#but my culture and upbringing do influence the limited religious beliefs i have

[presidentofthelipglossclub]

ok i know i just posted a self indulgent tfrb au but i can't hold this one in any longer

it's pretty simple honestly but basically all the rescue bots are reincarnations of the thirteen primes and that's why they're so fucking overpowered.

btw by reincarnation i mean the traditional bhuddist reincarnation (i'm not v religious but i align w bhuddism/hinduism bc desi), which basically means the original thirteen still exist but their reincarnations are like avatars/forms that can exist at the same time.

one of the big examples of this reincarnation is vishnu and krishna. krishna is a reincarnation of vishnu, but vishnu was still alive when krishna was created. this is because krishna is a manifestation of vishnu's power/spirit. it's possible to be a reincarnation of vishnu and not be a reincarnation of krishna btw.

anyways that was a quick lil religious explanation but that's how i think of it for the rescue bots, and optimus too. (i think the thirteenth prime is still alive or whatever like the other thirteen, optimus is just an avatar of his.)

so the thirteen can watch their reincarnations and they talk about the rescue bots like they are them (the thirteen), because they sorta are. but then the rescue bots aren't exactly like them, because they're more like representations of the souls of the thirteen.

[josephbinningyoumatter]

PERCEPTIONS & CHOICES Why You See and Choose What You Do

        Carefully watch your thoughts, for they become your words. Manage and watch your words, for they will become your actions.  Consider and judge your actions, for they have become your habits. Acknowledge and watch your habits, for they shall become your values. Understand and embrace your values, for they become your destiny. — Mahatma Gandhi     Our feelings, thoughts, and responses to life have a great deal to do with the conditions in which we were raised, the locations in which we grew up, the channels of knowledge we received, and the beliefs of the people who raised us.   From before you can even remember, you have been making thousands of decisions and choices, many of which you were not aware of making, but following, or doing out of habit, or by not thinking, or choosing by lack of a specific desire. Every one of your decisions—both those you were aware of making, and those you were not aware of making—come into play every day of your existence. From birth, you they indoctrinate you with decisions and choices based primarily on someone else’s direction, opinion, desire, belief, need, or pressure.     Most mammals emerge from the womb like glazed earthenware emerging from a kiln— any attempt at remolding will only a scratch or break them. Humans emerge from the womb like molten glass from a furnace. Humans can be molded and shaped with surprising freedom.   —Yuval Harari, Author, Sapiens   Through education, politics, religion, culture, and other institutions, from childhood, they mold us into Christians or Buddhists, Capitalists or Socialists, Revolutionaries or Peace Seekers—and so on. Without realizing it, we are products of our conditioning.  What we perceive to be normal or true is a product of our history and upbringing, and these perceptions influence our decisions and actions every day.     Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change. — Wayne Dyer   I like to rephrase Mr. Dyer’s quote:   If you change the way you look at things, you will change the way you see.   An online survey asked, “What’s the first thing you notice about someone you see for the first time, when seeing them from a distance?”  The overwhelming response was, “appearance.”  When asked what the second thing is, the majority answered, “the way they carried themselves and if they seemed approachable, or not, from a personal safety standpoint.”   A man entered a subway with his two children and sat staring ahead in a daze, as if lost in deep thought. His two children were running everywhere, loud, and unruly.  After some time, an annoyed passenger approached the man and said, “Excuse me, could you please tend to your children? They are disturbing the other passengers.”  The man looked up at him and said, “I’m sorry, they just lost their mother.  Cancer.  They don’t know how to deal with it.”   We see people from the viewpoint of our perceptions of them, which are based on everything they have taught us, without knowing that we are not seeing them in their complete, true beingness.  Most times, that which we perceive is not the reality. Based on experiences, the passenger thought the children were unruly and the man was a bad parent. They base perceived reality on the limited, incomplete, and/or false knowledge, beliefs, and data.  Our perceptions of everyone and everything outside of us are all based on our reality—our learned beliefs, experiences, and expectations from them—though we believe we are being aimed to see factual reality.  Our perceived reality is the frame through which we see and explain the world.   We don't see things as they are; we see them as we are. ― Anaïs Nin   One of the biggest thoughts that block our growth, peace, and happiness is the reasoning that, “It’s always been this way, so we need not change it.”   We need to change. We need to ask ourselves: “Why?  Why do I see things this way? Why do I react this way? Why do I act this way?” “Why do I say these things?”   Here is a simple exercise to help you:   Answer as honestly as you can.   Did you choose your profession based on your own perception of it?  Was it because you thought it would provide stability, or esteem, or some quality that you believed would be necessary or valuable?  Or was your decision a result of discussions with one or more parents, counselors, experts, or friends, and their perceptions of it?  Did you decide based on other’s perceptions, wishes, or offers?  Or did you choose it purely from your own thoughts and desires?   Did you marry or enter a relationship with someone of the same religious affiliation?  If so, did you choose that person?  Or were you following the family’s tradition, desires, or direction?  Or was your choice not influenced by religion at all?   Are you living in a location, dwelling, city, state, or country that you chose?  Or are you living in a location out of financial or other necessity?  Or are you living somewhere out of someone else’s desire, influence or requirement, or to be in proximity to a person, family, or group of people?  Are you living in a location for the pure and simple reason that you liked it and desired to live there?   Have you attended a college, university, or educational institution?  Whether yes, or no—is it because you chose to, or chose not to?  Was the choice yours, or was it made under the request or influence of someone else, or to make someone happy?   Are you deciding based on someone else’s opinion, request, need, or demand?  Or are you deciding based on your own desires, knowledge, or preferences?     Three men were building a wall at a beautiful church.  When asked what he was doing, the first replied, “I’m stacking these stones.”  The second man answered, “I’m building a wall.”  The third man declared, “I’m helping to create a magnificent place for people to find comfort and peace.”  Three different men doing the same task have three different perceptions of what they were doing.  Only one knew why.   Which one is most like you?  Why?   Which one is like the “You” you are becoming? In what way?   When people see some things as beautiful, other things become ugly. When people see more things as good, other things become bad. — Tao de Chang Chapter 2 Verse 12     I’ve written another article that you might like. You can read it here: IN THE END ALL THAT MATTERS IS WHAT YOU DO If you have enjoyed this article, please visit me at www.JosephBinning.com for more helpful tips and articles. You can also get more helpful information in my book You Matter, even if you don’t think so which you can purchase on Amazon here Amazon You Matter, even if you don't think so For my free report Happiness Is A Choice click here: Happiness Is A Choice Free Report Remember: Happiness is a choice, so be happy.       AZ Quotes.com/Quotes/Authors/M/ Mahatma Gandhi/ https://www.azquotes.com/quote/453692 Dreamflesg.com/reviews/Sapiens A Brief History of Mankind/ https://dreamflesh.com/review/book/sapiens/#:~:text=Most%20mammals%20emerge%20from%20the%20womb%20like%20glazed,much%20or%20more%20by%20culture%20as%20by%20nature. BraineyQoutes.com/Wayne Dyer Quotes/ https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/wayne_dyer_384143 www.goodreads/Quotes/ https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=We+don%27t+see+things+as+they+are%3B+we+see+them+as+we+are.++%E2%80%95+Ana%C3%AFs+Nin&commit=Search Goodreads.com/Lao Tzu > Quotes > Quotable Quote/ https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/582339-when-people-see-some-things-as-beautiful-other-things-become Read the full article

