Last Post we talked about changing internal habits, and how this is the most effective way to change your life for the better-and also the most difficult. Your habits and thought processes can make or break the happiness and success you have in life. But let's face it, changing our heart, is one of those things that no one can truly do for us. Having guidance in doing so, such as a meditation teacher or a teacher in another artform that keeps your discipline levels up, is extremely helpful and is also faster than doing it alone. However, if this isn't possible, you can do some work on your own in order to make some gains in improving your life and habits.
Start with observation. If you don't observe yourself, you may as well forget realizing the root of any of your problems. Observing the self is also the true way to meditate. Contrary to popular belief, meditating is not just feeling blissful and escaping the world, it is a tool to observe the self. If you don't want to set aside time to meditate just yet, then start by observing your thoughts and moods throughout the day. The easiest way to do this is to use a journal for a one week period.
After one week, you observe your journal, circling the times of day that you find were the most difficult for you.
How is this helpful? IT IS EXTREMELY HELPFUL!
More detail on how to do this in Part 2 - To come before Thanksgiving!
Laoshi Markle
Head Teacher Gold Summit Institute
President of GSODEC
Director of Buffalo-China Sister City Affairs
This is difficult. I don't like to see the bad habits I have. I hate to admit that I have faults, being wrong or that I have caused harm/pain and suffering to myself or others. It is like re-living the wrongs I have done. It becomes another form of suffering.
ReplyDeleteI have tried observing and have seen that that when ever I am upset, sad, angry or have feelings that I want to suppress, I tend to eat or do something that will make me feel pleasure and escape pain.
Try to look at it not that you are reliving the wrongs that you have done, but that you are trying to correct them. It isn't possible to change the wrongs unless we look at it. Not looking at it, suppressing it or escaping are only very temporary ways of feeling relief. If we have bad habits or wrongdoings, not only are we destined to repeat them again if we don't acknowledge and work to change them, but we will forever run from the truth of who we are. We should accept that we are flawed (not just pay lip service) and we should strive for correction and perfection of the self.
ReplyDeleteAnd in order to improve on ourselves, we cannot escape the suffering of observation of the self. It is not reliving, but a bridge that must be crossed. It's not fun, it can be painful, but if we don't cross it we suffer and suffer and suffer more, for no reason and with no end in sight. But if we do the work, the times and duration of our suffering begin to decrease more and more.