There is an African saying which states that when you get to the top of a mountain, there will be another mountain waiting for you. No matter how much you think you know, there is always more to know. Learning is a life long process.
Often in spiritual circles, the concept of awakening is constantly mentioned as a goal to be attained. Awakening to the reality of life and the power within you is very important. However, just because someone awakens does not mean that they have attained perfection.
The mere act of awakening begins another journey/cycle in life which is very fascinating because there is so much to life that most of us are not aware of until we awaken. This brings me to the importance of re-invention.
According to the dictionary, re-invention means to make over in a different form. In my mind, I equate re-invention with the process of evolving. The person you were a year ago is very different from the person you are now. Even the cells in your body go through a process of re-birth. Re-invention is a way of life yet so many of us are rooted in the concept that certain things in life are set in stone.
Therein lies the beauty of being alive. Nothing is set in stone except the fact that you will pass away at some point. Life is whatever you choose to make out of it.
Recently, two of my fellow bloggers at Wilma’s Blog wrote two posts about how routines can be confining. I could not agree more. Have you ever restricted yourself from doing something because it interfered with your routine? Ever notice that the routine you have has been imposed upon you by you and only you?
Yes, we all have jobs that require us to follow certain rules but sometimes we carry that behavior to our personal lives as well. The irony about routines is that we find security in them. When something goes according to plan, we feel safe but that safety is an illusion. Life can change in an instant and there is no way to prepare for that unless you have perfected your Divine Foresight.
Our fears about life have caused us to confine ourselves which prevents us from enjoying life. Being daring is not celebrated or encouraged. If anything, people feel more comfortable with the tried and true. The one area we see this in constantly is regarding the subject of work.
For example, a teacher recently told me about how one of her students wants to be a musician and she is talking him out of it because it is not practical. She went on to tell me that her student eats, drinks, and sleeps music. I asked her that maybe he should be encouraged to pursue his dream and she thought it was wiser for him to be realistic.
Besides the word “sacrifice”, my next least favorite word is “realistic” because so many things in life are not realistic and yet have taken place. For example, was Gandhi realistic when he decided to do what he could to help India attain independence from the British?
I realize that this may sound like a discourse from a dreamer but it is the dreamers who change the world.
Nothing of value was ever achieved by playing it safe. People scramble to create formulas to create a successful life but there is no set formula. Each individual is unique and what works for one may not necessarily work for another. The key is to discover your own strengths and talents and use them to the best of your ability.
We each have gifts to share with the world, why waste precious time trying to please a set standard? Create your own standard. Pave your own path. Be you and celebrate being you. Take the time to discover who you really are and just enjoy it.
So often in life we paralyze ourselves because of our pain and issues. Every one of us has our issues that we have accumulated. There is no reason to not enjoy life because of those issues. I talk from experience. I spent a good portion of my twenties licking my wounds and trying to analyze how past events impacted my life.
Then one day, after a few years of being immersed in my Buddhist studies, I woke up and realized that I just needed to get over my pain. And from that morning onward, I never again felt anger for my past. The minute I decided to break free, I was free. Freedom is never given, it is taken.
As 2009 comes to a close, please take the opportunity to make the New Year a time when you will re-invent yourself so that you are closer to being your true self. Time is precious and who knows what the future holds so try each day to discover your truth and celebrate it.
You are beautiful beyond measure and you are much more powerful than you realize. There is no limit to what you can achieve. It all begins with a belief…a belief in yourself. If you do not believe in you, how can the world?
Life is full of miracles and every day when you look in the mirror, there is a miracle looking right back at you. Don’t try to be what you are not. You are lovely just as you are…trust me on that. Don’t waste time like I did trying to figure that one out. You are totally awesome!
In closing, I want to wish you all a very Happy New Year! May 2010 be a year filled with lots of love, joy, great health, success in the ways that matter and so many other blessings!
{ 48 comments }
Nadia,
The way this post closes is so uplifting. I am especially drawn to what you are saying about being beautiful beyond measure and more powerful than we realize. I had an experience this fall that really highlighted this for me. And in that moment, I really was taken in by how much power is within us, more than I think we can fully comprehend. And I find that deeply moving, in what we CAN do, if we really want to. And by “want”, I am talking about that deep down desire, something within us that really connects.
