Saturday, February 24, 2007
What You Resist You Become
In a twist of irony life seems to mandate that we become what we most resist. This is part of the paradoxical nature of life itself as we mature and experience more.
How many people have said they resisted becoming like their parents only to find themselves treating their own children in the same manner they were treated. How many have done the pendulum swing reacting against going to church like their parents and later in life finding peace and solace in being born again?
My father told me he would never have a black dog or own a Ford. He has owned both. I hate to think of the times I have eaten my own words. We take a stand and then later find ourselves in a situation where we are on the opposite side. How can this be?
The simple answer is that nothing is really true unless its opposite is equally true. You can love a child to the point they never grow up as self supporting individuals. When you do everything for a child they do not learn to do things for themselves. Tough love is a very hard thing for a parent to learn and to appreciate.
Failure and making mistakes is a painful process, especially watching our children make mistakes. The truth is we learn from our mistakes and they make us stronger. At least they can if we let them.
It is easy to condemn Hitler for his unhuman treatment of Jewish prisoners in the death camps. Still we benefit from limb and organ transplants and other scientific discoveries pioneered in Nazi Germany. This paradox goes on and on.
There is an old saying, "When you point one finger at someone else you have three others pointing right back at you". Try it and you will see how true it is. We each contain within us the capacity for enormous good and evil. Love of self must compete daily with love of others and both are important. There is great risk when you neglect either one.
As we mature we realize that if we give too much to others we become too weak to survive on our own and become a burden to others. We become a burden because we gave too much and couldn't take care of our own needs.
In like manner when we are too self centered and self absorbed people will turn away from us. If we want to be treated well by others we need to be decent to them as well.
There is an old proverb about a King that was known for his kindness and generosity. His subjects were taxed very lightly. The king required only what he needed to run the palace. He had no food put away in store houses for insurance against hard times. A seven year drought ruined the crops in his kingdom and he was forced to take food from his own starving subjects. They rebelled against him and had him executed.
The neighboring kingdom was ruled by a mean and cruel king that taxed his subjects heavily and took much more than he needed to keep the palace in luxury. What he didn't use he placed in warehouses to sell. He was universally hated and despised. The same seven year drought ruined the crops in his kingdom as well. He was forced to open his warehouses and distribute food for his subjects to eat. Overnight he became a hero and lived a long and respected life.
The moral to this story is that it is easier for a mean and cruel tyrant to become loved than it is for a kind and gentle ruler to save his own life in times of disaster.
When our position is secure and our cup overflowing we can give the surplus to others and they can share in our bounty. In this manner we can support them through hard times until they get on their own feet once more.
If we overextend and give until we are at risk we fail ourselves and those we love in times of crisis and disaster. There will always be times of crisis and disaster. If we are prepared we can confront the crisis and be strong enough to help others when they need us most. Take care of yourself so you are strong enough to take care of those that love you and depend on you.
Anarchist World Live Join the Revolution today! Online rss community of free men and free women. Let Freedom Ring!
How many people have said they resisted becoming like their parents only to find themselves treating their own children in the same manner they were treated. How many have done the pendulum swing reacting against going to church like their parents and later in life finding peace and solace in being born again?
My father told me he would never have a black dog or own a Ford. He has owned both. I hate to think of the times I have eaten my own words. We take a stand and then later find ourselves in a situation where we are on the opposite side. How can this be?
The simple answer is that nothing is really true unless its opposite is equally true. You can love a child to the point they never grow up as self supporting individuals. When you do everything for a child they do not learn to do things for themselves. Tough love is a very hard thing for a parent to learn and to appreciate.
Failure and making mistakes is a painful process, especially watching our children make mistakes. The truth is we learn from our mistakes and they make us stronger. At least they can if we let them.
It is easy to condemn Hitler for his unhuman treatment of Jewish prisoners in the death camps. Still we benefit from limb and organ transplants and other scientific discoveries pioneered in Nazi Germany. This paradox goes on and on.
There is an old saying, "When you point one finger at someone else you have three others pointing right back at you". Try it and you will see how true it is. We each contain within us the capacity for enormous good and evil. Love of self must compete daily with love of others and both are important. There is great risk when you neglect either one.
