Tag Archives: conscious

Fight the Dark Side

Focus On the Force

Each of us has a power that we either use to help move us toward our goals or provide an excuse for not achieving what we want.  I think it is much more similar to life in the Star Wars franchise than we would probably admit. All people contain within themselves a duality. These two sides have a high potential to do things perceived as an excellent good or something representing evil.

All people contain this power within them, and that is the force of life.  It is not by magic that people end up living an authentic life. It is by conscious decision.  The choices we make in every moment dictate the nature of the force within us.  These choices are a refreshing combination of how we think about ourselves, the world, and everything in it.  Focus honestly on how you feel about things and your conscious thoughts today.  Notice the emotions that arise in you because of an idea. Then see the words and actions that come from that.  This process determines the power and nature of the force in you.  It all starts with thoughts.

Operating on the Light Side

We would all like to think of ourselves as being the hero and doing what is right always. That is not a human experience. It is a constant struggle between our two sides. Here is the simple formula for working with the forces of light.  Put others before yourself, be kind in thought and deed, accept the differences of others, feel joy, peace, serenity, love, hope, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.  All of these exist within us, and it is our choice to practice them or not.

What a world we would have if all people were able to function in this part of themselves.  If you look at how you like to be treated, all of these things are probably on the list. Choosing these things and meaning allows the force within you to help others. It isn’t always easy to think this way when you see someone doing something say to someone else or you. It is human nature to want to fight back and take an eye for an eye. When we are hurt, we want to cut back. To put that instinct aside and treat a situation with love will allow the force in you to do great good in the world.

Welcome to The Dark Side

Welcome to the dark side, which needs no introduction, I am sure because we all have one of these.  Our darkness exists by our insecurities, pains, and fears of our lives.  Anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, superiority, and ego contribute to our dark side. These are thoughts that lead to words and actions that will directly or indirectly harm others somehow.  But the person who is hurt the most is you. The dark side of the force does contain the power, but it is corrupting, painful and takes away the good in the world for selfish gain.

Many people I have known can harm someone by directly consciously speaking words that exploit the insecurity of someone.  Then fear is generated, or selfishness, and that person has been infected.  Look at the people in your life and how they speak to you and others. Where on the scale of the force does their intention come from in each moment?  The allure of the dark side is that you will not have to suffer again. But the truth is, of course, your actions are causing you to experience. These thoughts and emotions wear you down and hurt you. To feel these things is the dark side.

Your Force is Always there.

Inside of each of us, this force I am trying to define is always available to you.  It is there to call on when you need strength to face a challenge.  Even in the most desperate times in life, remember the force in you will be there to push back the adversity and allow you to thrive if you let it.  You may have to make a course adjustment, learn a new skill, create a new goal, or start over.  Whatever the task ahead of you, the power to move toward it every day is the force inside you.

Be conscious of how you can help yourself and help others see the good in the world through you.  Take advantage of opportunities to show this. Consciously practice kindness even when there is no apparent gain for you.  Create hope for someone in the world.  Don’t let mindless anger brought on by fear control you. It solves nothing but creates pain in the world. Pain and suffering are the calling cards of the dark side of the force within you.

Where does your force lie?

Every day, you have a choice to cause pain and suffering to others or create joy and kindness.  These choices develop in the thoughts you choose to entertain.  Are they from the dark side, or are they from the light?  The force in you will always be there working on the side that you choose.  So choose your thoughts wisely.  The world depends on it.  And it all starts with your thoughts, the corresponding emotions they lead to, the tenor of the words you speak, and the actions you take.  All things will affect the force in you and the effect that energy has on the world.  Which side of the line do you fall on here?

“We must wake.” -Yoda

“Always pass on what you have learned.”- Yoda

“The dark side clouds everything. Impossible to see the future is.”- Yoda

 

 

 

What Matters Most

When you are 80 years old, what will matter to you the most?

4058994722_600px_Elongated_circle_80svg_xlargeLife once looked  like a straight road. A path to a predetermined end that was so simple to follow that it would be like playing a board game.

