The Samuri in Writing

KEEEEEEE YAH! Says the samuri, Stop that! This is amazing I own two Bowken from my jap sword class which is about samuri swordsmanship. Even in the moves for cuting, drawing and blocking there are no wasted moves. It is odd to consider there is an inner Samuri, perhaps I should pay more attention to his words and actions.
:)

The Samuri stops us from shredding our work, just like in swordplay “hacking” is considered wasteful, unproductive and potentialy will get you killed. Smooth movements and when you do not complete, try again. Practice practice, practice…

I do not do this well, I believe I know something once I learn it. Rewriting my own work seems daunting. I did do something different which Goldberg talks about in the next chapter. Rereading as if another person wrote it, this is how I began to work on the second draft of my novel. I think it is easier to do this when its a short piece verses 80 pages. lol I am working on it.

Great chapter, short, clean and to the point. Just like a kata, a serious of moevments that bleed into each other.

Turning it around….one thought at a time.

From my inbox comes this message:

       While it’s often fashionable to dwell upon what might have been, Rochelle, what’s usually overlooked is that really and truly, it couldn’t have.
Because, invariably, any romanticized versions of how things “might have been,” are based upon fictionalized versions of the past.
Un-hun,
    The Universe
You see, Rochelle, most of the time when people think the present could have been different than it is, it’s because they think the past was different than it was. Happily, the future can still be anything, when you surrender to the details (and who has to do what).

Things have been tough for a lot of people, I know , and in the wake of walking through my spiritual path I encounter doubt. A lot.

  How does this manifestation thingy really work? Why am I still struggling? These thoughts and fears plagued me for about a month.  My doldrums even kept my friends from coming back around for a bit. It was strange to feel that dark and cold place again, I mean at first it was odd because it was unfamiliar. Later I realized that I had lived in this shadowy place of self-doubt for so long that it became comfortable. That is when the manifestations poured in:

the car broke down, fuel pump again
Mechanic refused to fix the part which is only 10 months old (12 mo manufactures warranty)
Eviction notice on my door
some of my closest friends no longer talking to me
feeling lonely
Called my father for help and was told they had too much to pay for after helping my younger sister and brother.

I sank, and cried, every time a door slammed in my face I felt this odd feeling. It was peace, a sense of peace was radiating through me and it didn’t stop.

In two weeks I began to notice that I created the feelings, fears and the doubts. The peace I was feeling reminded me that the only source I am to truly count on is God, the Universe or whatever you want to call the power that isn’t human.

Lean in, Rochelle, Lean in to the Universe…

So I applied for some scholarships, then hit the goldmine ….Sweepland NPDOR panelists.
I do surveys about 3 a week and receive points, the points take me to 5 money scholarships and 10 prize scholarships… In other words I take a survey and NPDOR gives me entries into as many of their scholarships I want.
Last week?
I had 876 entries in over 13 scholarships and prizes.
Yesterday I left work in 2nd place for my scholarship video.
Last week My boss suggested I ask the honors department for compensation to run their Facebook Page
They said yes.
Now? I am still at peace and revelling in the glory of the universe. My friend bought the part needed to fix my car and it will be done this weekend.

Changing the world, truly is as simple as changing your mind.

The five spiritual myths that sabatoge your conscious evolution…

Dear Readers,

I received an email for a free telecast about the 5 spiritual myths that sabotage us from evolution, the blocking of our internal freedom. I would like to share the email with you and the links to the free telecast. You must register to receive the free telecast which also gets you information on the transformations happening around the world.

Namaste my friends,

Rochelle

Dear Rochelle,

You know that beyond spiritual ideas and experiences, there is one
thing that’s essential for our personal and collective evolution –
an authentic transformative practice.

That’s the “open secret” of the spiritual life. Yet for too many of
us, something gets in the way of actually doing the practices that
we love, and that we know in our hearts will transform us.

In one way or another, we get blocked, sabotaged, or led astray
from our intention to practice.

That’s why we’re truly honored to be writing you today about a
groundbreaking and powerful free telecast with Terry Patten,
Integral teacher, visionary, and bestselling co-author with Ken
Wilber of Integral Life Practice: A 21st Century Blueprint for
Physical Health, Emotional Balance, Mental Clarity, and Spiritual
Awakening
.

