The Rishis Blog

Flow vocabulary: Wrong

The concept of something or someone being wrong is like the concept of truth (discussed on January 18th) — it is often dependent on friends, family, and society for its definition.

First, let me clarify what I am talking about here. Flow blockages, things that prevent you from attaining success through flow, show up when something is wrong. But that is a different from the “dependent” definition - meaning "wrong" is defined by others.

For example, many religious groups say that homosexuality is wrong, yet if you are gay and deny the fact you are creating flow blockages, things that are wrong for you. Likewise, during the Iraq War the Bush administration said it was wrong to question the government in any way. Yet if you study the American system you will find it is wrong not to question an administration’s actions (as evidenced by our system's checks and balances).

Wrong within flow means you are unable to be your most successful, but such things can be corrected. Wrong as defined by friends, family, and society creates flow blockages instead of removing them.

David Weber & The Rishis

Lessons from a horror movie

I saw this weird but ultimately good horror movie called The Signal a few nights ago. The plot was basically that this signal was being sent through all audio/visual channels including televisions, radios, and telephones. This signal caused people to act in perverse ways and do things they wouldn’t think of doing normally.

While a horror movie that featured lots of gore, The Signal was actually an apt metaphor for flow. You see, flow blockages pervert the real you, and you end up doing things that you wouldn’t normally do and never wanted to do in the first place.

The hero of the movie, and this isn’t really giving anything away, realizes what the signal is about and knows it isn’t right thinking. And he is able to convince people the he is right and that their thinking (controlled by the signal) is wrong.

This 100% applies to today’s real world. Rather than a signal causing problems, years of flow blockages that have built up inside of people are the cause. And these people end up living their lives with blockages thinking that is the way things should be.

I have been on both sides of the coin. I was controlled by “the signal” for decades. Then once I learned about flow and flow blockages suddenly it all became clear to me. And naturally those around me thought I was crazy and insane, although the reverse was actually true.

Like most people, I still have blockages to deal with. But by knowing and understanding my flow I can easily recognize these problems and correct them as needed, rather than simply suffering in an unnatural state as I did for years.

David Weber & The Rishis

Open mind, part two

As you may have heard, Ralph Nader just announced his bid for the White House. I’m not a total Nader fan. He spoke at my college and was still ranting about the danger of fender “fins” on cars, something that was truly irrelevant since fins had gone out of fashion by the mid 1960’s.

But Nader does bring up a lot of points that relate to flow and an open mind. I have mentioned this before, but American society dictates that things are supposed to be done certain way. We are only supposed to have two political parties, any other type of party is considered fringe if not “radical”, and you must adhere to the electoral system rather than directly voting for the president.

Not much in the short term you can do about the electoral system, but the rest is great fodder for an open mind discussion. Why are there only two parties “allowed” in America? Why is someone like Ralph Nader or even Ross Perot (granted someone who is a billionaire and tied to business) considered a nut case? Why do we have to dwell on non-issues like who is more favored by God rather than the facts (although this has somewhat dissipated as the evangelicals have lost their preferred candidates)?

The point is that an open mind isn’t afraid of knowing the facts or finding flow. An open mind isn’t debating whether waterboarding is torture or not, whether God hates this minority or that one, or whether such as thing as the war on terror can ever be won (after all, there have been “terrorists” since the beginning of time).

No, an open mind knows that all the propaganda and “that’s the way it’s always been” ideals hold no water. Why? An open mind is always geared for success on all fronts. Or, to put it another way, everything is up for grabs, and always has been.

David Weber & The Rishis

Flow vocabulary: Cross to bear

You may have heard the phrase “everyone has a cross to bear” referring, of course, to the story of Jesus' execution. The dictionary roughly defines a cross to bear as having a heavy burden of responsibility or a problem that must deal with alone. The phrase is really meant to say “you think you have problems, well everyone has problems and many are worse than yours”.

In flow there is no such thing as a cross to bear. If you have responsibility or a “burden” it is easily dealt with in flow.

But what about something serious, such as losing a leg in a car accident? When you are in flow it simply isn’t an issue, it isn’t a cross to bear. Yes, you need to deal with the physical and psychological aspects of the loss, but when that is accomplished your life can be a success in flow.

Want proof? Take a look at the canine world. Ever see a dog with a missing leg, blind eye, or a limp? The dog just goes on as before the injury — there is no remorse or a sense of “burden”. But if the dog’s owners treat it as a burden or something wrong, the dog will react in kind — not wanting to live as before. But unimpeded flow is for the dog to live life to the fullest.

These are extreme examples, but they point out a simple fact — treating something as a cross to bear is a negative act that generates flow blockages. You cannot possibly be successful if you see your life as being one long path of suffering.

So, yes, everyone has problems. But dealing with them in flow rather than settling for "it's my lot in life" or "I was made to suffer" is the best, and most successful(!), course of action.

