Golf for enlightenment 3

A final recap of a great book


1. Be of one mind
(Everything you see around you expresses a different face of the same unity - When you are separate, you miss the unity)

2. Let the swing happen
(At every level, life is capable of running itself without interference)

3. Find the now and you'll find the shot
(Reliving the past or anticipating the future are both futile)

4. Play from your heart to the hole
(Have a desire in your heart, and then release it to spirit)

5. Winning is passion with detachment
(You still have to throw yourself into life's challenges with commitment and dedication - Yet at the same time keep in mind that it isn't you that is making anything happen - You are the silent witness, the observer at the center of activity)

6. The ball knows everything
(It takes a lifetime to completely trust that there is a higher intelligence that can take care of absolutely everything - Mistrust will make you rush in to try and control outcomes)

7. Let the game play you
(The toughest part is letting go of all need to control - If you are God, how can you know better than yourself ? - Stop trying to steer the river)

Golf for Enlightenment 2

Deepak helps clear things up. Here's another list of things to help towards the path to impeccability which can be followed today and always :

- Be willing to redefine yourself every day

- Watch yourself falling into old habits and beliefs, then stop as soon as you catch yourself

- Accept total responsibility for every response and feeling you have. Do not cast them out onto anything or anyone external to you.

- Take the world to be a true mirror of who you are at this very instant.

- Receive whatever is trying to come in. Messages are everywhere. Your next step doesn't have to be thought out. It will simply appear before you at the right time.

- Don't act when you are in doubt. Don't make decisions when you are uncertain. Practice patience until you know for sure.

- Assume that God has His total attention on you.


These are not techniques but states of mind, and if you write them down and look at them regularly, they can become as ingrained in you as any habit - for impeccability is first a habit, then an instinct, and finally a spontaneous way of living in the world that needs no reminder because the path opens up as freely as tomorrow's dawn.

Camera 101

While Géraldine, Samantha and I are going at it playing music, my Dad instructs my Great Aunt Margaret how to make a video on camera.

Éric and Géraldine have been a great influence to me throughout the years. In many ways I still look up to them, kindof as an example of what I would like to do now. There is nothing wrong with whatever way we choose, but sometimes we get a little tired or sick of doing the same things over and over. When this restlessness happens, it's important to pay close attention at what your body or your whatever is telling you. Then, if possible, allow things to happen, don't get in your own way. I always look forward to spending time with Éric and Géraldine and their family when they come to the island to visit.

Pop quiz

Did you know there are roughly 6 Billion people in the world ?

Did you know there are roughly 1 Billion people in the world that are always hungry ?

Did you know we now make enough food for 12 Billion people ?

Live like this

1) Give your greatest attention to the present

2) Allow things to happen naturally

3) Go outside often

4) Eat well

5) Be as transparent as a window

6) Exercise every day

7) Everyone is One

8) Everything is a miracle

9) Give in whatever way you can

Reffing hockey - part 2

You know, after cooling down a little from this incident and recapturing my thoughts, I see that I've put too much energy in dissecting this occurance. I cannot give this too much attention with my constant negative judgment of the man's behavior. That will never solve the problem. Rather, I must recognize more easily that the problem lies within that person's very being and it's only a misperception of reality he's portraying. Again, it's the ego problem, forgetting that we are so much more than flesh and power. If I easily see this during the very toughest of times, I will naturally "resist no evil" and accept the current situation ... but then forget it immediately and not giving it more attention than it deserves. My needing to prove that I was right was my own ego feeling the need to be seen and heard properly. I wasn't any better in that situation. So what is the solution ? I think the best solution was to accept, not resist, and not say a word or think a thought more of it.

Reffing hockey - part 1

The sport I've been playing since the age of 5 is quickly becoming one of the most dishonorable games in my books. I'm assuming its always been this way, but I am only coming to a better realization of the fallacy, the stupideness, the idiocy, barbaric and the primitive behaviors many humans still exhibit while participating in sports. Naturally, there is a deeper confusion or conflict which causes us to engage in such ridiculous battles on the ice. However, the true battles lies in the ego.

I was the referee of a semi-final Peewee A game, ages 11-12, and it was what I thought a great game. One team was favored to win, yet they were down 2-0 early. The favorites slowly clawed their way back to winning the game 4-2. Now, I've learnt to be very objective and I honestly believe I know when things go a little rough during games as an official. It's difficult to see every single act out there and sometimes you know you either made a weak call, or missed a big call. But it usually evens out in the end and the better team will more often than not, win the game. Anyhow, after this particular Peewee game was done, I said to myself I had done a clean game and felt relatively invincible to all (which is the objective of the refs). Then, before the teams shook hands the head coach of the losing team was looking at me for a bit, and after shaking hands and saying "good game", "good luck in the finals", "good job", "well played" ... and whatever else he might have said to a younger person, he came to me and proceeded to tell me this :

"I've been coaching for a few years now and I've never said anything to any ref. But this was the worst officiating I've ever seen."

