Not Enough Time? Life too Scheduled? Adjusting to Change? Lose Your Self Around Others? Dancing to the Tune of the Clock? Wisdom from the I-ching

Calm, Quiet, Slow … Mountain Time

It seems like ages since simply sitting at the keyboard and typing onto my blog has happened… and it has to do with this thing that we call time or our concept of it.  Yeah, it’s bothering me and if you’re a regular reader here, then you know that I work things out here—things that disturb my psyche or ruffle my feathers.  I look for ways to handle these dilemmas, these “pickles” of life, and hope that my post will also help another who finds it or goggles a phrase that shows up here.  Ever since I’ve moved I’ve been dealing with schedules and family itineraries!  It’s like if someone suggests something to do in the future, everyone grabs their appointment calendar to see which day they are free!

LEFT: grandson
TOP TO BOTTOM RIGHT: daughters, sister and daughter, grandaughter, grandson marching band, niece

I’m simply not used to living this way—at least for the past 15 years anyway.  I thought those days were over for me; never did I think that I’d be dancing to the tune of the clock again and certainly not to a school bus or band practice or Friday night football game schedule! 

O, Please–don’t get me wrong, I love being with my grandchildren and daughters–even my sister and niece!  And we love Friday night football; yet I’m sort of ‘over’ driving two nights a week to and from band practice… but anyway….

 It’s just that my life doesn’t seem like my own anymore, but I’m adjusting and my own appointment schedule is being juggled and adjusting too! 

We’re managing.  And everything is getting done; but inside me there’s lots of resistance to this new life! 

I’m working on it though and this blog post is helping me do just THAT today.  And I hope it will help you too in some way.  Anyway…

I know this feeling of being short of time all of the time is mental and emotional and psychological and it’s an energy thing that I’ve gotten pulled into.  I’m trying to pull myself out and having a little bit of difficulty. 

It is true that I have to accommodate my family now whereas before (the past 15 years@!) there was none of that.  I chose to do so and know that it is their energy and the energy of this general vicinity that needs balancing within me. 

You know, people drive so fast around here even in the parking lot of the apartment community and energy of the white rabbit from the Alice in Wonderland story is predominating:  “I’m late, I’m late for a very important date, I’m late, I’m late, I’m late, and I’m very, very late…” 

Yeah, I feel that within my own mind and body and it gets reinforced at the start of every new day… “Hi Mom, here’s her breakfast, she has to finish this or that homework, I love you, here’s her lunch box, gotta’ go, I’m late…”   (My granddaughter stays with me in the morning until her bus comes to take her to school and my daughter rushes off to work.)

Again, I love my family and being near them most of the time.  It’s just that I don’t like that hurry-up we’re late feeling and I know it is within me unnecessarily—I carry it too often! 

It’s affecting my usual feelings of peace and ease and I miss the pace of the mountains—the general feeling everywhere was “What’s the hurry?  And besides, if you wanted me to hurry you should have told me about it 3 weeks ago.”

Aaaahhhhh, sometimes I miss that small mountain town but then other times, like last Thursday night, having sushi and seaweed salad at a local Wasabi Restaurant makes me want to jump up and down celebrating being here in civilization!  Oh, there are many things that bring up celebratory feelings about being here—take my grandson for example! 

But then, I digress—my issue involves how to deal with this hurry up feeling that predominates too often and restore the more comfortable and compatible “what’s the hurry?” attitude.

Come to think of it, this has always been my problem in all relationships—whether it is with a person or a city/community!  I am way too taken in by the ‘other’ vibe and loose myself!  Yeah, I could blame it on my Sun/Neptune/Moon natal conjunction or I could use that triple combo to my advantage.  What’z it gonna’ be? 

Whether you’re like me and are sometimes too sensitive for your own good OR NOT, we’ve got to ask the Oracle for guidance.  What can we do? What insight can you give that will help with NOT being pulled into outer energy—how can we maintain our own energy when surrounded by an incompatible vibe 24-7?   

I will turn to the I-ching now to select a coin-combo which will bring us some helpful insight on how to change our attitude about time and hurry-up energy and how NOT to lose our self in the midst of so many ‘others’.  

