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This is the first in a series of twenty-six articles based on Self-Realization. Each letter of the alphabet is used for the first word in each title. These articles are based on experience, lessons, or just basic information learned over more than fifty years of life on this planet.
I have decided to write a four-part article based on acronyms that have helped me in my journey. In the height of the “self-help” phase of my life, I learned a few acronyms that have become major transitional learning tools that have benefited me to a fuller awareness of who I was really meant to be in the “grandest version of the greatest visio I have ever held about myself” like Neale Donald Walsch says (he is the author of the "Conversations with God” books). The four main topics I want to discuss are: Fear, Anger, Denial and Ego.
There are so many definitions of love. It’s mostly subjective and yet, there are some absolutes to it, at least in this author’s perspective. The absolute love I speak of is that which allows each and every person on this earth to be exactly who they are, with their faults, quirks, and opinions. It allows them to make their own choices and to learn from their mistakes, not out of apathy from our side, but out of a sense of respect for that person in making those choices.
There is a huge difference between intelligence and wisdom. Intelligence is an innate gift that reflects how smart you are. Intelligence is usually a gene passed down by one or both of your parents or someone in your direct bloodline. It is beneficial for learning things in school. It is what is known as “book smart.” Intelligence is also a reflection, sometimes, of common sense. They say geniuses are people who don’t have much common sense. In a stereotypical view of intelligence, the lack of common sense is a bit of a “quirk” in the brain for the M.E.N.S.A.
Finding Forgiveness for Your Sake “To forgive is to give forth. It releases you from the past.” - “Positively Positive” on Twitterr Forgiveness comes in many forms but the most important aspect to remember is that it's for the one who was offended or victimized. The offender or perpetrator may never even hear or know that he or she has been forgiven, therefore, it has to be for the one who was harmed.r
I am taking creative license here to discuss the ever-present, negative habit of providing excuses for everything we subconsciously choose to not be responsible for in our lives. One very important truth in understanding the reality of excuses is that they are nothing but “reasons with lies inside.” Think about that carefully for a moment.
“Remember first that everything U think, say & do is a reflection of what you've decided about yourself” - Neale Donald Walsch The above quote was a tweet on Twitter that I saw the other day. Neale Donald Walsch (author of the Conversations with God book series) is one of my most favorite authors. This quote caused me to reflect on much of what I have written about in other articles here on HubPages. The quote speaks to me of walking what we talk, meaning what we say, living an honorable, genuine reflection of who we believe We Truly Are.
Gratitude is the best attitude. ~Author Unknown If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily.~Gerald Good There's a recession going on for any of those who have found themselves living in America for the past several years. Heck, everyone knows there's a recession going on in several countries in the world.
“One’s real life is so often the life that one does not lead.” -Oscar Wilde My perception of “one’s real life” is that of the life that was intended before conception. We are all on this earth with an innate purpose. That purpose is what was meant to guide our path. The innate empowerment we were born with is the foundation of the “real life” we were intended to live.
We all know the saying, “What goes around comes around”, right? We all know about Karma and about the Law of Cause and Effect, right? We get back what we give out. We all know that it’s sometimes very hard to stay quiet and not give back what has been dished out when it comes to others being heartless or just plain unkind to us.
For many years, I wanted to be a psychologist because the human mind fascinates me. Please keep in mind that I am NOT a professional and the article here is only from what I have read and become interested in. There is no way I would ever diagnose or advise anyone on any malady, condition or symptoms they may have for any kind of issue. With that said, I have come across a word that isn’t used much in day-to-day conversation and was therefore, something I needed to look up and chose to learn about.
In discussing self-importance, it’s important to realize that this topic is not about ego or arrogance. It’s about informing those with a low self-image that they are important.
There is so much to be said when speaking of nurturing. So many women have been raised in stereotypical fashion to be nurturers of everyone else but themselves. The necessary nurturing spoken of here is to inform women (and even some men) that we have to learn to nurture and take care of ourselves in order to be truly beneficial for others.
I created my own acronym for this article, believe it or not, just as I was writing it. A-N-G-E-R stands for: Again Not Gaining an Evolved Resolution. That makes perfect sense to me! ~ A man is about as big as the things that make him angry. ~ Teddy Roosevelt
It’s important to know the break-down regarding why the words “Zealous” and “Zen” were chosen as the topic for this article. It might be best to explain the definitions of both to see how they “fit” in this author’s perspective. “Zealous” means to be actively interested or enthusiastic about some pursuit or topic. “Zen” is the practice of experiencing wisdom in the attainment of enlightenment. It is not based so much on theoretical knowledge as it is on direct self-realization that comes through meditation and the “dharma” practice.
There are several words that are synonymous with harmony: peace, balance, rapport, cooperation, and unity. So many happenings in the world today are the opposite of the descriptive words above. So much of the world longs for peace, unity, and balance. It seems to be elusive, yet, it so many ways, it’s so simple. It really is. The saying goes something like, “Peace begins at home.” In order for us to ever expect peace in society or peace between nations we must learn to find it within ourselves and exemplify it to those we love right in our own homes.
Denial was right up there in my “major life awareness” topics. Denial is not a river in Egypt!
The idea of optimistic observation is basically on the same line of thought as maintaining a positive attitude. When life is experienced through the standpoint of optimistic observation, the perception of events has a powerful impact on the outcome of those same events.
In spite of all the economic woes the world is dealing with right now, there is still the basic truth that we could all find justifiable joy within our own lives, if we so chose. There is much joy in life which can be considered justifiable. Yet, joy, in its very essence, has absolutely no need to be justified. Joy is an innate contentment, in spite of circumstance, happenings, or events that swirl around our lives on a daily basis.
