Are We Too Connected?

I’ve logged a lot of social media hours for the past several months as a bit of an experiment.  I wanted to understand it from various perspectives and although I’m not finished yet, there are some definite impressions that I come away from it with so far.

First, it can be very fun but also a very all-consuming thing.  There is so much information out there, so much to learn, so much to see and so many amazing people to meet and it’s all right at your fingertips.  The ego must be totally thrilled with the instant gratification gained from wanting something and having it in seconds thanks to Google, Amazon and others!   I know mine is.

Second, some of the relationships built are not false and fake as you think they might be just because they began electronically, so-to-speak.  I cannot tell you how many truly good and wonderful souls I’ve met through social media.  So many wonderful souls have been so willing to impart their knowledge and experience on any number of amazing topics.  I’m so very grateful for every single one I’ve run across and I can tell you that they’ve made a lasting impact on my life in so many very good ways that I will always cherish.

Third, there is a dark side to the internet.  You can’t tell me you are surprised at this.  It is no different than the real world where darkness helps to contrast the light.  There is no shortage of drama, bullying and manipulation or worse. But if you’re confident enough in yourself and who you really are, this isn’t a problem.  Just be a wise user and do protect yourself or disconnect from the drama, bullying or any form of manipulation if it finds you.  For those individuals already dealing with challenging malware running rampant in their human consciousness operating system (emotional trauma), this darker side can really be a detriment. 

Realize that people have feelings whether they are here in front of you or on the other side of the screen.  Let us remember this and choose if we can kindness, compassion or if nothing else be assertive with your boundary setting when necessary and don’t be afraid to say “No” or “I’m sorry” or whatever else an online situation calls for.  Remember too, anything you say or post is available for all to see (governments, your boss, coworkers, family members, ex-friends, husbands, wives, etc.) and you can’t wipe it out or take it back.  Conscious consideration is necessary for any time spent online engaged in internet or social media activities.  Consider this, what you use it for, you will get back.  If you use it for vengeance, guess what you're likely to find?  If you use it for stalking, spying or otherwise causing harm to others, guess what you get right back in some way?  Everything matters, never forget this and nothing truly goes unnoticed.

Last but by no means least, my impression overall is that we can become too connected.  We are living breathing beings; an amazing and wondrous part of life.  If we are stuck to our chairs, desks or couches surfing the internet all the time, it makes you a bit soul-weary and you may be missing out on other also very important opportunities.   Be respectful of the connections made on the internet and use the internet wisely and considerately for your entertainment, research or business but please, please, please do not let it consume you.  There are amazing skies to see, trees and flowers to commune with and birds outside to listen to.  Take some time to connect with what is real so that you don’t get too caught up.  It won’t be long, I think, until internet addiction is categorized outside of it’s current status as a connection with “compulsive disorders” of sorts.  Want to know more?  Hehehe Google it.

If you’re a social media maven or social savvy being, that is fabulous and I congratulate you.  Just don’t forget that you are part of physical reality here too.  We do sometimes also need down time, time to pause, consider and reflect on what we’ve taken in.  Thich Nhat Hanh said in his book Peace is Every Step (I think it was) something to the effect of being mindful about what you fill your head with.  This is important as well with social media time.  Be good to yourself and considerate of those you encounter both online and in the real world.  Have fun.  That’s what life is for.  Just don’t forget to be human, don’t forget to take time outs and reconnect you with you or your loved ones.   Everything matters.  You matter.

 

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© 2015 Jaie Hart (photo/words)

My Soul is from Elsewhere

My soul is from elsewhere, I'm sure of that, and I intend to end up there - Rumi

I ran across a quote by Rumi.  As with all his words, you can’t just quickly run past them.  You really have to sit with them a bit and reflect.  As I consider the words, “My soul is from elsewhere” alone, there is a strong resonance that echoes through not only my soul but the entirety of my spiritual consciousness.

I don’t believe we were created from nothing with a sudden appearance here on this Earth.  We’d have to come up with a much better and clearly defined understanding of consciousness in order for me to believe that.

I think that we always existed and even as we project our focus here in this dimension, there is still a part of us that remains part of that “Elsewhere” of which Rumi spoke. 

Notice, maybe as I have, that he never said “return there” as if we had left and would some day return.  He said, “End up there.”  I think the concept of “End up there” is a little closer to the truth.  Perhaps we never left Elsewhere at all and everything we experience here is this massive, amazing and wonderful dream just for the delicious beauty of the experience of it.

