Posts by Happy Harvester

9

Mindfulness

by mavie in

jw
friends

upon leaving the dubs i began to research how other cultures dealt with the big questions of life.

during this time i came across the concept of mindfulness, or being present.

how to let go of the past and future and take in life moment by moment, as it flows.

Happy Harvester

Although "I cannot fail here," I feel I have come rather close lately. BUT, that's what therapy is for, huh?

9

Mindfulness

by mavie in

jw
friends

upon leaving the dubs i began to research how other cultures dealt with the big questions of life.

during this time i came across the concept of mindfulness, or being present.

how to let go of the past and future and take in life moment by moment, as it flows.

Happy Harvester

Some thoughts I recently started keeping beside my bed and read periodically, from DBT, which is partly based in Buddhist philosophy:

1. I am doing the best I can.

2. I want to improve.

3. I want to do beter, try harder, and be more motivated to change.

4. I may not have caused all of my own problems, but I have to solve them anyway.

5. My life is unbearable/very difficult as it is currently being lived.

6. I must learn new behaviors in all relevant contexts.

7. I cannot fail here.

NON-JUDGMENTALLY

See but DON'T EVALUATE.. Take a nonjudgment stance. Just the facts. Focus on the "what," not the "good" or "bad," the "terrible" or "wonderful," the "should" or "should not."
UNGLUE YOUR OPINIONS from the facts, from the "who, what, when, and where."
ACCEPT each moment, each event as a blanket spread out on the lawn accepts both the reain and the sun, each leaf that falls upon it.
ACKNOWLEDGE the hekpful, the wholdesome, but don't judge it. Acknowledge the harmful, the unwholesome, but don't judge it.
When you find yourself jusdging, DONT JUDGE YOUR JUDGING.

ONE-MINDFULLY

DO ONE THING AT A TIME. When you are eating, eat. When you are walking, walk. When you are bathing, bathe.. When you are working, work. When you are in a group, or a conversation, focus your attentionon on the very moment your are in with the other person. When you are thinking, think. When you are worrying, worry. When you are planning, plan. When youare remembering, remember. Do each thing with all of your attention.
If other actions, or other thoughts, or strong feelings distract you, LET GO OF DISTRACTIONS and go back to what you are doing -- again, and again, and again.
CONCENTRATE YOUR MIND. If you find you are doing two things at once, stop and go back to one thing at a time.

EFFECTIVELY

FOCUS ON WHAT WORKS. Do what needs to be done in each situation. Stay away from "fair and "unfair," "right" and "wrong, "should" and "should not."
PLAY BY THE RULES. don't "cut off your nose to spite your face."
Act as SKILLFULLY as you can, meeting the needs of the situation you are in. Not the situation you wish you were in; not the one that is just; not the one that is more comfortable; not the one that . . . .
Keep an eye on YOUR OBJECTIVES in the situation and do what is necessary to achieve them.
LET GO of vengeance, useless anger, and righteousness that hurts you and doesn't work.

21

CONFLICT: the winner decides what is TRUE in history and theology

by Terry in

there was a period of time between judaism, (messianic judaism, christian-judaism and, finally,) christianity in which violent arguments over who/what jesus was vis a vis deity took place.. one of the reasons for writing down the oral traditions was to solidify certain positions and "prove" a particular opinion by representing those opinions as from a higher source.

after all, the jews were the "people of the book" and no greater authority could be referenced in an argument over orthodoxy than what was "written".. eventually hundreds (if not thousands) of messiah stories, jesus stories were circulated; each with yet more powerful representations of who or what his personage revealed as to nature and importance.

the names of important men became attached to these writings to bolster their authority and authenticity.

Happy Harvester

No country has done a better job enfranchising its defeated enemies than the US?

Thanks for the terrific Noam Chomsky quotes, Dave!

Here's a nice little slide show on how nicely we've done infranchising our own citizens - once our enemies - now a scraggly, nagging embarassment to the humanitarianism of our still great country. How is it that a great country accomplishes such mediocrity for its disenfranchised?

http://www.oprah.com/uyl/slide/20020211/uyl_slide_20020211_life_01.jhtml

21

CONFLICT: the winner decides what is TRUE in history and theology

by Terry in

there was a period of time between judaism, (messianic judaism, christian-judaism and, finally,) christianity in which violent arguments over who/what jesus was vis a vis deity took place.. one of the reasons for writing down the oral traditions was to solidify certain positions and "prove" a particular opinion by representing those opinions as from a higher source.

after all, the jews were the "people of the book" and no greater authority could be referenced in an argument over orthodoxy than what was "written".. eventually hundreds (if not thousands) of messiah stories, jesus stories were circulated; each with yet more powerful representations of who or what his personage revealed as to nature and importance.

the names of important men became attached to these writings to bolster their authority and authenticity.

Happy Harvester

. . . how the U.S. frames those issues is largely a matter of political policy and little impacts on the reality of life and death per se. Opinion is mere opinion.
When there is tragedy through natural disaster the U.S. is there with its hand out filled with medicine, cash and humanitarian aid.

Not to take what you were saying out of context, but one would wonder about how you mean "little impacts the reality of life and death per se" in regard to (US) public/political policy, both domestically and in terms of foreign relations, particularly in regard to what happened in New Orleans during a recent natural disaster, and what is still happening regarding the global gag rule. I'd say the action (and inaction) of US political policy has major impacts on the "reality of life and death per se," regardless of opinion.

21

CONFLICT: the winner decides what is TRUE in history and theology

by Terry in

there was a period of time between judaism, (messianic judaism, christian-judaism and, finally,) christianity in which violent arguments over who/what jesus was vis a vis deity took place.. one of the reasons for writing down the oral traditions was to solidify certain positions and "prove" a particular opinion by representing those opinions as from a higher source.

after all, the jews were the "people of the book" and no greater authority could be referenced in an argument over orthodoxy than what was "written".. eventually hundreds (if not thousands) of messiah stories, jesus stories were circulated; each with yet more powerful representations of who or what his personage revealed as to nature and importance.

the names of important men became attached to these writings to bolster their authority and authenticity.

Happy Harvester

Many christian groups took indian children away from their tribes and put them into orphanage schools to indoctrinate them with christianity. I blame religion more than politics for this one. But, it was hideous.

I think religion is both a political tool, and a political entity, though, wouldn't you say? I 'd be willing to bet that Constantine would agree, wouldn't you, Terry?

23

Why does the WT society not open its own non blood hospitals?

by Gill in

why does the watch tower society not build and operate its own hospitals for its people who refuse to have blood in their treatment programme?.

surely, if bloodless surgery and treatment is so superior and they could prove it with their own statistics and survival rates they could show that blood should not be used.. so, what are they afraid of?.

Happy Harvester

Because they know what their ER rooms would look like at Armageddon, and the KHs would be right next to the hospitals.

36

What song describes your state of mind at this point in your life?

by restrangled in

jw
friends

mine is the verve /bitter sweet symphony...... what's yours?

icanchange, icanchange, icanchange....nonono!.

r..

Happy Harvester

The lines that go,"when you fall in love with a broken heart, wakin' up's the hardest part." Don't know the name of the song . . .

34

Apostate Presence Rattles World Conference on Religion

by SickofLies in

i know many of you probably never saw my post a few days ago inviting everyone to the world religions conference where i was a key note speaker.

i'd like to send a big thank you to kwintestal and mincan for showing and giving their support, surfice to say it made quite an impression that the three people standing up and defending atheism at the event were all ex-witnesses.

the theme for the event was on the topic of morals and modesty.