Who do we think we are?

Who do we think we are?

If we could suspend our limited subjectivity, if only for a moment, and see ourselves objectively - our species, co-species (and their right to existence), our planetary Home, our Moon, our place within the 'scheme' of things ... perhaps it'd be an easier question to answer.

As you read this, there are most likely sand tornadoes on Mars, lightening storms on Saturn, active volcanoes spewing their inner contents over the surface of Jupiter’s moon Io, stars being formed in the farthest reaches of our galaxy, suns the size of our own condensed to 20Km across and spinning 30 times per second, black holes drawing in matter and sending it to who knows where.

Science currently tells us that our observable Universe, that is all the billions of stars in the billions of galaxies, make up only 4% of the Universe itself, with the other 96% being made of 'dark matter' and 'dark energy', both of which we cannot yet see nor measure, however must exist for the Universe to comply with some basic laws of physics!

If, as one sage observed, we are the eyes through which the Universe sees itself, is it not arrogant to assume that 13.7 billion years of Universal evolution was just for us? And yet without 'us' who or what is observing?

If not for us then what is the purpose of such an extraordinary creation? A construction of unimaginable size and complexity, from the space between galaxies to the space inside atoms, neither of which can we humanly comprehend.

Surely the paradox of human existence is simply that on the one hand we're an irrelevent species on a small spherical rock, orbiting one of 100 billion suns in our galaxy, in the outer suburbs of one of 100 billion (known) galaxies, yet all our spiritual teachings refer to our existence as being of Supreme interest, so much so that our human prime directive is the creation and support of life at almost any cost.

Maybe George Carlin was correct when he said that it doesn't matter whether we 'make' it as a species or not, as we may simply be another failed evolutionary cul-de-sac. The Earth, Moon, Sun, planets, galaxy and Universe will all go about their business irrespective of whether we annihilate ourselves or not. 

And if so, who will be the eyes through which the Universe sees itself?

Maybe we need to ask, 

"Who do we feel we are?"

"Who do we sense we are?"

"Who do we know we are?"

Maybe then we'll find our place in the 'scheme' of things!

EXPECTATION

In a recent experience I learned about the suffocation of expectation!

I and others wanted, needed, a certain outcome, so I did what most people do and set a level of expectation of someone else to deliver an outcome.

As the day unfolded I had this strange sense that the 'other' person who had volunteered themselves to organise the evening, had not done so. My frustration started to rise, my emotion with it, and the 'edge' we put on ourselves sharpened to a point of razor-like delivery.

Then, in a moment of clarity, I realised how much expectation I'd placed on the outcome, how this had built an energetic prison around my friend, and in doing so had suffocated any possibilty for an unfolding other than that which I had expected.

Spontaneity had no chance of expression in my reality.  A 'no win' situation.

What happened next?

Well, literally in the minutes after I had owned my expectation, understood its suffocating and blanketed delivery, decided to withdraw and 'let go' of any outcome or expectation, and own my frustration and grumpiness, a phone call happened, plans were made, the 'someone else' seemed to display characteristics of freedom, and the evening unfolded in what can truly be described as magical and spontaneous!

What did I learn?

That to create an environment of expectation on another (or even ourselves) creates an energetic matrix which confines and limits any possibility to only one: the outcome we expect!  And if this is not in keeping with anothers' unfoldment, then we do indeed create a prison of expectation which for the 'other' cannot be escaped.


By seeing this, owning this, withdrawing this, we remove the energetic shackles and allow for the unfoldment of possibility, sometimes a possibility beyond anything our limited self could possibility expect!

Wow.

Is it really that simple?

On this day, it was ... and it was wonderfully magical!

To Infinity & Beyond!

The Infinity symbol reminds me of Life ... a central overlap that we keep crossing, a knowing place where we may choose to rest and recouperate. 

For some it is the only place we know in Life, as we choose to remain within the confines of our limited Self.

A friend of mine today coined this place as "comfortably numb", a place where frightened Souls may choose to BE for a while - or a whole Lifetime.

In this central place, ignorance truly is bliss, or at least a perception of what we believe to be bliss, for true Bliss would never rest in this central place.  It is only to be found out on the edge.

However for some of us, this is also a rest-less place, a place where our yearning to be more than our belief systems tell us we are, cries out for, even demands, more expression.

As we gain self-awareness, expand our view of who we are and extend beyond our own 'safe' limitations, our rest-less-ness guides us along the outswing, another expedition into a greater unknown, simply to know more of 'what is', 'who is', 'I AM'.

The more we become self-aware the more capacity we have to increase our orbit away from the central place of "comfortably numb".  And as we do we expand our view of who we truly are, and therefore everyone else.

It's almost as if we set ourselves a trajectory that's wider and more encompassing of Life, like an asteroid that returns home to the Sun, only to depart on an even longer and lonelier journey, yet filled with trepidation, excitement, experience and learning.

On our way through the centre we may find and intersect with others on their own journey, if only for a brief moment, as other Souls pass within our orbit. Sometimes these journeys are concurrent and we have the privilege to share both the central and outward experiences. 

At other times these interactions are as brief as a heartbeat and yet their importance is no more or no less, as Time in this place, does not dictate the quality of the interaction.

"I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center"-  Kurt Vonnegut

Another Sage, offering sage advice!

Hang on for the white-knuckle ride of your Life ... it's the only one you have ... this time around, so may as well make it interesting and exciting as you can.

Oh, and try to stay away from "Comfortably Numb". It gets boring after a while!

Wise Words ...

A question posed to His Holiness, The Dalai Lama:

'What thing about humanity surprises you the most?' 




His answer was as follows:


"MAN, because he sacrifices his health in order to make money, then he sacrifices his money to recuperate his health, and then he is so anxious about the future that he doesn't enjoy the present, and as a result he doesn't live in the present or the future, and he lives as if he's never going to die and then he dies having never really lived."

Tomato

In a recent film entitled "Schooling The World", a comment is made about how our western educational model has moved from being one of Wisdom to one of Knowledge, to now, one of Information (or even data?).

Why a tomato?

Well, data might tell me the chemical composition of the tomato, information might tell me its weight and colour.

Knowledge might tell me that a tomato is a fruit, as it contains seeds.

Wisdom, however, tells me not to put it in a fruit salad!

As we are bombarded with more and more information, from screens, iPods and other 'multifunction devices', how do we ensure that we stay 'connected' when so many modalities being presented to us take us away from the very fundamental connection we need to ensure our survival?

Wisdom, in any form, is wisdom and it can come from an Elder, a child, a tree, an animal. Perhaps the trick is not to forget what wisdom 'feels' like, when it is received, so that we may remember it in times of need.

And to do that, surely we must expose ourselves to as much wisdom as we can seek, when we can, and become conscious that the 'information age' is subverting our ability to listen.