Everyday Bliss

I just wrote a post over at Oprah.com for those studying A New Earth, by Eckhart Tolle. (gotta love it!)  I thought I’d duplicate it here, and also over at the 12 Keys to Bliss course for our own private forum of folks studying this book. If you’re having difficulty getting your head around any concept in any setting, try this:

"…I teach Eckhart’s philosophy in my courses and use it in my coaching program… Occasionally my students and/or clients have similar difficulties understanding these concepts. It really helps to remember that you have an immense resource and BS-detector in your physical body. While being a component of the overall pain-body for some people (it sure has been for me), it is also a wonderful truth-teller.

Research from the Hearthmath Institute in Boulder Creek California (www.heartmath.org) has shown there to be a huge correlation between the heart, emotions and your effectiveness in the world. When your heart is "in congruence" (or "agrees with") what you want to do, you’ll feel good about the thing and it usually turns out that was the best thing for you to have done.

Ever gone against that feeling? When you feel uneasy about doing something or hanging out with someone and the situation turns out badly? When you said "I wish I’d listened to my gut instincts on that one"?  That’s your heart, telling you what’s true. Ignore its advice at your risk. The heart always knows best and unlike the tongue (who will say anything), will never lie to you. The body as a whole is innately truthful.

So how does that relate to this class? Simple. Try out just one of the new concepts you’re reading. Put your hand over your heart. Take a deep breath in and out and ask yourself "Is this true/right/good for me?".  Pay attention to how your heart feels, to what it tells you.  Really, deeply listen to your heart, and feel with that hand that covers it. Listen not only with your ears, but with your whole body.

How does your heart feel as you contemplate this new concept? To start out with, is it broadly speaking "good",  "bad" or "neutral"?  Once you have a large direction to look in, you can seek refinement in your heart’s messages to you if you like.

One thing – your heart’s messages to you may not be "correct for all". They are messages meant only for you. But they will always be true for you, and always be in your best interest.

Hoping folks find this helpful….

Love & Blessings,
Maryam

I just wrote the below to the folks taking the 12 Keys to Bliss class with us over at ECI and thought I’d share, as it really applies to all of us. I get the daily motivational niblet from TUT.COM. The messages come, "From the Universe" and they always touch or tickle me. This one though, my mom would have called a real pip. To wit:

"Gabriel, did you register Maryam Webster’s epiphany yesterday? Raise expectations on all human beings another 72 gigatrons, and tell not a soul."

How do you do that?
The Universe

It’s worthwhile to note that this message is sent out to everyone who signs up. This is one of the more fruitilicious ones, but it does have a point. How can we all:

• trust our inner senses
• trust the unseen
• stay present
• have piercing life insights and epiphanies
• do what we do for the highest good of all

Post a commment if you like. The folks in the 12 Keys course have been having a busy little dialogue about this in the ecampus, but I can’t share that with you here. You can however share your thoughts for others to read if you like. Just hit the button below and let us know: How would you feel if this message came to YOU, with your name on it, telling you that these things had already happened, were a foregone conclusion. What might the difference in your life be?

In my thinking for one, self-esteem would not be an issue. Neither would courage, bravery, personal strength or any of the other traits that people seem to have trouble with. This is a small subset of all the possible personal betterment practices. As a spiritual practice, this list above pretty much covers what a shaman, priest or priestess does. As spiritual teachers in our own lives, who are we when we have these skills native in us, and intact and functioning since birth?

In a future week, we’ll learn how to reinvent your early life to give you what you would like to have from birth onwards as skills, tools or other resources. And we’ll experience how our life changes in moments, and the different timeline that arises. Generally speaking, a much more copacetic timeline. Interested?

Your feelings on this would be lovely to read.

Warmly,
Maryam

‘TIPPING POINTS’ COULD COME THIS CENTURY

A number of key components of the earth’s climate system could pass their ‘tipping point’ this century, according to new research led by a scientist at the University of East Anglia. The collapse of the Indian monsoon season could happen as early as next year, followed in ten years by the complete melt of the Arctic sea ice and displacement of the West African monsoon season causing greening of the Sahara desert and Sahel border territories. The Sahel includes Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, and the "Horn" of Africa.

Other events are hundreds of years in the future, and are increasingly worse in perspective. And may or may not be good.

Published today by the prestigious international journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS), the researchers have coined a new term, ‘tipping elements’, to describe those components of the climate system that are at risk of passing a tipping point.

The term ‘tipping point’ is used to describe a critical threshold at which a small change in human activity can have large, long-term consequences for the Earth’s climate system.

The nine tipping elements and the time it will take them to undergo a major transition are:

• Melting of Arctic sea-ice (approx 10 years)
• Decay of the Greenland ice sheet (more than 300 years)
• Collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet (more than 300 years)
• Collapse of the Atlantic thermohaline circulation (approx 100 years)
• Increase in the El Nino Southern Oscillation (approx 100 years)
• Collapse of the Indian summer monsoon (approx 1 year)
• Greening of the Sahara/Sahel and disruption of the West African monsoon (approx 10 years)
• Dieback of the Amazon rainforest (approx 50 years)
• Dieback of the Boreal Forest (approx 50 years)

These were the findings of lead author Prof Tim Lenton of the University of East Anglia (UEA) and colleagues at the Postdam Institute of Climate Impact Research (PIK), Carnegie Mellon University, Newcastle University and Oxford University.

The paper also demonstrates how, in principle, early warning systems could be established using real-time monitoring and modelling to detect the proximity of certain tipping points.

"Society must not be lulled into a false sense of security by smooth projections of global change," said Prof Lenton.

"Our findings suggest that a variety of tipping elements could reach their critical point within this century under human-induced climate change. The greatest threats are tipping of the Arctic sea-ice and the Greenland ice sheet, and at least five other elements could surprise us by exhibiting a nearby tipping point."

Read the original here: http://snipurl.com/9climatetippingpoint

The phenomenal Lisa Wilder has brought to our attention the American Lung Association’s 52 Proven Stress relievers.  (Pollyanna Power, girl) Chief among them was: Don’t do anything now you’d have to lie about later. It really took me aback to realize that this is not right now a foregone conclusion for us as a species.

What a gritty way to say…

live from your center

from the blessed bowl of your belly

sup wisdom…

and give to get

All affect each other,

none is seperate

Please get it.

Thank you.

To quote Reverend Dr. King, whose memorial day we recently celebrated, "I have a Dream."  I personally have a dream that all beings will experience simultaneous enlightenment, release of pain and attachment to illusion. And that we’ll all realize we’ve already won the lottery and already live in paradise, each and every day. It’s both a past fact and foregone conclusion.

Doubt that this means you? Then listen to your Bliss Compass: the winged messenger of your Breath, and the measured thrumming of your heart.