The Scott Shaw Blog: November 2018

Monday, November 12, 2018

Evolutionary Choice By Scott Shaw

Evolutionary Choice

Here’s a previously published article that I wrote a number of years ago.

By Scott Shaw

Throughout the evolution of human consciousness there have been a lot of saying and/or slogans that have been spoken. Some have come to be used over-and-over-and-over again. From this, they have come to be believed metaphors. Near the top of this list is the saying, “You only get one shot.” Meaning, you only get one chance to make something of your life, but if you don’t, it is all downhill from that point.

Think about it. How many times have you heard that saying or a similar one?

Many people say it. Many people believe. But, is it true?

Choices

We all make choices in our lives. Sometimes we choose to go this way. Sometimes we choose to go that way. The reality of choice is, however, once a choice is made, it sets the next set of evolutionary choices in motion in your life.

For example, sometimes we make a choice and are so happy with the outcome. In other cases, once we have made a choice, we realize that it was a very bad choice and we should have followed a different path. But, the choice was made. And, by making it, it has come to define the next set of circumstances in our life.

Life is made up of choices. It is as simple as that. Some choices we make we will be very happy with. Others, we will wish we had not made.

But, this is reality. This is life.

No one is happy with every choice that they make. But, choice is one of the most dominant factors of human existence.

Choice and Desire

The choices we make are predominated defined by desire. We want something. We want a desired outcome. We want a desired object. So, we make the choices we believe will allow us obtain that object.

The problem is, until you have obtained that desired object you never know what owning it will mean. Whether that object is a thing, a person, an occupation, or a level of achievement—until you own it, you can never truly understand what the choices you made to get it will equal.

This is kind of like the American folklore analogy of the bluesman who travels to the crossroads to sell his soul to the devil to become a famous musician. They sign the contract, they get what they were promised, but the outcome of fame is completely different than they thought.

This is like life. There are all kinds of subtle costs for obtaining any desire that can never be anticipated. Thus, many people are left realizing that they got what they thought that they wanted, but now they no longer desire to pay the costs and be defined by their original desire. But, it’s too late. They already made their deal with the devil.

In life, we all want things. So, we go about obtaining them. Once we get them, however, we often realize that their ownership is not at all what we had anticipated.

For example, someone meets a person and falls in love. They enter into a relationship with the person but then it all goes bad. It ends, and they are very sorry they ever met or desired the person because of all the negativity that the relationship has cost them. This same scenario goes onto employment goals, possessions, and everything else.

The reality is, you cannot know what a desire will equal until it is lived. And, once you live it, it may destroy you. But, you made the choices to get to that end-goal. So, who is to blame?

Choice and Reality

Choice is one of the subtlest components of life. And, all choice are not as all-encompassing as the previously detailed ones. Choices are also driven by life necessity. For example, someone makes a choice to go to the supermarket. They get in their car and get in a car wreck. A choice; yes. But, it was defined by an unanticipated outcome.

This is the other reality of life in association with choice. There are a zillion people, animals, objects, and acts of nature that can never be charted or anticipated. They exist in their own sphere of reality, just as you do. So, while you are doing what you do; so are they. And, the two of you may come into unexpected contact. This is life.

Circumstances

As stated, what a choice does is to set the next set of circumstances of your life into motion. Your choices cause your evolution. And, good or bad is what you make of the outcome of each choice. But, good or bad is not wholly defined by you receiving a specific desired outcome.

As I have long discussed, it is you who decides what to do with the life circumstances you are handed. It is you who decides to become held back and hindered by them or to learn from them, and move forward. Like I say, “If you love Hell, it becomes Heaven.”

This being stated, in life, you must make choices. These choices will be fueled by your desires. And, do not get it wrong; even the most spiritual of people have desires. Desiring god-consciousness or nirvana, that too is a desire. So, as material as your desires may be, they are no less holy than that of the monk. They are just desires. Desires are just a byproduct of life. And, these desires will set your life in motion by the choices you make to obtain them.

