Mirror of understanding...

By Vichara

We reflect what we are taught in the mirror of understanding. If your mirror is clouded and streaked with uncertainty it will be hard to have a clear vision of your intent. If you are too close the heat will fog your viewpoint and your vision will be myopic. Where you stand will determine the clarity, the understanding and the direction you will take and how others will view you. There will be a need at times to grab a big roll of paper towels and window cleaner to clear off the residue of misunderstanding and uncertainty. This process can take some time at first but it will become much easier over time with equanimity and self-realization. There will be even times when there will be little need to say “mirror, mirror on the wall, where the hell am I going (I know that doesn’t rhyme) because what we reflect will not be isolated but be encompassing and unencumbered by doubt or misunderstanding.

Who's driving?...

By Vichara

The Future does not rest for one moment. Like an impatient child pacing back and forth, waiting to jump in the car to go – it is there. It does not matter if you are reluctant or receptive it will be relentless. Meanwhile our old friend the Past stands by the door with a quiet face of acceptance in recognizing and acknowledging this fidgety entity. It observes and accepts the fragments left behind by the Future. However next to you with jacket on, keys in hand is the confidant persona of the Present. You may not notice it standing there but it has never left or will ever leave without you. While the impatient Future shifts around with ants in its pants the Present with a complacent smile looks over at the Future with the understanding of a wise parent. It is a difficult choice wanting to run off with the Future but I recommend giving the keys to the car to the Present. Be patient with the Future while it fidgets in the car seat next to you but sit back, relax and let the Present drive. The drive will be much easier and much more scenic.

i-Reflection...

By Vichara

We live in a day where there is an insatiable need to stay connected by electronic devices. Blackberry, crackberry, i-This, i-That, Palm, Sole, Cranium – whatever they may be called. We type and talk while we drive, sit on the toilet, have dinner, even when we are sitting with other people. Then there are some who can send messages while walking at break neck speeds, which I’m sure will be an Olympic sport very soon. Regardless of the etiquette issues related to some of these styles there seems to be a deeper for some for this compulsion to be in constant communication. Deep down we all want to know and feel that we are wanted, accepted and loved so we seek this from others. Even if you are the most cynical there is still a desire for this at some level. But in order to fully connect with others we must be connected with ourselves. Fortunately for us we have a device to communicate with ourselves that does not need batteries, wires, buttons or Internet connection. It is called-reflection (or if you want to be fancy, i-Reflection). Take any thought, idea, concern or something you are pondering and process this through i-Reflection to seek illumination and direction. It is sometimes best to use i-Reflection in quieter and solitary places to get the best results. What you will find after diligent use of i-Reflection is a decrease in obsessive communication, a reduction of the superfluous and a clarity of thought. The best thing is that i-Reflection is available to you right now for the low, low price of FREE!

Over 7 billion ways...

By Vichara

Today marks the 1000th posting on this site. To all of those that may been checking in over the years I’ve been writing these “thoughts”, I thank you very much. Dank u, Merci, Вы, Danke, Σας ευχαριστούμε, Grazie, ありがとう, 당신을 감사하십시오, Obrigado, Gracias. For those new to reading any of theses “thoughts”, thank you. To those maybe reading these for the first time, welcome and thank you. I feel so honored and humble that you have taken the time out of your day to read one of these “thoughts”. 1000 thoughts, 1000 different ways of thinking of things. Now wait, there are over 7 billion ways of thinking of things. One for every soul that is living and breathing on this planet right now. The unification factor for all of these beings and the way that will truly create a new paradigm, a new vision, a new radical template is only through Love, Patience and Compassion. We need to create a revolution of Compassion! A movement not driven by manipulative, self-centeredness & entitlement, but one that recognizes and acknowledges that at our basic core we are all suffering to various degrees and make an effort to aliviate each others suffering. We need to reach out in compassionate gestures both big and small and to convince those around us by our compassionate actions that we can all make a difference in the world, everyone of us. Again thank you everyone for taking the time to read these thoughts. I hope in a small way they help or initiate a conversation for postive change. If you are compelled please leave a comment or thought of what you think here. I would appreciate hearing from you from wherever you are on this planet.

The rest stop...

