The Block

The Holidays have a common theme. This is for those with the holiday blues.
 
The psychology of Christmas is rooted in our innate need for social connections, emotional attachment to holiday traditions, and the positive feelings and behaviors associated with the season, including altruism, goodwill, and generosity. 

Like any other holiday or idea, after so many years you can loose sight of many original ideas. The holidays have become a mindset for some. I like to remind Jedi and everyone when all seems lost or you get a bit on the isolated feeling during the holiday's, remember why they are. If you get lost, return to the original idea(s). Here are a few ideas during these holiday times that may help. 

(Check the lights)
Make new connections or work on the old ones that need our attention.
Revisit old traditions and make new ones. Check on lost loves or old ones and friends. Some relationships need a dusting. Fire them back up. Some may need to be exactly where they are.

(Check your perspective)
Reflect for the year. Actually review the year and see what is what or in this case, what was what. What has actually happened this season? The holiday can be for reflection as well. How did we get to the place we are at now in life?

(Find your season)
There are so many things that can be available during the season, I will give you examples. Some have a tree they return to. Some have a place they return to during the holidays. For some it is food or the time off.
Music tends to join humans in a common way to stop and listen more. There is a magic in the music. Revisiting people you have lost touch with seems to be one of many hallmarks of the season. 

(Explore more)
 Pick a reason to connect again at the end of the year. Make plans but let them be open and ready for what a new year will bring. There is a benefit to being prepared but do understand life can and will change as life ebbs and flows. How do our seasons ebb and flow?

(Accountability) 
Do this for yourself. Who or what are you accountable for this season? If you are not the one who has any task or responsibility, grab one or aid some one who struggles. See (Check the Lights.) Break the effort to become a part of things unknowingly. Try being accountable this season to something or some one if you are not already. Become a part of your circle. Lift your circle of connections up.

(Start it this next year) 
Make a plan for the year. See how much you can get done. Sometimes just having an itinerary can get things in a forward motion. Write down what plans you have this year or in the next years to come.
 Organizational reflection is the practice of taking time away from the daily routine of business to evaluate past actions, generate knowledge based on those evaluations, and create action plans for implementing that knowledge. It involves contemplation of tacit knowledge, explicit knowledge, and experiences to create new information, knowledge, and ideas that can be used to address challenges. 

(Be generous) 
Generate goodwill. This is the most hardest for a selfish person like me. What does true generosity look like and would we recognize it if we saw it in action? Do we understand it enough to have a working knowledge of it and a way to encourage others to do so? Not in monetary value, give in a generous manner what is in our Code. It is the hope to give without the hope of receiving. It  is kind of like mixing the soup. Just give it a stir.

The seasons come with the idea of the selfless. What version are we developing during this season? Are we fatigued, exhausted or at our limit with the holidays? Is there rest in the holidays? 

Take some to think about what this season is for you and for those around you. The holiday seasons are not joyful and triumphant for everyone. There are a few things we can do to beat the holiday blues. You are not alone. Reach out to those who are present. 

May the Force be with you all this holiday season

Pastor Carlos


 

Let us begin

Good day and good time zone Temple of the Jedi Order and Discord-ers

Today is DECEMBER 30 th which means it is just a few hours (59 hours) and the turn of the year will begin.

At this time, I would like to give 30+ simple yet worthy self-reflective questions for this year.  I use these often. I hope they can be of use to you in the near future.

PLEASE FEEL FREE to take YOUR LIBERTY and post those reflective questions that have helped you develop who you are today. I would love a whole wall of questions to think about this year. I will post all of them in this Mondays Morning meditation on site after all is said and done.

Self-reflection in psychology is the process of examining our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors to gain insights into our inner workings.

The more we can understand who we are, the better off we will be.

With these, they are just bookmarks or dog ears to things, like reminders.

Apply them as you see fit.

What was accomplished this year? 
By whom?
How?

What challenges were present?

Did any habits present themselves this year? 

Are we in the same place we were last year?

What was unexpected this year?

Are there "stretch marks" or pains from spiritual growth or development in our path? Is there evidence of change?

What did you read out loud and to yourself? What did you read this year?

Did you give any books away?

Did you write something new?

What are we developing as we develop?

What keeps us in the interconnectedness of humanity?

Where do our compassions and passions lay?

Did we find inner peace or any level of mindfulness at all this year?

What did we do with it?

How did we apply our own Doctrine and Philosophy to our ordinary life's?

What was considered stressful or easy this year past?

Where do you see yourself this coming next year?

Was I in my "comfort zone" all year?

Where did I find myself the most vulnerable this year?

What all actually happened this past year? What were the significant things that happened?

Where was the love?

Where was the Pardon?

Where was our Faith?

What was our light?

Where was our joy?

Did we give more than we got?

What balance DID we find this year?


Apply these as needed where they are needed. These questions still have me in a place of learning and vulnerability.

Now, none of the Clergy are Health care professionals. None of us are here standing as paid people, we are all volunteers. What I share is often from my own path and what I have found from others here in the Temple. In no way is any advice intended to be taken as therapy or even medical advice. Please seek out those who are qualified and professionals if you ever have a need.

I am available here or on site for those who need contact. Be safe and remember there is no "them," just you and me. May the Force be with you all this turning of the year.
Pastor Carlos

https://youtu.be/quhcyPpCaSk?si=Dy-m9B_2z2zFkDdy

For those who like Ted Talks, here is one for you.
At any time, these are not our videos and can expire and change at any time. Not our site, not our stuff.
Good day Jedi everywhere
We have a Creed
I want to remind every Jedi of it and its importance. 

I am a Jedi, an instrument of peace;

Where there is hatred I shall bring love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.

I am a Jedi.

I shall never seek so much to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

The Force is with me always, for I am a Jedi.

