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I don't know of a better place to of worked on this, as I sit at the Chengdu Flipflop Lounge Hostel. Comfortable chairs, music ranging from Jazz, Soul, Classic Rock, Bossanova, low hanging chandeliers, the sound of pool table balls, travelers coming in & out the elevator. A place I recommend a stop for Food, Drink, and people watching.
Well...here we go!
A continuum from a couple posts ago, we go from Law 8 through 16, on this 'Common Sense' read to living & creating a life of abundant Health Wealth. Beginning with Chapter Title, I'll share how I personally have experienced and feel these laws working in my life, and the lives of client/students.
Chapter 8: The Law of Emotional Choice - "Learning to be aware of feelings...is an essential lifetime skill." -Joan Borysenko author of Minding the Body, Mending the Mind
This law encourages us to acknowledge our feelings but also to refuse to get stuck in the negative ones, as stated in the chapter. I also believe, we shouldn't become addicted to only the 'positive' ones. Happiness, sadness, anger, guilt, contenment, fear, and love. These are all part of the human experience and it is perfectly fine to live in them as they come and go. Each person is unique and going through a personal journey in which certain seasons of life may benefit from riding certain waves of emotion - and in others will suffer.
We are all personally responsible for these emotions, we must observe ourselves and understand what triggers, feeds, and breaks them if they are not fertilizing our mind, body, and soul.
Chapter 9: The Law of Developmental Motivation - "Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best." Henry Van Dyke
From the get go, ahha moments occur for me when the book states Unsatisfied Needs Motivate.
Developmental Motivation and Deficiency Motivation both fulfill unsatisfied needs. Years back I realized that more often than not I used deficiency motivation, coming from a standpoint of what's wrong with me. Example: I'll be satisfied when I have a 'dream body', 6 pack, rippling muscles, desired physique. I realized this was untrue. Even after achieving physically athletic abilities and skills, I found myself wanting MORE.
Developmental Motivation, on the otherhand, takes the perspective of I am whole, but I am not finished. Live in the now, be content! Of course life is about growth, stretching, expanding, learning more, serving more, dreaming and pursuing. Even though these goals haven't been satisfied yet, we are not incomplete or lacking, we are in process. So long as there is deep meaning and purpose to the greater good or community, it will surely lead to a long healthy life. Thus, the goals that Movement Athletics proposes in the Tri Cities. Programs for At-Risk youth males with little to no guidance from Male Figures at home to guide them to being good kind serving men. With Divorce rates as high as they are, and Men leaving their partners to raise kids alone...it is a project I am striving to tackle with Physical Training in Martial Arts, Athletics, and Education in culture.
Chapter 10: The Law of Human Dignity - God created man in his own image. -Genesis
Treating each person with respect. We are all creations of the universe, god, fruit of planet earth, whatever religious practice or cultural way of living you have chosen. We owe it to each person and to ourselves to practice this simple act. We don't deserve to be put in boxes: Christian, Muslim, High School Drop-Out, Graduate of Masters Program, Driver of Ford Pinto or Mercedes Benz, Spanish or Asian. We are all Human, and we are all better for giving respect from the Beggar to the Lawyer, Housekeeper to Doctor. When I catch myself thinking remotely close to this, I remember the people in my life who are superior than me in different aspects of life - artistically, physically, culturally, world knowledge, more proficient in healing, caring for someone....one day it could be us being cared for or in need of these people we feel like we can hold ourselves 'higher or greater than'. Love begets love, respect begets respect. Jesus was Humble even tho he could heal the blind, cure the sickly, and knew he would die,...and rise. Let us be like the masters who have come before us and served all.
Chapter 11: The Law of Win/Win - Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. -The Golden Rule
Interdependance is what has catapulted humans to our greatest achievments in Societies at large and in a sustainable way. Slavery doesn't last long, as we can see it created rift and violence in the USA. People shouldn't work for free and be abused - fare wages, safe work place, respect, humanity, this is what has made our country great. While it may seem like 'Win - Lose' for the owners, truth is it is Lose - Lose, as overtime guilt, loss of humanity, and lack of compassion would envelope those abusing such situations.
A 'Democracy' that is far from perfect YET the country in the world with the highest level of people trying to immigrate and create a life. Do to hope, fairness, law, and a place where the Law of 'Win/Win' is honored more greatly than in most countries in this world. This isn't just about our country though, let us consider between people, friends, business partners, and interest circles. We should not strive to get the better, but be content with getting what we truly work for without it being at the expense of another person. Making decisions as a group that everyone truly feels good about. Let us seek to understand, then understood. You can truly have a heart at peace when striving for such outcomes in personal and professional relationships.
