Getting Back To Center

In today’s society, it’s rather easy to get off track or to deviate from the center of ourselves. We get caught up in pure minutia and find that we’re swirling without true direction. So, how can we find our way to center?

Backtracking for a moment, and taking an exploratory look at how we got off center, we find that this didn’t just happen. We didn’t wake up one day and find ourselves overwhelmed. Falling to the right or left of center happened in a series of events and through our own lack of diligently paying attention to what’s truly important in our own private world.

For example, this writer expresses on a myriad of topics and can easily find herself completely off track by simply getting caught up in projects, deadlines and the never-ending cycle of finding avenues to get information out to readers. When this reaches a point of fatigue, it’s then that the ultimate realization hits that no one is going to die if they haven’t read the latest “how-to” about beauty and dating or top news for sports, women’s issues, and pop culture. This writer is but one in a sea of thousands. Returning to center requires a level of humility.

You need to humble yourself and accept that what you do, no matter how important it may seem, most likely isn’t life or death and that you have permission to take time for introspection. Introspection is needed to find your way back to center. Take the time to quiet your mind and find the valuable in your own private world. Is it your partner, children, family, or friends? When you are able to answer this question, you can move forward and reach out to the valuable and begin to find your way back to center.

Learning to relax, really relax

In our never-ending busy, “gotta get it done” world, we are generally unaware of the toll that this type of lifestyle takes on our minds and on our bodies. Well, we’re unaware until we reach a crisis of some sort and yes, the crisis is inevitable if we continue on a path of non-stop movement. Of course for many of us, the first thoughts that pop into our mind are, “I can’t slow down, I have too much to accomplish” and “I relax, I relax on the weekends”.

Let’s take a look at the first thought. “I can’t slow down, I have too much to accomplish”. Really? Is anyone going to die if you don’t … Fill In The Blank? Take a step back and take a moment of introspection. Ask yourself if everything that you need to do each day really needs to be accomplished. With true introspection, the answer will most likely be that you don’t need to get everything finished in one day. This is not an advocacy for being lazy; it’s a look at what’s truly important to you and a step towards self-awareness.

If we look at that first thought a little closer, and remember that nothing is going to get accomplished if you’re unable to function, this may give you good pause to think, discern and get closer to true self-awareness. Moving on to the next thought, “I relax, I relax on the weekends”. If you’re a truly busy person, you most likely are on the go just as much on the weekend as you are throughout the week. Learning to truly relax can actually be uncomfortable for those of us who are hardcore workaholics. So, how can we attain a real state of relaxation?

First, you must know that this takes practice and secondly, realize that once you’ve mastered true relaxation, you’ll be able to be in a relaxed state in the middle of a board meeting. There are a variety of ways in which to achieve relaxation, it’s up you to figure out what works for you as an individual.

Some examples of reaching a relaxed state are:

• Aromatherapy
• Guided Imagery
• Massage
• Meditation
• Progressive Muscle Relaxation
• Yoga

Check back as we break down each of these relaxation techniques! There is but one ride in this life … enjoy the journey!

Celebrating Differences In A World Of Judgment

A quote by Audre Lorde, “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences,” may best sum up the problem with an individual’s view of diversity. We can look at the world around us and see judgment of others. But, why? Why are we so intolerant of those that are different from us?

The simplistic answer is fear. The complicated answer is a lack of self-awareness. Recently, I interviewed C.J. Wilson. The interview was for another media outlet, but C.J. Wilson is a modern example of an uncelebrated difference, an intolerant difference. For readers who are unaware of who C.J. Wilson is, he is a professional athlete who adheres to the Straight Edge lifestyle. Straight Edge is mainly about clean living -- no alcohol, tobacco or caffeine. Our dear C.J. has received more than his fair share of slack simply by being different.

As a professional athlete, doesn’t this lifestyle make for the perfect role model? In a profession filled with bad behavior, of course it does. So why would this young man be called to the carpet for promoting a healthy and positive lifestyle? Because this lifestyle, forces us to look at ourselves, makes us question our own decisions and ultimately draws us to the conclusion that perhaps … we could do better for ourselves. C.J. is one very simple example of intolerance. If we step back and take time to get to know ourselves and begin to feel secure within whom we are, we are then free to enjoy and celebrate the differences of others.

©2013 Journey To Self, All rights reserved. 

Dealing With Negative People

When’s the last time you had to deal with a negative person? How did you handle it? Did you attack back, navigate through the situation with grace or walk away feeling bad about yourself?

Taking a moment to review a negative situation, while we’re calm, allows us to think about productive avenues for handling future negative people and situations. (Seriously reviewing any past situation allows us to think of better alternatives for the future.)

You may ask, why bother to have any forethought about our responses? The answer is simple; we damage ourselves by feeding into other people’s cycle of negativity!

