Back to Goals

Occasionally I get asked my advice on what someone should do, what direction they should take - I can't answer that question, but whenever someone is lacking direction or hope for the future it often is simply either the goals they are setting are not productive or adequate.

I covered a little about my appraoch to goals in the first article I wrote for this blog, "The Importance of Goals".

Expanding upon what I wrote there, when asking someone about goals they are often unable to come up with any.  I ask, "If you don't know what you want, how are you going to get it?".  Know what you want.  Often when people who are lacking direction, focus or motivation and they are trying to establish goals I find they dismiss them with thinking like "that will require too much work." or "by the time I reach my goal I'll be too old to enjoy it." or "what would my friends/family/coworkers think of me if I did it." or countless other excuses.

This is where it counts to be selfish.  Selfishness isn't something I'd normally be quick to advocate, but when it comes to goals, it's important that they are about you.  Goals that involve other people should only be adopted upon mutual agreement and understanding of the goal, but this form of co-operative decision making and mutual benefit is something I'll be covering in the future.

These goals don't need to be immediately achievable nor do they need to be precise or detailed.  A goal can be as simple as to "continue to develop my French skills." or "to travel to Egypt and visit ...", feel free to let your imagination wander and dream - these are things that you'd like to do.

Still struggling to establish something?  Start looking at the things in your life that motivate you or you're passionate about.  It could be an obscure sport, collecting something, animals, literature or restoring antique cars.  Build your goals around the things that already motivate you, putting that energy that can often be wasted into planned action.

If your goals are things that you can go out and accomplish immediately, they serve little purpose as building blocks and something to set your direction by.  As I mentioned in my initial post on goals, I have an over-arching goal of self development, all of my other goals fit under this one.  A more physical goal of mine is visiting Egypt next year - but there are deeply significant reasons I wish to do this that fit well within my over-arching goal.

Once you have your goal, visualise the picture, feel the feelings, smell the smells and interact with it.  Make it real, day-dream it and see yourself accomplishing it.  Feel what it feels like to accomplish it.

This is the point that often gets difficult, let go of the goal.  Know it's a goal, but don't keep it at the forfront of your mind, constantly struggling and working towards it - let the cosmic provide you with the opportunities that will lead you to the goal, they'll show up - but you have to be open to them.  They may not appear in the way you expect, but it's up to you to identify in those opportunities which ones will help you achieve your goal and which ones will take you further from it.

Remember - we're all children of the cosmic and the cosmic wants to give her children all the tools and opportunities to create abundance all around them, always.

Behavioural Change - Modern and Ancient

I feel our personal behavior plays a large part in creating the world around us and the amount of abundance that we open ourselves up to receiving from the cosmic.

A lot of us don't realise that we live very re-reactionary lives - constantly re-acting to events around us as opposed to living pro-actively - constantly seeking out opportunities to grow, reach out and expand.  Emotions often are a large cause of some of our more inexplicable re-actions to events and situations and often the initial emotional reaction isn't at all the core of the problem but something that has triggered a memory or recollection of other similar events and often a bunch of emotional baggage will come flying back with it.

How do we deal with these reactions and behaviours that cause us to block the abundance that's right in front of us but seemingly just out of reach?

There are a range of methods available to use to deal with altering these behaviours and patterns and the way we re-act and in this article I'm taking a look at some of the underlying commonalities of these methods.

The modern techniques of Neuro Linguistic Programming and a large portion of the therapies that can be grouped together as Cognitive Berhavioural Therapy are two useful tools in making conscious behavioural modifications to ones own behaviour.  However springing from late antiquity we have another useful tool in self transformation and that is in Hermetic Alchemy, which Carl Jung described as a Western proto-psychology dedicated to the achievement of individuation.

These three tools all have slightly different targets and uses.  NLP is well suited and often aimed at people seeking business, financial and marketing success through better communication both internal and external.  CBT covers a range of therapies all based around the same principles of conscious behavioural change through a variety of methods and is a more clinical approach also used for the treatment of anxiety, fear and mood disorders.  Where alchemy is often discussing metals and transmuting something ordinary into something spectacular these principles run much deeper.  Paracelsus in his Alchemical Catechism tells us

Q. When the Philosophers speak of gold and silver, from which they extract their matter, are we to suppose that they refer to the vulgar gold and silver?

