Chapter Six: Daily Reflection
The Canvas of Life
In a world of technology and distractions, we forget to step into the canvas of life. Laid before us to enjoy, often forgotten, failing to embrace all the canvas offers. Painted by source, enjoyed by few, free for all to enjoy. Unplug the PC, turn the phone off — daring not answer any emails.
While technology can be a great asset, it is often a great distraction, pulling us away from what matters — being in the now. To be in the now does not necessarily mean to be in the know, which often creates an image of disconnect. Not disconnected from source, but distractions: news, everyday monotony, and often more sadness. It is time to re-acclimate ourselves with nature and enjoy all the canvas offers. Take a walk, ride a bike, do nothing.
When was the last time you did nothing?
I had a wonderful discussion with a friend today as we reminisced about the days of youth. We didn’t have cable, didn’t have cell phones, didn’t have email or PCs to occupy our time. No, none of that! We just went outside and played. Ah, the good ole days!
When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, I used everything you gave me.~Erma Bombeck
Stepping into the Canvas unplugging from the rest, enjoying life as it was meant to be. In a world of distractions, it is even more important to be our authentic selves, doing what we want to do. Living life to the fullest did not earn itself by riding the desk or surfing the net. Dare to take in nature around you, feeling the breath of life travel in and out of your being.
Taking the Next Steps
When we first identify the necessity for change, the first step proves most difficult — making the first step often with resistance. Resistance comes from outside influences but mainly from self. Self-sabotage is very common, and it is imperative to stay focused on what we want. Focusing on what we don’t want, we attract more of what we don’t want. Why not focus on what we do want?
Focusing on what we want, we attract more of what we are looking for.
Now what?
Staying focused on what we want, an invisible force steps in to assist. The next steps are very crucial and require a bit of effort.
Just the mere observation by the scientist can change the whole outcome. ~Wayne Dyer
Tell nobody of our plan, as interjection by another can alter the intended outcome unless, of course, they are to encourage and lift us to new plateaus. Time to create a plan. It is a good idea to write out our goals and keep them nearby to place them in the daily thought process. First, our intentions applied to paper and finally into our daily practice.
By writing down our goals and placing them in plain sight, applying imagery, we apply an invisible technology. The Mayan and Egyptian societies introduced this and are still practicing today. Our goals and intentions are at the forefront of our thought process through imagery. At the forefront, they become our living dreams.
Thoughts become actions, actions become things, and things become a new reality. Staying on course with intentions, we instinctively change our daily patterns and continuously change direction with an occasional update to our vision board. The vision board holds our dreams in plain sight, allowing us to keep our course.
Stepping into the canvas with a new direction, we instinctively change our course and collaborate with dormant forces supplied by self and universal force. Please take this opportunity to dream it, take this time to write it, take time to align with what is most desired…while letting go of previous beliefs. This is our day — allowing our dreams to come true.
Broken Canvas
After eighteen motor vehicle accidents, two motorcycle accidents, three bicycle-versus-automobile accidents, four instances of hanging from a roof for dear life wit the assistance of a lucky hammer, sliding under a moving car, a bear encounter, two bull shark encounters, and over eighty-four broken bones, I finally noticed that maybe it was time to change my ways.
Some would say I was clumsy or a black cloud followed me wherever I went. The latter of the two is more accurate, but who do you think created the black cloud? It was self-sabotage creating my misery. While I have heard past traumas influence thoughts in life, the easiest answer is this — I attached negative emotions to everything around me and created more misery in my life. As soon as I chose happiness, all was good. Is there a possibility that some negative emotions have been attached to the daily lives — creating a self-sabotage of personal growth?
At the time of awakening, seeing only the positive in all things, as if I could see the silver lining in every cloud, I began taking steps within the active side of infinity. While the hallucinations subsided, paradise is still a reality.
What did I do? Did I change anything?
