Do You Want To Be Concsious Online?

Written By Don Shetterly

I'm sitting here in frustration at the moment watching what happens online every day.  I see it and keep hoping it will change, but the needle seems to be going in the negative direction.  So, I'm left to wonder, do people want to be conscious?

Somedays, it seems like social media is nothing more than a rant about political beliefs.  The world could be ending in this very second, and all anyone seems to care about is the latest tirade on Twitter or the grabbing headline of the day.  There is no in-depth analysis.  It is what people hear that they regurgitate no matter how hard they try to convince others they make up their own minds.  Sorry, the evidence shows the contrary.

People want to be concerned about mental health, depression, suicide and anxiety among other health situations.  I applaud this.  I think it needs to be talked about, but far too often it means nothing more than a retweet or like on social media.  The conversation doesn't continue.  It only ticks up the counters in the tweet or post.  I see this in stuff especially about suicide I have posted.  It gets clicks, but that's as far as it goes.

What does it matter?

There are so many games played online with people where if you click this, I'll follow you back.  Oh look, I can buy more followers.  Oh look, people, see how much I can spend online to get a lot of retweets, likes, and comments.  At the end of the day, what does that matter?  What have you accomplished that changed your life or the world?

Don't you dare say anything that doesn't fit into everyone's beliefs because it would be too uncomfortable if we could discuss with someone who holds opposing thoughts?  It doesn't matter if it is hot-button issues or simple things, I've seen the sudden drop online because of it.  I don't necessarily look for those that agree with me, but I just look for those that respect others.  We can hold differing viewpoints, but we're still fellow humans traveling on this earth.

Many people online act as if they have the only answer.  They are the experts.  They know the truth.  There is nothing else or anything that they could possibly entertain.  So, once again I ask, do people want to be conscious?

Some give lip service...

I really wonder if people do because I see very few that attempt to do this.  Some give lip service to it.  Some make it appear they do, but it is the same thing as if you have a glass house thinking no one can see inside.

It isn't about what other people want and what they do either.  It is about each one of us and what we want.  Do you want to be conscious?  Are you willing to go the distance and be conscious?  Are you ready to step away from all you know, all you have been taught and your beliefs to be conscious?

I mean, are you ready to challenge everything you know and drop what no longer serves you?  No, I don't say you do this if it agrees with you, but if it makes you uncomfortable.  I mean, if it makes you question things that are not easy.  It is where we begin to find consciousness.  We do not find it in the safety of our routine lives.

Diminished what was written...

I posted something about the topic of what is truth.  One person immediately without reading it said it is a religious thing.  They did not even entertain what the blog post was about but was so quick to state their belief rather than be informed.  They diminished what was written by their own unconsciousness.  They were not showing love or compassion or understanding.

So, once again I ask, Do you want to be conscious?  I'm not going to let anyone off the hook on this blog post.  I know this is a hard question.  I know we want to say, of course, we do, but in all reality - is that true?

I too struggle with this daily, and I think that is a good thing.  If you want to be conscious, but you don't wade into the water, you may need to work on being more honest with yourself.  See, we fool ourselves into thinking that we are more than what we are.  We kid ourselves into believing that we have everything together while we hide and ignore, numb and disconnect to what is the truth around us.

Deeper than we currently see...

Consciousness is not just a thought process.  It means being connected to our mind, body, emotions, thoughts, and the higher spiritual side of where we fit in this world.  Consciousness is not just a meme we retweet or the fake smile we paste on our face.  It is more than spouting our own beliefs as if everyone else should think like us.  It is deeper than we currently see and if we think we are conscious, we most likely are a long way off.

Consciousness means we go in and become aware of all parts of our life, even the most uncomfortable ones.  Where fear is afraid to tread, that's where we go to become more aware and conscious.

It is up to each one of us how we live our life.  If we spend every waking minute worrying about the latest tirade of the day, we're not helping the world.  We're adding to the problem.  The world and human civilization have serious issues, and it is looking for people to step up to the plate and help solve these problems.  Unfortunately, we have a world that is screaming at one another.  Nothing is being resolved.

Through your actions...

Do you want to be conscious?  It isn't a yes or no answer.  It is how you live in a day and what you do through your actions that give the answers.  It is where you focus your time and help and love, not just how much you act as if you do.  Conscious means doing more and being more than you were yesterday and not as far as tomorrow.  It is a daily commitment, not a one time retweet or like or post.

I write because I want to see the world and human civilization wake up.  No, I'm not referring to politics or religion.  I mean, waking up from the inside out.  Learning how to live not only in your mind but in your body.  Seeing that your life is led by a heart that is fully open, not close or semi-open from the trials of life.

I write because I want to make a difference.  I don't care about many of the issues most get frantic about these days.  Those are temporary unconscious events that only bring out the worst in people.  I'm more concerned with how you deal with your health and mental well-being.  The overall love and acceptance of others are what matters to me, not the judgment and condemnation we shove in other people's faces.

Do you want to be conscious?  If you do, make sure your actions and thoughts and your words work in that direction.  See the big picture, not the moment by moment parts of life that do not advance the civilization of this universe.  See that consciousness begins deep inside of you and radiates out for all to observe.

I'll leave you with this question one last time because I just want you to think about it.  The answer is not as important as the process of contemplation.  Do You Want To Be Conscious?