Chapter 12: The Law of Present-Moment Living - "Be here now." Ram Dass
We truly have no control of all things. Living in the past, we can be depressed. Thinking about the future too much, and we feel anxiety. All that is REAL, all that EXISTS is now. Are we breathing deeply? Are we savoring each bite of our meal? Are we aware of the details in the environment around us? Living presently is what creates an awareness and appreciation of life. It helps us find JOY in what we are doing. It is what made me fall in love with Personal Training, noticing every detail in the person I was working with. How they walk, sit, stand, push, pull, breath, from their toes all the way through their posture to the crown of their head. So many insights and questions would come to mind that led to successful changes to those committed. This is how Artists who write in ways that captivate our spirit do it so well...they are in touch with present emotions that they learn to harness and relate to others so well. How painters are able to confidently display the work they do, because they put their all into the canvas with each stroke of the brush. Be here now, for tomorrow is not gauranteed. This...creates appreciation of life.
Chapter 13: The Law of Mindfulness - The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of Hell, a hell of Heaven. - John Milton
Being aware of what our focus is on can make a big difference in perception, thus our attitude of a situation. If I allowed myself to be frustrated with the fact that I can't sprint as fast as a competitor in a running competition, of course this would create a stress that would always bite at me. Truth is, I had to remind myself, this competitor was almost half my age. 19 years old, and was also training for 9 months longer than myself at this Martial Arts school. He was also a previous track athlete. I needed to remind myself, I was comparing situations, yes at the age of 34 I am not doing what I was able to at 24, and that is ok. So instead of focusing on what I can't do as well as I used to, the focus is on what I can do very well now. The different things I can still do and be grateful for. Nurturing thoughts of abundance, gratefullness, and growth in other parts of life. Being mindfull of the thoughts the mind is spinning on us gives us the ability to change the track, if you will. Taking the focus to thoughts we know to be empowering. Remember, we can make our mind our servant, not our master if we can just be aware and choose where it is to focus, leading us to healing abilities and strength we never thought possible.
Chapter 14: The Law of Creativity - "Imagination is the eye of the soul." - Joseph Joubert
I can't remember which mentor or what book I discovered this in before reading the 22 Laws here...but they said if you take it from your mind, and physically put it on paper, its like magic happening before your eyes. It goes from being a thought, to becoming reality. Now, what this does, is creates a bit of a spark of inspiration for us to take action on this thought or concept we have. We begin to reverse engineer how to make it happen. We might begin writing the blueprint on how to get there. Finding ways to be creative in the things we enjoy doing from time to time is also a way to feel fulfilled or find joy in daily life. From taking photos, to writing poetry, or designing a personalized trip where you personally take time to plan out your destination, how you will get there, the activities you want to do...then going! All of a sudden the things you 'visioned' become a reality, and at some point during the journey you get excited realizing you've manifested a dream of yours. Find ways to be creative in whatever capacity you feel right doing so.
Chapter 15: The Law of Lifetime Growth - "We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves,; otherwise we harden." -Goethe
This can mean many things to everyone, for me it has meant to read, learn new topics, religions, learn about history, other cultures, to learn new physical activities, dance, martial arts, calisthenics, acrobatics, swimming, everything possible within my reach. Not only does this entertain me, but creates new neural pathways in my brain that will help offset dimentsia, memory loss, and keep life exciting! Personal Growth, another place I find myself striving in, to improve in business, relationships with others and myself. Doing all of these things keeps the mind tough, heart loving, body flexible, and a desire to contribute to the world...at the personal and community level. It makes the thought of retirement non-existant, because there will always be things that motivate me to be an abled body, mind, and wild spirit to give itself. LOVE is an action, so we must actively love ourselves and the world in this way.
Chapter 16: The Law of Life Mission - "He dies every day who lives a lingering life." - Pienard Poullet
I once believed that having health, high physical prowess and ability, that I'd have everything. I realized this was wrong while living in Los Angeles in my early 20's. Having my physical health, living in the 'dream city' I'd always wanted to be at. Then I felt loneliness,...and finding a partner to share my time with there I thought I'd have it solved - again I was wrong. It wasn't until reading "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" where having a mission statement. That is something we all have to figure out ourselves, it requires we discover what our personal genius or mastery is, what roles we can play most effectively to contribute to this world. Is it being an entertainer? I mean even doctors, scientists, and leaders need to unwind to be at there best, so lets entertain them! Is it being a mother / father? Someone needs to guide children to being their best and discovering what their special gift is to world as well! Is it possible that we have several caps to wear? Yes...whatever the case is, write your decree of what your mission is, and live it to the fullest. Everyday will have purpose, and you will find yourself giving the best effort because the purpose has meaning and you will be able to do things through sickness or injury that otherwise might of been reasons to be lazy or just give up...I find this true in observing mothers who love their children. They almost never take a day off.
From Flip Flop Hostel Lounge, cheers, and the final summary review to come soon.
Adios, amigos y amigas
Pedro
A link somewhat linked to this topic...
https://youtu.be/TaowdUakJJE