Gary Green's Blog, page 11

Rebuttal to Professor Zeldin

People are wasting valuable thinking time on mediation and mindfulness and should stop trying to clear their heads, an Oxford University academic has claimed.

So begins an article by Sarah Knapton about a speech given by Theodore Zeldin at the Hay Festival of Literature and the Arts.

He went on to say that the practice of mindfulness distracts people from discovering more about other people and the world around them.

With all due respect to mister Zeldin, he doesn’t know what he is talking about. Anyone who knows anything about mindfulness knows that mindfulness does not lean toward distraction, but encourages involvement.

One of the basic principles of mindfulness is to be fully in the present moment. Most people are constantly distracted by the chatter in their own mind. If a person by practicing mindfulness is better able to be fully in the present, that person is better able to “discover more about the people and world around them.

My main beef with this mindfulness detractor is that he is an example of a group of people who, though educated, use their credentials as a license to express an opinion about topics they know little about.

In my view, this can be destructive in that it may discourage people from learning mindfulness. After all, if an Oxford professor says it is bad for you it must be true. Well, in this case it is not. Mindfulness is good for you.

Turning 60

I haven’t blogged for a while. I have been busy with spring work here on the farm. I planted over 500 trees, oats, corn and soybeans. And then there is trying to promote my writing. I started by knowing nothing about marketing. Now I know next to nothing. But that is an improvement and it all takes time.

Enough of my flimsy excuses. I have things to say.

A little over a week ago I had my 60th birthday. While 60 isn’t the milestone it used to be, I had to admit that I am not a kid anymore. So that got me thinking. Like most of us, I seem to be a creature of habit. For many years I was in the habit of getting up each morning and going to work. Then I would go home, watch a little TV and go to bed. Sound familiar?

A couple of years ago I quit going to work. That was OK. I still keep pretty busy. I find I don’t have nearly as much time to go fishing as I had hoped when thinking about retirement.

But, I still have TV. Being a creature of habit I kept watching the same stuff I did when I was working: John Stewart, Steven Colbert, David letterman, Craig Ferguson, and on Sunday I’d watch Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer. Well, all those guys are retiring or just moving on.

I guess I’ll have to change my habits. That is a good thing I guess. At 60 I can see that my life will have an end one day. I’m shooting for another 30 years. I can remember more than 30 years past. It doesn’t seem like such a long time. In fact, it seems like a lot of it was wasted.

So, I have decided that in the next 30 years I will direct my attention to those activities that bring me joy. I will make a conscious effort to forgive any who have harmed me. I will cultivate a sense of gratitude for the many good things I have been given. I will exercise compassion in my dealings with my fellow human beings.

Also, I won’t waste my time clinging to negative thoughts and ideas. Maybe I’ll watch less TV. Who knows?

Book Giveaway

I am happy to announce that I am currently running a giveaway of 5 copies of my new fantasy “Rebecca’s Initiation” on Goodreads. Here is the link: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/138681-rebecca-s-initiation

I think you may have to be a member of Goodreads to enter, but that is free too.

Stay tuned for more giveaways.

News

I am very happy to announce that my first venture into fiction is now live on Amazon. It is called “Rebecca’s Initiation”. It is the story of Rebecca, a twelve year old girl, who loses her mother and has to move halfway across the country to live with her grandmother. She soon learns that her grandmother has a secret that at once frightens and fascinates her.

It is a fantasy that is suitable for young and old alike. Currently, it is only available on Kindle. However, it will soon be available in paperback. When that happens look for a giveaway on Amazon and Goodreads. Here’s the link:

Rebecca's Initiation (Redemption Book 1)

Some Thoughts on Easter

Today is Easter, probably the most important Christian holiday. While I do not consider myself a Christian, I do advocate numerous Christian ideals such as: compassion, gratitude, unconditional love, non-judgmentalness and redemption. Interestingly enough, every major religion that I can think of advocates these same ideals.

