 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Bob: greetings |
|
|
realize2actualize: good evening |
|
|
Bob: Your posts have been getting a lot of attacks directed at them |
|
|
realize2actualize: just as always, when you bring up a controversial point, some people tend to get defensive |
|
|
realize2actualize: and in that they attack you for it |
|
|
Bob: I sense in your posts that something changed in/with you recently |
|
|
Bob: like 'you had an awakening' or something |
|
|
realize2actualize: a lot has |
|
|
Bob: I am interested in this matter |
|
|
Bob: What happened, and when? |
|
|
realize2actualize: I came out of a very difficult and challenging marriage of 12 years |
|
|
Bob: ahh |
|
|
realize2actualize: during which I awakened |
|
|
Bob: flowering post-storm |
|
|
realize2actualize: to some very serious degree |
|
|
Bob: tell me about this awakening |
|
|
realize2actualize: well |
|
|
Bob: if you will |
|
|
realize2actualize: sure do |
|
|
realize2actualize: when I first met my now ex wife, I was 24 |
|
|
realize2actualize: still very immature |
|
|
realize2actualize: and insecure |
|
|
realize2actualize: I met here in Germany, where I am from |
|
|
realize2actualize: and she was from America, and African American at that, part Cherokee, very alive person, which is what I fell in love with |
|
|
realize2actualize: so, 2 month after I met her in Germany I decided to come over to America, and right away I became part of a whole new culture |
|
|
realize2actualize: I somehow stumbled into the whole thing, not knowing what to expect |
|
|
realize2actualize: so when my now ex wife was acting in very peculiar way I focused on what was wrong with her behavior |
|
|
realize2actualize: so, I focused on what was wrong with her |
|
|
realize2actualize: tried changing her |
|
|
realize2actualize: since I was not mature and strong enough to accept her for the person she was, and also because we never really took the time to get to know her really, moving to America only 2 month after I met her in Germany, and getting married to her 2 month after arriving in the us |
|
|
realize2actualize: so we were fighting all the time |
|
|
realize2actualize: I let her push my buttons, used to see red |
|
|
realize2actualize: it was bad |
|
|
realize2actualize: lost control a lot |
|
|
realize2actualize: so after a year of this I began studying |
|
|
realize2actualize: came across personal development, something that is not very known in Germany |
|
|
realize2actualize: captured my interested, I became fascinated by the notion, especially since I faced serious problems in my life |
|
|
realize2actualize: came across something that Steven Covey said, the author of "the 7 habits of highly effective people" |
|
|
realize2actualize: which truly marked the beginning of my personal transformation |
|
|
realize2actualize: helped me to look at myself and my actions more deeply |
|
|
realize2actualize: the phrase that opened my eyes was.... |
|
|
realize2actualize: between what happens to you, and your response to what happens to you... |
|
|
realize2actualize: lies your ULTIMATE FREEDOM to CHOOSE your response |
|
|
realize2actualize: please tell me to slow down if I am going too fast |
|
|
realize2actualize: so I began looking at myself, trying to learn how to choose my response more carefully |
|
|
Bob: I am far faster than anyone you've met |
|
|
realize2actualize: great |
|
|
Bob: Especially with reading and text :) |
|
|
realize2actualize: I am fast myself |
|
|
realize2actualize: anyway |
|
|
realize2actualize: this made me look at myself, and what I can change |
|
|
realize2actualize: and during this time I began using a voice recorder to capture my thoughts |
|
|
realize2actualize: which helped since I lived a very isolated life |
|
|
realize2actualize: so I learned to hear myself during those times of fighting, and I began to really see myself |
|
|
realize2actualize: and my shortcomings |
|
|
realize2actualize: so instead of focusing on my ex and what was wrong with her, I started to look at myself and what i needed to be doing |
|
|
realize2actualize: so after years and years of hard time, and fighting and still making the same mistakes I learned to gain more control over myself, the only person over whom I have ultimate control over |
|
|
realize2actualize: and I learned to fully accept my ex for the person she was, and I gave up trying to change her |
|
|
realize2actualize: but there is more of course, I also had children with her |
|
|
Bob: 2? |
|
|
realize2actualize: which helped me realize so many things about myself, and what is important |
|
|
realize2actualize: 3 |
|
|
realize2actualize: they are here in San Francisco, which is why I moved here from Kansas to be with them |
|
|
realize2actualize: I am not living with them at the time |
|
|
Bob: yes, I see |
|
|
realize2actualize: but am working on it |
|
|
realize2actualize: it's my goal to live with them again, and to give them a good and loving home |
|
|
Bob: i see |
|
|
realize2actualize: so now that I am single again, it's like a new phase in my life has opened up |
|
|
realize2actualize: also, I never really used to like people, used to be somewhat selfish and arrogant before moving to the us |
|
|
realize2actualize: so I changed a lot |
|
|
realize2actualize: even before I moved to America |
|
|
realize2actualize: which made me realize that everything in life is meant to be |
|
|
realize2actualize: no accidents |
|
|
Bob: heh |
|
|
Bob: more than you know |
|
|
realize2actualize: and everything leads to something |
|
|
Bob: well, that's not saying much, but I follow you |
|
|
realize2actualize: good |
|
|
realize2actualize: actually |
|
|
realize2actualize: the implications are quite amazing I think |