[still-finding-our-way]

N17, N16

(SX 742760) 28/11/ 2020

I am slow to write about this walk. For days after, whenever I close my eyes, visions arise, vivid and intense. Spooling and searing under lids, I need time to process what feels like a profound experience. Hallowed and spiritual, time distorted, surreal and dreamlike, we are moving through a white space, still without a whisper of wind. Silence magnified. The sighting of a magnificent raven perched on a boundary wall, silhouetted against the gloom, statuesque and blacker then coal. Its eerie caw, rasping, cuts through the stillness. We watch, still and wordless, spellbound by its presence, reluctant to peel away to continue on our journey. The sighting feels totemic. This is the ravens space, not ours. 

Jennie points out a tiny plant no more than finger height amongst the moor grass, dew drops suspended, crystal cut on delicate limbs—it radiates amongst earthly hues, no seasonal decoration able to match its completeness. Stripped back to the elements, away from noise and distraction, the high moor often feels otherworldly, now swathed in thick fog, visibility reduced to less than a few metres, the landscape is positively alien. Spatial perspective has dissolved and we are suspended in a colourless void. A place where there is no middle or far distance, no front, back or sideways, no horizon or sky. Only the here and now. Just us, breathing in whiteness, the sound of boots trudging. For all we know we might have slipped through a megalith portal, crossed over a time and space threshold and be walking in a different dimension and reality. 

My eldest daughter Libby joined us on this walk. All three of us seeking relief and respite on the moor and in each other’s company; vital therapy for shaking out the suffocating insularity caused by the lockdown restrictions. As with Jennie’s children and my own, Libby grew up with parts of Dartmoor as her extended playground. Now, as an avid climber, she regularly searches out the moor’s rocky outcrops to boulder and climb with her partner Harry. No doubt under normal circumstances—not being pregnant and having clear visibility—she would have confidently strode out and led the way. Today however, engulfed by a swirling nothingness, unable to correlate the symbols on the map with the surrounding terrain, the compass becomes our only reliable guide. 

