ludmilaritz.com - Blog by Ludmila Ritz

How Far Will Certainty Get Us? Certainty vs. Uncertainty

Tue, 14 Jul 2020 22:46:45 +0000

How Far Will Certainty Get Us In Our Daily Lives?

Certainty is said to be an emotional state, and that it's there for survival. I suppose we all have our own definitions about certainty and it's meaning to us in our daily lives. I never personally really thought about it until I did. Though I didn't always see that I had made myself a giant shadow of certainty that was clouding everything else. As I reflect on my own personal experiences, I realize now that I was doing everything I could to attain certainty for survival yes, but also for happiness and peace. Somehow I convinced myself that certainty will get me there. I felt like if I didn't make things up in my head going the way I hoped it would go with absolute certainty, all would be lost.

I worked so hard to hide from this truth I wasn't willing to accept. When we don't accept truth we can't see the problem, and I just didn't see that's what I was doing.It's terrifying to digest, and super shocking to swallow when you fully become aware of the clear message about uncertainty; everything in life is not set in stone, accept for, as Benjamin Franklin said "death and taxes."

Looking back, I am still curious: I don't understand why I wanted everything in my life to be a hundred percent certain. Somehow I did train myself to bet my life on it.

My guess is that I was too afraid to be uncertain about my life and every aspect of it. But my life - I found out - isn't a book already written in stone; it is more like an ever going story that appears one page at a time, and no one knows exactly what will appear in the story either. Sounds like a fun story doesn't it? Imagine the excitement of reading the next appeared page of the story where you know you have no clue literally as to what you are about to read. That's how I see it now, like a magic story book always being written, always filled with twists and turns, keeping the reader excited and motivated to read the next story.

I know I am not the only one; we all feel we need to have certainty in our lives in order to feel safety and happiness. Now though, I find myself asking "Is it really so horrible to live life uncertain?" As you can see It's growing on me!

But before I got there, I went through some tough learning; as the saying goes we are our own enemies. My determination and stubbornness didn't help me either.

Years went on, and nothing ever worked out as certain as I made it up in my head to be. So much courage and strength was drained out of me because life wasn't proving to be certain whatsoever; going the way it's suppose to go based on my persuasion of certainty. It broke me, it split me, it shrunk me till nothing but exhaustion was left over. That looks something like an ice cube melting away - I was the ice cube.

I am naturally a positive person, and I have faith; which I later learned sometimes can over shadow the difference between faith, positivity, and certainty. I got to a point where I couldn't stand myself anymore, something had to be understood and dealt with. Something had to seriously change! So when I was ready to slowly but surely face uncertainty, I started to slowly but surely climb out of the deep hole I dug. The more I practiced to communicate to myself that uncertainty is okay, and I didn't have to be afraid of it anymore, the better I felt.

The most amazing part to this was when I laid down to meditate that day; I heard myself saying "here I am, here I am." That's it, nothing else; not how I was feeling in those moments of meditation, or how I should feel when it's over; good, better, relaxed, and so on. I didn't have the desire to be certain about how I needed to feel and why. I just was! I was nothing but awareness of knowing that I am. In those moments of about one minute, I was - and there was nothing else attached to that. What an incredible feeling! Every day has been getting easier and lighter as I practice enjoying uncertainty. Those are the moments that motivate me!

It's been truly a curious, challenging yet a fun journey to become friends with uncertainty. It has taught me so much! I am able to understand the difference now between certainty faith and positivity; living positively is less about being certain in life, and more about the inner state of being with our physical, emotional and spiritual self.

Faith is the complete opposite of certainty if you think about it; there are no facts or evidence to prove faith certain, unless you have had a soulful inner self experience. Even then based on how we define certainty I don't think we can prove it. I sure thought I could with everything in my life.

I was determined to prove uncertainty wrong, and I was desperate to get certainty in my pocket! But After several years of chasing, I never got there. Meanwhile what I did get is a lot of anger, anxiety, frustration, and depression. At the time I didn't see that chasing certainty what was causing me life problems. I thought I had to work harder on myself, and become even more certain. I double down harder and tougher -trying to hang on to my story I made up in my head; that everything will be as certain as I say it will be. I really did believe that certainty would get me where I wanted to go and make me happy.

