"Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it. "
George Bernard Shaw, Irish dramatist & socialist (1856 - 1950)
Another great week and a marvellous set of new lessons learnt. One concept that I have been developing is the idea of Blitz, derived from my experiences playing speed chess. Myself and my opponent (often thousands of miles away) each have five minutes to make all our moves in the game. Creativity and calculation are triggered at lightning speed and time seems to expand. Five minutes begins to feel like an hour. This same concept applied to work can lead to fairly spectacular results. Indeed, in those rare sessions when I have achieved Blitz mode while at work, I have felt a strange sense of peace - a sense of freedom.
This is how, in the face of overwhelming challenges and numerous tasks, one can still find space to move your life forward. The concept of space is related to the concept of freedom and the chess metaphor holds true here. If your position in chess is cramped, and you don't have much space, then you are not free. Space leads to freedom, and freedom tends to lead to creativity - in chess there are more possbilities for devastating combination in an open position.
More generally, freedom relates to much more than merely space and time. The quotation above relates to the inevitable consequence of freedom that many find less palatable - responsibility. We want to be treated as adults, free to make our life choices, but we also want to be cared for by the state or the company. We want to have the freedom of doing what we love, but we also want the security of regular income. It is only when we are truly ready to pick up the tab of responsibility that we can truly enjoy freedom.
Ultimately, freedom lies in the mind and the ability to choose your mental and emotional reaction (if not physical) to life's events. And, to this extent, one great freedom is the freedom of presence. The past and future, as useful in handling functional tasks as they may be, often shackle us in pyschological and emotional matters. Becoming present releases us from this mental prison and creates the space for our freedom...
"Patterning your life around other's opinions is nothing more than slavery. "
Lawana Blackwell, The Dowry of Miss Lydia Clark, 1999
"It is by the goodness of God that in our country we have those three unspeakably precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either of them. "
Mark Twain, Following the Equator (1897)US humorist, novelist, short story author, & wit (1835 - 1910)
"People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use. "
Soren Kierkegaard, Danish philosopher (1813 - 1855)
Sunday, 3 February 2008
Friday, 25 January 2008
Forgiveness
"If you haven't forgiven yourself something, how can you forgive others? "
Dolores Huerta
The end of a frantic week with lots of achievements and lots of setbacks. One interesting episode was when I was stuck in traffic for just under six hours trying to get to work on Thursday. I went through the usual gamut of emotions - mild irritation, increasing concern, growing anger, absolute fury and finally hysterical laughter before taking calm constructive action. But looking back, I wonder if that whole rollercoaster was really necesary. Would a little forgiveness early on have avoided the whole drama?
Fortunately, I reached the calm constructive action phase after less than two hours, so it turned out to be a useful trip. I made numerous phone calls (handsfree of course, not that it would have made any practical difference when the car was mostly stationary), I solved several technical and management problems, I rehearsed several presentations and conversations, did some mental gym exercises, listened to some educational CDs, did some finger control exercises (for a drummer) and listened to some interesting discussions on the radio. Quite a useful trip, really.
Well, how did that calm and constructive phase arise? Was it simply the inevitable next destination of the emotional rollercoaster? Perhaps, but could it actually be a form of forgiveness? Does forgiveness really have to be about agreeing to let someone off the hook (emotionally) for a wrong-doing? Or is it simply a question of seeing beyond, overlooking (consciously) or simply letting go? Is it the act of changing your perception to see things as they are now, rather than as burdened with the past? I changed my perception of the situation to see it as an opportunity to accomplish much, an oasis of personal time that I rarely get, a situation where I could even talk to myself aloud and not be sectioned, a gift of time...And yet, moments before I had seen the situation very differently - missed meetings, wasted time, hours of traffic ahead, bursting bladder...
I see forgiveness as very strongly linked with presence. My first reaction when I have a forgiveness opportunity (i.e. I think that something or someone has inconvenienced of offended me) is to get present, quickly. Sometimes I catch it in time, sometimes I don't (and the rollercoaster hurtles off!). The point is, offence is in the past. Indeed, problems are in the past (stem from your thinking and opinions). It is difficult for problems to exist in the now, events can occur in the now but problems require thought which is based on the past.
