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MESSAGE BOARD: Issue 9. August 2008

Hello and welcome to the August 2008 Message Board from PiB, the 9th in our series of monthly news and articles on corporate life, leadership and of course, the 3Ps approach. If you missed previous Message Boards, you can retrieve them from the PiB Message Board archive.

As usual, my appreciation for your thoughtful comments on these Message Boards. Remember, you can email me or phone, anytime - my number is at the bottom of this message.

Enjoy this issue... peace, David.

IN THIS ISSUE

News & Events

The Message Board Feature Article:
this month we are exploring Personal Reality: how we create it, and how our 'personal truth' is manifested through endless judgements, attitudes, opinions and ultimately, actions. More food for thought...

We Are What We Do
our regular column with insightful ideas to reflect on...

Subscriber & Privacy Information

NEWS & EVENTS

As you know, we recently added Collected Works to our portfolio of resources - free downloadable articles from selected authors, teachers, international consultants, lifetime-students and practitioners of the 3 Principles approach. We are negotiating with several authors to fulfill that promise... to view our current collection, click here

THE MESSAGE BOARD FEATURE ARTICLE

Personal Reality

Personal Reality at Work & its Creation

"The reality is…" This often used statement (implying some universal truth), is after the fact of a hidden dynamism or energy within human beings. This hidden energy is our ability to create... creating an endless number of opinions, judgements, realities and personal truths...

Isn’t it true that people in opposition maintain their way of seeing things as the truth? Aside from the friendly jousting we all enjoy from time to time - arguments, workplace disputes and gossip are all signs that we are taking our truth seriously. And this is not limited to our working lives. Isn’t it our world leaders' inability to step back and take another look that creates conflicts, wars, territorial disputes and our current climate of terrorism? What does it take to stand back and take a second look, without becoming embroiled in yet another ‘new’ insight into 'the truth'? What is the difference between an idea and holding onto our personal reality, as the truth? Standing back and gaining perspective is a critical endowment that some people have in their lives. But all too often we fail to gain the clarity or objectivity that stepping back offers us.

What’s at play when we step back from our position, our personal reality and take another look? Each of us has, at some time or other, been able to step back and see something afresh. This stepping back phenomenon can be a series of one-off events (seemingly unconnected) - or we can move into an ever-increasing understanding of the creative principles that are the source of all our viewpoints, realities and truths. When this happens, we human beings are invited to see the true nature of creating our personal realities - our daily lives from moment to moment.

Our momentary thinking is our personal reality. It is the only reality we have access to. What we think is our reality, it is the form our reality takes at any moment. Yet, what we think only exists due to our capacity to create, and this potentiality is the source of our genius to create form. PiB calls this energy or capacity or potentiality or creative dynamism the Principle of THOUGHT.

Likewise, the source of our capacity to step back and SEE form and experience our momentary reality is known as CONSCIOUSNESS. It is an understanding or a knowing that has us experience our reality (hence, appreciating the power of THOUGHT to create). Consciousness is being aware and awake to the creative power of THOUGHT to manifest or put form to our personal lives; via our state of mind. All states of mind are determined by our judgements, views, opinions or whatever forms our thinking takes in the moment.

• If it weren't so difficult, what would our personal and family lives be like?
• What would our working lives be like?
• What would our sense of 'who we are' be like?
• What if we could change our mind about how we judge our colleagues, our bosses, our loved ones and ourselves?
• What impact would suspending what we think, more of the time, have on our ability to listen and be open to hearing what others have to say? and...
• What if it was commonplace to see workplace stress as a reflection of people's states of mind?

The ease with which we face demanding times is brought about through perspective, focus and energy - responding to each moment without fear. Focus is when we are not cluttered by anxious thinking - able to see with clarity what needs to be done. Energy to respond is when we are not fighting ourselves, being distracted by doubt, looking too far ahead of ourselves - having the presence of mind to see what needs to be done NOW. Is this not all about SEEING, being CONSCIOUS (aware and awake) to the power to frighten ourselves via the creative energy of THOUGHT?

When people understand the fundamental nature of THOUGHT and CONSCIOUSNESS there is an ever-expanding moment of possibility. These creative forces enable us to change our minds, get over our past and create a fresh moment. These same forces are also at work when we are bloody-minded, overwhelmed and bewildered; unable to see a way forward.

When we deepen our understanding of these powerful energies that create new possibilities or maintain old positions, we are more likely to stay awake more of the time. The reality is… these creative energies are at work with or without us being CONSCIOUS of our creative ability to make our reality via THOUGHT.

© David Bodman 2008.

Permission to copy for personal use is granted. For other publication rights please contact the author.

WE ARE WHAT WE DO

"I just don’t have the energy to deal this." I often hear myself or others say this without appreciating what is really happening. In the inherent power of focus and natural efficiency of others I often ask "where do they get their energy from?" In this I am not talking about someone who exerts energy with unnecessary force or willfulness in their efforts to bring about change.

No, there is a natural and effortless flow of energy which does not result in exhaustion, weariness or stress. Energy is an extension of our feelings. Our feelings are determined by our state of mind. When I don't experience the optimum level of energy it suggests to me that I have been too preoccupied with expectations or life events that have passed or are yet to come. I am just not present to the now.

The now might be worry, fear, anxiety, anger or the many other preoccupations that restrict our energy and fatigue us. In that now it is tempting to over-analyse or act from our (unsettled) thoughts; instead of holding to the intention of accepting the unsettledness without judgement or reproach. Not even wanting the energy back; just a simple acceptance of this present now and knowing there is energy for the next step.

Until next time... David.

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