All things in life will come full circle. We are born, we are children wanting to be older, then adults wanting to be younger. We are born, we die (perhaps), and we're born again. A friendship begins with a handshake, a cycle ensues... and sometimes a friendship even ends with a handshake. Sometimes we reach a plateau in life, we then go out and learn, experience, and do many things to overcome that plateau, to change it... to live another way. Then after awhile, we end up right back where we started... the plateau. A different plateau, but a plateau nonetheless. We carve our path out in life, thinking that things will be better if I do something, or experience something new. Only to realize that the emotions we seek to envelop us have been within us all along.
There was nothing as powerful in my life experience, as the time I fully came to realize what happens when a cycle comes to an end... only to find that you've engaged in another cycle immediately. I have a close friend who brought out, and drew out experiences, confidence, and validation from within me. Without those exchanges of information and consciousness, without the validation that I received during those exchanges, I would be hard pressed to believe I'd be where I am today. Not to say that I am relinquishing my responsibility in getting here, it was my path. But the friendships I've forged along this path have exponentially aided my development. At a higher level, I drew these experiences to myself. At a granular level, I thank the individuals who helped me get here.
One fine morn, we shook hands and it began. Over the course of a year and a half, we shared many validating experiences in terms of my own concepts of life, and how the energy systems work within the body, and a varied of other confirmations. Those experiences are now apart of me, I will look back to those and view them as apart of the foundation on which I stand. I've been fortunate to have validation throughout all of my life, which has allowed me to evolve my understanding on a daily basis. But certain key moments in time have unfolded which have prompted me to move forward much quicker. And as we both watched the world around us change, we came to realize something... that the work we had set out to do was complete. I had received and experienced what was needed to get me here... today, and he had experienced what he needed to get him where he is now.
One fine morn, we shook hands once again... with beams of light shining down through mirrored windows upon ourselves, signifying that our cycle of learning and development had come to a close. The relationship died that day, in a way that few will understand, only to give rise to new beginnings and a new kind of friendship that forged and sealed with the clasping of fists. We haven't seen much of each other since then, but we both know that the new cycle we've engaged in... will too come to a close, and we will once again come full circle. Right back to where we started... shaking hands, talking about life, and the possibilities of an even grander future that lies ahead for us all.
Friday, April 28, 2006
Thursday, April 27, 2006
I AM NOT MY BODY
This is how pain can be easily managed with mere thoughts received and processed by the human brain. With this concept in mind, pain becomes less of an issue, as you can more easily detach yourself from the physical experiences of the body.
Within Kung Fu, we learn that the BEING aspect of what / who you are, can be detached from the DOING aspect of what / who you are. On the outside, within a combat environment, we would be DOING violent, brutal, and perhaps deadly acts, however that does not mean that we are BEING violent, brutal, or wish death on anyone. We must disassociate ourselves and the DOING aspect, from the BEING aspect. Within a combat scenario, that is the only thing that will keep you alive, is your ability to simply and easily disconnect those two... seemingly married concepts.
Within life, we associate our doing with what we are. People ask you... what do you do for a living? The answer is... I'm a Process Analyst. When we witness that persons behaviours, we associate that behaviour with being a Process Analyst. The doing aspect, quickly becomes a synonym for what the individual is being. But this is not always the case. For those individuals that have the ability to run their BEING and DOING in parallel, they play by a different set of rules.
DOING is a physical experience, but BEING is a state of mind. I can be compassionate, generous, loving, while I'm in the midst of robbing you of your life within a combat scenario. Simply because my state of being is that way, however if you cross the line and you become violent towards me or my loved ones, and you begin to encroach on that space, then there will be consequences. It is in fact the BEING cool, calm, collected, and methodical aspects of mind, that allow the DOING to be executed so gracefully, so seamlessly and that which allows for adaptation, even amidst highly emotional, and violent behaviours coming at you from an opponent. But throughout all of my studies, it is only within Kung Fu that they have formally taught that a separation of DOING and BEING is a necessary requirement for proper advancement.
Applied to everyday life, you can DO just about anything as a profession, but within, you may BE anything you like. As that is your inner world, which no one can view, and that is the world with which you are able to create yourself anew each and everyday. In a newer, and grander version of who you are. You can create yourself within your own mind, as a writer, a poet, a martial artist, a musician, a philosopher, a wizard, a master, a sage, a guru, or my personal favourite... the humble teacher. Even though your DOING may be totally different than that... your state of BEING, and the emotions associated to that are very real... and your physical behaviours will eventually modify themselves (consciously or unconsciously) to align with your state of being, and it will permeate throughout all aspects of your life. But the proper knowledge, and execution of these concepts, and the wisdom to know when to do so, can be extremely valuable.
Within Kung Fu, we learn that the BEING aspect of what / who you are, can be detached from the DOING aspect of what / who you are. On the outside, within a combat environment, we would be DOING violent, brutal, and perhaps deadly acts, however that does not mean that we are BEING violent, brutal, or wish death on anyone. We must disassociate ourselves and the DOING aspect, from the BEING aspect. Within a combat scenario, that is the only thing that will keep you alive, is your ability to simply and easily disconnect those two... seemingly married concepts.
Within life, we associate our doing with what we are. People ask you... what do you do for a living? The answer is... I'm a Process Analyst. When we witness that persons behaviours, we associate that behaviour with being a Process Analyst. The doing aspect, quickly becomes a synonym for what the individual is being. But this is not always the case. For those individuals that have the ability to run their BEING and DOING in parallel, they play by a different set of rules.
DOING is a physical experience, but BEING is a state of mind. I can be compassionate, generous, loving, while I'm in the midst of robbing you of your life within a combat scenario. Simply because my state of being is that way, however if you cross the line and you become violent towards me or my loved ones, and you begin to encroach on that space, then there will be consequences. It is in fact the BEING cool, calm, collected, and methodical aspects of mind, that allow the DOING to be executed so gracefully, so seamlessly and that which allows for adaptation, even amidst highly emotional, and violent behaviours coming at you from an opponent. But throughout all of my studies, it is only within Kung Fu that they have formally taught that a separation of DOING and BEING is a necessary requirement for proper advancement.
