The Spiritual Grind
Dr. Jenni PhD,RN,CHLC,CH and medium and Rev. James ORD, MhsB have spent countless years studying and practicing many modalities within the "Spiritual" domain. Dr. Jenni has dedicated her life to helping others by attending countless schools and developing each of her practices and strategies. Rev. James has studied many modalities and Native American practices and they have Both decided to open their library of knowledge to share this information with everyone in a down to earth style, with hope to assist in making your journey easier and more abundant.
The Spiritual Grind
Spiritual Beings with Cruise Ship Problems
A Caribbean cruise sparked a profound realization: in our quest for spiritual growth, we often forget to be human. After seven days at sea, free from the constraints of daily life and constant connectivity, we discovered how easily we neglect the joy, spontaneity, and adventure that make life worth living.
Many of us become so hyper-focused on our spiritual journey – clearing beliefs, raising consciousness, achieving goals – that we create an imbalance. We excel at structuring our work lives but fail to apply the same intentional approach to our enjoyment and pleasure. We've been conditioned by messages like "the world owes you nothing" and "you have to work hard for everything," creating rigid mindsets that prioritize responsibility over joy.
What would happen if we applied the same strategic approach to creating fun as we do to creating success? What if we set clear intentions for our pleasure, listened to our intuition about what brings us happiness, and committed to balancing spiritual work with lighthearted play?
The podcast explores the paradoxical nature of control – how believing we have "no control" is actually an exercise of our extraordinary power to create that experience. We're such powerful beings that we can manifest the illusion of powerlessness, which demonstrates our ultimate control. This perspective shift can free us to experiment with releasing our grip and flowing more naturally between different states of being.
Balance isn't maintaining a static, unchanging equilibrium where work and play always receive equal weight. True balance is dynamic and adaptable, like a teeter-totter that moves up and down while still functioning perfectly. Sometimes we need more seriousness, while other times we benefit from being completely "irresponsible" and playful. The key is giving ourselves permission to experience both without judgment.
Ready to create more adventure in your life? Join us as we explore how to be spiritual beings having a truly human experience. Visit our website at www.themerccenters.org or find us on social media @theMercCenters to continue the conversation!
Good morning, Dr Jeannie. Good morning we're back on the show. We've been off for a couple weeks.
Speaker 2:Has it been a couple of weeks?
Speaker 1:I think so. We didn't do any shows last week and we were gone, I mean the week before last, and we were gone on the cruise for eight days, seven days.
Speaker 2:No, we did that one that was like malfunctioning, where it did half and then shut off.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, that's right. What day was that I?
Speaker 2:don't think it's been quite a couple of weeks, but anyway, hey, welcome back guys. Thanks for listening to the Spiritual Grind we are back on the mic today, um, after a seven-day caribbean cruise has been. It was really nice. Oh, mexico, is it considered caribbean or is it mexico?
Speaker 1:well, it was a mexico trio, is what they call it, but um, they kept calling it the caribbean, so I don't really know. If it's's not the Caribbean, we need to go there. Okay, I shall get that planned.
Speaker 2:We can leave next week.
Speaker 1:You know, and we've been doing the relationship series in here and I'm going to take a break from it this week Because this cruise may open my eyes to a couple of things.
Speaker 2:Really.
Speaker 1:I've never been on a cruise before and it made me realize that sometimes we forget to be human in our spiritual experience.
Speaker 2:Do tell.
Speaker 1:Like you know, I guess what brings it to mind is here I am. I'm 52 years old.
Speaker 2:Oh my God, You're what. I'm old is here, I am.
Speaker 1:I'm 52 years old. Oh my God, you're old.
Speaker 2:You did not tell the truth when we got together and I'm going to need an upgrade. Just kidding.
Speaker 1:You're older than me, Anyway. So we we and I had never been on a cruise and I think the reason why I was so focused on my, my journey and trying to create things within my journey I forgot to be a human in it as of late or in your former life in my former life I forgot to be human.
Speaker 1:I forgot to have experience in some in in the fun side of life. You know where we can. I mean, I just spent seven days on a boat. That was delightful when I'd heard all these you know, stories about people getting seasick and blah, blah, blah, blah, all this stuff and and I had zero negative experience. Um, the only thing I would say was I would consider even halfway negative is how they do the drinks on the boat. It's hard to get something to drink around there.
Speaker 2:It's not hard to get something to drink. It's just having a variety of choices.