In “The 5 Spiritual Myths that Sabotage Your Conscious Evolution,”
Terry shows you how you can become aware of the false beliefs and
ideas that are obstructing your spiritual development and, more
importantly, how to dissolve them so that you can evolve into the
full expression of who you are.

If you are interested in learning more or participating in this
free teleclass, I encourage you to visit the welcome page and
register for free.

Through direct teaching, engaging stories, and easy-to-follow
practical exercises, you’ll learn how to identify–and overcome–the
5 most damaging myths that tend to hold us back in our conscious
evolution.

If you’re ready to dissolve the false perceptions that obstruct the
evolution of your highest potential, I invite you to join Terry for
this important and engaging conversation.

You can learn more and register for free at the link below:

The 5 Spiritual Myths that Sabotage Your Conscious Evolution

Warm regards,

The Integral Enlightenment Team

P.S.   This is the first time Terry will be offering this rare
teaching to the general public.  Since he is generously offering
this Teleclass for Free, we strongly encourage you to register and
participate.

The upcoming Presidental Election…thoughts

The single most important issue in the upcoming 2012 elections for President and Vice President of the United States…. hmmm that’s a mouthful. How do you define anyone issue? One site, explains how energy is the most important. One look at the URL tells you why, “the energy collective” well of course, however they state some firm facts concerning Iowa being the first electoral contest. Ethanol verses corn growers, Republicans looking at climate control and the changes over the last twenty years.

The recent United Nations summit released information on the climate issue, globally which has many within the Republican ranks turning skeptic. The odds are in favor of a political game, running against an incumbent means turning the sights of a hopeful candidate on the oval office. The hopes of disintegrating policy changes, inept changes and or no changes occurring based on prior promises of the incumbent. Obama did in promise a greener campaign through regulations and law changes. During the summit many countries experienced cold feet due to economic relapses, doubts about global warming science, and lets face many Americans do not concern themselves with worldly affairs.

“Of the major players in the Kyoto Protocol, my sense is that the EU is the only one still considering signing up in some fashion to a second commitment period,” said U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern while discussing Durban 2011 at a meeting on global warming in Mexico City. “Japan is clearly not, Russia is not, Canada is not and Australia appears unlikely.”

Energy is an issue, the problem with an issue is their never a single problem. Durban held the climate change conference urging countries like US, China and Canada to help underdeveloped countries stop the emission of hydrocarbon and green house gases. The UN is hesitate due to the Petition Project which garnered 31,000 signatures of American Scientists. This is largely in response to the movie “An Inconvenient Truth” released by Al Gore. His claims about ‘settled science’ and consensus enraged someone and the petition is launched.

Question: So the 31,000 plus American Scientists signed a petition because Al Gore called them skeptics?
Question 2: These 31,000 plus American Scientists read the report from Kyoto, Japan about greenhouse gasses before signing the petition?

And what about the planned obsolescence of the manufacturing of products? Electronics? Is “human contribution” now labeled as a corporation?

Questions… and more questions…
Who can you trust and what information do you trust? In my recent study in statistics we learned how scientific data can be manipulated with a ticks on a graph or a few punches of a calculator. Data is misrepresented in the media as factual simply to make a story, headline or demolish the opposition.

Case in point:
Bottled water is healthier and safer for you. FDA

In fact bottled water is the same as tap water, AND it goes under less regulation than tap water.
hm….
“Second hand smoke causes 3000 deaths per year.” Released by EPA in December of 1992

Further analysis of the EPA’s report shows they did a “meta analysis” meaning they reviewed 35 studies on second-hand smoke. Five were thrown out and the number goes down to 30, out of those 30 studies 25 studies showed there was NO significance in the affect of second hand smoke on people. Only 5 of those studies showed a significance at the 95% level.
5 out of 30, 25 showed no significant. In science we call that not enough to state conclusively it is dangerous.

But the politics, the regulations, and of course all the new laws help to regulate smokers, tobacco industries and people feel safe because of news reports that misrepresent data. Not to mention the EPA released this information BEFORE the study was finished.
hmm…

Single most important issue? Our need for more Stuff, and the push to create that need. So take a step back, seriously and breathe. Watch this video and see if you can’t come up with some personal changes to effect a better presidency by being a president of your own actions.

Personal accountability in the oval office, in the congress, and in the senate. You know what, how about in every American. For once we may stop thinking about our neighbor and try focusing on our own actions and behaviors.