Applied to everyday life, you can DO just about anything as a profession, but within, you may BE anything you like. As that is your inner world, which no one can view, and that is the world with which you are able to create yourself anew each and everyday. In a newer, and grander version of who you are. You can create yourself within your own mind, as a writer, a poet, a martial artist, a musician, a philosopher, a wizard, a master, a sage, a guru, or my personal favourite... the humble teacher. Even though your DOING may be totally different than that... your state of BEING, and the emotions associated to that are very real... and your physical behaviours will eventually modify themselves (consciously or unconsciously) to align with your state of being, and it will permeate throughout all aspects of your life. But the proper knowledge, and execution of these concepts, and the wisdom to know when to do so, can be extremely valuable.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Book 1 - Update
Well it's been awhile since I've actually given an update regarding my book. I've lost my editor at this point, as she had family issues which took priority over editing, which is of course very understandable. I am at a loss now without an editor, but she was kind enough to provide a reference to www.editors.ca which I've also posted under the Research section of my web links. This site allows you to search for editors in your area, which I've done. I've contacted several of them at this point, to gather some quotes, and some further knowledge about the process of writing and publishing. The information I've obtained thus far, just by having to contact these various editing companies has been invaluable. I've now learned the differences between Line editing, Copy editing, Structural editing, and the purpose of having an editor review your work prior to submission to publishers.
A great deal of interesting info came out of that tangent, such as the futility of actually editing your work before going to a publisher, who usually bears much of the editing costs. I was discouraged by an editor, to actually hire them for editing services, simply because that work is usually reserved for the publisher, who will undoubtedly change your work around, no matter how much you've previously paid professional editors. That is not only a cost savings idea, but it takes a great deal of pressure off of this whole process. But of course... and as usual, the work falls squarely back where it belongs. In my lap.
I have to go over and edit and polish what needs to be polished myself, before I submit to a publisher. I can't offload that work onto anyone else at this point. Which does allow me more creative control, and helps me avoid unnecessary criticism. One suggestion of theirs, which I'm still mulling over, is to pay for a Manuscript Evaluation. This is essentially, a "what works" vs. "what doesn't work" view of the book, without getting into the actual technical, or grammatical aspects of review. They mainly look at plot, characters, setting, continuity, and several other story driven structural anomalies that may need further work. I've already received good feedback from them, with the 2 chapters I've sent... so I am anxious to get further feedback from an accredited company. But of course, there is a large cost associated for their review. As I say, still mulling it over.
I have another editor who may be willing to engage by April 28th or May 1st, so that is also another option, and I have a friend who has also agreed to do a formal Manuscript Evaluation... so the feedback is coming. Now all that remains is for me to actually do the work! And integrate all of the feedback as pertinent.
Epilogue is still being written. I toyed with a couple different ideas, but then settled on my first thought... which will be better overall for the stories experience, but it does require more effort. I still have a ways to go, but I'm getting there. Every time I've put my word out there and said definitively that .. "The Epilogue will be done by X date", I've proven myself wrong. So instead, I'll just say.... it'll get done when it's done. Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans.
A great deal of interesting info came out of that tangent, such as the futility of actually editing your work before going to a publisher, who usually bears much of the editing costs. I was discouraged by an editor, to actually hire them for editing services, simply because that work is usually reserved for the publisher, who will undoubtedly change your work around, no matter how much you've previously paid professional editors. That is not only a cost savings idea, but it takes a great deal of pressure off of this whole process. But of course... and as usual, the work falls squarely back where it belongs. In my lap.
I have to go over and edit and polish what needs to be polished myself, before I submit to a publisher. I can't offload that work onto anyone else at this point. Which does allow me more creative control, and helps me avoid unnecessary criticism. One suggestion of theirs, which I'm still mulling over, is to pay for a Manuscript Evaluation. This is essentially, a "what works" vs. "what doesn't work" view of the book, without getting into the actual technical, or grammatical aspects of review. They mainly look at plot, characters, setting, continuity, and several other story driven structural anomalies that may need further work. I've already received good feedback from them, with the 2 chapters I've sent... so I am anxious to get further feedback from an accredited company. But of course, there is a large cost associated for their review. As I say, still mulling it over.
I have another editor who may be willing to engage by April 28th or May 1st, so that is also another option, and I have a friend who has also agreed to do a formal Manuscript Evaluation... so the feedback is coming. Now all that remains is for me to actually do the work! And integrate all of the feedback as pertinent.
Epilogue is still being written. I toyed with a couple different ideas, but then settled on my first thought... which will be better overall for the stories experience, but it does require more effort. I still have a ways to go, but I'm getting there. Every time I've put my word out there and said definitively that .. "The Epilogue will be done by X date", I've proven myself wrong. So instead, I'll just say.... it'll get done when it's done. Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Did you know...
That everything you are experiencing right now in life, is something that you have brought to yourself for the purpose of evolution?
Did you know that everything you've ever experienced, be it good, bad, disgusting, vile, wretched, inhuman, blissful, wondrous, or hateful, you've brought to yourself for the purpose of learning who you are? You do this by taking the emotional wisdom from the experience, and storing it within your soul, where is can be drawn from at any time as a point of reference, a point of wisdom. Essentially, the emotional energy is stored within you, simply so you no longer will have the urge to experience that again. You can if you want to... because you may thoroughly enjoy the experience, but in that case... you really haven't had "enough" of the experience yet. Sex is a good example. Most people would need quite a lot of it before they could say... hmmm I've had enough of that in this life. But for other experiences, which aren't as pleasant, such as being abused. You may have the strength within to say, hmm I don't need that experience again. I know what it is to be oppressed. You may even know what it's like to be the oppressor. But you'll never understand the feelings from both perspectives, unless you've experienced both perspectives... the oppressed, and the oppressor. Sometimes we can cycle through these experiences quickly, learn from them, evolve, and move on to the next experience. Some of us, however, get stuck in a behavioural loop, where we constantly repeat the behaviour because of some insecurity, or emotional payoff.
