Karl Jung said, “The simple things are the hardest to do, that is why nobody does them.” For example, meditation. All you have to do is sit there, yet many people get distracted, anxious, and restless. It’s amazing honestly. Even just to watch yourself do this and think, “Why?” Also being present, trusting, letting go, committing yourself and having faith all fall into this category of “simple yet difficult.” Having faith in something to happen is funny because all it really means is to not worry about it, or question whether or not it will happen. It literally means to just focus on something else and just do that, let the situation work itself out in its own way. This can be most difficult for people to do. Also, committing to something. Super simple. Just do it, but doubts happen, fears, and ‘what ifs.’ It’s amazing how things so simple can become so difficult but humans have an easy enough time making there lives extremely complicated. Mastering the simple things is an important practice because all the complicated people are off their rocker. Sitting in a quiet room alone, no tv and no smartphone, can be the scariest things for some people because it causes them to face their own demons inside them. They have nothing to distract themselves with anymore. It is scary but in the end it is one of the most liberating feelings to make it through. I try to spend an hour a day just with myself. Whether it be outside or in my room doing almost nothing. It normally turns to me writing things or doing yoga but it really grounds me with myself. Practice the simple things. Stand up straight for 10 minutes. It’s harder than it sounds. Just make sure you master the simple things. A complicated life will make you mind, body, and emotions weak and scattered, instead of them being strong and unwavering. (Refer to previous posts on focus.)
Author: Justin Neilson
The messenger
Knowing and Doing
It is on thing to know something, but if you do not practice what you have learned, what is the point of learning? We know we need time outside in the elements and to socialize and exercise, but if we do not do it, what is the point? When we learn something is beneficial to us, we must do it. It is foolish not to. Everything I talk about on this site, I do, because doing is a part of knowing for me. If you think you know something and do not do it, how do you know you know it? Couldn’t it be wrong? Whether or not you’re wrong or right, if you believe in something then live by that. Be open minded, but stick to your beliefs if you find they work for you in what you wish to accomplish. We only have so much time in this world, if you believe it you better get to work. You can only do so many things at once. Some people can do more than others but we are all limited by the aspect called time. We will all die. If you believe that life is about taking chances, then why wait? What are you waiting for? Death? Commit yourself to whatever you are doing if you believe you can attain it, but if you believe to take it safe and live a life like that then do that. It does not matter, as long as you believe that when you die you will have no regrets, that is the most important thing. There are things we cannot do and that is fine, but if you can do it and do not do it that is a tragedy because, believe it or not, you want to do it. Your inner being wants to do things that you may not understand why until it is over and those are the most important things. The things that take a little faith in ourselves.
Cultural Problems
I am writing this because I have spent the last few years really immersing myself into the American political system. I feel it has an important role in a successful society so everyone should know how it works if they want to create their society as a prosperous and organized one. After two years of watching I am tired of the nonsense that is all over the news and that is happening between two parties of the same nation. Personal policies aside, I feel that there is no focus from anyone in power. Whether it be media leaders or political leaders, they are major influencers of this culture. The American culture itself is very important because the rest of the world is looking at us. We are the trend setters for other major parts of the world. People in office are focused on something different, I don’t know what it is, but if they were more focused on what they pretend to be focused on there would be much more head way, guaranteed! We have the technology. We have the resources. Do we have the will? There are all sorts of conspiracy theories about the government and I am not a supporter of any of them, but what I can see just be watching the news is that nobody is focused on human well-being. This is what we need. Not only from people in power, everyone should be intensely focused on improving society in their own way. Even if you are focused on making other people focused, that works too, keeping each other in check is very important. We need more sustainable food, less chemicals, better land usage, cleaner air and water, motivated people that love their country (aka their neighbors), an all inclusive society, loving people, and caring people (people who take care of themselves too.) These should all be cultural norms! Cultural norms in our society are all over TV: sex, twerking, cheating, large egos, cursing, killing, drinking, drugs, violence, lying, deception… and many more. The cultural norms should be love, devotion, liberation, nature, inclusiveness, focus, progress, dreams, imagination, positive emotions, joyfulness, humbleness, sharing, helpfulness, health, and happiness. I find this culture in places like schools and hospitals but that is a very small percentage of population. Positivity goes in silence, that is why people rarely notice it. Negativity is very loud. Let’s be bold and turn up the volume on positivity, shall we? Committed to creating is just about that, complete focus on creating this loving, joyful, and peaceful world. When American culture reaches a positive point the whole world will take notice and imitate us as usual, so let’s act with some sense. Never follow the crowd. You know what is right. When you were a child you naturally imagined helping people, but as most people become an adult they start to lose the motivation running into all sorts of barriers. Let’s get back on track and create the world we all want to live in, a world we can be proud of, and a world we can truly enjoy.
