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Dream as Analogy for RealityThis world is psychoactive. So much so that we don't even realize how are fundamental beliefs and unquestioned assumptions shape our sense of who we are and what the world is.One of those assumptions is the referent to this simple, and often thought/spoken phrase I am.Its innocuous, we think it constantly. I am hungry, I am tired, I am sad, I am lonely, I am scared, etc.When we say “I am” —this thought or sensation goes unquestioned, and so we build our life or our sense of self on these unquestioned thoughts and feelings.Sometimes the shape of the I AM, is really negative or painful, I am not good enough, I am bad at this, I am unworthy.Or it takes the shape of shame, anger, fear, desire, anxiety, hatred.We usually get totally bought in to those feelings, sensations or thoughts being who we are— we suffer them. We become trapped in the world that is created through believing them or identifying with them.In the dharma practice, we are practicing looking into these basic assumptions, to ask well what does this I AM refer to?We can do this now, notice the sense of I am. How are you experiencing it? Is it a thought, a feeling, a sensation, something else?And if so, what is the nature of this thought, sensation, belief or emotion?When we look, with non-judgmental awareness and genuine curiosity what we begin to see is — the I Am is ungraspable, it changes, its spacious, flowing, here only in the moment of its happening, non-referential.So, the encouragement is to look, to really look, to see what happens in your own experience.Often we don't look back into the sense of I AM, we let it be a given, so this kind of inward looking, turning our awareness around, can feel strange and unnatural.Nothing happens—or there is nothing there, or its just this.These are actually profound experiences, but subtle, we are expecting some big fireworks experience of no-self or emptiness, and don't appreciate the profundity of verifying for ourselves the ungraspable, spacious nature of our sense of self.The openness of not-finding, is the openness of being. The openness of pure possibility.The dream-like nature of reality is one way of describing the ungraspability, the spaciousness, openness and the insubstantiality of direct experience itself .Any word is imperfect.So we have a lot of different analogies. Dream is a good one. There is also illusion, magic show, echo, reflection in water, phantom. Modern practitioners sometimes say, like a motion picture or a hologram.I feel like dream is particularly evocative, it shows up most in the Zen teachings.And its's a practice. An invitation to see through the assumptions or reactions we paste onto reality. This is a DreamTo practice seeing the insubstantiality of thoughts, feelings, emotions, reactions, fears, we can invite this slogan or phrase:This is a dream, am I dreaming?To work with this as an inquiry or koan, doesn't mean that we are carrying it around all the time, zapping things that we don't like into dreams.Its a living question, its about inviting curiosity.So maybe you are standing in line, and frustration is building—and your mind starts thinking about all the things that you need to do, or how you are going to be late, or how you don't want to be here. You can inquire:What if this is a dream? And really entertain it, what changes?When its a dream, we are usually present.So you might notice the other people, these characters in your dream—who are they? You might notice other things in the room, the colors, smells, sounds.You might notice what you are drawn towards, or what becomes present that you weren't aware of before.What does waiting feel like in a dream?If this were a dream you were remembering in the morning, what parts of it would you share, or record.Regard all dharmas as dreams is the first of the five slogans for awakening absolute bodhicitta in the Lojong. Pema Chodron comments in her book Start Where you Are.Really, regard everything as a dream. Life is a dream. Death is a dream, for that matter sleeping is a dream and waking is a dream. Another way to say this is everything is a passing memory.She goes on to tell a story of someone who opened to the dream like nature of reality spontaneously while on a solo backpacking trip. He started to feel like the mountains were dream mountains, and his food was dream food. He was writing on dream paper, dream words. The man remarked that in that state there was a vastness and a peace, a kind of possibility and okness about the way things were.Pema Chodron comments that the practice of regarding everything as a dream invites openness.Openness is one of the qualities of bodhicitta, its a practice of opening up to the spaciousness of being. Of being less identified with the suffering making mind. Openness brings possibility.When I entertain that this is a dream, I feel like I am leaning into life. The possibility of the hawk singing a song or the stones telling me a story, becomes vividly real. I see the magic of this world. I am filled with a kind of wonderment. Life is re-enchanted in an open kind of way.What happens for you?Is wonderment possible even in lines? Even in traffic? Even while watching the news? Even in challenging conversations or disagreements?Try it out. Let it be a living inquiry.This is a dream. Its psychoactive, it may just wake you up to the openness that you are. That this world is.For more. Listen to the talk. I would be interested to hear your comments and experiences trying on the inquiry This is a Dream. Feel free to share here.I'm Amy