My single friend, Dave, & I were chatting about his most recent date experience. He felt absolutely no chemistry with the girl he was on the date with & he realized something interesting.
Dave said that when he is really attracted to someone, then he begins to get nervous, becomes self conscious, worried that she won't like him, concerned about being accepted, attractive, etc.
On the other hand, when he meets a gal who he isn't interested in, he is completely free to be himself, talk about anything that comes to mind, express himself in an uncensored fashion, not being at least concerned about the outcome of the meeting.
I can honestly say I have noticed a similar pattern with myself. Which makes me wonder, why are we free to be our real selves when we have no attachment to the outcome & if we have an attachment to the outcome (like wanting a relationship with the person) why do we feel the desire to try to fit into the mold of what others want; even if it means sacrificing who we are?
Of course, being real & showing all aspects of ourselves simultaneously when we are becoming acquainted with someone may not be the best avenue to take. I mean, as Dave said it, if you were selling your house, you certainly wouldn't bring people in & show them all the broken things first & then expect people to stick around to see the good things, right?
So, how do we find that balance between being real & over exposing ourselves to new people?
When I'm on the personals, reading the profiles, rarely do I find someone who says, "I am bipolar" or "I have a personality disorder" - but I have actually come across profiles that have said exactly that. Yes, these people are being real & honest, but most people would run from their profiles, unless they were mental health professionals looking for new clients.
Why does it seem easier to be 'real' with friends & not lovers? Why can we tolerate vices in our friends that drive us mad in a romantic relationship? Are we expecting more from someone else than we, ourselves, provide; or do we take whomever comes along because our standards are not high enough?
It makes sense that it takes time to get to know someone, even if we've felt we've known them for 1000 years the first moment we met. After all, getting to know someone on a deep, intimate level includes knowing about their strengths & weaknesses; good & bad experiences; joys & sorrows; and about their mental, emotional & spiritual state of being, including patterns, blockages & karmic relationships.
I think being real means having the courage & ability to be honest about yourself with someone else, regardless of the outcome. Sure, we don't always want to spill our deep, dark secrets or fears until we feel comfortable & safe enough with someone. But we don't necessarily feel the need to hide, either.
If we are hiding aspects of ourselves that are important to us, hoping that once someone knows us well enough, they will understand or accept us anyway - we aren't necessarily doing ourselves (or them) a favor. If you are totally anti-violence & the other person reenacts wars for fun, you might not want to try to convert them to your passivism just as you wouldn't necessarily want to convert to their sporting conquests.
I suppose we all hope on some level to be able to improve & better ourselves & others through influence; but it is important for us to recognize our motivation. Are we hoping someone else will change so we can be more compatible? Are we trying to change ourselves so we can be accepted? If so, we need to ask ourselves, are we really being honest with ourselves & honoring our needs & desires?
Being real means being real enough with ourselves to know when someone is better off with another person, no matter how much we may desire them. Being real means loving ourselves enough to express ourselves in a fashion that is true to our nature, whether or not it scares someone away.
So what did Dave do on his date? He didn't want to hurt the girls feelings, so he offered to exchange numbers. She said she didn't sense any chemistry & he concurred. He was off the hook because both he & his date were real with each other.
Remember to be your-real-self. Eventually, you will find that it is one of the most liberating things you can do for yourself.
Have you ever wondered why we feel certain emotions in our heart & chest areas? This is known as the heart chakra (one of seven primary energy centers in the body). One of the greatest challenges about love, is to keep our hearts open to love, to giving & receiving unconditional love.
When we "choose" to love someone, we are giving ourselves & desiring that the love energies will be reciprocated, but this is not always the case. Have you ever noticed how animals & children seem to love joyfully, endlessly & unconditionally, but that teenagers & adults have more difficulty expressing & feeling love?
And why is it harder to love after we've been hurt or rejected by someone else - even though the current person we are interested or involved with had nothing to do with our past experiences?
