Five Tips for Navigating 2024
From the W1555 Neighbourhood newspaper of March 2024, by Birds WG
We never know if it is going to be a difficult year or an easy year. We cannot imagine what lies ahead. How much will we achieve? How much will we lose? How much will we learn? Will the things that we desire come about? Will the world become a better place this year? Here are five spiritual tips to navigate the year, come what may:
A Deal With The Universe
Write a letter to the universe. Ask for something you really want for you or for the world or both. Be super serious about it. Tell the universe exactly what you are prepared to do about your wish and give instructions about what the universe has to do. Do not be vague. Be practical. Be specific. Explain to the universe the action that you will take. Be clear that you will keep your part of the deal. Say something like: “Dear universe, do not mess with me! I will do my part but you have to do yours too”. Fold the letter and keep it safe. Keep your part of the deal. Take that action! Watch as the universe keeps its part of the deal. When your wish has come true burn the paper and throw the ashes at a body of water (river, lake, or the sea).
“We all have secret powers and we can all inspire and encourage.”
The Pleasure Magnet
Go about your daily life acting as if you have swallowed a pleasure magnet. Look for pleasure everywhere: ask your neighbours to exchange foot massages, have a picnic in your living-room, put your feet in a bucket of warm water while singing your favourite song really loud, hug trees, whisper kind words to your pillow. Nourish your tiny pleasure recipients inside your nervous system and watch it as it grows in the bigger things of your life and the life of those around you.
The Kindness Spree
Can you say it with more kindness? Do it. Why not? What do we really have to lose by being kinder? Pay attention to what you just said. Could you have said it with more kindness? Then, repeat it with more kindness. Let’s compete in who is going to say it in the kindest way. Let’s cast a spell in our homes and neighbourhoods and imagine that it spreads around the world. Why not be as kind as possible? Why not be ridiculously kind? What will happen if we exaggerate with kindness? Only good things can come from that.
Is It true?
This is actually from Byron Katie’s practice called The Work (check it out online). It is one of the four questions that she uses. I find this question very powerful also when used on its own. We tend to operate under the instructions of our monkey minds. Our minds are by nature lazy because they are designed to keep us safe as fast as possible. Our mind will not care about quality. Our mind will tell us whatever bullshit story it can find the fastest in order to calm itself down from fear. We cannot and should not believe whatever bullshit story our mind tells us without investigating if there is truth behind the story. If we do not investigate our minds, our life will suffer. We will suffer. So, please, whenever you are having a bad day, check out the stories your mind is telling you about the situation or the person or people involved in the suffering. Then put those stories under the microscope of the question: Is it true? Listen carefully for the answer.
The Finest Dialogue
Have The Finest Dialogue with everyone. It is the only remedy for conflict transformation and for creating connection. These are the two golden rules for The Finest Dialogue:
1) Speak less and listen more. Truly listen. Truly try to understand the other person’s world view. It is more important to get that connection than to establish who is right and who is wrong. You already know you are right. No one will change your opinion about that. So, do not use dialogue to establish how right you are. Use it to get connection. Truly listen, Truly understand.
2) Believe in yourself and believe in others. We are all human beings. This means we are full of flaws and traumas and very very untrustworthy. But in the midst of that, we are all doing our best. We all have secret powers and we can all inspire and encourage. We can all offer something useful. Believe in that. Share your finest stories that made your life better. Ask to hear other people’s finest stories. Let’s share our finest stories. They can help make this shitty life a bit better. Believe in yourself. Believe in others.
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