Tag Archives: survival

Adrift

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Are we all “Adrift” as we plod along our path through our pilgrimage in life? And, “when we make a plan, God laughs.” We can pretend to be in “control.” As we drift down the “River of Life,” are we in control or freely floating wherever the current takes us? How is the consideration of being adrift in our lives useful to contemplate? And, if this thought brings up anxiety for you, what is the lesson you could benefit from considering?

Definitions of the concept/word “Adrift:”
1. so as to float without being either moored or steered.
2. failing to reach a target or winning position.

or

Definition of adrift
1. without motive power and without anchor or mooring a boat adrift on the sea
2. without ties, guidance, or security people morally adrift
3. free from restraint or support

No matter which definition you would choose, the common thread seems to be a lack of connection to something “more solid or considered successful.” And, is this something to strive for or to avoid? There are times in my life when being too connected meant that I was tied down and restrained from the freedom of moving willy-nilly about my life. Sometimes this is good and sometimes not so good, but always adding to the adventure of life. Consider, sometimes we have to “let go” and allow ourselves to drift into a life experience without perfect control or a solid support. This can make this life experience an adventure as we flow most freely down the River of Life. Our left brain and ego rarely enjoy this free floating due to fear/anxiety regarding where we are being “taken.” When we get swept up in falling in Love with another imperfect human, we can be aware of a lack of control over where the current will lead us… And yet, we often embrace this emotional adventure.

Life would be less fun if we “had to be in control” of every turn on the road of life. Being “swept away” or adrift in the current can be an intense learning, or testing, experience. Sometimes we just have to jump in this river and flow with it, trust in it, and find joy in the uncontrolled escapade. Life is a miracle and Joy can be found in the unplanned occurrences we venture through. A lack of security or support can become intense and important challenges in our brief human lives. We can learn from these times. We can develop new consciousness and wisdoms. If we survive, in our human forms, we can then be role models or mentors to other people we encounter and so serve by raising the consciousness of these souls we bump into.

Adrift can sound frightening to our survival based ego brains. To our spirit, it can be a leap into the Divine.

There are no easy answers. You must live your life in your own unique way. No one else can tell you the “best” way to behave or to live. You find this out on your own as you drift through life. Guidance, Love and support from the Divine is within you, if you choose to quiet yourself, be present, pay attention, and are willing to follow what is possible. Know yourself (easier said than done.) When you feel “Adrift,” from a much broader perspective, you find yourself in a wonderful adventure that unconsciously is needed and perhaps even desired. “Go for it!” And, of course, take responsibility for any seemingly mis-adventures you have swum yourself into…

When you find yourself adrift, feel the creative forces flowing. Know that you are not alone. You are loved and cherished. You can NOT make any mistakes which are not perfect and important for you to experience (though not always easy or fun…) There is much to learn when we can “let go” and trust the Divine Spirit. This may be the foundation for the reality of being “Adrift” in the Higher Realms and where we have come from and where we will return… AND, when you make a “Plan” to follow in your life, be unsurprised when your human planning goes awry. The deviation from your considered path has potentially high value as life experience. (This is why many of us, at some point in our human lives, like to venture into the unknown as a “thrill ride” in the amusement park called life.) When you find yourself adrift in the rapids of the River of Life, consider the possible choices you made to get you to this seemingly precarious thrill ride and consider the significant lesson you are to learn from this amazing turn of events…

Please understand, if you have read this far, I am not saying “NO” to life planning. Plans are great. Plans are fun and help you to focus your available time, energy and resources. Just do not take yourself and your plan too seriously so that you feel emotionally crushed if your plan does not work out as well as you wanted. The deviation from your planning may turn into a wonderful possible direction and you will learn many things along the way. So, be open and available to all that might occur as you float down your river of life. Being “present” and most aware are your helpful tools in these experiences. No matter what happens, YOU are amazing!

You are a Miracle. Whether you know this or not, you have come into your life to experience the adventure of living with the limitations of living as a human in 3 dimensions. You get to test your wisdom and to learn from human experiences. In many ways, you are never really “adrift” but perhaps flowing down your path toward some Divine escapades. There is a belief by some, who consider that your life’s events and learnings were an agreement created before you came into your current life as a way to learn your specific lessons and to assist other souls where your adventures overlap. This would be very difficult to prove but it is worth some consideration. Perhaps your guides and the ancestors of your lineage will be the unseen mentors which actually prevent you actually being “adrift” as they guide and support you and your journey of learning through your current incarnation. (Again, this is difficult to prove but does it feel like there is truth in this possibility. For me, there is a gut feeling of possible truth…) For myself, I have a very strong feeling that I have been guided and protected through the travails experienced in my life. (I am open and available to feel the guidance and brave enough to trust it…)

On the occasion where you may feel Adrift, please consider the possible lessons you can learn from this challenge. Share this wisdom when it is possible as an act of service for other people drifting through their lives.

Thank you for your time and consideration. You are Loved!

