Yes society, world, culture, people... I get it. Being good looking is better than being ugly, being tall is better than being short, being smart is better than being dumb, having a college degree is better than not having a college degree, being heterosexual is better than being gay, being rich is better than being poor, having a BMW is better than having a Toyota, being famous is better than being unknown, being skinny is better than being fat, living in a prestigious neighborhood is better than living in the ghetto, being well-spoken is better than not being well-spoken, being charismatic is better than being boring.
Yes, I get it, following the norms and rules is better than not. Behaving according to what is expected by all is better than breaking out of the box.
I get it world, you have set standards that when not lived up to them then that means one has a lot of work to do. I get it, life is all about impressing the world and having people admire one. Yes world, I know that according to you this life is all about getting your acceptance and approval - that those who make it to the cover of a magazine are better than those who don't. I get that life is all about who has more, who looks better, who does more, who sells more. I get that success is all about numbers. I get it.
I get how the whole thing goes, I know what competition and comparison is. It's actually quite simple. If I'm taller and better looking then I must be better, if my house is nicer then I must be better, if I have a special talent then I must be better, if I have a bigger muscles then I must be better, if I have nicer clothes then I must be better, if I have a higher position then I must be better, if I can type faster then I must be better. It's all about comparison and who's the best. If I run faster then I'm better, if I make it to 1st place then I'm better than the rest. I get it... it's about popularity, the most popular is the best. If I have a Master's then I'm better than whoever has a Bachelor's - it's hysterical.
One's worth and value is determined by what the world says, by what others say. That's how this whole thing works! Whoever can sing the highest note is the better singer. Whoever can work more hours is the better citizen. This culture is a hoot. It's so nice to not be playing that game and feeling like a true success. Drop out of the madness and follow your heart and your love and passion -- not the world... you'll go crazy! Believe me, I already did... thank God I lived to tell the story!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
The "Everything Should Be Easy" Syndrome
Ah, America! I write that as if I knew much more about other cultures, which to be honest, I really know close to nothing about anything outside of the way we Americans live. I mean, sure I grew up in the Dominican Republic but that's still Latin America and it seems like contemporary Dominicans are highly influenced by the North American way.
No long ago I was teaching a class to kids in a private school that was about building wooden airplanes. The process required some sanding, gluing, coloring and adjusting. The reaction of many of my students was "Why do we have to sand them?" or "Why do we have to build them ourselves, why can't we just buy them at the store?"
It's amazing, at first it happened in a private school where the kids where obviously (financially) wealthy, but then it started happening in public schools too. We are so spoiled as a nation that we don't want to work for anything. We don't want to learn how to cook, how to drive a standard transmission vehicle, we don't even want to have to use our bodies anymore.
Forget just not wanting to do any physical work, we avoid going to college because it takes too long and it's too much work. We look to do a three-month course in photography or a two week bar-tending class so that we can get a license and make quick money. We don't want to use our brains. We want the car to automatically shut the headlights for us and we want our food to be ready in less than five minutes. No wonder why the fast food industry is owning the world.
In any kind of relationship we feel that if it's not easy to get along, then we should just discard them and move on. We don't want to do any kind of work. In our personal development we want to go see a psychologist once or twice (if even that) and if we didn't get results then the whole thing is bullshit. In spirituality if we don't get to know God within the first few months of seeking, we discard our devotion and convert to more worldly ways. If it's not EASY, we scrap it.
If the pill doesn't cause weight loss then we just forget about the whole thing and move on to forgetting all about ever being healthy. If the natural herbal pill doesn't get rid of the cold immediately then we say that the product is a scam. If it's not easy we just say FUCK IT! We become defeated, comfortable people who have settled for cynicism and low-level despair.
I can't tell you how many students I've had that when I tell them that learning to sing takes YEARS, they run for the door, move on and find another teacher that lies to them telling them that they can learn right away and takes their money. All only to later come back to me and tell me I was right the whole time.
The whole "everything should be easy" spoiled brat syndrome is slowly taking people's PASSION for living away from them. It is an immature, absurd and defeatist attitude that stinks like dead rats. NOTHING THAT'S REAL IS EASY! Only fantasies and delusions are! Like credit cards, make-up, instant soup, tights that conceal your fat, beach resorts, computer editing, magic, lies, tricks and bullshit. All those things are easy, but they are not REAL. Phony relationships, phony weddings, phony orange juice, phony laughter. All those things might be easy but they are PHONY.
It is easy to build a house without a foundation because we don't have to get dirty and dig a whole. It is easy to make a house out of cardboard because we don't have to chop wood and carry water. But all the easy stuff goes away as easy as it comes. EASY COMES, EASY GOES!
Wake-up from the silly dream of magic, perfection and ease -- it's a fantasy. Look at Kim Kardashian, she looks like an idiot... is that who you want to be?
I feel very SORRY for people with the "Everything Should Be Easy" Syndrome... they're half brain-dead! I am so HAPPY I got out of it! Anything worthwhile is CHALLENGING!
No long ago I was teaching a class to kids in a private school that was about building wooden airplanes. The process required some sanding, gluing, coloring and adjusting. The reaction of many of my students was "Why do we have to sand them?" or "Why do we have to build them ourselves, why can't we just buy them at the store?"
It's amazing, at first it happened in a private school where the kids where obviously (financially) wealthy, but then it started happening in public schools too. We are so spoiled as a nation that we don't want to work for anything. We don't want to learn how to cook, how to drive a standard transmission vehicle, we don't even want to have to use our bodies anymore.