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Blog Post And Images (c) 11/9/2017 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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Avoidance Is Not Helpful

Written By Don Shetterly

This subject is one I still haven't fully learned.  Maybe it is because it is a human condition that we employ when things get a little too tough.  Avoidance is one of my go-to-coping skills, but when I avoid things, I tend to make them worse.  It was my survival tactic growing up in a world full of trauma and abuse.


Take for example the recent tooth pain that I kept trying to mask and ignore.  I found ways to compensate for it that kept me disconnected from it.  I'm amazed at just how far I went so I didn't have to deal with it.  I avoided it instead, and by doing this, I've probably caused myself a lot more expense.

Avoidance is being employed by almost everyone at record setting paces these days.  Times are tough in life right now.  We are going through horrible moments as a civilization on this planet.  The atmosphere and energy all around are divisive and toxic.  Everywhere you look there is something that is upsetting.  Even if you try to distance yourself from all of it, the feeling of that toxic energy is still prevalent.

We Turn To Things That Distract Us...

To deal with it, we do as I did on the tooth pain.  We turn to things that distract us and keep us from dealing with reality.  We consume things to help give us comfort.  We act all happy and smiles when we're crumbling inside.  We put our attention on anything but the moment that is happening before us because it is just too difficult.

Avoidance can be good in the short term.  It may help you get from one moment to the next so you can deal with the issue.  However, when we continue to avoid the issues that are troubling, we only do harm to our body, mind, and spirit.  We take in the toxic poison as if it is our sustenance, thereby hurting us for years to come.

Avoidance brings us out of consciousness and awareness.  It puts us in the passenger seat instead of being in control of our life.  When we are out of control, the fear and panic and despair set in causing us further long term effects.

During these times of immense stress and toxic poisoning, we owe it to ourselves to reverse the course.  There are things we can do to help alleviate it and take care of ourselves, rather than just giving in to what is happening.

Here are some things that help in moments like this.

• Try spending some time outdoors listening to the birds and feeling the rays of the sun upon your face.  Try feeling the wind or breeze on your skin and just feel every bit of it that you can.  

• Trying focusing on your breathing for 30 seconds or a minute at various times during your day.  Connect and feel your breath.  This does not need to be elaborate and can be very simple. The act of stopping and noticing your breath can be very centering and be grounding in your body.

• Learn to disengage from the toxic conversations occurring online for they are not as helpful as they may seem.  They get the body and mind all revved up as if you are going into battle.  Online conversations do little but fuel the fire and hatred that is so prevalent in our society these days.  If you disengage, you are stating to yourself that you are valuable and worth more.

• Learn to shut off the TV because the news is not enlightening as you may think.  The videos and sounds and opinions stated are meant to engage you into an emotional reaction.  The more you keep your emotions wound up to the max, the less you are connected to your body.  In time, it leads to avoidance of your mind and body.

We all have choices we make.  We may or may not be conscious and aware of them, but we make these decisions every day.  Either we employ avoidance, or we stand up and choose differently what we engage with in a day and all that we take in with each moment we are alive.

You don't' have to hide your head in the sand to what is going on, but a fraction of the toxic poisoning these days is more than enough.  It may help to picture yourself drinking a glass of toxic poisoning each time you engage with what is going on in the world.  However, before long the effects of the poisoning would be felt.

If we want to change the world, we need to stop avoiding life and learn how to give our mind and body a choice of rest and peace, comfort, and love.  We need to choose wisely because if we don't, we will pass the point of no return, and then it will be difficult to find our balance.

What are some ways you avoid difficult things in life?  What do you do to deal with them?  Share your thoughts in a comment below.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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Be A Positive Force In This World

Written By Don Shetterly

My heart is sad when it comes to the events going on across our country and the world.  This is not about politics, and if you think it is, you're sorely mistaken.  If you know me at all, you know that I do not subscribe to what the masses say on any level.

I see people that are so angry and so hurt.  I see people that are asleep and numb and disconnected.  I see individuals who view others as the enemy, not as humans walking this same planet.  It pains me.  It hurts me.  I weep, and yet my tears do no good.

There is far too much hate and too little love.  There is far too much judgment and too little understanding.  We stand opposed, rather than united to journey through our lives to discover more about who we are.

I'm perplexed because everyone points the fingers at each other.  We exclaim that we know what is best and all others are stupid, dumb, or irrelevant.  We fail to listen to each other while we scream how worthless all others are.

We hold out to the world just how enlightened we are and righteous and good.  We hold out to the world that we are superior and we know all.  We hold out to the world we are peace loving and conscious.  Yet, our actions contradict our every word.

If We Do Not Find Peace Within...

If we do not find peace within ourselves, we will not find it throughout the world.  If we do not learn to accept ourselves, the world will never accept us.  If we see others as stupid or idiotic or misguided and wrong, the rest of the world will see us in that way.

It does not matter what the world proclaims.  It matters more what you feel and think and believe on the inside.  If you want peace, it must first begin within you.  If you want love throughout the world, it must first begin within you.  If you want others to accept you as a valid human, you must first accept others in the same way.

We're at a crossroads I believe in humanity and either we keep heading down into the darkness of the world where there is no peace, or we rise above it all.  It is solely up to each one of us, but it isn't just words.  It is action that backs up our words.  It is action that shows what truly is in our mind, body, soul, and heart.

Let us be a force for positive change by changing our lives in a way that shows what love and peace are to the world.  This blog post is about taking a hard look at who we are as individuals and seeing what role we truly play in the world.

