28 July 2016 — To Act or Not to Act, or as Shakespeare expressed the predicament through Hamlet’s words — ‘To be or Not To Be, whether it is nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or by opposing end them.’ In modern parlance this could be expressed as either ‘going with the flow’ (accepting what comes our way) or. taking control by attempting to bring about the outcome we desire through whatever avenues are open to us. Our rational minds so often try to take control and alter the situation to suit ourselves. As I see it ‘going with the flow’ means, in the first instance becoming aware of our feelings. ‘Suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune’ can best be achieved by honestly examining and TRUSTING the FEELINGS which arise in our Solar Plexus areas, as opposed to allowing the rational mind to incessantly worry about our dilemma. ‘To Be’ — to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune —’ to go with the flow’ means responding in an heartfelt way. We can only act in an heartfelt way when we engage with our solar plexus and are aware of our feelings there. The Solar Plexus is that part of us where it seems like the bottom is dropping out when we receive shock news. And that area to which we allude when we claim ‘to feel sick to the bottom of our stomach’.

Allowing ourselves ‘to be’ is adhering to Polinius’ instruction to Laertes in Hamlet — To thine own self be true’ which I believe means being assertive rather than aggressive.

On reflection, how many times yesterday or today have we not been truthful about our true feelings to someone? How many times have we said or acted as expected to by others in order to keep the peace, or to fit in? How many times have we felt so fearful of saying what we actually think or feel that instead of ‘being true to our self’ naturally and trusting in Providence that all will go well for us, or at least turn out as it is meant to in the wider scheme of things, we have convinced our ‘selves’ that BEING TRUE TO OUR SELVES meas being a little AGGRESSIVE rather than being ASSERTIVE.