One Path
In life we are faced with many decisions. We all wonder which path we are able to take. In reality, since we are given one life, there is only ever one path, just different directions. You will go where your attention goes. Take the old analogy about the girl on the bike. She had the training wheels pulled off her bicycle, now she’s riding around feeling a little jazzy. She heads down a grass hill, not too steep, but just enough to keep her accelerating. Suddenly, she realizes a tree in front of her. She fears, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m going to hit that tree!’ She does exactly what most people do when they are afraid of something: watch it. The girl keeps her attention on the tree, not being very experienced on a bike yet. Staring at the tree, she runs into it. If only she would have focused in the direction she wanted to go she would have avoided the tree completely. Try this next time you feel jazzy on a bike, you will know what I’m talking about. This is just like life. Most people are always focused on what they don’t want, or what they are afraid of. To take control of your mind is to control the direction of your life. I love the how Earl Nightingale compares the mind to a great machine. The man driving down the road in a gigantic ‘earth moving machine’ as he puts it. Do we want to control out minds hands firmly at the wheel, or cross our arms and let the machine drive itself right into a ditch. It’s our own decisions. You could drive this machine in circles but it’s still only one path. I can’t fully explain to you how well life is listening to us. It listens to our thoughts, our actions, our emotions… Personally I veer from path to path frequently. I have many passions and hobbies: art, yoga, fitness, cooking, writing, speaking, math, health, nature.. but every time I switch paths life always throws something along that same line my way. Devote yourself to one thing and you surly cannot fail. If you throw yourself into it with a good attitude and a will to succeed. Keep your thoughts on who you want to be, where you want to go, and how you want to get there. Even if jump around like I do, there is only ever one path. Your path may be curvy, that is fine, but the more direct we make our path the farther we will travel. Love your path. “The less we are, the more we will become.” -Sadhguru.
More on Focus
“For one who is unwavering in his intention, liberation cannot be denied.” -Indian mysticism
If your mind ever tells you that you cannot have what you want, it is simply a matter of thought, it is not truth. Truth comes from your inner being. Your inner being is infinite. There is no ‘not possible.’ There is not even a ‘no’ at all. All your inner being knows is ‘YES.’ The nature of the human being is such, if we give you a car, soon you will want a better car, if we give you the best car, now you want the best house to go with it, you get that, now you want a big building, now you want the city, now you want the world and the solar system and now the universe, this is going on and on. Why? This is the infinite nature of the human being. Your always seeking to expand more than what you are right now. Wanting things is not a bad thing, even if you want to not want anything, that is still a ‘want.’ Wanting things is inevitable but thinking you cannot have something or thinking something is not possible is one of the biggest tragedies to happen to humanity. This is because this goes against the very essence of who or what we are. As it says in the bible, “All things are possible to those who believe.” I do not go by any certain religion or any set scriptures but this is one of the greatest truths of being human. God is within man. You are the only thing that can hold you back from your noble goals. When you hear these negative thoughts that seem to come from no where, look past them. Place your attention on what you want and keep it there, if it strays put it back. That is all you have to do. All these negative thoughts or fears are merely distractions that do not deserve your attention. We become what we think about most, so remain focused.