Energy is just another part of this conglomerate of issues. Corporations create harmful pollutants that are released in the air. Many individuals do not separate their plastic from trash, let alone aluminum. Restaurants throw away enough food at night in every city in the United States that it could feed the homeless.

Phones cost $400 and break or become obsolete in 18 months. The cloud of gray and yellow haze I see over Phoenix gets denser every year, not to mention the winters are colder than last year. The summers are hotter than the year before, as well.
My single most pertinent issue is simple; take responsibility for your thoughts.
Change is constant, this is a universal law. What you think and how yo make up your mind comes from your stimuli, so instead of seeking the news caster on the television. Read a few articles on the Internet, cross check information BEFORE you make a decision. More people thinking and listening will create a spiral of change in how the administration runs a country. I can’t tell you if energy is the most important issue, or if environment is instead. I can offer you this, breathe for 4 seconds and ask yourself what is real for you. Then act on it. People make changes and  only takes place when you decide its time. (Neale Donald Walsch)

This is an official blog entry for the YourLocalSecurity.com Blogging Scholarship. If selected, I’ll receive $1000 towards my college expenses in 2012. This scholarship is sponsored by YourLocalSecurity.com

Natalie Goldberg

1. Respond to this observation: “Writing can teach us the dignity of speaking the truth, and it spreads out from the page into all our life, and it should.” Do you agree? Are you able to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth in your writing? Are there any limits to truth-telling?

Definition of the word truth immediately send us into a caldron of debate, but yes ultimately writing does teach the dignity of truth. From the page into my daily life, truth reaches beyond the borders of my current understandings. My friend Cam and I were discussing this in a round a bout way, the idea of what I believed and what she believed were different. I decided that in that moment one of us was right and the other wrong. Ironically I discerned she was wrong and ,I, being uber intelligent must set her ‘right.’ (:0) laugh out loud..)

This idea came from a context that others are right and pass the knowledge along. In my journal, I began to write down what my parents dictated was ‘right’, ‘appropriate’ and then I wrote down their actions, what I witnessed, and there behaviors. Almost every time the two did not match. Which is where I suppose the “do what I say and not what I do” colloquialism comes from. (did I use that word correctly? trying to expand my vocabulary. lol)

sitting in the front seat of Cam’s blazer the conversation continued to expand. The truth as I saw it became arguable, Cam explained it to me in the form of an analogy.

“Imagine you have a piece of paper, the surface of the paper is all you know. This is your truth, the paper has been given to you by whomever gave you such truths. What you don’t know is beyond the borders of the paper. As you walk your path, grow, learn and question you cover more areas of the paper. Eventually. you will find a part of the paper to stop, in other words you discover the edge. We can stay here for a while comfortable in what we know and deem everything beyond the border of the paper to be unknowable. After a time we may come to discover there is another side, after all if there is an edge then there is something beneath what we are on. Then we began to wonder what is the edge further investigation leads us to find the fold, this is not an edge. this is a crease, the crease folds and then it unfolds and we have more paper (truth) to discover. Your truth is here and taking the leap into the unknown will reveal more truth for you to discover.”

After the thirty minute conversation I am left with a rather illuminating thought; Neither of us carried the truth, there is no right or wrong, and furthermore there is only the discovery of life that leads us to what truths we claim and those we do not. In this concept, writing becomes the secondary tool of discovery. There is the truth of my parents and when written down becomes contradictory. Then there is the evolution of my own and the changes that come from discovering what is real for me and what is not.

It was not until I began writing on a blog in 2007 did i find ideas in my brain that made no more sense than my parents actions. As writing developed so did the truths I held so dear and by virtue of simply questioning them, rewriting them and looking at them they changed. From one day I was true to the ideal of family as defined by my father and the next I discovered that such an ideal wrought much devastation to a personal psyche. New words are formed, new ideas are tested and my personal everyday life changed. It changed so drastically that some people fell away from my circle and others walked in. I wondered often at the confusion of my best friend,

“I liked the woman I met, now I don’t know who you are.”

A statement that suggests only one possibility, i had discovered the edge of my truth and decided to unfold its crease. 