I implore you.  I beg you as the reader to help make a positive difference through taking stock of your own life.  I'm attempting to do the same.  Together we will make it further in this harsh world, rather than divided where we will not stand.

Let's stop pointing the fingers.  Let's cease to be part of the cycle of hate.  Instead, let our lives show love so brightly that it will take over the darkness.

I love this video because I believe it says so much.  It is Matisyahu singing and performing "One Day."  The words speak volumes.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
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Sorry But Stress Is Present In Life

Written By Don Shetterly

Sometimes I see things stated and my eyes bulge out of my poor little mind. I am amazed at how unconscious and aware we can be even by those who claim to be conscious.  I believe that the things we preach to the world especially when they are our beliefs have serious consequences, and we need to be far more aware than we are.

I saw a quote online that said, "there is no such thing as stress in the world.  It is all in our mind." 

I had to read the quote a few times to make sure I saw the statement that I did.  Yes, that is the statement that I read, and it boggles my mind.

I had to read it and do a double take to make sure I saw what I did.  Yes, that is the statement.

This statement could not be further from the truth.  In fact, it and truth are strangers in distant galaxies.

There is stress no matter where you look.  Some of it is positive stress which we need in our lives.  Some of it is toxic stress.  No matter what you think your thoughts can do, stress is present.

• If you walk outside in the hot sun, the stress of the heat makes your body work to cool and find equilibrium.  
• If you get in the car and drive down the street, there are cars not obeying the traffic laws and rules of driving so that they can present stress to you. 
• There is the boss that yells at an employee in front of a meeting for something beyond their control.  That is stress on your mind and body.  
• There is the demanding boss that wants you to follow their every whim and demand with no respect for you.  That is stress.
• There is the stress of the kids needing help with homework, or to take them to every activity meeting they have.  
• There is the stress of trying to get your family fed and answering emails and texts from the boss.
• There is even stress from moments gone by in how it impacts your current thought processes on a million different subjects and points.  
• There are the financial consequences of spending too much and dealing with your ever changing budget that creates stress.
• There is that rude person who tries to ruin your day or just get in your face for the stupidest thing that they can.  
• There is the stress of a significant other feeling left out or putting demands upon your time that causes stress.
• There is the stress of all those things you were taught and learned as a young child that now sometimes makes current moments not seem reasonable to you.  In the process of those connections that happen unconsciously every minute of their day, they create stress that we don't often see.
• Learning and growth are most likely stressful moments because it takes you out of your comfort zone and into something new.

There is hardly a day that goes by where we have no stress.  If we walk around not recognizing the stress in our lives, we're not as awake and aware and conscious as we think we are.  We may be able to talk the talk, but if we can't connect the talk with real life action or the places in our bodies that it resides, we're only fooling ourselves.

If you don't recognize stress in your life, you're only setting yourself up for a big fall later on in life.  At some point, it will build up to a breaking point, and it will get your attention.  You can mark my words on that.  I've lived it.

We can't go through life putting the happy smile on our face while we ignore stress and connections to the past.  If you try to do this, let me tell you from first-hand experience that the result will not be a good one.  I don't say this out of belief.  I say it from experience.

Learn to recognize stress for what it is.  It is present.  Instead of trying to act like it doesn't exist, go in and allow yourself to see it for what it is.  Allow yourself to find ways to acknowledge and let go of it. 

It is not just an exercise for the mind because stress finds a place within our body.  If we don't see its existence, it takes us permanent residency and then crowds out the joy and peace and love you so badly desire for life.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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As We Shed Who We Think We Are

Sometimes it is easy to get complacent and think we've progressed to the point where we fully know ourselves.  Yet, self awareness and growth are a continuous process because the more we get to know about ourselves, the more we are able to see and discover.

As we shed who we think we are, we discover what actually exists.

Don't stop discovering more about your life.  There's much more to you than you can currently see.

Become more conscious and aware.  

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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Life's Beauty Surrounds Us

In our days, we often miss the beauty that surrounds us.  We get too busy.  We fail to stay aware and conscious and so life's beauty passes us by.  If we're not careful, we will wake up and wonder where it all went.  We will wonder where the years have taken us and how they seem to have disappeared.  Let us behold the beauty in life that surrounds us each day, giving us life and joy and an experience that can never be fully repeated.  It is in the simple moments of observing life's beauty that we come to know the richness of living our lives.


Other #MindBodyThoughts

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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How We Treat One Another

Some days I feel like I'm writing for the heck of it.  It is almost like my words mean nothing and fall on deaf ears.

I see the hatred shared online from people who despise the hatred.  I see people getting angry acting as if I should only post stuff that they like and God forbid we don't see things the same way.

How we treat one another these days is mind boggling.  How we censor others is mind boggling.  How we get up on our pedestals and somehow demand others treat us as if we have all the answers is mind boggling.

We have replaced love with hate.  We have replaced our religious beliefs with intolerance.  We have denigrated those that wish to speak up by making them out to be horrible people we make fun of and call names.

What gives here? 

Where is our humanness?

Where is the love we proclaim we have?

We can't walk down both sides of the fence at one time.  We can't proclaim we love others and we want tolerance if we throw mud at those who disagree with us.

Aren't we better than that?  Don't we realize that the more we do this online that we're just being anything but human?

Seems like I have more rhetorical questions than there are answers.  Maybe the answers are there, but no one wishes to see it or hear it.