Kisei. I am a Zen Buddhist Teacher, Spiritual Counselor, Astrologer and Artist. I offer 1:1 Spiritual Counseling sessions using IFS and somatic mindfulness. I also offer astrology readings. Check out my website to learn more. I currently live in Columbus, OH and am a supporting teacher for the Mud Lotus Sangha.Below you can find a list of weekly and monthly online and in-person practice opportunities.Weekly Online Meditation EventMonday Night Dharma — 6P PT / 9P ET Join weekly for drop-in meditation and dharma talk. We are currently exploring Zen and Dreams.Feel free to join anytime. Event lasts about 1.5 hours. ZOOM LINKZen Practice opportunities through ZCOLight of the Ancestors Sesshin—May 12 - 18, in-person at Great Vow Zen Monastery16 Bodhisattva Precepts Class—May 4 - June 8, online class series exploring the ethical teachings of Zen BuddhismIn-Person in Columbus, Ohio through Mud Lotus SanghaInterdependence Sesshin: A Five Day Residential Retreat Wednesday July 2 - Sunday July 6 in Montrose, WV at Saranam Retreat Center (Mud Lotus is hosting its first Sesshin!)Weekly Meditations on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amykisei.substack.com/subscribe
Join host Jennie Bellinger as she delves into the world of genuine networking and referral partnerships with expert Daniel Andrews. Learn the secrets to building authentic relationships and leveraging referrals for business growth. But just when things start to make sense, a shocking revelation leaves Daniel in a difficult position, leaving listeners craving more answers.About Daniel Andrews:Daniel Andrews is a native of Columbia, South Carolina where he currently resides after an absence of 13 years. He owns a business that shows businesspeople how to identify, find, meet, and nurture professional relationships with Key Referral Partners. Fundamentally, he shows businesspeople how to STOP “networking,” and START building true networks. This is his fourth career; he's been successfully self-employed for 35 years. He also spent 15 years in direct sales by working full-time with Cutco, where he was a representative for four years and a manager for 11 years.In this episode, Jennie and Daniel discuss:Building Genuine Networks and Referral PartnershipsThrough building genuine relationships with referral partners, direct sales professionals can develop a stronger and more robust connection, which can enhance their business opportunities.Importance of Trust in Network MarketingBy building credibility, and reliability, and eliminating self-interest, trust increases and relationships becomes stronger. Start Where the Previous Person Left OffA mindful continuation of efforts also demonstrates respect for prior contributions, fostering a solid network based on shared efforts and successes.In this episode, you will be able to:Build Genuine Networks and Referral Partnerships: Unlock the secret to expanding your business through authentic connections and powerful referrals.Importance of Trust in Network Marketing: Discover the game-changing role trust plays in elevating your network marketing success.Start Where the Previous Person Left Off: Learn how to seamlessly pick up where others left off, to propel your networking efforts to new heights.Focus on Mutual Support and Trust: Embrace the key to achieving mutual support and trust for sustainable growth in your network.Shift from Transactional to Relational Networking: Master the art of transforming your networking from transactional to relational, fostering stronger, long-lasting connections."To truly cultivate meaningful connections and leverage referrals for growth, you have to discover if Jenny's referral would belong in your world. Because if you want the relationship to last, you need to support them in the ways that you want them to support you.” –Daniel AndrewsCONNECT WITH DANIEL:Facebook Name: https://facebook.com/danthemanwiththeplan1967Facebook Business Page: https://facebook.com/danandrewsniaLinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niasoutheast/CONNECT WITH JENNIE:Website: https://badassdirectsalesmastery.com/Email: jennie@badassdirectsalesmastery.comFacebook personal page: https://facebook.com/jbellingerPLFacebook podcast page: http://facebook.com/BadassDirectSalesMasteryFacebook group for Badass Crew: https://facebook.com/groups/BadassDirectSalesMomsInstagram: https://instagram.com/BadassDirectSalesMasteryPersonal Instagram: https://instagram.com/jenniebellingerLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/BadassDirectSalesMastery Show Notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
Make Beautiful Things - Finding Joy & Purpose in Our Work, Relationships & Communities
On today's podcast Kristin speaks with Heather Hanson, Holistic Nutritionist of Flourish Nutrition Therapy, about how we can feel better and improve our health,We discuss:What to do when we don't feel wellWhere to Start: Where is Your Health and How Do You Want to Improve itAsk Yourself- How Do You Want to FeelDealing with AutoImmune ConditionsWhat are First steps to being Our Own Best Advocate for Our HealthConnect with Heather at: FlourishNutritionalTherapy.comWhat is holding you back from going after your dreams, defining life on your terms and from finding meaningful work you love? What is holding you back from going after your dreams to start your business or to write a book or launch a podcast, to sell your art or clothing, or to start an online business? What is holding you back from finding real joy and meaning in your life?This is Your Life. Your One Life. How Will You Choose to Live It? I choose to celebrate