Running away from the past

Natalie Goldberg, Author of Writing Down the Bones

“Goldberg talks about having tried to run away from her own upbringing and religion–running away from home. Is there anything in your “home” or background that you have run away from? You don’t have to tell me exactly what it is if you don’t want to, but think about this: do you believe it is valuable or necessary to come to terms with the way we grew up? Or can we simply leave behind what we don’t want to deal with as if it never happened?” -Eng 217 Linda Evans

    What I love about this question is how it ties into the last one. Personally I spent years running away from my upbringing, home life, even while I lived there. Inescapable is the term I use now because psychology teaches us that what we learned in our environments growing up influences our behaviors now. this is perfectly annotated in case studies, experiments heck our own family life.

“My mothers voice just came out of my mouth.. oh my god…”
” I swore I would never do what my father did..”

“I will never be a parent like my mom.”

“Oh my god, that is something my father would say.”

         The list is increased exponentially by the introduction of films; they reflect this in comedies, dramas, etc. We watch our family lives portrayed by complete strangers and wonder at the magnificence of their abilities to display what we feel. Not considering the cathartic reactions because some person wrote the dialogue, interactions, facial expressions. The simplicity behind this is everyone has experienced a family life, some ideal, some crazy, some not, some uncertain. All of these are reflected through the writer, whether in books, poems, blogs, screenplays or text messages.
            

  Running from the pieces of our past only, in my opinion, bring them closer to us. Neale Donald Walsch wrote in his book Conversations with God, “What we resist, persist.”

In other words, the relationships we had with our parents, guardians, siblings, etc will be re-enacted in our present day romantic relationships, friendships, co-workers, strangers, etc. This enables us to resolve issues from that time period, and constantly define who we are. Who I am, Who I choose to be in relation to this event, person, or place.
I ran away from the psychological torture, physical abuse of my step-father. I ran away from the indifference and emotional abandonment of my mother. I ran away from the blaming mentality of my family. I ran away from the sexual abuse of my uncle. I ran away from the feeling of being less than, unimportant, and a throw away.

The true changes in my life, relationships and feelings came when I stopped running. The process can be arduous if one is not willing to undertake it but i have found it to be exhilarating, liberating, and challenging. Who I am is no longer defined by what my family, parents, uncle or friends state is true or ‘right’. Who I am is how I am defined by my choices, feelings and personal spiritual program all of which are now valid, complete and real.

The value is I am free. The price is non-existent. The reality is true freedom from the bondage of others, myself, and religion is priceless.

From Love Letters to the Universe

Dear Dad, Fathers, and Men who donated seeds,

This is a letter, from the Universe. As it is defined the universe is an everexpansive space which all things exist, inside of it live all the organisms of the earth and every other planet in this vast space. Perhaps more locally this is a letter to all men who have donated a piece of who they are to create a child, a gift to the universe. People are derived from two other people and in this, I the universe am addressing you.

Dad, a term used to designate the male counterpart of conception of children. Father, more formal term used to designate the male counterpart in the conception of children. Men who donated seeds is a phrase to designate the biological aspect of the process of conception.

This means you, all of you, there is no male disregarded here, for even if you have not participated in the conception of a child you are capable.

     I, the Universe,  express my gratitude to you.  Thank you for your contribution to the world of people. Your invaluable donation is without pause a wonderous gift. Your ability to give life to the world is a gift. It is now time you start to act like it, instead of the indifferent, emotionally unavailable, stone crushing mentality of “men”. This mentality is not serving the world of children nor is it serving yourself. The injustice to your gifts is without gasp and awe, for in denying the vunerability of who you are, you then deny it in the hearts of the gifts you helped to create. Little children ,literally, look up to you and hear the pain in your voice,over time as they grow they believe your fears to be their own.

This is the gift all men, fathers, and dads have, the ability to lead by example and be the change in this world.

The use of language, physical beatings, psychological torture and non verbal communication create an energy field. This is a tangible feeling, especially to children. They are more intune with the energy fields around them because they have not hardened to feeling of the universal connection. The process of growing up, your interactions, directions and fears will create this. Your primary responsibility is to ensure they know who they really are, not who you EXPECT them to be.

Girls are not put into specific categories, roles based on their genitalia. This prohibits them from growing, connecting and being free. Boys are not meant to be “little” men or “big” boys, the expression of sadness, grief, or fear is being human. “Toughening”, conditioning and preparation limits there natural ability to nuture, love and express peace.

