This is a link to be able to see the jewelry I make. I enjoy building these one-of-a-kind rings, they are power pieces. Made to heal and adjust ones resonance. They come with a write up on what they are for, use your intuition, it will guide you to the one that is right for you. I also do custom orders, enjoy!
http://www.bajatravelmaps.com/rickparis/
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Change
Change seems to be the buzz word of this year so far, so lets look at what makes change happen, and how do we do it with some class and composure. Change is a thing worth getting good at, and I for one, aim to be great. I want to talk a bit about what I think it takes to be great at change.
Some words on change. Change is instant...Growth is constant. Change is not measurable, until after the fact. You can never see your child grow, but you place marks near a door jamb to measure their changes. Change has size not speed. The depth, width, and length of the change is determined by the choices and their involvement in our lives. How long have we loved or not around this choice? How long have we been in pain? How long ago did the process of change begin? How long has this issue been active? (length) Does this choice cover a wide arena of my life? Does it involve my job, relationship, family, health, hobbies, quality of life? Or, just one of these things? or more things? (width) Who began the change, or pain? Was it a Grand Authority, or someone close or not so close to you? What was the source of change/pain? Was it a big change or a little change? (depth) Also important to know, the grieving process is part of all change. Something always dies in change. Something must be destroyed in order to create something new. No two things can occupy the same space in a physical reality.
First, to change anything requires we understand we must be able to recognize the need for it. So recognition is the first step. Not so hard, but you might be surprised at how inept we can be at this simple aspect. Self realization is no easy task. That's why we must look to our relationships for the hints and clues of change. How many people do any of us know at any given moment, that are struggling in some arena in their life? Most people don't recognize a need for change until they have reached some level of pain and struggle that has superseded where they are capable. Disease is a good example here. The person who said,"Necessity is the mother of invention", certainly had this in mind. For change to be ELEGANT recognition would be the first key. You can feel this step physically in the body, it is the moment of awareness, the "AHH Ha!" moment. That is the physical birth of a new Neural transmitter.
Second step to change is Acknowledgment. In the form of taking the time to see what this previous perspective, thought, or feeling has been serving you and what it has been stopping or keeping you from. What is the story, what is the myth? who have you been being, how did it serve you on both fronts. Did it keep you safe? How did it keep you small? What did it keep you from? What wall did you consistently hit because of it? It is the step in your mind where you are now outside of the issue, outside the neural path, building a new one, not unlike building a frontage road. You are outside the road, next to it, still travelling the same direction, but seeing it, but not actually on it, no way yet to change direction, it is as if you are along side the issue taking in from the outside all the info you can, the more depth you can accumulate the more you will have gathered to make the change easier and more significant.
Third step to change is Forgiveness. This is where most people get stuck. It is also the hardest step because of all the false beliefs we have around forgiveness. Examples can be,"who are WE to forgive, we do not have that right", usually a lack of authority of some kind. Many adept people can recognize a problem, even talk all about all the W's,(the awarenesses around acknowledgement) why, where, what, and who did it. Some key things about forgiveness. Within forgiveness, you must forgive yourself first. You will not truly release the other without releasing yourself first, it clears the path. Forgiveness is something you do for yourself. You forgive to release yourself from the issue first, you are at cause or allowing in your reality, forgiving yourself first is the proper use of responsibility. Otherwise, the issue and the person, whether dead or not, will control you. You also must forgive the why, not necessarily the what. Why they did what they did is needed and can be forgiven. If for instance your father raped you, you can forgive why, he was abused, angry, he was hurting, he was... whatever may have been what drove him. The fact that he did what he did, is another issue. Although he was in pain or whatever, he did not have to respond the way he did. Releasing the why, releases you, and him. On the neural pathway system, you have now disengaged the reason for the issue to exist. Now the pain and the pattern are known and a new pathway has been created. The old path has been energetically fractured, you have taken away it's existence, the physical and emotional reasons it was there. Now you easily move into the fourth step.
