Friday, June 30, 2017

Observe Your Freedom


 
 
To observe without judgment is to practice non-judgment. It is the ability to view the world without superimposing your opinions, perceptions and attitudes. The minute we apply judgement we break the suggested rule of “do not harm.” To judge another is to challenge another person’s right to walk their own path. Everyone is on their own mission and yet the mission of life involves all of us. We are not here to judge the path of another person. We are here to understand both our actions and our reactions, observe them and then reconstruct them to make the world a better place. The focus in life should always be on self and self- development without harm to anyone or anything. You are simultaneously responsible for bringing goodness to everyone and everything and at the same time only responsible for the path you walk. Walk it with respect and kindness.

As I head across the pond to visit our neighbors in Scotland and Ireland I am sure I will be asked about our politics and the state of our great nation.  As I observe the 4th of July in another country my response will be simple; I am a proud American. I respect the Constitution, the office of the President of the U.S (whomever is leading) and am so grateful for all the freedom and prosperity that exist in the United States. But I am saddened by the dwindling respect and lack of kindness.

 

When I first registered to vote I was living in Maine. I wanted to vote for a woman I admired. She was strong willed and a straight shooter. Her name was Margaret Chase Smith. She was the first woman to serve in both houses of the U.S Congress and the first woman to represent Maine. She was a moderate Senator, the first to criticize the tactics of McCarthyism in her 1950 speech, “Declaration of Conscience.”

 In this speech she said, “It is high time that we stopped thinking politically as Republicans and Democrats about elections and started thinking patriotically as Americans about national security based on individual freedom. It is high time that we all stopped being tools and victims of totalitarian techniques -- techniques that, if continued here unchecked, will surely end what we have come to cherish as the American way of life.

She went on the remind us to get off the Four Horsemen of  Calumny, which means making false statements to damage someone’s reputation. She called the four horsemen -- Fear, Ignorance, Bigotry and Smear.”

To this I would add let’s get on the Four horsemen of dignity, respect, kindness and comradery. After all don’t we all want the same things; freedom, prosperity, good health and the right to the pursuit of happiness? What will I tell our friends across the pond? I am a proud American!

Wishing you all a happy Fourth of July!

Doctor Lynn

http://www.facebook.com/DrLynnAnderson

Saturday, June 24, 2017

Character – How to Build It


 
 
Awareness of our vices should make it easy for us to apply virtue to our lives. However, the opposing force of vice is a mighty deterrent. That is because the soul will never dictate. Its job is not to usurp the desires of the body or the mind. Its mission is to discover and return to the pureness of life. The struggle exists within you. Therefore it may take lifetimes to discover that you have the power to change the nature and structure of your entire being. The soul is unconcerned with time. It patiently waits knowing that eventually each petal of the virtuous self will unfold.

Our lives presents us with content and thus the opportunity to discover through the process of living, the virtues we possess and the virtues we need to gain so that we may evolve. For example you may find that you are a very patient person who is gentle, peaceful, and loving. However, you may also discover that you are weak, indecisive and lack the steadfastness needed to accomplish your earthly mission. Life will then put you in a situation where you have the opportunity to discover your vices. What you do with this is how you create karma. To transcend Karma is to consciously act virtuously while removing the vices in each and every situation.  When you are feeling weak and indecisive seek patience and balance.

It is balance that we are here to discover. It is only in a state of balance that we find clarity. Emotional ripples always muddy the clarity of the mind. If you lose your patience with someone and become angry you lose your balance.  In this there is a lesson. There is a big difference between observing your anger and reminding yourself to pull back to your center and reclaim your balance, or proclaiming that someone made you angry and it is all their fault that you anguishing. It is your anguish that you need to remove to regain your balance. You need to practice patience (a virtue) and in this you will change your karma.

Life presents us with many opportunities to truly know ourselves. Let’s say you are a person of honor and integrity. You encounter a situation where another individual is doing something unethical. Let’s even say this person is making money doing this unethical thing. You on the other hand are being ethical, but still struggling for money. Where is the justice in this? There is no justice in life. That is why we have laws. And the laws of karma simply teach us that life becomes what life does. Money comes and goes, but character last for lifetimes. So choose wisely.

Doctor Lynn



 

Saturday, June 17, 2017

Our Soul Purpose


 
 
 
 

The opposite side of vices is virtues. Virtues are steps towards happiness. True happiness is the result of following the footsteps of the soul. Happiness is our ultimate birthright, bringing with it all the qualities we strive to attain during our life on earth. This is the purpose of our being: to rid ourselves of vices and obtain virtues. The virtues we are here to obtain are compassion, patience, courage, integrity, honor, strength, steadfastness, love, discipline, peace, devotion, creativity, and wisdom.

If the health of our body is controlled by the state of our mind and our mind is the storehouse of our moods and emotions, then it would make sense to address our state of mind to ensure physical health. Negative thoughts, moods and feelings cut us off from our soul. At the soulful level of our energy, pure intellect reigns. This means that at the soulful level one is not disturbed by any emotion, thought or mood and simply looks upon the earthly self as an extension with the free will to act or react.

