Observation is a passive science, experimentation an active science.
~ Claude Bernard, French Psychologist
(1813-1878)
Our ability to think is what separates us from each other and sometimes from the true nature of life. When we think we know the truth, we become closed-minded and very unscientific. A true scientist has no fixed beliefs and so can experiment in the hopes of learning the truth.
Someone once said that if you want a man to do something, ask him what he thinks about it. If you want a woman to do something, ask her how she feels about it. I hope we’ve gotten beyond those gender stereotypes, but just to understand yourself better, I recommend that you understand the distinction between thinking and feeling.
By keeping that invaluable inner child’s perspective as we grow up and go through life, we are assured of remaining open to all possibilities, whatever we are evaluating at any point in our lives. Once we start to self-censor, we are lost.
One very enjoyable way to restore a sense of humility when we find ourselves getting too sure about how much we know is to spend some time with our animal companions. Among these marvelous beings you will find The Faculty of experts on getting the absolute most out of every waking minute! Use the passive science of observation to see how dogs interact with humans and other dogs. You will see almost immediately the behavior of collaboration and cooperation. “Who’s got the ball…” “Who’s got the treat…” “Who will scratch my neck…”
You won’t catch any of our animal friends worrying about what’s for dinner or if they look fat today…! Now you can add the active part of science—experimentation. Resolve to learn from these wise beings and try living in the moment just for today. When you reflect on the experiment, put it in the context that almost guarantees happiness—that context is that we only ever have today.
If you want to take charge of your life and live in the moment, accept your feelings as your creation and let them guide you. You will find that living that way gives you a different sense of time as you live in your body and not your head. The grounding you get from a focus on your body should be shared with your intellectual self—balancing the whole you. Body-Mind-Spirit…you can choose to see the Spirit as a bridge between mind and body—or the glue holding the holistic you together, honoring everything human beings can be.
Take a moment right now to lift your spirits—think about something that made you laugh out loud. It doesn’t matter if it was something that happened a long time ago or just last week…let yourself laugh again. Visualize a tote bag full of these special “laugh out loud” moments from your life. See yourself always having that tote bag nearby. Rummage around in that tote bag full of healing humor, pull something out, and bask for a moment in the glow of genuine happiness. Your heart will thank you.
Peace,
Bernie