What we think, we become. Thoughts are powerful. We don’t have to see or measure them to feel their effect.
When a group of people focuses its intention on a specific outcome, the perceptible effect is generally greater than the whole.
Since the majority of our world seems united in our wish for peace ~ currently between Ukraine and Russia ~ I propose we focus our intention on that end result.
Be well and stay safe, my friends.
Until the next time . . . Namaste ❤️
©Tina Frisco 2022
My mother faced death many times and had three near-death experiences. She said, “There is nothing about death to fear.” In the last year I have had several friends and a family member pass away. It is always difficult for those of us left behind, but I am at peace knowing that they are free of pain.
In our society we tend to not talk about our own mortality, but it is a reality. I believe the more we have dialogue about our individual beliefs, questions, or fears the healthier we each will be living for whatever time we have on earth. (Karen Ingalls)
It is my pleasure and privilege to welcome Tina Frisco, author, blogger, singer-songwriter, RN, activist, who daily deals with a chronic illness. Death is a difficult thing to face, but Tina puts a different face on it.
Facing death is a life-changing experience and one that most of us fear. The first time I faced this monster, I paced and cried, ranted and cursed its arrogance. The second time, I tightened my mid-section and refused to acknowledge it; but I couldn’t sleep. The third time, I took in a deep breath, sat down, and closed my eyes. In a flash, I saw myriad lifetimes pass before me – incarnations I was fortunate to have lived.
What is it about physical death that throws so many of us into a tailspin of grief, anger, and denial? Is it not knowing whether life continues beyond the body? Is it not knowing what awaits us on the other side? Is it not wanting to leave the glorious sensations afforded us on the physical plane? Whether or not we believe in an afterlife, death is often viewed as The Grim Reaper.
Not believing in life after death implies that spirit – the dynamic force animating us – dies with the physical body. But that scenario begs the question: Where did spirit come from in the first place? It can’t be traced scientifically in the same way we trace a being from zygote to birth. So is spirit a mere product or side effect of brainwaves and a heartbeat? In contrast, believing in life after death is based solely on faith. Or is it?
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When was the last time you received a letter in the mail? No, I don’t mean the ones like I receive, informing me of the great opportunity to settle my final arrangements before my family is burdened with the responsibility. Life can begin at any age but it gets fun once you turn 60. But I digress…
I was raised to write letters. Every time I received a gift, I wrote a thank you note. If I was having a party, I created invitations. When I wanted to communicate with a friend who had moved away from the neighborhood, I sent letters. Partly because there was NO privacy on the family phone, that hung in the kitchen, right around the corner from the living room. At least there was a hope that only the intended would be reading my letters. It was just what we did. And it was a big deal when the mail came because a letter meant that someone thought highly of you.
In this age of texting, emoji’s and social media, we have gotten away from the personal communication of the handwritten letter. We’ve settled for the immediacy of snippets of ideas or conversation as opposed to giving time and attention to the connection with someone else. It’s as though we have put relationships in the same category as disposable razors . . .
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It is easy to close our hearts; not so easy to keep them open. Or so it seems …
When we experience emotional pain, a common human response is fight or flight. Become angry or shut down. Neither of these reactions solves anything, and both can cause serious health problems if sustained over time.
Fear is the culprit in any action or reaction that is not love-based. It obscures awareness and keeps us ignorant of its deleterious effects. It constricts our bodies, imprisons our minds, catapults our emotions, and darkens our spirits. When trapped in fear, it is impossible to keep our hearts open.
If we close our hearts to one, we close them to all. Open is open and closed is closed. At one time, this was a difficult concept for me to get my head around. I thought I could open and close my heart at will, as easily as I removed and replaced the lid to the peanut butter jar. I soon learned how utterly deceptive this was. I began to feel as if I were zip-tied to a revolving door.
A husband and wife are furious with each other. Unaware of the discord, their daughter approaches them and asks for $20. Neither one hears her above the internal argument they are having with one another. The daughter asks again but is refused. She raises her voice and says, ‘What’s the big deal? It’s only $20!’ One of her parents reacts by slapping her hard across the face. Immediately contrite, the parent apologizes for behavior that was clearly out of character.
When storming in anger, simmering in blame, or smoldering in hurt, the heart automatically begins to close. This is a defense mechanism that frequently backfires, hurting not only the victim of our troubling emotions, but ourselves as well. The oftener we close our hearts, the nearer our subconscious moves toward believing this is the way we want to be in the world. Since the role of the subconscious is to serve, it will do all in its power to manifest this belief.