Nadia, it has been truly wonderful getting to know you this past year. And I look forward to an even more deep and connecting relationship as we go forward in the new year. Peace and love to you and your husband…
.-= Lance´s last blog ..Sunday Thought For The Day =-.
Hi Lance,
We truly can do anything if we just simply believe that we can. So often we get in our own way. I also think not many people know what they truly want.
Actually, when you get really into spiritual thought, the idea of a “want” is not a very good thing because it indicates a feeling of lack. So when someone says that they want something, it means that they are lacking in that area and that feeling of lack will just keep on going until a person believes that they can have what they desire. The first time I heard that, it made no sense to me but with time, I have come to see the wisdom in that. We can have all that we desire, we just simply have to believe that we can and go after it.
It has been a pleasure getting to know you too, Lance. You are a beautiful soul and I look forward to the road ahead and for our friendship to just get even more awesome! Peace and love right back to you, your wife and kids!
Happy New Year Nadia!
What an awesome,inspiring, uplifting, encouraging post. The majority of limits we face are the limitations we place on ourselves. Routine, being realistic, “go to school, get a good job, start a family” stuff is rooted in the FUD factor – fear, uncertainty and doubt. Long ago I worked with a man who had a passion for music, wanted to become a musician, apparently was better than good enough, but his parents convinced him to go to school and get a business degree…he was the first most miserable person I had ever met.
We are all fearfully and powerfully made – to become anything less is like telling the Universe she was wrong. The Universe is never wrong
Getting to know you this year and reading your articles has made me a better blogger and person.
Happy 2010 and beyond!
xo
Peggy
.-= Peggy at Serendipity Smiles´s last blog ..Looking Back on a Decade =-.
Hi Peggy,
Happy New Year to you too!
I love your FUD factor theory. That is just so perfect. So many people become slaves to FUD. I see it everyday and yet the FUD is justified or rationalized as being realistic. That is the part that just floors me. How can FUD be smart? I mean….seriously!!!!
And you are so right, the Universe is never wrong!
Thank you so much for all that you said about my blog. I am so touched. Please know that you have my utmost respect because of how you accepted your cancer and found a way to overcome it. The first time I “met” you, you wrote about how you realized that you created your cancer and that just said a lot to me. Not many people would be able to do that. So you totally rock! Keep smiling and shining bright!
Realizing that there really is no end goal can make a big difference, at least it did in my life. Just doing something you enjoy, because it is all about the process and not striving for an end result.
That’s horrible about the teacher talking a musician out of his passion. Teacher’s determine how our children think, they should be one of the smartest, brighest and aware people, but today it almost seems like just the opposite. This is why I like home schooling and unschooling.
It’s amazing how a realization and some determination can change your life. Just telling yourself that this is it, you don’t have to suffer makes a big difference when you really mean it.
Happy New Year to you Nadia!
.-= Henri @ Wake Up Cloud´s last blog ..Law of Attraction for Conscious People – The Series =-.
Hi Henri,
Happy New Year to you too!
I remember being a teenager and realizing that most of my teachers hated being there as much as I did. It was not until I was in college, did I see teachers who really loved teaching. So I agree with you that teacher’s should be more aware and encouraging but they are not.
And that is so true about the end goal. The best way to enjoy and to make the most out of life is to enjoy the journey! That is how we learn and grow!
Nadia,
This is such a beautiful post! That first sentence grasped my heartstrings…”there will be another mountain waiting for you.” How awesome to know (to remember) that “this” isn’t it…that there is still more to discover, to create, to experience, to learn, to love, to give…
Happy New Year…I am so grateful to have found you and to be sharing the journey with you.
.-= Laura Hegfield´s last blog ..Happy New Year 2010 =-.
Hi Laura,
Happy New Year to you! I am equally grateful to have found you too. You have no idea how much you have helped me realize certain things about myself. The way that you so openly share your journey on your blog is something that is truly admirable. Your love and faith in God are truly inspiring and beautiful. How I wish more people were like you…and the fact that we share so many similarities just makes it even better, my fellow Philly girl!
And thank God that there is always more to learn, to give, to experience and to love. That is what makes life so beautiful!
