“The only thing worse than being blind… is having sight but no vision” Helen Keller

How much do you truly see?… When we are ‘too busy’ being ‘responsible’ for our life – we often get caught in it or miss chunks of it. Worrying, complaining, doubting, justifying… becoming angry, stressed, afraid, depressed, frustrated, anxious (just to name a few) are all symptoms of not paying attention. We get ‘caught up’ and at times can miss entire scenes – be it an hour, a day, a week, or even a month or more – it can be very costly. When we are not present we are not using our power of discernment and our vision is instantly compromised. We become careless and our view becomes distorted – life turns frantic and the fallout is often chaos and disruption.

Recently I allowed myself to get ‘pulled away’ from my purpose of living peacefully. I gradually let myself get sucked into a vacuum of calculated manipulation – I lost sight, I lost clarity and sabotaged my own stage. Why?… because I reacted. Focusing on passing grades and rushing to finish some studies before our departure, I didn’t notice that my peace of mind was under attack. Getting consumed with the injustice of the whole situation, it took me back to past unjust events I had experienced in life… I was compelled (against my own will) to repeat an old pattern. The old defiant way when meeting injustice rose up, and the weak voice of victimisation tried to battle it out – I stood up and ‘fought’ for my right! Engulfed by ‘justified’ anger, agitation and frustration, I became increasingly vulnerable to the dictates of others once again. Discordance took the place of harmony, as I was lead to old feelings of self doubt and self pity. Once again I was making decisions based on emotions which is never a good idea. ‘Fighting’ for justice or peace is a contradiction in terms, it makes no sense and it just creates more angst. What was I doing?… I was becoming part of the problem – not part of the solution. I lost sight and began to stumble around in the dark… until I became aware and stepped back!

Some say this is how you build resilience… I say NO THANKS! Resilience can be cultivated in other, less painful ways. Focusing on my own thoughts, my own words and my own actions is one simple way. Regularly applying my inner strengths – cultivating my virtues, my power – is another. My powers belongs to me, no-one can take them without my permission. I lost sight of them for a while as I handed them over to others, and the consequential loss of peace was unbearable. Reacting gives others permission to pillage my inner calm… A reason why dreams so often get smothered. Helen Keller was deaf and blind, and was an amazing source of inspiration – she stood unshakably in her power. After stepping back into mine, I began to remember my inner beauty. Instead of looking at what others are doing and saying, bit by bit I brought my focus back to my own attitude. I remembered that I am peace, that I am calm, that I am tolerant, that I am strong… then I just started acting that way again.

Though the situation is far from being resolved – I’m ‘choosing to be calm’. By reacting I not only invited the unethical behaviors of others to interfere in my life, I entertained them! How do I reclaim my power?… By taking my focus off the situation and facing it towards my own attitude. To regularly check myself is the simplest most powerful way to not only reclaim my power, but to consolidate deep inner change. No matter how unjust or unethical others behave, I’ve chosen a life of dignity, kindness, courage and determination – I must walk my talk – otherwise I’m no different to the dictators of this world. It’s no big deal to love those who are lovable, but to love those who give you grief is an art – it’s the most invaluable power in life. No amount of disempowering, angry, self abusive or limiting behavior of any kind is ever justified, it’s just another excuse to not step into our light 🙂

Lessons learned: 1. Practice… Practice… Practice 2. Before doing any type of course read all the fine print, question anything you’re unsure of and never never rush decisions or base them on emotion. If any ‘agreement’ seems unbalanced, it probably is – check your rights and responsibilities and check theirs – it should be equally beneficial.

Question: Do you allow yourself to be deceived?

Consideration: What might you have missed or ignored in the process of being deceived?

Action: For the month of August and upon starting any new venture sharpen your power to discern. This power enables you to instantly see what is fake and what is authentic. See and take any opportunity to practice and strengthen this power on a regular basis, so you your attitude and actions will remain stable – based on your own self respect. Instantly seeing falsehood from truth saves a lot of time, energy and possibly money. Stay alert and pay attention… otherwise what might you be missing?!…