“Don’t be so predictable.”
Pema Chodron – Compassion Cards; teachings for awakening the heart in everyday life
When I pulled this card out of the pack – to see what the Universe wanted me to meditate about; my first reaction was to put it back and pick another card. Surely I checked the “don’t be predictable” box!
No. Stop. Think. I’m asking the Universe to provide insight. Theoretically using these cards opens my mind; pokes at my perceptions – encourages mindfulness.
Hmmmm…. do I know more than the Universe? Right. Pretty predicable.
In his book Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, Dr. Joe Dispenza connects quantum science, habitual thinking and behavior, brain physiology and meditation – to unleash our power to substantially change. If I want my life to be different I must change my “beliefs about the nature of reality.”
“Until you break from the way you see your present reality, any change in your life will always be haphazard and transitory.”
Don’t be so predictable.
I could say – hey, I’m good with who I am and what I believe. But then if I complain about being left behind, or hate that the world’s changing around me in ways I don’t like – then maybe the “I’m good” is a lie.
“How we think and how we feel produces a state of being, which generates an electromagnetic signature that influences every atom in our world.
“So if we want to change some aspect of our reality, we have to think, feel, and act in new ways; we have to “be” different in terms of our responses to experiences. We have to “become” someone else. We have to create a new state of mind . . . we need to observe a new outcome with that new mind.”
This new way of being creates an altered electromagnetic field to power my world – all the molecules, particles and bits. This field will pull me toward a new reality; or help that reality find me.
According to Dr. Joe, when we “mentally rehearse a desired experience via thought alone, you will experience the emotions of that event before it has physically manifested.” Meditating can help change how we think, feel and act.
“When you begin to feel like some potential future reality is happening to you in the moment that you are focusing on it, you are rewriting your automatic habits, attitudes and other unwanted subconscious programs.”
Maybe a new electromagnetic field of reality can jolt me out of my furious, annoyed and thoroughly appalled frame of mind about the political landscape. I certainly could use some re-jiggering in my brain on this topic.
It will certainly take more than the power of positive thinking. More than just wishful musing. It will require a real shift in my emotional center – insist my psyche be stunned, flabbergasted – dumbfounded even.
Okay – so I meditate. For weeks. Patiently, eagerly; watchfully.
It fascinates me how my revelations come; the mechanisms for my astonishment and wonder. This time it was delivered through “the long read” on April 5th in The Guardian: the demise of the nation state.
“After decades of globalisation, our political system has become obsolete – and spasms of resurgent nationalism are a sign of its irreversible decline. By Rana Dasgupta”
This article brought similar emotions as when I read Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens, and how I feel now reading his book Homo Deus. Understanding and appreciating history – connecting the dots to arrive at today’s state of affairs; can be disturbing, enlightening, exhausting and wholly liberating.
Today’s political paradigm is maybe 100 to 300 years old. In the grand scheme of infinity and eternity – we’re a speck, a dot . . . a dab. What I think, what our world leaders think, is all made up. Made up in our minds, our habits; our beliefs and opinions. Things WILL change. Probably dramatically – and in spectacularly unfathomable ways.
In my own, singular way I can change – so I connect with those around me; move the dialog positively – contribute with actions that elevate. Quit being so pissed off. Stop. Think. Don’t be so predictable.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
“Memory is useful because it gives us a sense of continuity. But memory is also imprisoning because it conditions us in predictable ways.” – Deepak Chopra
Last December it caught my attention that Saturn was moving out of Sagittarius into Capricorn. Saturn was in Sagittarius when I was born and again during a massive life changing period (for me) 28 years ago. It takes 28-29 years for Saturn to come full circle – spending ~2-1/2 years in each sign. Saturn is an important planet. It represents the lessons we have to learn – cycles of achievement and maturity; personally and collectively. According to Wikipedia, Saturn 
Astrology once had my full attention – prompting me to have my natal chart professionally cast 28 years ago. Everything was mapped . . . the position of planets by sign and house at the time of my birth; planetary aspects; Ascendant, Descendent, Midheaven and Nadir of my chart – the whole shebang. Back then knowing my potentialities comforted me as I tackled those internal and external obstacles.
Hell No – no soothsayer was gonna to tell me I was doomed to flounder! Recalling the lines from a poem I learned as a kid (
Being motivated, driven even; I freely acknowledge being a “Type A” personality – for decades! I owned the labels: competitive, organized; ambitious. While I didn’t necessarily like being tagged impatient and aggressive, if I’m honest they applied from time to time.
Allowing life to unfold – “living my way into the answer” as my friend Renee says, is an approach worth taking. Accepting that what I thought to be true may not be … opens my life to new possibilities. Some folks don’t get the opportunity to make this shift voluntarily. Re-imagining life, reinventing myself is a gift. Just maybe not the gift I expected.
The fresh, young millennial in last week’s yoga class had beautiful legs – with a light brown downy pelt of hair; soft and silky smooth. It was dazzling, amazing – lovely. She probably never put a razor to her legs once. Trying to remember why I spend any time at all on that activity. As a kid, I WANTED to shave my legs; made me feel all grown up – glamorous. Decades later that upkeep is frankly a pain in the ass.
Of course there’s THE BIG ONE . . . Hair! When I left the corporate world I gave myself permission to quit the tedious and expensive ritual of dying my hair. Chasing the auburn was wearing my ass out – and I suspected I’d be 100% white/gray. Boy-oh-boy was I scared! What would people think? Would I look old? – Ugly? What would they say at Hip-Hop class? I was extremely nervous, but determined. Luckily I found a private support group on Facebook that helped me re-frame the questions. Instead of wondering what other’s thought – I was encouraged to ask “What do I think?” Instead of worrying about looking old – they wanted to know “How did I like my new look?”
Just not buying that right now. We – men and women – are messy, complicated and peculiar. When I’m authentic, I contribute something unique to the world. It’s easier for me to make physical changes than behavioral adjustments. This experiment is moving my comfort zone . . . providing the impetus to brave the source of my beliefs behind appearances.
From the time I was introduced to Ken Wilbur and “The Spectrum of Consciousness” in his book 
He reminds me that we all travel every phase of growth. We’re born narcissistic infants … who sooner or later discover how family and community can suffer from our behavior. As we mature we learn about science and humanity. We become rational; we discover diversity. We even begin to see how differences create strength. We learn there are universal truths.
We move through stages that Wilbur calls “pre-personal,” (magic / mythic) “personal,” (rational) and “trans-personal” (integral).
“Every now and then,” Wilbur says, “evolution itself has to adjust course.” So we regress to a place where we were once stable – before we can self-correct and move forward again. That place for us was part of a domination hierarchy. A hierarchy that existed before we began to believe that hierarchies don’t exist – that all beliefs and opinions are valid; no matter how ridiculous (“flat-earthers” claim the earth is flat – for real).
