Thoughts & Art

Become the watcher

Gerard S. Hoff1 Comment

 

IMG_3410

Your mind is in a constant mode of doing marathons. Most of the time you’re not knowing what you’re thinking, that you’re thinking, how you’re thinking, who is thinking and why ‘it’ is thinking. So many unfinished thoughts, just lingering in your mind.
It’s a busy place up there.

Now imagine driving a mountainbike (it could be a car, but then it is difficult to end the story…). Fortunately, our brain has a sub-routine that is able to manage the constant stream of thoughts while doing a complex thing like biking.

But sometimes you’re too pre-occupied with thoughts and not paying enough attention to biking, the road and the obstacles, Suddenly there’s an abyss.

In a reflex you turn your wheel, your whole life passes in an instant before your eyes, you fall on to the ground, your bike keeps sliding, but you somehow you’re able to grab a branch of some kind and manage to hold.

Then there’s this silence.
A few seconds later you hear your bike crash.

In the reflex, your mind stopped thinking instantly. It is exactly then when your consciousness takes over. This reflex is the deepest part of your being that reacts. The thinking of the mind becomes obsolete. It is this sensation I believe we should embrace more often.

It is the angel in you. And you can use the angel, because she’s is in anyone of us, spread your wings, fly up and look from a distance at yourself. Become aware, as a watcher, of your own thoughts. You’ll probably have a lot of laughs! It doesn’t have to be on a constant basis (that is impossible), but be aware.

Just now and then, during the day, become the watcher, release the angel.

 

 

Wandering Spirit

Gerard S. HoffLeave a comment

Stone angel

It is funny.
The contradiction of independency.
We believe we’re independent, but we’re not.

We’re attached to habits, rituals, things, a job, a car, certain friends, things we know, we have or we believe. And we like to talk about it, show it, or just think about it, so we feel good and confident. We feel these things are part of who we are.

Now imagine these things are taken away.
What’s left of you?

Everything and more!
It is not the things that make who we are, that is the ego that attached to these things. The true you, your spirit is unattached and doesn’t need things to be the coolest being on earth. Yes, that’s who you are, without things, isn’t that amazing?

It is like going parachute jumping.
Sitting high up in the air, with the parachute strapped on, frantically holding on the the handles. Thinking about that, it is not a nice place to sit. The only thing from keeping you from flying, instead of sitting there stuck, is letting go of the handles. Then you’re free as a bird, weightless, majestic and a great view.

Sit back, relax, keep breathing and let go.
And let go again and again, until it becomes a natural habit,
Like a wondering spirit.

Remember: Even statues can fly, they just need stronger wings.

Wandering Spirits is part of the Heavenliness

 

Apparition – Spirit FM

Gerard S. Hoff2 Comments

386261f6e61b1f481b46b12413c757a1

Do you recognize that?
That constant stream of words going on in your head?
That is Mind.FM, the radio frequency of your ego. Mind.FM has a very powerful transmitter and has the power to overrule all.

That ego is not you, but pretends it is, and does anything to proof it.

In a way there’s nothing wrong with ego. In fact without it, life becomes perhaps boring. But ego is also responsible for a lot of negativity, like fear, jealousy, the feeling you’re not good enough, or the feeling of being a victim. In that sense it gives a wrong or fake purpose in life.

It is like looking in the mirror. The person you see is the one you recognize as yourself (or at least the image you have of yourself). When you smile, it smiles, when you frown it frowns, but when you raise your right hand it does the opposite. Looking at it from the perspective of the ego that is frustrating.

The trick is to become aware of the one watching the one who’s watching the image in the mirror. The one that is listening to your mind’s continuous flow of words and thoughts (and has some good laughs about the crazy things that happen there), that is the true you, your spirit, your connection to the source. The closer you get to the spirit, the less the ego can interfere.The real purpose in life is to live in the now and enjoy the moment. Watching your mind through the eyes of your spirit gets you there. The way is to be fully aware of the ego in order to learn and to grow.