Because I emphasize the importance of mindfulness I have been asked many times if my work is based on Eckhart Tolle, or if I have read his work, etc. I have not read any of his work, but I will say this: If there is an objective reality it is not surprising that many people catch a glimpse of it.

Regarding Easter, I do not think it is a coincidence that it is in the early spring. In ancient times virtually every group had a celebration at this time. Often it was considered the start of the new year because it appeared that life returned to nature after the “death” of winter.

I think that Jesus told us many times that he was our brother—not that he was somehow above us, but we are his equal. When he says “I and the Father are one,” he is really saying “WE and the Father are one.” He is telling us about our own Divinity.

Similarly, I think that when he gave his life in that dramatic and awful way and then rose from the dead, he wasn’t “washing our sins away with his blood,” he was demonstrating in no uncertain terms that “death has no sting”. We ARE a soul with a body and that soul is immortal. Death is not the end, but a transition.

Just as we are a soul or spirit with a body, God is a sprit with a body. It is called the Universe. There is Spirit in all things—including us. We are all children of God, just as Jesus was and the Buddha was and every other religious leader and reformer was. Most of us do not realize this because we are locked in prisons of our own beliefs—religious or otherwise.

So, while I do not consider myself Christian, even though I strongly believe in many of the same things; I am not Hindu; even though I believe in reincarnation; nor am I Buddhist, even though I strongly believe that mindfulness is the key to personal growth and development. I believe we must all step out of the prison of our beliefs and take an objective look at the universe. See what principles work best to promote both individual well-being and joy, and the well-being and joy of all. These are not incompatible. What’s best for one is best for all.

My wish on this most holy of Christian holidays is that everyone look at the prison walls of your own beliefs and strive for a spiritual resurrection–regardless of you religious affiliation. Let’s all look for that objective spiritual reality. When enough people do this, the world will change for the better. It is, after all the season when life returns to the world (at least in the northern hemisphere).

Happy Easter to all.

 

If this post resonates with you, check this out: http://www.amazon.com/Pursuit-Joy-Gary-Green-ebook/dp/B0045Y263G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422895146&sr=8-1&keywords=in+pursuit+of+joy&pebp=1422895147478&peasin=B0045Y263G

The Power of Staying Connected

Gary Green:

We ARE social creatures.

Originally posted on recoverymojo:

We are social creatures. It wouldn’t really matter if we evolved that way or were created that way or both or neither. What matters is that we are that way. And embracing the social nature of being is central to wellness. It’s funny how we insist that we don’t care what other people think about us. But really we do and really it’s okay. That’s how we are. We are social creatures.

There were times when broken or troubled relationships became an impetus for our drinking or using or eating or whatever. But that wasn’t all. We moved further and further away from others when behaviors became addictions. We had to hide to maintain those behaviors because deep inside we really did care what people thought about us. And the only way to stop caring, we thought, was to feed the addiction and further down — and out —…

View original 257 more words

More News

I had a few more pieces of news I thought I would share. Last Saturday I was signing books at the Brooklyn Park Community Activity Center. I sold a few books and had some fun. A good day. Also, my book giveaway was a resounding success. Thanks to all who participated.

I will be doing a book signing at Book World at the Kandi Mall in Willmar, MN on April 6 from 1-3. I will have copies of both books available.

Additionally, I will be teaching an intro to mindfulness class on mindfulness on April 20 for the Women of Today. Attendees will receive a copy of “The Mindful Lifestyle. Contact me if interested. Location yet to be determined.

 

A Few Pieces of News

I have a few pieces of news.

First, I am running a giveaway of “The Mindful Lifestyle” on Amazon. Here’s the link: https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/4c0e14bc8f768b4f

Also, I have 2 new 5 star reviews on Amazon–from people I don’t even know. Read them here: http://www.amazon.com/In-Pursuit-Joy-Gary-Green-ebook/product-reviews/B0045Y263G/ref=cm_cr_pr_top_recent?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending

Finally, I will be signing books at the Brooklyn Park Women of Today Spring Craft Show this Saturday from 9 to 3. It will be at the Brooklyn Park Community Activity Center, 5600 85th Avenue North, Brooklyn Park, MN. Stop by and chat.

