I read recently that Wayne Dyer had been diagnosed with cancer. I was initially dismayed when I read this. I knew that he had suffered a heart attack in his past and had got past that…but now cancer? That was shocking to me. My first thought was, ‘How could this happen to someone who appears to be so together?’ The only answer I could come up with is he is having a human moment. No matter who we are, where we have been or what we have done in our lives we can not escape having a human moment from time to time. We can’t protect ourselves from everything that shows up in our life. It would be nice if we could have a perfect life because we think good thoughts but life doesn’t always work that way. Life gets challenging sometimes and we can’t always ‘Abraham’ our experience away. It is what you do with the challenge that really defines who you are in your human moment. Can you see the beauty in your experience of adverse circumstances? Can you have a human moment and show the world your flawed transparency? I am sure Wayne Dyer was just as shocked at the people around him that he had a diagnosis of cancer. But he didn’t try to hide his reality. He was having a human moment. No one can escape having a human moment. The trick is to love yourself even more when you are faced with a human moment and accept what is. That is all you can do…Life exists in a continuous wave form. Sometimes you are on top of the wave and sometimes you are on the bottom of the wave. Don’t get attached to the cycle that you are currently in – all you can be sure of is that things change and the cycle will continue. Try to be grateful for the whole experience that constututes a human moment. It’s what makes us real and more connected in our hearts to the next person we encounter that is having a human moment. We are all one. We are all trying to do the best we can in our human experience. Love and accept yourself exactly where you are right now…
Connecting your awareness to the food you take in
Be mindful of how you feel when you eat specific foods – let’s say a bowl of fresh fruit versus a portion of red meat or a small plate of raw vegetables versus a handful of raw nuts. Does one snack give you more energy than another? Become aware of how your diet affects your energy, mood, motivation, sleep, and even your bowel habits. Keep track of it for three to five days. Notice what you are craving on a regular basis. If you are always craving chocolate, you may be low in magnesium…Dark chocolate is one way to consume more magnesium and it has been to shown to benefit mood if eaten in small doses (less than half a bar per week). Often, if we foster that awareness connection, our bodies will tell us what they need. For instance, if you are suddenly craving avocados, it might mean you are low in good fat, lutein (an antioxidant that protects against age related decline in vision) or even Vitamin E. Start to make that connection between your awareness and your dietary intake; even ask that your body tells you what it needs and you might be amazed at the results and how much better you feel…
Not on my time, rather divine time
Control is such a charged subject for me. From a young age, I convinced myself that I had control over what things happened to me. Being a nervous flyer, I used to obsessively pray on airplanes believing I was the one that would keep the plane in the air. I was wrong. Control is only an illusion. That illusion often makes people feel safer, more in ‘control’ of their lives. What can be useful to do is reframe the events of your life. Even little annoyances that may crop up in your day to day activities can be looked at from a different perspective. For instance, I had some business cards made last Friday – ‘business cards in minutes’…I was rushing to get the cards done and ended up making an error on the cards even though I did proof-read them at the time. I noticed the error last night and I needed new cards in 24 hours. I had to redo them and when I went to the copy store this am, the machine was broken to cut the cards. I could have ranted and raved about my misfortune but I did not. I spent 90 minutes at the shop while the kind employee cut my business cards manually. I was instead grateful that she took the time to help me. Here is an opportunity to reframe the situation. I thought this is not on my time, it is on divine time. I have a specific goal in mind and I take action when and where required but ultimately I don’t have control over the time line; my path will unfold in the right way at the right time. Remember, control is just an illusion. I need to let go of controlling all the little things I do in my life. I do not have to make things happen. I am human and I make mistakes from time to time. When I let go of control and trust in the bigger picture, then I am more in alignment to my goal…and then I am amused and grateful for the little things that pop up to slow me down…I remind myself it is not on my time, rather divine time…