Direction

     Direction. Where to step next? Do I do this, or do I do that? What if I make the wrong decision?...questions, questions, questions - all sprinkled with pockets of doubt and silver linings of hope. This is the process, so hold on. No choice, no step into the unknown comes without these emotions and thoughts. How is one to navigate them successfully? Success being defined as - moving forward despite their (doubts/questions) existence. It’s an obstacle that we all encounter. As a nomadic, hyperactive, movement maniac - it’s an obstacle that I’ve tangoed with for some time now.

Many of our doubts and fears stem from the over working of the mind. It’s our mind that creates all of the hyperbolized obstacles and the one-million different scenarios that seem to be in our way of acting. When we are inspired or pulled to act, it’s our heart that’s speaking to us, it’s our heart that’s saying, “Yes try that.”. It’s the heart that’s able to confidently see the long term vision - seeing through to the “end” result or goal. In short, most often we are living based in our minds, not our hearts. It’s typical to experience gusts of released creative or physical energy that wants to flow into a new direction. Unfortunately, it’s also typical to remain stagnant and passive when these energies arise, thus not acting and remaining exactly where you were when you woke up this morning.

Ok. Problem discovered: Over stimulated mind based living...or OSMBL for short (totally made that up). So what now?

Now - stop thinking too much. What’s the very next step or action that needs to be taken? Start there. It sounds too easy, but even when contemplation of the first step begans, I bet your mind is already imagining worst case scenarios...mine is. This is where the root work is. This is where the reprogramming begins. Rather then the mind creating pessimistic illusions, we can work with it to create visions of opportunity. When an obstacle arises, and it will, the mind can say,”What if I overcome this?”. Just as the heart is able to see through to the fully actualized potential of ones Self, so too can the mind. It just needs to be trained in such a way. Training comes in daily steps, it comes with daily reps, every thought even! Overtime the mind and heart will become synchronized and will work in unison. The heart will guide you. The mind will step in when logic and practicalities are needed (like when filling out paperwork - the heart is never involved with such dull matters). Working together the mind and heart can co-create the visions that we each have for ourselves. No longer will the split between our mind and heart exist - rather a dynamic duo that each has their own advantages and disadvantages that the other balances out.

This is what it means to live in alignment, not only alignment with ones Self, but also with the universe. 

Pause.....take a moment...lay down....place one hand over your heart - to feel each thump. Place the other hand over your stomach - feeling the rise and fall of each inhale and exhale. Allow yourself a minute or two to listen to what your body is communicating to you...what do you truly want? Feel how your heart beat and breath speed up or slow down depending on what you think about..your heart may speed up if something arouses anxiety within you. It may also speed up because an idea or image is exciting too. Same goes for the the breath. Learn to hear and feel the difference between the two. What is the vision that you have for your Self?...Ok, hold this vision where it is....keeping it at the front of your minds eye...hold it...hold it..nice and steady...

Now - What is the absolute very next step to making this vision come true?

Ready? Set. Grow. Onwards ever, backwards never!

Comment with what steps you want to take moving forward! Tell me which direction you want to go in. If this served you, aroused any questions or points you’d like to further discuss, or even if you disagree with this - let me know. Let’s connect:)

----Corey



     ***If you want more words and thoughts on direction and the path of fullfilling your visions - check out these books below.

Hey look!

Sipping from a warm apple cider, surrounded by ones I love, ones that love me, I can't help but take a moment to write.

Isn't it obvious! The joy in the air, the overwhelming feeling of togetherness? We feel it, but why? We feel it because we mean to. We went to bed last night knowing we were going to think about being thankful tomorrow. This is what we have the power to do. When we all put our conscious efforts to acheive something greater than ourselves, a goal fought for as a whole, than that something will come. I don't know any other way to explain it, other then pointing it out as it happens before our very eyes. We are all part of a force that can be used to make a positive change in this world. Let's now recognize  this force we have and...well...get started:)

Was just a quick thought. I hope your days are filled with Love and Peace.

-With Thanks, Corey.