I find this approach to forgiveness - getting present and changing my perception - more effective for me than the traditional form, which upholds the grievance but temporarily releases the perpetrator. However, whichever method we choose, the key is that forgiveness leads to freedom - freedom from the pain of resentment, freedom from the tension of holding grievances, freedom from the apathy of victimhood, freedom from the shackles of guilt ...
For the key to forgiving others lies with forgiving ourselves. We deny certain aspects of ourselves and project these out onto other people. And when these people reflect these aspects back onto us, we often react with particular anger and indignation - an unwelcome old face is being presented at our door. A challenging exercise is to recognise in someone who has presented you with a forgiveness opportunity, a chance to forgive yourself first. It will not be easy, indeed it may seem ridiculous, but therein lies the liberty of love itself...
"Forgiveness is almost a selfish act because of its immense benefits to the one who forgives. "
Lawana Blackwell, The Dowry of Miss Lydia Clark, 1999
"Life is an adventure in forgiveness. "
Norman CousinsUS editor & essayist (1915 - 1990)
"It really doesn't matter if the person who hurt you deserves to be forgiven. Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself. You have things to do and you want to move on. "
Real Live Preacher, RealLivePreacher.com Weblog, July 7, 2003, Anonymous author of RealLivePreacher.com
"It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend. "
William Blake, English engraver, illustrator, & poet (1757 - 1827)
Dolores Huerta
The end of a frantic week with lots of achievements and lots of setbacks. One interesting episode was when I was stuck in traffic for just under six hours trying to get to work on Thursday. I went through the usual gamut of emotions - mild irritation, increasing concern, growing anger, absolute fury and finally hysterical laughter before taking calm constructive action. But looking back, I wonder if that whole rollercoaster was really necesary. Would a little forgiveness early on have avoided the whole drama?
Fortunately, I reached the calm constructive action phase after less than two hours, so it turned out to be a useful trip. I made numerous phone calls (handsfree of course, not that it would have made any practical difference when the car was mostly stationary), I solved several technical and management problems, I rehearsed several presentations and conversations, did some mental gym exercises, listened to some educational CDs, did some finger control exercises (for a drummer) and listened to some interesting discussions on the radio. Quite a useful trip, really.
Well, how did that calm and constructive phase arise? Was it simply the inevitable next destination of the emotional rollercoaster? Perhaps, but could it actually be a form of forgiveness? Does forgiveness really have to be about agreeing to let someone off the hook (emotionally) for a wrong-doing? Or is it simply a question of seeing beyond, overlooking (consciously) or simply letting go? Is it the act of changing your perception to see things as they are now, rather than as burdened with the past? I changed my perception of the situation to see it as an opportunity to accomplish much, an oasis of personal time that I rarely get, a situation where I could even talk to myself aloud and not be sectioned, a gift of time...And yet, moments before I had seen the situation very differently - missed meetings, wasted time, hours of traffic ahead, bursting bladder...
I see forgiveness as very strongly linked with presence. My first reaction when I have a forgiveness opportunity (i.e. I think that something or someone has inconvenienced of offended me) is to get present, quickly. Sometimes I catch it in time, sometimes I don't (and the rollercoaster hurtles off!). The point is, offence is in the past. Indeed, problems are in the past (stem from your thinking and opinions). It is difficult for problems to exist in the now, events can occur in the now but problems require thought which is based on the past.
I find this approach to forgiveness - getting present and changing my perception - more effective for me than the traditional form, which upholds the grievance but temporarily releases the perpetrator. However, whichever method we choose, the key is that forgiveness leads to freedom - freedom from the pain of resentment, freedom from the tension of holding grievances, freedom from the apathy of victimhood, freedom from the shackles of guilt ...
For the key to forgiving others lies with forgiving ourselves. We deny certain aspects of ourselves and project these out onto other people. And when these people reflect these aspects back onto us, we often react with particular anger and indignation - an unwelcome old face is being presented at our door. A challenging exercise is to recognise in someone who has presented you with a forgiveness opportunity, a chance to forgive yourself first. It will not be easy, indeed it may seem ridiculous, but therein lies the liberty of love itself...