Speaker 1:Yes, all they had was Coke products, that's what I would say on this particular cruise line. Yeah, we had a delightful cruise. You know, we hit some some nine foot seas and 49 winds and and instead of getting seasick, I enjoyed it and it rocked me to sleep like a like a 52 year old baby. Indeed it was really it was. It was very delightful.
Speaker 2:It was quite enjoyable.
Speaker 1:Very peaceful, had no cell phone service.
Speaker 2:I think what it did for me was it gave me the opportunity to you know, in the semi-retired job that we currently have, we say a lot of times we are creating the concept of a cruise ship on land for these folks.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Where it is a relaxing, enjoyable, entertaining experience, living in this communal type building, and I think we do a pretty good job of it. And I think we do a pretty good job of it. But what it did for me is it let me experience that concept from the customer yeah, from the participant side rather than from the manager side kind of environment for seven days where somebody else worried about who's scheduled for who, or worried about, for example. What brought it to my attention is when we were not able to port in Coast of Maya and I knew in my head that, wow, the activity department is really going to have to go into red alert and do plan B to keep all 2,000 of these residents entertained for the day, because the day just got shell-shocked.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And I said to myself F word.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I'm glad that's not me. 2,140 people.
Speaker 1:Happened to do that, and they had to come up with an extra sea day of activities yes, and in a matter of, literally, because we were at port.
Speaker 1:I was on the deck when we got to costa maya and I saw the port light. I saw them being green and then yellow and then, you know, kind of like the lighthouse light. They say you know it was blinking, and when all of a sudden it all went red. And then what? 10 minutes later he came on. The captain came on and said that the coast of my port had been closed, and I kind of had the same thought. I'm like, oh, what's that bring for the day today, then? Because here we are planning to be at port for 11 hours.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and knowing from a manager's standpoint of running a similar concept. Oh, that was my funny bone. Anyway, go ahead.
Speaker 2:Sorry, a similar concept yeah, at sea, but having the enjoyment that I didn't have to be an active participant in creating that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it was really it was nice, it was enjoyable. It was a good time. I really, really enjoyed it. Did I just irritate you? What did I do? Did I do something?
Speaker 2:I just feel like you weren't wanting me to finish that sentence.
Speaker 1:No, I just bumped my elbow, I bumped my funny bone, oh, and it wasn't too funny, but so we went on. And then, what is? About an hour later, they come up with this activity list and they have a full day of activities. And then all these people have to jump into action.
Speaker 2:And grumpy people yeah. They have to jump into action. And grumpy people yeah, they have to somehow make the. I mean because there was a handful of people that were extremely unhappy about the fact that they didn't get to stop at port.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 2:So it's got like a double whammy.
Speaker 1:Well, and the crew too. You got to think about the crew. They were looking for a port day and most of the time they get some breaks and everybody's off the ship, right, and so then they have to call and wake everybody up, go through the crew deck and create a list of stuff for these occupied people, right, or to occupy the people on the ship. And it woke me up a little bit to understanding that we were, I was missing part of my life, and so it's kind of opened doors for me to look at things a little differently and living you know, a little bit more on the, it's okay for us to enjoy ourselves, no matter what it is. You know we don't have to be all serious all the time yeah, 100 and so that's where I want to go with the podcast today so when?
Speaker 2:when do you start that?
Speaker 1:I'm I'm starting it now okay, why he has that? Um, are you? Are you my best friend? Yeah, but I want to talk to people about I mean, don't get so caught up in the riffraff and the rigmarole and the commitment and don't forget to balance your. You can have fun and balance and still work and still be lighthearted and still have friends and still have a social life and go do adventures and you can. You can have balance in that. I think that's where my life, or what what I recognized on this boat is. You know there's a reason why we get what is it? 10 or 12 weeks a year vacation? You start using them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1:And.
Speaker 2:For sure. I mean, that's what they're for is to stop and unplug from the day-to-day.
Speaker 1:I think we get so hyper-focused on our spiritual world not just us, I'm talking about just humans in general that when we are going through an awakening process we become so focused on trying to make it easier we forget to live the easy. And you know, like the day we got back to port, I didn't want to get off the ship. Like the day we got back to port, I didn't want to get off the ship. I almost handcuffed myself to the railing and was going to refuse to get off because I didn't want to go back to reality. And the key part of that is it's how I labeled the reality I made it to, where my journey was out of balance.