Navigating through murky liquid water requires an act of faith. Follow the flickering red arrow, trust the magnets and the unseen. Our belief rewarded by staying on course. Landmarks marked on the map: Rippon Tor, Logan Stone, Buckland Beacon, Pil Tor and Top Tor, loom out from the grey miasma, yawning great slabs of granite, alien rock sculptures, moulded and defiant. It felt miraculous. All this despite my erroneous route planing. X may mark the spot but as we found out, almost to our peril, the links between the X’s do not necessarily follow a neatly drawn line on the map. 

The walk was designed primarily around visiting Buckland Beacon, a Tor which stands 1,253ft (382m) above sea level and which Jennie had discovered hosts two slabs of stone carved with the 10 commandment’s from the Christian bible. Given our religious upbringing, exposed to the spiritual fervour of Pentecostalism, we wondered how we had not heard about the stones before.

A quick scan of the internet reveals a family who had made money through the Greenall Whitely brewery established in the 18th century in the North of England. An enterprise enabled by the seismic cultural and economic fallout from the industrial revolution. Flicking from page to page I quickly spiral into a story about commercial enterprise, the expansion of capital, wealth, political influence and private education, the tentacles of which reach Devon through the brothers William and Herbert Whitely, who moved to the county in the early 20th Century. William Whitely became lord of Buckland Manor, buying up land and a number of surrounding farms with the help of his younger brother, Herbert. As a staunch protestant and traditionalist, William commissioned local stone mason W. A. Clement to engrave the ten commandments on two slabs of granite on the south face of the Beacon in 1928. The inscription was a celebration of the Parliamentary ruling that rejected proposals to revise the Book of Common Prayer, and included the dates when the bill was passed and an eleventh commandment for good measure.

Meanwhile, the younger brother, Herbert had been busy building a menagerie on his private estate near Paignton, acquiring all manner of exotic plants and animals. In 1923 he opened his collection to the public as Torbay Zoological Gardens, a venue that later became known as Paignton Zoo. I read with interest that Herbert had a particular penchant for blue, collecting and breeding blue animals and plants. The most precious hue in nature, not really a pigment but an interplay of light on feathers, wings, skin, scales and exoskeletons. Blue is not an earthly colour, it has to be extracted from stone or made synthetically and as such has been much prized in history. The deep blue pigment 'Ultramarine' favoured by the great Italian renaissance painters, Raphael, Botticelli and Titian, was ground from the semi-precious mineral ‘Lapis lazuli’, which translates from its Middle Eastern roots as literally ‘blue stone’. Mixing and blending, accruing and containing. Blue became the colour of royalty and divinity. Peacock feather, delphinium, cerulean and the deepest indigo. A slick of blue eyeshadow drawn across Cleopatra’s brow to seduce an empire. Virgin blue, alchemy and sorcery. Blue blood and blue beard. The rich and powerful scoring words into stone and hoarding natures treasure.

Reading the inscription on the stones unearthed long forgotten memories from childhood. Stories flooded back about the wrath and vengeance of the Christian old God ‘Thou shalt have none other gods but me … I the Lord thy God am a jealous God’. Seduced and softened by modern liberalism, a new religion where, on the surface at least, we are expected to cast no judgement, the language felt controlling and finite, limited and at odds with the fecundity of the moor, which even in the deepest winter is alive. You can feel and smell the aliveness, folding and churning, a living entity. Leaf mould and dung, symbiosis, copulation and predation; the parasitic and endophytic, plant and animal and the in-between. Everywhere sprouting and spewing fungi, mulching and mashing. Names that weave story and folklore into identification of plant and fauna, marking out the deadly and the vision inducing: Witches butter, Yellow brain, Ink cap and Velvet shank. The moor speaks to an earthly spirituality, synthesising and composing, living and dying, a life renewing continuum. I take heed of myth that reflects the biological life cycle as found in the ancient trinity of the Hindu deities: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva—forever creating, maintaining and destroying. Alive and dead, my skin catches on the shards of granite, grains of quartz and feldspar, mingling with micro-biological lifeforms, bacteria and my own spiralling blue-print contained in DNA. 

The commandment stones are no match for the elements or the passing of time. Eaten away by lichen and eroded by the onslaught of weather, the words have to be regularly chiseled to stop them disappearing altogether. A hundred years passing, not even a heartbeat in geological time. Rooted in pre-history and borne out of fire and fusion, the stones represent forces far bigger than the scratchings and scrubbings of men. Standing on the stones, taking the obligatory 'we were here' selfies, it is easy to dismiss the monument as archaic, the monomania of a rich and powerful man. But we arrive at the stones with our own set of beliefs, contained by ideological structures—some of which are invisible to even ourselves—that colour how we see our place in the world. We talk comfortably about the effect of nature on the body as evidenced through scientific measurement and analysis, the language of endorphins, lowered blood pressure and raised serotonin levels—but we are not so fluid in the language of the spiritual. 