It truly is a challenge to love like we've never been hurt before. When I feel those familiar feelings, those pangs in my heart chakra, it is important for me to connect with myself & try to understand what is happening on a deep level.
This is what I have learned... Love is energy, truly the most powerful energy in existence. When love energies are activated within us, our heart chakras begin to become very active. In order to send & receive love, our heart chakras need to be open, the more open & clear they are, the more love we can send & be open to receiving.
But, here is the dilema: When we experience painful love or disappointing love or unrequited love, we have a tendency to try to protect our hearts, our feelings, our egos & we begin closing, restricting, punishing our heart centers.
How many people do you know that have forsaken love, given it up, locked up their hearts & thrown away the key? Are these people happy? Are they a pleasure to spend time with? Do you feel sad or depressed when you are in their company? Does it appear to you that they have moved out of their hearts & into their minds, pretending & fooling themselves into thinking they are happy?
When we restrict the energy flowing into & out of our heart chakras,we also hold onto the painful love experiences that were stored inour hearts, because we closed the door & trapped them inside.
So in essence, we have become prisoners who are slowing beingpoisoned from the inside out by the very same people & experiences we chose to protect ourselves from. Many addictive & self destructive behaviors are triggered by the poisonous energies we have stored within ourselves.
We are actually trying to self medicate & find an outlet for the festering material wreaking havoc within us, but have inadvertantly chosen a labyrinth with no exit. Then, when someone who piques our love interest happens along, ourhearts begin to open, the energy centers in our chakras become moreactive & we begin to send (& hopefully receive) love energies.
But there is a catch: if old, stale, stagnant, negative love experiences & energies have been stored in our heart, they need tobe cleaned out to make room for fresh, vibrant, new love energies.
So whenever I begin to feel unusual or unpleasant feelings in my heart area, I find it is important & beneficial to focus on releasing any negative experiences or impressions or feelings.
Since energy follows intent, we do not have to be metaphysical or spirtual masters to clear our hearts. Here are some very simple techniques:
1. Recognize that every person, every Soul, every heart, wants to give & receive love. It is a large part of why we are here on this earth to begin with.
2. Decide to release any negative love experiences, forgive ourselves & others for these negative experiences & recognize them as opportunities for Soul growth.
3. Realize that the mind & the heart are often disconnected & are at odds with each other. When we become more centered within ourselves, our minds & hearts feel safe enough to be honest with each other, thereby assisting in their abilities to share love with somone who is beneficial for us.
Every person can benefit from opening & clearing their heart energies, even if they are in loving relationships. It is amazing that our hearts have an unlimited capacity to love & they do not like to be restricted to loving just one person.
Ultimately, one of the greatest challenges is to love everyone -our family, friends, neighbors, enemies, even. On a more advanced Soul level, I know that I love everyone & everything in existence; but to incorporate this Soul love to a physical love is something that I am just not prepared to do in this lifetime. Fortunately, more advanced Souls like Jesus have demonstrated this for us.
So, for now, I'll just focus on clearing & cleaning my heart chakra, forgiving myself & others for any unpleasant or negative love experiences. I know that by listening to my newly cleansed heart, I will be guided to postive love experiences that are better than I ever imagined would be possible in physical reality.
When I began writing this, my heart chakra was in a state of imbalance, I felt pressure on my chest, a heaviness that needed to be released & expressed. By focusing on myself & my feelings, by recognizing & releasing my fears of unrequited love & traumas of my heart; by sharing this with you, I have cleansed my heart & I feel much lighter, happier & balanced.
This is not to say that the process is complete, or will ever be complete, because as we traverse the uncharted waters we call Life, we are bound to have many more love experiences that test our hearts again & again.
Cleaning our hearts is more important than cleaning our homes, most people don't like a filthy house, so why should we be living with dirty hearts?
My friend, D. & I have been talking about relationships a lot lately. We have a lot in common in this department, we are both in our 30's, metaphysical, have limited dating experience, & desire to have a deep, spiritual & physical connection with someone.
