The Home of Steven Barnes
Author, Teacher, Screenwriter


Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Lining it up

Some very interesting things happen when you line up the Chakras properly. For instance (but not limited to) what happens when you make love to someone you love with whom you share a future. In such an instance you have sex (second), love (fourth), survival (first), creation of a future (sixth), and conceivably even spirit (seven) all lined up, and there is literally nothing that feels as good as this in my experience. It damned near dwarfs other pleasures, turning them into pale shadows, imitations or fractions at best.

There are similar powerful benefits to, for instance, writing about things that you love, working for causes you believe in, exercising to achieve some specific heartfelt aim, etc. Any time you find yourself doing something "merely" for its own sake, you can increase motivation by asking yourself:

1) Will this increase my odds of survival? Will it ultimately decrease the amount of pain I experience?

2) Will I have more, or better sex?

3) Does this increase the amount of money, power, long-term pleasure or control in my life? Energy and aliveness?

4) Is this an expression of love, for myself, family or community?

5) Can I turn this into a form of Self-expression?

6) Is there a puzzle I can solve here? Is there something for me to learn, or teach?

7) Does doing this make my inevitable death more meaningful? Less frightening? Does it help me clarify what is ultimately meaningful in life?

Any time you can take a goal and see how it can relate to multiple Chakric levels, you will find your motivation increasing humongously, I kid you not. If you CAN'T relate it to multiple levels, you will find problems in motivation. You "won't have the time" to do those things. You will find your fears and distractions pushing between you and your goals.

This stuff is so obvious when you're on the other side of the issue, and so muddy if on the wrong side.

1) Relationships. If you have no confidence in your ability to have a healthy relationship, you'll probably have a million excuses about your relationship history, or reasons why you supposedly don't want one. How can you know? Well, unless your parents had a healthy, loving, successful relationship, it is safest to assume that you may carry poisonous memes in this arena, and have work to do.

2) Finances. Unless you were raised in a family where finances were openly discussed with joy instead of pain, it is safest to assume that you may have absorbed some negative attitudes. For instance: everyone knows that it's harder to balance your checkbook when the money is low. Pain and fear are horrible distractions from clear financial choices and actions. Be very careful.

3) Body. Unless you came from a family of healthy, joyous physical expression and athleticism, the chances are very good that you have beliefs, behaviors, and negative emotional anchors that are standing between you and free physical expression. I recently saw a friend list the way she spent her time, listing everything she did all day long. With hours daily to watch television and read fiction she didn't have fifteen minutes to exercise. Because any insect will move away from pain and do whatever it can to live as long as possible, I know this has nothing to do with intelligence. From my perspective, it has to do with really, really shitty programming. The sad thing is that this exact programming (eat as much as possible, move as little as possible) was, for millions of years, the ideal survival strategy. For the last hundred years, that has changed, but there is a GIGANTIC amount of inertia going in the "don't move! Eat!" direction. These are the people who can work eight hours a day at jobs they hate, but won't exercise for an hour a week unless it's "fun." Insanity, unless you grasp the strength of the basic programming.

If you don't have these three arenas handles, you are leaking power like crazy. And the way to handle them is to increase the pleasure associated with the activities that will take you in the right direction, and increase the pain associated with going in the wrong direction, or accepting the status quo. In no way do I believe people "want" to be lonely, broke, and sick. But we often accept these things because we don't see any way out. It is a great tragedy, but if you will go through the seven-point checklist, it is easier to increase the motivation and clarity it takes to live your life to the max.

##

I'd like someone to point toward statistics on murder, suicide, obesity and/or accidents in the following way: in those countries that implemented UHC, what happened to the trend lines for these mortality factors? Up? Down? Stable? The statistics must exist. My theory: they will drop due to increased social safety net and counseling. But it would be easy to prove me wrong. The point is that Conservatives are using "murder, obesity, etc." as factors making American health care look worse than it actually is. I suspect these things are connected. Statistics and time lines, please?

13 comments:

Christian H. said...

My problem is that it's hard to find women who can understand me. I'm possibly the driest theorist in the history of the world.

It overwhelms the fact that I rap, am one of the best dancers I've ever seen and have a good sense of humor.