The fourth step of change is Choice/Change. Now you have a choice, to live the old way with it's reality/pattern, you are aware of it's limitations, it's struggles and pay-offs, or to move into a new way of being/thinking/feeling. Now you have choice, and the ability to change. You have created an Option for yourself. You can still choose the old way, but there is now real choice. Rehab is typically 28 days, your sub-conscious can create a new pattern in 28 days. This can change a pattern in a matter of minutes if you are committed to it with a willed and focused choice. As you choose the new way of being, the old neural pathway will fade away, as it is not being used and you have no use for it. The new pattern will dominate and it will become another unconscious choice, operating elegantly as away of being. The real beauty here is, you now have personally put in your first program yourself as the adult, next time you feel struggle in this arena, you know exactly what you did last time and can more easily and elegantly make your next round of change. As you grow within the new parameters, you will get to the time where you must change the boundaries again, a new dance floor, and you will know what to do.
Some words on change. Change is instant...Growth is constant. Change is not measurable, until after the fact. You can never see your child grow, but you place marks near a door jamb to measure their changes. Change has size not speed. The depth, width, and length of the change is determined by the choices and their involvement in our lives. How long have we loved or not around this choice? How long have we been in pain? How long ago did the process of change begin? How long has this issue been active? (length) Does this choice cover a wide arena of my life? Does it involve my job, relationship, family, health, hobbies, quality of life? Or, just one of these things? or more things? (width) Who began the change, or pain? Was it a Grand Authority, or someone close or not so close to you? What was the source of change/pain? Was it a big change or a little change? (depth) Also important to know, the grieving process is part of all change. Something always dies in change. Something must be destroyed in order to create something new. No two things can occupy the same space in a physical reality.
First, to change anything requires we understand we must be able to recognize the need for it. So recognition is the first step. Not so hard, but you might be surprised at how inept we can be at this simple aspect. Self realization is no easy task. That's why we must look to our relationships for the hints and clues of change. How many people do any of us know at any given moment, that are struggling in some arena in their life? Most people don't recognize a need for change until they have reached some level of pain and struggle that has superseded where they are capable. Disease is a good example here. The person who said,"Necessity is the mother of invention", certainly had this in mind. For change to be ELEGANT recognition would be the first key. You can feel this step physically in the body, it is the moment of awareness, the "AHH Ha!" moment. That is the physical birth of a new Neural transmitter.
Second step to change is Acknowledgment. In the form of taking the time to see what this previous perspective, thought, or feeling has been serving you and what it has been stopping or keeping you from. What is the story, what is the myth? who have you been being, how did it serve you on both fronts. Did it keep you safe? How did it keep you small? What did it keep you from? What wall did you consistently hit because of it? It is the step in your mind where you are now outside of the issue, outside the neural path, building a new one, not unlike building a frontage road. You are outside the road, next to it, still travelling the same direction, but seeing it, but not actually on it, no way yet to change direction, it is as if you are along side the issue taking in from the outside all the info you can, the more depth you can accumulate the more you will have gathered to make the change easier and more significant.
Third step to change is Forgiveness. This is where most people get stuck. It is also the hardest step because of all the false beliefs we have around forgiveness. Examples can be,"who are WE to forgive, we do not have that right", usually a lack of authority of some kind. Many adept people can recognize a problem, even talk all about all the W's,(the awarenesses around acknowledgement) why, where, what, and who did it. Some key things about forgiveness. Within forgiveness, you must forgive yourself first. You will not truly release the other without releasing yourself first, it clears the path. Forgiveness is something you do for yourself. You forgive to release yourself from the issue first, you are at cause or allowing in your reality, forgiving yourself first is the proper use of responsibility. Otherwise, the issue and the person, whether dead or not, will control you. You also must forgive the why, not necessarily the what. Why they did what they did is needed and can be forgiven. If for instance your father raped you, you can forgive why, he was abused, angry, he was hurting, he was... whatever may have been what drove him. The fact that he did what he did, is another issue. Although he was in pain or whatever, he did not have to respond the way he did. Releasing the why, releases you, and him. On the neural pathway system, you have now disengaged the reason for the issue to exist. Now the pain and the pattern are known and a new pathway has been created. The old path has been energetically fractured, you have taken away it's existence, the physical and emotional reasons it was there. Now you easily move into the fourth step.
