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Where Is Your Focus – Problems or Answers?
Your focus is vital to your quality of livingness. Sometimes, situations demand your attention. Life can get really complicated. Answers may appear few and far between. Is there a solution to this conundrum?
Yes: Thousands of years ago, the Egyptians carved columns at the Temple of Karnak. One of those carvings demonstrate a person’s chin moving from looking straight ahead, turning to one side. In other words, change what you are looking at – the idea of focus.
In the Bible, Matthew 5:39 states: “But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.” In my Protestant upbringing, it served to teach me that I should be a rug and let others walk all over me as I was doing a holy act. This is known as Pacifism, which by definition is: “Opposition to the use of force under any circumstances; to not return insult for insult, abuse, or revenge .” Religions have been founded on this idea. However, as I grew up, I woke up one day. I realized that others learn nothing if you let them walk all over you, leaving their footprints on your back. It was not “a holy act.” In fact, it was a form of violence, harming my spirit. I had to get up off the floor, remove the rug from my back, and stand straight. When others (whom I had trained by accepting their poor behaviors without resistance) tried to repeat their acts, I gently but firmly let them know that I was no longer going to accept it. They, of course, kept trying. (After all, I had trained them well.) Surely, I would eventually respond the way they expected. (It is like someone puts a coin into a pop machine but does not get a can of pop. That person punches the button harder, thinking it will activate. When it does not, anger accelerates to the point of possibly kicking the machine, etc. ) In order to change the interaction level, the perpetrator eventually has to change his/her actions, accepting that you have changed. If not, he/she leaves. You might lose a supposed friend or two, but you will be better off in the long run because you will attract others who will respect you.
I found that “turning the other cheek” actually goes back to when Joseph was sold into slavery and taken to Egypt. He knew what the teaching was behind the Temple of Karnak carving. If one changes what you are looking at (your focus), you can become more aware of answers and solutions that were excluded by the narrowness of your focus – just like a camera lens – whatever it is focused on appears in the frame, and the rest is excluded. Life is like that.
If you want to stay on the level of the problem, all you have to do is keep thinking, emotionalizing, and talking about it. The more energy you pour into it, the bigger it appears. You are, in fact, turning a mole hill into a mountain no one can climb. You may want someone to rescue you (as you are a victim), saving you from whatever is going on. Fact: The more you claim yourself to be a victim, the more reasons you attract to feel that way. It reinforces itself, always.
How do you break the flow of negative synergy? Change what you are focusing on. It is that simple, and that hard. Habits are hard to break. That includes mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual ones. Awareness is the beginning of change. Realizing that something is not working is the beginning of a new plan of action. Find something that does work for you. Write out a list of possibilities.
The Power of Nonresistance has been glorified by many, but is actually understood by few. In Matthew 5:5, it states, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Meekness, again, is taught to us as: “Patient and mild; not inclined to anger or resentment; too submissive; easily imposed on; spineless; spiritless.” Here is an idea for you: Meekness actually means “teachable” – the ability to bend with the winds of life so we do not break. Think about it: Can you learn to “bend with the winds” instead of becoming rock-hard in your opinions and actions? Submissiveness and obsequiousness can only lead to more trouble. If you are a person, you need to stand up for what you believe in. You are entitled to respect, safety, and the ability to express your ideas and opinions.
It is a well-known fact that water wears away rock. Just look at the Grand Canyon to confirm that idea. Why does it work so well? Water flows around the rocks. It is the act of flowing that wears the rock away. Can you see that “bending with the winds of life” is the same principle as “water wears away rock?” It is, you know.
Meekness and turning the other cheek actually go hand in hand, after all. Interesting concept, isn’t it? Are you willing to contemplate how you might solve problems in your life by changing your attitudes, actions, and choices?
God’s blessings upon your journey!
Grand Canyon, AZ
Grand Canyon – South Rim About Sunset
Grand Canyon – South Rim
Are You A Human DOING Or Human BEING?
One good question: Do you consider yourself to be a HUMAN DOING or a HUMAN BEING?
A second question: Do you think you are a HUMAN BEING HAVING A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE?