Heck, I don't have all the answers either, but I at least try to not make fun of others.  I try to not degrade and mock other people.

Our social media accounts show our true nature I think.  If someone wrote a book about us based upon what we share and like online, I've got a feeling that many people would be doing damage control.

It is sad.  It angers me to see the way we treat each other, especially online.  It angers me to see people talk about love and respect and tolerance, but then they go and do the same thing they despise.

It almost, no it does, remind me of the house I grew up in with the church-going-family who hated everyone that didn't think like them.  Maybe that's why this bothers me so much.  I have already lived this once in my life.

Little did I know, I would have to relive it again.  Where's the spaceship - I want to find a new planet that has tolerance and love, not hatred disguised as love.

May we all try a little harder to share a little less online and love a little more.  That's my hope!

Maybe we could work to be a little bit more conscious and aware.  After all, those things are not evident because of words, but because of the actions we portray.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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We Are What We Take In

It seems like far too many humans go on autopilot these days.  I don't think they mean too, but they just do it.  It seems to be more of an unconscious action to me from what I observe.   When we do this, it keeps us from fully realizing what we take in and what we are.

We all seem to know that what we take in, we become.  It is like the old proverbial saying, "Garbage In - Garbage Out".

In fact, I remember learning that saying in a computer class where if you put garbage numbers in, don't expect something good to come out of it.

Healthy Body...

If you want a healthy body, but you put bad food in constantly and plenty of it, more than likely you're not going to get a healthy body.  If you don't read the labels and know what you're putting into your body, it is impossible to expect a healthy one.


Healthy Mind...

If you want a healthy mind, but you take in all the latest sensationalized headlines of the day, the latest bombastic political headline and all the fear that is propagated each day, the mind will definitely struggle.  You might be a little oblivious to how much it impacts you, but from observing others, I think it is pretty easy to see.


Healed Life...

If you want a healed life, but you fixate upon the horrors only, it will make it difficult.  No, I'm not saying ignore them because when you've been through trauma, ignoring it will not make it go away.  I know it isn't easy to reverse the impact of trauma on your life, but to have a healed life, you have to go in and take that control back, pushing past into and past the fear.


Peace...

If you want to have peace, but you constantly engage in the hateful rhetoric of the day, most likely you're not going to find peace.  There is far too much unconscious hate that is being spewed these days online and if you don't limit it, it will overwhelm you and take you as far away from peace as is possible.


Expanding Mind...

If you want to have an ever expanding mind, approaching life with excuses or reasons why something won't work, will keep your mind limited.  Far too often we approach new ideas and new ways of looking at things as foreign objects that are our enemies, rather than potential friends.  Yes, not every idea out there is a good one for us to explore, but if we automatically decry anything new, we're holding our mind back.


More Of A Human...

If you want to be more of a human, than it is best to learn what being a human means.  It involves respect and compassion for one another.  It involves seeing others through the eyes of love, not the darkness of hatred and fear.  Being human is more of an endeavor to realize that we are all on this planet to succeed and by working together in common bonds, we will be better than we are today.


We Are What We Take In...

We are what we take in to our body, mind, spirit, and overall existence in this world.  Even if we are unconscious of what we do every day in this regard, it is still part of us and still activity that we embrace.

It requires a conscious effort to be aware of all that we are in the mind and body, not just what we think we are.  Consciousness is born out of awareness and the more aware we become, the more fully our life shows up

In my view, it is part of the human existence to become more aware and more conscious of who we are.  It is part of our overall growth and experience.

Each day, we get the opportunity to discover a little more about the world we live in and who we are as humans.  May that process never stop and may we challenge ourselves to be more today than we were yesterday.

#Conscious

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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I Struggle With People

There are days that I truly wonder about the human race.  I really wonder why humans do some of the things they do. 

I struggle with people in these moments and at times I wish I had a spaceship that could take me to another planet.

People get so nasty with one another calling each other names and putting labels on those that they disagree with on whatever issue it is. 

There is no respect.  There is no love.  They may proclaim there is, but their words and actions show differently.

I struggle with people who think that I must think like them in order to be associated with them.  Whether it is politics or some cause or organization, I try not to be a part of group think.  I feel that humans owe more to the world-at-large to be more than just a mind numbed group think process.

Mind numbed chatter...

I struggle with people who only seem to want to talk to me if I share their views or I'm ready to rant about the latest "topic" of the day.  It feels like mind numbed chatter to me and I really have no desire to immerse myself in it.  I think there are more important things to talk about, but if I am only good to mirror back everything you say, am I of any real value?

I struggle with people who on Sunday say, "I love everyone" and "I have the answers" - yet, their life shows the opposite of the words they speak.  They sound more like a clanging symbol than a band of finely tuned instruments.  Of course, you can't point this out to them because they act as if what you are saying it "unenlightened" or "not spiritual".

It is their needs or wants only...

I struggle with people who only seem to chat with me when they want something or need something or somehow feel like they HAVE TO chat with me.  Their heart isn't in the conversation and they make me feel less than, just because they don't truly value me as a person first.  It is their needs and wants only.

Heck, I know I'm not perfect either.  I screw up and mess up too.  I am just tired of "part-time" people who say one thing and then do another.  There's much more to our world than behaving this way.  I don't even think we are truly human anymore.

And no - it's not all the other people out there that do this!  It is each and every one of us that does it every day.  Yeah, we might like to think we don't, but if you take a look in the mirror - more than likely you'll see something that you don't want to see.

