Kategoriarkiv: #English

Being aware – reflection #3

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Am down with a cold. Feeling very unaware of most things outside of the discomfort of a sore throat, raspy cough and an aching head. But still, why not just move ahead with the reflections on being aware…

Does being aware have a color?
Instinctively, what comes to mind is transparency. Any color, but transparent, not being a hindrance for going past it, through it.

A symbol?
A symbol…. does being aware have a symbol? Just the one?
I don’t know. Possibly the third eye? But then again, isn’t than an old symbol, with a lot of different connotations, with awareness (increased perception) being one?

What is the language of awareness? Does it exist?
Or will we – together – make the language of being aware come to form?
The language of awareness cannot be a language of but one component, such as speech. A language of awareness must be a multifaceted language utilizing all senses, opening up for an experience of sound and silence, visual and intuitive aspects as well as movement and touch. If it exists? Who knows… But yeah, I would like to think it’s out there and probably has since the beginning of time. Not sure if it’s come fully into form yet. It’s more like something wanting to happen, popping up here and there, in quick bursts of connection and awareness. Wanting to be seen, felt, heard, sensed by a larger number of humankind. Do you think we can help it come into form, making it easier for more people to discover it?

opening up

Are there any rituals connected to being aware?
Or might we – together – create some?
I’m certain there are a multitude of rituals. Some widely shared and spread across the globe, some might be absolutely unique to a specific individual.
A wise woman told me yesterday of the eternal circle of expansion -> stability -> expansion -> stability and so on. She explained how there’s expansion, with intake, new learnings, input and information, expanding in all senses…. and how there’s a need for all those new sensations to stabilize and sink in, enabling me to become grounded in what I know. And once stability has been reached, a new expansion phase can begin. I’m sure we could find rituals for both phases, expansion as well as stability, but am equally certain we could come up with new rituals around these phases.
Personally, I know I have some rituals that have definitely helped me be more aware, and I’m doing one of those things right this minute. Blogging for me, is both a self-coaching tool and a way for me to reflect and discover myself, my beliefs, my understanding. Blogging is one way for me to stabilize what I take in during the day.

Do you have any favorite rituals you’d like to share with me?

Being aware – reflection #2

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Sticking to my awareness-theme, I pick up the next set of questions from my original post. Now let’s see what I might discover today.

How do you Do awareness?
What a relevant question. And such a difficult question to answer. Because how Do you Do awareness? *pause to reflect and sit with the question*
Well. I guess, for me, doing awareness isn’t really visible on the outside, it’s more something that goes on within me, which then might manifests visibly, in my actions and the way I show up in the world.

What is the relationship between being and doing awareness?
Being aware comes before the doing of awareness. I don’t think it can be the other way around and they don’t work in parallel either. Being precedes doing. It’s as simple as that. Do you agree?being precedes doing

How can you tell when another person acts out of awareness? Or when he/she
doesn’t? Is it visible somehow?
These questions all belong together. And yes, sometimes I can tell if a person acts out of awareness or when he/she doesn’t. Sometimes I can’t. I guess it varies. However, I actually think I can sense it, intuit it, more often than I can actually see it with my eyes. Whether or not I use my intuition to sense it, or I use my eyes to see it, I guess what I spot is incongruencies, when there’s a mis-match between being and doing. Something that is un-synchronized, out of tune, not as it should be.

Is there a limit, a point where you are fully aware, saturated, unable to become more aware? If so, can human beings reach that point? Is it even desirable?
Another set of questions that belong together.
And no. I don’t think we can reach that point, at least not staying a human being.
Actually. I have a sense that once a person is 100% aware, saturated with awareness, unable to become more aware… he or she will cease to exist, revert into godhood, no longer having a place in the human realm. Being human and living the human experience means there is always more to learn, to grasp, understand, discover, be curious about. There is no such thing as a comprehensively aware human being. Because once we reach a point of all-knowing, we are god, pure and simple, and the need for our human form will be no more.

Do I know this last to be true? Heck no.

I haven’t got the faintest idea if this is the way it is, or just a figment of my imagination. But it’s as far as my reflections on awareness and humankind have taken me. To this date. Who know’s where I will be on this subject tomorrow. Perhaps my awareness will have taken me somewhere completely different?

Being aware – reflection #1

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True to my word, I’m immersing in the concept of being aware today. As I sit here I look at the post from yesterday, and figure I might just as well just start at the beginning:

What does being aware make you think?
First off, that it’s something I know much more intimately now, compared to before. I am much more aware today, both of myself, but also of what goes on outside of me. And I like that.

Feel?
Well. Since I like the feeling of being aware, it really makes me feel good. Thinking about awareness gives me a warm feeling, and a strong sense of calm. It’s not always easy to be aware of this and/or that, but generally speaking, it’s as if the world becomes clearer, more well-defined, with a heightened awareness. Hence, the sense of calm.