Forget just not wanting to do any physical work, we avoid going to college because it takes too long and it's too much work. We look to do a three-month course in photography or a two week bar-tending class so that we can get a license and make quick money. We don't want to use our brains. We want the car to automatically shut the headlights for us and we want our food to be ready in less than five minutes. No wonder why the fast food industry is owning the world.
In any kind of relationship we feel that if it's not easy to get along, then we should just discard them and move on. We don't want to do any kind of work. In our personal development we want to go see a psychologist once or twice (if even that) and if we didn't get results then the whole thing is bullshit. In spirituality if we don't get to know God within the first few months of seeking, we discard our devotion and convert to more worldly ways. If it's not EASY, we scrap it.
If the pill doesn't cause weight loss then we just forget about the whole thing and move on to forgetting all about ever being healthy. If the natural herbal pill doesn't get rid of the cold immediately then we say that the product is a scam. If it's not easy we just say FUCK IT! We become defeated, comfortable people who have settled for cynicism and low-level despair.
I can't tell you how many students I've had that when I tell them that learning to sing takes YEARS, they run for the door, move on and find another teacher that lies to them telling them that they can learn right away and takes their money. All only to later come back to me and tell me I was right the whole time.
The whole "everything should be easy" spoiled brat syndrome is slowly taking people's PASSION for living away from them. It is an immature, absurd and defeatist attitude that stinks like dead rats. NOTHING THAT'S REAL IS EASY! Only fantasies and delusions are! Like credit cards, make-up, instant soup, tights that conceal your fat, beach resorts, computer editing, magic, lies, tricks and bullshit. All those things are easy, but they are not REAL. Phony relationships, phony weddings, phony orange juice, phony laughter. All those things might be easy but they are PHONY.
It is easy to build a house without a foundation because we don't have to get dirty and dig a whole. It is easy to make a house out of cardboard because we don't have to chop wood and carry water. But all the easy stuff goes away as easy as it comes. EASY COMES, EASY GOES!
Wake-up from the silly dream of magic, perfection and ease -- it's a fantasy. Look at Kim Kardashian, she looks like an idiot... is that who you want to be?
I feel very SORRY for people with the "Everything Should Be Easy" Syndrome... they're half brain-dead! I am so HAPPY I got out of it! Anything worthwhile is CHALLENGING!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Declaration Of Spiritual Autonomy
It's pretty obvious that there doesn't seem to be a single human being on the planet who isn't in a search for something beyond the material. Even self-proclaimed atheists and so-called materialists whether in denial or not, have an intrinsic curiosity toward the otherworldly. To me, that's just a fact, why? Because I have never personally met or even read about anyone who hasn't been intrigued by the whole notion of there being something more to life than what we can see.
Sure, there are people that go into a denial that is so deep that they use the power of their own beings to suppress and hide their innate curiosity. Perhaps there are even some people who haven't awoken to their latent spiritual curiosity, but the fact to me is that we all have an inner calling towards what most of us like to call God. The way I see it, atheists have it too. Why else would somebody be so adamant in their insistence that something does "not" exist. What is it that they are denying? I always use the example of how I never create a label around not believing in Santa Clause. I just don't believe that Santa is real, period. I don't call myself an "asantaist." To do that would be to be showing an unusual interest in Santa, which would be funny because it would probably have something to do with me actually believing in Santa.
Now, I'm not saying that every atheist believes in God deep down, perhaps some people have come to their own realization that there could not be this singular and distinct entity called God. They may argue that there is no such thing as extremes, that things are not black or white - that those are primitive and simplistic ways of looking at things because it violates the laws of relativity and so on. I'm really just interested in making it a point that we are all called to explore life in a way that goes beyond what we consider possible. That's all.
Where else would all religions come from? Where else would all philosophies and arguments come from? We are curious AND uncertain about many things in life. To me, that's just the plain truth.
The point of proving this is basically explaining and clarifying mostly for myself and hopefully for others where my spiritual quests, journeys and paths have come from. I'm just human, and it's in our nature to inquire and be curious about the unknown. Lucky for me, this was never really shut down totally. I've always been a curious bighead peeking deeper and deeper into everything. With this incessant curiosity and with this relentless personality I have driven a lot of people to the edge of temporary insanity. I have driven my mom, my dad, my brothers, my sister, my lovers, my friends, my teachers and even acquaintances crazy - most of all I have driven myself to actual insanity, leading me to be institutionalized.
Yes, my love for God has driven me crazy. It has created many paths, quests, confusion, angst and every other emotion and non-emotion that I could imagine. I have laughed, cried, sang and remained quiet and everything in between. My thirst for God and my passion for discovering the truth has made me a very awkward and strange individual. Even though on the exterior to some I may seem completely normal, I could assure you that I have been far from it. My dysfunction as an ego in this society according to its standards has been pretty pronounced. I have only managed to get myself in a lot of trouble and have independently accomplished very little so far. At least in my eyes. For others the story might be completely different. I am speaking from within me and being truthful in my feelings.
The truth is that at 27 years-old I still feel like a child that has used the whole world in order to fulfill his needs. At first my needs were spiritual, then my needs became material and egoic and finally they mostly became spiritual again. At this last stage I leaned on various spiritual teachers. The teachers are really too many to mention but my greatest attachment and clinging were on two (in my eyes) wonderful teachers by the names of Mark Baxter and Adyashanti. I have carried what I've been able to collect of their minds and I have depended on the knowledge of these teachers like a kid learning to ride a bike depends on the training wheels. Mark Baxter has been my right wheel and Adyashanti has been my left.