Nadia,
First off, I hope 2010 continues to bring you spiritual growth and unrealistic happiness!
Routines are somewhat of a necessity, somewhat, for me. As a recovered alcoholic, there’s a routine which I do each and every day… OK, now that I’m thinking about it, maybe they’re rituals more than a routine. Each day revolves around three themes, trust God, clean house (morally), and help others. There are some routines I do (prayer, meditation, reading) that I go through each day that make me feel safe. That I would no more go without than food or water. But if my routine is off, I still do them I guess in some aspect.
But, I can relate to the feeling of discomfort or resentment to anyone or thing that throws us off a routine. And yes, it can be restrictive and keep us closed off from healthy interaction with the universe. Spiritual growth is my blood, air, and crucial to my inner-peace and ultimately, survival. If I’m not growing spiritually, the insanity that I used to experience will return and well, I don’t want to know what would happen then.
The only thing I concentrate on that is “realistic,” is how I view myself. Outside of that, anything is possible!
“There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why. I dream of things that never were, and ask why not.”
-Robert Francis Kennedy
A few years ago, shortly after I had awaken (which for me meant surrendering to the fact that I didn’t know crap about how to life life), I was laying on my back, in the grass at a local park. As I looked up, I noticed a giant Oak tree and was amazed at how the limbs and small branches went every which way. What determined when and where they shot off in a new direction? I realized at that moment, I was becoming more like a tree. A tree is exactly what it is suppose to be. It is as God intended it to be, a tree. A provider of shelter, a source of food and oxygen, and all while being itself, just as God intended. I realized I had spent my whole life trying to be a Rock star, a perfect husband, a whatever! I was trying hard to be everything I felt I wasn’t. The whole while missing the miracle that I already am!
.-= Jared | SpiritualZen.net´s last blog ..Spiritual Growth: The Willingness to Change =-.
Hi Jared,
So much comes to mind as a result of your comment.
First of all, I so much appreciate how open you are in your journey as a recovered alcoholic. Not many people would be so open. Personally, I am all for being open and sometimes not many people are comfortable with that but I don’t care. I rather be open than pretend. So just know that it is awesome that you are sharing your journey in a way that is truly honorable. I am sure that your story can be of inspiration to others.
As for routine versus ritual, I think there is a distinction because a ritual in something sacred. What you shared about what you do in the morning strikes me as more of a ritual. When I wake up in the morning, I go on a walk as a form of meditation. It is my time to clear my head and get centered. It is a spiritual act for me as opposed as a duty or chore which usually are more of a routine type issue. I hope that makes sense. Sometimes things are so clear in my head, I am not sure if it comes out clearly when I type it.
And amen to the importance of spiritual growth! I feel the same way. Spirituality, to me, is something that is so vital as breathing. My spiritual journey saved my life and so I can totally understand how you feel it is crucial to survival. It is funny, the more spiritual I became, the more relaxed I became. I used to be a typical Type A person who had a watch and a back up watch. Everything was planned. If something got cancelled, I would have a hissy fit. Not very attractive at all.
However, when I began to get really into my spiritual studies, I started to relax. Now I no longer wear a watch. Nothing is planned beyond 3 months and I have never been happier. Whenever I see someone flip out because their routine was messed up, I just want to hug them because I know the pain.
I also loved what you said about the tree. So beautiful and so true. One of the biggest thing in life is knowing that at any given moment, you are where you are supposed to be. There are no accidents. Just as the lilies of the field are provided for…so are we.
Nadia:
Wow, a perfect post to end the year! You touched on a lot of great things here, especially your statement about re-inventing ourselves so we can be “closer to being your (our) true self.” You are right about a lot of us spending too much time analyzing the past and being paralyzed. The only moment we have is right now.
Thank you also for the inspirational words in this post…they are important reminders that we are really more special and powerful than we realize. I think all of us get caught up in disappointments and letdowns all the time, so this is important to read.
In any case, I thank you for your great writing, friendship and support during this past year and I wish you all the best in 2010!
.-= Tim´s last blog ..2009 Recap: My Favorite Career Books of the Year =-.