We are reminded that we can be different this year. Any year, really.
How did last year end? Did it end the way you thought it would?
Here are a few ways to find what you need this year.

Ask yourself questions about what you want and why.

Keep a journal of your thoughts and feelings.

Set goals and monitor your progress.

Ask others for feedback about you.

Reminisce on your past self.

Exercise and meditate to nourish your mind.

Practice gratitude.

These seem simple enough, but you see, they are not.

Master Rev. Carlos (Pastor) — Today at 6:05 AM
Without mentors or even guides, how will we know any different from the past? How will we ever see anything else but what we see?
Albert Einstein famously said, "A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new." AND  "If you only do what you can do, you can never be more than what you are now."

Here are 9 reflection points that come from the Creed.

What of love this year?
Pardon, was it given this year and how?
What of my faith this year?
What of my own hope?
What is my own light?
Where does my joy come from?
Did I console or get consoled more?
Did I understand or need more understanding?
Did I practice pardoning others as well as myself?

These types of questions change and grow. I have been asking myself these questions for over 10 years. The mediation and contemplation results yield new things. Every year. They have adjusted me.

Mentors help us see what we do not by offering a safe space to discuss fears, frustrations, and failures without judgment. They become cheerleaders and confidants, helping build resilience, self-confidence, and a sense of belonging. There are levels they come in. The outside influence is what we need.

This year, find those who can give you that "Alarm clock moment."

Find those in your path that can AID you.

" Mentorship is something you do for yourself, with the help of other people"  Doug Steward. 

This year can be different if you like.

This is the list from the video. It is not our video, and it is not our site nor do we endorse any views and is subject to expiration and rules as their site dictates.
Here are the 5 1/2 mentors mentioned.

World view mentor
Street view mentor
Time machine mentor
Stealth mentor
Categorical mentor
Anti mentor


May the Force be wth you all
Pastor Carlos

Good morning, Jedi everywhere.

I do hope that this year is off to a good start for those who pay attention to things like that.

This year is starting off like most.

So much to see and hear in the news and online, there can be a constant barrage of violence and war. What do we as Jedi do about this?

What can we do?

Is the violence out there or in here? I point to our hearts for this one. (edited)

I want to encourage every Jedi present and represented here to take some time to realize what side YOU are on. Where are YOUR attentions?
Where does your fear, doubt and worry go? 

This is taken from different places from the "Freedom from the Known" by Jiddu Knrishnamurti Chapter 6

"Fear, pleasure, sorrow, thought are all interrelated. Can we go to the root of violence and be free from it? For many centuries, man has been violent religions have tried to tame him throughout the world and none of them success.  Violence is not merely killing another. It is violence when we use a sharp word, when we make a gesture to brush away a person, when we obey because there is fear." 

I want to give this to the Temple this morning.

Jedi comprehend that we are beings of thought, feeling, and will, who flourish within the Force through self-aware action and lifelong learning.
Teaching 5

This week plant new seeds.

Speak less sharp to each other. Give mercy in your words and speech.

Do not brush our own circle of people off. Bring them in.

Identify our own fears.

The climate is war and rumors of wars but that is a constant thing in the ordinary world. What is not ordinary is developing and taking time to understand which are our thoughts, feeling and will.

When we change how we react, there is where development can happen. There is where we change the world, by changing our reactions.

Calm the flow that is present. Teaching 9: The Jedi maintain integrity, our individuated wholeness. We practise to foster the awareness of our interconnection with all other phenomena, thus ensuring authenticity in our interactions with others and our capacity to accept our limitations and those in interaction with us. 

.....foster the awareness...

To rid this world of fear, pleasure and sorrow, understand your own. Take the time for it.

Understand what is present.

" We do condemn it, though we do justify it. Therefore, I am saying, stop for the time being condemning it or justifying it. "

Jiddu Knrishnamurti

May the Force be with you all this week,
Pastor Carlos

Good Monday Jedi everywhere. This Monday I want to give you one word. This week's word is VALOR! My wife has a Facebook page for the farm. One of the random videos she shows me, is a guy dressed up yelling "HAMMER!" all the time. It brings me a small ounce of the giggles. I give you this word today in its place, valor. VALOR! Why is it so important? If you are like me, the memory of a Knights Code comes to mind. But here is a question for reflection, why is valor important? Why is a Knight, sworn to valor?

 19. Valour - True valour lies between cowardice and rashness. It is a delicate skill, those having it never knowing for sure until the trial comes. In any case, valor that struggles is better than recklessness that thrives.

 In psychology, valor can refer to a moral, social, or aesthetic principle accepted by an individual or society as a guide to what is good, desirable, or important.

In some countries, during crisis in peace or war, each act of valor worthy, is honored with a physical medal or award. 

Where does the application actually apply for us?

The act of valor is a term used to describe strength of mind or spirit that enables a person to encounter danger with firmness. It is synonymous with courage or bravery, especially in battle or in crisis. 

Jedi teaching 11: Jedi practice living in universal compassion, understanding the phenomena of our environment. We cultivate a particular sensitivity to when feelings of fear, anger, hatred, and aggression germinate within us. These emotions are among our limitations as incarnated, organic beings. We bring to these feelings hope, pardon, and love in equal measure to bring us back into balance with the movement of the Force.  

What parts are worth the efforts? Here is where we can notice where our attention can change things.

We bring hope, pardon, and love in equal measure to bring us back into balance with the movement of the Force.  Here is where we can focus valor.
Apply  what you know and understand, where hope is needed. Use it then. Use it when pardon is needed or when love and compassion is needed or missing. Add a dash of valor to this area of our time and effort and see if results differ. 

In the present moment, would you recognize when the feelings of fear, anger , hatred and aggression begin in us? To combat them, I give you the reminder of valor. Grow your understanding of it as often as you can. Speak to someone about it. This is worth the time and effort, every time. Study the subject of valor for 18 minutes a day for one year. This will change you. 

