What may be lesser known is this: Soon thereafter, Descartes revised his own saying, to: “I am, I exist.” (1641) Now, THAT’s the spirit!
When you’re thinking, you’re ‘mulling.’ You’re ‘somewhere else.’ Thinking takes you away from, or out of, the present moment. For more on this, refer back to this recent edition of Soul Notes, here.
Take the Olympics, for example. The athletes have prepared years if not even decades, yes. They’re in the best physical condition of their lives, also yes. They’ve ‘put in the work.’ Indeed. And yet, are they thinking much while they’re setting world records? Maybe. I suppose there is still some cognitive strategy at play. Are we thinking as we watch? Maybe, a little.
What draws us in as witnesses to these events, however, is the series of ever present moments. It’s the single points in time and space where everything converges. That’s where the magic is. That is when we are most inspired. That’s when we are in awe. That’s when we are all one.
For Your Consideration
If you’re not thinking, does that mean you no longer exist? This is not a rhetorical question. Of course you (we, I) exist! It is not our thinking which makes it so.
Okay, your turn:
As a carryover from last moon’s edition of Soul Notes, I ask you: Is thinking overrated? I invite you to share your observations, feelings, and experiences by leaving a Reply in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!
“It’s become so automatic, I don’t even think about it when I’m doing it.”
“It is so ‘second nature,’ I could do it in my sleep.”
What if we put our second nature first? What if our second nature became our first nature?
When we say something becomes second nature, we mean that it’s not something we’re consciously aware of when we’re doing it. For example, once you learn how to drive a car, you’re not consciously aware of all the movements you’re making to drive the car, and to navigate from point A to point B.
It could also be something that we say we do by instinct — again, without really thinking about it.
“I don’t know how I reached out and kept that child from falling over the railing, it was just a knee-jerk reflex.”
In other words, it’s living from your subconscious. I wouldn’t say it is unconscious — it’s anything but that. Rather, it’s consciously living from what is there all along. Instead of relying on thinking to make it happen — we let the thinking take a back seat, and elevate the subconscious up to the surface.
We can invite it up and out to play all the time! Radical idea? Maybe. Worth it? Absolutely.
Is thinking overrated?
“I never gave it another thought.”
“I just did it without thinking.”
We say things like the above statements as if thinking is the central benchmark, the kingpin, the main yardstick by which to gauge our actions and experiences. Why have we given thinking such an elevated status?
Of course, in any given moment your brain never truly shuts off. It doesn’t completely disengage from your bodily functions any more than your lungs keep from expanding and contracting, or your heart stops beating.
It’s merely a part of you, and yet it’s not all of you. When your second nature kicks in — during any emergency for example — you bring your awareness into keen focus. You are bringing a blending in of all of you into and to that moment. You are one with the situation, each person in that moment, and truly one with all of creation. There are no boundaries real or perceived. I know this may seem trippy, and I assure you this is not a drug-induced blog post, if that’s what you’re thinking. What you’re thinking, see what I mean? We are a thinking-obsessed so called modern society.
For your consideration:
What if we allowed our thinking to fade into the mix of our lived experiences, almost as if we swirled our thinking into a can of paint, using a wooden dowel, and letting the thinking disappear into the whole of the paint? Would we miss it ? Or, would we simply allow it to swirl into the mixture that becomes the fully blended vibrant paint color? Did the prior paint in the can cease to exist, or did the new paint that was added in — did that no longer exist, once we mixed it all in together? Nope. It stayed. It melded. It only seemed to disappear.
We can step out of our thinking brain and experience all of creation in a 360-degree (up down, all-around) way. We can live life in a way that I would deem to be spherical.
I contend that our lives would take on a, pardon the pun, whole new dimension. I’ve been living this way the past few weeks, and it’s been wild as heck and soooo nice to give my brain a rest. I’ve been putting my brain on an ongoing moment-by-moment ‘time out,’ and it’s been wondrous. And, in living this way you’re never alone, because you are living from a place of being one with everyone and everything.
Okay, your turn:
Does this idea of living from what I am calling a place of spherical awareness — living wholly and completely from outside the thinking mind — does that appeal to you? Are you willing to give it a go?
I invite you to share your feelings and experiences by leaving a Reply in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!
https://lanoonan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Logo-transparent-300x72.png00Lori A. Noonanhttps://lanoonan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Logo-transparent-300x72.pngLori A. Noonan2021-07-10 23:54:002021-07-12 00:20:53Making second nature first
There is something to be said about consciously evening out the wear and tear on something as much as possible. It keeps it refreshed. It prolongs its life. It prevents undue strain on any one area or facet.