Well we have Kua 3 (Difficulty in the Beginning) changing to Kua 60 (Limitations).

Let’s open up this guidance. But before we do that, I just want to say that I am enjoying this Saturday morning!  I am undisturbed by duty calling me in any direction and am enjoying the birds visiting my balcony bird feeder.  The trees are only a-small-number-of-feet away from my balcony (some ends of the branches are only a few feet) and I like to pretend that I live in the trees WITH the birds and that I AM one myself!  I did more of that in the early days of my residency here—and realize now that I need to spend more time with that fantasy when I can fit it in! 

Well, to the i-ching…  the changing line in the first Kua advises “doing nothing”  and “taking a breather”.  I really relate to that!  Writing in this blog today is about that very thing.  Kua 3 is about enduring difficult transitions and this move has been such a thing which I am STILL getting used to!  I moved in June and here it is nearing the end of September and the full adjustment has yet to be accomplished!

Here’s an example:  we had a garage sale last weekend in which we all sold items that we simply could not use in our new apartments (my daughter and sister also moved here around the same time I did).  We agreed to donate what did not sell to Goodwill afterward and did.  Several days later, I went there to get a donation receipt that my sister forgot and saw an item from my mountain home.  It was a basket which I had on a porch column and I filled it with different flowers as the season’s changed.  I did not expect to see it and there it was on a shelf in the Goodwill store and suddenly I grieved the death my old life of peace and solitude.  In turning to escape the basket, my eyes landed squarely on ceramic angels that I had along the window sill in the guest bedroom—I called it “The Angel Room”.  I nearly ran out of the store with my heart aching and tears streaming down my face.  Yeah, I’m not fully adjusted to being here yet—“fer’ shuur!”  said the way we used to say it in the 80’s.

So doing nothing and taking a breather this may be a good thing to restore a little bit of balance—that’s the advice (so far) from the i-ching oracle.  This sort of stops the whole time thing from being an issue—I can understand that it would be helpful. 

I had blocked some time out for myself yesterday and actually felt guilty that I didn’t DO something during that time.  Since this small amount of free time is so precious and valuable now, you better DO something special with it… I didn’t and then felt guilty!  I never, ever used to feel guilty about doing nothing before–what gives? 

The oracle speaks of this situation as “strengthening the ability to roll with the punches” –that is what is going on now.  I have to say that bumping into the energy of my old stuff in the Goodwill Store felt like a punch—fer shure.

This is about my ability to deal with difficult transitions—according to the i-ching book for this Kua.  Yeah, I think of death when I hear the word “transition” and actually I did say to my daughter on the ‘Goodwill Day” that my reaction is part of me “grieving over my old life”.  Kua 3 really does relate to this question I’m asking.

The old was dismantled to make way for the new and now that I’m in the new, the adjustments do create certain doubts and vulnerabilities.

Maybe I need to shore up my certainties and do something to feel less vulnerable.  I need to give that some thought.  I do believe that I did the right thing to move; yet I do feel vulnerable and intuitively feel some sort of boundary is needed, somehow, to remedy the vulnerability feeling.  I just don’t know exactly how to achieve that since I seem to have to be the one to accommodate to everyone else’s schedule!

  I find my mind wandering out to future to find a school holiday and to announce to my daughters that I am not available that week—I’ve always wanted to go away to some country that doesn’t celebrate x-Mas during that x-tian holiday anyway!  But I digress.  Let’s see what else the oracle says.

This is some sort of ‘stage of growth’—this transition, this move, this complete change of lifestyle!  Haven’t I grown enough?  Wait, don’t let me go into victimization now!  This blog post is about how to  accomplish a feeling which is one in which I feel as if I have more time—let’s stick with the topic at hand here.  (self reprimand– ha ha)

Moving on.  The oracle says to stay in touch with the “needs of the moment”.  Okay this is helpful.  And that’s right! Some of this whole time shortage and “I’m late” vibe is really future oriented.  People here run around trying desperately to drive into the future instead of just dealing with the needs of the moment—that’s the “slowing down” that I’ve been doing for the past 15 years which moving here has affected.  That’s usually how I am and I’ve allowed the surrounding people, places, things to infiltrate me—and I’ve sort of lost myself as far as this part goes. 