It wasn't till this year that I finally was able to break free from being a hostage to certainty; I was ready to learn and peel this one wide open once and for all! I was too tired of running marathons non stop in my mind. I didn't want to be certain anymore. I literally just didn't care about it. It was in that moment when I just had no energy left to give that I was able to purge it out of my self. Afterwards, about couple days later, upon my reflections, I saw just how little if any my certainty mattered when it came to life. It never mattered how much energy I gave it, nothing changed the course of life as it unfolded. There was nothing I ever really could do other than unfold with it.

These days I don't think it's fair to believe in certainty for everything in my life anymore; it only sets me up to fail, and feel sad, angry and confused instead of living life as it will.

If you struggle with certainty, maybe these words will help you as well to live life feeling safe, happy and okay. After all, the truth is we don't know how most things will work out, but what matters is that we know we can trust ourselves to have what it takes to keep up, resolve, and continue on doing what makes our hearts sing - even when we encounter challenges. What matters is that we don't ever give up! Of course there are those times that get the better of me too, and I do my best to redirect the course back to path of well being. It's not always easy, but the more I practice, the more I have the upper hand to change my thoughts and emotions back to where I want them to be. It's certain that at times it will be challenging, while other times things will be very pleasant, but either way life will unfold one way or another - weather we want it to or not. What's great is that you will be there ready - always ready!

If you show up and practice when certainty comes knocking, your daily life will improve dramatically - the more you practice letting certainty go. Your mood will also improve as you will find yourself less angry, sad, or depressed. There will be a balance of self. Your life will be less overwhelming because you have broken down the wall of certainty; you understand how to keep it in place; till one day you might not even have to, fully accepting uncertainty in all aspects of your life. Sure would be nice wouldn't it? And it's possible to achieve!

Plus you will no longer have to worry about how exactly everything might happen as life unfolds. Instead, you will be fully in the jaws of life - in the very center of life all around you - not on the side lines trying to deal with certainty because it got the better of you. Trust me I get it, but it's worth trying!

I never thought or considered that certainty would be the very thing to dig me such a deep hole I am thankful to be out of. I am in awe of how much it took away from my safety and happiness. From my well being and peace. No one wants to be a hostage, we want to be free to fully live our lives.

I hope you find these words helpful, and I hope your life improves too as you practice letting certainty go one day at a time. I have plenty of uncertainty happening in my life right now, but at last I am now becoming friends with it.

So give your self time, think about it, and enjoy the journey as you become friends with uncertainty in your life - if you would like of course. I know it's not for everyone:)

What is Happiness? Ego vs. Soul

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 14:09:11 +0000

To be happy, seek experiences, not titles. Titles serve the ego, but seeking soulful experiences serves the soul.

Serving our soul helps us to know who we are, and supports us in making choices that fully serve our well being in all that we are with our minds, bodies, spirit and soul. When we know ourselves more fully as we grow, learn and evolve, the more we are able to seek experiences that bring joy and happiness into our lives. And that's what we all want - to be happy! Our soul is what truly supports our growth and learning from all sorts of situations, and the best news is that it's never limiting; helping us to experience a full range of all that we truly are!

Serving our ego is very limiting however, and doesn't fully support going out of itself, nor does it support sharing you with other parts of who you are; it wants to hold you right there only and always, all for itself. Therefore what you see and witness around you might be limited because the ego is the only thing we see in front of us; ego grows the more we allow it to grow the less we see. Why is this at all important? Because one day we will have no choice but to feel who we fully and truly are: our soul self. When we do, it might be very tormenting because the ego won't be able to grip onto you any longer. All that was never truly you will vanish. It won't be able to feed off you anymore since the soul took over; that's why our true soul self is able to shine through, and finally breathe and be itself. This can be severely overwhelming on our minds when what we knew for a long time suddenly makes no sense any longer, and we are left to feel and see all that we couldn't before. None of us are invincible; at one point or another, life finds a way to show us the truth, and reminds us that we are all temporary here. Life isn't forever, and it's our adventure to live it as God intended with a full range of all that we are! When our ego isn't in our way, we are able to do just that, and live a life where in the end you are able to pass with clear conscious, peace and love.

So what do we do to help ourselves not to be controlled by our ego? We support our soul instead! But first, we must accept that we have an ego, and that it's there always trying to whisper in our ear. Yes we have an ego for a reason, though I believe that it's the physical part of us that helps us to make sure we don't waste the limited time we have experiencing that which is not for our well being, or will never happen as it's not who we are. After all, we are on a time clock, and our ego helps us to remember that - it helps us to keep up with time and life so that we are able to accomplish whatever it is we desire while alive. It's like a fireball under our feet, you see? It always wants you to keep going and going, and it will serve you well if you don't over use it!

