The Home of Steven Barnes
Author, Teacher, Screenwriter


Friday, October 07, 2011

Principle # 10) A grounding in the physical body

Principle # 10) A grounding in the physical body sufficient to provide accurate feedback about the material world.

I've received numerous requests for the origin of these principles, and I have to tell you the honest truth: they came to me in a high-energy state at some point several years ago. I don't even remember the writing or brainstorming session when they came, and I make no claim about "channeling," "synthesizing" or whatever. Make of that what you will. The conclusion I come to is that when you are centered, and focused on a result in alignment with your deeper values, you will produce ideas and actions that others consider to be of value. I am grateful, but can take no credit.

The tenth and final principle suggests that the physical body is our guide for evaluating the world and measuring our actions and effects within it. This would have to mean results in all three major arenas: fitness, personal relationships, and career, all of which involve the actions of the physical body. This relates to our habits, sensations and perceptions. Our bodies are not only vehicles, but storage units for emotions. The blocked emotions affect our perceptual filters, and that influences the way we see the world, the maps we create, and the theories and philosophies that carry us through our lives.

It is critical to move in the direction of our sensations, actions, emotions, values, and beliefs all aligning to the same end. Our physical senses: touch, taste, smell, sight, hearing--tell us most of what we know of the world. The rest, the "reading between the lines" and imagining what lies beyond the "horizon" of conscious perception, is prone to distortion and hallucination. The best guess is: if the basic qualities of fitness, relationship, and career are NOT in alignment with your highest good, it is VERY likely that your beliefs about the invisible world, the motivations of others, and the deeper meaning of your own actions is warped by pain, fear and guilt operating at unconscious levels.

Use the visible to guide you to the invisible. The known to reveal the unknown. The wind cannot be seen--but we can observe the bending of the grass.

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On Day Twenty-Two of the 101 Program, I touch upon the success principles of one of the greatest Samurai who ever lived, Musashi Miyamoto. His sixth principle, "Perceive Those Things that cannot be seen" is preceded by principles dealing with daily training, learning the arts and professional pathways, seeking to know truth. This is all about using the conscious mind to point us toward the mysteries of the unconscious...the known revealing the unknown.

You can walk this road simply by taking responsibility for body, mind, spirit, and finances. Own it. Admit that you want abundance. Then look at the "gap" in your realities and actions...and you have revealed a critical mirror for your hidden self, and defined the direction of the work to come.

Own your life!

Steve

2 comments:

Althea said...

Thank you for everything Steve! I just wanted to say thanks b/c I don't see a lot of comments. I have a long-time blog too. When I meet my readers in person, they tell me how much they my blog and how they read every word.

I so thank them, but I do ask if they can leave comments. I love your blog and wanted to tell you that you are very much appreciated.

Althea

Steven Barnes said...

Thank you, dear. Once upon a time there were tons of comments, but I let Dar Kush languish, and that ended. It will take time to get the flow going again. I encourage any and all comments about writing and creative process!