There Is Change Brewing In Ourselves and Our Nation

Last night was a busy one as we attended the Boulder Democratic Party Caucus.  The largest this gathering had been in the past was 20 people, last night there were 104 in our precinct and many more there in other precinct meetings.  The place was vibrant with aliveness as this was democracy in action.  From what I hear there has been very large turnouts across the country.  That was the other busy part of the evening, watching the results across the country on the evening news.  The voter turnout is such positive news because people feel like they need to get involved.  This president did one thing very well, he has stirred the masses to know positive leadership is needed now more then ever.   

I was elected to a position of representing my caucus for Obama at the county convention.  It seemed necessary that I get involved because I am fully committed to help make this world a better place.  The best place to start is in my community.  Involvement is essential for everyone one of us that is concerned about our nations future.  This is truly a critical time.  If there is not a change of direction, this country and the planet will continue in their downward slid.  

Anyway there is reason to be optimistic.  There is change in the air and we can be an active part of that change.  Here are the optimal conditions for you and I so that we can be positive agents of change:

•    Be open in your mind
•    Be open in your heart
•    Be willing to ask questions
•    Be open to the possibilities of the moment
•    Be receptive to you own inner guidance
•    Be receptive to exploring a variety of viewpoints
•    Be honest within and bring honesty to process
•    Be flexible
•    Be willing to listen with your heart
•    Be positive and optimistic
•    Be willing to focus on solutions
•    Be compassionate and kind
•    Be understanding
•    Be willing to stand up for what you believe in
•    Be courageous and push past fear
•    Be patient and trust the process
•    Be determined to do what it takes
•    Be disciplined and focused
•    Be free enough to enjoy the process
•    Be in touch with you feelings as a guide
•    Be willing to grow in the process
•    Be willing to take responsibility now, leave any blame behind
•    Be the change you want to see in the world

This list is to show you what is possible within each of us.  Yes we are all works in process, as is our nation.  The goal is for you and I to be our best to encourage positive change.

Hope to see you out there stirring things up and together we can create a better world for us and future generations.

SUPER TUESDAY

This is Super Tuesday for three reason around our home.  First it is my wife Bobbi’s birthday.  She is a true gift of love.  This is her special day and we are going to enjoy it together.  The second reason this is a super day is that we both are excited about participating in democracy and today are the Colorado Caucuses.  The third reason is that today Americans will let us know in many states who they want to be the next president.   Thankfully we are moving forward and soon to replace this hugely disappointing administration.  

Are you interested in the game of politics?  For some like myself who has been very involved in campaigning this is a very interesting time.  There is a great need for political reform at so many levels.  This political process is however the best we have for now.   I hope we the people bring more of the higher values of honesty, equal justice, compassion, campaign reform, election security, peace and understanding and much more to our democracy.  If you don’t like some of what is going on, get involved and make a difference.

Let’s talk about a forth reason this is Super Tuesday.  It is super because we are alive.   We have home to live in and computer to read this blog on.  We have each breath of this day and each heartbeat.  We have he love in our heart that is unlimited.  We have the love of those we share our lives with.  
We have this day moment after moment to:

• Love fully
• Enjoy and be happy
• Expand our perspectives
• Live with purpose
• Have compassion for others
• Imagine great things
• Accomplish our goals,
• Enjoy our inner stillness
• Open to opportunities
• Feel all that is inside of us
• Think about important matters
• Find our truth
• Learn new ideas
• Be well and fit
• Dream of what is possible and then make it our reality.

Yes this is Super Tuesday in so many ways.  Here’s to success for Senator Obama.  Here’s to a great day for you and for all those participating in democracy in action.

Happy Birthday My Love.

Critical Thinking Is Essential

I hope you had a good day yesterday.  I know the New York Giants did.  The results of the Super Bowl had to feel pretty exciting to many and very disappointing to others.  I was disappointed.  I feel happy for all those who had reason to celebrate and I feel compassion for those that didn’t have the results they has hoped for.  Feeling the ups and downs of life means you are alive.   That is a good thing.   

Today is the beginning of another week and what are you looking forward this week?  What are you intentions?  What results do you want to create?  How will you know if you are successful?  Yes as always I like to ask questions.  Questions stimulate the mind to access information and to spark critical thinking.  Critical thinking doesn’t mean being critical, it means fully examining the issues at hand in search of the truth.  The work of hunting for the truth is part of your and my journey in this lifetime.   Sometimes our hunting will take us on adventures that question our beliefs and help us see the light of a deeper understanding.  That is journey worth taking.   

