Through What Lens Do You See Your World?

To what experiences, details and information in your life do you give your attention? According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Chick-sent-me-hi) in Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, the shape and content of our life depends on which of the millions of bits of information we choose to focus.  The way we focus contributes to our belief system which creates our mindset which manifests our life experience.  A little mind bending?  I agree.  Lets start at the core with our beliefs. What do you, deep down, believe to be true?

I decided I would share something that I wrote as a New Year's Eve ritual this past December.  Following the pattern of the National Public Radio series "This I Believe," I tried to distill some of my beliefs into statements.  I tried to use only those that I had earned through experience and that felt authentic to me.  What follows doesn't cover all of my beliefs but those that called out to me on the occasion.  I share it, not because it's great writing or because I'm convinced it will resonnate with you, but because I hope it will inspire you to focus your attention on your own beliefs for a time.  I would love to hear about some of your beliefs! Where have you placed your focus and to what beliefs has this led?

I Believe

I believe that one of the hardest things—one of the riskiest things you can do is to be absolutely still.    

In stillness, inner terrains often strange and sometimes treacherous can be explored.  This travel is done without a map and often without a guide.  When you spend enough time navigating internal tides, slaying dragons and familiarizing yourself with the history and culture of the place that is you, a kind of peace and assurance emerge and the authentic self may be revealed.

The mysterious workings of nature often only become visible if you sit long and quietly enough.  I believe that understanding and respecting our connection to the earth and its creatures is what both grounds us and fills us with spirit.

It is my belief that Truth can be found in the bone and that sometimes we must allow ourselves to go to dark places—to nearly decompose in order to see how we are constructed.

Anger is important, sometimes even crucial to finding peace, but you cannot live in both places at once and there comes a time when anger no longer propels you but begins to pool up and fester.

I believe that when you keep a commitment to a person or a thing, no matter how difficult or burdensome it may be, sometimes it is this very commitment that ultimately sets you free.

If we want to live a meaningful and connected life, we must take the time to reflect on what we are grateful for and then genuinely express our gratitude to others. 

In a society that honors the overt risk taker and the conqueror, I believe the still must learn to honor themselves.

Being still is not the same as being stagnant or complacent.  In fact, the growth that can come from stillness is fluid and ever-changing.  I believe it is never too late to become what you might have been.

I believe that if you respond to what calls out to you and draws you to it, no matter how incongruent it may seem, eventually everything converges and the purpose becomes clear.

When you do the thing that you have been most afraid to do, somehow everything releases and unanticipated possibilities open up. 

In the end I also believe that once the art of being still has been reasonably mastered, perhaps the next challenge is to learn when to take flight.

Sit with a belief, roll it over in your mind, craft it into a statement and share it here.