By Vichara

There is this beautiful roadside rest stop that I just visited that I want to recommend. I was needing a break from a long drive on the 101; no I think it was the 5. Anyway I thought to myself that the next rest area no matter how it looked or far I would just pull in. Of course the moment I was thinking this a sign appeared that a rest stop was just ahead. Well my friends the moment I exited I was met with all of the elements that would be needed for a “rest”. The trees were tall and so full of leaves that they provided ample shade. The flowers were so colorful. Whoever was the greens keeper did a wonderful job with the selection of flowers bordering the walkways. I think it was the 210 freeway…maybe not. Anyway as I wandered along the walkway I spotted a picnic table where I could rest with a snack. Well friends as I was just to sit down and I looked to my right and there was this majestic waterfall. At the bottom was a pool of clear water with all kinds of birds swooping in and around. Ah, it was so amazing and I thought I would need to come back here again very soon. Well fellow travelers you can guess by now that this rest area was not on any freeway but right here where I “sit” writing these “thoughts”. But the rest stop is available to you too. You have the power to create this sense of peace and instill some calm for yourself at anytime and anyplace. Just take the next exit.

An action will have a reaction...

By Vichara

An action will have a re-action. That re-action will ignite another action. That action will inspire another re-action. From that re-action…while the action / re-action plays on let’s take a moment. While we ponder, muse and speculate the continuum toils on regardless. We may choose to believe that we can pull away and not be part of the fray but the fray will always find you. You may believe that some of life’s pageantry does not concern you but it will at some point. The action of trying to extricate from life is an action that is having a re-action, which is having another action (you get the picture). Every single molecule is interconnected so why not be a part of an action of change. Change that will improve and not tear down. Change that ignites the positive and not the negative. Of course you could turn away and close your door but of course that will have an action that causes a…

Intuitively revealed...

By Vichara

Are we suffering from a lack of self-realization or have realizing the self, turned away from what is intuitively revealed? Next to me I have at least 8 – 4x3 little composition books where I manually write all these “thoughts”. I suspect I could easily scratch these thoughts out on scraps of paper and then once entered into my laptop and deposited on this web site throw them away – but I don’t. I prefer to have a physical reminder of the realizations intuitively given to me so I don’t turn away completely. There are discoveries we are all given every day that our self will refrain from listening to in what perhaps could be a fight or flight of self-preservation. What to keep in mind when faced with these is that each and every one of these is important and possibly holds a key to a discovery. While being protective do remember to remain to be open to realization. Here will be your catalyst for survival.

Hello blue skies...

By Vichara

Hello blue skies, good morning little birds, top of the morning to you Mr. Squirrel, how-de-do-dee little veggie plants…ooops, sorry I had the Polly-Anna channel tuned in. While yes we would like to believe and experience the world with the sweetness of a Disney film the reality is that it is not. What it is a cavalcade of programming that defies all FCC mandates. But you control the dial. You have a direct connection with the programming in your life and the out come of the stories is up to you. You are the head of programming, the writer, the director and the actor. Sure there will drifting of signals where other channels will fade into yours but you should not relinquish the control of your program but incorporate storylines with the integrity of your own vision. Retain what you believe in and direct with the confidence of your own heart.

Linear lines of fate...

By Vichara

Is it linear lines of fate that brings some of us together, pre-destined karma or just plain stupid luck? After meeting someone for the first time do you walk away and think wow that was interesting it was like we knew each other. Or gee that person seemed to know and push all my buttons. Is there a purpose to the interconnectivity of our daily lives? Sure in our work life we are thrown together with people, in what may not be an organic way, but I’m thinking of what may seem random. Why yesterday I met this gentleman and from the ease of the encounter it would seem that we had known each other for years. Could that be that in what people consider past lives that we have been set up again with the same set of encounters (but with different bodies) to reveal and revise the path of our lives once again? To understand better this time? To fix what went wrong the first time around? Pardon me do I know you?

Challenge the past...

By Vichara

Challenge the past by standing up to the future with integrity. We all have encounters and experiences that have left the residue of doubt in our paths. This doubt can take many forms and at times feel like that uncomfortable pebble that gets stuck in your shoe. You shift your foot. You try to wiggle it to the side so you can keep walking but it keeps reminding you that it is there with it’s persistent jabbing. The obvious thing to do is to stop, sit down, take the shoe off and shake it free but we try to ignore it. When you finally do this annoyance can sometimes be so small you can’t imagine how it caused so much pain and bother. But here is an even more radical idea. Maybe you need to unload the whole shoe! Perhaps it would be beneficial for your well being to unburden your toes and get a new perspective. Of course it is up to you.

Answering our prayers...

