I have been happily addicted to playing Mahjong on my phone.
The goal is to match pairs of identical tiles until all are removed from the board.
I rarely win. Maybe it is the soothing Chung Chong sound it makes when I match a pair.
The main strategy is to free up as many options as possible as soon as possible.
For example, clearing the tile with the two circles at the top of the pile opens up many possibilities.
The same with tiles on the edges.
The worst scenario is when a tile blocks copies of itself. I think there is a lesson in that! We do get in our own way sometimes.
It took me a few months to become aware that I was wasting a lot of mental energy mapping English names to the tiles: red sword, ‘n’, M & M, 1-bar, …
All that did was slow me down.
It is much easier to scan for patterns without thinking verbally.
Like when a person learns a second language and stops translating in their head and starts thinking directly in the new language.
Or a musician simply plays fluidly without thinking about theory or technique.
Simply playing in the moment.
Some would call that Flow.
If you find yourself with a Noisy Mind, no matter what you are doing, ask if the mental chatter, calculations, second-guessing, and like are helping with the task at hand or holding you back.
Look for the simplest, most direct way.
Easier said than done, but important for your success and peace of mind.
I recently came across this podcast by Danielle LaPorte about letting go of things that weigh us down so that we can come out the current crisis lighter in spirit.
“Binding identities, grievances, expired dreams, regrets, possessions. Can you feel the pressure to let go?
Energetic stagnation makes us more vulnerable to all kinds of viral things—from negative thought patterns to viruses. I’m rolling out “The List of Letting Go” so we can lighten our emotional load to fit through this portal of change.”
— Danielle Laporte
Danielle has an amazing voice and something in this podcast resonated with me. It may also resonate with you.
You may know actor Rainn Wilson for parts in The Office, Six Feet Under, and Many others.
The interview that appeared in Religion Unplugged provides a great introduction to The Baha’i Faith.
I know very little about it, though the following quote is why I am interested in learning more.
“Baha’u’llah’s teachings are very much progressive social teachings that are here for the unification of humankind,” Wilson said. “This is why I’m a Baha’i right now, especially because of this current political climate, Baha’u’llah’s message is one of love and unity and bringing people together. It’s the elimination of racial prejudice, the equality of women and men, elimination of extremes between wealth and poverty, universal education and the harmony of science and religion.”
I have often said that if you were to only by a single book on how to understand and live a life from a spiritual perspective, it would be Deepak Chopra’s The Seven Laws of Spiritual Success.
The book is short, barely over 100 pages.
Yet this book explains ancient ideas and Sanskrit words from Hinduism and Buddhism that we often use casually without fully understanding.
Words like Karma and Dharma.
The Seven Laws
The Law of Pure Potentiality
The Law of Giving
The Law of “Karma’ or Cause and Effect
The Law of Least Effort
The Law of Intention and Desire
The Law of Detachment
The Law of “Dharma” or Purpose in Life
Some may seem contradictory.
How do you reconcile The Law of Intention and Desire?
Deepak Chopra makes it look easy! A true Enlightened Master at work!
A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of Your Dreams
Each chapter on a spiritual law is followed by short set of instructions for applying the law of to your life. Here are the steps from Law Seven.
“Applying the Law ‘Darma’ or Purpose In Life”
“I will put the Law of Dharma into effect by making a commitment to take the following steps.”
“Today I will lovingly nurture the god or goddess in embryo that lies deep within my soul. I will pay attention to the spirit within me that animates both my body and my mind. I will awaken myself to this deep stillness within my heart. I will carry the consciousness of timeless, eternal Being in the midst of time-bound experience.”
“I will make a list of my unique tallents. Then I will list all the things that I love to do while expressing my unique talents. When I express my unique talents and use them in service of humanity, I lose track of time and create abundance in my life as well as in the lives of others.”
“I will ask myself daily, ‘How can I serve?’ and ‘How can I help?’ The answers to these these questions will allow me to help and serve my fellow human beings with love’
A simple recipe for life!
My challenge is to know what my special gifts are?
The other six laws lead to the seventh law.
Each one has steps to follow for “Applying The Law of …”.
Repeat to make it a daily practice. By some coincidence, there are Seven Laws and Seven Days! You could loop through and practice a new law each day of the week.
Eventually you will integrate each of the Laws of Success to simple be living the Seven Laws of Spiritual Success every day.
Repeat to create a lightness of being and love in the world.
Breathing Variation
Here a version you can do with simple breathing.
Tip: Breathe deep into the bottom of your lungs, expanding your lower rib cage.
Your Body
Breath in deeply, thinking Peace
Hold
Breath out thinking Peace
Repeat three times
Repeat with Harmony
Repeat with Laughter
Repeat with Love
Love is the Key
The stream is on the Xenia Retreat Centre on Bowen Island, near Vancouver, British Columbia.
The retreat centre is open for bookings such as weddings, silent retreats, artist retreats, writing retreats, executive retreats, yoga retreats, and more.
I am embarking on a new adventure to explore various spiritual paths and beliefs, starting with my own notions. It will start with blog posts and will likely involve interviews with a wide range of seekers and thinkers. There could be a book or two. There could be a documentary.
Let’s see where this path takes us.
Spiritual Free Agent
My mother fled the farm and the Catholic church when she was 18. She raised us to be independent thinkers and make our own choices choice about religious or spiritual beliefs or lack thereof.
When asked, I will often give the following smart-ass answer:
I am an Existential Christ-ian Taoist Shaman with a Buddhist Interpretation. Or perhaps simply a Free Agent.
Greg Dixon
I say it mostly as a joke, though it begins to hint at a very broad range of enquiry and experiences.
