First, there is no peace for the wicked. If you have not repented of your sins and placed a submitting faith in Jesus Christ for salvation—and if you are not daily denying yourself, taking up your cross, and following Him; you will not have a sound mind! If this is you, start at the beginning. If you’ve fallen away from the LORD, go back to the beginning.

Christians:

Your trust must be in Jesus ALONE (not in a church, pastor, spouse, or friend). Go to Him. He is the Vine, and without Him you can do nothing!

The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? Psa. 27:1

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27

He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. I John 4:4

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phil 4:13

What should we meditate on?

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Phil 4:8

God gives a sound mind to His children:

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Tim. 1:7

We are in a spiritual battle every day. We must use our spiritual weapons (Word of God and prayer/fasting) and bring EVERY thought into obedience to Jesus:

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. 2 Cor. 10:3-5

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Heb. 4:12

We must use our minds to love the LORD Jesus (not self):

Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. Matt. 22:37

Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Eph 5:17

We have the ability to “set our minds” where we want to, and we must CHOOSE to set them on things above:

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Col. 3:2-4

It is up to us to “gird up the loins of our mind” and trust Jesus. We can’t go into battle with our vulnerable parts (our minds) unprotected:

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. I Pet. 1:13

We must BELIEVE that Jesus will take care of us. It is not enough to say we believe. Our actions must prove that we trust Him:

I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. 2 Tim. 1:12

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee. Isaiah 26:3

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. John 16:33

Focus on Jesus, hold fast, and endure!

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace,that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Heb. 4:14-16

Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with ENDURANCE the race that is set before us, LOOKING UNTO JESUS, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For CONSIDER HIM who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. Heb. 12:1-4

Keep your spiritual armor on and HOLD YOUR GROUND. STAND. Notice at the end of this passage, you are to “be watchful with all perseverance with all supplication for all the saints.” When you are feeling sorry for yourself and not holding our ground, you are not able to strengthen your family members who need you.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—Eph. 6:10-18

We can and must have our minds RENEWED (by the Word of God):

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Rom. 12:1-2

..Be RENEWED in the spirit of your mind…Eph. 4:23

…And have put on the new man who is RENEWED in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him. Col. 3:10

For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ. I Cor. 2:16

We MUST consider our lives crucified with Christ, and we must REFUSE to walk after the flesh (our own ideas, desires, impulses, emotions, etc.)

For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Rom 8:6

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Gal. 2:20

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Prov. 3:5-6

And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. Isaiah 32:17

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

When anxious, we must learn to wait patiently upon the LORD.

But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Isa. 40:31

My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him. Psalm 62:5

Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD! Psalm 27:14

Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother; Like a weaned child is my soul within me. Psalm 131:2

And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. Rom. 16:20

While waiting, give thanks!

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. I Thess. 5:16-18

Remember what our afflictions are doing for us spiritually!

We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 2 Cor. 4:8-10

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Cor. 4:16-18

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Rom. 8:28

Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Cor. 12:8-10

If you are convicted of sin, be earnest and REPENT. Stop doing it. Ask God for forgiveness. Believe His Word:

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I John 1:9

Then move on! His mercies are new every morning, and there is no condemnation to those who are IN Christ Jesus, who do not walk after the flesh, but after the Spirit (Rom. 8:1). If you’ve repented and are currently not following your flesh, further condemnation is from the evil one. Pay no heed at all to that liar!

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee; The LORD make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; The LORD lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. Numbers 6:24-26

 

       Tidur, menurut wikipedia, adalah keadaan istirahat alami pada berbagai binatang menyusui, burung, ikan,  dan binatang tidak bertulang belakang seperti lalat buah Drosophila. Pada manusia dan banyak spesies lainnya, tidur adalah penting untuk kesehatan. Tanda tanda kehidupan seperti kesadaran, puls, dan frekuensi pernapasan mengalami perubahan. Dalam tidur normal biasanya fungsi saraf motorik juga saraf sensorik untuk kegiatan yang memerlukan koordinasi dengan sistem saraf pusat akan diblokade, sehingga pada saat tidur cenderung untuk tidak bergerak dan daya tanggappun berkurang. Fase peralihan dari sadar ke tidur disebut sebagai pradormitium dan fase peralihan dari tidur kembali ke sadar disebut sebagai postdormitium.

        Tidur adalah fenomena alami. Tidur menjadi kebutuhan hidup manusia. Tiap individu, idealnya memiliki daur tidur yang teratur. Ada orang yang begitu mudah tidur. Bisa-bisa lagi enaknya ngobrol, tak tahunya dia sudah lelap tidur. Namun ada juga yang sulit untuk tidur. Bisa karena faktor fisik, bisa juga karena nonfisik seperti masalah yang menyangkut bathin. Pernah ada teori yang menyebutkan lamanya tidur paling tidak delapan jam perhari. Kurang dan lebih dari itu tidak sehat. Namun teori itu dibantah. Yang penting kualitasnya dan tidak melihat skala waktu. Yang dimaksud kualitas adalah derajad nyenyak tidur dan kesegaran fisik dan batin ketika yang bersangkutan bangun tidur. Semakin kurang nyenyak tidur ditambah dengan kegelisahan tidur yang semakin tinggi semakin berkuranglah manfaat tidur. Yang bersangkutan mudah lelah dan sulit bekerja secara optimum.

       Pengertian tidur yang ingin disampaikan berikut ini sangat berbeda maknanya. Tidur dalam hal ini berarti ketidakpedulian. Dengan kata lain fenomena tidur terhadap kesadaran dalam beramal dan beribadah. Kalau itu terjadi maka dia termasuk orang yang begitu asyik tidur atau begitu ingkar terhadap panggilan agama dalam ikut menangani masalah-masalah lingkungan sosial. Dengan demikian dia tidak memiliki kapabilitas modal sosial yang kuat. Lingkungan sosial dipandang bukan sebagai urusannya. Urusannya adalah menghidupi dirinya dan keluarganya. Dunianya adalah menumpuk harta dan mengejar tahta. Tampaknya karakter diri tentang pentingnya kebersamaan sudah hilang. Mereka hanya mengetahui yang lahir dari kehidupan dunia; sedang mereka tentang akhirat adalah lalai (ar Ruum; 7).