The fourth step of change is Choice/Change. Now you have a choice, to live the old way with it's reality/pattern, you are aware of it's limitations, it's struggles and pay-offs, or to move into a new way of being/thinking/feeling. Now you have choice, and the ability to change. You have created an Option for yourself. You can still choose the old way, but there is now real choice. Rehab is typically 28 days, your sub-conscious can create a new pattern in 28 days. This can change a pattern in a matter of minutes if you are committed to it with a willed and focused choice. As you choose the new way of being, the old neural pathway will fade away, as it is not being used and you have no use for it. The new pattern will dominate and it will become another unconscious choice, operating elegantly as away of being. The real beauty here is, you now have personally put in your first program yourself as the adult, next time you feel struggle in this arena, you know exactly what you did last time and can more easily and elegantly make your next round of change. As you grow within the new parameters, you will get to the time where you must change the boundaries again, a new dance floor, and you will know what to do.
Birthdays
Today is the birthday of the most significant person in my life right now. I can't help but feel a loss in myself not spending it with her. I am in some pain, the separation and longing to be with her. It is not a pain that is upsetting so much as a sweet, soulful, softly smiling sort of pain, missing her face, her smile, her presence. To feel her, to feel the resonance of her, to see everything in her, as the world reflects her on a day that most closely holds her choices, desires for herself, and her resonance. Also paying attention to her lifetime archetype numbers 17,and 8 her birth numbers, (Star and Strength *). Today is different, it is a day in the future of her birth, and these new archetypes will influence her this year, the new energies are 19,10,1 (Sun, Wheel of Fortune, Magician)*. Which happen to be my birth numbers. a rare configuration to be born with, they are the manifestors numbers. It's like she will be seeing the world with my energies this year, it is exciting to me to be able to witness her, in her next year.
I also am feeling so much not spending it with her. So much difference, staying focused on someone, when they are not in your physical world. This is her day, the day she came here into this existence, something about her energy that has filled my life with so much grace. This is not the exact day and moment, not exactly of course, but it is a metaphorical representation of THAT day combined with the influences of THIS day. I am and will be aware of every moment today, sending her my feelings of caring, love and support. Looking to the actual time she was born, waiting for that moment today to see what happens, what might occur... What is significant in that minute for her, for me? What was in that time and day she decided, THIS is it? Noticing the weather, the elemental energies of the day. The "feelings" of how this (her) time feels, knowing these energies were her choice to be here.
The vegatation at this time of year is amazing, so incredibly beautiful, I see her beauty and her attention to detail in color and light. The utter expression of the feminine The landscape truly refects the artistry of nature. So much a part of her. I see so much woman in her, the feminine truly exhalted. I also clearly see her masculine, spirited, effervescent, so ready to change and become more.
I have driven from LA-SF many times and I have never seen such beauty as I do at this time. The Almond trees are blooming, so are the plum and pear, hues of pinks and so many whites, the rolling bright green hills so filled with love and life, they look so peacefully happy, these hills are in joy and peace simultaneously, that is when my soul tends to sing, just as it does when we are quietly together, I see and feel her here. Everything filled, so prolific, full of light and life the richness the fullness, the pregnancy of this time, so in alignment with her ability to create with beauty and harmony. Such an abundant quality, the environment is wet, full of emotions, beginning to wake up. So many plants and trees stirring, it feels like a very soulful time to begin one's process, one's life. Even the light is not too direct, condusive to a soft and subtle enthusiasm, reminds me of our morning walks togther. Always nice and peaceful, and excited to see what the day will bring. I think there is nothing more profound and reflective than to be very present on a person's birthday. I especially love to do this. It feels like a deeply loving thing while I am doing it, it feels I am immersed in them in the physical expression of, in a way that i can feel everything, my imagination and intellect engaged, seeing the sum of all her parts in a very magical and esoteric way. It is my way to pay attention, that is one way I seem to love. Even though I will not be with her I will honor her today, respect and acknowledge her. She is in every thought, in all that I do, I love you, it is my will that you feel a peace and a warmth throughout this day, your day, my special day.