What valorous acts can a Jedi do?  It is Knightly to bring hope, pardon and love,  in equal measure. Equal and never one-sided. Do we know what is just enough or what will bring everything back? That is worth the time to understand. It took me years to figure out that simple reactions are worth understanding and developing. 

What is equal measure then? This is worth understanding more and more each day. 

Find time to think on things like this. Give it the space. Here is our reminder.

    19. Valour - True valour lies between cowardice and rashness. It is a delicate skill, those having it never knowing for sure until the trial comes. In any case, valour that struggles is better than recklessness that thrives.

May the Force be with you 
Pastor Carlos 
 

Development

Yes, development is a noun. According to the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, development is defined as "the steady growth of something so that it becomes more advanced, stronger, etc.". Development can also refer to the process of coming into existence or of creating something new or more advanced. 

The field of developmental psychology explores the physical, cognitive, emotional, and social changes that happen as people age. Psychologists strive to understand and explain how and why people change throughout life.

Now, can one develop without a mentor. The answer is yes. 

There is saying I have found in my studies.

Il faut cultiver notre jardin, “We must cultivate our garden.” Voltaire

There is a automatic idea out there that can focus on me, myself and I as first propriety. This is a very closed circuit of thought. This garden only yields what is planted and its usually selfish and ego centric. The idea is to find those who have the elixirs of life. The experience of moving and advancing forward from a unattended mental and life garden to something more organized and reliable. Most time we are looking for things other than those just naturally made.

Mentors give us the sight beyond our own sight. I will be the first person to tell you that mentors have made quite the significant change in my life. The ability to see beyond a few things was more than a warning but a forward motion to create so much more than just reaction, it created the space for what was needed to understand more. We are reminded as Jedi, there is always a bigger fish. Someone will have gone through the path I am about to embark or have the elixirs that they have found during those times that can aid our development. We only have our mentors for a limited amount of time. In every saga and every story, the mentor is the reminder and the hope you remember that time is limited, and seasons come and go. It is done in a manner of ways. 

Mentors encourage growth in one's path. Personally, or professionally, mentors can create a flow of growth than can be beneficial. Here are a few things to identify if someone is a mentor in your path. 


Mentors serve as a source of knowledge.

Mentors help with setting goals.

Mentors serve as accountability to one other. 

Mentors offer encouragement and growth. 

Mentors remind about the importance of the connection we share. 

Mentors listen. 

Mentors are trusted.

Mentors challenge what we know.

Mentors give you time you would not give yourself. They give you your past or some part we were missing. 


Understand why THIS union exist.

Mentors matter. 

There are ways the mentor reaches the mentee; would you recognize them? 

Identification is good. Being able to identify things without judgment or condemnation can be difficult but it takes practice. Learn this from someone who knows how, who holds THAT elixir. Why is there this mentorship and WHAT is it mentoring? WHY? 

There is an understanding that I hope most mentors have. The level at which we "do things for others" can become crippling or freeing. One of the ideas of a mentor can be to release the person to accomplish things on their own. This is where we can get really tired really fast. Here is where compassion fatigue can start kicking. 

There is a hope that mentees go further than the mentor can take them and learn more than we can teach them.
Yoda reminds us that as Jedi and as mentors" We are what they grow beyond." 

I do hope you grow beyond me and beyond what we share. 
Are some people in your path, more than just friends or acquaintances? Is the connection we share much more valuable that just mere passing? 

This week, I give you, our mentors. With these types of ideas, are you a mentor or is someone mentoring you? 

What is the significance of our connections? Why do we meet here? 
Find out for yourself. Take some time to think about what we do here and why. 

May the Force be with you. 
Pastor Carlos 



 

  20. Honour - Acting with honour through The Force preserves peace. Always remember: if peace cannot be maintained with honour, it is no longer peace.
We all have some definition of honor and a working understanding of it.

 Definitions: 
High respect; great esteem:
"His portrait hangs in the place of honor"
Adherence to what is right or to a conventional standard of conduct.

As a verb, honor means a regard or to treat someone with admiration and respect.
Show great respect for someone or something, especially in public.
Hold in honor or high respect, revere.
Treat with honor; give honor or distinction to.
Keep to the terms of an agreement or treaty.

Honor is a measure of the quality of a person, including personal ethics, e.g., honesty, compassion, valor, and chivalry. Honor lies at the core of who we are and aspire to be.

 It is an abstract concept entailing a perceived quality of worthiness and respectability that affects both the social standing and the self-evaluation of an individual or of institutions such as a family, school, regiment, or nation. Accordingly, individuals (or institutions) are assigned worth and stature based on the harmony of their actions with a specific code of honour, and with the moral code of the society at large.

In phycology it is said that Honor is an abstract concept that includes personal, individual values (“ethos”) as well as norms of social interaction (“code of behavior”). Honor is a measure of the quality of a person, including personal ethics, e.g., honesty, compassion, valor, and chivalry.

Where is the honor Jedi hold or have? Where is our honor at? What does it entail and encompass?

https://www.templeofthejediorder.org/doctrine


This is a reminder. They may sound familiar.

Here is a list of things we can do to create the honor we share.

The first and foremost service a Jedi performs is devotion to our learning.
The Jedi seek to return balance to that which has become tumultuous.
The Jedi cultivate empathy with others.
The Jedi practise living in universal compassion, understanding the phenomena of our environment. 
The Jedi maintain integrity, our individuated wholeness.
The Jedi practise patience.
The Jedi foster an acceptance of limitations.
The Jedi practise humility
Jedi comprehend that we are beings of thought, feeling, and will, who flourish within the Force through self-aware action and lifelong learning.  
Jedi practise non-attachment,
Jedi maintain a clarity of awareness that all events are interconnected
The Jedi practise clarity of mind.
Jedi feel the Force.