Whatever happens is whatever happens. A choice turning bad or transforming into a believed opportunity missed does not need to define your life. What defines your life is what you do next. And, “Next,” is available until you die.

Here is the reality. You get a lot more than one shot in life!

Scott Shaw Writings on Zen, Yoga, and Human Consciousness

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Are You Aware Enough to Learn? By Scott Shaw

Here’s a previously published article that I wrote a few years ago.

By Scott Shaw

Life is a never-ending process of learning, expanding, and growing. Life provides the individual with the opportunity to constantly expand their mind, acquire new understandings, while continuing to expand their mind and advance their knowledge.

Not to long ago in world history people were sedentary. They were born into a specific region on this earth’s service and, with very few exceptions, they never left. From this, the amount of new information made available to each person was limited. As the industrial age and later the information age came upon us, though a person may never physically travel more than a few miles from where they born, the amount of knowledge that they can readily acquire is mind-boggling. It is all there at your fingertips.

Have you ever met a person who is very set in their ways—very stubborn? They know what they know, believe what they believe, and allow nothing to change their mind. There are many people who follow this mindset. They are proud of believing what they believe and decide that they know enough. They are proud to be firm and in their beliefs and in believing that the already posses all of the knowledge that is necessary for their life. Are you like this? Do you believe you hold enough knowledge? Do you think that what you currently know and the things you believe in it is enough?

In life, you really don’t need to know too much to get from one side of it to the other. To pass from birth to death is quite easy if you remain oblivious to all that is going on around you. This is the way many people live their lives. Though this is the way many people live their life, what this does is to keep one from expanding and acquiring the ever-expanding new levels of knowledge, understandings, and consciousness that are now made available to all of us.

In the past, the only way to gain advanced knowledge was at an institution such as a university. This is no longer the case. It is everywhere—available to everyone. Are you taking advantage of this?

Though knowledge is out there in an abundances and many claim to seek it, there is a sub-category of those who claim to seek new knowledge and new understanding but truly are not. This subgroup is made up of people who only seek knowledge that reaffirms what they already believe and/or supports the way they already feel. For this person, new knowledge is not what they are acquiring. What they are doing is that they have already made a choice and then they seek out people, words, teachings, and understandings that support the belief(s) they already hold. Are you one of these people?

Knowledge is based upon two primary conflicting elements: that which expands the mind and gives birth to creativity and positivity and the adverse; knowledge which holds a person bound to a specific belief system where they are not allowed to think freely and are, thereby, driven into the expression of negativity in their life.

The truth is, if you seek out negativity you can find it everywhere. And, the subtle reality of negativity is that it hides in many guises and is taught via many teachings. So much so that few people ever know that negativity is what they are embracing once there are locked into its belief system. Think about it; does what you currently believe and what you are currently allowing into your mind making you feel joyous, happy, free, loving, giving, and caring? Or, is what you are concentrate upon making you feel angry, angst ridden, fearful, and spiteful? Think about it, what do you think is the better thought pattern?

Though it is sad fact of human existence that negativity haunts the mind of many people, the adverse exists, as well. If you seek out positivity, and will not settle of anything less, it is out there in abundance; it is simply just a little bit harder to find as it does not activate as much adrenaline to hold onto its essence.

What lies ahead of you in life is what you set into motion in this moment. If you open your mind without judgment and you decide to gain new understandings that you may ultimately decide to embrace or reject you can forever learn. If, on the other hand, if what you allow your life to focus upon keeps you locked into a state of stubborn, hurtful belief, and if your study inflicts negative appraisals upon others, then you will be trapped to forever live the same thought patterns over and over and over again.

Life is an ever-growing expansive place. Allow yourself to be a true part of it. Learn, grow, expand.

Are You Aware Enough to Learn? @ Scott Shaw.com

Scott Shaw Writings on Zen, Yoga, and Human Consciousness

Where Does Your Empowerment Come From? By Scott Shaw

Here’s a previously published article that I wrote a few years ago.