Hi Tim,
I think we all want to be closer to being our authentic self but we just do not know how at times. I think our perceptions of life are based on our past experiences and yet those past experiences really do not hold any merit at the present time.
Life is what we make out of it. We can either see all the possibilities or re-create our past over and over again. Freedom is always taken, it is never given.
Happy New Year to you too! And thank you for always being so supportive and for the friendship too. I am so grateful! I wish you all best too. And I think 2010 is even going to be more awesome!
This is why I love your blog. You express such a positive truth and I totally agree with everything you say. I do not believe in the concept of perfection–it is a limiting and egotistical concept. I believe in the process of evolution, which is theoretically infinite. I also like that you addressed how we limit ourselves and how we limit children with our fears. Life can be so much more and it is worth taking risks to get the most out of it. One of your central messages is to be truly alive and awake at every moment. What a great time to remind ourselves of this message! I hope you have a wonderful New Year and I look forward to all your future posts. Your blog has really helped me evolve through its positive energy!
.-= lena´s last blog ..Emotional Hygiene–Check Yourself =-.
Hi Lena,
If you were in front of me, I would give you a big hug. You have no idea how your comment touched my heart. Thank you so much.
Isn’t it amazing how sometimes we limit ourselves without realizing what we are doing? I agree with you on how life is a process of evolution. That is so true. I am often humored when people try so hard to act like they are perfect. I know this illusion because I used to do it too. People try to say the right things and do the right things all in an effort to be perfect. Why torture ourselves? Life is to be enjoyed and we are all works in progress. There is a lot of fun and beauty in that.
Have a wonderful New Year too! I look forward to more of your comments and I always take a look at your blog. I enjoy seeing your art. Your are a very creative person! Here’s to more creativity in 2010!
So much great stuff in here, as usual, Nadia. I love dreamers’ discourses.
Preparing for Divine foresight. I wonder how well if I would do with that if my child was injured or killed by a passing car. She darted across a road yesterday without looking either way. It is not my time to suffer, something I read elsewhere. Could I ever prepare myself for that lifechanging instant? I suppose we all come equipped to deal, just grateful I was let off this time.
It is sad about the teacher discouraging the musician.
.-= Jannie Funster´s last blog ..I Stenciled A Doll Trunk! =-.
Hi Jannie,
Yay for dreamers discourses!
And I am so glad that your daughter was not hurt. That must have been scary.
Prior to my mom dying, I was always afraid of losing my mother far sooner than what is usual. The year she died, I remember starting that year without ever thinking that by the end of it, I would not have a mother. When she got sick, life changed in an instant and within six months, she was gone. The interesting thing is a month before she was diagnosed, I had a feeling something was up.
I was reading a book and there was a section where the author wrote about losing her mother. When I read that section, I just felt that I was going to deal with something like that and it was going to be soon. My mother did too because she told me she felt that she had a tumor even though there was no indication of such a thing. Both of our instincts were correct.
A few years before she was sick, I read that life always prepares you for when there will be a change. It may come in a dream or a sign or a hunch. You just have to be open to it and there are no accidents. And by the way, when my mom was diagnosed, it was amazing how I was able to deal with everything. I look back at those times and wonder how did I manage to do so much at a time when my mother was just so sick.
The reason I share all of this is because I just wanted to show that when we are meant to deal with something tough, we are given the tools needed. There are no accidents and there are no mistakes. And we are far stronger than we realize.
It is my prayer that you never have to deal with having your precious daughter be killed or injured!
And it is sad about the musician!
Nadia,
In your response to Lance and the whole “want” topic. I’ve found that once I truly learned how to love and accept myself, and learned about what it was I truly “wanted,” which was to be loved, I then could determine what I needed. But when it comes down to it, my needs are always provided for. Learning to distinguish between my desires, which are never satisfied, and my needs, which are always met, was… actually now that I’m really thinking about it, one of the MOST important contributors to my current peace and happiness. That and the ability to stay in an attitude of gratitude!
.-= Jared | SpiritualZen.net´s last blog ..Spiritual Growth: The Willingness to Change =-.
Hi Jared,
I forgot to wish you a Happy New Years in my reply to your first comment. So it is awesome that you left another comment. It gives me a chance to say it!
