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On this path, as you relinquish your judgements and realize that things are not inherently right or wrong, it makes it harder to choose. It appears that we, as a species, or at least a country, tend to be lazy about making choices. We all face so many in a day! There’s this beautiful thing about life, though: You can make a choice not to choose and life will still go on. If you don’t make a choice, one will be made for you.
But I want to be at Cause in my life, I want to co-create and in order to do that, I have to make choices. But, how do I know what to do? It’s hard to know exactly what’s best for me in all situations. What is right? The answer to whether something is “right” or “wrong” lies within. Not in what happens, but in how I feel about it.
It must come down to the fact that it doesn’t really matter what I choose. Any choice is fine. If it turns out not to be for my best good (and I will know that by the way I feel) I can just make another choice.
Maybe it’s just that simple.
It’s so easy to get caught up in seeing, being and doing “enough.” Doing it Right. But the truth is, this no such scale of how much is really, truly enough. And the jury is still out on what exactly is the universal definition of Right.
Instead, the world operates on the very neutral law of Cause and Effect. You create a cause, you get an Effect. That’s just the way it works. It’s merely about how energy moves and has nothing to do with good or bad, right or wrong. It is only how we, who live in this dual world, decide to see it.
With this system of Cause and Effect, there are no “mistakes.” Just the effect of a cause that you don’t like. The outcome, likewise, is always assured. There is no way to fail at Cause and Effect. All you have to do is make the cause and the effect will follow. And you are always at Cause. If you did absolutely nothing, you would still create quite a stir! Making a choice to not do is a cause, as well. As long as you are alive you are creating a Cause and there will be an Effect of some kind to match it.
I am doing a daily lesson of A Course in Miracles, thanks to Chris Cade. Any seeker on the path should check out his web site. Lesson 25’s idea is “I do not know what anything is for.” This tells me that I can’t know what my cause will bring, what it might bump into on the way, which cage it could rattle, what window it opens . . . This no way of knowing what effect all those causes might conjure.
Doing a lot of work lately with the Loving Universe. This Law of Cause and Effect is just another reason to believe it truly is a loving universe. I’m hoping to let go of my litany of ratings and evaluations, my clinging to outcomes and just focus on putting out a good energy Cause.
Curiosity is one of those magical things. Anyone who has fairly normal brain function can use it. It is available whenever and wherever you need it. As with all the spells of doing, the magic is activated simply by using your wand of choice.
Curiosity, fueled by imagination, can take you far. It invites you to ask why, or how about, and what if. No matter where you are or what your situation, the questions posed from these can open wide vistas of possibilities. Right before your eyes.
One can get onto the scent of curiosity, leading to all kinds of things. Good and bad. There are no limits. Curiosity pulls you forward, your imagination tempting you with bigger and better.
Take a quick look around. Everything you see started from someone’s curiosity. Could I make something that would allow me to speak to someone outside of shouting range? What if we could make a record of a musical performance so others could hear it?
Curiosity leads to solutions. If I can’t do it this way, is there another way? Add some imagination to see what could be. Before you know it, the answer will be there.
Try pulling out Curiosity the next time you meet someone, have to start all over, or are making plans. I promise, it will liven things up! You never know where you can go. Okay, it might not be Fiji, but maybe you can find something like it.
It’s always better to reach for the stars than to settle for what is in front of you. Using Curiosity and Imagination you’ll see lots of shiny orbs to reach for.
We all see things through a filter. Even if we are willing to face life directly, we still make the choice what we are going to name what we see in front of us. It helps to stop a moment and ask ourselves, “How am I going to relate to this situation?”
It is up to me to give this situation a name. Am I going to see it in a positive light – through the eyes of the Loving Universe? That whatever I was hoping for just wasn’t meant to be. I can learn something and grow from the experience. Or am I going to see it in a negative light – as if I was being punished for something? That I failed again and was never really good enough to get it, anyway . . .
Same situation either way. I can still tell the truth about it and accept that it happened. No matter how I choose to view it.
If I choose the Loving Universe theory, I melt the negativity gripping my heart, my hand, my mind, my emotions. Things loosen up, settle down. And then I can see life even more clearly, the situation can come into sharper focus. It no longer hurts to look at it. I can see the picture better and because I’m not so afraid, upset, angry, frustrated, insecure, unsure . . . I can stand more confidently in who I am, in a far better, more stable position from which to take action. Whatever it might require. Rather than be standing on wobbly, over-wrought legs.
