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Full Moon Wisdom | |
"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." -- Henry David Thoreau
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| Dear Michael, | 
As we embark on the hottest days of summer, we are reminded of the undeniable forces of nature, which are now nearing their greatest intensity. At this juncture, it can become natural, almost instinctive, to continue our own intense efforting. However, this is the time to ride the crest, look around and see how to maintain the flow that has already been set in motion, and not add more complexity to the work.
One way to gauge our ever-fluctuating level of satisfaction in life is to periodically reassess where we are and to check our course. The goals we set in the past may or may not continue to serve us, or remain practical for that matter. It is important that we not waste valuable time and energy. At this time of the year, one realizes that conscious conservation is critical. While productive and practical, sometimes the tactic of putting our head down and completing tasks at all costs lends itself to an imbalance, motivating us to continue gathering and planning beyond the point that it's necessary. Letting go of goals is not the point, instead, it is about making sure one recognizes the difference between short term and long term objectives.
I encourage you to commend yourself for your ability to come as far as you have, and accept the responsibility of following through. And I suggest you give yourself permission to make the necessary adjustments to stay on the highest road possible. Sometimes this doesn't become clear until we get further down the road. This is the true reality of nature: A farmer who selects his seeds and waters them diligently will still not necessarily have a full blown garden until nature has it in the cards for him.
Embrace your role in the larger scheme of the universe and put what you've worked for to practice, all things considered.
Mitakuye Oyasin,
Michael
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Consider This...Skillful Reflection | |
 Today, July 15th, is the day that precedes midsummer's night-the evening that the summer's heat is at its peak. Now is an opportune time to have a look at the goals we set forth for ourselves over the course of the year and assess where stand with each of them. Imagine your goals as a set of ingredients necessary to make a wonderful cake. Even if you've selected them meticulously and measured them flawlessly, putting them into a pan simply isn't enough to nurture them to their peak. You must now apply heat to transform them into something truly special. Just the same, you can utilize this powerful time to add some fire to your thoughts and actions to make them achieve its full potential.
I acknowledge that distractions are everywhere and create circumstances that constantly challenge us and work to pull us off course. However, there is another take on this....perhaps these challenges are meant to force us to consider alternatives now and then. Ultimately, while it is noble to have goals, we cannot let our goals come at the expense of our journey. Even in the face of a crossroads or big decision, if we do not take a step back and look at the bigger picture, we run the risk of continuing along a more naïve course, no longer skillfully navigating through our lives. While putting work into something increases its value and simultaneously may help us feel more in control over the outcome, as attractive as this may seem, rigid adherence to any set of goals does not always lead us to the best solution. Specifically, it may not lead us to the state of happiness and fulfillment we desire.
Perhaps you feel like you have met certain necessary goals in your life, but not others. Take for instance your career or your family. Getting married may have made you comfortable and you have checked that off your 'to do list;' or being promoted to manager was a figurative coup. These goals are "straightforward" and may have indeed provided immediate gratification. Definitive outcomes are black and white, but that doesn't mean you should measure your life by the goals you have planned and achieved. There are times to plant seeds and time to water them. Most importantly, after you have reaped what you have sown it is time to apply the necessary catalyst to transform your harvest into the delicious quality of life that can only be achieved by mindful and skillful living.
Please share your thoughts...
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Advice from the Skillful Doctor | |
Question: I'm not terribly overweight, but every year I make a New Year's resolution to slim down so I can feel better about myself. I always start out in January with a solid plan-exercising 4 times a week and eating a healthy diet-but like clockwork, I lose my footing and by March I've gained it all back and then some. I know that this is not the most important thing in my life, but the vicious cycle gets frustrating, and at times, depressing. I'm starting to question whether my expectations are realistic anymore, and whether I should even continue to make resolutions at all. No pun intended, but is there some kind of silver bullet for sticking to my guns?