Sipping hot tea, I garble about monotheism and the cultural separation of the divine from earthly realms to an abstract other place. But I am unable to grasp the right words to explain the contradiction of the stones with the surroundings. I want to say how the arrival of the three mono religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam elevated the divine to a non-earthly domain, somewhere over the rainbow, beyond the clouds and out of reach. The earlier gods and goddesses; the spirits and deities of rivers, trees, forests and stones were all but chased out, surviving only through folklore and myth. Whilst the life renewing vitality of the deep earth became associated with devilment and hell; a place to bury the carnal and hide our earthly appetites. Out too, went the animal spirits, the totems from which to learn and draw strength from: the sharp eyed raven, the stealth of the wild cat, the strong ox and cunning snake. In separating the divine from the corporeal we created a hierarchy and dominion that placed man atop of the pile so we might touch the divine and in doing so we cut off our roots. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Bones and dirt, dirty old bones. Godliness became whiteness and purity, and heaven the only place where we might be free from earthly weights; the sweat and the tears, pain and sickness, shame and folly. You can see the attraction—the body weighs heavy, it breaks and is fallible. Our appetites always biting back. Too much and we get sick, too little and we get sick. How to to lighten the load? Psychedelic drugs, serotonin, diazepam, liquid ecstacy, shamanic rituals, prayer, hallucination, meditation, visions and dreams; a story to make it all go away.

The crown slips. The spires reach high up to the skies but bring us no closer to heaven. We are no more divine or kingly, as we ever were. Heaven was always here.

The spool keeps spinning and I can’t rewind. Each moment evaporates into nothingness. Gone. White space. Dense twisted oak and hardy hawthorn giving way to larger trees as we descend into the valley. Mosses, liverworts, fern and lichen. Leaf litter turning to thick mulch. Branches snag and catch loose hair as we duck beneath trees. Bulbous fruiting fungi wet to touch, animal. Three women: mothers and daughters and friends, traipsing down a winding road in the deepest winter. Smiling and laughing, savouring the moment. An old church, cool and still invites us in. Before we enter we study the lettering on the ornate clock face on the church tower, we think it spells ‘Dear Earth’. Later I find out Mr William Whitely has been at it again, replacing the numbers in 1931 with the letters ‘My Dear Mother’. I figure it means the same as our first interpretation. We enter the church and stay awhile. My girl waits outside, sitting on an old lichen covered bench amongst the granite gravestones, her trusted dog by her side. The old bones of Mr Whitely not far away feed the earth while she grows new bones deep within her belly.

SC

[metalifecoach]

Why Change is Important, even when you uncertain.

Conversations for Transformation; September 2020.

How can I resolve uncertainty during a pandemic, find purpose, and improve the quality of my life?

Why do we need a big event, or disaster to make a change, or before I decide to improve my life. It has been said that people get comfortable in routines (even if circumstances create discomfort), because of the uncertainty change brings. Think about moving house, or starting a new job, the effort involved in the transition can be overwhelming, loaded with great uncertainty. On a bigger scale, a ‘Transitional Movement’ refers to an experience, or process a person or group goes through moving from a position of belief and social standing, personal, sexual, or spiritual orientation, condition of health, mental-state, or wealth, or any particular culture and business disposition to another. Such a movement allows the individual or group to function with greater growth potential, harmony, and passion for life. Power is found in how we purposefully chose the way we relate to anything that happens, instead of trying to control it or force acculturated ideas, e.g. ethnocentric principles of gender, religion, and social standing, unto others. Unfortunately, the majority of people spend most of their lives in a career, or pursuing goals that falls short of inspiration, simply because they are afraid to make the move, or don’t want to make effort to improve things. And yet, every person has a massive potential locked in the combination of their skills, talents and abilities, knowledge and life experiences that once they moved, to shift opened a path of greater significance and purpose in life.

 My personal life path radically changed direction the day I started addressing the following question; “Does compliance with my cultural or religious upbringing support an environment where I can be real, live out my dreams, express a profound spirituality, have personal significance, and ultimately … does it inspire happiness, or does it cause greater stress?” Once decided that I needed to change some things, I started paying attention to the signs and signals through the events unfolding in my life. And coincidentally it indicated for a long time that a shift in direction was needed. I was just reluctant to take the step. But once I connected with a Coach and Mentor to guide me, my journey home commenced. So today, I’m going to focus on the ingredients that constitute a winning recipe for transition.

What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail? One reason people resist change is because they focus on what they have to give up instead of what they have to gain.

Moving from what is to what if - Envisioning what can be.  

