
Kind of a Preamble
Like it does for many people, the end of the year serves as my helper in organizing my thoughts and providing me with feedback. I would not have traded this last year for anything. My wife and I have had to make tough decisions on this road to self employment. I have at times felt irresponsible in giving up a well-paying job and benefits to live in accord with my values. We have had to put a lot of things on hold for ourselves and our children because of our changed economic circumstances.
Our current life represents more than a desire to wave our “freak flags.” We know from conversations on this blog and from trainings and workshops we conduct, that there are a whole lot of people with an unrequited entrepreneurial spirit; creative people forced to smother their gifts because of economic exigencies; people in pain whose suffering seems endless – we believe that we have a lot to offer these people. We also know that an inheritance of “guts” to step out and live like Ronin in furtherance of service, creativity, and decency will be more important to our children than any estate they might be tempted to squander after we’re gone.
Tim Berry may be right – at this point we may be unemployable. So Bernadette, Yaromil (our partner in crime), and I will take deep breaths and keep aggressively moving forward into 2011. Recent past and future posts are part of a toolbox that have helped me and I hope will help others anytime the “fear monster” sticks its head around the corner. Pogo and FDR were right. So, with that in mind…
Separation
Too many of us let the Mind move aimlessly. Every thought of fear, or of selfishness – however they may be dressed up – separates us from our consciousness of God, the absolute Truth. With each separation we are weakened, for God is the one Source of life and strength. But every true concept, every thought of love, draws us nearer to God by bringing love and truth into consciousness and thus strengthens and fortifies us. Check out “The Three Principles” by Sydney Banks for more on the connection between Mind, Thought, and Consciousness. True personal development should result in more connection rather than a feeling of being special, evolved, or enlightened.
In an earlier post I wrote about relationships. This post is about getting getting in closer relationship with ourselves. What we are seeking here is the increased practice of right-thinking in all areas of life so that normal reactions in the mind and body will be encouraged and unfavorable reactions inhibited.
Body and Mind
Unlike other animals, our nervous system is under the supervision of a thinking brain. Whether this is a benefit or a disadvantage is determined by the quality of our thoughts. A temporary mood such as anger or fear produces a temporary physical change caused by the stress of a particular. If these become our habitual states, the physiological changes become permanent and they are negative. The body has no life apart from the mind and our internal state will become outwardly manifest.
Just like a piano wire that becomes distorted by a constantly hammered note, our nerves become distorted and worn out by the constant hammering of fear and anxiety. We can see this in individuals and we can see this in societies where the majority of people are living in a mix of despair and constant media stimulation. Instead of relaxation and emotional state management most of us in this country are raised on cycles of over-stimulation and a resulting depression.
Wake Up and See The Enemy
The chief enemy of the nervous system is misdirected, uncontrolled thought. No matter what the usefulness of a particular mental state , it is followed by physiological reactions of some sort. This can start out as relatively inconspicuous changes in breathing, circulation, and general muscular tension. Check yourself out now – are you holding your breath? Are the muscles in your neck and upper back, loose or relaxed? Too many of us carry this residual tension around. Our bodies reflect our thoughts and the cycle gets continued through the continued communication we have with ourselves as the result of the physical tension. We develop a harmful feedback loop. What we want is a “feed-forward” system that creates the environment for growth.
An Experiment
As a brief experiment, come up with a memory or thought that has slightly sad emotional content. Hunch your shoulders, lower your gaze, and make your breathing shallower. The feeling of sadness will get stronger. Now, stand up, shake your body out and bring up a neutral thought (pink elephants are usually safe) to break that sad emotional state. Bring the thought back but this time direct your gaze towards the ceiling, breathe deeply from the diaphragm, and bring a smile to your face. It will be impossible to get that sad feeling back. Your mind and your body will reproduce whatever cycle you train it to reproduce.
Learn to act “as if” you have whatever resourceful qualities are required by the particular context. This is a first step to developing a strong self concept. Align this self concept with your values and your on your way to health and growth.
I would love to hear about anyone else who’s jumped ship in this economy to follow their moral or creative muse.