"Forgiveness is almost a selfish act because of its immense benefits to the one who forgives. "
Lawana Blackwell, The Dowry of Miss Lydia Clark, 1999
"Life is an adventure in forgiveness. "
Norman CousinsUS editor & essayist (1915 - 1990)
"It really doesn't matter if the person who hurt you deserves to be forgiven. Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself. You have things to do and you want to move on. "
Real Live Preacher, RealLivePreacher.com Weblog, July 7, 2003, Anonymous author of RealLivePreacher.com
"It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend. "
William Blake, English engraver, illustrator, & poet (1757 - 1827)
Saturday, 19 January 2008
Fear
"Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom. "
Bertrand Russell, Unpopular Essays (1950), "Outline of Intellectual Rubbish"British author, mathematician, & philosopher (1872 - 1970)
A fine morning with my son blasting through his jigsaw puzzle with much more vigour and precision than he (and his parents!) had managed last night. It strikes me as I watch him approach tasks that the absence of fear can be so liberating and empowering. Some fear can be useful, indeed essential for self-preservation especially where there is clear physical danger involved - one might argue that this is not fear but instinct, but let's call it fear. I suspect that the vast majority of fear that we feel is probably unnecessary and destructive.
How do we get to the heart of the matter simply and quickly? What if we focus on the result of the fear? What happens to the fearful person? Do they take right action? Do they take wrong action? Or do they take no action? I think these three responses to fear stem from the nature of the fear itself and ultimately from the history of fear in the person. Let's start with the fear that leads to right action. I am about to be hit by a car and I jump out of the way. Or a gunman is approaching me and I take evasive action. First question. Am I right to be afraid? Second question. Is my response appropriate?
Let's now move to a more sinister form of fear, one that is increasingly familiar in recent history. There is propaganda about a certain group of people in society - "they are out to get us, they want to destroy us all , they do this, they do that, they believe this ...". This leads to fearful beliefs and ultimately to violence and cruelty in the name of "self-preservation" - "we had to get them before they got us", "the end justifies the means". An example of wrong action?
Finally, how about the most common form - the fear that leads to no action, the fear that paralyses us and holds us back in our lives. We procrastinate, resist, "plan", "analyse" etc. But we don't actually take the required ACTION. We freeze before an exam, a performance, an important conversation, an opportunity to become involved in a key venture. We shrink from the light...
I have found that one useful approach to dealing with fear is to become very aware of it, to actually observe yourself and acknowledge the fear explicitly. You become very present and often will find that the fear immediately subsides under the glare of your attention. It seems like it can only thrive in darkness and obscurity, not when it is being watched and perhaps even savoured, like an exotic specimen of wildlife being filmed...
"I've grown certain that the root of all fear is that we've been forced to deny who we are. "
Frances Moore Lappe, O Magazine, May 2004
"Let the fear of danger be a spur to prevent it; he that fears not, gives advantage to the danger."
Francis QuarlesEnglish poet (1592 - 1644)
"Fear is the tax that conscience pays to guilt. "
George Sewell
"Feel the fear and do it anyway. "
Susan Jeffers, Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, 1988
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light , not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of god. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We were born to make and manifest the glory of god that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
Marianne Williamson, "Our greatest fear" from her book 'A return to love'
Bertrand Russell, Unpopular Essays (1950), "Outline of Intellectual Rubbish"British author, mathematician, & philosopher (1872 - 1970)
A fine morning with my son blasting through his jigsaw puzzle with much more vigour and precision than he (and his parents!) had managed last night. It strikes me as I watch him approach tasks that the absence of fear can be so liberating and empowering. Some fear can be useful, indeed essential for self-preservation especially where there is clear physical danger involved - one might argue that this is not fear but instinct, but let's call it fear. I suspect that the vast majority of fear that we feel is probably unnecessary and destructive.
