The Essentials...who are they again?

The current state of the world is not the rosiest one, given what the spread and fears of COVID-19 have done to our world. Some of this fear is factual, some is based in imagination. The real question is how to differentiate what is what.

The definition of an Essential worker/person, depending on who you are and what you do, is really up to the person's perspective.

To those working in the medical field, I regard you as one of the highest, if not the highest, on this list of Essentials. Now, that is biased by my connection to my wife. She works in the ER, and I am lovingly and tenaciously proud of her and what she does.

To those that are protesting by belittling those in the medical field, they claim they are Essential. That we all are Essential.

...and what would I say to them if they were yelling that in my face? I would say that is true.

We are ALL Essentials.

Now, don't click away yet, although that rise in emotion you may or may not be feeling is a good thing.

I would say that we all are Essentials, but if your actions are done in ill-will towards others, you might want to address your thoughts and actions. If people are carrying out their thoughts and actions to express themselves, go for it. You have a voice.

If your thoughts and actions are imposing on others what you think is right, is that really the best way of approaching this situation we ALL are in right now?

To those I regard as Essentials (which my heart goes to all healthare-based workers, those in delivery, food service, and others I can't seem to think of at this typing-moment):

You are Needed. We need you now more than ever. Although there are vicious individuals that would rather bring you down, realize this:

Summer is not without Winter. Hot is not so unless compared to Cold.

Those that are mindful of the situation and taking necessary precautions...

...and those that are not.

Essentials (which are all those that are mindful and loving in this situation and future situations), keep on staying aware of this moment in time. Things occur to us that are favorable and unfavorable. It is our reactions and choices from which these moments occur to us is going to be extremely telling in what kind of individual you are.

Essentials acting in Love, or Essentials acting in indifference.

"The bad news is nothing lasts forever. The good news is nothing lasts forever." ~J. Cole~

~Sho~

The Dimensional Life

Thinking of things lately I've wrapped my head (or at least attempted) to understand the Dimensional Life.

We live in a 3 dimensional life, X Y and Z. We understand depth of things.

Now if you can imagine a balloon and push it through the 2d life (cartoons), they would see a sunrise of sorts, 2 widening lines, then a sunset of sorts into nothing.

Now take your current life (mine is 15 days past 33 years of human measured life as age, 8:21 AM CST).

Take that very small slice of life and imagine it as a portion of a balloon.

Imagine your Sunrise (Birth) and Sunset (Death), all portions of your balloon. Once this balloon is gone, it's gone.

Now imagine whatever troubles have been happening in your current slice of life, your Life Balloon. Compare it to the many other slices that you have encountered (Sunrise to Now) and those you have yet to experience (Now to your eternal Sunset).

...how much do your current troubles in life weigh you down?

If only we weren't tethered to our measurements of time, our yearning to make structure and order out of timeless chaos would we potentially become aware of the 4th dimension above the measurement of time.

When you have your troubles and issues, your stories you currnetly define as "...well, I am this way because of (insert story or series of stories here)", become aware of your Life Balloon.

Use the finite amount of time you receive in your one life (that you are currently aware of) to simply appreciate the things around you.

The troubles, blessings, issues, joys, complainings of others, aha moments, friendly and unfriendly encounters, traffic jams, sips of enjoyable drink whether wine or coffee, warmth of the sun or brisk snap of the cold remind you they are simply experiences, things.

We define them, we make meaning of these moments. Meaning can be a good thing, or it can become something that tethers you to re-live and attempt to re-create things that are no longer re-liveable/creatable.

Would you like to get hung up in the small details, or simply let these things pass?

Become Dimensional

This Season of Now

This is a direct quote from one of my digital-mentors, Tony Robbins.

It was a great reminder for the reason of any Season, being chosen for this moment of Thanksgiving.

Have a great Thanksgiving and always keep in mind the feeling of Gratitude.

With no further ado...

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Thanksgiving is a cherished time for us to slow down, get present to the moment, and reflect on the people, places, memories, and magic moments that make life itself so special. We come together with our family and friends to share in the spirit of gratitude.

Often around the table we ask: What are you grateful for?

It’s such a powerful question.

I invite you to take a moment with me to consider all the things in your life - big and seemingly small - that you could be grateful for. After all, it’s what the season is all about. And just by focusing our awareness on appreciation, we uncover even more of the miracle it is to be alive.

Gratitude is the antidote to anger - you can’t be grateful and angry at the same time. So as you spend time with those dear to you this week just notice all there is to appreciate. What could you choose to be happy about? Who could you say ‘thank you’ to this year?

What if we chose to be grateful for the gifts, the challenges - all that life offers us. What if we took on the belief that everything in life is happening for us, and it all serves our growth and evolution?

When we view our lives through the lens of gratitude and appreciation we experience a level of freedom and fulfillment like never before. Sometimes in life it’s when we lose one of our blessings - our health, mobility, loved one, job, friend - that we put aside our grumblings and gain a true appreciation for all the gifts that grace our lives.