Did you know that every life circumstance that you can identify right now... in your life today, is there because you have some issue... be it, spiritual, psychology, or physical... that needs to be worked through? And the circumstance has appeared conveniently in your life, to provide you with an opportunity to overcome that situation. For some... that is a tough pill to swallow. It's even tougher still... for those who are consciously aware of that fact, because then to take an inventory of the life circumstances in your life, with full awareness of why they are there... makes you wonder exactly how far you've really come on the path of evolution. Example... "Why am I still dealing with issues of loneliness?" or "Why am I still dealing with issues of physical weight?" A sobering thought. The attention that it takes to remove these blocks from our lives, is quite large, and requires thought, words, and deeds to do so. Not always a simple task, given the illustrious illusions that we are faced with each and everyday on top of this. Such as kids... work... bills... etc. But the faster we move through these things... these life circumstances, the faster we progress on our path to unlimitedness.
Did you know in a state of pure unlimitedness, that you are capable of absolutely anything? Of course... because you are unlimited! Does that mean you could fly... or move mountains with mere thoughts. YES! With only the faith of a mustard seed, you can do this. But do not underestimate the faith of a mustard seed. That seed knows... it doesn't guess... it doesn't doubt... it doesn't feel guilty that it isn't a mustard bush yet... it just knows... that it is now, and it will be a mustard bush. And it is. Do you have the same clarity of mind?
Did you know that everything you've ever experienced, be it good, bad, disgusting, vile, wretched, inhuman, blissful, wondrous, or hateful, you've brought to yourself for the purpose of learning who you are? You do this by taking the emotional wisdom from the experience, and storing it within your soul, where is can be drawn from at any time as a point of reference, a point of wisdom. Essentially, the emotional energy is stored within you, simply so you no longer will have the urge to experience that again. You can if you want to... because you may thoroughly enjoy the experience, but in that case... you really haven't had "enough" of the experience yet. Sex is a good example. Most people would need quite a lot of it before they could say... hmmm I've had enough of that in this life. But for other experiences, which aren't as pleasant, such as being abused. You may have the strength within to say, hmm I don't need that experience again. I know what it is to be oppressed. You may even know what it's like to be the oppressor. But you'll never understand the feelings from both perspectives, unless you've experienced both perspectives... the oppressed, and the oppressor. Sometimes we can cycle through these experiences quickly, learn from them, evolve, and move on to the next experience. Some of us, however, get stuck in a behavioural loop, where we constantly repeat the behaviour because of some insecurity, or emotional payoff.
Did you know that every life circumstance that you can identify right now... in your life today, is there because you have some issue... be it, spiritual, psychology, or physical... that needs to be worked through? And the circumstance has appeared conveniently in your life, to provide you with an opportunity to overcome that situation. For some... that is a tough pill to swallow. It's even tougher still... for those who are consciously aware of that fact, because then to take an inventory of the life circumstances in your life, with full awareness of why they are there... makes you wonder exactly how far you've really come on the path of evolution. Example... "Why am I still dealing with issues of loneliness?" or "Why am I still dealing with issues of physical weight?" A sobering thought. The attention that it takes to remove these blocks from our lives, is quite large, and requires thought, words, and deeds to do so. Not always a simple task, given the illustrious illusions that we are faced with each and everyday on top of this. Such as kids... work... bills... etc. But the faster we move through these things... these life circumstances, the faster we progress on our path to unlimitedness.
Did you know in a state of pure unlimitedness, that you are capable of absolutely anything? Of course... because you are unlimited! Does that mean you could fly... or move mountains with mere thoughts. YES! With only the faith of a mustard seed, you can do this. But do not underestimate the faith of a mustard seed. That seed knows... it doesn't guess... it doesn't doubt... it doesn't feel guilty that it isn't a mustard bush yet... it just knows... that it is now, and it will be a mustard bush. And it is. Do you have the same clarity of mind?
Monday, April 24, 2006
Analyzing My Evolution
This is always a tricky topic, because even voicing concerns about the path and the progression along it, reinforces negative behaviours simply by bringing them back to consciousness. My motto is simple.
Think about it --> Brings it to you
Don't think about it --> It goes away
If you can rationalize those two concepts, and totally align your development with those two ideas, then your progression will accelerate exponentially. Most people do the opposite, which is to think about (and worry about) the things that they DON'T want to happen, and rarely give attention to the thoughts that they DO want to happen. Which is the reverse of how I've experienced the universe and how it functions to bring forth your desires.
The next step of course is Honesty. If you can honestly create a matrix within Microsoft Excel of behaviours that you "do"... and "don't do"... as of today, then further categorize those columns as either "Helping" or "Hindering" your evolution... then you have a working list of behaviours and a formula to work on right now.
But maybe... you're stuck at... what should I consciously evolve? I don't even know what Evolution is... and you want me to work on making that process better? How do I do that? Well... those are a great many questions, that can all be summed up as such.
Evolution = Being better than I was yesterday.
Or for the "Hard Core Evolver", Evolution = Being better than I was a moment ago. Take any behaviour... lets pick an easy one, like smoking. Perhaps you know that this is bad for you, you know that you are killing yourself, you know that you're just joining the social herd, and willingly putting down your power to change your behaviour, simply for the experience of smoking. Maybe you've even identified that this is something that is "change worthy", and now it's time to get to work. Well that is how I'd select an item for my Evolution Matrix. I would put smoking in the... "DO" category, as of today (hypothetically), you may be a smoker. You may also drink alcohol. You may also, eat after 7pm, and perhaps you even lack physical activity in your life (what a shock!). Perhaps these are all things that you could select as an evolutionary step in your own personal development.
Perhaps you'd like to change a psychological behaviour... perhaps you are frustrated whenever you see a beautiful girl. Perhaps you are judgmental. Perhaps you perceive all of the wrong doing in your life, as something which is caused by a force outside of yourself, instead of identifying your own behaviours which caused the "wrong doing". These are types of behaviours that that may require change.
