QUIET THE CHATTER: PT. 1, the physical

Quiet the chatter today.  Take a moment, find a still place and just breath.  If sitting does not help,  stand in a comfortable position; Feet hip width apart, arms by your side, ground down and feel the four corners of your feet, press your toes into the earth, close your eyes.  Think of a song, that is soothing for your ears and has soothing words or again, simply listen to your breath.

Allow yourself at least 3-5 minutes each day to quiet the chatter.  We face chatter and chaos every day as we leave our home and enter into the land of the living.  Sometimes the chatter and chaos happens in before leaving our home, like an early morning phone call or a text.  Challenge yourself to avoid the call or text, for at least 3 minutes. I'm sure if it is urgent, 3 minutes, won't make or break the situation.  If you don't have a private room in your home, try escaping to your bathroom.  The bathroom is naturally a quiet place for all.
 
The last few days have been a whirlwind of emotions.  Exciting, mixed and low.  I am here and I am breathing.

Hope this helps.

Arts.Advocacy+Wellness: "Peace & Surrender"

PEACE & SURRENDER

Bonjour friends,


I've made it to Paris safe and sound. Taking in the sights and sounds (literally as I type I'm enjoying the chipper voices of young lads playing catch on the street corner.)  Play,  what we did a lot when we were younger, like there was no tomorrow.  Playing in peace and surrendering to the moment, contentment.  


I received a word very prolific, motivating, and wise in meditation on Sunday at Kadampa 
Meditation Center in Silverlake. It went something like this:  "If something can be remedied, why be unhappy with it.  If something can't be remedied, still why be unhappy."  I can use this to assess many situations in my life. I hope it can offer you peace in your surrendering.  Find the joy and go play in peace, just like the kids I'm hearing on the street corner.   

Arts.Adocacy+Wellness: "Shaktai Gawain. &Now2012 New Writing in Paris"

"The Universe will Reward you 

for taking Risks on it's behalf"

These are the words of Shakti Gawain, pioneer in the field of personal development.  Living by this mantra has been a practice of mine since deciding to leave the comfort my Broadway show "The Lion King," in 2007.  Though I have returned to the show on many occasions since my first departure, it was the courage I had in self and the promise of the universe that carried me along every step.  


Every morning I pass this house during my walks with my dog Boogie.  The house is quite unique and peculiar.  It has this cool contemporary/industrial design and bouquet of red roses outline the front door pane.  Located in the Hollywood Hills, it's an intriguing house. Leveled flat on the ground is the front half of the house.  Supported by a cast of beams, welded into the ground, which drops on a decline is the remaining half of the house.  Kinda scary when you look at it and the mind thinks how "risky" it is to live here with all the natural disasters in Los Angeles.  This house has been around for your years maybe even decades, and is still standing.  I've taken the approach of seeing the light in this situation and connecting it to my spiritual walk. As my life and some choices are, to some degree, risky, the universe is my foundation, my ground, my beam.  Constantly supporting me.  

Dale Carnegie once said, "The person who gets the farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare..."

I encourage you to dare with me in this journey and I am here to support you in YOUR journey.....

Arts.Advocacy+Wellness: "Thought for the day: The Four Agreements""

Thought for the day:

"The Four Agreements"

by Don Miguel Ruiz

My Final Thoughts:

When I am impeccable with my word, I begin the path of not taking things personally, which then naturally allows me to not make assumptions, because in the end I am honoring the importance of doing my best each day, even when I fall, I do my best to stay in alignment with purpose, loving myself, loving others, and loving the planet.

I am grateful for this revisit of The Four Agreements and I plan to do my best each day in honor of the agreements and in honor of myself.

Connect with me online:
www.corneliusjonesjr.com
facebook: Cornelius Jones Jr.
twitter: CorneliusJonesJ
facebook fanpage: FlagBoy: Official Fan Page of the Actor

YouTube Channel: LifeJones77

ACTOR DEMO REEL: CLICK HERE

Arts.Advocacy+Wellness: "Thought for the day: The Four Agreements""

Thought for the day:

"The Four Agreements"

by Don Miguel Ruiz

Fourth Agreement – “Always Do Your Best”

“Always do your best but keep in mind your best is never going to be the same from one moment to the next”

-Don Miguel Ruiz

This allows you to be gentle with self and release the perfection. We all want to do well but the body and mind is different from moment to moment. I sure do know mine is. As an actor I may get on stage and have a kick ass show or may have the best on-camera audition. The next performance or audition will be a little different. Now matter how different I must remember that was my best in that moment, and not try to recreate the previous moment that passed. When I get to that place, I am not living in the present and I am not fully embracing that I am enough right now.

Always do, or strive to do your best, but know that your best will feel different each time. And that’s ok because we are perfect even in moments where we feel imperfect. We are good how we are today. No need for punishment, just continue to keep practicing and doing our best.

Connect with me online:

www.corneliusjonesjr.com

facebook: Cornelius Jones Jr.

twitter: CorneliusJonesJ

facebook fanpage: FlagBoy: Official Fan Page of the Actor

YouTube Channel: LifeJones77

ACTOR DEMO REEL: CLICK HERE

Arts.Advocacy+Wellness: "Thought for the day: The Four Agreements""

Thought for the day:

"The Four Agreements"

by Don Miguel Ruiz

Third Agreement – “Don’t Make Assumptions”

Don’t make assumptions. Ask questions for clarity. This will set you free and I believe it will keep you from failure, hurting yourself, and blaming others. Clarity is freedom. Making assumptions is a conversation that you need to have with the other person. Often times the other person is we, in our heads. This expels so much energy and before you know it, we’ve wasted a good portion of the day creating stories and scenarios in our head.