That's the challenge in life though!  Making ourselves better and learning to treat others with respect and true love without judgment is the mark of being a conscious human.  Why don't we try that in a day rather than just demeaning, tearing down, and disrespecting everyone we meet?

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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Being Human Is More Than Thoughts

Far too many shortchange the human experience.  Everyone wants to focus on the mental side of living - what the mind thinks, believes, and experiences.  Being human is more than thoughts and unfortunately this is a foreign concept in the world.

Even as I try to explain, teach and show through my own life's examples, it doesn't sink in most of the time.  There is too much parsing of words and thoughts that really keep humans off track and running down paths that just circle around.

There is more than just living in the "now".  There is more than what is in this moment.  Yes, those are great concepts, but if you only focus on these concepts, you've dismissed the possibility of what else there is.  There is far more than we know and far more than we really allow ourselves to know.

Being human is more than thoughts.  It is about going deep within your body and feeling the intricate layers while allowing your mind to connect in ways that are almost unimaginable.  Sure, we say we do this, but the vast majority of people that do, don't fully comprehend all that this entails and all that exists when you do this.

We've just limited ourselves...

There is so much more and if we boil life down to some thoughts and beliefs and opinions, we're just putting limits on ourselves.  It may feel good.  It may feel safe.  It may give us a moment of feeling like we know more than others.  However, we've just limited ourselves from truly experiencing that which we don't see.

Until I went through the work I have, I thought I knew a lot.  I thought I was aware.  I thought I was conscious.  It was not until I connected deep within my body and felt every pain, every experience, every feeling and every thought, that I found I was no where near consciousness.

We can't dismiss consciousness because we choose to stay unconscious and disconnected.  We can't be aware if we don't fully go in and feel through the felt sense every facet of life that we have not yet seen or understood.

Living from the inside out...

Being human is more than thoughts.  It is about living from the inside out, being aware physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally of what there is that we cannot see.  It is not about what we cannot see, but the fact of allowing ourselves to tiptoe into that which we are not aware of in this moment.

It is through awareness that we become more conscious and the more conscious we become, the more aware we become.  Life is not about philosophy and belief and opinion.  It is about living in the body to the fullest extent we can in this moment, recognizing that we've only just begun our journey.

Living in a human body is the key to connecting so much more than we know today.  Disconnecting from our body is something we all do to a great extent.  We don't feel as much of our body as we think we do, but until you experience this felt sense - you are limiting yourself with thoughts that are not serving you well.

There is so much more.  I had to find out the hard way when I was paralyzed, but it led me to a discovery that when we travel deep within our body through the painful experiences we have encountered, the peace and joy and healing beyond that is more than I can find words to say.  For it is not a thought process, but one of truly connecting the mind with the felt sense of the body.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

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Becoming Conscious

Seeing the world through eyes that can never close is how we awaken.  It is how we become more conscious and alive in our life as humans.

When our eyes are closed, we are not seeing clearly as to everything that is happening in our life.

The bigger picture of illumination is when we see all that there is to see.

When we are open to life in a way that gives us a sense of purpose, it is then that we have found our self in this life.  We become a beacon of hope and possibility to our self and those around us.

Sometimes it is difficult for us to see something greater than ourselves.  At times, we are walking through the fire of life as we are being melted and molded into something new.  It is at these moments when we are morphing into something greater than we were before, giving us a new outlook on our life and existence.

Becoming conscious is a pattern of growth and awareness in our life.  It is one moment of awareness followed by another moment.  It is when we choose to open our eyes to all that there is in our life, not just that which we want to see.

Becoming conscious begins deep within our body as the process connects us to our mind.  It is the felt sense within our physical body where our mind discovers the spark of awareness.

As we become aware, so to do we find not only the life that was meant to be, but a life that shows us more than we realized was possible.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
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Body Weight Is An Indicator of Mind Body Health

A long long time ago in the early days of humans, we encountered the winter time where temperatures were much colder than the summer.  In the beginning days, most humans didn't have thick heavy clothes to wear.  When the weather was bad, there would be days that no human could go outside and gather food without adequate clothing.  Food would become scarce.

The human body learned to adapt and started to store up food reserves in the late summer and early fall months.  Most animals do this and we humans living in a human body are no different.  As we stored up food, it would show in extra weight especially around the area of our vital organs.

Extra fat and body weight and reserves around our vital organ area or midsection, allowed not only reserves that we could feed off of and keep ourselves going, but it also allowed an added layer of protection from heat loss in the body.  It kept us insulated against the colder days and nights.

In many ways, extra weight is not only a function of what we eat and how we eat, but it is also a function of how we feel inside.  If we're feeling scared and lonely, we need our protection and our safety blanket.  If we're not sure it is safe to step outside of our immediate world, we need the protection around us.  This protection comes in the form of additional body weight, especially near the organs.

Just as much as we need protection and we get it through extra body fat and weight, sometimes we also view our body and our life in such a way that we despise ourselves.  Our low self image and low self esteem can be silent and subconsciously turning away the food we need to maintain our body weight and strength.

Most of the time this happens without us being conscious of it because if we were conscious of what was going on, we would be able to adjust our life appropriately.  We as modern day humans carry far too much daily stress with us and we drag around the baggage of our past with us each day.  Some humans are working to rid these things, but too many are controlled by their lives rather than in control of their life.

