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Catalyst News and Views from AnnA
25 July, 2008
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A rather long issue this time as I wanted to
include an article by the renowned contemporary
philosopher, Eckhart Tolle. His book 'The Power
of Now' has had a profound influence on many people,
certainly including me, and the idea that this
moment as you are reading this is the only time
you need to live in - ie not looking back to the
past, or anticipating the future. It's not as 'light'
a read as I usually give you, but 'catalysing' you
into perhaps thinking differently is what this
newsletter is all about. I hope you enjoy it,
plus some more snippets to keep your creative
and soul spirits up. Best wishes for your continuing
love of life, creativity, and all the gifts your
life brings you - AnnA
IN THIS ISSUE:
- DON'T TAKE YOUR THOUGHTS TOO SERIOUSLY
- FOR WOMEN ONLY!
- BEWARE - MOBILE PHONE SCAM
- START AT YOUR FEET
DON'T TAKE YOUR THOUGHTS TOO SERIOUSLY
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In the West, we take our intellectual life very seriously,
so this provocative take on it might give you pause for
thought. Enjoy Eckhart Tolle's words:
Most people spend their entire life imprisoned within
the confines of their own thoughts. They never go beyond
a narrow, mind-made, personalized sense of self that
is conditioned by the past.
In you, as in each human being, there is a dimension of
consciousness far deeper than thought. It is the very
essence of who you are. We may call it presence, awareness,
the unconditioned consciousness. In the ancient teachings,
it is the Christ within, or your Buddha nature.
Finding that dimension frees you and the world from the
suffering you inflict on yourself and others when the
mind-made "little me" is all you know and runs your
life. Love, joy, creative expansion, and lasting inner
peace cannot come into your life except through that
unconditioned dimension of consciousness.
If you can recognize, even occasionally, the thoughts
that go through your mind as simply thoughts, if you
can witness your own mental - emotional reactive patterns
as they happen, then that dimension is already emerging
in you as the awareness in which thoughts and emotions
happen - the timeless inner space in which the content
of your life unfolds.
The stream of thinking has enormous momentum that can
easily drag you along with it. Every thought pretends
that it matters so much.
It wants to draw your attention in completely.
Here is a new spiritual practice for you: don't take
your thoughts too seriously.
How easy it is for people to become trapped in their
conceptual prisons.
The human mind, in its desire to know, understand,
and control, mistakes its opinions and viewpoints for
the truth. It says: this is how it is. You have to be
larger than thought to realize that however you interpret
"your life" or someone else's life or behavior, however
you judge any situation, it is no more than a viewpoint,
one of many possible perspectives. It is no more than a
bundle of thoughts. But reality is one unified whole, in
which all things are interwoven, where nothing exists in
and by itself.
Thinking fragments reality - it cuts it up into conceptual
bits and pieces.
The thinking mind is a useful and powerful tool,
but it is also very limiting when it takes over your
life completely, when you don't realize that it is only
a small aspect of the consciousness that you are.
Wisdom is not a product of thought. The deep knowing that
is wisdom arises through the simple act of giving someone
or something your full attention. Attention is primordial
intelligence, consciousness itself. It dissolves the barriers
created by conceptual thought, and with this comes the
recognition that nothing exists in and by itself. It joins
the perceiver and the perceived in a unifying field of
awareness. It is the healer of separation.
Whenever you are immersed in compulsive thinking, you are
avoiding what is. You don't want to be where you are.
Here, Now.
Dogmas - religious, political, scientific - arise out
of the erroneous belief that thought can encapsulate
reality or the truth.
Dogmas are collective conceptual prisons. And the strange
thing is that people love their prison cells because
they give them a sense of security and a false sense
of "I know."
Nothing has inflicted more suffering on humanity than
its dogmas.It is true that every dogma crumbles sooner
or later, because reality will eventually disclose its
falseness; however, unless the basic delusion of it is
seen for what it is, it will be replaced by others.
What is this basic delusion? Identification with thought.
Spiritual awakening is awakening from the dream of thought.
The realm of consciousness is much vaster than thought can
grasp.When you no longer believe everything you think,
you step out of thought and see clearly that the thinker
is not who you are.
The mind exists in a state of "not enough" and so is
always greedy for more. When you are identified with mind,
you get bored and restless very easily. Boredom means the
mind is hungry for more stimulus, more food for thought,
and its hunger is not being satisfied.