I need to bring my mountain mentality to the big city—and live it in the now by affirming continually that I am “in touch with the needs of the moment”—yeah, I like that.  I’m going to use that.  I should make that a sign and hang it up on the wall to remind myself! 

SIGN SHOULD READ:  I AM IN TOUCH WITH THE NEEDS OF THE MOMENT—PERIOD!

The Oracle also says that any attempt to make a plan or to make sense of things is premature and will lead to frustration.  Be gentle with the self and go slowly.

Let them rush and be late!  I don’t have to.  Right?

Kua 60 is about “Limitations” and speaks of “testing your own serenity in the chaos exposes the depth of self-disclipline” and also the manner in which we respond to “limitations” is revealing of what has been deeply assimilated. 

I have deeply assimilated the mountain energy and the inner peace of living a serene life has been genuinely anchored within me.  It is my true nature and true self.  I have to remember that it is there and cannot be affected—it is only necessary to stay in touch with myself by staying in touch with the needs of the moment.

Alright, I’ve gone on long enough and I’m good–are you?  I feel better and have, via this writing, helped to reinforce what is needed to establish my SELF in the moment again.

I hope this writing has helped another soul who may be able to use and apply any thoughts within these paragraphs. 

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A Conscious Approach to Irksome People – Monsters Versus Aliens

Do you have a cartoon character in your life who is making you crazy? It happens sometimes despite our best efforts to be above it all!  I’m even sure there’s at least one Miss Piggy in every monastery… here are a few thoughts that may help you out in dealing with these situations.

There are many occasions in which the psychic reading client will ask me a question about another person in their life.  Sometimes it is a family member or someone they have to interact with on their job that nearly literally drives them crazy.   No matter what the relationship association or reason they come to me to ask what to do about such persons. 

It’s true, you know, that certain people just rub us the wrong way or irk the heck out of us!  Yesterday, I blogged about our psychological  ‘blind spots’ and if you read that post we could insert such an irksome person into that blog post and call him or her a blind spot awareness gorilla!

Now that we can rationalize at least one reason why they’ve shown up for us (again, see yesterday’s post), the question then becomes what to do next.

And for each person the answer differs – I’ve notice that as the psychic message-giver during readings.  The answers that come are not always the same and I never know what is going to be given until it arises in response to the question in the same second (and sometimes before) the question is asked.

But for generalized purposes and for the indiscriminate reader, let’s consult the I-ching Oracle for guidance.  Off we go to toss the coins… 

How do we handle our response to that irksome person who we would like to see vanish from contact with our life, LIKE NOW!?  Better yet, yesterday!

Finding out that you have become a pawn in someone else’s game is a rude awakening!  You want to divorce yourself from that person immediately, but sometimes this cannot be done.  If this is a family member or co-worker or group member or even your best friend or spouse—good luck.  It’s difficult in those situations to severe the ties overnight.  And it is not easy then to ignore or brush aside their existence. 

The thing to consider, says the Oracle, is that you have become too easily rocked by external experiences and the only way to change that is to turn inward… it’s called meditation.

Another bit of guidance here is to ask yourself if you have been unconsciously allowing yourself be put in an inferior position by this annoying individual.  Somehow you have gotten yourself into a position that you neither want nor need.  Was it your own desires (perhaps wanting to be liked or loved thereby compromising your personal authenticity) that has gotten you into the situation?  I’m just asking.  Where along the lines might you have compromised your personal truth?

In the end, the only way past it is through it.  Feel the pain of being compromised by the bothersome individual and take responsibility for your part in it.  That step renews your self-respect. 

What remains now is perseverance.  You can’t divorce your family member or co-worker and it’s not practical to change jobs just because of this one gorilla.   It may be best to deal with this person, at least mentally and emotionally within your own self, as if they will never leave!  I know, I know—gods forbid and perish the thought!  But doing that helps (trust me) to relax you into a state of peace and acceptance about it. 

