Polarity Consciousness

Good versus Evil

Liberals versus Conservatives

Republicans versus Democrats

Paper versus Plastic

 

Sometimes the right choice is to not to get pulled into the dichotomy.

 

Polarity consciousness is a way of processing the universe as differentials. It has been argued that this it is a result of our fall from enlightenment to where we are today.

 

Some would even say it is a bad thing.

 

Oddly calling polarity consciousness a bad thing, is a result of polarity consciousness. It is the way 99.9 percent of the people on the planet see the world and process information. I would say 100 percent, but I’m certain there are few people processing on a higher level than me, though I don’t believe they are running the planet or in our government.

 

Pain is meaningless without pleasure. Good is impotent without evil. We process the world, and experience the world, through the differentiating of one thing versus another. In order to judge one thing, it must be contrasted against another.

 

There are a number of gotchas or challenges involved in polarity consciousness that we should be aware of.

 

Having an understanding of how we process ideas can help us guard against that process being used to manipulate us. A great example of this a political election. We typically come out of a major election with a polarized country. Half the country thinks the other half is crazy. Half things they have won and the other half feels they got the shaft.

 

In truth everybody is a little crazy and everybody is a little sane.

 

If we could see past the labels applied to us by people that are trying to manipulate us, we could see, we really have a lot in common. Everybody on the planet really just wants to live a life of meaning and value. But we get caught up on polarizing ideas and think we must defend our side against perceived attackers.

 

Polarity consciousness leads to this type of thinking, and this type of thinking leads to separateness and destructive behaviors.

 

Polarity consciousness leads us to the illusion that we are individuals separate from others. Regardless of your metaphysical leanings, this type of thinking is blatantly false.

 

Walk with me down this path for a moment.

 

A person believes they are right and the other group is wrong. They wish the argument, and the group, would simply go away. Magically they get their wish. The next week they find a new group to disagree with and that group goes away. This would continue until there were only two people left on the planet. They would have a disagreement and now it’s just one man (or woman) and the planet. Then that individual would get in an argument with the planet and suddenly find they got their wish and they were all alone. Needless to say living without others and the planet is unsustainable.

 

This falsehood leads to wars over meaningless differences.

Gratefully nobody has been given this banishment power. When someone tries to seize it, for example Hitler, the world fights back.

 

But this kind of thinking is still going on today because we operate in polarity consciousness.

 

Given the state of our consciousness as a planet, it is difficult if not impossible to escape this way of thinking. In mindful states and during meditation we can catch glimpses of what other perceptions of consciousness are like. But in the end we return to this physical world where we perceive ourselves as ‘other’.

 

Take some time today to remember we are all in this together. Remember your connectedness to others. Unite in the common cause of living a life of value and meaning.

Namaste,

Kevin

polarity-consciousness

Rebellious Gratitude

 

The season of family and remembrance is upon us. As we enter this time it seems that the world has set siege upon our senses. Black Friday appears to be turning into black week. Economists are warning that we are in an almost apocalyptic recession. To make matters worse December 21, 2012 is almost upon us. Some say it will be the actual apocalypse, some say the end of the mayan calendar, and still others believe it’s just the day before December 22.

What do we do with all this input and chaos? How do we deal with the end of the world, the end of the economy and the eager businesses looking to max out your line of credit?

Appreciate it.

If the world were to end tomorrow how would you want to behave today? Wouldn’t you want to be the same lovely person that you’ve been your whole life? Continue living to help people, enrich the lives of others and generally practicing ahimsa (avoidance of violence).

Express gratitude in your life for the inciter’s of passion (walmart, target, et al.). You don’t have to agree with them or their tactics. But there is nothing inherently evil or wrong about black friday. It’s just another day on the calender where awareness will serve you better than hysterics.

Appreciate the world for what it is today, just in case it’s gone tomorrow. And most of all live in the moment that is now, for the moments beyond this one are never guaranteed.

Most of all, live your life in rebellious gratitude. Appreciate everything and everyone for what they bring to the table.

I wish you all peace, love and joy in this holiday season. But most of all, I wish you awareness.

I am grateful for all my readers. Thank you.

Namaste, Kevin

 

 

Don’t Allow The Future To Harass You

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“Don’t allow the future to harass you. Express what you need, and be grateful for what you have.” – Greg Nelson

 

As I was meditating this morning, I was struck by the power of this statement. Starting my own business, and having end of year goals looming in front of me, I find, I have begun to doubt myself, my abilities and my future. How can I grow the business? What will happen tomorrow? How can I feed my family and my passion at the same time?

 

I have found recently that my thoughts tend to dwell on my finances instead of my passion. And the financial thoughts lock me up creatively and emotionally. So when I came across this saying during my meditation this morning, I was struck by how important it is to me right now. I have been allowing the future to harass me.

 

As we approach this time of cultural gratitude (Thanksgiving), here in the US, it is crucial to embrace the opportunity for thankfulness. Thanksgiving is a beautiful time to pause and reflect on what we have. So why not get started a week early and appreciate the things in life that keep us going. Be grateful for your passions and your quirks. Appreciate the things that set you apart and the things that bring us all together.

 

Most importantly, be with what is, and not what may be. The future will unfold and become whatever it needs to be. Worrying about the future, dreading it, or trying to force change into it, is just a waste of precious energy. Embrace the river of life that we all flow with, and follow the current to your goals. Embrace your dreams and release the outcome.

Namaste,

Kevin

Embrace Your Falling Leaves

embrace-your-falling-leaves

I was talking to my neighbor this week as he worked on his front yard. He was complaining about the tree in his yard and how it kept dropping leaves onto his lawn.

Have you ever noticed how much easier it is to spot destructive behavior in others, than in yourself?

If I do something destructive that undermines my energy, I always have a ‘good’ reason. But when someone else does the same thing, I can usually spot it right away. I’ve complained many times about the leaves on my lawn. But it always seemed worth complaining, when I do it. Silly leaves. Upon reflection, silly me.

Destructive? Isn’t that a bit harsh?

Yes, in general I would agree. This is only a mildly destructive behavior. The real challenge comes in how you move forward.

Leaves have to be raked. The lawn needs to be managed. How do you approach it? Do you grit your teeth, steady your resolve, and muscle through it? Or do you accept the action and find the joy in the task?

It’s just plain silly to complain about falling leaves. And sillier still to let it impact your mood. But I’ve done it, and I do it, and I’m working on changing my reaction.

There are so many tasks in our lives that resemble falling leaves. Dirty dishes come to mind for me. I’m really not a fan of doing the dishes, but I really appreciate how the kitchen looks after their done. And I often find that, if I am grumpy when I’m doing the dishes, I’m much less happy with the results.

It takes me just as long to rake leaves grudgingly as it takes me to rake joyfully. But the results on my emotional health are completely different.

Try to identify the falling leaves in your life. The daily maintenance, the people interactions, the tedious tasks that once completed just need to be done again. Embrace these activities and learn from them.

All things change over time.

You may even find that you miss the leaves when their gone.

Though if I never had to wash another dirty dish, I think I would be okay.

Enjoy the time left in autumn!

Namaste, Kevin