I often hear people say "He made me angry!" or "I couldn't help getting mad!" These statements put the blame for becoming angry on others or circumstances outside yourself - ultimately disempowering you.
The truth is that you can minimize anger in your life. With a little time and effort, you can convert energy wasted on anger into something more useful.
Anger is the result of frustrated desire. Its developmental cycle is short and swift. First, you may start by having a desire or wish. Nothing wrong with that, but when you add energy to that desire, it develops into a demand. As soon as the demand encounters frustration, you're into anger. Others may tell you to not be so demanding, but that's a lot easier said than done!
To conquer the habitual anger response, it's helpful start observing your thought patterns. Recognize the randomness of thoughts flowing through your mind. In observing the flow of thoughts, recognize that some of them do not originate at the conscious level of thinking at all. They may be habitual thought patterns, snippets you heard on radio or television, or pieces of conversations you had years ago. And yet, these subconscious thoughts can still negatively influence your thinking and responses today.
Every behavior starts off with thought. That thought evokes a corresponding emotion. At that stage, you may "feel" angry, depressed, humiliated or whatever. Pay attention to the process and you will notice how every feeling is preceded by a mental discussion. The internal dialogue may sound like, "How dare she treat me like that? She's got some nerve!" Even when you don’t pay attention to this internal dialogue, you'll experience the resulting emotion. Next, your emotions translate into behavior that's visible to others. You may lash out or attack others verbally.
The anger cycle, then, flows from thoughts to feelings to behavior like concentric circles rippling out from an archery target: originating thoughts at center rippling outward to the next ring of emotion and spilling over into the outer ring of behavior. Of the three stages, behavior is the biggest and most visible aspect!
When you get angry, you actually lose control of your logical, constructive mental resources. Your anger also sends a signal to the adrenal glands to flood the body with stress hormones, and it may take hours to return to equilibrium. Meanwhile, you may have caused others significant pain by your outburst.
To break the cycle of anger, you first need to consciously become aware of your thoughts as they arise. Start noticing which thoughts irritate you or make your anger flare. Over time, train yourself to track back these trigger thoughts until you become aware of their presence as they first arise. Noticing the thoughts before you respond to them is a significant step forward in managing your anger response.
Eventually, you'll reach a stage of awareness where you catch trigger thoughts early enough to consciously choose not to get angry. You'll be able to choose an alternative response to stay in balance and harmony.
When you can catch and respond to thoughts this way, you stay empowered over your emotional responses. Instead of feeling that people or circumstances press your buttons or make you angry, you'll be free to choose a response. One choice is not to get angry. If you get angry, it will be because you choose to be.
Over time, this growth in self-awareness will restore the power over your thoughts, emotions and behavior to the rightful custodian - you. It'll be a relief and an energy saver!
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com. This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
Articles
Inspirational & educational articles on a wide range of life & personal growth topics to challenge & encourage you.
Conquer Your Anger
Ada Porat - Friday, April 01, 2011
The Case For Good Energy Hygiene
Ada Porat - Monday, February 28, 2011
We are living during truly momentous times in history. People are awakening and speaking up for change everywhere. These winds of change have the power to affect our experience of life at every level.
For some, the passing of the old guard is welcomed and celebrated; for others, it is dreaded and change avoided at all costs. During the ensuing upheaval, it is helpful to remember that change is not the enemy: it is essential for renewal of life and growth. By choosing to participate in a proactive manner, we can navigate periods of change with more grace and ease.
Physical change can stir up a lot of dust and debris. Think spring cleaning – a good spring cleaning calls for deep scrubbing, putting away extra blankets that are no longer needed, and airing out our homes. During such a major cleaning project, we are often amazed at how many dust bunnies we find!
Proper energy hygiene refers to hygienic practices at all levels of your being: body, mind and spirit. When you do a physical detox or you experience some powerful bodywork, blockages in the body’s energy pathways are cleared and toxins released. The process can make you feel tired, moody and out of sorts for a day or more as debris is lifted from the cells and released through the various elimination systems. You know the feeling, right?
Practicing good energy hygiene also refers to the process of clearing ourselves spiritually from the debris we collect through our daily actions, choices, emotions and thoughts. Every spiritual tradition recognizes the need for spiritual cleansing. We may refer to it as purification, prayer, confession or meditation. Many of us have a deep desire for periodic inner cleansing and we use spiritually motivated practices to do so – including forgiveness, fasting, abstention, or personal service.
The important point is that we need to cleanse our energy fields and our souls even as we shower daily to cleanse our physical bodies, or else spiritual sludge and debris will collect.
Remember how blah the stirring up of physical toxins can make you feel? Now extrapolate that condition to include the sludge of emotional debris at the levels of the mind, emotions and the soul… pretty gross, right? Now expand the field to include the collective debris of co-workers, your community, fellow citizens and all humanity, and you can understand the intensity that seems palpable in the air these days!
As accelerated change sweeps across the planet, it stirs up debris from old traumas, pain and frozen emotions for everyone. When we are not conscious of the process, we drag along this old stuff wherever we go like a grey cloud. This dense energy is often referred to as miasma or memes – an unwholesome atmosphere consisting of negative thought forms, emotions and beliefs that clog our thinking, hanging over our lives like perpetual cloudy weather. According to homeopathy, untreated miasma eventually lead to disease and suffering.
Energetic debris can actually hinder our spiritual sense of connection to our Divine Source. At the mental level, we may find ourselves swept up in the urgency of life, unable to calm our thoughts or make clear decisions. At a physical level, we may experience the effects of this energetic sludge as feeling drained, heavy or exhausted. It can even lead to emotional outbursts as we subconsciously try to push back against it. And when we still don’t get help, it can lead to feelings of depression, apathy and hopelessness: nothing seems to matter, so why bother at all?
It’s time to focus on good energy hygiene to clean things up!
In his book Life Force: The Scientific Basis, physicist Claude Swanson offers a scientific basis for energy hygiene from experiments conducted by Dr. Joie Jones, professor of radiological sciences at the University of California. Dr. Jones studied the effects of healing energy and the residual environment on HeLa (human) cells exposed to cancer-causing doses of gamma rays adjusted to cause 50% cell death in 24 hours. In the process, he discovered the importance of energy hygiene for the healing process.
In one series of fifty experiments, cells were exposed to cancer-causing doses of gamma rays, and then placed in a lab environment where the space had not been energetically cleansed first. In this lab space, subtle energies and energetic debris from previous experiments still lingered. When healing energy was sent to these cells, healing effects were found in only 10% of the experiments.
In another series of fifty experiments in a lab space determined to be energetically ‘very dirty,’ he found no positive effect whatsoever (0%) from the energy healing sent to the cells. The energetically contaminated environment was capable of completely blocking the effectiveness of energy healing!
The same series of experiments conducted in a lab space that had been energetically cleared first, showed dramatically changed results. When healing energy was sent to HeLa cells exposed to the same dosage of radiation in an energetically cleansed lab, the survival rate jumped from 50-70%. Energy healing sent to the cells both before and after radiation increased the survival rate to 88%.
This healing energy also tended to linger on, offering residual effects. Mice that were simply placed in a location where healing happened earlier, derived benefit from that environment. This could be one of the reasons why we experience residual benefit of a sacred space even at a time when no ceremony is being conducted.
Let’s apply this to daily life: If you are living in a contaminated energy environment, your best efforts at health and well-being may be ineffective. Energy debris or contamination in your personal field or in your environment can block the effectiveness of Life Force in your life!
This discovery may be as important as the discovery of germs in Pasteur’s day, giving rise to new levels of physical hygiene in hospitals. Improved sterilization procedures killed existing germs in operating rooms before surgery was performed and led to vastly more positive outcomes.
Doing times of upheaval and change, it becomes more important than ever to practice good hygiene at all levels of being: body, mind and spirit. A regular cleansing practice can go a long way in keeping your energies clear at all levels.
As the Jones studies showed, you can also benefit from clearing your space at home or work from energetic debris so that your environment supports your health and well-being. And when faced with major changes such as surgery, trauma or health setbacks, you can further boost outcomes by supporting the intervention of skilled professionals with good energy hygiene.
