….that was my childhood brush strokes a misty dawn as fog obscures the rising sun, only to eventually rise and illuminate above an inversion layer in a kaleidoscope of warm morning light. It is through the sun kissed mist that lives fractured shards of light. It’s brilliance and dazzle appear inviting and yet it is the dark deep cutting shadows below the light that defined my adolescence. Soaked in ego, an adult evolves, damaged and worn but battle tested and with nothing to lose.
Yes, there were successes and accolades that acted like treats to the audience and to my own interpersonal realities. Maybe some of it amends the past creating affirmations for the future. Enter alcohol soft middle age that forges marriage that is as iron clad as it is malleable. Soon follows the blessings of fatherhood and the ability to right many of the wrongs of the past. Even rewrite my story…That alone, may be my undying legacy…
Now looking ahead past a half century, I look back on a colorful tapestry that is my life’s history. Some of the treads are bright and vivid with color. Some are tattered and bleached by the illumination of some 600 full moons. It is within the gaps of thoughts that my wisdom arises. With knowledge that the next few, maybe couple decades will yield an understanding of that waning horizon, so far gone now that I can no longer see the sun rising or even the warmth of high noon. But instead, I sit in the colorful yet unforeseen depths of autumn gazing with some trepidation, knowing we all walk different paths that reach the same destination. Understanding now that life is an education of sorts. Its common denominator is love.
600 full moons later, steering my seaworthy vessel, sometimes with no destination, around the reefs of precarious evolution wondering if a new dawn will reveal itself after cessation. I believe it may, but I will not know the difference. My final story: Light, and vibration, traveling across the universe.
So be it… I am now at peace with most of it…
John C. Bader is a photographer, wellness advocate and consultant specializing in spiritual self-evolution, meditation, and bio-energy healing. In his writing, he bridges science with spirituality and provides steps to encourage more mindfulness in daily life. His new book, The Responsive Universe – Illumination of the Nine Mandalas is a step by step process on how to begin your very own journey in Self-Discovery.
The investigation into childhood and or past memories can be both good and bad—both a retrospect of anger, fear and frustration and hopefully also fond memories of compassion and love. We all have different stories to tell. All experiences, whether good or bad, shape us into the person we were in the past, who we are in the present, and who we will become in the future. I love the game of poker and surprisingly there is a metaphor to be drawn here. Poker is a challenging game because it requires skill, luck and some psychology. It reminds me of life in many ways. Even with all the skills to navigate this ever changing world, still there is the element of luck and probability. Some things we just can’t control. The game of “Draw Poker” can be frustrating when round after round you keep getting dealt bad cards. Our childhood and distant past are poker cards in the game of life. Many times, our history deals cards that do not help our proverbial chip stack, but in keeping with this playing card metaphor, we always have the opportunity to discard the bad and draw new cards. We can also fold our hand completely if we do not like what has been presented to us. We can reject what has been dealt to us but still have faith that better luck will come. Probability promises that…
When we look back on a shadowed past, we need to realize that these past childhood and early adult memories can be affecting us as individuals on many unseen levels. Everyone has witnessed a myriad of positive and negative experiences that have shaped us to some degree. We must realize, however, that the shadows of the past may be concealing an enigma that is influencing our future and perhaps even the futures of others around us. For me, I noticed that anger and frustration began to surface as an adult and later as a parent. This frustration born from ego and control patterns was directly related to how I was raised as a child. It took years to understand this. Negative childhood experiences are not just memories, but hard wired control patterns that unknowingly color our thoughts, actions and reactions. I recently wrote about the nature of awareness and clarity. After years of self-reflection, I gained an awareness of my childhood. I was able to separate myself from the memories and low self-esteem that used to define me. As a younger adult, awareness comes when I felt frustrated and angry. I used this as a trigger of mindfulness to stop and not react blindly. To stop, pause and ask myself in the moment, “why am I angry or frustrated right now”, tends to shed light and awareness on the moment; on the challenge at hand. Many times the answer is deeper than the moment that caused it. But it is the pause that stops us from reacting blindly and projecting something out into the world that does not define you.