Getting rid of the daily build up of stress is much more than grabbing a drink or taking a vacation where you are connected to your smart phone, text messages, and email.  It is a lifestyle choice that you make to disconnect and turn off the things that keep your body revved up at a higher state of functioning.  It is a lifestyle choice where you choose to let your body be silent and still and find relaxation, rather than trying to see how much you can fit in your day.


Getting rid of past experiences and trauma in your life is not about thinking some happy thought and believing it no longer affects you.  It is about recognizing it and going into it so that you can clean out the closets of your life and release it.  It is more than a mental exercise.

It is about going deep into the body and through an increasing awareness, finding a consciousness that no longer needs these all that you hold on to in your life.  It is a process, not a moment where you exclaim everything is perfect and 100% healed.

Body weight is a good indicator of your overall mind-body health.  We all struggle with it to some degree and we live in a society that is so obsessed with body image, that we lose site of what life is truly about.  It is a balance between all things that we should strive for, not how we can keep up with the latest trend, fashion, or makeshift belief system about what our world should be.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
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Do You Live A Conscious Life?

It is easy to go through our day on autopilot.  The experiences we've endured along with the uncompleted tasks of our day can often keep us from living a conscious a life.

Do you truly live a conscious life or is it an illusion that you do?  It is easy to convince our self that we do and it is easy to attempt to convince others that we do, but do we truly live a conscious life?

Being conscious means that we feel and sense all that is around us.  Being conscious means that we are aware of what is going on and how we are impacting the world whether it is in a negative or positive way.  It means that we go through life knowing the much greater picture of who we are and why we are on this earth.

Being conscious means that we see each other through the eyes of love, not of judgment and jealousy.  Being conscious means that we know there is a higher good for all, even for those that sometimes challenge us in our day.

Feel the pains and the joys...

Being conscious means that we feel the pains in life, but we also know that by surrendering into the difficulties, we experience the joys.  We know that life is a balance, not just the happy and good, but the moments of sadness and pain.

In order to be conscious, we become aware of all that is around us, all that we know or do not know as of this point, and what the potential there is in life.  Our consciousness is not one with limits and boundaries, but with hope and possibility while understanding the limitations of being human.

Does not hold on to fears...

In order to be conscious, we have a higher vibration that does not hold on to all the fears found on this earth.  Whether it be the latest news and political report or the collective unconsciousness of the latest headline, the conscious vibration does not get taken under by these things.

Consciousness goes hand in hand with a balanced nervous system that has found elasticity to be its friend.  It knows that through all the heartache, there is a knowing of things much greater than the average person often sees.  It knows there is a place of peace and joy and no matter what hits us, it can be reminded that these things exist - that there is a way back to peace and joy.

Consciousness is not something you proclaim.  It is a life that strives for more and tries to understand more.  It is a life that wants to have a greater positive impact in the world, but realizes there is much pain and strife.  Consciousness is something that helps you rise above all that exists in this life, rather than becoming one with the masses.

Embraces all things...

Consciousness does not hold on to the followings and teachings of others, but it strives to prove to itself that which is truth in life.  For it knows that even what people believe to be true, is not necessarily truth.  It may be nothing more than a collective consciousness of group thought.  For consciousness, there is a willingness to allow one's self to go in and touch their own sorrow so that they may truly come to know in a physical way what is real and what is not.

Consciousness embraces all things and seeks to understand all things.  Consciousness works to be better and more enlightened today than it was yesterday.  Consciousness works at being okay with the ugly parts without judgment so that it can soar to greater heights in the days ahead.

No matter where we are on the spectrum of consciousness, there is always room for more.  It is in how we allow ourselves to travel forward that we either hinder or help our own lives become more than they are today.  Hiding our head in the sand and proclaiming we are conscious has no bearing on how truly conscious we are.

Consciousness means balance in all things - the good, the bad, and the inbetween where it rises above all things as an observer, not just as a participant.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
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When A Subconscious Mind Is Exposed

A subject we don't talk about enough but it sure impacts every waking moment of our day.  Today, I'm exposing what happens in a subconscious mind.   Please know, that this is not a scientific and fact based discussion, but one that comes from my own learning and experience in this area.

Neuroscience these days is doing wonderful work in research as they study the brain from all aspects.  It is a subject that I share a strong interest in and find very fascinating.  What happens in a subconscious mind is anything but boring to me.

We don't talk enough about the subconscious mind either.  We go through our day with our busy moments and list of things to do, but we fail to see the impact of our subconscious mind upon every waking moment we live.  It's there, whether you see it or not, feel it or not, or even want to acknowledge it.

Subconscious and Awareness...

The subconscious mind is one that stores data and input from many different experiences and moments of life.  It is the part that automatically knows what to do given any situation that arises.  It is the rapid response team.  It is the way you respond to situations that match up to your conscious mind and awareness.  It is responsible for the basic functions in life, including habits.

The subconscious mind controls or helps your reactions when it comes to emotions, feelings, actions, thoughts and words.  It knows where you feel comfortable in your responses and works to keep all of that in line.

You can also think of this part of your mind as anything that is not in your conscious thought.  Conscious thought may be a problem you are working on, while the concussions mind would be gathering data to help you solve that problem.  The conscious mind would help you in dealing with a client while the unconscious mind would be pulling in many scenarios from your life where you did something similar while doing a compare and contrast to help you in dealing with that client.

