Illusion Of Emotions

I remember growing up and getting letters from my mom where she talked about "HOW" my Dad felt. It was like she was sharing his feelings with me instead of him sitting down and writing it in a letter or calling me.

While I do understand my father wrote extremely poorly and the couple of times he did write a letter to me, the words were blasting me with every baseless and false accusation under the sun. Regardless though, my father never shared his feelings with me or how he felt. Unfortunately, I longed for this connection with him instead of the illusion I received.

These days, our society seem to be fixated on the latest news story of the day. The more tragic, the more horror filled or scandalous, the more fixated we become. It consumes our every moment, conversation and the events that we choose to be a part of in our day. Of course, there is great money to be made in these things so those who follow the media day in and day out, willingly participate in the money grab.

We as a culture and society take these things one step further. We emote and release our feelings through these tragic events by sharing them on social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter. We comment as if we have a personal connection to the event unfolding. We align ourselves with a political persona to give a voice to what it is we feel inside. Last but not least, we comment on these news stories and we argue with others to prove our points. We press the like buttons, the thumbs up or thumbs down thinking the illusion really does matter.

Our comments, our alignment with politics and the things we constantly share in social networking are how we let our feelings out. These things have become our feelings in life. The awaiting disaster in all of this is that we still have these emotions locked within our mind and body, yet we give our self the illusion that by participating in the media culture of life, we are doing something positive.

Just like my mom in days past, by her speaking for what my Dad felt, it really had little connection to me. I longed to hear his words and connect with him. It was a false illusion that was reality to me just as our current day fixation on what the media or social networking sites feed us as truth. We have yet to figure out the illusion we are living but I hope that one day, it will be replaced with the reality of sharing real connections and feelings, not suppressing them.


Further Reading:
1) Commenting Online Without Thinking (Blog Post 06/07/11)
2) Anger In Our World (Blog Post 1/5/11)



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http://www.donshetterly.com

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Diving Into Cold Water Fears

When I read the article on CNN.com, Diving Into Coldest Water On Earth, I was intrigued with some of the comments the swimmer, Lewis Pugh, shared. While I myself would most likely not look for the coldest bodies of water to swim in and I'm sure most people would feel the same way, there is much to be learned from this experience. For the entire article, you can read the article through the link below.

Lewis Pugh stated that "the most immediate thing you have to do is to just squeeze out the fear, because otherwise the fear will just paralyze you." He is so correct in this and I'm sure I am not stating anything that everyone does not already know. However, we as a human species tend to understand this intellectually but not consciously.

In fact, in healing the body and the mind, fear is the number one block to holding us back from true healing. While fear can be a powerful motivator for healing in our life, all too often, it becomes a paralyzing force. I understand that completely because of the Conversion Disorder (paralysis) that I experienced several years ago.


Often, we don't even realize the way that fear grips our every day life. In fact, most humans just see things they do as standard events in the course of their life rather than fear that is holding them back. It is much easier to accept the false illusions that life gives us rather than go in and ask the hard questions that we must all face. Fear is at the root of everything we do and we either learn from it or we cower in the corner as a result.

Then, we question why nothing happens in our life or why we still struggle with pain and despair. The result is just like Lewis Pugh stated, "I remember thinking to myself, if things go bad, I'll get out after 500 meters... If you think about a swim like that, that's the worst way of thinking. What you're doing is confusing your subconscious, because you're planning for victory and defeat at the same time."

You see, if we follow the healing modality belief system of the day whether it is current medicine, a new age sensation or a religious belief, we often keep ourselves from going deep into the fear. We claim we want to take the swim (dive into the fear) but then we look for ways out. We confuse the subconscious. It is not until we let go of the fears (the ideals and beliefs that we hold on to) that we will begin to see more clearly and really begin to heal. It is at that point where we will come to know ourselves. It is at that point where we are one with our subconscious.

Hiding in the belief system that is regurgitated at will in our world, gets us no where. Opening ourselves up and taking the swim into fear, is what will take us to our goal. Let us begin to question all that we do, all that we feel and all that we assume to be a part of us. Let us not accept it as fact but view it as a stepping stone to greater awareness.

Allow the fear to empower us and motivate us forward, rather than living in the past realm of hurt emotions, shut off sensing and rigid thinking. There is a greater world out there when we step outside of the fear and it is ours just for taking the steps into awareness.



