Day 5 - Affection - Violence

 Affection          (Goal Number:         )            Violence

liking, caring, kindness, fondness, favor                                          hate, heartlessness, hostility, ruthlessness, savagery

 AWAKE TO THE GENUINE VALUE: 

When you are awake to affection, you care for yourself and others with a positive attitude and affection. You remember that each person on this planet is part of the great oneness of humanity, all coming from the same Divine Parent. You recall that actually we are each other's sisters and brothers. In your natural state, you like yourself and others. Your affection manifests as caring and kindness towards yourself and others. No one is left out of the circle. You want good for each and every person. You constantly look for ways to show your kindness. There is no spot in your heart where you withhold the desire for goodness for everyone. You care about even those people who have forgotten who they are and behave in backward or disharmonious ways. You are determined that you will not be controlled by the behavior of others, that your kindness is who you are.

LIVING IN THE IMPOSTOR VALUE: 

You have forgotten affection and live one of the hardest kinds of lives. You say things to yourself that are demeaning and devoid of affection. You say unkind things to others also. Your life has violence in it. You may think that violence is entertaining. You go to hurtful programs, watch violent movies, listen to violent music and expect to have violence perpetrated upon you. You may have hate in your heart for someone or some group. You have elaborate excuses that make heartlessness seem all right in your eyes, at least in certain cases. Some people in certain circumstances deserve violence, you think. You find yourself hostile more and more of the time. You are becoming desensitized to violence. Savagery seems less and less unusual and less and less wrong. Your heartlessness may extend to all kinds of life, humans, animals, plants, and Mother Earth Herself. In some cases, your violence and condoning of violence may be masquerading and seem subtle. Look carefully.

What to do:

                                                    DECISION

In order to make a shift, it is essential to decide between your options, consciously and with full consent. Begin by closing your eyes and visualizing what life for you would be like if you lived in total violence for the rest of your life. Let yourself come into full understanding. Expand your mental picturing now to see what the world would be like if everyone lived in total heartlessness.

Now visualize what life for you would be like if you lived with affection and kindness as your guides. Let yourself come into full understanding. Expand your mental picturing now to see what the world would be like if everyone lived in a caring and kind way.

Choose. Which do you want for yourself and your world? Which way would you like life to be?

FOCUSING YOUR MIND

Going for the target you have chosen

In order to achieve the things your inner self longs to achieve, some refocusing of your mind will be helpful. Begin by redefining yourself. Select one or more of the following statements to repeat with great frequency in order to develop your new mindset. Choose the statements according to your conscious listening to your intuition. Copy your choices on 3x5 cards to keep with you and use during your day.

•     I am willing to be affectionate.

•     I can separate affection and kindness from sex, so that I can be affectionate and kind without sexual agenda.

•     I am willing to learn to receive and give appropriate affection and kindness.

•     I no longer am willing to have any violence in my life.

•     The moment I sense any hostility, I find in myself the perfect idea to bring  kindness into the moment.

•     Every day I become more and more comfortable with affection.

•     I find myself becoming a more and more caring person.

•     I admire those who are kind and caring of themselves and others.

•     I am genuinely fond of myself.

•     I find things I can be fond of in each and every person I meet.

•     I am a truly caring and kind person.

REINFORCING BEHAVIORS

Action steps to take to get off the log

•     Look in the mirror and tell yourself that you are a good person and you care about yourself. Spend five minutes every morning and evening in this way.

•     Give extra hugs to your loved ones today.

•     Find one or more new kind and caring things to do each day.

•     As you move about your life and see other people, some of whom you do not know, say to yourself, “I only want good for these people.”

•     Ask someone you know for a hug.

•     Write a caring note to someone you know. Mail it. Now write a caring note to someone you have only heard or read about and mail that too.

•     Find books, music, movies, games, etc. that reinforce caring and kind behavior. Refuse to read books, listen to music, go to movies or play games that glorify violence or hostility in any way.

•     Find a program in your community that cares and participate in it.

•     If you find your life slipping into hostility, stop, take 3 deep breaths, and use one of the focusing statements, repeating it until you are focused again. Now, ask yourself what would be the affectionate, caring thing to do here, listen, trust and take action.