Take a moment to reflect:
What in your life right now could benefit from a little rotating? Sure, it could be your mattress (ha!), but what about different parts of your lifestyle or your life’s journey? Is there a particular area of your life, or your thought patterns or beliefs, that’s been stuck way too long in the exact same position? Has there been so much pressure consistently applied in a single place, that it’s worn out? If not physically, then intellectually or emotionally?
You’re at choice to do something about it. Can you flip it? Rotate it? Turn it upside down? Inside out? Even simply envisioning doing this can create a magical revelation for you. Try it!
Okay, your turn:
Did you try rotating something in your world? If so, what did you notice? If you haven’t tried rotating anything, will you soon?
I invite you to share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences by leaving a Reply in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!
https://lanoonan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Logo-transparent-300x72.png00Lori A. Noonanhttps://lanoonan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Logo-transparent-300x72.pngLori A. Noonan2021-06-10 05:06:332021-06-10 16:29:37Things we rotate
When we hear (or say) that we are destroying our planet, are we not indeed acknowledging that we are destroying ourselves? Does not nature (and we are nature) come with its own divine structure? When we build up artificial structures, only to dismantle and destroy them, what value remains, if any? When you hear the word infrastructure, what does that connote for you?
Okay, your turn:
Do these lines of inquiry present any new awareness for you? Would you rather not pay them any mind? Is there a risk in doing so? How about in not doing so?
I invite you to share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences by leaving a Reply in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!
https://lanoonan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Logo-transparent-300x72.png00Lori A. Noonanhttps://lanoonan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Logo-transparent-300x72.pngLori A. Noonan2021-05-11 04:39:572021-05-11 18:29:14Deconstructing what we construct
During the pandemic, do you find yourself all the more appreciating the simple pleasures? I do. I have. I will continue, I hope. I love hearing the birdsongs each morning, gently awakening me from my slumber. The city din of rush hour traffic that is no longer rushing has given way to a clarity of chirping, instead.
Okay, your turn:
What about for you? What are some of the simple pleasures you find along the way, during your day-to-day? I invite you to share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences by leaving a Reply in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!
P.S. Poetry inspired ‘with a wordsmith’s twist’ by My Favorite Things and ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.
https://lanoonan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Logo-transparent-300x72.png00Lori A. Noonanhttps://lanoonan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Logo-transparent-300x72.pngLori A. Noonan2021-04-11 09:06:322021-04-11 18:12:38April showers
Why do the dog and the cat and the hamster and the guinea pig and the goldfish
not seem to notice?
Is it because they don’t wear watches
or look at the clock
Ever?
For your consideration:
What if the entire world took a collective, heartfelt, time out during these time changes? For one hour, twice a year? Let’s take time changes into our own control, and allow ourselves 6o minutes to hear the messages of our soul. I mean this as a deliberate practice, and not as an esoteric concept.
For me, the past several years, it’s been a reset so to speak for my nervous system – my physical body system, and my inner knowing – my spiritual body.
Back before my more recent devotional and deep dives into the spiritual realm, I hosted in my home “clock parties,” where a large group of my friends and I would toast to the time change, eat clock-shaped frosted sugar cookies, and dance the night away the Saturday before the time change. So, there’s that option, too. Pick your poison, erm, tradition.
Okay, your turn:
Making the switch to and from Daylight Saving Time (by the way, it’s Saving, without an “s” at the end, in case you’re wondering…as was I…the things I ponder!) – Does making the switch by one hour twice a year impact you? If so, in what ways do you notice it? Sleeping patterns disrupted? Stomach growling at seemingly weird hours? Are you happy about it? Frustrated? Maybe for you it’s not a big deal either way?
I invite you to share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences by leaving a Reply in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!
https://lanoonan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Logo-transparent-300x72.png00Lori A. Noonanhttps://lanoonan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Logo-transparent-300x72.pngLori A. Noonan2021-03-13 11:27:572021-03-13 20:29:43Time change awaits
During these times of global as well as for many of us local, uncertainty — in both the physical and political realms — it begs the question for each of us to consider:
What does this mean for me emotionally and spiritually? Where in my own life have I been met with uncertainty and challenges that may trigger previous wounds? Have those wounds been healed through my physical and spiritual growth? Am I willing to accept that healing and embrace the current (and future, because there will always be more) uncertainties and challenges from a place of healing and not open wounds? For me, the answer is yes.
Okay, your turn:
What does it mean to you to read words like these? What, if any, emotions arise for you?