Further Reading
1) Diving Into The Coldest Water On Earth
2) Conversion Disorder
3) Hope And Possibility Through Trauma


Blog Post & Images (c) 4/5/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com

Illusions In Healing

I am often amazed at how people, especially healers or people in the new age therapies or religious people of faith, respond to others when they are working to find their footing on the path of their life. So often, these people are inundated with statements from people that they did not solicit or that may not necessarily be helpful in the long run. The people giving the statements feel that they must say these things and so they do willingly and without stopping to consider what they are saying.

Lately, I've heard some whoppers being told to others and while there may be an element of truth to them, so much of what is said boils down to nothing more than belief, rather than truth based assistance. So many times in this world, the inhabitants fail to understand what truth really is while disguising truth with their own belief system. At the end of the day, if we are not careful to fully understand the difference, we not only hinder the advance of evolution and awareness along but sometimes in fact, we make it more difficult for others to find their way.

I grew up in a home where religious stuff was as rigid as a board and that if you did not believe this way, there was not only something wrong with you but that you were going to hell. There was no half way point, no discussion of ideas and no acceptance of anything that fell outside the realm of what was being taught in the religious setting. It was their way or the highway. You didn't get the chance to go in and check it out deep within you as that was not allowed. You were brought into the fold by accepting the truths of these people or cast out by your nonacceptance.

As I ventured into the healing word and the new age world, I have seen this play over and over again. All too often, I hear "truths" that are nothing more than beliefs. All too often, I see how people inwardly and silently roll their eyes if you don't agree with their set of beliefs. I see the beliefs and truths regurgitated at will without any real questioning as if they really have solid evidence or not. In the new age movement and the healing world, there are many who eschew religious institutions but yet, in many ways they are subscribing to the same procedure of a belief system. The only thing different is they are putting different labels, feelings, emotions and thought processes with it. At its root base or the core of what is being taught, the same practices are being transmitted to others.

Yes, I do know there are legitimate people out there doing work that actually evolves the human awareness and consciousness. Unfortunately, there are a vast majority of people who are into what I call the whooo whooo, no reality based practices. Please don't get me wrong because I am not saying that you cannot venture into the unknown and in fact I think the unknown is a vital part of life. The part I take strong disagreement with is when the whooo whooo becomes reality replaces the truth with a belief system. It is at that point, where these practices become dangerous and hurtful to others along their path.

Consider the following example for a moment. If you saw someone hanging off the edge of the cliff and their fingers were slowly slipping, what would you do? Before you answer this, consider some of the things that if someone was struggling in life, you would hear in a potential group of healers or religious people.

"You just need to think positive and imagine yourself being rescued."
"Just pray about it."
"You need to consider what the reason of this is."
"God has a reason for everything."
"Don't get angry or upset and fight this."
"Look at the good side of this, the happy side."
"Think happy thoughts."
"Don't take this frustration you have and turn it inward."
"It will get better."

I could go on and on forever with these statements and most of them I've heard recently. Now most of you would say, if a person is hanging over a cliff, you wouldn't say these things to them but you would either go get help, offer them a rope or help lift them back up to safety. It would seem logical and you're probably wondering what these statements have to do with pulling someone from safety.

Yet, if you think about it, when someone's life is struggling, instead of many people really being there for someone, we offer them pieces of yarn to help pull themselves back up. That is as far as we go and all the time, the person is slipping away off the cliff. We think we've given them something to help pull themselves up when in fact all we have given them is a flimsy piece of yarn that will not do much for them. It may give them an illusion that there is a rope to hang on to but most likely it will not hold their weight. So when they grab on to it, they will let go of the only grasp they have to the cliff and fall off into space. Of course at some point, the fall will be stopped by the earth but it will hurt and they will need to struggle all the harder to climb back up the cliff.

All too often, we fail to fully uncover and unearth that within us that holds us from truly connecting with others and being a light unto their path. We sometimes think we are giving them a lifeline of rope when we are not able to see that we are only giving others a piece of yarn. Until we learn how to open our own eyes and go deep within through our own fears and pains of the past, will we ever be there for others. We can give others the illusion that we are truly there for them and in fact we can give ourselves the illusion as well but until we understand that it is an illusion, it is nothing more than a magic trick.