Speaker 1:Prior to going on this ship Prior to going on this ship, I see, you know, taking one week a year in 52 weeks is not enough.
Speaker 2:Well, I don't even think we do it that often.
Speaker 1:Well, this is the first time since we've been with this company that we have taken that many days off in a row. It's the first time.
Speaker 2:I agree.
Speaker 1:And so the and we we could have took an extra day or two if we wanted to.
Speaker 2:And, oh my goodness, nothing major happened. The building is still standing.
Speaker 1:I know right, it's pretty cool. And so how do we teach people to create balance within life and be more fun and lighthearted within their spiritual journey? How do we do that, doctor? Oh, I hear it. Wait, wait, I have the button for this.
Speaker 2:I mean, I mean it's just just do it, Like you just make a decision that you're gonna not be so serious all the time and you just do it. You just make a decision. Yeah, I mean, I can use you as an example.
Speaker 1:Okay, what was that?
Speaker 2:That was me releasing air. I think y'all call it a burp. You know like with you you get very inundated with the work part of your life and you get wrapped up in that like a big.
Speaker 1:Banana.
Speaker 2:Burrita.
Speaker 2:Banana I like banana better and you get, and so it's. It almost like blocks your view, put your blinders on, so to speak, to looking at the whole big picture, and I think that's the key component. I see it all the time. People on, so to speak, to looking at the whole big picture, and I think that's the key component. I see it all the time. People are so engulfed in the day-to-day got to go to work, got to do the laundry, got to pay the bills I don't think it's even just the spiritual community. Got to pay the bills. I don't think it's even just the spiritual community, I think it's just as a whole. People are so engulfed in the humanness of a task-oriented mindset that they forget to let in the spontaneity and the fun and the unfocus. Got to stay focused so that I can achieve a goal, so that I can be successful, so that I can have the retirement, and my goals are this, this and this, and I got to stay on track and stay on path.
Speaker 2:And you get so wrapped up in getting it done that you stop looking for the adventure along the way and the fun along the way and the moments where you can laugh and play and just unplug for a second from the robotic lifestyle that sometimes can happen is what I see.
Speaker 1:I I agree.
Speaker 2:And I think to myself when I see that, because I know for me I go around a lot of times just in my fairytale world and you made a comment about it just yesterday on the phone my wife likes to watch Disney and that gentleman had some comment to make about it. I don't remember what he said, Are we?
Speaker 1:still six or something. I don't remember what he said.
Speaker 2:Right, it was somewhat of a derogatory comment, of being childish and I was like well, try it on for size, size, and you might feel a little better. You know, you know, this is a gentleman that's not in the best of health and has to go around in a moby I mean, he has a, good, he has a jovial personality for the most part, but it just reminded me that so many people in society are so engulfed in the robotic motions of the day-to-day tasks of trying to accomplish some kind of goal and what is that?
Speaker 2:you know, that's the way we're talking go to work, let me get a paycheck, let me pay the bills, let me do the, let me have my days off, so I can do my chores so that I can just go and rinse and repeat and do it all over again. And you get so wrapped up in that that you forget to say oh wow it's been 542 weeks since I've taken an actual vacation and unplugged and I'm talking about unplug.
Speaker 2:Like I'm not talking about going on vacation and still having access to your work email on your phone and still taking calls and still answering calls and even just sitting around thinking, okay, when I get back to work, I've got to make sure and do this, this and this and this. Or when you leave to board the plane or board the ship or go on vacation, whatever that looks like you're saying in your head okay, wait, did I do this? Did I do this? Did I do this? That's not unplugged.
Speaker 1:Right, I agree.
Speaker 2:So when we got on the ship, we made a conscious decision to not buy the Wi-Fi package.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I did. That was 100% on purpose.
Speaker 2:But even in using you as an example, as you said I could, there was still a moment when we got to the first port where you had cellular service and you were right back in. You got sucked briefly back into checking your email, checking your voicemail, checking your phone, that you went right back into that habit and I had to actually get extremely humanly frustrated with you and say, uh, no, that's not what this is about. And so, hello, I know I agree, I did.
Speaker 1:That's not what this is about, and so hello.
Speaker 2:No, I agree, and that's what I'm talking about is being consciously aware that we're doing that Right and not calling out those of us that don't do it as irresponsible or aloof. Or because I get. I get tagged a lot of times because, listen, I don't have my email and all that shit on my phone. Nobody has my number. I don't even know where my phone is most of the time, but that's because I choose to live that way, because I don't want to be inundated and engulfed by the nonsense.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:And I get you know comments will be made like being aloof or being not facing reality or not being focused or any of that, and living in the fairytale world or living childishly. And you know what I say to people who say that Piss off.
