracing The Goodness In Everyday LifeKindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6

Quotes - 2011

How To Achieve A Scary Goal!

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It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that they are difficult. – Seneca

journal on

  • How much of our time, our attention and thinking do we focus on difficulties?
  • How many of our difficulties are real, or just perceived?
  • What are we afraid of?
  • What’s the worst that’ll happen?

and then…

  • We must become aware of the negative programming we treat ourselves to on a daily, sometimes a constant, basis.
  • Next we ought to dare ourselves to a thrilling, almost scary, goal!
  • Then figure out by when we would love to achieve this goal.
  • And finally choose a friend or confidante who can hold you accountable to the goal!

Daily Affirmation: Today I AM daring!

Recommendation: Success: Through a Positive Mental Attitude by Napolean Hill

Success: Through a Positive Mental AttitudeKindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6