Recently, I was talking to someone about how at any given moment, we are given what we need. We are never lacking in what we need. That is the beauty of faith. Just as I quoted earlier from the Bible, just as the lillies are always provided for, so are we. We just sometimes want more than what we really need or is necessary. For example, someone may already have a great computer but they may want an even bigger one. They ignore the fact that they are not lacking but they just desire more.
Some years ago, I came to realize the true meaning of faith. In my mind, it means realizing that you will always be provided for in some method. The key is to be rooted in that faith. For it is easier for the Universe to work with an open palm as opposed to a close fist (which is how I see fear).
And in closing, Happy New Year! Here’s to more spiritual growth, wisdom and lots more fun! And please do let me know what you two think of “The Guitar” after you see it.
sorry, I have to break this in two, couldn’t get back to the bottom of the comment box on this iPhone after correcting a typo.
Blessings and cheers.
xo
.-= Jannie Funster´s last blog ..I Stenciled A Doll Trunk! =-.
Hi Jannie,
No worries!
Blessings and cheers to you!
Nadia,
Oh such lovely inspiring words. I take them into my heart. We ARE all beautiful as we are, in fact, just yesterday I was creating a rough draft of my newsletter that will go out soon and the lead “article” was on Being Enough—meaning we are excellent as we are. So much talk these days, especially around the New Year about being and doing more and sometimes just reading about it wearies me. One of my big hopes (for myself and others) in 2010 is that we will all realize our beauty and power (as you say so well here) and that we will settle more deeply into our truest selves–instead of looking outside ourselves for the answers, for validation and acceptance and love and more. We ARE enough….
Happy New Year to you, my friend. You are a joy and a blessing!
Hi Jan,
Happy New Year! Amen for being enough! I totally agree. I learned a long time ago that all the answers that I was seeking, were already inside of me. I just did not see it. Often we think everything that we need and seek is external but the reality is that we are fully equipped. Therein lies the beauty of God. We are more powerful than we know.
You are a joy and blessing too!
It’s just one mountain after another, but if you focus on the climb, you can enjoy the ascent.
I’ve used routines to free myself up so I can spend more time in my power hours and more time in my creative hours. The beauty is, when you have routines, you can innovate in them. Blog posts that used to take me 20 minutes, now take me 5 — yeah, for routines
That said, I’m an out of the box kind of a guy, and I’m a fan of dreaming up, innovating, and being a change agent. I use thinking techniques for improving creativity and I try to find models (so instead of being limited by models, I get a head start and stand on the shoulders of giants.) Of course, when I need to, I go off the beaten path and I’m an regular path paver.
When somebody eats, breaths, and sleeps a passion, I’m a fan of finding a way to help them make it happen. Jim Collins, Good to Great, talks about the Hedgehog concept, and Covey echoes the idea. The key is to find a sustainable model to fund your lifestyle, while you make an impact on the world, with your “unique voice” and talents.
.-= J.D. Meier´s last blog ..How To Change a Habit and Make It Stick =-.
Hi JD,
As for the mountains, my philosophy is to enjoy the climb. There is a lot to learn and see. Life is not about the results in so much as enjoying the ride.
Seems that you have found a model/routine that works for you and that is awesome. Each person has to do what works for them. Unfortunately, for many, routines become a prison and they may prevent themselves from breaking out from their safe schedule. Not many people are willing to break free from something that feels secure.
As for going off the beaten path…that is a way of life for me. As is eating, breathing and sleeping my passion. You are talking my language!
Happy New Year!
Thanks for the great post, Nadia. Great inspiration–I love the idea of re-inventing myself for 2010. That’s kind of what New Years are for. Hope your 2010 is full of blessings and smiles! Thank you for your blog!
-Melinda Pajak
.-= Melinda Pajak´s last blog ..Spiritual Principle #3 – Divine Inner Guidance =-.
Hi Melinda,
Thank you so much for the blessings and smiles! I am so happy that you enjoy my blog. Have a very Happy New Year!
Things appear to stay the same; yet there is birth and there is death. Such is the cycle and nature of life. Time exists to let us know that we are evolving. However, most of us are hardly friends with time, myself including! To be friends, is simply to bring our full presence into the now. As you’ve clearly said, we paralyze ourselves. We do so when we keep ourselves stuck in the future or fretting about the future that is not yet here.
