Turn the other cheek but don't be a wimp!

A friend of mine posted this message in a private group chat recently “Turning the other cheek is less about offering another target and more about looking beyond the situation to the bliss that awaits us”...this caused me some thoughts I wanted to share in addition to his which are listed below......

Really well said!!

This concept is so misunderstood about "turning the other cheek"..... It's not about allowing people to continue to be abusive or take advantage... its about knowing how to not get caught up in the hurt of being violated and remaining forgiving towards others regardless of their actions.  You can and SHOULD hold to your convictions as long as they are not based in your ego and they allow you room for forgiveness as others may cause transgressions against you. I personally have few issues saying the truth when I see wrongs that I have witnessed or wrongs that I have been hurt by.

My struggle has always been in learning to have forgiveness for negative actions by others and not holding resentment when I see them doing wrong things or even things that have hurt me personally.

It’s just my “basic response" to make a stand or to tackle the work of seeking out correctness or what I learn to be the truth in any situation. Its not that I have not made mistakes, I have made plenty but they have always been made in the course of trying to learn how to do what is right even when the "right" thing causes me to struggle.

While trying to stay true to my convictions and choosing to speak up when others remain silent it has often brought with it my having to learn to look for the peace and bliss of every situation. (Even when it does not seem so blissful) Finding the sliver lining is often hard as we face struggles or stand up against wrongdoings but that is the mandate of life if you want to have peace. I feel I am now at the best place in my life (so far) of not having to avoid situations but also not allowing the same situations to cause me to get angry or have resentment. The rules are simple as once told to me by a friend... Learn to be Honest, Kind, Generous, Hard Working and Tolerant and you will lead a great life that no one will be able to doubt but mostly you will find peace and true success. (Dr. James Chestnut coined that phrase and I suggest you read it at least 3 times)

I know there are others who face what I face when it comes to feeling obligated to speak up as they see wrongs being done but I think thee are way more people who tend to avoid confrontation and still it causes them to get angry or resentful when they bury their intuition. Intuition is a gift but it is also similar to a muscle and if you trust your instincts and use it regularly it will grow. On the other hand if you remain quiet and passive when your intuition is telling you to speak up it will shrink. Eventually recognizing the truth gets harder because you have lost the insight that comes by exercising your innate sense of right and wrong.

The key to speaking up and facing issues we all would like to avoid is finding the peace and joy in every situation. Yes every situation holds silver linings for all of our personalities by being truthful, making your stand, seeking your truth and letting those who come in contact with you to truly see your convictions/ your search for enlightenment. Do these things, speak the TRUTH (which is sometimes not your TRUTH) but maintain your peace and lose your ego. If we ahve spent too long operating in EGO or Fear of losing EGO then it is harder to know the truth because it may actually be different from the universal truth. The cool thing is if you are willing top speak up it will lead you somewhere, anywhere or nowhere but you will learn! When you wind up wherever you do find gratitude in the moment and be thankful for the lesson. Your intuition will be developing in that exact moment. That development is what helps you the next time you face similar challenges and then you will find that joy will come into your life much quicker the next time you are pressed.

For those of you who know me you know I do not shy away from seeking correctness and calling out the truth with anyone, anywhere and at anytime 😏 but I am learning and will continue to learn to do two things.... love everyone and tell the truth. Why not be comfortable enough to follow your truth wherever it leads you as long as you can do it in love. If you find yourself going somewhere without holding onto love then you will not be happy when you get there.

Speak up today for what you believe and what you know is right but be loving and not in your ego when you do it. This is what allows peace in everything without having to avoid conflict.

Enjoy the Search - Dugger

#goodluck #goodintentions #success #peace #loveeveryoneandtellthetruth#satsang #healthyrelationships #standup #beherenow #gratitude

Perennial Philosophy

I have been listening to Aldous Huxleys book “perennial philosophy” this past week and it is a mind stretcher 🤤 but in actuality a very simple thought once you get where he is coming from. (search perennial philosophy in Wikipedia) In the Wikipedia summation it sums it up pretty quickly but the central thought is that our search for PEACE , happiness, purpose ... and our spiritual paths are as one. I believe peace exists inside of UNITY which means we must find harmony within all of the efforts, beliefs, desires, loves and paths we choose for ourselves. It also means we can find peace by recognizing the UNITY we have with all others and their respective searches.

This is hard because we often do not agree with others or their searches.

Looking for and finding what we share as beliefs with those who challenge us will immediately bring us a sense of peace. Looking for differences within any situation or belief immediately brings anger or frustration through deliberate separation.