When you feel bored, you can satisfy the mind's hunger
by picking up a magazine, making a phone call, switching
on the TV, surfing the web, going shopping, or - and
this is not uncommon - transferring the mental sense
of lack and its need for more to the body and satisfy
it briefly by ingesting more food.
Or you can stay bored and restless and observe what it
feels like to be bored and restless. As you bring
awareness to the feeling, there is suddenly some space
and stillness around it, as it were. A little at first,
but as the sense of inner space grows, the feeling of
boredom will begin to diminish in intensity and significance.
So even boredom can teach you who you are and who you are not.
You discover that a "bored person" is not who you are.
Boredom is simply a conditioned energy movement within you.
Neither are you an angry, sad, or fearful person. Boredom,
anger, sadness, or fear are not "yours," not personal.
They are conditions of the human mind. They come and go.
Nothing that comes and goes is you.
"I am bored." Who knows this?
"I am angry, sad, afraid." Who knows this?
You are the knowing, not the condition that is known.
Prejudice of any kind implies that you are identified
with the thinking mind. It means you don't see the other
human being anymore, but only your own concept of that
human being. To reduce the aliveness of another human
being to a concept is already a form of violence.
Thinking that is not rooted in awareness becomes
self-serving and dysfunctional. Cleverness devoid of
wisdom is extremely dangerous and destructive.
That is the current state of most of humanity. The
amplification of thought as science and technology,
although intrinsically neither good nor bad, has
also become destructive because so often the thinking
out of which it comes has no roots in awareness.
The next step in human evolution is to transcend thought.
This is now our urgent task. It doesn't mean not to
think anymore, but simply not to be completely identified
with thought, possessed by thought.
Feel the energy of your inner body. Immediately mental
noise slows down or ceases. Feel it in your hands, your
feet, your abdomen, your chest. Feel the life that you
are, the life that animates the body.
The body then becomes a doorway, so to speak, into a
deeper sense of aliveness underneath the fluctuating
emotions and underneath your thinking.
There is an aliveness in you that you can feel with
your entire Being, not just in the head. Every cell
is alive in that presence in which you don't need to
think. Yet, in that state, if thought is required for
some practical purpose, it is there. The mind can still
operate, and it operates beautifully when the greater
intelligence that you are uses it and expresses itself
through it.
You may have overlooked that brief periods in which you
are "conscious without thought" are already occurring
naturally and spontaneously in your life. You may be
engaged in some manual activity, or walking across the
room, or waiting at the airline counter, and be so
completely present that the usual mental static of
thought subsides and is replaced by an aware presence.
Or you may find yourself looking at the sky or listening
to someone without any inner mental commentary.
Your perceptions become crystal clear, unclouded by thought.
To the mind, all this is not significant, because it has
"more important" things to think about. It is also not
memorable, and that's why you may have overlooked that
it is already happening.
The truth is that it is the most significant thing that
can happen to you. It is the beginning of a shift from
thinking to aware presence.
Become at ease with the state of "not knowing."
This takes you beyond mind because the
mind is always trying to conclude and interpret. It is
afraid of not knowing. So, when you can be at ease with not
knowing, you have already gone beyond the mind. A
deeper knowing that is non-conceptual then arises
out of that state.
Artistic creation, sports, dance, teaching,
counseling - mastery in any field of endeavor
implies that the thinking mind is either no longer
involved at all or at least is taking second place.
A power and intelligence greater than you and yet
one with you in essence takes over. There is no
decision-making process anymore; spontaneous right
action happens, and "you" are not doing it.
Mastery of life is the opposite of control. You become
aligned with the greater consciousness. It acts,
speaks, does the works.
A moment of danger can bring about a temporary
cessation of the stream of thinking and thus give
you a taste of what it means to be present, alert, aware.
The Truth is far more all-encompassing than the mind
could ever comprehend. No thought can encapsulate
the Truth. At best, it can point to it. For example,
it can say: "All things are intrinsically one". That
is a pointer, not an explanation. Understanding these
words means feeling deep within you the truth to which
they point."
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This article is an excerpt from 'Stillness Speaks'
by Eckhart Tolle. If you would like to know more
about him and his work, please visit his website
at http://eckharttolle.com
FOR WOMEN ONLY!
