Lacking Federal leadership in turbulent times, we are on our own. Our Governors each do what they think is right for their people and their economy. We are left to sift through a morass of often conflicting and totally inaccurate information coming from our leaders. We don’t know who we can believe.
In the end, we make our decisions based on our gut feeling. Some choose to ignore warnings. Others take warnings seriously. In the case of COVID-19, they are choosing between life as usual and possible death.
COVID-19 will forever change society and no one yet knows what long-term decisions we must make to adapt to the new norm. We choose who to believe and respond accordingly. All we can do is become as informed as possible, then trust our gut.
My daughter, Lynn, took advantage of being locked down and out of work to write a book. It was inspired by a personal development class she taught in a business college twenty years ago. In that class, she developed 14 rules to help guide our lives through turbulent tides.
In her new book, she re-introduced me to my deepest emotions. Instead of Mindfulness for the moment, she helped me get in touch with my deep subconscious. I’ve named my subconscious manifestation DES. When I was younger I used to talk with DES all the time, but as I grew older society convinced me that talking to myself was kind of crazy
I’m told I am a Melancholic which means I am introverted and I want as much information as possible before I make a decision.
When I feel I have enough information, I tend to make gut decisions. At times I’ve made decisions without communicating deeply enough with my subconscious. In the case of COVID-19, I know the disease is very infectious and I am in the high-risk category. it seems prudent for me to choose social isolation and extreme hygiene.
DES is an expression of my inner self. Sometimes he comes to me when I’m stuck on something I’m writing. Usually, I can summon his help when I’m meditating or just before I’m going to sleep.
Sometimes DES visits at the most unexpected times. He will just show up when he thinks I need his help. Last night he came to me in my dream, and we talked about how to start this article. Does that sound crazy? Believe what you like. All I know is that DES helps me in so many ways, I will never again ignore him for the rest of my days.
So Lynn was visited by the 14 rules for navigating the River of Life. Each rule wanted to explain why it shouldn’t be ignored. In the conversations that followed Lynn learned a lot about her inner self and how she can call on her subconscious to help her live a better life. Now she shares her experience with us. As she has shown me, now she shares with you the ability to make good gut decisions.
Most kids carry on conversations with their imaginary friends. By the time they are seven or eight, society has convinced them that talking to yourself is kind of crazy. The ability to call on one’s inner self becomes suppressed.
In my case, when I was 20 and stationed at an Army Signal Corp Radio Repeater Station on Adak, an island in the Aleutian Chain. The isolation was made worse by being assigned to the graveyard shift. I regularly had two-way conversations with DES. He kept me from going nuts.
I came home from Alaska and got married. I was working on our back porch. When I came inside my wife asked me who I was talking to. I told her I must have been talking to myself. “And you answer yourself in another voice?” She asked. I realized I must have been talking with DES. She thought I was crazy. That was the last time DES visited until I became aware of Deep Mindfulness. Late in life, I have started trying to get in touch with my inner-self, my sub-conscience.
Often, when I have an idea I want to write about but the words just won’t come I will lay back in bed and let my mind wander. DES will visit. I may mumble but our conversations rarely make verbal sense. Often it isn’t even a conversation in the literal sense. It is just thoughts rumbling around in my head with no language structure.
Almost always, I will meditate for a few minutes before I start to drive. It helps to calm me.. Some people might call it a prayer for a safe trip. Whatever it is, it helps this pedal-to-the-metal guy gain a bit of self-control.
Fifteen years ago when Lynn was teaching self-development classes at a local business college she developed a textbook based on what she was learning from her research and testing with her students. That book is called “A River Worth Riding.” It discusses the fourteen important rules for navigating the River of Life.
The new book was created when those rules came to her and demanded to know why my daughter was ignoring them. They told her they wanted to be heard. They want to explain in their own words how they can help her. The ensuing conversations with the Rules are fascinating, humorous, and helpful.
Read her interview with Cause and Effect, the two head apparition that helps her understand the world around her.