Stubborn or being obsess?

What are you obsess or being stubborn about? 

Poem above was given to me by Leda, a dear friend from childhood back in 1993.
Leda - Your thoughts and actions are still impacting us - even long after you have moved on to the real world 

"A virtue I love very much, just one. It's called stubbornness. All other, of which we read in books and hear about from teachers, do not interest me much. Basically this virtue could encompass all that endless virtues that man has invented in a single word. Virtue is obedience. The question is whom does one obeys. Stubbornness is also obedience. All other virtues, so praised and exalted, are obeying laws made by men. Just obstinacy does not ask for those laws. He who is stubborn obeys another law, only one that is absolutely sacred, the law that is carried within, the "self"."  Herman Hesse

Note: in German the word "stubbornness" literally means "own sense" 

Do you find yourself obsessing about something? are you stubborn at times? 

I would like to share with you the upside of obsession or being stubborn.  Yes, even these actions/attitudes have an upside.  As Herman Hesse noted, being stubborn about following your OWN path/self is a virtue and the greatest VIRTUE of all.  Some like me would argue ... the greatest? what about being compassionate, loving, kind, etc.  

Here is the trick ... How do you define SELF? Do you believe YOU are God's creation after his OWN image? Do you believe that by being God's image we must have a BIT of EVERYTHING God is within us? if so, then YES ... Stubbornness is a the greatest virtue of all as God himself created each of us unique and with a distinct purpose and only when we embody and live that purpose we become alive and of true value to all of those around us.     

Here is the second trick ... Are you in touch with who you really are? is so easy to be distracted by everything .. routine, roles, our past, our future, desires, expectations, religion, and the list goes on.  We must take time each day to reconnect with the God that is within us, which by the way, in the SAME God that is within ALL of us as God himself created ALL! and He will reveal himself to you and me! 

So next time you are told, you are being stubborn! ask yourself? am I acting from my TRUE SELF? if so, Stubbornness is a virtue!! 

With love,

K

No entiendes? http://translate.google.com/ 

Additional info you may find interesting:

Ob·sess/əbˈses/ - Verb: Preoccupy or fill the mind of (someone) continually, intrusively, and to a troubling 

extent.

Stubborn  Adjective: Having or showing dogged determination not to change one's attitude or position on something, esp. in spite of good arguments or reasons...

- Full Herman Hesse Poem in Spanish - http://www.filosofiadigital.com/2009/08/destino-y-espiritu-por-hermann-hesse/

Have you LOVED?

Amar es ver lo divino en el otro
 Dime como MIRAS y te dire como AMAS!

To love is to see the divine in the other
Tell me how you SEE and I will tell you how you LOVE!

Over the weekend, I spend sometime watching "The consciences of love by Roberto Perez"

Here I want to include some of the key concepts from his lecture:

What is love? Love is to want the best for the other.  And the best is full development of that which I love.  Noting that Harmony is the activity of Love.

Our capacity to love is a manifestation, reflection or quality of our Divine source.  Love is a BEING that inhabit within us and we find it only when we OPEN ourselves to that force that is within us.  That force that moves us when we find it and it gives us ecstasy when we share it!  

Love is a UNION and not a FUSION and it requires FREEDOM to be YOU.

Different levels of love:

Level 1 - From the Hormonal Energy - what do I say? I lust you

Level 2 - From the Physical/Mental Energy - what do I say? I want you/I need you

Level 3 - From the Conscience Energy - what do I say? I love you (I open myself to you and your benefit is my benefit)

Level 4 - From the Soul Energy - what do I say? I adore you (I feel an ecstasy in your presence)

Level 5 - From the Divine Energy - what do I say? NOTHING (I see you like God sees you!)   

As I reflect on this lecture I wonder ... have I ever loved? and the answer surprised me ... YES I HAVE!! When I look at each of my children's eyes and I see PURE POTENTIAL I see the DIVINE in them and YES I do feel that there is NOTHING left to say.  What a privilege to be their mother.

Now what is the challenge? to move this energy to ALL other areas/relationships in my life .... how? by going within ... by recognizing when my love is from my ego (attachments/expectations) ... and by continue to practice. 

Why is it so difficult? For me, FEAR! Fear of not being enough, fear of rejection, fear of losing control, fear of doing the "wrong thing", fear of being me, fear of breaking the status quo, fear of letting go when I KNOW is time to do so .... and the list goes on!

(added by KK on 10/27/12 ... Solution ... TRUST! TRUST and SUNRENDER to GOD's greater plan and that is always better than what I can even imagine!  The universe is conspiring on my favor!)

I know by now most of you have heard me say this ... Love is not ever having to say I Am Sorry! Only in the past 4 months or so, this definition became crystal clear to me.  When one acts out of love ... that person has the other's best interest in mind and wants their full development, as such, there is no way that an act out of love will need to say ever I am sorry!

I conclude that - Love is a form of BEING not DOING that impacts ALL that we do! and encompasses everything that we interact with .. from mother earth to ourselves.  And, when one is in LOVE, NOTHING IS WRONG! - what a feeling!!

As I watch the Notebook this morning, I was moved by the love between Noah and Ali, which by the way fluctuated between ALL 5 levels above thorough out the movie, which is what makes it cool to me! - can this happened in real life? absolutely! if we can imagine it ... we can experience it! Wish me luck!

What is your experience with Love?

Love,
K



Here are few quotes from the movies that I believe are evidence of their crazy love:

Young Noah: When I see something I like, I gotta... I love it.