As we mature we realize that if we give too much to others we become too weak to survive on our own and become a burden to others. We become a burden because we gave too much and couldn't take care of our own needs.
In like manner when we are too self centered and self absorbed people will turn away from us. If we want to be treated well by others we need to be decent to them as well.
There is an old proverb about a King that was known for his kindness and generosity. His subjects were taxed very lightly. The king required only what he needed to run the palace. He had no food put away in store houses for insurance against hard times. A seven year drought ruined the crops in his kingdom and he was forced to take food from his own starving subjects. They rebelled against him and had him executed.
The neighboring kingdom was ruled by a mean and cruel king that taxed his subjects heavily and took much more than he needed to keep the palace in luxury. What he didn't use he placed in warehouses to sell. He was universally hated and despised. The same seven year drought ruined the crops in his kingdom as well. He was forced to open his warehouses and distribute food for his subjects to eat. Overnight he became a hero and lived a long and respected life.
The moral to this story is that it is easier for a mean and cruel tyrant to become loved than it is for a kind and gentle ruler to save his own life in times of disaster.
When our position is secure and our cup overflowing we can give the surplus to others and they can share in our bounty. In this manner we can support them through hard times until they get on their own feet once more.
If we overextend and give until we are at risk we fail ourselves and those we love in times of crisis and disaster. There will always be times of crisis and disaster. If we are prepared we can confront the crisis and be strong enough to help others when they need us most. Take care of yourself so you are strong enough to take care of those that love you and depend on you.
Anarchist World Live Join the Revolution today! Online rss community of free men and free women. Let Freedom Ring!
Who knows why one person gives up and dies while another struggles on through overwhelming odds and comes out on top? We all want to survive. But are we willing to do what needs to be done?
Alligator Alley Technorati Tags : survivalism, freedom, Rosicrucian, Rosicrucianism, Freemasonry, Freemasons, conspiracy, opinion, mastery, alternative
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Negativity Attracts Negativity
Negativity attracts negativity. This is obvious when we think about it. When we get angry at someone it provokes anger back in return. When someone yells at us in anger we struggle with an instinctive impulse to yell back.
There is a magnetic component to both negative behavior and positive behavior that is worth consideration. When people smile and greet us in a friendly manner we feel good and inclined to smile and be friendly in return.
There is a magnetic quality to emotions that pull us into their own polarity. Emotional events in life can really cause extreme highs and extreme lows if we are not careful. The problem with emotional energy is that it burns out so fast. That emotional high or low can not be sustained over long periods of time. It takes more energy than we are capable of generating and leaves us exhausted.
Allowing the bitter-sweet in life is one way to neutralize these extreme mood swings and use less energy. This means remaining open to both energies at times when one is dominant. When we are happy we can remember that there are people suffering and feel compassion for them. When we suffer we can remember it makes us deeper and more sensitive to the suffering of others. We can understand more of what it is like for them.
In reaching out to help others when we are riding high we learn to reach out to others when we are at the bottom as well. It is as important to accept help as it is to give help. Life is an interactive game not a solitary one. When confronted with negativity we grow if we resist falling under its influence. In sharing our joy we bring happiness to those that could really use it.
Indulging in excess emotional pleasure or pain causes harmful burnout when carried to extremes. No good can come of it. They are both dangerous forms of self absorbtion that weaken our bonds with the environment and those we love. They use dangerous amounts of energy and leave us barely functioning.
Our final consideration is that emotional energy feeds upon itself. When negative energy meets negative energy it grows and there is more negative energy than before. Things become more dangerous and a violent confrontation more likely. Being aware of the bitter-sweet can stall this confrontation or side step it for awhile but at some point negativity must be confronted and dealt with.
Stalling or putting off the inevitable confrontation until we are stronger is sound wisdom. But for it to work we must become stronger. There is nothing in life that we can run from or evade in the long term. Building bridges of understanding can help us to relate to our opponent and cope better with the situation. We gamble in the the hopes that with time we will become stronger than our opponent does.