Let me just leave it at that for now. I'll formulate more later.

Safety

Not safety as in when you save yourself from getting hit after farting.

Safety as in the everlonging construction of a net that will hopefully shield us from outer walls, or things that could possibly hurt us. Where is living if all your energy is to fabricate this illusionary web to secure ... to secure what, or who exactly ? What do I want to secure when I do this ? Do I want to secure myself ? And if this wall is breached, then what happens ? Does the inner dissolve ? And if it did dissolve into nothing, would this be a horrendous thing ? Do we believe we are headed to a horrendus end ? Who talks about the end ? There is a continuity of something. When the Earth blows up there will still be something there, or here, or everywhere, or nowhere.

To ignore interesting questions, being open and honest is interesting in itself. I think it's important to die to everything every day, then you can begin freshly the next morning. In a full openness of spirit, you would simply be wouldn't you ? Be and happy. Keep it simple. Examine the confusion carefully, don't ignore and don't give suggestions of right or wrong. Just examine it. Just do it.

Anonymous creativity

When I read this passage in one of Krishnamurti's books I had to write it down somewheres. I write stuff down in a journal, I write stuff down here and I write stuff down on random notes or papers. All of it together could make something interesting, but I am not particularly interested in putting something "together", atleast for the time being. If I feel something could be of use to atleast one more person, I may put it up here on my blog. If I feel as though it's just me rambling on, well, you don't need to know that crap. And other times, I only have a piece of paper and all I can do is write on that paper if I want to capture anything at all. So here it is, from a human that had great insight :


Anonymous creativity

"Have you ever thought about it ? We want to be famous as a writer, as a poet, as a painter, as a politician, as a singer, or what you will. Why ? Because we really don't love what we are doing. If you loved to sing, or to paint, or to write poems - you really loved it - you would not be concerned with whether you are famous or not. To want to be famous is tawdry, trivial, stupid, it has no meaning; but, because we don't love what we are doing, we want to enrich ourselves with fame. Our present education is rotten because it teaches us to love success and not what we are doing. The result has become more important than the action.

You know, it is good to hide your brilliance under a bushel, to be anonymous, to love what you are doing and not to show off. It is good to be kind without a name. That does not make you famous, it does not cause your photograph to appear in the newspapers. Politicians do not come to your door. You are just a creative human being living anonymously, and in that there is richness and great beauty."

Krishnamurti

I've never been so intrigued and felt such a profound truth in any other speaker or writer than Jiddu Krishnamurti. Many other authors / speakers have lead me in the right direction, but none have shook me as hard. It feels as though every other guide has lead me to this one. Which, of course, is naturally true, yet I have difficulty imagining someone being able to explain the unexplainable in a better way for humans to understand. Atleast, from where I'm sitting anyway. He asks so many questions and forces you to examine so many situations. He is passionate and knows that of which he is talking about. I've watched videos of him on YouTube for the past several weeks. I can feel he often must twist and twirl his words in order for us to better understand certain things. I find his words more revealing instead of inspiring. As though he was a chef that finally told the world the secret ingredient in his famous pasta sauce. I know I will stay with Krishnamurti for a long while, inquiring, like two old friends having a nice chat (like he would say), about what it is to be really alive and living. I pray one day to be able to absorb enough water and soap on my sponge so that I have sufficient matter to squeeze for those that need to be washed.

L'éducation

Je suis dans un lent processus de faire le ménage de ma chambre à la maison. Trop de choses prennent trop de place inutilement. En simplifiant ma vie j'ai eu l'idée non-forcée de vendre ou me débarrasser de beaucoup d'objets. En tous les cas, j'ai tombé sur une page de mon cours de "Fondements de l'éducation", le cours que j'avais trouvé le plus utile à l'Université. Ce texte, organisé par mon prof, est bien réfléchi. Je vous donne une petite section qui à rapport à l'éducation :

"L'éducation est le point ou se décide si nous aimons assez le monde pour en assumer la responsabilité, et de plus, le sauver de cette ruine qui serait inévitable sans ce renouvellement et sans cette arrivée de jeunes et de nouveaux venus. C'est également avec l'éducation que nous décidons si nous aimons assez nos enfants pour ne pas les rejeter de notre monde, ni les abandonner à eux-mêmes, ni leur enlever leur chance d'entreprendre quelque chose de neuf, quelque chose que nous n'avions pas prévu, mais les préparer d'avance à la tâche de renouveler un monde commun".