        Suatu ketika, detik-detik menjelang subuhan, dari suatu mesjid di ujung rumah terdengar suara azan…yang artinya… ”sholat lebih baik daripada tidur; sholat lebih baik daripada tidur”… Segera ketika bangun barulah dia sadar bahwa tidur yang dikerjakan selama ini hanyalah untuk menjalani kenikmatan dunia, keegoannya sendiri. Rakus dan kikir. Dia banyak ingkar dan mungkar pada perintah Allah untuk selalu peduli pada lingkungan. Dia merasa menyesal mengapa selama ini dia begitu tertidur lelap karena begitu menikmati kekayaannya buat diri sendiri. Dan kini dia berjanji untuk tidak mengabaikan perilaku amal ibadah. Ikut mewujudkan rahmatan lil alamin.

Here are Ways #s 4 and 5 from the last post which promised you 5 Ways to Be More Great-full (Boost Your Gratitude Attitude)…

#4: FAMILY (or couple’s) GRATITUDE BOOK
We just spent a very pleasant hour doing this great art & writing interactive project. So simple and yet so meaningful and fun! Quality family time!

We do not watch television, nor do our children. We are dedicated to parenting consciously and strive to support a vibration of love in our household. Yet, given that my husband and I are both entrepreneurs, with seven businesses between the two of us, and given that our children are still quite young, we know how important and sometimes challenging it can be to come up ideas (not to mention time, energy and materials) for positive family experiences.

I myself am about the least craftsy person you will ever meet and can draw a stick figure on a good day! So believe me when I tell you: Yes, you CAN do this project, and probably with what’s already available in your home. It really ranks high on simple, high on fun, high on memorable, and low on expense. (I can NEVER do those Origami things, puuleeeeeazzze, can we talk?)

Thanksgiving weekend is the perfect time to do this Family Gratitude Book…but of course so is any day that ends in “y.” Monday, Tuesday…. Enjoy!

Materials:

All you need is:

Some blank paper (we used printer or copy paper, white)

Construction paper

Ribbon or brass brads to secure the book

Markers, pencils, hole punch and/or scissors

Optional: Stickers, stamps, other art supplies, scrapbook, photos

Definitely: A little bit of time and lots of love!

We started by making a brainstormed list of everything we are grateful for. You can do this any way you like; follow your own creative impulses & inspiration. We have four family members, so I decided to color code what we wrote on this collective page or you could just all write and draw without attributing who said/drew what, or make a chart, have sections of the page, etc. The things my 6-year-old called out first were written in yellow, my 10-year-old chose blue, I picked purple and my husband green. We made a color key on the page and wrote and drew various things we are thankful for: Our dog came first, followed by a lovely torrent such as family and friends, food, a good home, music, the Earth, music, health, God, life and so on.

Then I gave each family member a separate page on which to do whatever they like, the only requirement being that whatever is on the page relates to or represents what they are thankful for. We stuck in some more blank pages, so we can add more later as we are inspired.

The kids each got to pick a color for the front and back covers. The older did the words, the younger did the drawings. We punched holes, added brads, all signed the masterpiece and voila! A Family Gratitude Book.

Not only a wonderful way to spend part of our Thanksgiving Day, but a precious keepsake, and, I trust, a new family tradition as well. We will be sharing this book with family all weekend long and inviting them to add to it as well. And of course, it can be done any day! Every day bears its own gifts if we just open the package.

Today we focused mainly on what we are thankful for in our current lives (now), but we could also include wonderful memories (past) and gratitude for all the blessings on the way! (future)

Alternative for Couples: You can also do this as a Couple’s Gratitude Book or Journal, a beautiful way to show appreciation and deepen connection. So few marriages last or are happy, as we all know, and I am blessed to have a deliriously, deLIGHTfully ecstatic marriage, 12 years strong and better every day. One of the reasons is of course, the selection of the right mate; but in order to do so, we had to do the necessary self-healing and inner preparation to bring whole, healthy individuals to the relationship. Much of this work is presented in my book: The Radical Self-Love Workbook. But it is also essential to nurture even the best of relationships, and my husband and I do so daily in many creative ways such as this.

More tips on love and relationships are at

www.LoveandSpirit.org

and at my love blog: loveandspiritblog.wordpress.com.

Whether you do the Gratitude Book as a homemade book like we did today, like a scrapbook or journal, and whether you do it as a family activity or a couple’s relationship-enhancer, it will help you see your life through the eyes of love and gratitude, and bring you even closer with those you love. Enjoy! And I welcome you to send me a comment or email to share your experience.

#5: Honor the 4 Directions and 4 Sacred Elements:

Earth, Air, Fire, Water

You do not have to be Native American to appreciate one of their traditions, which is to honor the Medicine Wheel, facing each of the four directions, thanking each one for their gifts. This is also a tradition in all indigenous cultures including pre-Christian Europe (a.k.a. Wicca, Druidry, paganism, et al.), Africa, Australia, Hawaii and South America.

In fact, if you scratch the surface beneath contemporary religions on any part of the Earth, you will find an ancient shamanic tradition that honors all the directions and all of nature as sacred.

All things follow this cycle of birth, growth, fruition and quietude, whether we are looking at seasons, a lifespan, a day, or a garden. The beauty of Medicine Wheel ceremony and the paradigm itself is that it can be applied to our lives in so many ways.

So how do you honor the directions and elements, to give thanks for what they give to us so generously? Here are a few ideas:

* Altar: Create an altar to each direction or a Medicine Wheel altar encompassing all the directions/elements. This can be in your home or outside. My husband specializes in creating Medicine Wheels as a sacred practice on the land, and has helped others to do this as well.

* Cherokee Dance of Life – You would need to learn this in person from someone who has learned it, oral tradition. This is an incredible moving meditation to all 4 directions, peoples, and elements which also honors Mother Earth and Father Sky, balances their energies as sacred partners in our hearts, and helps us give away the gifts of Spirit that are our special medicine to share with the world through our right work and service. Occasionally my husband and I share this Dance with our community. If you live near Sacramento, and would like to experience this dance, let us know so we can invite you. Or perhaps Spirit will guide you to another teacher of this beautiful tradition.