 Most people have aspirations for a better life, a dream in the heart for themselves, and a desire for the greater good of humanity. When you were a child, you believed that anything is possible, so why then did you settle for less? What happened? Is it the influence of our schooling system, expectations, and financial fears imposed by family and society, lack of belief, or practical knowledge? Or is it a matter of doubt, and cynicism thrust on you by mass media intimidation that deceived you to believe that happiness is only meant for the elect or elite? And yet, we all enjoy inspirational slogans and stories that encourage. Positively communicating and appreciating all that we as humans collectively and individually achieved in the past and can still accomplish, builds capacity for greater dreams, and hope for the future. But rarely do we create a space in our own lives for the development of the inner qualities that cultivates external skills to support those dreams, and foster trust, faith, and growth. Seeking newness in life and passion for transformation may also run out of steam when we don’t have a support structure in place to facilitate transition, recovery, and personal improvement. After another dose of complaints on Social Media about how bad things are, the shortfalls and lack of services found in society, I just wondered – Isn’t it time that we move past focusing on what is not, and instead re-imagine what can be.

Any temporary satisfaction of the fashionable haves, and comforts of peer acceptance will only outlast the next idea of someone’s video clip going viral, until you are willing to alter the beliefs that support a trend-chasing lifestyle. We know that the constant pressure and strive to acquire the next best thing is only a recipe for exhaustion. Under pressure of the expectation set by an older generation and the peer-acceptance we crave trying to adjust to the new normal people quickly get discouraged, feel a failure, lose faith in the greater good, and stop dreaming about a better future. That is until we start asking the important questions; “Without this striving to fit-in, the craving of the have-to-haves, or superimposed should-be pictures … who am I, what do I really want, and what is the purpose for life”?

There is nothing wrong with desiring only the best for yourself. But without having a clear vision of how you want to create a hopeful positive future, is like throwing a magnet into a whirlpool of the unknown, and gradually over time feeling a nudge of been drawn to a new or particular interest, passion and desire for change. And if you are willing to stay sleeping on the coach hoping for it to happen, that is also a choice. But what else can spark a dream and hope for a better future, without the need for a disastrous event to get us up from the coach? Maybe the testimony of how someone else has endured troubled circumstances, initiated a plan of action by using their own limited resources, and turned adverse conditions around to improve society, will benefit. See it’s not what happens that determines your future, but what you do about what happens. From these and other stories, we learn that hope for the future is fueled through the examples of people taking action.

What if you’re Personal Transformation cause a Transitional Movement?

 What is necessary for any person to initiate the first steps of their own growth and improvement of circumstances? It all starts with a commitment to focus on their own inner transition first - a shift in attitude, perception, orientation, and mind-set about their circumstances, and the discipline to pursue the things that will enable them to follow their true calling. It is also the basis for empowered life-decisions, because it encourages the person or group to prioritise the mechanisms that will equip them with knowledge and tools needed to express their goal to pursue purpose and personal significance – instead of waiting for an external world to change by itself. Difficult life situations may just be the catalyst that lead individuals to seek new resources and opportunities, and from seeming catastrophe may come the greatest possibilities and strength ever imagined. When you remain open and willing to flow in the school of life, this movement that is initiated by adverse circumstances, may just be the greatest transition you’ve ever encountered. There is purpose and meaning in any life-event and experience, and sometimes it is the spark we need to be authentic and discover our true purpose in life. Direction determines destination, and sometimes all you need to do is to adjust the direction a small bit to arrive at a new, and better destination.

 This is why transformative discussions are so powerful. Transformative Coaching is not meant to give you answers, but disrupt your minds excuses for failure and challenges you to discover the power of your soul. It builds on an appreciation and celebration of what has emerged in your life, even when it is an awareness of temporary shortfall, and it opens up venues for new growth through exploration of different opportunities and possible future outcomes for individuals and groups in transition.

“Appreciation is a wonderful thing; it makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” (Voltaire). You know all of those things you’ve always wanted to do? You should go do them.

Having great ideas alone is not enough, but reflection on the direction and implementation of the vision, is wise. Many entrepreneurs and philanthropists run out of steam when they do not connect with suitable support and accountability structures to mentor their growth. While a good business-plan and strategy on paper may guide the unfolding vision for possibilities - connecting again to the motivation behind the action steps builds resilience and keep individuals motivated through transformation. When darkness, economic hardships and pandemic threat sets in, dreams, ambitions and ideals quickly run out steam. When the inner-fire is depleted, it is imperative to place support structures in place, and a reflective conversation with your spiritual counselor, or Life-Coach may keep you motivated and on track. Through supportive interaction and reflective guidance, not only is understanding gained, but newness emerges, clarity, direction, and determination is generated to take action whether for personal growth, business, or community projects.

From Concept to action steps, and rebuilding your world. 