Moods change from day to day, hour to hour and moment to moment. Science tells us that diet, environment, chemicals, lifestyle, etc. affect our moods. This is called biochemistry. Biochemistry is about the chemical substances (hormones, peptides, and neurotransmitters) that dictate our moods and affect our bodies. And although moods affect certain types of individuals to a greater degree than others, all moods affect everyone. The major negative mood states that affect us are:

1.      Depression

2.      Fear

3.      Worry – mental turmoil

4.      Stress

5.      Indecision

6.      Boredom or indifference

7.      Doubt – discouragement

8.      Impatience

9.      Self-distrust

10.  Weakness or powerlessness – despair

11.  Over-enthusiasm

12.  Pride or aloofness

Is there a negative mood that you need to remove today? Let’s see if we can remove it and find a moment of happiness. Happiness is your birthright.

There are many variations of these mood states, but these are perhaps the most prominent. These moods compromise the integrity of the body-mind and thus cut us off from our soul. However, awareness of the energy of the moods and implementing conscious change presents the opportunity to know the nature of our Tikkum (the kabalistic word for “corrections”) or karma. Only through conscious awareness of the separation of self can we set about to make these changes. When we begin to replace the vices with the virtues  we  begin to change our karma.  Through the content of our lives, we have the opportunity to discover both the correction and the qualities that ultimately allow the individual to experience heaven on earth; better known as happiness. Acting from vices rather than acting from virtues compromises the health of the body-mind. When the body-mind is compromised the door is open to disease. Developing virtues is the soul purpose of our existence here on earth. Therefore practice compassion, patience, courage, integrity, honor, strength, steadfastness, love, discipline, peace, creativity and devotion, and in this you will discover wisdom.

Doctor Lynn


Saturday, June 10, 2017

Master Fear – Master Life


 
 
 
Love is the greatest desire on earth. It is programmed into every cell of our being. Every being wants to give and receive love. If we are denied love we experience unbelievable disappointment and will begin to believe we are destined to be denied the love we seek. We then become cynical and hard hearted. Karma yoga teaches that there are three fundamental fears in life. All fear comes from one of these; fear of not being loved is at the head of the list, followed by fear of being rejected and fear of dying.

Love is a tremendous power. It can destroy and it can create.  In yoga we find it in the heart chakra. . Here love means expansion and the unwavering nature of the human soul. Love is the capacity to sacrifice for the sake of sacrifice. To love someone, something and yourself is to touch the heart of your soul.

With an imbalance in the heart chakra a person may find they are unable to say no and thus develop feelings of jealousy, revenge, hatred, envy, resentment and malice resulting in hardheartedness, and lack of compassion.  These feelings (none of us are entirely devoid of them) either express themselves openly or continue to manifest at a more unconscious level. Either way they bring destruction and ill health.

Envy is a widespread feeling today. We think of it as being present only in the business world, but it also rears its ugly head along the soulful path. Secretly individuals may wonder how far the other soul has gotten and whether he or she has already reached a higher level of existence. This of course creates conflict. Transcending the egocentric self allows us to connect with the infinite energy of the universe where oneness is achieved. Here we begin to realize that everyone is on their own soulful walk.

Jealousy is a morbid emotion that looks for anything that will cause suffering. The individual feels threatened by the loss of control over another or a situation. Because the individual feels he or she is unlovable, they constantly feel in danger of losing. Unable to let love flow the individual radiates uncertainty and fear. Even love focused entirely on another human being cannot bring fulfillment in the long run. Transcending this emotion we find divine and eternal love. This frees us to rejoice in the pleasures of others without envy or jealousy even while dealing with our own disappointments and problems.

Greed is the negative side of the soul quality of love and tolerance for others. Greed can mean having excessive avarice for material wealth. It is also desire for power. Greed is never about the obtaining of things or money, but about the power of usurping the freedom and individuality of others. Greed is never satisfied so it tries to dictate, mold, command and usurp.   

Resentment is a negative state where the individual blames everybody and everything, but self for the state of his or her life. This individual feels he or she is the hapless victim of a cruel fate. Life is seen as unfair and full of disappointments. As a victim the individual refuses to accept responsibility for his or her own destiny and firmly continues to point to the outside world as the problem. Clearly, resentment blocks one off from the guidance of the soul. Success then is falsely measured not by inner experience, but by outward appearances. In a positive state, one realizes that they are the architects of their own destiny and that the human mind, and thus the soul, have unlimited possibilities. Realizing that limitations are self- imposed the individual is able to lift the veil of illusion (maya) and master one’s own fate. You can see the forest for the trees.

Once you know who you are (the infinite capacity to be) and why you are here (to discover this infinite capacity) envy, jealousy, greed and competition become irrelevant. Be the love you seek and the heart chakra will bring you compassion and understanding. Apply them to your life and in this you will be know that you are infinitely loved, always accepted and endless potential energy. Because you are infinite energy you need not fear love, acceptance or death.  Remove fear and pure love will open the doorway to eternal happiness.
Doctor Lynn