Stepping over one-sided fences and doing the impossible in 2012

We must fulfill ourselves in the present - Anais Nin

I don't do well on coffee. Actually all caffeine. I can’t concentrate, I get irritable and when I have enough of it I get depressed. But I love the stuff. I love the smell, the way in which it wakes you up in the morning. So for years I have been hooked on this thing that is not good for me. I knew that it would be better for me to quit, but I just couldn't.

But now I am off caffeine. Totally off. I will tell the story of how this happened another time. All that is important for now is that I take caffeine no more. What a relief.

Then I thought: What if some of my other ‘I just can’t seem to get right’ issues were also possible to deal with? And yours?

Occupy your life

I can find only three kinds of business in the universe: mine, yours, and God's. Much of our stress comes from mentally living out of our own business - Byron Katie

The Occupy movement is about taking back control of the financial decisions that have an effect on all of us. This is a good thing. But this photograph by Ann Douglas reminds us to also occupy our own lives and to focus on our own decisions and actions, not just those of others, however important.

Has 2011 left you feeling listless, hopeless, jaded and desperate? Learning to occupy your own life could restore your energy, enthusiasm and creativity.

How to stop eating animals

A while ago I went camping with my kids. We have been experimenting with self sufficiency and minimalism, so we pack lightly and we have fun laughing at people that bring piles of stuff to the great outdoors.

Collecting your own food fits right into this approach, so my son and I took up fishing. What could be better than catching a fish and cooking it over a fire that you made yourself, right? Little did I know that by the end of this camping trip, I would be a vegetarian.

First, be a good animal

Photo courtesy of Tambako the Jaguar

Dean Karnazes goes on and on about human bodies being designed for movement. Chris McDougall even finds scientific evidence for this claim. They both argue that the sedentary life that many rich people in cities live (that is you and me and most people that we know), is not natural. That our bodies and minds work better when we do lots of exercise.

It is not hard to imagine that a lot of people would disagree. Or that it may not appear to be true for a lot of people.

But it is true for me. I am at my most natural when I get lots of long, slow, gentle exercise and lots of rest. That gives my body a feeling of well-being, my emotional life stabilizes, and my mind becomes sharper.

This is how I follow Emerson's injunction: "First, be a good animal".

Even if you are not an exersize obsessive, have you discovered what your body needs to thrive? Do you give your body what it needs to be a good animal? What do you do to follow its natural rhythms?

Love

Albert
 

What if we didn't have to look after ourselves?

Caution: Don't try to understand this post with your mind. It can only be felt with the heart.

"We can be very sure of being cared for." - Shantanand Saraswati

What if we didn't have to look after ourselves? What if everything that we worry about and plan for was being taken care of? How would we live if we knew this to be true?

No more panic about the things that you didn't get done today. No more fear of how others judge you. No more discomfort when conversation dries up. No more chronic scheming to climb a career ladder.

To be sure, we would still need to get out of bed, make to do lists, work etc. But we wouldn't need to worry about how these things work out. Like a baby in the arms of its mother, we would know that all is well.

Would we also be a little gentler with ourselves? Would we allow ourselves more of the harmless pleasures that we fight so hard against? Like watching TV or eating junk food?

What happens when you tell this to your heart? When you contemplate that you are being cared for? What does it feel like? How does that compare to how you normally feel?

How terrible it would be if this were true, but we never realized it?

Love,

Albert