“The most profound mystery of all the universe…this love”

What does love have to do with deep inner healing?

Well, Let me tell you a quick story.

Recently I was about to negotiate an agreement and took a moment to see whether I could connect deeply with the person on the other side OR if they would let me connect.

Because they did not want to engage in small talk and quickly desired “to get down to business”, I was reminded to simply listen for what that meant about the agreement I could possibly forge.  So after our first session, I went for a run and had an epiphany I’d like to share that may apply universally.

If you don’t list to podcasts, you need to start and listen to this particular one.

This morning on my run, I listened to Krista Tippet’s 2015 interview of Martin Sheen (link).

Yup, the actor. Never expected what I heard but I wished I had heard it before.

He spoke directly to love and joy. It isn’t about religion but it is about spirituality.

For example, he saw himself at a very young age as an actor on the screen.

“I think all children know at a young age something deeply personal about themselves that is hard to communicate…”

But it was what happened from minute 31:00, that made me really think.

Sheen is asked to talk about “love” – and he says:

“Yeah, the love that I longed for, and I think all of us really long for, is knowing that we are loved.  A knowingness about our being that unites us to all of humanity, to all of the universe.  That despite ourselves, we are loved.  And when you realize that, you begin to look at everyone else and you can see very clearly who in your vision knows they’re loved and who does not. And that makes all the difference.

He isn’t talking about being loved by someone else.

In fact, he acknowledges that the love that he has for his wife of decades is deep and real.    “I’m deeply loved. I am married to one of the great people I’ve known in my life…”

He is talking about a deep inner love- a knowingness love – that is internal – that is linked to the self that never ages. That inner self that we must cultivate.

I think a “knowingness” of love – of ourselves is learnable.

Here is the complete dialogue below:

I think it is important to note a few elements that Sheen adds to help us on our journey – compassion and being of or in service to others.  I agree.  In fact, when we look at Buddha’s teachings – empathy comes from being in service to others.

and

 

Finally, Sheen leads us to one of the purposes of our endeavor – “experiencing true, personal joy.”  We all go about getting there a different way but when I listened to Sheen’s own words, his humility, and the awareness that it gave him into his self – I felt awe.

In his own words,

 

Profound for sure.

If not for joy, then what is it all for.  If all we do in life is to teach ourselves to truly know that we are loved AND to find joy (at least more joy than pain), then haven’t we accomplished something truly meaningful for ourselves?

I urge you to listen and to share your comments with me.  I’d love to hear from you.

And please subscribe to my blog.



 

Best,

G

Does Your Mind Search Search for Joy?

If you go to sleep with a ‘racey’ mind sometimes, or even wake up all ‘racey’ about the things you “gotta do”, you are frustrated that your mind is winning.

You wake up exhausted again and by 2:30 or 3 pm, you are a bit downtrodden, right?

You have not made any progress on your long list of to-dos and you keep getting caught up in forgetting to do what the others in your life (co-workers, life partners, clients) need you to do first in their list of priorities.

Until, of course you change your mindset.

Try this:

Step One:

Rather than end your day with a list of things you gotta do, end your day asking your brain to “search for joy.”

 

Step two:

Literally do a bit of self-talk and say “ok, mind that is all powerful and working all the time, go out there into my world and search for joy.”  Just try it.  It cannot hurt.  Science tells us that the brain is task oriented.  And if you give it the task to “search for joy” while you sleep, after a few days of this, or even that very first night for some of you, it will find little tidbits of joy.

 

Step Three:

Upon waking, many successful folks express gratitude for all of the great things they have in their lives, the people, the feelings, their health.  Well, I also use this opportunity – those first waking moments to ask my brain “today, search for joy.”

The results for me include:

  • slowing down an interaction to really see what is happening and see the joy in the smallest interactions and events;
  • make a game of it when ever you are able: how many moments of joy you can notice.
  • being watchful of where joy originates – and being amazed that it can come from the fact that the hot water mixed with those first grinds of coffee, make an amazing steam.  I know it is a bit childlike but the greatest creativity comes from a child-like mind.

My goal is simple: If I can experience some joy today, and tomorrow, and the next day, then my life is linked by joy.  Joy is how I remember yesterday if I searched for some joy and found even a little.

It can be as simple as making your first cup of coffee.  Watch the hot water hit the coffee grounds and turn them into coffee.

So, tell me, can you join me in a daily “search for joy” practice?

Let me know how it works for you in the comments below or email me at gregory@thepanicproject.com

 

THANKS.

And, remember to search for joy.

Gregory

 

 

 

Therapy, medicine and even meditation not working in the crunch of panic or anxiety? I will show you the one thing that I do that immediately helps and brings more joy into my life.

I look forward to reducing the effects of anxiety and panic on our happiness.