So how do we become aware that our ego is trying to get its way? We remind ourselves that we are smarter than it, and are able to discern the difference. We remind ourselves that we are more than the ego; we are also a soul energy self, we have a spirit self to keep us on the right path. We remind ourselves that it's our soul and our spirit that keeps us aligned as we learn and grow; helping us to beat tough challenges in life, allowing our spirit to shine through as a support system for others. When our spirit shines, it lights up the world, and it supports all human beings as you become an inspiration to others.

Again, our soul is who we actually are; like energy we cannot be created or destroyed, at least that's what I believe. So when ego tries to sneak up on me and whisper in my ear, I whisper in its ear right back, and remind it that I am not just it, and that it's not needed at this time during this experience I am having. Yes, sometimes our choices towards reaching those experiences doesn't always work out exactly as we thought or planned, but they are also needed, because experiences that are not easy help us grow, evolve and most importantly, give us an opportunity to become better souls than when we first arrived.

When my ego hears from me right way, it settles right back down to where it belongs, till I truly might need it - sometimes ego helps because I am always growing and changing what I want to experience next, and if I don't participate to achieve it because I am hesitating, my ego will remind me of some important facts that I don't carry around my mind. That's when I know to thank it, and send it back to its position. Another helping way to fight and shrink our ego is by not attaching ourselves to what others are calling us in those moments of praise. Don't get attached to any praise of others; their praise is for them to celebrate what they just learned, understood and witnessed with their own soul and spirit self! What you are witnessing when someone praises you after you have helped them is theirs to take, and have, because you already received what you desired - seeking an experience to help another.

By doing so, we help that person to have a new life experience that will enrich their soul and spirit as they go on seeking. Don't help others if you want something back from them, or if you feel that's what you want - then it's a great opportunity to practice fighting our ego and shrink it back to where it righteously belongs; we are souls first, not the other way around!

The more that you are able to know your true soul self, the better experiences you will chose that fully and properly support you to learn, grow and evolve into the true self that you are. You will be able to understand clearly why you are choosing to do something or not to do something for the right fair reason, which will help you to know if your ego is trying to sneak up on you, or if it's where it should be.

Suddenly, we find ourselves with joy, and feeling happiness in the most small things. Suddenly life isn't so complicated, overwhelming, and lonely. I believe when we are able to understand all that we are without titles and our ego, we have an opportunity to have an actual chance to live a long happy and incredible life. We are able to be in sync with who we are, why we are here, and what purpose we truly seek to experience. So that when our time comes, and we are soon to leave the physical body and earth, we are able to do so with clear conscience and relieve to go on- because we happily lived and experienced all that we came here to experience, knowing purely that we are leaving more knowledgeable and enriched souls then when we first arrived.

Tip: be gentle on yourself while you are on your journey of learning and growing, it's okay when you make mistakes, just keep at it, don't punish yourself, or judge others - learn from them with your own heart and soul for you, and move on. Most importantly never give up on yourself. We are very adaptable and resilient beings with limitless potential inside; it's really fun to surprise yourself when you accomplish something you didn't know you could! Remember that you know more than you are aware of, and remember to love yourself as you grow. Meanwhile, allow yourself the time to do so; we can't force a flower to grow and bud when we want, we have to patiently allow time to take care of it. So give yourself time to learn, grow and become the YOU!

My Thoughts On Freedom

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 16:22:57 +0000

The Notion of True Freedom

What is True Freedom?

For centuries we have been fighting to achieve it, and to have it to live by through costly means. For some years now I have been trying to understand what freedom actually is - without being told what it is - nothing is ever what it seems, and even definitions seems to be limited in someways.

Through years of life experiences and countless hours of awareness and thoughts about it, my own understanding found its way up to the surface. Finally I was able to learn the meaning of freedom through my own eyes and ears. This is where I have arrived: the word "freedom" to me at least, really means - experiencing that which isn't free. In reality there is no such a thing as freedom. I think the that's why we keep on thriving to get it like rabbits chasing a carrot on a string. Most often then not we don't get to eat the carrot either. This leads me to believe something is certainly not in balance - upside down in an upright world sort of speak.

