The title of this post comes out of The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck, M.D. This book was the catalyst to me becoming more aware of who I am, and how my life is shaped by my thoughts, habits, beliefs and choices and regardless of how those thoughts, habits and beliefs formed, I became empowered to choose. I realized I could choose those thoughts, habits and beliefs to be my reality or choose something different. I am forever grateful for my father giving me this book early in my college years, it started me on a road to self discovery that has been and continues to be amazing.
I have made a personal commitment of meditating everyday, my own personal meditation marathon if you will. In The Road Less Traveled, Peck writes, "The principal form that the work of love takes is attention. When we love another we give him or her our attention; we attend to that person's growth. When we love ourselves we attend to our own growth. When we attend to someone we are caring for that person. The act of attending requires that we make the effort to set aside our existing preoccupations and actively shift our consciousness. Attention is an act of will, or work against the inertia of our own minds." He goes on to say, "By far the most common and important way in which we can exercise our attention is by listening."
This listening can take place in conversation with anyone, but in relationship to spiritual practice and meditation, this listening is all in relation to ourselves. In meditation, we are giving attention to or loving ourselves. It doesn't mean we stop thinking necessarily (actually I have only had a few moments of close to nothingness in all my years of meditating), rather in meditation we are giving ourselves full attention, we are as Peck states it working "against the inertia of our own minds." Instead of our thoughts, beliefs, habits and feelings barreling forward out of control and reacting to whatever presents itself, we take a few moments to breathe and observe, we listen to ourselves. In this attentive listening we come face to face to what is running the show, our thoughts, habits and beliefs. The point is not to push anything away or stop these thoughts, habits and beliefs, rather for me the point of meditating is to become aware of them so I can choose them consciously or put my attention elsewhere.
The whole reason I started this mediation marathon was due to the act of meditating. I was getting ready a few weeks ago for class in a hotel room that I was sharing with another classmate, we had big presentations that day to get ready for and not much time to get ready for class, but there he was sitting in meditation, that came first before he did anything else. (thanks Andrew) I sat down right there with him and meditated for a few moments and found peace for a few minutes, but as I got up from the meditation, that peace sustained. I meditate on a regular basis, but became aware that morning that it was time for me to move and stretch even more, so every morning before I leave the house I meditate. My goal is a minimum of 5 minutes. I want nothing but success for myself. I often do a bit longer, but 5 minutes is doable everyday, regardless of what my "to do" list for the day has on it.
I have found and continue to discover greater levels of understanding, insight, inspiration, peace and love for myself and others through meditation. To me meditation is a practice for life. It costs nothing, but rewards me with everything! Join me and give yourself the gift everyday of meditating. Start wherever you are, 2 minutes, 3, 4, 5 or more. The goal is not quantity, the goal is quality and consistency. (BTW, I mean sitting still with your eyes closed or fixed on a candle and doing nothing else, not standing in the shower, sitting in the tub, meditating while you brush your hair or teeth, yes you can mediate doing anything, but there is something particular to being still in our bodies even though our mind may choose to "monkey" around as they say.)
Email me with how your practice is going, I would love to hear. I am also excited to entertain any questions you may have about meditation.
Love, Light & Laughter - Darrell
Friday, March 23, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
"Trust Love, trust love, trust God that love is everywhere,
That we are here to be the perfect givers of love and receivers of love
And love will have the final word." - Rickie Byars Beckwith
This is one of my favorite lyrics of Rickie BB. We are here to be givers and receivers of love AND what if the giving and receiving started within ourselves? Yes this song speaks to all of our relationships, we are here to give and receive love to and from our family, friends, children, lovers, spouses and partners, but can we consider ourselves in this giving and receiving? One of the basic principles of new thought philosophy, spiritual psychology and empowerment practices is that we can do, be or give to another only that which we can do, be or give to ourselves.