Just remember there’s always the one watching you, watching yourself in the mirror. Try to connect to him or her at anytime, especially when you feel negative energy, like anger, envy, hate, frustration, jealousy. That awareness is the beginning of a new powerful radio frequency: the one of the spirit.

The one of the true you.

Waylaid

Gerard S. HoffLeave a comment

What is the flow of life?
Is it something you determine or is it something divine?

Life

I believe the flow of life is the thing you want, can and dare to embrace. It is about making decisions, without hesitation. Decisions that are instinctive, from the source.

The funny thing is that hesitations (can) come afterwards. Second thoughts, doubts, fear, things from the past, things from the future and it is rational.

It is the mind that furiously tries to avoid change. The mind wants to stay where it is and derives a large part of it’s (your) identity from that, change means an adaptation to something new.

Don’t hesitate, just do.
The nice things, the good things, the bad things, the things that need to be done, the things that have to be done, the things that should be done and even the things you don’t like to be done. Connect to the source, the original spirit that did not hesitate to embrace the opportunity, including the steps that need to be done to get there.

And it can be a long journey.
It can be a first stone of a long line of domino stones that need to fall down, small stones and huge stones, but eventually they all fall down and you get to the reward,
in order to find new stones to push over,
new prices to look forward to.

Don’t think big,
think small, one brilliant step at the time.

Feel big,
use every steps as inspiration and celebration.
Don’t let anybody else hold you up,
including your ego.

Don’t be waylaid

 

 

 

Waylaid orinated in Middle Dutch ‘wegelagen’ to lie in wait, derivative of wegelage a lying in wait

 

Animal Zen Masters: The Albatross

Gerard S. Hoff3 Comments

Nature delivers the greatest Zen masters in learning how to live in the now.

IMG_0564

Albatrosses are the biggest birds on earth.
Some of them can have a wing span of 370 centimeters (12 feet). The bones in the wings are hollow to save weight and at the same time make them ultra strong. The front of the wing bone has a rounded shape for aerodynamics.

Albatrosses spend most of their life in the air.
They fly highly efficient and can lock-up the wings in with a special muscle and shoulder joint. By only moving their head they change direction, using dynamic soaring and slope soaring. That way they can fly distances up to a 1000 kilometers a day, effortless.
The only exertion is when they take off.

Life is not about carrying weight,
it’s about floating in the air.
Lock your wings.

Animal Zen Masters: The Baby Giraffe

Gerard S. Hoff1 Comment

Nature delivers the greatest Zen masters in learning how to live in the now.

372402_1280x720 (1)

Giraffes spend most of their lives standing up; they even sleep and give birth standing up. That makes the birth of a giraffe baby, one of the most violent births in the animal kingdom. A drop of 2 meters, right off the smoothing womb.

The giraffe calf can already stand up and walk after about an hour is able to run the first day. Within week, it starts to collecting its own leaves.

Wisdom begins in wonder – Socrates

What about the wings 

Gerard S. Hoff1 Comment

image1

Imagine you’re an angel but are not able to use your magnificent wings because somehow, it is not accepted. Because it’s weird and out of the ordinary. What would you do?

Wings are hard to hide. Their too big and they’re also a piece of art. Let’s face it, art should not be hidden in a darkened cold cellar, it has to be out in the open.

Talents are like the wings of an angel.

Showing them is out of the ordinary and catches (too much?) attention. But, is the opinion of the less talented the convention? Or the opinions of the ones that are too shy or insecure, hiding their own wings? No.

Spread you’re wings so you can fly and people look up in wonder instead of looking down at the floor. Using your wings inspires everybody, sooner or later, direct or indirect, small or big. But most of all, it will inspire the hidden angels to spread their wings as well.

Imagine.
Fly.

The painting is part of the Heavenly-series

The power of the mind

Gerard S. Hoff1 Comment

 

IMG_0342

She drained the energy out of me in a way, even a Duracell Power Plus battery couldn’t handle for long. She was full of negative energy almost to a level I had difficulties coping with it. Fortunately, I was aware in time, and wasn’t sucked into this river of negativity.