How hard is it to find a woman who is the equivalent of a PhD in bunches of areas?

I've looked and looked. Then comes the "why aren't you 'fitting in' problem."

But then in a lot of ways I consider marriage to be Einstein's definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome.

I have no idea about chakras but I do meditate most of the day when I'm not working.

Then there's my belief in Allah as Supreme Being which doesn't help much. I figure though what the hell. I have to prove that you can be self-sufficient, living within the society but not in it.

I may not be the first person for certain things but I'm an in demand SW developer, so I can get what I want.

Just don't want most things anymore. Only intellectual growth.

Seymour Pettigrew said...

"In no way do I believe people "want" to be lonely, broke, and sick".

Amen! Add incarcerated and being the subject of an agonizing IRS audit where I know I've committed fraud and tried to lie like hell and cover it up without much success and you've got the top five of my Lowest Rungs Of A Living Hell list. The only reason I don't add dead is because it wouldn't qualify as a true living hell and giving the preceding five alternatives death might even prove to be something of a relief.

Steven Barnes said...

Tell you what, Christian: actually get a Ph.d, and you'll meet women with Ph.ds. There are tons of them. Your opinion of your abilities is interesting...why not prove it? Anyone can think they're world-class at anything. The rubber meets the road when I can Google you and see your accomplishments.

Anonymous said...

In Christian's defense, it's often difficult for strong personalities who breach social preconceptions to find partners. I DO possess a PhD (in Engineering from your daughter's Alma Mater, UCI), as well as a Chemistry Masters. True, I've only held it for a year and a half, so my newness to the PhD holder's pool perhaps partly explains why I haven't yet been snagged by a fellow doctorate holder. However, I and my Mexican friend, whom I mentioned in my previous post regarding violence, weren't hot commodities during our graduate school years. The same was glaringly obvious for other Blacks and Latinos in the Sciences at UCI. Simply put, Blacks and Latinos in intellectually accomplished fields often have more difficulty finding mates than their White and Asian (Female) peers.

Ethiopian_Infidel

suzanne said...

christian
as a woman with a PhD
and 3 years post-doc
in a different field
and mustering all my
other-than-academic wisdom
I have to tell you
your

How hard is it to find a woman who is the equivalent of a PhD in bunches of areas?

I've looked and looked. Then comes the "why aren't you 'fitting in' problem."


staement
is one of the most chauvinistic
myisogynistic statements I've seen:
remarkably lacking in insight
and narcissistic to boot

on a brighter note:
Steve
I think these questions
linked with
whatever contemplated
goal/action/plan
are one of your best offerings
to date

thank you, darlin'!

Anonymous said...

Christian, man, or at least your posts make it seem that way. you are so into yourself, is there room for a woman in your life? As far as your statement on marriage..you are not getting it.. marriage is doing the same thing over and over again only if you make it that way. if you are talking about sex. well infatuation fades. the exploration of each other continues. I want to be a better man for myself and my wife. we are only truly given one gift. Sharing it with another, that's what makes everything worthwhile. Langdon

Anonymous said...

Christian, man, you are so into yourself,or at least your posts make it seem that way, is there room for a woman in your life? As far as your statement on marriage..you are not getting it.. marriage is doing the same thing over and over again only if you make it that way. if you are talking about sex. well infatuation fades. the exploration of each other continues. I want to be a better man for myself and my wife. we are only truly given one gift. Sharing it with another, that's what makes everything worthwhile. Langdon

7:27 AM

Kami said...

Hi Christian,

It isn't hard to find a woman who is the equivalent of a PhD in a bunch of areas. Maybe a bunch of real PhDs would be tough to find depending on where you're looking (there's lots of them hanging out in businesses, science/medical facilities and academies,) but it sounds like you don't have those so that's not what your looking for. But are you opening your heart? That doesn't mean walking around with the attitude of 'take me, baby, I'm all yours!'

So what does it mean? It means treating the other person like they're one of the best dancers you've ever seen. It means admiring their sense of humor. It means listening to their dry theories and being open to the idea that they might have it right, and respecting their belief in Allah or Whoever even if it isn't exactly how you believe. If you're not naturally humble (and it's hard to say if you are or are not--these are internet comments and not the best way to communicate) can you at least look at every single woman around you and be open to the idea that they're more than the social face they present when they're out in public?

