Well… I was really looking forward to getting you a new Paw Daily today, however I’m not quite ready yet. I’m still super slammed getting this new life set up in Las Vegas, NV.

I started a new job last Thursday, and have been super busy learning a new industry.  Surprisingly though, I’m very excited about this opportunity of where I will be working; the schedule is kinda intense, but I anticipate a tremendous amount of personal growth during the process.

During this whole moving process, it has been quite the emotional experience.  I haven’t seen my wife or kids for about a week now, and being down here 800 miles away, not really knowing anyone, is kinda taking a tole.  On top of that, I’ve been sick for the past 5 days. Which is really weird, I can’t remember the last time I’ve felt so crappy for such a long time.  Usually if I do get sick it only last 24 to 48 hours.  I’m sure it has something to do with the new life experience.

All is well though, I’m definitely growing, and I look forward to experiencing this new journey.  For now, I’m going to give myself another week before I get back into the swing of things with Paw Daily, and when I do, I may come back with some changes.

Namaste.

Tiger

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1. The Night I Prayed to the Porcelain God – 0245

I’m sure you would agree that it’s common for people to have questions about life. Whether it’s about their own situations, or just life in general. What I also find interesting, is people are often afraid to ask those they believe can help them most; therefore they reach out to people who either really don’t care, or don’t have an ounce of experience when it comes to creating whatever it is you desire to create, or understand.

There is a funny discovery here, because it’s often what we fear, that holds the biggest opportunities for us. When we succumb to our fear, we end up taking the easy road and don’t always make the meaningful progress we were truly searching for.

When it comes to discovering new perspectives on life, speak to those who you fear talking to. I’m speaking about the fear that you might somehow get rejected, or called out, or even challenged, might I even say -error-ed in your perception. Sometimes we fear speaking to certain people, who internally we really think could help, because we fear change; this of course is silly, because it’s change that we are after.

You’d be surprised at the willingness of some who would gratefully mentor or help guide you. Ultimately learning that there was nothing to fear to begin with.

This was a big step for myself personally. Being able to talk to others who I felt understood more than myself. It can be very humbling, and that humble feeling, is often times a bridge to where you want to go. Don’t let the ego get the best of you, lay down this silly pride and reach out to the world around you; it’s a resource waiting to be discovered.

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The human race, caught by surprise.
The mystery of what comes, with no reason or why.
We are still infants, who struggle to survive.
This fight against another, who’s wrong and who’s right.

Can you comprehend, 7 billion people?
All standing around, wondering, lost, in our own insignificant bubble.
Each seeing themselves, as separate from the rest.
Pitted against another, struggling for the best.

It is this idea, that we are we.
That our identity, is our individuality.
The “I” is alone, all by itself.
Afraid it remains, small, cold, and what else?

It is this very thought, that we are separate from the rest
That creates our collective turmoil, we suffer, and wait for what’s next.

Yes, my heart hurts, for our decision to be in fear
Because with it comes the pain we bear.

We are afraid.
Why?!
What can you lose, if you are everything?

Child of life, when will you see?
Cast your fears, upon the endless sea.
Rest in the comfort, of knowing that you are me.

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1. Asking the Right People – 0309
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Submitted Question

Tiger, Why do I have such a difficult time understanding what you write?
J – Oregon

Insight

Not sure I can even begin to fully describe why this is, other than there is no expectation that you should be able to understand. Here are some other possibilities…

… These are just a few possibilities, and it doesn’t mean you fall in one of them. These possibilities might also be present in other areas of your life, not just comprehending Paw Daily. Hope this may shed some light on whatever it is that needs light shed upon.  There is also the possibility that my ability to communicate is not consistent with your ability to understand, which is similar to it not resonating with you.

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Warning. The following is not advice. Only a new perspective.

Have you ever taken a break from a relationship, to question if it’s the right thing for you; whether it concerns a long term marriage, or a recently found courtship? In your questioning, what type of questions are you asking, are they based in truth, or based on an idea stemming from the ego? You’ve probably noticed, that whenever we seek a solution to a life challenge, we begin by asking questions. These questions, set the premise for the answers we will receive, and then the action we will take. Also, it’s pretty common to think that the questions that go through your mind are the same questions that everyone else is asking; this is not true at all.

Whenever I approach a life challenge, I first step back, and question my questions. What do my questions say about my perspective? Are they in alignment with love, acceptance, forgiveness, oneness, compassion, etc? Or do they stem from a place of fear, control, hatred, judgment, blame, etc? The more in alignment my questions are with love, then the more in alignment my actions will be in love, which equals a life expression of the same. Also the opposite is true as well, with questions based in fear.

Questions like… “what is this other person doing, that keeps me unhappy and not wanting to be with them?” are based in fear. It is saying for one, that your happiness is based on the actions of someone else; secondly, it says your decisions are based on what other people decide to do.

