Day 18 – Expanding Other People’s Awareness [Oprah and Deepak Chopra Teachings]
Getting Unstuck – Creating a Limitless Life – Oprah and Deepak Chopra 21 Day Meditation Experience
These are amazing notes – not transcripts – from Deepak and Oprah’s meditation challenge, Getting Unstuck, Creating a Limitless Life, written by DoinTheGratefulDance . I have enjoyed several of the meditation series Oprah and Deepak Chopra have shared. I am not affiliated with them – just a grateful listener too and wanted to share these wonderful notes. I couldn’t have done a better job! Thanks for sharing these notes!
Day 18 – “Expanding Other People’s Awareness”
“The best teachers show you where to look, but don’t tell you what to see.” – Alexandra K. Trenfor
Today’s meditation is about sharing with others, our experience of the joy and ease of living in expanded awareness. Even though well-intentioned, our sharing may feel intrusive and unwelcome so we need to do it in a way to build their curiosity and interest and motivate them to seek it. We can live it and simply let our awareness speak for itself
“I bring to others the same joy and fulfillment I want for myself”
Sanskrit Mantra:
Om Karuna Namah” (sounds like Ohm Kah-roo-nah Nah-mah)
“My true nature is compassion.”
Oprah says….
When we experience living in expanded awareness, we naturally want others to experience it as well, especially when we see they are caught in “stuckness”. But how do we help someone we love open to their true self and experience change?
Oprah compares it good parenting, instilling change and growth in our children by guiding them with as much gentle teaching, compassion, kindness, patience and wisdom as we can manage, and with as little judgement as possible.
She considers Dr. Shefali Tsabary one of the most brilliant parenting experts she’s ever heard. Dr. Tsabary says our children grow and evolve, become the very best expression of themselves when we teach them to listen to their natural desires, follow their instincts and embrace their true spiritual power. Of course the same is true when he try to help anyone in our lives reach toward change.
Oprah says, ” What I know for sure is that transformation happens when you can reach out in generosity, in optimism and encourage someone else to open up to their awakened self.”
Deepak says….
It’s painful for anyone living in “stuckness”. But we – and anyone else – can get unstuck the same way..through awareness. When we experience joy and fulfillment, we naturally want everyone we love to have the same experience. Children are generally easier to gently guide and teach with love but adults often are stubborn in their stuckness and might see our efforts as threatening and intrusive. People tend to contract when this happens – the very opposite of expanded awareness so our guidance has to come from a level of awareness that is sympathetic, accepting and non-judgemental.
When we try to make someone else change, they probably won’t, they eventually feel it is pressure. It is possible to change for another person but it requires a very strong bond of sympathy, trust and love – all qualities of expanded awareness.
About the only thing we can do is create a space for someone else to change on their own terms but we can’t direct the answer.
People usually change when they see a better opportunity, new possibility or are pushed to change because they are so uncomfortable that the person wants a better alternative. We can’t and don’t need to teach them expanded awareness – it happens naturally when they become curious, engaged and allowed to be themselves without someone else trying to judge or fix them. Our goal needs to be to offer the opportunity to change and then back away and let the other person feel they are doing it all on their own, following their natural desires and inclinations. The reward for change when it happens will be the love and encouragement they see in our eyes.
Repeat to myself,
I bring to others the same joy and fulfillment I want for myself
I bring to others the same joy and fulfillment I want for myself
Listen to some relaxing music, breathe slowly and deeply, become more and more relaxed, and meditate for about 10 minutes using the Sanskrit mantra –
Om Karuna Namah” (sounds like Ohm Kah-roo-nah Nah-mah)
“My true nature is compassion.”
Deepak says the mantra “creates a space of compassion and acceptance that encourages positive transformation for yourself and those around you.”.
Om Karuna Namah
Om Karuna Namah
Om Karuna Namah
Continue meditating for about 10 minutes and then release the mantra. Concentrate on the centering thought: being fulfilled and being who you want to be and repeating:
I bring to others the same joy and fulfillment I want for myself
I bring to others the same joy and fulfillment I want for myself
Reflections on Day 18- write about it…
- When we want someone to change, it will work best if our motives are selfless. Think of someone in my life whose behavior/attitudes bother me and list several reasons why I think it would be good for them to change – not for me but for them.
- Using the same person, write my own personal reasons I want them to change. How can I get my own motives out of the way. Remember that no one needs to change simply for me and my reasons.
- Using the person again, how can I give them space to get unstuck? (Think of how I’d like someone to help me). Describe 2 things I can do to help this person change their situation looking at it as if I were in their shoes (not from my own values and judgement about them – i.e. could I be more open, appreciative, sympathetic?) Ask them what they need from me and show my approval and support.
Oprah lessons written by by DoinTheGratefulDance