 Answer: There is a big difference between a failure and a setback, and it sounds like you may be confusing the two. When working towards a goal, whether lofty or not, it is common for people to face setbacks. While establishing definitive outcomes is admirable and sensible, what you may before forgetting (or have difficulty accepting) is that external forces may not cooperate and can prevent the "desired" outcome from becoming a realization. When this happens, you are left in a position of self-blame, which is not healthy or skillful. Understand that there may be other reasons that prevent you from losing the weight on the timeline you've set forth, and that other methods are worth exploring. Beyond that, an even more fundamental question is why you feel you need to lose weight, which might seem like a strange question from a medical professional. The deeper suggestion here is that we often set goals because of someone else's rules, some of which are not always applicable, especially when they don't consider the bigger picture. Indeed, understanding this perspective alone can be quite liberating. But, let's go back to the main topic and let me give you a tip on where to begin. Although it can be difficult to accept, perhaps your repeated attempts to accomplish a seemingly attainable goal are being overshadowed by an unrealistic time frame. Nature has different paths for each of us, and what's in the cards for us may not be congruent for when nature intends to deliver us to our destinations. There are factors in life that you cannot change and that may not work with your direct objective. The objective, like losing the 10 pounds, as satisfying as it may be to achieve, is limiting if the outcome, and no part of the journey, is solely what matters. Instead, stop thinking about the failures, the setbacks and even the goal. It's like a baseball team constantly training and running plays with the direct goal to win the next game by 10 runs. There are so many forces that no matter how many plays you've run, you're never guaranteed a 10 run win. Reflect on what you've learned from trying and think about what you can take from it. Stop planning and start doing. Think about how you feel each step of the way. Does your intuition tell you that you are going in the right direction? Go outside not to lose weight, but to feel the irrefutable pleasure of activity under the stunning sun. Embrace the heat the sun is generating and apply it to your plan. Claim it as your catalyst. Goals that lead to the application of the labels of success or failure are setups for the latter. Instead, redirect your attention to today, not the future. Don't give up on your resolution, but reevaluate how you are choosing to live your life -- focus on guiding your boat down the river, not forcing yourself against the tide. Submit your own question here. |
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, Announcements | |
The next three episodes of The Skillful Living Room will be available here the day after they air. You can, of course, listen live, by tuning into the "listen live" link at Business Talk Radio. The show airs every Saturday at 12 Noon EDT.
- On July 16th design expert Phyllis Harbinger of Design Concepts Interiors will join me to talk about her new work in applying the principles of feng shui to the experience of eating.
- On July 23rd we will be talking to the inspiring yoga instructor, Liz Schulman, of the beautiful Hudson Valley studio, Yoga Co-op at the Garrison. Her work to teach her students about the dharma lessons of Yoga into everyday life is the subject of the show and will uplift your spirit.
The last three episodes of The Skillful Living Room are available here.
The Learning Annex will soon be releasing my lecture about detox and juicing. Stay tuned for more information on when the video will become available.
The next SunRaven Group Juice Fast will be a 7 day program that will run from September 30 - Oct 8th. It coincides with the period between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and actually conclude with the break fast at the end of Yom Kippur itself.
For more information send an email to michael@sunraven.org.
There is also a 4 day SunRaven Group Juice Fast that will take place from December 1-5thand focus on the letting go that is so important during the fall season and help us to stay in balance through the holidays. For couples that chose to do the program, there will be a special' program component during this retreat as well. For more information send an email to michael@sunraven.org.
The next SunRaven Book Club will take place on September 15th and we will be discussing the book Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. If you are interested, please write to: bookclub@sunraven.org.
Links
- For more information on SunRaven, Dr. Finkelstein's holistic health center in Bedford, NY, please visit Sunraven.org
- Twitter
- To comment on this letter, please visit The Skillful Living Blog
- Skillful Living Room
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FINALLY! A MeaningFull Action for the Full Moon | |
I close today's letter with this suggested activity for the full moon:
On this midsummer's night, step outside and simply sit under the moon. Let the residual warmth and heat of the day activate your mind, but keep you body still. Fill with the energy of the earth and let the moon's illumination clear space in your being. Listen and feel nature around you, come into its embrace and resonate as one.
Mitakuye Oyasin,
Michael Finkelstein
SunRaven |
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