Sunday, April 1, 2007

SAVING FACE

COVER-YOUR-BUTT
''The Technology We ALL Seem So Good At''

---I use to call it, ‘’Cover-Your-Butt,’’ technology, but it is just clear and plain, ‘’Saving Face.’’ We HATE to look bad. And, we will do a whole lot of things, to be sure this doesn’t happen. We go to great lengths, to be sure. This is why there is so much Hypocrisy.
---We have such a difficulty telling the truth, sometimes. We are worried that we will look bad. We worry that we will be seen in a light that is NOT attractive. We might be seen from an angle that exposes our vulnerabilities.
---We ALL have these so-called flaws, but run from that thought and DON’T admit them, even to our selves. We would rather show, everyone, our own version of, ‘’how perfect we think we are.’’ We spend much of our time pretending, which we think is for each other, but it is really for our own, sake.
---This really is just another way of saying that we protect our self-image. To shed some light on why we do this. A lot of people spend a lot of time, running everything into the ground, and that includes us. Much of our response is countering others. We are compensating for what others are doing, and sometimes to us.
---People say a lot of what they say, to make themselves, look-good. To save face. Be Well.
.
Stroke Talk -
.
Saving Face - The MOVIE (''NEW'' Version w/BEATLES)
.
Poignant Picture -
.


.

Sanford, the Parrot, is saving face...at the end of cartoon. We try to SAVE-FACE in many different ways. I think Twinkles was a cereal.

Sunday, March 18, 2007

IMPACT of ATTITUDE

ATTITUDES
By Charles Swindoll


---‘’The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of ATTITUDE on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home.
---The remarkable thing is we have a choice regarding the ATTITUDE we embrace for that day. We cannot change our past, we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing that we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our ATTITUDE.
---I’m convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so with you. We Are In Charge Of Our ATTITUDES.’’


[The Essay Above Was Contributed By My Brother, Peter. He Was A Skydiver. It, [The Essay,] Is Something That Has Meant A Lot To Him, To Me, To ALL Of Us. Living Effectively, ALL Comes Down To ATTITUDE, Doesn't It?]

Sunday, March 11, 2007

YNH - WA


YOUR NAME HERE --
WITH ATTITUDE


---I think most everyone has an ATTITUDE. As I have said before, I think the attitude came into being as soon as two people had different ways of doing things. They have different ideas and different ways that they have their ‘’Needs and Preferences,’’ met.
---We as Human Beings, can easily see how we are ALL very much the same and very different at the same time. At times these opposing mindsets ‘’face-off’’ against each other. I find myself saying that we ALL have the same ‘’emotions,’’ just over different things. You can be Sid, Kathy, Jim or Patty with an Attitude. If you think there is another way [usually better,] than you are deemed to have an Attitude [especially if you vocalize it.] We are also, well aware, how keeping an Attitude all ‘’bottled-up’’ inside, is NOT a good idea.
---We all have our Attitudes toward people, places and things as we move through this life. We interact with these things and eek out our existence. Some have a better time of it than others, it seems to me. It comes down to whatever Attitude you have to these three things, that measures your enjoyment. The less ‘’Needs and Preferences,’’ and the more refined an attitude – The HAPPIER one seems to be.
---Understanding acceptance, is very important, here. It is very helpful and freeing to accept others who have their sets of attitudes. We don’t HAVE to do battle with their attitudes if they differ from our own. You can see yours and see theirs and choose. It isn’t really necessary to make a contest or competition out of them , Unless for some reason it is important to show the world that you make good choices, or something. If you find yourself wanting the very thing someone else wants, see if there is a duplicate. Or see how really necessary you having this thing is. Is it worth having and why? Otherwise, it can seem counterproductive, all toll
.

