The Big Wave: living in the present

Friday, January 11, 2013

The energy shift of 2013; balancing of energy

Although much was said about December 21, 2012, I believe all of us are still alive and most of us well. The imminent end to the world the Mayans predicted through their calendar 5,000 years ago, seemed to survive or be postponed, at least for the last 3 weeks.

Other sources of the great change of 2012, explain that the year 2012 was a shift and rebalancing of energy. The masculine and feminine energies are said to have realigned and balanced out, ending roughly 5,000 years of male dominated energy. A calmer, more loving, nurturing, receptive and respecting force is said to have been ushered in gradually over the last year, culminating at the end of the year in a decisive change, for the better perhaps.

Undoubtedly, anywhere there is balance and harmony, the greatest sources of energy, wellbeing and good can originate. It is understandable that any change brings about confusion and anxiety, but having settled into the first few weeks of this year, this year feels like the peace and calm we have been searching for a long time. The long awaited Zen. Balancing of ying and yang energies. Despite the current peaceful feeling, I wonder myself too, how long will it last, how it will evolve and what new heightened experiences it will bring to us?

So far, I have come to realise the importance of being calm and not worrying about the future. The importance of staying present, focused, full of love, compassion, harmony and trust. Just trust in the future. It is very easy to daydream for the future and reminisce on the past. To use both to try to make sense of the present, a present which is perfect in itself. At any time, we are just where we are meant to be. This is a lesson I have learnt repeatedly last year: every time I wanted to be decisive and make a decision based on fear, the unknown, anxiety or pain, I was guided to see it through, live in the present. The answer, the true answer, would appear unknowingly, and only now when I look back, I can see my evolution occurred only when I was willing to confront those current ‘uncomfortable’ feelings. To feel them, think about them and deal with them. And then LET THEM GO. Ultimately, what ensued over last year, was a constant exercise in trust and accepting the present moment. What has eventuated is a new outlook to match the new incoming energy of last year.

This year, 2013, carries a refreshed and renewed vibe; one that needs to be absorbed and channelled to create greater good, appreciation, love, compassion, acceptance and harmony among all. If we all live in the present, aim to focus our mind on positive and productive thoughts and then ACT, we can create a world continually brimming with and carrying forward the product of our common good.

Monday, October 29, 2012

There is still so much more to give…

The old analogy is that life is about give and take. And frankly, it is. It is the law of nature for there to be perfect harmony; two equal and opposite forces working together, constantly and each at its own time.

In society, we have been taught this principal of equality; what we give, we should receive back. That we should not give any more when he have nothing to give, or no strength to give. Or we should not give any more because we are not receiving.

But what about the quality of what it is we give? If we give a hug, should we receive the equal? If we love someone, are we right to expect the same love in return? Do we only give as much as we want to return? Society is very much enthralled in the concept of quantity and not quality. We want ‘value for money’, a ‘return on our investment’, a ‘bang for our buck’. This is why we are only concerned with what we will receive for our trouble, and not the quality of what we are giving.

Two ideas come into play here. Living in the present and giving in the present. If we are concerned with what we will get, we concern ourselves with future outcomes that for some elusive reasons may or may not happen. We are inhibiting the giving, because we are already measuring the worth of our future return. To give and expect equal on return, is to shape your giving so as to try and influence the outcome. It is to be quantitative and not qualitative.

To be giving in the present, we must concern ourselves with what quality we wish to offer for the world, from the goodness of our hearts and not from the emptiness we wish to fill upon return. To give and give and give, and feel that we can keep on giving, is a true blessing. To be an endless wellspring of giving, offering, contribution with the pure attitude of non-attachment is a virtue that needs to be practised and developed daily.

It is in this way that the law of nature works. To be so concerned with giving in a non-attached way as to almost forget about receiving, is not naïve or wearying; it is truly gratifying. Because for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

What I have personally noticed, is when we are not receiving what we want, when we are so focused on the ‘getting’ that we adjust the ‘giving’, it is purely because we are not giving quality. We acknowledge the lack we feel in ourselves, and dwell on it, rather than attempting to give more to the experience. A concept of Zen teacher John Daido Loori is if we practise non-attachment, we increase and experience unity. Unity is to focus on heightening experience and not to get too involved in the processes of how, when, what and why.

My goal and focus for the coming months is to focus on what I can give and offer to my experiences and in turn, through quality giving what unity I can create.