So, You Want to Be Interesting!

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We have an interesting inborn need to be noticed at times in life. Being “interesting” can get you noticed. We can do this in many ways, both through positive recognition and for not so positive activities.

Let’s first define “interesting”:
in·ter·est·ing
adjective: interesting (Quoted from the Internet)
“arousing curiosity or interest; holding or catching the attention.” “an interesting debate”

synonyms: “absorbing, engrossing, fascinating, riveting, gripping, compelling, captivating, engaging, enthralling”

antonyms: “boring” (We do not like being thought of as Dull or BORING!)

We do not usually want to be “Boring” but we may lack the ability to be fascinating, or captivating, or even enthralling. If you are compelled to develop your persona into the most interesting person you can be then this 2 part blog may give you something to consider and some skillsets to work on.

First, and foremost, if you do not want to be boring and you want to be engrossing DO NOT DO BORING THINGS! Put some activities into your life’s experience that ARE interesting! Start by turning off your TV, put down your smartphone, go out and read something which is well written, learn some new stuff, and start actually talking to people (More about how to this in part 2.) It really helps to release your pre-conceived conceptions and judgements so you can make some room for new experiences and knowledge. (Hey, I did not say this was going to be easy!) Meet new people. Ask Questions… AND also, go within yourself to find out who YOU are! At some point, you will not be what you think other people want you to be or a “Copy” of someone else. Being yourself may not sound interesting or sexy BUT it is real and genuine AND THAT IS INTERESTING!

Wow! Did I say to put down your SmartPhone and turn off your TV? What am I crazy? NO, you are to addicted to your technology AND this MAKES you less interesting. Watch people on airplanes, in restaurants, or any place where people are supposed to be meeting. What you now see is people NOT interacting with each other but constantly interaction with their technology as if they would miss something important or interesting if they did not respond instantaneously, 24-7, to their social media laden smartphones. Get a grip on what you were born to do, interact with other people NOT your technology!

What is your alternative behavior?
You have survived many challenges to get to this point in your life. You have learned some stuff from the successes you have had AND even more from your failures (or imperfections.) YOU have a story to tell. Go find it. Practice telling your stories so you can tell these stories better AND find love and find appreciation for the difficult lessons you have survived. Do NOT be a victim. Take responsibility and OWN these tough lessons so you can be the “Master” who you really are! People are attracted to positive energy and may seek to avoid negative, victim type behaviors and attitudes. AND remember, YOU are unique. Your perspective on life, seen through your eyes, is one of a kind! Your sharing of your stories can serve other people as a possible solution to their circumstance or offering hope that we all are in this together and finding similar challenges. (By telling your stories you will gain even more perspective regarding who you really are and about the path that led you to this point in your life.)

You may not fully realize how interesting you and your life truly are until you begin to reach out, first to self-understanding, and then to the act of sharing how YOU have survived in your life. Your survival seems quite simple to you but can amaze the person who has not experienced the weirdness of your family, your work, your schooling, your travels, YOUR LIFE!

Do not deny your “Bigness” because you are much more than the seemingly simple life in your nondescript body! You do not remember your perfection and the Divine Spirit which is at your core.

Part 2 (next blog) offers you some skills to practice. If you would like to join a community which is designed to support you in telling your story, consider participation in a non-religious community such as Masters of the Journey which purpose is to assist people to connect and gain in spiritual consciousness.

Put down your smartphone and go interact with PEOPLE and be the interesting person your ARE!

The Masters of the Journey has events which are updated on our Facebook page which is found at: www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney Please comment on this blog and share, if appropriate. More of our blogs are based on spiritual consciousness and can be found at www.dstress.com/blog

Connections: Reaching Out

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In this blog I am drawn to writing about our innate need for connections. We are NOT solitary beings. Often times in our modern world, our connections are lacking. Lacking in depth, in emotional value, in the support which is required, and in the basic instinctual desire to know that we are all “one” and part of a much greater Divine. So two perspectives.

First, we were born into this world as helpless, dependent beings. There is no chance to survive without basic nurturing care. We can not feed ourselves. We can not bathe ourselves. We have parents who love us and take good care of us, if we are lucky, or we survive an existence with emotional and maybe physical scars. We learn from the people around us and the environment that we are born into. We do better when we are loved and we do not thrive when love is lacking. (I have read research conducted on children raised in an Eastern European, sterile, orphanage where the babies/children were fed and changed but not held or loved. These children grew up deprived and with serious physical and emotional challenges, different from children who were held and loved.)

We can not thrive without love and connection as an infant. This does NOT disappear as we age. Most people require human interaction, to varying degrees, and the “connections” that go along with these relationships. We continue to learn and gain perspective by communicating with other people and lifeforms (pets, plants, nature.) People often strive for “Deeper Connections” and more intimate relationships. We do not thrive when we feel alone or lonely or separated from the nurturing of friends and family, our “tribe.”