The immense fear of letting go of these training wheels perfectly resembles the fear I had of letting go of my actual training wheels. I was terrified and horrified more than any of my other brothers seemed to be (I have no way of knowing the truth about their situation, but it seemed like it was a lot easier for them.) Yes, I realize that this is all good and well and natural, but the other good and well and natural thing to do is to let go.
And as terrified and horrified of never referring to either of my teachers as I am, I feel naturally inclined to release the grip of dependency today. Yes, today on May 4th, 2011 I declare myself spiritually independent and I abandon myself to myself completely. No more external authorities, no more religion, no more external seeking. I am left alone with myself for I feel sure that I have everything I need directly inside and even though I may not be an expert at accessing my own inner wisdom, I know that true learning can only happen when one lets go of one's crutches.
I have a long way to go in all the different levels of my development, but one thing is for sure: this declaration and this acceptance of myself as my own spiritual teacher will make things a lot easier for me. I will no longer be waiting around to hear what Adyashanti has to say and I will no longer be waiting for Mark Baxter to reply my e-mails. It doesn't mean that Adya and Mark won't be in my life anymore, it means that they have gone from being my teachers to being my friends. Friends who I love and appreciate deeply and find myself deeply interested in, but now I am individuated from them and I will no longer seek their approval.
This is as relieving as it is terrifying yet the time has come for me. My journey has come to a fruition that demands that in order for there to be more growth I step into my heart and become the leader of my own life. Sadly most people never arrive at this point but now I can be here for others in a way that I could never be before, so yes, I accept my duty to be present for those on the path of which today I step off of.
My life is pathless, my steps create the illusion of a journey that even I do not fully comprehend. I declare myself spiritually satisfied. And yes, it is the greatest satisfaction of all!
Sure, there are people that go into a denial that is so deep that they use the power of their own beings to suppress and hide their innate curiosity. Perhaps there are even some people who haven't awoken to their latent spiritual curiosity, but the fact to me is that we all have an inner calling towards what most of us like to call God. The way I see it, atheists have it too. Why else would somebody be so adamant in their insistence that something does "not" exist. What is it that they are denying? I always use the example of how I never create a label around not believing in Santa Clause. I just don't believe that Santa is real, period. I don't call myself an "asantaist." To do that would be to be showing an unusual interest in Santa, which would be funny because it would probably have something to do with me actually believing in Santa.
Now, I'm not saying that every atheist believes in God deep down, perhaps some people have come to their own realization that there could not be this singular and distinct entity called God. They may argue that there is no such thing as extremes, that things are not black or white - that those are primitive and simplistic ways of looking at things because it violates the laws of relativity and so on. I'm really just interested in making it a point that we are all called to explore life in a way that goes beyond what we consider possible. That's all.
Where else would all religions come from? Where else would all philosophies and arguments come from? We are curious AND uncertain about many things in life. To me, that's just the plain truth.
The point of proving this is basically explaining and clarifying mostly for myself and hopefully for others where my spiritual quests, journeys and paths have come from. I'm just human, and it's in our nature to inquire and be curious about the unknown. Lucky for me, this was never really shut down totally. I've always been a curious bighead peeking deeper and deeper into everything. With this incessant curiosity and with this relentless personality I have driven a lot of people to the edge of temporary insanity. I have driven my mom, my dad, my brothers, my sister, my lovers, my friends, my teachers and even acquaintances crazy - most of all I have driven myself to actual insanity, leading me to be institutionalized.
Yes, my love for God has driven me crazy. It has created many paths, quests, confusion, angst and every other emotion and non-emotion that I could imagine. I have laughed, cried, sang and remained quiet and everything in between. My thirst for God and my passion for discovering the truth has made me a very awkward and strange individual. Even though on the exterior to some I may seem completely normal, I could assure you that I have been far from it. My dysfunction as an ego in this society according to its standards has been pretty pronounced. I have only managed to get myself in a lot of trouble and have independently accomplished very little so far. At least in my eyes. For others the story might be completely different. I am speaking from within me and being truthful in my feelings.
The truth is that at 27 years-old I still feel like a child that has used the whole world in order to fulfill his needs. At first my needs were spiritual, then my needs became material and egoic and finally they mostly became spiritual again. At this last stage I leaned on various spiritual teachers. The teachers are really too many to mention but my greatest attachment and clinging were on two (in my eyes) wonderful teachers by the names of Mark Baxter and Adyashanti. I have carried what I've been able to collect of their minds and I have depended on the knowledge of these teachers like a kid learning to ride a bike depends on the training wheels. Mark Baxter has been my right wheel and Adyashanti has been my left.
The immense fear of letting go of these training wheels perfectly resembles the fear I had of letting go of my actual training wheels. I was terrified and horrified more than any of my other brothers seemed to be (I have no way of knowing the truth about their situation, but it seemed like it was a lot easier for them.) Yes, I realize that this is all good and well and natural, but the other good and well and natural thing to do is to let go.
And as terrified and horrified of never referring to either of my teachers as I am, I feel naturally inclined to release the grip of dependency today. Yes, today on May 4th, 2011 I declare myself spiritually independent and I abandon myself to myself completely. No more external authorities, no more religion, no more external seeking. I am left alone with myself for I feel sure that I have everything I need directly inside and even though I may not be an expert at accessing my own inner wisdom, I know that true learning can only happen when one lets go of one's crutches.
