Open Mind, Open Heart discussion

Knowing that there is a field of intention and seeing how I have applied it to my life.

Really understanding at a deep level that the present moment is all we ever have. It makes life so simple and so beautiful. The challenge is quieting the voice in the head.

(Tolle readers will see the connections)

Living with an open mind, learning to let go, living in the present moment, and learning to love oneself without reservation. All hard lessons to learn, but without a doubt extremely rewarding.

Francine, how do you remind yourself to stay focused on the present? I've found it easier to be present if I quit trying so hard to swim up stream and instead gently guide my boat. For me it is a good reminder that I have some control, because I have a choice, but that to be on the river means dealing with the rapids.

Swimming up-stream is too much like hard work and, as far as I know, only salmons were meant to do that - good to know you quit doing it. Yours is a different river to mine, mine is now wide and slow, gently flowing and enjoying the view. Just smile and enjoy your fast ride down the rapids, it sounds fun.

I'm not sure if this exactly pertains to the topic but your discussion reminded me of a quote.

"No one can choose your mountain
or tell you when to climb...
It's yours alone to challenge
at your own pace and time." ~Patricia Harber

Richard, the quote is new to me although its content is universal. Thank you for posting it. Starr was asking 'how do you remind yourself to stay focussed on the present'. I thought about that and this is what I do: I remind myself when I remember to do so, the beauty of it though is that the more you do it, the more you remember to do it. Like any other muscle, the brain can be trained. Time, patience and unconditional love of myself have been my steps up my mountain.

Great, great quote Richard! I think it pertains because "letting go" and learning to "just be" are mountains of mine that I am climbing. I'm hard on myself because I feel like I should be faster or better and getting to the top. It goes back to enjoying the journey. Accepting where you are is the first step to transcendence.

Talking about mountains with you has made me look at the parallels between spiritual and geological mountains. The analogy is remarkably accurate and I had never made the connection, so here goes. Like any mountain, the bottom was fairly smooth, slowly becoming harder and harder and harder, sometimes even life threatening, scrambling over fallen boulders and moraines, slipping on shingles, falling down icy slopes, venturing into black caverns and treacherous holes, all the while getting scratched, wounded, bleeding, tracks getting narrower and steeper, mist everywhere, blindly bumping into strangers some good some bad, by now you're aware you are on a climb and going down is no longer an option - occasional clear patches of sky, little valleys and refreshing streams - encumbered by a clutter of stuff which prevents a swift climb and hides the true and sound clips and ropes that you already carry. Bit by bit and over time you learn to let go of stuff to lighten your burden and ease the climb, you learn to trust your own step and not that of others', your wounds heal and you begin to enjoy the climb. You look back and understand where you have been for the past x number of years.
I think I am probably a lot older than either of you. Be easy on yourselves.

I've never climbed a moutain, but this analogy is a good one. Thanks Francine!

I am new to all of this, and I hope this pertains to your original question: reincarnation. The spiritual idea / truth that we truly are souls on a journey to become whole again, one again, with our Creator is the most life-changing thing for me to grasp. It changes everything! We are all super intelligent spiritual beings who have chosen the life situation we're in and whether our egos perceive it as good or bad, it is all good in the spiritual realm because it's what our soul needs to learn to love.

Moolewis2000 wrote: "I am new to all of this, and I hope this pertains to your original question: reincarnation. The spiritual idea / truth that we truly are souls on a journey to become whole again, one again, with ou..."

The Ego does make this concept a hard one to grasp. The idea that we are a soul borrowing this body for an experience was mind blowing to me at first. I was so offended by the idea and I don't even know why now. Getting out of the victim mindset and understanding that the experience- this life - was your choice is hard because it's taking responsibility for your journey. It is still a lesson I'm learning.

Any arguments for or against God are essentially a rational and logical approach to something which is irrational and beyond anthropocentric understanding. I guess that's why I call myself agnostic. I have to ask myself, what arguments for or against God do dolphins, humpback whales, crows or aliens have.

Belief is not the important thing -- it's experience. You cannot convince me that what you believe about God is true. Nor can I convince you. But if we each talk about our own experience, we are free to draw our own conclusions.

Learning to keep my heart open though the world knows a million ways to break it, keeping it open to everything: beauty, pain, joy, sorrow, my fellow beings in all their forms. Letting the world break my heart over and over again. Turning toward the pain of that heartbreak, rather than away from it until I learned not to fear heartbreak any longer. In the absence of that fear is love.