* Strength-8 The theme here is controlled strength, or inner resolve that is directed toward a goal. The Thoth deck shows a naked young woman riding on the back of a seven-headed lion. She is overcome with ecstasy. She holds the reins in her left hand and the Holy Grail in her right hand. In the background are the bloodless images of all of the saints. Along the top are shown ten serpents. This card represents courage and inner strength. The imagery suggests the archetypes of goodness and endurance.
Star-17 The main symbol here is a star. One or more stars is shown over the head of a goddess who is pouring water from two vases into a pool. The goddess is usually shown naked, although the Marseilles deck shows her partially clothed. She is Isis, the goddess of nature, and the waters are the Waters of Life. She is shown returning individual water into a collective pool, thus indicating that nothing in life is ever lost. The theme here is one of hope. The Thoth deck shows the naked Egyptian goddess Nut. Her right hand is held high, and she pours water from a gold cup onto her head. Her left hand is held low, and she pours the immortal liquor of life from a silver cup onto the junction of land and water. Behind her is a celestial globe on which is a seven-pointed Star of Venus. In the left-hand corner is a seven-pointed Star of Babalon. This card represents hope and promise. The imagery suggests Jung's archetype of the star. According to von Franz (Boa, 1992) Jung taught that the star symbolizes that part of the personality that survives death; the spiritual part of the psyche.
Magician- 1 This is the Magician, the divine Messenger, Mercury, Hermes, and Thoth. The Marseilles deck shows a parlor magician going through a magic act of some kind with various `tools of the trade' on a table. This is the popular view of the magician -- one who does sleight of hand, and who employs gimmickery. The Waite and Golden Dawn decks are more sophisticated. They both show a magician in robes, with his four traditional weapons: a sword, a wand, a cup, and a pentacle. The Thoth deck shows him with a naked golden body, smiling, with winged feet standing in front of a large caduceus. In his right hand he hold a style and in his left hand, a papyrus. The card shows a monkey, swords, cup, wand, and pentacle. This card represents the will.
The Wheel of Fortune-10 The main symbol of this card is a wheel. The wheel is a symbol for cycles, and the card represents the law of cyclic manifestation. The original symbols of this card were probably meant to portray the doctrine of reincarnation, as well as other cyclic processes. In the Thoth deck stars line the top of the card through which lightning strikes into a mass of blue and violet plumes. In the center is a wheel with 10 spokes. On the wheel are a sworded sphinx (sulphur), Hermanubis (mercury), and Typhon (salt). The wheel is the Eye of Shiva. This card represents evolution and the imagery suggests the archetypes of fate and destiny.
The Sun-19 The main symbol of this card is the sun which is almost always shown with extending rays, and sometimes with a face to suggest solar intelligence. The Marseilles deck shows a young couple together under a sun. The Waite deck shows a naked child riding a horse under a sun. The Golden Dawn deck shows two naked children holding hands under a sun. The sun, as the generator of light and heat, is the symbol for life and the forces of conscious creativity. The Thoth deck shows a green mound beneath a flaming 12-rayed yellow sun. Two winged children dance together on the mound, but a wall prevents them from the summit. At the feet of each child is a rose and cross. Around the card are the signs of the Zodiac. The imagery of this card suggests the archetypes of growth, success, and abundance as well as Jung's archetype of the sun.
I also am feeling so much not spending it with her. So much difference, staying focused on someone, when they are not in your physical world. This is her day, the day she came here into this existence, something about her energy that has filled my life with so much grace. This is not the exact day and moment, not exactly of course, but it is a metaphorical representation of THAT day combined with the influences of THIS day. I am and will be aware of every moment today, sending her my feelings of caring, love and support. Looking to the actual time she was born, waiting for that moment today to see what happens, what might occur... What is significant in that minute for her, for me? What was in that time and day she decided, THIS is it? Noticing the weather, the elemental energies of the day. The "feelings" of how this (her) time feels, knowing these energies were her choice to be here.
The vegatation at this time of year is amazing, so incredibly beautiful, I see her beauty and her attention to detail in color and light. The utter expression of the feminine The landscape truly refects the artistry of nature. So much a part of her. I see so much woman in her, the feminine truly exhalted. I also clearly see her masculine, spirited, effervescent, so ready to change and become more.