Did you recognize them? Here is where our honor can be built or had. How we do these things can be the flavor of life. This week, if you are looking for different type of honor, seek no further. There is honor in what we do here, but we must find it and share the elixirs of life with one another. 
May the Force be with you all. 
Pastor Carlos

Doctrine
 

May the Force be with you - wherever you may be this morning.

Decency - Through decency, we render happenings tolerable. Decency is not derived through faith but precedes it. If decency could be easily found in reality, would we have need of myth?

Decency follows accepted moral standards and can show respect for others.

Decency can be honest, polite behavior that follows accepted moral standards and shows respect for others.

It is the quality or state of being decent and propriety. Psychology suggests that empathy, honesty, and humility are just the surface traits of a truly decent character.

Here is where we can meet. Here is one of many things we share. Our level of decency can vary depending on how much time we have given this idea.

Here are a few ideas I want to share with you on this Monday Morning.

The idea of decency comes from the use or application of what we know. This is the way for many things in development. We are limited to how much of the subject we know.

For this, I remind Jedi to be aware and make an attempt to rid your findings of judgement or condemnation. Just identify.

What do you truly know about decency? What levels of decency exist and are you aware of any? Where does your own idea of decency come from? It is my hope that we grow in understanding together. Here is a small list of ideas to better understand this very subject.

* Be aware of your surroundings.
* Give empathy space and time to sink in. Practice.
* Give Pardon.
* Let go of a few things
* Be reliable. Be faithful. It finds favor.
* Be kind and show kindness.
* Understand the present limitations, but understand they are also not constant.
* Develop your Being.

In the action, we can find the connection.

The Jedi realise that all phenomena, including that of life itself, arise from and dissolve back into the cycles of creation and renewal of the Force. We are aware of the interconnectedness and the continuum of all phenomena, that unconditional love and compassion are central to us, and that is real, but so is pain. When we must bear witness to the dissolution of those we care for in our and their limited, incarnated, organic capacity, we must extend our compassion, our faith, and our comprehension to re-balance that which we otherwise would feel as loss. The Force only creates and renews, it does not deprive.

This is something to think about this week.

Decency - Through decency, we render happenings tolerable. Decency is not derived through faith but precedes it. If decency could be easily found in reality, would we have need of myth?
 

Good morning, Jedi everywhere
It is almost time.
Here is a small video by Arnold Schwarzenegger - the actor, politician and grandpa.


MOTIVATIONAL VIDEO: SLEEP FASTER BY ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER

Time management.
Good day Jedi everywhere. Today I would like to share with you some time-on-time management. 
I give you these two definitions on time management to think about.


Time management is the process of planning and exercising conscious control of time spent on specific activities—especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency and productivity.


Time management is the ability to plan and control how someone spends the hours in a day to effectively accomplish their goals. It involves organizing and allocating time to promote mental well-being, reduce stress, and balance responsibilities, self-care, and leisure time.




Every one of us can admit, we could benefit from better time management.
This is ok. It is ok if you are not ok at time management. Over time we can get used to the habits and the practices and think that THEY are time management. 
Here are ways I manage my time.
* Wake up early.
This one gets everyone, every time but there are RESULTS that come with this sacrifice.
Every time
* Read in the morning. Make time to read in the morning or learn.
Time spent reading never goes waisted.
If you practice or study something for 18 minutes a day, you will become more efficient at whatever task you choose or subject in ONE YEAR.

* Meditate or contemplate on the present moment.

In that moment, I realize some things are not quite as effective as some. Here is where I would like to give you a bit of an " elixir " or recipe to create a more time conscious manner.

* Find out what actually waste your time.
Find your habits and practices.
What things are you doing that fall under that category?
What is a waste of time to you? Why are you doing it still?

* What tasks can be taken by others?
Currently, there are not enough hours in the day to do everything I would like. Let us examine what all we do. Is everything the same priority?
These are questions we can ask and find out what is actually going on.

The more we understand about our own being, the more we can see what us is and what is the Force.

I hope this can " stir the pot " a bit for our own value of time management.

May the Force be with you,
Pastor Carlos

I am available all day via DM here.

One time management practice I can recommend is to be present.

One of the things I remind others is to be present.

What does this mean? What does it mean to be present?

Why is it important?

It is natural for humans to thing on things tomorrow or in the past. We all do it.

I do it.

Think about it. What are the things you are thinking about in the future?

What things do you think about in the past that have happened?

Thinking about these things is not good or bad. This is what we do if we don't develop anything else. 

I can share with you some of the practices and things I have found as I myself, practice to be present.

One of the things I ask myself is, am I currently in the present moment? Am I thinking about tomorrow or yesterday?

It is at this point when my brain lights the bottle rocket of reaction and thought.  My brain takes off. In my own response, I ask what I can do or think or bring to the mental table.

This initial reaction is worth taming. It is worth the time to understand its origins and its direction. That initial response to asking myself to sit still and the action of it taking off, is worth understanding.

Where do we go when we go into the present moment? To the future or to the past? This is what I would like to share with you this week.

Where do your thoughts, feelings and will go when your presence is requested?

Practice being present.

Dwell on the tasks at hand.

It does take practice and dedication. Find out.

Firsthand.

I hope our time together is never waisted.

One of the things that has drastically changed my path as a Jedi is to be able to dwell in the present moment.

That rarely means never think about things or contemplate.

We are reminded to do these things often.

"Far from being a detached state, nonattachment is something that arises when we are truly present and not caught up in the automatic process of fixating on things being better or worse than what they are at any given moment." Definition of Non-Attachment in psychology. 