those among us who stepped off the path of expectation and into their purpose and a life worth celebrating. Step into an Abundant Life & Business God has called you to.Are You Ready to Be Inspired and Encouraged to take a chance and bet on Yourself? To finally say Yes to Your Deepest Desires or Make Your Biggest Dreams Come True? Then Get Comfy and Join Me each week as I talk to guests about How they are Building a Life They Love.Kristin speaks to entrepreneurs who are doing work they love and building lives they love and doing it on their terms and stepping into what God has called them into- let's start taking action to create and monetize our creative ideas and passions and turn them into thriving businesses- let's go after our dream work, make more money and spend more time with people we love living our best lives and have lasting impact in the world. Learn more about working with Kristin, joining her community or her podcasts at KristinFitch.com #chaseyourdreams #purpose #godsizeddreams #buildalifeyoulove #christianbusiness #kingdombusiness #sidehustle #findyourcalling #functionalmedicinee #holistichealth #holisticnutrition #nutrition #autoimmune #celiacdisease #healthandwellness #howtofeelbetter #optimalhealth #healthadvocate #health #feelbetter #healthyliving
Right now is a time that many of us, particularly student atlhetes, may feel lost without school tasks or sport to tell us what to do or who we are. The college years is a time when most people find their identity, and for athletes so much of their day is consumed with their athletic identity that there isn’t much time or space to explore other parts of themselves. During the Covid-19 crisis, however, student athletes are not immersed in their sport and they may not have much to do in school. Dr. Michelle Joshua, Director of Sport Psychology for NC State Athletics, shares some ways that we can intentionally explore various areas of who we are. Here are some recommendations of things that were mentioned in this episode:Find ways to stretch yourself creatively.Pay attention to where your mind goes when you have still time, notice where your energy goes and what you tend to do in your activities.Find a journal that has prompts. Some good ones are: Start Where you Are: A Journal for Self-Exploration, Present, Not Perfect: A Journal for Slowing Down, Letting Go, and Loving Who you Are, and True You:A Self-Discovery Journal of Prompts and Exercises to Inspire Reflection and GrowthSet up a time with a friend or teammate and find a list of questions to ask each other. There are some packs of cards you can buy or lists you can get of the internet. Here are a few suggestions: Table Topics: Questions to Start Great Conversations, So Cards: A Collection of Questions for Deeper Discussions and Chat Pack: Fun Questions to Spark Conversations
Learn how to create reoccurring revenue in Make more money and spend more time with your family! Troy Horne of New Economy Kids. Father, Musician, and Entrepreneur Troy Horne has been very fortunate throughout his life and career. Troy has starred in the Broadway show RENT, he has been featured on NBC’s The Sing Off, and the ION Networks Firebrand TV. He has also toured the world with his former band The House Jacks singing for audiences in The US, Germany, Japan, France, Italy, and The Netherlands, and early in his career he was fortunate enough to record and perform alongside the likes of Ivan Neville and Steve Miller with his then rock band “Moses”. Troy has also written music for the film Thug Angel – A Tupac Shakur Documentary, appeared on Starsearch, and written music for former NFL Champion and Indianapolis Colts Coach Tony Dungy’s book Uncommon. What you will Learn in this Episode: How to get started with creating an online business How to incorporate your passion, niche & the stay in your own lane How to “Start Where you Are” 5 simple, consistent steps needed to generate your first dollar…and then scale, scale, scale! Links and Resources Hiring & Empowering Solutions on Facebook www.hiringandempowering.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/molly-hall http://neweconomykids.com/
4 Tools to Successful Law Firm Marketing: Even when you have no money or people Brief Episode Description Roslyn Cassidy, Founder of Digital Social Strategist, a law firm digital and social marketing agency focused on achieving continuous improved legal marketing in all areas; Prospecting Leads –Strategic Planning – Marketing Plan & Budget Forecasting – Database Marketing – Digital Marketing – Direct & E-Mail Marketing – Social Media Marketing – SEO/SEM –Lead Generation / Lead Nurturing Campaigns – Google AdWords & Social Ad Campaigns and Affiliate Marketing. What you will Learn in this Episode: How all you need is 5 hours a week to get started with marketing How to “Start Where you Are” The 4 simple, consistent tools needed to 5x your law firm practice How to let go with full faith and confidence Links and Resources Hiring & Empowering Solutions on Facebook www.hiringandempowering.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/molly-hall https://www.digitalsocialstrategist.com/
The Jox Entertainment crew (Tim Melton - @MeltonTalks, Jon Lunceford - @jlunce, and John SaBerre - @JohnSayBear) review the latest installment in the MCU: Avengers Endgame. Start - Where was your hype level & anticipation? 22:46 - Top 5 List: Which Characters were the most well-represented? 37:18 - That 3rd act, tho.
God has called the church to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the world. Start Where you are, use what you have, do what you can!
