Cover Artist: Michelle Toohey
Title: Yin and Yang
Medium: Acrylic
Contact: Chellesartworksinfo@gmail.com
www.chellessignworks.com.au
I’m now at a stage in my artistic journey to send my art out into the world, by starting up a website and getting back into the signage industry with my new business Chelle’s Signworks Studio. At my studio I will providing a full design and sign service combined with my artworks. Art hasn’t been the easiest of journeys, but it is one I’m passionate about and intend to follow.
When we describe someone as acting with integrity, what do we actually mean?
One dictionary defines integrity as: ‘Adherence to moral and ethical principles’. Organisational consultant Amy Rees Anderson describes integrity as: ‘…doing the right thing at all times and in all circumstances, whether or not anyone is watching.’ But what are these ‘moral and ethical principles’? And what is the ‘right thing’ to be doing at all times? And what if, as stated by 19th-century German philosopher Freidrich Nietzsche, ‘You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.’
So when we talk about someone having integrity, I believe we simply mean that they are acting in accordance with our strongly-held beliefs and values. Is it possible (as Nietzsche says) that a universal set of beliefs and values doesn’t exist, and that someone who is acting very differently from us could also be acting with integrity, according to their own personal values? In our world as it is at present, we see people and groups behaving in very different and extreme ways. How could we reconcile some of these extremes with the idea that people so different from ourselves might be acting with integrity?
Developing beliefs and values
We come into this world without beliefs or values; we have needs that are vital for our survival, and in the time that we are dependent on others to meet these needs, we develop and adopt certain beliefs and values through our interpretation of our experiences, and from the directions of parent figures, teachers and other people we depend on. Some of what we learn as children is useful in the long term, some is not, and we can adapt our beliefs and values as we mature and assess these against our ongoing experiences. Because we have each had such individual life experiences, our beliefs and values will be somewhat different from those of other people in our own society, very different from those of people raised in different cultures, and quite possibly even, different today from those we held 20, 30, or more years ago.
Reconciling the quandary
Many of us who have been on a spiritual path for a longish time believe that every person on this earth is an individual expression of Divine Spirit, Divine Love, God – whatever term best fits for us. According to this belief, whether or not someone has this awareness, and however they act, this is true of them; no matter what, everyone is a child of God, an expression of the Divine. Eventually, everyone will ‘get’ this, and as they do, will adopt values that they consider best express their Divinity, thus bringing the world closer and closer to a global expression of Divine Love. In the meantime, each person acts according to their most strongly-held beliefs and values at the time, and in so doing, some might visit ‘bad’ experiences on others.
Some of the people I most respect and admire have experienced unbelievably difficult life circumstances, and have emerged from these, expressing forgiveness to those who have caused them harm, and gratitude for the growth potential of their experience. So, one person’s ‘bad’ action can be seen to provide an opportunity for someone else to draw closer to ‘realising’ their true Self.
Does this mean that we must condone everything that we see happening in the world?
In a sort of a way it does, if we understand that every single being is part of the same journey of experience and growth (some call it the ‘Game of Life’), and that as various expressions of the same Source, we are all in this together. The important thing however, is how we feel about and respond to things we see that don’t fit with our own personal values. Because whatever we resist persists, focusing our attention on something through criticism or condemnation will support its continuation. So we need to find a way to be aware of what is occurring in the world, without exacerbating the negativity, killing, neglect, starvation and other destructive things that we would like to see diminish.
When I worked as a social worker, I sometimes saw clients whose values and actions were quite alien and unacceptable according to my own ethical code. I knew that I could not be truly helpful to someone for whom I held negative feelings, so I came up with the practice of visualising the person during meditation, and asking, “Who are you really?” The information I received might be insights into the life they had led that had brought them to adopt particular ‘survival behaviours’, recognition of them as emotionally immature and with few healthy coping mechanisms, or something else that enabled me to view them with understanding and respect even under the circumstances.
So we need to focus on the ‘oneness’ of everyone in this spiritual journey, and the ‘Divine spark’ at the core of every being. Our challenge is to resist blame and judgment, and to hold in love every situation and action. Energetically, this will both support those who are experiencing dreadful situations, and also help to raise the recognition of their Divinity in those who are perpetrating these situations.
So when confronted with information about ‘bad’ things happening in the world, we have a number of choices:
– we can choose the way we feel and talk about the situation, so that we do not exacerbate the negative;
– we might choose to do something physical (contribute funds; sign a petition; join a help group);
– and we can direct love to the situation.
Above all, no matter how different others’ actions are from our own values, we can remind ourselves of their Divinity and their part in the Game of Life.
Annabel Muis. Annabel is a Reiki teacher and practitioner living in Kuranda. Contact: annabel.muis@gmail.com; 4093 8937
Last month was Part 1 of this article. I gave you all the GOOD tips for the master bedroom. This month we are going to look into all that we should AVOID.
A few Feng Shui NO NO’s for the master bedroom
– Do NOT place any symbol of the water element in the master bedroom: NO aquariums; NO waterbed; NO picture, photo or painting of water; they could bring a lack of stability in your couple relationship.
– NO pictures of your children. The bedroom is your room as a couple; you are already ‘Mum and Dad’ in all the other rooms of the house!
– NO books, NO magazines in your bedroom. Reading best happens in your lounge or study areas. Your bedroom is for you to relax, share love, rest and sleep. An interesting book would keep you awake and distracted from the initial purpose of your room!
– Do NOT place a liquid crystal alarm clock just near your bedhead; you might wake up with a headache. Locate it at least 1.5 metres away from your head, maybe in your en-suite. This helps reduce the electromagnetic field exposure.
– Remove as many electrical appliances from the bedroom as possible.
– Ideally, avoid computers or anything related to your work or your daily business; you’d dream and worry of work all night.
– Look at what’s behind the wall of your bedhead. Avoid placing your bed near AC (alternative current) electromagnetic field sources. Do NOT place it against a wall that has a refrigerator, computer, electric heater, hot water system, TV or meter box on the other side.
– Raise your bed at least 40 cms from the floor to help reduce the electromagnetic field exposure from wiring under the floor.
– Do not place mirrors on side walls or at the foot of your bed – in other words, no mirrors where you could see yourself when lying down.
– Avoid fresh plants and fresh flowers in bedrooms.
I will stop the No No’s list here; this gives you already a sound idea of what you can easily avoid.
What you scan before you sleep makes your night.
What you scan as you wake up makes your day.
Feng Shui your bedroom!
Roseline Deleu. International Feng Shui Master, Author and Trainer
www.fengshuisteps.com BLOG www.fengshuisteps.wordpress.com
For your Feng Shui consultations in Cairns and FNQ, please call Carol Crumlin on 0417 716 819