What do you associate with being aware?
Hm.
Let’s see…
Wisdom. Clarity. A greater presence in the world – seeing it for what it is. Not placing a lot of extra stuff on top, but rather stripping down to what is.
A gentleness towards oneself, as well as to all other sentient beings, but also to everything else, non-sentient as well as sentient.

being aware reflection 1

Do you think of yourself as being aware? Or not?
Yes. I do. Now. Before, not so much. For me, it’s very much linked to the fact that I’ve learned how to be gentle with myself, which means I am curious about myself. Curiosity and awareness go very well hand in hand, because unless you are curious, and gentle with yourself, what you might discover about yourself through an increased awareness will get you in trouble. With yourself, no less.
What I mean is, before, I was afraid to see me. Because when I found something within that I didn’t like, didn’t approve of, wasn’t proud of…. I beat myself up over it. And that really isn’t a very good way to encourage more awareness and discovery. Nowadays, when I find something within that I previously would have labeled as something not likable, something to disapprove of etc, I see it. That’s all. I can embrace it for what it is, a part of me. Not judging it. And definitely not beating myself up over it. Makes me much more prone to being even more aware.

Do you have a role model, someone who personifies being aware for you?
There are quite a few people that I look up to when it comes to being aware. People who model it for me, simply by being. And I’ve been smart enough to make these people an integral part of my life. Friends, partners in various endeavors, coaches. So yes. I definitely have role models, and by hanging out with them, my own awareness get’s a boost. It’s a good trick, I definitely recommend it.

What, or who, boosts your awareness?

Being aware

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What does it make you think? Feel?
What do you associate with being aware?
Do you think of yourself as being aware? Or not?
Do you have a role model, someone who personifies being aware for you?

And how do you Do awareness?
What is the relationship between being and doing awareness?
How can you tell when another person acts out of awareness? Or when he/she doesn’t? Is it visible somehow?

Is there a limit, a point where you are fully aware, saturated, unable to become more aware? If so, can human beings reach that point? Is it even desirable?

Does it have a color? A symbol?
What is the language of awareness? Does it exist?
Or will we – together – make the language of being aware come to form?
Are there any rituals connected to being aware?
Or might we – together – create some?

What is made possible when you live life out of a place of heightened awareness?
What happens to you? Those around you? The world?
Is anything made impossible when living life out of a place of heightened awareness?

What would the world look like with a raised awareness in humankind?

being aware

Starting Sunday I will be immersing myself into being aware and I am very curious to discover what will arise from the experience. Until then, I’ll dip my toe into it, getting into the mood, tasting it, trying to get a feel for it, discovering the texture of it, recognizing and perhaps building up the energy of awareness within me.

And yes, I’ll share the process with you, here, because somehow, blogging is one way I get in touch with myself, discover myself within the words, the images, the sensations that arise within when I write. It’s a way for me to be aware.

Perhaps I’ll sit with the questions I’ve written above. Perhaps I’ll blog about what comes to mind. But I am also curious. About what comes to mind for you? Would you mind sharing your thoughts about being aware with me?

Podcast 37/52 – mindblowing podcast on intelligence

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Oh. Perhaps you are getting fed up with the podcast tips I’m providing every Sunday. It’s almost solely Good Life Project or On Being that I’ve featured lately. But heck, those two shows are simply so good. Honestly, if you have yet to actually click on one of the links I’m inserting into these podcast tip blog posts, you really should give it a go.

And, yeah, of course, you’ve probably guessed by now that I’m gonna write about one of these shows today as well. And you’re right. I will. You see, I’ve been listening over and over to an extremely fascinating conversation between Krista Tippett and educator Mike Rose on the intelligence present in all kinds of work.

Mindblowing. Mike describes the intelligence of a waitress, and made me realize what a fenomenal memory many waitresses have. The intelligence of a plumber, who perhaps works in limited surroundings, making it impossible to actually see with his or her eyes what the issue is, but through the help of probing fingers and an ability to paint an internal picture, can solve it. There’s beauty and, indeed, intelligence in all the millions of different work activities that goes on, through out the day and night, all over the world.

MindblowingI’m even fascinated by my fascination over this! And I’ve got a treat saved up for myself as well. There’s an unedited version of their conversation that I’ve yet to listen to. Oh goodie!

Anyway, check it out, and please pay extra attention the last 10-15 minutes of the episode, as Mike and Krista then touch upon a topic very close to my heart, that of the purpose of education, of learning, of schooling. I usually twitterify the question as #WhySchool, and, guess how happy I got when I heard Mike speak about why he thinks it’s so important to be very clear about the purpose of schooling and education. Oh, and if you want to, please let me know what pops up for you as you listen to this episode. Id love to hear your thoughts on the topics raised in this show. Ok?

Yet another farewell

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And so it was time for yet another farewell. This time a planned one, as opposed to the chock of having to part with Oliver the cat earlier this year.

rip samiSamifix, our sweet little Samifix, with failing kidneys and a birth defect in his hip bone (causing his hind legs to hang on via muscles only, the sockets and thigh bones were not connected) starting to cause him trouble, so I googled and found a local veterinarian who makes house calls. I made the appointment last weekend, and today was the day.