Speaker 1:Piss off.
Speaker 2:Piss off.
Speaker 1:I think this has all come down to teaching, because I was taught that the world's never going to give you nothing. You've got to work for what you earn no such thing as easy money. I was I don't know how many times I've heard all that stuff growing up and that's how I was taught Like, I mean, I started hauling hay when I was what? 12, just to make money, because I was from a low income family and I went through building up my you know, my work ethic and my level of commitment, and I, you know like, when all this came to my reality the other day on the boat deck, what I kept thinking about is is, even back then, when I was actually making a ton of money, making a bunch of money, I didn't do anything to enjoy it. You know, you put in this hard work and dedication, so it's not about to me, it's not about the fact of having to, you know, being dedicated to your work, doing your job, earning your money, allowing the world to give you what you have earned and deserve. But what I want to change the phrase of is you're right, they're right, the world doesn't, it doesn't owe you nothing and the world's not going to give you anything, but you will give you something. Your higher self will give you what you need. You're um, you create a balance within it and then it becomes an easier journey for and remember to be lighthearted through it.
Speaker 1:I think that's where my challenge is, because we're taught that way. We're taught that we have to earn every dollar we make and fast money. Easy money is not good. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. All that stuff. And what came to my thoughts when I was on the deck was my gosh. I've missed a lot of life and I don't want anybody else to do that. And so you know I'd say it's okay to have a work life, it's okay to have a fun life, it's okay to have that personal commitment to being adventurous and having fun and keeping your responsibilities and still finding the balance within it. It's about that level of neutrality to where you can do anything you want.
Speaker 2:It's okay to have no responsibility as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 2:That's the life I choose. I want to be responsible for nothing.
Speaker 1:What about your listeners out there?
Speaker 2:I'm not responsible for them.
Speaker 1:You're not, oh, okay.
Speaker 2:Nope, I provide the frequency and the information, and what they choose to do with it is their journey, not mine. I don't take that on.
Speaker 1:I 100% am on board with that fact of well. Let me back up. So for some people, it's hard for them to say I don't want to have any responsibility. That's a hard thing for some people and I don't want to.
Speaker 2:Why.
Speaker 1:Because you know that's giving up control, because we're taught to control our reality humanly, especially when it comes to employment.
Speaker 2:So let's talk about that for a second. Okay Shall we. Yeah, let's. The concept of control Mm-hmm, because the simple fact of thinking that you're giving up control or that you've lost control means exactly that you are in such control that you have the ability to create an illusion that you have given up control or that you are not in control.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Which then tells you that you are in complete control at all times and that you are a very powerful being within that.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:So you never lose control or give up control or never don't have control.
Speaker 1:Hmm.
Speaker 2:Could you hit the crit get button for me.
Speaker 1:Since I don't get buttons. I'm thinking about what you said, can you phrase it in other terms, you sure do doing a lot. That was a whole lot of doo-doos, mr.
Speaker 2:Pooty Pants. Yes, mr Poopy Pants.
Speaker 1:Are you the Poopy Pants? You used to have the Poopy Pants.
Speaker 2:No, I didn't poop in my pants.
Speaker 1:Well, I sure heard you doo-dooing over there.
Speaker 2:Okay, so you want me to do a remix of the phrase we can remix. Okay, let's begin again. Okay, so you're a spiritual being having a human experience. Agree, disagree, agreed. Right so the concept of control. Right, so the concept of control.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:You always have and are in control, that you are not in control or that you are losing control or that you must control it. For the simple experience of having that kind of reality, you have so much power and so much control that you have the ability to create a virtual, holographic experience of not having control. Therefore, you are actually ultimately the ultimate control king and queen by maintaining a reality that appears to have no control, but you have such self-control that you can hold back the control and trickle it in or make a reality appear for yourself to have absolutely no control. A little bit of control, control in some areas, no control in other areas, like turning on a water faucet, but you're still creating that virtual reality from a place of complete and total, powerful control, because you create your own reality.
Speaker 1:So you're saying giving up control is really controlling.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a paradox Giving up control is actually you having so much control and so much power that you have the ability to create a reality that makes it appear that you are in fact giving up your control or can't get control of a situation. Hmm, Interesting Rabbit sandwich I mean carrot sandwich people.
