In speaking with Gay Hendrix, Dr. Christiane (kris-tiaane) Northrup
spoke of the following conceptS:
What is it that prevents us from living up to our full potential?
the upper limit problem
moving into your zone of genious
In everyday life we spend our day moving in 4 zones:
your zone of incompettence (i SHOULD be able to do this!)
zone of competence doing things well, maybe even earning a living at it
zone of excellence -- doing something so well, making a difference in people's lives BUT you're still not living up to ypur full potential
zone of genius -- you're doing the things that you are UNIQUELY gifted to do.
Wednesday, December 30
Thursday, December 24
What Matters Most: The Place of Love in Our Lives
The Place of Love in our Lives
Based on Rick Warren's ideas, ‘What Matters Most’
Life is all about love
Love is not just part of our lives, it is the most important part of
our lives.
The Best Use of Life is Love
Love can be your top priority, primary objective and greatest ambition. Loving is not just a good part of life. It’s the most important part.
It’s not enough to say “One of the things I want in life is to be more loving,” as if it’s in your top ten list. Rather, relationships must have priority in your life above all else. Here is why:
Life without love is really worthless. Often we act as if relationships are something to be squeezed into our schedule. We talk about finding time for our children or making time for people in our lives. That gives the impression that relationships are just a part of our lives along with many other tasks. But relationships are what life is really all about.
Relationships, not achievements or the acquisition of things are what matters most in life. So why do we allow our relationships to get the short end of the stick? When our schedules become overloaded we start skimming [on relationships] relationally, cutting back on giving the time, energy, and attention that loving relationships require. What’s most important is displaced by what’s urgent.
Busy-ness [not business] is a great enemy of relationships. We become preoccupied with making a living, doing our work, paying bills, and accomplisjing our goals as if these tasks are the point of life. They are not. The point of life is learning to love -- God and people. Life minus love equals zero.
Love lasts forever. Another reason to make loving our top priority is that it is eternal.
Love leaves a legacy. How you treated other people, not your wealth or accomplishments is the most enduring impact you can leave on earth. As Mother Teresa said, “It’s not what you do, but how much love you put into it that matters.” Love is the secret of a lasting heritage.
Says Rick Warren: "I have been at the bedside of many people in their final moments, when they stand on the edge of eternity, and I have never heard anyone say, 'Bring me my diplomas! I want to look at them one more time. [;-)!] Show me my awards, my medals, that gold watch I was given.' When life on earth is ending, people don’t surround themselves with objects. What we want around us then is people -- the people that we love and that we have a relationship with.
In our final moments we realize that relationships are really what life is all about. Wisdom means learning this truth sooner rather than later. You don’t need to wait until you’re on your deathbed to figure out that nothing matters more [than the love we have for one another].
Therefore ask each day: “[God,] whether I get anything else done today, I want to make sure that I spend time loving you and loving other people whom it was given me to love -- because that’s what life is all about. I don’t want to waste this day on the non-essential, doing stuff."
Thursday, November 12
Aloneness Versus Loneliness
Zen Master Osho: on the difference between aloneness and loneliness
"We are born alone, we live alone, and we die alone. Aloneness is our very nature, but we are not aware of it. Because we are not aware of it, we remain strangers to ourselves, and instead of seeing our aloneness as a tremendous beauty and bliss, silence and peace, at-easeness with existence, we misunderstand it as loneliness.
Loneliness is a misunderstood aloneness. Once you misunderstand your aloneness as loneliness, the whole context changes. Aloneness has a beauty and grandeur, a positivity; loneliness is poor, negative, dark, dismal.
Loneliness is a gap. Something is missing, something is needed to fill it, and nothing can ever fill it, because it is a misunderstanding in the first place. As you grow older, the gap also grows bigger. People are so afraid to be by themselves that they do any kind of stupid thing. I have seen people playing cards alone; the other party is not there. They have invented games in which the same person plays cards from both sides.
Those who have known aloneness say something absolutely different. They say there is nothing more beautiful, more peaceful, more joyful than being alone.
The ordinary man goes on trying to forget his loneliness, and the meditator starts getting more and more acquainted with his aloneness. He has left the world; he has gone to the caves, to the mountains, to the forest, just for the sake of being alone. He wants to know who he is. In the crowd, it is difficult; there are so many disturbances. And those who have known their aloneness have known the greatest blissfulness possible to human beings—because your very being is blissful.
After being in tune with your aloneness, you can relate; then your friendship will bring great joys to you. Because it is not out of fear. Finding your aloneness you can create, you can be involved in as many things as you want, because this involvement will not any more be running away from yourself. Now it will be your expression; now it will be a manifestation of all that is your potential.
But the first basic thing is to know your aloneness absolutely.
So I remind you, don’t misunderstand aloneness as loneliness.