A politician unfit to serve is elected to high office. The people soon realize that his ignorance and egoism make him a dangerous head of state. They are inundated daily by media coverage of his prejudicial claims and wild assertions. They cannot turn off the news for fear he might do something perilous. They cannot remove him from office without an ‘Act of Congress.’ They live in fear of his rash judgments and loathe his narcissism. Soon, they begin to loathe the man himself and close their hearts to him. This impacts all of their relationships, because they are left having to switch tracks with every encounter. And derailment is a constant danger.
Is it possible to be angry with or despise someone while keeping our hearts open to them? The answer is yes. Doing so, however, requires separating the person from the behavior. Accept the person, loathe the behavior. This might be a laborious task, for example, in relation to the above-mentioned politician; but it is not impossible. The question we each need to ask ourselves is: Do I want fear to infect my spirit and rule my life? All negative emotion is fear-based. When fear is at the helm, the mounting storm goes unnoticed.
Remembering to separate the person from the behavior requires daily practice. Sometimes it is demanded; and sometimes it is demanded moment by moment. The heart closes only when the soul no longer recognizes itself in another.
It is okay to feel angry. Feelings are raw and arise unedited. It is okay to rant and rave with like-minded friends and associates. Verbal expression is a release valve for pent-up emotion. It is okay to . . .
Well, I have been wanting to do this for quite sometime and FINALLY I have accomplished something very special. Announcing the release of my latest book!
Life is alive with poetry; all the sights, sounds and smells. Blend it all together in your mind and you will begin to sing songs in your heart. You deserve a reason to smile, to feel good while pondering the magic of your world. You are closer than you think.
Open, A Tanka Picture Book! Consider the story each picture shares through its visual. Enjoy how each is enhanced with a tanka poem. Engage your senses while on a journey of passionate creativity. To feel the excitement found in even the simplest of sights is why A Tanka Picture Book was created.
Tanka is a form of traditional Japanese lyric poetry that uses 31 syllables . . .
Source: Tanka from the Bottom of my Heart | Annette Rochelle Aben
Welcome to the series where you can share four of your links from your archives here on my blog to a new audience. Perhaps posts that you wrote at the beginning of your blogging experience that deserve another showcase. If you have book promotion posts then please contact me separately for other options. Details of how to get in touch with me at the end of the post.
In the last in Tina Frisco’s series of four posts, she takes us through the process of how we can be our own worst enemies when it comes to putting ourselves down. We all know how negative words can be harmful when used to communicate with others but when we turn them inwards we can do long-term damage to our own belief in who we are.
When I Am Not Enough…by Tina Frisco
Throughout our lives, we hear ourselves say: ‘I’m not that good!’ ‘I’ll never make it.’ ‘I wish I could write that well.’ ‘If only I had said. . .’
Words are powerful. Energy follows thought. The words we speak to ourselves drive our subconscious minds. Diminishing thoughts tell the subconscious we are not enough.
The subconscious mind is self-serving. Its mission is to fulfill our every desire, and it sets in motion the means by which to do so. It takes our words at face value and strives to manifest what they represent. It assumes that what we think and say is what we hope and dream.
How often have we heard ourselves utter, ‘Did I say that’? Unless we are channeling spirit, the mouth speaks what the subconscious mind thinks. If thought rests in the conscious mind, we are aware of it and can choose whether or not to give it a voice. If thought rests in the subconscious mind, we might find ourselves surprised by our own words.
Negative off-hand remarks might seem benign, but they are potent energy viruses that infect the subconscious mind through repetition; repetition which, over time, becomes emphatic. The virulence of this self-denial is potentiated by the subterranean stream of thought that mirrors the spoken word and continues feeding the subconscious. The subconscious then compels us to speak what it believes to be our truth.
This might seem like a vicious cycle that can’t be broken; yet anything is possible, because nothing is set in stone. Even dense matter can be converted to energy.
The way out is the way in.
If we wish to realize our full potential, we need to become witness to ourselves. We must remain alert to and aware of all we manifest in word and deed. And we must do this without judgment.
Labels proclaim. Proclamation reinforces. Reinforcement cements. Cement imprisons.
Your mind is a powerful thing. When you filter it with positive thoughts, your life will start to change. –Buddha
In order to build who we wish to be, we first need to become the unbiased observer and witness all we say and do. Notice the patterns. Write them down. Pay attention to the frequency in time and space, i.e., how often we repeat and how much mind space we give these cemented beliefs. This process enlightens us to the being we think we are. It moves the subconscious into the realm of the conscious. Once we become aware of our self-talk, we can make change for the better.
Welcome to the series where you can share four of your links from your archives here on my blog to a new audience. Perhaps posts that you wrote at the beginning of your blogging experience that deserve another showcase. If you have book promotion posts then please contact me separately for other options. Details of how to get in touch with me at the end of the post.
This week Tina Frisco explores our perceptions of Success. Something, as with Happiness we strive to find. The path to success is not all plain sailing and there is a very good reason for that…. discover more in the post.
