Explorations of Conscious Reality Creation, Mindfulness, and Other Matters
Anything is possible And that means a lot right now. Today is the 4th of July. Independence Day in the USA. Sadly, I am not feeling much like celebrating the nation. Too many steps backward, too many divisive forces doing worse and worst things. It’s a real challenge to feel like celebrating at all in this environment. But at the same time, I am not going to get all pessimistic about it. I considered titling this blog “Is this one
Because choice is what separates humanity from the rest of the animal kingdom. Animals care only about their survival. They live to seek shelter, food, and a mate to propagate the species. Though it might be a bit of an oversimplification, their choices are limited to just these and a few related elements along these lines. Humans, on the other hand, are far more complex when it comes to choices. We are designed to not merely do what is necessary
Yes, positivity can still be found. But it will probably be strictly personal. At the end of last week, the highest court in the United States did one of the most horrific things I could imagine. They took away the right of a person to choose what they do with their body. (Let’s be clear – if you think Roe v Wade was ever about the unborn and abortions – you are not paying attention). This was not the only
It’s not expecting the least and the most from ourselves that’s the trouble. It’s the expectation itself. Our harshest critics tend to be ourselves. We set the highest bars, frequently judge on shifting expectations, and give the harshest criticism to ourselves. I don’t know about you, but often, I would not accept the kinds of things I think and say to myself were they to come from someone else. And yet – I know I’m not alone in this. I
Yes, we can change anything. But it begins with ourselves. This weekend, two dear friends got married. Both, in the time I have known them, have changed in many ways. And the journey to get to this place together was not easy for either of them. But surrounded by friends and family, they pledged their love and lives together. Who you were is not who you are. And who you are is not who you will be tomorrow. That’s the
Believe it. You’ve got this. You’ve made it before – you will make it again. There’ve been many times when I was pretty sure I couldn’t get more lost than I was. I am not being entirely literal, here. This is about making plans, choosing paths, and deciding things – but then having it go sideways. Or unexpectedly not work as planned. You might know this. You get that feeling like you’re lost, like nothing is working, and you can’t
I shouldn’t do that, but I do. Lack of willpower? Distraction? Something else? Let’s explore. I know that I have an addiction to carbohydrates and sweets. Bread, cookies, pasta, candy, ice cream – everything that is bad for my overall health. This is why we tend to not keep bread, ice cream, and a lot of pasta in the house. However, my wife loves to bake, and bake for our friends – so these things still find their way here.
What you could do if you believed in yourself is not just words on a motivational poster. In my experience, do you know who we tend to have the hardest time believing in? Ourselves. Look at who people tend to believe in. Talking heads, politicians, oligarchs, demagogues, and leaders with fleeting power on multiple levels. And that’s just the individuals that people believe in. What about abstract entities and intangibles? People believe in countries, sports teams, religions, God, ridiculous conspiracy
Positive intention gives us hope and is practiced with mindfulness. Lots and lots of people are struggling. After 2 years of a seemingly never-ending pandemic, an ugly, pointless war in Ukraine, the dark impact of reactionary conservatives in politics and business, and increasingly illogical anti-science and anti-reason campaigns, I know I’m exhausted. And so is virtually everyone else I know, too. No matter how strong you are, you can only take so much. Everyone reaches a point of saying, “That’s
Staying strong is a choice. But some days – you can’t be strong. For the second time in 2 weeks, I have been directly exposed to COVID. Last time I tested negative. And this time I have tested negative again. But that doesn’t make it any less distressing. I am less worried about myself than about my wife. Not to overshare – but my immune system is stronger than hers. For more than 2 years, we’ve all lived in this