Recently I wrote a blog about an article in a paper about the Catholic Church telling people that how they vote could affect their salvation.  I found that to be so absurd that I wrote a blog about it.  Again I asked questions of my readers and invited them to explore what the truth was for them.  I shared my truth about these ideas and I hoped to invite some critical thinking.  Now that blog has been turned into a video and it makes the points of the blog even more powerfully.  Check it out: Voting May Be Dangerous For the Afterlife.

Let me know what you think.  Are you willing to question the established power structures, the old beliefs, the ways things have traditionally been done before, all in search of the truth? This kind of critical thinking is necessary to stop future wars; to take care of our precious planet and its air and water; to bring honesty and integrity to all facets of our democracy; to have true compassion for those less fortunate; to be the person we want to be; and so much more that is possible in a world where citizens are conscious, aware and able to understand the truth.

Have a good week and prosper in love, joy, peace, freedom and abundance.  

Voting May Be Dangerous For the Afterlife; Part Two - A Video

I recently wrote this blog about voting and The Catholic Church of which I am recovering from.  My writing questioned the words of our leading Fathers.  I invite you to question too.  

Here is a video of that blog.  I get so jazzed about seeing these videos. 

I am very excited about the work of Soul TV and their kindness it supporting my work by doing this video.  Thank you Tayie and crew.  

Super Bowl and A Box of Chocolates

Today is Super Bowl Sunday.  I love sports but tend to feel like I am wasting time when I watch too much of it.  This game is fun because I enjoy watching competition at this level of excellence.  All the hype is so uninteresting to me but frankly the ads for the Super Bowl are almost as interesting as the game itself.  I will have several hours of entertainment on the one day I set aside to play and enjoy and to do little work.  I need these off days to recharge me for my on days.

I noticed all the experts make predictions for the final score for the game.  I am not an expert but I thought I would make my own prediction:  New England wins 31 to 17.  I can guess as well as anybody.

 
I hope you have a fun day today.  I trust if you don’t like football, then you will find something else to do.  As one of my favorite philosophers Forrest Gump says, “Life is box of chocolates.”  Today I choose to have the small pleasures of fun, working out, playing with our pup and enjoying some competition and creative ads.  What chocolates of life will you choose?

Have a great day.

Breathe And Be Present

It’s the weekend and I love to take it easy but not today.  I am excited about a couple of projects I am working on.  It seems as though I love to have projects.  I am the most productive if I have something that I can get accomplished, something with clear parameters.  

In November I wrote a novel and have gotten feedback and now am focused on revisions and some further editing.  Those tasks are about done.  Now I will have three people read it and edit it again and then I will take that feedback and make my final changes.  This is something I can do that I can see the results from.  Then I will most like self-publish and also look for an agent who would be interested in getting the book published.  All clear tasks I can accomplish.

My other project is to build more traffic to my blog and to our Peace Together site.  I have lots of ideas and can find many resources to help me with that task.  I will set time aside each day to make this project a success.  If by the way, you feel you get value from this blog, please do me a favor and forward my site to as many people as you know who might also benefit.  That would be a huge thank you from you to me.  

On the other end of the spectrum is my personal growth.  This life journey of mine is not so linear, not so easy to put into project chunks.  This is more about listening inward and being present in the moment.  Last night as I walked in meditation with  rambunctious winds and a beautiful starry night, I had a moment of clarity.  I have been traveling down this path in pursuit of consciousness and trying to be as fully self-realized as I can be.  Along the way I have explored many methods, ideas and practices all of which have enriched my life.  But last night, I understood very clearly as I looked into the heavens, I just need to breathe with awareness and be present in the moment.   Breathe and be present, what a wonderful set of doorways.  Either or both do the same thing.  When I am present I am open to living life as fully as is possible in each moment.  

Now I have explored and written about these ideas for many years, but in that moment I felt the truth of this insight in my soul.  I will now breathe with awareness and be present throughout my days.  Would you be interested in joining me in the moment?

How About A National Kindness Campaign?

It is February and I have kindness as a theme that keeps running through my mind and heart.  I have been watching and reading about politics lately and I keep on thinking that kindness and compassion are so needed in the world.  I know I have written about these ideas recently but I feel the inner calling to write more about kindness and compassion.

Kindness on the level of self and family makes everyone feel better.  Kindness in your community makes the community friendlier and more interactive.  Kindness on a national level has the potential to bring us all together.  Let me tell you how that can work.   First the heart is the key here.  Kindness as strategy developed by people in their minds will not work.  Kindness coming from our hearts can make a really big difference.  Think about healthcare and our nation being kind enough to make sure everyone is provided with the care they need.  Feel what it would be like if kindness was our major strategy for dealing with conflict.  