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com . This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
For some, the passing of the old guard is welcomed and celebrated; for others, it is dreaded and change avoided at all costs. During the ensuing upheaval, it is helpful to remember that change is not the enemy: it is essential for renewal of life and growth. By choosing to participate in a proactive manner, we can navigate periods of change with more grace and ease.
Physical change can stir up a lot of dust and debris. Think spring cleaning – a good spring cleaning calls for deep scrubbing, putting away extra blankets that are no longer needed, and airing out our homes. During such a major cleaning project, we are often amazed at how many dust bunnies we find!
Proper energy hygiene refers to hygienic practices at all levels of your being: body, mind and spirit. When you do a physical detox or you experience some powerful bodywork, blockages in the body’s energy pathways are cleared and toxins released. The process can make you feel tired, moody and out of sorts for a day or more as debris is lifted from the cells and released through the various elimination systems. You know the feeling, right?
Practicing good energy hygiene also refers to the process of clearing ourselves spiritually from the debris we collect through our daily actions, choices, emotions and thoughts. Every spiritual tradition recognizes the need for spiritual cleansing. We may refer to it as purification, prayer, confession or meditation. Many of us have a deep desire for periodic inner cleansing and we use spiritually motivated practices to do so – including forgiveness, fasting, abstention, or personal service.
The important point is that we need to cleanse our energy fields and our souls even as we shower daily to cleanse our physical bodies, or else spiritual sludge and debris will collect.
Remember how blah the stirring up of physical toxins can make you feel? Now extrapolate that condition to include the sludge of emotional debris at the levels of the mind, emotions and the soul… pretty gross, right? Now expand the field to include the collective debris of co-workers, your community, fellow citizens and all humanity, and you can understand the intensity that seems palpable in the air these days!
As accelerated change sweeps across the planet, it stirs up debris from old traumas, pain and frozen emotions for everyone. When we are not conscious of the process, we drag along this old stuff wherever we go like a grey cloud. This dense energy is often referred to as miasma or memes – an unwholesome atmosphere consisting of negative thought forms, emotions and beliefs that clog our thinking, hanging over our lives like perpetual cloudy weather. According to homeopathy, untreated miasma eventually lead to disease and suffering.
Energetic debris can actually hinder our spiritual sense of connection to our Divine Source. At the mental level, we may find ourselves swept up in the urgency of life, unable to calm our thoughts or make clear decisions. At a physical level, we may experience the effects of this energetic sludge as feeling drained, heavy or exhausted. It can even lead to emotional outbursts as we subconsciously try to push back against it. And when we still don’t get help, it can lead to feelings of depression, apathy and hopelessness: nothing seems to matter, so why bother at all?
It’s time to focus on good energy hygiene to clean things up!
In his book Life Force: The Scientific Basis, physicist Claude Swanson offers a scientific basis for energy hygiene from experiments conducted by Dr. Joie Jones, professor of radiological sciences at the University of California. Dr. Jones studied the effects of healing energy and the residual environment on HeLa (human) cells exposed to cancer-causing doses of gamma rays adjusted to cause 50% cell death in 24 hours. In the process, he discovered the importance of energy hygiene for the healing process.
In one series of fifty experiments, cells were exposed to cancer-causing doses of gamma rays, and then placed in a lab environment where the space had not been energetically cleansed first. In this lab space, subtle energies and energetic debris from previous experiments still lingered. When healing energy was sent to these cells, healing effects were found in only 10% of the experiments.
In another series of fifty experiments in a lab space determined to be energetically ‘very dirty,’ he found no positive effect whatsoever (0%) from the energy healing sent to the cells. The energetically contaminated environment was capable of completely blocking the effectiveness of energy healing!
The same series of experiments conducted in a lab space that had been energetically cleared first, showed dramatically changed results. When healing energy was sent to HeLa cells exposed to the same dosage of radiation in an energetically cleansed lab, the survival rate jumped from 50-70%. Energy healing sent to the cells both before and after radiation increased the survival rate to 88%.
This healing energy also tended to linger on, offering residual effects. Mice that were simply placed in a location where healing happened earlier, derived benefit from that environment. This could be one of the reasons why we experience residual benefit of a sacred space even at a time when no ceremony is being conducted.
Let’s apply this to daily life: If you are living in a contaminated energy environment, your best efforts at health and well-being may be ineffective. Energy debris or contamination in your personal field or in your environment can block the effectiveness of Life Force in your life!
This discovery may be as important as the discovery of germs in Pasteur’s day, giving rise to new levels of physical hygiene in hospitals. Improved sterilization procedures killed existing germs in operating rooms before surgery was performed and led to vastly more positive outcomes.
Doing times of upheaval and change, it becomes more important than ever to practice good hygiene at all levels of being: body, mind and spirit. A regular cleansing practice can go a long way in keeping your energies clear at all levels.
As the Jones studies showed, you can also benefit from clearing your space at home or work from energetic debris so that your environment supports your health and well-being. And when faced with major changes such as surgery, trauma or health setbacks, you can further boost outcomes by supporting the intervention of skilled professionals with good energy hygiene.
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com . This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
A New Paradigm For Abundance
Ada Porat - Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Successful adaptation to change requires shifts in the way we believe and behave. It requires us to evaluate our motivations and clarify our intentions. Behaviors that seemed appropriate at some former level of life, may now appear outdated or may limit our functioning.
In my work, I am blessed to see the power of questioning assumptions every day. Once we become aware of limiting behaviors or beliefs, we can change them. And so we learn to look deeper instead of blindly repeating the same old behaviors to getting the same old outcomes. As soon as we manage to identify the hidden determinants of our behavior, our lives often shift spontaneously!
One of the primary areas of limitation shows up in our relationship to abundance -or scarcity, whichever side of the coin one tends to focus on. In an era of unprecedented abundance in the western world, many still struggle with feeling that there is not enough: not enough to feel satisfied, not enough to feel safe or secure. We keep accumulating things, yet it cannot fill the deep emptiness inside our souls.
Perhaps it is time to redefine our relationship to abundance. The definition of an abundant life cannot be satisfied by the presence of material things alone. Jesus knew this when he said that man shall not live by bread alone, but by the living Word or Spirit.
During feudal times, all wealth was tied to land ownership and material prosperity was a zero-sum game. Abundance was defined by the presence of material goods because there was only so much land, and only so many people could own it. Land owners could build fortresses and tax travelers to pass across their property, leading to more wealth. This system led to separation between those who owned land and those who didn’t, the haves and the have-nots.
This belief system is still active as a powerful undercurrent in modern society. Millions of families who had over-extended themselves to acquire property during a real estate boom, recently found their fortunes swept away overnight by a collapsed real estate market and loan scams that left them underwater. Almost overnight, they went from proud owners to impoverishment, loss or bankruptcy. But does the loss of physical assets really make you a loser?
Two thousand years ago, enlightened teachers like Jesus and the Buddha taught that true abundance is not based on physical assets alone. They proposed that true abundance includes qualities such as integrity, honesty, service, and loving kindness to all forms of life, to name a few.
And yet, talk to people around you and you will soon find many adhering to the outdated belief of measuring abundance by material displays of wealth. Beside that, you will find the limiting notion of having to compete against others to access these limited resources for survival.
In western society, we are driven by this outdated assumption that there’s only so much to go around, and that we need to compete with others for these resources on a basis of win/lose. I have to get mine first before you can get yours or the limited supply runs out (think black Friday shopping mobs)… if you win, I must lose... and on we go, pitting our limiting beliefs against others in an effort to survive. We expand this belief in scarcity to cover every facet of our lives: believing that for my faith to be right, yours has to be wrong; for my political party to win, I have to sling mud and make yours look bad; and so on.
If I believe that you must lose for me to win, or that you must be belittled so I can have value, or that you must be wrong for me to be vindicated, or you must be suppressed for me to feel free, then my sense of happiness becomes dependent on your lack thereof. My experience of life becomes fragmented into dualities of opposites, and I end up suffering estrangement from my fellow humans. A life that is lived from such outdated beliefs offers very limited love, serenity and security.
This outdated thinking and behavior cause untold suffering in the world. The Buddha taught his disciples to become free from the vice of duality-thinking; to liberate themselves from the opposites of desire and aversion which propel the cycles of scarcity and suffering. It is only when we let go of this misguided struggle for a bit of material security, that we are able to poise our minds in peace.