By Scott Shaw

Each person wants to exist in a world where they are liked, loved, well thought of, and even respected. They want to be cared about and they want to have their life mean something. To achieve this, people go to all kinds of lengths. The problem is, these lengths are commonly defined by less than ideal actions. From this, though a person may, at least temporarily gain some of the something they desire, it eventually falls away because it was not a life constructed upon consciousness, thinking of others first, and caring about humanity more than one cares about themselves.

Take a moment and think about the various things you have wanted for your life. Look at what you want now. What are you doing to receive it? But, more importantly, think back to what you wanted one year ago, five years ago, ten years ago. Did you receive those life-things? If so, what was the price of you getting them? How did you getting them affect others? And, once you got them did they truly make you a better, more whole and happy individual?

This is thing about time; it allows us to gain perspective.

In life, there is one common problem. That problem is, most people think about themselves first. They only care about other people in so much as they affect them. Obviously, this is a very selfish mindset. But, this is how much of the world operates.

Think about this, how many times has someone only been thinking about themselves and your life or your life evolution was negatively affected by their behavior? Now think about this, how many times have you hurt someone else’s life by you only thinking about yourself and you did not even care?

Right now, take a moment. Think back one day, one month, one year, or five years—think about another person that you interacted with. Focus on them instead of yourself. Think about how your own self-involved, selfishness affected them. You probably didn’t care then. Do you care now?

If you live your entire life based in a space of self-absorption you exist in a very selfish realm of consciousness. The fact is, many people don’t care. They justify their actions. “I am doing this to get that.” “People have hurt me so I have the right to hurt them.” But, more then these mentally verbalized excuses; most people are so lost into the realms of the selfish-self that they do not even take the time to take others into consideration. They do what they do. They do what they do and at best they make up justifications and/or excuses for their actions. But, the fact is, the moment another person has entered your life, either by choice or by fate, you are forever intertwined with them. Anything you do that affects them, affects you. And, though you may gain what you want for your life in any given moment by exhibiting bad or selfish behavior, it is that behavior, in and of itself, that will eventually cause you to lose they thing you gained and/or not achieve your ultimate dreams.

Think about life. Think about the people in your life. Think about the people that you actually know; not someone that you have heard about. Think about these people because by looking at them you know what you know; it is not some abstract rumor, thought, or impression. Think about these people. How many of them are truly happy, truly fulfilled, have truly obtained what they have wanted from and for their life? For most of us, when we actually take the time to take a conscious look we will see that most people are unfilled and have not achieved their whole and compete dreams. This is simply a fact of life.

Again, look at these people. What have they done to get where they wanted to be? In their process who’s life did they damage in a small or a large way?

From any damage comes further damage. The damaged go on to damaging others. Why? Because they have been hurt. From this hurt they feel they have the right and/or the need to hurt others. “It’s been done to me.” But, this is biggest excuse that many people employee and the entirely wrong space to live your life from. This is a space of expounding the negative in life; not the positive. If you consciously set about on a path to hurt, by saying bad things or by doing bad things to any other person, your life will forever be defined by those actions. This is why most people never live their life dream. They are held back by their thoughts, words, deeds, and actions.

Many people, however, do not knowingly set out to damage the life of other people. But, they do not take conscious action. They simply do what they do without conscious thought. Is this style of behavior then forgivable because it was not consciously set in motion? No, it is not. For if you go through life lost in your self, locked in your own mind, then by that very thought process you have committed the ultimate sin—you only thought about yourself instead of the great whole.

People lie. People cheat. People steal. People deceive. People hurt other people; whether consciously or not. People lie to themselves about what they have done. People justify what they have done. People do all of these things to get what they want. But, if getting what you want involves the damage of anyone or anything you will never truly get what you want. If you do, it will only be very short-lived. And then, you will have had it but will suffer from the losing of it.

If you are not thinking about others first, if you are not putting other people first, you are living your life from a very selfish mind-space. From this, all that is born is disaster. Be more. Care about the other person first. From this, a whole new world of internal achievement is given birth to.

Try it out. See how it feels.

Where Does Your Empowerment Come From? @ Scott Shaw.com

Scott Shaw Writings on Zen, Yoga, and Human Consciousness