* Drum, chant, play flute to each direction

* Give offerings such as cornmeal, tobacco or sage smoke to each direction

* Speak aloud from your heart to each direction and give thanks

* Sweat lodge

* Vision quest

If you do either sweat lodge or vision quest, please do so with the guidance of a Native elder to be sure you do it properly and safely.

* Journal or journey (shamanic meditation) to discover what power animals comprise your personal Medicine Wheel of your own energy field. I love to lead these meditations when I am called to do so. Honoring your own inner Medicine Wheel supports a strong aura and keeps you connected to your spirit guides, if this resonates for you.

Associations with Each Direction

Depending on which culture or even which tribe you consult, there are somewhat different associations with the directions, colors, elements and meanings, the medicine or power that direction helps us receive and embody. The one I am most familiar with follows but this is not dogma, merely a summary of what I have found to be the more universal associations. Follow your own heart and work with any spiritual practice in the way that resonates for your own heart and inner truth.

While I have a small amount of native blood, I was adopted and was not raised in that tradition. I discovered shamanism after my initiation and spiritual awakening 15 years ago. I do not claim to be a tribal elder or teacher of any one tradition. I am an interfaith minister, meditation teacher, hypnotherapist, energy healer and intuitive life coach. I have been on the path of Spirit, studying, practicing and sharing healing and wisdom teachings from many cultures for several decades, so I offer here a simplified summary as a starting point for your discovery journey. You would do well to study more in depth with a local teacher steeped in the particular tradition that calls to your spirit, and of course feel free to research further on the Web, in books, classes, and listen to your own inner guidance. I always say the best way to pray, do ceremony or ritual is the way that feels best to you, with harm to none, of course. But we do need to honor the specific traditions so they are not all diluted through multiculturalism.

From the East we have the yellow people (Asia) and the gift of Air, Brother Wind, clarity of vision, inspiration, the new day, new beginnings, establishment of purpose and intention, and springtime.

From South, we receive the wisdom of the black people (Africa), Fire. The tools, strength, perseverance and energy to follow through and manifest, midday/ noon, summer, also humor and passion, innocence and trust.

The West gives us the culture of the Red people (such as Native Americans), the setting sun, Water, emotions, the fall season, self-evaluation toward completion, looks-within time, peace, rest and healing.

And the North represents the White (European) people and all their cultural gift. The sacred mountain, winter, midnight, time to slow down, go within and be still to receive guidance for what comes next. Completion, what you keep from the past cycle and all that you have accomplished and learned. It is also associated with the Spirit and wisdom.

Note: You can also honor the other 3 directions: Earth (below), Sky (above) and Center (within).

I hope you enjoyed these five creative ways to give thanks and I wish you abundant blessings on your journey!

Finally, in the spirit of Sufi mystic poet Rumi, I invite you to kiss the ground. Blow kisses to the sky. Bow to everything. Everything is sacred.

With Love,

Sage

More resources for your path, including free special reports on abundance, love, transformational classes, soul and energy healing sessions, intuitive readings, matchmaking and more are at:

www.LoveandSpirit.org

Taylor@LoveandSpirit.org

“Let the beauty we love be what we do.

There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.”

- Rumi

Happy Thanksgiving!

“The eye, altering, alters all.” – William Blake

I recently saw the movie Up with my family and we were touched by the sweet message that it is the most simple moments that have the most meaning for us. I call those moments, like when Russell sits on the curb counting red and blue cars with his dad and then with his new (grand)father figure at the end of the movie, the “pearls on life’s necklace.” Individually, they are precious and delicate, yet strung one after another, they form a true treasure.

In an earlier post, I shared several reasons why it is so essential to enhance our gratitude attitude. So now, as promised, here are some fun, practical ideas for how to become even more grateful (great full), how to count more of those pearls and value them with your heart, while they are in your hands:

1. My Feet Touch the Earth.

A Native American custom is to give thanks to Mother Earth each morning upon rising, when your feet first touch the floor or ground. This helps us remember that the land we live upon is alive and sacred, worthy of our deepest respect and greatest appreciation. It also helps you receive her bounty, through food, health, abundance and every good thing you can touch or experience through your senses, and to feel more grounded and “in your body.” Another thing I love about this practice is it takes zero extra time; it’s just a shift in consciousness, and isn’t that what we are most striving for?

2. Write a (different kind of) Thank-You Letter.

Well, you already know about the traditional thank-you-for-the-gift kind of letter. I believe it’s on the Endangered Species List. (When’s the last time to sent or received one of those?) I highly recommend we resuscitate these as they bring and spread so much joy, especially the kind of letters, cards and notes you can actually…what’s that called?….Oh, yeah, TOUCH with your actual hands and reread over and over without having to go online. What a concept!

In addition to writing to give thanks for specific gifts or favors you have received, I propose you explore writing Thank-You Letters to:

* Your loved ones…just because

* Yourself

* God/The Universe

* Your Body

* Money

* Your Ancestors

* The Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Sun, Moon, Stars…

You see, the possibilities are as infinite as your abundantly grateful heart.

3. Take a Gratitude Walk.

Dedicate a walk to the awareness of thankfulness. This is a walking meditation and is best done in silence or punctuated only with your statements of appreciation or a simple mantra such as:

* Thank you, God, for all that is.

* Right here, right now, beauty all around me.

* I give thanks.

* I am thankful.

Your gratitude mantra can also just run in your mind without being spoken aloud. You can rhythmically coordinate the mantra to your steps, or not; follow your own guidance and what your body tells you to do.

Another option is to think or praise something with each step or everytime you notice something you are thankful for, such as: “Thank you for my feet that I may walk. Thank you for these trees I see…. Thank you for the air I breathe. Thank you for my children (husband, wife, etc..). Thank you for my home. Thank you for my dog. Thank you for my car. Thank you for my work. Thank you for music….”