How do we uncouple from the vicious cycle of chasing after material security and finding scarcity instead?
The power lies in our thoughts. Our thoughts contain the seed forms of potential; making change possible in our consciousness, our belief systems and our world.
Physical reality flows from our imagination and ideas about how things could be. As humans, we are gifted with the ability to change the way we think, and hence create different outcomes. We can change the way we look at things and thereby change the outcomes!
Instead of seeing the world as a physical pie, with ourselves competing against others for a slice of it, we can consciously choose again. Perhaps it is time to recognize that energy is never destroyed; it simply changes form. It is time to expand our definition of abundance to include all its myriad forms: the material as well as the mental, emotional, psychological and spiritual. And perhaps we need to acknowledge that there is enough for all of us when we are prepared to share.
This step in our evolution, this changing of the old mindset for a more appropriate one, may not be as clean or predictable as we’d like. Evolution is messy and uncertain. A clear outcome is not always apparent. To the minds of westerners who like control, reliability and certainty, this can be nerve-wracking. Yet, the alternative is to become extinct.
Times of change call for us to trust on a grand level. It is time to trust in our Source, ourselves and each other. We need to trust this time of upheaval to give birth to new paradigms that better fit our world… and we need to step into the game and play our active part in it. Are you ready? I’ll see you at the top!
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
In my work, I am blessed to see the power of questioning assumptions every day. Once we become aware of limiting behaviors or beliefs, we can change them. And so we learn to look deeper instead of blindly repeating the same old behaviors to getting the same old outcomes. As soon as we manage to identify the hidden determinants of our behavior, our lives often shift spontaneously!
One of the primary areas of limitation shows up in our relationship to abundance -or scarcity, whichever side of the coin one tends to focus on. In an era of unprecedented abundance in the western world, many still struggle with feeling that there is not enough: not enough to feel satisfied, not enough to feel safe or secure. We keep accumulating things, yet it cannot fill the deep emptiness inside our souls.
Perhaps it is time to redefine our relationship to abundance. The definition of an abundant life cannot be satisfied by the presence of material things alone. Jesus knew this when he said that man shall not live by bread alone, but by the living Word or Spirit.
During feudal times, all wealth was tied to land ownership and material prosperity was a zero-sum game. Abundance was defined by the presence of material goods because there was only so much land, and only so many people could own it. Land owners could build fortresses and tax travelers to pass across their property, leading to more wealth. This system led to separation between those who owned land and those who didn’t, the haves and the have-nots.
This belief system is still active as a powerful undercurrent in modern society. Millions of families who had over-extended themselves to acquire property during a real estate boom, recently found their fortunes swept away overnight by a collapsed real estate market and loan scams that left them underwater. Almost overnight, they went from proud owners to impoverishment, loss or bankruptcy. But does the loss of physical assets really make you a loser?
Two thousand years ago, enlightened teachers like Jesus and the Buddha taught that true abundance is not based on physical assets alone. They proposed that true abundance includes qualities such as integrity, honesty, service, and loving kindness to all forms of life, to name a few.
And yet, talk to people around you and you will soon find many adhering to the outdated belief of measuring abundance by material displays of wealth. Beside that, you will find the limiting notion of having to compete against others to access these limited resources for survival.
In western society, we are driven by this outdated assumption that there’s only so much to go around, and that we need to compete with others for these resources on a basis of win/lose. I have to get mine first before you can get yours or the limited supply runs out (think black Friday shopping mobs)… if you win, I must lose... and on we go, pitting our limiting beliefs against others in an effort to survive. We expand this belief in scarcity to cover every facet of our lives: believing that for my faith to be right, yours has to be wrong; for my political party to win, I have to sling mud and make yours look bad; and so on.
If I believe that you must lose for me to win, or that you must be belittled so I can have value, or that you must be wrong for me to be vindicated, or you must be suppressed for me to feel free, then my sense of happiness becomes dependent on your lack thereof. My experience of life becomes fragmented into dualities of opposites, and I end up suffering estrangement from my fellow humans. A life that is lived from such outdated beliefs offers very limited love, serenity and security.
This outdated thinking and behavior cause untold suffering in the world. The Buddha taught his disciples to become free from the vice of duality-thinking; to liberate themselves from the opposites of desire and aversion which propel the cycles of scarcity and suffering. It is only when we let go of this misguided struggle for a bit of material security, that we are able to poise our minds in peace.
How do we uncouple from the vicious cycle of chasing after material security and finding scarcity instead?
The power lies in our thoughts. Our thoughts contain the seed forms of potential; making change possible in our consciousness, our belief systems and our world.
Physical reality flows from our imagination and ideas about how things could be. As humans, we are gifted with the ability to change the way we think, and hence create different outcomes. We can change the way we look at things and thereby change the outcomes!
Instead of seeing the world as a physical pie, with ourselves competing against others for a slice of it, we can consciously choose again. Perhaps it is time to recognize that energy is never destroyed; it simply changes form. It is time to expand our definition of abundance to include all its myriad forms: the material as well as the mental, emotional, psychological and spiritual. And perhaps we need to acknowledge that there is enough for all of us when we are prepared to share.
This step in our evolution, this changing of the old mindset for a more appropriate one, may not be as clean or predictable as we’d like. Evolution is messy and uncertain. A clear outcome is not always apparent. To the minds of westerners who like control, reliability and certainty, this can be nerve-wracking. Yet, the alternative is to become extinct.
Times of change call for us to trust on a grand level. It is time to trust in our Source, ourselves and each other. We need to trust this time of upheaval to give birth to new paradigms that better fit our world… and we need to step into the game and play our active part in it. Are you ready? I’ll see you at the top!
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
Living From The Heart
Ada Porat - Tuesday, November 30, 2010
As each of us expands in our own understanding and consciousness, that growing level of awareness raises the level for everybody on the planet. The trick lies in how to open up to your true identity and power so that you can live from the heart without losing your mind, right!
Opening up to Higher Truth requires the ability to peck your way out of the primordial egg of conditioning. With each peck, you break out of rigid structures and beliefs that are no longer appropriate to birth a new you, more aligned with your Truth and power.
This process looks different for each person. And rightly so, since each one of us is a unique combination of body, mind and spirit. Your consciousness always seeks to express itself in ways that are aligned with the totality of your being. When you practice inner awareness and honor the voice of Spirit within, you evolve; when you suppress it out of fear or some such emotion, you devolve.
While everybody’s process of growth looks different, there are some similarities that can serve as helpful mile markers on the journey of becoming. There are three areas which, when addressed appropriately, can be of great help during this time of unprecedented change, growth, and transformation on our planet.
The Buddha taught that the root of all imbalance arises from three toxins – three expressions of ego in our lives that take the form of attachment, ignorance and aggression. When based on these emotions, we engage in actions, speech and thoughts that lead to suffering in our lives, just as planting a seed gives rise to fruit in the future.
These three poisons are the reasons we get caught up in the dramas of life, whether they be spiritual, emotional, or physical. Their presence is seen in the imbalance, dis-ease and suffering in our lives. The conditions in our lives today represent the outcome of the seeds we have planted yesterday.
To remedy this situation we need to transform the three poisons. The process of transformation includes intervention, detoxification through forgiveness or physical cleansing, and a renewed dedication to our spiritual growth.
First, everyone faces attachment of some form. Do you think you are somebody? If so, you are attached to what you think you are. Do you think that you are nothing? If so, you are attached to what you think you aren't. It is only when you realize that you are a part of everything through the presence of Spirit in you that you can finally let go of attachment and find the grace to stand in compassionate detachment; the freedom of your Higher nature.
To free yourself from the bondage of attachment, let go of that which no longer serves you. Realize, as you do, that letting go does not always mean that you are getting rid of that person or object of affection. It simply means that you are letting go of your attachment to expectations and outcomes. Letting go frees you to act from a place of compassionate detachment.
Second, we need to transform our ignorance. Ignorance itself is not evil; it is the actions taken in ignorance, that cause untold pain and misery for humanity.
In truth, everyone chooses the good as perceived through their level of ignorance or awareness – and therein lies the catch. To bring about better choices, we need to raise awareness first.