It felt good, even though it was sad, to have him fall asleep, lying in my lap surrounded by loved ones, in a safe environment. But oh, how I miss him, already!

Now he rests underneath the red currant bush, which is a spot he chose himself. This past month, that’s where we’ve often found him, making a little nest for himself in the tall grass. That’s where he was lying this morning after hubby let him out, resting comfortably in the garden. When I got up from bed, I spotted him and snapped the image below. This is the spot where he will rest, eternally.

vinbärsbusken

Thank you for choosing us as your human family.
You will be missed and remembered, forever in our hearts.
Rest in peace, sweet Samifix.
❤

 

Podcast 36/52 – Be a better person

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Wanna make better stuff? Be a better person, Jonathan Fields says at the beginning of this weeks podcast tip of the Good Life Project (yet again a tip from GLP. Actually this is the third in a row – so if you haven’t listened to an episode yet, just do. They a_r_e really good, most of them!).

BoldomaticPost_Wanna-make-better-stuff-Be-a

Now, this is a Good Life Riff, meaning it’s only about five minutes long. Still. It’s worth listening to, and it sure puts a spin on things for me. Jonathan tells a story about guitars and guitar-makers in the riff, and says ”You can’t keep your personality outside of the work”. It’s said about handmade guitars, but does it stop there? Isn’t that true for all work done by a human being?

 

 

My greatest fears

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Have joined up for the 30 days of being fearless-Facebook group started by Billie Allen. *And yes, it’s another numbered time-constrained challenge. You know I’m a sucker for these by now!*
One post in the Facebook-group read:
If you could overcome your greatest fears, how would your life be different? How would you be different?

Here’s my reply:

”Greatest fears”. It sounds so grand, so large.

I believe my ”greatest fears” are in reality fairly small… not daring to speak up, to make the most of the gifts I have to bring to the world, to stand up for someone in need for fear of being harassed myself, or ridiculed, etc.
 
FearsI am on a journey to walk thru my fears, not to ”overcome” them as such, but to live life, and pass thru them, not having them be a hindrance, but rather, a possible bump in the road onwards, that gives the journey it’s texture.
 
As I bump thru my fears, I become more me. Less restrictive, less mindful of what other people might or might not think about me, more in tune with my thoughts and emotions, daring to show my feelings, laugh out loud when I feel like laughing, sing to a great song when I hear it, regardless if I’m on a plane or alone at home. Less worried, less concerned with expecting stuff from myself and/or others, more exuberant, living life more fully, with up’s and down, more interested in people. Being less afraid, I’ve gotten to be a much better listener, no longer afraid of what might arise within myself from the stories I’m told.
 
It’s an ongoing journey and I enjoy every twist and turn of the road, being less concerned about what I would have deemed right or wrong, good or bad, in the past.
 
Namaste!
If you could overcome your greatest fears, how would your life be different? How would you be different?

Podcast 35/52 – the big questions

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harvestListened to Good Life Project with Jonathan Fields in conversation with Dale Partridge when I was out picking wild plums, blackberries, dewberries and hazelnuts in the recreational area just across the street from my home. Dale and Jonathan proved to be great companions for my harvest walk, and once more, once it finished I had the urge to press play and start all over again.

There are so many questions one can ask oneself, on the life we lead. Questions that Dale and Jonathan ask and talk about in this episode. Big questions, that might actually be the common thread of most of the podcasts I share here. I like listening to podcasts that make me question e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g about life, in general and specifically about my own life. Questions of happiness, relationships, health, and what is really important to us. Questions that perhaps were impossible for the average Joe and Jane to ask for most of humanity, but that a huge number of people can ask themselves in the times we live right now. Not all, unfortunately, since there are many who suffer from famine, from inequalities, from war and terror. But let’s face it – if you are reading this, you’re almost certainly a part of the millions that can ask these questions. Question is – are you?

The Forecaster

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So I watched the DOX documentary ArmstrongThe Forecaster this week (available another 18 days on SVT Play for you swedes out there). First half fairly technical with regards to financial strategies and transactions, zooming way above my understanding of the financial world.

But still. A must-see.
Not because I know what he says is true. Not because I am in any way capable of judging the trustworthiness of his model. I have no clue as to his pi-model and whether or not it really works the way this documentary depicts it…. But it sure makes me think. It’s as if we live false lives. Lives where we have lost all sense of value and worth, and what is really important is so far off into the horizon we cannot even see it. BoldomaticPost_We-are-graced-with-idiots-Mar

It reminds me of the podcast where Dov Seidman, in the final Q&A if my memory serves me right, says that it’s up to us: We, the voters, have to stop listening to politicians that speak in short-term goals, and listen to, and elect, those with a longer vision. His example is JFK with his famous goal of ”we’re gonna put a man on the moon within the next decade”. JFK planned for something to be accomplished after his possible two terms as president of the USA.

When did you last hear a politician, prime minister, president, declare a (worthy) goal 10-20-50-100 years on? How often does it happen? Do they put action to their words? And even more important, because I can do naught but change what I do: Do I put action to my words?