[smart_track_player url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/7figureceo/7CEO_056__Beginning_With_The_End_In_Mind_With_Oliver_Billson.mp3″ title=”7CEO 056: Beginning With The End In Mind With Oliver Billson” artist=”Casey Graham” social=”true” social_twitter=”true” social_facebook=”true” social_gplus=”true” ] Today we're joined by Oliver Billson – a brilliant leader who shares about starting & running multiple 7+ figure businesses. Oli started his entrepreneur journey at 15 years old building & selling custom computers to friends and eventually exporting them outside the United Kingdom. His next business came out of his passion for cars and he eventually dedicated time to learn marketing so he could take control of growing his businesses. That led to teaching people how to market & grow their business using the systems they created to scale their company. He currently spends his time building their full-service marketing agency in the UK that serves businesses worldwide. They broke the 7-figure mark (via monthly run rate) within four months of starting. LINKS OliverBillson.com: Check out the Blog & schedule a call Scaling Up & Mastering the Rockefeller Habits by Verne Harnish Traction & Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman Beyond Entrepreneurship by Jim Collins The Ultimate Sales Letter by Dan Kennedy Email your top take-aways and learnings to Casey@CaseyGraham.com TOP TAKE-AWAYS TEAM ALIGNMENT One of the most important tasks you need to own in your organization is to strategically align your team with the bigger picture of where you're going. That means you need a vision or north star for where you're heading and a mission your team can get behind. Your team will have great success when you're all clear on where you're going and what you're working to accomplish. When you have this, you're able to create a meeting rhythm to practically stay the course & remain aligned, reducing ambiguity. 7-FIGURE CEO SKILLS NEEDED If you're not working to grow your leadership skills as quickly as your business, there will be a problem. The skills that got you to 6-figures are not the same skills you need to get you to 7-figures in your business. You have to develop new skills that will help you lead with control without being controlling. The links section recommends several books that will help you develop the skills needed to lead your business to the next level. BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND Knowing the end goal for your business is important, but it's also key when you think about how you want new leads to interact with you. Before you create a new marketing campaign, it's important to start with what you ultimately want them to do – book a sales call, sign a contract, visit your business, etc. Once you know that, you can then decide what it is you need from them when they first make contact with you. One of the most successful ways Oliver's team makes this happen for them & their clients is using Facebook Lead Ads. Most people are using Facebook daily and you can get your message in front of them easily and cheaply, gather their information, drive them to relevant content & get them to take the next step with your business. FUNNEL DESIGN FORMULA FOR MAXIMUM RESULTS FINISH: What's the end? What do you want people to do? START: Where do people start? How are you first interacting with them? MILESTONES: What milestones do they go through to get to the end? CONTINGENCY: How do we get people back to the milestones so we can keep them moving forward? IMPLEMENTATION IS THE BRIDGE Implementation is the bridge that takes you from feeling stuck in your business to getting the results you want. You must be able to implement what you're learning to break through to the next level. Email your top take-aways and learnings to Casey@CaseyGraham.com
This week we're going to talk Mantras and Personal Policies, things that keep us grounded and real. These are short, pithy ways to remember what really matters and makes a difference in our lives, things we use to govern our interior life and our shared life together.But First, The Things We Can’t EvenJennie- Toddler mealtimes, insane mess, just all the time in all the ways.Leanne - Getting punched in the butt, yeah it’s a thing The meaty middle of the episodeAim for the middle - You can’t be the best at everything, you’re going to do some things really really well and some things really really badly.Believe the best in each other- Choose to believe that the person you’re struggling with isn’t actually a total jerk, but having a bad day or struggling with something themselves. Be realistic- Keep it real about what you can do in a day, who you are, if things go wrong, stay the course, don’t go ballistic and smash your day with a hammer. No matter how much you want things to go a certain way, just readjust. Do it now- (Compliments of Kelly Gordon on the SortaAwesome Podcast and Gretchen Rubin on the Happier podcast) Sounds legalistic, but if it takes less than a minute, do it before it stresses you out, return that library book, bring that diaper to the trash or that glass to the sink.Remember your season- They change, they always always change and remembering what season of life you’re working through normalizes a lot of struggle.Be kind to yourself- Ask yourself what the kind decision would be and don’t be so harsh on yourself. See yourself as someone you’re caring for, not everything is black and white, view it with kindness and grace. Links you need from this episode The Robcast - We Need to Talk About Politics Book - Happier at HomeGretchen Rubin’s Happier podcastSortaAwesome - With former guest co-host Megan TietzLaura Tremaine’s Blog post, Start Where you Are and her Podcast, The Smartest Person in the RoomThank you for listening! We've contacted the winner of the Amazon gift card so THANK YOU for all your kind reviews!Be sure to join us on Facebook and Instagram and share us with a friend.