Another question… “what must they change in order for me to come back, or continue this relationship?” This is a big one. For me, personally, I see this as a form of control, playfully perpetrated by the ego; here’s why. First of all, when this is used in the context of marriage, it only strengthens my perception that our social idea of marriage is a silly and regressive idea. If we choose to be with someone, only because we believe they will change, then we never fully accepted them to begin with; only desiring to have control over their actions, and if they do change, you’re still not going to be satisfied.

An alternative question to ask, that is more in alignment with truth and love, would be… “Do I accept this person as is, without an expectation for change, and in my acceptance, do I desire to have a relationship with them, as they are now?” This totally leaves yourself open to the possibility that they wont change; which is a true possibility. It has been my experience, and my wife’s experience, that as we accept each other fully, as we are, it empowers the individual to make meaningful life changes on their own, for their own reasons and in their own perfect time, rather than forcing reason upon them.

One of the major hang ups we have, is the belief that relationships or “marriage,” is suppose to be for a really really really long time; so we get trapped into thinking about making a decision for the rest of our life. One of the most freeing decisions that my wife and I have made, is the understanding that tomorrow is to it’s own. We don’t know if we will be together next year or ten years from now. It’s not about a life long commitment, it’s about a commitment now, in this moment, not for moments that have not yet come. If we end up being together for the rest of our lives great, if we decide not to be, then great also. In this process we have discovered a great appreciation and acceptance for each other, as we are now, without an expectation of who the other person should or should not be. This also contributes to the honesty and transparency we share, where we can talk freely about how we feel, without the fear that someone might leave, we give each other the freedom to live their life according to how they see fit. Our individual value is not dictated by their choice to stay or go.

To wrap up this long Paw Daily, question your questions as you make meaningful life decisions; this will teach you much. If you have additional relationship questions that pertain to the above, feel free to send me an email via the website, and I’ll surely respond with additional insights. (response guaranteed up to 6 months after this post)

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Imagine for a moment, that the whole world could hear your thoughts, and naturally, you could hear theirs. Seriously take time to form this image in your mind, and think about the consequences of such a collective state.

For many people, with this possibility comes tremendous fear; to the point where many would want to run and hide, and never face another human being again. Do you hide your emotional self from others, do you hide your emotional self from yourself? Do you often get mad because you experience certain emotions; getting down on yourself because you feel it shouldn’t be this way, so there must be something wrong with you? If so, well let me sincerely tell you something. You’re in good company.

There seems to be a stigma that suggests we must hide how we truly feel, whether it is in words or emotion. It is what we have created as a collective society; there is no one to blame, it is just what has been created. Did you ever stop to question why? Where is freedom, when one becomes embarrassed or ashamed over how they feel or think? Why is it so wrong for a man to cry, when in the moment he feels like crying? Teaching us the way things are, must be pushed away and avoided at all costs (ego’s control). Why is it that woman, must control their emotions when it hurts so bad to keep them? Teaching us that now, must be a battle.

Did we ever have the thought, that if a society, a person, was allowed to freely release at any moment that which is within them, we would not see the effects we see today, where people lose it mentally because of years of suppressed emotion? What would a society, or small community, or home, look like if others accepted fully the emotion that others felt? Maybe we mock and make fun of others who feel, because internally we ourselves are emotionally torn. When will the collective healing take place?

If all thought was known to all of man, we would discover how similar we all truly are. We would discover that we are all hiding, we are all hurting, and we are all wanting to feel. Enlightenment, or truth, or the ultimate understanding, is not to be able to sustain any one desired emotion, it is the ability to be free as you experience what it is you feel in the moment; and to do so without guilt, prejudice, or resentment towards yourself or anyone else. We are human, and with being human comes the experience of what humans experience, which include all that we are, as individuals and as a collective.

By learning to be transparent, to not have to lie to self, we begin to release all that we hold on to that creates our suffering. Learn to understand how anything other than complete acceptance for what is, keeps you in a state of illusion, where suffering is your best friend. Transparency will teach you more than you could imagine, when it comes to understanding the nature of self, and the nature of reality.

This Paw Daily Print is somewhat of an extension to yesterday’s Poetic Thursday titled “Surely I Will Cry.”

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I cried once. And then many times before that. Surely, I will cry again.
My Heart, there are times it is soft. Surely, it is not meant to only be strong.
When I cry, I allow. When I cry, I learn somehow. When I cry, I am.
I laugh at this because I’m a man? No. I laugh because of joy, knowing I cry because I can.

The weeping, is not a weakness; but a surrender to what is.
I give the moment of now, to itself; fully.
It desires to cry, so I let be and surrender my fears.
If the moment shall adore joy, I let it be. Why? Because I am free.

