How To Let Go of What Other People Think of You

Greetings on this beautiful Saturday!!!!!!!

Here’s a wonderful article from Arjun Walia that I think you will enjoy!!

How To Let Go of What Other People Think About You

by Arjun Walia

One of the biggest problems many of us face today is the opinions and perceptions others have about us. Constantly living our lives according to how others will perceive us holds us back from experiencing true freedom, as well as recognizing and maximizing our full potential and being ourselves. You don’t need anyone’s approval, follow your heart and enjoy the journey.

Where does “caring about what others think about us” come from?

Why are we self conscious? It stems from the idea that there is a certain way to be, a certain way to look, a certain way to act and rules to be followed when it comes to social interaction, life and other human tendencies. It’s only when we begin to question these things, step outside of ourselves and take the perspective of the ‘observer’ that we can truly see how robotic our society is, and how we are all programmed to be the same.

Mass media and marketing has definitely played a role in shaping the perception of the human mind, I like to refer to it as perception manipulation, and it happens on many different scales. I actually believe there is a sufficient amount of evidence to associate this with the CIA’s MK Ultra program, but that’s another topic.

We are constantly bombarded with the idea that “this is the way life is,” and you have to conform to it. This couldn’t be further from the truth, at any time you can choose to leave the “normal” life, to build and create something else that resonates with you. No one is saying the journey will be easy, but the journey itself will be full of many great lessons.

Many people, starting from a young age, have not felt comfortable “fitting in,” or being “normal.” As a result, others take notice and it becomes very hard for that individual to be themselves and ignore the judgments of others. They can also create a false identity simply from the desire to be “non-conformant.” From the day we are born, we are told how the world works and what we need to do to survive in it. If someone questions these teachings, a finger is instantly pointed at them which prevents them from fully being themselves.

So, where does “caring what others think about us” stem from? Again it stems from the idea that there is a certain way to be, do things and live your life. This is a completely false belief that prevents the world from moving forward. There is no way to be, there is no way to act, and as long as you come from a place of peace, love and neutrality (non-judgment), then you are free to do whatever you’d like.

It’s perfectly normal for someone to not want to work a 9-5 job, come home and repeat the same routine. You get a job, so you can afford to have a life, but then you spend all of your time at work and end up with no time to live the life you’re working for. Doesn’t make much sense does it? In the meantime, we remain blind and ignorant to what is really happening on our planet. Truth is, it doesn’t have to be this way.

So, if you do not resonate with this way of life and want change, you’re not alone, and you don’t need to be concerned with what anybody else thinks about it. Don’t be afraid to be yourself and do what you want to do, don’t hold yourself back because of the opinions of others. Ultimately, being yourself and letting go of what others think about you is a great lesson for them, and you.

Where do others judgments stem from?

Many people are so used to judging everything, not just people, but situations, experiences and more, that they are not even consciously aware of it. When we judge others, it usually stems from observing that individual, what they do, what they say, what they wear, and putting meaning behind it. Yes, actions may speak louder than words, but the perception of an action can be viewed from multiple perspectives, it doesn’t mean your perspective of observation is correct. Developing a description of an individual based on these observations, and defining them based on these qualities and observations usually holds very little truth.

Judgments often reflect the qualities and characteristics of the individual that’s doing the judging, not you.

What you choose to see in another is usually a reflection of you. This is not to say that others observations hold no validity. Refusing to acknowledge others observations of you and concepts that might be holding you back in your own life can be a problem. Ignoring the “judgments” of others can sometimes be a defense mechanism. It’s a good idea to take in what others observe in you, maybe you can learn and grow from these observations, maybe they see something in you that you are having trouble observing in yourself?

How to let it go?

The first step is to realize that judgments do not describe who you are, whatsoever. If someone else likes to say “she is this, or he is that,” just remember that it’s not true. You are not defined by someone else, what another person thinks of you is really none of your business.

Recognize that everyone else is just another part of you. See them as an extension of you, entangled in this miraculous web of life. We are all small single cells of one giant organism, we are all literally one. If we choose to try to understand the actions or tendencies of others, instead of judging them, it can open up many doors, new experiences and provide great lessons to the people involved.

Lastly, if you find yourself in a position where someone else is judging you, don’t come from the place of “forget them,” instead respond from a place of understanding, a place of kindness. Do not feed the energy of judgment with angry or negative emotions.

Realize that what you see in another is often a reflection of your current inner state at the time you are making the judgment. And last but not least, be honest with yourself. You know yourself better than anybody else does.

Namaste

 

The Problem of Obedience

Happy Holidays to everyone!!!

December is here, bringing very cold temperatures to fuel our holiday spirits. Stay warm, dry and safe during your holiday celebrations–enjoying family, friends and associates!
May your season be festive and joyous!!!!!

There is a great website: Collective Evolution; it offers a diverse collection of ideas from forward-thinking people around the world. Here is an offering that challenges us to think more critically about our obedience to ideas and what we have been taught to think/believe/do.

I encourage all of us to listen more closely to our own hearts and knowing, and to live more fully in accord with our own heart’s guidance!!