Let me be blunt and say that obstacles are obstacles. Those things that block our success must be removed. We can remove small pieces at a time or tackle the entire thing in one huge confrontation. The main danger is in loosing such a confrontation and being set back into an even more vulnerable condition. That happens when our energy reserves are depleted. At such times our physical health becomes vulnerable as well.
As our energy reserves grow we can joyously confront our opponents in open conflict without fear of losing too much. Open conflict does resolve issues much more quickly and brings peace much more quickly in its wake. To the victor belong the spoils! It is unresolved conflict that causes stress.
In the game of life these are the risks we take in confrontation and avoidance. There is no universal right way or wrong way of resolving conflict and dealing with negativity. There is only the universal hope of creating a win-win situation where all parties are happy.
Win-win situations create quantum leaps that propel us into new ways of being never before experienced. They also bring new challenges.
Anarchist World Live Join the Revolution today! Online rss community of free men and free women. Let Freedom Ring!
There is a magnetic component to both negative behavior and positive behavior that is worth consideration. When people smile and greet us in a friendly manner we feel good and inclined to smile and be friendly in return.
There is a magnetic quality to emotions that pull us into their own polarity. Emotional events in life can really cause extreme highs and extreme lows if we are not careful. The problem with emotional energy is that it burns out so fast. That emotional high or low can not be sustained over long periods of time. It takes more energy than we are capable of generating and leaves us exhausted.
Allowing the bitter-sweet in life is one way to neutralize these extreme mood swings and use less energy. This means remaining open to both energies at times when one is dominant. When we are happy we can remember that there are people suffering and feel compassion for them. When we suffer we can remember it makes us deeper and more sensitive to the suffering of others. We can understand more of what it is like for them.
In reaching out to help others when we are riding high we learn to reach out to others when we are at the bottom as well. It is as important to accept help as it is to give help. Life is an interactive game not a solitary one. When confronted with negativity we grow if we resist falling under its influence. In sharing our joy we bring happiness to those that could really use it.
Indulging in excess emotional pleasure or pain causes harmful burnout when carried to extremes. No good can come of it. They are both dangerous forms of self absorbtion that weaken our bonds with the environment and those we love. They use dangerous amounts of energy and leave us barely functioning.
Our final consideration is that emotional energy feeds upon itself. When negative energy meets negative energy it grows and there is more negative energy than before. Things become more dangerous and a violent confrontation more likely. Being aware of the bitter-sweet can stall this confrontation or side step it for awhile but at some point negativity must be confronted and dealt with.
Stalling or putting off the inevitable confrontation until we are stronger is sound wisdom. But for it to work we must become stronger. There is nothing in life that we can run from or evade in the long term. Building bridges of understanding can help us to relate to our opponent and cope better with the situation. We gamble in the the hopes that with time we will become stronger than our opponent does.
Let me be blunt and say that obstacles are obstacles. Those things that block our success must be removed. We can remove small pieces at a time or tackle the entire thing in one huge confrontation. The main danger is in loosing such a confrontation and being set back into an even more vulnerable condition. That happens when our energy reserves are depleted. At such times our physical health becomes vulnerable as well.
As our energy reserves grow we can joyously confront our opponents in open conflict without fear of losing too much. Open conflict does resolve issues much more quickly and brings peace much more quickly in its wake. To the victor belong the spoils! It is unresolved conflict that causes stress.
In the game of life these are the risks we take in confrontation and avoidance. There is no universal right way or wrong way of resolving conflict and dealing with negativity. There is only the universal hope of creating a win-win situation where all parties are happy.
Win-win situations create quantum leaps that propel us into new ways of being never before experienced. They also bring new challenges.
Anarchist World Live Join the Revolution today! Online rss community of free men and free women. Let Freedom Ring!
Who knows why one person gives up and dies while another struggles on through overwhelming odds and comes out on top? We all want to survive. But are we willing to do what needs to be done?
Alligator Alley Technorati Tags : survivalism, freedom, Rosicrucian, Rosicrucianism, Freemasonry, Freemasons, conspiracy, opinion, mastery, alternative
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Being Affected by Negativity
You have the choice of being affected by negativity or not being affected by it. Sometimes it's hard to believe we do have this choice. When someone is pushing your buttons to get a reaction they know exactly what they are doing and we fall right into it. This is following old behavior patterns unconsciously even when we don't want to.
