Face and resolve the issues in your life.

The financial, social, political, and earth changes that are now well under way-- and the resulting stress they bring--will intensify any unresloved issues in your life (fears, anxieties, reactivity, compulsions, addictions, etc.) Eccentric tendencies which you ordinarily can "work around" when there is little stress in you life will likely bloom into the debilitating handicaps they really are. They will then make it much more difficult for you to adapt and operated effectively. You would be very wise to address those issues now, before the external pressures become even greater.

Most of our issues can be resolved by bringing them fully into our awareness, facing and accepting them, and then taking any required actions (e.g., adopting a new approach to managing stress, such as exercise or meditation). You may be able to face and resolve many of your issues on your own, using methods such as introspection, meditation, or journaling. You might be able to get help from partner or a friend. However, if you have trouble facing an issue, or coming up with the means to handle it, you may need to seek the short-term help of a counselor.

Surround yourself with good company. Select good companions to join you as you travel the bumpy road that lies ahead. Your journey will be a lot easier if the people around you are light-hearted, independent, truthful people who have addressed their issues, freed themselves of attachments, and changed their lifestyles to live more simply, harmoniously, and respectfully.

The best travelling companions will be those who are prepared to carry their own loads, even if the journey becomes difficult. They will also be the fellow travelers who will be best equiped to offer you support and aid should you require it.

This may sound harsh, but you may need to cut some people from of your life. You might have a friend, or even a member of your family who isn't going the same direction you are. Maintaining that relationship might require you to either give up your own direction, or to struggle to drag or push someone along who really doesn't want to go. Offer that person the choice to go along...and then accept and honor the choice they make.

Release your attachments. Many of the most important changes you make in this world are made inside yourself. Of those, one of the very most import internal changes is to release your attachments to the people, things, and outcomes in your life. To picture those attachments, imagine strands of your energy running out from you to the people and things you rely on to define your identity (your job, your family, your lover, your friends, your house, your car, your appearance, etc.)--I'm sure you'll recognize those people and things in your own life.

You can tell you're attached if you need something to turn out a particular way for you to feel okay about yourself (e.g., your lover has to stay with you). Those attachments cause you to resist making choices and taking actions that might jeopardize your desired outcomes (e.g., not tell the truth).

The only way out of attachment is to let go. You must draw back the strands of energy you extend to hold, influence, and control people, things, and outcomes for your own personal ends. You can use imagery to draw back your attachments and free yourself--and others. I describe that process my article Releasing Attachments. Let go of your attachments and you'll pass through the many changes we face with much greater ease.

Remain Light-hearted. I saw the Dalai Lama when he visited Salt Lake a few years ago. When he walked out on the stage, everyone in the audience lit up. That didn't happen becuase he was an important political or spiritual leader: It happened because he came out grinning so excitedly, waving so lovingly...with his socks falling down. His light-heartedness was absolutely contagious. I know the Dalia Lama is fully aware of the suffering in the world, and I'm certain he was under trememdous pressure to meet with the crowds and deliver his teachings that day. Still, he remained exhuberantely light-hearted. It didn't diminish him or his message one bit, and it elevated all the rest of us.

We face many challenges. There is suffering in this world, and maybe even in your own life. According to Native prophecies and scientific predictions, it is likely that there will be more suffering ahead. But, your anger, discouragement, and sadness will not diminish that suffering: It will only amplify and compound it. It will rob you and those around you of the possibilty of perceiving the joy and love that always exists right along side the suffering. It will deprive you and them of your own light and joy. Be the light-heartedness that brightens even the darkest and most difficult times!

Go often to those places where you remember. I can leave my house in the morning, drive to Capitol Reef National Park, and be hiking there before noon--amazing. Capitol Reef is an incredibly primative and breathtakingly beautiful redrock desert in the east-central part of Utah. The vast space, tall redrock cliffs, and exotic desert plant life make you feel as if you're on another planet. The experience of being there washes me clean and reconnects me to the earth...and to the divine. I come back felling like I have been gone for weeks.

I'm sure you have your own places that you love as much as I love Capitol Reef, places that allow you to shed your burdens and responsibilties and immerse yourself in the beauty of nature. I can't think of anything that is as healing or as replenishing. It's a struggle to stay centered and calm in the midst of your daily life, particularly if you live a fast-paced urban lifestyle. When you go into nature, nature beckons to you and embraces you. All you have to do is to relax and harmonize with the loving energy that surrounds you there.