Perhaps you are fearful of something... something which is holding you back in other activities in your life. Perhaps you're afraid of traveling long distances in cars, or planes, or you're fearful of speaking to new people. All of these activities or behaviours may be deemed change worthy by you. And if you have the proper intention, you may even have the gumption to change them, which will open you up and allow more unlimited thinking. This is what evolution's true purpose is all about... removing the self imposed limitations that we ALL place on ourselves. If we can remove that limitation, there is literally no stopping us from creating exactly the type of reality that we'll all truly enjoy for ourselves.
How am I doing on my course of evolution? Getting there. There will never be an end to how much limitation there is within your belief system, so the long and winding road back home... is back to a point where you are unlimited with your thinking, and your beliefs. I measure my evolution on a day to day, moment to moment basis, and take assessments (informally) weekly to see how much improvement there has been. Sometimes there is great improvement, sometimes there is only micromovements forward. Almost always, there is some motion backwards... because our brains, as wonderful as they are, tend to default back to their routine behaviours, so evolving, given the physical limitation of the human mind, can also be a challenge on a physical level.
Think about it --> Brings it to you
Don't think about it --> It goes away
If you can rationalize those two concepts, and totally align your development with those two ideas, then your progression will accelerate exponentially. Most people do the opposite, which is to think about (and worry about) the things that they DON'T want to happen, and rarely give attention to the thoughts that they DO want to happen. Which is the reverse of how I've experienced the universe and how it functions to bring forth your desires.
The next step of course is Honesty. If you can honestly create a matrix within Microsoft Excel of behaviours that you "do"... and "don't do"... as of today, then further categorize those columns as either "Helping" or "Hindering" your evolution... then you have a working list of behaviours and a formula to work on right now.
But maybe... you're stuck at... what should I consciously evolve? I don't even know what Evolution is... and you want me to work on making that process better? How do I do that? Well... those are a great many questions, that can all be summed up as such.
Evolution = Being better than I was yesterday.
Or for the "Hard Core Evolver", Evolution = Being better than I was a moment ago. Take any behaviour... lets pick an easy one, like smoking. Perhaps you know that this is bad for you, you know that you are killing yourself, you know that you're just joining the social herd, and willingly putting down your power to change your behaviour, simply for the experience of smoking. Maybe you've even identified that this is something that is "change worthy", and now it's time to get to work. Well that is how I'd select an item for my Evolution Matrix. I would put smoking in the... "DO" category, as of today (hypothetically), you may be a smoker. You may also drink alcohol. You may also, eat after 7pm, and perhaps you even lack physical activity in your life (what a shock!). Perhaps these are all things that you could select as an evolutionary step in your own personal development.
Perhaps you'd like to change a psychological behaviour... perhaps you are frustrated whenever you see a beautiful girl. Perhaps you are judgmental. Perhaps you perceive all of the wrong doing in your life, as something which is caused by a force outside of yourself, instead of identifying your own behaviours which caused the "wrong doing". These are types of behaviours that that may require change.
Perhaps you are fearful of something... something which is holding you back in other activities in your life. Perhaps you're afraid of traveling long distances in cars, or planes, or you're fearful of speaking to new people. All of these activities or behaviours may be deemed change worthy by you. And if you have the proper intention, you may even have the gumption to change them, which will open you up and allow more unlimited thinking. This is what evolution's true purpose is all about... removing the self imposed limitations that we ALL place on ourselves. If we can remove that limitation, there is literally no stopping us from creating exactly the type of reality that we'll all truly enjoy for ourselves.
How am I doing on my course of evolution? Getting there. There will never be an end to how much limitation there is within your belief system, so the long and winding road back home... is back to a point where you are unlimited with your thinking, and your beliefs. I measure my evolution on a day to day, moment to moment basis, and take assessments (informally) weekly to see how much improvement there has been. Sometimes there is great improvement, sometimes there is only micromovements forward. Almost always, there is some motion backwards... because our brains, as wonderful as they are, tend to default back to their routine behaviours, so evolving, given the physical limitation of the human mind, can also be a challenge on a physical level.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Transpersonal what?
Had an interesting chat with some colleagues from work this afternoon, who are always an extremely intriguing bunch. I love my job as it allows me to interact with so many different types of people, and it allows me to establish so many various types of relationships.
Relationships offer an incredible opportunity for creation, as every moment is a reflection of the inner world and process, and refining that projection is a masterful practice. You can instantly see how your behaviours are effecting the other, and you can similarly see how your behaviours may change the other, or vice versa, depending on who is perhaps more dominant. In so many ways, relationships can offer a reflection of who you are as a sentient, as well as what type of person you're truly interested in. Who am I in relation to that behaviour emitted by my loved one? Was it a pleasurable behaviour or experience, or was it not. How will I respond either way? All of these things define you on the fly. When that's a conscious process, and you modify your behaviours on the fly, adapting and evolving, as each moment unfolds, making you into an even better version than you were yesterday... well that is God like.
The friend that I met is a consultant for a large international computer firm, and he mentioned something very intriguing. Actually on a few different topics, but lets see how far I get. He brought up the idea that many many people are on these "Transpersonal Journeys", either trying to find psychics, or whatever, with varied results. Others are on the same "Transpersonal Journeys" but they've evolved to such a level, that they've forgotten how they got there. Which isn't as useful, because as they've saved them selves, and brought themselves to realization, they've forgotten how they got there. The real work is at the "Red" level, which in the Spiral Dynamics model, is the aggressive, herd like groups of individuals who are lost in a sense. The goal is to bring up the averages of all people, so everyone can sit at a higher level of understanding, so that we don't have such a wide gaping split between conscious entities in terms of their universal understanding. When you're up there on the 7th plane, looking down, it's easy to think "oh poor them, without clarity", but do you remember what it was like when you were down at the "Red" level, looking up? If you can successfully document your journey to mastery, or your journey through evolution correctly, you could have a powerful tool to help "bring up the averages" of the rest of the individuals. Which individuals you might ask? Perhaps the ones blowing themselves up, or the ones raping the world for resources, or the ones that believe they are so separate and individual, that they feel the need to rob others of their possessions and lives.