How do we get to the heart of the matter simply and quickly? What if we focus on the result of the fear? What happens to the fearful person? Do they take right action? Do they take wrong action? Or do they take no action? I think these three responses to fear stem from the nature of the fear itself and ultimately from the history of fear in the person. Let's start with the fear that leads to right action. I am about to be hit by a car and I jump out of the way. Or a gunman is approaching me and I take evasive action. First question. Am I right to be afraid? Second question. Is my response appropriate?
Let's now move to a more sinister form of fear, one that is increasingly familiar in recent history. There is propaganda about a certain group of people in society - "they are out to get us, they want to destroy us all , they do this, they do that, they believe this ...". This leads to fearful beliefs and ultimately to violence and cruelty in the name of "self-preservation" - "we had to get them before they got us", "the end justifies the means". An example of wrong action?
Finally, how about the most common form - the fear that leads to no action, the fear that paralyses us and holds us back in our lives. We procrastinate, resist, "plan", "analyse" etc. But we don't actually take the required ACTION. We freeze before an exam, a performance, an important conversation, an opportunity to become involved in a key venture. We shrink from the light...
I have found that one useful approach to dealing with fear is to become very aware of it, to actually observe yourself and acknowledge the fear explicitly. You become very present and often will find that the fear immediately subsides under the glare of your attention. It seems like it can only thrive in darkness and obscurity, not when it is being watched and perhaps even savoured, like an exotic specimen of wildlife being filmed...
"I've grown certain that the root of all fear is that we've been forced to deny who we are. "
Frances Moore Lappe, O Magazine, May 2004
"Let the fear of danger be a spur to prevent it; he that fears not, gives advantage to the danger."
Francis QuarlesEnglish poet (1592 - 1644)
"Fear is the tax that conscience pays to guilt. "
George Sewell
"Feel the fear and do it anyway. "
Susan Jeffers, Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, 1988
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light , not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of god. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We were born to make and manifest the glory of god that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
Marianne Williamson, "Our greatest fear" from her book 'A return to love'
Wednesday, 9 January 2008
Faith
"I respect faith, but doubt is what gets you an education. "
Wilson Mizner, US screenwriter (1876 - 1933)
Started the new year with a bang and renewed vigour for the ever-growing challenges. The new year is a time for celebration but also for reflection and, over a week into it, the idea of faith is one to consider.
To the extent that faith provides confidence and hope, it has value. The phrase "things will get better" borrows a little faith to get one through testing times. But what about faith that anchors one's perceptions and views of what is? Or what about faith that effectively informs or dictates an opinion on a subject? Is there a spectrum from confidence to dogma? And to the extent that we bring faith into issues of knowledge or understanding rather than situations or challenges, are we straying into the spectrum of lower value? Is there not some value in having doubt in the information or knowledge realm, where this doubt triggers further enquiry and debate and ultimately increases the accuracy and understanding of the information or knowledge?
I guess what Wilson Misner is getting at is that faith makes you feel better, but doubt makes you learn more...
Wilson Mizner, US screenwriter (1876 - 1933)
Started the new year with a bang and renewed vigour for the ever-growing challenges. The new year is a time for celebration but also for reflection and, over a week into it, the idea of faith is one to consider.
To the extent that faith provides confidence and hope, it has value. The phrase "things will get better" borrows a little faith to get one through testing times. But what about faith that anchors one's perceptions and views of what is? Or what about faith that effectively informs or dictates an opinion on a subject? Is there a spectrum from confidence to dogma? And to the extent that we bring faith into issues of knowledge or understanding rather than situations or challenges, are we straying into the spectrum of lower value? Is there not some value in having doubt in the information or knowledge realm, where this doubt triggers further enquiry and debate and ultimately increases the accuracy and understanding of the information or knowledge?
I guess what Wilson Misner is getting at is that faith makes you feel better, but doubt makes you learn more...
Thursday, 13 December 2007
Failure
"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody. "
Bill Cosby US comedian & television actor (1937 - )
Two weeks of the most intense activity, even more so than in the early hectic days in the summer. The inevitable consequence of extreme busyness is that you have to prioritize. You cannot fulfill all requests - something has to give. If you "succeed" at work under these circumstances, then there's a good chance that you may not be present at home. If, conversely, you "succeed" at home during a period of intense demands at work, then there's a good chance that work may be taking a hit. If you somehow manage to keep both going, you may be neglecting your body, or your friends, or your personal development. Or, perhaps you simply may not be keeping in touch with your relations, or attending your club etc.