What is Success by Tina Frisco
While writing the introduction to a fellow author’s book, I realized many of us view success as an end-product. We aspire, we strive and, if fortunate, we manifest. Only then do we feel gratified, overlooking all we accomplished in the process. In short, we fail ourselves.
If we become discouraged when met by an obstacle, we are not seeing that obstacle for what it truly is: a teacher. Obstacles not only teach us what does not work, but they also challenge us to reach beyond our perceived limitations. Obstacles are opportunities to practice what we have learned, alter our approach, and move forward. This is success.
Being stuck in obsessive thought patterns, limiting beliefs, or anything that stops us short of reaching a goal can lead to wallowing in the past (nostalgia) and yearning for the future (desire). Turning inward and finding the embedded thoughts sabotaging our efforts keeps us in the present and increases our chances of manifesting our dreams. This is success.
When we look within, we establish a willingness to explore our dark side and discover who we truly are. Throwing caution to the wind and delving into the depths of our psyches allows negative beliefs to surface and be recognized. We then can alter our approach by trying something new. This is success.
An experiential (versus therapeutic) approach to learning offers the highest chance of success, because learning is achieved through experience. Experience involves braving the unknown. The unknown holds all potential for advancement. If we do not commit to success by staying in the present, we could very well achieve bitterness and defeat.
Acknowledging each effective step we take toward realizing our dream is a marked success. In so doing, we achieve much more than the goal itself; we claim each and every one of our efforts as worthy of recognition.
Welcome to the series where you can share four of your links from your archives here on my blog to a new audience. Perhaps posts that you wrote at the beginning of your blogging experience that deserve another showcase. If you have book promotion posts then please contact me separately for other options. Details of how to get in touch with me at the end of the post.
Today Tina Frisco puts a different spin on rejection. It is rare for anyone to go through their lives without some form of this hurtful action from others. Tina however looks at this as an opportunity to grow and evolve as a person.
Rejection: the Ultimate Teacher by Tina Frisco
Rejection comes in many forms, from many places, and is very painful. What makes rejection so devastating? What causes us to react in a particular way? How can we use rejection to our advantage?
On a purely instinctual level, rejection threatens to extinguish our life force by depriving us of vital nourishment. No being can truly thrive without some measure of love and acceptance.
Rejection devastates when we attach our personal worth to someone or something outside of ourselves. Feeling worthy only when liked and accepted by those with whom we engage sets the stage for rejection.
When feeling disliked or ignored by another, it is wise to step back and view that person’s behavior as a mirror of our own subconscious mind. Often the things we do not like in ourselves are reflected back to us by others, giving us an opportunity to examine what prompts us to react and how we might change. This not only buffers the impact, but also opens the door to personal growth. Becoming the witness rather than the victim allows us to determine if our behavior rather than our essence is being rejected, or if the other person’s bias is in play, and/or if we simply are misreading all the cues.
Behavior learned throughout childhood is largely determined within the context of the example set by the adults in our lives. When we incarnate, we become blank slates to be imprinted upon by everyone and everything around us. We react to external stimuli positively or negatively, based on whether our basic needs are met or neglected. As we mature, we learn we have choices. Those choices include how we feel and whether we react to or act on those feelings.
The key to using rejection to our advantage lies in remaining objective. However, behaving as an unattached witness can be difficult when our impulse is either to strike or withdraw. If we recognize impulse as being instinctual – a reflex action rather than a thought process – then we are taking a first step toward understanding our feelings and turning rejection into a positive learning experience.
When observing animals in the wild, it becomes clear that instinct is, in part, a survival mechanism. Although we humans do not live in the wild, we find it impossible at times not to react. Generally speaking, however, our survival does not depend on ‘fight or flee.’ Most often we have the advantage of time and space within which to consider our options and teach ourselves to behave differently. We are capable of changing our behavior and, quite possibly, our feelings. With a little practice, we can move ourselves to the threshold of choice: act or react. Success in achieving this pivots on focusing our intention.
Change occurs in three stages: (1) we witness our behavior after we have reacted; (2) we take note while we are reacting; (3) we stop ourselves before we react. When we reach the final stage, our behavior reflects choice (act on) rather than reflex (react to). Since most change occurs over time, perseverance becomes vital to success. Yet once we are rooted in firm resolve, observing ourselves can be fascinating.
Crafting Magic through Prose & Poetry
I don’t want to start a class war; it started a long time ago and, unfortunately, we lost.
God's timing is always perfect just trust the process.
Someone has to say this stuff.
Luxury for Comfortable Living and Good Life Through Designs, Style, Travel, Food
Nathan Monk is an activist, author, and former priest, writing on the issues of social justice, religion, theology, and philosophy.
TINA FRISCO 
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