Jedi Teaching 3 and 4

Jedi maintain a clarity of awareness that all events are interconnected. The balance of the Force is a flowing continuum; it flows around us and through us, allowing us to adapt to change arising in its eternal cycles of creation and renewal.

Jedi practise non-attachment, maintaining an awareness that the cycles of creativity and renewal in the Force give rise to phenomena as others pass away.

Be present Jedi.

Do or do not, there is no try. 

Be present.

May the Force be with you all this week.

Pastor Carlos

Serge Kahili King, a Hawaiian Shaman says, "Ennui is the spiritual counterpart of denial. The state of ennui, however, is characterized by a denial of importance rather than its existence." (Instant Healing; Serge Kahili King 2000)

Ennui- a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement.

Ennui, a term borrowed from the French language, describes a state of weariness, dissatisfaction, and lack of interest.

In psychology, Ennui (pronounced on-wee) is chronic boredom that involves weariness, apathy, dissatisfaction, and lack of fulfillment. 
There is a disconnection present.

There is a stress, in excess.

There is a cost or a tax to going all, in every time, blindly.

Things can become episodic.

How does one combat this?

Jedi feel it. We all do.

What do we do when we realize, this is where we are?


I notice something when I focus too much on meditation or contemplation.  The same things happens when I focus too much on one singular thing. Other things get re-prioritized. Some even diminish, depending on how much excitement and zeal I have currently and where it goes.

Jedi Teaching 12 states: 
Unconditional love and compassion are central in the life of the Jedi. Where imbalance arises, we bring only so much love, pardon, faith, hope, clarity, and joy as is necessary to restore the dynamic equilibrium in our phenomenal environment.

So, I ask you friends, where unbalances arise, do you know how much love, pardon, faith, hope, clarity, and joy is necessary to restore dynamic equilibrium in our phenomenal environment? Is it every effort possible till there's nothing left, all the time? Are we changing what we do or are we stuck in the episode like Sisyphus, doomed to do the same thing for all eternity?

Change and only give so much next time... how much?

Enough to restore balance.

It is not easy, and it does takes practice.

Meditate on that if you like, this may help with the feeling of ennui and combat compassion fatigue as well.


6 Ways To Avoid Boredom - Arthur Schopenhauer (Philosophical Pessimism)

These things are very real, and I hope our time together, helps.

I am available to chat here or in a DM (PM) if you like.

May the Force be with you all this week.
Pastor Carlos

Apathy
What is Apathy? How To Break Past It.

Teaching 7"The Jedi foster an acceptance of limitations. To change the world is to change our perceptions of and perspectives towards it. Indeed, we are capable of amazing acts, especially when we rely on the flow of the Force. Yet, as incarnated, organic beings we must understand that the power is that of the Force, without which we are mere matter."   

   Apathy 
n. lack of motivation or goal-directed behavior and indifference to one’s surroundings. Apathy, also referred to as indifference, is a lack of feeling, emotion, interest, or concern about something.

 Apathy can come from a habit of increasingly distancing oneself from surroundings values, emotions, and activities to the point where a person is less and less stirred or motivated by the things that affect and interest others.  

It is my hope that we first understand that apathy exists. It happens. It is not inhuman. It has happened to me. We are human. We suffer from the same condition, humanity. Do we understand which areas of our life are important or even in need of our attention or our need for less attention? There is a feeling we can get when we are just not connected anymore. It happens to Jedi as well. I hope you do not add blame or justification but simply identify it where it is. When Apathy has struck me, I notice, it did not happen quickly. Apathy grows slowly and it takes many times of staying away- or distancing oneself to reach a point where there was a strong disconnect.  The things I speak of are more of our family circles and friends and connections to life. Sometimes we just feel like we run out of caring. We do. We are limited by our ability to experience compassion fatigue, the over distribution of compassion, or the lack of it. 

If I may share some encouragement to practice from our own Doctrine, here it is;
                 
                                            How to combat apathy. 
* Fall in love again.
Fall in love with your enemy. Give them pardon, forgive a debt. (Within your ability, let something go) Teaching 6 "The Jedi practise humility... The more we practise humility, the more open we become to insights of wisdom which come to us through our feeling of the Force.  " We often understand that the longer we hold on to things like hate and ill will, the further it can take us away from our focus. Remember who you do love. Honor them.  
* Fall in love with life again.
Teaching 12 "Unconditional love and compassion are central in the life of the Jedi. Where imbalance arises, we bring only so much love, pardon, faith, hope, clarity, and joy as is necessary to restore the dynamic equilibrium in our phenomenal environment." 
* Find something new to have faith in.
Find out about your own culture or another culture.  Teaching 11 "We bring to these feelings hope, pardon, and love in equal measure to bring us back into balance with the movement of the Force."  Start being nosey about you. Ask someone in your direct path. There are always teachers ready to teach people who ask new questions about cultures and faiths and beliefs. Find out more. Go digging.    
* Introduce you to your life. 
Dwell in the present moment. The ordinary world is NEVER ordinary. Is there a moment of anagnorisis where the protagonist understands who who is and who sides are actively present. The anagnorisis is a moment in a play or other work when a character makes a critical discovery. Take the time to understand it. Most times, I miss things in my path, and they are in plain view. Make a critical discovery.  
* Turn on the light.
Teaching 13 "The Jedi cultivate empathy with others. Maintaining a keen sensitivity to when the feelings of fear, anger, hatred, and aggression move within us, we empathically and compassionately comprehend how these feelings also arise in others. Those whom we perceive as adversaries also share these limitations. With this understanding, we respond to imbalance so as to return harmony to the flow of interactions.   
* Remember what truly brings you joy, not fickle feelings.
Sit for a bit in the memory of this. Cultivate it. Reflect. Write down and journal about them. Dwell on them for a bit. Remember.  
* Console more.
 Study up and find someone who can help you here. Find a mentor or be a mentor. Help someone else.  
* Give.
This one is very open and intentionally just left at the idea to give.  15 " The Jedi seek to return balance to that which has become tumultuous. Pain is one of the few real things we have access to, and as such, we are dedicated to alleviating it insomuch as is within our limitations. The clarity of understanding we cultivate permits us to know how and when to offer help to those in need and gives us the courage to do so."  Give, within your limitations. Do you know your own limitations?  Understand them more. 