It's interesting how the same patterns keep repeating... the gals he dates think he's 'too nice' because he respects them & doesn't want to jump their bones on the first date & hence, they don't seem to sense a 'love connection'.
On the other hand, the guys I've met (mostly online since I am more of a chicken when it comes to actually meeting in physical reality) tend to think I'm too metaphysical & have unusual interests & philosophies that would prevent me from being their ideal partner for a significant relationship; yet they still want to explore my sexuality.
While reviewing & comparing our experiences, D. & I try to understand relationships, emotions, compatibility & our own strengths & weaknesses in the relationship department. We encourage & motivate each other to continue to pursue our happiness with another human being who we can be ourselves with while continuing on our paths of self improvement & spiritual evolvement.
I once heard that men need to have sex to feel love & women need to feel love to have sex. Wow, what a contradiction. Just like men are in their sexual prime in their late teens or early 20's & women in their 30's. Just exactly how does all of this make sense?
By the time a man is emotionally mature enough to fulfill a woman on a deeper level, he is usually past his 30's, when his physical performance tends to suffer & his hair is thinning. By the time a woman has embraced her sexuality & risen above society's rules & sexual taboos, she has some wrinkles, stretch marks & unperky breasts (unless they've been surgically altered).
It makes sense that wisdom comes with age & that an older person can impart much relationship wisdom to a younger counterpart, but it's usually the younger generations who are still so caught up in the physical that they don't want to consider consorting with an old(er) person.
It's like God gave us youth so we can squander it on senseless, mindless activities & then gave us wisdom so we can realize how stupid we've been wasting time in so many negative relationships because we were so caught up in the physical & mental aspects to pay attention to the emotional & spiritual components of relating to the opposite sex.
D. had a good analogy he gave to someone after they excused him from future dates, he said, "If someone gives you a gift & you never open it, you will never know what's inside." I really liked his perspective.
We are both believers in the powers of transformation & change; & that everyone has the capacity to become better human beings, so sometimes we get caught up in the "they would be perfect if only they blah blah blah..."
And then we often hold onto relationships because we hope & pray that something or someone will change or reach their full potential. But it's also important for us to recognize that the other person may be perfectly happy with their situation or their lifestyle or with the relationship's status quo.
So, ultimately, while every person is a beautiful gift from God & holds the key to an untapped well of inspiration & love, it's not so much about the gift or it's potential. What if the gift is a pair of shoes & they simply don't fit? They can be the most wonderful shoes, but if they don't fit, they don't fit.
I recently met a very nice, attractive guy who basically thinks I'm very unusual (but not too weird, as he complimented me after our 1st meeting) & has been honest enough to share that he doesn't feel we are compatible for a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship - but he was still interested in hanging out, having fun & (bingo!) having sex.
I guess the bottom line is he wants a more traditional woman & I want a more spiritual, creative man. So, we could become friends with 'benefits', but I've decided I want to be available when the 'right' man comes along - not trying to extracate myself from an illegitamate friendship.
If that person we are pining over is wonderful in so many ways, but we want them to alter themselves to suit us (or vice versa) we need to realize something important.
If the shoe fits, wear it. If it doesn't, then give it away to someone else. There is no sense in pinching your toes or cramping your style. It's not about the shape, the size or the style. It's all about the right fit.
Why does it seem so difficult to meet new, interesting people?
And how do people meet outside of work, school or hobbies?
Seems like almost everyone is on the personals now, everyone except the interesting people I am interested in meeting...
And what about those friendship/networking sites, Fropper, MySpace, Ryze, Care2, etc.? Yes, I have 'met' some interesting folks, who I share similar interestes with, spread all across the country & world. I am not against virtual friendships, but you know, they are so 'virtual'.
What about the old fashioned aspect of spending time with another human being in real time, in real life?
A friend of mine shelled out like $1500 to join a dating club called "It's Just Lunch", then he pays for the dates, flowers, etc., another $30 - $50 each. And so far, he is still single.
