Friday, August 31, 2018

(Not so) Smart TV

It's only three years old. Our very sleek and very hi-tech Smart TV is suddenly not cooperating with me. I go through the self-help prompts and, though it says that it has reconnected to the WiFi network, I still can't get any programming. It keeps connecting to the errors. It hasn't learned anything. My tv is not so smart.

It turns out that it's reconnection to the network was superficial. It kept going back to glitches. In order to connect and come back to working properly, I had to disconnect it from everything and power it down. I had to unplug it completely. It needed to forget everything that was bothering it, that was making it malfunction. It needed to release and be released form the bad stuff it had attached to. In my frustration with the tv, I realized I was connected to the wrong feelings. I felt I was the one attached to the wrong thoughts, the wrong emotions, anticipation, expectations, difficulty, stumbling blocks, unwillingness. I needed not to reconnect, but to disconnect.

Today is a good day to stop connecting to failure, to defects, to faults, to what doesn't work. It's a good day to disconnect from what is not serving us, from what makes us act up and act out, from what makes us break down. Disconnecting will clear us to connect to what inspires us, to strength, to joy, to creativity, to glorious imagination, to fun, to flow. Let's be smart and connect to a deeper intelligence,  appreciation, bravery, dignity, serenity, beauty, laughter, kindness, to love.

Image found at VideoHive.net
© Millicent Maldonado and www.soulcerer.com. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved.

Friday, August 24, 2018

The Golden Rule 2.0

Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. This has been our teaching. In religious traditions and in social conventional wisdom, this teaching has been regarded as The Golden Rule. It is the rule considered to assuage all situations. When I do to another what I would like that other person to do to me, I, theoretically, am doing two things, telling them how I like to be treated and respecting the dignity of the other. However, following The Golden Rule doesn't always bring about what we expect.

The Golden Rule is more about the person that is doing than the others. It is well intentioned, for the most part. Yet, the doing may not be what the other person likes. I, for instance, appreciate long periods of solitude, so I like to be left alone, especially in the mornings. If left alone, other people may feel ignored and disregarded. I like to be taught kindly, lovingly. Other people prefer a tough calling out. It's the way they learn. I like a steady, quiet flow when I work. Other people prefer excitement and lots of activity. I like to fast through noon each day. Other people prefer to eat a hearty breakfast early in the day. Some people like to know the details, while others like the bottom line. To apply The Golden Rule in each situation would possibly strain it.

The Golden Rule 2.0 would actually say to do to others as they would like be done to them. This is even more difficult than the original rule for it implies paying attention, being aware, being mindful, and compromise. It implies understanding, communication, and courage. It implies generosity of spirit. The Golden Rule 2.0 implies heightened consciousness.

Today is a good day to do to others as they would have us do to them. Let's pay attention. Let's listen. Let's do accordingly. By modeling the Golden Rule 2.0 we extend an unspoken invitation for others to treat us the way we would like to be treated. By applying The Golden Rule 2.0 we inspire others to do the same.
Image found at redbubble.com.
© Millicent Maldonado and www.soulcerer.com. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved.

Friday, August 17, 2018

Choosing another thought

I was preparing a workshop for overwhelmed women when I myself became overwhelmed after a disheartening episode. Overwhelm took over to the point of losing my breath and becoming physically agitated. I lost my appetite, my ability to think clearly, and my ability to focus. It affected my creativity, productivity and service. It was just too much.

Just when we think we're done with certain situations, attitudes, or people, life has a way of presenting those very issues back to us. And so it was for me. There I was with so many things to do, but, instead of doing what I needed to do, I kept ruminating on the incident, on what was bothering me. In my mind, everything became wrong–my plans, my life, my choices, my dreams, me. I was coloring everything with what I was feeling at the moment and what I was feeling came from what I was thinking. What was I thinking? I needed to choose another thought.

Choosing another thought, one that raises us, that moves us forward, that directs our being away form inner and outer conflict, gives us power. When we do so, we're no longer victims to wrong-mindedness, rampant emotions, and impulsive and hurtful behavior. Today is a good day to choose another thought. When overwhelm or distress takes over, let's choose to think something different. We can choose This too shall pass, I only have to get through today, I'm capable of being calm, I choose peace, This is only one moment out of my life, or It is what it is. Thoughts like these release our resistance to higher ground and disengage us from wrong perceptions. These thoughts allow a cool down in order for us to center ourselves and gather new thoughts. Our new chosen other thoughts can also be images that remind us of kindness, love, generosity, joy, and compassion. In doing so we can generate those feelings as well.

I chose another thought today. I chose this image of my son who warmly smiled at me at my worst and hugged me. This image, this thought, allowed me to let go of what I cannot control, to remember what matters, to remember love, to reach for gratitude and to breathe slowly and deeply enough to come back to center, to come back to me, to come back to love.

Image found at amazon.com.
© Millicent Maldonado and www.soulcerer.com. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved.

Friday, August 10, 2018

The light is out

I keep a tall white candle lit on one of my altars all the time. When it is almost out, I light another one, as a symbol of and a calling for continued light. I keep a candle lit all the time, well, almost. Sometimes, I let it go out, I don't light a new one. I let it go dark. I spend a while without the light. I let my soul experience the darkness.

This happens during moments of turmoil and difficulty. It is not coincidental. I used to fight it and take it personal. Now, I embrace it. I take these light-out moments to go deep. I don't particularly contemplate or reflect during these periods. I don't make any conclusions. I go deep and listen and observe. I surrender and just watch.  The more I practice it, the more I attune.

Though it is not wise to spend too much time in the dark, this is a healthy practice that can help us become wiser and more aware. And, of course, more thankful for the light, for the blessings, for the joy. Dark nights, when reverenced, can become a source of spiritual bounty and deeper understanding, and bring us to communion with our souls.

If this is where you are, today is a good day to rest into the darkness. Let's be still, not resist, observe, listen. Surrender. We will know when to come back to light. While in the dark, we will sharpen our skills of observation, attune our heart's ear, hone our perception with higher understanding, and harmonize with our soul. This surrendering is a prayer not unlike the prayer said in the light. It is an act of faith and the dawn of emotional healing.
Image found at fineartamerica.com.
© Millicent Maldonado and www.soulcerer.com. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved.