Letting go your Outcomes - The pinball effect

Picture courtesy of The Smithsonian institution http://www.flickr.com/photos/smithsonian/2940633609/

Check out an interesting blog on this Cassiopeia
 
Day 12 of Mind Alchemy and the discussion is around letting go.

On the surface of it, this concept seems somewhat against what we want to achieve, however it is about balance and using energy appropriately. It is also about allowing space to grow. There are many metaphors to explain this.


As a young lad I loved to go into amusement arcades and play the many games. I was attracted by the flashing lights and sounds. It was the excitement and atmosphere that was so attractive to me. Long before we had personal computers, I'd throw my 10 pence coins into computer games. 

Playing pinball was always a game I loved. The challenge of betting more lights up and scoring higher. Getting extra balls and replays. Sometimes the game would be frustrating. I'd so want to achieve that high score, but the balls would simply tumble down the centre or side channels all too quickly. The tension and angst I'd feel would have me putting coin after coin into the machine. 

Some days, I'd look at my watch and know I needed to be somewhere. Playing around in the arcade was just killing time. Playing that last game, I'd be relaxed, not worried about the outcome. And yes, you guessed it because I know you have had similar experiences. All of a sudden a multitude of extra balls come along and the score goes up, the lights flash and many replays occur! The times I've just had to leave!

The point of this is being relaxed and not crushing the goal or outcome. I'm convinced there is some sort of law of the universe that comes in to play here. 

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Another more profound example occurred for me a few years ago when I tried running my own business in network marketing. I got so much into the hype of what I was doing, I smashed it to pieces and burned out. I was ill for some months after that and it took a long long time to recover. 

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To that end, there is the day 5 exercise of Mind Alchemy that I have yet to finish. I will do it. Possibly later today. I'm aware that it would be foolish of me to put myself under too much pressure. I'm comfortable with having done most of it and maybe I've done enough of it to have the desired effect. I'll only know that when I go back to it. 
I've learned to trust in my gut feeling or intuition on these matters. 

The folly of giving credance to negative energy

We have all had those days when something goes wrong early on, we focus on the stress that involves and internally complain at the bad luck that continues throughout the day. Despite wanting that apparent bad luck to leave us, it continues to happen and becomes a frustration. We more than likely wish that the first piece of bad luck did not occur and hold on top the frustration, wishing it away. We give all our mental energy to the negative, thereby creating more negativity. You could call that attracting the negativity. 

It is possible to do the reverse by focussing on positive parts of the day and thereby attract luck.

A few years ago when I wrote blogs on the Yahoo 360 platform, I took part in a short story writing festival. It was fun to do that and helped to build contacts with other writers, many of whom became good friends. Looking back at one of the stories I wrote back then, I now see a message related to today's subject about a bad day.  The character in the story attracted his bad luck by focussing on the frustration. 
It's like a thought such as "Typical, that would go and happen today of all days." 
There is a good article on the subject I found click here


I just I thought I would post that story again today:

The phone rings.
"Hi Charlie. Where are you? We're expecting you at the meeting this morning"
Panic and remorse hit Charlie. How could he have forgotten todays meetings? A promise made and now half broken. Switching the television off and rushing to get ready, a text message bleats on Charlie's mobile phone.
" Hi Dad. Can you come and pick me up? It looks like it gonna rain." Feeling more frustrated and neglectful, Charlie rings Lucy and apologies that he really must get to the meeting. Its very important. "Sorry Lucy, you'll have to get the bus today". It takes another 2 minutes for Charlie to get off the phone due to the pleading of his daughter. This only adds to the guilt. "How can I have been so stupid. I'm really not nearly as organized as I should have been!"

Charlie rushes to his car, then realizes he has left the car keys indoors. More frustration! The clouds gather and the sky darkens. Eventually, returning to the car and reversing off the drive, a yellow light blinks on the dashboard. Low fuel. "Arrrrghhh. Another hold up!" Charlie can feel his blood pressure rising and the panic in his throat. He arrives at the petrol station, only to find that there is a tanker delivery and all pumps are closed. Frustrated, reversing back on to the road and screeching the tyres as he does so, other car flash their headlights at him and one car sounds his horn. Was that really necessary? These thoughts went through Charlie's mind as the wailing of the horn lowered in tone with the passing of the vehicle on the road.

Five minutes later, a few drops of rain spattered the windscreen as Charlie continued up the duel carriageway toward his office. Suddenly, the engine faltered and the car slowed to a stop. Out of fuel. Reaching for his mobile phone, Charlie realized he was not going to make this meeting. As he pulled the phone from his pocket, it rang.

"Hello Charlie. Where are you? I thought you were going to be at home all day today. Don't forget to pick the bag of spuds up this morning. We'll have none for dinner tonight. "

"Grace, I'm in the car. The fuel is out. Did you not think to fill the tank when you used it last night?"

"Don't blame me! You could have filled it yesterday. You know I hate using petrol stations. Where are you going anyway. Don't let me down with the potatoes. I've go enough to do as it is today without worrying about cooking".

And so the conversation went on for another to minutes, ending with Grace cutting Charlie off mid sentence. The clouds were really quite dark now outside. Charlie searched for the office number on his phone and put the call in. The reception phone rang for what seemed like ages.
"Hello Curz......." BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP. The phone went dead as the battery ran out. Charlie got out of the car, grabbed the fuel can from the boot of the car and started to walk. Nobody stopped along the road and it took 45 minutes before he got to the fuel station and filled the can. Returning to the car an hour later, stressed and exhausted, the rain began to fall steadily and the sky become darker to the north. When Charlie finally got to car door he spotted the ticket tucked under his windscreen detailing the fine for illegal parking. At that very moment, the heavens opened as driving rain spattered Charlie's face.
"When it rains, it pours"

Learning and attraction

If we learn to love ourselves, it will enable us to love others and attract others to love us. 

If we learn to forgive ourselves, we learn to forgive others and others will be attracted to forgiving us our shortcomings. 

If we learn to care for ourselves, we learn how to care effectively for others and others will be attracted to caring for us. 

If we learn to laugh at ourselves, we learn to laugh at others appropriately and we are attracted to laughter and comedy. 

If we learn to be truthful to ourselves, we learn to speak the truth and others will be attracted to the truth we speak. 

If we learn to be in touch with and understand our emotions, we learn to understand the emotions of others and develop appropriate empathy. Other will be attracted to trust us. 

If we learn to have purpose in our life, we learn to understand the purpose in the lives of others and they become attracted to supporting our purpose. 


There is so much written on these subjects and more than enough to learn and continue learning. I continue to seek knowledge and wisdom in these subjects. It's a long journey and a worthy one. 

from Marty with love and blessings.......