David Weber & The Rishis

An open mind

I was at this amazing journaling class the other night and the subject of what is an open mind came up. And it got me to thinking about what exactly an open mind is in relation to flow.

Open mind usually is seen as something that is "fighting" the existing paradigm. "Have an open mind about this issue or that one".

The reality is that an open mind is really the mind in flow! It means you can take things as they come without the negative influences of friends, family and society. Then you can proceed based on your flow.

This offers tremendous advantages in many areas. It can definitely shorten the time to success for whatever the issue is. My family would spend years denying very obvious things because they refused to have an open mind and see the reality. And through denial they endured a lot of pain and hardship.

An open mind can also help you make "decisions" better. Take a blind date. Just because somebody looks good on paper (or online) doesn't mean s/he is the ideal one for you. So rather than intellectually say why this person is ideal, just listen to your flow - especially if it gets to the point of getting married.

As they say, an open mind is a terrible thing to waste!

Flow vocabulary: Fear

Fear is something that simply does not exist in any form when you are in flow. Fear is an especially devious flow blockage in that it easily feeds on itself and can bring negative energy (and more blockages) to you quicker than other blockages.

There are many types of fears, much more than can all be discussed here. But I can give a few examples of how fear is, indeed, a blockage.

After the dot com bust my business was wiped out, and I was literally afraid of going to the ATM or getting mail for fear that there would be no money or a bill. This fear was not only unfounded, but paralyzed me from taking action on other fronts. I refused to look at my bank statements, and a few years later when I did finally look I realized that the bank had shortchanged me money and charged me for things I had never done (like overdraw the account). These were fees I could not recover.

And, of course, I approached anything involving money from the standpoint of fear, which meant my decisions were always tainted. I attracted so much negative energy at one point that my mortgage was literally (and illegally) resold to two mortgage companies at the same time, and both demanded payment!

On a psychological level, fear of such things as dogs, spiders, and similar are not due to the thing itself being “evil” or causing fear — it all comes from inside yourself. For example, a person with whom I did some early Rishi work could not have candles lit during a session and was scared whenever he heard a fire truck go by. Obviously, candles and fire trucks were not the cause of the fear. His issue had to due with a fire in his family home growing up and the lasting effect it had on him. Proof yet again that fear is irrational only blocks flow.

Fear is one of the greatest ways people control others. For centuries religious leaders have used the fear of God to get people to follow their ways. Not only are you supposed to follow what the religious leader says in order please God, but you are supposed to fear not knowing as well. In other words, you are never supposed to think for yourself. So every act you do needs to be “pre-approved” by the religious leader or the religion itself. You can’t determine if something is a sin or not, but God (really the religion/religious leader) can. You must fear thinking for yourself since God may or may not approve.

Politicians use fear in the same way religious leaders do. Ever since the 9/11 attacks many American politicians have used the theme “if you don’t do as I say the terrorists win”. They also enjoy spreading fear about certain groups, usually minorities, in order to attract a greater following. One of the most famous was the Willie Horton incident during the 1988 presidential election. The Bush campaign ran ads implying that if you voted for the opposition (Michael Dukakis) black criminals like Willie Horton would be allowed roam free, just itching to harm your family. Lee Atwater, the mastermind behind this fear based on racism and stereotypes, apologized on his deathbed for this campaign.

Companies use another form of fear that is more subtle but just as effective. Rather than threaten you with hell or damnation, they threaten you with horrible consequences. In marketing it’s known as FUD — Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt. Companies run campaigns that try to put you off kilter by getting you to question your existing circumstances. Is your bathroom really safe if you aren’t using this or that type of disinfectant? Are you really a good parent if you don’t buy your kids this type of food? Is your current vehicle really the best one for your family? And so on.

All of the above examples clearly prove why fear cannot exist in flow. Fear causes you to externalize yourself, giving in to the dictates of outside sources whether the source is religion, politicians, corporations, etc.

Academy Awards and Flow

It's award season time again and that, of course, means it's time for everyone to focus on movies.

A long time ago I learned about my own flow when it came to seeing and reviewing movies. Sound weird? Not if you consider what's really going on.

In today's society people are still comfortable being sheep, something I wholly confess to doing at times. But flow isn't about following the pack or doing what other people tell you to do. It's about you being you, and how you are unique and therefore have unique opinions, thoughts, and so on.

And movies are a classic example of this. It may seem funny to you, but a big moment in me understanding my uniqueness (my flow) was when I actually disagreed with the common held beliefs about movies. I suddenly felt empowered because I knew I was right for me. I was no longer going to feel bad or stupid or outcast simply because I didn't accept what everyone else was saying.

Here are just a few examples:

I have seen Terms of Endearment something like five times, including seeing its original theatrical release. And each time I've seen it I've hated it more. Yet I kept watching it because I thought I was truly missing something. Until I discovered my flow.

