Wednesday Eve Meditation – Removing the Layers
I had the pleasure of hearing Rick Hanson speak at Spirit Rock a few months back. It was an afternoon to honor volunteers and donors and he spoke about gratitude. I found his particular blend of spiritual development and understanding how the mind works interesting. And I also felt an affinity for the positive, calm, and light energy he puts forth. Visiting his website, I discovered he hosts a weekly meditation group in my home town. That was great news as I’ve been looking for a group that is closer, and more intimate, than Spirit Rock Monday nights. I love going out there and will definitely continue experiencing and learning there. But having a group I can participate in that is only a 5-10 minute drive (or a 10-15 minute walk) means less resistance. And the smaller size of Rick’s group is more conducive to getting to know people. The 1:1 sharing we do each week is a particularly nice way to connect with, and be of service to, others, and I know I will be writing more about those exchanges as their value is always tangible.
What I have begun to notice is that I feel better in the days after I attend and I miss its positive effects on the weeks I don’t attend. November and December have been challenging months for me, with some old and deeply embedded insecurities rearing their heads, demanding to be seen and reckoned with. So it was perfect timing for me to find the group. As it happens in life, when we are open and awake to it, what I needed found me!
When I am there, sitting in silence with the group, it is definitely a challenge to relax and Let Go, and especially to calm my mind down. But is is So worth the effort. I remind myself, every time I meditate, that even if I have just a minute or two, here and there, of being fully present, Awake and Aware, that is beautiful and that will have a profoundly positive effect on my life.
Because it is all about this moment. This is where Wisdom and Grace, Love and Potential are.
So, the moments I am able to connect with all of that, as fleeting as they may be, are full of power. That is what matters – the quality of the moment. There’s no need to worry about the quantity.
As with all practices, the more we do it, the more natural it becomes. It can still be challenging, and there may still be resistance to cut through, but once we are really Here again, it begins feeling familiar, like an old friend, a familiar place. And in that comfort we are able to begin taking off the layers of our Being – what we put on to go out into the world and protect ourselves from all that we fear. In Here, in this moment, as our True Self, it is warm and safe and so we don’t need all the layers. Taking them off is a slow and tentative process. The more we remove, the more naked and exposed we feel. But that is why it is so beautiful to do this as our personal practice. Because we know we are safe Here. We know it’s just our infinite self and our connection to the Universal Source of Goodness. When we are really present, we can begin to know our Self and feel that interconnection, and that knowing brings a feeling of safety. So let’s start Here, removing one layer at a time.
If you can imagine it, it is real. You are connected to what already exists.
-Rick Hanson
Related Posts
- Mindfulness and Lovingkindness
- What Do I Want to Grow?
- Science And Nonduality Conference – Impressions
- Creative Pathfinder – Learnings, Weeks 5 – 8
- Falling Down, Waking Up
Creative Pathfinder – Learnings, Weeks 9-12
Four more weeks of learning about how to be a successful entrepreneur a la The Creative Pathfinder. These lessons hone in on: creating a portfolio/online presence, networking, and knowing your business.
Lesson 9
Topic = Your Portfolio/Body of Work/Online Presence
Insights
- It’s more fun, effective, and helpful to show what you do instead of just talking about it (this applies to most areas of life and communication actually)
- Produce a “flagship project that will convince the right people they should make every effort to persuade you to work with them” – great advice, Mark!
If you want to work as a writer, start writing and publishing. If you want to be a film-maker, make films. If you want to be a musician, make music. If you want to be a designer, design something and get it built. If you want to be a marketer, sell something or spread an idea that inspires action.
Natalie Goldberg says the same thing, over and over, about writing. And all the wise leaders on the life path say the same thing about being enlightened: do the practice, your meditation and the application of wisdom and guidance in daily life, each day, throughout your days – that is enlightenment.
Actions
- Write a few solid essays to show publications my wordsmithing skills and style (and then start connecting w/ those publications)
- Ditto for a couple of short stories and ten + poems
- Outline one of my e-book concepts
- Collaborate w/ J on a video poem
Lesson 10
Topic = Finding Your Tribe
Insights
- I agree with Mark that “‘finding your tribe’ sounds a lot more fun to me than ‘networking.’” It reminds us of the primal need to connect and collaborate.
- What are “my industries”?: Communications, Writing, Blogging, Creating/Healing/Empowering, Consciousness/Meditation
Human beings can’t help it: we need to belong. One of the most powerful of our survival mechanisms is to be part of a tribe, to contribute to (and take from) a group of like-minded people…
-Seth Godin, ‘Tribes’ (via Creative Pathfinder)
- It’s really important and healthy to think regularly about all of your talents and gifts.
Don’t forget what you can offer the other people you meet. Whatever your level of experience, you have knowledge, skills, experiences and contacts they don’t…Notice how you feel when you help someone in your network, connect two people who can help each other, or introduce someone new to the network (see Suzanna Stinnett’s Cloud Alchemy Manifesto.)
-Mark McGuinness
Actions
- New business cards (‘cuz I’m almost out and they can be improved upon)
- Consider using “@dorothylarue.com” email address instead of/in addition to gmail accounts
- Research industry (see second bullet above) groups/orgs/events to connect with
Lesson 11
Topic = Growing Your Network/Tribe
Insights
- The web opens up a whole world (literally) of possible connections – for sharing, exchanging, and collaborating.
- Connecting becomes relevant when you have good, interesting, helpful work to share/exchange/collaborate on.
…if you’re doing something meaningful, original or remarkable, it will be much easier to grow your network…
-Mark McGuinness
- I so appreciate Mark’s approach to social networking and hope that many people will heed his advice which is basically: think about what you can contribute and how it will add value to people’s lives.
Actions
- Put some time and energy into Twitter. Can I learn about what interests me there and will it enhance my connecting?
- Grow my offline network – start having coffee dates w/ local like-minded/hearted people.
Lesson 12
Topic = Uniquely Me
Insights
- What am I better at than anyone else?
- Planning/organizing/coordinating/facilitating/managing projects and events
- Developing and fostering positive and progressive communications
- What do I enjoy doing the most?
- Studying/exploring/experimenting with consciousness, cosmology, cultural anthropology, and holistic health
- Developing and doing practices to expand and evolve, heal and empower, and enlighten
- Contributing and sharing through my writings, creations, and connections
- Planning/organizing/coordinating/facilitating/managing projects that are interesting and meaningful
- Developing and fostering positive and progressive communications
- The “unique combination of elements” that is my USP (Unique Selling Proposition or as Mark suggests, and I prefer, “Unique and Special Proposition”):
- I am a talented and creative communicator/coordinator/facilitator/manager who incorporates Universal wisdom and interconnectedness for a Big Picture approach and healthy, positive results (???)
- This is my first attempt at distilling “the essence of Dorothy” so it will be in development for awhile…
- Following your heart, your gut, your vision, your Big Dreams is, I believe, the way to really discover your USP. Mark’s successful career path is a shining example of that and one thing to note is:
it’s an ongoing process of development – we are always evolving!
Actions
- Keep following my heart/gut/vision/Big Dreams and developing my best and brightest potential into great work.