Too much personal development / evolution in the Upper Left Quadrant within the Spiral Dynamics model, refers to developing your spiritual, unifying, higher self awareness. Too much work in this area can cause you to totally disassociate yourself from your normal group of friends, and even your normal set of activities. Because, as I once told to a friend who went down this path... I said... becareful as to how far down the rabbit hole you go, because you'll be leaving some things behind. He was a massive hockey fan, watched it, played the video games... knew all the stats... everything. I said... things like hockey, may not entertain your interests as they once did, if you go down this path. After a couple years of training, he did actually stop liking hockey... but as his own training has dropped off since that pinnacle time... he's actually reverted back to a lower state of awareness without realizing it, and is back into the hockey thing. Which is these things usually go... up a little bit... back a little bit... up a little bit more... back a little bit more. Can't have an up without a down. The point of this being, too much development in the realms of spirituality, can easily disassociate you from your cliques, and at an extreme level, can completely alienate you, because you're so out of phase with the rest of the world with your understanding and thinking, that people think you're a whack job. Then at that point, it is actually a conscious effort to go find a group that you can relate to, to ground yourself in something other than your own thoughts and head space, to simply be accepted again by the herd. This is a necessary step, otherwise you forget your own abilities to relate to other people. I firmly believe that this is why I have the certain key friends that I have. Some will simply not evolve, and those are the best teachers because they remind me what it takes to get to those who simply... will not evolve. I have others who are on the path... others who are trying to figure out where the path actually is, and all of them are struggling to discover exactly who they really are. It is with my own advancement, that I try to assist them and show them that evolution and advancement can be done, while staying well grounded in "reality," until such a time as being grounded in this cultural consciousness is no longer necessary, as we'll all collectively decide to change it for the betterment of our planet, our intercultural relations, and our own species' survival.
Another interesting point, was his comments on mastery. He's dipped into several different categories, and treaded water through many advanced concepts, and thinks at a high level in terms of conscious evolution, however admittedly, he has forgotten about matters of matter, meaning his body. He's also neglected a key point, which is mastery, in every sense of the word. Mastery is the ability to know something so intimately, so closely, that it is apart of you. When you perform your mastery, it is unconscious, meaning your conscious mind doesn't need to get involved. It is more emotional, peaceful... and refined. He had mentioned that he hasn't attained mastery in any field, as he dips into, and tries many different areas to expand his consciousness first. This is the method that I choose, but I attained mastery in my understanding of computer technology. I am on the road to attaining mastery in my Kung Fu practice, as well as with my authorship, guitar, and psychological "social experimentation" practices. These are the areas that I've chosen to master in this life, and once I've mastered them, there will be more things to master... and through that we build our character, we deepen it, we create the home within ourselves that we've always wanted. Mastery is key.
Relationships offer an incredible opportunity for creation, as every moment is a reflection of the inner world and process, and refining that projection is a masterful practice. You can instantly see how your behaviours are effecting the other, and you can similarly see how your behaviours may change the other, or vice versa, depending on who is perhaps more dominant. In so many ways, relationships can offer a reflection of who you are as a sentient, as well as what type of person you're truly interested in. Who am I in relation to that behaviour emitted by my loved one? Was it a pleasurable behaviour or experience, or was it not. How will I respond either way? All of these things define you on the fly. When that's a conscious process, and you modify your behaviours on the fly, adapting and evolving, as each moment unfolds, making you into an even better version than you were yesterday... well that is God like.
The friend that I met is a consultant for a large international computer firm, and he mentioned something very intriguing. Actually on a few different topics, but lets see how far I get. He brought up the idea that many many people are on these "Transpersonal Journeys", either trying to find psychics, or whatever, with varied results. Others are on the same "Transpersonal Journeys" but they've evolved to such a level, that they've forgotten how they got there. Which isn't as useful, because as they've saved them selves, and brought themselves to realization, they've forgotten how they got there. The real work is at the "Red" level, which in the Spiral Dynamics model, is the aggressive, herd like groups of individuals who are lost in a sense. The goal is to bring up the averages of all people, so everyone can sit at a higher level of understanding, so that we don't have such a wide gaping split between conscious entities in terms of their universal understanding. When you're up there on the 7th plane, looking down, it's easy to think "oh poor them, without clarity", but do you remember what it was like when you were down at the "Red" level, looking up? If you can successfully document your journey to mastery, or your journey through evolution correctly, you could have a powerful tool to help "bring up the averages" of the rest of the individuals. Which individuals you might ask? Perhaps the ones blowing themselves up, or the ones raping the world for resources, or the ones that believe they are so separate and individual, that they feel the need to rob others of their possessions and lives.
Too much personal development / evolution in the Upper Left Quadrant within the Spiral Dynamics model, refers to developing your spiritual, unifying, higher self awareness. Too much work in this area can cause you to totally disassociate yourself from your normal group of friends, and even your normal set of activities. Because, as I once told to a friend who went down this path... I said... becareful as to how far down the rabbit hole you go, because you'll be leaving some things behind. He was a massive hockey fan, watched it, played the video games... knew all the stats... everything. I said... things like hockey, may not entertain your interests as they once did, if you go down this path. After a couple years of training, he did actually stop liking hockey... but as his own training has dropped off since that pinnacle time... he's actually reverted back to a lower state of awareness without realizing it, and is back into the hockey thing. Which is these things usually go... up a little bit... back a little bit... up a little bit more... back a little bit more. Can't have an up without a down. The point of this being, too much development in the realms of spirituality, can easily disassociate you from your cliques, and at an extreme level, can completely alienate you, because you're so out of phase with the rest of the world with your understanding and thinking, that people think you're a whack job. Then at that point, it is actually a conscious effort to go find a group that you can relate to, to ground yourself in something other than your own thoughts and head space, to simply be accepted again by the herd. This is a necessary step, otherwise you forget your own abilities to relate to other people. I firmly believe that this is why I have the certain key friends that I have. Some will simply not evolve, and those are the best teachers because they remind me what it takes to get to those who simply... will not evolve. I have others who are on the path... others who are trying to figure out where the path actually is, and all of them are struggling to discover exactly who they really are. It is with my own advancement, that I try to assist them and show them that evolution and advancement can be done, while staying well grounded in "reality," until such a time as being grounded in this cultural consciousness is no longer necessary, as we'll all collectively decide to change it for the betterment of our planet, our intercultural relations, and our own species' survival.