Loneliness is certainly sick. Aloneness is perfect health.
Your first and most primary step toward finding the meaning and significance of life is to enter into your aloneness. It is your temple; it is where your God lives, and you cannot find this temple anywhere else."
"We are born alone, we live alone, and we die alone. Aloneness is our very nature, but we are not aware of it. Because we are not aware of it, we remain strangers to ourselves, and instead of seeing our aloneness as a tremendous beauty and bliss, silence and peace, at-easeness with existence, we misunderstand it as loneliness.
Loneliness is a misunderstood aloneness. Once you misunderstand your aloneness as loneliness, the whole context changes. Aloneness has a beauty and grandeur, a positivity; loneliness is poor, negative, dark, dismal.
Loneliness is a gap. Something is missing, something is needed to fill it, and nothing can ever fill it, because it is a misunderstanding in the first place. As you grow older, the gap also grows bigger. People are so afraid to be by themselves that they do any kind of stupid thing. I have seen people playing cards alone; the other party is not there. They have invented games in which the same person plays cards from both sides.
Those who have known aloneness say something absolutely different. They say there is nothing more beautiful, more peaceful, more joyful than being alone.
The ordinary man goes on trying to forget his loneliness, and the meditator starts getting more and more acquainted with his aloneness. He has left the world; he has gone to the caves, to the mountains, to the forest, just for the sake of being alone. He wants to know who he is. In the crowd, it is difficult; there are so many disturbances. And those who have known their aloneness have known the greatest blissfulness possible to human beings—because your very being is blissful.
After being in tune with your aloneness, you can relate; then your friendship will bring great joys to you. Because it is not out of fear. Finding your aloneness you can create, you can be involved in as many things as you want, because this involvement will not any more be running away from yourself. Now it will be your expression; now it will be a manifestation of all that is your potential.
But the first basic thing is to know your aloneness absolutely.
So I remind you, don’t misunderstand aloneness as loneliness.
Loneliness is certainly sick. Aloneness is perfect health.
Your first and most primary step toward finding the meaning and significance of life is to enter into your aloneness. It is your temple; it is where your God lives, and you cannot find this temple anywhere else."
Finding Your Joy of Motion
Finding your joy of motion can be the hinging link to help you take up some sort of new physical activity or exercise, which experts say is so essential for health in our modern-day stressful lives.
Here is what Christiane Northrop suggests in her book "Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom":
<< [PART OF] STEP ONE: CHOOSE AN EXERCISE PROGRAM: ... Recall a time in childhood when you were outside playing -- skipping, jumpimg rope, or throwing a ball just for fun. Or perhaps you remember dancing, twirling around till you fell on the ground dizzy. Play with this memory in your mind for a while, and feel how it felt. Smell how it smelled. Feel the sun or wind on your face. Recall how good it felt to move your body with joy and energy, stretching it to its full capacity. When you are ready, bring yourself back into the present. Begin moving your body the way you used to. See how it feels now. Be in your body. Enjoy it, appreciate it -- experiment with moving it.
Did anytype of movement come to mind as something that felt really good? What was it? How could you incorporate that into your life now?
STEP TWO: MAKE A COMMITMENT TO MOVE YOUR BODY.
Commit to moving your body in some way or in some form three times a week for twenty to thirty minutes. Combining exercise with a healthy diet is an ideal combination for weight loss and increased energy...
STEP THREE: LEARN HOW TO BREATHE THROUGH YOUR NOSE
STEP FOUR: WATCH OUT FOR SELF-SABOTAGE
STEP FIVE: ENJOY YOURSELF >>
Here is what Christiane Northrop suggests in her book "Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom":
<< [PART OF] STEP ONE: CHOOSE AN EXERCISE PROGRAM: ... Recall a time in childhood when you were outside playing -- skipping, jumpimg rope, or throwing a ball just for fun. Or perhaps you remember dancing, twirling around till you fell on the ground dizzy. Play with this memory in your mind for a while, and feel how it felt. Smell how it smelled. Feel the sun or wind on your face. Recall how good it felt to move your body with joy and energy, stretching it to its full capacity. When you are ready, bring yourself back into the present. Begin moving your body the way you used to. See how it feels now. Be in your body. Enjoy it, appreciate it -- experiment with moving it.
Did anytype of movement come to mind as something that felt really good? What was it? How could you incorporate that into your life now?
STEP TWO: MAKE A COMMITMENT TO MOVE YOUR BODY.
Commit to moving your body in some way or in some form three times a week for twenty to thirty minutes. Combining exercise with a healthy diet is an ideal combination for weight loss and increased energy...
STEP THREE: LEARN HOW TO BREATHE THROUGH YOUR NOSE
STEP FOUR: WATCH OUT FOR SELF-SABOTAGE
STEP FIVE: ENJOY YOURSELF >>
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