L'éducation ne veut pas juste dire à l'école. Souvent, ce qu'on apprend à l'école n'a pas du tout rapport à mieux nous connaître, mieux savoir ce qui est, mieux vivre en bonne santé. Les apprentissages à l'école sont souvent très superficiels. Comme les adultes ont aussi la peur d'examiner, de foncer, de questionner ce qui est la vraie source du problème, les enfants vont suivre chemin. Nous devons posséder une ouverture d'esprit afin de permettre d'autres solutions possible dans notre champ de vision. Nous éduquons nos jeunes, de cela il n'y a aucun doute, mais de quelle façon et avec quel degré d'amour ... ce n'est qu'à vous de vous demander.

Golf for enlightenment wisdom

I completed "Golf for enlightenment" by Deepak Chopra yesterday and I will certainly read it again before the golf season. I have a longing in my heart to return to this sport that I love so dearly. Ever since I've been a junior I've been scared to win, frightened to go low. This book, along with many others, are helping me rid of my fears in life. Golf is an excellent paradox of the game of life. The way we conduct ourselves on the golf course is identical to the way we conduct ourselves in our day to day life. I am excited to embark on the course and breath the game once more from a different set of lungs.

Here are the simple, yet profound words that stuck to me after completing Deepak's book :

1) I will never force or strain
2) I will go where my joy leads me
3) I will allow myself to be who I am

"To win freedom, you must act as if you are already free"

Latulippe

I read an article today in "L'Acadie Nouvelle" by a motivational speaker and author Martin Latulippe. I don't know a whole lot about him, but just by reading what he writes about. In the article I read about today, he talked about the shift that happened in his life. He was going about a mildly interesting university career while what he was truly passionate about during this time was motivational books and speakers. Martin had a true passion for those things, but all along he kindof followed along, taking his university classes. Eventually he stumbled upon a research paper that startled him, as it did a similar thing to me this afternoon.

Srully Blotnik asked 1500 people to reveal their career objectives for the next 20 years. 83% had the intention to choose a career that would give them a great deal of money, hoping to become rich rapidly and later do things they really wanted to do. 17% picked their career solely by following their true passion (s), figuring they would worry about financial issues later. These people followed their heart. At the end of the 20 years, from the 1500 people in the experience, 101 were millionaires. There were 100 out of 101 that came from the 17% of people.

As my favorite fiddler often puts it : "it is what it is". It's not to say that I'll be a millionaire, but I intend to live a passionate life, following what feels right.

Small beginning

I believe we have to learn several things and prepare in order to be properly ready and allowed to take on newer and cleaner challenges. I've drooped along University for 8 years underlyingly knowing I wasn't following something I had excitement for. Where there is lack of excitement, how can there be effective contribution or results ? By boring myself of going through the motions I've risen, possibly only slightly, from this slumber by taking more time to do the things I truly enjoy. For instance, I write a smallish article once a week on "La Voix Acadienne" and I get paid a nice sum of 30$ per entree. Yet, even if this is obviously not enough to put bread on the table for too long, I have cherished and joyously celebrated every cheque I received from the journal. There haven't been too many circumstances or working engagements in my life where I felt "I didn't really work", but this is one of them. Writing is a natural form of expression which I love to do. I don't have to overthink and I don't get tired of doing it. I'll generally breeze by writing different thoughts. As I bath in my unemployment insurance for a time and continue to reflect and adjust, I pray to come out of this lower pit with greater love and honesty for myself. Find more clarity in what I want to be and do, then being and doing it. Forget trying to change the world, just change yourself.

"Any life is worth celebrating anytime"

With this title in mind, I've decided to embark on my own personal project. I've often had the passing thought that we don't always say what we would've liked to have said before someone passes. Now, there's no one that I know that is in a position to "pass away" anytime soon. It is simply an idea I had that I've decided to move on to actually doing. The more I think of this little project of mine, the more ideas flow and the more interesting situations I imagine myself to be in. I will be meeting many people on the way as well. Many interesting journeys and conversations with the ultimate goal of celebrating one life. We all share in the same life on this planet, so when we celebrate one life, we are celebrating all lives. That's why I feel so much energy could be beautifully distributed by beginning this project. I'm still fine tuning a few things, but I am excited at what this will actually produce.