Wherever we go, we are inevitably going to face people who are negative, people who oppose our ideas, people who piss us off or people who simply don’t like us. That’s the way life is, we are all, thankfully, different. Our differences are not the cause of conflict but they do trigger our emotions. Our emotions are what drive us back to our basic survival instinct of React and Attack. But, we have the ability to keep our emotions in check and control our responses.

Have you ever noticed that negativity spreads? I’ve found that if I’m around a negative minded person, their negativity starts to affect my thoughts and judgments. I’ve learned that when people initiate negativity, it is a direct reflection of their obvious self-dissatisfaction. People are often so bored and unhappy with their own lives that they want to bring others down too. Reacting to someone who is negative will only trigger anger and additional negative responses from that person. If we do respond, we have wasted our energy upon the unproductive. Energy wasted on negative people is energy that could have been spent on a million other, far more important issues.

Some people may have a less than articulate way of expressing themselves, it may even be offensive, but they are still entitled to do so. They have the right to express their own opinions and we have the right and willpower to choose our responses. There is a wonderful quote by Alex Noble, “If I have been of service, if I have glimpsed more of the nature and essence of ultimate good, if I am inspired to reach wider horizons of thought and action, if I am at peace with myself, it has been a successful day.” Noble sums up the true spirit of being at peace with one’s self. It’s a beautiful quote and perhaps one that we need to remember at the end of the day.

There is but one ride in this life … enjoy the journey!

©2010-2013 Journey To Self – All Rights Reserved

Stress and Finding A Balance

Everyone is affected by stress in one way or another. Managing stress, at times, can feel overwhelming. But, it is an issue of how we view and think about a trying situation, and then taking proactive actions.

You can peruse the Internet and find thousands of tips to combat stress, many of which are common sense actions such as, exercising, eating well and taking time for you … the list goes on. Have you ever thought about looking at the internal instead of the external?

Getting to know who you truly are is number one on my list of ways for combating stress. Be willing to take the time for introspection. I’m talking about real introspection, the type where you look at and acknowledge your faults, as well as your strengths. So what happens after you know all the pluses and minuses about you? You now have a healthy emotional arsenal to draw upon.

There is but one ride in this life … enjoy the journey!

©2010-2013 Journey To Self – All Rights Reserved 

Enjoying The Journey of Change

Ugh! Most of us don’t like change. After all it can be uncomfortable. But, if you've recognized that something in your life needs to change … you've already taken the first big step. And while it’s always important to be mindful of your feelings, it’s fairly easy to get caught up in the negative feelings versus embracing what will ultimately be a successful journey.

Thoughts to enjoy the journey:

1. Remember that you choose to make a change and trust in yourself.

2. When you begin to feel anxious or uncomfortable, embrace those feeling because they are part of the end result.

3. Take assessments often. If you take a step back and assess where you began in your journey, you can see how far that you’ve come toward change.

4. Give yourself a pat on the back. You took the steps to alter what wasn’t making you happy, don’t forget to reward yourself for your self-awareness and strength.

We can acknowledge that change isn’t easy, but it’s important to refocus your thoughts. With your new self-awareness, you can choose to shift your focus from negative and self-defeating thoughts to positive and fulfilling feelings.

There is but one ride in this life … enjoy the journey!

©2013 Journey To Self, All rights reserved. 

DLF Live to bring transcendental meditation to at-risk communities

The David Lynch Foundation announced June 4, the launch its new performance division, DLF Live. The launch will take place at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival on June 15. DLF Live will connect the power of arts and creativity to bring transcendental meditation (TM) to at-risk communities.

The launch will be marked by a screening of, “Meditation, Creativity, Peace,” a documentary highlighting filmmaker David Lynch and his decades-long dedication to TM and the arts. The screening is sponsored by the David Lynch Foundation (DLF) and will be hosted by James McCartney, musician and son of legend Paul McCartney and Bob Roth, Executive Director of DLF.

DLF Live will produce concerts, film festivals, stand-up comedy shows, film competitions, conferences and art events to support the work of the David Lynch Foundation. All proceeds will go towards DLF's work to bring healing through TM to underserved communities. One of DLF Live’s goals will be to raise funds to teach TM to 1,000,000 at-risk youth around the world over the next five years.

Why introduce TM to at-risk youth? The benefits of meditation have been studied and found to be an effective tool by the Harvard School of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Defense, the American Heart Association and the American Medical Association. Meditation. These studies have been proven to reduce acute and chronic stress and stress-related disorders, decrease anxiety and depression, help individuals overcome addictions and simultaneously develop the brain and creative potential of the individual for a healthy, productive and self-sufficient life.

DLF Live’s Board of Advisors includes music industry leaders Russell Simmons, Scooter Braun, Dan McCarroll and Craig Kallman. DLF has previously produced benefit concerts and events featuring Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Wynton Marsalis, Martin Scorsese, Ellen DeGeneres, Russell Brand and Dr. Mehmet Oz. For more information about DLF, please visit their website and for more information about the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival screening, please visit Bonnaroo Cinema.