I have a long way to go in all the different levels of my development, but one thing is for sure: this declaration and this acceptance of myself as my own spiritual teacher will make things a lot easier for me. I will no longer be waiting around to hear what Adyashanti has to say and I will no longer be waiting for Mark Baxter to reply my e-mails. It doesn't mean that Adya and Mark won't be in my life anymore, it means that they have gone from being my teachers to being my friends. Friends who I love and appreciate deeply and find myself deeply interested in, but now I am individuated from them and I will no longer seek their approval.
This is as relieving as it is terrifying yet the time has come for me. My journey has come to a fruition that demands that in order for there to be more growth I step into my heart and become the leader of my own life. Sadly most people never arrive at this point but now I can be here for others in a way that I could never be before, so yes, I accept my duty to be present for those on the path of which today I step off of.
My life is pathless, my steps create the illusion of a journey that even I do not fully comprehend. I declare myself spiritually satisfied. And yes, it is the greatest satisfaction of all!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Life Is On Our Side
When I think back to any difficult time in my life, the single most affecting factor was my attitude. The truth is that all throughout life in general has been on my side. There have always been people who have loved me dearly, always been people who supported me warmly, there have also been people who have believed and trusted in me all the way.
The only stubborn, rebellious and incredulous one was me. Of course there were people who were stubborn, rebellious and incredulous when it came to me, and of course I was influenced by their negativity, but all I really needed to do was to check and see that it wasn't a big deal that I had jerks around, that the bigger deal was how much power I was giving them. For some reason, it seems like most of us prefer giving power to the fewer negative forces in life than giving the power to were it really is: the loving, encouraging and supportive forces of life.
God is way more powerful than the devil, in fact, at a certain point in our spiritual development the devil has absolutely no power whatsoever, the devil doesn't even exist anymore.
I think it's funny that now that my attitude isn't a stubborn, rebellious and negative one, most of the people and experiences I bump into are pleasant. Traffic jams aren't nearly as annoying, and my complaints are mostly for entertainment of myself and others. I laugh at my anger nowadays. Now that my attitude is aligned with the benevolence of life I make $600 dollars in 5 hours of work, I get more students to help and I feel more empowered to accomplish my goal of moving out.
I personally choose not to believe in the whole "I have no control" thing. Maybe I don't, but if I'm going to believe that, I believe that whatever it is that has control is on my side and is benevolent. Now that my attitude is corrected I no longer experience guilt, shame, rage, fury and internal turmoil. It's amazing when we see for ourselves that the main thing that was against us was our own attitude. It's even more shocking to see how long we have refused to notice this for ourselves.
It's really not the "negative" people around us, it's really not our "inferior" condition, it's really not the government, it's really not society, it's not the cops, it's not the bank, it's not the system, it's really not our boss, it's really our own attitude. It's not the gas prices, it's not our parents, it's not our neighbors, it's not our friends, it's not our lovers. It really is our stubbornness, our ingratitude, how bratty we are. It's really our own egos.
I don't pretend to say that I have overcome my ego, but I sure as hell know now that if I get in trouble the first place to check is inside myself. If I am in a crappy place in my life, I don't blame others and I don't even blame myself, but I immediately check my attitude. Am I in a victim position? Am I being impatient? Am I being a lazy brat? Am I whining and complaining too much? Am I being an asshole to those around me because things aren't going my way? Am I lying to myself and seeing that "others" are the ones being jerks.
I notice I have friends and family members who treat me like shit when things aren't going their way. I notice I do that sometimes too. That's just so unfair and irresponsible - and what happens to us when we do this is that we start to grind unpleasantly against life. I was about to write that life goes against us, but that wouldn't be true, it's that we go against life ourselves.
Life is so on our side and so loving that it doesn't hold a single grudge and it's always forgiving. Life doesn't get "mad" and it doesn't "punish" us. We do it to ourselves.
God have I been hurt by other people's egos! God have other people been hurt by my ego! But God has life been generally kind and loving towards me! Yes, in life I have experienced pain and grief... but all the ones that were generated by a divine grace taught me something wonderful and made me a better man. When I am hurt by the ego of others or when I hurt others with my ego there is so little to be learned and so much inconvenience. It's just amazing. Life is wise, fruitful, kind and generous while an unhealthy ego is usually just unwise, unfruitful, unkind and greedy.
It's nice to know though that other egos are only as powerful as we make them. I do not believe that even the president has any more power than the people give him... and even that power isn't his. I don't believe that any single human being has more power than any other! That power is something we give them or it's a delusion. I used to get so (really) angry at certain individuals in the media or even in my life... now I see that individuals are only as powerful as I make them in my mind and I still can get (kind of) angry at them. The difference is now I know that no individual is powerful enough to remove the fact that LIFE IS ON OUR SIDE.
:-) Let's realize this more and more everyday... if we don't... well... we might just destroy our race!
The only stubborn, rebellious and incredulous one was me. Of course there were people who were stubborn, rebellious and incredulous when it came to me, and of course I was influenced by their negativity, but all I really needed to do was to check and see that it wasn't a big deal that I had jerks around, that the bigger deal was how much power I was giving them. For some reason, it seems like most of us prefer giving power to the fewer negative forces in life than giving the power to were it really is: the loving, encouraging and supportive forces of life.
God is way more powerful than the devil, in fact, at a certain point in our spiritual development the devil has absolutely no power whatsoever, the devil doesn't even exist anymore.