Your personal experiences in this world are the choices you created. Helping the children to see beyond your limitations is perhaps one of the single most important assignments you have been given. Instead you create these limitations for them based on your experience of living, this is in fact the opposite of what you are charged with. The assignment of children is to enhance and create in the world around them, to see beyond the limitations of the mind, to remember who they are and then implement change.

Your assignment is to give them the opportunity, encouragement, and support to do this.

In fact as a child you were also denied these glorious opportunities and so because it was done to you, the feeling is to ensure your children experience the same.

This is by far, the most atrocious crime you can commit, and there are no laws of men to dispel this behavior.

It is this behavior that continues to allow the following:

Molestation of children by family members, observing your world, your scientists, and research makers, the statistics report 1 in 4 women are sexually propositioned, molested, raped, and or verbally sexually assualted by the time they are 10 years old BY a member of their own family.

This list includes brothers, fathers, step-fathers, uncles, cousins, family friends, STRANGERS are by far the least possible, statistically speaking,  to be the perpetrators.

As this continues to happen a child, strong enough to find her voice, will speak against this violation, the family mentality, as I have observed is to ignore, blame, disect, and/or challenge the validity.

When/ where does the strength of a protector come into play here? If at 25 your daughter is being verbally harrassed by her uncle in a sexual manner, the same uncle who sexually assaulted your eldest, what is the reasoning behind doing nothing?

Why is it the women of the family discuss how to put it “past you”, “its over and done with”, “I cant do anything about it now”, or my personal favorite, “it happened to me too, and I turned out okay.”

Seriously, this idea that your children are punching bags, sexual playthings, and/or evidence of YOUR percieved mistake must stop. There are NO mistakes, none. Period, the end. YOU are killing your children from the inside and have taken no responsibility to nuture their well being.

I say it again, YOU are the gift until this world in creating a child. YOUR seed is, by design, part of the integral piece of making a life. YOUR assignment is to nuture, teach, set free, and ignite the passion within this child.

The glory of sex is a union by which you have been given, if you do not wish children then you can take advantage of numerous birth control and still enjoy the fruits of such an exchange. there is no reason for you to impregnate a woman and then leave because “its not your problem” , “your too young to have a child”.

This is the cycle and the abuse goes far beyond physical sexual violations. I have witnessed men beating their children, with belts, fists, two by fours, hoses, books, wooden spoons, sticks, and numerous other devices for acts of defiance, existing, lying, peeing in their pants, being fearful, uncertain, failing a test, speaking, spilling milk, not getting homework done, asking for food, stealing, the list here extends infinitelyl.

The absolute worse offense is indifference and psychological torture. The cries of the children across the world rise up to drown out the offenses and you still can not hear them. Allow me to illuminate your awareness, because you can heal this. YOU have the power to change this world, you were created to protect, to build, to love, to energize, to move this world. YOU are endowed with the insight of beauty beyond imagination. You have forgotten who you are and thus wreak havoc upon those percieved as weaker.

Your thoughts of ownership, control and privelege extend beyond the borders of truth, for you have never owned anything. Ownership is a world created to establish control over others. Your need to feel superior separates you from the truth of real freedom. IT is a fear based idea, one you have been taught and continue to teach. You have forgotten the beauty of your soul.

In the place of who you really are you have sought to harm other people, rape, murder, own,terrorize, molest, beat, verbally assault, kill, and enslave in the name of control, superiority, God, and being “right”.

Such acts against children, people, nations have wrought the devastation of humanity.

As the co-creators of children, your gifts I have given you and your ability to literally move mountains you have the opportunity, nay the internal drive to create. By these gifts, you are not only responsible, but you are charged with the healing of the world. For only you can change from within to better the world around you.
ONLY you can make that change and only within yourself.

Here is where you remember who you are;

You are the father of the children, the world, the universe.

with love and adoration,
Me

Emotional Manipulation

What is it? Does it exist in my life? Has it always existed and to what degree am I going to allow it to continue?

Why is it happening and for reasons does it serve me?

