Finding Balance

I learned a valuable lesson recently, and it’s something that could have saved me a lot of time and frustration had I learned it years ago.

Alas, there’s always room for growth, and this is one of those steps for me.

I’m a driven guy, in fact, some would say too much so.

I don’t know when to let up, and I have a hard time admitting that.

I also have an extremely spiritual side that I often neglect. It works in phases…sometimes I’m all spirit and no business, while others I’m so busy thinking about business growth that I neglect my spirit.

Today, I found out how to fix that, and it all comes down to balance.

I realized that there’s a duality that exists within all of us. Each of us has the spirit and the strength. Each is as strong as the other, and requires just as much attention.

The problem is that many of us, like I do, become unbalanced and try to force the issue. It’s like trying to fire a bullet into a bucket of water. It hits like a block of steel. But if you just drop the bullet, then it breaches without any resistance.

Life is Unbalanced

Life is like that. Unbalanced, our efforts, no matter how great or how valiant, are as worthless as a man trying to cut through stone with a blade of grass. It’s impossible.

However, if you treat both sides of your nature equally, you become like a chisel, able to puncture stone with ease.

That balance is tough to achieve, but you can feel when it isn’t in place. It’s like trying to balance a scale without a counterweight…it isn’t possible. But…if you stand with a foot on both sides of the scale, then you have something to stand on.

Find that Place

Try to find that place in your life where you are in harmony with your own nature. Try to remain present and thoughtful at all times. If something doesn’t feel right…if you feel like you’re drilling rock instead of soil, then take a step back and re-evaluate.

In my case, the business is just a means to an end. It’s a way to achieve many of the spiritual ends that I desire. However, when I lose sight of those ends, and focus on the means, then I get off course and lose my balance.

Today, I found it once more, but every day is an effort in discipline. You’ll never have it perfect, but if you practice, you will get close. It’s not being perfect that’s important anyway, it’s knowing when you aren’t.

Courtesy of LadyVivian

Who I am today is nothing like the man from yesterday, let alone the man from years ago. If I had an opportunity to meet my future self, I might not even recognize him.

There’s no hiding the fact that the decisions you make today are impacted by the experiences of the past. It’s part of what makes this journey so fascinating and so unpredictable. Have you ever noticed that no matter how many goals you set for yourself, there is always something that gets in the way of most? I call this my Dharma, and although I think I see the path in front of me, I have no assurances that I’m the one in control of that path.

So what does this mean for you and I?

Let’s start with who we are…we are made of building blocks. Some blocks are more firm than others, but by and large, our identity is sealed into place by the bricks of our experiences and the mortar of our feelings toward them. Notice I said that the mortar is made of your emotional reaction towards your experiences. I firmly believe that if you allow every experience to be a teacher, a reminder that you are working your way towards living your Dharma, then no matter what happens…you will be able to take it in stride.

Conversely, if you continue to react adversely to situations that don’t feel like they were meant to be, then you are only cementing more pain and suffering into your life. That is an extremely unpleasant way to live.

I was reading the book Zen Shorts, by Jon Muth, with my children, and I was fascinated by the manner in which the storyteller (in this case a panda), was able to take life as it flowed. It isn’t an easy frame of mind to obtain, but there is merit to be had from seeing each experience as a building block rather than a stumbling block.

Now, as for following your path…try to remember that you aren’t in control and no matter how hard you try, there will be twists and turns that you didn’t expect. Rather than fight the current of change, why not embrace it and see where you wind up? Sometimes it isn’t the plan that’s important…it’s the journey. Try to enjoy it.

Courtesy of L.Shadrack

What makes us human?

Is it our heart, opening…closing, like the windows of God’s eyes.

Is it our brains, constantly scanning, searching, hoping, thinking about what comes next.

Is it our emotions, feeling a single high for every low, always keeping us on our toes.

Is it our ability to recognize suffering? Is it our ability to acknowledge it?

Are we as unique as we think we are…will the journey continue to unfold after death?

In my opinion, none of this is what makes us human. The difference between a rock and an animal is that the rock accepts its fate. The rock knows it has no place to be and needs nothing to survive…now or ever. An animal is driven by instinct, it is always trying to survive. An animal is anxiety, movement, panic. A rock is stoicism, stability, and patience.

Humans are animals, but there is one difference that differentiates us. What makes us human, is that we are connected, we are alive, we are one. We feel the patience hiding inside of the rock. We feel the constant struggle in an animal’s instinct. We are both the rock and the animal.

We are aware of those around us. We know how our actions affect others, but there’s one problem.

We try to forget…

During your daily struggles, don’t become the animal. Remember that you have no place to be, except where you are. Remember that your place is not in your individuality, but in your connection with others.

We are human, but we are so much more. Become more.

The Problem

What do you do when you don’t feel you are spending enough spiritual time with yourself or God and yet you have external limitations that are holding you back? An example of this could be that you would like to go on a retreat but have work or family obligations. Maybe you would like to meditate more, but don’t have anywhere to go where you can really find the peace to do so. Maybe you just want to lead a better life, but there are factors in your life that are conflicting with that.