Your conscious mind does not think of your body temperature every second, but your subconscious mind knows that it needs to maintain a balance and so will activate other body systems to make sure this happens.  If you focus on your breathing, your conscious mind will know that it is breathing, but every minute of the day, your subconscious mind keeps your breathing operating at the rate which is needed to maintain life and functions.

Conscious and Unconscious Mind...

Our conscious mind and unconscious mind play critical roles in not only our survival but how we function each day.  It is in understanding more about these parts that we can better live our life to the fullest.  Failing to learn and comprehend more about our subconscious mind is only going to hold us back.

The more we can begin to understand all that is going on behind the scenes, gives us power to move through our days.  The more we understand and expose what is hidden deep within, the more we will consciously become aware so as to make better choices in our life.  Without knowing what is impacting us, it is like taking a shot in the dark.  You may hit something, but it might not be what you want to hit.

Exposing the subconscious mind allows us to let go of the baggage we have carried from all the experiences of our life.  We may not even be aware that we are carrying them, but they become like familiar weights we drag along each day.  Only when we expose these things can we decide if they are still needed or we can choose to let them go.

It is all part of our path and journey in life where we learn more about who we are than we knew the day before.  It is about getting to know our innermost thoughts, so that we become the empowered beings that we are meant to be.  Exposing the subconscious is truly growth.

Further Reading:

1. When A Subconscious Mind Is Exposed (Sep 13, 2016)
2. Subconscious Mind Impacted By Past Experiences (Sep 14, 2016)
3. Subconscious Disconnected By Numbing (Sep 15, 2016)
4. Connect To The Subconscious Mind (Sep 16, 2016)

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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We Support You But Let's Not Talk About It

Some days I really wonder about life and then on other days, humans prove with their actions what they think and feel in their hearts.  I know, it is an indictment of the human race, but I hope that with the words I write, someone will be a little wiser and a little more enlightened.  Maybe I'm hoping for too much, but even with the way some humans act, I still have faith in humanity.

The tired and worn out thought, we support you but let's not talk about it, makes me weep for humanity.  I've seen this a million times.  Whether its throughout the healing journey of child sexual abuse or an organization ripping apart at the seems, it is heard loud and clear.  Whether it is in a job where you stand up for what is right or you stand up to the bully in the workplace or even if you get married and it goes against the beliefs of others, there is no mistaking it.

Are humans that fickle?  Are humans so wrapped up in themselves that they offer support but yet they don't?  These are tough questions, but each and every person should ask them and ponder them because it happens across the board in one way or another.  It happens across every city and town of every country on this planet.  I've watched it play out so many times and in so many circumstances that my eyes are weary with pain.

Can we not be real with one another...

Can we not be real with one another?  Can we not show compassion and love to one another without using our ego and judgment to cloud the waters?  Are we not better as humans to understand love, compassion, consciousness and awareness.

Unfortunately, I would like to think humans have a greater capacity to love, rather than judge.  I would love to see where humans have a better awareness of what is right and just in this world, rather than turning a blind eye and being an accomplice in what is happening before them.  I still have hope for humanity.  I still try to have faith in humanity.

Actions speak volumes...

This business about supporting someone but then acting as if it doesn't exist or you don't want to talk about it, shows what is truly in your heart.  These actions and words speak volumes about what you really mean.  You can't just go to church on Sunday or embrace the new age thought patterns and let your actions say one things, while your mouth says another.

Maybe you think you don't do this and if you don't, my hat is off to you.  However, look long and hard because you might be missing the ways that you do.  It is not out of the question to not see that which you do.

Supporting one another is a basic part of being human.  If we fail in this, we have failed those around us and we have failed ourselves.  We cannot claim to support, but then hide it under the carpet.  We cannot claim to support and then talk about the stuff in a degrading way.  We cannot claim to support but hold back showing this, even in the slightest of ways.

My hope is that instead of hiding our heads in the sand, we will learn to become better humans.  Humans that are aware and conscious and walk the walk.  To be anything less, is to short change the human race and the world.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
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Let Us Be More

Every day we wake up, there are possibilities before us and choices to make.  No matter what, it is up to each one of us what we do with the seconds, minutes, and hours we have in a day.  My hope is that we will be more than we were yesterday.

No matter what situation you may be facing or what your life has looked like up to this point, you still have the choice what you do with this day.  Sure, your choices may be influenced by events of yesterday, but you still have the option to be more and do more than you could yesterday.

Sometimes those small little choices we make get us from one moment to the next, no matter how small and insignificant they are.  Our thoughts and awareness and consciousness should be that we are more today than yesterday and not as much as we can be tomorrow.

Always possibilities in life...

There are always possibilities in life.  It is what we do with our current moment that either brings them into view, or takes us into hibernation.  I am not just writing pretty words here.  I've lived both sides of what I am saying.  Sometimes I wither down into my cave, but if I'm lucky I will choose something that lifts me higher.

Let our actions and words show that we are making the right choices.  Let our words to others be out of kindness and love.  Let our life show that we are conscious and aware, not that we need to prove to others that we are.  Through all of this, we will help elevate ourselves to be more and hopefully those around us.

Conscious of the choices we make...

There are far too many activities that we partake in each day where we don't make good choices for our lives, our body, and our minds.  In fact, we are generally not aware and conscious of what we do, but we continue to do it anyway.  It is up to us to make the choice to see our life in a way that we have not seen it up until this point.