|
|
realize2actualize: but we can talk about this some other time |
|
|
realize2actualize: please tell me what you think |
|
|
Bob: implications of what? i mean... that's not clear :) |
|
|
realize2actualize: well |
|
|
realize2actualize: people nowadays look for meaning |
|
|
Bob: they do? since when! :) |
|
|
realize2actualize: as well as happiness and love and meaning |
|
|
Bob: wow, you must know some strange people :) |
|
|
realize2actualize: you know what I am talking about |
|
|
Bob: [kidding] |
|
|
Bob: yes, i do |
|
|
realize2actualize: I know |
|
|
realize2actualize: so it occurred to me |
|
|
Bob: that it works better, together? |
|
|
realize2actualize: if we learn to adopt those qualities as part of our general attitude towards life |
|
|
realize2actualize: we can learn to focus more on living, on being, as opposed to searching and seeking |
|
|
Bob: hmm |
|
|
realize2actualize: and then we realize that if you are in tune with ourselves and our environment |
|
|
realize2actualize: like living more fully in the moment |
|
|
realize2actualize: and learning from experience |
|
|
realize2actualize: life leads us places |
|
|
realize2actualize: and teaches us everything we need to know |
|
|
realize2actualize: and we become who we are meant to become |
|
|
realize2actualize: if we are open to what is happening |
|
|
realize2actualize: and focus less on what we want or seek or like or don?t like |
|
|
realize2actualize: and simply be, as Buddhism suggest somewhat |
|
|
realize2actualize: to live in the moment, and experience fully |
|
|
realize2actualize: I guess that should suffice for now |
|
|
Bob: yes |
|
|
realize2actualize: :) |
|
|
Bob: You may wish to know that I have practiced Zen for 18 years. |
|
|
Bob: I am well-enough versed in it to teach it. |
|
|
realize2actualize: excellent |
|
|
Bob: I have studied with some well-known Zen teachers here. |
|
|
realize2actualize: good for you |
|
|
Bob: But that's a whole other matter. I'm not 'a Buddhist' |
|
|
Bob: I am a learner |
|
|
realize2actualize: right |
|
|
realize2actualize: and a human being first and foremost |
|
|
Bob: It sounds like you're starting to realize that 'being here, now' is interesting, and has potentials you had no access to, before |
|
|
realize2actualize: nothing to be ashamed of as some religions seem to suggest |
|
|
realize2actualize: true |
|
|
realize2actualize: if I might share something with you |
|
|
realize2actualize: that gives a little more insight into what I said |
|
|
realize2actualize: that whatever happens is meant to be |
|
|
Bob: yes, please |
|
|
realize2actualize: last year |
|
|
realize2actualize: when I finally came out of my marriage |
|
|
realize2actualize: feb 20th 2003 |
|
|
realize2actualize: I received some money from my divorce settlement |
|
|
realize2actualize: which I used to pay of my attorney |
|
|
realize2actualize: was about to move to cali |
|
|
realize2actualize: to be with my children, and start a new life |
|
|
realize2actualize: so I quit my job in order to move here |
|
|
realize2actualize: the following day |
|
|
realize2actualize: I went to a club at night to celebrate a new beginning |
|
|
realize2actualize: ready to move the same weekend |
|
|
realize2actualize: when it was time to leave the club I walked across the street to get to my car |
|
|
realize2actualize: and while standing at the curb of the street for 1 sec to talk to somebody |
|
|
realize2actualize: a car came around the corner, seemingly drunk driver |
|
|
realize2actualize: threw me up in the air, broke my left leg in 2 places |
|
|
realize2actualize: hit and run accident |
|
|
realize2actualize: left me homeless |
|
|
realize2actualize: the day after I quit my job |
|
|
Bob: i see the perils of it |
|
|
realize2actualize: life is what happens while you make other plans |
|
|
Bob: sometimes |
|
|
realize2actualize: I was not ready to move yet, had things to learn |
|
|
realize2actualize: I think that our attitude towards what happens to us is vital |
|
|
realize2actualize: anyway, I talked enough |
|
|
Bob: I see a cat nearby you. Is there one there? |
|
|
realize2actualize: no, sorry |
|
|
realize2actualize: but I love cats |
|
|
realize2actualize: grew up with them |
|
|
realize2actualize: lot's |
|
|
Bob: yeah, ok. |
|
|
realize2actualize: I totally adore cats |
|
|
Bob: It just means 'this man knows the cat people' |
|
|
Bob: That's why I was seeing that |
|
|
realize2actualize: ok |
|
|
realize2actualize: smart man |
|
|
realize2actualize: very intuitive fellow |
|
|
Bob: I have a skill they taught me |
|
|
realize2actualize: it's a good thing to develop on one's senses |
|
|
Bob: It allows me to touch people at a distance. |
|
|
Bob: we all have it |
|
|
realize2actualize: right |
|
|
Bob: our knowledge-ways block it out |
|
|
Bob: I don't consider myself 'special' |
|
|
realize2actualize: we all have so many wonderful potentialities, most of them left unrealized |
|
|
realize2actualize: we all are |
|
|
Bob: I intend for that to change |
|
|
Bob: forever |
|
|
realize2actualize: make that 2 |
|
|
Bob: excellent |
|
|
Bob: in this agreement, our strength is magnified |
|
|
realize2actualize: very much so |
|
|
realize2actualize: so glad we met |
|
|
Bob: As am I |
|
|
Bob: I have more questions :) |
|
|
realize2actualize: and I shall have more answers |
|
|
realize2actualize: but maybe we can continue this tomorrow maybe |
|
|
Bob: sure. |
|
|
Bob: wise dreams to you. |
|
|
realize2actualize: as I am getting a little sleepy |
|
|
Bob: no prob |
|
|
realize2actualize: thank you my friend |
|
|
realize2actualize: and the same to you |
|
|
Bob: all blessings to you and those you adore |
|
|
|
next conversation |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|