I think it's funny that now that my attitude isn't a stubborn, rebellious and negative one, most of the people and experiences I bump into are pleasant. Traffic jams aren't nearly as annoying, and my complaints are mostly for entertainment of myself and others. I laugh at my anger nowadays. Now that my attitude is aligned with the benevolence of life I make $600 dollars in 5 hours of work, I get more students to help and I feel more empowered to accomplish my goal of moving out.
I personally choose not to believe in the whole "I have no control" thing. Maybe I don't, but if I'm going to believe that, I believe that whatever it is that has control is on my side and is benevolent. Now that my attitude is corrected I no longer experience guilt, shame, rage, fury and internal turmoil. It's amazing when we see for ourselves that the main thing that was against us was our own attitude. It's even more shocking to see how long we have refused to notice this for ourselves.
It's really not the "negative" people around us, it's really not our "inferior" condition, it's really not the government, it's really not society, it's not the cops, it's not the bank, it's not the system, it's really not our boss, it's really our own attitude. It's not the gas prices, it's not our parents, it's not our neighbors, it's not our friends, it's not our lovers. It really is our stubbornness, our ingratitude, how bratty we are. It's really our own egos.
I don't pretend to say that I have overcome my ego, but I sure as hell know now that if I get in trouble the first place to check is inside myself. If I am in a crappy place in my life, I don't blame others and I don't even blame myself, but I immediately check my attitude. Am I in a victim position? Am I being impatient? Am I being a lazy brat? Am I whining and complaining too much? Am I being an asshole to those around me because things aren't going my way? Am I lying to myself and seeing that "others" are the ones being jerks.
I notice I have friends and family members who treat me like shit when things aren't going their way. I notice I do that sometimes too. That's just so unfair and irresponsible - and what happens to us when we do this is that we start to grind unpleasantly against life. I was about to write that life goes against us, but that wouldn't be true, it's that we go against life ourselves.
Life is so on our side and so loving that it doesn't hold a single grudge and it's always forgiving. Life doesn't get "mad" and it doesn't "punish" us. We do it to ourselves.
God have I been hurt by other people's egos! God have other people been hurt by my ego! But God has life been generally kind and loving towards me! Yes, in life I have experienced pain and grief... but all the ones that were generated by a divine grace taught me something wonderful and made me a better man. When I am hurt by the ego of others or when I hurt others with my ego there is so little to be learned and so much inconvenience. It's just amazing. Life is wise, fruitful, kind and generous while an unhealthy ego is usually just unwise, unfruitful, unkind and greedy.
It's nice to know though that other egos are only as powerful as we make them. I do not believe that even the president has any more power than the people give him... and even that power isn't his. I don't believe that any single human being has more power than any other! That power is something we give them or it's a delusion. I used to get so (really) angry at certain individuals in the media or even in my life... now I see that individuals are only as powerful as I make them in my mind and I still can get (kind of) angry at them. The difference is now I know that no individual is powerful enough to remove the fact that LIFE IS ON OUR SIDE.
:-) Let's realize this more and more everyday... if we don't... well... we might just destroy our race!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
We Worship The Impossible
Have you noticed how we humans worship the impossible?
We worship permanent happiness, which is an impossibility and simply doesn't exist and will never exist. Not even animals are always happy and they don't have the issues we have. Our dog Noah is fed, taken care of and has absolutely all of his physical needs met yet he still gets occasionally sad, angry, bored, tired, withdrawn, etc. He is for sure not ALWAYS happy.
We worship permanent beauty, which is an impossibility because everything is always changing. Our hair-do will eventually get messed up, our make-up will eventually wear off, our clothes will eventually get sweaty. The beautiful flower will eventually wither, the beautiful tree's leaves and flowers will eventually fall.
We worship permanent youth, this is why there's all this Botox and plastic surgery going around, this is why all these anti-wrinkle creams are out there, this is why most of us experience a severe mid-life crises. We don't want to age, we want to be permanently young. We've all heard those stories about the Egyptians and those tales about people wanting to hold on to permanent youth. We refuse to accept that EVERYTHING is temporary.
We worship the permanent relationship, this is why there are so many shitty relationships gripping on. We are stubborn and we like to think that things are forever. We are afraid of what others will say if a break-up happens. "But I thought they were going to make it." This is why there are these notions of "the one" and "twin soul" and the "half orange." This is where all these songs of "I can't live without you" or "I can't stop thinking about how things were," etc. come from.
We worship permanent ease. As soon as things get hard we lose it. If we are driving down a stretch of smooth road we're chill and quiet because it's easy, but then as soon as a patch of traffic hit we go "Shit!" As if to say, ease and smoothness is supposed to always be the case.
Because we worship permanence we spend a lot of time missing our youth, missing the past, in nostalgia, wishing things were back, wishing we could go back, wishing to be young again, etc. Wishing for things to not change. Many of us aren't grateful of change, we just want to go back and we live thinking about how things used to be. Many of us are obsessed with the past and how much "better" it was. This comes from the worship of permanence.
Why is this?
Well, if you ask me, this is all due to our collective illusions and delusions of PERFECTION. We are literally taught and trained that there is such a thing as perfection and permanent happiness. We are literally taught that there is such a thing as permanence and guarantees in life. We are taught that there is such a thing as "ALWAYS, FOREVER, EVERY TIME, NEVER, ETC." These words, whether we realize or not are so extreme that they could only really be used for universal principles.
