Life on Track

Celebrating Life: Our Inter-Being is Our Well-Being

Can we use our challenges to connect with our humanity? Or, do we use them to put ourselves
in a box?

Many times, when faced with challenges and pain, we judge our experience as bad. We want to hide and  function as though we are complete and separate entities.  The walls of our boxes are built from
the judgments we make about ourselves from our personal experiences and backgrounds.

They form the assumptions from which we construct our view of the world.  Often they come from our
early childhood and represent our egocentric tendency to fault ourselves for things we do not
understand.

Our boxes prevent us from tapping into the roots of our common human experience.  Rather than
attempting to understand others, we distance ourselves by judging and discojnnecting. 

When we use our pain to connect with our humanity, we feel more complete because we are reconnected. This enhances our personal sense of well-being and gives our lives meaning. Instead of being negative, it leads to passion and purpose in our lives.

One way to face pain, is to honor the personal strengths that have helped you to rise to to overcome
your challenges. You can discover them by reflecting on your personal history as well as by sharing with
friends and family.

When you do so, you will discover the higher qualities that hold you together. One way to discover your
strengths is to go to www.authentichappiness.org and take the VIA strengths questionairre.  You will
discover your unique signature strengths as well as those that you share in common with others. Then,
take time to reflect and share how they have showed up in your lives.

Pain, Passion, and Purpose

This is a special weekend.  Those in the Christian tradition celebrate the death and ressurection of Christ.  The same pattern is also present in many other spiritual traditions. In this blog I would like to share the benefits of pain, and how it may lead to passion.

We all have times in our life when we face pain, disconnection, and separation. Initially, we may judge this experience as bad or negative, finding ways to avoid confronting the difficult emotions. Pain is much more powerful when it is honored with empathy and support. When we do so, a deeper spiritual message emerges.  By facing it, we can discover the old patterns of thought and belief and bring them under the power of forgiveness.

These old patterns reflect the ways of viewing the world from an earlier time.  When put in perspective
they give us compassion for ourselves and others. Instead of separation, we find connection, and an
opportunity to reflect and renew.  These new insights then can foster growth and give us a renewed
sense of mission, passion, and purpose.

It was three years ago today when my father passed.  This was one of the most significant transforming experiences in my life.  Instead of separating, our family came together and in the process discovered  a deeper sense of purpose. As we reflected upon it, we discovered the values through which we were connected, in the present and over the generations. Coming from a farming and education background, we set up a foundation fund for the support and education for organic farming in the local community. The project this year is for the "Seed Savers."  I call it "Seeds for a New Earth."  It gives hope. 

When we put structures into place that honor our higher values in an individual's memory,
a person does not die.  Instead, we honor the spirit that lives on forever.

Successful Relating: Does Your Intention Make a Difference?

When you face a relationship challenge, you can focus on the problem or you can focus on the solution.  In the process, it is often helpful to identify the higher intention. It helps you to step outside the immediate emotion, and view it from  a broader perspective.  But does can an intentional focus really make a difference? 

I recently received an interesting one-minute video from ION's on the impact of a loving intentional focus.  What was most interesting is that it showed the impact of loving intentions on chocolate.   Check the following link to see what happened. 

Intentional Chocolate - One minute

When the people ate chocolate that had been infused with positive thought, they experienced a significantly improved mood. We also know from Positive Psychology that positive emotions broaden and build our relationships. 

Frequently in our relationships, we tend to see a problem and expect the other to change rather than to look at the feelings within ourselves.  A much better solution, might be to take a more positive and intentional view.  Is it possible to find a solution that is a benefit to all concerned? Is it possible to find the higher intent?

For example, a woman came to me talking about the struggles she had with her mother.  When we began to try to intentionally understand her mother from a broader view, another woman, this time a mother who was having a struggle with her daughter came to join the conversation.  This created immediate empathy for both in trying to understand their mother-daughter experience. Judgment, separation, and blame began to be replaced with compassion and love. Both felt more hopeful.

Dr. Alice,  Enjoy your chocolate.

Our Higher Intentions: Hope

Each day we hear news about crime, environmental crises, and economic stress. On the other hand, there are tremendous sources for hope.

On Monday, Oprah Winfrey initiated a ten-week online webinar with Eckart Tolle, author of "The New Earth:  Awakening to Your Life's Purpose."  Over 500,000 viewers attended. This  was a first time ever event. I highly recommend the class. You can still sign up at  www.Oprah.com

Eckhart Tolle's message is we can choose to be part of the problem or a part of the solution.  It is a matter of making a shift in how we view the world. This is not a new message. The same information has been presented in the Bible and spiritual teachings for generations.  What is new, is the coming together of energy, people and interest to create an impact for good. Is it possible, for this to catalyze a larger change?  I have found three sources for hope. . . .