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Sorry chaps, but this particular piece is aimed at
ladies who write - and particularly at ladies who
write short stories - please pass it on to any
woman you know who might be interested.
The competition for the annual Asham award is now open.
It is given for a short story written by a woman and
has a limit of 4000 words. The deadline is September
30 and the competition is sponsored by Bloomsbury
Publishing and with a distinguished panel of female
judges. For details and etnry form visit the website
at www.ashamaward.com
BEWARE - MOBILE PHONE SCAM
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As there are few people now who do not have a mobile
phone, I thought it worthwhile to pass on this warning
from the Crime Prevention Officer of the Lancashire
police force, before you end up with a massive phone bill.
If you receive a phone call on your mobile from any person,
saying that he or she is a company engineer, or telling
that they're checking your mobile line, and you have to
press #90 or #09 or any other number, end this call
immediately without pressing any numbers. There is a
fraud company using a device that once you press #90
or #09 they can access your 'SIM' card and make calls
at your expense.
CREATIVITY COFFEE BREAK
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Following on from Eckart Tolle, I wanted to share
a piece from one of my readers, Jenifer Harper,
who I met recently on the P & O ship Ventura.
She sent me a poem she had written, entitled
'Start at your feet girl' and it was inspired
by something her mother used to say. I thought
it was an excellent piece of advice, particularly
for procrastinators, and the words her mother used
were "stand still, reflect, and then start at your
feet". So when you are feeling overwhelmed or unable
to take action just remember those words and think
about being being grounded, taking the time to stop
and think and then tackling one thing at a time.
Where could you apply that to your life right now,
and is there a phrase from your past that helps or
inspires you? If you would like to share it, then
drop me an email.
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Any questions, comments or criticisms? Please do
contact me either via my website:
http://www.catalystonline.co.uk/ or email to
anna@creativecatalyst.co.uk
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Catalyst News and Views from AnnA
11 July, 2008
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Some food for thought this week, and a chance to break into
the world of sitcom. Plus a story from my local area that
might make you smile - and if you are a published author
could be the most unusual publicity idea yet.
Best wishes for your continuing love of life, creativity,
and all the gifts your life brings you - AnnA
IN THIS ISSUE:
- WHO CARES FOR THE CARER
- LIFESTYLE SALE
- VULCAN MIND MELD A REALITY?
- PUBLICITY - WATCH THIS SPACE!
- CREATIVITY COFFEE BREAK
WHO CARES FOR THE CARER
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There are thousands of people who every day quietly get on
with taking care of someone either in a professional, or
personal capacity. It may be a child or an adult, a
long-term illness or a lifelong disability but what doesn't
vary is the sheer effort and emotional cost of such caring.
It is not rewarded or often acknowledged but those who are
in this position need, and deserve, plenty of help and support.
The support they need isn't always available or forthcoming,
but one thing you could do if you know someone like this is
to give them a copy of a highly effective handbook that offers
a ten step programme to help build better boundaries and develop
extreme self care to stay physically and emotionally healthy.
Written by someone with great experience of helping in this
field, Do YOU Care? by Anne McDonald makes great sense, and
could improve the quality of life for the carer, by for once
putting their own needs first. To order the book go to
http://www.cafepress.com/AnneMcDonald - and you will find
some of Anne McDonald's great artwork there too.
LIFESTYLE SALE
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I was driving through St Petersburg recently and among all
the Russian signs and shop names there was a poster on a
hoarding in English which caught my eye. It said 'Lifestyle
Sale- 25% off'. It intrigued me, and got me thinking about
which 25 % of my lifestyle I would choose to give up if I had
to. I know that's not what the sign meant, but it fits with our
current desire to downsize and stop waste. So where in your
life are you wasting your talents? I hold my hands up freely
to wasting food - usually fruit and vegetables which I always
overestimate my desire to eat - but where am I, and you,
wasting our time and effort? What could we give up that would
improve our lifestyle?
For most of us worry and anxiety are the things we most wish
to cut out and so the first step is identifying the major worry.
Again, in the current climate, it is usually something around
finances - are we earning enough, or able to live on our pension
comfortably or have enough to enjoy life as we would wish. If
not, then what are the steps we can take to reduce our spending
and increase our enjoyment of life without increasing our costs?