Honestly, I struggle with this often. I have a strong urge to head to the Far East and do some soul searching; maybe find some masters and use their batteries to charge mine. The problem there is that I have a family and I don’t think they would appreciate that. I’d also like to go on a week long retreat in the mountains, but my boss can’t seem to understand the need. Meditation is also an issue in my house because of children, lack of space, and the lack of facilities in the area. So, if my experience is any indicator, I would bet that a majority of people in the modern world experience problems similar to this.

The Question

We know what we need to do and we can sense the drive within ourselves; the call that leads us to living our Dharma, but the question is what do we do about it? Well, I start by saying I don’t have a perfect answer and believe me I have spent years pondering this question. What I’d like to do is make a few recommendations based on my experience and ask you to submit yours via comment or email.

My Thoughts

The truth is that we live in a modern society and our path to so called “success” in this society has driven a wedge between our spiritual life and our social/work life. We have a choice to make, we can either ignore our spiritual side and suffer, we can try to balance them, or we can truly realize what is the most important and devote ourselves to that. It is my belief that the first choice forces us to live in ignorance, the 2nd to live below our full potential, and the last to truly live our Dharma. However, I also believe that there is a progression that must be taken to get there. An honest assessment of what you need and how you can get there is one of the best things you can do to solve this problem.

Something we can do immediately is to make a list of what we really feel called to do, no matter how off the wall or ridiculous it may seem. When we write our thoughts, it tends to help us weed out things that we don’t really want as well as to more clearly define what we need. Once the desires are written down, we can then proceed to break the barriers to accomplishing them.

Secondly, although meditation can be tough in noisy or crowded environments, it can still be accomplished. I recently was talking to a friend of mine about my dilemma, and she recommended that I use the bathroom as a place to meditate. I’d never really thought of that option and to be honest it really made sense. That is one of the only places in my house where I can be left alone and get some peace. Sure, it is tough to spend 30-60 minutes in the bathroom meditating, but once we reach that point maybe we can convince our spouses or children that we are serious about our practice and would like more time alone for that purpose.

In regards to retreats or pilgrimages, what would be wrong with combining the experience with a family vacation? How about telling the boss that in exchange for a few days off, you would come in on the weekends or stay later during the week? And if your job or lifestyle conflicts with the path you feel led to walk, maybe it is time to leave that behind. I can honestly say that there have been many times where I have felt this conflict and for one reason or the other made excuses not to change. Most often, it related to a job or income issue where I was worried about the rug slipping out from under me. In the end, 100% of the time I found that following my path led me to a better place, no matter how much of a change I was making. In fact, the greater the change/loss, the greater the gain I experienced. Therefore, I feel safe in saying that if something is holding you back, make the decision to do it anyway and I bet that the spiritual powers driving you will also help clear the way.

Maybe we’re breaching on the topic of Intention, but I truly believe that if we really set our mind to doing something (which is helped by writing down our thoughts), we can move providence.

This leads me into my last thought before I leave you with some quotes. If we let go and let God show us the way, then we will find that there is always a door open for us to Live our Dharma. Personally, I could do with some more meditation and mindfulness to help me bring this truth home.

So I ask you again, what is stopping you from finding God? Remember, in a 100 years we will all be dead anyway, so why let something get in the way from what really matters?

“The moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decisions, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.”
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“The Creator has not given you a longing to do what you have no ability to do.”
- Orison Swett Marden

“Chance is always powerful. Let your hook be always cast;
in the pool where you least expect it…there will be a fish.”
- Ovid

“To change one’s life:
1. Start immediately.
2. Do it flamboyantly.
3. No exceptions.”
- William James

“Don’t limit God’s ability to do by your capacity to receive.”
- Randall D. Worley

“Do not go where the path may lead; go where there is no path and leave a trail.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

“One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.”
- André Gide

Be Well…Padma

I was browsing the web today and a friend sent me this link. I went to the site and was blown away by the positivity of the message and community. Although the concepts in this community or not new to most of us, there is power in numbers and it is visible here.
Take a look at this site and let me know what you think. Attraction is a principle that I am learning more about and finding it has a lot to do with Living My Dharma. As our vibrations continue to move into harmony, we will find ourselves truly at peace and passion in our lives.

Additionally, there is a special video mid-way down the page from Rhonda Byrne, author of The Secret.

Here it is:

A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne
Creator of The Secret

Every good thought, every good word, every good emotion, and every act of kindness, is lifting the vibration of your being to new heights. And as you begin to raise your vibration, a new life and a new world will reveal itself to you.

There is no limit to how high you can increase your vibration, because there is no limit to the good thoughts you can think, or the good words you can speak, or the acts of kindness that you can do. Other than transforming your own life through lifting your vibration, you lift others’ lives too. The positive vibration of your energy emanates out like a stone thrown into water, touching our planet and every living thing on it. As you rise higher, you take the world with you.

The Secret Team has created a gift for you. This clip features our beautiful Planet Earth. As you experience this clip you will emit positive forces of energy across Planet Earth that will reach every single living thing on it. You will lift yourself, and as you lift yourself, you lift the entire world.

The magnificent music was composed and graciously gifted for this clip by composer Jo Blankenburg.

From The Secret to you, here is Planet Earth – our home.

May the joy be with you,

Rhonda Byrne
The Secret… bringing joy to billions

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