Now, I have learned to make space for such control patterns that facilitate anger and frustration. When I realized I was heading down a path of dysfunction, I made a positive change in my actions. Instead of reacting blindly and reinforcing old patterns of behavior, I changed my actions for the better. I broke the chain of dysfunction by connecting to a higher level of awareness. Lets face it, there are some things in the past we just can not change. What we can change is the present moment which invents the future.
When looking back on your past, if feelings and memories feel a little abrasive; if this process feels uncomfortable, then you are probably heading down the right path. Feeling raw emotions is a level of mindfulness and it is an integral part of the overall process. Think about it, we need to know pain and suffering in order to know the difference between that and pleasure and bliss. Otherwise, how would you differentiate the two? Feeling an abrasive quality as you toy and catalog your past emotions is healthy and necessary. No matter what type of negativity wells from the past, the goal is to tie it all into a positive completion of the process. Feel the negative emotions of the past, but then settle in the notion that things will get better. That you are in control – not the past. Think of it this way: We are all writers of our own story. Someone else may have helped start your story but that beginning does not have to define you. Also great stories start with challenges and it is up to the hero or heroine to solve the challenges and create a happy ending. You are the writer now. You are the hero or heroine. The past has no power unless you give it power.
Pen a good ending…
John C. Bader is a photographer, wellness advocate and consultant specializing in spiritual self-evolution, meditation, and bio-energy healing. In his writing, he bridges science with spirituality and provides steps to encourage more mindfulness in daily life. His new book, The Responsive Universe – Illumination of the Nine Mandalas is a step by step process on how to begin your very own journey in Self-Discovery.
Born from the present where mindfulness wells space
Such space acquires clarity and it is such awareness that
creates positive energy; a birth of responsiveness
that permeates even the coldest skies
An energy that transcends all earthy trappings
An energy based on love and compassion
that feeds the essence of our soul and True Nature
A step forward in evolution
…..Eyes wide open
Visualizing self-actualization….
John C. Bader is a photographer, wellness advocate and consultant specializing in spiritual self-evolution, meditation, and bio-energy healing. In his writing, he bridges science with spirituality and provides steps to encourage more mindfulness in daily life. His new book, The Responsive Universe – Illumination of the Nine Mandalas is a step by step process on how to begin your very own journey in Self-Discovery.
Yesterday, I discussed how science can actually prove through varying theories that an afterlife is possible. This is refreshing news for those of us that believe we are part of something magnificent, but are tired of all the religious dogma, hypocrisy and social trappings associated with modern theology. From the inspiring research of String Theory and Black Holes there is strong evidence that consciousness can live on after cessation in some form or facet. This got me thinking about the concept of a soul…
So what is a soul? Without relying on just one religion or viewpoint, most theology would define a the soul as the principle of life, feeling, action, and thought. You could probably paraphrase further by noting a soul lives on after death in a definable afterlife. Yet, there is a philosophical problem to this idea or concept. There is a lacking quality to the theoretical idea of a soul because it is not dependable. The concept of a soul is similar to True Nature – that constant energy, free of ego and suffering that we can connect to and even depend on. Like our True Nature, the soul is often regarded as a distinct entity separate from the body, one filled with God and all things holy. The soul and the concept of True Nature parallel each other to a point. From a philosophical point, the idea of a soul does fall short due to the religious trappings associated with it. Souls are an energy source that can be taken from you. As an example, in western religion, the Devil can take your soul and trap you a place called hell. There lies the contradiction with True Nature. True Nature is also an energy force associated with God as it relates to the Universe but there is no commodity driven element associated to it. Our True Nature is immovable and unaltered by prescribed evil.