So let’s choose gratitude this Thanksgiving. Share with those you love and the people around you what they mean to you. Thank them with simple kindness and voice your appreciation. Send a note, share a smile even if it’s with a stranger. You might even consider offering a prayer - you don’t have to be religious or spiritual to do it. The most powerful prayer I know is simply: Thank You.

Tony Robbins

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Update: The team from Tony Robbins graciously reached out to me and has given me the opportunity to share some free tools to help you grow along your journey. Please check out https://www.tonyrobbins.com/free-tools/ if you want to learn more.

~Sho~

The Eddy in Life

Lately I've come to realize what the symbol of yin-yang means truly to me.

I don't claim to know everything. In fact, I do know that I know completely nothing in the entirety of Life. Life is a big subject to know, right?

The symbol of yin-yang has always interested me, trying to really know the meaning of the symbol. In this endeavor of knowing I've become aware to the fact that we as humans yearn/have a drive to make a meaning out of everything we come in contact with. We are meaning-making machines.

This symbol encapsulates the balance of chaos and conrtrol: fire/water, summer/winer, good/evil, etc.

What has become a revelation to me recently is that we as humans are so busy in trying to balance everything we swing the metaphorical pendulum too far, whether into diving deep into our calm non-moving (yin) selves or the energetic over-the-top (yang) part of our Self.

I would like to pose an interesting view/approach about this symbol: instead of trying to balnace both areas, perhaps one could become aware and try to balance on the fine line. The art of walking the line between both yin and yang. True awareness that there is light and dark within us, well-knowing that at any moment one can be good or bad.

We are meaning-making machines, but become aware of how you are making and creating meaning. This important life that has been experienced so far in your current awareness...make every moment count. We get so caught up in trivial things, stressors, things that we deem as important.

Take note of what is truly important - the present moment and how you are feeling, how you are moving through your reality you perceive. Take a break from time to time, relaxing in the calm, still eddy of yin and move energetically in the dance of yang.

Perception of the fine line between the yin and yang of life - make that understanding your focus and what you deem as "problems" in life won't really hold much weight for you.

How else are you supposed to find "flow"?

Lessons we Learn

Life Lessons as we like to call them. Those moments in life where we have our "Aha" moment following a great realization, an opening into our awareness when we fully understand and acknowledge things.

-What we want to learn (in our own control/time) -When we actually learn (out of our control/time, when the universe decides the lesson is given again)

Sometimes we believe that we have fully embraced the lesson, racing on to the next sign/lesson/etc. We need to take upon ourselves the role of student to fully understand. We try to be the teacher to ourselves, but without the role of student the submissive mind is not there/open to fully learn the lesson that is being given (and future lessons to really have us understand the message). Let the Divine/God/Universe/Source become the teacher...take upon the role of student and learning these "soul" lessons will come naturally. Awareness is key.

(now looking at lessons as Events...especially those we don't like to happen in our day-to-day life)

Events simply happen, although we as humans have a drive to put meaning to it (ego likes to help push this along). Once we put a meaning to the event, feelings/emotions have a tendency to seep their way in to our meaning making machine, amplifying the process of meaning and feeling into a potential circle of ego-driven of viciousness.

If we can look upon events as simply events, mistakes will be met with love, rather than despise, anger and guilt.

Events which turn into accomplishments will be peacefully rejoiced, knowing the real goal is simply is on its way.

Don't Fight It, Embrace It

Sometimes we fight, ho and hum over the obstacles that come up (or those that we see in the distance coming our way) as we are heading towards our goals/dreams/the life we want.

...how about embracing the obstacle? Accept the fact that everything that you come across has been intentionally placed there in order for you to be successful in life, some of the "obstacles" that you are aware of placing and others placed subconsciously.

When things come across your awareness and it is looked upon as just something that happens on the way to being happy, the words of "problems", "obstacles", and "frustrations" will take upon a different meaning (and hopefully a more neutral/positive one).

Current of Life

Life has a certain flow to it, whether it manifests as opportunities or setbacks. We define these moments as "good" or "bad" - at times we let these moments affect everything in our day one pendulum sway or the other.

We say that we wake on the "wrong" side of the bed, or that one moment affects everything in our day.

Why do we let these things affect the natural flow of the day? We can definitely see others when they are in the "flow" of their day - they seem on top of the world when our own little world is out of whack.

These things/events/moments that happen to our lives simply happen; rarely do we have complete control over our day with the many things that intertwine/interplay with it.

• We put emotional investments into things - when they break or not do what they were created to do we become frustrated.
• When another person cuts us off in traffic, bumps into us while we wait in line for coffee, or when the last break room snack is taken we might feel a little tug of upsetedness.

There are many examples in which you can replay moments where you became your emotions due to things in or out of your control, momentarily transforming your day into your emotion-self. We say and do things we regret, the vicious circle continues.

...all along the world continues to revolve, plants/people grow and wither, and all of the things around us continue to just be themselves.

When are we willing to realize that we are not in complete control of the Flow of Life?