Karma
“Day dreaming, after all, is just a form of planning.” ~ Gloria Steinem
Imaginal acts are constructing your reality. I cannot press this into your subconscious enough. Live in your imagination because if you believe that physical acts are the sole construction of you desires then most of the time you will act of out lack or loss. When acting out of lack you are just telling your subconscious, or inner being, that you do not have or are not what you desire. Luckily it does not take much. If you can concentrate maybe 5 minutes a day on what you want, that can be enough to over throw the rest of the negative thoughts of that day. Now, I’m not telling you to think positive. Positive thinking people can be the most unfortunate people because they may think positive but have no foundational belief or even the will to make things better. I’m telling you to dream and dream so deeply that your emotions will begin to pick up on your mental pictures as if they were a realized fact. Man is always thinking his life into existence but man’s memory is such that it does not remember every thought they have, and who can blame them? To emotionally understand that you can and do create your life is what I want you to realize because then you will spring into gear. You will engage yourself into the thought process and take charge of your inner faculties. Your mind, body, emotion, and energies should take instructions from you because that is the only way to take control of your life. This is what is necessary to be blissful and ecstatic, a pleasure to be around, and a contribution to man kind everywhere. Karma means action. Your life is your karma, meaning, your life is your making solely based on your actions. Mental actions, physical actions, emotional actions, and energy actions. When all four of these are concentrated in the same direction, your life is ultimately your making there is no doubt about it.
Believing the Truth
To always believe in yourself. It is the only way to live if you are trying to experience all the good that comes from being a piece of life. There is truth for all individuals. Then there is ultimate truth. What is true for you may not be true for someone else because sometimes we choose our own truths. Then there are laws of the universe that cannot be bended for human beings. You are what you think about; that is a rule that always will be no matter what. People are loving; this can be true in you life. People who believe this will automatically run into moving loving people than someone who believes the opposite. The human body keeps you grounded in physical reality. The mind is like the connector between spirit to the outside world, it lets you play with reality whether you want to create or just intake and observe. The spirit is your true essence. You are not your body, and you are not your mind. If you were your body you would have to pump blood into your heart manually, breath manually, and you would have to consciously work all your organs. You are not your mind or you would be responsible for every signal for every nerve, but you don’t have to, because these are just tools that we are tied to. As for beliefs, you have to have a strong foundation of what you believe and have confidence in yourself. It only matters what you believe if you want to create your life the way you really want, but if you do not care then it doesn’t matter. Believe whatever you want, but you must believe it. If you are, or want to be, a conscious creator of the world around you, then you must only believe things that serve you and your purpose. Things like: I can do it, I will find a way, and my inner being is here to guide me. Your true self has ways of doing things you know not of and never seem to grasp as they are unfolding. People frequently look back on life and realize everything coincided so perfectly but didn’t understand in the mean time. You co-create your reality, that is an ultimate truth. If you think that you do not have influence on your reality, then that will be true for you. “If you think you can, or you think you cannot, you are right.” -Henry Ford
Living on…
As far as any of us know we only have one life. In the comfortable society most of us forget that we are going to die. We know we are going to die, but we don’t seem to quite understand we are going to die. If we acted as if we were going to die someday we would not waste a single moment. Our time here would purely be about what we want to do with this life, what we want to give to the world, and how we can develop a deep sense of serenity within ourselves. Our imprint here will always live past our death. I intend to leave a distinct and powerful imprint on the world. Humanity should be one step closer to liberation because of what I do. What about you? You don’t know if you will get to come back or not, so what do you want to do for reality? To make more peaceful people, more loving people, more joyful people… If you act from ego and want your face carved in a big stone and for everyone to think he is the greatest.. that is just ego, that is not what you want. Trust me. Everyone who is reading this may only have about 60 years left in their lives if they die from natural death, although most death now are from disease and health complications unfortunately. We live in a society where we have more tools for health than ever before but majority of people choose food that is barely food. Set the good example. Not just in dietary habits, but in every aspect of life. Be disciplined, be humble, be yourself, be joyful, be exuberant, be giving, be happy, be loving, be human… and your contributions will live on through the next generation. Decide what you are going to do with these 60 years. They are a blessing! Romans average life expectancy was 25, now a days it is 75 (remember that is just the average.) We have more time than ever before! Love it, enjoy it, and use it on something worth while. The best thing we can do is spread what we know about humanity. Spread knowledge about the possibilities of human beings. We have the number one tool on the planet: the human mind… now is time to cultivate and use it. The mind was created to create, but, if you look at what is going on in the world, we are not creating the world we want because of a lack of understanding of the way it works and a lack of understanding about who we are (or even what we are for that matter.) The goal of life is to choose our own direction that makes us fulfilled by helping others, and to break out of our natural tendencies that have been making our lives not our own since it all began. Give to humanity and let your contributions live on…