 Apathy can happen even when we do not know it or are not aware we are doing it. It takes time. It takes just as much understanding to undo things we have done unaware. I give you this small map taken from our own Doctrine. Feel free to reference it as often as you like. May the Force be with you Pastor Carlos

Full disclaimer, the people in the Temple of the Jedi Order are not a mental healthcare specialist. We are people and teachers, not operating in a professional manner. If ever you feel like you need phycological help, please contact the professionals or a psychiatrist. Get the help you need. There is help for those who need it. 

 

The Paradox of Certainty.
Good day Jedi, wherever you may be today and at this moment.

The Paradox of certainty.

There is paradox that can exist when we begin to learn. Certainty feels good.  Here is where we can find a sort of peace. This life can be full at times and uncertainty is most certainly prevalent in this world.

Fanaticism refers to extreme beliefs or passions that may lead to unreasonable or violent behavior. It is characterized by an excessive enthusiasm or unreasoning zeal towards a particular idea, often going beyond normality. This term can also describe the pursuit or defense of something in a passionate way, particularly in contexts like religious fanaticism, where there is often blind faith and persecution of dissenters. Overall, fanaticism is a complex concept that involves a total and unconditional adherence to an idea or belief.

With our search for understanding on our own focus, knowledge and wisdom, have we become fanatics in what we believe to the point it has become blinding? Do we understand what we are doing and how?

What happens when you answer all your own questions? What happens when we think, well I know it all? I don't have to study or do lessons or the ever famous, who are you to tell me? What happens when the wonder is gone?

The Dunning-Kruger effect is a cognitive bias where people with limited knowledge or competence in a domain overestimate their own abilities. It was first described by David Dunning and Justin Kruger in 1999.
This phenomenon often leads to strong opinions even when presented with evidence to the contrary.

Doubt is uncomfortable.

It forces us to face uncertainty.

Doubt is uncomfortable. It forces us to face uncertainty. It is said that wisdom isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about having the courage to question them.

Are we too sure of ourselves?

In what areas of our life? We do with a bit of wonder and astonishment.

Check yourself.

Overconfidence can be as harmful and as foolish as an emperor wearing new clothes but there was never any material to make the suit he was tricked into wearing.

Are we so certain that we know everything? 
Think before you act.

" When used correctly, the Jedi Tenets allow us to better ourselves and overcome any obstacle. They help us improve the world around us and fulfil our purpose in life as a Jedi." 

Focus

Knowledge

Wisdom

Focus is the art of pruning the irrelevant and pouring the best of your mind into what you are doing.

Knowledge can be acquired by focusing on the task at hand.

Wisdom is the sound application of accrued knowledge and experience through patient, good judgment.

Use what we have instead of the paradox of certainty.

May the Force be with you all,
Pastor Carlos
 

Here we go!
What can a Jedi do?
This climate we are in, there is war and rumors of war.

Teaching 11 reminds us of this.
" The first and foremost service a Jedi performs is devotion to our learning. Only by curating our individuated, authentic, whole being-ness, can we serve in more collaborative ways, participating in the creative, renewing flow of the Force. With our devotion to the discipline of universal compassion in the Force, we embody the source of love and harmony we bring into the world.   "

Jiddu Krishnamurti reminds us about the "Should be" in his book Freedom from the known.

https://www.templeofthejediorder.org/library

" We are always comparing what we are with what we should be. The should be  is a projection of what we think we ought to be. Contradiction exists when there is comparison, not only with something or somebody, but with what you were yesterday, and hence there is conflict with what has been and what is.

This comparison has been taught from childhood. Through comparison, we hope to evolve, grow, to become more intelligent, more beautiful. But will you? The fact is what you are, and by comparing, your fragmenting the fact which is a waist of energy. To see what you actually are without any comparison give you tremendous energy to look."


What can we do as Jedi?
Stop comparing.
Quench the thirst for the need for attention. This will change the world. 
This will change your circle of influence.
Become whole.
Work on your "whole being-ness."
Some of us do not know what that looks like.
Begin there.

What does it mean to be whole?
What does it mean to be whole in our thoughts, feeling and our will?

Something to think about this week.
May the Force be with you.
Pastor Carlos

This is taken from the APA dictionary of Psychology 

APA Dictionary of Psychology

Overconfidence 
n. a cognitive bias characterized by an overestimation of one’s actual ability to perform a task successfully, by a belief that one’s performance is better than that of others, or by excessive certainty in the accuracy of one’s beliefs. Overconfidence refers to the belief that you are more capable, knowledgeable, or skilled than you are. It’s an inflated sense of self-assurance that often leads people to take excessive risks, underestimate challenges, or disregard important details. 

"Too sure of themselves they are, even the more experienced ones." This cinematic reminder leads us to the idea that anyone can be affected by this. Jedi in particular. In our study, we can lose the wonder or the want to learn more. Overconfidence stifles the forever student. 

As I reflect, I can tell you there were many times in my life when I was overconfident, I did no learning, reading or even study. It took me to a place where I thought I was justified beyond the need to learn. There is the danger I want to warn every Jedi about. The point one reaches where we justify everything. 

I get selfish in what I do often times. I often call it my Sgt. Martinez. I still think the need for the "knife hand" often comes out. As a Jedi, we do not suffer from cinematic conditions but that of the human condition.

Jedi comprehend that we are beings of thought, feeling, and will, who flourish within the Force through self-aware action and lifelong learning.

