Big Mind

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Big Mind: Some Ideas

Local Gatherings

Consider joining with your community. You don’t have to believe every word of everything said- you must always think for yourself. You don’t need to be in any sanctuary where you don’t feel cherished- being  “tolerated” or “accepted” is not good enough.

  • Your truth shared
  • Atheist Groups
  • Florida Community of Mindfulness/Buddhist sangha in Tampa
  • Society of Friends-Quakers/A belief in a direct relationship to God with no intermediary (no book, rules, clergy) through non-hierarchal meetings, quiet contemplation, sharing, and non-violence
  • MCC (Metropolitan Community Church)/International LGBT-affirming Christianity
  • Unitarian Universalism/A collection of all faiths, honoring all messengers of truth
  • Pagan-Wicca/Communing through nature
  • Church/Temple/Mosque/Etc
  • Support Groups

Virtual Gatherings

Practice Reframes

  • Have great compassion for yourself & humanity- unending, unconditional mercy.
  • Zoom out: Consider what’s happening is more than what you can see. Remember that what’s unfolding right now has evolved over millions of years across the universe and is a result of a chain of actions/consequences that occurred long before this generation. Moreover, what’s occurring right now is not the endpoint- but instead will continue to ripple further into it’s intrinsic and necessary evolution.
  • Think small. Simple & peaceful joys are everywhere, always.
  • Reconsider, adapt, and lower your expectations of what “should” be so that it’s closer to what Life is showing you actually “is.” Meet the present moment and consider it’s not all yours to dictate.
  • Remember, by some standards, this may be a good problem to have (e.g. a car not starting means you are more fortunate than others to have a car in the first place)
  • Look at where some of your problems are possible projections. Take accountability to change yourself (and your paradigms) first before asking the external world (partner/family/etc) to do their equally difficult work of change. You may still need others to make definite changes, but “clean your side of the street” first and stay in your line of what’s yours to weigh in on.
  • Make a commitment to not complain and notice any habit towards negativity. (Careful not to use this one against yourself.)
  • Remember that positive and negative moods build upon themselves, little by little and have their own momentum- keep adding jellybeans to the positive side and have patience trusting the shift will come.
  • Consider your legacy or purpose or how you can make each day count. Many invisible others have sacrificed for you- consider those who are ungrateful for what you’ve done for them & how you might also actually be ungrateful as well in the whole scheme of things. This doesn’t mean you don’t hold people accountable! It means you “clean your side of the street” regarding your idea of balance in the world.
  • Take some calculated risks- don’t live life so safely that you don’t make any mistakes at all. Making a “mistake” betting on yourself is no mistake at all- it’s called wisdom.
  • Adopt a mindset of learning- not greatness or supporting the ego. Value the quality of your process, not only the outcome of your efforts. Get better at failing. Drop any shame that prevents you from collecting your winnings- the fortune of clarity. With every experiment you earn discernment regarding what is the next right thing (or how to do the next thing right) for you.
  • Don’t beat yourself up with the refrain “I should’ve known better!” People think intellectually knowing or understanding is enough- it’s not. Truly knowing something means you are able to live it. It’s not until you do better that you actually know better. Knowing something in your brain doesn’t translate to believing it’s true. Whatever we are doing is what we actually believe is true.
  • Do ONLY one thing at a time with your hands and thoughts. One-pointed attention brings you into flow and settles your being.