Speaker 1:We haven't rabbit.
Speaker 2:No, we don't eat the rabbit.
Speaker 1:Oh, you said rabbit sandwich. And so for me to conceptualize, what you are saying is putting yourself into a different dimension to where your human experience, you give up the control which, in turn, is actually having control, because you have the control to give up the control.
Speaker 2:Well, it's not really a different dimension, it's a different reality. But we'll go into that later.
Speaker 2:But yes in essence, it's the subconscious unawareness that you have the control over your reality. When we say you create your reality, that's what I mean you literally create your own reality, by which you utilize your control, and if you need to learn and expand and grow from a reality that says I have absolutely no control or have no control over this or over that, you have the ability to create that experience by removing the experience of having control over whatever area in the life of Pi that you so choose.
Speaker 1:Okay so.
Speaker 2:Like money or a job or a relationship.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:So when you said having no control, what area do you feel like you have no control over?
Speaker 1:Well, I mean, that's just it. It's not about feeling having no control, it's the feeling of feeling like that. We have to keep control and we are keeping control by creating our spiritual world in reality, clearing beliefs constantly. We're constantly looking at ourselves to better our reality, and that is a form of control, but yet we don't take the time to um, let control of the reality become lighthearted and fun and enjoy the balance of the reality.
Speaker 2:So what makes you feel like you have to have control over anything?
Speaker 1:Well, it's not really that we have to have control. It's more about it's kind of what's bred into me, and probably a lot of people out there is trying to control our reality, trying to be the best we are at everything that we do. And that is actually one of the things that drive me is I like to be successful and what I view as successful because I set my own parameters and I'm self-managed really well and my own goals and my own instincts of those goals is what I follow. Now, I'm really good at doing that in a work performance setting, but when it comes to a pleasure, you know, uh, having fun and lightheartedness in our journey is the part that I have a hard time struggling of. Okay, Like at work, I can set a goal and I and I know the steps to get there because my intuition tells me what to do and I set those is it your intuition telling you what to do, or is it?
Speaker 2:no higher past life experiences that dictate. Okay, I know that in the past I did this and I took this step, so it got me this result. And you're finishing the puzzle by doing it that way, humanly and humanly intervening and controlling what you think is controlling the situation, when I think it's a little of both and so you're humanly maybe over controlling and over maybe overdoing it you know, I think it's a little both for me and and clearing that stuff out of the way is man that goes deep.
Speaker 1:That's a hard, because my next question for you.
Speaker 2:If you, if you were an actual client that I was working with, my next question would be well, when you're talking about that and you're setting up your work day of, okay, this is my goal and these are the steps I know to do to get there, how does that make you feel in your emotional guidance system. How does it make you feel?
Speaker 1:It makes you feel like I'm in control of my reality.
Speaker 2:Makes me feel what is the emotion?
Speaker 1:that probably secure and um, a little bit of solace, and you're going to accomplish goals, setting goals and so I would say that for me it creates a harmony would probably be the. The emotion behind it is kind of that. Okay, I got this, you know, in my work, history and my intuition and guidance, in that I have set those beliefs in motion to where I kind of listen to all of it. And what was it about that? That was a doctor, like you know. When you're talking to a psychiatrist and they go and you say on the third, you say wait a minute, why are you and me so you make it sound very easy in your work life, right?
Speaker 2:why is it not that easy in your whatever other section of life? You called it your pleasure life or your fun life, fun life.
Speaker 1:That's exactly what I'm talking about non-work part of your life that's exactly what I'm talking about in the beginning of this podcast is I realize that I am not creating that same kind of environment in my fun side and creating balance. I'm just kind of whatever comes comes and you know, that's why I mean I liked the fact that you play into this crew and it was in. We had, I had something to look forward to. You know, there was a goal in mind and I don't know how many times we said 29 days.
Speaker 2:Right, yeah, I made the rule that I asked one day how many days we have left, because I know he he was counting down and he said something like 31 days or something. I was like, oh no, that's not the answer, it was 71 days.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was something ridiculous and I said I do not want to hear anything other than 29 days. Until we get to the actual 29th day and you're ready to tell me 28 days, I will hear nothing else. So you're not allowed to give me any other number but 29 and that's okay.
Speaker 1:So I played that game, yeah, which?
Speaker 2:worked very well for me because, yeah, whenever I asked that day and you said 71 days or something like that, I felt myself melt into this bucket of.