When we have not matured and awoken to the truth we think that reality is supposed to be what we hope or expect it to be, we walk around with IDEAS of what things SHOULD be like, and when these ideals aren't being met, we go nuts! We start to get angry, depressed, bored, tired, unhappy and miserable. Let's face it, there is no such thing as permanence.
No, you and I will never manage to always be happy. There is no such thing. You will not always be smiling, there will always be something to keep you on your toes. It's sad how spoiled we are and how entrained we are to believe that everything is supposed to go our way. It's NEVER going to happen. Life will ALWAYS have something to remind you that you will FOREVER have to deal with the ups and downs of reality and EVERY TIME this happens you will have the choice to accept or to argue, except you will NEVER win.
The impossible isn't possible and it's impossible to always get what you want!
Wake up! Stop worshiping the impossible... it's a fantasy!
We worship permanent happiness, which is an impossibility and simply doesn't exist and will never exist. Not even animals are always happy and they don't have the issues we have. Our dog Noah is fed, taken care of and has absolutely all of his physical needs met yet he still gets occasionally sad, angry, bored, tired, withdrawn, etc. He is for sure not ALWAYS happy.
We worship permanent beauty, which is an impossibility because everything is always changing. Our hair-do will eventually get messed up, our make-up will eventually wear off, our clothes will eventually get sweaty. The beautiful flower will eventually wither, the beautiful tree's leaves and flowers will eventually fall.
We worship permanent youth, this is why there's all this Botox and plastic surgery going around, this is why all these anti-wrinkle creams are out there, this is why most of us experience a severe mid-life crises. We don't want to age, we want to be permanently young. We've all heard those stories about the Egyptians and those tales about people wanting to hold on to permanent youth. We refuse to accept that EVERYTHING is temporary.
We worship the permanent relationship, this is why there are so many shitty relationships gripping on. We are stubborn and we like to think that things are forever. We are afraid of what others will say if a break-up happens. "But I thought they were going to make it." This is why there are these notions of "the one" and "twin soul" and the "half orange." This is where all these songs of "I can't live without you" or "I can't stop thinking about how things were," etc. come from.
We worship permanent ease. As soon as things get hard we lose it. If we are driving down a stretch of smooth road we're chill and quiet because it's easy, but then as soon as a patch of traffic hit we go "Shit!" As if to say, ease and smoothness is supposed to always be the case.
Because we worship permanence we spend a lot of time missing our youth, missing the past, in nostalgia, wishing things were back, wishing we could go back, wishing to be young again, etc. Wishing for things to not change. Many of us aren't grateful of change, we just want to go back and we live thinking about how things used to be. Many of us are obsessed with the past and how much "better" it was. This comes from the worship of permanence.
Why is this?
Well, if you ask me, this is all due to our collective illusions and delusions of PERFECTION. We are literally taught and trained that there is such a thing as perfection and permanent happiness. We are literally taught that there is such a thing as permanence and guarantees in life. We are taught that there is such a thing as "ALWAYS, FOREVER, EVERY TIME, NEVER, ETC." These words, whether we realize or not are so extreme that they could only really be used for universal principles.
When we have not matured and awoken to the truth we think that reality is supposed to be what we hope or expect it to be, we walk around with IDEAS of what things SHOULD be like, and when these ideals aren't being met, we go nuts! We start to get angry, depressed, bored, tired, unhappy and miserable. Let's face it, there is no such thing as permanence.
No, you and I will never manage to always be happy. There is no such thing. You will not always be smiling, there will always be something to keep you on your toes. It's sad how spoiled we are and how entrained we are to believe that everything is supposed to go our way. It's NEVER going to happen. Life will ALWAYS have something to remind you that you will FOREVER have to deal with the ups and downs of reality and EVERY TIME this happens you will have the choice to accept or to argue, except you will NEVER win.
The impossible isn't possible and it's impossible to always get what you want!
Wake up! Stop worshiping the impossible... it's a fantasy!
Friday, February 25, 2011
Q&A - My Thoughts on Acting and Christianity
Hi Gabriel,
I want to learn how to act as well. What do you recommend books/courses etc.
Also what are your thoughts on Christianity? - "S"
Hi "S,"
First of all, thank you for your question.
In my experience, you can't learn acting from a book -- but you can get tips from books and try them out. Basically it takes a lot of practice, just like singing. So any book you feel drawn to will do. I like "The Intent To Live" by Larry Moss a lot.
It's a fun read and very helpful.
As far as courses, I don't really know, I went to college for acting and to be quite honest, for the most part, had really bad teachers! I think acting is a skill that takes a lot of maturity and understanding of the human condition -- so the more you understand human beings and yourself, and the more you understand your feelings and those of other people, and the braver you are to express them... the better actor you are going to be. It's really all about courage and opening up fearlessly -- while knowing you're acting all the while. It's a subtle and tricky balance, just like singing.
My thoughts on Christianity? Well, that's a big question -- it's very general. I love Jesus Christ and I love feeling and experiencing Christ Consciousness and I love the purity and love of Jesus and the peace and freedom of the Rock of Christ -- but I have nothing to do with Christianity as an organized religion, nor do I have any desire to. Personally, I don't really care much for organized religion -- not that I am saying that there is no use for it or it is not helpful for many, but it's just not what I am inclined to be a part of at the moment. In fact, I presently have many negative beliefs, opinions and thoughts about religion. I associate the word religion with hypocrisy, war, deceit, corruption, damage and deception. But that's just me.
