Uncover your motive

Two men visit a Zen master, looking for advice.

The first man says: “I’m thinking of moving to this town. What’s it like?”

The Zen master asks: “How was your old town?”

“It was terrible. Everyone was mean. I hated it.”

To that, the Zen master replies: “This town is much the same. Don’t move here.”

After the first man leaves, the second man enters and says: “I’m thinking of moving to this town. How is it?”

Again, the Zen master asks: “What was your old town like?”

“It was wonderful. Everyone was friendly. Just looking for a change.”

The master replies: “This town is very much the same. I think you will like it here.”

There is always more than one reason why we do things. The mind tells us one reason, the rest of the body offers other insight often overlooked. What we seek is what we find. Why we do what we do matters as much, if not more, as the experience itself. The rhythm of our breath offers clues to our underlying motivation for action. Focusing on the breath and engaging in breathing exercises can reveal what we run from or tward or whether we are truly present.

Ultimately, what we find is determined by how we chose to seek and what we are ready to make conscious. All behaviours and life choices are pointers to what is going on inside ourselves.  We are the creator.  Every moment our thoughts and feelings are creating every moment and direction of our lives. Uncovering our motive for a geographic move or other life change is something we only reveal to ourselves when ready. Ponder the role of mindfulness and mindlessness...

Notice what is always happening

Many people are conditioned to strive for things they think will satisfy or fulfill them.  They seek the fastest, most economical way to the goal or the best way to appease family, friends, or least painful way to conform to society. It is common to think you can control things and to discover you do not.  Sound familliar?

What is truly fulfilling cannot be learned or taught.  It is always accessible and seems to come from nowhere when you are ready to recognize it.  You do not have to know from where or how it happens. Something remains in the hands of existence or beyond ego mind's control.  There is another way of seeing. 

Notice what is always happening.  Something is taking care of itself.  No need for cause or motivation. Belief in anything is a barrier to seeing.  Any search is mind-oriented.  Taste what is present all around you. It is not a means to an end.  It is grace.  The heartfelt path of true nature guides moment-to moment.

The Best decisions: 10 Ways to make them

Every moment, thoughts are racing through the mind. You may wonder how to know what are the best decisions for you regarding your personal, professional or other areas of your life.  The buck stops here.  That is, its the perfect moment to take responsibility for how you perceive life to be unfolding, rather than blame someone else for what does not feel right inside or what does not appear to be going well.  Consider ten ways to make the best decisions in any situation:

1) Pay closer attention. Everything in life is connected.  Every synchronicity guides you to another when you are open and receptive.  Be alert.  Every encounter and situation is an opportunity.  Rather than ask why me, why now? Know the 'what' guides you to why & how.

2) Listen to the heart.  Call it intuition, call it what you will.  If the urge arises to turn right, to go to a place you have never visited, let it happen.  There is more going on than meets the eye.  Know you do not have to get your head around everything.  Best things cannot be explained.

3) Use Integrity. Being honest is often conditioned out of people. Notice where you fear telling the truth, fear losing pride or not getting someone's approval. Decisions based on fear never feel right. Decisions based on enthusiasm or heartfelt joy use love as a reliable compass.

4) Know your audience.  Recognize you can find a sympathetic or supportive audience for any choice that feels right to you.  People who would not do what you do only distract you from your inner compass.  Nobody actually knows you better than you know yourself. 

5) Identify core value. Notice the value of any given decision or result is purely personal. You establish your needs and imagine what could satisfy them.  Only you can determine how important some situation, state of mind or being is for you.  You are the measurer and the ruler.

6) Be aware of underlying motivation. Every decision you make has a trigger.  Some are more obvious than others.  You may think you are ready for a life change or notice you are in a position to help others. When motivated by love, you are always making the best choice.  

7) Know the power of surrender. You can create goals, design a path to realize them and still wonder what is going wrong.  To know the power of surrender is to feel that every experience is helping you to grow more conscious of what you overlook about your life.

8) Accept many roads exist. Whatever you would like to experience in life, there is more than one way to do it.  The mind limits your view of what is possible. The heart always sees a way.  From the moment you let go of complete control, options present you had not imagined.

9) Who's decision is it? This may seem funny, but its common for people to make decisions for themselves based on what 'somebody else' or 'everyone' thinks is best.  Discover who in your life is influencing you. Why allow this?  Know you have the courage to listen more to yourself.

10) Lose the inner judge. An amazing thing happens as you cease to judge your prospective options.  All of them appear equal.  That is, whether you attend this school or that school, take this job or that job, engage in this activity or that activity, commit more seriously to this relationship or break it off, take this course of treatment or not, lessons are available for you to learn about yourself and feel happy, peaceful and fulfilled.  Get to know how you think and feel.  The revelation that you can do it anywhere, under any conditions itself, transforms your life.

What if its all here?

Notice how your sense of meaning and inspiration in life change as you begin to recognize all you ever want or need is right where you are.  Notice what the mind would have you think and believe is necessary to become, to do or have.  Watch what happens as what you think you have to do is already done.  Address yourself as if you are everything you are seeking.  Get out of the mind.  Feel through the lens of the heart. Notice the impact on your thoughts and feelings.  Allow yourself to imagine how it is to feel peaceful, accepted and loved.   Everything you undertake reaches for love. 

Notice what stands out for you at this stage of your own creative journey. Notice what you feel compelled to do and to stop doing.  Notice what loses meaning, importance and attention.

Notice archetypes

Notice the archetypes that inspire and motivate you in stories and also those that play out in your daily life.  The traits of characters that appeal to you in movies and books relate to the experiences you draw into your physical life. The outcomes in your life cannot change until you move through the pattern and see it as it is. 

You run many energy patterns unaware in this realm.The energy you express yourself through is often in conflcit with your desire.  What you attract in relationships and sitautions always relates to your energy vibration.  Step back and observe your life impersonally.  Be honest.  Wisdom arises as you choose to know yourself. You only ever transcend what is not you as you allow clarity to shine and let go of all else.