The only kind of killing I would favor is killing people with kindness.  The heart and understanding can always win out.  Yes I know I probably I go on about this too much but frankly I suspect everyone knows deep inside that kindness and compassion for others is a strategy that will work well.  

Let’s keep this simple and sit down and talk with people and all get along.  There has been enough posturing for eternity.  There has been enough ego-run power-seekers that we never every need anymore of them.   There has been enough heartlessness and ridiculous rationalization that we could easily live forever without anymore of such nonsense.  

I have linked compassion and kindness together here.  Compassion is love and understanding acting together.  Compassion is a form of kindness or is it that kindness is a form of compassion.  It doesn’t really matter.  What matters is that both can make a hugely positive difference in the world.  

I want to start a kindness campaign and see how many people in America can join together and make this nation great again and the help bring peace and prosperity to the entire planet through the flow of kindness.  Would you like to join me?  We could have a national/global kindness campaign and wakeup the hearts of everyone on the planet.

Let me know what you think.   Please share you ideas here on the blog about kindness.  

This Is The Start To Something Great

January is slipping through our fingers and February is knocking at the door.  How was the first month of 2008 for you?  Are you where you want to be as far as making this year your best ever?  I know I am not.  I have been struggling with a need for a better, more productive focus.  I have to make things happen in a more proactive way.  How about you,  are you focused and active in making things happen?

Maybe I needed a little challenge to stir my inner forces.   I feel like I am doing lots of positive things in the directions I want to go but the results are less then the spectacular I was hoping for.  Ok, that means it is time for me to take more action in ways that can stir things up.  Here is my plan:

•    Begin each day taking time to tune in and hear my intuition, my inner guidance as to the best actions to take.  
•    Then imagine the results I want, activating my mind, heart and senses.
•    Set up a plan for actions to be taken that day
•    Take the actions and feel how that feels to make thing happen
•    See what follow ups are necessary and do those
•    Set up a way to measure the results
•    At the end each day acknowledge the efforts and feel gratitude
•    During the day, eat healthy, workout, and take some time to continue growing through reading, creative expression, & be loving to those you care about
•    Do all of this daily 5-6 days per week, take at least one day off to play, relax and enjoy
•    Watch the positive results pour in.  

For 25 days (one day off per week) of February I will follow this plan and I invite you to do so also and then lets see what we kind of amazing results we can create.  I will keep you updated.  Please let me know how it goes with you.  

Speaking of updates my new puppy Pax is a total joy for my wife and I.  He is smart, energetic, and pure love in action.  What a wonderful blessing to have another companion like that in life.  My wife Bobbi and Pax fill my days with love.

Have a good end of the month and a great February.  This is the start of something great.  

Edwards Is Gone, What About Those He Spoke Up For?

John Edwards is pulling out of the presidential race today.  He was speaking up against the huge influence of corporate power in this country and also spoke to the needs of the less fortunate.  His ideas will be missed in the upcoming debates.
 
That got me thinking about the absolute importance of people speaking up for the issues that matter to them.  Who speaks for the less fortunate in our country?  Who looks out for the people in general?  Who pays attention to those who need health care?  Who says people matter more than special interests?  Who looks out for the earth?  Who speaks up for equal justice for all?  Who questions what is going on and is it for the greater good?  Who speaks for future generations?  Who cares about those that need compassion and understanding?  Who represents the agenda of love and kindness?  

That “who” would be you and I. There are many who speak for the big interests, the corporations, and the powerful organizations.  They have their way too often at a big cost to those in need, those less fortunate, those who seek to live by higher values instead of power and greed.  It is time for us to speak up and speak out.  That means finding an issue that you can get excited/passionate about and get involved.

I can see a number of issues that need us to be empowered citizens.  Which one of these matter most to you:

1.    Low cost Healthcare for everyone
2.    Earth-care for the planet
3.    Peace
4.    End torture
5.    Equal Justice for all
6.    Education
7.    Funding and Securing Elections
8.    Clean air and water
9.    End Hunger
10.  End influence in government
11.  Housing
12.  Diversity and Appreciation of Differences
13.  Urban Renewal
14.  Humane Treatment of Mental Health and Recovery  Issues
15.  Humane Care For Animals
16.  Prison Reform
17.  Social Justice
18.  Consumer Protection
19.  Safety In The Workplace
20.  Freedom of Speech and The Right of Dissent
21.  Poverty
22.  Separation of Church and State
23.  Conflict of Interests
24.  Adult Education, Literacy, Retraining
25.  Innovations for Energy

These are just a few of the issues that need our attention, our speaking up, our advocacy, our energy, our focus, our time, our resources.  What matters too you is where you need to put your energy for all of us and for future generations.  Let’s consider those that will take our place on the planet and then the ones for the next seven generations.
You passion is needed today and your action is needed for tomorrow.  