It has been said that we are actually made up of two beings. One is our mortal shell of flesh and bone. The other is our soul that always exists. The difference is, we feed our souls with positive actions we make daily but that celestial energy can be taken from us? If something as monumental as a soul can be altered, moved or stolen, how are we expected to find solace and peace here in the present and the afterlife? Do we protect and try to defend our souls through blind faith and fear? Fundamentally, we need something more pure and permanent. The edicts and rules that govern organized religion use the quality of a soul as a tool to manipulate people and their belief systems. There is nothing pure about that. In fact it is selling fear to the populace for gain. Something as pure and golden like the concept of a soul should be indestructible and unwavering: True Nature is that force. Further True Nature is not separate from our bodies. It is everything that exists in the Universe. We are True Nature.
Do you still have faith in a soul? What is the alternative? You! You are the alternative. Have faith in yourself. Be kind to yourself…Trust in your ability to connect to energy and inspiration that transcends our existence here on Earth. Instead of listening to others, listen to your own inner voice. Settle into the magnificence of all that exists; not just our earthy trappings, but the grand scheme that is the quantum Universe. That is your soul…
John C. Bader is a photographer, wellness advocate and consultant specializing in spiritual self-evolution, meditation, and bio-energy healing. In his writing, he bridges science with spirituality and provides steps to encourage more mindfulness in daily life. His new book, The Responsive Universe – Illumination of the Nine Mandalas is a step by step process on how to begin your very own Hero’s Journey.
I do not claim to have all the answers to life’s most enduring questions. I do have the freedom to question authority and by asking the questions, maybe the answers will come. I have made space for such quandaries like the ageless question of whether or not there is life after death. Making space for such inquiries allows for clarity to arise from within. There is an innate wisdom that can be found when we settle into the vastness of the mind. Small nudges from our inner-self lead us to life’s most intimate answers.
Still in its infancy, astrophysics is proving that an afterlife can and does exist without the trappings of religion. Thats right, an afterlife proven by science. Lets forget for a moment the most substantial piece of evidence and one of the most important laws in science: Energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can only change form. Thus, in some facet humans, possibly even their consciousness, lives on within the tapestry that is quantum energy, coalescing and regenerating throughout the Cosmos. But is there more?
Have you ever heard of String Theory?
String theory is an active research framework in particle physics that attempts to reconcile quantum mechanics and general relativity (the theory of everything). String theory teaches that the electrons and quarks within an atom are not 0-dimensional objects, but rather 1-dimensional oscillating lines or strings, hence the name. These invisible vibrating strings may be infinitely diverse with variables of inestimable value. Its a jump, but this would suggest that other cosmic manipulations could exist beyond the edge of our known Universe. Many theoretical physicists including Stephen Hawking believe String Theory is a step towards the correct fundamental description of nature and the Universe. An intriguing feature of String Theory is that it predicts extra dimensions, possibly even alternate Universes. One such theory is the 11-dimensional M-theory, which requires the Universe to have eleven dimensions as opposed to the usual three spatial dimensions and the fourth dimension of time. Other research in String Theory has purported as many as 26 space time dimensions for the Bosonic String explanation. These theories present us with a new picture of the Cosmos. Scientists including Andre Linde and Allan Guth have been studying the concept of “Multiverses” for decades. There are questions abound in regard to the origin of the Big Bang inflation as well as the statistical data that supports the theory that the Universe is expanding even quicker – a possible contradiction to current mass and gravity data. Further mathematical measurements of dark energy are not matching current theoretical equations. The concept of multiple Universes would support the disparities seen within our quantum dominion. Further, such cosmic diversity could result in duplicates of Universes based simply on statistics and probability. String theory is still in its infancy and there are many exciting discoveries still to arise from the world of physics. If modern physics is capable of proving validity to alternate universes could these spatial dimensions be alternate realities or realms of the afterlife? As we continue to uncover the intricacies of the Cosmos, it has become clear that anything is possible because String Theory itself presents a universe of infinite possibilities.
What about Black Holes?