I invite you to share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences by leaving a Reply in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!
https://lanoonan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Logo-transparent-300x72.png00Lori A. Noonanhttps://lanoonan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Logo-transparent-300x72.pngLori A. Noonan2021-02-11 07:56:302021-02-11 17:12:28Wash away
What if we loved the world today? I mean each day, every day, we lived as if we were in love with the world, and treated it as a sacred gift?
I’m not talking about spiritual bypassing (whatever that really means exactly), nor positive thinking for positive thinking’s sake. The well intentioned concept of positive thinking has deteriorated into pretty much the same thing as spiritual bypassing, from what I can gather from the various uses and misuses of both those terms. They’ve become hashtag short-cuts that have been watered down so much that they might as well be part of a teenager’s wall poster collection, next to that magazine cut-out of their favorite pop star.
Too harsh? Maybe, maybe not. Perhaps I’m simply in a “let’s get down to the roots” kind of mood. Neither Pollyanna (and definitely not Aunt Polly) nor Debbie Downer…simply Rueful Reflector. I’m not talking about reducing everything down to the Glad Game that Pollyanna’s father taught her. Although when you think about it, the Glad Game did help out Pollyanna and her townspeople cope with some of life’s harsh realities. That novel explored some of the meanest of the mean, as exemplified by the character Aunt Polly. It’s the modern-day cutesiness of that phrase that I’m contesting here. As in “just love the world, be happy, everything’s fine” sort of way…which is not actually the true meaning of the original story, anyway.
Back to my main point: Enough of this “otherness.” It’s time for an all-in-this-ness. Did I coin a new phrase, just now?
The indigenous peoples understood this. Not only the covenant of an all-in-this-ness among peoples, but also among non-peoples. We are all guests on this planet, passing through: The humans, the plants, the trees (many of whom have and will outlast us), the winged ones, the finned ones, the creepy-crawlers. The air, the fire, the water, the earth. They work together in a circle of creation and sometimes helpful recreation, even through their strategically destructive forces. They all play an interconnected part, and not apart (deliberate play on words) from the whole.
Do we? With each other? With them? The elements? The other inhabitants of this planet we share? Or, are we purely the destroyers? What is it that we as a species contribute to the planet and its inhabitants? What’s progress? What are advancements? Are they what help sustain all of us, or only some of us…only to destroy all of us, ultimately?
What arrogance to assume that we as a species are the ones who “know better”. If we truly know better, then why are we allowing our species to be responsible for the ecosystems’ (and our own) undoing and eventual demise?
For your consideration
My provocative proposal (I wish it weren’t so provocative) is this: Let’s be in love with the world. Let’s take that to be a sacred responsibility, and not something to be summarily dismissed as a kooky granola crunching adage. Instead, consider it a rallying cry!
Okay, your turn:
What is our role as human beings, living on this planet? Do we have a responsibility to care for it and each other – now and for future generations? Or, is it all simply “ours for the taking”?
I invite you to share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences by leaving a Reply in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!
https://lanoonan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Logo-transparent-300x72.png00Lori A. Noonanhttps://lanoonan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Logo-transparent-300x72.pngLori A. Noonan2020-12-13 11:04:462020-12-13 23:16:00What if we loved the world?
Is there something about a major transition that leaves you feeling disappointed? Or, do big transitions instead leave you feeling hopeful, inspired, and eager to move forward?
I invite you to share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences by leaving a Reply in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!
https://lanoonan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Logo-transparent-300x72.png00Lori A. Noonanhttps://lanoonan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Logo-transparent-300x72.pngLori A. Noonan2020-11-15 13:49:182020-11-16 00:49:49Transition of power
What about following, or leading, evokes a stirring within you? Anything? All things? Certain things?
For me, curiosity runs through me almost like life’s blood. It doesn’t waver. To try to stop it would be like trying to hold my breath.
Questioning, seeking, learning, solving, not quite solving, learning again, solving, not quite solving. Life offers a Rubik’s cube of possibilities.
Okay, your turn:
Would you consider yourself a follower, or a leader, or both? Are you always learning, studying? When do you turn from being a learner to a doer, to an experimenter, an explorer, an adventurer? Or, do they blend into one another?
I invite you to share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences by leaving a Reply in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!
https://lanoonan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Logo-transparent-300x72.png00Lori A. Noonanhttps://lanoonan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Logo-transparent-300x72.pngLori A. Noonan2020-10-17 09:00:562020-10-17 19:03:37From disciple to discipline