Your Feedback and Full Expression Is Requested

My goal for the second year of my blogging is to continue to grow.  I want to be of more service to my readers; generate more traffic to the site; and have more comments.  In February my blog will be one year old and I am excited by all the positive responses I have received.  My goal was and is to encourage and inspire people to enrich their lives and together make this world a better place.   I want to ask for feedback about how I can to continue to improve.  Your responses would be greatly valued.  You can leave your feedback in the comment section below or email me at ExploreLifeBlog@inbox.com.   

Which topic areas are you most interested in:
On a piece of paper, in an email, or in the comment section below, please rate the topics on a scale of 1 to 5,  1 (very interested) to 5 (not interested)  
Self-development _____
Spirituality and Consciousness _____
Success Strategies  _____
Living Creatively _____
Inspirational and Intuitive _____
Observations of Life _____
Observations of Nature _____
Health Ideas for Mind, Body and Emotions _____
Peace _____
Progressive Politics _____
Social Activism _____
Other suggestions ___________________________________

Your feedback is welcomed and very much appreciated.  

As you well know if you have read this blog, I am passionate about life, love, peace, consciousness, compassion, creativity, freedom, success, purpose, and making a positive difference in the world.   I want to leave you with a thought today about you and your power to make a difference.

There is within you on a particle level some of Socrates, Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, Buddha, Alexander the Great, Gandhi, Martin Luther King and every other great and inspirational leader.  You cells contain the entire history of humankind.  You heart has the wisdom of eternal love.  Your consciousness contains the consciousness of all of life ever.  Your soul is a direct link to the Great Creator.   Yes, you have all that and more yet to be understood and explored.  Yes, you are well prepared and fully equipped to live your purpose in ways that can transform us all.

You at your amazing best are needed today in the world.  We are all in great anticipation of your full expression.      

Pax, Peace and Love

This weekend something really special happened, we got a wonderful dog from the Humane Society here in Boulder.   About 14 months ago we lost our last dog who was very precious.  My wife began to check the websites of the various dog shelters the last three months and we finally found a dog we wanted and he was right in our community.  We named him Pax, which means Peace.  He is a six-month-old Otterhound mix.  He has a wonderful disposition and already is learning new ways of behaving.  My wife has trained her past dogs and we both got several books to read on the best training methods.  Pax has really enriched are lives already with his happy, spunky and loving ways.  

I was noticing how my heart, has already been touched by this wonderful little guy.   I feel grateful to have my heart open up even more.   He had been a runaway and I just can’t believe someone let this beautiful little puppy get away.  This breed is known for their strong character and maybe he decided where he was at, wasn’t what he wanted.  He seems very content here.  My wife and I are very happy to have him join our family.

Do you have a pet?  How do they enrich your life?  If you are feeling like you have room to give more love, then your local humane society or shelter is a place you need to go visit.   Just walking through the place will open you up to feelings that may have gone quiet in you.  I have gone to several shelters in the last few weeks and was surprised to see such a wonderful variety of dogs and so many personalities.  I am sure there is one there waiting for you.  

This all brings me to what feels most important to me; being a loving, open, giving, receiving, kind and compassionate human being.  The world needs lots of people like you and I: people who want to love and understand; people who care about people and other living things; people who are open in mind and heart to the uniqueness and diversity of others; people who understand that we are all connected at a deep level; and people who are aware enough to know that true joy and happiness comes from an open heart.  

I will keep you updated about Pax the Peace Dog (he just stopped by for a visit and to say hi and then ran back upstairs to play some more with his toys) as our relationship with him grows and as we learn from each other.  Have a good week and enjoy the love you have in your life.

The Higher Laws of Money and Attraction

Yes money is important if you have things you want to do, places to see, support you want to give, investments you want to make and life you want to explore.  You can do many positive things with money.  There are numerous money principles out there and lots of money experts.  There are many books, ideas and people you can checkout for more information. Here is a quick review of the higher laws of money and attraction; if you implement these laws an abundant flow will come more richly into your life.