Please watch and share your thoughts and feelings about these ideas.
http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/11/22/matt-damon-gives-us-all-something-to-think-about/

Blessings for your continuing growth and delight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gratitude: Always Be Thankful

Do you know what day this is?

Today is World Gratitude Day and International Day of Peace. How awesome! People all over the world are coming together to celebrate Peace and Love, in Gratitude.

Giving thanks and being grateful create a very high vibration in one’s energy fields and simply feels good. And, feeling good is one of our biggest desires. Do you have your list of people, places or things that bring you joy? Well, you may also wish to identify those people, places or things for which you are most grateful or thankful.

Take a moment in the morning before you start your day, or in the evening when your day is complete, and make your Gratitude List. This exercise will lighten your spirit, open your heart, relax tension and bring a sense of peace. Revel in that moment of connectedness with LIFE—treasure it, laugh, sing and dance with it, getting as happy as you can!

Feeling grateful is profoundly healing and balancing. Practice gratitude as often as possible and continue feeling better and better every day!!!

With gratitude—enjoy your day!!

Labor Day Inspiration

If the sun is shining where you are, revel in the warmth and delight in the beauty of sunshine. We are currently enjoying some much-needed rain and it is a gentle rain at present. Delicious rainwater to feed all growing things!!

My good friend, Clara, sent along a beautifully inspiring video to lift our spirits for this holiday weekend. Enjoy Richochet’s story and revitalize your trust in the infinite possibilities before us.

Ricochet, the surfing dog, Riding the Wave of Hope

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.  

— Marcel Proust

Cows Set Free For The First Time In Their Life

Good morning to all!!

This is a post from another blogger, Arjun Walia, and will bring a smile and brighten your day. The cows here are such a delightful reminder to all of us to be present and relish each moment—be happy and appreciate our natural freedoms!!

by Arjun Walia

This is a heart warming video of cows who were set free  for the first time in their life. Although it’s nice that science finally recognizes the consciousness of animals, it’s something we already recognize from the first time we interact with an animal.

Not everything needs to be “proved” by science in order to validate it as truth, a lot of information science has yet to confirm is already known inside of us, we’ve just forgotten how to listen to our hearts. All animals are emotional beings who feel no less than we do. Looking into the modern day meat industry can be heart breaking; the way we treat animals, if you see it with your own eyes will leave you speechless. The time when humans look upon the murder of animals as the do the murder of men is fast approaching. This is not natural, it’s not needed, it doesn’t have to be this way and it doesn’t resonate with the hearts of many.

The time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as now they look upon the murder of men. – Leonardo Da Vinci

Arjun Walia | August 23, 2013 at 11:42 am | URL: http://www.collective-evolution.com/?p=44276

Your 4 Responsibilities & How to Manage Them for Success

We Americans sure have a variety of ways to complicate our lives. We should lose weight, get a better job, exercise more, recycle more, and on and on and on. That list is virtually endless. What’s on your list?

I believe we can move forward a bit faster when we simplify and reduce this list to the only four responsibilities each of us truly has. There are only four—simple, yes? Well, yes they are simple, and not always easy. Successfully managing these four responsibilities is really what our lives are about.

Responsibility #1: What We Think

Yes, we do intentionally think thoughts and thoughts also leap into our minds unbidden. Our thoughts flow like a gentle stream, or sometimes like a raging river. Many have discovered meditation as a great tool or technique for calming one’s mind and slowing or stopping our thoughts. While stopping thought is very powerful for some, it may not be necessary for most of us if we can practice focusing and directing our thoughts toward those things or ideas that bring us joy, delight, and peace.

To the degree we allow others or any other external source to influence our thoughts, we allow that external source to control us. In our hearts, each of us has our own particular likes and dislikes, desires and interests; and we are free to pursue our interests as long as we do no harm to others and their things. We are sabotaging ourselves when we allow external influences to distract our thoughts away from our joyfulness. Being responsible means owning what we are thinking, and working to bring our thoughts and thinking back onto that which makes us happy and blissful.

Responsibility #2: What We Say

As children, what we say is mostly stream of consciousness—whatever flows into our minds comes immediately out of our mouths. The pure authenticity of this is exquisite! And, culturally, we have ethics and morals and standards for how we interact with one another that requires us to reflect upon what we say to consider the potential impact on others for what we are about to say. We learn this as we grow and mature.

I totally promote authenticity in all that we think, say, do and feel; and our maturity and wisdom is reflected in how we manage our verbal communications—that we strive to create a positive, healthy, and successful environment for ourselves and others with all that we say! Our practice is speaking encouraging and uplifting words, at all times, for ourselves and others—speaking constructively, kindly, lovingly and empoweringly, that others feel better having engaged with us.

Responsibility #3: What We Do—Our Actions

Acting in response to external situations without considering consequences is immature behavior. It can be expected in children and teens as they grow and mature. As adults, we are expected to have matured to the point that we manage our actions and behaviors to achieve the best outcomes in any situation. We are expected to act and respond rationally.

