When fear arises, most of us will do anything to not feel it. We use all kinds of mechanisms to resist fear; overeating, drinking, watching TV, playing computer games, listening to music, over-socialising, over-working and generally keeping busy. Yet the underlying fear still remains. It’s like trying to hold a balloon under water. All these attempts to diffuse the feelings simply do not work. I was like this for most…
View PostThis is a guest post by Michael Doherty from The Michael Files The people who annoy you the most are the most valuable gifts. It sometimes seems that my role in life is to p*ss people off, by challenging them, by asking awkward questions, by making them face unpalatable truths about themselves. They’ll often get angry, shout at me, swear, call me all the names under the sun, and walk away. All those reactions…
View PostAs someone who has had anxiety since a young child, I know what it feels like to have the debilitating fear that floods you when the anxiety comes up, from panic attacks to social anxiety, to anxiety that just comes up for no conscious reason at all. So, I decided to try something new after years of using avoidance tactics. Mindfulness Meditation Last week I attended my first…
View PostSince an early age I had a wide range of ideas about what I would like to experience in life, but these never stayed the same, they changed and evolved as I changed. Now in my late thirties, I am surrendering to the fact that a career is not for everybody. A few nights ago I had a long drawn-out dream. I dreamt that to get anywhere in the world…
View PostYes, this is how we’re meant to be This is a guest post by the author Andy Bowker from Andy’s Corner How many of us have been hiding emotional pain for a long time? Have you? Well, you’re certainly not alone. It seems to be one of the hidden values of our culture. It’s almost an unwritten rule that when someone asks you the question ‘How are you?’,…
View PostMany modern teachers tell us to focus on what we want; to focus on our desires, but what if it is not the object of desire that we want, but the relief from the agitation inside brought on by the wanting. Is this not what we truly desire? Living an unconventional life right now, where I have few material possessions, the desire and the wanting for more than I…
View PostHow does this make you feel? Deflated? Sad? Empowered? Now what if I said: “You Are A Very Special Somebody.” How does this make you feel? Better, happier? Well like most of us, you’re probably suffering from somebody-itis. This is the need to be a special somebody. You may think, ‘Isn’t that what life is all about? Striving to have some sort of impact on the world, add…
View PostThe idea of self-love didn’t even cross my mind until 14 years ago. Before that time I assumed you get what you want in life, (money, job, partner, friends etc.) and that is happiness. Self-love was a foreign concept to me. While in Australia my world opened wide to a more feeling way to live in the world, and instead of my life revolving around outer change it became more…
View PostHow many of us hold ourselves back or belittle our talents to make others feel better? Or we think that if we act smaller than we truly are, they would feel better? The well known quote: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us…” by Marianne…
View PostIn the beginning of a spiritual journey it is very easy to take spiritual messages and teachings at face value. I remember in the first five years of my spiritual path I was like a sponge, keen to absorb everything and anything. I loved the metaphysical and new age, and I met a lot of people with the same interests. However, I lost my critical thinker. I guess I wanted…
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