As we open our hearts to new ways of seeing and experiencing life, we open up to higher levels of awareness. Ignorance is rooted in limited understanding and awareness; the more we come to understand higher levels of truth, the wider our eyes open to the limitless nature of our souls. And when we fully understand that, miracles start happening!
Third, our lower nature uses aggression to defend its limited, ignorant actions. Feeling aggressive toward some person or situation? Try asking yourself what you are afraid of. Aggression is a camouflage for fear.
When we give up the fear, we let go of aggressive defensiveness and open up to the broader interconnectedness of life. Our drive toward aggression is transformed through surrender to the hand of a Higher Power. We align to Higher Truth. We stop resisting and feeding the very thing we hated or fixated on. Instead, our hearts open up to embrace new ways of seeing, being and doing – and we are transformed.
Ultimately, it is not our need but our view that needs to be transformed. Higher Truth will untangle our warped thinking and enable us to align with higher levels of awareness. As we grow in understanding, we move away from the poisons of attachment, ignorance and aggression to embrace the higher states of compassionate detachment, awareness of our True nature and alignment to Higher Truth.
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
Opening up to Higher Truth requires the ability to peck your way out of the primordial egg of conditioning. With each peck, you break out of rigid structures and beliefs that are no longer appropriate to birth a new you, more aligned with your Truth and power.
This process looks different for each person. And rightly so, since each one of us is a unique combination of body, mind and spirit. Your consciousness always seeks to express itself in ways that are aligned with the totality of your being. When you practice inner awareness and honor the voice of Spirit within, you evolve; when you suppress it out of fear or some such emotion, you devolve.
While everybody’s process of growth looks different, there are some similarities that can serve as helpful mile markers on the journey of becoming. There are three areas which, when addressed appropriately, can be of great help during this time of unprecedented change, growth, and transformation on our planet.
The Buddha taught that the root of all imbalance arises from three toxins – three expressions of ego in our lives that take the form of attachment, ignorance and aggression. When based on these emotions, we engage in actions, speech and thoughts that lead to suffering in our lives, just as planting a seed gives rise to fruit in the future.
These three poisons are the reasons we get caught up in the dramas of life, whether they be spiritual, emotional, or physical. Their presence is seen in the imbalance, dis-ease and suffering in our lives. The conditions in our lives today represent the outcome of the seeds we have planted yesterday.
To remedy this situation we need to transform the three poisons. The process of transformation includes intervention, detoxification through forgiveness or physical cleansing, and a renewed dedication to our spiritual growth.
First, everyone faces attachment of some form. Do you think you are somebody? If so, you are attached to what you think you are. Do you think that you are nothing? If so, you are attached to what you think you aren't. It is only when you realize that you are a part of everything through the presence of Spirit in you that you can finally let go of attachment and find the grace to stand in compassionate detachment; the freedom of your Higher nature.
To free yourself from the bondage of attachment, let go of that which no longer serves you. Realize, as you do, that letting go does not always mean that you are getting rid of that person or object of affection. It simply means that you are letting go of your attachment to expectations and outcomes. Letting go frees you to act from a place of compassionate detachment.
Second, we need to transform our ignorance. Ignorance itself is not evil; it is the actions taken in ignorance, that cause untold pain and misery for humanity.
In truth, everyone chooses the good as perceived through their level of ignorance or awareness – and therein lies the catch. To bring about better choices, we need to raise awareness first.
As we open our hearts to new ways of seeing and experiencing life, we open up to higher levels of awareness. Ignorance is rooted in limited understanding and awareness; the more we come to understand higher levels of truth, the wider our eyes open to the limitless nature of our souls. And when we fully understand that, miracles start happening!
Third, our lower nature uses aggression to defend its limited, ignorant actions. Feeling aggressive toward some person or situation? Try asking yourself what you are afraid of. Aggression is a camouflage for fear.
When we give up the fear, we let go of aggressive defensiveness and open up to the broader interconnectedness of life. Our drive toward aggression is transformed through surrender to the hand of a Higher Power. We align to Higher Truth. We stop resisting and feeding the very thing we hated or fixated on. Instead, our hearts open up to embrace new ways of seeing, being and doing – and we are transformed.
Ultimately, it is not our need but our view that needs to be transformed. Higher Truth will untangle our warped thinking and enable us to align with higher levels of awareness. As we grow in understanding, we move away from the poisons of attachment, ignorance and aggression to embrace the higher states of compassionate detachment, awareness of our True nature and alignment to Higher Truth.
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
Find The Gift
Ada Porat - Monday, October 25, 2010
Everyone has their own issues and dramas to deal with. Sometimes we get so stuck in the muck that it is difficult to see beyond the challenges of the moment.
We start focusing on the problem instead of the solution. We may stare so hard at what we think it is, that we don’t see that our limited view may block the awareness of a bigger picture evolving.
And yet, the thing that one person may judge as disgusting cow manure, can be welcomed with gratitude by another to grow abundant crops. It is simply a matter of different perspectives.
When we label things from our personal perspective, we are a hair’s breadth away from judging, because we are shutting out any other possibilities. How often do we not jump to a worst-case scenario whereas the situation turned out to be a blessing instead?
When you get stuck in the drama of life, you need proven tools to get unstuck, and fast! You need to pry the mind loose from its fixation on what it perceives as the problem, and open it to a broader range of possibilities.
When you step back from the situation to consider other possible viewpoints, you allow for other perspectives. Expanding your viewpoint opens up your perception to other possibilities. It makes space for grace and gratitude to enter.
Here are some questions to ask yourself to get unstuck:
Wherever manure piles show up in your life, look for the gift in it. Give thanks for what shows up - it is an opportunity for you to learn from.
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
We start focusing on the problem instead of the solution. We may stare so hard at what we think it is, that we don’t see that our limited view may block the awareness of a bigger picture evolving.
And yet, the thing that one person may judge as disgusting cow manure, can be welcomed with gratitude by another to grow abundant crops. It is simply a matter of different perspectives.
When we label things from our personal perspective, we are a hair’s breadth away from judging, because we are shutting out any other possibilities. How often do we not jump to a worst-case scenario whereas the situation turned out to be a blessing instead?
When you get stuck in the drama of life, you need proven tools to get unstuck, and fast! You need to pry the mind loose from its fixation on what it perceives as the problem, and open it to a broader range of possibilities.
When you step back from the situation to consider other possible viewpoints, you allow for other perspectives. Expanding your viewpoint opens up your perception to other possibilities. It makes space for grace and gratitude to enter.
Here are some questions to ask yourself to get unstuck:
- What if this situation is a gift?
- What if what’s going on right now in my life is the greatest gift I could ever have imagined, although I won’t know it for another six months or a year from now?
- What if the heat of this situation is exactly what is needed to hatch my dream?
- What if this ignites a passion in me that I would not have acknowledged under any other circumstances?
- What if I’ve been so focused on the terrible things that might happen that I’ve been blind to the good things that are happening in my life?
- What if this situation offered me the best way to let go of what I no longer needed?
- What if this is all a lesson in learning to trust?
- What if all this is simply to help me see what really matters?
- What if this is a wake-up call from my soul?
- And what if I woke up? What would I be waking up from? What would I be awakening to?
Wherever manure piles show up in your life, look for the gift in it. Give thanks for what shows up - it is an opportunity for you to learn from.
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
Your Answer Has Arrived
Ada Porat - Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Have you ever received guidance from someone else about what is going to happen in your life and then it didn’t pan out? Perhaps you were guided to write a book or start a web site and then everything stalled. Did it leave you wondering what really happened there?
If you are like most people, you may have started doubting your guidance and wondered if your lucky break will ever come. When the answers to your prayers arrived, you may even have dismissed them because they didn’t fit your expectations.
I would like to present you with another point of view: whatever shows up in your life, IS your answer. If you have prayed, planned and performed, yet nothing seems to come together, the evidence presents you with your answer… even if that is not what you want to hear. The answer to your prayer lies in what is happening in your life now, not in the fantasy of what anybody may tell you is coming.
Dreams and “guidance” that are not based on truth, can act like viruses of the mind. They will infect you with wishful fantasies and false expectations, blinding you to the truth of what is really happening in your life. These fantasies and dreams, while alluring, can get you so caught up in illusion that you miss the real answers that show up in your life.