What is based on more substantial scientific evidence are recent discoveries in black holes and their theorized physics. A black hole is a region of space from which nothing, not even light, can escape. For decades it was thought that nothing could survive the plunge into a black hole. It is now a widely held theory that light and energy that is trapped in a black hole can survive. This is important because nothing is more violent and ever changing than the environment that exists at the event horizon of a black hole. Observable matter appears to be stripped down to elementary protons, electrons and neutrons. Much like in death, we return to our source of elementary particles. Still, current physics states in principle, complete information about a physical system at one point in time should determine its state at any other time. This means Quantum mechanics suggests that information that is created cannot be destroyed, even during the strenuous gravity and light vacuum characteristics present in a black hole. As stated earlier, energy and thoughts can be considered united and appear to be stable and transferable even when matter changes form. This means our thoughts can in theory live on after death.
Studies in sub atomic particle physics also sheds light on how science can prove an afterlife exists. Scientists from famed universities like Cambridge, Princeton and even the Max Planck Institute have made amazing strides in connecting particle physics to life after death. Recent theories have claimed that humans might exist in a form called “body-soul duality”. This premise exists due to inherent wave/particle duality in subatomic particles that can be viewed in a laboratory setting. A competing theory suggests that particles, like photons and electrons possess the traits of both waves and particles which suggests that information created by conscious thought saves information within our brains and also within a quantum field of energy beyond our bodies. The theory states that though the brain might be dead, the info lives on which supports our discussions above about information surviving a black holes strenuous gravity.
Studies in Near Death Experiences (NDE) and reincarnation help add a humanistic quality to what happens after death. Do we retain our human form or do we return to instinctual energy upon demise? There is this element of fear associated with death that permeates the epoch of mankind. Further, there is this undeniable thirst to know what happens after cessation which has been a major supporting factor in contemporary religion. Still, the concept of God as it relates to the Universe is mind boggling. For many, it is enough to know that modern science proves we live on in some form or facet. The dogma and humanistic trappings of reincarnation, heaven and NDE are promising and heartwarming, but true solace here on Earth can be found by connecting to our True Nature that exists within all sentient beings. As stated, True Nature can be described as a quantum governed energy force that is constant and unwavering. Much like the concept of a soul, our True Nature is an instinctual energy field comprised of waves of subatomic light and matter. So it seems, the best approach to understanding life after death is taking heed to the wisdom of few and then following your True Nature. The answers lie within science journals and your own being and once you come to understand that we are simply energy changing form, gone will be any fear of death. You will come to understand we are a part of something magnificent and in some form we will always remain connected and pure like the energy that surrounds us. It is ego and false perception that has bred religion, fear and notions of hell and purgatory. Once you strip away the ego and all that is adulterated and polluted, all that is left is energy – pure and powerful. We come from energy and we will go back to energy.
John C. Bader is a photographer, wellness advocate and consultant specializing in spiritual self-evolution, meditation, and bio-energy healing. In his writing, he bridges science with spirituality and provides steps to encourage more mindfulness in daily life. His new book, The Responsive Universe – Illumination of the Nine Mandalas is a step by step process on how to begin your very own Hero’s Journey.
I once read a quote from the Dalai Lama which I will paraphrase now: “Humans will never reach enlightenment until everyone else within the world ceases to suffer”. There seems to be a lot of suffering in the world these days… Compassion is a huge component to Buddhist philosophy and it can be argued that it is integral to any true path of enlightenment no matter what religion or creed. Yet in a world wrought with a global pandemic, famine, religious persecution, racial inequalities and climate change; the challenge is not to be compassionate for humanities shortcomings, but to not be overwhelmed by the weight of the worlds suffering. The Dalai Lama’s sentiments ring true. How can a sentient being reach enlightenment when there is so much suffering and discourse that surrounds us? I mean that is the point of life right? To suffer less and achieve higher levels of knowledge, understanding and compassion; thus enlightenment. In many ways we are all one. One race of species living on one pale blue dot in an expansive and often immeasurable Universe. Yet, political parties, religion and other ideologies divide us. In a world governed by money and greed, what is one to do? Further the weight of the world on our compassionate minds is enough to make anyone educated and mindful to ask: “Where are we really headed as a global community?” Such frustration and disappointment makes people wonder if ignorance really is bliss.
