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You are a Conscious Creator!

Sometimes I go about in pity for myself πŸ™

Published almost 3 years agoΒ β€’Β 7 min read

β€œSometimes I go about in pity for myself, and all the while, a great wind carries me across the sky.”

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Hey Reader,

You might have heard of this saying, it's attributed to the Ojibwe Native American tribe.

I’ll be honest β€” I don’t know anything about the origin or intent of it other than I first became aware of it from an episode of the TV show The Sopranos.

Every time I would watch that episode I would come away wondering the meaning behind it.

This week I came across it again and I had one of those "I get it" moments.

For the past few months, I've been working on a project for a company helping them build their website. After weeks and months of going back and forth with changes to the site, we were days away from going live.

Then this week just when I was feeling good to finally get this project off my plate, they came back with a slew of "issues" they wanted me to fix β€”many of which I disagreed with.

While reading their onslaught of emails which detailed one issue after the next, my immediate reaction was to "SET THEM STRAIGHT".

Explain to them how "so wrong" they are in their assessment and how I have all the answers on how we should proceed.

I felt myself getting worked up and stressed out. My body began to clench up and then the internal dialogue of complaints began. πŸ—―οΈ

"I just finished this project, now I have to devote more time to appease them."

"They don't know what they're talking about."

"What's the point, they're not going to listen to me. They dictate all the shots."

Then just as the "woe is me" self-talk ensued it quickly turned into bursts of laughter as I was reminded of the first part of that saying. 🀣

β€œSometimes I go about in pity for myself..."

As I repeated it, with a smile on my face, I happily said, "Indeed I do!"

And I just couldn't stop laughing as I asked myself, "what does this matter in the grand scheme of things"?

Then the "aha" moment about life hit me: πŸ’‘

There's always going to be something that sticks in our craw and gets a rise out of us...
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No matter how much we try to evolve and "enlighten" ourselves...
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No matter how much personal growth we do.

The human condition of acting out will always be there to remind us that we are indeed human but at the same time...

We are NOT our complaints, overreactions, and unconscious thoughts and behaviors.

It's all part of the human experience β€” getting riled up, to always want to explain our point, show how much we know, and how it's more and smarter than everyone else.

All the while COMPLAINING about how difficult we have it. πŸ˜–

We tell ourselves stories... about ourselves, others, and the way we think the world should work.

"My partner doesn't appreciate all I do for him."

β€œMy friends should be reaching out to me more.”

"Things never go my way. I'm so unlucky."

"Everything seems to break or stop working around this house."

β€œMy job is hell, and I never get the credit I deserve.”

"There's so much to do and so little time and no one can help me."

The list goes on and on.

Yes, life can feel like drudgery at times. Whether due to things totally out of our control, repercussions from our own actions, or just plain old bad luck, sometimes we do indeed go about in "pity for ourselves."

But as the Objiwe tribe says, we do it all while being guided by something greater, that great wind carrying us across the sky.

And most of the time when we are acting out in our state of self-pity, we aren't aware of what's navigating us and the support we have available at any time.

This is where I think the power of this saying can help both soothe and empower us when we are caught in the trance of complaining.

Firstly, we can find comfort just by accepting that it's ok to have negative thoughts, complain, rush to judgment, and freak out. It's all part of the human condition.

But more importantly, if we can recognize that something larger has our back β€” moving us along to where we need to be, we can see that the turmoil we are experiencing is only temporary...

And in many ways deluding us away from our spirit, the essence of who we really are.

Because deep down your spirit knows that everything will be ok because the UNIVERSE (aka that great wind) HAS YOUR BACK. πŸ’«

Secondly, we can let it empower us by connecting with this awareness:

πŸ‘‰ That no matter what trouble you find yourself in...

πŸ‘‰ No matter what hell hole you feel trapped in...

πŸ‘‰ And no matter how much you go about in pity for yourself...

There's a deep feeling of "I'm ok" that knows things will get better because your spirit is guiding you. 😊

Something greater and infinite β€” a loving awareness and that we're all connected to.

And no matter what happens... no matter what struggles or disappointments we face...