As defined by the Psychology professionals:

Emotional Manipulation is :

Take a look at some common examples of how manipulators work –

Emotional manipulators turn your statements around and make you the problem. Trying to be honest with the manipulator opens up your vulnerability. He or she is an expert at playing the game of “blame the victim.” For example, if you say, “I really wish you had taken a dish to the potluck, and I feel embarrassed that you didn’t,” the manipulator might respond with, “I wish you could understand the pain I’m suffering right now – and have been for some time – but then I guess your life is so happy that you can’t really feel empathy for someone else. So, sorry.”

They’ll say one thing and later assure you that they didn’t say it. “I’ll pay for half the groceries this time,” and then later the manipulator comes back with, “I never said any such thing.” This is a crazy-making experience because your sense of reality is challenged. The manipulator offers such a convincing argument that they had never promised to pay for half the groceries that you begin to doubt your own sanity.

The manipulator will offer to help you, but then the torrent of sighs begins. “Yes, yes, (sigh) I’ll take out the garbage.” You feel that you are the one to blame, as if you’re trying to control the manipulator. Again, you are considered the problem.

The manipulating person will set a negative emotional tone in a group and others feel compelled to make the manipulator feel better just to ease the tension. “John, if Keira can’t drive you to the dentist tomorrow, I’ll do it. Here, have a cup of coffee. Now do you feel better?” Notice how we tend to enable the manipulator, rewarding him or her for the controlling behavior.

Manipulators don’t fight fairly. They might talk behind your back and encourage others to confront you – and then they come in to save the day, placing the blame on the other people. Manipulators don’t deal with issues directly. They use passive-aggressive tactics so that you don’t realize that they are actually being aggressive toward you – “I love your hair that color. It does a nice job of hiding the gray.” You respond graciously to the compliment, but are then left with the lingering feeling that something is not quite right.

They negate what you say by outdoing you. If you want to talk about what a rough day you’ve had, they’ll come back with an account of their exceedingly brutal day, which makes your experience look like a day in the park. “Well, if you think that’s bad, listen to what I’ve been through today.” They bring attention back to themselves so that you find it difficult to feel any degree of validation. This is how emotional manipulators distance themselves from you and gain the upper hand. They lack the ability to relate to others with healthy boundaries and maturity.

Emotional manipulators are experts at playing on your emotions. If they sense that you respond easily to guilt, then they will try to make you feel guilty (“I feel embarrassed for you when you play with Dora’s kids as if they were your own – and it’s all because you’ve never had children”). Manipulators also play on our sympathy by playing the role of victim (“All I do is work, work, work – You’ll be sorry when I have a heart attack”). Or they might blame you for your anger, even though they have induced it (“Look, you’re the one who can’t control your emotions, not me”). Emotional manipulators have difficulty in expressing their desires or emotions directly, but by playing on the emotions of other people they covertly get their way.

Manipulators project blame onto other people or circumstances. They fail to take the responsible path of believing that they are accountable for their own lives. Their focus is on what others have done to them, and they are forever the victim (“My father was the first one to treat me badly, just as every man has done since”).

Interesting…

You may find yourself in a double bind. That is, if you go along with the manipulation, you feel angry – and if you drop the relationship, you feel guilty. It may seem that you can’t win. But there is a way out of the bind –

Pointy arrowhead Be aware of your own emotions within the relationship. Your emotions are your best tool for sensing that there is a problem between you and the other person. Examine whether you feel defensive, guilty, angry, or sympathy toward the other person. You may not have these feelings during the interaction, but afterward, when you are thinking about what happens between the two of you, these emotions might emerge.

Pointy arrowhead Define the emotion and understand the pattern. When you think about what happens between you and the manipulator, describe the emotions that you feel. Put your feelings into words. What specifically was said that led you to a certain feeling? How did you respond at the time? What was the effect of your response? (It may help at this point to work with a professional therapist who is trained to help you sort through this often puzzling set of questions.)

Pointy arrowhead When you have a good understanding of the pattern of interaction between you and the manipulator,
ask yourself whether you want to continue with the relationship or not. Sometimes we find ourselves in toxic relationships, and if we aren’t getting anything positive from the relationship, it might be in our best interest to terminate it, or else place good boundaries around it (like limiting our time with the other person). Some relationships cannot, or should not, be ended unless there is a pattern of abuse present.