I seriously doubt that people, when they look at me or listen to me around my friends, would peg me for someone who studied physics for three years and engineering for two at university, that I belly dance, and do photography and art, and all the other knowledge and skills I've accumulated over a lifetime. I think that's true for every person around you. You have to get to know them to find this stuff out, and they may not let you know right away. I certainly don't introduce myself with all my creds. They don't have to be pried out of me with a crowbar, either. All it takes is for someone to show genuine interest and ask.

Marty S said...

Christian: Maybe you ought to rethink your priorities for the women in your life. I always started with is she a nice person. Then instead of asking that she understand me(I'm not sure I always understand myself) I only ask that she accept me for who I am. The second is answered fairly easily. I just act myself and if she comes back for more we're okay. Yeah common interests help,but ones interests change with time and hopefully you develop common ones over time. Anyhow relax and go with the flow and have some fun.

Christian H. said...

Tell you what, Christian: actually get a Ph.d, and you'll meet women with Ph.ds. There are tons of them. Your opinion of your abilities is interesting...why not prove it? Anyone can think they're world-class at anything. The rubber meets the road when I can Google you and see your accomplishments.




I have high end certifications from MIT, a Bachelor's degree, and not enough time to formally go back to school.

But I can bet you can't disprove my Big Band theory. I bet you can't get around what I do with film making or screenwriting.

The PhD itself is a piece of paper that says you took all of the classes not that you're "so smart."

As far as your opinion of finding them, I look like a highly educated person. I wear suits and ties to work everyday.

Am I expected to dress like a bum to be recognized as an intellectual? That won't happen.

I remember telling you about people who want to go back to Jim Crow and you argued about it until you see it with what's going on with Obama.

I said people are lazy and expect to live vicariously through others; I was wrong again until literacy and obesity rates went through the roof.

Maybe you think I'm conceited. Well, I am.
How many SW developers actually have well-rated rap albums on SoundClick?

How many people do you know that design corporate websites like BMS.COM and several internal business related ones?

Just admit that America is full of hateful people who will be jealous of you if you outdo them with their vicarious bullshit.


BTW, what would you consider to be worthy of your"approval?"

Do you know many famous PhDs? I don't. Bill Gates dropped out of college, Einstein needed a tutor in Calculus. Newton only published his findings after someone got it wrong. I could keep going. People liek me don't do work that gets us "fame" but I guess I could have took my football scholarship.

Christian H. said...

Christian, man, or at least your posts make it seem that way. you are so into yourself, is there room for a woman in your life? As far as your statement on marriage..you are not getting it.. marriage is doing the same thing over and over again only if you make it that way. if you are talking about sex. well infatuation fades. the exploration of each other continues. I want to be a better man for myself and my wife. we are only truly given one gift. Sharing it with another, that's what makes everything worthwhile. Langdon




I am one of the only people I like. Most people are looking for Jesus to "save them", I'm not. I am self-sufficient. I like being self-sufficient. I enjoy the fact that I started on the path to film making two years ago and have A-List writers agreeing with my theories.

That may have something to do with it. Or maybe the fact that I was the most prolific automation person at Microsoft. Maybe it's that I turned out every club in NYC worth going to. Maybe it's the fact that I had scholarships that I turned down because there was some disconnect. Maybe it's that I dress so good. Or maybe it's that I'm in better shape than people half my age.

No I know it's that I was in MENSA and hookied more than anyone I know. Maybe it's the fact that my standardized test scores are always so high.

It could be all of that or none. Maybe I'm just an asshole like MOST Americans.

Christian H. said...

Christian: Maybe you ought to rethink your priorities for the women in your life.

It doesn't matter. I'm abstinent now. Looking at the pathetic state of things, sex and relationships aren't doing anything for any of you.

Pagan Topologist said...

Looking at the pathetic state of things, sex and relationships aren't doing anything for any of you.

Wow, is that ever not true. I have recently married my significant other of 18 years. We were both divorced and cautious, but I have found that having the connection has made my life fundamentally better in a number of ways.