No one can say with certainty but I think it’s a nice thought for now.  Beliefs are not entirely useless.  I guess their usefulness depends on what you allow them to motivate you to do.  If your belief keeps you happy, smiling, kind and supportive of all life here on planet Earth, then I’d have to say your belief would not be a bad thing in my book.  If your belief stirs up chaos and strife or intentionally harms life on this planet, I’d have to reflect very hard to be understanding of such beliefs.  I could do it but I may not like it.

It’s a funny world we seemingly live in but to me it is more than a pleasant thought to consider my soul comes from Elsewhere and one day I intend to end up there.  I don’t think I ever left there and I don’t think anyone else did either.  I can’t prove it but neither can you definitively disprove it.  That is the beauty of this intricately woven and matrixed experience called life.

So, let us go about our lives then regardless of potential origins or conscious residence.  Perhaps we should just live our lives to the fullest no matter our beliefs or the beliefs of anyone else. Respect all, love all and hold compassion for all.  Maybe we simply continue to move towards that which stirs us in a beautifully resonating fashion for therein lies our true strength and authenticity.

 

© 2015 Jaie Hart (photo/words)

Perfectly Imperfect

 

 

This body may be imperfect by your standards,

But it's mine, I own it and I am quite comfortable in it.

My smile may be imperfect by your standards,

But it's mine and I shall choose to give it often.

My hair is turning gray and you might like to take pleasure in that,

But I am grateful, each strand represents a lesson I won't have to repeat.

My mind may be imperfect by your standards,

But it's mine and after many years, I have learned to make it my friend.

My emotions may be misplaced by your standards,

But they are mine and I shall choose to display them authentically.

My compassion for all may seem undeserved for some by your standards,

But I will always strive to see the beauty in every soul regardless of your opinions.

My physical stature may make me stand out to some as a six-foot tall woman,

But my physical stature is less important to me than my capacity to love.

Poke fun at me as you will but deep down inside, I know and you know,

You take pleasure in my pain only from your own unhealed wounds,

The ones we both know other unthinking souls have left you with...

And that very fact will evoke love and compassion in me for you.

I may not be the best writer, poet, mother, employee, family member or friend,

But I love with all of my heart, I exist to serve humanity and will love every moment of it.

I stumble on words sometimes for fear of how they may be misunderstood,

But I will always find the courage to speak them, straight from the heart.

Despite what this world might think of me,

Like you, I have the right to be here, live, love and exist.

I'm not here for your pleasure or to be the recipient of your painful actions,

But I will always hope you find the love and light in your life...

That my existence may somehow help improve yours,

And that this world brings you more than ever you'd have hoped for.

No, I may not be perfect by anyone else's standards in existence,

But after all of my travels and lessons in life,

I have finally come to love and accept me as I am...

And I will strive always and ever to show you,

You can love and accept you too

You are perfectly imperfect as are we all.

 

© 2014, Jaie Hart (photo/words)

Anger and the River of Compassion

There are things we see in life that make us very angry. For different reasons ire can rise and before long we are so negatively affected, we lose our ability to think with any form of balance.

Anger and forgiveness are two sentiments which do not seem to go together at all but one can help heal the other. However, you will be unable to navigate the passage way between these two points without opening to the idea of understanding and then compassion.

Thich Nhat Hanh discusses this topic in several of his books and in one book that comes to mind, Be Free Where You Are, this concept is so simply explained. It is so very easy to judge in anger and to even take action on that anger when emotional.

But if we can stop for just a moment and reflect on the message anger is really trying to bring us, we might have an opportunity to glimpse that beautiful light path of understanding that flows like a river of compassion to forgiveness.

It seems impossible to apply to some situations, people or even things we’ve had to contend with. I guess there is a choice to be made and that choice is either carry the heavy weight of anger or open our hearts to the possibility of healing.

We can be angry and justifiably so for any given situation but how does that really sit with you? Do you see that anger, like other emotions is a message to you from you that something within you is trying to push you beyond the superficial and into the deeper end of the river of compassion and love?

It may take a leap sometimes but these passage ways exist. They exist but they don’t really come from the outside. They come from within you. Every emotion and choice begins and ends with you. Whatever you choose, you will choose rightly for you.

If you find discomfort in your choice, reflect. Reflect long and hard on the message that is trying to rise within and you’ll be carried further down stream from anger to forgiveness.

© 2015 Jaie Hart (photo and words)

Is Your Success Hollow?

There are many definitions of success in practice in this world. Some would consider success in mere financial terms, some might consider success only in social terms and some might consider success to mean positions of power. To each, success has its own definition and for a very good reason.
 
