Archive for August, 2009
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August 31, 2009
Sangha, a Buddhist term that means community of all creation, is a word I learned one day from a friend and client. He noticed my loneliness, my feeling of aloneness without a sense of belonging or community at that time in my life. He, a faithfully practicing meditator in the Buddhist tradition, said to me, “One day Leela, you will find your sangha”
What I have since learned is that the sense of community I longed for really isn’t a thing at all. Community rather is a state of being.
Many of us feel estranged from community because we have a chronic feeing of not really belonging, anywhere. Now I know that community is ever present, ever available. It’s simply a matter of acknowledging the essence of connection inherent in the web that is life and harnessing that web energy. That web is everywhere, inter-weaving both the animate and inanimate in a spectacular community that truly does include all of creation.
As such I now recognize the many communities I am and have been part of that exist in a myriad of shapes and sizes. Some have lasted minutes, others years. What all these experiences of community have in common though is a sense of connectedness that brought and still brings meaning to my life. Sometimes brief but always profound, my experiences of community string together my existence across time and space that I know as my life tapestry.
The sangha concept of community that includes the natural world of the elements and more than human beings lends community a more vast and colorful weave and texture. With the endless index that accompanies this version of community, I savor now that I’m truly never alone, always in the act of community, the weaving of my sangha!
Leela Francis is the founder of VividExistence and Vividly Woman. She weaves together communities globally through dance, nature re-connection, and spiritual activism. www.vividexistence.com, www.vividlywoman.com
To read more of Leela’s writings access the FREE eBook, Overcoming Adversity with Grace at http://www.overcomersbook.com/grace
Technorati Tags: adversity, how to overcome adversity, Overcomers
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August 30, 2009
Recently I went to a new hairdresser for a cut and colour. “Not too short”, I said, “or you’ll cut off the curl (my one remaining vanity) and not too dark, please. Just give the current colour a bit of a boost.” Through one of those inexplicable vagaries of communication, she must have heard, “Please cut my hair very short and mannish, eliminate all curl, and then colour it so dark that I’ll look old and ill.” So she did. I left the shop hoping that my alarming hairstyle might possibly look better in the daylight, away from fluorescent lights, but this was not to be. I owned this hair for at least another month until I could afford to do it all over again.
But I was very upset. I was mad at the hairdresser and mad at myself – I should have known that she was cutting too much off; I should have stopped her. I should ask for a colour correction; I should demand a refund. But I knew that the refund was unlikely and I was unwilling to put myself at risk of further disfigurement.
Once I realized that focussing on what was wrong with my hair was increasing my unhappiness, I knew that I needed to change the way I was thinking about the problem. I needed to change my perspective. And then fortunately, I remembered something that was helpful.
Several years ago, I saw an IMAX film which opened with a scene of St. Mark’s Square, in Venice. It was an idyllic picture of people drinking coffee in cafes bordering the square while children chased after each other with balloons, in the Venetian sunshine. The camera then pulled back to show all of Venice, then all of Italy, then Europe, coming to rest finally on our astonishing blue sphere, our galactic home, spinning in blackest space. The camera withdrew even further to show us that this blackness sparkles with millions of galaxies, many containing over 200 billion stars. Our human imaginations can barely comprehend the vastness of this cosmos.
By contrasting the small scale of St. Mark’s Square with the magnitude of the universe, the camera offers us a whole new perspective of the troubling events of our lives. It helps us to see the adversity we all have to deal with through a wider and wiser lens. From trivial concerns (my hair), to unbearable tragedies (detailed in daily newspapers), we are called to pull back, see our situation from the eagle’s view; pull back further and see our lives from the moon’s perspective; and then pull back further still so that we can see ourselves as a part of the twinkling universe, moving in harmony with a Divine order that we cannot see but which nevertheless, is manifesting into Infinity. And while this new perspective does not change the facts of the situation, it allows us to let go of what is insignificant, and to trust that there is a rhythm, an order, and an eventual peace lying behind the current chaotic or painful situation that is overwhelming our hearts and minds.
Margaret Sarkissian, M.A. (Counseling Psychology), Certified Coach, is a skilled consultant, trainer, and business/life coach. She has worked with 200+ managers helping them address serious workplace problems and has developed and facilitated hundreds of workshops on coaching and communication skills, diversity and inclusion, building respectful workplaces, strategic planning, and appreciative living. www.ClearPerspectives.ca
Access your free copy of Overcoming Adversity with Grace at http://www.overcomersbook.com/grace
Technorati Tags: adversity, how to overcome adversity, Overcomers
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August 29, 2009
Being a Spiritual being having a human journey, focus on the Light at the end of the tunnel as you:
-Acknowledge the Present experience.