I would not encourage myself or anyone else to spend too much time around those who represent things that we do not wish to identify with but we can work harder to understand their challenges even if we must do it from safe distances. Lots of “denominations”, tribes, political parties, races, classes represented in our world today. All labels or separations exist because at some point we chose to focus on our differences instead of what we agree upon.

Look at the challenging spaces or people in your life and find one point of agreement within yourself and that challenge or that challenging person. This is the road to peace and it rings true in Huxleys perennial philosophy when examining spiritual beliefs through out the world. The world is made up of our individual choices so choose peace for yourself by finding what you can agree upon rather than focusing on separation.

Enjoy the search - Dugger

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perennial_philosophy

Stand up against Ego Maniacs or suffer with them..

One of Charlie Chaplin's greatest gifts from his career was this speech addressing ego maniacs and people who wish to be dictators and tyrants. Look around you identify the people like this in your life and unite with other good people to stop tyranny in all forms. There is no need for you to accept or allow this in your presence. In this speech Charlie Chaplin chose to stand up against the entire Nazi regime, the entire country of Germany and its horrible choice of presence. This was written in 1940 when the United States was still not even willing to make a stand against what we now see so clearly as horribly unimaginable. What are we allowing today that we could be changing for the better by simply being courageous and speaking up?


I'm sorry, but I don't want to be an emperor. That's not my business. I don't want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone if possible; Jew, Gentile, black man, white. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other's happiness, not by each other's misery. We don't want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone, and the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way. Greed has poisoned men's souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical; our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost. The airplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men; cries out for universal brotherhood; for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world, millions of despairing men, women, and little children, victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people. To those who can hear me, I say, do not despair. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed, the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish. Soldiers! Don't give yourselves to brutes, men who despise you, enslave you; who regiment your lives, tell you what to do, what to think and what to feel! Who drill you, diet you, treat you like cattle, use you as cannon fodder. Don't give yourselves to these unnatural men - machine men with machine minds and machine hearts! You are not machines, you are not cattle, you are men! You have the love of humanity in your hearts! You don't hate! Only the unloved hate; the unloved and the unnatural. Soldiers! Don't fight for slavery! Fight for liberty! In the seventeenth chapter of St. Luke, it is written that the kingdom of God is within man, not one man nor a group of men, but in all men! In you! You, the people, have the power, the power to create machines, the power to create happiness! You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure. Then in the name of democracy, let us use that power. Let us all unite. Let us fight for a new world, a decent world that will give men a chance to work, that will give youth a future and old age a security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power. But they lie! They do not fulfill that promise. They never will! Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people. Now let us fight to fulfill that promise. Let us fight to free the world! To do away with national barriers! To do away with greed, with hate and intolerance! Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men's happiness. Soldiers, in the name of democracy, let us all unite!

Relationships show lots of Truth if we are looking...

Relationships are great reveals in who we and others really are at a specific moment in time. In the early part of all relationships there is a euphoric attachment to the energy exchange and the closer you get the more exciting it becomes. When people begin to show appreciation and love for us then it makes it easier to love ourselves which is our real search. The challenges of relationships are the same ..... as we begin to know each other and see the cracks and flaws that we all carry then it is often hard to accept the reality of relationships. When someone begins to see those ugly parts we work so hard to hide they may reject us, Rejection is our fear because we want to be loved and know how to love ourselves so badly. The immaturity of relationships is in seeking perfection from another being, the perfection is in two peoples choice to love each other, not take from each other due to selfishness. Start picking relationships who understand this process and commit to each other that you will “work hard on yourself for them if they will work hard on themselves for you” there are no perfect relationships except the ones you create perfection within. Be strong enough to remain faithful to the people you invite into your life and you will have lots of incredible relationships. Enjoy the Search - Dugger

Chris Phillips So many times we enter relationships so quickly bc of the euphoric beginnings that the fears come out later in the process. The work done with those fears and the acknowledgment of them is vital to the growth of the relationship. Brene brown talks about the vulnerability in the space and the freedom that comes with it. I love the Dass quote you posted. Truth is scary but we have to face that fear to deepen the relationship to further dive into self love so we can love others. We just can’t give what we don’t have. Thank you for doing this all the time.

The vulnerability part is huge. In order to be so it must be a deliberate action which means we really let people see us. I have know so many people including lots of marriages that never create vulnerability. They never stop acting out an image and really let the other person in. If we do really stop being an image and start being the honest version, the scared version, the unsure version then maybe "they will stop loving me and I might not be able to love myself". Great thought Chris Phillips and I love taking the time to think and examine. Thank you for sharing the ride! 🙏

1

Manage

Lies won't create your Success

"You will either step forward into growth or you will step backward into safety" -Abraham Maslow

I read this quote BUT then questioned the word “Growth”… Don’t get me wrong I completely agree with this quote.. I was just wondering if “Growth” should mean the same thing to everyone??