So on Valentine's day we collectively look outside ourselves to give and receive love, this is not a bad thing, I am just challenging myself today and invite you to join me in practicing self love, giving myself the love first, so I may be that much more of a better lover in the world. Ask yourself the question today, how could I expand my love of self today? This is not an ego stroke exercise of saying I look good, or I am a good so and so, this is an exercise of unconditional self-love. Regardless of what you have or don't have, love yourself today, regardless of what your relationships look like or don't look like, love yourself today. Regardless of the conditions of your life are you willing to unconditionally love the expression of Spirit/God/the Universe that you are?
Trust love, because love, loves to love. It doesn't know how to do anything else! As Rickie BB states, we are here to be the perfect givers and receivers of love. If we truly embrace this idea, love WILL have the final word. And so it is!
Darrell
That we are here to be the perfect givers of love and receivers of love
And love will have the final word." - Rickie Byars Beckwith
This is one of my favorite lyrics of Rickie BB. We are here to be givers and receivers of love AND what if the giving and receiving started within ourselves? Yes this song speaks to all of our relationships, we are here to give and receive love to and from our family, friends, children, lovers, spouses and partners, but can we consider ourselves in this giving and receiving? One of the basic principles of new thought philosophy, spiritual psychology and empowerment practices is that we can do, be or give to another only that which we can do, be or give to ourselves.
So on Valentine's day we collectively look outside ourselves to give and receive love, this is not a bad thing, I am just challenging myself today and invite you to join me in practicing self love, giving myself the love first, so I may be that much more of a better lover in the world. Ask yourself the question today, how could I expand my love of self today? This is not an ego stroke exercise of saying I look good, or I am a good so and so, this is an exercise of unconditional self-love. Regardless of what you have or don't have, love yourself today, regardless of what your relationships look like or don't look like, love yourself today. Regardless of the conditions of your life are you willing to unconditionally love the expression of Spirit/God/the Universe that you are?
Trust love, because love, loves to love. It doesn't know how to do anything else! As Rickie BB states, we are here to be the perfect givers and receivers of love. If we truly embrace this idea, love WILL have the final word. And so it is!
Darrell
Friday, January 27, 2012
Can you be alone with yourself?
Came across this again...The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer, enjoy.
It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.
It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shrivelled and closed from fear of further pain.
I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it, or fade it, or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own; if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, remember the limitations of being human.
It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself. If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul. If you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see Beauty even when it is not pretty every day. And if you can source your own life from its presence.
I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand at the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, 'Yes.'
It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone and do what needs to be done to feed the children.
It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the centre of the fire with me and not shrink back.
It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.
I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.
Monday, December 26, 2011
As One Door Closes Another Opens
As 2011 comes to a close and 2012 begins to open up this week, where are your thoughts? I typically sit in this week looking back over the year of accomplishments and failures and can find myself "rating" my year based on if there are more checks on the failure or accomplishment side. What I have learned to be true however, is that the worth of my year is not determined by a tally sheet. It is determined by my thinking and beliefs. If I believe I had a crappy year, then I had....a crappy year. If I believe I had a good year, then I had a....good year. What is challenging here is the dichotomy of good and bad, as if those are the only two options a year can be. Where I move my thoughts to now on a more regular basis is that my years, all of them, the one just past to 5 years ago to the one upcoming are years of growth and opportunity for expansion.
So sitting on the cusp of the new year I get excited about one of my favorite spiritual practices, Visioning. I started Visioning over 8 years ago and make it a regular practice throughout the year, but always make time for it as one year closes and another year begins.
Simply, Visioning is a type of meditation, where one becomes still and surrenders trying to "figure" anything out and ask 4 questions and see what reveals. These questions are directed more to our heart, soul and spirit than our intellectual mind. Rev. Michael Bernard Beckwith starting teaching this technique decades ago and calls it "reverent listening". In Visioning our only purpose is to listen with our inner ear to what the voice of our spirit has to share. Join me this year is Visioning as opposed to resolving. It is truly a powerful way to move into the New Year.
