Philosophy - An Examined Life | Living The Emerson Rule

June 22, 2022June 22, 2022

Gotta Know What to Share – When to Share

Excuses diminish when I put a stake in the ground and declare an intention. Sharing can release blocks and reveal resources. My community boosts and encourages me to advance, and that momentum is priceless.

Expressing an objective also attracts advice. Some welcome, some not – it depends on the audience and sensitivity of the disclosure. Will my intention weather the input and resemble what I dreamt?

The alchemy is in knowing what to share, when to share and who’s listening.

In September 2013, Seth Godin introduced Krypton College – and I learned how to pick myself and start a project that matters. The program sunset years ago, but the know-how lives on.

*_{KRYPTON COURSE #001; From the work of Seth Godin}*

Applying the coursework provided by Seth and his team, I chose my project and committed to its launch date, sharing it with my Krypton College cohorts. Using the “SHIPIT JOURNAL” (Download a free pdf from Seth here) – I fleshed out my fears, identified advantages and hurdles and came up with a game plan. Living The Emerson Rule was conceived.

My SHIP date was May 31, 2014. I gave myself 8 months – which seemed like a long time, until it wasn’t. My first post was May 29. My people supported my efforts, encouraged me when I wavered and celebrated when I hit my mark.

But what about the stuff out there on the edge of crazy? What about the dreams and desires society calls eccentric or peculiar?

Recently I found Abraham and the works of Esther Hicks. They tell me to keep my ideas to myself until they’re fully developed.

Neville Goddard also counsels me to “walk in secrecy.” Doubt and skepticism can spoil fledgling ambitions. Trying to explain or defend a fanciful belief throws me off. Neville says to “tell no man of your spiritual romance” as it steeps. Protect it as it matures and grows. Trust that giddy delight and enjoy the faith that evidence will appear.

The distinction between sharing and staying mum lies within. My desire to write and create a blog was well-known; just waiting on my ass to take action – sharing gave me the nudge I needed. Newer revelations, however, are wraithlike and tender. They’ll poke their head out in conversation – at the right time to the right people. Until then they are in my care.

“I’ve come to know that what we want in life is the greatest indication of who we really are.”
― Richard Paul Evans, The Gift

May 26, 2022December 30, 2022

This Race is Already Run … Welcome to the Real World

When I watch and pay attention the universe reveals connections. I especially enjoy seeing random, unrelated topics dovetail elegantly.

Recently I heard Neville Goddard truisms in the pop-rock song “Elemental” by Tears for Fears: “.. this race is already run ..”

Neville continues with: “Creativeness is only a deeper receptiveness, for the entire contents of all time and all space, while experienced in a time sequence, actually coexist in an infinite and eternal now.” He recommends:

“Live your life in a sublime spirit of confidence and determination; disregard appearances, conditions, in fact all evidence of your senses that deny the fulfillment of your desire.”

“Ignore the present state and assume the wish fulfilled. Claim it; it will respond.”

So, is the world finished – deterministic? What of Free Will – these desires and wishes? Or is creation done and Free Will still exist?

The compatibility of Free Will and Determinism is a topic debated by scholars and philosophers for centuries.

Physical reality, the mechanics of cause and effect and our linear experience of time don’t allow for Free Will. Perceptions of destiny are be found here; “if it’s meant to be, it will be.” Deterministic.

Yet I perceive my personal experience as real, genuine and intuitive; my choices independent. Free Will feels fundamental.

Holding these two contradictory positions as true is challenging: but worth pursuing. When I consider the principles introduced by quantum physics – the paradox becomes plausible. For the curious and analytical, check out this YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2UE7tp7oSw

Things don’t happen in a vacuum. We’re interconnected parts of a whole; a whole that feels tangible and certain. This can be helpful or harmful.

The damage is seen when too many people operate on autopilot. Habit, society and family conditioning create an unnecessary deterministic way to live. The cliché “same shit, different day” is thought normal and acceptable. Consistency is called reliability. Being capricious is fickle. Consider instead that consistency may be tedious and dry; and that whimsey and fancy enhance and enrich our spirit.

It seems people flip flop between the contractions depending on what suits them in the moment. The idea of destiny may alleviate my sense of responsibility for what’s in front of my face. A rote life is safe; until it’s not.

“Man is condemned to be free. Condemned because he did not create himself, yet is nevertheless at liberty, and from the moment he is thrown into this world he is responsible for everything he does.”
Jean-Paul Sartre

Without conscious intent to examine my perception of reality; convention and routine create a deterministic life absent of free will. This is a choice. And as a good friend reminds me – no choice is a choice.

Thoreau observed that “the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” My responsibility is to step outside my comfort zone. Push past the fear and discomfort about what other people think or believe.

The desires of my consciousness exist – here in the infinite, eternal now. I AM that. This is my real world.

