Level 3.16 - Cycles

Level Your Life - [The Cycles] [3.16]

Cycles

There is only one constant in life - change. Welcome and respect the cycles of change.
Nature´s cycles are inevitable and fighting them is not a healthy option.All things follow cyclical patterns and all who experience success are bound to experience failure as well.
The cyclical nature of life can be obserserved in all arenas of performance.

Change is inherently good because it presents opportunities to grow, expand and create something new. Cycles are a necessary aspect of a full, rich life. One can never be in harmony with the universe unless one embraces its cyclical nature. Remember that in this life, nothing is static - and that is certain.

But, we jokingly ask , is certainty static ? (Hmm !)

It seems that every end is a new beginning and the cycle perpetuates. How often do we hear about a death in a family followed by the birth of a child ? People get fired from their jobs only to experience the beginning of a new , more satisfying life. Notice and embrace your cycles of change as you dance enthusiastically with the rhythm of transformation.
To fight the down cycle or to pretend you are beyond it, is to cause tension and anxiety that will exacerbate the lull.

Listen to nature´s way and blend with its message: change is here- enjoy it.Life is a swinging pendulum.
The Buddha says: "they are wise those thoughts are steady, unaffected by good or bad"



Declaration: When I am impatient with the unpleasant phase of my physical,work or life cycle, I tell myself that this, too, will pass. If I resist, it will persist.

Reflection: What happens to me when I demonstrate resistance to the natural
cycles in my physical program ?  What might I do differently during such times of change ?




[paraphrased and inspired by Spirit of the Dancing Warrior]

Level 3.08 - Beginnings

Level Your Life [The Level of Beginning] [3.08]

Beginnings

Whether you are starting a simple fitness regimen, training to run a marathong, building a corporate team or establishing a functional family, completing the task can seem a daunting proposition. Begin everything you find challenging to do by taking the first step; then follow up with another step, then another. It helps emotionally and mentally to break any new task up into small, manageable segments.

You need to train your body to run five miles and incrementally increase the mileage gradually until someday, a twenty six mile race seems plausible. After all , if the grandfather clock knew how many times it had to tick in its lifetime, it might have quit a long time ago. 

Be reminded that the journey of a shousand miles begins with a single step.

Don´t be concerned with how faw or how quickly you travel at the beginning. Everyone´s path is different and you must understand this. The warrior nows that what matters from the outset is moving in a positive direction ; make sure this is the direction your feet are pointed.

Begin a journey in fitness,work or life and never give up until you have reached the end. Through steadfast perseverance, you will attain succes. To help with this, focus on the joy of the journey rather than the goal.Even as you struggle - and we all do - begin to see the value in this natural aspect of the journey. The struggle is teaching you something valueable about yourself and when you complete the task , having stayed on course throughout the hard times, you exponentially increase your joy , satisfaction and appreciationfor what you have accomplished.

The experience itself becomes the primary purpose of your efforts.

The beginning of any endeavor is a moment filled with great power and we are always in a state of beginning and becoming.

Declaration: I begin all new tasks in realistic fashion: one step at a time in the direction of my target. In this way, I can feel relaxed, calm and confident about the whole journey.

Reflection: What have I been attempting to begin in my life but have been putting of because it seems overwhelming ? What would be the first three steps in getting me started?What one thing can I do today to move in that direction ?

[paraphrased and inspired by Spirit of the Dancing Warrior]