We Can Look At It This Way:
DENIAL- There Is A Better Way To See Things That We Now Acknowledge.
ANGER - Angry At The Fact That There Is A Better Way..
BARGAINING PHASE - This Will Depend On How Much You Resist Giving –Up Your Old Way., For The New One. Maybe, You Are NOT Really Convinced, Yet. You Will SUFFER To The Extent That You Hold On To The Old Way., And Resist Replacing It.
DESPAIR - Once, Again, The Helplessness You Experience, Depends On Your Ability To Let-Go.
ACCEPTANCE - The Final Phase Of Giving –Up An ‘’Old’’ Idea Or Attitude. You Are Free Of It And Accept A New Way Of Doing Things..
.

---We go from a selfishness to a selflessness, as we grow. ALL we are really doing is CLEARING out THINGS that CLUTTER our psyches. Acceptance of what is true and good is NATURAL. All we are really doing is getting rid of things that are just getting in the way. We find that everything has that quality - to get in the way. The wisdom of it is – To know when to hold ‘em’ and when to fold ‘em.
---It is really only good for us, when it is good for the whole team, simultaneously. We learn this lesson as we go. Other than that, we are probably moving between being very selfish or martyrdom. These are much the same thing. They are both self-centered.
----Keep your attitude positive and very accepting. Keep it light and keep it simple. Work toward being more Objective and don’t take comments and remarks so personally. I am aware that this is sometimes much easier said than done. But, when push comes to shove, it is better NOT to hold-on to things you really don’t need. Be Well.

Saturday, March 10, 2007

ATTITUDE THERAPY


CHANGING THE WAY YOU ''SEE'' IT


---When we have the right attitude, we can do almost anything. When our attitude is right, there is very little that can stop us. When our attitude is wrong for the situation we are in, getting out safely becomes something we are not sure of.
---There are so many words that we have to define our ''attitudes.'' We can be happy, sad, confident, needy, etc.. Our feelings to what we are relating to, denote the attitude we have towards it. Our attitudes cross all of Human Emotion.
---When we are comfortable with what we are relating to, we are more relaxed. The opposite is also true - If we are NOT comfortable with what we relate to, we are nervous, more stressed, tense, whathaveyou. This is reflected in our BP, also.
---I tend toward being anxious and excitable. My BP reflects that. It would do me well to take things more in stride and to not be such a ''People - Pleaser.'' This is my MO - What do I do?
---Let's look at PP. I have sought approval for as long as I can remember. I don't become involved in ''things'' that may not elicit approval. I become very much conscious of my own self - image and what people may think.
---If I engage myself in things that enhance my image to myself and others, than I am on ‘’the beaten path.’’ If I find that I am doing something that I myself have not accepted, than I am ‘’looking’’ to the ‘’judging’’ eyes of another, to see how what I‘m doing may affect the perception of me.
---When we have an OBJECTIVE Attitude and
Outlook, we seem to do better. We see things as they are as opposed to putting our own SUBJECTIVE spin on things. What we want to do is to’’see’’ the NEEDS and PREFERENCES that have us make the choices we do.
---I would suggest that you look at a list you make of ‘’Needs and Preferences,’’ and see which are real and separate out the ones you only ‘’think’’ you need. With this list, it should be clear to you where you stand and why you have the ATTITUDES you do. There is a good chance you will remember – How they became part of your personal inventory. By listing ones ‘’Needs and Preferences,’’ we are listing the very things we consider important for our survival. We will then see the attitudes, we have come up with, to get our ‘’N’s and P’s,’’ met. They can be surprisingly creative, when HONESTY gets involved. Be Well.