In general I am not a fan of solidly identifying myself with "groups" -- like a "Singing Success" group or a religious group, social groups, cliques in school or anything like that. I have always been pretty independent and autonomous. I've never been one to be pick sides... I always see myself as an individual and even if I went to church (which I have and still would) I wouldn't feel like I am a nothing without the validation and support of others. I see myself as an independent part of society that has his unique contribution for the world... I don't see myself as a dependent member of anything. I understand most people are not like me, and I respect that as well. It is okay for me to be the way I am and it is okay for other people to be the way they are.
To me, as soon as you group a bunch of people and they start to feel more powerful than a minority, they start to abuse their collective manpower and put down smaller groups or individuals. This is what happened to Jesus, He was part of a minority (well, he was alone basically, but had a few followers) and he got stoned, spit on and crucified. All because the majority had more manpower.
I do not like how easy it becomes for large groups of people to agree on points of view and then feel powerful because of the amount of people in the group and then how they try to force the world to see things through their eyes and if not they will even go to war or abuse the nonbelievers.
Homosexuals are a great example of a minority that has been discriminated and abused by so-called Christians and other groups... African Americans were slaves because they were a minority in the US and they were abused by white people. Hispanics are discriminated to no avail wherever they are a minority.
Anyway, my problem with big organizations or groups like that is that if they become corrupted and drunk by their power, they can easily become powerful monsters with which I can be associated with, if I become a member of them. I consider myself deeply and profoundly Christian and I have a very deep connection with the soul of Jesus Christ. I can easily weep thinking about this connection, feeling His love and compassion. But I do not publicly call myself a Christian, nor do I believe that because someone calls themselves a Christian they are truly Christian. I think a lot of people use it as a cool name tag that makes them feel special.
I know many so called "Christians" who are not only suffering from severe cases of self-loathing, but also loathing for others and they express this loathing in many subtle ways which they dress up as "righteousness."
To me, Christ put it really simply when He said "Love the other as yourself." The first thing we have to figure out is how to love ourselves and then we will know how to love others. Individually connecting with Christ can absolutely help us accomplish this self-love.
Incidentally, Jesus was not talking about a special or exclusive love, He didn't just say: "Love your friend as yourself," He said "The other." In fact, he even advised to "Love your enemies" -- so if homosexuals are the "enemy" why aren't "Christians" loving them?
I am a Christian in my heart, but I am certainly not a Christian in the traditional, worldly sense. I LOVE Jesus and I LOVE God -- but I do not care for man-made religion or dogma.
All that said -- I love you as I love myself!
Gabriel.-
I want to learn how to act as well. What do you recommend books/courses etc.
Also what are your thoughts on Christianity? - "S"
Hi "S,"
First of all, thank you for your question.
In my experience, you can't learn acting from a book -- but you can get tips from books and try them out. Basically it takes a lot of practice, just like singing. So any book you feel drawn to will do. I like "The Intent To Live" by Larry Moss a lot.
It's a fun read and very helpful.
As far as courses, I don't really know, I went to college for acting and to be quite honest, for the most part, had really bad teachers! I think acting is a skill that takes a lot of maturity and understanding of the human condition -- so the more you understand human beings and yourself, and the more you understand your feelings and those of other people, and the braver you are to express them... the better actor you are going to be. It's really all about courage and opening up fearlessly -- while knowing you're acting all the while. It's a subtle and tricky balance, just like singing.
My thoughts on Christianity? Well, that's a big question -- it's very general. I love Jesus Christ and I love feeling and experiencing Christ Consciousness and I love the purity and love of Jesus and the peace and freedom of the Rock of Christ -- but I have nothing to do with Christianity as an organized religion, nor do I have any desire to. Personally, I don't really care much for organized religion -- not that I am saying that there is no use for it or it is not helpful for many, but it's just not what I am inclined to be a part of at the moment. In fact, I presently have many negative beliefs, opinions and thoughts about religion. I associate the word religion with hypocrisy, war, deceit, corruption, damage and deception. But that's just me.
In general I am not a fan of solidly identifying myself with "groups" -- like a "Singing Success" group or a religious group, social groups, cliques in school or anything like that. I have always been pretty independent and autonomous. I've never been one to be pick sides... I always see myself as an individual and even if I went to church (which I have and still would) I wouldn't feel like I am a nothing without the validation and support of others. I see myself as an independent part of society that has his unique contribution for the world... I don't see myself as a dependent member of anything. I understand most people are not like me, and I respect that as well. It is okay for me to be the way I am and it is okay for other people to be the way they are.
To me, as soon as you group a bunch of people and they start to feel more powerful than a minority, they start to abuse their collective manpower and put down smaller groups or individuals. This is what happened to Jesus, He was part of a minority (well, he was alone basically, but had a few followers) and he got stoned, spit on and crucified. All because the majority had more manpower.
I do not like how easy it becomes for large groups of people to agree on points of view and then feel powerful because of the amount of people in the group and then how they try to force the world to see things through their eyes and if not they will even go to war or abuse the nonbelievers.
Homosexuals are a great example of a minority that has been discriminated and abused by so-called Christians and other groups... African Americans were slaves because they were a minority in the US and they were abused by white people. Hispanics are discriminated to no avail wherever they are a minority.
Anyway, my problem with big organizations or groups like that is that if they become corrupted and drunk by their power, they can easily become powerful monsters with which I can be associated with, if I become a member of them. I consider myself deeply and profoundly Christian and I have a very deep connection with the soul of Jesus Christ. I can easily weep thinking about this connection, feeling His love and compassion. But I do not publicly call myself a Christian, nor do I believe that because someone calls themselves a Christian they are truly Christian. I think a lot of people use it as a cool name tag that makes them feel special.