This grounded, positive stance gives me a calmer head for making choices before I act. It allows me to pause long enough to consider, rather than being run around by emotions. My E-motions, emoting me into an action I may not have chosen. It gives me a moment to make a better choice.
In the end, any choice is really okay. Making a choice is better than not. Any one will move me forward. But I have to imagine that a choice made in joy, from a more peaceful mind, is going to lead me to a more joyful place.
I’m doing The Artist’s Way, again. It’s been a long time in between and my circumstances and creativity are at very different places. So, too, for my dear friend who did it with me last time. I have to say, it’s a wonderful and fun program. If you work it well, it produces amazing results!
It does take time to do, that’s for sure. With weekly readings and activities, you need to give it a fair amount of attention. As I learned in NaNoWriMo, it’s about the commitment to give it even a little time as many days as you can. But the real key to this time management thing may be in the daily choices we make for where to put our focus.
Most of us lead busy lives . . . everyone from the 40-50 hour a week salaried workers to those rested and retired in Paradise. There’s so much to do, to see, to take care of, to make happen, to find out, to listen to, to watch, to follow, to follow through, to follow up.
Can we drill it down to simple “Energy Math”? I have so many hours to fill that aren’t about sleeping, eating, using the bathroom, etc. So what am I going to do with them? What are the things I really want to include? Where do I choose to put my focus?
This takes observation. Something we can all do, no matter how busy the schedule.
Needing only a few moments of your time now and again, (maybe when you’re waiting) and perhaps a small notebook or phone – to keep track of those findings.
So, you see what is and you do what works. What is working for you and what isn’t? Note those things which drain your energy or time. What activities are getting you where you want to go and what keeps you stuck? Usually you can tell that what you’re doing just doesn’t feel right. Or something else is calling you.
What are the things you want in your life? Whether that’s spending more time with your children, nurturing your creativity or improving your game. You need to decide what you choose to have in your life.
If those things aren’t fitting, something has to go. You need to make choices: what can you adjust, get rid of or replace? It might take some time to patch up the leaks, but that’s okay. Every little bit helps, frees up a little more space for something you’d rather have in your life. And, knowing you’re taking the steps helps even if it’s just easing your state mind.
Everyone’s choices are different. But each day, sometimes in each moment, you need to think about where you’re going to put your focus. What are the cards you choose to pick to focus on and hold in your hand?
Using the Twin Constellations of Acceptance and Allowance (from the book that never was)
Acceptance is an agreement or a choice. The first step is to accept everything that goes on in the Universe. You really don’t have any other choice. What’s happening is what’s happening. You might just as well tell the Universe to back up and turn around. Good luck with that.
Allowing is the second part. To give permission. This is not saying it’s okay with you. It’s merely a willingness to open the door, allowing life to be what it is. Allowing is a much better use of energy than trying with all your might to keep the door shut.
Another analogy might be a flowing river. The first thing you need to do in order to use it to your benefit, is to agree that the river is flowing. As long as the river remains free, there is nothing you can do to change that.. Then, as you allow the current to take you with it, you use the energy of the river, rather than fight it.
When you apply this to your life, you are able to move more effectively and easily. Understanding these powerful twin forces is the beginning of your journey across the Universe.
Will is an interesting thing. It will be your best friend and help you to move through life deliberately and gracefully.
However, will can also be hard and unyielding. Sometimes it won’t let you move forward. It convinces you that you can’t change, you must remain the same. Will can keep you stuck in a place you might not want to be. Will is responsible for, like a stubborn child, making you believe you can’t let go.
Will is the difference between giving and taking, holding and releasing. Will can bend you or keep you from going where you should not.
The truth is: life is change and nothing ever remains the same. Will allows life to flow. When you’re willing to let go, life moves like a steady stream. Will is the source of your First choice. What is your will? What do you want?
When you’re willing to let go, when you don’t let resistance get in the way, life is much easier. You will feel calmer and things will seem to come to you.
If you are in the rock hard grasp of Will, you can sometimes loosen it by being willing to be willing. Just that small gap might just remove the boulder out of your way and free your will and your life to fly!
1) Make a Choice to Do It.
Setting the Intention and putting some enthusiasm behind it is the best way to get going.
2) Plan Wisely.
Be sure to know how I’m going to do it. Don’t overload. Consider how I’m feeling and what else I need to do. What will my overall energy requirements be? Find a good time to do it. And know the steps I’m going to take.
3) Know the Reasons I Want to Do It.
This will increase my enthusiasm and seal my commitment if the going gets rough.
4) Accept That it May Not Get Done the Way I Picture It.