Each one of us has the responsibility to become all we can be and evolve in awareness and consciousness. While we may not fully understand what all that means, it is our responsibility to go further in life and be all that we can be. We all have a path to walk and if we are just standing on the path, we are not walking forward. Until we recognize and realize that the pains and the fears we hold are motivating forces, we will stay stuck in the illusions of what we give to our self and what we give to others.



Blog Post & Images (c) 2/25/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com

Simply Just Open The Door

The picture on this blog post was one taken by mistake but it just seems to have a story to tell. And so as I thought about it, the story begins to unfold. Of course, one could just look at it as a ladder leaning against a closet door but would be rather boring in many ways. Feel free to make up your own story on this but here's my take on the ladder against the door.

How many times do we go through life searching for that which we need. We may realize that what we need is in a closet or some area which is not readily seen by us. We may or may not know for sure that the item that we seek is inside the closet but sometimes our gut feeling says it is in there. We cannot see it, but somehow we just know that it is in there.

So then, we begin to figure out ways to get into the closet to find that which we are looking for. Most people would say, well why don't you just open the closet and look inside for the item. To most people standing back and not searching for the item, this would seem very obvious. However, to the person searching, it may be anything but obvious.

The searching person than decides that they are going to get into the closet and instead of opening the door, they do all types of hocus pocus tricks to get it to open. In this case, the searching person has gotten a ladder to see if they can crawl up and above the door to get inside. They go to all kinds of effort to bring the ladder to the closet, set it up so it is sturdy and then begin the climb up the ladder. The only thing is, they soon realize that with the ladder in the way, they will not be able to open the closet door.

Eventually the searching person realizes that the way into the closet is through opening the door. Of course, when they realize this, it is like a light bulb going off in their mind. In reality, the solution was right there before them and everyone but the searching person could not see it.

In many ways, we as humans do this. We search and seek something which we need for our lives and yet, we find the most difficult ways and methods to obtain it. We design elaborate systems to view what is beyond the doors only to give our self the false illusion that we are making progress. When all we really need to do is just simply open the door.


Blog Post & Images (c) 3/5/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com

Dreading Christmas

As the dreaded day of Christmas approaches, I find myself feeling at times like I want to cry but I'm afraid the crying will never end once it starts. I find myself wanting to avoid any mention of the holiday and staying clear of the stores at all costs.

Some days I feel overly hyper like I can't possibly sit down and stop but then sometimes in the same moment, I feel as if I'm exhausted - then the back and forth of the emotions starts the process all over again. I feel emotional at times, angry at times and hurt at times.

There are moments when I want to see the lights, decorate the house and bake some Christmas cookies. In the same moments, I want to lash out at anyone who dares mention Christmas to my face.

I long for the fantasy world I experienced during Christmas but along with it, the pain of the illusion is extremely difficult. It gets confusing and yet I know I'm making progress. It is fun at times, but it is exhausting and draining.

To all those that celebrate Christmas and have fun during this holiday, my hat is off to you. It is a time where I feel like one of those toys that you smack and it doesn't quite fall over, but it bounces back up. The only difference in this time for me is I feel like I'm constantly smacked and knocked down. My only hope and saving grace through this time is for December 26th to get here or to bury myself in work that keeps me from thinking about all of this.


Blog Post & Images (c) 12/15/10 Don Shetterly - use by permission only

Fear is Real

Fear is a real part of our life. In many ways, if we learn how to embrace the fears that are present in our everyday life, we can bring about tremendous growth and awareness for our self. For all too long in my life, fear ruled my every moment and I ran from things that were more of an illusion than a reality. As I learn to embrace that which comes from the struggle within me, I become more conscious and aware of all that I can be.

In our world, fear is alive and well. So many people have been wounded in life by various events and these events are holding an illusion over them that fear is the norm. We see it by what is shown on TV and talked about in the news. The pundits and talk show hosts enlarge the concept of fear to draw people into their shows, thus improving ratings and advertiser dollars.

We also see fear as being a strong motivator behind the ego of politics, power and control. If each of us would stop and open our eyes for just a moment, we would be shocked at what is truly going on. However, with the mass of our population living in fear, it is hard to identify how are minds are filtering out that which is before us.

