Does evil live?

Posted by admin on Apr 28, 2013 | 0 comments

What is evil?

Our definition here is not iron clad. So many of them have come and gone through the ages. My own may differ from yours…. but I think this one may get close for most. And still, at the edges of the bell curve there is wiggle room and exactness may blurr.

Simply put, “evil” is the enacting of one’s values at another person’s expense. It is not only saying that something is highly important to “me”… but it is so important that I am willing to take from “you” to get it, taking away from your freedoms and rights as a human being.

We all have  needs, wants, and desires that we are willing to fight for. Things and ideals that we demand to have in and from our lives. Things that we long for and strive for. And that is the way it should be, especially within a capitalist society such as the U.S. where competition is a strong value of the system itself. There are special places within this society for direct competition, where zero-sum game mentality is the norm and the rule (such as sporting events). But when a person takes or infringes on another person’s rights to have what they need/want/desire beyond these specific arenas it reaches beyond striving. Together, the last four of the ten commandments speak as a testament to this. Whether it breaks the legal rules or not, in general if it is an act of taking for personal gain specifically at another’s detriment it is ultimately nefarious.

Certain personalities find it easier to spin into this trap. Their narcissistic or psychopathic vision of reality drives them to not only fight into each thing they want, but justify damages along the way. Other personalities are not so extreme and extol minor versions of this. They are not so easily swayed to such radical ideals, yet smaller ideals just like this creep in anyways. In all versions, the one doing the behavior somehow justifies their behavior, and those of us who are watching experience a visceral reaction when we see it. We can almost smell it…. and when we do, it stinks.

When “evil” is extolled consciously it is bad enough. But when it is unconscious it is even worse. In this type of scenario at one level, at the conscious level, it seems that the person is speaking from truth, honesty, goodness. They are coming from a higher, wiser place. But at a deeper level, a level even they cannot even see, they are pressing forward from some panicked fear that hides within them and, at times, a seething anger that is looking to protect it…. One that is looking to manifest outside in the world at large. They are often not even aware of their behavior. You may recognize these people through their damage and consequent excuses and, rare but possible, apologies. Constant patterns of behavior that do not change, regardless of their words that often endlessly seek to diffuse or sidestep what was done. It is with these people that you pay attention to actions, not words, to determine where they are coming from and how to procede with them. They appear to not know what they are doing. You must be the one that is more vigilant.

When that person steps this up to a higher level, looking to impart their ideals upon the world at large, to indoctrinate others into their “philosophy” we have an even greater reaction to it. We may want to take up arms against their actions (figuratively or sometimes literally)… but that only hurts us as well. The pains they cause others have us believing that the only way to “stop them” is to meet force with force. But there is a better way. There is always a better way, a more evolved way to handle situations. One that has us take into account both the other person’s conscious desires to do good, to be a “good person” (most people, even in extreme cases, wat to see themselves as “good”), and their drive to get what they want at other people’s expense. The purpose is to evolve. It is always to evolve. So helping them to evolve is where our actions and our path lies. Justice has its place… but only when held in evolved ways of thinking. Love and caring has its place… but only when held in the same regard.

Always look for this. The way forward that honors all parties, all of theirs and yours. This will lead you into a place where you will not be in hate, but in love, honoring yourself, while finding room for justice. Closing doors to the continuation of negative behavior while opening the door to greater understanding and caring. Both are incredibly important and the higher you go up the ladder of understanding the more skillful you will need to be to maintain both of them in grace. In many ways evil is just a misunderstanding of the self… and if and when the person finally sees it, finally knows it and understands that this has been a functioning of theirs, they are forever moved and changed. Humbled by their own humanity. This is what we hope for and move towards.

There are deeper ways to address this. Within yourself, if you may feel or have experienced an imbalance, or when dealing with others, to curtail the unwanted behaviors and be a greater force in their own growth. Whether in an individual environment, or between couple/partners/associates…. TakeGiantSteps has more to share and teach here. Contact me at lyric@takegiantsteps.com.