Visualization and Self Talk
All day long we are carrying mental conversations in our heads. Furthermore, we create these little movies that play. Thoughts come mainly in these two forms: speech and visualization. Unfortunately, most people, almost automatically, picture things they fear. Also, most people say things to themselves that, if someone else said to them, they would not believe someone would try to offend them in such a way. Most of us are not taught at an early enough age to program out brains in beneficial ways. The more we say uplifting things to ourselves the more habitual it becomes. As adults, once we reach a certain point we realize their is something wrong with our thought processes and try to fix it, so we are always trying to reprogram our brains. Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” There is a dance between imagination and emotion that cause a metaphysical energy to flow. Imagination is not just ideas, but it can come in the form of creative things to say to yourself. For example, “I have confidence in myself and others.” Anything you do not normally say in your head takes a little imagination to come up with something new. “I find work fun and pleasurable.” That is an affirmation most of humanity could use a little reciting. A lot of philosophers advocate affirmations, as do I, but, if you really want to create something in your life, the real power lies in visualization. Visualization can also be more difficult because the mind can reject things it doesn’t believe but the main key of either of these techniques is to focus on things that you want. Even little things, like waking up joyful, vibrant, and rested. Picture eating a delicious breakfast that you love. Picture traffic on the way to work being smooth and you get to work perfectly on time feeling eager to do the job. Create this habit of picturing things how you would like them to be. It is the most important thing you could ever do because it will make your mind strong, focused, and full of positive thoughts that will leave you submerged in joy and positive emotions. And because it becomes habit, it becomes easy. This will literally transform your life completely. The more you expand your imagination and belief systems the more magical your life will be, and the more confidence you will have in manifestation the more it will show up. Note that this should not about attempting to force life to manifest what you imagine. When you practice visualization you can begin to try to think things into existence. Sometimes things of this size will not manifest for a couple days. Forcing things does not work. Letting things flow is the way to make things work; You have to make things FUN. Playfulness is a high vibrational feeling. It is not our job to control the outside world or the people around us. I am the only one that I need to control; You are the only one that you need to control. Our body, minds, emotions, and energies should work for us. If we let outside situations determine what happens to us inside, then we are only slaves. The world is full of negative things that are simply just distractions. The news for example is full of things that we do not want in this world. Death, violence, political slander, and all sorts of negative things that happen. This is putting focus on the things we do not want in this world. We should direct our attention on the things we want and appreciate because they become greater. For example there are hundreds of organizations all over the world providing people with food, clothes, planting trees, advocating for animals, and providing necessities to life everywhere. People clean the air, clean the water, clean neighborhoods, save people and animals, and help each other in miraculous ways! If only they would put this stuff on the news front and center. I feel putting positive news is needed to create a world that is beneficial to everyone. A whole world focused on positive things we want! News like this will motivate fellow humans to pick up and do what these people are doing as well. Just think about what you want. Get creative. Have fun. Day dream. Visualize what you think the perfect world would be like, not just for yourself but for everyone. If you see something you do not want to be that way, think about how you do want it. Then ask, “Why do I want it this way?” Then explore from there.
Creative Process
It is a fundamental fact of life that our thoughts become things. Our environment is a consequence of our past thoughts and current beliefs. We must always make sure to keep our mind on what we want. The human mind is only capable of creation even when it is creating destruction. It is said the mind can only add and multiply, never subtract or divide. So if you think about how much you don’t want something you will never subtract that from your life, only add. People who are afraid of failure, tend to fail. Earl Nightingale says that we should spend one hour a day writing down exactly what we do want. It is easy to think about our fears and disappointments, that is why people do it. Most of humanity tends to dwell on these things. It takes a strong mind to notice all the positive things in life that are around us. As I have said before, positivity moves in silence and there for tends to go unnoticed. I have had conversations where the one I am talking to continues to tell me all the things they are mad about in their life. I tell them, “We should not give so much energy to all the things making you life uncomfortable. Focusing on problems creates more problems. I am here to brainstorm some solutions.” They say, “No, no, the problem is…” That’s when I say, “YOU’RE DOING IT AGAIN!!!” Focus on what you want. Focus on what you appreciate, and if your attention goes in a different direction move it back in the direction you do want, because the thoughts you are thinking now are creating your future. Thinking is a creative process.
Committed To Creating 