There are many opportunities to be led in Visioning. I lead a weekly Visioning group Wednesday mornings at 8:30 a.m., I will be facilitating an evening Visioning and Vision Boarding process on Wednesday, January 11th at Be Optimal Holistic Center. My colleague and dear friend Sara Connell will be leading a Visioning workshop as well at the Bodhi Spiritual Center on January 8th.
Feel free to contact me with questions. I can also send you instruction to facilitate your own Visioning process. Happy New Year!
Love, Light & Laughter,
Darrell
darrelljonesspirit@gmail.com
So sitting on the cusp of the new year I get excited about one of my favorite spiritual practices, Visioning. I started Visioning over 8 years ago and make it a regular practice throughout the year, but always make time for it as one year closes and another year begins.
Simply, Visioning is a type of meditation, where one becomes still and surrenders trying to "figure" anything out and ask 4 questions and see what reveals. These questions are directed more to our heart, soul and spirit than our intellectual mind. Rev. Michael Bernard Beckwith starting teaching this technique decades ago and calls it "reverent listening". In Visioning our only purpose is to listen with our inner ear to what the voice of our spirit has to share. Join me this year is Visioning as opposed to resolving. It is truly a powerful way to move into the New Year.
There are many opportunities to be led in Visioning. I lead a weekly Visioning group Wednesday mornings at 8:30 a.m., I will be facilitating an evening Visioning and Vision Boarding process on Wednesday, January 11th at Be Optimal Holistic Center. My colleague and dear friend Sara Connell will be leading a Visioning workshop as well at the Bodhi Spiritual Center on January 8th.
Feel free to contact me with questions. I can also send you instruction to facilitate your own Visioning process. Happy New Year!
Love, Light & Laughter,
Darrell
darrelljonesspirit@gmail.com
Sunday, November 27, 2011
The motive power which attracts...
Ahhh, Thanksgiving. One of my favorite holidays. If you have ever spent any time with me you know I like to eat and taste all kinds of good foods. This, however, is not the only reason that I enjoy Thanksgiving. I so enjoy the reminder of this holiday, to stop, pause and be grateful, grateful for what I have AND just to be grateful in general. What I know to be true, whether we are grateful for something/someone in our lives or simply in a state of gratitude, thanksgiving or appreciation, we tap into an awesome power and principle that is amazingly generative.
Ernest Holmes writes in a definition of thanksgiving, "When we speak the words of thanksgiving to the God (Spirit, Divine, Love) within, knowing 'before they ask will I answer,' there is something in this attitude of thanksgiving that carries us beyond the field of doubt into one of perfect faith and acceptance, receptivity...realization. Appreciation, gratitude and thanksgiving--the motive power which attracts and magnifies the hidden potentialities of life." The motive power which attracts and magnifies the hidden potentialities of life, that is one of my favorite lines. What I am humbly aware of us that I am always attracting and magnifying my life, but not always from a space of gratitude. It is amazing to me how different my life experience immediately changes when I shift my attention to gratitude. Join me and the country, heck the world for that matter in making an immediate shift by moving our collective attention to what we are grateful for and watch our individual and collective experience move into joy, love, creativity, safety and peace. I am grateful for you!
Ernest Holmes writes in a definition of thanksgiving, "When we speak the words of thanksgiving to the God (Spirit, Divine, Love) within, knowing 'before they ask will I answer,' there is something in this attitude of thanksgiving that carries us beyond the field of doubt into one of perfect faith and acceptance, receptivity...realization. Appreciation, gratitude and thanksgiving--the motive power which attracts and magnifies the hidden potentialities of life." The motive power which attracts and magnifies the hidden potentialities of life, that is one of my favorite lines. What I am humbly aware of us that I am always attracting and magnifying my life, but not always from a space of gratitude. It is amazing to me how different my life experience immediately changes when I shift my attention to gratitude. Join me and the country, heck the world for that matter in making an immediate shift by moving our collective attention to what we are grateful for and watch our individual and collective experience move into joy, love, creativity, safety and peace. I am grateful for you!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
What else can you see? That is Freedom!