A. By no means; vulgar silver and gold are dead, while those of the Philosophers are full of life.

The process of all of these techniques can be broken up into several stages which involve identification of the behaviour or process to modify,  isolation of the particular behaviour and it's associations, transmutation of that into the desired positive result and re-integration of the final product back into the whole personality.   All of the techniques I've mentioned have slightly differing steps but the principles are the same.

One of the presuppositions of NLP is there is a positive intention behind all behaviours.  Another way I look at this is that everyone does the very best they can do with the tools and resources they have.  With NLP we take that positive intent behind the behaviour and use it to our advantage - we find another behaviour that we can consciously substitute and ultimately make second nature or habitual. 

NLP also presents that personal change can be effected by modifying the way we communicate, just as we can re-frame our behaviours and consciously modify them we can re-frame our speech.  For example instead of the statement "I'm no good at football." one could use "My football skills could use improving.", allowing plenty of room for growth and not restricting or limiting oneself by the language used.

Unfortunately an exploration of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is outside of the scope of this article as the field is expansive and incorporates many different therapy techniques and tools each with their own immense volume of work and specialists.  I can suggest starting at wikipedia and exploring some of the work referenced in the article.

The ancient science of Alchemy uses a process alternating between separation and rejoining, each stage associated with a colour with the stages being Heraclitus: melanosis (blackening), leukosis (whitening), xanthosis (yellowing) and iosis (reddening).  Each of the dis-integration and re-integration phases is a purification process each time refining the results. 

The black state represents the confusion and chaos in the psyche.  It is in this stage that we must acknowledge our self, our weaknesses and mistakes the elements of our self that hold us back including those subconcious or shadow aspects.

The white stage represents a state of self knowledge.  We must recognise and re-integrate all the aspects of ourselves we separated and identified in the first stage, including the ones previously hidden, even to ourselves.

Moving from the alchemical white to yellow involves action, reformed action based on the self knowledge resulting from the previous stage, leading us to the final stage of alchemical red, or integration of everything harmoniously into the new whole.

There is a fantastic discourse and guided meditation exploring the Alchemical process that is available from Rosicrucian Podcast.

NLP Weekly magazine also provide a useful NLP for Beginners Online Course.

Attitude and Effort

In my previous post I talked about people who have a deeply held belief that they must work hard or struggle to get anywhere.  I've seen this attitude adopted in so many aspects of peoples' lives from financial success and gaining of material possessions to the belief that one needs to suffer to achieve enlightenment.

Where does this attitude come from?

The only answer I have for this one is that during upbringing many of us are told that we must work hard, study hard and really try to succeed at whatever we do.  Our society has a habit of turning any endeavour into a competition against everyone else that only one person can win.

While creating abundance, gaining enlightenment, financial success or whatever goal it is we're striving for, the more we seem to try to make it happen, the more effort and struggle we place in reaching that goal the more we seem to block ourselves off from other possibilities that may lead us to the same goal, opportunities we may not have seen before or even worse, block us completely from achieving that goal because we believe that it's a struggle to achieve.

I said it in my previous post as well, and I will re-iterate and expand the point here, just as a mother has the compulsive desire to protect, feed and nurture her offspring the cosmic, the Divine or God, Mother Earth or however we chose to perceive her has the compulsive desire to provide for us everything we could need for our complete physical, emotional and spiritual development.

How can we break such an attitude?

This is a process that I believe is deeply personal, different for each of us and dependant on our desire to change our lives and charge our energy for positive creation, peace and love.

My personal journey involved a period of time where through circumstance I abandoned almost all of my physical possessions and travelled around staying where I could with friends and family.  This really altered my perspective of the world around me and the things that were important to me.   Before this period of time I had worked full time for close to 10 years, earning a very reasonable income and lived very comfortably surrounding myself with everything I thought I wanted - it took me along time to realise that none of it was making me happy at all.

I'm certainly not suggesting that this is the path for everyone, it was hard at times, but so very rewarding in hindsight.

Alternatively through self-knowledge and awareness you may be able to identify the restraints and attitudes that are blocking abundance in your life, meditate upon them, identify with them and re-integrate them in a positive way - something that deserves a whole article unto itself. 

Negativity

Negativity by it's very nature is in opposition to positive, constructive creation.   When we are focusing our energy on endeavours such as vengeance or retribution, pay back, hatred, cruelty and violence we open ourselves up to receiving only that energy back.  It is through opening our hearts, forgiveness and love that we are able to build the energy to work harmoniously with the universe to create abundance in our lives.