True guidance may come in many ways, but it will never create a separation between where you are and where you are going. In other words, true guidance is always congruent with your path and purpose. There will be a natural flow of synchronicity between where you are at and the guidance you are receiving. True guidance will resonate with your heart’s deep knowing. It may also bring up unfinished emotional business that you need to clear in order to make space for the desired outcome.
True guidance flows with congruence; false guidance deceives. If there is no congruency between the guidance you received and what shows up in your life, it should raise a red flag. As captain of your soul, your job is to discern between true guidance and deception; between guidance that stirs your soul and static that strokes your ego. True guidance will not stroke your ego or feed its expectations; it will always challenge you to fulfill your highest potential.
When someone does not discern between true guidance and illusion, they will start using illusion as a defense against reality. They’ll get trapped in the world of dreams, fantasies and expectations. You have probably encountered some of these unfortunate souls: the ones who have taken every workshop and mastered every modality, holding themselves up as some advanced guru, while in reality they are leeching off the kindness of parents, family and friends because they are so self-deceived. Or perhaps you know some individuals who have lost their way to the illusion of some woo-woo philosophy that promised them an easy life with lots of love and riches, and they cannot come to grips with the reality of what shows up in their lives.
The Buddha taught that reality is your friend. Dialogue with reality and you will come to terms with what is, rather than the illusions of what your ego self craves, wishes for or desires. Another common example of the delusional nature of false guidance often occurs in relationships. Have you ever dated someone because of what you dreamt and hoped for them to become, instead of who they are in the moment? Recognize the red flag of delusion and drop it, or you’ll set yourself up for endless disappointment and hurt!
To stay connected to truth, it is important to look at what shows up in your life and work daily, because change happens continuously. You are in this dense energy for a reason: to grow. There is learning to master, relationships to experience, and growth to embrace. You soul is here for experience, not for security. And you are a co-creator in this process. You are not here to be some transcendent ethereal being who speaks to angels and masters as an escape from the realities of life; you are here to experience life on the earth plane. You are here to impact earth through you conscious participation in this process!
How do you activate your intuition to discern and tune into that process? You pray about things and then use what shows up in your life as a map to align with truth daily. Prayer can truly transform your destiny, and so it is important to discern between prayer that comes from the ego and prayer that emanates from the soul.
Prayer that comes from ego will outline to God what to do and how to solve the problem so your ego needs can be met. Such prayer caters to your ego desires to be loved, comfortable, secure, titillated and catered to. It invokes the interference of ego games, and you will get caught up in attachment and seduction, bargaining with the Universe. When the bottom drops out – as it inevitably will - you need to realign with the truth of your soul instead of the desires of your ego.
Prayer from the soul simply asks for the process to unfold free from agenda; it sees asking and surrendering to the answer as one and the same. It comes from a desire for service and a willingness to surrender. When you have prayed from your soul, you will feel the sense of peace and alignment immediately.
When praying for guidance about something, recognize that true, congruent guidance comes organically and naturally. If you wonder about what you should be doing with your life, ask the question and then watch for answers to show up. If you are looking at something and the doors are not opening, stop wasting your energy on it – the answer is clear. It may not be the right time or direction, so instead of resisting the reality of what is, let it go so you can focus your energy on being open to the guidance that is available to you.
Face the facts and work with what is; it will bring you serenity. If you continue holding out for a miracle, recognize that you are wasting time and energy. If you are meant to be and do something, everything will fall into place to help you accomplish it – you don’t have to doubt or stay in a holding pattern. Instead of struggling with reality, align with Spirit and surrender the outcome. If things are meant to be, they will unfold and nothing will stop them. If they are not meant to be, your resistance is an ineffective use of energy.
Finally, recognize that Divine timing is not in your control. If you are meant to do something, it will fall into place for you. Stop putting your life on hold for an empty dream; recognize that if reality is not supporting it, it is an illusion. You will have a much more peaceful and serene life if you recognize that you are not in control of timing. Align with Divine timing instead of trying to force the process.
Accept what shows up, surrender attachment to the outcome, and align with Divine timing. Whatever shows up in your life, is indeed the answer to your prayers!
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
If you are like most people, you may have started doubting your guidance and wondered if your lucky break will ever come. When the answers to your prayers arrived, you may even have dismissed them because they didn’t fit your expectations.
I would like to present you with another point of view: whatever shows up in your life, IS your answer. If you have prayed, planned and performed, yet nothing seems to come together, the evidence presents you with your answer… even if that is not what you want to hear. The answer to your prayer lies in what is happening in your life now, not in the fantasy of what anybody may tell you is coming.
Dreams and “guidance” that are not based on truth, can act like viruses of the mind. They will infect you with wishful fantasies and false expectations, blinding you to the truth of what is really happening in your life. These fantasies and dreams, while alluring, can get you so caught up in illusion that you miss the real answers that show up in your life.
True guidance may come in many ways, but it will never create a separation between where you are and where you are going. In other words, true guidance is always congruent with your path and purpose. There will be a natural flow of synchronicity between where you are at and the guidance you are receiving. True guidance will resonate with your heart’s deep knowing. It may also bring up unfinished emotional business that you need to clear in order to make space for the desired outcome.
True guidance flows with congruence; false guidance deceives. If there is no congruency between the guidance you received and what shows up in your life, it should raise a red flag. As captain of your soul, your job is to discern between true guidance and deception; between guidance that stirs your soul and static that strokes your ego. True guidance will not stroke your ego or feed its expectations; it will always challenge you to fulfill your highest potential.
When someone does not discern between true guidance and illusion, they will start using illusion as a defense against reality. They’ll get trapped in the world of dreams, fantasies and expectations. You have probably encountered some of these unfortunate souls: the ones who have taken every workshop and mastered every modality, holding themselves up as some advanced guru, while in reality they are leeching off the kindness of parents, family and friends because they are so self-deceived. Or perhaps you know some individuals who have lost their way to the illusion of some woo-woo philosophy that promised them an easy life with lots of love and riches, and they cannot come to grips with the reality of what shows up in their lives.
The Buddha taught that reality is your friend. Dialogue with reality and you will come to terms with what is, rather than the illusions of what your ego self craves, wishes for or desires. Another common example of the delusional nature of false guidance often occurs in relationships. Have you ever dated someone because of what you dreamt and hoped for them to become, instead of who they are in the moment? Recognize the red flag of delusion and drop it, or you’ll set yourself up for endless disappointment and hurt!
To stay connected to truth, it is important to look at what shows up in your life and work daily, because change happens continuously. You are in this dense energy for a reason: to grow. There is learning to master, relationships to experience, and growth to embrace. You soul is here for experience, not for security. And you are a co-creator in this process. You are not here to be some transcendent ethereal being who speaks to angels and masters as an escape from the realities of life; you are here to experience life on the earth plane. You are here to impact earth through you conscious participation in this process!
How do you activate your intuition to discern and tune into that process? You pray about things and then use what shows up in your life as a map to align with truth daily. Prayer can truly transform your destiny, and so it is important to discern between prayer that comes from the ego and prayer that emanates from the soul.
Prayer that comes from ego will outline to God what to do and how to solve the problem so your ego needs can be met. Such prayer caters to your ego desires to be loved, comfortable, secure, titillated and catered to. It invokes the interference of ego games, and you will get caught up in attachment and seduction, bargaining with the Universe. When the bottom drops out – as it inevitably will - you need to realign with the truth of your soul instead of the desires of your ego.
Prayer from the soul simply asks for the process to unfold free from agenda; it sees asking and surrendering to the answer as one and the same. It comes from a desire for service and a willingness to surrender. When you have prayed from your soul, you will feel the sense of peace and alignment immediately.
When praying for guidance about something, recognize that true, congruent guidance comes organically and naturally. If you wonder about what you should be doing with your life, ask the question and then watch for answers to show up. If you are looking at something and the doors are not opening, stop wasting your energy on it – the answer is clear. It may not be the right time or direction, so instead of resisting the reality of what is, let it go so you can focus your energy on being open to the guidance that is available to you.