Speaker 1:Disappointment.
Speaker 2:Yes, because I was so ready.
Speaker 1:Why is it so far away?
Speaker 2:Go enjoy some downtime away from the hustle and bustle of people and work and being the person that everybody looks at and wants all this shit from, I get tired of that.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm. What does that mean Nothing? What does that mean Nothing? What does that mean?
Speaker 2:doctor.
Speaker 1:I'm not a doctor yet.
Speaker 2:Does that mean I need a new medication?
Speaker 1:What does that mean? And so this is exactly you're actually bringing up the point of where I was when, on that deck, I realized that I am not setting goals for my fun life and letting my intuition and guidance run me through that. Setting goals for my fun life and letting my intuition and guidance run me through that, like you know, I kind of go willy nilly and I I kind of handle in our relationship. I kind of handled the business side and you handle the fun side and I have not been in track or on track with you in creating the fun side of that stuff.
Speaker 2:And that's where I'm working on getting my parameters set in the things that I want to accomplish in my fun side yeah, I'll agree with that, because you, you, you say a lot of times on the weekends you'll try to plan something and you'll, you'll make the statement of had all this stuff planned and nothing's working out.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm. And it happens frequently we were going to take the motor home to Daytona Beach and then I called to get a place at the campground and it was bike week, so we couldn't even everything was booked you couldn't get anywhere.
Speaker 1:And I am not staying at a campground during bike week because I hear it gets crazy over there. But the realization on the deck for me to say to myself you know, why aren't you creating that same kind of environment in your fun side is where I'm at with it and I'm working on setting on parameters and clearing some beliefs. And you know like I remember one time my Uncle Gary telling me all you ever want to do is play, when I was younger, you can't take life serious. And so that's been enthralled and I'm working on clearing.
Speaker 2:I would look at Uncle Gary and say, yep, you're right, I'm not taking anything serious.
Speaker 1:Well, you know, I was raised in a redneck country.
Speaker 2:Nothing serious is going on around here, folks.
Speaker 1:I was raised in a redneck state in a redneck area, and when you're not a serious redneck and take control of your reality, you're a loser is how they look at you, and my uncle, gary, said that to me that time.
Speaker 1:You need to be serious about life and quit playing.
Speaker 1:All the time you know, set your life up. This world owes you nothing. And blah, blah, blah, blah, blah went on, and that that you know that business came in my head of him saying that to me one time, and and and it stuck, and so I've been working on clearing that out of the way and making sure that I allow myself to play, to have fun, to create a place of balance and adventure, and that's what I'm working on today and that's why I wanted to bring it up in this topic, because, you know, it makes me wonder how many other people out there do the same thing, and are they humble enough to stop and identify that? I mean because I want to sit on that, or I mean because I want to sit on that when I was sitting on that deck and we were pulling back into Tampa Bay and the Tampa Bay smell came back and all that stuff, because, man, oh, down in the water in Mexico, it's beautiful yeah, it is the the bay is such brown, murky water, it's not not ocean water.
Speaker 1:In my opinion, it's right, it's. I don't know why it's even brown. It smells the way it does, but it doesn't matter to me. The the point was is I enjoyed that cruise wholeheartedly, even though we missed the port, even though the drinks were weird. I still enjoyed it, because you know why the drinks weren't weird.
Speaker 2:it's just that we don't drink water on a regular basis, necessarily, and we are Pepsi product people, and so what they offered was Coke products.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, and the only place you could get water was at the buffet. They won't give you water at the bar.
Speaker 2:I tried once, but does it matter where it comes from?
Speaker 1:It was just weird, you wanted water. It was just weird to me, it wasn't very convenient for comes from. It was just weird. You wanted water. It was just weird to me, it wasn't very convenient for the customers.
Speaker 2:Guess what? You had two bottles of water sitting in your cabin. They could have very easily taken the lid off and drank.
Speaker 1:I agree, I agree, but anyway, that's where my light heart is. What's that?
Speaker 2:show called where they debunk.
Speaker 1:Mythbusters.
Speaker 2:Mythbusters Myth busted.