Changing "negative" attitudes can be difficult, especially as many of us believe they we are  justified in these feelings.  We fail to see the destructive nature of these feelings and of actions we perform as a result of them.

Being conscious of the pattern, identifying where one is creating this kind of energy around them and by regularly consciously adopting a more constructive and positive attitude the practice will eventually become second nature.

The cosmic can only try to give us everything we need, it is up to each of us to decide to accept it, be open to it and receive the full abundance the cosmic has to offer.   If our actions and thoughts reflect those of  hatred, cruelty, violence, vengeance and revenge then these are all that we will open ourselves to receive from the cosmic.

In writing this article I was inspired to post to my Daily Reflections blog a youtube video of  Roger Glover's Love is All - a fantastic song and something most Australians my age will remember from weekday afternoon kids television on the ABC - enjoy.

Peace & Love.

Blocking Abundance

It's interesting to note that even those of us who claim to know better at some points feel down and lack the energy or motivation required to create the life we know full well that we are capable of creating.

I feel there are a large number of contributing factors in blocking positive creation and abundance in many people's lives.  These can range from our inter-personal relationships with those around us, the environment we are in, our diet and health and probably most importantly, deep underlying emotional issues that we are perhaps not even aware of that cause us to sabotage the things we put into motion.

In saying this, I would like to add that often the challenges and blockages we seem to create in the process of creating the ideal we are striving for are often lessons in disguise, lessons that we need to teach us how to achieve the end we are after - for without having learnt something from that incident we're destined to repeat it ad nauseam.  Because of this, I like to approach every person and situation from the position that it has something to teach me, and for people I hope that I also have something to teach them.  

Knowledge is fantastic in this way.  If I had an apple and gave you an apple - I don't have an apple any more, but with knowledge if I give you my knowledge and you give me yours, we've both gained knowledge and lost nothing.

Inter-personal Relationships

I encourage anyone who is seeking to create abundance in their life to take a close look at the people they choose to associate with.   Surrounding yourself with people who lack motivation or drive you may find rubs off on you - and is counter to the aim you are trying to achieve.  

I'm not suggesting you go out and replace your entire circle of friends immediately, but instead start seeking those who have the motivation, drive and attitude you so desire and begin including these people in your social circle more and more - who knows it may even have the beneficial side effect of motivating and encouraging the others around you.

Also high-maintenance relationships or relationships that are being maintained for the wrong reasons requiring effort and additional resources can be draining and you may find that there is nothing left to focus on creating your abundance.  These can be difficult to deal with, but the important thing to remember is that you must always put yourself first and not be supporting others when you are not resourced enough to support yourself.

I'm not suggesting you leave your partner because you don't have the life you desire, but both of you working together to create the abundance and life you both desire will be even more mutually rewarding and have the benefit of bringing you closer as you work together and see the fruits of your labors bloom before you.

Our Environment

This is much the same as those we surround ourselves with.  In order to create abundance in our lives we need to be in touch with ourselves and our natural environment.  Fighting against our environment and cosmic law is only going to cause struggle, frustration and distress.

I feel it is of the utmost importance to ensure a quiet, personal space is maintained.  Somewhere to hide away, recharge the batteries, study, meditate and focus your creative power.

Our Diet and Health

Something that many often overlook is the substances we are consuming into our body - some more damaging than others, and the reasons why we do it.

For example, eating high sugar content foods will most likely cause wild mood swings as the body adjusts to the varying levels of sugar from a high to low; while subtle it can snowball emotionally to cause conflict and disharmony.   I also have a personal belief that life should not be taken in order to sustain my own, and it is for this reason that I am vegetarian.

Issues with our health tend to be related to emotional states.  Have you ever noticed how much more likely you are to get sick when you're stressed?  Relieving stress through meditation, walking in nature, physical activity or whatever works for you is a fantastic way to help your body maintain a healthy balance both physically and emotionally and will also aid immensely in any endeavour you undertake.

Emotional Issues

Many of us have many deep seated beliefs we're not aware of that can be a hindrance to charged creation; one of the most common I've come across is the belief that one must work hard for everything.  This is most absolutely not the case.  These people can work hard their whole life and not create the life you want.  The amount of effort put into creating abundance and the life you want to live does not directly effect the final result.  It is where and how this energy is used that is most important.