I have driven from LA-SF many times and I have never seen such beauty as I do at this time. The Almond trees are blooming, so are the plum and pear, hues of pinks and so many whites, the rolling bright green hills so filled with love and life, they look so peacefully happy, these hills are in joy and peace simultaneously, that is when my soul tends to sing, just as it does when we are quietly together, I see and feel her here. Everything filled, so prolific, full of light and life the richness the fullness, the pregnancy of this time, so in alignment with her ability to create with beauty and harmony. Such an abundant quality, the environment is wet, full of emotions, beginning to wake up. So many plants and trees stirring, it feels like a very soulful time to begin one's process, one's life. Even the light is not too direct, condusive to a soft and subtle enthusiasm, reminds me of our morning walks togther. Always nice and peaceful, and excited to see what the day will bring. I think there is nothing more profound and reflective than to be very present on a person's birthday. I especially love to do this. It feels like a deeply loving thing while I am doing it, it feels I am immersed in them in the physical expression of, in a way that i can feel everything, my imagination and intellect engaged, seeing the sum of all her parts in a very magical and esoteric way. It is my way to pay attention, that is one way I seem to love. Even though I will not be with her I will honor her today, respect and acknowledge her. She is in every thought, in all that I do, I love you, it is my will that you feel a peace and a warmth throughout this day, your day, my special day.
* Strength-8 The theme here is controlled strength, or inner resolve that is directed toward a goal. The Thoth deck shows a naked young woman riding on the back of a seven-headed lion. She is overcome with ecstasy. She holds the reins in her left hand and the Holy Grail in her right hand. In the background are the bloodless images of all of the saints. Along the top are shown ten serpents. This card represents courage and inner strength. The imagery suggests the archetypes of goodness and endurance.
Star-17 The main symbol here is a star. One or more stars is shown over the head of a goddess who is pouring water from two vases into a pool. The goddess is usually shown naked, although the Marseilles deck shows her partially clothed. She is Isis, the goddess of nature, and the waters are the Waters of Life. She is shown returning individual water into a collective pool, thus indicating that nothing in life is ever lost. The theme here is one of hope. The Thoth deck shows the naked Egyptian goddess Nut. Her right hand is held high, and she pours water from a gold cup onto her head. Her left hand is held low, and she pours the immortal liquor of life from a silver cup onto the junction of land and water. Behind her is a celestial globe on which is a seven-pointed Star of Venus. In the left-hand corner is a seven-pointed Star of Babalon. This card represents hope and promise. The imagery suggests Jung's archetype of the star. According to von Franz (Boa, 1992) Jung taught that the star symbolizes that part of the personality that survives death; the spiritual part of the psyche.
Magician- 1 This is the Magician, the divine Messenger, Mercury, Hermes, and Thoth. The Marseilles deck shows a parlor magician going through a magic act of some kind with various `tools of the trade' on a table. This is the popular view of the magician -- one who does sleight of hand, and who employs gimmickery. The Waite and Golden Dawn decks are more sophisticated. They both show a magician in robes, with his four traditional weapons: a sword, a wand, a cup, and a pentacle. The Thoth deck shows him with a naked golden body, smiling, with winged feet standing in front of a large caduceus. In his right hand he hold a style and in his left hand, a papyrus. The card shows a monkey, swords, cup, wand, and pentacle. This card represents the will.
The Wheel of Fortune-10 The main symbol of this card is a wheel. The wheel is a symbol for cycles, and the card represents the law of cyclic manifestation. The original symbols of this card were probably meant to portray the doctrine of reincarnation, as well as other cyclic processes. In the Thoth deck stars line the top of the card through which lightning strikes into a mass of blue and violet plumes. In the center is a wheel with 10 spokes. On the wheel are a sworded sphinx (sulphur), Hermanubis (mercury), and Typhon (salt). The wheel is the Eye of Shiva. This card represents evolution and the imagery suggests the archetypes of fate and destiny.