****

Young Allie: It was real, wasn't it? You and me. Such a long time ago, we were just a couple of kids. But we really loved each other, didn't we?

*****


[last lines]


Allie: Do you think our love, can take us away together?

Duke: I think our love can do anything we want it to.

Allie: I love you.

Duke: I love you, Allie.

Allie: Good night.

Duke: Good night. I'll be seeing you.

Is Not Personal

In the early hours of the morning as I check my e-mails, browse facebook, read celebrities' tweets and listen to Pandora the message was clear .... IS NOT PERSONAL. My friend wrote on her blog the following:

"It's not personal .. despite the story your ego is trying to spin.  Really it's NOT so please stop making assumptions"   (http://vanessakesslerphoto.com/today-i-remind-myself/)

As I reflect on my day to day life and my new found awareness of how I DIRECTLY impact everything I EXPERIENCE in my life and HOW I experience it .... I wonder .... what if I DO in fact stop assuming? What if I do in fact. stop the chatter and surrender to the moment? how would my EXPERIENCE of each day's event would be alter? or better yet NOT alter but experienced for what each moment truly is.  Perhaps I am afraid to find out ... that will be unknown and therefore uncomfortable ... So I continue to add commentary to each moment of my life taken away from the openness and potential each moment holds.  Do you find yourself in such predicament? Sure not! ;) 

Some, like me, will argue ... well, have to project, have to go after it, have to protect, have to watch out, have to understand, have to get it and get it "right", have to prevent, have to predict, have to .... HAVE TO SURRENDER!! 

Nothing else! Today I challenge myself, and you, if you like, to surrender to EVERY moment and experience it for what it is.  When I find myself adding commentary to the event, I will STOP and remind myself that I am here to Experience Life as it Unfolds right in front of Me ... not behind me or a couple of steps in front of me! 

As you might know by now, I love words and their definition.  Kind of like My BIG FAT Greek Wedding ...  I like #2 below.  

With love,

K

PS: are you adding commentary as to why I wrote this? or why I care to share this? ... Don't .... just experience it ... IS NOT PERSONAL.   

sur·ren·der  (s-rndr) v. sur·ren·dered, sur·ren·der·ing, sur·ren·ders v.tr. 1. To relinquish possession or control of to another because of demand or compulsion. 2. To give up in favor of another. (K-That other one being our highest self!)  3. To give up or give back (something that has been granted): surrender a contractual right. 4. To give up or abandon: surrender all hope. 5. To give over or resign (oneself) to something, as to an emotion: surrendered himself to grief. 6. Law To restore (an estate, for example), especially to give up (a lease) before expiration of the term. Here are some Quotes from my Big Fat Greek Wedding .... OMG! I LOVE that movie!! Gus Portokalos: You know, the root of the word Miller is a Greek word. Miller come from the Greek word "milo," which is mean "apple," so there you go. As many of you know, our name, Portokalos, is come from the Greek word "portokali," which mean "orange." So, okay? Here tonight, we have, ah, apple and orange. We all different, but in the end, we all fruit. Aunt Voula: What do you mean he don't eat no meat? [the entire room stops, in shock] Aunt Voula: Oh, that's okay. I make lamb.  Toula Portokalos: I had to go to Greek school, where I learned valuable lessons such as, "If Nick has one goat and Maria has nine, how soon will they marry?"

Convocations of our lifes

All those beings that suround you, all those events in your lifes are there because YOU have evoke them, DEPENDS ON YOU what you decide to do with them - Roberto Perez

I recall that around December 2010/January 2011 Scott and I were having deep, extensive, and detail conversations as to how much we both really wanted to find ourselves in our lives and how much we wanted to be happy and at peace.  We both bowed to do whatever it took to get there and what did happended? 2011 was THE year ... Today marks 1 year to the day that Scott and I went our separate ways and today I KNOW that I am well on my way to reach my goal. It has been the most amazing year of my LIFE!  Such a great year that if the world ends in 2012, I am ready!  I have no words to express how happy, at peace, aware, awaken, exited, full of zest, perky, smilly, energetic, jovial, and whole I feel.

So how did I jump from Roberto's quote to my sappy story? I know random ... but not really.  I called every single one of those events into my life and I also decided what to do with each one of those events. I marvel everyday at how the way I look at life impacts how I experience life.  Even the worst moments, I have force myself to find the "up side" and it has work wonders for me!

This has worked so much for me that the other day I had the following text exchange with Scott (by the way I asked his permision to share this with you):

S - sorry!
K - for what?
S - for leaving you with a 4 month old - isn't that bad enough?
K -nah! on the upside ...you left me with a 4 month old!

Really ... with all my heart  .... that is how I feel.  Blessed to have lived the life I did and extactic to live my life now .... super curious as to what is to come and I have a feeling that is better than what I could have ever imagined!

So, next time that you are in a bind ... look for the hidden Up Side and you WILL experience a SHIFT!

Love,
K   

Acceptance

Wayseermanifesto - Validated my huntch!

My impulsivity is a gift - impulses are my key to the miraculous,

My distractibility - is an artifact of my inspired creativity,

My mood swings - reflect the natural pulse of life, they give me unstoppable energy when I am high and deep soulful insight when I am low,

My addictive personality is just a symptom of my vast underused capacity for heroic, creative expression and spiritual connection.

My utter lack of repression, my wide eyed idealism, my unmitigated open mind - Nope ... nobody told me ... these are the traits shared by the greatest pioneers, visionaries, innovators, revolutionaries and writers.