Abundance / Articles / Choices / Dreams / Emotions / Happiness / Meditation / Possibilities

But That’s Not Spiritual – Chris Cade

by Chris Cade I can't count the number of times in the past that I've thought to myself something wasn't "spiritual." In my case, a lot of it had to do with work and not getting enough sleep. I didn't think that working could be spiritual (after all, it's just money, right?). When I had really bad sleep problems and insomnia, I didn't think sleep was "spiritual." Sleep was just another thing on the "to do" list in my already too-few-hours in a day.I thought my job was separate from my spiritual life. I thought that what I ate, how I ate it, and whether I exercised was physical (NOT SPIRITUAL).  I believed my friendships and relationships weren't spiritual. And the reason I thought those things weren't "spiritual" is because they didn't fit into my idea of what was spiritual. I only considered things like "meditation" or "seminars" or "workshops" to be spiritual. If I wasn't doing those things, then whatever I was doing was not "spiritual." I was always separating in my mind, heart, and in my life, what was spiritual from what was not. And whether we realize it or not (I didn't at the time), this kind of…

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February 2, 2012
Articles / Choices / Emotions

The True Meaning of Patience

by Chris Cade Many people believe that being "patient" means that you're capable of waiting for something. The more patient you are, the longer you can wait... and you can even wait for "bigger" or "better" things. The most patient people appear calm even when they want something desperately. The dictionary defines patience like this: Capacity For Waiting: The ability to endure waiting, delay, or provocation without becoming annoyed or upset. But is this really patience? Perhaps for the general population, yes. I certainly used to think so. That is probably why so many people consider me a patient person. I have the capacity to delay gratification significantly when needed. I remain calm in extreme circumstances. I'm not certain that's real patience though. What if real patience is more personal? More immediate? More "in the now?" Here's how I would redefine patience: Capacity For Being: The ability to be in the present moment regardless of your circumstances. The difference between the two is interesting. The first and most commonly accepted definition focuses on the future. It assumes there is something "out there" that we are "waiting" for. In other words, trying to be patient requires always pulling our attention towards…

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January 14, 2012
Being Grateful / Believing / Choices / Dreams / Goals / Motivation / Positive Thoughts

A New Year a New Outlook

This is NOT going to be one of those look back over the past year type of posts.  I could do that, but I figure just about everybody in the bloggerverse is doing that, and I'm a rebel. 2011 was a rough year for a lot of people, myself included, and I see no point in in reliving it.  It's time to move forward, and move forward with purpose, drive, determination and joy.  Joy?  Yes, joy.  Because great things are going to happen in 2012. Great, wonderful and amazing things. Set your goals in your mind, and see yourself achieving them.  Do this every day.  Develop a plan, and take baby steps toward that goal.   Just keep reminding yourself that every day in every way you are a unique and incredible individual filled with love and light! Have a wonderful and prosperous 2012 and stay positive!

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December 31, 2011
Articles / Choices / Emotions

Exonerate – Chris Cade

by Chris Cade

Definition of “Exonerate:”
1. To free from blame.

2. To free from a responsibility, obligation, or task.

 

The first example is how it’s used in the common context of legal matters. An innocent man exonerated after the evidence proves his case. If a person is lucky, she’ll even be exonerated before she is even charged with a crime.

 

The second definition is quite interesting in the context of personal transformation. What does it mean to be “free from a responsibility, obligation, or task”?

 

Consider this…

(more…)

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December 6, 2011
Articles / Believing / Choices / Opportunities / Possibilities

Between a Rock and a Hard Place pt 2 – Chris Cade

by Chris Cade

“I understand sometimes situations require a fast response and a decision. If you practice the above on a regular basis, what you’ll notice is that the time you need to ‘be in the unknown’ and arive at a solution will become less and less.

You’ll also be able to more quickly recognize when you’re making sub-optimal decisions, and therefore, correct course more effectively before it’s too late.”
Many times when we are experiencing conflict, our values and integrity are also being challenged. What makes it “a rock and a hard place” is often that two or more things of importance to us are not playing nicely together.

Maybe our parents want one thing, and our spouse wants another.

Or perhaps we are sick and feel torn between conventional medicine and natural medicine. (more…)

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November 15, 2011
Articles / Believing / Choices / Possibilities

Between a Rock and a Hard Place pt 1 – Chris Cade

by Chris Cade

Nobody gets through life unscathed. We all have difficult situations. And we all have extremely difficult situations. And as pleasure-seeking-pain-avoiding creatures on this planet, when we are in difficulty the first thing we usually do is try and “fix” it.