But in our culture, in our modern world, we are often separated by technology and “Judgements” from the people we live around and work around. Have you ever seen people out to dinner with both people on their smart phones, texting, or checking social media, or posting pictures of their meal?… What is this really about? We are not encouraged to put down our technology and be truly “present” with our partner. Many of us have lost the basic skills of verbal and non-verbal communication that were so essential when we were in tribes (and family groups) where our survival was based on interaction and support from the group. Do not get me wrong, I do not want to go back to live in a primitive, life and death struggle to survive but we have lost some of our fundamental skills (and are paying the price.)

Today, we may want to join a community to find human contact. Maybe we wear jerseys of our favorite sports franchise and root for them on Sunday with other fans. Or, we think about going to a “MeetUp” group to hang out with people of similar interests. Or, we go on a “dating” website to find a perfect partner. (Though we still have to meet and do the “Mating Dance” which includes communication and hopefully honesty…) This pursuit is desperate, often unfulfilling, and generally superficial. If so, then it does not satisfy the need to connect deeply. (Our egos and our judgements of the mind are constantly comparing and keeping us separate from other people who are searching for the emotional and spiritual exchanges which form the best connections.)

Secondly, our most important purpose is to support and assist the people we meet on our path through life. Most people floating around unhappily, or at least unsatisfied, are people thinking that their success is defined by how much money they have, or how many toys they have acquired, or how many trips they have taken, or how many MeetUp groups they have joined (but not attended.) People, today, feel that the number of friends they have and how many people respond to their social media posts (about themselves) are important and valued as levels of success. Maybe, it is NOT about “me.”

Think back when you did something “good” for someone else. It probably allowed you to feel good and connected. Get out of your head and back into your heart. Feel good by doing good things for other people! If you want to be loved, you have to go out and give love, unconditionally. If you are giving anything with an expectation that it comes back, then you will be disappointed.

Connections with value are based upon people caring, truly caring, about others and finding the best ways (you can) to support and assist these other souls on their journey. Even the simplest smile or kind word can show the love and respect for the person in front of you who “showed up” to have a place in your world (and your journey.) Yes, you need to work and support yourself, but you can do so with the feeling of loving acceptance for the other pilgrims in life whom you meet along the way. (Easier said than done, but work on this.) Your happiness and joy will come more frequently when you realize that we are “ONE” with all lifeforms and in this life together to grow, to learn from our challenges, and to love the connections which we can create.

Connections, healthy connections, are the most important thing to work on. Your success in life comes not from how much money is in the bank but how many people call you a friend.

Namaste. Your are a Master and it is a great blessing to find these few moments to connect with you. Your sharing of your time and attention as a “witness” is a blessing… Know that you have done good in our world just by being you, even with imperfections and flaws…

Masters of the Journey is a community that supports everyone who are on their path through life and would like to find supportive, hopefully, non-judgemental connections.

Growing the Garden: a Reason to Live

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Do you have a good reason to live? Is there something motivating you that may help to live longer should you find yourself with a terminal illness? I have seen mothers with young children use their love of their children to fight off near-death experiences. When asked why they chose to come back from their near-death incident, they have answered they could not leave yet, knowing that their young children would be left to grow without them. This experience has surfaced when severe accidents and terminal illness were involved. Some people are ready to pass into the next consciousness and “let go” more easily. Some people fear death or for other reasons stubbornly hold on to living. I had a male client in his late thirties who had anger as a motivation to keep living years beyond his prognosis. His wife and younger children suffered the torment of living with this angry, frustrated husband/father. When he finally did let go, there was some relief felt by caregivers and family. In this particular case, his death-defying behaviors were actually viewed as a torture for his family. Sad, but true.

Then there are people like my late wife, Barbara. She lived beyond her prognosis. She appreciated and celebrated every day that she lived with her cancer. One of her positive motivators was her passion for growing plants in her garden. Like the Winchester Mystery House, she continued to add more garden and more plants every chance she got. She rejoiced with every blossom that developed. She celebrated every vegetable that matured. She had weeding projects and building projects that never seemed to end. When she cut her blossoming flowers and brought them inside to decorate our home, I felt her joy and saw her beaming smile. She took all of our visitors on a tour of her gardens to celebrate her creations and the sensation of life that these plants symbolized. Their appreciation bolstered her energy. This energy kept her stronger for her treatments and helped her to maintain an exercise regimen. She kept her focus on living and did not discuss her condition. She did not want to be known as a cancer patient or someone struggling with a terminal illness. She did not want sympathy but wanted to bask in joy, health, happiness and the Light. She planned future dates of positive events with family and friends. She looked to the blessings in the future and not to the gathering clouds.

If this is relevant to you or to someone you know, I encourage you to help them bask in the Light of life’s celebrations. Enjoy the happiness and joys in each new day. Focus on what is working and keep moving forward.

Thank you for your attention and your time. With my love and my challenge, please keep moving closer to the light of unconditional love and higher consciousness… Find joy!