Or are you a SPIRITUAL BEING HAVING A HUMAN EXPERIENCE?
What is the difference you might ask?
It is a matter of FOCUS, PRIORITIES, and how you actually spend your time each day.
We can have the most grand idea as we begin our day of who we are and what we plan to do, say our Prayers, Meditate maybe, and then get underway. Then the daily wear and tear (known as vicissitudes) begin. You make your to-do-lists and begin your day. The rest of the day passes as though it had wings. You look back on your day and wonder where it disappeared to. Things on your to-do-list are probably still sitting there, or it is partially done. You have to wonder: What happened?
Answer: LIFE
One element here is the lack of FOCUS. There are so many distractions in our everyday world that it is a wonder we can get anything done. Noise levels can be astronomical. Quiet and stillness are rare. There are pressing priorities at every turn — everything from changing the baby’s diaper, to answering the phone, to dropping the kids off at school (and they are still half-dressed and dawdling), to getting ready for work, to a boss that changed his mind and added more work with tight deadlines on top of an already full load, etc.
How can one stay centered and calm in the face of the flurry of it all? Some say to get up at least five minutes earlier so you can have some quiet time where you can pray, meditate, do yoga or Thai Chi, read your Bible or Religious Instruction, or whatever you like, including a quiet cup of coffee on the back deck contemplating nature, birds, etc. God is there. But you must seek Him first in order to achieve that moment of rest that you will need to carry you through your daily activities.
In the Bible, Matthew 6:5-13, it states in v.6: “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou has shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” It then goes into the Lord’s Prayer, which we are instructed to pray daily. I have wondered about that for years, but I have come to know that the whole story is to quiet the outer so that we can emphasize the innermost parts of us, finding solace for our weary hearts and minds.
Another element that leads to Peacefulness of Spirit is Meekness. In the Bible in Psalms 37:11, it states: “But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” Again, in Matthew 5:5, it states: “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” George Lamsa’s explanation is as follows: “It refers to the type of man who does not retaliate and who is free from that grasping temper which leads to disputes and quarrels…Such men believe in nonresistance…” The true meaning of meekness is the ability to bend with the wind or being teachable. This is far from the traditional meaning of becoming a rug so others can wipe their feet on you. Say “Nay!” to that! It is more like a river flowing around the rocks and obstructions in its way. This is the attitude essential to remaining quiet, calm, and peaceful in the face of adversity.
It all comes down to what you think in your head versus how you react to what is going on around you. Are the kids fighting again? Is the husband or wife unhappy about some inconsequential detail (which is not important to you at all)? How are your stress levels — probably through the roof? Is a loved one ill? Is there too much month left and not enough money? Did someone cut you off in traffic and almost cause you to have an accident? Are your allergies causing you discomfort?
The world has a way of impinging on our presence of mind in a million different ways, both large and small. The only way to make a change in it is to alter yourself and how you are thinking and responding. The outside circumstances do not care a lick about how miserable you are.
So I ask you again:
Do you consider yourself to be a HUMAN DOING or a HUMAN BEING?
Do you think you are a HUMAN BEING HAVING A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE?
Or are you a SPIRITUAL BEING HAVING A HUMAN EXPERIENCE?
The difference lies at the center of you. Are you willing to be driven by external circumstances forever, or are you willing to do whatever it takes to put your hands on the wheel and take command of your ship? It is all up to you as to where and how it sails.
Saying a few words in prayer in the morning is not enough to keep your hands on the helm and in control of your destiny. You have to do something differently in order to achieve some level of calmness in the heart of you, no matter how hard the external winds are blowing — and they can get pretty strong. Where is your attention focused? It is your priority system that got you where you are today. Are you happy with that? If not, are you willing to look for another answer? Take the personal time for yourself, whatever amount that is, so you can quiet the storm, seek guidance, and proceed with a knowing that all is OK, regardless of the circumstances. Take the step you see, and proceed as best you can.
Are you willing to give it a try? It is, after all, your journey.
God’s blessings upon you!
Tree Showing Weathering by Wind & Elements
Snowy Egret in Flight
upliftingthoughts4u 