1.    Believe there is enough abundance in the universe for you to have what you want.   That belief will set you going forward to attracting the life and money you desire.
2.    Appreciate what you already have.  An attitude of gratitude is a powerful money magnet.  If you love what you have more will come your way.
3.    Have a clear sense of what you want the do with more money.  Imagine your life with an extra $10,000, $100,000 or $1,000,000.  How would you use that money to enrich your life and/or make the world a better place?
4.    Believe you deserve, that you add value to the world.  The more you help, the more you give, the more heart you put into what you do the more the money will flow.   Money flows where the thoughts go.
5.    Living with purpose is a strong money magnet.  You have a specific mission(s) in life and as you explore and express that, you open yourself to the flow of the universe, which wants to supply you to help you be successful.
6.    Listen to the inner guidance of you intuition and higher self.  That guidance within can lead you to the abundance you desire.  Ask your inner knowing, “How can I better serve others and have a rich flow of money for doing so?”
7.    Open your heart, be receptive and allowing when it comes to love and money.  The heart is a big money attractor.  As you open to love and giving, the flow to what you desire opens too.
8.    Be willing to trust, take risks, give to receive, focus your intention, move past fear, think big, feel fully, and push yourself through to the finish line.  You being you fully will make wonderful things happen.

These ideas when implemented will generate as powerful results as you make a commitment to creating.  Live, love and prosper.    

We Are The Ones That Must Stop The War

How long must the war go on in Iraq?  The estimates of 150,000 to 500,000 Iraqis who have died would all still be alive now if we had not been lied into this war by an administration that was driven by power and greed.  How about the now close to 4000 American soldiers that have died who would still be alive today and the over 10,000 permanently damaged soldiers who simply followed the misguided orders of those in the White House.  Then what about the awful way many veterans have been taken care of and the numerous suicides from all their mental anguish?

Sorry for the heaviness today but I have to ask these questions because we are allowing this war to continue.  Our elected officials have not represented us in Congress by allowing this war to happen and now go on without any end in sight.   It is up to us.  I am outraged by this war as I am sure many of you are.  I cannot find it my mind or heart any reason for it to have happened.  Sure there has been much rationalization about the War but that is just trying to make it Ok when it is not in anyway Ok.  

War too me is always about ego gone wrong and this is no exception.   I say it is time now to speak up without ceasing to every elected official in the land that we demand the end to this murder we are committing for no good reason.  If we are a Christian nation, why don’t we act like one and stop the killing.  No God would ever support war.  War is murder.

How come the debate about the war in the primaries has disappeared?  I would guess, there is either too much shame or arrogance to admit we have a terrible mess and we are part of reason it has happened.   The Republican group of candidates all blindly support the President showing no minds of their own and apparent lack the hearts to be courageous.  Ron Paul has spoken up in that group but many of his other ideas are so crazy that he is negated.

Please!!! join me and everyone else who opposes this war and together we must figure out a way to bring it to an end and not wait the rest of 2008 to make that happen.   This politicized war must be taken out of the rhetoric and brought back to, all those being held accountable for not stopping it in the first place and now allowing it to continue.  Our elected officials represent us in theory and if we demand the end to the War they must follow our demands or be voted out of office.  

Those that oppose this war, find a peace organization to get active in.  I started my own called Peace Together and we are taking small steps to get people to speak out for peace.  It is time we all evolve past the need to dominate, to let our ego’s run over our hearts’ and our souls’ higher knowing.   Peace is possible in our hearts.  

Giving To Make A Difference

Yes you can make a difference.  I wanted to write today to bring some optimism to the idea that our world needs some help.  Our planet is hurting, many people on the planet have far less than we do, there are conflicts going on in the Middle East and Africa, and there is unrest in many places.  If we look at all the unrest and sturggles, it can seem overwhelming and you may think you are powerless to do anything.  That thought of powerlessness is not accurate.  There are many things you and I can do:

• We can give our time to causes we want to support
• We can give money for support
• We can listen and give supportive feedback
• We can ask questions and search for the truth
• We can give kindness, compassion and love
• We can explore and encourage personal freedom
• We can invite consciousness, insight and awareness
• We can seek understanding
• We can explore and encourage peaceful thoughts and actions
• We can explore and encourage health, mind/body/emotions/spirit
• We can explore and encourage happiness
• We can explore and encourage self-acceptance
• We can explore and encourage giving & receiving
• We can explore and encourage creativity
• We can explore and encourage expanded viewpoints
• We can explore and encourage living with purpose & passion
• We can explore and encourage living with intention & commitment
• We can explore and encourage success & prosperity
• We can explore and encourage relaxation and self-care
• We can explore and encourage intuition & inner knowing
• We can explore and encourage meditation & being quiet
• We can explore and encourage self-realization
• We can be supportive friends
• We can be inspired leaders
• We can be optimistic and encouraging about life
• We can lend a hand and give words of support
• We can believe in our uniqueness and everyone else’s
• We can accept differences and appreciate diversity
• We can speak for the concerns of the Earth
• We can speak for the concerns of future generations
• We can be peaceful inside
• We can be on a mission to make the world a better place
• We can explore and encourage living in the moment where everything is possible