At this point, we may ask what it is that propels change. Yes, I know we don’t like change, and interesting enough the kind of change that is mostly met with resistance is those fueled by our own grumpy discontent about not getting our way, or being unhappy with personal discomfort and shifting routines. Never give up. I know that current social and economic difficulties may cause many to feel lost and disconnected with life. When you feel you have lost your way, there is hope, and your circumstances is helping you find new direction to where you need to be and doing what you needs to do.

Transitions is more about how we are in the world during these challenges and an awareness of the meaning why we occupy this space called Earth, rather than what we do. When we address the inner tension created due to a state of affairs and disharmony, discomfort and short-fall created by irresponsible and self-centered human action, and then out of concern arise with compassion that compels you to do something to heal broken affairs. That is when we know and respond to calling. But how do you find meaning and direction in all this chaos?

Finding your purpose in life, is your roadmap to your destiny. You’ve got the wrong roadmap when you’re in a rut and life starts getting you down. It’s never too late to find your purpose and start living the dreams of your heart, that which embodies meaning to you. Each of us in a special way, is destined to make a difference in this world. When we find courage to believe in yourself, your significance and purpose in life, even when no-body else does – That’s what enables you to take a stand for the things that is important to you. How will you then live the next phase of your life, and what do you need to do to get where you want to be? Are you overwhelmed by your own personal needs awareness and still complaining about why e.g. the government doesn’t change certain conditions? Or have you looked through the window to the world at large and started thinking outside the traditional box of conventional approaches to earn a living? What other possibilities exist? These are important questions you will be asked during transformational discussions, but are essential if you want to find your destiny, rekindle your passion, and step into your power. The purpose if transformative conversations are to build inner resilience, to enable individuals to transition into the next stage of their lives.

Do something today that your future self will thank you for.

Deepening the process is when dreams are structured in a more formal expression, giving flesh to your passions and ideals in the way it is expressed in and through you, and in what you do in the world. It feels very different than the initial state of despair, confusion, and disorientation. For example, some feel they want to express their talents in a way through which they can make a living, and at the same time, e.g. to create jobs for others as well. The deepening process of transformative conversations organize thoughts and giving it structure. You don’t have to be a formal organization to transform your community, or have an impact on society. You don’t need to belong to a specific Religious or Business Groups to implement transformative tools, and any people movement initiative has the potential of generating income that support yours and others well-being. It just ask that you tap into the knowledge resources available and take the initiative to build network (Interfaith and Cross-Culturally), and integrate this resources to build a New Humanity. Connectivity builds the cohesion that evolves in deeper meaning and significance in what we are and do. Conversations that cultivate this capacity are generated not only through Personal Coaching sessions, but can also be encouraged through Transition Groups. It is a way of building a new life beyond the crisis, it is the strengthening of the vision and expansion of ourselves in the way we embody a new consciousness in the world, in and through the enterprises, and work we do ethically and practically as stewards of the earth. Meta-Life Coaching, facilitates many of these kinds of Transition Groups, some focus on Spiritual Development and discusses e.g. the practice of meditation. While others focus on Personal Empowerment and negotiating through life’s challenges, whether it is work related, relationships, or even gender expression, and the social skills needed to thrive. Contact me at info@metalifecoaching.co.za, should you like to be included.

  Hope for a better future is not a wish, nor just a desire for things to be different. It is a course of action, combining mind and heart. Your future can be better and can be brighter, and we each have the power within us to make it happen. If this time have not taught us to pay closer attention to our Soul’s yearning, then we still believe that lesson from the past don’t impact your decisions in the future, and neither would you believe that the actions you can take today is vital for a better future. Because if your quest has been fruitless till now and you yearn for significance and meaning, it is because you were looking at the wrong places, asking the wrong questions.  It is time!  Something needs to happen!  Let’s connect!  Yes I had gone through lonely nights and have lost it all, Yes I had to start over on many occasion, Yes I followed social rules and expectations and some I have broken to my own detriment, Yes I allowed my logical mind to dominate decisions that will satisfy the approval of family and friends. And in the end …. I felt disconnected and lost, hopelessly distressed and unhappy. I’m here to tell you there is a better way and want to connect to help you discover possibilities, to empower and enable you to have greater resourcefulness in the way you live and express who you are, that will improve what you can offer as service to your community. Transformative Coaching discussions will allow you to determine your own impact on society, by helping you to align your passions and interests with opportunities for growth. For more information or to book a Conversation, go to https://metalifecoaching.co.za/contact-us.php.