The SpiralKinetic™ Body Series: Let’s get rid of joint pain

Posted by admin on Apr 8, 2013 | 0 comments

Joint Pain. Huge topic. This is a blog so I am not going to go after all the ways it manifests and dissolves. It can take a lot to get rid of it. There are systems, from foam rolling, to massage, to energy work that can help. If done correctly it can even go away… sometimes permanently. Check out the video:

These are the patterns we are looking for. They do keep us in a state of functioning, which is good, but not in a state of optimum health, excellence, and evolution, which is bad. Additionally, we must address these patterns BEFORE we dive into a joint to dissolve the complete injury. Begin to look into the methods that are out there. And do not go to one practitioner forever. If you had some healing and it plateaued with one practitioner leave and go to another. You want freedom from pain and freedom for movement. Don’t rest until you have it.

There is a system of moving through each level and layer that we use at TGS and SpiralKinetics. It not only cleans up your physicality  but your neurological fitness system as well. I can show it to you if you wish. Feel free to inquire – Lyric@takegiantsteps.com.

How the self is allowed to evolve

Posted by admin on Apr 1, 2013 | 0 comments

A little more serious topic this week. We, at Take Giant Steps (and SpiralKinetics) like to talk about the self and its growth. The self as it becomes more. The self in “evolution.” When many of us think we understand what evolution means….. we create visions and versions of it. Conceptions in our minds and hearts that encapsulate what it means to be evolved. Sometimes this is profound, and sometimes it is problematic.

To some, being evolved is a deep dive into a high level of being special. Looking around at the most common ways that people are being and behaving then turning them aside for a harder but more advanced route. This way of looking at the evolution of the human self is exclusive. Differentiating between the evolving/evolved and the unconcerned. This parses people into the evolutionary “haves” and “have-nots”, which does not promote our growth, and instead curtails it. 

This is one of many of what I call “spiral traps”.

There are also moments when we experience an opening. What we call a “peak experience” that some workshop (or drug) bursts us at the seams maybe for the first time in our lives and has all our insides pour out and rain down on ourselves… leaving us feeling freer and grateful. We then often turn in the direction of the creators of this experience and decide that we will pursue the system/substance/person/community that facilitated this sense of liberation, often for the first time in our lives, in the hope and desire to find more of the same. This spirals us into another spiral trap.

Evolving is a commitment to ongoing growth, not exclusive of others or grasping onto the thing that caused it, but inclusive of all experience. Not just having patience for people and where they are in life but instead even “knowing” their experience as a part of your own… as a part of us all. Distinguishing between your personal path and anyone else’s is ultimately unimportant to the flow of evolution.

Evolving is also not holding fast to whatever opened you to your evolutionary self. It initially seems as exciting as a life-preserver to a drowning man… but quickly transforms into an anchor and holds us fast causing less evolutionary growth (even if it seems like growth and we can’t distinguish the difference at the time).

The one main criteria I always recommend is openness. Openness to becoming something more. To allowing something more to penetrate you. To keeping ongoing change in motion without looking to hold onto and force “change” itself. Its to continually transform your experience courageously, with humility, while reinforcing your  core. Its almost contradictory. To change and yet be build up and reinforced at the core. To be powerful and porous at the same time. Its almost as if we were molten metal and we were being casted into a sculpture…. there are moments when the metal is melted…and then the following moments when the metal is hardened. And it happens again and again. Melted and hardened, and melted and hardened …strengthening to become more and more and more.

Spiral traps are everywhere. They seem like growth, but then slowly, before we know it…. things stagnate and we are no longer within our growth.

Be in evolution. It is a very fine path. One that is highly prone to distractions. But being committed to it and opening to it is the priority and truest method to make sure you are on its ongoing ride.

And if you wonder aloud to yourself how you know when you have spiraled-in to a trap in your life or if you are on the true path and spiraling up… Whether you are on the fine line of your growth or off on some shiny tangent…. contact me. If the question is in your mind perhaps it’s really time to pursue it far more… along with another set of conscious eyes.

Breathing Tip-ology

Posted by admin on Mar 25, 2013 | 0 comments

Welcome to the first step in breathing. Breath is a vast topic….. wide and deep. Yet we take it for granted or we are taught 2-3 things about it and then believe we understand it and let it do its thing in the background. Breathing….. is what you do every moment of every day. So it may kind-of be hugely important. Here’s a quick taste of some things to be aware of for your viewing edification:

As always… contact me for more information to learn more and MAXIMIZE your personal experience.