Face the facts and work with what is; it will bring you serenity. If you continue holding out for a miracle, recognize that you are wasting time and energy. If you are meant to be and do something, everything will fall into place to help you accomplish it – you don’t have to doubt or stay in a holding pattern. Instead of struggling with reality, align with Spirit and surrender the outcome. If things are meant to be, they will unfold and nothing will stop them. If they are not meant to be, your resistance is an ineffective use of energy.
Finally, recognize that Divine timing is not in your control. If you are meant to do something, it will fall into place for you. Stop putting your life on hold for an empty dream; recognize that if reality is not supporting it, it is an illusion. You will have a much more peaceful and serene life if you recognize that you are not in control of timing. Align with Divine timing instead of trying to force the process.
Accept what shows up, surrender attachment to the outcome, and align with Divine timing. Whatever shows up in your life, is indeed the answer to your prayers!
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
Responding To Crisis
Ada Porat - Friday, August 06, 2010
I've been reflecting on the powerful current of transformation that is whipping through our lives right now. Can you feel it? Many of us are being asked to change in unprecedented ways. The message from the Universe lately seems to be that change is inevitable whether by choice or coercion: which would you like?
Far-flung and deep-reaching changes affecting every form of life on the planet challenge us to face the myriad ways in which we have meticulously disconnected ourselves from our environment, ourselves, and each other.
When the worldwide economic crisis first unfolded two years ago, the conventional reaction was to armor up with protection to survive. That armor may have taken on the form of denial, withdrawal or attack. Some of us chose to pretend that the stark realities of life simply don’t exist and therefore don’t require a response from us – resorting to a pathological form of mind of matter. Some bunkered down and withdrew from the flow of life, nursing their deep-seated fears and anxieties from a place of isolation. And others found temporary solidarity in finding scapegoats to blame: the government, the president, big companies, and the like.
While offering temporary respite, these three reactions all avoid the need to take personal responsibility. It is a bit like eating cheesecake every day and then blaming someone else for the fact that you have gained ten pounds!
None of these approaches are effective, because they remove us from personal responsibility and dunk us into a place of powerlessness. In order to effectively respond to crisis, we first need to acknowledge our part in it. Each one of us has participated to some extent in the actions, individually and collectively, that brought us to this place. Only when we accept this reality as our baseline, can we start making appropriate choices to move ourselves and the collective into a more appropriate direction.
The responsibility-avoiding tactics of denial, withdrawal & attack do not make us immune to chaos and crisis. Instead, they incapacitate us from being proactive and keep us stuck in the role of victim. When we block out reality around us, we also block out the potential for meaningful change.
Meaningful change requires that we honestly face what is, so that we can choose how to respond in proactive ways instead of reacting blindly. We need to stop asking why, and accept the current reality which is. The paradox is that we need to first have a conscious awareness of a situation in order to be able to address it. And that process requires that we let our guard down and take the blindfold off.
When we navigate through life consciously, something remarkable happens. We see the hardship and we feel the pain of circumstances, but we are able to reach through these to connect with the Divine Presence beyond. In the midst of crisis and change, we are able to sink beneath the appearance of crisis to reach a deep awareness of inner peace. In the midst of chaos and upheaval, we can sense our connection to the Eternal Source. And from that place, we can respond to circumstances from a place of faith, instead of reacting from a place of fear.
What does an appropriate response look like? It needs to address the factual content of the challenge and it needs to honor the integrity of the context. An appropriate response may require you to get more factual information upfront. It may require that you listen to your gut or your inner guidance. It may require that you face some very unpleasant facts: facing up to personal mistakes made, or acknowledging areas of neglect in your life. It may require that you assess your life and get rid of energy drains: areas of unnecessary conflict or relationships that you have outgrown to create space for other options. It may require that you ask for help from a trusted friend, therapist or other professional. It may even require that you extend yourself outside your comfort zone: short-selling your home or looking for additional work to supplement your income. An appropriate response may include some or all of these steps, yet it will be driven by faith and not by fear.
Times of crisis and change offer us opportunities for unprecedented growth. What initially feels like a cycle of dying to the old, eventually gives way to a rebirth. The quality of rebirth depends on how you process the cycle of death and release. In my own life, I have experienced this cycle of death and rebirth many time, including the past year. This universal law of death and rebirth applies to all of us - so keep the faith during the cycles of death and decline in your life. Rebirth is sure to follow!
During times of chaos and upheaval, it is normal to feel a sense of disconnection and fear. We have a choice over how we will respond. We do not need another layer of reactionary denial, withdrawal or attack to protect us.
A healthier response is to consciously participate with this cycle of death and change by letting go of the old ways, things and situations that have outlived their purpose.
We can open our hearts wider, cultivate our faith and reconnect to our Higher truth. From that place, we can respond proactively to the powerful current of transformation sweeping our planet. When the old has been cleared away, rebirth is sure to follow.
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
Far-flung and deep-reaching changes affecting every form of life on the planet challenge us to face the myriad ways in which we have meticulously disconnected ourselves from our environment, ourselves, and each other.
When the worldwide economic crisis first unfolded two years ago, the conventional reaction was to armor up with protection to survive. That armor may have taken on the form of denial, withdrawal or attack. Some of us chose to pretend that the stark realities of life simply don’t exist and therefore don’t require a response from us – resorting to a pathological form of mind of matter. Some bunkered down and withdrew from the flow of life, nursing their deep-seated fears and anxieties from a place of isolation. And others found temporary solidarity in finding scapegoats to blame: the government, the president, big companies, and the like.
While offering temporary respite, these three reactions all avoid the need to take personal responsibility. It is a bit like eating cheesecake every day and then blaming someone else for the fact that you have gained ten pounds!
None of these approaches are effective, because they remove us from personal responsibility and dunk us into a place of powerlessness. In order to effectively respond to crisis, we first need to acknowledge our part in it. Each one of us has participated to some extent in the actions, individually and collectively, that brought us to this place. Only when we accept this reality as our baseline, can we start making appropriate choices to move ourselves and the collective into a more appropriate direction.
The responsibility-avoiding tactics of denial, withdrawal & attack do not make us immune to chaos and crisis. Instead, they incapacitate us from being proactive and keep us stuck in the role of victim. When we block out reality around us, we also block out the potential for meaningful change.
Meaningful change requires that we honestly face what is, so that we can choose how to respond in proactive ways instead of reacting blindly. We need to stop asking why, and accept the current reality which is. The paradox is that we need to first have a conscious awareness of a situation in order to be able to address it. And that process requires that we let our guard down and take the blindfold off.
When we navigate through life consciously, something remarkable happens. We see the hardship and we feel the pain of circumstances, but we are able to reach through these to connect with the Divine Presence beyond. In the midst of crisis and change, we are able to sink beneath the appearance of crisis to reach a deep awareness of inner peace. In the midst of chaos and upheaval, we can sense our connection to the Eternal Source. And from that place, we can respond to circumstances from a place of faith, instead of reacting from a place of fear.
What does an appropriate response look like? It needs to address the factual content of the challenge and it needs to honor the integrity of the context. An appropriate response may require you to get more factual information upfront. It may require that you listen to your gut or your inner guidance. It may require that you face some very unpleasant facts: facing up to personal mistakes made, or acknowledging areas of neglect in your life. It may require that you assess your life and get rid of energy drains: areas of unnecessary conflict or relationships that you have outgrown to create space for other options. It may require that you ask for help from a trusted friend, therapist or other professional. It may even require that you extend yourself outside your comfort zone: short-selling your home or looking for additional work to supplement your income. An appropriate response may include some or all of these steps, yet it will be driven by faith and not by fear.
Times of crisis and change offer us opportunities for unprecedented growth. What initially feels like a cycle of dying to the old, eventually gives way to a rebirth. The quality of rebirth depends on how you process the cycle of death and release. In my own life, I have experienced this cycle of death and rebirth many time, including the past year. This universal law of death and rebirth applies to all of us - so keep the faith during the cycles of death and decline in your life. Rebirth is sure to follow!
During times of chaos and upheaval, it is normal to feel a sense of disconnection and fear. We have a choice over how we will respond. We do not need another layer of reactionary denial, withdrawal or attack to protect us.
A healthier response is to consciously participate with this cycle of death and change by letting go of the old ways, things and situations that have outlived their purpose.
