Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Compassion, the virtue


There is a heart meditation that Deepak Chopra leads that invites the words, peace, harmony, laughter and love to vibrate with your heartbeat.  We need more of these sentiments in the world today.  In this fear based society where violence lurks, we need to bring more kindness, compassion and love to light.  Martin Luther King Jr. captures it in the quote above. 

I talk about small acts of kindness often with this same intention.  We all can play a part in making this world a loving and peaceful place.   Make acts of kindness a priority in your life.  Start with yourself, do something kind for yourself, everyday.  I bet you can think of ways to be kinder to yourself, easily. 

I like to highlight compassion because I believe this will bring out the small acts of kindness.  Compassion sets up the stage for connection and correcting misunderstandings.  This is probably why we admire Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi so much.  They embodied compassion in a way we do not usually see.  Let's admire them and practice the lifestyle at the same time.  What kind act will you do for yourself today? 

Talking and other forms of healthy release help reduce violence.  Acts of kindness and compassion contribute as well.  Making that connection with someone, particularly when they feel isolated, and/or alone can make a difference.  As Mother Teresa reminds us, "Kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless." 

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

The being and the doing


I don't think we talk about the difference between being and doing.  For the most part, we are all about the doing and getting things done.  For me, allowing myself to be enables me to get the doing part done more efficiently.  Now it is faster for us to communicate and we have so much power in the palm of our hands, doing is such a natural, rapid process.  Here are some reminders of how to instigate the being part of ourselves:
  • Time out: when you really want to focus on something, it is okay to turn off your devices.  I even schedule silent time some mornings and entire weekend days.
  • Practice non-attachment:  Do something off schedule, take a different route home, fit in something unplanned
  • Take in the small things:  Feel the wind on your face, soak in some sun, check out the sunrise and/or sunset
  • Sit in stillness: When you need a moment, take it whether at work or home. 
  • Create something: write, paint, draw, creativity is such an inspiration. 
When I go with the flow of things and follow my instincts, I often surprise myself and come upon a happy accident.  I believe in one of the philosophies from the book, the New One Minute Manager by Spencer Johnson and Ken Blanchard, "People who feel good about themselves, produce good results."  For me the being and the doing can go hand in hand.   

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Handle the truth?



The truth is a complex concept.  When we don't want to face the truth, we take a detour, circling other people's flaws and other focus points to avoid what we do not want to face.  Sometimes, we can't handle and/or don't want to handle the truth.  Like the famous line from the film, A Few Good Men, "You can't handle the truth," the truth can be hard to swallow.

At times, there are parts of ourselves that takes a process to digest in order to move toward acceptance.  Standing in front of the mirror reciting the genuine truth; what I know to be true, helps.  I find myself giving credit to my creativity when I am resourceful with handling the truth with how I perceive and express it.  I also credit my kindness when I hold back to gentle the blow for others.  We have to mindful about whether this is helpful or not.  It is not what you say, it is how you say it, right?

Our perception of events/situations has such a huge impact on how we take in the truth.  Some believe perception is truth, others believe perception is more important than truth.  Some believe truth can only be lived, others believe truth is perfect understanding of that which is.  What does truth mean to you?  How do you handle information, factual and otherwise?  What is your honesty process with yourself and others?

It is interesting how there is a handling of the truth.  We have to make decisions about whether we reject, process, share and/or adjust it.  The most important part of this all could start with "I" statements;  Beginning with taking responsibility for your version of the truth.  As the known phrase goes, "The truth shall set you free." 

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Time in


There is so much emphasis on the outside, our appearance, what to eat, the weight, whether you are slim or not.  Here's the thing we have to work from the inside out.  Getting your mind right will help you make better choices with what you put inside your body, how you carry yourself and whether you exercise or not.  How do you find clarity?  How do you plan and move ahead?

We overlook the power of our minds and the influence of our emotions.  We turn to food for comfort, stress relief and/or even as a reward.  So if you are an emotional eater, you are probably going to reach for unhealthy foods when you are down.  Only you have the power with your thoughts and emotions to stay positive and stay in the best mood.  I am not saying to shy away from any emotional discomfort, I am saying welcome it and move though it the best you can.

Take moments to check in with yourself and recognize your emotional rhythms, your coping strategies and comfort activities.  If you raise your awareness of your natural rhythms, you can decide what is best for you when unusual occurrences fly in.  Perhaps then instead of going along with the low mood, you can still reach for a healthier snack with the thinking that it will help you feel better. 

I know the beautiful struggle with our emotions and thoughts can be hard to express.  This is probably why we don't have these conversations.  We need to practice!  Let's start discussing the struggle, we are all emotional beings!  Instead of dismissing discomfort so quickly, let's take the clues, signs and/or cue to dig deeper.  Let's take the time in to work from the inside out as opposed to just scratching the surface.  The energy that you put into covering up issues at the surface by working on the outside can be put to resolving the core of an issue.