Take the example of a person pushing a huge boulder up hill.  It's a lot of hard work, and every time you stop it starts rolling back down.  It's an uphill battle.  However taking a step back from the problem, a less exhaustive and more efficient method of getting the boulder to the top could probably be found - or additional people to help get it there.  Before doing these things though the question must be asked, is actually getting the boulder to the top what I really want and does it fit my goals, or should I be focusing my energy somewhere else all together?

It can often be difficult to locate the reasons why we are sabotaging ourselves and the abundance we all deserve - but often they are to do with deep seated feelings of worthlessness or low self-esteem for whatever reason or a belief that we don't deserve the abundance that is already ours. 

However finding and getting over those types of issues are way beyond the scope of this introduction article.

I hope to take a look at each of these ideas in more depth in the future.

The important thing to remember here is that the cosmic wants abundance for you - in much the same way that a cow wants to feed her calf.  We are all cosmic children, and our father-mother the cosmic and earth want to nourish, support and sustain us.

Creating a Positive Vibe

A friend recently asked me about cleansing the energy of a room and I responded to her in detail in a article in my other blog, Walk with Me, entitled "Cleansing the Energy of a Space"

These same principles; or adaptations of them to your personal taste can be used to firstly cleanse a space and then attune that space to achieving your personal goals, be they spiritual, emotional, physical and material.

Using regular practices to promote the intent for abundance and the accomplishment of your personal milestones is an excellent way to mentally re-enforce your intention for success, harmony and abundance.

Along with this I can suggest doing some recent on the Internet on some basic Feng Shui (wikipedia).

A great example of creating particular thought patterns is a practice I particularly like of my mothers'. Everywhere around her apartment she has small containers full to the brim with change - she dumps her change into them whenever she gets home, or ends up with small piles of money in various places on any flat surfaces (that's just the way she is with money)... but it has the effect of constantly having an abundant source of money within arms reach almost any time. This transcends from just the small containers of change and odd piles of money scattered ontop a table and manifests it in the rest of her life, where she maintains relative comfort and a lifestyle she is appy with.

Decorating a room in particular colours that you associate with your desired outcome can also be another helpful option for establishing the desired outcomes in your life.

The attitudes of the people that you co-occupy your space with also I feel have a great impact on the mental state and thought processes of those around. It's easy to see this at work on a day to day level when the biological processes syncronise and body language, sub concious activity and even psychic connectness of people co-habitating develops and demonstrates itself over time.

Encouraging the people around you to share your passion for your goals and the vibe you wish to establish in any given space, but the important thing to remember when doing this is that it is your personal goal and passion that you are inviting them to participate in - don't expect them to own it and have the passion you do, though if this does occur and they are willing to put some energy into establishing this with you then the results can even be more powerful.

May all beings be happy.

The Importance of Goals

So often I meet people who say "nothing ever goes my way - I'll never be happy."

The first question I have for anyone like this is; well what will make you happy? what do you want? Most of the time they'll answer with things they don't like, things they aren't happy about and things that get them down. Listen to my question again, please... "what will make you happy?"

In my first post I mentioned my overarching goal. Take something broad; you'll find something really gels well, use it... otherwise disregard it and keep looking. It doesn't have to be perfect, you can fine tune it later. What you're looking for here is something to strive for.

I have a favourite quote I regularly use, I'm sure one of the giants whose shoulders I stand upon should be credited, but I'm unsure as to whom to credit but it is; "a focus on survival is detrimental to thriving."

Go - thrive.

Welcome to Charged Creation!

Let me welcome you to my new blog with a focus on creating the abundance around us that we all deserve and that the cosmic wants to provide us.

My focus is on positive advice that every day people can apply every day regardless of background, belief or situation. We'll also take a look at the material available out there on the internet and other media, make recommendations and reviews.

You already have everything you need to produce positive charged creation in your life and the lives around you, you have already taken the first step in creating the life that you want.

My personal goal with this blog is to provide practical day to day advice that I find works for myself and hope that I can help you apply to your life. This fits under my overarching personal goal for continual personal development on all levels - this overarching goal is something that all my other goals be they material/physical, spiritual and mental fit into this overarching goal and directly contribute to it's delivery.

The reason I bring up goals in this first post - is the important they have on creating your future. There comes a point when people faced with infinite possibilities seem overwhelmed... finding an overarching goal that you have firm belief will bring you happiness will help immensely in filling in the short term, medium term and longer term more practical "milestone" goals.

We'll take a look at goals a little more in the future and how we can start taking positive action to reach your desired outcomes.