Doing what I say I’m going to do,
Has nothing to do with when.
Not being able to do it now (or when I planned),
Doesn’t negate doing it at another time.
Simply say when I will try again and stick to it.
5) Check to See if There’s an Easier Way.
I increase my chances of doing it if I make time to find the quickest route.
6) Get Into the Good Feelings.
Remember how wonderful it feels to do what I said I would do, to follow through on my promises. How about that feeling of crossing it off the list, knowing I did it!
7) Remember the Steps for Goal Getting.
First is knowing what you want to do.
Second is figuring out what it will take to get it.
But nothing gets done unless you Take the Steps.
8) Stop to Appreciate the Accomplishment.
It’s so easy to jump into the next thing. If I make sure to appreciate the accomplishment, I strengthen my will muscle and my commitment for the next goal.
I call them elementals because they are elemental to us all. Everyone has these things built-in.
1. Using the power of Dreams and Visions to create your intent.
Dreams and visions provide the most powerful information. Those things you dream of or see in happy visions are the things you most want, that you have the most passion for. This allows you to start off from the best possible place.
2. Using Clarity and Guidance to decide on your actions.
You use clarity to listen for Guidance. Clarity comes in between the breaths, in the silence, opening the portals for Guidance. Clarity can come into play after the Guidance, as well. It gives your steps surety and the clear eye to see what lies ahead.
3. Using Discipline and Choice to fuel those actions.
Actions need choice. You won’t do anything without choice. Discipline helps you to continue to make the choices. Discipline keeps you coming back to what you’ve chosen.
4. Using Openness and Acceptance to allow what comes.
Life doesn’t always move in a straight line. You have to be open to what comes to you. You many not yet see how it applies to your Intent. Accept what you get.
5. Using Gratitude and Flexibility to listen for your next move.
Having gratitude for what you created expands and shapes it. It also put you in mind to be flexible if the Guidance should take you in a new direction.
If you use these elementals you will find life happens easily, almost effortlessly.
The sky is gray and sprinkling rain. It’s not what you’d call chilly, exactly, and yet I feel it in my bones. The dampness has set in. I have nothing in particular to feel badly about, except maybe the weather. But I am fussing and picking at everything! Things that usually slip off me like fine silk are rubbing me the wrong way. I can’t stand the way he does that! Why does she always do that me? It’s the kind of day where I might spill cottage cheese all down my shirt and then be really upset with myself, too. I feel like I really, really just want to be somewhere else!
This, it would seem, is exactly the state of mind Eckhart Tolle says produces no choice. It was not my choice to stub my toe, I shout! But I can tell my head is full of other things and I just walked right into that chair.
It’s a very intriguing concept to me. This having no choice. I have long believed we make our own choices. We are co-creators of our own lives. How can this be that I have no choice?
But it makes a lot of sense, when you think about it. Perhaps it brings some relief to say, I didn’t consciously choose to lose my best friend. I can see that when I’m all tangled up in the stuff in my head, it’s not easy to be making real choices. I can’t even control my thoughts. You wouldn’t really say that you chose to break your arm. Maybe you needed it to slow down and face some other things. But that was not your conscious choice. Your head was probably buzzing with complaints, past dredging or future dreaming. When you get right down to it, if you’re not in the present moment, truly aware of what’s going on, you really do have no choice. Yikes! But it answers a lot of questions when you realize there are things in your life you didn’t consciously create.
And that’s just the problem: we are not conscious. How can we expect to make good, healthy choices for ourselves when we’re wrapped up in repetitive, unconscious thinking?
Noticing that this is happening is clearly the first step. Then I stop, notice my breath and try to feel my body. A good way in is to note how your body is: are your shoulders up? Tightness in your back? What’s going on in your body? That immediately brings you out of the nasty chatter in your head. Like taking a shower allows insights to arise. The funny thing is that being out of your head is the best place to be for good conscious, real choices.
Once I’ve gotten in touch with my body, I feel I have some control. I can dig deeper to the feelings under the physical sensations. That is where the true answers lie, where the guidance is found.
All of sudden, from that place, I can say to myself, Joe didn’t mean to do that. He doesn’t really do it all the time. He may just be tired. Like I am. I didn’t get enough sleep last night. That’s why I’m so cranky. I may be back in my head, but I’m feeling a lot gentler now. I’m directing and choosing my thoughts. Choosing to have kinder and more loving thoughts.
Then I notice I do have a choice how I’m thinking and feeling. And lo and behold, the sun has come out!
The Positive Slant On the Path 