Success Attraction suc·cess: (n.) The achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted |
|
|
Secret To Getting Anything? | |
Animal Teachers Reveal Success Through Pleasure
What the anteater and otter show us about success? It's been called the " id" by Freud, and hedonism by zealots. In truth, the animal self is the part of us that seeks pleasure. Labeling this limits our experience of it. Still for the sake of reference I'll describe this very free, intrinsically joyful aspect of being as "animal." Animal encapsulates it. The living world seeks out pleasure and avoids pain without fear of appearing lazy, foolish or greedy. The irony is that for many animals this creates productivity, dignity and unselfishness. By looking at their actions from a spiritual rather than biological viewpoint we have a tool to unhinge ourselves from our hang-ups. You otter play Almost all animals play and act silly when young. Otters continue this into old age, making him a fun furry dude to be around. They romp, wrestle, snow slide, chase each other and play catch-and-release with their dinner. Most of us, myself include, are not nearly so free spirited. For example, I haven't tobogganed since I was eleven and my romping is confined to a spirited jog. I could learn a lot from an otter. Most important: Play is good. Play is good. We forget this in our rush to achieve and amass. In the otter's game of dinner lost-and-found he shows us that losing can be just as much fun as winning. This is contrary to ego but so is spirit. In the otter's dinner-game he loses lunch but finds freedom: He doesn't need to eat if he doesn't want to. Spiritual aspirants who fast for greater consciousness believe the same but have a lot less fun in the process. The otter has a better idea. He relinquishes without regret or strain. Dances with spirit Play is one of the few ways we can lose ourselves without trying. Caught in the moment we may realize a meditative type bliss. Dance can feel like play but for some it is meditation. The spontaneous spasms that characterize ecstatic dance allow us to express spirit with the body. When else can we do this? Compared to ecstatic dance our movements are rigid as a robot's arm. When did we become so reserved? Play and dance help us to become more spontaneous. For some this will be met with cheers. For others, and unfortunately, jeers. It takes courage to march to the beat of a different drum. Yet in practicing courage we develop it. Dancing our private dance in front of the marching crowd is a challenge. Besides unknotting our muscles, ecstatic dance unties our mind. Though historically this practice has been thought to exist only among humans it seems that the otter, with his flipping and wriggling, would make a great ecstatic dancer. Unlike us he doesn't wait for the music to start to move in a musical fashion. His body is free and expressive. He chooses to move with the fluidity of waves rather than the rigidity of trees. We have the same choice. We don't have to jump in the water to enjoy this experience. Mind-body exercises like pilates, yoga and tai-chi cultivate this creative body motion. Joyful errors People make mistakes; animals evolve. We judge ourselves so harshly. Distinctions between right and are necessary in terms of moral issues but they have no meaning when it comes to trying new things. Yet when we make a mistake we are often the first to notice and hope to God no one else does. Nobody likes to feel humiliated. Most of us are concerned about looking foolish or feeling like we're on display to be laughed at. Interestingly, feeling humiliated and being humiliated are two separate matters. I once watched a show called Pet Star, where an anteater was called to perform an exceptional feat: Climb up a ladder, eat from a bucket, and climb back down. His trainer/owner watched anxiously as the scaly critter ascended the metal stairs. There were a series of clunks on his journey as his tail patted the ladder and a louder clunk when he reached the bucket. He had tipped it over. A heap of berries and throngs of audience members bore witness to shame. But it wasn't the anteater that cringed- it was the owner. The blushing young man proceeded to stammer out excuses for the creature, which by this time had climbed down and was happily eating his dinner off the stage floor. Under the glaring stage lights that illuminated his owner's red-face and sweaty brow, no change could be found in the anteater. He was intent on claiming his berry-delicious reward. Whether or not anyone was impressed didn't matter. That anteater didn't catch any awards that day. He did, however, capture my heart. I remember what that anteater taught me: There are many mistakes on our way to victory, and others may have not feel we have earned it. We can let this bother us, or like the anteater, we can dine on what we deserve. Failure is relative Though his efforts were obvious the anteater didn't perform as desired by others. The anteater dealt with this in a better way than most people. Unlike the anteater we try to interpret other's interpretation of us. This is agony for both inner peace and performance. When feeling like we've failed we interpret every blink as shock and mouth twitch as dismay. This creates the disappointment we fear. We can turn a stumble into slapstick if we have the confidence of Chaplin. Similarly, a misplaced streak on a canvas can create abstract perfection if we desire. Either way we must persist. What if the anteater was to stop striving when applause wasn't forthcoming? Motivated by the end result instead of appearances he continued. All he won was some berries, but then again that's all he wanted. Getting what you want What is your heart's desire? If it doesn't seem important to others you may be told, or may feel that your efforts are wasted. It's not. Nobody has the right to determine the value of your dreams. This is between you and the Universal Source. As natural beings our desires are natural, and as long as they don't harm anyone it is our divine right to aspire to them. Whether you want enlightenment, a BMW or the ideal vitamin regimen your work will be rewarded. This is providing that you keep trying. You may not get your prize in the way or at the time you first imagined, but it will come to you. Just remember to dance and play along the way. This will make the journey a lot lighter. Galina Pembroke is an internationally published writer. In addition she is publisher and editor-in-chief of New View magazine online. New View offers unique, non-mainstream articles on personal and planetary enhancement. To aid this we have rapidly expanding sections on Green Living, Animal Rights and Self-Help. Check us out at http://www.nuvunow.ca
