Awakening Talk Radio

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How many of you get stuck because of something really simple? We are talking about an everyday occurrence like your child loudly chewing food with her mouth open two feet from your ear while you are trying to meditate, or having the internet connection break down because of some unknown reason and all of a sudden everyone in the house is under suspicion, especially your wife and definitely the cat. For me, the preceding instances hit really close to home, as in today in my home. Getting stuck means different things to different people. Our actions leading into getting stuck and back out vary widely. The more present we are, the harder it is to get stuck. The more frustrated, under pressure, and stressful our lives are at a given moment, the easier it is for us to get stuck and stay stuck. So, how can I remember who I really am when stuck happens? First, acknowledge the situation for what it is, not the story you are telling yourself, or even the story someone else wants you to buy into. Do this and you are well on your way back to the present. Did you by any chance have an outburst related to the event that created the stuckiness? Was the outburst out of proportion to the event? Good things for us to look at because the more disproportional the outburst, the more stuff probably floating around in your mind that you need to let go. So remember, when stuck happens, let it happen. Avoiding stuck always creates more stuck. Next, move on. Who you really are is always really available - just take a moment. And if you remember the TV Show “The Beverly Hillbillies," during their end theme song, they say with only a slight variation: Hillbilly, that is, set a spell. Take your shoes off! Y'all come back now, y’hear? Here is a good place to be. Please join us tonight when we discuss how to take your shoes off even when you are still wearing them.

We don't have to look very far these days to see contraction in all its forms circling around us. Everywhere we turn there appears to be ample reason for contracting, and depending on your circumstances, even to become fearful. Contraction creates tension, anxiety, and often pain in many shapes and forms. For instance, many of us are experiencing financial difficulty that we can also see reverberating on a global scale. If you are one of the many caught in the middle of the housing and job crisis - life is not pleasant at the moment. Yes, it is much nicer (depending on your personality and disposition) when things are going smoothly, the is sun shining, everyone is healthy, and your bank account is overflowing with money. Just writing that makes me laugh because for many of us, including me at this time, it is a dream. The problem is that even if all those wonderful things are real for you, the mind will step in at some point to detract from that experience. Our mind will try its best to cause a form of contraction because the mind loves drama more than anything, and as most of us experience on a daily basis - it normally succeeds in creating it. The good news is you have a choice. What if you made a conscious (I like that word) decision to meet everything on some level that is happening, around you, and to you, and on you, and on top of you - with openness, with expansiveness, with deep breaths, with love, with hope, and with the joy that is always available inside you and ready to manifest itself under the most arduous of circumstances right at this very moment. Openness does not mean that you start running around the room and kissing everyone, and jumping up and down on the couch because you lost your job, but then again, maybe that's not a bad thing to do since losing your job, or your money, hair, or anything else is already in the past. Try choosing to be connected, here, and welcoming to possibility. If anything, you will feel better. Openness ha

I recently picked Murrie up after school and as she got in the passenger seat next to me, she seemed like she wanted to talk about something. And she did. "Dada?" "Yes, Murrie, what's up?" And then it starts to spill out in a jumble like it's been on her mind for awhile, "Well, you know how Mom is always complaining about having no money and always borrowing from me? Sometimes she goes in to search my room because she knows that I keep some money hidden. She does this even when I tell her that I do not have any. She never returns any of the money, and often buys stupid stuff like donuts which I don't want after she tells me that she needs the money for groceries so that we can eat" I'm thinking to myself that things have to be confusing enough for an 11 year old without being caught in the middle of this drama. "Okay" I say and continue... "I knew about the borrowing, but not about her never paying you back, or telling you that she was going to use the money for one thing, then spending it on something else. Most of us, including me at one time or another, may talk about doing one thing and then doing something different. This happens when people are under stress. I know that your Mom is under a lot of stress. When someone is under a lot of stress they also often do things without thinking about it. Murrie, this happens when someone let's their thoughts take over everything going on in their brain. You end up focusing on all sorts of things and reacting to things you are thinking about that are not actually happening right at that moment. Staying in the moment, or present, is similar to you being aware of sitting next to me right now as I am speaking. I believe that you can feel your backpack wedged between your body and the seat, which looks pretty uncomfortable from here (Murrie starts to laugh). So when people are not fully here, they often end up doing things that don't help them or you, like with you and Mom. Do you ever say anything to poin

"Dada, I need a bag to take my project to school and it looks like it might rain" said Murrie, my almost-12 year old daughter. "A bag, okay, try looking under the sink,” I comment. "Dada, the ones under the sink are too small,” she shouts up the stairs. "Okay, let me look in the garage when I come downstairs before taking you to school.” When I get downstairs, Murrie is waiting for me. "Where is it?" she asks. "Just a minute,” I say. When I go into the garage, the only plastic bags are fairly big. The kind that are meant for a large garbage pail, and smaller than the kind you would use for your lawn clippings. I pull one out and walk back into the hallway. "Here it is, Murrie,” I say. "Dada, the bag is way too big and I need to go to school.” At this point I just take her project and put it in the bag myself, being careful to fold over the plastic in a way that makes it easier to carry, then hand it to her. "The bag is still way too big,” she says. Now we get in the car to go to school. "Dada, the bag is really big.” "I know, the bag is really big,” I say. "That's right, the bag is really big and I can't believe it. Why do I have to go to school with my project in such a big bag?" "Because, Murrie, it was the only bag I had, and the other bag was too small, and you needed a bag for your project.” "I know,” she says. "But the bag is still too big.” At this point, I’m getting a bit ruffled. "Murrie, if you say that the bag is too big again, I’m stopping the car and you will walk the rest of the way to school.” "You wouldn't do that,” she huffs. "Try me!” I say. And for the rest of the car ride, all 5 minutes of it, Murrie is quiet. When we get within 3 blocks of the school, Murrie starts up again. "Dada, the bag is too big and because of you I am now going to be late.” It was actually just 8:00 AM and she was 10 minutes early. So I replied "Murrie, all I know is, is that the bag is really big and I can't believe you had to put your project in it, and I hope