Fear even shows up in our every day life when it comes to the way we deal with others and the way we care for our children. Even our body pains and the way we take care of ourselves physically are so engulfed in the foundation of fear. Health care is more about running from or trying to mask the pain (get rid of the pain or condition) than it is about going into fear and reclaiming that which is within us. Yet, we as a society are so locked into the power of fear that we struggle to even believe this is a remote possibility.

Our lives are touched in many ways by fear and the more we succumb to its power, the more we are holding ourselves back from finding our true potential. Society and civilization require each of us to step up and become all that we were meant to be but the more we walk hand in hand with fear, the more we bring darkness to all those we meet.

My attempt of writing about fear isn't to bring about more fear within each of us. It is instead a way for me to help others understand just how prevalent fear is in our lives and the power it holds over us. I have fought all my life to overcome so many fears I grew up with that I realize first hand just how difficult it is to not let fear rule my life. My hope is that everyone I meet will begin to understand a little more just how fear has a hold of our species and will work to begin recognizing it. Fear can be a powerful motivating agent of change in our lives or it can take us down. May we have the courage to open our eyes and see fear for what it truly is in our life and in the world.

Fear is...

• Being afraid of the unknown
• Something that feels real but may not be
• Expectation that something around you is bad
• Not being fully aware of what reality truly is
• the absence of fact that can be proved
• Illusion of reality
• Escape from that which we feel and know
• Larger than life
• When we find ourselves lacking in self confidence
• Arises from our wounded self
• Ignorance
• Following the masses
• Unjustified but seemingly real situations
• Distortion of what is truly present
• Seeing an image that is a twisting of the facts
• Facts that do not add up while logic is thrown aside
• Listening to the illusion of what others say
• Not following your own convictions
• Not being connected to your own body
• Being unable to recognize when it is present
• closing the door to truth and knowledge
• Not being open to awareness and growth
• Thinking that you have all the answers

(c) 11/12/10 by Don Shetterly - Use by permission only

Illusion Or Reality

I see and hear so many people in this world screaming at the top of their lungs. Often, it is about politics or religion or some other injustice in the world. While these are noble causes that usually involve passion, emotion and action, they tend to be more extreme than they need to be.

Take a notice of how many things are displayed in the news. Or how about the format in which movies are created, entertainment is participated in or the activities we connect to. Everything seems to be bigger, greater, more dramatic and more extreme. It is like we cannot get enough or that we've set the bar so high, that now we need more stimulation in life.

Let's go back to the people screaming or should I say in modern terms, "people discussing things in life and social networking and the news". If you look past the screaming, you'll notice that no one is truly listening or respecting what others have to say. Opinion is now shrouded as fact. Sensationalism is portrayed as energy and passion. Whoever can out talk, out yell or out last their fellow human (a.k.a opponent), is deemed the winner in that moment of life. Of course, the moment changes rapidly these days and so the winner today, may be the loser tomorrow.

To me, this is a sad testament to not only our individual existence but the universal connections we share. It is easy for many of us to judge, critique and get caught up in viewing the world through those that excite and motivate our passions as we tend to see them currently in our lives. In many ways, we are no different than those we judge or embrace. We are as much a part of the screaming as they are.

Yet, how far is this getting us in life? Is it solving problems or truly making us more enlightened? Is it helping us to grow individually and collectively as humans?

While escape from every day stress and pains can often bring relief, we need to identify it as such and not live life as an illusion. The screaming, judging and need to have more sensationalism in our lives is an illusion. It is a mask for what we truly feel in our lives or the things we would rather not feel. Of course, this is old news to most people because deep down, we know this in our mind, body and spirit.

Maybe instead of trying to prove or disprove how much each of us participate in the network of illusion, we may want to play the role of observer. Try taking the next day or week and observing what input you take in to your life. I'm not asking you to set yourself apart from the world but to just observe and notice.

Ask yourself what is the purpose? What is it that I get from this? Then if you're bold enough, you may want to consider if you really need that input or could you replace it with something that connects you more with your mind and body offering much greater rewards to yourself.

Sometimes it isn't easy taking a good hard look at our lives. We feel that we have to follow along like everyone else. The funny thing is though, how collectively we are learning to live reality as an illusion. It is all around us if we just take a moment to look at it. We can fool ourselves and explain or rationalize the illusion in many ways, but in the end, it is still an illusion.


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