I hope you have found this list helpful.  Add to it to represent what you uniquely have to offer.  Now is the time to start making a difference.  Look around; is there any doubt in your mind and heart that you are needed in the world?  Can you hear the calling/mission/purpose in you waiting to be expressed?  

Love Powers the Universe

I want to share with you some images, insights and ideas about the power of love.  This power of love is within you and all of creation.  The source of that love is your heart, the hearts of all living things and the Heart of the Universe (God, Great Spirit, Source, Great Creator, Allah or whatever you call the source).  Today I will refer to all this love as Source Love.  Please call this universal love whatever feels right to you.  

So here are a few images I invite you to play with today.  The universe is powered by love.  All that fuels the universe is love.  All that keeps you alive and all living things alive is love.  All that holds the planets in orbit is love.  All that keeps your atoms and particles in place is love.  All that holds your family together is love.  All that holds your community together is love.  All that holds your nation together is love.  All that holds the Earth together is love.  All that heals any disease in you, your community, your nation or your planet is love.  Are you getting the picture here, that love is the most powerful force in the universe?

Love is a great magnet, the force for good, the light needed for understanding, the compassion of giving, the way of caring for each other and ourselves.  Love is the creative source of all things.  Love is the source of expansion we all desire.  Love is the source of all abundance, of all of nature, of all joy, of all kindness, of all consciousness, of all wisdom, of all success, of all peace, of all freedom.  Would you like to be one with this source that powers the universe?  Of course you would.

I invite you to take a little time today and everyday to sit quietly with your heart and connect to it and then expand your connection to include the Source of All Love.  Let the feeling and energy of love expand in you so that you feel the Source of all love is within and around you.  Let your love shine throughout the day.  You are love, feel it expand it, give it, and open to receive it.

Do you now understand the power of love?  Please share your understanding of love by leaving a comment below. 

All problems in you, your life and on the planet can be healed with love.

If you want to live in amazement, live in love and feel the joy of such a life.

You Are Something Bigger

I have some things to share today I think you might find interesting.  This morning I finished a novel I very much enjoyed.  I have always been drawn to stories that tap into a higher place in me.  Breakfast With Buddha by Roland Merullo is one of those kind of books.  Merrullo is an excellent storyteller and his main character seems to think and feel in ways that seem real to me.  In this novel the character telling the story finds himself traveling back to the place of his birth with a very interesting travel companion, an Eastern European Monk.   How they interact and have fun together is joy of exploration and journey of opening. Merullo’s other novel I also enjoyed is called Golfing With God.  

Another sharing I have is a website called Stumble Upon.  I love this site because you can go there and let the universe present you with an endless array of information via other sites.  I go to Stumble Upon when I need to stir my imagination, get ideas, or open to a bigger flow of creativity, guidance and thinking outside the box.  I have Stumble Upon on my navigation bar now because I enjoy visiting it so much.  

Next I want to share a bit more of my inner journey hoping it resonates with you.  I have seen some things about myself that I want to question.  When I do the questioning I have been surprised by some of what I learn.  One is that I tend to be harder on myself and see how old messages run me.  Another is that if I get past the judgment, I often get a glimpse of myself as being more expansive than I give myself credit.  That is a pleasant discovery.  I also have been reminded by this inner tune-up that I very much enjoy the exploration of myself as a way to be more self-realized.   I feel like this self-exploration is so essential to me at many levels.  You know, the stuff of purpose, passion and the meaning of life.  

I will make this sharing of my journey more a part of my blog as I learn and grow.  Please take the opportunity to also see that my journey is the human journey and most likely relevant to you own path through the challenges, possibilities and potholes of life.  

If something I write resonates with you please leave a comment so myself and my readers can benefit.  If I am banging my head against the door in search of insight and you have the key, please let me know what you know.  I feel ultimately that I want to be as conscious a human being as I can be.  The more we all step into our light the brighter the future for the planet.

