WEEKLY VIGNETTEs
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A Vignette - a brief evocative description, account, or episode
Tips of Icebergs , A sharing of candid reflections during the week that was. Seven births, Seven Days, Seven lifetimes for a mayfly . |
 How a change of routine can help blitz apathy and boost motivation The student is in need of more learning & a kick in the proverbial apathetic ass. Its the perfect time. The teacher appears in the form of Alex , the gym manager. An invitation to evaluate my body content on "EVOLT" , a modern day biometric wonder , followed by another invitation to participate in the J Series workouts for a week with a trained coach and other fitness enthusiasts. I am nervous and hesitant , very reluctant. For this reason , i agree. ( I get over my initial hesitance, seeking specific motivation to put mind over mattress at 5.00 am , since of late i have been slackening and snoozing my alarm more than is acceptable 🙄 ) Two early morning sessions in and i am hooked. This is not as hard as i initially thought . I get to meet cheerful coaches and friendly people (in real life) instead of bland you tube recordings . The change of pace is both invigorating and rejuvenating. A 360 degree swap from "potter around/check emails with toothbrush in mouth/lazy yoga" to "wipe the misted windshield at 5:50 am and race to gym" . Instant rhythm. Movement inspires . Literally hit the ground running first thing. I feel purposeful. I love the 30 minute , second-driven structure , words of caution & encouragement . Foggy outside , winter mist , but the head gets clearer daily. Heaviness dispelled with each deep breath in and out. Cacophony of birdsong outside is an added natural , spiritual bonus ! I cherish the autumn winter sky on the drive home at 7:00 am with 4000 steps under my belt. Seems like a simple remedy to the zoom fatigue or the delayed Covid-19 reaction i have been experiencing. I feel buoyant after the workout. Happy with my small win. Creative side of the brain primed and ready. Bring it on. 👍👍 In encouraging sadness and dwelling on my inability to travel to loved ones in India , in moping about homesickness and unattended matters , I am disrespecting the "present and the now" . My loving and immediate family right here. My supportive friends who reach out to me in concern. My country Australia that keeps us safe . Sidelining them , pining for things across the waters , is as if they don't count. Charity and kindness begin at home. No use preaching to the multitudes if you haven't given your best to those around you. Self development begins at your doorstep. The other teachers came in the form of a) A video by Bob Baker , mentor , friend and firm believer in the Power of Affirmations . This video was uploaded "today" , a testimony to the law of attraction and perfect timing. (( I have shared it below )) b) Simple yet significant Lines from James Allen on the Power of Thought. Mind is the Master power that molds and makes, Man is Mind, and evermore he takes The tool of Thought, and, shaping what he wills, Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills: -- He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass: Environment is but his looking-glass. James Allen , from "As a man thinketh" , Born 28 Nov 1864 Died 24 Jan 1912 (aged 48) Author and self-help pioneer Lessons learnt - 1. You are what you think. 2. A change of "pace" and swapping the day around can work wonders towards clearing brain fog and apathy. (( More on BDNF - Brain Derived Neurotropic Factor in another post )) As for overseas family , I support them with positivity , harness technology to bring encouragement and purpose into their lives. Align with my personal policy of doing my (absolute) best and simply leaving the rest .... 🙏🙏🙏
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 Playing at parallels between love , life and the piano. First you must learn to play by the rules. Then you forget the rules and play with your heart. The creative heart is never more poised and ready than when it is in a degree of discomfort and pain . When sadness within adds beauty and poignance to its creations. The words on a signpost at the Warburton Bodhivana Buddhist monastery resonate. "If you haven’t wept deeply, you haven’t begun to meditate." - Ajahn Chah Corollary - Authenticity & intrinsic honesty precede a successful mindfulness practice. You need to be ignorant , in order to gain true knowledge , the cup that is full can only spill over. "Learning" is a virtual crutch helping me walk through the current pandemic limbo . Helping me stay anchored and retain a sense of purpose. Keeping those grey cells ticking . Dealing with the challenge of indecision and simply not knowing. The universe stressing how little we control and teaching us to trust. When i feel down, i try and tell myself that it's only a thought, and a thought can always be changed. Easier said than done , but i try. Turning limiting beliefs into limitless possibilities with (04) simple questions