Maybe we could all wear some identifying badge or something that would say, "I am shy, please introduce yourself to me" or "I'm single & looking if you are single & sexy" or "New friends wanted" or "Vacancy - apply within."
When I go to social functions, I am generally too shy to go up to people & introduce myself. And what if those interesting people I see across the room are just as shy as I am? I don't want to hold my breath hoping they will get the courage to come over.
If I do get the courage to introduce myself to someone new, just what exactly do I say? I mean, telling someone they seem interesting enough to cause a reserved person like myself to approach them uninvited would be honest - but would it be well received?
My heart bleeds For those in need How can I say That I know suffering When I have experienced More abundance Than those starving Have ever known How can I say I know what it feels like To be hungry How can we ensure Not a single Soul Suffers from hunger? This I do not know I can only pray While the tears fall One by one Into the food I eat As I thank God For the food before me I wonder what I can do To help a starving person eat
Some things are lost in translation between one language &another, between one culture & another, betweeen one mind & another...
But some things need no translation because they sound so good, itdoesn't matter what the words or definitions are, because theysimply feel wonderful...
I love Indian music & listen to it more than mainstream American music. But there's one little problem...
I have no clue what is being said in an Indian song I initiallydiscover... maybe it's a blessing, because I am not judging a song by the lyrics at all, just the sound & it's effect on my feelings & emotions, & how it inspires my body to dance uninhibited & uncontrollably like a whirling dervish.
Once I am attracted to a song, I try to determine what movie it originated from, so I can then look up the translated lyrics & sometimes I am even moved to try to learn the song in Hindi (without murdering the song with my mispronunciations, eeek!)
The music also leads me to discovering & watching new movies. I have certainly progressed since I first discovered Bollywood music in the summer of 2003... I had no clue about Bollywood, but I had stopped into an Indian grocery for the 1st time & purchased some Indian music CDs & DVDs. I was in love at first play!
Not realizing that the names listed in the song credits were names of movies, not of the actual musicians, I went back to the Indian groceries asking them for songs by (what I thought were)the "musicians" names, for instance, KKKK (Khabi Kushi Khabi Gham)or Supari - not realizing the titles were the names of the movies they came from...
I got some really strange looks, until they figured out I was asking for movie titles, not actual musicians or 'KKK' musicians... They were probably thinking, "Crazy Gori!" (white girl, for those of you who don't know Hindi.)
Sometimes we enter into another culture & make total fools of ourselves in our eagerness to absorb all we can; but I have enjoyed laughing at myself & my innocent, ignorant blunders while many things have been lost in translation...
I am also trying to learn my guru's bhajans (songs of devotion, for those of you unfamiliar) sometimes singing is like torture because I feel like my mouth is full of marbles & peanut butter; that I am pronouncing everything wrong, embarrassing myself & worried that I am ruining the sacredness of the songs...
I recall the story of my caucasion American friend, Padma, who was once asked to lead a song for thousands of people attending one of our guruji's functions... Sri Swamiji began giggling as Padma sang the song & afterwards he told her that she sang a song about milking a BULL (a male cow)! After she told me that, I worried less about the specific words ofthe bhajans & I focus more on the intentions of my heart while singing them.
Every now & then, I'll fall in love with a song & I can't wait to find out what the lyrics are & the meaning behind the music that is massaging it's way into my heart? "Oh, this has got to be a really inspirational song about love," I often think.
Right now, I am in love with a song from Monsoon Wedding, Chunari Chunari? I finally looked up the lyrics & found out it is a song about a red scarf, how a woman dyed it red, how she wears it & how it affects a man who is interested in her. OK, not a typical romance song, "oh baby, I love your red scarf, your red scarf?" but how innocent, really.. I mean, if this was an American song, it just might be about a ladies red panties, red panties. I definitely like the scarf better, leaves more to the imagination...
