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5 Aug 2004 @ 00:20, by craiglang. Personal Development
Promise, peril and joy, they go together; signposts and milestones along the road of life.
Some thoughts on possible pending job changes - voluntary or otherwise, and life in Corporate CubeWorld. More >
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4 Aug 2004 @ 23:49, by centrifuge. Personal Development
The mind, where our experience takes its perceived form, is a vast sea, where manifold dimensions present their illusions and revelations. Here, swimming among the glory of pure morning mist and humble dew drops – along with the terror of floating corpses of false-self and rotten ambition, our true center always finds ways to keep itself afloat; ways to breathe truth.
It seems that the mind’s eye learns its own spectral capacity and therefore learns not to strain at that which lay beyond its view. The same mind does also have an ear, however, and learns to steadily tune into the sounds of those illuminations that are beyond.
The sound of truth! Ahhh, it is the sweetest music that can be heard throughout the entire Universe. The sound of truth rings both quietly and loudly, both distant and near. But as it rings, it always sounds the pattern of harmonic resonance. This resonance is the tune of truth, as one principle meaningfully relates to another.
Such strange vegetation greedily grips the ruins of a once glorious consciousness. Through the cacophony of modern awareness – that jungle of commercial and egotistical error - this mind has at last begun to hack away the overgrowth blocking the light and muffling the sound.
Back on the path of seeking, the traveling mind hears the sound of home.
More >
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 20 Jul 2004 @ 06:56, by scotty. Personal Development
When I woke up this morning the birds were singing the wind was blowing and the sun was begining to rise. I realised that the stars couldn’t be seen because of the daylight but I knew that they were there - that the galaxy was gracefully spinning along as always – that Man is born – he lives – he grows old and he dies.
And I thought yup – everything is where it should be – everyone is where they should be - life is as it should be ! More >
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 7 Jul 2004 @ 10:17, by jazzolog. Personal Development
Part 1 of this topic has become a bit heavy to lift for those of us with dial-up Internet Service Providers. For those of you coming in from the outside, the link to that thread~~~ [link] You may prefer to continue the discussion here if you like or if convenient.
The photo is of a sculpture by Toots Zynsky (American, born 1951) and is titled Night Street Chaos, from the series "Chaos," 1998. It is made of fused and thermo-formed glass threads, 7 1/8 x 13 x 7 inches
Collection of the Tampa Museum of Art
To inquire after the truth, groping your way through the underbrush, is for the purpose of seeing into your true nature. At this very moment, where is your true nature?
---Tosotsu's First Barrier
If you realize your own true nature, you are free from life, free from death. But when the light of your eyes is failing, how can you be free from life and death?
---Tosotsu's Second Barrier
If you have freed yourself from life and death, you know where you will go. When earth, air, fire and water separate, where are you off to?
---Tosotsu's Third Barrier
I have a comment myself at this point which I shall post as the entry. I put "NCN Happiness" as the title to all this not because I was inviting further comment about the site itself, which is a topic many of us feel has been talked to death. However new people come in and are noticing things for the first time, so it is good for there to be an outlet for what they have to say. Nor did I put NCN in the title because I think a dogma of positive thinking power is insisted upon more here than anywhere else. The United States is full of it these days, and we have a legion of spin doctors to prove and enforce it. More >
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 6 Jul 2004 @ 07:25, by scotty. Personal Development
If you were to ask me to describe myself one of the first things I’d say is ‘I’m quite a friendly person’.
For almost my whole life being ‘friendly’ has been a kind of a shield for me to protect myself from others with.
Some of the layers of this shield are dropping away now – little by little every day - and I’m just begining to feel a space in which I realise that I am becoming ‘enough unto myself’.
In this ‘space’ a more open and less fearful connection is happening - and yet I still see myself not being totally authentic and real.
Why the heck is this so difficult?" More >
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 21 Jun 2004 @ 03:47, by jazzolog. Personal Development
Late at night I sit alone and work on deadwood zen
I stir the lifeless ashes the fire won't relight
Suddenly I hear the tower chime resound
Its single sound of clarity fills the winter sky
---Han-Shan Te-Ch'ing
I shall tell you a great secret, my friend. Do not wait for the last judgement, it takes place every day.
---Albert Camus
I can feel guilty about the past, apprehensive about the future, but only in the present can I act. The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness.
---Abraham Maslow
Happy Quartet
1901-02; Oil on canvas
Henri Rousseau 1855 - 1910
There is an urgency pressed upon us toward positive and happy thinking at New Civilization Network. Will new findings about happy people darken the horizon?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The New York Times Magazine
June 20, 2004
THE WAY WE LIVE NOW
Against Happiness
By JIM HOLT
Sad people are nice. Angry people are nasty. And, oddly enough, happy people tend to be nasty, too. More >
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 9 Jun 2004 @ 05:18, by ming. Personal Development
Via and from Dave Pollard. This week's That's Awfully Personal question: Q: You wake up in a strange new world where everyone gets paid the same salary no matter what they do for a living, even if there's no obvious 'market' for it, and no matter how many hours a week they work at it. And everything costs 'whatever you can afford'. What would you do for a living? Is this something you're already good at, or something you'd like to *become* good at? What kind of people would you like to work with, or would you prefer to work alone? And what would you do with your new-found leisure time? Absolutely fabulous question. Here's Dave's answer: A: For a living, I'd study and report on the languages of other animals, so that ultimately we could learn to talk to them, and learn from them (more than we do already). I have some skills that would help: Strong analystical and problem-solving ability, creativity and communication skills. But I'd need to study linguistics, to be a better listener, and to pay more attention to detail. I'd like the project to be self-managed, and the team working on it to be self-selected (that means we would pick each other, not that I would pick the team). My spare time would still be spent as it is now -- writing -- though I would probably also spend more time talking with, perhaps in a teaching/coaching (but not lecturing) capacity, young people. Now my turn. Hm, what would I want to do for a living? I'm not sure I'd consider it something to do for a living if I would be paid the same no matter what. I'd no longer do it for something, at least in the sense of buying myself something in exchange. I'd maybe do it towards something. But basically it would be doing what I want. And I happen to like things that have some kind of point to it, even if convoluted and complex.