Well, we are not only rational beings; we are also irrational at times. And, even as we may act irrational at times, we are still responsible for our actions. What we do has a profound effect on ourselves and others. Remember interdependence? We are all connected and our thoughts, words and actions impact everything.

Again, our practice is in increasing our awareness of our presence and keeping our focus on positive, uplifting and empowering behaviors. Think well, speak well and act well.

Responsibility #4: How We Feel—Our Emotions

In his book, Blink, Malcolm Gladwell explains how our feelings affect our thoughts and discovered that, in reverse, our thoughts influence how we feel. And, actually, none of these levels are independent, they are all interrelated and interdependent. Everything we think, say, do and feel influences everything we think, say, do and feel. 

This one is probably the most difficult for most of us. We have created the habit of reacting to our feelings and emotions and have not practiced recognizing when we are experiencing more negative emotions and making the effort to turn our thoughts and attention away from the disturbing event and back to those things that bring us joy. And, this is the practice.

Our practice is in increasing our awareness of how we are feeling, notice when we are angry, upset or sad. Then, changing our focus, our thoughts, our attention and returning our attention to something better, something more hopeful, something that raises our vibration and helps us feel better. And, it is easier to work in very small steps.

Upon recognizing that you are feeling down or ‘off’, take just a moment to breathe deeply and relax some of the tension around the ‘off’ feeling. Feel a slight expansion of your heart area, of feeling a bit more relaxed and a bit better. Then, reach for a happy, pleasant thought or memory when you were feeling blissful and joyous. Now, notice that you are feeling a little bit better. This is a small step you’ll continue repeating until you are feeling well enough to carry on.

In summary, each of our responsibilities has greater power than its precedesser. Our thoughts can be fleeting and carry an initial level of power. Based on our thinking, what we say carries a greater level of power, being more impactful in our lives. Our actions are more powerful still in determining what we receive in our lives; and our emotions, how we are feeling, are most powerful of all.

Our emotions are our indicators of how we are vibrating (our present level of energy) and that level of energy is what is creating our lives. Everything is energy; everything is vibrating. The higher our vibration, the better we feel and the happier and more joyous we are. Our practice is to increase our awareness of how we’re feeling and choose better thoughts to direct our focus back to that which brings us joy and delight.

When would be a good time to improve your practice? How about NOW?!?!?

To your continued joy and delight; may you find these in YOUR journeys! Get Happy NOW!

What Does “Namaste” Mean?

As an extension of our previous post on interdependence, here is an explanation that again reflects our connectedness and spirituality. Please enjoy and share widely!!!

Namaste is both a spoken Indian expression and a symbolic gesture that people use when greeting each other or in parting. Pronounced “na-ma-stay,” the term derives from Sanskrit and literally means “I bow to you.” It’s more commonly translated as “the divine light in me honors the divine light in you”. Namaste is the recognition that we are all equal and share a common divinity.

To perform the namaste gesture, place your palms together in a prayer position in front of your heart and slightly bow your head. You may also close your eyes if you wish. In the West, people usually speak the word namaste as they bow, but in India it’s understood that the gesture alone carries the same meaning. To indicate especially deep respect, you may put your hands together in front of your forehead (the site of the mystic third eye), gently bow your head, and bring hands down to your heart.

In the United States, many yoga instructors close their classes by performing namaste as a sign of appreciation and honor for their students, inviting them to connect with their own heart and truth. Westerners who have adopted the term and gesture generally endow it with a deeply sacred intention. In modern Southeast Asia, on the other hand, some individuals use namaste more informally to greet others in everyday life. Nonetheless, many people in India and elsewhere believe that the greeting is more than a simple “hello” or “hi” and use it to recognize that everyone shares a common and sacred divinity.

Using Namaste in our greetings is a wonderful way to share our respect for and appreciation of our connectedness with All That Is!!!

Toward Interdependence

Today I received a beautiful item from my good friend, Bonnie Willow. She is an amazing woman and has a lot to share. She received this in meditation and I feel it will benefit the world if we can pass this forward. Please share!!!!

From Bonnie:

Recently I was in meditation, and received a “Lesson” from my primary Spirit Guide, John.  It was brief, but it really struck me strongly and stayed with me for days.  I shared it with others, who experienced something similar. Here it is.  May it stir something worthy within you as well.

“You believe you are free.
You believe you have choice.

 What is true is that all beings’ actions and thoughts are interdependent with those of all other life forms. As you lean one way – for instance, politically – others lean the opposite way, creating a group consensus reality halfway in between.

 Thus, then, you can see that you are free only as far as you allow others their freedom.  Cats, dogs, turtles, clouds, fish and rocks too.  As you accord others their freedom, so do you receive freedom.

 Think about this good and hard.
Meditate upon it long and silently.
It affects everything you do and think. 

ONE BEING, BODY OF GOD, INDIVISIBLE,
SEEKS LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.”

Thank you, Bonnie, for sharing—this is an awesome message!!!!

Steven Covey spoke of growth from dependence to independence to interdependence. This is a very well-expressed statement on interdependence. This is where we are all headed, however we express it—and we all express it individually.

Blessings for your continued growth into greater interdependence with ALL!!!