I want to end with the words of the traveling monk in the story I started the blog with today:  “There are people,” he said, “who are past being hurt, beyond being hurt.  You should know this is true.  You should try to become one of those people, to make an understanding with yourself that you are not your body, that you are something bigger.  That is your work on this Earth, do you see?  Every experience here is to teach you to do that.  Living, dying, every experience.”  

Trusting Your Other Ways of Knowing

How are things going for you so far in 2008?  Have you got your focus going?  What is getting in the way from taking your life to the next level?  There are lots of questions you can ask yourself but for now let’s put your thinking on the back burner and feel what is going on inside.  What has your heart, your gut, you inner knowing, your senses been trying to tell you lately?  I ask this because if you just count on your thinking to get you going successfully you are not going to have the results you want.  

First let’s look at your heart.  Your heart feels open when you are going in the right direction.  If it feels closed down and protected then you need to look for ways to redirect yourself.  The heart is telling you when you are moving toward the higher state of expansion or when you are backing away towards what is safe and familiar.   The ego protecting heart always chooses the safer path.  The urge toward realization and expansion in your heart is the call towards all that is possible in you.

Your stomach/gut is another checkpoint worth paying attention to when wanting to move forward in life.  Again the tightness or looseness is part of the reading of the gut instinct.  If you tighten in your stomach fear is there, wanting you to be cautious.  If you feel relaxed in the stomach than you know you are ok with the direction you are heading.  The gut instinct will often present you with more reliable feedback than your ever-chaotic mind is capable of giving.

The inner knowing within you is more of a general sense of things.  It is not necessarily located in any particular part of your body but is more a whole body experience or feels like guidance from your higher self or your spirit.  This larger knowing is best paid attention to in times when you quiet down enough to hear what is trying to guide you.  You will find this type of guidance is always available if you are willing to take the time to listen.  I find journaling works the best of me to tune in to this knowing.  

Lastly there is the feedback of your senses.  You eyes open to messages as you pass through your day.  Things like signs appear, words jump out at you, or pictures give you messages you wouldn’t have seen before.  You sense of hearing can also more acutely pick up words, phrases, songs and other auditory guidance.  You sense of smell can tell you when things are safe or dangerous.  You can smell trouble or opportunity in the air.  The sense of touch/feeling can also be very helpful.  You can feel the energy around situations and people.  When you get cold hands you may be closing down to protected.   Touching another will let you know how receptive they are to connecting with you.  Even you taste can let you know when things are turning sour on you or tasting like a sweet situation.

I hope awareness of these totally accessible feedback systems will provide you with the guidance you need for creating the life you want.   As you let yourself explore how helpful these inner ways of knowing can be, you will learn to trust them even more.  With trust the messages will be even clearer and before long you will find yourself guided when and wherever you need it.

Journey well today as you listen to all that is wanting to guide you.   Let me know if I can be of assistance.

For A Nation To Be Great

The United States is a country that is full of opportunity.  Many people in this country proudly believe we are the greatest nation on the planet.  Martin Luther King believed in America but he also challenged some of its ways.  He was a great spokesperson for the higher path of peace, freedom and justice.  Now days there needs to be others who will take up the call to challenge this country and other nations to raise themselves up by living according to the higher laws of compassion, freedom, equality and peace.  The following is a list of ideas that will help America grow great again:

1.    Make the tax laws fair so the rich pay their share
2.    Stop subsidizing oil, corporate farms, military-industrial complex, the wealthy, and everyone else who is given an unfair advantage by these policies
3.    End the huge mistake called the war in Iraq immediately
4.    Become peaceful inside and start listening to your heart
5.    Make sure every American has affordable health care
6.    Stop all programs that are involved in domestic spying
7.    Get rid of the enemies list of Americans put together by the White House
8.    Stop putting so many Americans in prison
9.    Make all elections free of money influence, free access to radio and TV and federal funding is a good place to start
10.    Make sure every vote is counted and there is a paper trail for all voting machines
11.    Do not allow torture for any reason, ever, by our country
12.    Require all politicians to tell the truth or they are removed from office
13.    Demand that there by total transparency in government, end the practices of secrecy
14.    Hold all elected official accountable for debt they create
15.    Have education as a priority by making it about bringing out the best in all students
16.    Join the world community instead of acting superior to it
17.    Become the leading nation in protecting the environment
18.    Hold corporations accountable to their communities and for the good of the people instead of profits
19.    End judicial appointments due to political ideology, demand impartiality
20.    Make sure that all people are equally represented by the laws of this country
21.    Always be on the lookout for those who would take away our freedom through promoting fear and in the name of security
22.    Eliminate the Federal Reserve and replace it with something that is regulated by the people
23.    Stop spreading hate on our airwaves, stop listening to those that speak of other human beings in unkind and judgmental ways
24.    Stop watching news that is based on sensationalism and fear
25.    Avoid watching TV shows that are mindless and instead stimulate your mind to think more expansively
26.    Become a truly compassionate nation where the people and their well-being is the top priority

This list gives us much to work on as a nation.  A healthy country is one that knows it must continue to grow and improve in every way it can.  