A friend and I were discussing this topic last night. We both differ on political views but we both agreed that not only is the US political system broken, but our food, medical care, education, race relations and spirituality is held hostage by big money. My friend asked the question: “What recourse is there for the frustrated middle class person?” I am immediately thinking, “Middle class”??? My thoughts are with the terrible racial inequalities that span every social/political thread in life. In that regard, middle class is a gift. You can probably better guess our political views now. My friend continued, “even voting seems to have little effect in the long run. In the end it is the 1% in control of the world’s money that has power over everything.” I agree there to a point. And this power is not in the best interest of planet Earth.
When you look back on history, the one defining factor is revolution: Normally a violent revolution with bloodshed and loss of innocent life and property; which if successful, tears the elite power away from a few and temporally gives it back to the people. It seems we are having a passive revolution now with all the strife in America. People are not happy.
But even violent revolution seems barbaric, transient and fleeting. How do we give the power back to the people and live in harmony and not discourse? How do we feed the starving, stop fighting and celebrate our commonality as a human race instead of fighting over our petty differences? My answer to my friends question was not what he wanted to hear. I said it will take thousands of years for humans to evolve to that point. For the masses to exhibit higher levels of knowledge, understanding, compassion and live as one species and not these splinters of society? “A thousand years?!!!!”, he yelled. He wanted results in his life time. Maybe even next year. Truthfully, it may never happen. I am not even sure humanity can make it another 1000 years. It seems money will always govern and corrupt. History has painted a pretty clear picture in that regard. Hey, its not that I do not have faith in humanity; its just that there is 2000+ years of history that says nothing will change. At least we do not live in the Dark Ages – that must have really sucked.
Still there is a solution. Humans do need to progress to the next level of evolution no matter the social/political environment. I know in my heart that this is our destiny. This includes being mindful; working to keep our thoughts rooted in the present and not stumbling off in fear and fantasy; thoughts of the past and future. We have a metaphysical connection to the Universe that needs to be realized and celebrated. This connection binds humanity together. The solution is to live by example. Empower those around you not by preaching self-actualization; empower those around you by living by example. Words are hollow and lose their meaning quickly with inaction and indifference. Words are easy to say but to live by those words is truly powerful. Each of us can make a difference by simply living humbly away from our egos and teaching (through success and experience) our friends and love ones that there is another way. The best way to make a difference is to live though your own positive actions. Don’t talk about it, like I am doing now – actually DO IT! Create a ripple; no matter how small and seemingly insignificant. Eventually it will catch on. It has to…. That is what energy does. It might take a thousand years, but that is inconsequential. Live, love and set an example and it is the best anyone can do. Happiness can find those that walk a mindful path that is chosen not by big money, ego and materialism. Listen to your True Nature and the wisdom from within and live by example. We may all seem different. Different color skin, eyes, religion and ethnicity. But if everyone suffered less and achieved higher levels of knowledge, understanding and compassion? Imagine if 100 people in your Facebook news feed lived by example? Imagine 1000 people. Imagine a million people….
John C. Bader is a photographer, wellness advocate and consultant specializing in spiritual self-evolution, meditation, and bio-energy healing. In his writing, he bridges science with spirituality and provides steps to encourage more mindfulness in daily life. His new book, The Responsive Universe – Illumination of the Nine Mandalas is a step by step process on how to begin your very own journey in Self-Discovery.
In much of my writing I discuss the element of mind and space as being something synonymous with the Universe – boundless in nature. This concept or quality also relates to our True Nature which represents unfettered confidence and a steadfast vision. We know that the Universe is vast and immeasurable. What about our minds?