Identity

So the secret is finally out. We finally know the name of the “Executioner”. That is good. I suppose it is the first step in finding and stopping this guy—and he does need to be stopped. However, all this fuss about his identity got me thinking.

Why is it that all these ISIS guys always have their face covered? They claim to be doing God’s work. Why do they need to wear a mask? Bank robbers wear a mask. Muggers wear a mask. Criminals wear masks. Men of God do not. Clearly these guys are in this for the power. If they can pull this thing off they will have absolute power over millions of people.

How can we stop these guys? Certainly, the military option has a lot of support and some merit I suppose. It might even be necessary. But the thing that keeps rattling around in my head is “Where is this great army coming from?” I mean, a state with a government can draft people. These people are all volunteers. That’s what I get stuck on.

I live in Minnesota where, I have heard, the largest population of Somalians in the United States lives. Even way out here in rural Minnesota there are quite a few. I don’t really care. We were all immigrants once upon a time. There is one thing that does bug me though.

Apparently quite a few young Somalis are going to the Middle East to join in this “crusade” against the West. My question is this: What have I done to these people that makes them want to kill me? They came here to escape bloodshed and anarchy back home. We took them in, like so many groups before. However, in one generation they decide they hate us so much they want to kill us. What does that say about them? What does that say about us?

I know a lot of people who don’t like Somalis on general principle. They can come up with all kinds of reasons to justify their judgmental thoughts about the Somalis. Maybe they just don’t feel welcome.

Then there is this other thing. Somali culture is very family centered and what most of us would call very conservative. They are so conservative, in fact, that often when one of their kids pulls the kind of shenanigans that most American kids do they dis-own them—cut them off from the all-important family. Perhaps that lonely kid is fertile ground for the seeds of hatred ISIS is sowing.

So what can we do about any of this? When faced with a problem like this I generally like to ask myself how I may have contributed to the problem. I can’t say for sure. What I can say is that I will continue live in the present moment as much as I can—taking away that fear of the future that is ISIS’s main weapon. I will continue to cultivate compassion and release any judgmental thoughts that pop into my mind. And I hope I will respond wisely as needed if a “situation” arises.

What will you do?

On Becoming

The Universe is in a constant state of change. Everything is in the process of becoming something else. Galaxies constantly move apart in the expanding universe. Stars orbit our galaxy’s core. Planets, comets and asteroids orbit the sun. The Moon orbits the Earth, which spins on its axis each day. And every moment of every day I get a little bit older.

Every single one of us changes throughout our entire lifespan. When we are young we grow physically and learn about the world around us and how we fit into it. We are all becoming something—but what?

That’s really the question isn’t it? We are becoming whether we are aware of it or not, whether we want it or not. All our planning and scheming is about trying to control the becoming. And yet—most of us don’t think of it in those terms. We want to be happy and we do things we think will make us become happy. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.

During my recovery from severe depression and alcoholism I had to learn a few things to become a happier, more fulfilled person. I learned that control is an illusion. The only things I can control are my own decisions. I have noticed that when I base my decisions purely on emotion–especially fear—the result is generally unpleasant. This tends to reinforce emotional decision making and am on the path to becoming a fearful, unhappy person.

However, when I logically decide to use compassion and gratitude as a guide to making my decisions I start becoming something more. My life becomes more fulfilling as the universe reflects back to me what I have put into it.

I think that most people don’t think about this very much. They think they are OK just the way they are. Here is the problem with that line of thinking: No matter how hard you try you won’t stay the same. Everything changes—becomes something else. So, what will you become?

If you want to learn more about this check out my website:  http://sbprabooks.com/garygreen/