While you are walking, you may give thanks for gifts from Spirit which you can see and hear and touch in the present moment, or other blessings in your life, counting your pearls, but the key is to keep every step, every breath, every moment focused on hearful, mindful appreciation.

This is an excellent exercise which combines nourishing your body through the movement itself with nourishing your mind, heart and soul by returning your awareness to what is precious and good, all around you and within you.

As a meditation teacher for the past 11 years, I have frequently met beginning students who lament, “I can’t meditate because I can’t sit still so long. My body hurts and gets fidgety.” Some meditation disciplines and teachers simply reply to this: “Just sit. Let the distraction of the mind chatter and body aches just fade away and just sit anyway. They are all illusions, and your mind will eventually clear as you ignore the ‘monkey mind.’”

This is true for some people, some of the time, as with so much wisdom. However, some people really do need to move more often. This can be due a medical condition, a tendency toward being highly kinesthetic, and/or a need to move energy and remember they have a body through touch and motion.

I am solidly in the latter category myself and find that I benefit optimally from a kaleidoscopic, multicultural meditation practice, drawn from Eastern and Western traditions – like the Meditation for Busy People course I designed for and taught at Kaiser Permanente. Sometimes still, some moving, sometimes silent, others with chanting or music or sacred sounds, sometimes focusing on the heart, third eye, or other chakra, other times aware of the whole body and energy field, sometimes open-eyed (gazing meditation is called “tratakam” in India), sometimes closed, focused on the inner space. Let me know if you would like to me to share more of my knowledge of meditation in this blog column. I teach many methods in my workshops, teleseminars and private practice and share them also on my meditation audios.

For whatever reason, if you do not enjoy an extended sitting meditation practice, you will likely give up on it, so I highly recommend exploring moving meditation such as Tai Chi, Chi Gun, Native American Dance of Life (Dance to the 4 Directions) and even some dynamic forms of yoga, or simply authentic body movement and dance as a meditation. Walking meditations like this gratitude walk is another wonderful way to integrate Body, Mind, Heart and Spirit, so give yourself permission to move while you meditate, and give yourself credit for “meditating” if you are moving consciously and feeling a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual benefit.

Anything you do that brings your awareness to the present moment, that cultivates mindfulness and what I call heartfulness, is a form of meditation, be it walking, stretching, drinking a cup of tea, even cooking or cleaning.

As Buddhist monk and teacher Thich Nat Hanh says, whatever you are doing, even if you are washing dishes, it is the most important thing in the world.And it can be done joyfully and gratefully. Absolutely anything and everything is a meditation when done with focus and appreciation. Right here. Right now. Love.

So I invite you to join me in striving to live Life as The Grand Meditation. The Prayer of Thankfulness that Never Ends. The moment of choice, the moment of change, the moment of power, healing and grace, is now.

∞

As for me, time to go practice gratitude with my family. Right here. Right now. We are about to create a Family Gratitude Book! I’ll let you know how it turns out, and I suspect that may become Gratitude Tip #4.

Your life can change in a moment’s notice.

And the moments you notice can change your entire life.

So, my friends, have a beautiful day…and another…and another…Keep adding to, and treasuring those precious gifts of moments of simple pleasure, in oneness, and in the company of loved ones, the pearls on your necklace of life.

With Love, Sage

P.S. Please share in comments:

What part of this article did you most resonate with?

What are your favorite ways to deepen your gratitude attitude?

And what are you most thankful for this season?

(what are some of your precious pearls)

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On peut comparer le golf aux autres sports en fonction de nombreux critères. Le golf se place par exemple dans la catégorie des sports individuels par opposition aux sports collectifs comme le football ou le rugby. Si l’on compare le golf et le tennis maintenant, ces deux sports sont tous deux considérés comme des sports individuels. Ils sont mêmes devenus aussi populaires l’un que l’autre, par contre, l’un est un sport « rapide » et l’autre, le golf, un sport « d’anticipation » où le temps de préparation permet d’analyser en profondeur la situation, de choisir posément une stratégie et d’optimiser ainsi la performance.

En comparant le golf avec les sports « collectifs » et les sports « rapides » comme le ping-pong et le tennis, on peut attribuer au golf des qualités que l’on ne retrouve pas dans les autres sports, ou du moins, pas de manière si développée. L’apport du golf dans la gestion des émotions donne, dans la vie de tous les jours, des qualités qui optimisent la performance de l’individu lorsque l’esprit est soumis à une situation est stressante ou à une contrainte de réussite. Si les activités de groupe véhiculent davantage de modèles socio-éducatifs, le golf, lui, développe des vertus intérieures nécessaires pour gérer efficacement les moments importants de la vie. De nombreux coachs de vie organisent désormais des cours dans le contexte du golf parce que les situations vécues et les sentiments développés se rapprochent des scènes de vie où les dispositions d’esprit et l’expérience sont déterminantes. Un stage de golf est l’outil idéal pour transmettre les qualités à la fois essentielles au bon jeu de golf et à la vie de tous les jours. Performer, bien vivre son univers et se réaliser sont un véritable objectif de vie.
Le tennis est un sport individuel, certes, mais c’est un sport « rapide ». C’est-à-dire que la performance consiste à avoir quelques dixièmes de secondes d’avance sur son adversaire. Et c’est le fait de créer ce décalage dans le temps qui permet de performer. Lorsque le tennisman prend de vitesse l’autre joueur, il a mis en place l’élément déterminant pour gagner le point. Au cours d’un swing de golf, le golfeur profite largement des éléments qu’il a mis en place durant les vingt secondes que dure sa préparation.

La suite dans l’article de la semaine prochaine.

Bon golf à toutes et à tous.

