Enlightened Engagement

Most have heard the saying, "Today is going to be the first day of the rest of your life." Most of us know that it means that you have to let the past go and live like it was your last day on earth. Enjoy the moment and live for today are said by many. These are platitudes are more easily said than done. Living in the moment takes a lot of focus and work. It takes a mega amount of concentration to live in the NOW when you are planning, writing, watching TV, cooking, or running. One trick I have added to my arsenal of strategies to enjoy my life is to put little notes up in my most usual places that remind me to concentrate on the here and now so that I can be in the present. This helps me to revel in the now of my running, writing, or teaching. I could be going to the office or lecturing to the class and I would see the note, FOCUS, and that would remind me to take a second to see all the beauty around me. I would then stop and look at the students in my room and realize how...

Taking a little time each day to meditate, think about yourself, say a positive saying, and in general let your mind relax is an important thing to do to get yourself back on track if you have taken a turn that has led you down the wrong road. We all get off track when steering toward our goals. We get side tracked by our friends, family, and even ourselves. This happens naturally in life because there are so many things going on. Some of those things we agree with and some we don’t but when we set goals for our lives we can get side tracked by life with its myriad of complications. An accident, an injury, loss of patience, inability to focus intently enough, and a host of different events can stop us from completing our tasks that move us forward toward our goals. To get back into the groove all you have to do is let go. It appears to be a lot harder than it looks but letting go just takes practice like anything else. When the world stomps on you and you are late for work take a mi...

Loss is an inevitable part of life. We lose games, we lose our keys, we lose our mind, and we lose a variety of other things as we participate in this thing we call life. Eventually we will lose our lives as well. Loss is not something to be afraid of or angry about it is the event that naturally comes with everything we do. Obviously we want to win but because our universe is balanced we can't win all the time. Loss comes with winning. It is the yin to the yang. Every win you experience there is a commensurate loss. There is no getting around that fact. The caveat is that the losses you experience don't always equal the wins you experience in intensity and duration and the losses don't always come in the same form as the wins but for most of us they even out. What you need to know is that you can minimize the sensations that surround your losses because you create your own world. An anecdotal example is that I would lose consistently when it comes to my car. When I was yo...

Weather We have all kinds of weather in our world. Rain, hard rain, torrential rain, and bucket pours. We have dry, parching dry, blistering dry, and 7 years dry. We have snow, blustery snow, snow storms, and stay indoors for days snow. No matter what kind of weather you have where you are, and it varies radically, you have to adapt to the conditions. All animals adapt humans can to. We can adapt to any situation, any problem, any challenge, and any adversity. As humans in a dynamic world we have to figure out a way to live peacefully in it no matter what the problem.When a hailstorm comes and dings up our car we figure out a way to go on with our driving and our lives. We may not be happy for awhile but we will have a story to tell to everyone about our experiences. We are amazing creatures in a blessed world. We are surrounded by so many different types of weather that give us an opportunity to grow and be better..

Dedicate 5 Minutes It took 5 minutes to write this blog. If you dedicate 5 minutes to your immediate goal each day you will see a dramatic improvement in the journey you are experiencing toward that goal. In the morning or night set aside a time to visualize your goal. Do it daily and do it for 5 minutes. Be specific in your visualization and be consistent in your practice and before long you will see subtle hints that you are on your way to accomplishment. For example if you want to enjoy your workplace a little more take 5 minutes and visualize yourself smiling where you work. 5 minutes doesn't seem like very long but when you are in the meditative or Alpha state it can seem like a long time and you will want to give up. Don't give up. 5 minutes a day. Surely you can give that much for your peace of mind and happiness.