Worse is what we are led to believe about attaining freedom...and how we should go about doing so. Many of us still struggle with what it truly means to be free. I mean, how many of us have attained what we thought was freedom only to find out that even after doing so we still find ourselves not feeling free...I know I have. Sure wasn't a picnic, but I got to learn the most important piece about freedom - the only freedom we truly have is our ability to stay tuned and true to our inner terrain where we can fully and wholly reside in freedom of who we are, and witness the world as it truly is in all its functions as a whole.

When I am vising my inner terrain, I am free! I am not surrounded by all that chains and bounds me to the ways of physical reality living - but instead opens me up to get to know the true world, and true self through the eyes of God's Consciousness; a place where we experience being a true observer as a human being in those moments. It's a place where we become nothing and everything all at the same time - slowly melting into all existence itself without bias, fear and ego. That's where I find freedom in all that it is and in all that it means. It's not possible to have freedom through the physical means alone, we need to spent time developing our inner terrain(our soul self). I never thought it would come to mean much, but let me say that even though it might seem stupid or silly at first, it will be worth doing. I am much more of myself, I know much more of who I am inside, and I am a better person for it.

For example, when you close your eyes, breath and imagine your inner terrain - what does it look like? Is it a forest? A dessert? A beach? Maybe it's a mountain or perhaps a jungle? What about the time of the day? Is it pitch black with a full moon lighting - up the view? What's the weather like there? Is it summer? Is it winter? Maybe it's raining and foggy, or maybe it's scorching hot just like you like it. About about the types of trees you would like to see there? So many kinds out there! And throw in some bushes and flowers too - what would that look like? How about some animals? Are they around? Are they hiding, sleeping or maybe walking by your side as you stroll down the full moon night. Whatever your inner terrain is - and you will know - keep coming back to it as much as you can to keep it up, expand it, tend to it and so on. Give it a try, it really could be fun - and your imagination will thank you for it:)

Spend no more then five minutes to start or less if you haven't done so before, or it's been a while. See how it feels to create, visit and tend to your inner terrain(soul self). There you will find something that's otherwise is not possible to feel or have - true freedom. It is there you will learn more of who you are, and what you need - because let's be honest, our wants aren't always straight with us, and don't guarantee freedom. And freedom is knowing our inner terrain and who we are when we are there. After that, you will always have a safe, free, and unburdened place to connect to when life gets the best of you, and gives you challenges - you will be able to stay tuned and true to who you are, and what you need to feel free to exist as your true soul self. That's what freedom is - everything else is an illusion.

Get Started Now

The "Daily Six"

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 21:01:49 +0000

“To find yourself, think for yourself.”- Socrates

Everything in life has a formula to it; like in math, there are always steps to an equation we have to take to arrive at the correct result. When we are able to add the equation properly in our daily lives despite what hits us, we are able to gain more happiness, fulfillment, and purpose back into our lives. All we need is the right equation.

The Big Six A’s For Daily Living is how I keep myself on my own true path to make sure I don’t get lost while fulfilling all aspects of my life and Self. It’s my own math equation I created to keep me in check, and on the right track towards my happiness, purpose, fulfillment and dreams!

These days we have more responsibilities than ever before! Life demands endless tasks from us just to keep the lights on, and feed the family, never mind all else that’s constantly stalking us on daily basis, soaking us dry; it’s exhausting to keep up with. Nevertheless, we deserve to be healthy and happy, we deserve to do things that are not our duties, jobs, or responsibilities. We want to play! Regardless of our age, we all have dreams, goals, aspirations, and bucket lists to fulfill; we all want to live that authentic part of ourselves, but it seems to stay dormant most of the time, buried deep down inside because we don’t know how to adapt to it all: all that life demands from us daily. But it’s okay!

Not all is lost, it’s never too late. I read a news article not long ago where an elderly woman in her eighties decided to finally pick up that brush and paint something for the first time in her life; her work looked incredible, as if she has been painting all her life. I couldn’t believe that all these years, she didn’t have a chance to act on it! I am so happy to see that she did, because the truth is that we won’t always going to be here, and our authentic self wants to act before its too late!

Maybe it’s dance lessons you want to try out for once, maybe you have always wanted to try skydiving, or take up a cooking. Maybe you want to live in Hawaii or have five kids – whatever it might be live it! Don’t let yourself pass by. You deserve to live a fulfilling, full-of-purpose-and-happiness life that is your own, not just your responsibilities and duties.