I have been contemplating freedom lately. The idea of freedom, the feeling of freedom, the philosophy of freedom, the smell of freedom, the taste of freedom, any and all things I associate with freedom. I wanted to know what I actually believe about freedom personally. Regardless of what a book says, a class teaches or what a friend, family member or loved one shares, what ultimately matters for any of us is what we actually think, what we actually believe about something.
I was inspired by a quote I came across of Henry David Thoreau's, "It is easier to sail many thousands of miles through cold and storm and cannibals, in a government ship, with five hundred men...to assist one, than it is to explore the private sea, the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean of one's being alone." I wonder if this is why so many of us find it challenging to sit down and meditate, to simply be still with ourselves for 5 to 10 minutes a day.
In meditation is where we actually commune with what we think and believe. Meditation is where we see, touch, taste and feel the ingredients of our consciousness. Sometimes those ingredients, those thoughts and beliefs, are not what we want in the stew we are cooking called our life. Other times there may be thoughts and beliefs, ingredients, we didn't even know we had but actually like. Meditation avails us to awareness, awareness of all of who we are, those ingredients we like and those less tasty. What does all this have to do with freedom you might ask? Consider this definition of freedom...Freedom: 1. the ability to see/consider possibility beyond what you currently know. 2. the ability to not only see or consider but to actually choose beyond what you currently know.
If something in your life is currently not working the way you would like it to, work, love, family, health, God even. If whatever it is, is not working for you at your current place of understanding then you are bound by it, our current understanding of the situation is not serving us to move on. What would liberate us from this? Seeing another possibility. That is freedom, seeing other possibilities, practicing freedom is actually choosing from that new possibility.
This is what meditation, prayer, other spiritual practices and spiritual counseling can offer us. When I work with clients in a counseling session I always set an intention of awakening our individual and collective inner wisdom. This intention then pulls us into our session and work together, availing myself and the client to see something else, to see new possibility, to live in freedom!
I challenge myself daily to see something new, to consider something previously outside of my conscious field of vision. This challenge on a regular basis gives way to freedom, of seeing and choosing something new. I challenge you to ask yourself "What else can I see?". What I know is you will see something new and move through life free to be all of who you are!
Don't do it alone! If you are looking for support living a freer life give me a call or email me for prayer or a counseling session.
Darrell Jones
darrelljonesspirit@gmail.com
773-450-3865
I was inspired by a quote I came across of Henry David Thoreau's, "It is easier to sail many thousands of miles through cold and storm and cannibals, in a government ship, with five hundred men...to assist one, than it is to explore the private sea, the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean of one's being alone." I wonder if this is why so many of us find it challenging to sit down and meditate, to simply be still with ourselves for 5 to 10 minutes a day.
In meditation is where we actually commune with what we think and believe. Meditation is where we see, touch, taste and feel the ingredients of our consciousness. Sometimes those ingredients, those thoughts and beliefs, are not what we want in the stew we are cooking called our life. Other times there may be thoughts and beliefs, ingredients, we didn't even know we had but actually like. Meditation avails us to awareness, awareness of all of who we are, those ingredients we like and those less tasty. What does all this have to do with freedom you might ask? Consider this definition of freedom...Freedom: 1. the ability to see/consider possibility beyond what you currently know. 2. the ability to not only see or consider but to actually choose beyond what you currently know.
If something in your life is currently not working the way you would like it to, work, love, family, health, God even. If whatever it is, is not working for you at your current place of understanding then you are bound by it, our current understanding of the situation is not serving us to move on. What would liberate us from this? Seeing another possibility. That is freedom, seeing other possibilities, practicing freedom is actually choosing from that new possibility.
This is what meditation, prayer, other spiritual practices and spiritual counseling can offer us. When I work with clients in a counseling session I always set an intention of awakening our individual and collective inner wisdom. This intention then pulls us into our session and work together, availing myself and the client to see something else, to see new possibility, to live in freedom!