Does your mind have a border or periphery? Can you visualize your mind as a shape with an edge and limits? Where do thoughts arise and where do they drift off to? The tangible mind may seem small but the psyche seems vast when you contemplate such musings. When we attached ourselves to the concept of boundless space, there is this boundless quality to everything in life. We realize we are simply a part of something so vast our petty differences and trivial materialistic needs seem insignificant. Further, there is now room for the many challenges we face in life. There is space to reflect. We when feel closed in and stressed out, there is an anxious claustrophobic quality associated with space. Here the ego runs rampant and fears define our actions and reactions. We need to find space in our mind and in our vision as we move forward in self-discovery. Finding a quality of space within and throughout our surroundings breeds awareness.
Awareness is basically clarity in any given situation and or scenario. It is from the boundless space we possess within that creates an environment for clarity. Clarity and awareness involve being cognitive of an issue or situation and having openness and space for it. When we are rooted in the present and our thoughts are not dependent on the past or future, we tend to carry a higher level of precision and space within the mind. When we discuss the concept of space at this level, there is a quality of energy that is unchanging and dependable. As discussed, much like the Universe, the mind can be considered vast and seemingly boundless. Knowing this breeds acute transparency in the mind. Clarity is seeing the quality of our experience and as stated, an open mind and space brings forth this awareness: A fresh, sharpened perspective on issues and challenges that may face us on any given day. As we learn to reap the benefits of meditation and self-reflection – thus shedding our egos and false perceptions; awareness leads us to the voice of wisdom. This is the clarity and awareness of your True Nature speaking insight – your inner voice; not ingrained with ego but an unfettered true reality that represents the unadulterated you!
This is a voice free of anger, ego and hollow confidence. The inner voice echoes our heart wish to love, suffer less, be happy and find compassion for our enemies. Increasing awareness is experienced as a sense of something new- something fresh and interesting. Having clarity will trigger responsive consciousness to not answer conflict and challenges blindly; to be aware of the hardwired control patterns that sometimes unknowingly control us. As we remain mindful of the present and more aware of our feelings and surroundings, a sharpened quality of awareness is actualized. This is an important step to reaching higher levels of self-actualization.
John C. Bader is a photographer, wellness advocate and consultant specializing in spiritual self-evolution, meditation, and bio-energy healing. In his writing, he bridges science with spirituality and provides steps to encourage more mindfulness in daily life. His new book, The Responsive Universe – Illumination of the Nine Mandalas is a step by step process on how to begin your very own journey in Self-Discovery.
Awareness of my infinite
vision that transcends all dogma
A journey of
self-introspection
Void of
persecution and stigma
Karma is the watchful
eye of my progression
Peace and
tranquility
Unfettered and
unswerving are my feelings
A dynamism in the
moment that outshines past and future
Bringing forth compassion
born from intrinsic nature
Unlimited is my ability
Love and bliss
my sensitivity
Wisdom unravels
life’s meaning
Boundless
Clarity
Responsiveness
The key to happiness…
John C. Bader is a photographer, wellness advocate and consultant specializing in spiritual self-evolution, meditation, and bio-energy healing. In his writing, he bridges science with spirituality and provides steps to encourage more mindfulness in daily life. His new book, The Responsive Universe – Illumination of the Nine Mandalas is a step by step process on how to begin your very own journey in Self-Discovery.
In the season of autumn be certain the leaves will fall….
Scents of cinnamon and colors of red and gold
An Indian summer
greeted by winter
And in spring will
summery birth
Flowers and greenery
abundant
For such things are dependable
The stars at night
A full moon
Blue sky
Unwavering we cannot deny….
John C. Bader is a photographer, wellness advocate and consultant specializing in spiritual self-evolution, meditation, and bio-energy healing. In his writing, he bridges science with spirituality and provides steps to encourage more mindfulness in daily life. His new book, The Responsive Universe – Illumination of the Nine Mandalas is a step by step process on how to begin your very own journey in Self-Discovery.
