" Awaken ... "

“ start of lyrics Stripped of life, alone

In the midst of something that I ...

wanting, letting go, of what never could be again

Lost and alone

Imprisoned now inside your mind

With the way you tried ...

You were waiting and living for no one

With the way you tried

To completely refuse all your life

Feed on your nothing

You'll never live up to me

Awaken you “

~ Disturbed ~ Awaken ~

***

What happens when a fully aware person is in a room full of asleep people? ... Awesome stories!! ... and honestly, an opportunity to practice what you’ve learned thus far.  And thankfully, the Universe has a Divine ability to present just that.  

Picture a room full of the following behaviours ... obnoxious, rude, arrogant, egotistical, drunk, righteous.  So it is s simply easier to be frustrated, angry, pissed off, livid, aggressive ... and join the movement!!  And yeah, some of those feelings do arise, yet honestly speaking, but rather than acting out on it, I just sat with it ... yeah, I sat with it.  

Drunk desperate people, triggering every last ounce of patience you may have.  Acting cool, but not being cool.  Acting righteous but oh so off the mark, it’s comical.  

Serenity now, serenity now ...

And that is exactly what it is.  An opportunity to either be an asshole or be a kind.  Most pick the asshole, not even knowing it, subconsciously, their conditioning kicks in.  And really it is easier.  It is easier to be a jerk than to put in the EFFORT to be kind, for some.  Why, because they don’t hear what they want, they don’t get what they want, they don’t get it fast enough ... so yeah, it pretty much ALL sucks.  Add to this a healthy dose of insecurity, we react.  We WANT to tell them that they cannot treat us like that.  We give our EGO a voice.  Period. 

I sat with IT and I had so many realizations.  And then it happened.  The vulnerability present in the situation was so apparent.  I could feel it, it was thick in the room, hanging in the air like the smoke in the non-smoking establishment.  Humans looking to prove something, looking for affirmation, looking for respect, looking for SOMETHING ... and there it was.  The frustration, anger, pissed off, livid and aggressive nature showed its colors.  Will they satisfy their cravings, their hunger?  Yes, but it will be short lived, looking for the next quick fix ... sex, alcohol, drugs.

I write about how the masks fall off when people truly reveal who they are, not their reputation, not what they can do, not what they have.  You see, when you get an opportunity to observe rather than participate ... grab it because the learning curve is infinite.  Begin by making sure you caution yourself from being righteous, looking for something wrong, all smugged up.  It’s not about judging others ... it is about understanding and praying for others.  Yup, praying.

Praying because they can end their suffering simply by looking for affirmation, respect, love ... that SOMETHING ... WITHIN.  Even the crusty ones that seem to have “endure” life.  You know the one, in the dark corner of the seedy pub, been there-done that.  Because an open mind starts with an open heart.  Digging deep to find grace, compassion, kindness and empathy for them.  They are a prisoner to they own emotions, imagine what hell they must go through daily in their own minds.  And maybe praying is a lit-tle TOO religious for some ... possibly send them well wishes and blessings to end their suffering.  Because IT is not about you.

Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart.  

Who looks outside, dreams.  Who looks inside, awakens.

Carl Gustav Jung

" Temper Temper ... "

This time you'd better bite your tongue
Think twice before you open that mouth
Take a breath, hold it in your lungs
Being from rage, will it overcome?

I feel the tension rising high
I feel a hump down in my chest
Nothing is strange, I see in red
Can't hold it back
Here comes my...

Temper temper, time to explode
Feels good when I lose control
Temper temper, time to explode
Chamber's empty, time to reload

~ Bullet For My Valentine ~ Temper Temper ~

***

So you think that temper tantrums only apply to children?  Well I just proved otherwise ... today.  Yeah, not a proud moment I might add.  Downright embarrassing to be honest.  And I know that I am not alone ... 

You see as a child when I threw a tantrum, my Mother wouldn’t wait patiently until I calmed down.  She would confront me upfront and in a stern, no nonsense voice of imposing authority, inform me that there was no way she was going to up with my drama act.  I could scream, stomp and even body-slam fits of rage, she would have none of it.  And I love her for it.  Because she knew, as a toddler, I wasn’t a master in effectively communicating my feelings or solving problems.

Sure needed that no nonsense tone today ...

Okay, rather than beating myself up for the entire day, I get that anger manifests when the demands we place on ourselves, others or on the world are not being met to our expectations.  So the question is ... are my expectations realistic and fair?  

We are conditioned by society to believe that we should have what we want when we want it, that we deserve only the best and should not deny ourselves, and that we shouldn't have to work hard to obtain possessions, success, health, or love.  So we carry on with life, trying to find quick fixes for every possible need.  And when life doesn’t go as planned (almost always), our inner child may ... ahem, bloom.

So I check my ego and ask ... do I consider myself more important than others (no) ... do I feel my rights trump yours (no) ... are my needs greater than the other person at this moment (no) ... 

darn, sadly no excuse for bad behaviour ... i’m sorry

I am realizing that when we are denied what we are seeking, personal and spiritual growth have a chance, because it enables us to prioritize what is really important.

I know better ... I have better tools ... I know I can learn from this ...

Do no harm ...

Letting your raw emotions out is important so they won’t leak into the rest of your life ... as long as you project to an inanimate object.  Dealing with anger effectively, in the moment, is golden.  The key is finding a safer way to deal with it,  allowing a full release, without making an a$$ in the process.

www.walkstrong.ca

" No Harm ... "

I'm the true recluse, 

Blissful as a loner, 

And all that we have left

Is never lied for

Delivered on a word

Never near the target

Seen for what it was

And never eye to eye 

Baby there's no harm, 

There's no harm ... 

So watch what you say, 

There's a beast that's in me

~ Boxer Rebellion ~ No Harm ~

***

The more and more I hear the statement “do no harm, but take no shit”, I identify with it.  I realize that I am not that important, but what I do, matters.  And every single thought, intention or action has an effect.  Always.  

I always knew that life was too unpredictable to create bullshit, but learning not to take it from others is entirely different story.  And it is not about being a rude, inconsiderate, insensitive, impatient, angry ... ... it IS about choice.  

We equate peace with passivity and conflict with violence ... but how do we bring assertiveness within our peace and then how do we bring peace to personal conflicts?  How do we pause and wait out reactivity?  How do we give ourselves the opportunity to explore the infinities of other choices?

... practice non-action, remaining silent, taking a pause and letting things settle.  This may appear to be passive but it actually requires huge assertion, because it intercepts the expectations and anticipation of the outcome and focuses on the essence of what is ... 

A moment of hesitation, a moment of stillness, a moment of truth ... when you may respond avoiding regret.  We’ve all been there when as soon as it comes out of mouth, we wish it was still back in there. 

When our intentions come from a place of compassion, love, integrity and truth, no harm is possible.  This purity provides us a glimmer into the true essence of human nature.  We have it in us to do no harm when we operate from our higher self, rather than our ego.  

Plus there is always an opportunity to observe ego, yours or another, in action.  Indulgent feelings of righteousness as well as overbearing beliefs that “their” opinion must be shared and forced onto others.  Ironically, they don’t see this negative trait in themselves because they’re too focused on their belief that they are somehow justified and allowed to act that way.

Personally, I’d rather than be happy than right ...

www.walkstrong.ca