yourintrinsicself

Reflections on life, truth, faith, love, introspection, and transformation.

Fear of losing self in meditation

Sometimes I feel such a deep peace in meditation that I feel afraid that I might get lost in it. Long deeper into this fear, I find that I don't fully trust a mindful life to bring success and purpose.

There is a story in my unconscious that says being at peace throughout the day means not getting anything done.

Today I am seeking to rewrite that story by being productively mindful and at peace.

Care to join me?

Robots and humans

No matter how advanced robots get, they will never be human.

The complexity of dancing between thought and feeling can not be programmed.

How could we ever know a robot or machine to be self aware, if we can not even know that other humans are so without learning into faith?

Morning new beginnings

Every morning is a new start. Today I want to live with joy and faith.

What are you calling into your life this morning?

Dancing with perfection

I have often caught myself living in future scenarios that are perfect, where everything has finally clicked into place.

I have often resisted being fully present to the perfection of having all I need and more in the present moment.

This dance with perfection tends to leave me hopeful and exhausted.

How are you dancing with perfection? Who is the lead?

Fear of fulfillment

I resist peace in my life sometimes because I'm afraid I'll lose out on having any fun. What will I do with my indulgences if I am already fulfilled?

Where are you afraid of stepping into who you can truly be? What seems to be and what is actually at stake?

Why; who, what, where, when, how?

Avoiding the “why” has helped me to get into the details of my existence. Asking why can help me to explore the depth of what is at hand, but sticking to the who, what, where, when, and how helps me to understand the facts around me.

When do you ask why? When do you choose inquiry without asking why?

Fear lives in the anticipation

I have a strategy that has worked well for years. It goes something like this.

  1. Define a goal
  2. Anticipate all potential obstacles to that goal
  3. Plan for how to navigate all potential obstacles
  4. Execute plan
  5. If plan fails, return to step 2 and re-asses obstacles
  6. Iterate planning and execution cycle until goal is achieved

Not a bad approach, right? Yet today I am seeing this through the lense of fear in anticipation. This is a strategy driven by fearing what could go wrong. Each step constantly pushes my awareness out of the present moment and into an unknown and dangerous set of possible future failures.

How could you work toward a goal without summoning the fear that lives within anticipation?

Sunshine on my face

Bright light warms my skin Perfectly balanced to bring heat without harm Like a hug from a giant who knows not to squeeze too hard I feel alive Knowing this is the same sun that warmed the tomato plant that made it's way into my breakfast Knowing this is the same sun that warmed the faces of my ancestors and will warm the faces of my children Knowing this is the same sun that warms the faces of those I've never met as well as those who have sought to harm me in the past I give thanks

Spiral reflection of relationship

Each new relationship in my life is a spiral reflection of past and current relationships. At the center of it all is my own self relationship, which I project into the world through my boundaries, standards, and terms.

The trick is not just to learn through relationships, but to do so in a way that changes the spiral. I think of it directionally.

If I go into a relationship feeling undeserving of this other person, which reminds me of similar past experiences that reinforce a story of self where I am less than worthy, then that spiral reflection will be pulling the relationship towards my expectation of undeserving.

If I go into a relationship feeling bountiful and clear, which reminds me of past healthy interactions that feed a story of self where I am loving and growing through life, then that spiral reflection will pull the relationship upwards toward my aspirational state of being.

How are you building the spiral reflections within your relationships?

Time binding and time transcendence

The concept of time binding is fascinating. Unique to humans, this ability allows us to connect various events and experiences into stories, lessons, and even identities.

Many have argued that this time binding ability is what makes us humans different from all other animals. I have long found these arguments convincing.

However, this morning it feels that my humanity is much more rooted in my ability to transcend time than to bind it. When I am fully present I feel more human than ever, which is a timeless and unbound state.

What makes you human? Can you bind and transcend time?

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