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The Shock

I couldn’t believe it when it happened. My guitar fell from the bed to the floor and… SNAP! The headstock, as you can see in the picture, broke in half like a match stick. What the..?

That’s all I could think. I couldn’t even get mad because this was so shocking that it was beyond anger, it was jaw-dropping disbelief. I just thought WOAH, what’s going on? I had no answer.

After a few hours of absorbing what happened I started to think of the meaning behind it. I’m the kind of person who believes there’s a higher reason for things like this to happen, so I needed to know why.

The Notebook Entry

My notebooks are a place for me to reflect on the meaning of things in my life. For this incident, I wanted to know how a broken guitar could be good for me. There had to be a higher reason, there always is. Somehow this event was a catalyst for personal growth, so I reflected in my journal last night about what this all meant and here’s what I wrote:

Guitar playing means nothing

Singing means nothing

Making a statement means nothing

Overcoming suffering means nothing

Writing songs means nothing

Being good means nothing

Having fun means nothing

Changing the world means nothing

Wikileaks means nothing

Blog posts mean nothing

Facebook means nothing

The Meaning

My thought process in interpreting the meaning of this began by looking at this event as obviously being connected to my relationship to the guitar or music. I know my attitude with music lately has been a little impatient, even a little frustrating, and because I know these feelings are not coming from the highest part of me I know that my broken guitar has to do with healing those feelings. There is clearly a message here for me to let go of the guitar, or to let go of music.

You can see in my notebook entry that this list of things, which are things I feel to be important and valuable, I was telling myself meant nothing. I remembered that more important than achieving all of my goals is to let go of them. Let go of guitar playing, let go of singing, let go of music. Let go of all of it so I can detach from expecting results. When I expect certain results I get frustrated if they don’t manifest, sometimes subtly, sometimes not.

I remembered that when things mean nothing, they lose their hold over us. We just let them happen because we are not personally attached to them in any way and we are not expecting a certain outcome. If we learn to have a higher relationship of detachment to that which we most desire, as well as to that which we least desire, we allow deeper states of self expression to manifest. We can create for the sake of creation, not for the sake of some goal.

I guess I am getting a pretty strong message to let go of even my most important goals, and of expecting certain outcomes so that I can free myself from pressure to succeed and discover deeper levels of being. Good thing I have another guitar so I can continue with making music, but note to God – I got the message, no need for another.

What are affirmations?

Affirmations are repeatable statements that proclaim a desirable truth.

Why do affirmations work?

The effectiveness of affirmations is built on the truth that our thoughts create our reality. Change our thought patterns and we change our world. Evidence for this is found in the experiences of people who have consciously chosen to embrace new ways of thinking and have then seen the resultant changes in their lives. Switching from fear-based thoughts to positive and self-reinforcing thoughts will bring the individual, and consequently our society, a favorable change in circumstances. Therefore, in order to best utilize the creative power of the universe it is wise to create specific thoughts that will bring to us what we desire.

The following are just a few of an infinite number of affirmations. Repeat regularly. They can be memorized or written down for future reference. It is beneficial to practice writing our own based on what we would like to create in our life. Using positive language and gratitude will create the most effective affirmations.

Affirmations

• I ask for and intend that only the very highest energies, frequencies and vibrations come to me and through me.
• Today my attention remains focused on my heart center and the eternal NOW moment.
• Thank you for aligning me with those who are able to inspire me and teach me things.
• Today I intend on feeling the energies of joy.
• I embrace the certainty of oneness. I let my soul guide me.
• Thank you for bringing to me that which I need in order to grow.
• I am happy and at peace with who I am and what I have accomplished.
• Thank you God for this chance to grow and find my way.
• I joyfully express who I am and let go of the fear of being criticized by others.
• I connect with my Divine Blueprint the thought that every chakra, every atom, every cell, every molecule, and every element, every hormone, every liquid, blood, every organ and every gland, every muscle and tissue, every bone and every joint, every nerve, every place and space of my body and brain sings with joy, radiant health and  perfection, Light, happiness, equilibrium, energy, balance, purity, vitality, radiant youth and beauty, Divine inspiration, intelligence, clarity and the full Awareness of my Divinity right now and so it is! So be it!
• The Energy in My Aura is My Own.
• I embrace the wholeness of my divine reality.
  