Our learning can be life learning. Do you notice when these ebbs flow? When in life do we stop learning things or justify not studying? Do we suffer from overconfidence? The point of these meditations and contemplations is never to harm each other but to aid in thought. It is my hope to help you think. That's all. 

Overconfidence is real, very real and if you are not aware of it, how will you know what it is? I suffer from this just like you do. We all do. 

3. Jedi maintain a clarity of awareness that all events are interconnected. The balance of the Force is a flowing continuum; it flows around us and through us, allowing us to adapt to change arising in its eternal cycles of creation and renewal.

6. The Jedi practice humility. Jedi know that we are processes in The Force and exist within its cycles of creativity and renewal. The more we practice humility, the more open we become to insights of wisdom which come to us through our feeling of the Force.

4. Jedi practice non-attachment, maintaining an awareness that the cycles of creativity and renewal in the Force give rise to phenomena as others pass away.

Use these three like a braid to remind us and keep us centered. There are more but for today, have these three to focus on and reflect. 

May the Force be with you. 

Pastor Carlos

Be prepared and be aware. 

PREPARATION: noun. with regard to mental psychology, the procedure involved in escalating readiness for an activity.


In psychology, readiness refers to the degree of preparedness or predisposition individuals have to engage in a particular behavior, undergo a change, or perform a specific task.

Predisposition in psychology refers to the inherent inclination or tendency to experience certain mental health conditions, behaviors, or reactions based on genetic, biological, or environmental factors.

Jedi teaching three reminds us that Jedi maintain a clarity of awareness that all events are interconnected. The balance of the Force is a flowing continuum; it flows around us and through us, allowing us to adapt to change arising in its eternal cycles of creation and renewal. Doctrine

It is these eternal cycles of renewal I want us to focus on this week. In life, there are cycles of flow and ebb all around us. There is a level of preparation we can have but I want to stress the over stressing of it as well. No one will ever be ready for everything in life. That's a hard no. We can be prepared for a few cycles of life that are common. 

The coming of age and our own development. Our faith and what we doubt. Our values of family, life and love. How it effect and balances our being. Where do our own limits dwell. Our own identity. These are but a few of the things we can aid one another with. Do we understand them enough to give those who come after us a gift or a gem for the journey of life? This is really what we do here. This is one of many connections we share with one another. There are many cycles of life and development we share. We share likes and even some passions. One can become overprepared and begin to move backwards. This is real life.

I leave you with this saying from the past...
Tao Te Ching
 48. In the pursuit of knowledge, every day something is added. In the practice of the Tao, everyday something is dropped. Less and less do you need to force things, until finally you arrive at non-action. When nothing is done, nothing is left undone. True mastery can be gained by letting things go their own way. It can't be gained by interfering. 

New English version by Stephen Mitchell

Something to think about this week Jedi.
Pastor Carlos 





 

youtube.com/watch?v=4hzOd81YJG0


This is a video from Youtube and not our own platform. This video is subject to its own writers and rules. Not our videos, not our site. Video may expire at any time. 

"It is in dying that we are born to eternal life."

As Jedi, this is what we believe. How are Jedi reborn? Who will remember us? 

This time is designated to get Monday morning mediations and things to think about from our Doctrine. Feel free to think about this one this week.
What happens to a Jedi when they pass without the cinema emphasis offscreen? It is something worth taking the time for.
 
May the Force be with you all, wherever you may be. 

A garden can be a seed for many things besides food and flowers. Today's Monday Morning Meditation is about the gardens of life. Do you have a physical place to go to? When things get to be too much, do you have a location to retreat to or just to take a walk? 

A meditation garden is a serene, designed outdoor space that facilitates relaxation, contemplation, and meditation. Unlike regular gardens, every element in a meditation garden is intentional, aiming to engage the senses and promote a state of peace and mindfulness.



Here are 5 steps to a DIY meditation garden

I will begin by saying that you can make a garden in any space with pots, cup, cans or anything you can keep dirt in. Having a physical garden in the ground is sometimes not a reality for some. Keep this in mind. 

Pick a spot

1. Choose a quiet location or a location that is calm with the desired environment you like. Select a spot in your house or yard away from noise and distractions. Sound can matter here. You do not have to own it either. Space is space, just make sure it is ok to use it. Ask permission if the space is not yours. Smells matter in this one as well. 

Fill in the blanks

2. Choose your plants. Select calming plants or those that speak to you and mix and match plants that promote tranquility and are easy to care for. Potted plants totally count. You will have to research this one. Take plants or things that grow in your Grow Zone. Find out what grow zone you live in. Create a flow that suites you. This one you can feel. You will.

Blend

3. Blend natural elements as much as you're able, use natural materials like stones, pebbles, and water features to create a natural, peaceful feel. This is up to you. Everyone has different needs and different flows. Bring one element of you into the picture or space. Make one thing very personal, plant rock, what ever you choose. Give yourself the ability to be able to go to it. 

Make a way

4. Create pathways. I cannot express how much pathways in nature are where you find things. It is in the journey we often find how to use the gifts and the things we are given. It takes a piece of time to be able to sort things out. We are thought, feeling and will. Add a walkway in your meditation garden.

5. Tend it. 

Find the key. There is a magic in the garden. Self-reflection can give us the keys to many things and tending a garden can give reflection the space and time it needs to do this. Reflection and tending a garden fit very well together. It happens with a broom or a tool on your knees or pulling weeds or on a walk. It happens when the mind is at a different state. Tending a garden puts you there, quite often. Tend your garden. There are many benefits to it. 

Some people may not be able to have one on their own. That is understandable. Use what you have. Find a space you CAN use. There are parks and places where you can just...seed bomb or Zen-bomb. 