Speaker 1:They had a metal sign that would come up and say busted. I used to love that show, it was fun to watch. So, identifying it and being humble enough to say you know what, I have been kind of screwing that up a little bit up to say you know what, I have been kind of screwing that up a little bit and I'm working on the, the steps and the beliefs. You know, like I said, with my uncle gary, and creating a pattern, trying to create that pattern in my life of allowing myself to create fun and adventure and setting the goals for that and creating the steps and following this I could do at work, in my, in my fun life or my fun side of my life that creates balance. I want to be able to have that same intuition and that same guidance that allows me to be who I am. Still. I hear crickets.
Speaker 2:Okay, I got nothing there well, I mean, there's not really much to say. Journey Journey on dude.
Speaker 1:Journey on Create it.
Speaker 2:Party on Wayne I mean, I guess the only thing I would say is sometimes it's even okay to be out of balance, like you keep using the word to create balance and harmony, but that by itself can trip you up a little bit. If you're so staunch in trying to maintain this balanced position where you don't have too much fun or you don't have too much work, give yourself permission to just have too much fun. Like, get rid of the word balance sometimes, because even that can create a very structured reality. Okay, I've got to have 50% fun and I've got to have 50% work, and right now I've had 49% fun and only have 1% left, and so when I laugh at this person's joke, that's going to use up my last 1%, and then the rest of the month I have to be only work and business minded and have no more fun points left, and and so just be careful, because that can trip you up as well.
Speaker 2:Allow yourself to be unbalanced sometimes, because wanting to maintain balance, if it has a wonky definition, can trip you up as well. Don't be is not constant. You have to have flow, yeah, which sometimes will take the balance. So I envision this that little weight, you know that, um, apothecary weight scale and and each side is is equally weighted so that it never moves that's not how life is.
Speaker 2:That's not even how your physical body functions yeah even in your physical body, your chemistry, your hormones. Sometimes this one will be elevated and this one will not, and then other times, depending on what you need physically in your body, the chemical a will decrease and chemical b will increase, and so the balance ability. I feel the need to clarify this.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Balance, ability or the word balance, and what that actually is intended to mean is not this static, consistent, both sides of the scale always at the middle place.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that, the two mechanisms or the two components or the multiple components within a mechanism or within whatever you're doing, have the ability to be malleable or movable and can fluctuate and move within that and move within that. It's more of almost like an adaptability, because if you always are just trying to maintain this staunch balance, where your emotion is constantly neutral and you don't listen, you will find yourself back in that robotic place of just wanting to maintain this straight line of balance, and that's not what balance is okay balance is, you know, finding the joy and the fun and experiencing the contrast it's not so fun so that you can better identify what you want that moment to really look like.
Speaker 2:So that when you go and you experience that moment again, you can say to yourself okay, I've come to a fork in the road. I've been here before, I recognize it's familiar. But now, now that I had the previous experience experience, I do remember that I went left in this fork in the road and I didn't enjoy the aspects of it quite as much. So you know what, this time, even though going right is unknown and a little bit scary, rather than going left because it's familiar, I know that I didn't enjoy it as much I'm going to go ahead and I'm going to jump off and go right that if you were trying to stay staunchly balanced, you wouldn't allow yourself to go right.
Speaker 1:I am totally understanding and agree with what you're saying Because I look at it the scale kind of like a teeter-totter. Agree with what you're saying because I look at it the the scale kind of like a teeter-totter. When you put two 200 pound people on one of one side of the teeter-totter one other side of the teeter-totter, you can go up and down, you can still flow. There's still a flow in it.
Speaker 2:But if you need to, you can balance but if you put a 200 pound person on one end and 150 pound person on the other, and the 200 pound person gets on second and the 200 pound person gets on second and the 150 pound person gets flung up in the air, it is some funny shit it is.
Speaker 1:I agree we used to do it on purpose, or when the 200 pound person falls off and then the other jumps off on purpose and yeah, and the other one goes flying the other one goes flying.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we used to do that all the time that's some good laughs, honestly and the reality is, on a teeter-totter is a 200 pound person and 150 pound person can still balance the teeter-totter, and that is where my analogy of the situation is for me and where I'm trying to go in a direction of more freedom, in fun and freedom and experience and adventure and allowing my giving myself the permission to be more of that kind of person. And that's what I'm working on clearing beliefs for them. And you know like cause there's many of them. You know there, there's many of them that I've been really checking in with since I was on that deck that morning and trying to figure out where in my life did I turn? Because I used to be. Everybody talked about me. I was that kid that bounced around. I was always laughing. I remember my teacher telling my dad one time in one of my parent-teacher conferences that he's got to learn to be a little serious every now and then.