I grew up being taught a strong focus on gaining money, achievement, image and ownership or at least those things as they are defined by a western culture.

I have now learned that success can be interpreted as many things but very often the culture you live in pushes you to define it in such a way that it keeps the culture and it’s societal “rules” most relevant. Our western culture demands “conformity” like paying taxes….. understanding our history the same way….not questioning the system too much… not questioning the powers that make the decisions too much…. different rules for those making the decisions… all of which ultimately leads to less than 1% of the people controlling the majority of our decisions…Healthcare…Food Supplies…Environmental issues….Social behaviors…Personal freedoms…decisions that are then dictated for the majority of the people by the few. Can you say Oligarchy? (Read “Merchants of Doubt”)  

Achieving success has long been seen as a drastically different view when you compare eastern and western cultures on all of the issues listed above. I was talking with a close friend this morning and trying to remember that the Image or the culture we are sold growing up is very often not the best fit for everyone to achieve growth or success with their life. Also remembering that the western culture is not the only one existing just the one you may be most familiar with.

For my journey it was not really the culture that dictated my personal drive to achieve many of my image based goals but rather something within me that needed to create my “mark”. I was so driven at times to create an image  that it became blinding and when it came to gaining my understanding of peace, love, happiness, kindness, generosity and tolerance they were a far second place to my focus on money, accomplishment, acquisition, control and the list goes on…..

I did not have many internal conflicts with searching out the path of achievement because I think for my journey I really needed to choose that route in order to find what I found for me and what I now really define as success …which has become first and foremost… peace, love, happiness, kindness, generosity and tolerance of others. These are my highest values behind loving myself first which leads to all of the above. In order to give love you must find love because after all “you can’t give away what you don’t have” - Wayne Dyer

There was a lot of rough energy (karma/dharma) I had to burn through which was really tough on me and those around me at times throughout my journey and even tougher to realize my highest path because of my obsessions with accomplishment. I now look at my past with appreciation, not because it gave me financial success or properties or security or financial freedom but because it gave me focus!

Focus on what really counts the most in this life.

If I had to make a choice today to give up the new values I hold.. the ones I just listed (peace, love, happiness, kindness, generosity and tolerance of others) values that I now hold very dear in order to create financial “Success” as western culture often demands… If that demand required my focus to be solely on acquisition and accomplishment forsaking my current values I could not do it. I now truly understand the value of people over possessions but I also now know how to merge putting people first while still meeting great goals and becoming financially prosperous.

I really think my life path was perfect for me to get where I am, which I truly love but I have met many people who SHOULD NOT choose the path I did because that choice will create incredible frustration in their lives. There are many people with natural personalities and characteristics driven to put people first over “winning” (at least the version of winning we are sold in a capitalist culture) starting at a very young age.

If you watch little kids play there are some so focused on winning the game, king of the hill, being recognized as the best and there are others who just naturally enjoy playing with the other children more than the focus of solely winning. I think it is so interesting to study the different types of personalities and how young they start developing these natural talents. Some are naturally focused on being the winner and yet MOST are focused on just being a part of their community and all of these personalities are natural life path’s, which should form their best ability to build a life filled with personal peace and success.

According to DISC personality testing less than 3% of all personalities are naturally driven to a goal winning focus as their primary driver while 97% have other primary driving forces. We all want to meet our goals but honoring the best fit for you is the key to understand.

I think the greatest challenge is that our western or capitalist culture is trying to push everyone into the same mold. Everyone should be king of the hill…everyone should be trying to own everything… everyone should be in first place… which is impossible and creates conflict.

I was telling a friend just this morning that I really love traveling and moving in and out of different cities or cultures and exploring. I am currently trying to build a portfolio of multi family real estate properties that serve as great investments by having monthly tenants/ airbnb income each month but also a place to go and visit for a weekend.. a week…a vacation.. a mini-vacation etc… in order to create my “Satsang” (Your “True People”…Google it).

I can at this point afford to buy 10 - 15 unique properties that will accommodate hospitality guests along with people living in the same properties full time. This creates a diversified portfolio and it affords me the ability to choose different locations I enjoy visiting. These properties can serve as great investments while helping me realize my dream of building community in different cities.