[petegdd]

Do you feel like cultural differences between you and Dylan cause any issues? I'm a minority and I dated a guy that was from the middle east. We had many issues because of it even though I didn't think it would happen. I've also had issues with white men that I've dated. It's weird. I knew religion/culture/race could cause issues with your partner's family but not necessarily with your partner. It's really making me not want to date outside my race which is even more limiting as a gay man. Ugh

I love this question! I've been sitting on it for a week now trying to think how to answer, I think I was also partly trying to come up of an example where our cultures clashed on a personal level, I even asked Dil what he thought about it...In short, we must be lucky because besides the usual adjusting of our families tradition we haven't encountered much issue... we aren't religious so that cultural influence isn't a problem, if anything it's been enlightening for me seeing the inner workings of his families beliefs and upbringing. Our families meeting one another never caused issue, everyone is very welcoming and accepting. I think I would have sensed a troubled path ahead in the early days if it were to be a problem for us.I can foresee some dynamic conversations on the way we plan to raise our kids... as some things engrained in us as "norm" by our parents clash... but I think that's pretty regular... all in all I really relish in the fact that the one I love has a contrast in his foundations that I can learn from and explore and interject with my future. I already know all there is to know about myself. So why waste my future getting to know a mirror image of me. I believe a huge part of why Dil & I work is our constant drive to keep things equal between us... equal level of respect and communication to simply always splitting the last TimTam biscuit in a packet... we love our differences, but see each other as the same value. My advice, don't get caught up in what you think the "easy" road will be... open yourself to everyone and you'd be surprised at who you can love that you once told yourself would never fit into your life plan.

[catherindonald]

December Reflections 2019

It’s New Year’s Eve which means it’s time for my annual December Reflections post. This is the time where I share some of my winter ponderings with you, including my word for the past year (as well as the coming one), the things I’ve said yes and no to this past year, soul work that I’ve done, lessons I’ve learned, and what some of my hopes, wishes, and goals for the new year are.

Enjoy, and I’d love for you to share your December reflections with me in the comments section of this post.

My 2019 Word of the Year

Each year, I like to choose a word for my year. This word is something I will focus on for the next 12 months, trying to incorporate into my life in as many ways as possible, and it’s often an area I want to grow in. In the past, I’ve chosen words like “simplify” and “completion” to help me as I navigate the year.

This past year, I chose the word “connection” as my word for 2019. My goal was to connect with people in a deeper, more meaningful way, to develop and nurture real-life friendships as well as online friendships, and to push myself out of my shell a bit more. I shared a bit about choosing my word for this year in this post.

Over the past year, I’ve joined a women’s small group at my church that meets monthly. This has been a good way to help me get to know the women I see each Sunday a bit more, to feel more connected with like-minded individuals, and to be a bigger part of someone else’s life.

I’ve also developed some close friendships with a handful of women this past year. We try to get together and do something special and fun with each other once a quarter. It’s one of those things I look forward to, and it’s been so nice to see our relationships grow and blossom over the past year. While I like having a lot of friends to spend time with here and there, as I get older, I really find myself desiring to have a group of close friends—people I trust, people who help me to be a better person, and people I can share the ups and downs of life with. Anyway, I’m definitely looking forward to growing these friendships even deeper in 2020.

I’ve also tried to connect with my newsletter list a bit more this past year through my bi-monthly letters—sharing bits of real life, little nuggets of wisdom I’ve learned, and hosting special giveaways just for them. I often ask readers to reply to letters, and I do my best to respond. This way, trust and connections are built, and this online business of mine isn’t so one-sided.

I’ve also connected and grown some online relationships this past year, and I hope to further grow these in 2020. I teamed up with my herbalist buddy, Caitlin from Locusts & Honey, to write an amazing ebook all about natural hormone health for women, and I hope we can work together again on something fun in 2020. I’ve also joined a mastermind group for women who run online businesses as well. It’s been fun getting to know others who work in different niches. There’s so much to learn!

I also tried to connect a bit more with homeschool moms this past year by taking the boys on regular field trip outings since we’re not participating in co-op this year, and this is something I hope to do more of next year.

I’ve also tried to connect with my family a bit more this past year, dedicating Sundays as family days where we hang out at my in-law’s house with my brothers- and sisters-in-law, spending time eating and getting to know each other better. Not only do I want to develop a group of close friendships with other women in my life, but I want to be close to my family as well. One area I want to improve on in 2020 is having my parents over for dinner twice a month if not weekly. We’re all so busy, and sometimes it feels like I go way too long without seeing them, so this is something to grow in the family connections area next year.

Overall, though, I feel like I’ve really lived this connection word in 2019, and I’m hoping to continue growing it in the coming year as well.

Yes and No

2018 was a year of learning to say no more than I said yes, but in 2019, I feel that I maintained balance in this area and didn’t say yes to too much. I guess I’ve learned that I have a tendency to take on too many things, and when I do that, I get overwhelmed and don’t do a good job at all the things I’m juggling because I’m pulled in too many different directions.

