Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Living a Balanced Life
Our individual needs are complex and each person is different from their neighbor. Still we can simplify our needs into broad general catagories.
The important concept is to live "balanced" lives, giving attention to each major area. If we devote too much time and energy to one area, the areas we have neglected will create problems for us.
The ancients used astrology and the twelve houses to catagorize our individual needs.
They are:
Ego and self
Money and possessions
Travel
Family
Romance and Love
Work
Partnership and marriage
The Occult and death
Higher Education and Law
Our public image
Our hopes, dreams and wishes
Our restrictions
My appologies to any astrologers for mistakes I might make in this. It is simply a map or grouping of life's major areas. We need to pay attention to each area in a balanced way if we want to be successful in life.
In addition to devoting time to each of these areas there are seven other personal areas to be developed.
The most obvious deals with our physical need to stay alive in physical bodies. This includes body awareness, awareness of the environment through the physical senses, our ability to live in the moment. It also deals with the ability to stay alive.
Our physical and etheric bodies require nutrition and exercise to remain strong and healthy. There is a requirement to "live in the present moment" and develop these needs to the fullest capacity. It is through aerobic exercise we develop our ability to manifest our dreams in physical reality.
We have our sexual needs and instinctual drive to perpetuate the human race through reproduction. This requires us to openly confront our sexual needs and interact with a partner in order to fulfill them. Repression of the sexual drive has caused death and perversion in the past. Feelings of guilt and shame have made something beautiful and sacred dirty and ugly. We need to cultivate healthy attitudes about sexuality by finding an appropriate partner.
Joy, laughter, music and creativity are emotions that make life rich and rewarding. These are feelings that make life worthwhile. Have we set aside time to play each day?
Follow the way of our heart. What do we stand for? What things are sacred and make us who we are. What concepts and values define us and how others to see us. We need to believe in who we are and what we stand for. We need to believe in ourselves and in our ability to achieve personal happiness.
In communicating with others we learn we are not alone in our experience. Our ability to learn from others and to learn from our own mistakes allows us to progress and develop in life. It's good to learn social skills and teach others what we know. Learn from others what we need as well.
We all have glimpses of insight that involve a "knowing" and percieving of "architypal" reality. It is through these intuitive "flashes" that our internal authority will reveal personal truth. These intuitive "flashes" will form our personal paradigm or view of reality if we have enough of them and trust in them.
It is our personal view of reality that determines our physical actions and how we attempt to fullfill our needs. We do what we think is right, even if it is wrong. The more we listen to our internal authority, the more we will do the right thing.
It helps to remember we are all brothers and sisters, common members of the human race. We can't hurt someone else without hurting ourselves. We are a part of the earth and what we do has purpose and is important.
Each and every day we should exercise our physical body, devote time to our primary relationships, play and have fun, do or read something inspiring. We can challenge our intellect by learning something new. Meditate and commune with our inner authority and lastly, reflect on the unity of all things and how each has it's own place and time.
The important concept is to live "balanced" lives, giving attention to each major area. If we devote too much time and energy to one area, the areas we have neglected will create problems for us.
The ancients used astrology and the twelve houses to catagorize our individual needs.
They are:
Ego and self
Money and possessions
Travel
Family
Romance and Love
Work
Partnership and marriage
The Occult and death
Higher Education and Law
Our public image
Our hopes, dreams and wishes
Our restrictions
My appologies to any astrologers for mistakes I might make in this. It is simply a map or grouping of life's major areas. We need to pay attention to each area in a balanced way if we want to be successful in life.
In addition to devoting time to each of these areas there are seven other personal areas to be developed.
The most obvious deals with our physical need to stay alive in physical bodies. This includes body awareness, awareness of the environment through the physical senses, our ability to live in the moment. It also deals with the ability to stay alive.
Our physical and etheric bodies require nutrition and exercise to remain strong and healthy. There is a requirement to "live in the present moment" and develop these needs to the fullest capacity. It is through aerobic exercise we develop our ability to manifest our dreams in physical reality.
We have our sexual needs and instinctual drive to perpetuate the human race through reproduction. This requires us to openly confront our sexual needs and interact with a partner in order to fulfill them. Repression of the sexual drive has caused death and perversion in the past. Feelings of guilt and shame have made something beautiful and sacred dirty and ugly. We need to cultivate healthy attitudes about sexuality by finding an appropriate partner.
Joy, laughter, music and creativity are emotions that make life rich and rewarding. These are feelings that make life worthwhile. Have we set aside time to play each day?
Follow the way of our heart. What do we stand for? What things are sacred and make us who we are. What concepts and values define us and how others to see us. We need to believe in who we are and what we stand for. We need to believe in ourselves and in our ability to achieve personal happiness.
In communicating with others we learn we are not alone in our experience. Our ability to learn from others and to learn from our own mistakes allows us to progress and develop in life. It's good to learn social skills and teach others what we know. Learn from others what we need as well.
We all have glimpses of insight that involve a "knowing" and percieving of "architypal" reality. It is through these intuitive "flashes" that our internal authority will reveal personal truth. These intuitive "flashes" will form our personal paradigm or view of reality if we have enough of them and trust in them.
It is our personal view of reality that determines our physical actions and how we attempt to fullfill our needs. We do what we think is right, even if it is wrong. The more we listen to our internal authority, the more we will do the right thing.
It helps to remember we are all brothers and sisters, common members of the human race. We can't hurt someone else without hurting ourselves. We are a part of the earth and what we do has purpose and is important.
Each and every day we should exercise our physical body, devote time to our primary relationships, play and have fun, do or read something inspiring. We can challenge our intellect by learning something new. Meditate and commune with our inner authority and lastly, reflect on the unity of all things and how each has it's own place and time.
# posted by anarchistbanjo @ 6:35 PM 