• I detach, and I let go because I don’t need anything. I am whole and complete.
  
• There is nothing I have to do, there is no reason to leave the peaceful NOW.
• I affirm that I am worthy and deserving of all things good in my life and choose to be happy at all times.
• Everything is alright.
• I trust that what I need is given to me.
  
• I am honest with myself and others.
• I am compassionate and empathetic to the welfare of others.
  
• …and so on…

All that we want to become is simply a matter of imagination combined with right thinking, and followed by right action.

The deeper truths of the human spirit too often remain unrecognized within individuals because of the nature of a modern, busy life. Our lives are often too busy for us to ever take the time to get in touch with our deepest, heartfelt desires. But behind the constant stream of input coming into our five senses lies a stillness and persistent joy that is the core of our identity. Meditation is the valuable tool that will help us find that part in all of us.

The following is a list of the many benefits a regular meditation practice will enable:

• Easier learning;
• Increased self-confidence;
• Improved mental and physical health;
• Better awareness of one’s deepest desires;
• Better control over one’s actions;
• A reduction and elimination of fears;
• Increased compassion and empathy;
• A desire to seek out and create experiences of love and peace;
• Increased patience;
• Better personal organization;
• More consistent moods;
• Better control over habits such as drinking and smoking;
• A heightened interest in living one’s deepest desires;
• Better understanding of spiritual concepts;
• A natural desire for ethical behavior;
• Increased intelligence;
• A steadily increasing happiness;
• Easier forgiveness of others;
• A higher tolerance for heat and cold;
• A greater appreciation for simple things;

Meditation is any activity that calms the mind and brings the conscious attention into the present moment, away from past or future concerns. This can include walking in nature, doing yoga, or any number of similar, calming activities. Another type is seated meditation, which is probably the most recognized form of meditation. Seated meditation quickly brings great benefit; it entails sitting still, in silence, on a pillow or chair, while trying to calm the mind by focusing on the breath. Practiced regularly, seated meditation is enormously effective at bringing lasting happiness and relief from modern stresses.

The many modern distractions of technology, entertainment and professional sports, among other things, have become so enthralling that they have caused us to attach more value to these external phenomena than seeking to know the internal values that lie within us. Without quiet time, a mind never truly cleanses itself from this external sensory data, which leaves the mind buzzing with an almost steady stream of noise. These noises distract us because they block access to a true and deep state of peace, concentration and awareness.

Without full awareness of our actions we are likely to act out of habit, and can easily become influenced by others. In either case, we act in a less desirable way than if we had been more aware of what we were doing in that moment. Through meditation, we learn to become more aware of our own behaviors, or the reasons that motivate our behaviors, which enables us to have more control over what we want to create.

Also preventing us from creating what we truly and deeply desire is our fear of change and our fear of the unknown. By enabling greater awareness of the causes of these fears and by reducing the intensity of these fears, meditation is also useful as the quickest means to helping us move past any fears that are preventing us from seeking new experiences. A greater awareness allows us to step on the path to achieving our life’s purpose by enabling access to deeper truths that might otherwise remain unknown or blocked by our fears. We additionally gain more self-confidence by learning to step out of our comfort zone and take more chances.

By quieting the mind, meditation is an important tool to help us attain new levels of awareness so that we no longer let our habits or fears determine our actions. By starting with ten to fifteen minutes each day, in the morning or evening, we will begin to understand ourselves in new and deeper ways, and we will discover that balancing our busy lives with quiet time will lead us to ever increasing states of peace and happiness.