Take the time to return to the places in nature that draw you, the places where you remember. They will bless you and heal you and help make you whole again. They are always waiting to love you.

Be Compassionate. Dealing with limitations is certainly a significant part of life on this earth. We each possess our own set of physical, mental, and emotional limitations--our genetic and historical handicaps--which can make our lives challenging and difficult. To make matters even worse, we are constantly confronted with the limitations of others. Their limitations can be painful, frustrating, and even infuriating.

If your goal is to live respectfully and harmoniously, then you'll have to develop understanding and compassion for other people's limitations...as well as your own. Start with the basic assumption that you and others are doing the the best you can--given your limitations. Understanding and compassion will only come through the acceptance of those limitations.

Growth and change can occur, but they only occur after the acceptance of limitations.

Stay in the present. Years ago, Ram Dass urged us to "be here now." To be present in any moment, all you have to do is stop thinking--period. Stop thinking about what you did in the past--no replaying or regretting. Stop thinking about what you have to do in the future--no anticipating or worrying. Paradoxically, you must even stop thinking about everything right in front of you--no analyzing or judging.

Once you stop your thoughts, you become a still point in the middle of the storm. You open yourself to the flow of intuition and inspiration that can guide you in ways your rational mind simply cannot. Once you become quiet enough to hear that guidance, it will help you to recognize the course you should take to navigate your way through these shaking, quaking, and uncertain times.

Being present is a skill that you can learn with practice. Any activity can serve as an opportunity for that practice: walking, doing the dishes, driving, even answering your cell phone. The activity itself is not the practice: The practice comes from emptying the mind...while doing any activity. Some call this state "being."

Consider the good of the whole. We live in a very individualistic, competitive, and often combative culture. It's common for people to behave in self-protective and self-serving ways, often ignoring the effects their actions have on others, or the larger world around them.

We will have to conduct our lives in an entirely different manner in order to live together in harmony on this planet. We will need to expand our frame of reference to encompass a larger, more inclusive picture, and take into consideration the longer-range consequences of our actions.

Before you make any choice or take any action, think first how your decision will affect the people closest to you, your local community, the nation in which you live, and then world we all share.

To the very best of your ability, select actions that will benefit the whole, and act for the good of all.

Think and speak positively about others. In his 1948 classic, The Magic of Believing, Claude Bristol advised that "the thing we get back is a reflection of what we project mentally." More specifically he noted that "another will consider us an enemy or friend entirely according to the picture we ourselves conjure up."

It is undermining and disrespectful to speak, or even think, negatively about another person. Your thoughts and words are powerful creative forces in this world. They have an impact on the person you speak about, on the person you speak to...and on you.

Use your creative powers wisely. Use them to respect, include, inspire, and uplift other people. Help them to rise above any limitations you may recognize in them and to reach their potential. Support them, and be their advocates with others. They will benefit from your kindness, and you will feel much better about yourself.

Walk in humility. We are each an important part of creation, but only a part. You only have to glance up at the night sky to remember. There are millions of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy--our galaxy. There are billions and billions of galaxies. We are only a small part of an astonishingly grand and unified whole.

It can be easy to forget our place in things. Somehow we humans have come to think of ourselves as the masters of our world. We have come to believe that the plants, the other creatures, and even the earth itself exist only for our use and pleasure. We have the audacity to imagine that we are alone in this vaste universe. We have come to feel superior...and separate.

When we do remember, we can't help but feel humble. That sense of humility is a very good thing. It can help us to recognize and respect our other brothers and sisters on this planet. It can make us walk more lightly and lovingly on this earth. It can make us feel grateful for the profound grace that sustains all life. And, it can cause us to bow our heads and acknowledge the Great Mystery in which we play out our unique part.

Trust. The major reason we spend our time worrying about the future instead of remaining solidly rooted in the present is that we don't trust. We fear that things won't turn out as we hope they will, or believe that they should. We take responsibility for outcomes, and then attempt to control them. When you think about it, we actually control very few of the most important things in our lives (the radiance of the sun, the beating of our hearts, the love of others). That's probably fortunate, since the truth is we don't really know how things should turn out--even in our own lives.

Trust does not require proof or certainty. It isn't necessary that we understand everything--why things are as they are, how they operate, or why they operate the way they do--before we trust. To trust is to accept that everything is unfolding as it should--even if it doesn't appear that way from our limited perspectives.

Trust is something we offer from our side. We take a leap of faith that we are safe in the arms of an embracing universe. Once we take that leap, it allows us to let go of responsibility for outcomes we will never control--no matter how hard we try--and relax into the perfection of life.