I Am New In the Now

It is a cold sunny morning here like it most morning during the winter.  As I write this I am preparing myself to go out for a run and try to keep from getting too chilled in the process.  Sometimes doing what you know is best for you takes a lot of effort.   This past week or so of inner work has left me feeling a little overwhelmed at times and also excited about the insights I have been gaining.  This morning I will take more time in the exploration for my inner freedom from self-limitation.  

When I am all stirred up inside and my thoughts are running around looking for connections to other streams of understanding, I often turn to reading for ways to sort out what is unclear.  This morning I would like to share with you some quotes that are uplifting.  I am ready to be taken higher and I thought you might enjoy the same.   Have a wonderful day and let your love shine.

My identity as a human being has created human experiences; my identity as a spiritual being creates experiences of love and fulfillment – true success.    John Randolph Price

Whatever you pay attention to will grow
Nothing is random – your life is full of signs and symbols
Your inner awareness is always evolving
The directions of life is from duality to unity
If you open yourself to the force of evolution, it will carry you where you want to go.   Thoughts from Deepak Chopra

Eternity is now.  By learning to “lose track of time” through present focus, we begin to discover hidden dimensions to everyday experiences, which have always been there for us, but have been veiled by our being time-bound.  This moment is a doorway into eternity.   Ram Dass

Something living, something real is taking place in everything.
Chogyam Trungpa

The dreamer and his dream are the same . . . the powers personified in a dream are those that move the world.  
Joseph Campbell

I am new in the now.   Penny Peirce
 

Ideas That Inspire

I have had Martin Luther King on my mind lately.  I remember the energetic force he was and how people were lifted up by his words and ideas.  The power of motivating and inspiring people is a wonderful gift.  Words and ideas have always lifted me up and invited me to think bigger and to be more open in my heart.  I want to share with you today some ideas that have inspired me:

• That each of us has an unlimited potential
• That our thinking when focused on the positive can make our life a joy to live
• That there is no limit to the creativity within us
• That within us is the collective wisdom and consciousness of the whole human race
• That we were all created in the likeness of the Infinite Source, The Divine, God, Higher Power
• That we have within us the capacity to heal all illness
• That the words and ideas in you and I are inspirational as the words and ideas in Martin Luther King
• That our capacity to love is so expansive that we could love every living thing on the planet and still have more love to give
• That our breath if deepened can take us into advanced states of relaxation and higher consciousness
• That our ability to visualize can actually shape our world and manifest our desires
• That our energy centers called chakras have the capacity to enrich our lives in many more ways than most people realize.
• That our spirit is our life force and this force existed before our birth and will continue forever after our life ends
• That our body is an incredible creation that can sense emotions, digest food, activate our immune system, feel the lunar influence, think complex thoughts and so much more all while dancing across the floor, painting a picture, laughing out loud or whatever we are up to
• That we can feel emotions that expand us or cause us to contract almost every moment
• That we can imagine the most amazing life or we think ourselves into a life of fear and blame
• That we can choose to be about as happy as we want to be
• That if we learn to follow our bliss, our lives will be a joy to live and an inspiration to others
• That our capacity for listening can help us have compassion for the suffering of others
• That in us is an intuitive guiding force that can always show us the way to happiness
• That in the silence of the moment all is made available to us that we could ever need
• That a sense of gratitude for how wonderful of a life we have will create more for us to be grateful for
• That to know your higher self will set you free to fully express all that you are
• That each of us has a unique purpose that has the power to change the planet
• That every person has within him or her the light of inspiration that can shine out across the Earth
• That living in the moment opens endless opportunities to create the life you want
• That giving to others always makes you feel better
• That within each of us is the ability to allow whatever we want to come into our lives
• That books with expansive ideas can invite the best in the reader to come out into the world
• That a creative design, a wonderful painting, a thoughtful poem or an inspirational song can show us how much we have inside of us waiting to be expressed
• That today is filled with everything you need to be a happy, loving and an inspired human being
• That we are all one 

 Play with, explore, and enjoy these ideas.