In my experience, knowing that oneself is truly beautiful can only first start with self acceptance. No books or compliments from friends can give us that deep a knowing.
I am appalled by the advice given from the teacher to the musician student. Mind you…I am quite a practical person myself. My take is that surely the student can find a way to express himself musically and still make a living?!?!
To Reinventing ourselves in the New Year!
Best wishes,
Evelyn
.-= Evelyn Lim´s last blog ..My Gratitude To You =-.
Hi Evelyn,
Happy New Year!
I used to be the kind of person who needed a watch. I felt so bare without one and I used to be the kind of person who had a five year plan. When my mid-life crisis at 25 took place, everything that I used to do just somehow stopped happening. I have not worn a watch in years and yet somehow manage to be on time for stuff. As for my five year plans, long gone. The most I can plan for is about three months in advance. The more I no longer cared about the pressure of time, the better I became in using my time.
And amen on the importance of learning to accept oneself! That is so true and how I wish everyone would learn to accept who they are and see their inherent beauty.
As for the musician student, I totally agree but the majority of the population (unfortunately) does not think like we do. Fear is a very powerful force when you are not rooted in spiritual awareness.
Hi Nadia ..
Life is full of ups and downs – that much we all know. Our spiritual awakening comes along the path, should be wish to follow it.
Reinvention – what a good way to look at the way forward .. follow the route we wish to evolve along.
I have always hated routine and stereotypedness – in life we have to do some conforming, but even that need never be so constricted, or restrictive.
I do hope that music student realises his dream .. the naysayers of our lives .. go for it, try things – encourage those who will give things a try..
I love the phrase “nothig of value was ever achieved by playing it safe” ..
Lovely words – share our gifts, all of them, all of the time .. don’t waste time – it is precious to help others, while helping ourselves at the same time.
Pave our own path .. celebrate being you – such good words -
Thank you Nadia .. I wish you a very Happpy and Successful 2010
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories
.-= Hilary´s last blog ..Blue Moons …. Last day of 2009 =-.
Hi Hilary,
Happy New Year!
Yay for paving our own path! May we all realize that we have such a power to create our reality and use that power. A life should never be wasted on trying to please other people at the expense of our own joy.
You also raised a great point in your comment about how when we offer help to others, we end up helping ourselves too. That is so true. Time is a precious gift and so often we waste it on stuff that does not matter. I know that you do what you can to help others and it is awesome. May more people be as generous as you!
Hi Nadia!
Reading your posts is about the nicest gift I could have! What an inspiration you are – absolutely without a doubt in the Universe – YOU are a beautiful soul!
If there is any real “purpose” to having this concept of a “new” year, let it be our opportunity to reinvent ourselves – really look at how we think about ourselves, our neighbors, our world. I use this time to pitch the garbage. Like it or not, stuff (garbage thoughts) seem to cling, like someone’s carelessly discarded bubble gum on the sidewalk. Reinventing is really all about evolving into what we are to begin with, or trying to release “routines” that are not really working in our best interest. Oh I love it all! Clean house, clean mind. Keep it simple, stupid (K.I.S.S.) and yada yada!
You’re too awesome for words, Nadia! Keep shining!
Hugs
suZen
Hi Suzen,
You are a beautiful soul too!
Pitching the garbage sounds like an awesome plan to me. Isn’t it amazing all the junk that we store in not only our homes but in our head? It is kind of funny how we can recall something that happened twenty years ago with such clarity but yet be so out of touch at the present moment. And amen for how a clean house creates a clean mind. That is so true.
As for being awesome, it takes one to know one! Hugs right back at you!
Happy New Year to you, too, Nadia!
Your writing here today reflects, so deeply, what I hold true. And you’ve written it in such a way that is just so beautiful, Nadia. I also LOVE the image of the galloping horse, too. Wow, the horse is so commanding and inspiring.
Of course, you’d probably predict that I’d especially pick up your comment about our cells going though a rebirth, which is so deeply true. Even the foods we eat initiate production of particular enzymes to be produced to “take apart” the food – to be converted into energy or stored for future energy. Every action we make, whether challenging our bodies, which ramps up mitochondria capacity = more energy to play, or choosing the foods we eat – continually shape our bodies and the way we process information (think) over time.