Reduce your dependency. Dependency occurs when you surrender your personal power and control in an attempt to obtain something you desire from another. The desired thing can be almost anything, but it most often tends to be acceptance, love, or financial support. Dependency reduces your ability to recognize and ackowledge the truth, causes stress and unpleasant emotions, and limits your ability to make beneficial choices and take necessary actions. Usually, both you and the person you depend upon end up feeling bound, unfulfilled, and resentful.

The only way out of dependency is to become independent. You are independent when you are willing and able to make your own choices--regardless of the responses of others. Therefore, the prerequisites of independence are that you take responsibility for your own life and that you are able to stand on your own two feet (e.g., take care of yourself emotionally and financially).

One of the best indicators of whether you are independent is whether you are willing to address issues that arise in your relationships. If you are reluctant to express your truth to a friend, a colleague, or a partner, you're probably in a dependent relationship. Always say what you need to say, and you'll avoid the binding ties of depencency.

Be prepared. It is quite likely that the purifying events predicted by Native American spirtual leaders (erratic weather, earth movements, starvation, violence, and war) will affect you personally. The occurence of any of those events will seriously disrupt your life. Coping with a social or environmental event of that magnitude will be extremely difficult, but you will handle it much better if you prepare in advance. I suggest you prepare now, because this is the time when these events are predicted to occur--in fact, they're on the news every day.

Depending on the event, you may have to evacuate or shelter in place. You can expect to be on your own for at least 3-5 days--probably more--following such an event. Minimally, you should put together an emergency preparedness kit (first aid, water, food, radio, toiletries, sleeping bags, medications, cash, important papers, etc.) and a family contingency plan (meeting places, contact information, etc.). You can find more detailed information about what to include in your kit and how to plan for disasters at the websites www.ready.gov and www.redcross.org.

If you wish to be even better prepared, you can learn the skills necessary to assist your family and neighbors by attending the CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) and Red Cross training programs offered in your community.

Accept what is. It is impossible to harmonize with someone--or something--when you deny or resist that person or thing. It doesn't make sense to resist or rage against changes in the weather, the seasons of our lives, the unkind behavior of another, the loss of a relationship, or an illness. It doesn't make any better sense to rail against politicians, history, economic conditions, social problems, or environmental crises. Resistance will only make your response and adjustment to any stressful event more difficult.

Years ago, while I was helping a farmer friend transport a load of hay, the tractor he drove fell through a bridge we were crossing. I jumped down from the trailer, kicked at the tires, and shouted obscenities. When I looked up, my farmer friend was staring at me. He rubbed his chin and asked, "I wonder how we're going to get it out'a there?" In that moment I saw just how rediculous--and unnecessary--my reaction had been.

Resistence will delay your recognition of a problem's existence, keep you from taking necessary actions, and make it much harder for others to offer help and support. Accept what is--no matter what that is--and move forward in a positive way.

Reconnect with Spirit or Life Force. When you remove yourself from outside pressures, draw back your attachments, and still your mind, you naturally reconnect with the "whole." That's the state of "being." The goal is to abide in that state all the time, but for most of us that's a challenge.

Fortunately, you can return to that state quite easily--at any time and in any situation--by using a simple Tai Chi practice called "going empty." To "go empty" allow your energy to sink from you head--where most of us carry it all the time--to a point called the "one point" located just below your belly button. It may help you to imagine your energy as water cascading down into a deep, calm pool.When you "go empty" you'll notice that your field of vision widens, the world around you slows and becomes quieter, and your responses become more intuitive and harmonious.

One way to prompt yourself to reconnect throughout your day is to surround yourself with objects or artwork that remind you. You could use a sea shell, a desert stone, a wildlife photo, a small Buddha--anything meaningful to you--as a useful touchstone or pointer. You could also use simple acts (ceremonies), such as greeting the morning sun, burnng insence, tobacco or sage, or a simple prayer as a helpful reminder.

Listen to the perspectives of others. One of the best indicators of respect I know is the willingness to honor another person's point of view. As a psychologist, I regularly worked with couples. When arguments occurred, each person would try to impose his or her view on the other...without being willing to hear the other's perspective. Soon, they would be angrily fighting about how hurt and disrespected they both felt. By then, they would have totally lost sight of the initial disagreement. The mutal disrespect was much more damaging than the issue that sparked it.