Depending on how many stakeholders you have in your life, the demands can be quite challenging to meet. But often you can establish an equilibrium that is quite fulfilling under normal circumstances. This fragile balance between your supply of energy, time and attention to the different stakeholders is shattered when one area goes into crisis-mode with a step change in demand level. Here is where you run the risk of slipping into failure-mode - where you try to meet all the demands, you try to please everybody.
One concept I discuss in the Four Elements framework (see http://www.bobowest.com) is Flow. One metaphor for flow is water in a pipe. When the pressure is turned up, the water flows faster, but if the pipe has many holes in it, the flow is disrupted. The holes in the pipe are those demands that turn your attention from the most important stakeholders in your life. And, in this, you need to be very honest about what you value most. Some people claim that work is not important and then go into panic and depression when that aspect of their lives deteriorates. Given that we often spend over eight hours per day at work, it would seem to have an intrinsic high value merely because of the volume of our lives that at lived there. Not to mention the financial value it brings. Family is also critically important, ultimately much more so than work. So is health. But you need to look closely at some of the other areas. Also, within one area, do you really need to satisfy everyone' s demands or are some customers more important than others?
I guess the crux of the matter is that saying yes to one thing often means saying no to another so we need to be very conscious of what we are saying no to. But, ultimately, we have to question the nature of failure itself. Is a bad result really failure? What if you bounce back and address the issue with renewed vigour? Do you really fail if you keep driving forwards?
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm. "
Sir Winston Churchill, British politician (1874 - 1965)
Bill Cosby US comedian & television actor (1937 - )
Two weeks of the most intense activity, even more so than in the early hectic days in the summer. The inevitable consequence of extreme busyness is that you have to prioritize. You cannot fulfill all requests - something has to give. If you "succeed" at work under these circumstances, then there's a good chance that you may not be present at home. If, conversely, you "succeed" at home during a period of intense demands at work, then there's a good chance that work may be taking a hit. If you somehow manage to keep both going, you may be neglecting your body, or your friends, or your personal development. Or, perhaps you simply may not be keeping in touch with your relations, or attending your club etc.
Depending on how many stakeholders you have in your life, the demands can be quite challenging to meet. But often you can establish an equilibrium that is quite fulfilling under normal circumstances. This fragile balance between your supply of energy, time and attention to the different stakeholders is shattered when one area goes into crisis-mode with a step change in demand level. Here is where you run the risk of slipping into failure-mode - where you try to meet all the demands, you try to please everybody.
One concept I discuss in the Four Elements framework (see http://www.bobowest.com) is Flow. One metaphor for flow is water in a pipe. When the pressure is turned up, the water flows faster, but if the pipe has many holes in it, the flow is disrupted. The holes in the pipe are those demands that turn your attention from the most important stakeholders in your life. And, in this, you need to be very honest about what you value most. Some people claim that work is not important and then go into panic and depression when that aspect of their lives deteriorates. Given that we often spend over eight hours per day at work, it would seem to have an intrinsic high value merely because of the volume of our lives that at lived there. Not to mention the financial value it brings. Family is also critically important, ultimately much more so than work. So is health. But you need to look closely at some of the other areas. Also, within one area, do you really need to satisfy everyone' s demands or are some customers more important than others?
I guess the crux of the matter is that saying yes to one thing often means saying no to another so we need to be very conscious of what we are saying no to. But, ultimately, we have to question the nature of failure itself. Is a bad result really failure? What if you bounce back and address the issue with renewed vigour? Do you really fail if you keep driving forwards?