There is always something greater navigating us on our journey that knows wiser than we do.

Something didn't go your way? Didn't get the end result on something you dearly wanted?

It's all good because that "great wind" is perhaps drifting you towards something better and is just right for you. πŸ’¨

And maybe you don't buy into the whole UNIVERSE has your back thing, but just look around you.

Your life is filled with love and support readily available for you to access. Whether it's friends, family, coworkers, and others who have nothing but support to offer when we need it.

Even in the midst of this long pandemic, you may have not seen family or friends that often but I'm pretty sure if you needed some support many of them would be there in a flash. πŸ’–

Kindness is at only an earshot away for all of us.

Even some of the worst people in history still had friends and family who cared about them.

Because all of us indeed have a great wind carrying us across the sky.

πŸ‘‰ And the more we can become aware of it when we are acting out and caught in the trance of complaining and self-pity, we can realize that this is not who we really are which is enough to lift our spirits.

And in most cases, we'll find what we're complaining about likely won't matter in weeks or months from now.

Or perhaps even tomorrow.

So make sure to feel that wind. 🌬️
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How To Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci πŸ‘¨β€πŸŽ¨

This week I was in a webinar with Michael J. Gelb author of the book How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci which outlines the 7 Da Vincian Principles of Genius.

Gelb talked about how Da Vinci as a master of numerous disciplines had aΒ very specific approach to life that anyone can learn β€” which he calls the 7 Steps of Genius Every Day.

One of the principles he discussed extensively was Sensazione.

πŸ‘‰ This is the Italian word meaning the continual refinement of the senses, especially sight, as the means to enliven experience.

The idea behind this is that our 5 senses are the ministers of our soul and by intentionally sharpening them we can heighten creativity and unlock our genius.

β€œAn average human looks without seeing, listens without hearing, touches without feeling, eats without tasting, moves without physical awareness, inhales without awareness of odor or fragrance, and talks without thinking.”
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β€” Leonardo Da Vinci
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πŸ‘‰ To go deeper, check out all 7 Steps of Genius.

The original Mona Lisa hanging in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

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The Most Loving People Have 5 Things in Common

This list was written by clinical psychologist, Karen Nimmo. You can check out the full article here.

  1. They treat themselves well first.​
    Loving people understand the importance of treating themselves well. So they put time and energy into it β€” without guilt.
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  2. They make regular deposits in their family and friendship banks.​
    Their words and behavior towards the people who matter to them shows love β€” consistently.
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  3. They allow love to flow to them.​
    Receiving love or intimacy is surprisingly hard for a lot of people. Loving people are receivers β€” as well as givers β€” of love.
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  4. They can get to a place of forgiveness.​
    Forgiveness is hard. We all like the idea of it but it's a skill that needs to be cultivated and practiced. Extremely loving people are good at this skill.
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    To go deeper on cultivating forgiveness check out these resources:
    ​Clearing Your Slate: An Exercise For Radical Forgiveness​
    ​The Superpower Of Radical Forgiveness​
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  5. They have compassion for humanity.​
    Loving people do β€œbig picture” love. Their love stretches beyond self, family, and close loved ones to all of humanity.
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    πŸ‘‰ I'm going to add not just humanity but all life period, including animals and even plants (yes plants too).

// Something to ponder πŸ€” ::

This week I stumbled upon this statement that stopped me in my tracks.

The greatest need is to always search for something. In order to feel safe, we find that we need to have a goal, mission, or philosophy that gives our life meaning.

Your thoughts?


// In Case You Missed It ::

​How to Remove Suffering From Pain​

A few weeks ago I posted about how paying attention to pain removes suffering β€” exploring how life is just about experiencing something new and then noticing how it feels. The essay garnered some attention and was picked up and published by the Possibility Change Network.

Thanks to all who shared it. πŸ™

If you missed it you can check it out on their site:


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Thanks for reading.
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As Always, Keep Creating,

avl

Anthony V. Lombardo

https://anthonyvlombardo.com
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You are a Conscious Creator!

Anthony V. Lombardo

Inspiration and wisdom to help you navigate your path and consciously create a life of meaning, purpose, and one that you absolutely love.

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