I was always amazed how quickly the tension would subside once the two people felt they had been heard--and respected. They didn't have to agree with each other--although suprisingly often they did. They just needed to acknowledge what their partner thought and felt.

No matter how difficult it may be to hear, always invite another person to tell you their perspective--and honor it--before presenting your own.

Let go of separation. We are part of a whole--a oneness. This is not a spiritual platitude: It is a reality. We not only inhabit this earth, we are integral parts of this earth. We are the conscious beings who, along with the other parts of this magnificent interdependent system, represent the fulfillment of billions of years of evolution. Similarly, we and this earth we live on are part of a unimaginably complex and extensive universe. This symphony of existence originated from one common source, and constantly unfolds in one ever-expanding flow of diversity and consciousness.

We are not--we cannot be--separate from anyone or anything...period. We have simply misperceived reality. In order to let go of our imagined separation we will need to release anything that separates us. In fact, the only things that separate us from the reality of our oneness are our own separating beliefs, judgments, prejudices, attachments, and fears.

Put simply, we must empty ourselves of all of the separating beliefs, judgments, and prejudices that we hold. Begin by making a list of the separating beliefs, judgments, and prejudices that you already recognize in yourself, and challenge and release those. Next, notice your daily reactions to the people and world around you to discover the remainder, and release those as well. Lift the veils of filtering misperceptions, and oneness will become apparent.

Maintain Your Health and Fitness. In 1993 at the “Cry of the Earth” conference, Native American elders announced that a period of purification was already under way. Because we haven't heeded the warnings we have received to live more simply, harmoniously, and respectfully, we are experiencing more frequent and more intense weather events, earth changes, starvation, violence, and wars--only compounded by our current financial predicament. 

We face physically challenging times ahead. I suggest you begin a personal physical training program, just as if you were preparing for an exotic travel, adventure. Visit your physician, and make sure you've addressed any unrecognized health concerns (e.g., high blood pressure, diabetes). Generally, the things you should do to maintain your health and prevent illness are the very same things you would do to get in shape for thet adventure ahead.

At the top of the list is eating in a healthy way. Reduce saturated fats and high glycemic index carbohydarates in your diet, and increase the fresh fruits and vegetables. Begin a regular, basic aerobic exercise program (walking, biking). Add some light weight training to build strength, and yoga or Tai Chi to increase your balance. You'll begin to feel improvement immediately. But, keep in mind that the journey ahead will be more like a marathon than a sprint, so you'll want to maintain the gains you make.

Eliminate unnecessary obligations. A friend was leaving on a long road trip to attend a niece's wedding in the middle of a very busy time. Over coffee before he left, he told me he loves his niece, but that he was only going out of a sense of obligation. Attending the wedding is just a symbol of his love for his niece, right? The true substance is his actual love for her. Why not just tell her how much he loves her, and that he won't be attending the wedding?

We take for granted the many obligations--to work, family, and even friends--in our lives. They are often habitual or ritualized events (annual holiday parties, groups we have always participated in) or invitations to events that don't really interest us. They seem to be compulsary and unavoidable, so we grugingly and resentfully go through the motions of fulfilling those obligations. It may come as a surprise, but we almost never need to do those things. We can say no. Usually, it's just that simple. We don't need to offer explanations or excuses. We can just say we won't be going.

Examine your own life, and see how many things you're doing that you'd prefer not to do. Don't allow them to steal your time, your energy, or your life. Choose the life you want to live.

Forgive. Before you can release your attachment to someone who has harmed or offended you, you will need to forgive that person.That can be very difficult, especially if you have been badly mistreated or abused. You may wish to hold the person responsible, extract an apology, or even punish him or her for the hurtful action. However, holding on to those feelings traps you, tying up your own precious energy and impeding your growth and forward motion.

From your current vantage point--here and now--look back on the person you need to fogive, and recognize his or her limitations at the time the event occurred. Forgive that person--not for the hurtful act--but for having the limitations that caused him or her to act in that hurtful way. Realize that the person did the best he or she could...given those limitations.

Also, you must be willing to forgive yourself. You can't change your own disappointing past actions, but you can begin again. Self-forgiveness is the first step. Looking back, recognize your own limitations at a time you let yourelf down, and forgive yourself. Once you forgive yourself, and release the people that bind you to the past, you will begin to move forward with a new sense of freedom and self-respect. Your ultimate success over the hurtful actions of others lies in your determination to keep moving foward!