I really disliked the Debra Winger character and was hoping that she would succumb sooner so that the movie would end quicker.

Am I in the minority on this one? Most definitely! Am I wrong for thinking this way? Absolutely not, because for me this movie was an atrocity, and that is my unique view on it.

Many other movies fit in this category for me. I was appalled when Gladiator won best picture since I thought it was one step above a TV movie, and not a very good TV movie at that. I still don't see how Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo is a groundbreaking classic, other than its beautiful shots of 1950's San Francisco. The latest movie I don't get is No Country For Old Men. This movie was such a let down I actually thought about asking for my money back. Luckily for this one I wasn't a minority of one. My friend who saw it with me couldn't stop talking about all the reasons the movie was a failure.

Of course, the reverse is true. My flow with movies is definitely not in sync with current societal trends. Troop Beverly Hills, a silly comedy made in 1989, is one of my favorite movies even though most people dismissed it. I thought Dolores Clairborne with Kathy Bates was absolutely brilliant on so many levels, equal if not better than her acclaimed movie Misery, yet many television guides give it two stars out of four. Reign of Fire with Christian Bale and Matthew McConaughey has one of the most ridiculous plots imaginable (humans accidentally unleash ancient dragons who wreak havoc) yet the movie was fantastic, had great (and believable!) special effects, and featured surprisingly good acting. I couldn't understand why critics panned it so. I guess they couldn't get past the premise (or they simply never saw the movie and listened to what their peers said).

I'm sure you disagree with many, if not all, of my critiques here. And that is fine, since it's your flow. It doesn't mean I'm right and you're wrong or vice versa, it just means that you and I are unique unto ourselves.

The lesson here is to make sure that you are always following your flow, even when it comes to movies. Don't simply follow the prevailing trend simply because you want to fit in. You see, if you are suppressing your flow when it comes to movies it can also mean you are doing so in other aspects of your life. And that is a no-win situation.

David Weber & The Rishis

I think, therefore I am

An interesting thing came up with a client the other day. The Rishis said she had no need of positive affirmations or even meditation because she was so much into her flow that she literally just had to think and it happened. The Rishis added that this is the way all the Flow Children are and will be, a fascinating thing to ponder.

Now, this didn't mean the woman was going to think of winning the lottery and then would win it. It meant that when she followed her flow (which was most of the time) what she thought was going to be what her flow was! So whatever she set out to do she would ultimately accomplish because that was where her success lay.

Now this isn't to say meditation, positive affirmations and the rest are wrong or bad. I use them all the time and they work. But the deeper you uncover your flow the more you'll realize what you are truly capable of - just by thinking.

A bizarre post

This is probably the strangest post you'll read on my blog, but it once again confirms the power of flow and the negative effect flow blockages have on your life.

As you well know, people spending billions and billions of dollars (and other currency) to smell better, have "fresher" breath, and so on.

But here is something you probably didn't know. I was listening to a doctor on television one day and he said that it is a proven medical fact that humans are not supposed to have body odor (unless there is some rare disease involved). Of course, if you exercise that's a different story, but the doctor is talking about humans in a "regular" state, like sitting in an office or eating dinner.

HMMMMM, so why do people "smell"? The answer has a little to do with diet, but everything to do with flow blockages. If you are stressed or unhappy or depressed your body is going to react in kind. All these toxins created by flow blockages build up in your system and infiltrate your entire body.

So when you are in flow literally every aspect of your life (and body!) is affected, and in a very positive way.

Flow vocabulary: Cursed (or being punished for something)

For decades I used to feel I was cursed. It always seemed like everyone else was more successful, happier, and just plain better than I was and there was no obvious reason why. I thought I was a good person and did everything right as far as I was taught.

The reality is I was not cursed at all. In fact, there is no such thing as a curse or being cursed in flow. I was actually a victim of my own flow blockages — even when things went right they still seemed to go wrong. So I was sending out all this negative energy and vibration which, of course, was returned to me in spades.

There are other flow issues associated with “being cursed”. One is that if you think you are cursed you internalize that programming and, lo and behold, end up with what you wished for. My father was this way. He never thought of himself as being cursed, yet he was told all his life that he was a failure. He internalized that programming and was never successful at anything.

Another issue is when someone else places a curse on your or tells you you are cursed. If you are in flow you would just see this as being silly no matter how serious the person was. But if you are susceptible to flow blockages then you will take such a curse to heart and feel cursed. For example, a friend of mine went to see a psychic who told him he would always be a jack of all trades and master of none. After that proclamation he saw himself as never accomplishing anything since he would “never be successful”. But the reality had nothing to do with this “curse” as much as his deep-seated issues centered around the fact he was adopted — he never felt he was as good as those who had natural birth parents. He was simply susceptible to flow blockages. There was nothing real about the "curse".