It’s becoming more and more apparent, the older I get. Everywhere I look, there seems to be pain. There is physical, emotional and spiritual pain. All pain is definitely inevitable. Those who choose to live in pain due to their choices will someday realize that the word P-A-I-N stands for: Poverty (physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally and sometimes even financially), Anxiety, Insecurity and Neuroses...think about it, seriously.
It's a mouthful but it's true: each of us has a bit of innate magnanimous magnificence! See, the word "magnanimous" is an adjective. It means "free from petty resentfulness or vindictiveness." It also means "high-minded" and "noble". What an awesome self-realization! To think that we have within us the ability to be "noble", to stand up tall, to be confident in Who We Are and to walk right past all that resentment and vindictiveness we think we rightly deserve to feel.
There's a difference between striving for excellence and seeking perfection. Excellence is about living from the highest part of your Self - the part that is the most like God. It's about living from your highest thought, your highest action, your highest word. It is the truest, most real part of yourself. It is who you were Meant to Be when you chose to show up on this earth.
Man stands in his own shadow and wonders why it's dark. ~Zen Proverb
The definition of quintessence is: The pure, highly concentrated essence of a thing. In ancient and medieval philosophy, the fifth and highest essence after the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water, thought to be the substance of the heavenly bodies and latent in all things.
Peace is not something you wish for; It's something you make, Something you do, Something you are, And something you give away.” – Robert Fulgham “Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson
Most of us remember the childhood game “Hide and Seek”. The whole idea is to close our eyes, count to 100 and then find the people who tried really hard to hide in a place they would “never” be found. The premise of the title of this article is to walk in deliberate awareness and intention for our lives, with our eyes wide open. Too many years are spent walking around with our eyes wide shut, not conscious of our purpose.
One's philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes... and the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility. – Eleanor Roosevelt Whatever happens, take responsibility. - Tony Robbins
There seems to be a lack of tangible tende ess in the world today. Yet, there also seems to be a deep yearning in the hearts of humanity in this moment of time for nothing more than the need for others to be tender. “Tender”, in the context of this article, means to be kind, caring, conce ed, positive, and loving towards the needs, desires, and feelings of another. To be tender to those we love is something that we are meant to be doing on a daily basis. To be tender to humanity in general seems to be quite a difficult concept for a lot of us to grasp.
There are several words that are synonymous with harmony: peace, balance, rapport, cooperation, and unity. So many happenings in the world today are the opposite of the descriptive words above. So much of the world longs for peace, unity, and balance. It seems to be elusive, yet, it so many ways, it’s so simple. It really is. The saying goes something like, “Peace begins at home.” In order for us to ever expect peace in society or peace between nations we must learn to find it within ourselves and exemplify it to those we love right in our own homes.
Definition of virtue: a. Moral excellence and righteousness; goodness. b. An example or kind of moral excellence: the virtue of patience
In spite of all the economic woes the world is dealing with right now, there is still the basic truth that we could all find justifiable joy within our own lives, if we so chose. There is much joy in life which can be considered justifiable. Yet, joy, in its very essence, has absolutely no need to be justified. Joy is an innate contentment, in spite of circumstance, happenings, or events that swirl around our lives on a daily basis.
E-G-O is Edging God Out Last but not least is the idea of ego. I learned what ego stands for in a book by Dr. Wayne Dyer. When we live completely out of our ego, we are living blindly, in denial about the reflection of God that we were created to be from the very beginning. Our ego is centered on what we have been taught from the examples of others as we were growing up. It has nothing at all to do with our spirit or our heart.
On the way to becoming “self-realized”, becoming balanced is a boon. My boyfriend calls it “living in moderation.” The whole concept is to find ways to keep all aspects of your life in balance – your thoughts, your beliefs, your words, your actions, your emotions, and your feelings. It’s not easy, especially if you have been raised in a very dysfunctional background.
The timing is perfect, in the middle of all the chaos consuming the world at the moment. Yet, further thought reveals that this topic is timeless, because throughout most of the recent history of the world, there hasn’t been a whole lot of unity about anything! Oh sure, there are groups of people that are united, under the guise of purporting their truth. They are people in the religious world. They are people in the civil rights movement. They are people in the civil liberties unions.
Self-confidence is sometimes hard to come by unless we are fortunate to be raised by a family that instilled that attribute into our minds and hearts. Yes, it dwells within us innately, but the nurturing and positive guidance from parents and older siblings definitely encourages it.
The definition of compassion: “Deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it.” "It is the development of compassion toward each other that can change the heart, transform the mind, heal the body and enlighten the soul." Dr. W. David Hoisington, 2007
“To forgive is to give forth. It releases you from the past.” - “Positively Positive” on Twitter Forgiveness comes in many forms but the most important aspect to remember is that it's for the one who was offended or victimized. The offender or perpetrator may never even hear or know that he or she has been forgiven, therefore, it has to be for the one who was harmed. There was a news story a couple weeks ago about a lady whose son had been murdered. She was devastated, as would be expected, not only because it was her son, but because it was her only child.
Are you one of those people that never seem to have a minute to yourself? Do you feel as if your whole life and everyone in it would just stop or die if you weren’t there? Take heart, dear one, take heart. The wisest and most beneficial thing you can do is to yield to yourself first.
We all know the saying, “What goes around comes around”, right? We all know about Karma and about the Law of Cause and Effect, right? We get back what we give out. We all know that it’s sometimes very hard to stay quiet and not give back what has been dished out when it comes to others being heartless or just plain unkind to us.r
Gratitude is the best attitude. ~Author Unknownr If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily. ~Gerald Good There's a recession going on for any of those who have found themselves living in America for the past several years. Heck, everyone knows there's a recession going on in several countries in the world.