The Sun-19 The main symbol of this card is the sun which is almost always shown with extending rays, and sometimes with a face to suggest solar intelligence. The Marseilles deck shows a young couple together under a sun. The Waite deck shows a naked child riding a horse under a sun. The Golden Dawn deck shows two naked children holding hands under a sun. The sun, as the generator of light and heat, is the symbol for life and the forces of conscious creativity. The Thoth deck shows a green mound beneath a flaming 12-rayed yellow sun. Two winged children dance together on the mound, but a wall prevents them from the summit. At the feet of each child is a rose and cross. Around the card are the signs of the Zodiac. The imagery of this card suggests the archetypes of growth, success, and abundance as well as Jung's archetype of the sun.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Imagination is More Powerful than Knowledge
This is my favorite quote of all time, (actually an updated derivative, mine,"-), he actually said, "Imagination is more important than Knowledge") from one of my personal heroes Albert Einstein. Who actually had an 8th grade education. His Degrees, were honorary ones. This quote is becoming more and more poignant as the days click by. Our current education system is driving us into deeper and deeper levels of pain and struggle, over-extension of a thinking system,(primarily logic and reason) and over-taxing the minds and capacities of our developing children, and young adults. We are so out of balance right now with so much emphasis on our left brains, it is almost to the point of being absolutely blindly ridiculous. The current level of thinking we are using does not have the capacity to solve the problems that it has created. We do not have the experience or the technologies available to solve our current round of global and economic situations. The avenue of solution will come from our imagination, our right brain. With all this over-activity of memorizing data and linear thinking we are filling ourselves and our time with a frantic race against more and more exponential growth and competition and comparison. Our country has one of the most elegant means of information delivery available to the masses (internet) and the freedom to experience vast amounts of what is possibly available. An absolutely wonderful tool to let go of information accumulation. How much information gathering could we let go of? If we spent more of our time being creative and exercising that wonderful right free thinking brain of ours, what could be possible in the way of creative innovative ways of solving our current problems? Versus worrying about the intellectual savvy of our perceived academically advancing competitive countries? The right brain has the capacity to move from a-z without the letters in between, that is the type of thinking we need to be proficient at. There is more capacity and possibility in that, and we will definitely have healthier, happier adults with a much more balanced perspective on the world around us.
It is time for us to lead, to lead by example, to expressly deny living lives that do not reflect our Greater Selves, the time of the lesser self must end, it is a choice away.
It is time for us to lead, to lead by example, to expressly deny living lives that do not reflect our Greater Selves, the time of the lesser self must end, it is a choice away.
Breaking the System....down
Last night I attended a high school award ceremony. It was attended by a very affluent LA crowd. It was at the Disney hall of all places. That alone will tell you much about the crowd I was sharing last evening with. I have just recognized where a large portion of my future is heading....It is time to do my best in explaining our over reliance on systems as our primary source of creating a future for ourselves.
Here is my most recent example. The amount of time and money invested to insure these children's future success would baffle most people. Being in the best possible schools from day one, getting trained on "how" the SAT test is taken to maximize ones score, Tutors used even when the SAT is close to perfect, pulling strings to get only the most advantageous extra curricular studies, Being a great athlete, being in class politics. Spending most of the summer attempting to work harder than the rest, at least that's the idea. Although they are all
doing it, so the field remains relatively even. So they search for some advantage to get over the rest. Parents being involved every step of the way, controlling every aspect possible to insure their child's success. The keynote speaker at the ceremony mentioned the competition in China they will have to consider while in college, also eluding to the idea of promoting nepotism within their ranks. You now must attempt to carry a 5.0 GPA, it used to be a 4.0. This is the map their parents followed, but their vision is skewed. It is filled with fear, perfection, personal issues of being good enough, adolescent mind sets, Shame, utterly filled with competition and comparison. The world was a slightly different place last generation, millionaires were not as prominent as they are now. The level of competition that exists within our country and globally is at maximum capacity, how much more can they be pushed? The kids and our environment are showing signs of breaking down They are conceding to the path their parents created through the parental fears and lack of parental responsibility.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reports that every day, 2,500 youth, ages 12 to 17, abuse a prescription pain reliever for the very first time. Metaphorically it's all there. We are failing these kids, making adulthood look like something not worth doing. Adolescent life is definitely a combination of pain and anxiety, this is true, it can be the roughest part of many people's lives. On top of an already volatile experience, we have created (or allowed) an environment for a tremendous lack of responsibility and one of deep personal emotional denial. Control is at an all-time high. The path we are cutting for them is nothing more than control gone mad. We are at risk of shutting down the next generation, what can they do to academically surpass this one? Super drugs maybe? Perhaps we can just find a drug that makes you grow up instantly. When will we value the path of a life? A life where someone honors you and your ability to choose and survive in a way that exemplifies your unique capacities?