Merely my thoughts. My thoughts controlled everything: personal life, love life, and reality. When we choose happiness, our lives will do somersaults — for the better.
Choosing to stand firmly in what I believe to be true was not easy. When first declaring my coming out, not what you think, people challenged me daily in hopes of breaking my spirits. We will touch on this subject another day, as it is one of the major sins written — damning the spirit of another. It was as if satin himself (herself)came to challenge me — thankfully, Christ entered into my life “through HIM all things are possible” — true strength arose.
While physical pain subsided, mental anguish often returned. Yet, as I uncovered more shadows of the past, reminding me of the pain once endured — I became healed. These attached emotions of associated pain only created more pain. Once I uncovered them, I quickly asked for forgiveness, allowing forgiveness to embrace the pain. Through acceptance of pain, I Am Healed. Yes, even the past pain can make us strong — ultimately who we are today. Imagine — would we be who we are today without the lessons of yesterday?
As I re-write this chapter, I am deepened by thought. Maybe my purpose was to go through many afflictions: Motor vehicle accidents, broken bones, painful and emotional childhood, etc. Maybe this path has always been laid before me, and it is brought to a different media so that others may benefit from these words?
Right on time, the book is delivered!
As I began unraveling hidden personal emotions, a book suggested by a wise teacher showed up to teach, releasing hidden emotions and finding health, Love and happiness. While these are merely a choice, we can still miss the mark if we have hidden emotions associated with pain. “The Emotion Code” by Dr. Bradley Nelson explains many of our negative traits are associated with negative emotions caused by past traumas, whether mental or physical.
While I am still putting the pieces together, Humpty Dumpty falls one last time. Broken only in mental discomfort, he quickly climbs back atop the wall. The pain has gone, but occasional mental pain arises. Allowing it into the Canvas, I quickly paint a brighter scene. What is the beauty of having been broken? I Am Healed. Through good or bad situations, we grow. While many teachings come from touchy feel-good scenarios, sometimes are greatest teachers come from times of darkness.
Stepping into the Canvas releasing old thoughts and pain — discovering a new fresh outlook on life. While the canvas may have painted greys and blacks yesterday, it is sure to have a splatter of brighter colors today.
Each new day is an opportunity to discover yet another area of the canvas that needs brightening — another area of growth.
Staying on Course
Ever feel like nobody sees your point of view? Don’t people understand you? While this Is very common in a diverse society, it doesn’t mean we have to give up on what we feel is right. Stay the course.
An acquaintance once felt it necessary to revamp daily policy and procedures, which would require other people in his department to change the way they do things. Not seeing his vision for change, they labeled him a threat to their department.
He stayed on course and implemented many changes. The outcome, the administration viewed as a win-win for everyone. Patient satisfaction climbed to the highest it had ever been, revenue nearly tripled, and our friend found himself working closely with administration implementing other organizational changes to duplicate the same result in other departments. The sad outcome was our friend lost his job. How was this possible? The administration looked so good promotion was inevitable, just not for our friend. While the new administration had new agendas and our friend’s department still held animosity towards him, his peers immediately began looking for ways to let him go. During a recent downsizing, the department found its way. Being the highest paid in his area, our friend quickly found himself on the chopping block.
Should he have started the original task or remained status quo? With our pilgrim/warrior analogy, the pilgrim would have just remained status quo while the Warrior always advances with the intent of the greater good. Our Warrior friend found himself amidst a difficult lesson but remained true to himself even though it cost his job.
While many would find this disheartening, our Warrior friend found peace among all this as he knew he was right on course with his highest self. Staying true to himself among adversities, allowing true freedom to prevail. While jobs are slim for many, the jobs remain endless for the Warrior.
Stepping into the Canvas with Warrior attitude, remaining virtuous in every step. Choose not to pay attention to bleak outcomes, but remain centered on endless possibilities. When we align ourselves with the Warrior attitude, the universe returns the favor with endless possibilities.