When someone pushed my buttons I used to mentally tell myself that I would not loose control of myself to someone else. I would not allow someone else to yank my chain. I reasoned that if they could yank my chain that meant they had a certain amount of control over me. I was not going to allow this.
The result was a tough armor that I needed to call upon time after time. People sensed that I was blocking their attempts and tried harder. I put more armor around myself. People tried harder to push my buttons. It seemed that I was caught up in a viscious circle where I was withdrawing from human interaction.
The final result was I was left alone and lonely. Not exactly what I wanted but it was at least peaceful. After I centered myself and calmed down I was ready to start relating with people again. It was not so easy. I noticed it most with my wife. She would try to pull me into arguements. She complained that I would only relate with her when things were going well. At soon as things got bad I would emotionally leave the relationship. She wanted me to stay and confront the issues so we could work them out. I was very uncomfortable doing this. We were at a stand still.
Gradually I learned that being affected by negativity happened by not confronting it when it occurred. It was an emotional charge and if I confronted it right away I lost energy but felt better. I was a lot better off just getting it over with and moving on. When I let my wife discharge her frustration she felt better. I didn't try running from it. A side effect was that I started expressing more of my frustration as well.
Being free to express small frustrations and negativity prevented the build up of anger and resentment that produced many of the big blow ups. This was an important step.
Being able to armor myself was just as important. Imagine being in a restaurant or public place and someone butts in line and starts screaming at you. This is the type of negativity you can block with your armor. Don't block the negativity from your loved ones. Try to understand it instead.
The only way you can choose is if you are capable of both options. Knowing when to accept negativity is as important as blocking it. The sharing of pain and sorrow is an important part of our important relationships. We need to be supportive of others if we want them to be supportive of us. At times this means accepting their anger and resentment.
Anarchist World Live Join the Revolution today! Online rss community of free men and free women. Let Freedom Ring!
When someone pushed my buttons I used to mentally tell myself that I would not loose control of myself to someone else. I would not allow someone else to yank my chain. I reasoned that if they could yank my chain that meant they had a certain amount of control over me. I was not going to allow this.
The result was a tough armor that I needed to call upon time after time. People sensed that I was blocking their attempts and tried harder. I put more armor around myself. People tried harder to push my buttons. It seemed that I was caught up in a viscious circle where I was withdrawing from human interaction.
The final result was I was left alone and lonely. Not exactly what I wanted but it was at least peaceful. After I centered myself and calmed down I was ready to start relating with people again. It was not so easy. I noticed it most with my wife. She would try to pull me into arguements. She complained that I would only relate with her when things were going well. At soon as things got bad I would emotionally leave the relationship. She wanted me to stay and confront the issues so we could work them out. I was very uncomfortable doing this. We were at a stand still.
Gradually I learned that being affected by negativity happened by not confronting it when it occurred. It was an emotional charge and if I confronted it right away I lost energy but felt better. I was a lot better off just getting it over with and moving on. When I let my wife discharge her frustration she felt better. I didn't try running from it. A side effect was that I started expressing more of my frustration as well.
Being free to express small frustrations and negativity prevented the build up of anger and resentment that produced many of the big blow ups. This was an important step.
Being able to armor myself was just as important. Imagine being in a restaurant or public place and someone butts in line and starts screaming at you. This is the type of negativity you can block with your armor. Don't block the negativity from your loved ones. Try to understand it instead.
The only way you can choose is if you are capable of both options. Knowing when to accept negativity is as important as blocking it. The sharing of pain and sorrow is an important part of our important relationships. We need to be supportive of others if we want them to be supportive of us. At times this means accepting their anger and resentment.
Anarchist World Live Join the Revolution today! Online rss community of free men and free women. Let Freedom Ring!
Who knows why one person gives up and dies while another struggles on through overwhelming odds and comes out on top? We all want to survive. But are we willing to do what needs to be done?
Alligator Alley Technorati Tags : survivalism, freedom, Rosicrucian, Rosicrucianism, Freemasonry, Freemasons, conspiracy, opinion, mastery, alternative