It is not the mission of emotion, to sustain a common ground.
For if I am sad, wanting to be happy, I miss the I Am and live as a distant sound.
I am not a collection of what should be felt, I am what is felt this hour, this day.

What hurt is greater, than not being who you know you truly are?
The silent you, the you that is. Not the you, who tries to control every star.
The you who is free, free to fully be the expression of what comes.
The you who is now, not hiding from the sun. The you who knows, that the “I” can not run.

Be still. Be what is. Allow the release of the moment at hand.

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Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water.
-Zen Proverb

During the journey of renewing one’s mind, it will eventually be discovered that enlightenment has nothing to do with social status, or how you spend your time. There are no holy actions or robes to wear as you begin to see truth more clearly. I know for some, there is a hesitation when thinking about letting go of illusion, simply for the fact that one believes there lives will completely change; however this is not the case.

The change that takes place, takes place within your awareness, in how you perceive the world around you, ultimately creating less suffering. It has nothing to do with what you do with your time, it has to do with what you hold on to within the contents of your mind. My intent here, is to help bring understanding to the false idea that somehow your life will take on some drastic change, and you will no longer be able to do what you are doing now. As if there was some purification that awaits your being, and you will miss out on what you enjoy doing now.

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Submitted Question

Tiger, why is it that my life tends to explode with drama?
-R. Stevens.  Boulder, Colorado

Insight

Do you ever experience negative situations that seem to exceed your expectations? For example… you give someone bad news and then two days later they walk up and just punch you in the face. Okay, maybe not that extreme but you know what I mean. Sometimes when we think all will go well, things change on a dime and end up being totally different than what was expected. Why, and how can we minimize the damage? The question that solves this equation is… what are you feeding the situation?

Granted. People are going to respond, however they choose to respond. And I think you’ll agree, that one’s initial response, is not always their true response. Meaning, how one tends to react initially, is usually based on emotion and not logic, therefore creating an experience that seems totally irrational; this may be very true for yourself as well, I know it has been for me. Knowing this is often the case, I’ve learned to allow people to respond freely at first, without giving it much emotional attention. The emotional attention you give, is what is going to feed their response over time, whether its over the next couple days, weeks, or months.

Think of it as a sort of energy field at play, and think about the energy you offer contribute to this field. When others get mad and emotional, even if your miles apart, how you choose to respond to their reaction will affect how they continue to respond. This works even if you don’t speak to them, it goes beyond words; there is still a connection you hold with this other person even though you may not be speaking, a energy relationship of sorts. So… what are you feeding the situation. Do you gather around and gossip about the situation? Do you speak negative thoughts about this other person to yourself, in your mind, or to others? Do you judge and criticize them? What kind of energy are you offering up?

Especially when you bring other people into the mix, this simply increases the energy output. So as the craving comes to call and tell everyone you know about how much of a dick this guy was, stop and think about the energy you’re offering up. If this other person doesn’t have negative energy to feed off of, from you, I guarantee you will have a different outcome. I’ve seen this play out many times in my own life, and it never fails to work according to the law.

Consciously feed the situation love, acceptance, and forgiveness, regardless of their initial reaction. And when you want to stew about it mentally, change the subject in your mind and think about any good moments you might of had with this person or in this situation.

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Currently, I’m overwhelmed with creative opportunity; and this past weekend I spend much of my time somewhat paralyzed over the decision of what I should be doing. Obviously what I noticed, is in times when there is indecision, nothing really ever gets done and one tends to feel totally without power. What offered great relief, was being able to take time and question the thoughts I was having, and identifying if they were even true.

What I realized, with a renewed perspective, is that nothing needed to be done, and much if not all of my wants and desires, were based on an expectation of what the future “should” hold. My paralysis stemmed from my desire to control that which ultimately is out of my control. I believed I should be somewhere other than where I was right now. As I release this want, for my life it be other than what it is, I discover more joy in doing the creative things I’m able to do right now.

Another thought that brought suffering, was the idea that somehow the use of these creative talents equaled a certain quality of life. In reality, this is something that can only be hoped for, not truly what is; and it’s hopefulness is based off of a comparison I’ve created in my mind, a comparison not based on my reality, but on the perceived reality of others. All of this thinking, all of this thought of what should be, what should not be, and what it better end up being, is the source of being removed from now. The reality of truth, is that all I can do, is whatever it is I do. Therefore, I can only do what I can now, I can only work with what I have now, and I can only create where I am now.

In my doing-ness now, I will find much more enjoyment and fulfillment if I release any expectation that it should turn out a certain way, or mean something definite when it’s done. Sure, there lies many possibilities for an outcome, but for me to attempt to define what that should be, only puts limitations on what the universe may have in store.

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