Mental Fitness

Have you enjoyed the first two posts of the A,B,C's? Are you learning your "vocabulary" anew?  It is a good time to turn toward positive thinking and messaging, isn't it? Generosity: giving with love, sharing Gentleness: basic approach of loving and caring, responding gently even when circumstances are tough   Honesty: knowing as based on pure intention, from a loving place, based in self Humor: lightness of seeing and experiencing the world, recognizing the fun of it all   Intensity: high energy that keeps all action focused in the present moment, can provide a feeling of positive stress as when facing a tough challenge Interview: asking questions to explore a person’s thoughts or a situation Enjoy, have fun!  😎

Putting everything in a box Keeps things neat and tidy Easy to find In order We are trained to sort life according to the concept of duality :  good-bad, right-wrong, up-down, beautiful-ugly, nice-unlikable, always-never, everybody-nobody, you-me, we-they, mine-yours. You can most likely continue this list and fill a book.  When we divide the world into these categories, we reveal much of who we have become, or better: who we think we are, who we have decided to be. Through making those decisions and determinations, we see our place in the world accordingly. It’s a nice and comfy place, it fits, it’s manageable, it makes sense, it agrees with most of the environment, and it allows us to predict how things might work out. Because we have determined certain parameters from duality , we quickly gauge our place in the moment. Fit - don't fit. Right - wrong. Yes - no. Can - can't. Will - won't... We also feel prepared to readily react. This makes us feel part of the situation an...

  Friends Well, let's do this again: meditate on or use these words  to change your energy lift your spirit and have a good day! Distinctions: recognizing and/or exploring different aspects, finding variances through observation Duration: showing endurance and commitment Encouragement: giving positive feedback to re-energize your own or someone’s quest Enjoyment: feeling positive energy in the moment Friendship: openness and care for another, trust, togetherness, love for the person Fun: free positive energy created in action and providing enjoyment  Happy thoughts!

  Hi there,  finally another post. I've been under the radar, working a various projects  while feeling the need to stay connected through this blog.  We make choices, right? What takes priority at any given moment? And we deal with the unexpected, the unfolding of each day. We also manage our energy, observe our behavior and communication. It's not always easy to be honest with ourselves. For me, it's about learning from my failed actions and communications, accepting myself through it all,  and keeping at keeping at it. If you like lists to spin yourself into a higher vibration, here are some words from my ABC's.  These can be used in a variety of ways:  meditate on them,  use them in conversation,  see your world with these in mind and observe how things look.  Acceptance: willingness to say “yes.” Respecting that it is what it is, and it is not what you think it is. Amusement: feeling the positive and lighthearted energy that brings ...

When we reflect, we develop vision To dream big look deeply Take a risk: Be amazing Play Your next attention might go to training your ability to flow while moving forward  Serious fun Relaxed speed    Keep reflecting on your life and work. It's a tool for the path of becoming an expert.    

We come into this world as immigrants! Untertauern, Austria, July 2020 When we are born, everything is new and different,  nothing resembles what we have come to feel is home: mother’s womb. So we "immigrate" into “new world.” We also immigrate  into a specific setting,  which is defined by the culture and community of our family.  According to the dictionary, "immigrate" generally means  “ to enter and usually become established ”  ( https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immigrate ).  Hence, if we take this general meaning, we immigrate many times over:  when we start school, sport, training, a profession, … . Only specifically does "immigrate" mean “ to come into a country  of which one is not a native for permanent residence ” ( see dictionary cited above ). Unfortunately, the general meaning of the word has gotten lost somehow,  our view has been shaped by the words “not native.” Yet, d...

April 11, 2020   I do things, don’t do things, and find excuses for both.  Can you relate? Have been thrown off center and then right back into it. Inner work can heal.  It may even affect the energy globally.  Just think of the sand from the Sahara, or the oxygen from the Amazon. We can contribute by looking in and healing.  The pain we heal in ourselves can heal the pain we may have inflicted on others. June 21, 2020 “There is no reason why we have to be caught in our guilt complex.  Everything is possible.”  Thich Nhat Hanh (2010), Reconciliation , p. 98, Parallax Press, Berkeley, CA.

 Looking up - so close  Day Break  Wanderlust  Breathing  Imagining Returning Photos by A.Merrem, June 2020

Julian Moses Photography, 2020 It is not what happens. It’s the narrative we create around what happens  that offers the opportunity for waking up.  How does that work? A narrative is a story. This narrative we tell is a blend of our convictions, beliefs,  values, fears, and hopes combined with the events as we experience them.  It’s subjective. It’s a fabrication. It’s not “truth.”  It’s just a story we have created. And therein lies the opportunity for waking up!  By examining how we tell  the story we can recognize its motivating factors. We can see that it is nothing but a script - and it may have become boring, paralyzing, or stupefying.  We can change that script, that story, that narrative! The bridge to a happier life can be crossed  when we first embrace our self, our beliefs, our conditions,  and then change the narrative.  "If you change the way you look at things, the th...