We literally have a daily choice to build ourselves into what we think we can be. Our bodies will listen!
What a great post to bring in the new year, Nadia. Cheers to you and Jacob!
~xo
.-= Lori´s last blog ..CYD 2010 =-.
Hi Lori,
Happy New Year!
I love that picture of the horse because it represents to me the idea of being free.
And thank you so much for what you wrote about the cells in our body. We definitely do have the power to shape not only our bodies but our minds too. That is one of the many reasons why I love Buddhism so much. It taught me how to train my brain to look at things from different angles. As shown in the movie that you and I both love (“What the Bleep Do We Know?”), we can train our brain to have certain kinds of thoughts or perceptions. To me, this is one of many examples of how truly poweful we are.
Love and hugs to you and Scott!
Beautiful and Reinvigorating post Nadia,
It is so true that each one of us are growing and changing everyday.
The question is…
“how are we embracing change?”
with a stubborn and pessimistic lens or a more open-minded and positive lens?
may there be lots of amazing and wonderful change for your 2010 Nadia
Happy New Year!
.-= Vincent Nguyen´s last blog ..How much E.F.F.O.R.T. will you put into 2010? =-.
Hi Vincent,
Happy New Year! Thank you so much for all that you wrote.
I am all for an optimistic and open-minded lens. Life is what you make out of it and there is no need to be stubborn or negative.
I like the way you deal with impermanence. I agree with you that awakening is just the beginning. We create all sorts of ideas about awakening, and often in the beginning there is resonance and ecstasy, which meets our romantic ideas about awakening, so we’re a bit surprised when agonies show up. Old patterns and fear pop up. We can do well if, as you point out, we embrace uncertainty, rather than look for certainty in the same old routines.
I don’t think there are any formulas. Different things work for different people at different stages. In times of indecision, I fall back to the basics: abide in awareness and let go of what you can. This too shall pass. There isn’t any one answer, but it seems that whenever courage is needed, it shows up.
Thanks, a lot to consider here.
.-= Kaushik´s last blog ..Radical Transformation =-.
Hi Kaushik,
Happy New Year!
You raised a great point about whenever courage is needed, it shows up. That is so true about not only courage but about everything. I have come to notice that when we are motivated to act from an inner sense of knowing (meaning not out of fear), the tools and the people needed just somehow appear. I have seen it in the lives of others and in my own life. The Universe is compassionate and merciful. We just need to work with it and not against it.
Hope all is awesome!
Nadia,
Another powerful post.
I like the African saying. Before last year it might have intimidated me; what I know now is that yes, there will be another mountain to climb, but it’s kind of exciting to wonder what will it look like, what will I see along the way, who will be next to me as I climb. What will the view look like from the top???
The two points that stand out to me: “life is whatever you choose to make out of it” and “nothing of value was ever achieved by playing it safe”. I think because they are both very reassuring statements to me. I choose to remain open to the day, and to jump right into “it”. I have a few rituals I like to touch base with but not really a routine. Not at home while raising my two little ones, not at work where schedules are steadfast and rigid–I put my own spin on it all. And I’m learning to embrace my strengths that go into “my spin”. I’ve never been one to listen to “have to” and ‘should’; quite honestly those are words that signal a challenge to me..however I have consistently listened to “this is the way to do it” only to now realize there are many ways. As for re-invention, that sounds wonderful and fun. Allow myself to become who I am, instead of remain who I used to be.
Thank you Nadia for your blog and all that you put into it. I always look forward to your perspective, to what you will share, and to what I can learn. Much peace and happiness to you in this new year:)
Hi Joy,
Happy New Year to you! Thank you so much for all that you said about my blog. I am so touched. I think we all can learn from each other. I know that I have learned a lot of things from the comments that you all leave. So it is a two-way street.
Your reaction upon hearing words like “have to” and “should” are similar to mine. I have never bought into the idea that there was a set way to be or to do things. However, I was surrounded with so many people who thought like that, I realized that I was just different. It took me time to embrace those differences and be at peace with the idea.