Golfimages

The Beginning

I love him and then I didn’t. I loved it and now I hate it. I loved it, then I lost it. The switch happens at times without notice. Normally, we move from one mode of thinking to another. Some call it growth, others call it fickle. No matter which side of the path you walk there are always borders trying to keep you steady. Sigmund Freud and his theories busily boxed in your emotions, tendencies, social parameters, and answered the whats and whos of normalcy. If he were alive today would any of us be normal? So why not create your own normal. Throw out the mirror stage with the paradigms. Release yourself for one day. Dive into his perception of madness, just for a second. Dare to see someone else in that mirror and see what happens. Now do not go out and commit some heinous crime for giggles. This is an internal deconstruction. Keep it neat. Go back and rewrite the messages you were fed from birth. In other words, re-become self. I chose to exaggerate this methodology because it must be a complete, no holds barred washing. Embrace the Afterdeath experience.

Going through a trial shakes loose everything we know and love about ourselves. Standing on line at a food pantry for the first time puts one in a place outside of the self we knew already. Picture a construction worker, Mike, who has made a good living for 15 years. In his mind, this life will go on forever – he is still young at 33. There are 3 cars in his driveway; one family car, a brand new pick up, and his toy. He may also have a boat. Not yacht size, but still a sign of prosperity as neighbors pass his neatly kept home. He has three children; 10, 7, and 3. His wife, Ellen, has never worked since their marriage. Before that, she was a waitress in a corner restaurant.

Ellen watches the home shopping channels between clipping coupons and catching sales at the malls. Their home is a collage of Southern Living, Better Homes & Garden, House & Home, and Chicago Home & Garden magazines. Lunch with the girls is always at her home. It always concludes with a replication of the latest infomercial, along with product demonstration and price. The girls fawn, and one by one excuse themselves for another appointment.

 Mike falls from a 15 ft. ladder at work and is rushed to the hospital. His leg is fractured in three places. No matter, he has also severed his spinal cord on a metal shard poking out of the ground. Mike has minimal health insurance, which includes a $500 co-pay. There is no savings nor retirement plan deep enough to cover his rehabilitation or mortgage costs.  After two years, the couple is financially, mentally, and socially dead.

The couple has sells their home to pay for hospital and aftercare costs. Their lives in the small apartment on the other side of town, affords them little after rent and utilities. Ellen is forced to seek out the food pantries in her area. This is the beginning of her life in the Afterdeath.

Abro la ventana por la pàgina 89 y lanzo el libro por ella. Almenos por hoy dejaré de esnifar libros para dejarme llevar al son de la melodia.

Sin escuchar a puristas de ella, sólo escucharé lo que me vaya a animar el hoy. Más asquerosa, más rota, más distorsión. Siempre más, y siempre políticamente incorrecta dentro de lo possiblemente publicable y que cumpla las característiques antes mencionadas. De venta en farmacias. Y sólo en los mejores cines. Y no incluye pilas. Acero inoxidable.

A ver si tienes suerte y la encuentras buscando debajo de los puentes. Quizás por ahí anda la libertat de hace unos meses: los paseos por el parque y las baladas con solos que quitan el aliento. Como follar con amor. Como destruir lo indestructible. Como saber que se tiene la razón, pero callarte y sonreir por dentro sabiendo que él se equivoca.

Momentos. Nada más. Pero a la espera de calma con ella. Y mientras tanto, calzarse bien alto las botas. Por si a la muerte le apetece pillarnos por el camino. Quién sabe.

       Tiap hari raya Idul Adha tiba pasti sebagian besar umat Islam akan mengenang figur Nabi Ismail dan Nabi Ibrahim sebagai suri tauladan akan ketaatannya kepada Allah swt.. Hal itu kemudian dikenal sebagai ritual Idul Qurban. Esensinya bukan sekedar ritual belaka dalam bentuk penyembelihan hewan kurban sapi, kerbau, unta, atau kambing. Lebih dari itu, yakni mengembangkan spirit kehambaan Nabi Ibrahim dan Nabi Ismail dalam kehidupan keseharian kita. Simbol dari penyembelihan tersebut sama saja dengan menjauhi sifat-sifat rakus, ego berlebihan, mabuk harta dan kekuasaan, dan berburuk sangka.

       Setiap umat Islam sangat dianjurkan memiliki mutu sumberdaya manusia tinggi (iman, takwa, dan amal soleh) yang dicerminkan dengan kesediaanya berkurban dan berbuat ikhsan bagi sesama dan lingkungan. Dalam hal ini Allah berfirman: "Daging-daging (unta) dan darahnya itu sekali-kali tidak dapat mencapai (keridhaan) Allah, tetapi ketakwaan dari kamulah yang dapat mencapainya. Demikianlah Allah telah menundukkannya untuk kamu supaya kamu mengagungkan Allah terhadap hidayah-Nya kepada kamu. Dan berilah kabar gembira kepada orang-orang yang berbuat baik". (al-Hajj: 37).

       Namun demikian perlu disadari, Ridha Allah tidak akan sampai pada pemilik daging-daging yang disedekahkan dan darah-darah yang mengalir dari hewan yang dikurbankan kecuali jika dia melandasi amalannya dengan niat ikhlas dan memperhatikan syarat-syarat taqwa saat berkurban. "Sesungguhnya amalan sedekah itu telah sampai kepada Allah sebelum sampai ke tangan penerimanya, dan sungguh (pahala) dari darah (kurban) itu telah sampai kepada Allah sebelum membasahi bumi". (HR. Ibnu Majah dan Tirmidzi).

SELAMAT BERHARI RAYA IDUL QURBAN 1430 H.

Target focussed golf is about getting a state of mind  for each shot (Chemical Edge Technology) and then allowing the subconscious to execute that shot.

Now initially this can be a hard concept to engage and just as hard to execute until you find your own way of ensuring that you can keep the target focussed in your minds eye, find the feel (state of mind) for that target and shot and get used to just hitting to the target in your mind.

Tiger does it and if it’s good enough for the best in the world it’s good enough for the rest of the world

See Putt To The Picture Below

Thanks In Advance

Keith S Forbes

For the last couple of weeks I’ve been waking up after three or four hours of sleep and then staying awake.  I mean, I eventually fall asleep again, but unfortunately sleep will find me during a test or in the middle of a conversation with my roommate.  It’s fun.