We can open our hearts wider, cultivate our faith and reconnect to our Higher truth. From that place, we can respond proactively to the powerful current of transformation sweeping our planet. When the old has been cleared away, rebirth is sure to follow.
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
Renewing Joy
Ada Porat - Thursday, July 15, 2010
Are you joyful today? Are you savoring life’s sweetness, or have the challenges confronting you crowded out your joy?
Joy is an essential part of life. It brings new hope and meaning, energizing our actions. The more intense our challenges, the greater our need for joy. And yet, we often get so busy that we neglect the things in life that renew joy.
If you are not exactly dancing through the daisies, don’t despair! Joy can be renewed – and indeed must be nurtured – to provide a counterpoint to life’s harsher realities.
When we are preoccupied with looming deadlines, economic challenges and physical setbacks, it is easy to lose perspective. That loss of perspective allows joy to slip through the cracks, leaving us feeling flat and enervated.
Recently I had one of those days where it was difficult to find joy in things around me. A few friends were in the hospital, I had learned of three others who had just been diagnosed with cancer, a work project had gotten bogged down in bureaucratic paperwork, an unexpected setback resulted in huge bills not budgeted for, and plans for a much-needed getaway needed to be canceled...... get the picture?
The avalanche of developments left me feeling reeling. Where does one even start to address the chaos?
I needed to disengage to get clarity and perspective. Stepping into the lush green of my back garden, I was greeted by a chorus of bird song. That’s when it hit me: These birds don’t know where their food will come from each new day – they sing and chirp from a place of innate trust. They trust in the provision of a benevolent universe.
Jesus reminded his disciples that not even a sparrow falls from heaven without their Creator’s knowledge. Likewise, even the hairs on our heads are known and numbered by that loving Presence.
As I took time out from the hectic demands of life, I felt the cool breeze on my skin. A beautiful butterfly fluttered around the geraniums, and I saw a baby gecko emerging from the vine to sip from a water drop on a blade of grass. In the corner, a humming bird was bathing in the very top of the fountain, tossing the water over its tiny body with one wing and then shaking it off before repeating on the other side.
Little things, and yet they had a huge impact on me. I realized that joy is always available in the small things of life – we simply get too busy and distracted to notice.
Even when faced by huge issues in life, we can reconnect to joy by noticing and appreciating little things: the friendliness of a checkout clerk, a handwritten note from a friend, the warmth of a child’s hand, the furry love of a pet, the restorative beauty of nature, the taste of fresh strawberries, the comfort of a bed at the end of the day…
The makings of joy are all around us, waiting to be discovered. They are everywhere in little things that truly matter. Together, they add up to restore our joy. Next time you feel overwhelmed, take time to connect to the little things, and you will find your joy renewed.
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
Joy is an essential part of life. It brings new hope and meaning, energizing our actions. The more intense our challenges, the greater our need for joy. And yet, we often get so busy that we neglect the things in life that renew joy.
If you are not exactly dancing through the daisies, don’t despair! Joy can be renewed – and indeed must be nurtured – to provide a counterpoint to life’s harsher realities.
When we are preoccupied with looming deadlines, economic challenges and physical setbacks, it is easy to lose perspective. That loss of perspective allows joy to slip through the cracks, leaving us feeling flat and enervated.
Recently I had one of those days where it was difficult to find joy in things around me. A few friends were in the hospital, I had learned of three others who had just been diagnosed with cancer, a work project had gotten bogged down in bureaucratic paperwork, an unexpected setback resulted in huge bills not budgeted for, and plans for a much-needed getaway needed to be canceled...... get the picture?
The avalanche of developments left me feeling reeling. Where does one even start to address the chaos?
I needed to disengage to get clarity and perspective. Stepping into the lush green of my back garden, I was greeted by a chorus of bird song. That’s when it hit me: These birds don’t know where their food will come from each new day – they sing and chirp from a place of innate trust. They trust in the provision of a benevolent universe.
Jesus reminded his disciples that not even a sparrow falls from heaven without their Creator’s knowledge. Likewise, even the hairs on our heads are known and numbered by that loving Presence.
As I took time out from the hectic demands of life, I felt the cool breeze on my skin. A beautiful butterfly fluttered around the geraniums, and I saw a baby gecko emerging from the vine to sip from a water drop on a blade of grass. In the corner, a humming bird was bathing in the very top of the fountain, tossing the water over its tiny body with one wing and then shaking it off before repeating on the other side.
Little things, and yet they had a huge impact on me. I realized that joy is always available in the small things of life – we simply get too busy and distracted to notice.
Even when faced by huge issues in life, we can reconnect to joy by noticing and appreciating little things: the friendliness of a checkout clerk, a handwritten note from a friend, the warmth of a child’s hand, the furry love of a pet, the restorative beauty of nature, the taste of fresh strawberries, the comfort of a bed at the end of the day…
The makings of joy are all around us, waiting to be discovered. They are everywhere in little things that truly matter. Together, they add up to restore our joy. Next time you feel overwhelmed, take time to connect to the little things, and you will find your joy renewed.
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
Remembering Your Source
Ada Porat - Wednesday, June 30, 2010
One of the challenges of the spiritual life is to remember our Source at all times: during good times, but especially during those times when we feel most undeserving, unworthy and blocked.
When circumstances threaten to overwhelm us, our eyes can move off the goal and onto those frightful circumstances… and all of a sudden, we may feel very small, alone and separate.
In that space of feeling insignificant, we tend to retreat from others, and we step out of the flow of life. We shut out the flow of love and blessing, filled with emotions of dread instead.
But there’s more to life than the ups and downs of your changing emotions!
You see, when we allow our emotions to lead the way, we set ourselves up for a rollercoaster ride. Our emotions change with the weather (or sometimes because of it)!
The truth is that you are not your emotions.
You are the consciousness in which emotions surface and subside like small waves on the ocean. Just as the ocean is not affected by the rise and fall of the waves on its surface, you need not be affected by your emotions… provided that you identify not with your emotions, but with your True nature.
Your True nature is consciousness or Spirit. It emerged out of the Allness of Divinity to experience and express itself through physicality.
You are not your physicality; instead, physicality is simply the medium through which you choose to express yourself in this life. You are not your emotions, either; your emotions are the wave forms of expression inherent to the physical experience.
The findings of science and spirituality concur in that we are more than the physical world in which we live.
Quantum physicist David Bohm expressed existence as an interconnected hologram where each particle contains a perfect representation of the whole; the totality of the whole being implicated in the order of its parts.
You and I proceeded from this Implicate Order into individualized or expression, yet we remain connected to each other and to the Whole.
When the circumstances of your individual experience appear overwhelming, try to remember that you are connected to that Whole, the Source where all begins and to which everything ultimately returns.
Remembering your Source restores your awareness of your true nature and power. It aligns you to the Origin of all life and possibilities.
Looking at life from that place of connection, things look different. Instead of seeing the divide between you and success, health or other people, you can now focus on the common ground connecting you… and in seeing that, reach out in new and different ways.
When your remember your connection to your Source, you can choose new actions and outcomes that more accurately reflect your Higher nature.
This is the inner space where miracles happen!
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
When circumstances threaten to overwhelm us, our eyes can move off the goal and onto those frightful circumstances… and all of a sudden, we may feel very small, alone and separate.
In that space of feeling insignificant, we tend to retreat from others, and we step out of the flow of life. We shut out the flow of love and blessing, filled with emotions of dread instead.
But there’s more to life than the ups and downs of your changing emotions!
You see, when we allow our emotions to lead the way, we set ourselves up for a rollercoaster ride. Our emotions change with the weather (or sometimes because of it)!
The truth is that you are not your emotions.
You are the consciousness in which emotions surface and subside like small waves on the ocean. Just as the ocean is not affected by the rise and fall of the waves on its surface, you need not be affected by your emotions… provided that you identify not with your emotions, but with your True nature.
Your True nature is consciousness or Spirit. It emerged out of the Allness of Divinity to experience and express itself through physicality.
You are not your physicality; instead, physicality is simply the medium through which you choose to express yourself in this life. You are not your emotions, either; your emotions are the wave forms of expression inherent to the physical experience.
The findings of science and spirituality concur in that we are more than the physical world in which we live.