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Psychology Of Success; Part 1 Business knowledge and skills are not the only keys to success. To be successful, you also need to master the psychological skills that will help you to be satisfied and fulfilled, and thus more effective in your work. Knowing how to manage your mind, and understanding how to deal with lack of confidence, stress, anxiety, and depression, is as important as knowing how to handle the strategic and organizational challenges of your business. Success After Failure - Even Genghis Khan Lost Some Early Battles Both the worst and the best of the great achievers had the belief in themselves and the resilience to overcome early failures. One of these was none other than Genghis Khan. There are powerful lessons we can learn from him. You Are What You Believe The most important quality you can ever develop is having belief in yourself. The belief that you can, without a shadow of a doubt achieve success in every area of your life. Virtually every person has the capacity to do wonderful things with his or her life. But the greatest single obstacle for most people is self-doubt. Many people wish they could accomplish certain things but lack the belief that they can actually do it. Will You Be Successful? We all want success. You do. So do I. Some achieve it. Most people do not - at least, not in the way they dream of it. Why? Animal Teachers Reveal Success Through Pleasure What the anteater and otter show us about success? Better Instead of Bitter I have been studying several books lately that deal with subject of attracting prosperity, well being and abundance to oneself -- partly as a refresher course for myself, but also partly because I was searching for answers for some of our clients in the Realm. Lately in the chat rooms, the issue of how to overcome bitterness or loss is a big topic. How do you be 'better, instead of bitter' when life hands you what feels like a terrible blow; whether it be to your heart, to your pocketbook or the very core of your soul? Creating Your Own Success Support System People who are on the same journey tend to band together, and the journey of life is no different. Throughout the Internet and in the real world, like-minded travelers have joined to form support groups, newsgroups, goal-buddy groups, chat rooms, tele-groups (using conference call telephone bridge lines) coaching groups, and mailing lists (email or snail mail) - just to name a handful of the available support resources - all dedicated to making sure that every member or participant has a real chance to make to their goals a reality. You can find these groups through Internet searches, the "community events" section of your local paper and by word of mouth, and I heartily suggest that you do. The True BMI of Success - What is the True Definition of Success? The TRUE BMI of SUCCESS (B)e a (M)illionaire (I)ndex Obstacles to Success. Why Dont I Believe In Myself and What Can I Do About It? Why do so many of us lack belief in ourselves? How can we solve this problem and start discovering the huge power that belief in ourselves brings? Step Up To Success Sometimes it is better to just get on with doing something rather than thinking and planning for too long. How to Network Your Way to Success Successful people do not achieve success on their own, they surround themselves with a well-developed, sophisticated support network. In a world that grows more complex and more competitive each day, networking is necessary not only for survival but for high achievement"?excerpt from the best-selling book "Masters of Networking". Making the Right Decisions The ability to make good decisions is an essential step in becoming a good leader. Don't try to make decisions unless you know all the facts and risks involved. The safest way to weigh your decisions is to put them through a checklist that covers pertinent information. Thoughts on Successful People I was hired to do some training for a sales team from one of the largest companies in America. There were 16 people on this team. This year their sales (for the 16 of them) will be 250 million - that's right, a quarter of a billion - dollars! Needless to say, it was an excellent and fascinating time. I decided to learn a little bit myself so I watched them closely to see what kind of people they were and to see what common denominators they shared. Below is what I found. I think you will find the elements applicable to your own life. Advance Your Enthusiasm and Determination for Success Imagine being firmly committed to your deepest ambitions. Imagine feeling energetic and enthusiastic about your relationships, career, and all the things you want. Envision a future as bright and promising as any you have ever imagined. How To Reverse Engineer Your Success The best and fastest way to learn how to make moneyon the Internet is to buy the marketing books ofsuccessful web marketers. You can find a selection ofmarketing books at these sites: Psychology of Success You must understand You are already a Success, and before you think I'm crazy read further you'll get the point. 5 Tips to Make the Right Decisions in the Midst of Chaos "In a moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing to do. The worst thing you can do is nothing." Theodore Roosevelt Job and Life Rules to Follow By: Marilyn J. Tellez, M.A.Certified Career Coachemail is: marilyn@doitnowcareers.infoweb is: www.doitnowcareers.info Belief And Action Succeed For centuries Protestant Christians have argued that you can reach heaven through faith (belief) alone while Roman Catholics have argued that both faith and works are necessary for salvation. However, both groups agree that faith and works are essential in the life of the true Christian. Beliefs and How They Shape Your Future Have you ever had such thoughts like "I always fall short", "Why am I always the looser" and the like? Who do you think you are? How would you describe yourself? |
home | site map |
© 2005-2008 Attracting Success |