Pointy arrowhead Whenever a manipulation attempt occurs, right at that moment point it out to the other person. This is your way of taking control of the manipulation. There is no need to express anger when you give the manipulator this feedback. Do it assertively and calmly. The manipulator at this point might come back with a guilt trip or an angry response. Say something like, “I feel that you are trying to manipulate me at this point, and I am not going to go along with it. I would like a healthy interaction between us, so could you try to say what you need to say in a more positive and direct way?”

http://www.kimjonescounseling.com/ewm-jf08/index.htm

http://www.fastweb.com/content/refer-a-friend

FREE MONEY!!! that is my buzz word for scholarships, contests and essays. Times are strange, the richer seeking to cut more taxes, occupations around the world and some people seeking a better life. Hey you do deserve this, school is a beautiful thing. Growth, friends, learning, education, and one amazing way to be apart of your dream, by living it. Thought I would share my secret to free money,
Fastweb baby… one amazing, FREE, scholarship search program… heres the link and happy money to you… do do di do.:)

http://www.fastweb.com/content/refer-a-friend

with love and light

~Rochelle

Questions that have Rattled around my Mind

Subject: Questions that have continued to rattle in my mind.  
Author: Rochelle Foulk Date: August 22, 2011 10:49 PM

How do you explain the existence of homosexuality?

How do you explain the existence of heterosexuality?

How do you explain the existence of Transgender?

 

          I am currently taking an LGBT Psychology of Culture class at MCC. Here is a question I posted in our class discussion board, one that I have also posted on my blogs. The purpose is to question and open doors to uniting the LGBT community. The prejudices that exist among our group, between and within our groups create the continued fear the society at large holds. Can we break down the lines of fear from within? And what potentiality does that create for others to break down their fear?

 

A student responds ( for security purposes I am not releasing the author’s name.)

 

If I reading this correctly, it seems as if you are asking “WHY are people one of the following”. I personally cannot say for sure if it is purely genetic or environmental. For me it is something I have struggled to understand and have seen people straddle all three of these labels/identities at different times. I know I was raised to be a heterosexual male, but had experiences in my very early childhood (from age 2 onward) that have directly defined who I have become in my adolescent and adult life. I think primarily we attach ourselves to what is familiar and comfortable, whether privately or publicly, and over time that determines our identity. My experiences with the opposite sex were unappealing because when I tried to explore them I had already become familiar with the sensations associated with the same sex. Those familiar sensations have directly influenced my interactions, or rather desired types of interactions, with other men as well.

I know from discussions with other homosexual men that are from the area I grew up, Long Island, NY, that there are many parallels and hence why I have a hard time accepting genetic over environment, or vice versa, as a reason for explaining WHY a person is Gay, Straight.

I do know that perhaps my disposition as a child was such that gay men recognized something in that eluded them to the possibility of being gay because society is so very good at labeling the individual based on external factors displayed especially if they are different. Being somewhat hypersensitive I feel that I picked up on these cues as well and organized my thinking to fit that expected labeling and therefore was drawn to the lifestyle in the end.

I do believe that my early childhood experiences were a result of being taken advantage of, a misuse of the trust my parents had in the individuals doing the things they did, my own confusion about who I was and what I was doing that was so “queer” to the people around me to begin with because I was just a happy child that had a vivid imagination with no real “gender boundaries” for the most part, AND a general ignorance of what people did with each other and the appropriateness of those activities in social and private settings.

When it comes to the Transgender issue (people whom have a sex change procedure; commonly confused with Transvestism which is the act of dressing and/or living as the opposite sex with no actual sex change being done), that is something I personally have very little experience with and while I can understand the desire of some men and women to dress and live as the opposite sex, i do not fully comprehend the full mindset or need that drives them to have the full sex change procedure. I have seen what I feel is strong evidence to support that this is more of a genetic situation wherein the individual identifies as the opposite sex in nearly every way and thus they are incapable of finding fulfillment as the gender they are born with. They tend to feel incomplete as they are and from what I understand there may also typically be genetic birth defects of various types that affect their identification processes (such as low testosterone for men, small or undeveloped genitalia, etc).

Unfortunately, most people do not understand that all three of these sexual orientations have their own unique struggles (Gay/Lesbian/bisexual, Straight, Transgenderism/Transvestism) and the only person that truly knows what is right for them is the person themselves, which takes much self exploration, education and support from various sources.

Why do these things exist is unknown, they just do and maybe by first accepting they do exist and then opening the dialogues of what they are can we truly understand the WHY.