The more we can adapt to all that we have these days – which is a ton to say the least – the more we are able to follow our hearts, and remain nice and close to our dreams, bucket lists and aspirations in life we want to carry out and create.

So, here is an equation of mine to help you to live your life to the fullest with mindfulness and awareness of your entire self so that you, too can experience all of life that is within you awaiting to shine.

THE EQUATION: first get centered

Sit down, close your eyes and take a breath. You are checking in with yourself to feel what is happening with you. Don’t rush, take your time; it’s when we become aware, (conscious) that we are able to slowly and gently begin to focus in on what it is that is stooping us from doing something we want, need or desire. If you need help centering yourself, I’ve added a five minute meditation video just for you at the bottom of this post.

Hold it, don’t loose what you just caught! This is a crucial point – don’t judge yourself, simply just allow whatever you just brought to the surface to be recognized with a neutral approach. Remember you are now following a formula, an equation to help you sort through everything without feeling lost or overwhelmed. You now begin your day with a daily reminder of The Big Six A’s to help you stay on the right path with your body, mind, and spirit.

Then, add these six A’s together, one after another:

Awareness – brings us to know what’s happening in our lives within. While siting there connecting to ourselves, we become aware of our entire self; our mind, our body and our spirit(soul). We become aware of what’s happening for us, to us, and without us.
Acknowledgement – Once we have our awareness, and see what it is that is having a negative affect on us and our lives, we will be able to see how its preventing us from following through something in our lives. Maybe it’s our emotional state that isn’t happy, or content, and it is driving us up the wall. Maybe it’s our spirit that was recently hurt by someone we love and care about. Perhaps it’s our physical well-being that’s tired, worn out, and weak. Whatever the reason, at this point, with our awareness (checking in) and our acknowledgement (we know what’s happening to us) we are able to move on to the next stage of the process.
Attitude – now we are at the tipping point: we have a choice to either change what we now know and are aware of, as we acknowledged it. Our attitude is what controls everything we do in life; it’s where everything is possible to either come alive or not. The choice is always ours to decide which way we want to keep on heading. We just need to remember we can’t run and hide from ourselves for ever; no matter how much we try, no matter how hard, we can’t separate ourselves from our selves.
Action – at this point, we are ready to do something about “that which we have discovered was not working for us”; for our mind, body, and soul. We focused in on it, and once we have figured out what it was; in order to better ourselves – and live healthy and happy, with no blocks – we begin to shift our understanding; knowing exactly what needs to be done to remedy the situation, and bring us back to homeostasis within. Our attitude also shifts along the way; and through doing so, we have shifted and changed our priorities. We took action so that we may become the best version of ourselves once more; giving us room, and air to do what we have always wanted, needed and desired – we are able to allow the next stage to unfold without any anxiety and fear to make your goals, aspirations and dreams happen!
Achievement – We have motivation now; we have become aware of what was stopping us; we have singled it out, and focused in on it without judgment towards ourselves. By doing so, we acknowledge it with a positive attitude, allowing us to take action as a result of feeling and understanding just how much it was taking away from our well-being. Now, we are ready; we wish to achieve that dormant idea, talent, book, class, etc.
Adaptability – just like a computer, when we first turn it back on, it goes through its own checks and balances to make sure it can do what it’s supposed to: provide us with a healthy system on which we can then practice our skills, write emails, check schedules, surf the internet, do inventory, and so on. We need the same thing during our daily lives when we wake up and turn our computers (brains) back on. We need the proper equation to turn ourselves back on properly. Using The Big Six A’s daily, you will be amazed at what happens, and how much of your life will improve, and unfold graciously and accordingly for you. After all, none of us are able to run on static, viruses, and chaos if we don’t set ourselves properly for the day to come. Reboot your system every morning.

You can always come up with your own method to aid you, and help you live happily: with fulfillment, purpose, and joy. Or you can just do what I do and use this simple Big Six A’s equation: 1) be neutrally aware, 2) honestly acknowledging, 3) have an attitude-turned-positive, 4) then take action, 5) achieve what is good, 6) and do a centering-adaptive-reboot as often as needed.

I rely on it to help me solve the ultimate achievement equation of happiness, purpose, joy and order. I use it to live all of life – the good, the bad and the ugly – no matter what. After all, life is not easy, and its never been or is going to be, but we can certainly make it better by understanding how to live our own computers.