It was clear, our visitor was a very unhappy person.
She blamed past (and future) of the heavy life she is in now. Her ‘egoic’ controlled mind was driving her behaviour a 100% and blamed anyone and everything as the cause of her misery. Even I couldn’t change her mind in a positive way, and believe me I tried.

It made me realize how strong the mind or ego can be in controlling behaviour and life, by squeezing out all oxygen out of consciousness. A terrible feeling.

The Mind,
it is talking continuously in my head as well, so I was wondering how much it controls my behaviour (and fears) and how to handle that in relation to my consciousness. I too have negative thoughts, feel anxious or insecure now and then, have judgements about others. I know it’s my ‘egoic’ mind that takes control, but I want my spirit to be. I want my spirit to be free and in direct contact with the source.

Instantly it became clear: It is the moment I think of my mind thinking.

It is then I am becoming the watcher of my thoughts and thus ‘in control’ of them and closer to consciousness. It is that space I want to be, briefly at least, or longer when possible.

So, the moment you’re aware of thoughts (negative and positive), you’re able to put things into a perspective (enlightenment). A perspective where mind and consciousness (ego and being) can team up and create synergy. All thoughts, bad and good, are positive energy, it is important be aware of the thoughts, in order to tap into the infinite source of energy.

Be conscious of mind

The painting is part of the Heavenly-series

Beyond the noise

Gerard S. HoffLeave a comment

FullSizeRender2

Einstein once said: “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”

I like that saying a lot. Besides the fact that it promotes being open for change, it also means that it is good to go against the grain now and then. Not just to make a point, but also get a stir. Make people (and yourself) thing about he way we do things and we tend to do things always in the same way. That isn’t moving.

I love to ride a bicycle.
I get up ridiculously early and put in my bike gear to make my round. I do that no matter what weather, Cold, warm, rain or snow. But there’s always the noise of wind in my ears.

In a way think of it as the noise inside your head, that distracts you from being in the presence. It is the voice of your mind that interfering in being in touch with true spirit.

When I ride my bike I consciously listen beyond the noise and listen to the birds, the cars, my tires on the road, really feel the presence of everything around.

I even turn out the light and ride in darkness, with only the moonlight. It feels like the road is moving underneath you, instead of you moving over the road. Standing still while the world moves. What a thought.

Now, when I walk to the bakery or to my car I make it a habit to listen beyond the noise. The birds singing; the rustling of the leaves in the trees; my footsteps on the pavement, the beating of my heart.
It is a great and way to be in the presence.

Try it.
Turn on your in dolby and start listening beyond the noise.
Boom-boom-boom

 

The outcome of a dream

Gerard S. Hoff1 Comment

Dream big 140x140 cm

“The outcome of a dream can only be
the result of dreaming”

 

Dream
When you’re not having a dream there will be nothing to materialize or become real.
Therefore my message is to start dreaming immediately. It doesn’t matter whether it is dream in the night or daydreaming or in between (try it some times!), but be careful what you dream, because before you know it, it is real.

Polarize
So what is a dream? Is a dream is a result of a thought or a wish? I know a dream is the unconscious processing the emotions of the day, but active dreams have to be positive in order to have a happy outcome. It is a precondition to ban any negative thoughts from your mind. Best is to use the negative thoughts as input to make them positive. If you’re not able to ban the negative thoughts, they become part of (or interfere with) your dream and become part of the outcome.

Recognize
The outcome of a dream will, most of the time, not appear at once. It is a gradual process of small pieces coming together. It is important to recognize and see these little pieces, for they are vain… If you do not pay attention, they feel ignored and will hide again, so be aware.

And Be Here Now
Even when your dream is not yet realized at all, any thought is part of it and contains the biggest joy. That party is now. It has to be experienced and celebrated.

What’s your dream?
Think carefully,
because
before
you know,
it’s real.