Decision-making is about finding the path.  Looking at risks and benefits makes the path obvious.  Julian Moses Photography, April 2020                             Every day, we make decisions. Many times, these are made quickly:  we don’t have time; we’ve always done it this way;  our friends or family have counseled us and made a recommendation; … Taking our awareness up a notch includes  making decisions more consciously, more responsibly. How? I asked a professional pilot, my brother,  which information they need to collect in the cockpit to make a decision.  His airline uses a formula: FORDEC. F – facts O – options R – risks/benefits D – decision E – execution C – check If the last one doesn’t “check out,” re-start at the top. This  is a wonderful opportunity to re-boot, re-consider, re-do.  There is no penalty – only more learning. ...

A Day for gratitude for all mother’s present and past. On this Mother’s Day, my thoughts go to the women of my families and ancestors. The power of the women that has brought me into the world  only five generations back consisted of 16 mothers who gave birth to healthy children  (8 girls and 8 boys) so that I could be born.  10 generations back, 504 women had healthy children  to bring forth my life today.  Imagine this! A generation is considered to span 25-30 years.  Five generations back would then be 125 – 150 years ago.  Which genes and abilities did those 16 moms pass down all the way to me?  250 – 300 years back, 512 mothers laid the groundwork for who I am.  How much historic information, memory, and wealth of character  is being realized through my life today? Mother’s Day offers the opportunity to consider the legacy  and the optimal realization of the potential I am given.  This ...

We want to go back to “normal.”  What’s normal?  Rush hour, polluted air, stress, mindless consumption,  pursuing what advertisers tell us we must have, do, or be? I went for a walk today and recognized what nature does with “ normal” Normal is beauty.  Kindness. Humility.  J ust being, no matter where, how, why;  shining in the glory of the moment. 

The underlying principle: Gratitude Health: Self:   nutrition, movement, breathing,  thoughts, actions Community:   communication, collaboration, connection,  thoughts, actions Planet:   energy, care, consciousness, responsibility, humility,  thoughts, actions Wealth: A natural consequence of health. Wisdom: A natural consequence of pursuing holistic health. If we look after our own health, consciousness rises and  the desire for everyone’s and the planet’s health grows. “Self” cannot be without “Community” “Community” cannot be without the Planet. We are one, there is no separation.

And when we can relax into the moment, we realize that our needs are met. This is the luxury we can (still) enjoy: there is no lack of air, food,  or any  of our material goods.  Every moment, there is love to give and to receive,  positive energy to share, and joy to feel. This moment, I feel gratitude for my life, for its lessons and opportunities.  I am grateful for the people who have crossed my path,  who have walked along with me for a while,  who keep by my side not matter what. This is life: birds are singing, the sun is shining,  I am free to be happy.  That, I choose. How about you?

In 1935, Georg Thurmair of Germany published a song initially titled “Traveling Song”  and later changed the title* to “We are merely guests on Mother Earth.” Photo by Julian Moses, April 2020 During the Easter Night, a close relative’s father passed on,  and  for the next two or so day  I found myself humming this song or reciting it my mind. So I began to think about it –  the meaning of the words as I can apply them today. I was taught that being a good guest means  to respect the host and abide by the guidelines  set forth for being in her/his space.  As a hostess, I appreciate guests who are “low maintenance” and respectful;  leave my place clean and appreciate the time we spent.  This would become the basis for many more visits,  for happy times in a shared space,  and for appreciation of each other beyond adhering to guidelines. I have also hosted guests whose stay couldn’t end soon enoug...

The cowslip flower in German is called Schl ü sselblume.  Translated back this means key flower.  They are in bloom right now in my area. Watching their beauty and thinking about their name got me to thinking: What is a key to what? Say my flaw is a key to my strength. That would be awesome, right? I’ll take it further: one of my flaws is that I can be judgmental. The downside to that is that judgments are often made from  unreflected assumptions based on past experiences.  That is, they are not helpful when seeking to fully recognize  the moment’s requirements. So the upside of might lie in the conscious awareness of the moment:  recognizing the quality of the energy present – “judging it” –  and making a great choice. Another example: feeling left out. The downside: becoming a victim of the perceived intention of others. The upside: learning to be free of interpreting the actions  and intent...

I AM

And how do we use his time which is forced upon us: stay home.  Stay inside. Keep social distance. In my dissertation studies I researched the occupational socialization of physical educators. Part of this qualitative work was to investigate the basis of  my study participants’ morals, values, and beliefs.  This would then shed light on their practices as teachers,  and on their expectations for themselves and their students. Maybe we can us this time at home to investigate  the foundations of our own attitudes, aspirations, and hopes.  What and who influenced your early days?  Those were times when the “collective unconscious” (C.G. Jung, 1865-1961)  imprinted “culture” on our minds and shaped us  into what was considered acceptable in main stream society, or,  alternatively, in the culture our immediate social circle called home. So now, and...