I was introduced to Byron Katie thework.com/ and her famous (04) questions a couple of months ago while on a personal development course. An aha moment and a fresh perspective on certain personal thought patterns that were holding me back . My own example dealt with reticence in a public setting and reluctance to voice my opinions. Fear of confrontation ? Fear of ridicule ? My self-talk went something like this and highlighted the logical over the dramatic. Identify a limiting belief you have. My opinion is not very valuable and better left unsaid. What I have to say has all been said before , and better. Question 1: Is it true? Hmmm 🤔🤔Well , I do feel my knowledge often lacks depth. Question 2: Can you absolutely know it’s true? No I cannot absolutely know it to be true. Hmmm 🤔🤔In fact , people do seek out my opinion and advice. Question 3: How do you react—what happens—when you believe that thought? When I believe this thought , I hesitate , hold back , refrain from entering discussions , engaging in a group , participating in debates and discussions. Question 4: Who would you be without the thought? Without the thought , I would be very vocal ( to the point of brashness ? ) I would be extremely participative and never hold back. ( Was my stammer given to me as part of a greater masterplan and discipline ? 🤔🤔 ) Turn the thought around and state your new belief I speak thoughtfully and with good intention. I have a right to be heard and can effectively contribute to a discussion. I will maintain respectful silence when I need to listen or do not know the subject . I will learn to be comfortable in silence and accept what I do not know with humility. (( These questions can be used very effectively , either relating to our perceptions of others or ourselves 😊😊)) A entry from my journal dating back to 30th October 2019 makes a good corollary (unsure of author ) - FOUR limiting beliefs that often stop us are :
Here are a couple of added links - Worksheets by Byron Katie. The Four Questions - the "One Belief at a time worksheet" The Four Questions adapted to others - the "Judge your Neighbour" worksheet. 
 Excerpts from a TED talk titled “Choices That Can Change your Life” by Caroline Myss ( DOB 2 December 1952 ) Caroline Myss (pronounced mace; born 1952) is an American author of numerous books and audio tapes, including five New York Times Best Sellers: Anatomy of the Spirit (1996), Why People Don't Heal and How They Can (1998), Sacred Contracts (2002), Invisible Acts of Power (2004), Entering The Castle (2007), and Defy Gravity (2009). Her most recent book, Archetypes: Who Are You? was published in 2013. She describes herself as a medical intuitive and a mystic. - Wikipedia “Every single choice we make is either going to enhance the spirit or drain it. Every day, we’re either giving ourselves power or taking it away.” ~ Caroline Myss The TED talk is 25 minutes long , and the crux of the (05) salient choices begin at around 9 minutes . I enjoy her plain-speaking no-nonsense drawl , her quiet humour. Her sentences are laced with depth , rich in meaning , thought-provoking . Caroline encourages us to develop a strong “soul with stamina” and steer clear from “chronic chronic-ness” – an ailment fraught with negativity and complaints. Her perception of God is “law” . What we consider “big” choices are actually little ones, what we consider little choices – those made within and to ourselves – are the big ones. Caroline says if she could introduce a subject in schools it would be a syllabus on “making healthy choices” Here are her (05) non-negotiable choices :
“ No judgement. No expectation. Give up the need to know what happens tomorrow" “My prayer today is to become more mindful of my personal actions. What motivates me to do what I do and to say the things I do to others? I often dismiss my actions because of stress or anger but the people I hurt along the way do not dismiss what I’ve said or done. Every action and every word carries a consequence. Every person has stress and every person has anger. I would not like to be someone’s target and I ask for the grace to become more mindful not to harm others just because I am having a bad day.” ~ Caroline Myss I close with an assortment of quotes by Caroline Myss . Each one is worth a morning meditation and soul-search.
 This one is dedicated to the mothers in my country of birth , my motherland India. To my own mother who resides in Bangalore . To the other heroic mothers in my family , in Australia my new home , in the world .... "Mothers without Borders" Sharing a few of my own affirmations as well as a powerful 15-minute quiet reflective guided morning meditation routine that is helping me get through chaotic pandemic mornings and the worry about loved ones far away.
 🌼🌷🌼🌷HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY !! 🌼🌷🌼🌷 |
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