Negativity appears to be a conditioned human trait. Why would I say that? Well, there is nothing negative about the Universe. Once we take the planet Earth out of the equation, what are we left with? Just about everything… The Cosmos which is everything that exists can be visualized as a vast concentration of quantum energy that pulses and connects across a web of particles, gravity and waves of light. There is nothing negative about that. In universal terms, birth gives way to death and thus facilitates re-birth. Stars born from hydrogen gas will eventually die and exhale their tired gases to form new stars. Humans will also be born and then die; only to be reborn as a new form of energy – There is nothing negative about that concept either.
Yet, negativity does exist here on Earth. In fact, negativity seems to evolve and flourish, intertwining its threads into the fabric of society. Born from human thoughts and emotions and driven from ego, in some facet, we all harbor our own negativity – some worse than others. Unfortunately, it is a grim facet of our existence –driven by low self-esteem, money, jealously, anger and greed; negativity in some form has existed since humans began walking this Earth.
Even the unfettered honesty and innocence of a young child can be molested by negativity. Child abuse is a good example of passing on such dysfunction. Social pressures and ego only seem to ratify and reinforce such behaviors. As of lately, social media and opinion based news continue to perpetuate this model of negativity and division. At the end of the day, a majority of humans appear to be flawed individuals; led by the nose of bad information and politicized bull shit; their thoughts so indoctrinated and brainwashed that people do not even know right from wrong. Social consciousness has been warped by a barrage of outside influences.
The world has been a challenging place to live as of lately. From COVID 19, to the many inefficiencies that the pandemic has uncovered. From lack of healthcare to racial inequalities, when we look at the world as a whole, what do we see? A lot of suffering! A thread of wisdom in Buddhist philosophy notes that when we can let go of our egos, there is a fundamental desire fix the world. Imagine if the worlds leaders lived by this advice. Imagine if the top CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies chose to live by this model of mindfulness? The caveat here is that in order to fix the world and bring forth more compassion and less ego, we need to first fix ourselves.
Fix ourselves? We need to realize that a myriad of negative issues, situations and hard wired control patterns can be affecting us as individuals on many unseen levels. Everyone has witnessed layer upon layer of positive and negative experiences that have shaped us to some degree. Influences from childhood, religious upbringing, social media and opinionated cable news have colored our perspective. It is perspectives that that create thoughts, words and actions.
You must realize, however, that the shadows of the past may be concealing hard wired perspectives that are influencing your future and perhaps even the futures of others around you. Are these influences positive or negative? For me, I noticed that anger and frustration can occasionally surface as an adult and even as a parent. This frustration or anger is deep rooted; born from ego and control patterns that directly related to how I was raised as a child and how I project my energy in life. Of course everyone has their own story. The trick is to mentally acknowledge negativity or negative thoughts and handle them effectively before they become words or actions that can reverberate out into the world.
It is about triggering awareness. This awareness (for example) came when I felt frustrated and angry about a situation. When we can pause, breathe and isolate the negative thoughts or situation, it creates a mindful gap in the controlled chaos that is life. I use this as a trigger of mindfulness to stop and not act or react blindly. As an exercise in mindfulness, I direct my attention to the vastness of my True Nature; a place within us all that is boundless, constant and dependable. The daily life practice is to make space within for such control patterns that facilitate anger and frustration: Isolate these thoughts and understand their source and how they can color your actions and other peoples reactions. When I realize I am heading down a path of negativity, I can make a positive change in my thoughts before they translate as negative actions. Instead of reacting blindly and reinforcing old patterns of behavior, I can change my actions for the better. I can break the chain of dysfunction by connecting to a higher level of awareness. Sense negativity in the thought process. Isolate this negativity and shift the dynamism to a more positive outcome or solution. It can be that simple. Its a useful tool in the effort to bring more positive energy to daily life. Imagine if a 100 people did this? Imagine a 1,000 people. Imagine millions…
John C. Bader is a photographer, wellness advocate and consultant specializing in spiritual self-evolution, meditation, and bio-energy healing. In his writing, he bridges science with spirituality and provides steps to encourage more mindfulness in daily life. His new book, The Responsive Universe – Illumination of the Nine Mandalas is a step by step process on how to begin your very own journey in Self-Discovery.
The Responsive Universe 