Another time, I became attracted to a music video, Mera Kajal? I saw this lady getting ready for a date with her beloved? loved the scenes, the music, the singer's voice? I thought it was about love, romance, etc. When I called my Indian friend, Romi & asked him for the meaning of the song title, he said, "My eye mascara." "What?! A crummy commercial for eye makeup!", I thought. I was disappointed since I usually think most Indian music lyrics are very poetic & inspirational. But I still like this song by Falguni Pathak.
I often wish I could just download a language straight into my consciousness, like in the Matrix. But on the other hand, I might miss out on the comedic experiences of being lost in translation...
I need to boost my Self confidence & self esteem, Which have been shaken recently, By the death of a fantasy I had created unbeknownst to me Until the bubble burst Now my heart hurts I need to boost my Self confidence & self esteem I must improve myself And replace my feelings Of inadequacy With confidence & security With the knowledge That I am still attractive Mentally, emotionally Spiritually & physically I need to boost my Self confidence & self esteem Because I let someone Shake my reality I don't know why I lost my Self confidence & self esteem I guess I am more fragile Than I perceived... I have increased my Self confidence & self esteem I am working more diligently At improving all aspects of me This is how I am boosting My self confidence & self esteem Now I am appreciative That I questioned My self confidence & self esteem Thank you for your contribution To my inner reflection & self questioning My self confidence & self esteem Are improving rapidly!
I stood in my 2nd story Apartment kitchen, Looking out the window At the grey & brown Landscape below me. I thought I heard The sound of spring, So I surveyed The nearby trees, The budding magnolia Right outside my window, Always filling me With hope & expectancy As her fuzzy buds swell With anticipation of spring Like the bosoms Of a mother expecting. It was a cold day, So much for the forecast, It was a grey Wednesday Morning & I was mourning The loss of sunlight, The bliss of a kiss From Apollo, the Sun God. In the moment I wished For spring to thaw Winter's icy grip, I thought I heard it - Mother Nature's chorus, Singing life into The hibernating habitat; I stood at my window, Looking past the cracked pane, Scanning the skies, the trees, The muddy earth below me, And then, suddenly, I saw a hurried flutter Of brown & black wings Colliding past my window pane.. And then I saw the sign at last, A male Red Breasted Robin Landed on the branch Of a maple tree & sang to me The song of spring; Now the sepia earth Will burst forth In yellows & greens And the air will be filled With the soft scents of Spring The robins are here! Spring in near! The robins are here! I exclaim, I proclaim! Spring has sprung at last!
My Mom wrote the following poem about my dear cousin, 'Mikey".
We had been so close as children, but you know how it is when families move far apart, some begin to lose touch, as ours did.
Mikey was several years younger than me, so he was in High School when he passed away due to suicide. Everyone was shocked, he had seen so happy & successfull.
I remember our childhoods together, everything was so fun & carefree, Mikey's huge smile shining on everyone, like it was the morning sun.
I love you, Mikey!
Buried on Christmas Eve
I saw a scene so wrenching A young boy had died in pain Each person alone in their grieving Saw their faces in the rain. I saw the box that held him Knew nothing would be the same Saw sad tears of friends & family Saw their faces in the rain. The skies were unrelenting His mother loathed to leave Her son in a box buried In the rain on Christmas Eve. His big brother held their mother Weak with grief & strain All looked on in silent compassion The Heavens wept again & again Saw their faces in the rain.