Far be it for me or any other to judge another’s version of success because we just cannot possibly know what another’s life lessons entail. Perhaps for some, they wished to learn about poverty, lack, or strife and struggle? If they achieve those life lessons, would they not also be achieving success if they are truly learning from those things?

I once measured success by the standards of others and took every step to get where my goal set by the ideals of others would have me go. When I achieved them (which I have to admit I have achieved everything I set out to do when I put effort and imagination into it with all of my heart), I realized that my version of success is not what everyone else’s is.  It did not result in happiness for me.

So, I gave up position, title and extra money. I gave up pursuing the ideas of what others would normally consider success and spent some time focusing and reflecting on what success truly meant to me. In an instant of clarity amidst much chaos, everything changed.

I found what success meant to me and decided to align my efforts with that idea and focus on the challenging and beautiful parts of my life to better understand them. My idea of success no longer includes money, too many possessions, position or power. I’ve simplified my own version because that is what called to me.

The result? Much more peace, much more happiness and much more time for further reflection and refinement of my focus on what matters to me most. I wish to understand my life lessons. That’s it. So simple. That is success to me: learning to live and understanding the little things that drive us to do what we do.  It matters more to me the things that'll stay with me when I one day choose to leave this realm when my last breath is taken.

Whatever your definition of success, pursue it with all of your heart and you will achieve it if you’re ready to take the steps, build courage and the tenacity to do whatever it is you set your heart and mind to. Never mind how anyone else defines success and please resist the urge to measure yourself worth by the success of others. When you achieve someone else’s version of success, the victory is hollow. Focus on what means most to you and your own life enrichment because THAT is the definition of success that matters most.


© 2015 Jaie Hart (photo/words)

Let Us Change the World

Would that we could live in a world where our differences were celebrated with earnest and innocent curiosity. To me, the dichotomies we experience in our cultures, our beingness, and our spiritual practices are the most amazing parts of our Earthly existence. We would not fear our differences so if we could but take one single moment to open our hearts and strive for a moment of understanding.
 
So much strife do I see in this world and to me it seems unnecessary but as much as it pains me, I wonder does it have a purpose I have yet to understand? Not that I promote the fear and division machinations in existence for as surely as I am here breathing I would emphatically state, I do not.

If we could learn to feel a little more, I often think — feel that space within us that twists as we engage in any activity that minimizes any class, culture or practice just because it is not our own, oh my what we might learn! I’m an idealist at heart I suppose and mostly an optimist but it is the realistic part of me that feels heavy with emotion at the things I see and hear.

I wish only to understand, to lend a hand and learn to take greater command of my own emotions for they do not help with these already weighty worldly things. Instead I think I should like to see a world striving for a bit more harmony. A silly wish from the innocent child within me still maybe? But maybe it’s something else. Maybe there is yet a power within us all from that moment of freedom still resident within us carrying our youthful tolerance where we didn’t care about borders or colors or differing practices. There were those moments we embraced our play together in the schoolyard. What happened to those days and more importantly, that shared sentiment?

These thoughts do not have to be put away as childish things for I think we have much to learn from the child within and it is simply this: Keep your heart open, stay curious and find compassion for all. When you seek understanding and listen to the heart’s voice within, you change the world. 

Let us change the world.



© 2015 Jaie Hart (photo: NASA)

Emotion: The Pendulum Swings

In terms of our very complex human emotional processes we must simply understand sometimes that the pendulum of emotion swings. It just does that and sometimes for very good reasons we may one day understand more clearly.

Emotion Strikes

We sometimes tend to worry or become upset when emotions strike. Really, there is no need to get overly annoyed or excited about it. Just observe, seek the understanding that lies beneath the emotion, beneath the thoughts that create it, and grab a hold of the feeling and the message it is truly trying to bring you.

The Pendulum Swings

It is often easier said than done, I know. But if you can learn to find that place…that space within you where you can go knowing you are safe from your emotions, you’ll not be swallowed whole or carried away by them.  You can ride the wave of certainty that for your ultimate good, you can and will master the moment whether it goes by quickly or seems to drag over-long.

Perception Changes and So Do You

Allow yourself to feel however it is you feel and know that you are going to be fine even if it doesn’t feel fine in a moment. The pendulum swings, it doesn’t stay “stuck” for long. Sometimes it only seems stuck…a perception for good reason, again.  Emotion can seem to slow or speed time.  It’s all perception, emotion isn’t you – please remember. It is just part of the experience of life here.

Let it be as it is…let you be you…you can do this.

Note:  If you struggle too much with emotion for whatever reason, please seek the assistance of a licensed trained mental health counselor.  They can make the challenging parts of your emotional journey much easier to manage.

© 2015 Jaie Hart (photo/words)