Put your marker at the start, take your turn, roll the dice and see if you can get to the finish before anybody else with more stuff than you need.  Life is not playing out that way for me, does it for anybody?

I know enough to know, that I do not know that I don’t know anything about what life might be like in a year from now, let alone in thirty-one years from now.

 I can only take a blind guess at what I hope will matter to me if I am fortunate enough to join the ranks of the octogenarians.

I Will Have to Move It, Move It

I am going to be happy that I have my physical freedom. At 80, the machinery will be a bit worn out but it will all still work to propel me to whatever task I set before me.

Even though it takes a bit longer to get where I am going, I will still get there.  There will be peoplemattermostsome aches and pains, even the best antique vehicle needs a bit of tender loving care, but that will not stop me.

 It will matter to me that I am still an  active participant in life, meeting with people and sharing stories, and still contributing to the lives of others around the world.

 Being active is not the most important thing in life, but I think it is one of the things that allows me to be a participant rather than just an observer of life.

Still Writing after all These Years

Writing will still matter and still be a significant part of my life. I imagine there will be a bit more of an urgency to get all of my thoughts collected for posterity’s sake before the clock runs out.  I am not sure what I will be writing about then because really I am not

Who knows what types of machines the writing will be done but I will be doing it!
Who knows what types of machines the writing will be done but I will be doing it!

sure what I will write about today until I do it, yet it does get done.  There are an infinite number of thoughts, topics and interesting tidbits that need to be explored, discussed and thought about.  Do my thoughts really matter?

 They do to me and that is all that really counts.  By the time I am 80 there will be so many different thoughts that I have recorded that I may have forgotten all of them.

 I know this will happen because it already does.  Writing will definitely still be important to me.

Sit a Spell, Tell Me About It

The way that we interact with each other is going to be more important to me when I am 80 than it is today. I know it will matter to me because so many people have already made stupid thingsan impact on my life, some will never know the permanent marks they left on my heart, mind, and soul.

 Yet those marks will be there none the less and I do not think that the next thirty years are going to be filled with any less interaction, in fact, I am seeking much, much more.  Relationships of a personal nature are the way that we connect directly with other people and share our thoughts and accept the thoughts of others.

It may be the most important thing or just one of several, but to share what you know, think and feel with others and to be well received is a great gift.  It may even fool you into thinking that you know something about life.  I am sure that life will still have a twisted sense of humor when I am 80 as it did when I was 40 or 30 or 10.

The World Will Matter Then As It Does Now

Even if I make it to the ripe old age of 80, I think the thing that will matter to me most is what I can contribute to the happiness of others.

(A little poem I like, What Will Matter by Micheal Josephson)

2ea0ede2a7590ee8776ea194730f0783Can I help someone through a difficult moment by letting them know that no matter how dark the sky is and how the storm howls there will be an ending to the storm and the sun will come out again?

No bad time lasts forever, although that is little consolation for the people going through them.  Eventually, circumstances change as they must and all things even tough times come to their inevitable conclusion. Leaving behind a greater inner strength, a stronger character and a human being with more depth and understanding.

 The hope that all pain and despair can have an ending eventually is a message that I not only want to share but feel compelled to print.  Almost everything that I write is around this message, mostly subconsciously, but I have seen the dark, dark night and had no light to mark the dawn. It will mean the most to me to mark the dawn for all those who are looking for a sign of hope. You matter now and you will matter then. We are all connected after all and you are only as alone and isolated as you choose to be.

There is an understanding that we see in aging for many people that there is a gentle failing of the power of youth, that fades over time, and the physical promise of a young person is slowly but inevitably replaced with a spiritual understanding about life and its fragility.

When I am 80 I imagine I will understand this dance, look back and see the errors of my ways and see the foolishness involved in getting upset about it all when all things were working as they should or could.

When you are 80-years-old, what will matter to you the most?

I’m not tryin’ to cause no big sensation, just talkin’ bout my generation!! Even at 80!!