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm. "
Sir Winston Churchill, British politician (1874 - 1965)
Tuesday, 4 December 2007
Facts
"Where facts are few, experts are many. "
Donald R Gannon
Another day spent at home nursing the family and resisting the lure of the flu pandemic. A high regular dosage of vitamin C via a flask of hot water with lemon, regular ingestion of echinacea and a good intake of fruit fortifies the body's defences. Fact. No expertise required, just experience. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, not in the theory. Picking up from yesterday's musings, it does seem that the realm of the expert does require some smoke and mirrors. If all is factual, there is not much scope for being an expert, is there? Conversely, where the subject matter is shrouded in uncertainty, therein lies the feast of the expert, with intricate theories and elaborate models and systems. Perhaps this somewhat cynical assessment of the role of the expert should be restricted to matters of the intellect rather than practical (physical) tasks, where muscle memory can convey real expertise beyond the realm of fact.
Donald R Gannon
Another day spent at home nursing the family and resisting the lure of the flu pandemic. A high regular dosage of vitamin C via a flask of hot water with lemon, regular ingestion of echinacea and a good intake of fruit fortifies the body's defences. Fact. No expertise required, just experience. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, not in the theory. Picking up from yesterday's musings, it does seem that the realm of the expert does require some smoke and mirrors. If all is factual, there is not much scope for being an expert, is there? Conversely, where the subject matter is shrouded in uncertainty, therein lies the feast of the expert, with intricate theories and elaborate models and systems. Perhaps this somewhat cynical assessment of the role of the expert should be restricted to matters of the intellect rather than practical (physical) tasks, where muscle memory can convey real expertise beyond the realm of fact.
Monday, 3 December 2007
Expert
"Always listen to experts. They'll tell you what can't be done and why. Then do it. "
Robert Heinlein, US science fiction author (1907 - 1988)
Back after another break. The challenge is to keep this going in the midst of much intensity at work and in life. At the moment, my family has been struck down with a nasty illness and I'm playing nurse while fighting the insurgents at the gates of my body. Being healthy is important and I would like to be an expert in this. But I don't want to be limited either. I guess the limitation of being an expert lies in the being bound by the law of cause and effect. Experts tend to be more concerned with the effects and do not have much grasp on the cause side. Take illness. What causes illness? Really. Experts - doctors in this case - will have detailed knowledge and expertise about illnesses and about their potential cures. However, the actual cause of illness is surrounded by smoke and mirrors. Are the bacteria or viruses, which are on the scene when the illness symptoms are observed, the cause of the illness or merely consistent scavengers of dying cells and tissues, rather like rats on a rubbish tip or maggots on a rotting carcass? Does the body get healed or does it heal itself? I guess it is easy to get bogged down in the details of what causes what and how things work etc - that is the realm of experts. The real question is, can we take a stand and cause things ourselves? Can I cause myself to be healthy? Can I cause myself to avoid the illness that is ravaging my family? Can I become an expert in cause? Or will I be an educated slave to effect?
"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities. In the expert's mind there are few. "
Shunryu Suzuki
Robert Heinlein, US science fiction author (1907 - 1988)
Back after another break. The challenge is to keep this going in the midst of much intensity at work and in life. At the moment, my family has been struck down with a nasty illness and I'm playing nurse while fighting the insurgents at the gates of my body. Being healthy is important and I would like to be an expert in this. But I don't want to be limited either. I guess the limitation of being an expert lies in the being bound by the law of cause and effect. Experts tend to be more concerned with the effects and do not have much grasp on the cause side. Take illness. What causes illness? Really. Experts - doctors in this case - will have detailed knowledge and expertise about illnesses and about their potential cures. However, the actual cause of illness is surrounded by smoke and mirrors. Are the bacteria or viruses, which are on the scene when the illness symptoms are observed, the cause of the illness or merely consistent scavengers of dying cells and tissues, rather like rats on a rubbish tip or maggots on a rotting carcass? Does the body get healed or does it heal itself? I guess it is easy to get bogged down in the details of what causes what and how things work etc - that is the realm of experts. The real question is, can we take a stand and cause things ourselves? Can I cause myself to be healthy? Can I cause myself to avoid the illness that is ravaging my family? Can I become an expert in cause? Or will I be an educated slave to effect?
"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities. In the expert's mind there are few. "
Shunryu Suzuki
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