Another interesting point, was his comments on mastery. He's dipped into several different categories, and treaded water through many advanced concepts, and thinks at a high level in terms of conscious evolution, however admittedly, he has forgotten about matters of matter, meaning his body. He's also neglected a key point, which is mastery, in every sense of the word. Mastery is the ability to know something so intimately, so closely, that it is apart of you. When you perform your mastery, it is unconscious, meaning your conscious mind doesn't need to get involved. It is more emotional, peaceful... and refined. He had mentioned that he hasn't attained mastery in any field, as he dips into, and tries many different areas to expand his consciousness first. This is the method that I choose, but I attained mastery in my understanding of computer technology. I am on the road to attaining mastery in my Kung Fu practice, as well as with my authorship, guitar, and psychological "social experimentation" practices. These are the areas that I've chosen to master in this life, and once I've mastered them, there will be more things to master... and through that we build our character, we deepen it, we create the home within ourselves that we've always wanted. Mastery is key.
Knowing vs. Belief, Faith, Thoughts, Doubts, Ideas
Most people are satisfied with beliefs, or faith when it comes to things they don't understand or comprehend fully, yet still at some inner level they know there is truth there. When challenged on it, most people get defensive about their beliefs, ideas, thoughts about a particular thing, until they feel justified in their belief or faith. If they feel they cannot win the battle (argument), they will recoil and back out to a degree to save face, or avoid the opportunity to be confronted.
I say opportunity, because what that is... is a chance for you to reaffirm your sense of knowing in that instant. Knowing is the only state of being that there is when creating. There is no doubt, there is no faith, no belief, no rough sketchy ideas, or misguided thoughts... there is only knowing that whatever I have to create must be.
Knowing will bridge the gap between faith, belief, and manifestation. Knowing is a statement to yourself, and therefore the universe, that what you know is true, what you know is already there, already created, already exists, and the only thing that remains is for you to experience that knowing, which only takes time.
The time between when you've admittedly known something to be, and the experience of that knowing, varies to the degree that you've solidified your knowing. Meaning, to the degree that you know... is to the degree and speed that your manifestation will come to be. The more examples that you have that knowing will work, the more the act of knowing a thing to exist or to be true... will be.
Knowing is infinitely more powerful than thought, ideas, belief, faith, maybe's or hope. Knowing is a statement that I know this to be true or correct (even if it is proven otherwise), because to the degree that it is true and correct with your belief system, within your knowing system, is to the degree that it manifests as your reality.
Personally, I have moved away from doubt, I have moved away from guessing, faith, hope... trying, maybe's... hopefully's... possibly's... into a state of knowing with my book. The book is. Nothing can stop that now, it's already manifested. Now all that remains is for reality to catch up and produce within me, the experience of the book being published. It is my knowing that is the driving force of this creation, not a hope... not a one day maybe I'll get around to it... no. It simply is known that the books will be created, and the only road block to that experience is me.
I've ripped out all thoughts of doubt, thinking, maybe's, or anything that else that distracts from my concept of knowing. This is applicable to anything that you wish to be known to you, created, or experienced. Whether you know the answer in that instant or not is meaningless. You've stated that it is known, and it will be. Just wait and see, the more you experience success with this technique, the faster it will work, because you'll have solidified that knowing within your ego. The part of you that simply repeats behaviours for rewards or payoffs. But just wait and see what payoffs and rewards you'll experience in a state of knowing. See for yourself.
I say opportunity, because what that is... is a chance for you to reaffirm your sense of knowing in that instant. Knowing is the only state of being that there is when creating. There is no doubt, there is no faith, no belief, no rough sketchy ideas, or misguided thoughts... there is only knowing that whatever I have to create must be.
Knowing will bridge the gap between faith, belief, and manifestation. Knowing is a statement to yourself, and therefore the universe, that what you know is true, what you know is already there, already created, already exists, and the only thing that remains is for you to experience that knowing, which only takes time.
The time between when you've admittedly known something to be, and the experience of that knowing, varies to the degree that you've solidified your knowing. Meaning, to the degree that you know... is to the degree and speed that your manifestation will come to be. The more examples that you have that knowing will work, the more the act of knowing a thing to exist or to be true... will be.
Knowing is infinitely more powerful than thought, ideas, belief, faith, maybe's or hope. Knowing is a statement that I know this to be true or correct (even if it is proven otherwise), because to the degree that it is true and correct with your belief system, within your knowing system, is to the degree that it manifests as your reality.
Personally, I have moved away from doubt, I have moved away from guessing, faith, hope... trying, maybe's... hopefully's... possibly's... into a state of knowing with my book. The book is. Nothing can stop that now, it's already manifested. Now all that remains is for reality to catch up and produce within me, the experience of the book being published. It is my knowing that is the driving force of this creation, not a hope... not a one day maybe I'll get around to it... no. It simply is known that the books will be created, and the only road block to that experience is me.
I've ripped out all thoughts of doubt, thinking, maybe's, or anything that else that distracts from my concept of knowing. This is applicable to anything that you wish to be known to you, created, or experienced. Whether you know the answer in that instant or not is meaningless. You've stated that it is known, and it will be. Just wait and see, the more you experience success with this technique, the faster it will work, because you'll have solidified that knowing within your ego. The part of you that simply repeats behaviours for rewards or payoffs. But just wait and see what payoffs and rewards you'll experience in a state of knowing. See for yourself.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Happy Easter!