Create or use what you have in existence. Cans, cups and even old boots have produced many plants for me. I always see people who leave mementos at parks and on the side of the roads. We can create places that promote mediation and reflection. 

The reason for a meditation garden is to have a physical place to go to and promote feeling, thought and understanding of our own will. We can have a place in our own reality to venture to and return from when need. Reminders are good but do not stay too long. Have a place to go. Tend it. Create your own meditation garden. Dig it? 

Pastor Carlos
May the Force be with you all. 

 

Jedi feel the Force.
Here we go!
Good day Jedi everywhere
Here is something to think about this week.
If you like.

Jedi feel the Force. We are aware of its omnipresence and its flow. We endeavour to live in balance with it as it manifests in all worldly phenomena, the dynamic equilibrium of its flow which transcends space-time from the smallest quark to the greatest expanse of the cosmos. Living in balance with The Force is the core value of a Jedi.

This is the first teaching we have

Overconsumption in psychology refers to relying too heavily on the initial piece of information encountered (the "anchor") when making decisions.
In a broader context, overconsumption also refers to the excessive use of resources, goods, and services, leading to detrimental environmental, social, and psychological effects.

There are a number of things I overconsume. Most of them are what I call important or necessary.
It is the balance that gets me.

What is the balance of the Force? Does it have a will or even a balance? I give you this Jedi.
Teaching 2, 3, and 4

2 To be in balance, the Jedi practise CLARITY OF MIND. Aware that representations of the world can cloud our understanding, the Jedi centre their awareness through the PRACTICE of meditation and contemplation. 

3 Jedi maintain a clarity of awareness that all events are interconnected. The balance of the Force is a flowing continuum; it flows around us and through us, allowing us to adapt to change arising in its eternal cycles of creation and renewal. 

4 Jedi practise non-attachment, maintaining an awareness that the cycles of creativity and renewal in the Force give rise to phenomena as others pass away. 

To combat overconsumption of anything, try this...

* Practice clarity of mind.,

* Remind yourself all things (living things) are somehow connected by the Force.,

* Practice non-attachment,

As human, we can overconsume many things
.
It is my hope that we take time for things like this. Be whole Jedi. 

This is your Monday Morning Meditation. I will be around on the site or on Discord today.

Feel free to hit me up if you have any need or any request or you want to invite me to a party or a dance.

Any questions or comments, feel free to share here

This is what we as Jedi can do. This is one of many thing we can do as Jedi.


What does a Jedi overconsume?  That is the question. What do we overconsume? It is worth the time to take to understand this more. I hope you can make the time.

"Be aware of your conditioning and you will understand the whole of your consciousness. " Jiddu Krishnamurti

In Greek mythology, Lotophages or the lotus-eaters (Ancient Greek: λωτοφάγοι, romanized: lōtophágoi) were a race of people living on an island dominated by the lotus tree off coastal Tunisia (Island of Djerba), a plant whose botanical identity is uncertain. The Lotophagi race in the Odyssey are said to eat the fruit of the lotos "sweet as honey". The lotus fruits and flowers were the primary food of the island and were a narcotic, causing the inhabitants to sleep in peaceful apathy. After they ate the lotus, they would forget their home and loved ones and long only to stay with their fellow lotus-eaters. Those who ate the plant never cared to report or return.

There is a point in life that we can reach where we become too sure and too comfortable. Complacency can be our advisory.  

Clear your mind. There are many things that call for our attention.
 
" Meditation is not following any system; it is not constant repetition and imitation. Meditation is not concentration. Meditations demand an astonishing alert mind; meditation is the understanding of the totality of life in which every form of fragmentation has ceased. It is to be aware of every thought and of every feeling, never to say it is right or wrong but to just watch it and move with it." Jiddu Knrishnamurti. Freedom from the Known. 


Teaching 2- To be in balance, the Jedi practise clarity of mind. Aware that representations of the world can cloud our understanding, the Jedi centre their awareness through the practice of meditation and contemplation. 

Make some time to clear your mind. Call it just that. 

Contemplation can be understood as a deliberate act of focusing one's mind on a particular subject or question, inviting an inner dialogue that can lead to deeper insights.
Be deliberate in your thoughts, feelings and will. 


Teaching 8- The Jedi practise patience. All creation and renewal in the flow of the Force, all the wonder and terror of its processes, arise and dissolve in eternity – the present moment, the now. With the practice of acceptance and patience, Jedi have the tenacity to attend with curiosity to the phenomena in our experience which proceed one from another, ad infinitum.

 In psychology, grace is defined as a gift given unconditionally and voluntarily to an undeserving person by an unobligated giver. Grace is also characterized by kindness and tact and is often associated with graciousness. Grace can be given to oneself or to others and is often needed when mistakes are made or when actions are hurtful. Take some time to understand this. Apply IT IN YOUR PRESENT MOMENT, where you need it. 


  
Teaching 14- The Jedi seek to return balance to that which has become tumultuous. Pain is one of the few real things we have access to, and as such, we are dedicated to alleviating it insomuch as is within our limitations. The clarity of understanding we cultivate permits us to know how and when to offer help to those in need and gives us the courage to do so.  

This is one of those things we can unlearn. Only give so much that things return to a much more potential state. This is not dwelling in the state of abandon with no limits and its everything or nothing. How can we only give so much of what is needed without over giving or over caring? This is the reminder. This is what we study and hide inside so our minds can think on these things. Change the way you react to things. Try something different for different results. 

We can reach a point of apathy that can caused strife. Knowing and understating our limits is all we ask. 
Here is Teaching 2- Teaching 8 and Teaching 14 to remind us to be deliberate in our mediations and contemplations.  
* Clear your mind.
* Try your patience by practicing a bit more grace.
* Give only so much when its time in life. 

Many things call for our attention. I hope this help to find or make some clarity this week. 
May the Force be with you 
Pastor Carlos