Steven Liebowitz's Blog, page 18

Wise Wednesday

Wise Wednesday

A Poem

Phil’s Delicatessen

The aroma of pickles,

smoked fish, coffee, fresh bread

and salami filled me with

peace and anticipation.

I reached up

held my father’s hand

inhaled.

I was where I belonged.

We went to Phil’s

on South Street

every Sunday morning

for lox and bagles

Then to Danziger’s

for bobbca and sweet roles.

Mom had the onions and

tomatoes sliced and waiting.

My two younger brothers

came to the kitchen and sat

when they heard me and dad come in.

Phil was a Holocaust survivor.

He had a number tattooed on his arm.

I think of Phil, his deli and how I felt

then, now as I read Trump wants to

designate Jews, not as a religion,

but as a race, like the Nazis did.

Trump says to fight anti-semitism.

But perhaps it’s also the first

step in the round-up and extermination.

 

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Mindful Monday

Mindful Monday

Dreams

The world in dreams seems quite real. Yet it’s clearly not the world I saw when I was awake. I don’t find the differences between what I saw sleeping and waking disturbing. I know the waking world is blotted out by dreaming. Yet, on waking, it’s the dreaming world that’s blotted out, not the waking. I never doubt that the waking world will be there when I arise.

Dreams are chaotic because they’re governed by my conflicting wishes. Dreams show me I have the power to make a world and while I’m in that world, I believe it’s real. It’s a world clearly in my mind that seems to be outside.

What if my sleeping and waking worlds are different forms of the same energy? What if by appreciating this, I can let go of the chaos and allow the dream of being a man dreaming he’s a spiritual being, shift to a spiritual being dreaming it’s a man?

Discover more about mindfulness as Spirit Tech – Spiritual Technology –  in The New Professionalism: Connecting Science and Spirit http://www.HQPubs.com/spirit-tech-spiritual-technology/

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Friday Funnies

Discover more about humor as Spirit Tech – Spiritual Technology –  in The New Professionalism: Connecting Science and Spirit http://www.HQPubs.com/spirit-tech-spiritual-technology/

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Wise Wednesday

Wise Wednesday

Accepting What Is

Byron Katie says, “When you argue with reality you lose, but only 100% of the time.”

Carl Jung agrees, “We can’t change anything ’till we accept it.”

Surrender isn’t a negative concept, it’s simply accepting the present moment unconditionally. It’s letting go of resistance to what is. If we are in denial (that river in Egypt) we can’t move past what we’re denying. Besides, there’s usually a deeper meaning/purpose involved. Look for it! Spirit Tech can help.

Discover more about mindfulness as Spirit Tech – Spiritual Technology –  in The New Professionalism: Connecting Science and Spirit http://www.HQPubs.com/spirit-tech-spiritual-technology/

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Mindful Monday

Mindful Monday

Advent

In the Christian tradition this is the season of Advent; of preparing hearts and minds for the birth of something new with a joyful expectancy.

In contemporary American culture, we want to skip preparation and cut to the chase.

Skipping over preparing and actually feeling worthy of the newness we seek is, perhaps why the holiday often seems so blah and anti-climactic. 

Preparing means feeling the inner transformation happen before the outward manifestation. The joyful expectancy is not worrying how it’s going to show up, but allowing intuition to guide. 

From this place, we don’t seek nor wait, we simply cultivate the spirit with calm anticipation. Spirit Tech can help.

Discover more about mindfulness as Spirit Tech – Spiritual Technology –  in The New Professionalism: Connecting Science and Spirit http://www.HQPubs.com/spirit-tech-spiritual-technology/

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Friday Funnies

Friday Funnies

Discover more about humor as Spirit Tech – Spiritual Technology –  in The New Professionalism: Connecting Science and Spirit http://www.HQPubs.com/spirit-tech-spiritual-technology/

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Wise Wednesday

The Gift

We each have a gift to give. If we don’t give that gift, no one else can, so it is lost forever.

We give our gift because when we do, we are living the life we were meant to live, not because of what we might receive in return. Spirit Tech helps both ID our gifts and share them.

Discover more about wisdom as Spirit Tech – Spiritual Technology –  in The New Professionalism: Connecting Science and Spirit http://www.HQPubs.com/spirit-tech-spiritual-technology/

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Mindful Monday

Binary Thinking & Regret

As soon as I set up a binary, either/or situation and have to choose, regret is inevitable. And with regret, anxiety, doubt and fear. Doubt and anxiety about making the right choice and fear of making a mistake. This regret, doubt, anxiety and fear are usually below consciousness. So, too often, I go around under a cloud of unease, not really knowing why.

Clarity, certainty and gratitude reduce and for awhile, eliminate the cloud of unease. When I’m whizzing along the right path, I’m happy and grateful and fully present. That’s why I value clarity and certainty. But I’ve got to be careful of certainty. Sometimes it conflicts with clarity. I can get stuck in certainty and be blind to what’s really happening.

Often I feel like if I could just stop thinking, everything would be fine. But it isn’t thinking per se, that’s the problem, it’s the kind of thinking, binary either/or thinking is the problem. The alternative is both/and thinking, inclusive, punishment-free thinking. Like Mr. Spock on Star Trek. Unfortunately, both/and thinking is rare. Our habitual pattern is either/or – black or white, male or female, Democrat or Republican. That’s what we get on the ‘news’, are taught in school – who’s #, what’s your favorite ice cream, winning is everything.

Either/or thinking has to be consciously confronted. It’s a deeply ingrained habit. But it can be done. Spirt Tech can help. The reward is less regret, anxiety, doubt and fear. Next time you’re uneasy, don’t fall back on your habitual choices, try both/and, more inclusive, compassionate, non-punitive thinking. In spite of everything, both Republicans and Democrats are Americans.

Discover more about mindfulness as Spirit Tech – Spiritual Technology –  in The New Professionalism: Connecting Science and Spirit http://www.HQPubs.com/spirit-tech-spiritual-technology/

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Wise Wednesday

Wise Wednesday

Something More, Something Greater

Is there an aspect of ourselves that is eternal, infinite? Is that what the soul is? Is intuition a connection of our finite selves with that infinite aspect? 

Since the infinite can’t come from the finite, that’s probably true.

Writing about this, Dr. Michelle Medrano tells a story. “When my son was two, I asked him, ‘Where were you before you came to be with me and Daddy?’ He answered in his little two year old voice, ‘Oh, Mommy, I tried to come to be with you two times, but I couldn’t get here!’ I had indeed had two previous pregnancies that did not come to term.”

Tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day, let’s give thanks for our infinite reality as spirit in addition to all our finite blessings. To do this constantly, with all that transpires, especially politics, will bring a world that works for everyone and everything. Spirit Tech can help.

Discover more about wisdom as Spirit Tech – Spiritual Technology –  in The New Professionalism: Connecting Science and Spirit http://www.HQPubs.com/spirit-tech-spiritual-technology/

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Friday Funnies

Discover more about humor as Spirit Tech – Spiritual Technology –  in The New Professionalism: Connecting Science and Spirit http://www.HQPubs.com/spirit-tech-spiritual-technology/

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‘Umm, well, thank you Mr. Snuggles for that unorthodox report on ‘To kill a mockingbird’.’

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