This morning I woke up around 3AM.  The pattern I’ve established is that I toss and turn while thinking about nine million different things, all seemingly unrelated.  Of course, I know that all things in life are related to the other and stress in one area may very well lead to stress in every other area.  Right?  Or am I just talking crazy because of lack of sufficient REM sleep cycles?  Yeah.  Probably that second one.

November has been an Off The Charts flavor of ridiculous.  I’ve been thinking about what direction this website should be taking.  I started it as a way to chart my progress on living a fit and healthy life.  I know!  I’m gasping and choking back laughter even as I sit here!  Then it sort of morphed into this place to write about the STRUGGLES of trying to live a healthy and fit life in the midst of…well, my unhealthy and lazy lifestyle.  It became a place to celebrate my successes and lament my failures.  But then, dude, the failures TOTALLY started outweighing (pun absolutely intended) the victory stories and then this blog became a virtual version of an oil change.  I just avoided it and ignored it until absolutely necessary.

I thought of ending it all.  Just deleting this blog and turning it into vapor.  It wouldn’t be like quitting, I told myself.  It’s not as if there is anyone out there who REALLY is depending on my words.

Except myself.  Me.  I depend on my words.  I am the one who finds an outlet by writing.  I’m the one who gets a little twitchy and weird and awkward if a few days go by and I haven’t written anything.  The weeks-long gaps in this blog are extremely uncomfortable for me.  Which is odd, because I know that I can make it better, but I choose not to.

If you have a blog, I’m sure you’ve gone through the whole dramatic scene of scrutinizing content and trying like hell to find something worthy of writing about.  I’m sure you’ve struggled with the knowledge that your blog is YOURS and therefore you know that whatever you want to write about is okay.  You’re totally the boss.  But then you start to get a few regular readers and it feels like now, you have an audience and this isn’t just a journal and you have a responsibility to entertain.  Dance, monkey, dance!

And as a blog READER, you know that you’ll keep coming back to blogs you love, not necessarily for the streamlined content and witty ramblings (although that certainly helps), but for the relationship you start to feel with the author.  I read a lot of websites that jump around from topic to topic depending on what the writer’s life is like on any given day.  I go back because I’m curious.  I go back because, frankly, it’s all about me.  I feel better about myself when I read some websites.  There are some blogs that inspire me, make me laugh, make me feel something other than freaked out about school and money…which seem to be my common themes of the last month.

So, if you’re reading my blog for you–awesome and thanks.  If you’re reading my blog because you feel you have some sort of kinship with me–you’re probably right.  We are all much more alike than we realize.  We all want the same things.  Love, friendship, and a sense of belonging.  I hope my voice speaks to you on some level and I hope I either make you laugh or make you think or just manage to take your mind off of the daily grind for a while.  If I don’t do any of those things…then what in the hell are you doing here?  Shoo!  Go find a website that is at least a tiny bit fulfilling!

I’m not going to delete this because I’ve “failed” at the original direction of the blog.  I’m going to keep coming here and writing about what’s going on in my life…for me.  And whatever path the website makes for itself, I’ll just follow along.  It will most likely never fit into a neat category like Mommyblogger or Foodie Blog or Health Blog or Fitness Blog.  I will never have a panel at BlogHer.  And I’m okay with that.  That was never my intention, anyway, but it’s so easy to get sucked up into all of it.

I’m going to keep writing because there are people out there like myself.  People who don’t have a clear-cut path from the current to the future.  There are a lot of us who struggle and plod along, starting new endeavors and then realizing that we’ve changed our mind.  So we stop and take stock and choose a new path.  It looks like we’re quitters.  Maybe we are sometimes, but there are so many other times when we just don’t want to waste our time simply for the sake of finishing.  Showing up for life and finishing what you’ve started is important…so maybe I just tell myself that it’s okay not to because I want to let myself off the hook.

How is it possible to be a perfectionist and a sloth all at once?

I’m in pain.  I can’t sleep.  I am overwhelmed with the facets of life I’ve chosen.  I’ve lost perspective.  Every little thing seems like the end of the world.  Every decision seems to weigh five hundred pounds.

I’m struggling.  With nearly everything.

The Government Got It Right

November 24th, 2009

A change in the sensitivity of your breasts, other than pain, might be a symptom of menopause, but it also might be something more severe. It could be mastic breast tissue, cysts, breast disease, or even neuropathy related to multiple sclerosis or fibromyalgia. It can also be a warning sign of breast cancer.

The new government recommendations on breast cancer screening were surprising to many doctors, but I happen to agree with them. The government is currently recommending against regular mammography tests for women aged 40 to 49. The guidelines also downplay the effectiveness of self-examinations and advise that women aged 50 to 74 years receive mammograms every other year.The change in early detection direction came from a U.S. Preventive Services Task Force comprised of a government panel of doctors and scientists. They concluded that early and frequent screenings by mammography often lead to false alarms and unneeded biopsies without substantially improving a woman’s odds of survival.

I agree with these new guidelines. First, I have not been a fan of mammograms for some time. I find that mammograms are not nearly as effective in detection as some other tests, like MRI’s and ultrasounds. I also have found that even when I teach my patients how to complete a manual breast exam, they are less than effective.

I support the new guidelines because I think it will lead to better testing. The ultrasound is a better screening procedure that’s safer and easier and picks up things fast. I believe that women should receive ultrasounds every year as part of their routine medical exam, beginning at an early age. If needed, MRI or PET scans can detect lumps and bumps better than any mammogram ever could.

Dr. Eric Braverman

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click here for map to Dr. Joe’s office 

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Click Here To Read Study

PLEASE PASS IT ON…

risk-of-vertebrobasilar-stroke-and-chiropractic-care

¡Trabajo mental! Y una pelota mareada.

Hay cosas que hacen reconsiderar lo que haces. Dicen que las cosas las hacemos en acto, porque primero las hacemos en la mente. Mi problema, es que siempre quedan ahí. Y me choca, bastante, cuando la gente hace cosas sin que pase por ahí. Aunque no sé. Quizás sí pasó por la mente. Y rugió mucho dentro. Tanto, que te ensordece. Y actúas, a ciegas, sin el superyo mirando. En realidad sí mira. Pero estás ensordecido y desorientado.