Much of the reason I can afford to do all of that is because of the path I chose (primarily acquisition focus) even though I don’t want to have to focus the way I did to get that income ever again! I understand what I did to create this now held freedom of choice but I think there are many ways to achieve finances and the freedom that it often allows while still having high levels of peace.

My job is to find my peace and then help others find theirs. My job is to remain true to my highest values and help other people learn how to honor their highest values and not the ones their culture is pushing. My path was to push hard in order to realize that’s not the best focus in life and now I can see a better way of living and sharing.

My needed path was one to burn through some bad karma or beliefs in order to find a better version of me. Instead of trying to be in “control” of the process, If my natural path would have been to just enjoy growing with the people around me and love being a “part” of the process it would have brought up other weaknesses than the ones I have faced so that is “MY” journey but it is not everyone’s journey.

Example..

Accomplishment can create financial security but neglect kindness…

Or..

Kindness can create great relationships but cause struggle with fears of security by neglecting goals.

Everyone has talents and everyone has correlating weaknesses but the main key is learning how to be you. The original you and not some fictitious facsimile demanded by your environment. The quickest way to financial security is not a one shoe fits all approach. The quickest way to accomplishing goals is by being the best version of you and honoring your natural gifts not the gifts, talents or path of anyone else on the playground even if the teacher says so…even if your parents say so…even if your friends say so…even if your boss says so!

Every business NEEDS goal setters, people uniter’s, evidence analytics, rule followers, master creators, visionaries, diligent workers, faithful participants and the list goes on. None of these people is worth more or is greater than the other and if you don’t figure that out in this life then you missed the whole point!

Everyone should develop their path and help others along their paths but not all must look the same. What if my path would have been different and I would have been more naturally focused on being a “people uniter” on the playground as a child?

I hope I would have met some great accomplishers that became part of my Satsang. I would hope they would have helped me build my financial goals while allowing me to remain true to myself and my highest values. I also would have appreciated them buying a few homes in different cities so I could share in their vision with them while making room for me to participate as I gained my success.

If they were my true people or my Satsang then I know we would have supported each other while honoring each other in our respective paths. One sharing their natural talents to create financial goals and another teaching us on how to remain focused to honoring and loving people. This list could obviously go on because the gifts of all people goes on and are so uniquely varied but the real answer is we should all be honoring each others talents and sharing the path.

Answer these questions for me from your perspective…

At the end of your life will it matter the most that your name be listed on the deed of the 15 properties and that because you were so driven you may even get a statue for birds to poop on dedicated to you?

or

Will it matter more that you remained focused on building the best version of you, remained focused on creating relationships that shared with you what they gained while you remained focused on building your security through your highest values?

If you work at anything consistently enough even something you may not enjoy you can likely build financial freedoms by remaining consistent, showing up to work etc. Please don’t wait until your 50 or 60 to enjoy the freedoms from a life that was focused on fear or expectations passed on to you by others. Don’t forget to be you so you can choose someone else’s path to creating finances. Earn money, become successful, create financial freedom but do it with ease by being you and your personality not by adopting some fictitious persona because the culture you were born in was trying to sell a one shoe fits all concept.

It is true that once you earn enough to get past your fears of safety, financial security and savings then you could be more prepared to create kindness, charity and openness because you have removed your fear but you also could be so locked into a pattern of placing goals over people that you cannot seem to change a developed destructive focus.

It is also true that if you choose to chase your highest version of who you really are and not an “image of what everyone should be” then it will allow you to earn the most by following your best version of your unique self.

“Do what you love and love what you do and you will never have to work a day in your life” John Demartini (at least that’s who told it to me)

Everyone is not the same but everyone has great talent to create great results. If they are not doing so then they are simply not free enough yet to be their highest version of self and attract greater wealth, relationships and achievements.

Build a Satsang that allows you to honor who you really are. Quit trying to be someone else because you saw it on a magazine cover or in a movie or because someone told you some fairy tale a long time ago trying to get everyone to simply conform. (Read Merchants of Doubt) These fairy tales are created so that those following them feel safe in the course they chose while trying to sell it to others. If we are all so different then why should everyone’s paths to “success” be so similar? It makes no common sense when really examined so be different!

Create vulnerability and really allow people into your life. Look for mentors, friends and lovers and let them know your visions of building your highest self by being an original you. Let them share with you what they have gained and created and you do the same. Make each other better and while your at it go vacation together in the shared accomplishments of your Satsang. After all 15 properties owned by you are not really worth much unless you have great relationships to share them with.

Enjoy the Search - Dugger

(post comments below I would love to know what your thinking)