We need to challenge ourselves to be more and by doing so, we automatically challenge other people to be more.  We need to not accept where we are, but not stop searching for what we need until we find it.  We need to embrace more in our life and raise our own standards of what we expect from the possibilities around us.

(click image to read)

Grab all of life with gusto.  Go for every moment where you can rise above and find all that you need for your day.  Become something more than you are at this very moment.  It is a process, not an endpoint.  It is a journey, not just one moment of consciousness and awareness.  Find it and embrace it so you can become more today than what you were yesterday.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
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Unconsious But Enlightened

An epidemic is at hand I say.  I mean this is a breaking news story.  This is the "truth" for the moment.  I mean, you need to hear what I say because my product, my belief, my stuff I push upon you is the only thing that matters.

Every day we have far too many in this world that claim to be enlightened and all knowing and have the latest and greatest thing or news or belief.  Yet, being unconscious is at an all time high.

You can recite mantras, you can recite your beliefs but it doesn't mean you are any more conscious than the person next to you.

You can claim you know how to raise your vibration and clear your evil energy.  You can claim that you know all and those that don't are just not far along on their path, but it doesn't mean you are any more conscious than the person next to you.

You can claim to have the latest gadget or supplement that will make your brain rewrite every bad thing that ever happened to you.  You can claim to have the latest miracle cure that with one zap cures you of all future illness, but it doesn't mean you are any more conscious than the person next to you.

See, we like to claim how great or wonderful or loving or conscious we are.  We like to claim that we know best and the latest fad we have found will be the savior of the world.  We like to portray just how conscious and knowing we are so that others will listen to us and boost our frail ego.

Being conscious means you need to know what your body feels like from the innermost depths and that's not a one time thing.  It isn't a moment where you've done some work and said, I'm enlightened.  It is a daily process of dealing with what comes your way in life.

Being conscious is about going in and actually feeling the body, not ignoring it because we are numb.  Being unconscious is sitting there in pain and not even knowing it, or sitting there with stuck energy and thinking your life is one happy meme after another.

Unconsciousness is the norm these days.  Very few people go in and really feel what they feel in their body.  Most are too busy being so numb to it that we continue to avoid what we feel each day.

Time and time again I see the unconscious behavior and I'm not just talking about how people act in a day.  I'm describing that when you go and stop for a moment, what do you feel in your body.  I've seen far too many including myself that do not feel a thing until they stop and begin a "PROCESS" of sensing in their body.

It is very easy to numb and avoid and be unconscious.  We can think we aren't, but well that is numbness and avoidance.  It is much harder to be conscious and find an enlightening moment where  you feel something in your body.  The minute you feel something in your body is the moment where you are connected to your body.

I challenge anyone reading this to see what they can find in their own body.  Don't take my word for it that you may be unconscious.    Find the moment of enlightened sensitivity where you connect with your body in a way that you never have.  Then follow that sensation through and feel the edges of where it goes.

There is no greater learning and awareness then when we go deep inside.  We have always been instructed to "know thyself", but we practice avoidance and numbness far more than we embrace consciousness and enlightenment.

By the way, I don't mean by enlightenment that it is some light from nirvana showing up.  It just means that you have connected to something greater within you and an awareness has kicked on.

Go ahead though... test this out and see if you can prove it to be valid or not.  Don't just take my word for it.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 12/24/15 by Don Shetterly

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Click Share And Like

People sometimes irritate the daylights out of me on social media.  It is like the place for responses that have absolutely no care or respect come out in full force.  I don't know what it is about typing into a screen, but its been this way too impersonal since the early message board and forum days of the internet.

Social media just makes this type of behavior that much easier.  After all, you can do it quicker and with more ease.  No need to read through long lengthy forum posts, just pop them one liners in the social media feed quicker than you can say snot.  LOL!

I know, we're all not a bunch of conscious human beings and it shows in politics and on social media.  It shows our ignorance more than we want to admit.  Does it have to be this way?  I'd like to say no, but I've got a feeling that unconsciousness will win out.

The happy platitudes, the ignorant and uncaring responses and those in your face sharing every article, link, and web page posted across the internet are more than enough in a day.  In fact, they are a waste of time for the most part.

Fully Become Conscious

Let us not just embrace the happy filled times, but let us fully experience those difficult moments in life where we become weary and bruised to the bone.  It is at this point where we fully become conscious with more than we can even imagine.

We Must Learn To Become Human

Humans are a funny species at times.  Sometimes they do what is right and honorable with other people and other times, it feels like humans have all but vanished from this earth.  I try hard to not comment on all the egotistical news of the modern day, but sometimes I shake my head in amazement.

I see stories of animal abuse that make you want to cringe in ways I can't even comprehend.  I see stories of people abusing children in one form or another from actual physical and sexual abuse to thought control.

I see people preaching one thing and then doing the complete opposite of the words they have used.  It makes me remember a quote my Dad always used to say, "Don't do as I do - do as I tell you to do".  These people preach love and acceptance and kindness, but when push comes to shove, they do everything but that.  Why?  I never will understand most likely.

People get engaged in the hyped up media and politics of the current day acting as if they are the sole source of knowledge and wisdom of all places in this world.  Yet, their current wealth of information comes from news reports they see.  I think anyone could look at news reporting these days and see that it is more biased, than unbiased.  To base your view of the world on such things is like trying to stand at the surf of the ocean in the wet sand, thinking that they can stand without falling over.