In order to fully realize one's potential, you need tools to do so. A lot of things are intuitive about the human condition if you can quiet the noise around you, but as we all know, that is not easy. I am a bit ADD when it comes to normal activities. I like to be challenged all the time, otherwise, I'm looking for the next...
Sorry.. got distracted.
As I was saying, it is very hard to focus on the self when there are so many other things around you, vying for your attention; family, work, hobbies, television, traffic. I've tried many different methods to try and organize my life, and I've found that organizing your life is as individual as you are. While you can read on how others do it, it is always best for you to pick what works for you. Some people learn at a different pace, some people work at a different pace. Everything goes back to how you and your brain process the world around you. So here are a few tools I've used or use:
1) Hemi-sync: I was introduced to the Hemi-sync method many years ago by a friend of mine who is actively involved with the Monroe Institute, developers of this process. Hemi-sync is a method by which your brain is synchronized, both hemispheres, by listening to sounds produced using a binaural beat. In essence, you are put into a meditative state, without the rigorous meditation that religious practitioners employ, such as Buddhists. The Monroe Institute is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and offers classes on how to utilize this method. I have used it with great success and I have noticed a marked difference in my ability to process information and manipulate my personal reality.
2) Spiritual Questing: Whether you are a Christian, Buddhist, Hebrew or atheist you will spend a good percentage of your time understanding your own definitions of "spiritual". This can be your personal philosophy or ethics, but it is an important aspect of who you are. One good method for this is to involve yourself with a group of people who share your common "spiritual" outlook so that you can get insight from others on how to process your own belief system. Of course, this also requires a certain amount of self-examination. I approach my consciousness methodically, creating a plan for where I want to be with myself. This will be different for everyone, but the key is to develop a plan for what you want to understand and how you intend to get there. It is also good to understand the other belief systems around you because one observation you'll quickly make is that no one system can claim that it is definitively "the" belief system, despite overzealous claims by devotees.
3) Journaling/Blogging: One of the reasons I started this blog was to chronicle my own exploration of self. Keeping a journal allows me to reflect on the discoveries and mistakes I've made over time. Life is nothing more than a series of trial and error. Keeping a journal of your thoughts is a good way to remember where you've been and to keep notes on where you would like to go. I've actually purchased several small notebooks that I can carry in my satchel for those times when I am no where near a computer. I have many journals filled with my personal explorations. [If you have a blog you would like to share with others, please send the link to me and I can add it to my blogroll]
4) Music: There are very few people that I've met that do not like music. Everyone has their own tastes. I have a very diverse taste in music, however, there are definitely artists and genre's I listen to when I am in my reflective moods. I often us the Meta-Music, a Hemi-Sync music derivative, when I am laying in bed reflecting at night. During the days, I listen to classical, new age, or sometimes, grunge. Each person will be different. But like setting the mood for a romantic evening, it is also helpful to set the mood for an inner journey. Music is a great focus.
5) Books: You can walk into any bookstore and find a "self-help", "inspirational", "religious" or "philosophy" section. These books are often focused on a particular subject and offer an opinion, just as I am doing now. I am very leary of buying any sort of self-help book because in my opinion, they are just as clueless as I am and what works for one person, may not work for another. So choose wisely. Most of the books I use to focus my thoughts are not even self-help. Here are a few books that I feel have great spiritual/philosophical value: [ranked order]
- Illusions by Richard Back
- Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
- The Little Prince by Antoine St. Exupery
- The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Relativity by Albert Einstein
- The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene
- Animal Farm by George Orwell
- The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter
- Parallel Worlds by Michio Kaku
For today, I will leave you with those tools to reflect and give you some ideas of how to begin the journey of understanding your universe, your reality.