Monday, October 27, 2008

Contentment and Peace

A   friend and I discussed these two words recently and the ideas that spread and trail behind them, I expressed in a small way my views on these two words and it has inspired me to revisit how these ideas affect my use of time.  

Contentment for me implies that where you are is good enough, that there is no further to reach and nothing that you feel motivated to change.  It says to me "Hey where I am is great, why would I ever want things to change?"

I don't want to completely knock contentment but I think that it is best in small doses, think 'savoring the moment'.  After having achieving a goal it is nice to reflect on and enjoy your accomplishment.  It recharges the batteries and allows one to absorb the deeper teachings of that leg of your journey.  

However, lets not wallow!  Stagnation is no one's friend. 

Is this the way one should live life striving for contentment?  How would it look if we all were content?   Would we ever again dare to venture forth out side of our day to day lives to create or discover something new?

Excellent question.  I suggest you answer it for yourself.

Peace is a very different word for me to me it expresses a certain ability to create flow within. Where you have a strong inner foundation of reality that is flexible as well, you often have inner peace.  You can accept where you are and how things work in this now but are willing to input new information and get different results.  

For me peace is an essential tool that if I have it on board I can navigate my daily life with grace and joy because there is no fear.  My motivations and goals spring from a source that is more pure than fear.

Peace arises and deepens as I uncover layer by layer my inner self and who I am.

JB

Thursday, October 23, 2008

The Finite Flow


Finite
adjective
1. having bounds or limits; not infinite; measurable.
2. Mathematics.
a. (of a set of elements) capable of being completely counted.
b. not infinite or infinitesimal.
c. not zero.
3. subject to limitations or conditions, as of space, time, circumstances, or the laws of nature: man's finite existence on earth.

Profusion-
–noun
1. abundance; abundant quantity.
2. a great quantity or amount (often fol. by of).
3. lavish spending; extravagance.

time
noun.
1.
a. A nonspatial continuum in which events occur in apparently irreversible succession from the past through the present to the future.
b. An interval separating two points on this continuum; a duration: a long time since the last war; passed the time reading.


I love the sub-title of my blog because it captures my view of time so well. Exploring my conflict with time and how it progresses has been very interesting.

Perhaps I have read way too much quantum physics material but it does seem to be a sort of
Schrödinger's cat situation where both, finite and profusion, are true of time all at once. At least that is until one perceives it as one or the other.

So my work is to perceive time as infinite and my capabilities as limited only by my choice of perspectives and my level of initiative.

If anyone got what I was saying... cool.

Definitions are from the the Free Dictionary by Farlex and Dictionary.com an Ask.com service

Monday, October 20, 2008

Where are we?

Well it is an interesting question isn't it with myriad answers, we are in this physical space, yes, but we are also in this mental space, and for many, a spiritual space. Is time use a mental exercise, of course. Is time use a spiritual exercise? I think many people would say yes actually.

Each moment is a separate and yet connected multi-faceted jewel. A jewel we can cradle with our awareness or we can let it pass us by it's rich beauty gone. Tenaciously we attempt to grip both the past and often a future; which we use our now to prepare for. Oddly we cannot hold anything except the now. This is idea of being present in the now has been filtered through many lenses. Newspaper, television sitcom, magazines, word of mouth, email advice, religious text etc...So you have probably already run across it.

The now.

The now...

THE NOW!

It seems for me that thinking this way provides relief but I also feel pressured, to take this moment into account and live it well. I once told a friend of mine that the only thing I must do to achieve happiness is to live this moment well.

That's it.

I have only run into true trouble when I don't think through what that looks like or when I attempt to do too much. For me it is as if I am over loading my washing machine in an attempt to catch up on laundry till nothing gets clean. In real life when I attempt too much I get nothing done, it is a terrible and overwhelming state.

As deepen my understanding of how to live each moment well, relief and peace increase and become a way of being.

Next time more thoughts on the Infinite Profusion of Time
JB

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Accepting

Ok by saying that I wish to accept I mean that I intend to realize that my goals are or are not being accomplished fully and completely and then choose to do one of three things: Delegate, Set aside, or choose to sacrifice.

Delegate: To pass on a task to someone else

I often think I can accomplish more than I actually can and there for do not often choose to delegate. Also I hate not doing it myself.

Set Aside: to temporarily or permanently leave a task or goal unfinished

This is the one I am the worst at I choose my goals and desires very carefully and though I ask a lot of myself I know that each and every one of my goals are wonderful and meaningful to me.

Choose to Sacrifice: to trade in one ideal or perk in order to achieve the intended outcome

This is by far my favorite but it comes with a hefty price for example right now I am starting to drag and my day is only about half over because I decided to stay up late and clean my house last night. But I am so happy to be in a sane environment I don't really care how tired I am.

Once I begin to accept my actual state of being I find it much easier to move to deciding which tool is best suited to me and my goal(s).

Do you have any tools for achieving that you would like to share?

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Breakthrough!

Ok here it is in all it's wonder and splendor; Joy and release. I have figured out part, perhaps even the main part, of why I have felt so deeply stuck in a mire of "but I don't want too!".

Now prior to the last year and a half I had nearly always felt motivated and up to it. As long I was interested then I was gung hoo and the stuff I wasn't interested in was not essential. I loved everything even washing dishes and organizing!

But what has changed in the last year or so? Well my standards of what I wanted to accomplish enlarged. I started getting more involved in my community which I wanted I started a business which I wanted I spent time with my two two year olds and bought a house and moved in and worked on getting flooring in all readily on the 'I want it' list. There is more, but you get the idea... So what does this mean? This means that I, who am utterly spoiled in the sense that I am used to suffering only minor (to me) difficulties and navigating them with ease, have had many of my goals not be achieved with quality or at all. So I have been feeling that my actions are not aligning with my inner drives. And as Suze Orman says our happiness arrises most readily when our actions are alighned with our inner truth/self. So my happiness has been faltering because although I was trying to act in ways that were true to my self I didn't accomplish them. So this has sapped me on soo many levels: emotionally, confidence wise, and even personal energy.

Next step accept, accept, accept. More on this in the next post!

Saturday, October 4, 2008

The Finite Profusion of Time

Hello all,

I decided to change my sub-title since this blog seems to be really rolling deep in the time groove. I would like to learn more about time and how I use it. This is my space to explore that issue. I love to get things done but sometimes the motivation is not there so I think I will spend some time being aware or perhaps more aware of what motivates me for the following month. Is my plate too full am I dragging myself to places and decisions that ultimately not meet my needs? Is this just all a matter of "too much change in a short period of time?" as my 9 year old has said recently? Do I need to label this ennui in order to move through it?

As you may have noticed this feeling of "f-it all" has bleed into my blogging...

Answers from the cyberspace neighborhood and beyond appreciated...

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Spanish learning E-style

Hey all you language buffs this program is for real! Free and totally organized for nearly everyone with a leaning toward you visual learners! So be wild and start the course as your first step toward a philanthropic (or pleasure) cruise to Latin America! Or just for fun; think pen pals!