I know that is a long winded rough attempt to answer a very huge question and it is based solely on my own point of view and experiences, so please do not accept it as a standard for everyone! These are simply my own personal views and opinions and are not meant to insult, harm or otherwise damage in any way. Everyone has a unique set of life experiences and points of view and we should always keep an open mind to that and do our best to at least respect each other if we can’t agree.

 

Another student responds ( Again the students name is omitted for security reasons)

How do you explain the existence of homosexuality?
The existence of homosexuality is where a male has intimate feelings for another male or a girl has intimate feelings for another woman.

How do you explain the existence of heterosexuality?
The existence of heterosexuality comes from a woman having intimate feeling for a man and only a man and vice versa for the male to the woman.

How do you explain the existence of Transgender?
The existence of Transgender is where a man is born, but does not feel like a man, so he proceeds into having surgery to change his sex and it goes the same from a woman. She doesn’t feel comfortable as being a woman so she proceeds into having reconstructive surgery.

 

Subject: Re:Questions that have continued to rattle in my mind. Topic: Default Topic
Author: Rochelle Foulk Date: August 24, 2011 7:56 PM

Thank you!!! Wow I am equally impressed with your answer and I agree on several points. Especially with Transgender, I have no experience with this either. The few people I have met I have not liked. It is more of a feeling than anything. Ironically it is based on their energy not the fact they are currently transitioning to the opposite sex of their birth.

I must point out, however, that the interpretation of the question is off. Just a little though and you even pointed that out in your first sentence.

No, I am not asking “Why”, I am asking How. The question is important, I believe, in the solving of a much larger issue of equality.

In my experience people respond to new things, changes, and discoveries with one of two emotions; Love or Fear. If the first emotion is encountered then there is an openness to see the new thing or change as beautiful, enlightening and potentially a help to others.
Even though we (the LGBTQ community) acknowledge the need for equality, I find we often do not approach the “How” or the “Why”.

For example, upon learning his daughter was a lesbian the father chastises her, lists the various reasons why this lifestyle is “evil”, an “abomination”, or in some cases will lead to sexually transmitted diseases, death, and or rape.
This father is reacting to information, based on biological responses of the brain. Over time children experience conditioning about the world through media, people, reading. The most influencial are people, especially ones viewed as authority figures ie parents. Even more so what the authority figure does as opposed to what they say carries more weight. An observational study on children illustrated this point. (I watched it in MyPsych lab.. but darn it I can’t remember the study’s name.)

More to the reaction of the brain, anxiety and trauma however our father in the above example is reacting to prior information either given to him by an authority figure, witnessed by his own account or anothers or another possibility is his knowing of whaat he has said and done to this group, (lesbians). http://www.cirp.org/library/psych/vanderkolk/

My question is more to why does it exist at all?

Please don’t misunderstand I am not against any of these groups, and I have my own prejudice and bias concerning some if not all of them. The question came to me when I began to question why someone would harm or kill something they didn’t understand.

Referring to the example of the father above, his reaction is out of fear thus he creates negative connotations to the world lesbian, to the lifestyle and traumatizes his own daughter simply because he is afraid. In my personal experience he is afraid of exactly what he lists are the cons to his daughter.

So if it exists in this world then there is a reason for its existence.
There is little study in this area and Transpersonal Psychology is up and coming with relating to the human brain, mystic experiences and spiritual experiences.

Therefore the question remains, How do you explain the existence of anyone of these groups?

Through my own personal exploration, meditation and writing I have discovered one plausible answer.

I believe it can be tested scientifically as well.

Homosexuality, (lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer) exist as a means of naturally controlling the human species.
In other words our breeding has reached dangerous levels in regards to natural resources available to sustain life.

Taken from a strictly survival of the species viewpoint, Humans are overpopulating. Thus nature has created ways to keep balance and harmony in the environment. Homosexuality.

I have yet to discern the reason for Transgender to exist but I am confident that there is a beautiful reason if I seek with the emotion of ‘love’ rather than hate or fear.

Although I can admit to you now, I have my own biases and fears and sometimes can not see past my own hatred of a group, thing or (lol) change.

The humanistic movement in psychology spawned the thought of self-actualization, Maslow. Prior to these, Carl Jung talked of the “collective unconscious”, is there not a feeling of we are all here to do something?

If not to love one another as we are then what?

 

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