As for the mountains, it gets easier with practice. The human spirit is far stronger than we know. God/the Universe does not gives us more than we can handle. It gives us those opportunities because It knows we can handle the challenge.
Hi Nadia. I am so grateful that we have the words to explain what we are discovering and how we both can share those on our blogs. Thank you for referring to our posts on routine and going on automatic and thank you for weaving your own magic around this concept.
Routine is fine when it serves, I would not like to drive my car like I did when I was learning to drive. However when it comes to this, it is time to observe how you do routine in your life; “The irony about routines is that we find security in them. When something goes according to plan, we feel safe but that safety is an illusion.
Our fears about life have caused us to confine ourselves which prevents us from enjoying life.”
We indeed are great, we are here to cross mountains and explore AND life is NOT dangerous.
God has NOT made the world dangerous, how could he. It is how we relate to the world that is making it dangerous.
Oh Nadia, we so deprive ourselves of the most amazing experiences when we cling to the tried and true.
So thank you my friend to encourage me to LIVE in 2010, and may we inspire others around us to do the same.
Lots of love, Wilma
.-= Wilma Ham´s last blog ..Ann-Marie on Creative and Deliberate Thinking =-.
Hi Wilma,
You are most welcome and thank you for bringing awareness about the dangers of routines.
Actually, so much has been happening in my personal life as a result of all these thoughts. No worries, it is all good and awesome. We are meant to explore and enjoy life. I liked how you said that life is not dangerous and yet we do not see that because we are taught to fear the world and life.
And I so loved what you said about how God did not make the world dangerous and that it is how we relate to it that is making it dangerous. That was pure genius, Wilma!
There are no boundaries in life…except the ones we draw for ourselves.
Here is to an even more genuine and authentic 2010!
Lots of love to you and John!
Hi Nadia, nice post that you have written here. I like the visualization of when you go up to the top of the mountain, you will see another mountain that’s higher. The tone of this article is very humbling in terms of the message it brings – no matter how much knowledge you have now, no matter how much pain you have gone through the past, there’s still time to learn more and do more to reinvent the person you are. At least, that’s what I got from it. Thanks for sharing this, and I hope 2010 brings you much joy and happiness.
.-= Hulbert´s last blog ..10 Strategies for Making It Through Your 2010 New Year’s Resolution =-.
Hi Hulbert,
Happy New Year to you! Thank you so much for all that you said about the tone of this post. I think no matter how much you have learned and grown, there is always room for more awareness. I have always known this to be true, it is just even more fascinating when you experience it. We are capable of so much…there are no limits!
Much joy and happiness to you too!
Excellent article full of very important concepts!
To embrace the notion that we have to constantly reinvent and recreate ourselves is to understand the essence of life and evolution. The opposite of that is resistance to change and attachment to fixed points of reference such as self-identity. The result is stagnation, self-destructive patterns of thought (instead of creativity) and stress instead of balance and harmony.
Well done!
.-= Gilbert Ross | Soul Hiker´s last blog ..Overcoming Fear and Breaking Free from its Tyranny =-.
Hi Gilbert,
Thank you so much for all the kind things you wrote. I totally agree with you about how reiventing and recreating ourselves is related to understanding the nature of life and evolution. To me, life is constantly in motion and we need to be aware that growth is a form of that motion. To be here and not grow seems like a waste of human life and potential. Growing is vital and important. Being stagnant just does not do anything.
Hope all is well with you!
Nadia, I have meaning to get back to this post and your lovely comment above.
Firstly, I am sorry for the loss of your mother. I bet she was as wonderful as her daughter.
I was thinking yesterday about the stages of grief, the numbness at first to let us do what we must to get through the first stages. How everything changes. How there are no mistakes. No accidents.
Bless you, Nadia. And bless your blog! I hope you are well today and I look forward as usual, to your next post. And maybe even once I’ll beat Lance over here and get to comment before he does !!
xo
.-= Jannie Funster´s last blog ..Self-Portrait With iPhone, Yesterday =-.
Hi Jannie,
No worries.
My mom and I were close and I think even though our time was cut short, we really did make the best out of it. So I have no regrets and as you said, things happen for reasons unknown. I am cool with that.
And as for beating Lance in commenting…anything is possible. You go, girl!
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