Yo no puedo. Estoy encerrado en mi mente. Por algo nació este blog. Por algo tuve antes un diario de vida (Sí, digan que es patético). Por algo me inmerso en películas, en libros, en música. Por algo disfruto tanto de la imaginación. Y si bien me gustaría ser un poco más de actos, termino necesitando el ser mental.

Mis funciones cerebrales se parecen mucho a éstas... Pero reemplazo "TV" por "internet", "Donuts" por "berlines", y "Duff beer" por "té AKBAR!" xD Y los "Doh" por "UTA!"

El gastar neuronas, en lo que otros gastan músculo, es mi ejercicio. Me encantan los juegos con puzzles, me relaja el Tetris (y ello tiene algo de estudios) recopilo todos los diarios que encuentre para hacerles los sudokus. Lo mío es el pensar. No así actuar. Pero como he mencionado en una entrada anterior (O creo que ese entry nunca vio la vida, sino que está guardado aún), igual termino a veces actuando sin pensar mucho, y los resultados no me han resultado satisfactorios. Ello es culpa del tremendo monstruo que aloja en mí, que se llama conciencia, y al que le tengo demasiao cuco. El remordimiento es algo que me amenaza siempre con tatuarse en fuego en mi frente, porque ese es el problema y disyuntiva que siempre se me presenta: Si hago las cosas, me arrepiento de hacerlas (pocas veces, si es que no ninguna, me ha pasado el arrepentirme de hacer algo). Y si no las hago, el sentimiento de remordimiento es peor, porque las oportunidades se dan pocas veces, y para otras son únicas. El no aprovecharlas me consume por culpa de mi imaginación voraz, que se encarga de hacerme inventar escenas que todo cambia. Futuros alternativos, finales felices, giros imprevistos en la historia, Hitler siendo acribillado en un teatro… Todo se vuelve una alternativa. El Efecto Mariposa hace eco en mi mente y se repite y replica y los huracanes de cambios azotan todo mi universo.

Pero así soy. Y me cuesta no serlo. Desde el momento en que tengo recuerdos, he sido así. Cerebral.

Amongst the many things I’ve debated with Nik has been the re-occurrent theme of woman, and why the hell we’re so attracted to douche bags. It started when we met up after he got back from camp and we were swapping stories about our summers. He had quite the following of little woman apparently, and when he gave me this confused look of “what does it mean?!” I just laughed and reassuringly told him I couldn’t think of a single reason anyone would like him. I’m pretty sure he glared at me at that point, or did something equally mature like kick me under the table, but his reply didn’t entirely disprove my point. As he put it “the only reason they liked me was cause I was a complete and utter douche bag.”

Thing is (apparently) that Nik was always really nice to everyone, aside from me that is, especially people he had a crush on. And, well, it didn’t usually work out for him that well. This summer he decided to give up on trying to be pleasant and just went about being his normal assholeish self. And voila, line ups as far as the eye could see.

We’ve had several subsequent discussion on why this is, and after thinking about it a bit today I’ve come up with a tentative thesis.

Firstly, that woman are complete and utter idiots, who really just don’t know what’s good for them or often even what they want. Secondly, that being patronized is about as much of a turn on as an uncooked piece of meat. And thirdly (perhaps most importantly) that being a dick only holds its own when there’s something else backing it up – we’re not actually into people who treat us like shit, at least we aren’t most of the time (I mean we do have to admit the first point’s validity here). The things is there has to be something behind the teasing; when frustrating turns to degrading the turn on generally starts to die off as well.

Starting with the second point let’s take a look at my all time favorite subject matter in relationship faux pas: Jared. Him calling me cute, and pretty, and telling me I had fantastic eyes was adorable at the beginning. I wasn’t used to compliments, or the attention, and it definitely worked out for him at the start (I mean let’s face it, I went there didn’t I) but that lasted about as long as the relationship should have – that is for a couple months, tops. By the time winter rolled around it was getting about as dreary as the weather. I mean I know I’m gorgeous, I’m a fricken beast of hottness, I’m well aware and I’m glad he was aware too, but for Gods sakes I didn’t need to hear it every five seconds. Trust me I can (and will) do that myself every time I look in the mirror, him repeating it back to me just seemed to decrease the worth of the compliments. Fact is I think we as woman, and as human beings in general, like to work for what we get, having it handed to us on a plate just makes it that much less desirable. Being patronized, at least for me, just leaves you feeling somehow inferior or looked down upon by the one being overly kind. A guy feeling like I need a compliment every five seconds makes me feel like the person in question doesn’t think I’m capable of holding my own, like I’m going to break apart into a fragile, crying mess if my ego isn’t constantly being boosted. Of course those weren’t the words going across my mind when I heard the compliments, but it was undoubtably the feeling I was left with (at the very least subconsciously) at the end.

And, of course, over complimenting is just one part of the Mr Nice Guy syndrome, but I think in general it comes back to the same principle: we want to be treated like equals, we want to be respected and we want you to make us earn what you’re willing to give. We like being presented with a challenge, and whether it’s one we’re stupid to attempt (like reforming the bad boy) or just being able to match you at your own game of banter, it’s a lot more of a turn on to have to work for those sweet actions, and have them feel genuine, than have the whole package just layed out on the table before us.

Of course there’s a flip side to why we like assholes too (because as the first point said, woman are essentially, more or less, completely irrational beings – don’t fight it ladies, its time we admit the truth). And that, I think, has to do with an attraction to power, to self confidence, and general masculine ARGness (for a lack of a better term). And I don’t mean that in the traditional “I am man, here me roar” sense (though that’s undoubtably a little true too) but more in the fact that no matter how effeminate a man might be if he can take control of the situation you’re gonna get goosebumps. Cause let’s face it, no matter how much of a feminist we are, there’s something undeniably hot about being pulled in and kissed without any personal control. Come on now, did you not just get a shiver thinking about it? And I think, that’s where a lot of us ladies get ourselves into trouble, we get swepted up in the bad guy who knows how to control the situation, without realizing that there’s no way of reigning this one back in. Of course it doesn’t even have to be physical, intellectually or through banter the same effect can be achieved.