And the funny thing is that once you go there and do that whole acceptance thing, they somehow either stop irking you or move or quit or give you the divorce somehow! 

These irksome people are usually weak with no power and feel threatened by you.  You’d like to put them in their place ten times over but you also know that to do so will cause resentment from that person, empowering them further, or those close to him or her could develop animosity toward you.

It’s one of those lose-lose situations. 

Keep Your Sense of Humor!

And…

…speaking of loose; the best advice I can give at the end here is not to lose your sense of humor!

Sometimes with humanoids it is like a movie of the monsters versus the aliens anyway, you know? 

Besides, there’s always a Miss Piggy in every group! 

Sit back, get a little distance and have a hoot! 

It’s all only the Monsters Versus the Aliens after all!  Remember?

Human Dramas and Family Theater Versus Peaceful Nature and Serenity Within

It’s heaven….this pic is… Look! Not one human in sight! Yet, this type of scene and others just like it and the peace and the quiet that accompanies scenes like this lives inside / within each of us. And no matter how many humans with their dramas are around, we can go there, live there, love there! I’m there!

People. Wow.  Family people. BIGGER WOW.  My recent move has taken my trip here on Earth to another level.  Let me just use the words “other level” rather than put any other descriptive adjective onto it. 

As they say, it is one thing to meditate up on the mountain in a cave quite alone and totally another to bring your soul into the village and practice there! I can see I’m going to get some good practice! 

Yet, I’ve brought the mountain with me—it’s in my heart and in my mind and yes, the mountain is in my soul.  The mountain and my soul are one—and like the American Indian would say, “I am one with the Earth”.  In fact, I have a t-shirt that says that on the front.

I’ve had more human activity and family activity (call it human drama—that’s more the truth) than I’ve been accustomed to in the past.  I’m still making the adjustment and truthfully have longed for the solitude from which I’ve come and have had moments wherein I’ve had to consciously remind my ego-self that all that I seek exists within.

Change takes some getting used to–I’m living that truth fer’ sh’ure!

It was therapy–I just came back from a 2 mile hike in a nearby state park area; very nice.  I still want to call on the I-ching oracle for a word or two about this whole topic of human dramas and dealing with that type of energy scenario.  You might be having the same type of issue because after all the Sun in still in the family sign, Cancer.  And it’s still within striking distance of a wide opposition to Pluto.

The question has to do with dealing with those dramas–what should we keep in mind around the human theatre arenas?  The information below is general and not necessarily specific to my situation–it’s just some I-ching wisdom to apply to human theater generally.

Well, we’ve received several things here.  One is to remember that in the heat of the drama or in the midst of the battle, it is best to not charge up the hill when both sides are firing at one another, least you become the unwitting recipient of a bullet or two.  Or you could become shouted at when one of the guys from the opposing side mistakes you for the enemy.  Making one’s self a small target at those times is wise–once the heart stops pounding and you catch your breath, the circumstances may change by then. 

The other bit of guidance is if you do make a preemptive strike, trust that your intuition was guiding you to do so and do not defend your actions or entertain any type of rationalization. 

Aside from that, be willing to “roll with the punches” as the sayings go while increasing your strength and capacity to endure difficulties in the face of change.  If recent change is part of the scenario, its normal to feel vulnerable and shaky at times.  It’s also normal to doubt and question yourself in areas where there was previous unshakable certainty!  All that is “par for the course” to use another saying.

Keep a steady pace and stay in touch with the real needs of the moment rather than bringing in past of future scenario thinking. 

Remember, that we can’t always make sense of things or other people when it comes to human ego-dramas or family-theatre. 

Breathe deeply and tune into the inner guide, the voice of truth that speaks from your intuition.

Most of all, have patience with yourself and this will help you to have patience with others–yet, don’t allow yourself to be a doormat either!  If YOU don’t respect you, who will?

If you weren’t ready for the human drama and family theatre productions that certain changes can provide, remember that the Tao would not have provided the current opportunity. 

That’s how to see it all — as one big opportunity to expand your Earthly trip! 

 And yeah, that other opportunity… to take a drive to the nearest state park and go for a hike by the lake!  Amen.