-Be with a loving community of support and healing
-Go deep within your soul and spiritual journey
-Do lifestyle changes as eating healthy diet, meditate, praying,
-Develop healthy and healing habits
-Open your heart to a healing partnership
-Become an intimate Human Being and less of a human Doing
-Engage in the forgiving process of self and others
-Reclaim your Essence of love, peace, joy
Philip Belzunce Ph.D., ND, LSMFT, RPE, CPC, MH, integrative psychologist, naturopath, holistic life/relationship coach, marriage/family therapist, diversity consultant, international lecturer, energetic bodyworker, hypnotherapist, iridologist, martial artist, Taoist teacher, married priest, is an eternal student of life. He authored What Really Matters is the Heart, and Heart Shadows. He derives great satisfaction in serving with a Higher Purpose, facilitating individuals, couples, families and groups through life transitions and transformations for growth, healing, and well-being, . To know more of his collaborative teamwork with his wife/partner, go to www.tenpathwaysofhealinglove.com, www.phillalei.com to find out how to reconnect with your body-emotion-energy-mind-soul-spirit (BEEMSS) Life Journey.
Access the FREE ebook, Overcoming Adversity with Grace; Secrets to Rise Above Virtually Any Obstacle Life Puts in Front of You with insights from over 30 visionary experts at http://overcomersinc.com/grace
Technorati Tags: adversity, how to overcome adversity, Overcomers
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August 27, 2009
When I arrived at the office this morning, I had an experience of what a helpful service our Overcomer’s Inc. team is providing by sharing our experiences of overcoming adversity, not just in our free ebook or in the upcoming book itself, but by the articles and blog posts that are freely available to all right now.
When I arrived at work today my assistant was eager to share with me an experience of synchronicity related to the book. Earlier this morning he had had something happen that was upsetting to him. On the way to work he was struggling with it in his mind, wanting very much to release it so it would not be an obstacle in performing his duties today.
Soon after he got in, he turned on the computer and it went to the Overcomer’s website, where he saw a freshly posted article on exactly what he was struggling with. He said having it come so serendipitously filled him with recognition and gratitude for that helpful force that surrounds us all the time, showing itself whenever we give it the slightest opening. What’s more, the problem he had been struggling with had evaporated by the time he reached the end of the article!
Seeing his response to what he read was a humbling reminder to me that we never know whose life we have an opportunity to touch and uplift, just be sharing our experiences. The writer has no idea of the impact the article had on my assistant, nor on countless other’s out there who read it.
And so it is, not only for those of us who are contributing to the Overcomer’s Inc. book, but all of us in whatever we do in our daily lives when we share ourselves freely and from the heart. We just never know whose life we have touched and made better just by being who we are.
So as you go about your day, I hope you will remember my assistant and how his day, and by extension my day, and by extension again those who come in contact with me, will be touched by this one small article. And on through you, as you become aware of how important you are in this great chain of being.
Barbara McCollough is a contributing author of the soon-to-be-released book, Overcomer’s, Inc., Inspiring Stories of Hope, Courage and Inspiration. Access the FREE ebook, Overcoming Adversity with Grace; Secrets to Rise Above Virtually Any Obstacle Life Puts in Front of You with insights from over 30 visionary experts at http://overcomersinc.com/grace
Technorati Tags: adversity, how to overcome adversity, Overcomers
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August 26, 2009
Persistence is one of the greatest secrets to overcoming virtually any obstacle that you are presented with in life. You may be faced with a lack of talent, skill or knowhow, however by remaining persistent in your actions and beliefs about overcoming the obstacle you will steadily begin to whither away at the obstruction until it no longer plays a role in your life.
By remaining focused and persistent, regardless of what the current conditions may dictate, you are sending a message to the Universe, and the Universe responds in kind by sending you the support and guidance you desire.
Joshua Aragon offers both the wisdom of a teacher and the interest of a fellow learner, life purpose guide and visionary teacher. He is passionate about enabling others to achieve their own dreams of success and make a lasting difference in the world for others. He is a contributing author to the soon-to-be-released book, Overcomers, Inc., True Stories of Hope, Courage and Inspiration.
To enjoy writings from other contributing authors access the FREE eBook, Overcoming Adversity with Grace at
http://overcomersinc.com/grace
Technorati Tags: adversity, how to overcome adversity, Overcomers
