Life Plan Approved!

“To realize Universal reality, we need only open ourselves to our innate, insatiable curiosity to seek the broader knowledge of many things – then to embrace the adventure. Gregge Tiffen (Life in the World Hereafter: The Journey Continues)”

Summer is bursting out all over!

What if each of us had a life plan that was designed solely to provide a learning adventure that would further our growth in consciousness?  What if we had reviewed that plan before our birth?  And (gulp), what if we’d approved it?  Finally, what if our systems (family, spiritual, educational, business, etc.) were set up to support us in remembering and fully living into what we agreed to before we splashed down on the earth for this life?

Fantasy?  Perhaps, but I don’t think so. 

Paradise – a more beautiful world? That’s what I’ve long believed: that we can do better than the current state of life on our planet.  For as long as I can remember, I’ve felt a sense that if we were all doing what we were meant to do and being who we were meant to be, that we would experience a world of peace, joy, abundance, harmony and beauty.  To my last breath I suspect that I will maintain the belief that an intelligent universe created a perfect system despite the messes we’ve brought forth in our ignorance on this planet.

My belief provides a lens through which I can make sense of seemingly senseless events. This bears little to no resemblance of trying to make rational sense of our world or even the events in my life.  And, it definitely does not mean that I understand or condone all that occurs.

Such a perspective on life removes the possibility of seeing myself as a victim in ANY situation (gulp again). The responsibility that entails can bring my knees to go weak and my chest to tighten. At the same time, it’s a huge relief. 

I suggested just that to a client recently. In telling me about a number of situations in her life that she was experiencing as problematic, she concluded, “I didn’t approve any of this!”  After a bit more exploration, I gently posed a question for reflection: “What if you did?”

What if I did?  The first thing that occurred to me as I sat quietly with this question early one morning was how differently I look at events when I remember this lens.  I don’t shift to victim mode. I’m curious about how to use events for my learning. That doesn’t always mean some big life lesson.  It might be as simple as discovering a new way to do a routine task more efficiently or as profound as seeing another person’s perspective without judgement, especially when it’s contrary to mine.

When an event is especially challenging, the idea that I’ve approved it in advance is humbling. I feel supported to call upon the knowledge in my cells to guide my approach. I can let of needing to get it ‘right’ when I remember that my purpose is to learn.  I aim to remember who I truly am.  My compassion for myself and others as they face challenges grows. And, I’m grateful. 

Summer fun and play time with his buddy is in Cool Hand Luke's life plan!

Father Time: Order or Control?

A wise and benevolent father protects the day-by-day life of his progeny and prepares them for an endless journey of growth, development, and maturity.  Gregge Tiffen (Father Time – June 2007)*

Eat When You're Hungry ...

Benevolence, an inclination to do good or be kind, and wisdom having or showing good judgement, are qualities worthy of developing. We tend to think of benevolence as an outward gesture, doing good for others. Recently, I’ve been reading more of Gregge Tiffen’s early work and reflecting on time, the clock and how it is used as a mechanism for manipulation and control.  It led me to think that we might be wise to take a different look at time.

This week, many will honor fathers and father figures for their roles in preparing us for this journey called life.  The benevolent, wise father created context and order in our early life giving us a foundation on which to set sail on our course in life.  For them, we are grateful.

Others lived a different experience: fathers, who lacking wisdom and benevolence, sought to control. For them, with forgiveness, we can also be grateful. And, perhaps that forgiveness can come more easily when we understand that fathers may feel trapped in systems that equate success with control and that honor time over natural instinct and cycles.

Harmony is the essence of nature and natural cycles. As I experiment with living less by the clock and more by awareness of my personal cycles, I feel more harmonious within.  And, I’m discovering that’s not so easy to do in this world.

Rest When You're Weary ...

We use time as a weapon. I found myself doing just that this morning when I called the sign painter to inquire about progress on my Dragonfly House sign that was to be finished a few weeks ago. In a world where systems are built on time, I find it hard to let go and trust that the sign will be ready in divine perfect time.  And yet I know how negatively deadlines impact me. I wonder why it’s difficult to extend that knowing to be compassionate with others about time. Then I realize that I live in the midst of accepted systems where time is used to control and that I’ve bought into them.

We put pressure on ourselves with words and beliefs about scarcity of time (‘I don’t have time …’). Over the years, I’d guess that this has been a concern of over half of my coaching clients, as it has been for me in the past. Some years ago, I broke the habit of using that language and replaced it with ‘I have enough time for everything that is important in my life’. Slowly that became my belief. With practice we can ease the pressure and begin to make choices that honor our natural rhythms – not as a program to complete, but as an exploration of a different way to live, a way that, in my experience, offers much personal satisfaction, harmony, and peace. 

Eat when you’re hungry. Rest when you’re weary. Bloom when you’re ready. That may be the best of benevolence and wisdom in a world that sometimes seems to have lost both.

Bloom When You're Ready ... That's wisdom and the ultimate self-kindness.

Who In the World is Gregge Tiffen?

Gregge Tiffen was a powerful presence on the planet, much like the power of Spring's snow melt in local streams ...

Passion does not have ears for ‘cannot do’. Gregge Tiffen [Sex, Lies and Assumptions – June, 2010]*

Have you ever had the experience of reading something you haven’t read before, of having it seem both familiar and new and fresh, and of knowing that you already knew it, but you didn’t know that you knew?  If you’re spinning from just reading that sentence, then you have some idea of my experience over the last several months as I’ve read transcripts from lectures that Gregge Tiffen presented after his return from training in Tibet, many years before I met him.

Because I quote him often, I’ve been thinking for a while that it would be fun to share a bit about who Gregge was.  I’ll start with a description from the back cover of Earth and Second Earth, one of several books that comprise The Collected Works of Gregge Tiffen [available here: http://www.p-systemsinc.com/publications.htm]:

“Gregge Tiffen received intensive training in mysticism and mystical law over 60 years ago in the Far East. He returned to the United States in the late 1950’s to teach as he was taught. Before his death in September 2008, he was a well-respected business consultant, exceptional teacher, and personal counselor to people throughout the world.”

Despite the admonitions of friends and family that ‘You can’t …!’, Gregge left a military career with its focus on death and survival to pursue a passion for living. He realized that he needed to “die from the animal state of survival at all costs” to pursue what he truly wanted to do. And, that is what he did.  

While I take full responsibility for all the choices that I’ve made in life, the quality of those choices has been greatly enhanced since I met Gregge in early 1980, 35 years ago. 

At the time, I was in the midst of personal turmoil.  Marge, my mother and dear friend, died several months before, and I’d resigned from a demanding job for which I’d burned up any passion. I needed to rest, recover, and find some sense of self beyond my profession.  Therapy was somewhat supportive and I found reading metaphysical books helpful, but it was my Life Reading & BiCircadian (Gregge’s system for planetary influence) that woke me up to who I am and sparked my interest in how life works.

Consultations with Gregge helped me navigate life over these 35 years. I gathered interesting and helpful information attending workshops and lectures and listening to recordings.  Now, as I create the next phase/adventure in life, I’m passionate to more deeply understand and, more importantly, use what I’m learning, applying what is hopefully intelligence in ways that nurture new, innovative, sustainable measures of success. 

... and as gentle as day's first light.

As I follow this path of reading, reviewing, reflecting and experimenting, it’s likely that more of Gregge’s wisdom will be coming your way, so I wanted to share a bit about this inspiring man as context for what may come as ‘The Zone’ evolves.