The Shift Part 5 of 5: Meaning
July 5, 2010 by dr. lam · Leave a Comment
When we get to “meaning”, we are really getting back to our “from”, where we all started, our originating source, i.e., God, or our divine spirit. When we let go of ego, we begin to see the beauty of serving others. Dyer says the mantra that centers his life now is “How can I serve?” He does it in small and big ways and it frames his entire life.
When we move away from ego, we leave control and move toward trust. We no longer need to dominate others’ thoughts, feelings, words, or actions, but we can establish trust with others that will resonate in every part of our life. Instead of searching for happiness, when we search for meaning, we have a contentment that is deeper than mere happiness.
The Shift Part 4 of 5: To
July 2, 2010 by dr. lam · Leave a Comment
As these blogs have emphasized, the journey, or the “to”, is the most important element to our life rather than the destination. If we are looking to be more addicted, then we shall be moving along the wrong pathway. If we are striving to attain greater peace, then we are moving in the right direction. This journey is what is a joy to experience so long as the journey is toward a greater sense of happiness and fulfillment rather than a downward spiral.
This journey that takes us from ambition to meaning oftentimes is preceded by a fall, a trigger if you will. In the movie, many of the characters who are driven by their ego continue on that path for no other reason than that is all that they know and have known. However, with a sudden happening that is uninvited, what Wayne Dyer refers to as a quantum moment (based on the work by William R. Miller and Janet C’de Baca), all of our values are turned upside down. We are given a chance to see how futile our previous existence is and perhaps open us to a new one.
As I learned in my yoga class, nothing changes without change. With change, we can become more in alignment with our spiritual selves, our originating source.
The Shift Part 3 of 5: Ambition
July 1, 2010 by dr. lam · Leave a Comment
A frightening statistic mentioned in the chapter, “Ambition”, is that we humans have been at war during 95% of our existence on this planet. We have been at war to vanquish a perceived foe because our ego says that other individual is of a different political, religious, cultural persuasion than we are. We have tried to impose how we can be separate from another and that is all due to ego, which we have mentioned in previous blogs stands for Edging God Out.
We are deemed worthy based on our accomplishments even from early childhood. “Wow, she can walk now.” “Did you see which school my son got into?” We are constantly judging one another by what we do and what status that imparts. However, as Dyer points out, “If we are what we do, then we don’t or can’t, we aren’t.” We will answer that question in the coming blogs.
The Shift Part 2 of 5: From
June 30, 2010 by dr. lam · Leave a Comment
The original title of The Shift was From Ambition to Meaning, a title that Dyer did not particularly care for because he thought the title, The Shift, was a more elegant way of describing this transformation. In the book, he uses the original title and labels each chapter based on the progression of the words, “From”, “Ambition”, “To”, “Meaning”.
In the first chapter, “From”, he discusses where we came from. Most assume that we are a product of our parents, our culture, our religion, our politics, our socio-economic class. Perhaps those elements are profoundly us but not necessarily where we came from. We as material beings came in essence from nothing, or as Dyer puts it, From Nowhere to Now Here. He posits that if we came into this world from nowhere, that nowhere is a vital part of us, and that nowhere is a spiritual essence.
Although our lives are made up of daily happenings and externalities, we are from a higher place and a higher calling leading us to where we are today. We can look at that perfect image of who we can be and allow it to influence how we make that shift into a better place.
The Shift Part 1 of 5: Introduction
June 29, 2010 by dr. lam · Leave a Comment
It is rather appropriate that I return to my blog writing with one of my favorite authors, Wayne Dyer, who has had a profound influence in my life and has helped me become a better person. Last year I saw his movie, The Shift, and was tremendously moved by its message. In short, we all can move our lives from one of pure ambition to one centered on meaning. It is with meaning in our life through giving back to others that we create the greatest fulfillment by finding our purpose. Rather than accumulating wealth, we accumulate happiness by giving up things and focusing on others. That shift in our life occurs when our spirit is open to it. It is one that I am working on on a daily basis.
I encourage anyone who has not seen the movie to do so, but also to read the book of the same name. It delves deeper into the subject of the shift and what each dimension means. I hope you enjoy this blog series as much as I enjoyed writing it.
(I am planning to have blogs come out as I am inspired to write them rather than every day, so please stay subscribed to know when new ones come out!)