Beyond The Canvas
You have made the first step into the canvas, taken the second, but left in wonder about what comes next. Stepping into the Canvas means taking an active participating role in our own lives while inspiring others along the way. Do we have to do anything? The truth is we need to do very little. Even in dissent, we indirectly take an active role In the Canvas of Life.
So if we need to do nothing, why do we struggle day-to-day trying to find our purpose? A conditioned response to think that we have to change the world and the only way to do so is through action. Action in the normal sense means actively seeking ways towards success.
Myth: success is measured by how far we get in life and how much’ stuff’ we accumulate.
Truth: success is not defined by how much stuff we accumulate, but acceptance of ourselves and tolerance for those around us.
The world is changing daily, yet we remain stuck exactly where we were yesterday. How do we leap, changing how we see the rest of the world as it changes daily? With a mere thought — stop worrying about what happened yesterday and begin living for today.
If a man in the morning hears the right way, he may die in the evening without regret. ~Confucius
To be active in the canvas means to seek purpose, but our only purpose is to live fully and leave the details to Master Painter. Nature is the canvas, and we are a part of a Great Canvas. Beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. While we have a hand in co-creating our reality, the only goal is finding happiness. Happiness cannot be found on the outside but within.
The paradox to finding happiness is merely accepting it.
Once we submit to our inner calling, happiness is sure to follow. Once it is found, give it all away. It is not enough to step into the canvas, but getting beyond a belief that we have to do anything in life other than being happy. Getting beyond the Canvas is not worrying about the outcome but enjoying all there is.
The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with nature. ~Joseph Campbell
Life is too short — why would we spend it miserable, filled with judgmental thoughts, lacking acceptance and failing to hit the mark of happiness?
The bulls-eye to happiness is at the center of self. Being told to do this or do that, we still choose to do what we want. Is it the monetary value that makes you tick? Then get it. Is it true Love you seek? Then find it. Whatever you are looking for, seek it out and make it true.
There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle. ~Deepak Chopra
Stepping into the Canvas in authenticity. Worrying, not about outcomes or deadlines, instead of worrying about living to the fullest — leaving the details of life to the Master Painter. We are the Canvas — meant to paint as we see fit. Why not paint a picture that brings you joy?
Just Be. ~Ben Merens
Spiritual Exercise: Daily Reflection
1. The Rooster Crows
We are not getting any younger, and the world is flying by at light speed daily. We can choose to remain in our present reality, or we can choose to step out and into a new reality. The time is now to unplug from everyday media and overwhelming sad news. The time is now.
What to do?! Start with removing negativity from daily sight: TV, radio, Social Media — or whatever negativity flows into the day. If you cannot live without your news, proceed while filtering its content. The sadness that sells does not have to fill your days.
2. Daily Reflection
Our first step to Syncrosensational is identifying as too painful to continue in our current circumstances — choosing to move forward, contemplating what is beneficial to hold onto and which needs letting go.
The next step is acting upon our choice to seek happiness. Filling our days with happiness: what we listen to, who we speak with, conversations we have, the food we consume, the list continues to grow as we take more and more steps into the Light of Syncrosensational.
What was once broken shall now be restored. Through each step, we are healed one moment at a time. Through guidance by spirit, accepting the path before us — we are healed.
3. Daily Cycle
The days continue like Groundhog Day, with Sonny and Cher singing in the background — we are given a new day, a new choice to seek out what we are looking for. There may be days of loneliness, days of anger, days of happiness and sadness — all cyclical or governed by our attached emotions to past traumas. Staying the course, sitting quietly, closing our eyes, “The cyclical thoughts of sadness and hurt have gone, a new day of happiness and pure Love is upon me. I am Loved, and I am Love.”
Go ahead, bookmark and recite to self as often as needed.
There is nothing more to do — we are safe and healed. Moving beyond the Canvas of Life, entering a place of pure gratitude. Gratitude for the allowance of solitude, servitude and sanctitude of everyday living.
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