Our 8 year old's favorite new thing to say is "how do you know?" after insisting that we watch the documentary "How the Bleep Do We Know?!" in small parts that we could fit in between bedtime, dinner, homework, softball and games of Catan...... She found the movie in our house and became newly obsessed with the idea of watching it. True, it could be because she is relatively TV starved at our house, but she was intrigued by the movie. I actually tend to think that kiddos get it better than most adults.
What's it? You ask?
What the Bleep is a documentary that combines the knowledge of quantum physics with the age old framework of consciousness. Through the story of a woman in her life and the interviews of 14 scholars, it explores how we can effect our world in a beautifully tangible way. There are so many lessons that we can take from this video, but I can really only speak to mine. I was reminded yesterday that I have an effect on my life just by the way I think, speak and write about it. It reminded me that I can effect those around me and my environment either positively or negatively by the way I interact with it, by my framework.
Yesterday, I woke up in a bad mood. Who knows why- maybe because I had expectations that I did not meet, maybe because my reality was not matching what I thought it should be. I sat in my bed last night after watching this movie wondering how I have effected my life to this point- or even just in the past day? Have my fears and cynicism kept me from succeeding like I could? Have my desire to have things a particular way hurt my relationship with my partner? Have my expectations about my year kept me from experiencing more happiness? Maybe. There's probably some truth in every one. Regardless of what has happened in the past, I woke up determined to carry forward a positive experience of my current and even future day. How do I want my day to look? I worked to imagine it that way- let me tell you though, it's a muscle to be worked and flexed- it's not as easy as I would have thought to have a completely positive spin on how my day will go. But I worked on it this morning. It's better than yesterday, and that's all I am asking for.
I was reminded of a play that I saw a little over a year ago that a dear teacher was involved in called The Withing Project. This beautiful play was highly impactful for me, as was this teacher. Science is showing us more every day that just the thoughts we have about each other can impact another person. We absorb (on multiple levels) the positive and negative of those around us. You can see my full thoughts on it here (which somehow, I never published until today!).
Today I wonder how I have effected a current situation in my life with, at times, a lack of understanding, anger, frustration, and negative thoughts about people that I would in some way consider family. I aim, starting today, to create more ease in my mind and life by sending love, understanding, and compassion to a couple of people in that situation who I am certain are not feeling 100% great about me. I certainly have not been perfect at this, but perfection is an illusion- a hungry ghost of sorts, if you will. Instead I am to do what I can today, and tomorrow the same.
This all comes at a time where I can feel the sweetness of teachings, ceremonies and silence coming for me at the end of May.
In loving gratitude for each of you, for my life, and for the teachings.
Jen Riegle, ND