Quantum physicist David Bohm expressed existence as an interconnected hologram where each particle contains a perfect representation of the whole; the totality of the whole being implicated in the order of its parts.
You and I proceeded from this Implicate Order into individualized or expression, yet we remain connected to each other and to the Whole.
When the circumstances of your individual experience appear overwhelming, try to remember that you are connected to that Whole, the Source where all begins and to which everything ultimately returns.
Remembering your Source restores your awareness of your true nature and power. It aligns you to the Origin of all life and possibilities.
Looking at life from that place of connection, things look different. Instead of seeing the divide between you and success, health or other people, you can now focus on the common ground connecting you… and in seeing that, reach out in new and different ways.
When your remember your connection to your Source, you can choose new actions and outcomes that more accurately reflect your Higher nature.
This is the inner space where miracles happen!
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
Timeless Healing Wisdom
Ada Porat - Monday, May 31, 2010
There is a world of difference in the approaches to healing found in western allopathic medicine and in traditional Chinese medicine. In the Western world, physicians are trained to separate mental, physical and emotional symptoms to address the root cause of an illness. In contrast, Chinese medicine views the patient as a whole, with all aspects interrelated.
Clearly, there is a time and a place for each approach; often, the best approach is a combination. Numerous medical studies in the west have shown the correlation between emotional health and physical ailments such as heart disease, cancer and autoimmune disorders.
In Chinese medicine, feeling any emotion intensely is considered an imbalance. When there is balance among mind, body and spirit, every experience is processed in a natural, fluid way. This allows one to experience the full range of emotions without getting stuck in any one area. Stuck emotions block energy flow and can lead to illness.
Chinese medicine associates each organ with an emotional spectrum. To restore balance in the body, an organ or system is treated along with the predominant emotion linked to that particular organ.
For example, the kidneys are associated with strength and willpower - and on the negative end of the spectrum, with fear. The lungs and respiratory system are connected to our sense of order and stores a range of emotion that can range from perfectionism at one extreme to grief at the opposite end. The liver supports planning and decision-making - skills needed to manage life well. At the far end of the spectrum, the liver also stores feelings of anger. The heart represents the center of body and soul; the emotions associated with this organ range from sadness to joy. The stomach can store emotions ranging from sympathy to worry.
These emotional-physical ties are not quite as simplistic as presented here to illustrate the principle. In practice, it takes into consideration a number of other interrelated factors that assist in identifying areas of imbalance and restoring balance to all levels of being.
At its core, traditional Chinese medicine holds that all disease indicates a need for change in one of three basic areas of life - physical, emotional or lifestyle.
When we resist this need or do not know how to make the necessary change, it sets up conflict that expresses as symptoms of illness. By facing the issues that life brings your way and being willing to address them, you can eliminate energy drains and blockages.
This comprehensive approach offers many valuable guidelines to promote health and well-being in body, mind and spirit. A few of these concepts are offered here - integrating some of these concepts into your life can reward you with more balance and well-being.
Live in harmony with the seasons. The winter months are valuable for rest and rejuvenation; in the spring, we ramp up activity. Summer is an appropriate time to expand and expend energy in many activities, while in autumn we can benefit by slowing down, evaluating and retreating from excess activity.
Follow the light. Before the invention of electricity, people got up at sunrise and went to bed soon after sunset. This instinct to follow light is a good one - it has been shown to increase longevity and protect health. Early morning exercise can increase cellular oxygen and boos the metabolism all day long for increased productivity. By evening, it is helpful to switch to relaxing activities that allows one to unwind and prepares the body for sleep.
When illness sets in, respect your body and mind - take time off to heal. Instead of popping medication at the first onset of a cold, for instance, it is a good idea to tough it out (within reason, of course). Let the cough and congestion run their course naturally, so your body can rid itself of pathogens and toxins. Use natural substances such as water, whole fresh foods and spices to strengthen your body and provide the resources required for recovery.
Recognize that disease may be happening for a reason. Illness may be an indication of working or playing too hard, or of lack of proper self-care. Use the symptoms of disease as a wakeup call to review behavioral or lifestyle patterns, and make the necessary adjustments to restore balance.
Remember, true healing always involves increasing awareness. Illness is a call and an opportunity to evaluate your internal state. Medication may sedate painful symptoms, but true healing requires you to evaluate the choices that brought you to your current situation so that you can make different choices. Are you heartsick about something... suffering from anxiety... or feeling stuck in a work or relationship situation? When you identify the issues that are creating toxicity in your life, you can make healthier choices to help you heal in every way.
Use daily reflection as a conscious tool to balance your energy. Think about what things are truly important to you and how you are using your energy to work toward those goals. Differentiate between essential needs and things that don’t really matter. This process will free up your time and energy to focus on what truly matters in your life.
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
Clearly, there is a time and a place for each approach; often, the best approach is a combination. Numerous medical studies in the west have shown the correlation between emotional health and physical ailments such as heart disease, cancer and autoimmune disorders.
In Chinese medicine, feeling any emotion intensely is considered an imbalance. When there is balance among mind, body and spirit, every experience is processed in a natural, fluid way. This allows one to experience the full range of emotions without getting stuck in any one area. Stuck emotions block energy flow and can lead to illness.
Chinese medicine associates each organ with an emotional spectrum. To restore balance in the body, an organ or system is treated along with the predominant emotion linked to that particular organ.
For example, the kidneys are associated with strength and willpower - and on the negative end of the spectrum, with fear. The lungs and respiratory system are connected to our sense of order and stores a range of emotion that can range from perfectionism at one extreme to grief at the opposite end. The liver supports planning and decision-making - skills needed to manage life well. At the far end of the spectrum, the liver also stores feelings of anger. The heart represents the center of body and soul; the emotions associated with this organ range from sadness to joy. The stomach can store emotions ranging from sympathy to worry.
These emotional-physical ties are not quite as simplistic as presented here to illustrate the principle. In practice, it takes into consideration a number of other interrelated factors that assist in identifying areas of imbalance and restoring balance to all levels of being.
At its core, traditional Chinese medicine holds that all disease indicates a need for change in one of three basic areas of life - physical, emotional or lifestyle.
When we resist this need or do not know how to make the necessary change, it sets up conflict that expresses as symptoms of illness. By facing the issues that life brings your way and being willing to address them, you can eliminate energy drains and blockages.
This comprehensive approach offers many valuable guidelines to promote health and well-being in body, mind and spirit. A few of these concepts are offered here - integrating some of these concepts into your life can reward you with more balance and well-being.
Live in harmony with the seasons. The winter months are valuable for rest and rejuvenation; in the spring, we ramp up activity. Summer is an appropriate time to expand and expend energy in many activities, while in autumn we can benefit by slowing down, evaluating and retreating from excess activity.
Follow the light. Before the invention of electricity, people got up at sunrise and went to bed soon after sunset. This instinct to follow light is a good one - it has been shown to increase longevity and protect health. Early morning exercise can increase cellular oxygen and boos the metabolism all day long for increased productivity. By evening, it is helpful to switch to relaxing activities that allows one to unwind and prepares the body for sleep.
When illness sets in, respect your body and mind - take time off to heal. Instead of popping medication at the first onset of a cold, for instance, it is a good idea to tough it out (within reason, of course). Let the cough and congestion run their course naturally, so your body can rid itself of pathogens and toxins. Use natural substances such as water, whole fresh foods and spices to strengthen your body and provide the resources required for recovery.
Recognize that disease may be happening for a reason. Illness may be an indication of working or playing too hard, or of lack of proper self-care. Use the symptoms of disease as a wakeup call to review behavioral or lifestyle patterns, and make the necessary adjustments to restore balance.
Remember, true healing always involves increasing awareness. Illness is a call and an opportunity to evaluate your internal state. Medication may sedate painful symptoms, but true healing requires you to evaluate the choices that brought you to your current situation so that you can make different choices. Are you heartsick about something... suffering from anxiety... or feeling stuck in a work or relationship situation? When you identify the issues that are creating toxicity in your life, you can make healthier choices to help you heal in every way.
Use daily reflection as a conscious tool to balance your energy. Think about what things are truly important to you and how you are using your energy to work toward those goals. Differentiate between essential needs and things that don’t really matter. This process will free up your time and energy to focus on what truly matters in your life.
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
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