Managing Moments on Life's Journey

We have two versions of ourselves, the grand one and the not so grand one, or the 'little me'. 

Little me

‘Little me’ is completely identified with everything I think, it believes every thought and so goes on every ride that the thoughts offer. It sees ‘me’ as the centre of the world and any threat to how I am seen as stressful. Life from this perspective is about what ‘I’ want and need. It makes me very vulnerable to when I perceive that others do better than me, as I live in competition, always comparing myself to others.    

I experience positive emotions when I have successes, when people like me, when things go well, when others fail, when all is the way I think it ought to be. – But things rarely stay that way, as I am always on alert for when things are not quite right. When things aren’t quite right I think it is my fault, I conclude: ‘I am not good enough’. – this is how self centric I am!

So most of the time I ride waves of emotion and subsequent thoughts, I might go and see a counsellor/coach who might help me adopt healthier mindsets, seeing myself in a more positive light, or define some goals that help me become more of a success. In the worst-case scenario, this person props up my little self illusions and self definitions. The illusions that tell me that once I have the job/man/woman/house/position/family harmony then I will be constantly happy. Best-case scenario the process opens up the door for another way of being and I start accessing my grand self.

Grand me

The grand version of me is imbued with not knowing, not needing, curiosity, humility, knowing of our profound interconnectedness. Knowing that what I do to others I do to myself, knowing and experiencing joy through being kind to myself and others. It involves being understanding of others, ‘seeing’ them, seeing what they have become as distinct from who they present themselves to be – and seeing myself in the same way.

We are only conscious about 6% of the time, and so how can I consciously experience more of the grand me? How can I get out of the way so I can tap into creativity, merge with beauty and all, experience a love for all life? The thinking, choices and decisions made from this place are naturally wise, in alignment with what is good for all including the planet.  

Little steps!

We do it in little steps, we do it one moment at a time. This is what we do in practicing mindfulness, we cultivate being aware and as soon as we are aware and present (you can only be aware in the present) then we are accessing the grand ‘me’.

The world needs for each of us to be as much of the grand me as possible. The New Year’s resolution for the sake of self and planet could be to practice and cultivate mindfulness. The world will become wiser soul by soul.

From this place it is less about what I need and want rather the desire emerges:  ‘please make use of me for the best of all.’

Join us!

Join us for mindfulness in Newcastle starting in February 2012, or on Retreat in Bali in May or August.  You could also invite us to your workplace to run a mindfulness program to reduce stress and sick days, increase positive emotion, proactivity and clear thinking and decrease conflict. Till the end of March we are offering a free Mindful Stress Reduction workshop for up to an hour and a half (once there is a group of more than 6 people).