Fear of chaos and martyr hood run rampant through our society, making strong powerful choices even more impossible. The "no fear" theme is and has denied our greatest teacher, fear itself.
We have built a system that self perpetuates control and domination. These children are getting to the end of what is possible for a human as far as this type of educating can go. We are assisting them in losing what makes growing up great, as a personal process, not as a mechanical assembly line, squeezing what we can out of them, without ever knowing what natural abilities they may possess. Without strong ethics, character, integrity and imagination they will grow to feel like losers, they will not have the tools needed to be fulfilled, free thinking, self aware, citizens of the world. The signs of collapse are all around, will we wait until they break? Can we deal with our fears as adults, so they won't have to deal with our fears 10 or 15 years from now? I believe we have the time, and it is now.
We can do this, I fully believe we can, we must, it is our responsibility NOW, not theirs, they do not have the tools to decide, they are kids and will ultimate, do what we say, or the opposite of what we say, that's the extent of their ability to choose. We are not giving them the example, tools or guidance needed. It is time to life ourselves into adulthood, not by our chronological age, but by our willingness to respond.
Here is my most recent example. The amount of time and money invested to insure these children's future success would baffle most people. Being in the best possible schools from day one, getting trained on "how" the SAT test is taken to maximize ones score, Tutors used even when the SAT is close to perfect, pulling strings to get only the most advantageous extra curricular studies, Being a great athlete, being in class politics. Spending most of the summer attempting to work harder than the rest, at least that's the idea. Although they are all
doing it, so the field remains relatively even. So they search for some advantage to get over the rest. Parents being involved every step of the way, controlling every aspect possible to insure their child's success. The keynote speaker at the ceremony mentioned the competition in China they will have to consider while in college, also eluding to the idea of promoting nepotism within their ranks. You now must attempt to carry a 5.0 GPA, it used to be a 4.0. This is the map their parents followed, but their vision is skewed. It is filled with fear, perfection, personal issues of being good enough, adolescent mind sets, Shame, utterly filled with competition and comparison. The world was a slightly different place last generation, millionaires were not as prominent as they are now. The level of competition that exists within our country and globally is at maximum capacity, how much more can they be pushed? The kids and our environment are showing signs of breaking down They are conceding to the path their parents created through the parental fears and lack of parental responsibility.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reports that every day, 2,500 youth, ages 12 to 17, abuse a prescription pain reliever for the very first time. Metaphorically it's all there. We are failing these kids, making adulthood look like something not worth doing. Adolescent life is definitely a combination of pain and anxiety, this is true, it can be the roughest part of many people's lives. On top of an already volatile experience, we have created (or allowed) an environment for a tremendous lack of responsibility and one of deep personal emotional denial. Control is at an all-time high. The path we are cutting for them is nothing more than control gone mad. We are at risk of shutting down the next generation, what can they do to academically surpass this one? Super drugs maybe? Perhaps we can just find a drug that makes you grow up instantly. When will we value the path of a life? A life where someone honors you and your ability to choose and survive in a way that exemplifies your unique capacities?
Fear of chaos and martyr hood run rampant through our society, making strong powerful choices even more impossible. The "no fear" theme is and has denied our greatest teacher, fear itself.
We have built a system that self perpetuates control and domination. These children are getting to the end of what is possible for a human as far as this type of educating can go. We are assisting them in losing what makes growing up great, as a personal process, not as a mechanical assembly line, squeezing what we can out of them, without ever knowing what natural abilities they may possess. Without strong ethics, character, integrity and imagination they will grow to feel like losers, they will not have the tools needed to be fulfilled, free thinking, self aware, citizens of the world. The signs of collapse are all around, will we wait until they break? Can we deal with our fears as adults, so they won't have to deal with our fears 10 or 15 years from now? I believe we have the time, and it is now.