I sometimes have many conversations in my head and especially now being new to LA, trying to find a balance in my acting career, trying to balance my new yoga teacher journey, and trying to date intimately. And dating is funny because I find myself creating stories when I encounter a person who just simply smiles at me. “Oh he must want to go out with me…he must like me.” That would be nice but that’s an assumption I have created in my head, an entire dialogue by myself. Or: “He’ll never want to date me, I’m not on his level.” Then bringing this to the Yoga practice, as a teacher I can’t assume that every student will know how to follow cues accurately and that everyone is here for the same practice. Bottom line, ask questions for clarity when it involves others and not assume. Not making assumptions allow room for dialogue and allows you to get to know the other person and this getting to know process can reveal some great information, information that may work for you, or may not work for you. So be open and not closed by assuming.

Connect with me online:
www.corneliusjonesjr.com
facebook: Cornelius Jones Jr.
twitter: CorneliusJonesJ
facebook fanpage: FlagBoy: Official Fan Page of the Actor

YouTube Channel: LifeJones77

ACTOR DEMO REEL: CLICK HERE

Arts.Advocacy+Wellness: "Thought for the day: The Four Agreements""

Thought for the day:

"The Four Agreements"

by Don Miguel Ruiz

Second Agreement – “Don’t Take Anything Personally”

This is a powerful agreement and one that I aim to master and fully embrace. Even when someone compliments me, don’t take it personally. I know how good I am. I know my worth. I can say a simple thank you and move on. This agreement links with being impeccable with your word. It’s in perfect alignment. I know what I am and when I really know what I am, what one says, do, or give to me no matter how great or bad, I know how amazing I am. In this I am not egotistical or narcissistic, I am just grateful and love what I stand for and the man I see in the mirror.

Making a habit of not taking anything personally shall eventually put you in a total state of not looking to others for answers, approval, acceptance but instead knowing that it all comes from within. Tapping into the inner trust and being more comfortable and secure in your inner being.

Connect with me online:

www.corneliusjonesjr.com

facebook: Cornelius Jones Jr.

twitter: CorneliusJonesJ

facebook fanpage: FlagBoy: Official Fan Page of the Actor

YouTube Channel: LifeJones77

ACTOR DEMO REEL: CLICK HERE

Arts.Advocacy+Wellness: "Thought for the day: The Four Agreements""

Thought for the day:

"The Four Agreements"

by Don Miguel Ruiz

First Agreement – “Be Impeccable With Your Word”

There are people we come across in life that will use their word to tarnish us. When we are not fully awakened and solid in our spiritual foundation, we tend to take on that tyranny of self-doubt causing harm to ourselves. Sometimes as kids our tyrants are our parents, who may have no intentions of harming us but this is what they know. As an adult, in a more awakened state, it is now up to us to not take this on from any human being. Recognize and forgive the person because they are not awakened in the moment and know no better. We must also forgive ourselves if we chose to accept it and placed blame and doubt on our physical mind and body.

I take responsibility for me and practice daily not blaming or judging me in all I do: In my decisions, in my lifestyle, career, recreation, sexual identity, and whom I chose to be with intimately. I am a man of my word and who ever I deal with professionally or intimately must also be impeccable.

Connect with me online:

www.corneliusjonesjr.com

facebook: Cornelius Jones Jr.

twitter: CorneliusJonesJ

facebook fanpage: FlagBoy: Official Fan Page of the Actor

YouTube Channel: LifeJones77

ACTOR DEMO REEL: CLICK HERE

Arts.Advocacy+Wellness: "Thought for the day: The Four Agreements""

Thought for the day

"The FOUR Agreements"

by Don Miguel Ruiz

It has been nearly 10 years since I first read the four agreements. In a mature state and definitely in a more grounded spiritual place, revisiting the book 10 years later was an act of divine intervention. Even more interesting and purposeful, this book came at the beginning of my yogi teacher training and my life transition from NYC to LA. It is always so interesting reading a book for the second time and when there is a huge time gap between each read, new information is received and lessons that always need to be remembered are revisited.

“We pretend to be what we are not because we are afraid of being rejected”

-Don Miguel Ruiz

The domestication of humans simply is how we are shaped, which begins at birth. At birth, and I can say even before we are born into this world, there are systems of rules conditioning and controlling the way we live, think, and breath. We are not given a choice. We are told what to do, not allowing the brain and mind to take shape and grow into our own identity. This is not to point blame on anyone, it is just the way it is in this society. That being said, I feel it is ok to have guidance from an elder, however one needs the freedom to experience many facets of life without fear, shame guilt, and rejection. Now there are some children and some families who don’t have rules in their household, but I think its safe to say they are a rarity in this society. I can relate to the domestication from our elders. In no harmful way, they are trying to prepare the young child for the realities of the world, and their teachings were passed down from generations to generations of older philosophies and principles. The world today is now shifting. With science and technology we have more information; information that releases the shackles from certain limited or restricted thinking. We have the power to reshape, define, and/or redefine who we truly are. And while, economics is still an issue for certain demographics (not having access to affordable education and healthcare), we have always had access to personal freedom, we just were never made aware of it, it was kept from us, or we forgot. A book simply written like the Four Agreements is a vessel to help liberate our thinking and way of living.

For the next four weeks I will debrief how each chapter speaks to me. I invite you to join in the conversation.