By Vichara

“Les anges punissent en repondant aux prier.” (The gods / angels punish us by answering our prayers) Whenever we would eat too much as kids my dad would say, “your eyes are much bigger than your belly”. Of course when at that early age we would run to the mirror to see if this was true. Confused we would shake our heads and come back for another scoop of ice cream. We get older, we dream, we wish and pray but the grander things we desire have replaced the simple request for an extra scoop of ice cream. We believe that obtaining these grander things that it will change our lives, make it better and be the answer to our prayers. So we push and pray and then either out of he universe being exhausted or clicking of the tumblers you get what you prayed for? But wait this is not exactly what you thought it would be. There is suddenly much more to be responsible for, more people to answer to and more things to deal with than before. You desire less but it’s too late, this is not just an extra scoop of ice cream. Be careful what you wish for. Unless the resolve is there it will be a burden, not a blessing.

The odds of "making it"...

By Vichara

There are some that are compelled with the notion that they need to “make it”. Making it in the sense that the life they have is not good enough, not glamorous enough, not many things. Lets reel things in a bit and reflect for a moment about making it. First off your sheer existence has come about against so many odds. It has been calculated that the odds of a particular sperm and egg to come together are billions to one. Let’s repeat that, the chances of you (as you know it) being born are billions to one. Let’s keep that little nugget of information up front and continue. So just by sheer chance you exist right now and are reading this and by being here…you made it! The rest of what you see, feel and accomplish is, as we say, “gravy”. But you must not take for granted of just “being here” is some form of entitlement; you need to do something with this gift of life that has been given to you. Sure fame & fortune or whatever you believe “it” is can be attainable but so is being a better person, a compassionate person, a person that values ones existence against all odds.

Expectation about expectation...

By Vichara

I was sitting here half expecting in some strange way for the page to start writing the “thought” by itself. But then I thought isn’t that just the way we do expect things to happen all the time, don’t we? We expect the sun will rise in the morning, we expect the coffee to be good and hot, we expect people to do what is asked and required of them. We have expectations about expectations and expectations are not met more expectations of how it should go. Should we acquiesce to the way it just goes or should we dig deeper and possibly try to straighten out the road that became winding with hidden curves. Perhaps it all comes down to if we really expect our expectations to be met and resolutions to be found. What is the definition of insanity? Keep doing the same thing over and over and expect different results? Perhaps it is time to find a new way with one expectation – clarity.

The rumor...

By Vichara

Is there any truth to the rumor? I’m sure you may have heard a little about it in passing. Someone told me that it was on the news last night just after the weather forecast. I did receive a text message from a pal in Europe that has been hearing the same thing over there as well. I know it may be hard to believe and that any such notion needs to be met with a certain amount of skepticism. I mean really, can we believe what this rumor is stating has any truth to it? I know that some would consider it just plain naïve to have such a notion and for others it would be just ridiculous. Who would have started a rumor that “Love, Patience and Compassion” are the key elements to unlocking human potential? That with these three plugged into our hearts and minds creates the possibility of positive change for all? I mean are they CRAZY!?

Set your sails...

By Vichara

Depending on when you read this “thought” your day may have either just started or maybe drawing to a close. If the curtain of the day has just been pulled back you have an opportunity to set your course with the right intent. Now here at this point many of us may get overwhelmed in the list we may mentally create. We may get all excited and the laundry list of actions we may want to follow backs us into a corner of inactivity. Stop! Before this happens breathe and focus on maybe just one for the day. Temper your persistence with patience. Be more open to things difficult to understand. Something that can act as one guidepost in your journey. Something that will make the day more substantive rather than vacuous. And for those reading this at the end of the day, set your sails with honest reflection on what you can do tomorrow. Either way guide your intent with compassion.

Soul-powered...

By Vichara

You are one of the billions of un-tethered energy sources of the world. Within you is a power source that is immeasurable and renewable that can change the physical world around you. While yes this energy can do harm it is at it’s best and most effective when it is connected and unified with others to do well. There will be times when you think the amperage that is present within you is too low to be any good to anything or anyone. This is where your limitations are misguided. Every energy inch of what you embody is extremely powerful. Do not discount that. You have the complete ability to increase this internal energy at any given moment by the switch of love & compassion. This is the A/C and D/C of existence. Power up and use this and the world around you will be brighter and better. Not solar powered but soul powered.

The "contract"...

By Vichara

You may not know this but when we were born we all signed a contract. We signed it audibly with that first cry. I know, I know you are saying it can’t be valid because some doctor slapped you into doing it and so it was coerced. You would have done it anyway even without a little coaxing. We all needed to announce our arrival into this world. With this announcement comes acceptance of the responsibility we all assume when we enter this world. First the world is relatively easy on the terms and us. We merely sleep, eat, gurgle and defecate. But as time goes by and we start to “see’ things and recognizing challenges and opportunities the contract become a little more evident. There will be some clauses in our contract that may take years to fulfill and there will be tears and laughter to balance the terms. In the end what could be the toughest or the easiest overall term, depending on the spirit of your will be this; regardless of how the world is presented to you treat each moment with love, patience and compassion.