I know many so called "Christians" who are not only suffering from severe cases of self-loathing, but also loathing for others and they express this loathing in many subtle ways which they dress up as "righteousness."
To me, Christ put it really simply when He said "Love the other as yourself." The first thing we have to figure out is how to love ourselves and then we will know how to love others. Individually connecting with Christ can absolutely help us accomplish this self-love.
Incidentally, Jesus was not talking about a special or exclusive love, He didn't just say: "Love your friend as yourself," He said "The other." In fact, he even advised to "Love your enemies" -- so if homosexuals are the "enemy" why aren't "Christians" loving them?
I am a Christian in my heart, but I am certainly not a Christian in the traditional, worldly sense. I LOVE Jesus and I LOVE God -- but I do not care for man-made religion or dogma.
All that said -- I love you as I love myself!
Gabriel.-
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
I Love God
Is there anything in the universe that wasn't created by God? Absolutely not! God is the Creator of the Universe, the Creator of you and me, the Creator of all we see, hear, taste, touch, smell and feel.
When I see an amazing artist, 5% of my attention is on the artist and 95% on God. My consciousness is amazed and sensing: "Wow, if it wasn't for God, this person wouldn't have a body, a form, creativity and the willingness to cultivate his or her talent" God, whether we know it or not, is the source of all power, all talent and all creative action.
Had God not created the Universe, we wouldn't be having experiences, we wouldn't be alive and we wouldn't be in the world wondered by life. Everything you and I have we owe to God.
When I read a brilliant writing, when I witness a brilliant mind, when I walk in nature... all I sense is the presence of God. God's love and creativity, God's care.
When we forget our source, when we abandon our connection with God, we can easily forget where it all came from and what really is important... that's when we start acting rebelliously against the beauty and awesomeness of God. That's when we start being ungrateful and hateful and hurtful.
God carries us through all and God's love is always available and present. I certainly can feel it whenever I remember to connect. God's love, forgiveness, compassion, understanding, care, light, peace, joy, freedom and wonder. With a connection to God we feel a life filled with meaning and purpose, with joy. It's an ongoing sense of gratitude and service to God's love.
There is no way to serve two masters at the same time: the wounded human mind that feels alone and separate and the Wholeness of God's love and purpose. With God you are loving, creative, compassionate, understanding and content. Without God you are disconnected, afraid, lost and confused.
When I see a tree or an animal that amaze me, I am amazed at God's perfection and capacity. God is omnipresent and omnipotent and omniscient. God permeates everything.
God's love is so unconditional and goes so far that it allows us to do anything we want... even kill each other. Yet God remains God just observing the sad confusion that has taken over our human minds. God patiently and lovingly waits for us to return to sanity. When we forget that all things are connected to God, that this is all the Body of God, we literally go crazy. We feel a panic and a sense of loss that is hard to recover from.
The only way to experience the richness, fullness and depth of life is through the acknowledgment of God's involvement. God is with us.
May we all re-connect and realize the power, the love and the creativity that arise only from God and may we give thanks everyday for the gift of choice. The choice to walk with God's love or walk with the loneliness of a confused mind.
I hereby profess my love for God!
When I see an amazing artist, 5% of my attention is on the artist and 95% on God. My consciousness is amazed and sensing: "Wow, if it wasn't for God, this person wouldn't have a body, a form, creativity and the willingness to cultivate his or her talent" God, whether we know it or not, is the source of all power, all talent and all creative action.
Had God not created the Universe, we wouldn't be having experiences, we wouldn't be alive and we wouldn't be in the world wondered by life. Everything you and I have we owe to God.
When I read a brilliant writing, when I witness a brilliant mind, when I walk in nature... all I sense is the presence of God. God's love and creativity, God's care.
When we forget our source, when we abandon our connection with God, we can easily forget where it all came from and what really is important... that's when we start acting rebelliously against the beauty and awesomeness of God. That's when we start being ungrateful and hateful and hurtful.
God carries us through all and God's love is always available and present. I certainly can feel it whenever I remember to connect. God's love, forgiveness, compassion, understanding, care, light, peace, joy, freedom and wonder. With a connection to God we feel a life filled with meaning and purpose, with joy. It's an ongoing sense of gratitude and service to God's love.
There is no way to serve two masters at the same time: the wounded human mind that feels alone and separate and the Wholeness of God's love and purpose. With God you are loving, creative, compassionate, understanding and content. Without God you are disconnected, afraid, lost and confused.
When I see a tree or an animal that amaze me, I am amazed at God's perfection and capacity. God is omnipresent and omnipotent and omniscient. God permeates everything.
God's love is so unconditional and goes so far that it allows us to do anything we want... even kill each other. Yet God remains God just observing the sad confusion that has taken over our human minds. God patiently and lovingly waits for us to return to sanity. When we forget that all things are connected to God, that this is all the Body of God, we literally go crazy. We feel a panic and a sense of loss that is hard to recover from.
The only way to experience the richness, fullness and depth of life is through the acknowledgment of God's involvement. God is with us.
May we all re-connect and realize the power, the love and the creativity that arise only from God and may we give thanks everyday for the gift of choice. The choice to walk with God's love or walk with the loneliness of a confused mind.
I hereby profess my love for God!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)