Friday, January 19, 2007

Encounter - SWAMI SATCHIDANANDA


My Encounter With --
SWAMI SATCHIDANANDA


---This encounter took place in the early 1980’s. I heard him speak at an ashram that he had, in CT. He suggested we pull our seats closer to hear better. This seemed like a good idea, but when he was done speaking, I realized that I was the only one to do this. Everyone else stayed where they were.
---I went back to my friend and I admit I felt a little sheepish. We had some snacks and we watched a video – About Space and Rockets, etc. It had a quality of expanding one’s Consciousness, but I remember being very focused on the fact that he had told a follower to make a copy. I do remember thinking to myself that you shouldn’t make copies. What is Swami doing? I didn’t say anything, but Swami is having a copy made. It surprised me not saying something, as I felt that correcting ‘’everyone,’’ was my DUTY and CALLING. I’ve grown a little since then.
---I bit my tongue, said nothing aloud, and he proceeded. He proceeded like it didn’t phase him. He mentioned how he would really like to be at his home, playing with his goats. It was kind of amazing how he had his followers, on the edge of their chairs, listening about goats. They seemed they enjoyed seeing Guru Dev, that’s what they called him, having a good time.
.
---My SWAMI Moment---
.
---It was time for him to leave, so we all got out of his way as he made his way to the car that brought him. I would like to say, ’’It Was Like The Parting Of The Red-Sea,’’ but it wasn’t that dramatic or special. As he passed where I was standing, he suddenly stopped. He pointed, and said to his disciples [of which I was not one], ‘’You should ALL be like this man. He isn’t even really here.’’ He gave no explanation, just walked on. I didn’t say anything, either, but I did think that this was kind of NEAT.
---I thought of some lame comebacks later on, but on the way home we ended up talking about my friends upcoming wedding,’’ I remember saying that I didn’t think that he was marrying for the right reasons, like I would know what the right reasons were. I was looking to hear about ‘’PERFECT LOVE,’’ and I just wasn’t hearing it. I shortly left MA., and cannot tell you if he married or not. Like I said, the 1980’s were about correcting and being sure that ‘’mistakes’’ weren’t being made.
---Anyway, back to my Swami moment, I feel that he was referring to a certain OBJECTIVITY that I have. It is due to my left-hand being as it is. Remember, I was born with the four fingers missing on my left-hand.
I will add this. The left-side is the SUBJECTIVE side, while the right is the OBJECTIVE. I was born very right-sided, and marijuana use only enhanced this. Being so imbalanced, I experienced a ‘’breakdown,’’ eventually.
---In a ‘’Nutshell,’’ figuratively and literally, I went ahead of myself and did not honor things that I still had to do. I had some ‘’Uncooked-Seeds.’’ I ended up with ten incarcerations in different Mental Hospitals across the southern USA, over the next 17 years. It was not fun.
---I would like to say it was like, ‘’ONE Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest,’’ by Ken Kesey. But it was neither like the Movie nor the Book. It was more the same as the idea of it, as a saying. I think that the Movie made quite a statement, nonetheless. Billy Bibbit was NOT stuttering while he felt ACCEPTED by his lady friend and peers. He was even standing up to Nurse Ratched. But as soon as his Mother was mentioned, there was the stuttering, again. Then, his guilt became overwhelming.

What Should We Learn From ALL THIS --

1. That we shouldn’t ACCEPT snacks from A Swami?
ONLY if you’re NOT HUNGRY.

2. Moving your chair causes embarrassment? NO.

3. Copying things is very wrong, and a point should be
made, no matter what else is going on. NO.

4. When Swami’s move, WATCH OUT. NO.

5. Watch the ‘’WOODSTOCK’’ Movie, and see a bit
of Swami on film. [BUT, don’t copy it.] WATCH
only if you want.

6. Jack Nicholson should play Swami Satchidananda
in the Movie? NO.


---If Society is ‘’The CUCKOO’S Nest,’’ then Swami ‘’Flew Over.’’ But, we see that the Cuckoo’s Nest has a relative quality to it, so I’ll bet that we ALL have our own Cuckoo’s Nest’s that we have flown over, at one time or another.
---We can see how one’s Attitude toward what he is dealing, gives one his Flying Over ability. There are certain things that I’m sure we see ‘’immediately,’’ and some things that we struggle with as poor Billy did, in the movie.
---The ‘’Good News’’ in it ALL is that we have respites. And, if Billy was able to identify the problem he was having, as even we were, then he could get beyond those things and situations that hold him back. Through a short moment of ACCEPTANCE, Billy ‘’FLEW OVER’’ his ‘’CUCKOO’s NEST’’ [stuttering,] for a time. The ATTITUDE of ACCEPTANCE, where ‘’One feels good about things,’’ works wonders. As far as Swami and myself were concerned, his ACCEPTANCE was pretty NEAT. Be Well.