The minefield of doubt...

By Vichara

When you are walking into a minefield of doubt you have two choices. Let this delusion guide your hands and heart so you only move incrementally or dismantle each mine using careful honesty with yourself to clear the path, free yourself and move forward. Some of these mines will be small and when seen for what they are can be removed with ease. Others will probably take great courage to find the mechanism and the right colored wire to cut. Without a doubt each one of us does have the tools and ability to accomplish this task. If we don’t we may need to ask for assistance. Ahhh, but you are saying to yourself “how can I be sure and trust the assistance, I have doubt”. A valid question but (and you knew there was going to be a “but”) when there is honest intent to dismantle these mines and if there is a need for assistance the honest mechanics will show up to help. However, regardless of the assistance you receive it is you that will need to snip the final wire of doubt for each mine that lies before you.

The temporal curtains...

By Vichara

We have created a world where indifference is a comfort for the ever-present fear that we hold on to. Within this world we create worlds of sound and glass. Through iPods we create a musical world where rhythm and words sonically dress the world we wish for. Behind the glass we drive we try to hide behind and yet still see the world like some goldfish peeping out into a world that we barely exist in. We are at many times uncomfortable with the world we find ourselves in and seek whatever refuge we can. What is it about this world that we dislike? It is not the world we created in “entertainment” vision. Solutions are not found in 60 minutes

; the smiles are never that white and cleaning up is never that easy. The orchestral strings are never heard at the significant moments to let us know that victory is at hand and because of this we start creating our own worlds. These are only temporal curtains that will be shredded when we engage the world with honesty and reality. There is much more magic than mania out there, trust more in yourself.

Shake your own "globe"...

By Vichara

As I looked up and out the windows where I “sit” the stars were still visible and in the last throws of twinkling before the sun takes away their splendor. But as they hung there it reminded me of the sparkles contained in one of those novelty snow globes you get from tourist shops. Some of these globes depict scenes that will be covered with a blanket of falling snowflakes and then others with tiny sparkles that seem so magical. As a child (and sometimes as an adult) you repeatedly shake the globe to see a new set of sparkles cascade down and create new scenes on these tiny landscapes. Although a physical impossibility we should try to shake our own personal snow globes each morning. Create a new scene, a fresh start at the beginning of each day. Give yourselves a new outlook free from the stagnation of yesterday and blanketed by the crystal sparkle of a new day.

Be the "fire"...

By Vichara

“Be the fire”. This is what a friend suggested to me yesterday. I know that she was not suggesting to burn things or irritate others but to be engulfed in the passionate fire of life. How many of us can say that we get consumed in the flames of beliefs, causes or even our recreational excursions as we live each day? Realistically most of our time is dedicated to making a living and paying the bills for things we believe we need or can’t live without. Obviously there are the sustaining items that we need to get by like food and shelter. But can we still ignite and retain a fire beyond all of that? Here is the key; this fire does not necessarily need to be saving the planet for any of the various troubled causes, although that would be fine. I am thinking of igniting the passionate flame for even the smaller things like teaching a child about the amazing world of literature, creating a bountiful garden to share or creating something artistic to make you smile deep inside. Even at the smaller scale this fire can be as grand as any world cause but it will be your own heart sustaining it.

Get out of the shallow end...

By Vichara

Get out of the shallow end of the pool of life. Swimming with little values could be hazardous to your well-being. The flamingos of fashion and excess may look attractive but as they say (and you know it by now), all that glitters is not gold. Beware of he sharks of ill intent. While they may not physically gnaw at your flesh their insidious behavior will place doubt in your mind with devious results. And while being in “school” may be comforting their collective mentality will eventually rob you of your individuality. Where to swim? How to swim? Who to swim with? I think we all have no choice but to swim right in the middle of all of them. In the middle and around them with our fishy scales infused with a sense of purpose and equanimity.

A need for speed?...

By Vichara

I want it and I want it now! Honk! Honk! Move! Honk! I can’t wait for this! How much longer can this take? Patience has gone from being a virtue to a luxury. It has become something that is squeezed in between that latte and a left-turn in a busy intersection. In the daily tableau of activity things have become just a click away. Micro waved in 30 seconds in a world with 800 channels with no time for a break. We have been convinced that this need for speed is now a requirement of our lives. Waiting has become so “old school” that you would be embarrassed to wait for anything. Behave, believe or invest into this mind set if you wish all that clicking will only give you a fleeting apparition of what you want to know. To really “see”, “hear” and “feel” you need to slow down. Anything that requires you to experience it that quickly is not worth it and lacks substance.