One of the biggest things I said yes to this year was moving off the mountain and into our new home. That has been a huge adjustment, and I’m not sure the adjustment period is over. We’re definitely settling in more, but we still have a long way to go. I’m thinking it’s going to take a full year to really settle in here. Someone recently said that you need to go through sickness, a holiday, and a vacation to really settle into your home. Well, we’ve completed 2 out of 3, so hopefully, we’ll be fulled settled come fall of 2020 after our big family vacation. 

As far as saying no to things go, the only thing I can think I’ve said no to is feeling like I have to run my business a certain way—the way the experts say to run it, in order for it to be successful. I’m sure if I wanted my business to grow by leaps and bounds, then following what the experts say may be beneficial, but that’s not my goal with Growing Up Herbal at this season in my life.

Over the past year, instead of trying to keep up with all the things involved in running an online blogging business, I’ve chosen a few areas to spend my time and energy on, and I’ve let go of everything else. Sure I’ve seen some numbers slip, but the numbers that matter (my newsletter list, income, and engagement rates) have increased which says I’m focusing on the right parts of my business instead of spinning my wheels on things that don’t matter that much.

Soul Work

When it comes to soul work, I said yes to freedom this year—spiritual freedom that is.

In many ways, I feel like I’ve lived in this box of right and wrong, black and white for a lot of my life. I’m sure my upbringing has a lot to do with that. I mean, as a child, you don’t know what right and wrong are or what to believe so your parents and your culture influence you. Most times, you take on those beliefs as your own, but I think there comes a time when you start to question those things and explore spirituality on your own.

This past year, God has taught me so many things about himself–the biggest thing being that His ways are higher than my ways, that I don’t have all the right answers or beliefs, and that He loves me more than I’ll ever know. He’s got my back, He’s leading me and guiding me, He’s going to be beside of me during the good and bad times, He has a plan and purpose for my life, and He’s going to continue to help me be a better person.  

If I’m honest, for most of my adult life, I’ve boxed myself in, enslaving myself to my views of religious rights and wrongs, and I’ve often projected those views onto other people. However, Jesus came to break the bonds of religion and to offer us freedom. This past year, I’ve realized that I have a tendency to resort back to my box (enslaving myself yet again) because it’s what I’ve always known. But Jesus didn’t come and die for me so I would continue to live a life bound by my own limiting beliefs (or the beliefs of others). He offers freedom, and I’m realizing that my freedom will look different than your freedom because I struggle with different things than you do, and because my purpose in life is different than yours. We’re not the same so it doesn’t make sense that our spiritual lives will look the same. 

Anyway, this is definitely an area of spiritual growth I’m currently in. I’m looking forward to God growing me more in this area as well as leading a more spirit-filled life in 2020.

Lessons Learned

One of the biggest parts of living seasonally is to spend some time during the autumn months looking back on the past year to identify the lessons life has taught you. Not only that, but it’s not just identifying the lessons but also realizing what you learned from those lessons and how they grew you.

Here are some lessons I’ve learned this past year:

While routines, schedules, and to-do lists are tools to help me stay on track in life, I have a tendency to rely on them too much. I need to give myself a bit more grace, knowing that if something doesn’t get done or go as planned, the routine/schedule can always be adjusted. Nothing is that permanent in life.

Big goals are accomplished through many small steps. Don’t give up. Keep the vision before you. Stay flexible when obstacles get in your way and find creative ways around those obstacles. The end is worth all the effort!

I am not one type of person no matter what personality tests tell me. Sure I have natural tendencies to be a certain way, but we, humans, are adaptable beings, and if I want to change something about myself that I view as negative, I have the power to do that.

Self-care is not a waste of time. It is necessary to care for yourself without feeling guilty so you have more to give to those around you.

Relationships with other people are one of the most important investments in life. They are what sustain us. They are what will carry us through this life. Prioritize them.

Future Plans

Okay, so here we are at the end of not only the year but a decade! Over the last 10 years, I can look back and see growth in so many areas of my life. I can also see areas of struggle. While I don’t exactly know what the future holds, I know the one who holds it, and I trust Him with all parts of my life. Not only that, but Dean and I are just as committed to each other as we were ten years ago, maybe even more so now, and I’m looking forward to 10 more years of life with him!

When thinking about what my word for 2020 would be over the last few weeks, I’ve continually come back to the word “systems.” While I already have systems in place for certain things in my business, but I really feel that I need more of them in place in my life, especially as the boys get older and life seems to get busier. If I want to manage everything without going crazy, I need more systems in place to help me do it.

So, this coming year, my plan is to assess different areas of life that could use some organizing, and then try to create systems that will help me keep up with those things with minimal effort on my part. Keeping up with meals is a huge one as is navigating our homeschool work. Oh, chores too. Lord help me!

Happy New Year, friends!

Love and light, Meagan 

The post December Reflections 2019 appeared first on Growing Up Herbal.

December Reflections 2019 published first on https://marcuskeever.blogspot.com/