Reveal yourself. Perhaps the ultimate way to show your respect is to reveal your true self to another person. We seldom do. Instead, we play roles with each other: sexual roles, social roles, family roles, and job roles. It takes a fair amount of courage to come out of hiding. When you open yourself to someone, you are really honoring that person, whether they recognize it or not. You are giving them one of the greatest gifts you have to give.

Your revelation could be something as simple as telling someone a true preference, rather than agreeing with his or her desires. It could be as difficult as telling someone a truth about yourself that you've never before disclosed. It could be as daring as telling someone that they have hurt or angered you, or as bold as acknowledging to someone that you love him or her.

Revealing yourself always involves a risk, as your gift might be discounted or rejected. On the other hand, it could be accepted and even reciprocated, opening a new door to deeper, more honest understanding and sharing. It could be a step toward relatedness--oneness.

Envision a positive future. We live at a time when it is terribly important that each of us begin to envision a new world. Our old structures, systems, and practices are no longer serving us. We believed in them, trusted in them, and placed our faith in them, but now there are clear signs that they are failing us. Our old world view cannot carry us forward beyond this point. It is time to dream again.

In the past, we left the envisioning process in the hands of the select few who attained positions of power and influence. We conceded our power to them. We're beginning to realize that this is a time when we must take our power back. We can no longer subject ourselves to the dreams of others--no matter who's dream that is. This is a time when we must each take personal responsibility for the course we are on. This is our nation. This is our world. This is our future.

Every new creation begins with a vision, whether that vision comes as a thought, an inspiration, or a dream. Let yourself begin to look forward, beyond the unravelling that's occurring. Begin to dream the world you would like to live in--the world you like your children to grow up in. Then set out to bring that world into existence with your determined intentions, words, and actions.

Reduce your purchases and expenses. Before you buy anything, ask yourself, "Do I really need this? " Cutting expenses will not only reduce your personal demand on environmental resources, it will also reduce the income you have to earn. It will increase the amount of money available for needed expenditures (e.g., home or car maintenance), allow you to save for emergencies, and reduce the amount of needless worry in your life. You'll be creating freedom.

The interest you pay on any debt is a burdomsome, unnecessary drain on your resources. Pay off all debt you carry as quickly as you can. Save the money you need before you make any new purchase (like a new car--even a hybrid). You'll avoid making impulsive purchases, plus you'll save considerably on the price you pay for the purchase.

Also, look for places where you can cut costs in your daily life. Here are some examples.Check out books and CDs from the library, rather than buying them. Cook all the dishes you like to eat most at home, rather than eating out. Only buy machine- or hand-washable clothes, rather than items you have to take to the laundry. Walk, hike, and work out at home, rather than pay gym fees and equipment costs. Think about it, and I'm sure you'll come up with a lot of equally good--or better--ideas that apply to your own circumstances.

Honor the life force in everyone and everything. When Hindus meet, they often offer each other the greeting, Namaste. In essence, the greeting communicates, "The Divine I recognize inside myself recognizes and acknowledges that same Divine in you."

You may have to look past the outer form and limitations to see the Divine in another life form--whether that life form is a person, a creature, a plant, or a stone. But, once you recognize that reality--the reality that we are all that One Divine manifesting in a myriad of different forms--it is impossible not to feel respect for another living being--impossible!

If only in your mind, try greeting everyone and everthing you interact with the greeting "Namaste--I see the light of the Divine shining inside you." You'll find that it will bring everyone and everything back inside the circle of life. And, if you start to do this regularly, you may just discover that you've brought yourself back inside that circle, too.

Downscale. I recently read in a local paper that developers are selling 4,000-5,000 square foot, zero-energy-use homes in a near-by mountain range development. I was delighted that the builders were incorporating that high level of energy efficiency. But, wouldn’t it make better environmental and economic sense to incorporate that same technology into smaller houses--houses that didn't require a long commute to get anywhere? (The average house size has increased significantly in our lifetime.). That would automatically reduce furnishing expenses, upkeep costs, gas costs, mortgage payments…and save even more energy.

When the time comes to make any new or replacement purchase, seriously consider scaling down. For example, if you now drive two vehicles, consider getting by with one. How about trading in your vehicle less often? Then, when you do trade it in, consider trading it for a smaller, cheaper, more efficient vehicle. Better yet, why not walk, bike, or take mass transit instead of driving at all. Similarly, If you move down the food chain, and reduce portion sizes, both you and the environment will benefit. This same reasoning can be applied to all areas of your life.

So, as a rule, think smaller…and think less…any time you have a choice. Reducing your use of resources is still the very best way to preserve resources.  

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