We can do this, I fully believe we can, we must, it is our responsibility NOW, not theirs, they do not have the tools to decide, they are kids and will ultimate, do what we say, or the opposite of what we say, that's the extent of their ability to choose. We are not giving them the example, tools or guidance needed. It is time to life ourselves into adulthood, not by our chronological age, but by our willingness to respond.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Enlightenment
Here is the number one difficulty with enlightenment. When you wake up, or even think about waking up, you consciously take another step farther away from consonance. The definition of consonance being in harmony. All beings with free will are out of consonance, it is a function of having free will. For a being to have the capacity to create, it must first extricate itself from flow, from harmony. This is a beautiful act of courage and expansion, the creation of spirit, the creation of the masculine. Everything in the universe is in harmony, except for human beings.
Out of that initial separation from source, comes individual expression, free will, action, movement, recognition we are separate individuals. It occurs first in our birth, our first physical experience of this, it happens again several times through out our development. This is also where this inherent drive to be connected comes from in us, the desire to be one, oneness, part of something greater than we are. A deep knowing and desire to be home again. We know what being in flow is like.
One of the primary blockages to waking up, is our own fear of moving away from harmony, standing in chaos, we have already made the first step in that movement just being physical, I believe that was so traumatic and scary, (as well as completely liberating) we resist "any more" separation, like another step might be more painful. When we are asleep, or not aware of ourselves and our patterns, we live in the past, we live in the umbrage of personality drives, subconscious patterns, and astrological aspects. The absolute truth of it is, we are here to wake up to who we are, who we have come here to be and become. It is not a question of IF we are and will be completely individually responsible, it is a question of When. It was never meant to be this painful.
Pain and struggle stem from resisting growth. As the boundaries we have unconsciously (or consciously) given ourselves cave to the pressures of our own expansion we have an ever increasing responsibility to change those boundaries. With choice we can direct the flow of growth, without choice the chips will fall where they may, with a greater possibility of increased pain. Without change and responding, we create pain and loss of freedom. We are in a crisis of freedom right now. You can feel life and the ways we have been living are choking us, individually and collectively. We are in the narrows, the liminal, this is the first time humanity has had the capacity to direct and choose our next space. Will we consciously choose a life based in love and freedom, or one of pain and struggle, there is still time to get on the right track, 2012 is still far enough away to learn how to do that... Know you are at choice to be where you are, even if you think you would never have chosen this, it only calls to your state of unconsciousness. Use that awareness of being unconscious of your choice, to be more conscious.
Out of that initial separation from source, comes individual expression, free will, action, movement, recognition we are separate individuals. It occurs first in our birth, our first physical experience of this, it happens again several times through out our development. This is also where this inherent drive to be connected comes from in us, the desire to be one, oneness, part of something greater than we are. A deep knowing and desire to be home again. We know what being in flow is like.
One of the primary blockages to waking up, is our own fear of moving away from harmony, standing in chaos, we have already made the first step in that movement just being physical, I believe that was so traumatic and scary, (as well as completely liberating) we resist "any more" separation, like another step might be more painful. When we are asleep, or not aware of ourselves and our patterns, we live in the past, we live in the umbrage of personality drives, subconscious patterns, and astrological aspects. The absolute truth of it is, we are here to wake up to who we are, who we have come here to be and become. It is not a question of IF we are and will be completely individually responsible, it is a question of When. It was never meant to be this painful.
Pain and struggle stem from resisting growth. As the boundaries we have unconsciously (or consciously) given ourselves cave to the pressures of our own expansion we have an ever increasing responsibility to change those boundaries. With choice we can direct the flow of growth, without choice the chips will fall where they may, with a greater possibility of increased pain. Without change and responding, we create pain and loss of freedom. We are in a crisis of freedom right now. You can feel life and the ways we have been living are choking us, individually and collectively. We are in the narrows, the liminal, this is the first time humanity has had the capacity to direct and choose our next space. Will we consciously choose a life based in love and freedom, or one of pain and struggle, there is still time to get on the right track, 2012 is still far enough away to learn how to do that... Know you are at choice to be where you are, even if you think you would never have chosen this, it only calls to your state of unconsciousness. Use that awareness of being unconscious of your choice, to be more conscious.
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