Treat it as a creative exercise, not a punishment detail. There
is a great idea from the Artist's Way by Julia Cameron where
every week you take yourself on an 'Artist's Date' to give you
pleasure and stimulate your creativity. What 'date' can you
take yourself on that will cost you nothing, or very little?
What simple pleasures do you not take advantage of, such as
meeting a friend for coffee or sitting quietly and listening
to the sounds of nature? Make a list of 'treats' that will
nourish your soul and not impact your bank balance and then
try to give yourself at least two or three a week for a month
and see the difference.
If you are cutting out 25% of your lifestyle that no longer
works for you, what do you most want to replace it with?
Try the three classic coaching questions and see what answers
you come up with:
** What do you want more of?
** What do you want to give up?
** What would make the most difference to your life right now?
VULCAN MIND MELD A REALITY?
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If you weren't a Star Trek fan that phrase will mean nothing
to you, but since I started reading science fiction in my
teens it has been extraordinary how some of the stuff of
those writers imagination has become reality. Meals in
seconds via the microwave, complete nutrition in a pill or
powder shake, robots who vacuum your carpets and now virtual
reality fitness programmes via Wii - who would have thought it.
Now it seems the Vulcan mind meld could also be a reality as
scientists are predicting that brain downloads will make
learning obsolete within 30 years. When I was at school,
(I know, yawn, yawn), we didn't have calculators and I now
see that most school children have their own computers and that
the internet is their main source of information for homework.
When Mr Spock placed his hands on the head of another character
and the screen shimmered, I never thought that knowledge
transfer
could be a reality, but according to Chris Parry, the new chief
executive of the Independent Schools Council it is on its way.
He has stated that "Matrix-style" technology would render
traditional lessons obsolete - and the teachers too presumably?
I suppose it's one way of dealing with the incredible shortage
as they all leave with stress-related illnesses. As Mr Parry's
background was at the Ministry of Defence, determining the
future strategic context for the military, he obviously got
deep into future technology. "It's a very short route from
wireless technology to actually getting the electrical
connections in your brain to absorb that knowledge. I think
people will be able to directly access, Matrix-style, all the
vocabulary you need for a foreign language, leaving you just
to clear up the grammar". As our 'grammar' is what often
causes the most problems I guess they will still need some
of those teachers to 'clear up' any little local difficulties.
PUBLICITY - WATCH THIS SPACE!
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If you live in Sussex, as I do, then here is an idea to promote
your next book - particularly if you are a crime writer. Peter
James is certainly a well-known writer in this field, and lives
in Ditchling, so when his publishers came up with the idea of
buying a £9000 Hyundai Getz that they had the words 'Peter
James No 1 For Crime Writing' across one side of the car and
'Supporting Brighton and Hove Division' on the other. Apparently
it won't be rushing to crime scenes but will be used to patrol
local areas, and give officers a lift if they need to get across
town quickly. So what writers could take advantage of this for
other public service vehicles such as fire engines, ambulances
or dustcarts - all emails with suggestions gratefully received!
I already have my own ideas about which authors I would put on
the side of the dustcart, but the libel laws will probably
prevent me naming them!
CREATIVITY COFFEE BREAK
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The words 'submissions welcome' are music to writers' ears,
and not that common so let me commend Austin and Macauley
who publish a range of fiction and non fiction titles. They
ask writers to send a covering letter, a synopsis and three
sample chapters - which don't have to be consecutive.
Unusually, they also allow you to submit by email as well
as post, but first I would check their website
http://www.austinmacauley.com to see what they are
currently publishing and their submission guidelines.
Any budding playwrights out there? Take heed of this
excellent advice from Noel Coward: "The most important
ingredients for any play are life, death, food, sex and
money, though not necessarily in that order."
Ready to start? Then what about a new competition for a
15 minute sitcom written for the stage? The selected few
will be performed at the West End's Arts Theatre with
professional actors and directors before an audience of
industry professionals. Could be a great way to break
into sitcom writing, but you don't have long as the
deadline is August 15th. Full details at the website,
including what they are - and are not - looking for.
http://every1sacritic.com
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Any creative questions, comments or criticisms? Please
do contact me either via my website:
http://www.catalystonline.co.uk/or email to
anna@creativecatalyst.co.uk
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