Long ago, the yearly holiday that is Thanksgiving became, for me, something more than just eating as much as possible. It grew into how wonderful it was to have family and friends together…while we ate as much as possible! Then it variably grew into how thankful I was to have wonderful children, a wonderful woman, my health, a home, my job… and over time, the list has grown even more. I am noticing many others having the same increasing awareness and it feels warm and right…. and there is more.
Thanksgiving now, for me, is not the only day that I pause to be thankful. The opportunity for this is all around. By way of example, just today in the span of only 3 hours, I had these opportunities to be thankful and I seized them with gusto:
• I read what Janet, an accomplished Belly Dancer wrote on Facebook today (http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=456951427477&comments) about her reflections on what Spirituality means to her. She said “For me, Spirituality has also been about waking up and obtaining ownership of my life..” That Janet, at such a young age, has this awareness ….Thank you.
• I received a newsletter today from Lauri, the owner of The Hub, a local yoga studio. (http://track.namastelight.com/v/1/0be4dc69149ffddded7424d77dfc9fe46b7210346658c26c ) She wrote, in part, about commitment “…the commitment to continually grow, challenge and push yourself beyond the limitations that keep you from experiencing your true greatness.” That Lauri has this clarity … Thank you.
• My adult daughter, Lauren is home visiting for the month. As she lives in Australia, I do not see her often. This morning, we had breakfast on the patio at home together with her boyfriend. We had finished and as I was leaning back on the chaise lounge relishing the warmth of the sun, Lauren walked by, stopped for a moment, placed her hand on my forehead, and then kissed me on the cheek…To be alive and to receive this priceless gift of love from my daughter…Thank you.
• I was outside doing yard work. Just as I was finishing, I received a text message from my woman, Charu. It read, “Can you come inside and give me a kiss?” That simple kiss ultimately led to her taking me inside of her while she whispered how much she loved me…That I get to be with this powerful and luscious woman…Thank you.
And there were more instances throughout the day…
It goes without saying that today’s events felt warm and right …and not in a mental way as if there was a check list… nothing like that. It felt warm and right in my body. I could feel it in my heart and deep in my core. My head had nothing to do with this. I was free of any judgement or any idea of what any of this was supposed to be like. It just *was* and it was fucking great!
To be honest, there was a long period in my life where I know I missed the opportunity to be thankful and take that split second to immerse myself in all that is so rich, alive and wonderful in those everyday events. I only was thankful on Thanksgiving and apart from that day, I routinely allowed myself to be under the influence that daily stress had a way of engulfing me in. I was self centered, confused, ungrounded and often at the whim of whatever life threw at me. In that state, how could I have even had the awareness of all of what was possible to appreciate? All those delicious opportunities to feel love and connect with others was lost in an ocean of confusion, disconnect and distraction. Funny thing was, (sadly enough) I had no idea…I thought I had it all figured out…(EGO!)
During this long period of time I lacked the following Core Masculine Principles:
• I had no clue how to Be Present,
• Living Life on the Edge meant being reckless and acting “unconsciously”
• I operated from a Personal Context that was set by someone or something else.
• My Context for Woman was thoughtless and careless
• I had no clearly defined Terms as a Man
• I had not identified a Higher Purpose
• and the Special Techniques I had were unpredictable and no more than just a flash in the pan.
Now, after having these Core Masculine Principles integrated in my being, I am freed up to feel all that was available to me in those above previously listed moments….and there is still more to learn.
That I am not unconsciously concerned or preoccupied with who I am, what is important to me or what I will fight for (being in my head) allows me to be Present, (the main tenet of Tantra) and then subsequently be available to feel into all the subtleties and, with ease, follow the natural intelligence and intuition that comes from my gut…(being in my body).
And since I only have this one life, doesn’t it, in part, beg the following questions:
• Shouldn’t I live life to it’s fullest potential and not waste another moment on the mindless trivial drivel that comes with being absent, confused and distracted?
• Shouldn’t I live life where I can feel the edges of the envelope being pushed into the discomfort that lets me know I am living a life worth living?
• Shouldn’t I live life where the seemingly small moments of recognition of love and connection are relished with utter abandon as if they were the last moments available on earth?
—> and then, as a result, wouldn’t there be the increased awareness, opening and utter appreciation to be able to say Thank you for all the gifts that come our way?
*Every* day is Thanksgiving!
So, this is all possible… leave behind what you no longer need and travel light. Join the next Men’s Tantra Circle where we open a door for Man to operate with powerful clarity and ease in life and with an opening to experience the magnificence of Woman. We do this by:
• using Tantric techniques including breath, sound and movement
• participating and contributing in a rich and full discussion of the Core Masculine Principles.
I wholeheartedly invite any comments…don’t hold back now!