“Ignore the present state and assume the wish fulfilled. Claim it; it will respond.” – Neville Goddard

“For the first time, she did want more. She did not know what she wanted, knew that it was dangerous and that she should rest content with what she had, but she knew an emptiness deep inside her, which began to ache.” ― Iain Pears, The Dream of Scipio

May 19, 2022May 19, 2022

Purpose is More than We Can See

Infinity ∞
– the numberless number; magnitude
– the Absolute; God
– Zeno’s Paradox; Infinite Regression

The human brain isn’t big enough to truly hold this concept. Meditating on the idea can open channels to see a glimpse on the horizon; or feel it in stillness; get lost in it.

Still, the meaning and significance of infinity continues to be explored and studied by scholars of math, religion and philosophy.

How and where I fit into the boundless is what captivates me. I used to say we’re each a sliver of the universe. That early view of mine contained only my human life as I am here today. That premise is too small. I’m more than a personality and body; my spirit, my soul – my essence is infinite.

Practically speaking NOW is what I have. However, my thoughts and actions contribute not just to this life, but my soul’s growth and wisdom. This can be a calling or a burden. For me, knowing I’m an endless, everlasting consciousness opens the door for variety and freedom.

This personality is a sliver of my spirit, which is a sliver of the universe. Probably too small still – but something I can continue to reflect on.

In her song, Carol King imagined life as a tapestry. Building on this, imagine the masterpiece being formed at a grand scale – for me, by me. The choices I make in this thread of life contribute to the overall tenor of my being.

Purpose is more than we can see.

“We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity.”
― Paulo Coelho

May 12, 2022December 30, 2022

Rock the Boat, Don’t Tip the Boat Over

There are as many ways to make the world better – as there are people.

The determination of those who step up to the front lines is remarkable. They lead important movements, care for the hurt and brokenhearted. The trailblazers guide, influence and motivate – often into uncharted territory.

The frontier I seek, and my preferred way to change the world, is through personal transformation, less ego and doing better. Directing my energy to heal wounds and increase self-knowledge develops me and my relations with my inner circle. As I grow so does my influence – like a rock sending ripples on a calm pond.

A day came when my need to do something MORE exploded. My fight instinct was triggered. So, I did things; large and small. My foray into a world of resistance, politics and social conflict was challenging. Hot buttons were pushed and deeply buried wounds exposed – casting me into a dark place. Forget about rocking the boat, I went into the sea. The experience certainly brought more insights, but it was unsettling and stressful.

Struggles aren’t good or bad, they inform.

My walk through that Dark Night of the Soul reaffirmed and deepened how I want to show up in the world.

By reframing my outlook on obstacles, I found ways to change the world personally and as an ally. Focusing my energy on what I want, not some looming doom – I found the stamina and creativity to contribute.

Symbolically I renamed a folder for email keepers – from “RESISTANCE” to “FREEDOM.” That’s where my ActBlue receipts go. How I participate with the freedom community has evolved and matured. Moments of temper still pay a visit, but they don’t derail me for long.

My internal candle supports the cause, as does my low-key external contribution. Knowing how to personally meet communal moments of unrest is important. Every approach when activated creates a bigger more diverse impact – and is more likely to succeed.

I want to be a part of a world that works together, rocks the boat, when we notice people and communities being wrecked. We’re all different, as are our talents and strengths to make waves. No need to tip the boat over.

“If the shoe doesn’t fit, must we change the foot?”
― Gloria Steinem

Don’t Rock the Boat – Hughes Corporation

April 28, 2022December 30, 2022

Cross Over and Join Me – In The Twilight Zone

Consider infinity, time and eternity. Thought-provoking concepts – potential mind benders.

There’s an episode from the 80’s Twilight Zone, called “A Matter of Minutes” that sticks with me. A couple somehow wake up hours into the future. They’re freaked out to see their home being dismantled and re-built by cloaked humanoids.

Running through the city they don’t see anyone they know. Eventually they learn these builders create the world minute by minute before anyone arrives – but only the bits that are used and observed. They glimpse a mystery and are captivated until they realize they’re trapped. There’s a very 1980’s ending – a bit eyerolling but still twilight zone-y.

How do these futuristic organizers know what bits are needed? That’s what stuck, poking my curiosity about creating the future.

Time is commonly perceived as linear; the way of clocks and days and years – forward moving like we see in the Twilight Zone episode. However, the theories proposed by quantum physics and entanglement allow more room for imagination.

The early 1900’s saw the introduction of the wave-particle theory. This is a new way to consider the physical universe and time. My favorite thought experiment from that era is Schrodinger’s Cat – is the kitty dead or alive?

Not many people go down the quantum rabbit hole, and eternity is a principle more often contemplated by the disciplines of mathematics, philosophy, religion and poets.

If I extend a little imagination and awareness in my day-to-day life, I can tap quantum possibilities. Reflecting on William Blake’s poem helps me go into the feeling of these lofty ideas, holding them briefly before practicality carries me back to the current moment.

Considering possibility just beyond my understanding pushes my mental boundaries, creating a ripe field to sow a future I might not have imagined.

“You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension: a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You’re moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You’ve just crossed over into… the Twilight Zone.”
― Rod Serling, The Twilight Zone