Part of my longtime personal healing work was to forgive myself for spending too much time, trying to explain myself, to folks who were committed to not wanting to understand who I am. I have a hard time forgiving myself for allowing others to treat me as lesser than & not embracing my own self worth enough. It's something I had to work on for a long time & I still make errors with this when super low on spoons.
Being devalued by people you care about, never feels good. Walking away from people you care about, who devalue you, doesn't feel great either but you can reclaim your self worth more, afterwards.

#HealingJourney #SelfForgiveness #SelfWorth #StillGrowingInMy50s #GenX #PersonalEmpowerment #PersonalGrowth

Boundaries are essential for maintaining balance and promoting personal development. Reflect on areas where setting clear limits could enhance your well-being and support your journey towards your goals.

Share it with a friend who needs to read that.

#HealthyBoundaries #PeaceOfMind #PersonalEmpowerment #IntentionalLiving

#Bullying is fugly. It has zero place in our work or personal lives. Learn how to spot #WorkplaceBullies so you are less harmed by them. They're very #TwoFaced & not to be trusted. Their tactics are dishonesty, manipulation, gaslighting, projection & psychological blackmail. They're dangerous snakes in the grass.

#PersonalSafety #PersonalEmpowerment #AntiBullying #ToxicPeople

The joy of transforming trauma into personal empowerment, healthy and fulfilling relationships, creative expression, sexual ecstasy and unbridled joy

Read more 👉 https://lttr.ai/AcPXV

#TransformingTrauma #PersonalEmpowerment #TraumaHealing #RelationshipSpecialist #Holistic

🌟 Embrace Self-Love and Quiet Your Inner Critic 🌟

Transform your inner dialogue and step into a space of self-compassion and empowerment.

Full video here: https://youtu.be/WDdvdvSbO84
More affirmations here: https://30daysofaffirmations.com/

💖 You are amazing just as you are.

#SelfLoveJourney #DailyAffirmations #PositiveVibes #SelfWorth #Empowerment #MindsetShift #LetGoOfCriticism #InnerPeace #SelfGrowth #PersonalEmpowerment 🌸💫

Good Morning! Greetings from Washington DC, and the White House!

I sent this to the hundreds of Jehovah’s Witnesses I was hiding from.

Good Morning! 

It has been so long since I have talked to any of you, and to be honest, I was shocked that so many reached out to me to invite me to the memorial. Perhaps that was an indication of your love. This message is an expression of my love; for justice, ethics, and standing for the correct thing.

One of the things that woke me up and motivated me to leave was how in-depth the elders focused, obsessed, and oppressed those who were experiencing an LGBTQ+ crisis. I felt this personally, and I wish I had not been afraid to displease them.

Do not be on the wrong side of history. Do not allow someone who has no stake in the fight for authenticity to establish your feelings towards a world that you do not know, as they do not have the credentials to do so. And if you know these worlds and the hell that they can be, choose to be kind and show beauty and love. And even if you cannot do that, then just remain silent and do not add to the problem. 

If you are facing an LGBTQ+ crisis yourself, know you are whole, beautiful, and loved. Attached are some pictures and links to my new family. 

https://mattdobbins.com/2024/06/26/we-are-what-we-are/

I won’t bore you with what I have been doing in life, but know this: I have been building something beautiful and bigger since I left, and I don’t sit idle. I hope you have grown and improved since we parted ways. Your sons and daughters and loved ones will remember how you behaved, how you loved, and how your love is conditional. It won’t be forgotten by anyone.

Oh, and if any of you choose to invite me again to the memorial, it isn’t appreciated. Never do that again. I never even considered sharing my values back until you all reached out to invite me to the memorial. I realized I had just as much right as you do to communicate my truth. We can both proselytize and express our ideals, and that’s exactly what I have dedicated my life to now, in part because of my experiences with you. So thank you for empowering me even if you never intended to.

Goodbye, and please reevaluate your life. Perhaps in time, you will find that your ‘best life ever’ will change to ‘I thought that was my best life? Whatever!’

https://mattdobbins.com/2024/06/26/poetry-pride-united/

#Acceptance #activism #ArchiveWasPublic_ #authenticity #buildingANewLife #challengingNorms #communicationRights #communityImpact #communitySupport #diversity #EmotionalHealing #Empowerment #equality #ethicalChoices #Ethics #evolvingBeliefs #ExJehovahSWitness #expressingIdeals #FamilyDynamics #findingVoice #historicalPerspective #humanRights #inclusion #justice #leavingACommunity #LGBTQCrisis #LGBTQRights #LifeTransformation #loveWithoutConditions #PersonalEmpowerment #personalEvolution #PersonalGrowth #PersonalJourney #personalLiberation #personalReflection #proselytizing #reclaimingIdentity #reevaluatingBeliefs #ReligiousUpbringing #SelfDiscovery #selfExpression #sharingValues #SocialJustice #speakingTruth #SpiritualAwakening #standingUpForBeliefs #supportiveNetworks #unconditionalLove

Swamiji’s description of attention as “your own property” emphasizes its personal and controlled nature. Here’s what this means:

Attention as Your Own Property

• Attention is under your direct control and influence. You have the ability to direct and focus it according to your intention and will.

2. Awareness Directed by Will:

• Your attention is essentially your awareness, which you can direct or redirect based on your choices. This means you have the power to focus on specific objects or thoughts and to bring back your mind when it wanders.

3. Responsibility for Focus:

• Since attention is a personal tool, you are responsible for how it is used. Cultivating discipline and training in directing your attention effectively is key to achieving mental stability and clarity.

4. Tool for Meditation:

• In meditation, attention serves as the tool to stabilize vrittis and maintain concentration. By directing your attention with intention, you create a conducive environment for deeper meditation and insight.

5. Ownership and Mastery:

• Recognizing attention as your own property reinforces the idea that you have the ability to master it. This perspective empowers you to take charge of your mental processes and cultivate a more focused and stable mind.

Understanding attention as your own property highlights the importance of personal agency and intentionality in meditation and mental discipline. It underscores the potential you have to shape and direct your own mental state through deliberate focus and practice.

Below is the original source video of the lecture with Swami Parvajika Devyanandaprana, from which these blog posts were inspired. Here you can explore the insightful teachings that have profoundly shaped the content and perspectives shared in this blog.

🙏🕊️🙏

https://youtu.be/tEK6wIanmgY?si=YUnu_NavrgGAWwRg

https://richardsilverman108.wordpress.com/2024/08/11/11th-personal-agency-and-intentionality-in-meditation/

#AttentionControl #AwarenessControl #CultivatingFocus #DirectingFocus #FocusedMind #IntentionalityInMeditation #MasteryOfMind #MeditationPractice #meditationTechniques #MeditationTools #mentalClarity #MentalDiscipline #Mindfulness #PersonalAgency #personalEmpowerment #personalGrowth #ResponsibilityInMeditation #SelfMastery #SpiritualInsight #SwamijiTeachings