I cannot be The woman you want I don?t have a domestic gene I don?t like to cook or clean Or do someone else?s laundry I?ve done it for too long For my partners & children I?ve been a slave to marriage I?ve been a maid for the wealthy I love a clean, organized home But I honestly hate to clean! I just want to wave a magic wand And have everything clean itself In the blink of an eye, And until I get that magic wand, I would love for someone to Clean & and do laundry for me! I love healthy, tasty cuisine But I honestly don?t like cooking It is so scientific to me Some women have A cooking gene In their DNA, But not me! I can cook only a few things But most of the time I?d rather eat something Quick & easy Just to end my hunger pains So I don?t have to read a recipe Or spend hours in the kitchen Preparing food, then cleaning I cannot be The woman you want I am already a parent I never felt prepared To have kids, & yet, I?ve raised a daughter, Two step sons, Three foster children, And a foreign exchange student From Russia Honestly, I?ve raised Enough young ones I love children, But they are so much Responsibility Kids are more than A joy or a job But take a lifetime Of commitment Children always need their parents, No matter how old they are Now I am at a stage Where the ?kids? are at an age Where I can focus more on myself My interests, talents & spirituality All the things that were neglected While I was dedicated To raising young children I cannot be The woman you want I don?t have the desire Or need to get married I was married twice And I?ve learned a lot From both marriages But a ceremony, certificate Or change of name Do not create relationships Or make them successful Or make them last I cannot promise to love Honor & cherish someone If that is not the way I feel Promises of forever Are rarely ever real I would rather love Unconditionally Than to make promises I might not be able To fulfill or keep I cannot be The woman you want I don?t know if I would move To another state or country I love to explore & travel But I?ll be honest, Sometimes the unknown Worries & concerns me Even while adventure Beckons me I?d love to travel, And see the world While I?m still young enough But maybe I?m getting set In my ways as I age Do I really need Stability if it keeps me From expanding Emotionally & creatively? I know there?s no need For me to be afraid I don?t have to think about The future or where I live As long as I trust That I am being guided To where I?m meant to be I cannot be The woman you want I?m not as strong Or as intelligent Or as beautiful As you think me to be I can take a long time To make a decision And then I?ll change It like a breeze And then you may think I?m driving you crazy But then I?ll make you Go weak in the knees And then you will know What it means to be love crazy And you will beg me To drive you crazy For eternity I cannot be The woman you want I may look like a social butterfly But I?m really not I actually prefer staying home It takes so much time Getting ready to go out And I can never figure out What to wear, I worry The fashion police Will arrest me! But fashion comes cheap At Goodwill & the Salvation Army! So if I go out, it has to be Something very interesting I don?t like idle chit chat Or talking to someone Who bores me to tears I don?t like clubs That are loud & smoky I do like to dance So that?s one thing I enjoy doing out on the town But I?d much rather Make love to you, my dear In the woods or by the sea Close to nature In the middle of the night Serenaded by a gentle breeze Blowing through the trees As the moon watches over you & me And we howl at the moon in delight! I cannot be The woman you want Please don?t expect me To entertain you 24 hours a day I?m not afraid to be alone I enjoy my freedom And solitude I need my time & space So I may nurture my creativity So I can write poetry Paint & sing I may not want or need you As much as you do me I am often lonely Even when people Surround me Because they do not Understand or relate to me But then, on the other hand, I may wake you In the middle of the night Because the moon is so Beautiful & I want to share it With you during midnight delight I may be irresponsible And drop everyone And everything I am doing Just to be with you In the blink of an eye Even if it means I have to fly To be by your side When my heart yearns Or speaks to me, I must pay attention I want to experience the Love that is meant for me I?ve waited too many years To ruin a beautiful Friendship or relationship Because of my fears I am trying to live in the moment Enjoying the journey Drinking the Soma of your Soul Looking forward to every contact Each & every word is burned Into my consciousness While I become restless of waiting To meet you Excited yet afraid, too That you will think me to be Less than than your fantasy of me That my pictures are better Than my physical reality So, please be gentle with me My heart bruises easily I don?t want to waste your time If I?m not the woman you want Can?t you see,
I will never lose my identity I cannot be The woman you want I can only be
Blog: URGENT! This Anti-Virus IS A Virus! by Electra C.
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— I received this via net
messade. THX Dahlia"When
I was on C2 yesterday
Aug. 14th, out of
nowehere, a program
called Antivirus 2009
popped up and I kept
clicking it off, but it
stubbornly kept popping
back up. So thinking I'd
go ahead and download the
... more