I challenge myself daily to see something new, to consider something previously outside of my conscious field of vision. This challenge on a regular basis gives way to freedom, of seeing and choosing something new. I challenge you to ask yourself "What else can I see?". What I know is you will see something new and move through life free to be all of who you are!
Don't do it alone! If you are looking for support living a freer life give me a call or email me for prayer or a counseling session.
Darrell Jones
darrelljonesspirit@gmail.com
773-450-3865
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
What Kingdom Do You Live In?
Last week I had the joy of leading a workshop on the spiritual practice of Visioning. The practice of Visioning is basically moving into a deep meditative space, connecting with Love and from that heart space asking questions about our lives and listening to what comes to mind. For this practice to really be powerful, one ideally is in a very receptive space. One of trust and faith that life is conspiring for our good, not testing us, challenging us or trying to trick or fool us.
As a part of our workshop we looked at the 4 kingdoms of consciousness (this is all originally presented through Rev. Michael Beckwith of Agape International Spiritual Center).
Kingdom 1 - Victim - Life happens to you
Kingdom 2 - Manifestor - We happen to life, we create and "make" life happen
Kingdom 3 - Channel - Life happens through us
Kingdom 4 - Enlightenment - Life happens as us
In Visioning we reside in the 3rd and 4th Kingdoms, where we lose as much of our ego as possible and surrender to the creative life urge that is looking to express through us and as us.
A powerful practice that I constantly engage in on a daily basis is checking to see which kingdom I am "living" in, in a given moment. Whether I am in a meditation, standing in line at the store or talking on the phone to someone I know, I quietly ask myself "Darrell, where's your head and heart right now?" Does life feel like it is happening to me, do I feel disempowered, if so I am in the victim mindset, or do I feel at peace and very present to what is going on, if so I am probably in the 3rd or 4th kingdom of life happening through or as me.
This is a very simple practice of checking in on our feelings throughout the day, but it aids us in becoming aware of where we are "living". As we continue to become aware, we continue to awaken to the present moment, where life truly happens and all the wisdom of the divine dwells. Continue to awaken your inner wisdom this month, this week, this day by simply becoming aware of what kingdom you live in the most.
Continue the conversation with me one on one or in a small group setting. Contact me today for details.
Love, Light & Laughter,
Darrell Jones
darrelljonesspirit@gmail
773-450-3865
As a part of our workshop we looked at the 4 kingdoms of consciousness (this is all originally presented through Rev. Michael Beckwith of Agape International Spiritual Center).
Kingdom 1 - Victim - Life happens to you
Kingdom 2 - Manifestor - We happen to life, we create and "make" life happen
Kingdom 3 - Channel - Life happens through us
Kingdom 4 - Enlightenment - Life happens as us
In Visioning we reside in the 3rd and 4th Kingdoms, where we lose as much of our ego as possible and surrender to the creative life urge that is looking to express through us and as us.
A powerful practice that I constantly engage in on a daily basis is checking to see which kingdom I am "living" in, in a given moment. Whether I am in a meditation, standing in line at the store or talking on the phone to someone I know, I quietly ask myself "Darrell, where's your head and heart right now?" Does life feel like it is happening to me, do I feel disempowered, if so I am in the victim mindset, or do I feel at peace and very present to what is going on, if so I am probably in the 3rd or 4th kingdom of life happening through or as me.
This is a very simple practice of checking in on our feelings throughout the day, but it aids us in becoming aware of where we are "living". As we continue to become aware, we continue to awaken to the present moment, where life truly happens and all the wisdom of the divine dwells. Continue to awaken your inner wisdom this month, this week, this day by simply becoming aware of what kingdom you live in the most.
Continue the conversation with me one on one or in a small group setting. Contact me today for details.
Love, Light & Laughter,
Darrell Jones
darrelljonesspirit@gmail
773-450-3865
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