Epiphany

I can't go back. I've been reached at a part in me deep down that can't be untouched. This morning I stopped what I was doing and looked up. A scene was laid out before me. It was a pleasant scene of 'nothing', which is why it was everything. I watched three birds mingle together, listening as they talked from one to the next. The wind was whistling in my ears, spreading its secret from me to all. Then there was the sun starting to spread its burst of morning warmth, keeping me just warm enough to barely be cold. In all these happenings were colors. The colors of life. The colors that express natures message to us, which is beauty, if only that justly described it. After a scene such as this, I can't help but evaluate the way I live and how it affects Earth. And so it has begun, the pursuit of living life with no trash, "The Pursuit of Going Green." It won't happen over night, but it will happen. To me, this post is my accountability, after all, I must "Be impeccable with The Word." A newfound friend of mine likes to say ,"If there's a will, there's a way." Well, I have a will.

As soon as I typed the last bit of this writing, a customer pulled up to the ticket booth window (I like to write at work). The man driving made the remark," Well, I guess we will drive, it is a sloppy day." I couldn't help but laugh, Life is funny.

 Want to see who's already conquered "The Pursuit of Going Green"? Check out the link.

https://www.facebook.com/corey.leighton.12/posts/10202231144615067

The Art of Being

Growing up (I'm still growing up) in the location I did, I wasn't ever exposed to Eastern teachings or ideas. Or maybe I was, except in Western words and concepts. Thus, I have recently taken an interest in learning about the Eastern culture and practices, more specifically, meditation.

I had tried meditation back in Texas a few times, but never had made it a daily practice. Looking back, I was coming from the wrong angle. If you look at meditation as a means to an end, such as enlightenment, I'm not sure you will ever get there. This conjours up a story I once read. I'll paraphrase it.

A monk asks his master," If I mediate four hours a day every day, how long until I reach enlightenment?" The master thinks for only a second and replies, "Perhaps forty years." Bummed out the novice monk asks another question, "What if I mediate eight hours a day every day, then how long until enlightenment?" Without hesitation the master replies, "Eighty years, probably more."

Meditation is not something you do to obtain a goal. The novice monk was meditating, just as I was, to get somewhere. That somewhere is right under our feet. Funny isn't it? This also applies to happiness. If we always search for happiness, then happiness will always be in the future. Once we stop looking, we see that it's been under our nose all along. Eckhart Tolle describes this as "living in the Now." It is something you simply do, although we don't make it so simple for ourselves. To live is to be. It is coming into conciousness bringing nothing along. No stereotypes, no agenda, not even your identity. In order for your cup to be filled it must first be empty. I can't help but think of lyrics to a certain song I sang in church growing up, though I took it differently then.

 ...so fill my cuuuuup and let it over flow

so fill my cuuuuup and let it over flow

Let it over flow with love...

That is my reason for meditating, to empty myself. When empty, Life can fill me with love.  Life can't give you what it has to offer if you are already holding on to too much. Once again, non- attachment is key. 

Meditation is a relatively new thing for me, I'm still learning, and if I let myself, that learning will never stop. My hope is that this post generates curiousity about meditation and that my readers (the few I have) will look into the many benefits it has. To list a few: stress reduction, clarity, a better understanding of your own mind, and more. It doesn't have to be much either. I started out putting aside a mere ten minutes in my morning routine to sit and be still. That's all it takes to open the doors that meditation offers. 

When first beginning, I couldn't stop thinking,it seemed I wasn't making any progress. I soon learned that we think most when we don't think at all, just as we think least when we spend all of our time thinking. It's a paradox. For those of you who decide to dabble in meditation, this is my advice. Only focus on your breathing, feeling the fresh air as it comings into your lungs, and then out, over and over again. In the midst of this don't try to block all thoughts, but let them come and then kindly show them the way out, always coming back to an empty mind. That's all I got. Perhaps some will try this and to them it will be bogus, but for the ones that reap the benefits, I couldn't be more happier for you.

-With Peace, Corey

Want to read the books mentioned above?