Just came back from my Uncle's place, where we celebrated Easter this year as a family. Normally we've always celebrated Easter at my Grandmothers, however we've been changing the locations of these routine events, to give her a bit of a break. Last Christmas was also the first time we've ever not had Christmas eve dinner at my Grandmothers, which I hate to say it... just didn't feel the same. There wasn't as much a sense of unity or togetherness last year.
We'd spent last Christmas at my Uncle's house, who has a split level home which... while providing more space than my Grandmothers bungalow, it also caused more dispersed herd like behaviour amongst the family. Some went up stairs, others outside... the kids in the basement with the Xbox, and the adults scattered about. Not as convenient from a conversation point of view, as you'd have to seek out people if you wanted to speak with them specifically, instead of having them within an ear shot.
This Easter, being at my Uncles house was much the same. However it did have it's moments. The kids are growing up so fast... it's really a miracle to be able to remind ourselves of what it was like to be that young, and how we acted, and how quickly we changed. How quickly we've lost the brutal honesty, or open mind and heartedness. There is much spiritual doctrine that points to the children for our salvation, for our only way to understand what the "natural man" acts like. Before we've spoiled them with the practices and dogmas of social consciousness and culture. Unconditionally loving, wise, honest, cute, funny, and free. It's amazing... but I saw that again, and wow some of them have really grown. Life stops for no one.
One minute you pause to see a baby wrapped up in new born bundles at Christmas, and the next she's running at you at Easter. I can see how this all seems like the blink of an eye after it's all said and done. So the only thing to do is live in the now and remember and feel all the things that happen... cherish them. Maybe time will stand still then?
We'd spent last Christmas at my Uncle's house, who has a split level home which... while providing more space than my Grandmothers bungalow, it also caused more dispersed herd like behaviour amongst the family. Some went up stairs, others outside... the kids in the basement with the Xbox, and the adults scattered about. Not as convenient from a conversation point of view, as you'd have to seek out people if you wanted to speak with them specifically, instead of having them within an ear shot.
This Easter, being at my Uncles house was much the same. However it did have it's moments. The kids are growing up so fast... it's really a miracle to be able to remind ourselves of what it was like to be that young, and how we acted, and how quickly we changed. How quickly we've lost the brutal honesty, or open mind and heartedness. There is much spiritual doctrine that points to the children for our salvation, for our only way to understand what the "natural man" acts like. Before we've spoiled them with the practices and dogmas of social consciousness and culture. Unconditionally loving, wise, honest, cute, funny, and free. It's amazing... but I saw that again, and wow some of them have really grown. Life stops for no one.
One minute you pause to see a baby wrapped up in new born bundles at Christmas, and the next she's running at you at Easter. I can see how this all seems like the blink of an eye after it's all said and done. So the only thing to do is live in the now and remember and feel all the things that happen... cherish them. Maybe time will stand still then?
Monday, April 10, 2006
The Inner Process
I've recently changed the name of the site, for several reasons. For one - there was too much ambiguity associated with the previous name (Fading towards inner peace), as people had all kinds of imagery pertaining to what it was to... "fade towards inner peace"... as if they are wisped away, without any decision, or power from within, in their journey towards inner peace. That is not the message that I would like to send, as I feel that our decisions, and our own intention is the true energy that brings us closer to an understanding which brings about inner peace. It is not a force, or a current, or a wind that you may fade away into, as it is a decision, an intention, and a will that allows you to walk the path towards your inner peace.
Secondly, I've changed the name to allow for a more precise name, which places the blame (so to speak) on your own process of life... square where it belongs. You. The Inner Process means the process which lies within you, which is slowly, continuously, and joyously evolving to new states of consciousness and awareness.
Famous movies, such as 'The Matrix' have coined the phrase... "Walk the path." What is walking the path? That is a difficult question to answer without engaging my ego. Essentially, it is a set of decisions, a set of practices, a set of techniques, a series of concepts, a list of ideas, all of which are chosen by yourself, on your own, which simply brings you back to a natural understanding of who you are. Walking the path brings you back to a natural state of being, which allows for an unlimited understanding of expressing (yourself). In this state you are... non judgmental, independent of the good opinion of others, a state which doesn't judge, analyze, label, describe, or define... in this state the entity just witnesses.
Understanding what you were meant to do (which is whatever you decide), what you feel good doing, a feeling beyond all outside expectation, beyond our skin encapsulated ego, into a realm of pure being, is the meaning of walking the path. Walking the path, is the long road which lessens your ego, allowing the other states of consciousness and awareness to break through, which expresses your deeper states of understanding, and your own inner truth, your own story to bring forth to the world.
Raising your state of consciousness to a level of cosmic consciousness, beyond deep sleep, beyond dream state, beyond waking state consciousness.... into the realm of total consciousness, is the Journey we will all embark on, whether you're aware of it or not. Whether you think you're participating or not, whether you think you're subject to the physics of this world, to death, to thought abnormalities, or collective (societal) consciousness or not. You're apart of the game. Learn the rules.
Secondly, I've changed the name to allow for a more precise name, which places the blame (so to speak) on your own process of life... square where it belongs. You. The Inner Process means the process which lies within you, which is slowly, continuously, and joyously evolving to new states of consciousness and awareness.
Famous movies, such as 'The Matrix' have coined the phrase... "Walk the path." What is walking the path? That is a difficult question to answer without engaging my ego. Essentially, it is a set of decisions, a set of practices, a set of techniques, a series of concepts, a list of ideas, all of which are chosen by yourself, on your own, which simply brings you back to a natural understanding of who you are. Walking the path brings you back to a natural state of being, which allows for an unlimited understanding of expressing (yourself). In this state you are... non judgmental, independent of the good opinion of others, a state which doesn't judge, analyze, label, describe, or define... in this state the entity just witnesses.