When in pain, we seek to eliminate the pain.

When in conflict, we seek to resolve the conflict.

When in uncertainty, we seek to find grounding.

Mind you there’s nothing wrong with wanting to minimize pain, conflict, and uncertainty. In fact, it’s something I am conscious of regularly. However, the way most of us go about it is often detrimental to finding the optimal solution. (more…)

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November 15, 2011
Articles / Choices / Emotions / Gratitude / Happiness

The Land of Truth

By Chris Cade

A certain man believed that the ordinary waking life, as people know it, could not possibly be complete. He sought the real Teacher of the Age. He read many books and joined many circles, and he heard the words and witnessed the deeds of one master after another. He carried out the commands and spiritual exercises which seemed to him to be most attractive.

He became elated with some of his experiences. At other times he was confused; and he had no idea at all of what his stage was, or where and when his search might end.

This man was reviewing his behavior one day when he suddenly found himself near the house of a certain sage of high repute. In the garden of that house, he encountered Khidr, the secret guide who shows the way to truth.
(more…)

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November 11, 2011
Articles / Choices / Emotions / Opportunities / Possibilities

Shining the Light on a Broken Heart

by Chris Cade Yesterday I shared how pain is like a hardened shell around our hearts, and when that shell breaks, it doesn't literally break. It opens up that exterior to reveal the gifts and joy within. I also promised to share with you my thoughts about that from a "light" perspective.You might think of it this way... Frequently when in pain, we close our eyes. We cover them. We cower. We hide. We do whatever it takes to avoid feeling the pain. We're naturally pleasure-seeking-pain-avoiding creatures, so we instinctually do whatever it takes to make the pain go away. It's a survival mechanism, and when we were younger it was an important one. As a child, we didn't have the capacity to deal with pain. The way to get our needs met was by pleasing our caregivers, and it's a rare family where emotional pain was supported, embraced, and honored. Instead, most of us learned that pain had to be hidden if we were to get what we want. So we hid our pain. And we still do until we learn how to work with it differently. The perspective of light gives us that opportunity. The painful hardened shell…

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November 9, 2011
Articles / Believing / Choices / Happiness

Zombie Kids Like Turtles

by Chris Cade The other day I was curious about what the top YouTube videos are of all time. Mostly at the top is some combination of Justin Beiber and other popular singers... and a bunch of random videos. One video title caught my attention: "Zombie Kid Likes Turtles" So I watched it. It was a news clip. And was quickly reminded why I don't watch the news. Most news falls into two categories: Dumb and discouraging. Dumb is stuff like Zombie Kid Likes Turtles. It's when the filler in the news lacks any useful or emotional substance. It's arguably even an ineffective attempt at bringing some heart into the news. Calling it dumb isn't a judgment. Dumb news isn't necessarily good or bad. It's dumb because it lacks intelligence, substance, and even humor. Then there's the "discouraging." That's all the stuff we "think we have to keep up with" so we can "be prepared." Bad news. Murders. War. Bad economy. Corruption. Drugs. Natural disasters. Scandals. Affairs. Negative politics. The list goes on... And every moment you expose yourself to bad news, you are subconsciously reinforcing pain, negativity, and fear. Your mind subconsciously learns and believes: "This is how the…

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November 8, 2011
Articles / Choices / Dreams / Emotions / Negativity / Opportunities / Possibilities

Choosing to Change – Chris Cade

Last week, I had a dream in which I was driving on a road near the ocean. There was a person who wouldn't let me pass, and I clearly understood that there was a conspiracy of sorts. After handing this person a little bit of pocket change (kind of like this week's "Inspirational Video of the Week"), I was allowed to pass. Then I woke up in the room that I grew up in as a child. It was the middle of the night, and I put some change down on the nightstand next to me. That's when I realized I was still dreaming, and the conspiracy dream that I previously had was a "dream within a dream." I fell back to sleep ~ that is to say ~ I fell asleep back into a "dream within a dream." This time I was in a supermarket. The shelf next to me had some empty space, and I put some pocket change down there as well. As I walked down the aisle, I asked myself a question inside my head: "What don't I know about this world?" Immediately, the entire world shook violently. Bigger than the biggest earthquakes in history. I…

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October 20, 2011