So, honestly, what would I do .... hm ... I'd take my time first of all. I'd spend a few months reading. I'm way behind on studying things I don't know. I could have a much better foundation for doing something useful if I were better prepared rather than mostly winging it.
Then I'd pick some new fields to learn. Japanese sword fighting, maybe. What has worked well for me in the past is to learn new fields, particularly in areas where I was a bit uncomfortable or clumsy. Public speaking, acting, singing. So I'll find some new areas of learning that I maybe wouldn't even have thought of. Exploring caves, dancing. I always draw good energy and inspiration from covering previously unknown ground, which transfers to everything else I do.
I would write more, and spend more time thinking about things. And, for sure, inspirations will come up for something I just have to do. Something I see that needs doing, and that I'm burning to do something about. It works best for me when it is as non-planned as possible. I.e. I haven't promised anybody I would do it, and I haven't committed to any kind of schedule. Preferably I just start spending my evenings doing something that nobody expects. I can thus concentrate on doing it as well as necessary, however long it takes, without worrying whether anybody's happy with my performance or not.
I'd want to spend more time in conversations as well. Dialogues. Exploration of what is there to talk about, wherever it leads. I'll avoid the temptation to too quickly commit to action. But when it is really obvious that action needs to be taken, and the right people are there, I'll enjoy the freedom to get to work right away.
The things I'd probably want to do are likely to have something to do with personal or group organization, collaboration, communication, evolution of wisdom, or with mental/emotional/metaphysical tools for better living. But I'd hope to avoid having very many pre-conceived ideas about what it should be, and rather be ready to discover it when it emerges. More >
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30 May 2004 @ 01:47, by ov. Personal Development
Serendipity is the gift of being able to make delightful discoveries by pure accident, which is how I came across this article on How to be Likable and Popular. Similiar theme to one of Dale Carnegie that recently arose here at NCN. I've run across the Carnegie material before and it has always been associated with selling things and I've always thought of that as being a con game, and I know he says you have to be honest about it but it always struck me as a one sentence addittion intended to cut off any cricism without really changing anything that had already been written. This article by Cottringer seems different to me, as if he starts with the honest and sincere premise rather than tacking it onto the end like a footnote.
Ten points are listed: be honest, be humble, learn empathy, laugh often, be positive, control hostility, be polite, act smart, appear attractive, and listen more. Cottringer is succinct and explains these points quite well so I will restrict the rest of this article to my own opinions and impressions. More >
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28 May 2004 @ 12:02, by sharie. Personal Development
To grow emotionally, we experience the pain of our past, and grow passed it.
We cannot repress our pain, stifle it, or stuff it and expect to grow. Stuffed emotions keep us locked in the past, emotionally, psychologically, spiritually, and intellectually.
Growing beyond our emotional pain is vital to our daily life because to be stuck emotionally is to be stuck mentally, to be stuck intellectually, and psychologically, and spiritually, and this undermines our physical health, and our finances, and because of this detriment, it is vital to grow beyond our emotional hurt.
The pain we feel can be frighteningly agonizing, but to become a mature human being with wisdom and understanding, we must resist the temptation to keep painful emotions locked inside us.
We have to feel the emotions, and go beyond them. Without this, we will forever be emotionally, psychologically, spiritually and intellectually immature.
A hot bath can and will help most people to endure the pain as they feel it, so they can get passed it.
I wish you well.
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18 May 2004 @ 13:37, by sharie. Personal Development
HOW TO BE BRILLIANT
Why would you want to be brilliant?
Because everyday life requires you to make choices, and by embracing your brilliance, you make the best choices and create the best life possible.
Having the best of friends, work that’s enjoyable, meaningful and satisfying, and feeling great about every aspect of your life is a demonstration of your brilliance.
Your brilliance is a multi-facted radiance of your spiritual, emotional, intellectual, psychological, social, physical, and sexual bliss.
Knowing and experiencing the fullness of your joy in every aspect of your being is to know the deepest depths of who you are. To live and breathe the full expanse of your freedom, to think and feel the magnificence of your presence, and to radiate the eternal brilliance of your immortal soul is life itself.
Who are you?
With out the air?
Without the water?
Without the iron, magnesium, and other minerals of the rocks?
You are the water, rocks, and air. You cannot be separate from them. Nor can you be separate from the sun, for without the sun, our Earth would not exist.
So the fullness of your being expands beyond your human body, and even beyond your spirit as you know it.
You *are* the rocks, water, air, and sun, and you *are* the earth. You cannot exist without them, so you cannot be considered separate from them. You are the universe. You are the brilliant intelligence of all life forms. Your brilliance is infinite and eternal.
Your brilliance is of God, and all that exists manifests the infinite spirit of intelligent brilliance (though the children of God may choose to be blinded by fears and darkness) but you are nevertheless the same brilliance of eternal life.
Be Brilliant.
Be Alive.
Reading:
Kinship With All Life
The Man Who Talked With Flowers
The Secret Life of Plants
The Man Who Tapped the Secrets of the Universe
Reconnecting with Nature [link]
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