Post by crystalriver on Apr 9, 2009 16:48:32 GMT -5
Many of us haven't felt well lately--drained, sad, impotent to cause change--best sometimes to stand back and don't take things to serious. If you hold only to the joys and release that which makes you sad--even if most of the day is full of sadness--remember the few moments of happiness--
Hope this helps,
Many Blessings,
CrystalRiver
THE ART OF STAYING CALM IN AN UPSIDE DOWN WORLD!
Posted By: Gnostic <Send E-Mail>
Date: Thursday, 9-Apr-2009 12:45:01 The Art of Staying Calm in an upside down world
I was thinking about this the other day when a friend contacted me due to some of the pressures I was under at work. He said, remember to never take things seriously, always remember you are living in an illusion, just taking part of the experience. I have often said this, but this all too simplistic answer was even getting away from me because I was getting too tied down to work. A lot of demands were causing me to become too caught up in the illusion creating the belief that this is real. My attitude began to change and I began to succumb to the negativity around me, and like magic all the negativity continued to wrap around me from all directions.
However, when my friend reminded me of this simple truth, I began to recognize that I was getting too caught up in an upside down topsy turvy world. I then mentally took two steps back, and began playing my favorite music from the 50's - 70's and all of a sudden my attitude completely changed. I realized that so often we bring into our world circumstances that are at best undesirable because we are believing that the illusion is real.
This is so simple to create change in one's life it is not even justified as a technique. It is just a way to look at life differently, and one can change that in a moments notice without thinking twice.
Instead of being bombarded with negative thoughts about things and other people, simply change your thinking and begin to look at everything as an experience that you can look into rather than feeling like you are hip deep in the middle of it all. When you think about it, everything is so funny, everyone is so funny even in their extreme moments because it is all an act they are portraying in the attempt to try to cope with what they believe is so real, when it is all part of a play and that we are all watchers and directors. We can choose to play our part negatively, as to believe it is real, or positively as to realizing it is just a play that we are watching or directing. It is all up to the individual.
Today I was listening to some of my favorite music from years gone by feeling the nostalgic memories run through me from good ole times, and then two customers that I have never seen before came through the door of our motel lobby with an obvious chip on their shoulder that I created, because I was getting too involved, and the recent events were escalating around me really badly. They were making demands immediately without asking politely what it was they desired.
Lately this has been occurring because I have been getting too attached to my job. So I treated it as a play in which I was the director over. I was friendly, playing my music softly in the background, like Neil Diamond's "September Mourn", and just took it all in as if I was not part of the turmoil in this world. Instead of getting attached and becoming too serious about what was occurring, I decided to detach and not get pulled in and live within my own world.
As I watched these people play their parts, I began to laugh internally because things were just so serious to them, and I knew it was not worth it.
I just answered their demands nicely and softly with very short one or two word answers making them realize I was not going to become part of there negative charged charade. The women then stormed out of the place obviously because she came into a war and the enemy did not want to show up. All of a sudden the husband became friendly, and he even commented on why his wife was so rude. Again, not trying to get caught up in it, I just smiled politely and did not say a word, as if I did not even know what was going on.
The husband became quite friendly and ended up buying things in the gift shop in our motel and told me he wanted to come back and purchase some of the larger items that we had, but did not have the room in his car. When they first came in, one would not have expected them to purchase anything.
And then all of a sudden the wife came back in and was as if there was a miracle change of heart that came over her. She became friendly all of a sudden and by her demeanor somewhat apologetic.
I have seen this so often, where thoughts can generate negative outcomes even via other people, but if you change the thought energy that you are placing into the world, then they will be recipricated. I often wonder why I allow myself to get attached when it causes one hundred fold more problems than if I simply stay out of it all.
It is so true how one can change their entire environment if they realize not to become attached to it, and see themselves as onlookers rather than participants. If people would begin to do this the world over they would see dramatic change not only in their personal lives, but also in the world.
The world demands everyone to become particpants, the reason being is this is how the charade can continue. But if you do not play the game as the world desires, then you not only change yourself, but you change the world.
Remember most problems occur because people are reacting to the action rather than recreating it. I know it works for me and many others I know. It is just a simple matter of not getting attached to the world, but just being watchers as if you are looking down from above on what is occurring.
The friend that reminded me about all of this began making these changes also in his life a few months ago, and it has been a total 180 degree turn around for him. He is constantly cheering other people up instead of having to be cheered up himself.
He works in New York City and has had to deal with unimaginable stress, but when he made this one simple change, his life and all of his experiences began to change also. And now great things occur all the time instead of constant stress and turmoil. Now it is not a magic formula, life still can knock you down without you being aware of what hit you, nevertheless if you can remember to always separate yourself from the pattern that is developing, amazing things occur.
GNOSTIC