In the end though I think it leads me to my last point, that there’s a undoubtable limit to the extent that douchebaggery is a turn on. Thinking back across the multiple jackasses I’ve known, and the people I’ve been attracted to, I’ve found a somewhat constant strain. Essentially if there’s nothing beneath the douchebag we probably don’t want your douche. Take a look at Scott, grade eight, utter asshole, a little cute, should be a perfect candidate for woman to be all over him right? Except they weren’t… to say the least I certainly wasn’t. For me what through him out of the pile was the fact that he crossed the line and there was just no turning back. His teasing wasn’t fun, it wasn’t a challenge, it didn’t leave a glimpse of hope for a compliment at the end of the road. There was no shame or acknowledgement when he went too far and the cocky just didn’t end. There’s a difference between acting like a douche and being one, and as far as I’m concerned M. Scott was on the full bread douche side of the line.

Jared was an idiot but he said nice things (granted their charm wore off quickly) and he certainly wasn’t a cocky bastard. Roy could make fun of me, but he was genuinely sweet when I was having a bad time and would give up any pretense of pride if it meant helping you out. Nik is a complete dick, but its all in good fun, he’s there when you need him and deep down inside he’s no more of a cocky asshole than the rest of us.

Being confident is a turn on, holding your own is a turn on, giving us a challenge is a turn on, being mean isn’t.

Of course we’re all going to fall for real to God assholes at some point, and learning to love a nice guy is hardly out of the question, but when it comes to why woman are so obsessed with jackasses I’d say, as far as I can tell, we just want to work for it.

… And we’re also probably a little mental.

In previous blog-entries of mine, I mentioned the forum PsychForums and their Asperger's board. This time, I decided to dedicate an entire blog-post to the site and say that it's a phenomenal forum to use if you have any type of psychological problem – check PsychForums out if you haven't yet.

PS. I'm not affiliated in any way with PsychForums; I just enjoy promoting things I deem worthy.

Posted via email from HikiCulture – A Forum For Reclusive People (and Hikikomori) {HikiCulture.Com Site Blog}

I had one of my tweeps ask me a relationship question, that made me thing.  Between being a Mama’s boy, having 95% of my friends females . . . I have some cool insights on relationships.  So after rolling this question around in my head, I thought I would share my theory.  Most relation relationships fall apart because of change, DUH.  Whether it’s about, money, sex, attention, or the toilet seat being left up, it’s all about change.

Are you smoking crack?  No I’m not . . . let’s look at it from the point of Democrats  versus Republicans.  I think most of us ( intelligent people ) can agree that we all want to be happy in some crazy way.  No matter who we identify ourselves with Democrats or Republicans we want to be happy and successful.  I believe most of us in relationships want to be happy and successful, although we may have different was of measuring it.

Thinking vs Doing

Like our Democratic party one person is all about thinking and discussing.  One person wants to talk about the issues and the problems before making a decision.  They are the “Thinkers” in the relationship, which is good for processing, but can be painful for a do “Doer”.  Like our Republic party one person is about doing, they may or may not think about the issues or problems they are eager to get started fixing the problem.  The “Doer” is good at getting stuff done,  but can be frustrating to a “Thinker”.  Both parties want to solve the problem, but in different ways.  The “Doer” jumps in and gets things done, whether it’s a sound decision or not.  The “Thinker” discusses the problem to death so it may or may not ever get done.  We can switch parties depending on the situation, but usually we are loyal to our party.

“I Can Change You” vs “I Hope You Don’t Change”

Now the biggest issue for the Political Relationship how we see the importance of change.  We have the Democrats “Yes, We Can” and the Republicans “No, We Shouldn’t”.  Whether there should be change in the relationship isn’t the problem it’s usually the reaction that causes the problem.  Not to be sexist, but usually the female is the Democrat and the male is the Republican.  This works for same sex relationships, it’s not gender based, but based on the how one identifies themselves.  I have found that the Democrat thinks they can change everything for the better, while the Republican hopes things don’t change at all.  One person hopes the other person doesn’t change ( Please, don’t change ), while the other person hopes the other person will change ( I can fix them ).  One person sees the potential of the person, “With my help, they can be a better person”.  The other person likes what they see, “I like what I see, don’t change”. Change is going to happen, trouble happens when both parties realize that the change has actually happened.

It’s Hard Work

Relationships are HARD!  Dr Phil says, “Do you want to be right or happy”.  We all have to pick one .  Change is going to happen, we just have to figure out how we are going to deal with it.  Am I going to be OK if I can’t change my sig other?  Am I going to love my sig other even if they change.  Can we going to change together?

We can only control our change and how we deal with the other persons change.  No matter how much you love someone that doesn’t mean you are meant to be together forever, unless you are willing to work at it.  Love doesn’t conquer all, love and hard work conquers all.

Its hasn’t been hard for me to keep playing guitar and singing. I’m certainly making progress in that regard, but I cannot forget that self-improvement is about achieving a working balance in the various aspects of life. In terms of balance, I have not been doing too well.

Much of my weekend was spent binge drinking. Granted, I am a college student in my final year of my bachelor’s degree, but the result of this has been a sleeping schedule about as bad as I have ever had. After staying up till nearly 6 in the morning Friday and Saturday night, I have become almost completely nocturnal the past few days. By the time I wake up and really get moving, there are only about 3 hours of daylight remaining in the day. I then stay up nearly all night playing music and using my computer. My sleeping pattern is really the most urgent of my issues, as it directly interferes with my ability to get things done as well as my performance academically, as I frequently miss classes due to oversleeping.

Lastly, there is the issue of smoking, which I have been trying to quit for a fairly long time now. With the stress of school and money, I always find a way to rationalize my situation and purchase more to smoke. I suppose the real issue is that I am somewhat divided mentally. Part of me truly doesn’t want to smoke anymore, but there is definitely a part of me which enjoys smoking and does not want to give it up. For the sake of both my health and my wallet, however, I know the clock is winding down on my smoking days.

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