The Pains You Feel

...are messengers. Listen to them. ~Rumi

This is the beginning. Here is the path toward understanding how and why that which wounds you, redeems you. It is spiritual "alchemy" of the highest order. More from Rumi; "You have to keep breaking your heart until it opens."

This prospect pleases no one. (How can anything hurt this much?--This blistering, burning vessel I've touched--Someone remove this cup from my lips--It's wrenching my soul to tattered strips) Still, the archetypal stories are consistent; we must go where we least wish to. We must embrace the pain that paralysis us.

Life is constantly holding an intervention. The day we come to see "rehab" as a gift, rather than a punishment, is the moment in time the tide turns.

"There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries." ~Shakespeare

Gift Return

I am not so simple to believe you will view all experiences as a gift. Not by a long shot. I honor your initial response for any particular event up to and including rage/hate. (There isn't a lot to be said for suppressing emotions) What I do ask from you is while you rage or hate, don't turn a blind eye to the gifts you do currently enjoy. Don't act as though the roof over your head or the food on your table are of no consequence. (just try going without them for a couple days) Exert yourself in times of trial remembering that, as bad as things may be, you are not without gifts of some sort or another. If we are honest, as bad as things may be, we are usually able to employ or recruit some resource(s) to help alleviate the emotional, physical, mental, or spiritual hell that has descended upon us. 

While any particular situation holds the power to devastate us, it is essential to maintain a reality of that event only being part of our "experience." Again, being honest, there is no rational reason for you to believe of the 7 billion people on the planet, you are somehow exempt from "toil and trouble." That being the case, what we understand is that which we cant eliminate, we mitigate. And the way we mitigate any negative experience is viewing it as a gift. 

Yes, yes, yes, I know. You don't want the particular "gift" you've received. "Return to Sender!," you scream. And you curse God, the devil, and the deep blue sea; "FUCK IT! What did I do to deserve this!," is your mantra. And I get it. I truly do. But as true as that sentiment may be, what I ask of you is to nurture and promote a neural network capable of absorbing the shock of an experience without spinning off into drugs, alcohol, or destructive behavior. And G-G-G is the way to develop that neural network.

The main point I wish to emphasis is your initial response to any given experience doesn't have to be that it is a gift. Only that you consider cultivating the mental dexterity that allows for a day where you may view it as a gift. That will be enough. 

Agreed?

In "Upward Spiral" (12-7-18) gratitude was identified as integral to your well-being. It is a fact. Research to your hearts content and what you'll find is universal agreement that an 'attitude of gratitude' benefits you in a multitude of ways. It stands to reason then, it is in your best interest to develop the ability to view the world in such a way. The question then becomes, "how do I do this?"

My formula is obvious. It is the title of the blog. But identifying a 'mode of being' isn't the same thing as employing that vehicle. Application becomes essential. You can know the right thing to do and still make a choice opposite of what that is. (having an affair is one easy example) So how do we create an environment where we curtail self-sabotage and begin a course of enhancing our quality of life? We purposely, persistently, and emphatically engage our experience as a GIFT. 

I understand how ludicrous that statement can appear. I attempted to address that dichotomy in the very first post of this blog. (Aurora, Co 7-20-12) Whether I was successful or not, the fact remains it is essential for you to devise strategies to withstand the problems life will (undoubtedly) bring you. Viewing every experience (eventually) as a gift is the doorway to gratitude and the means to facilitate the harmonics necessary to overcome destructive behavior.

The book, "Words Can Change Your Brain," (Andrew Newberg and Mark Robert Waldman) asserts "a single word has the power to influence the expression of genes that regulate physical and emotional stress. Positive words can alter the expression of genes, strengthening areas in our frontal lobes and promoting the brains cognitive functioning. They propel the motivational centers of the brain into action."

Can we agree the word "gift" carries a positive meaning? Can we admit "gratitude" is so beneficial we cant afford to limit its use? As we prepare for 2019 can we agree to do something favorable for ourselves? Something that promotes promising implications not only for ourselves, but our friends, family, significant others, careers, and health? If so, then we have a basis for an agreement and as good a start to 2019 as one could hope.

Foreshadowing

If you want to know what 2019 has in store for America listen to, "Spente le Stelle" on YouTube. (Emma Shapplin) The intuitive, spiritual context (harmonics) that resonates through the song are an analogical hammer that embodies the catastrophe that is "Trump." Prepare yourself.

Dear Republicans

Let your credo be this: let the lie come into this world, let it even triumph. But not through me. ~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

I alerted you August 24th (The Unravelling) what was occurring. Now know this; 2019 is when the bill comes due. The cosmic/karmic hammer will fall. It will not be pretty. America will never be the same. (see, Matthew 24:21) Still, there are gifts to be gleaned if only we hold those responsible accountable; something in short supply these days (ie, accountability). Trump is no more than a lightning rod for a decades long Republican campaign of "suppressio veri." To simply tear the top off the weed and neglect the root, well, we've been there, done that. (Watergate) Here in our worst hour lies an opportunity to re-embrace our integrity. May we be cognizant of what is at stake.

Upward Spiral

"The benefits of gratitude start with the dopamine systems, because feeling grateful activates the brain stem region that produces dopamine. Additionally, gratitude toward others increases activity in social dopamine circuits which makes social interactions more enjoyable."

"One powerful effect of gratitude is that it can boost serotonin. Trying to think of things you are grateful for forces you to focus on the positive aspects of your life. This simple act increases production in the anterior cingulate cortex."

"It's not finding gratitude that matters most; it is remembering to look in the first place. Remembering to be grateful is a form of emotional intelligence. One study found that it actually affected neuron density in both the ventromedial and lateral prefrontal cortex. These density changes suggest that as emotional intelligence increases, the neurons in these areas become more efficient with higher emotional intelligence, it simply takes less effort to be grateful."

"Everything is interconnected. Gratitude improves sleep. Sleep reduces pain. Reduced pain improves your mood. Improved mood reduces anxiety, which improves focus and planning. Focus and planning help with decision making. Decision making further reduces anxiety and promotes enjoyment. Enjoyment gives you more to be grateful for, which keeps the loop of the upward spiral going." ~Alex Korb  PHD Neuroscientist

Doctor Korb's book the "Upward Spiral," was published in 2015. This blog began in 2012.

Reflection

You are like a fish in the ocean complaining of thirst. ~Roshi from "afterzen" by Janwillem van de Wetering