Speaker 1:Because, I was always cracking jokes. I was making everybody laugh. I was the class clown as they would call you.
Speaker 2:You can still get stuff done and be that.
Speaker 1:Right, and here's another thing that popped in my head. On that deck the other day was, there was this kid I'm going to call him Randy who was in high school. He was the epitome of irresponsibility, according to everybody else's perception. You know he got caught smoking weed behind the gym. He, you know he got suspended multiple times because he acted up, didn't do homework, blah, blah, blah, blah blah. But he was a really fun guy to be around, right. And I remember one time when he got in trouble in the hallway and our principal said, looked him dead in the eye and said you know, your life is going to be so rough if you don't straighten up. And he said my life's going to be as fun as I allow it to be. And he, of course he got in trouble for backtalking back to the principal and blah blah, blah, blah.
Speaker 1:You know what he is now. He's a multimillionaire, of course, and still the same guy. Yeah, um, and we, you know, like I, I went to, uh, my old high school and I stopped by and I seen the sign as I went by, because I'm not gonna say his last name, but there was this thing that said his last name oil company and supply. I was like, hmm, and it brought to my reality, is that is that him? And so I turn around on the highway and I turn and go back and I pull in and, sure enough, there he is still, the spitting image of what he looked like in high school, yeah, and I was like, well, hey, randy what is?
Speaker 1:going on. Is this yours? I mean, it was this huge company. He was in the last little suit and he was sitting there playing with legos on his desk. He wasn't creating a lego structure, yeah, and I was like, wow, what are you doing now? And he had started doing oil pipe supply and then ended up in the oil business and you know, he just he said, I just continue to follow my adventurous thoughts yeah, that's exactly what you know, because that's what I keep putting out there.
Speaker 2:If you continue to follow the next piece of joy or excitement, you'll get there step by step by step by step. And I actually asked him being serious or being responsible, piss off, he said. Send that out the window.
Speaker 1:I said so you know what kind of you know what are you doing next? What's after this? And he said nope, this is it for me. And he said I'm just going to sit here and play and enjoy life and work three days a week and still control my company, but I'm going to go have some fun. And that's what he does. I mean, he's got a pilot's license. We went to his house. He had this huge mansion and you know what? He created a basement and his entire basement was nothing but stuff for him to play around with. It was booze, ball tables, movie theater, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah this whole sabang.
Speaker 2:And so he wasn't living a life of I can have this or that, I can have it all, I can have this and that.
Speaker 1:Right. He said I live how did he put it that day. I think I live without restrictions of thought. Something he said, something to that extent. And then of course it was kind of cool to see him and hang out a little bit and listen to him, but it didn't really absorb into me. When I created my business and I created my company I was being too serious because that belief of being taught when I was a young kid by one of my uncles of you know was stuck in and embedded in there, braided right into my hair.
Speaker 2:It was.
Speaker 1:Yes, it was. I'm working on removing that. That's what I'm working on. That's what I'm trying to say. I'm wanting you to quit judging me. No, that's what I'm saying I'm working on. That's why it's in my reality is because I want to be that un.
Speaker 2:Irresponsible person.
Speaker 1:The unrestricted thought.
Speaker 2:I think that was a good way for him to. I challenge you to be irresponsible.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's you know. I want to get to that point of.
Speaker 2:Never face reality and be completely irresponsible. And see what happens.
Speaker 1:Well, maybe I'll get there. I'm trying, that's what I'm doing. I'm working on that.
Speaker 2:Anyway, I'm never facing reality and I'm always irresponsible.
Speaker 1:Well, I guess you create balance for me, but anyway I feel complete, do you feel? Complete, and I hope they got something out of this for me. I always feel complete. Do you feel complete? And I hope they got something out of this for me because this podcast was more about me, I think, than anybody, and I I hope that somebody got something out of it.
Speaker 2:Indeed, I'm sure they did so you feel complete, somebody did somewhere all right guys.
Speaker 1:Hey, don't forget to like, follow, share and let's see what do you do next ring that bell for when we upload new podcasts, and we appreciate you all listening and tuning in and don't forget to leave a comment if you want to check out our website, wwwthemerccentersorg. And we are on social media as at the Merck centers, and that is spelled M-E-R-C-C-E-N-T-E-R-S. And we are on social media as at the Merc Centers, and that is spelled M-E-R-C-C-E-N-T-E-R-S. And hey, y'all, y'all have an awesome day no-transcript.