            The Dude and the Zen Master

                 The Power Of Now

Through My Window

I have a magic window.

It is small and cute.

It only works when people pass by.

Through my window I see much.

I see chatty children.

I see annoyed parents.

I see into families, some seem happy, some don't.

I see the mountains, and they see me.

I see the rain as it drops and the sun as it shines.

I see the termination dust approaching, slowly but ever so surely.

I see many types of people. 

I see red necks, foreigners, lovers of life, locals, hippies, smokers, dads, tourists, Military...

All different, but all the same.

My window provides me with glimpses into the life's of others.

I see their habits.

I see their emotions.

I see their thoughts.

There is only one problem with my window.

My window doesn't allow me to see what I desire most, that is, into myself.

What I've learned:

'Good' can turn to 'bad', just as 'bad' can turn to 'good'.

I've learned to accept circumstances not as their perceived worth to me, but for exactly what they are.

Before one can partake in true outer peace, they must first come to inner peace.

I've learned that to change the world, we must first change ourselves.

Organic food is expensive!

I've learned to be broke.

If we dwell in the past we are regretful, angry, or wanting. If we fear the future we are anxious or scared. Both dwelling in the past or fearing the future take away from being completely present.

I've learned to live in the now.

To understand a piece of your self is to understand a piece of someone else.

I've learned we are all connected.

We are all scared.

I've learned we all fear something.

When we catch a glimpse of truth, it resonates within us.

I've learned that every truth lies inside our very selves.

Everything is apart of something bigger, grander, more intricate than it self. Everything is also made up of smaller, tinier, complex 'things'.

I've learned this, and I find it to be  absolutely beautiful.

Where our roots have been established doesn't define us.

I've learned that where we go, or how we grow, is totally our decision.

Ignorance leads only to a superficial bliss, a bliss that isn't comparable to genuine happiness.

I've learned to learn.

If one is searching for truth, truly searching, they will find it.

I've learned we don't always find it where expected.

Writing is an art.

I've learned I'm an artist!

These are things that I have learned.

My Decision and Why

For those of y'all who don't already know, I have decided to not attend college, at least for the time being. This wasn't a decision that was unexpected or without thought, but something I've contemplated for the past year or so. College is a great way to learn and to grow as a person, not to mention all the different people you meet along the way. It obviously wasn't these reasons that pushed me towards my decision, it was some others.

Reason one was security. It seems that some peoples soul reason for attending was my soul reason for not. I don't like the idea of having a degree to fall back on, or money for that matter. As the author Scott Peck puts it, " The only real security in life lies in relishing life's insecurities." My preference is to focus on the "Now" in life, in simply just being. I don't want to know what my future holds. Not that going to college would necessarily guarantee me anything, after all, who knows where the future will lead.  It seems that where I end up and what I do will always be changing. The more faith I put into myself, the less faith I put into life.  Life is filled with instances of serendipity and fortune that there is no way of predicting, I'm going to move out of the way and let it takes it's course.

We can learn the same idea or concept in often more ways than one. Whether it be research, reading, surveying, or simply doing, all are ways to educate our selfs. I want to learn by doing, by being thrown in the midst of life and seeing what it has to teach me. When discussing the decision to not attend college with my peers, I was frequently criticized and told of the importance of education. This confused me. By not attending college, yes, I am passing up an opportunity, but only to pick up another one. I don't want to learn in the classroom, I want to learn from experience.

My last reason is something internal. It's my motives. I've jumped back and forth many times...countless times on this decision. After much introspection I now see the reason for my indecisiveness. If I were to attend college in my current state of mind, my motives would be security, money, the need to fit in, and lastly, the simple fact that it would be easy. To me these motives aren't just enough to over rule what I actually want to do. What do I actually want to do? I'm not sure, but I suppose I should begin with what I don't want, which for me happens to be to attend college. I'm comfortable with this decision, I'm happy. What more could I want?

By no means will this route be easy. It will be challenging and will force me to be creative in how I go about living.  I'm sure there will be times when I have no idea where to step next. This excites me, and to life I say, "bring it on."