A Pattern Emerges in the Rearview Mirror
Although I seldom had a plan, there are a few interesting patterns visible when look at the ground I have covered in my life:
Watched the interviews of Joseph Campbell by Bill Moyes on The Masks of God. I have the books in the locker.
Visited the headquarters of the Theosophical Society in Adyar, India where they have manuscripts from many different spiritual traditions and a tree descended from the Bodhi tree where Siddhartha achieved Enlightenment and became the Buddha.
Attended and done video projects with Unity churches, United Churches, and Anglican Churches.
Did projects with the Masons and Shriners.
Shot video of a Muslim marriage ceremony and related celebrations.
Read the Koran, The Book of Morman, the Tao Te Ching, the Tao of Pooh, some of the Old Testament, different translations of the New Testament, and tried reading the Bhagavad Gita. Not a master of any of the texts.
Used a passage from Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet in my first wedding. There was a line about “Let there be space in your togetherness.” Indeed, there has been a few partners and over 5,000 Kilometres between us. We are still connected, though.
Been willing to try to understand the beliefs of any woman I was involved with.
Spent time in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malasia.
Have some Buddhist connections.
Spent a considerable amount of time with a Native artist shaman.
Have participated in and witnessed various Native ceremonies.
Am in awe of the natural world. As Albert Einstein said: “Not only is the universe stranger than we think, it is stranger than we can think.”
Like many of you, our plans A, B, and C evaporated with the Coronavirus lockdown.
We have to adapt. The meteorite has hit the planet. Many people, families, and businesses will be devastated by the likely global recession. Millions more will die of COVID-19 and its variations. Millions more will be on the streets or succumb to depression and suicide.
The dinosaurs will go extinct, while other life forms will adapt and thrive.
The blessing in all of this is that humanity needs to figure this out and help each other through this.
Greg Dixon
And some people will survive and thrive with this. Some will succeed by serving and others will succeed through exploitation.
Why We Are In a Position to Help
Bonnie and I have been working to learn skills and acquire tools to help people and businesses.
And we have a natural instinct to help others, even when we need help.
I will give you a recent example. Bonnie got in the car and drove to a grocery store to get groceries for a friend who is shut-in due to the coronavirus.
We are not sure how we are going to put gas in the car or pay for insurance or buy food for ourselves next month. But today we can help.
There is a lot of need right here right now. Many of you are shut in afraid and need a helping hand.
Bonnie and I will do what we can to help. And we can help in a lot of ways.
What We Can Do To Help
People in Isolation
Shopping for the necessities and delivering to your home. We will practice social distancing and safe protocols.
Cleaning
Gardening. We can help put in a Victory Garden which could be a lifesaver for you.
Package deliveries
Your Story
One of our services is to create personal, family, and business story productions.
Now maybe the time before the opportunity passes.
Business Transformations
Bonnie and I have a head start on many businesses in terms of being mobile and online.
Here is how we can help:
Transform your presentations from in-person to online with live streaming, social media, and webinars.
Video production. We teach people how to use video with what they have.
Adapt from in-person to online delivery of services through online courses, membership sites, and online delivery of services,
Help with copywriting and marketing to make the needed adjustment.
We have tools and expertise to take the right idea from start to generating hundreds of thousands of dollars to millions of dollars.
Maybe you have the right idea for this time?
Help Us Help You
We are prepared to do any and all of that according to need and means:
We will help individuals who need help on a donation basis. We will help if you can’t afford anything. If you can make a donation, great.
We will help businesses with free advice and resources.
We may also choose to help businesses with a contribution and joint venture agreement.
Contact Greg Dixon at gregdixon@sharedvisions.com to request help.
Help Us Help Others
Here is your opportunity to pay it forward or pay it back.
Make a contribution to help us help others.
Send money
Offer services or supplies.
What can you offer to help?
Contact Greg Dixon at gregdixon@sharedvisions.com to offer help.
Join The Team
The need is much greater than what we can do ourselves.
Please let us know if you want to help with your time or expertise.
Contact Greg Dixon at gregdixon@sharedvisions.com to join the team.
One of your first impressions of Vancouver, British Columbia, will be that there is water everywhere. Burrard Inlet to the North, the Fraser River to the South, and False Creek in the middle.
Seawall with paths for bicycles and pedestrians follow the entire waterfront around False Creek.
Two companies operate cute tiny ferries to take people between eight locations around False Creek. Each stop has its own charm.
The larger AquaBuses can accommodate wheelchairs and strollers
We bought a day pass and shot photos and video of all eight stops served by AquaBus ferries. Here are the highlights.
Granville Island
Granville Island was an industrial area important during World War II. Today you can get fresh produce, seafood, unique arts and crafts and much more in the Granville Island Market.
Shops in Granville Island Market
Restaurants, Granville Island Brewery, theatres, art galleries, funky shops, and an art school for kids provide a lot to see.
Luis Martos is often playing at Granville Island
Stamps Landing
The next stop on our tour is Stamps Landing just West of the Cambie Street Bridge.
In June 1867, Edward Stamp build Vancouver’s first industrial operation, Stamp’s Sawmill.
Today the area features apartments with a fabulous view of the water and boats, Mahoney & Sons Irish Bar and Grill, The Wicklow Public House, and the charming Branas Mediterranean Grill. Eat, drink, and be merry!
Sailboats at Stamps Landing. This used to be our view!Branas Mediterranean Grill
Orca Whales
Orca whales are a rare sight in False Creek. We caught 4 on camera just West of Stamps Landing.
We were blessed to catch a rare sighting of Orca Wales in False Creek