At times though the Love-focused goals become violated (Peace, Wellbeing, The Golden Rule, etc). We need to peacefully intervene in order to provide awareness on these goals in order to have Love as the core goal.

People's views might cause frustration do build up in us, but is it our job to force our beliefs on others, to disrupt their Flow?

...could we find peace in the Flow?

...could we be aware of the Flow that happens everywhere around us, whether we can see it or simply feel it?

...could we be more aware and grateful of the lessons Life gives us, even at times when those lessons are not in our interest or cause a moment of friction along our Journey?

...or I guess we can choose to fight the Flow and always be in struggle with the Current of Life.

Message: Call to the Wounded Warrior

You give your service, your word, your everything to your craft. You serve without question, and at times you become wounded for the cause. You don’t mind though, because you are serving a greater good – the Others.

Others don’t know how lucky they have you in their lives: how you stand up for them, how you fight for them. You might even feel a tug at your emotions when the Others go through adversity, because in some sense you have a sympathy for them so strongly you feel as they feel: at your very core.

You rise when you are called to, and head to that Other to serve them. You do/finish your job, head back to your dwelling, and rest for the next day. You prepare to serve another day. The wounds you carry serve as a reminder that you are strong enough to endure the pain of the Others – you have the resolve in order to take the blows, as simple or severe they may be; you still keep pushing.

You are a true Warrior for the Others that desperately need that energy to rely on.

…those wounds scar over and at times inflame again; oddly enough at times the wounds ignite pain when the Others are not in your presence. There is a danger for you, then: you might feel the pain of the Others when there is not a need for it. You might feel that driving force within that calls you to keep your eye on them instead of your own wellbeing. You are a Warrior, right? You can keep pushing beyond the limit of normal people.

…the true danger lies in what is called the Warrior’s Resolve, because where the Resolve stands tall the absence of the Wise Seer is decaying.

The Wise Seer I speak of is actually you. You have it within your own being to take a moment, detach your Resolve from the Others and heal within. Only caring for yourself do you truly heal. No other external source can replenish what you have. If you keep relying on the Warrior’s Resolve, you quickly become the Wounded Warrior.

The Wounded Warrior can easily heal, but the ego-driven Resolve will keep telling you to push on, keep going, serve others, etc. The voices within will keep driving you to ignore that you are truly wounded, even to a point where you can only be a Warrior when there is an Other to serve. You lose the ability serve the one person that is crying out for help: Yourself.

How to heal? It is a simple yet difficult task of awareness. Become aware that you are wounded, that you need healing, and start caring and loving yourself just as you take care and love the Others. Take the necessary steps to become aware of the Wounded Warrior within – then you can transform the Wounded self into the Wise self.

Each of us lies the Warrior and the Seer. Most of the time we choose the Warrior because it looks good on the outside, but beneath our armor there may be the wounds that keep us from being our greatest self. Only by combining the Wisdom of the Seer and the Resolve of the Warrior can we practice balance of the Wise Warrior.

What can I do...

With all of the events going on in my life (both of personal and global awareness), I ask myself when thinking too much: "What can I do?"

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Sometimes it feels borderline hopeless when you look at all of the things going on in the world today, how to balance your life and make peace when we all know there are things going on that make it seem like an impossible journey to achieve total wellness.

So when I reach that part along my road, where I need to make a decision, an answer to the "what can I do?" running through my head...

...I answer, "The best that I can do".

That is what we can do. We can act in a loving way, a healing way, a physical helping way, a kind thoughts way.

As long as we take our current situation and move forward in an act of love by doing the best we can do, nothing else can top it. Our egos might tell us, "Ugh, really? That's the best you can do? Come on, you have more time, more money, more effort to give."

If there has been one thing I've learned along my journey, it's that when we put our best effort forward (at our current status: healthy, sick, tired, etc) and give our best effort, nothing else can top it. We've done our best, so we can move on and hope that our collective actions do better and more creative products rather than destructive ones.

There will always be the "bad guys/gals" in our life.

...that's why heros, healers, and the "good guys/gals" are here - to heal and stand up in Loving action to do what's right.

Take today and see what Best you can do with what you have, right now.

Life Laminators

This morning during my meditation I was being reminded of a to-do that I didn't get done yet: to laminate some things.

Lamination kept playing and bouncing around in my head, and suddenly some images of people I knew were being put in a laminator. Their decisions, actions, words, beliefs, all laminated.

Sure, they looked great. Nice and shiny, clean, happy.

...but something looked off (besides them being encased in lamination).

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Life isn't about looking nice, because not all aspects of life are nice. Sometimes it's great to look shiny, but we might appear fake, transparent, not authentic.

To be our authentic self we must take a step back, reflect, get dirty, go through the rough drafts, polish our experiences to really learn the most teachable lessons.

We can choose to simply laminate our ideas, appear safe and shiny, but doesn't the interaction of ideas, beliefs, thoughts, etc seem a bit fun?

Your choice to keep drafting/editing/re-vamping your works or simply laminate.