YOU'RE AN ''ASS''



THE ONLY ASS YOU'LL EVER DEAL WITH IS YOURSELF


---Why do I make such a bold statement? I'm tired of the molly-coddling. For so long, I have taken another approach. It seems the one that ALL positive writers take. I tried to tell everyone it is about Love, but seem to come up empty. It sounds like everyone else. It is alright but ''lacks'' something.
---You are truly the only ASS with which you have to deal. There is none greater. Let me explain. When one sees himself as the lowest common denominator, one has only up to go. He ''accepts'' his humanity and is truly ready for his next step. He tells the ''Truth'' because he has nothing to lose.
---By process of elimination, ''the truth has set him free.'' He who realizes that he only has up to go, will go up. It is said that the highest form of intelligence is ''negative thinking.'' This is where one constantly ''revolts'' against his own thinking and thought processes and realizes that all thought is just thought, and as K. says, ''thought is all of the past.''
---It takes the philosophy, ''If you ain't got nothing, you ain't got nothing to lose.'' It even encompasses, the ''last shall be first'' point of view. It should take in the idea of ''try, try again.'' It is ALL success. Every gain no matter how small. Keeping up with the Jones' is a moot point, because you are not concerned with situations on the appearance level. You are an ASS, what does it matter?

GOOD ENOUGH


ATTITUDE -
''GOOD ENOUGH''

Praise Is A Thing I've Never
Been Too Comfortable With.
I've Gotten Praise For Many
Things I've Done
Kudos For This, Kudos For That
''You've Done A Good Job, Son.''
But, I'm A Little Suspect Of The
Praise I've Gotten
Maybe It's Me, I Don't Know
I’m Not Sure
Do You Praise Me For A Job Well-Done?
Or, Do You Praise Me Because
I’ve Done Anything At All?
You Mean Well
You Even Say It Well
For Me, Perfectionism Is Not Easy
There Is A Letting-Go, Involved

Thursday, January 18, 2007

ATTITUDE AFFECTS EVERYTHING


NOT EVERYTHING AFFECTING ATTITUDE
Axis-Ego?



---We are probably aware of the fact that the Planets, moons etc., are on an Axis. They are not on their poles, but they are out of alignment with themselves and each other. This is to keep them where they are with their Gravitational pulls. By keeping them out of alignment, we find that they don't fall into each other.
---People are also out of alignment for basically the same reason. People are made from Love. This is the Driving Force if you will, that causes people to do what they do. It is the Prime Mover. The ego keep people from being in alignment and ''falling'' into each other. Love unifies, and bring things together. If we were Pure Love, we would be unified. This is what is happening to us. We are being purified. This is essentially what ''The Hound of Heaven'' is doing. We may wonder why it is so confusing at times, because we find that when we pull, it pushes. When One lives in Love, One just sort of watches this. God and Love are the same.
---We can take this logic another step. If we say this then, we see that the ego and the axis are the same situation. Then, what affects the ego affects the axis. This means that ''ATTITUDES'' affect both. It is a Chicken and Egg thing. In this way, we see and can say that our ''ATTITUDES'' [anger, happiness, sadness, etc.] affects our planet or the ''Universe,'' itself. This is also the law of cause and effect, or the law of Karma. Remember that Love is always there.
---We therefore know that we have to be Loving. Everything works better this way. We see that Love opposes Gravity. We can see that All things work better if ''Loved.'' This Means that, very importantly, when things are Loved they are allowed to be Exactly as They Are and Not Interfered with. They will then ''reorganize'' and will be as they are meant to be. This is the same as Acceptance. If we Accept with this ''Understanding,'' we are back to ''Appreciating,'' again. This is the process of Love. Love is a FACT that does NOT directly depend on how you FEEL.
---We see that people interfere and sabotage there own Relationship with Love. This is where the ''Seven Deadly Sins'' come in. I feel that people do the ''best'' they can with what they know, but If people ''knew'' what they were really doing, how they compromise their own happiness etc., I really feel people would be more ''thoughtful'' in and through their own actions. Be Well.