Understanding what you were meant to do (which is whatever you decide), what you feel good doing, a feeling beyond all outside expectation, beyond our skin encapsulated ego, into a realm of pure being, is the meaning of walking the path. Walking the path, is the long road which lessens your ego, allowing the other states of consciousness and awareness to break through, which expresses your deeper states of understanding, and your own inner truth, your own story to bring forth to the world.
Raising your state of consciousness to a level of cosmic consciousness, beyond deep sleep, beyond dream state, beyond waking state consciousness.... into the realm of total consciousness, is the Journey we will all embark on, whether you're aware of it or not. Whether you think you're participating or not, whether you think you're subject to the physics of this world, to death, to thought abnormalities, or collective (societal) consciousness or not. You're apart of the game. Learn the rules.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Book 1 - Outline
I've been vague long enough, and now I think it's time to share the outline of book one. This description is subject to change, as I'm still in the process of formulating the proper synopsis. Comments are welcome.
Essentially, this is book 1 of 3, although other books will be written within the universe of this series, the initial 3 stories will lay the foundation. Book 1 is about a scientist who works for a government funded research company in Canada, and is asked to help design a new technology that could revolutionize the world via it's ability to directly manipulate the human brain. The problem is that the technology can be used to either enslave mankind, or to empower it, and the protagonist must walk the fine line between the two, discovering the unique properties of the device.
The device itself, can potentially destroy, or vastly evolve the human brain, and thus propels the user into another dimension, with different characters, villains and obstacles to overcome. The other dimension then begins to bleed into the main dimension (earth realm), and the hero then comes to terms with who he really is, and what he must do. All the while, he questions whether the technology is actually sending him into another dimension, or if he's simply hallucinating. The story changes perspectives, between the hero, his girlfriend, his best friend, the villain, a rogue police inspector, and his teacher, as they all are trying to understand what the hero must do to unravel the mystery of the mythological tale that the hero seems to be apart of.
The main character is torn between the love of two different women, one who can't truly understand him, and another whose identity is in question. All the while, the main character tries to unravel the mysteries that are locked away in the technology, before they can be realized and leveraged by the villain to completely enslave mankind.
I've spent the last 2 years writing and researching this book, however many of the experiences that you'll read are actually adopted from events that have actually happened to me over the last 12 years. It is not a biography, but more a painted or skewed picture of my reality, wrapped in intrigue and excitement. All facts, technology, and phenomena that you'll read within the story are true, as is much of the character development.
Essentially, this is book 1 of 3, although other books will be written within the universe of this series, the initial 3 stories will lay the foundation. Book 1 is about a scientist who works for a government funded research company in Canada, and is asked to help design a new technology that could revolutionize the world via it's ability to directly manipulate the human brain. The problem is that the technology can be used to either enslave mankind, or to empower it, and the protagonist must walk the fine line between the two, discovering the unique properties of the device.
The device itself, can potentially destroy, or vastly evolve the human brain, and thus propels the user into another dimension, with different characters, villains and obstacles to overcome. The other dimension then begins to bleed into the main dimension (earth realm), and the hero then comes to terms with who he really is, and what he must do. All the while, he questions whether the technology is actually sending him into another dimension, or if he's simply hallucinating. The story changes perspectives, between the hero, his girlfriend, his best friend, the villain, a rogue police inspector, and his teacher, as they all are trying to understand what the hero must do to unravel the mystery of the mythological tale that the hero seems to be apart of.
The main character is torn between the love of two different women, one who can't truly understand him, and another whose identity is in question. All the while, the main character tries to unravel the mysteries that are locked away in the technology, before they can be realized and leveraged by the villain to completely enslave mankind.
I've spent the last 2 years writing and researching this book, however many of the experiences that you'll read are actually adopted from events that have actually happened to me over the last 12 years. It is not a biography, but more a painted or skewed picture of my reality, wrapped in intrigue and excitement. All facts, technology, and phenomena that you'll read within the story are true, as is much of the character development.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'
Right now I still have to complete the Epilogue, however my editor seems to like the idea and how I'm going to present it, so that's good news. I had a few ideas on some topics I'd like to cover in the Epilogue, but I still have to write them.
A great deal of information has been directed towards me, in terms of publishing next steps, editing tips, and some education on the entire publishing process. I believe that I will go through at least 2 - 3 rounds of edits, just to make sure that the book is in its most polished state before I begin sending it out. Even before that happens, I have to go through and put the manuscript into proper MSS format, which is the manuscript format accepted by most publishers.
Each publisher has their own specifications and rules for MSS submission, but they vary only slightly from what I can tell, so the majority of the work involves getting it suitable for at least one of them.
I eagerly await feedback from my editor, as other things go on in my life. I've contacted some of the fine people I've met in Mexico over the weekend, to get some activities started. I can't mention enough how much that trip affected me, my writing, my confidence, my understanding of who I am. It's a great thing, to be resolute and satisfied within yourself, no matter what happens. Some days holding that perspective in mind can be a challenge, but it's always waiting for you when you're back... and not so hard on yourself.
We're getting there though... Edit, Revise, Edit Revise, Review, Repeat. Send out packages and Query Letters, and Repeat. It's coming!
A great deal of information has been directed towards me, in terms of publishing next steps, editing tips, and some education on the entire publishing process. I believe that I will go through at least 2 - 3 rounds of edits, just to make sure that the book is in its most polished state before I begin sending it out. Even before that happens, I have to go through and put the manuscript into proper MSS format, which is the manuscript format accepted by most publishers.
Each publisher has their own specifications and rules for MSS submission, but they vary only slightly from what I can tell, so the majority of the work involves getting it suitable for at least one of them.
I eagerly await feedback from my editor, as other things go on in my life. I've contacted some of the fine people I've met in Mexico over the weekend, to get some activities started. I can't mention enough how much that trip affected me, my writing, my confidence, my understanding of who I am. It's a great thing, to be resolute and satisfied within yourself, no matter what happens. Some days holding that perspective in mind can be a challenge, but it's always waiting for you when you're back... and not so hard on yourself.
We're getting there though... Edit, Revise, Edit Revise, Review, Repeat. Send out packages and Query Letters, and Repeat. It's coming!
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