Hal lo-by Heart to you Emily
***Definitely to be spiritual person - looking and living with peace-in every were -this type of life supporting all to be healthy-.
***Plus showing our- beauty in any way with every thing.
***And the system of vegetation though - greenery showing all- how familiar - beloved - with our mother of earth.
*** The most important for now is to live life in love with out any type of res ism.
salaam shalom peace
Rashaa.Vancouverrrrrrrrrr.CA

Starr wrote: "Knowing that there is a field of intention and seeing how I have applied it to my life."

From Sex to Superconsciousness

Emily.. plus my comment this book for our master of spiritual OSHO showing enough the meaning of us. We're all One. please have a look at this link of this book
salaam shalom peace
Rashaa.Vancouver Canada

Late to the discussion, but the idea that changed my life the most was John 9:41, where Jesus says, "If you were blind, you would have no sin, but because you say, 'we see,' your sin remains."

Basically, the way I understand that verse is that Jesus was saying that the birthplace of enlightenment is agnosticism. Becoming a person of "I don't know" has been a tremendously liberating experience for me. It's not that I don't have beliefs, I just hold them with an open hand. They do not define me, they're just things I believe right now. They are constantly changing.

It was actually one book that changed my life and made me see life differently - The Kybalion - Three Initiates. It helped me understand the principles of life, made me embrace changes I'm going through...in one sentence - It gave a deeper, fuller meaning to everything in my life!

"What you think of me is none of my business." Terry Cole - Whitaker. I wish i hadn't wasted more than 35 years of my life caring what others think.

cat wrote: ""What you think of me is none of my business." Terry Cole - Whitaker. I wish i hadn't wasted more than 35 years of my life caring what others think."

This seems like a great book..and will try to find it and read it. And yeah..most people care about what others think of them..totally unnecessary..As Oscar Wilde said it - Be yourself..everyone else is already taken:) Thanks for the recommendation cat :)

@Ananda - I love that Oscar Wilde quote, though to be honest I love Oscar Wilde in general. SO many people are afraid to be who they are not because they are afraid of failure, but afraid of shinning. :)

Now that's a nice perception on things Starr :) Yes, we are given only one life (at least this life one earth we are now aware of) but can't enjoy it that much 'cause of the old enemy - fear. Well fearing for your kid is one thing..but the fear of not being accepted? Oh..there are so many people out there in the world..of course many will dislike us..but at the same time, many will like us. It's just a fact we have to accept if we want to be happy :)

Can I pick two? Gratitude and Compassion. Two concepts that have changed my world. Gratitude makes me feel joy every day and practicing self compassion has expanded my compassion for the world.

Hi, I'm new here. I would say opening up to the idea that today is the day to make it happen. Perhaps the concept that we are alive for so long is what causes us to feel like nothing can significantly change in a single day. I might not be able to spend the entire day doing just what I want to progress my life, but whatever time I do spend is incredible!

Hi David. Just wanted to say that that is such a great point about being alive for so long. I think it's so right on. So easy to squander time when you think you have time. Though of course none of us knows how much time we really have. That's why it's good to remember every day that our time is finite. It makes such a difference for me. I used to find it scary but now it just makes everything around me so much more beautiful.

Hi Kim, nice to meet you. To add on to what you said, sometimes I think that each day is almost a way to start fresh--to do everything in a way that works toward your goals. I checked out your web site, pretty cool. Would you ever consider letting people comment on the art? You could approve the comments before they are posted. That might make it a little more interactive.
I also requested you as a friend,
Dave

Our thoughts create our reality and we can choose our thoughts.

When my daughter was young, she began to describe for me her "other parents". As I began to question her, she began to share with me a story of how she lived, in another life. At the time, she had severe eczema on her arms and legs. As she began to share her story, she described what sounded like wolves eating her in the woods. She continued to grab the very spots on her arms and legs that the dogs ravaged, that were her eczema spots now. After crying and letting it go, she fell asleep. The next day, her rashes on these spots diminished considerably. What if pain from other lives is carried through to our physical bodies into this life? This concept changed my life! I will be publishing a book called You Have the Power to Heal, A Guide to Change Life Stories on October 24th that discusses these very types of questions. Check me out if your interested! Melissa Merritt