Leap Year, Poverty, Wealth and Giving

This week has an extra day on Friday.  Leap day should be set aside for fun.  If you don’t have plans to have fun on that day, I suggest you make plans and enjoy.  

Now on a more serious note, I was reading Paul Krugman’s column this morning and he was reporting on research about how children who grow up in poverty often have negative effects on cognitive development.  Is there really any reason in a nation as rich as ours for people to be living in poverty?  The article stated that over 17% of our nation is below the poverty level.  That means 17% don’t have the same opportunities as most of us.  Think of all the very rich and how much they could give to help everyone have an equal chance.

I have written several articles on having a Billionaire Heart here at my blog.  A billionaire heart is one that fully realizes their compassionate capacity and just keeps on giving to make the world a better place.  Even you and I can have billionaire hearts.  Our inner capacity for giving is unlimited.  We can give love to everyone in wonderful amounts.  Having lots of money is great for giving.  Money has the power to make things happen.  If you had millions and billions of dollars you could make a lot of positive things happen.

If you really want to feel good about yourself and your life, find more ways to give.  You can give: kindness, listening, time, money, understanding, acceptance, compassion, caring, ideas, and much more.  Giving always comes back to you in ways that enrich your life.  The more you give the more you receive.

I hope you have a really fulfilling and successful week.  Please let you heart shine when the opportunity suggests itself.  There will be real opportunities in many moments of your day.  You will feel glad you did and the world will be better off through your efforts.  

"It is right in your face.  This moment, the whole thing is handed to you."   YangWu

Opportunities In This Moment

How are you doing today?  I am fighting off something that has me congested and feeling achy.  I will keep my blog brief today so I can hurry my recovery by getting lots of rest.  When I feel this way I often tend to go inward as if to rally my inner resources.  The body naturally is healthy and when invaded by unhealthy particles, the good guys win out.  Please hold a healing imagine in your mind to assist my quick return to optimal health.  

I have been following my “breathe and be present” formula now for about a month and I must say it feels like I am heading in the right direction.  The world is so full of stuff going on that if you and I are to succeed we must be present to our own knowing and to what the world is sending our way.  There is in each moment an unlimited supply of opportunities.  Opportunities like:
•    A time to connect with a love one
•    A moment to appreciate all that you have
•    A sense of wonder about who you are
•    A realization that you long to express more of yourself
•    A knock at your door of possibilities waiting to come in
•    An expression of purpose that is unique to you
•    A smile of joy for being alive
•    An urge to be creative
•    An image of the future you want to manifest
•    A calling to express something yet unexpressed within
•    A simple enjoyment of the moment
•    An insight that sheds light on something you wanted to understand
•    A noticing of an emotions that needs to be expressed
•    A call from your soul that wants to get you back on course
•    A desire from a family member to connect to you
•    A reaching out to someone who needs a good listener
•    An impulse to do an act of kindness
•    An investment idea to create a passive stream of income
•    A desire to open your heart
•    A new thought that opens your mind
•    A connection to Source that uplifts you
•    A urge to call a friend who needs you
•    A desire to connect to more people
•    An awareness of your connection to all beings
•    A vividness of sight that enlivens the colors and patterns of life around you
•    And so much more.

Would you like to join me I the moment?   

Questions That Need To Be Asked

As I read through the newspaper and my Internet sources, I am always stirred by what is going on.  There are so many things to question.  How come people don’t pay attention or are they feeling helpless?  We are not helpless, we have the power to make positive changes but we have to speak up and ask questions. Here are my questions for today:

1.    Did you know the Drug Trade Lobby spent more than $22 million in 2007 to influence those in Congress?  What do you think happened to proposals that would lower drug prices and reduce drug advertising?  Dropped.  Should money be allowed to dictate policy in this country?
2.    Did you hear that John McCain claims he does not receive money from special interests groups?  Did you also read that there are 59 lobbyists now involved in raising funds for his campaign?
3.    Did you read that the security forces stopped checking for guns an hour before Barack Obama was to give a talk in Dallas, Texas (of all places) as thousands came to hear him speak?  The Secret Service is supposed to protect him but they pulled the security forces.
4.    Did you read about KBR, a part of the Halliburton/Cheney war machine, has had huge profits from the war using kickbacks to get contracts and stealing from the American taxpayers?  How come they get no-bid contracts?  Have you heard of conflict of interests?
5.    Have you been paying attention and noticed now almost 4000 soldiers have died in Iraq and hundreds of thousands are permanently damaged by the traumas they have experienced?  Many feel abandoned by the government when they return home and need help.
6.    Are we finally witnessing the hopeful end to the so-called religious rights attempt to dominate politics?  The force- feeding of their point of view is so full of hypocrisy.
7.    Are you comfortable with the US government listening in on your cell phone calls and monitoring your activities?  Does it feel like we are slowing slipping toward a police state to you?
8.    Do you know who owns your newspaper and what their political agenda is?   The conservatives are always blaming the liberal media.  The fact is the conservatives own most of the media outlets.  Rupert Murdoch owns the Wall Street Journal so you know there is a heavy political agenda behind what they write.  

Just a few things to think about as you decide how much you want to care about America and where we are heading.

Tomorrow I will write something more uplifting.  Sundays are days for rest and inspiration.  In the mean time keep your mind and heart open to finding your truth.

Could It Be This Simple?

Yesterday after I wrote and posted on my blog about freedom I came upon a very interesting article in Ode Magazine.  The article was written by Byron Katie, a very thoughtful teacher of consciousness.  Her books are based on the questions we need to ask ourselves to be happy and free.   Here are her some of her thoughts that seemed simple and powerful to me: “I discovered that when I believe my thoughts, I suffer, but that when I didn’t believe them, I didn’t suffer and this is true for every human being.  Freedom is as simple as that.  I found that suffering was optional.”

Suffering is optional.  Now that is a very expansive thought and totally liberating.  All you and I have to do is stop believing our thoughts.  Instead of accepting our endless parade of thoughts as real, all we have to do is question them and that sets up free.  Katie’s ideas are so worth exploring.   Take the time to pick up one of her books or go to her website called The Work.  

This article is an excellent reminder of how much we shape our experience by what we think about.  Our thinking can take us down the winding road of blaming, complaining, feeling angry and upset just by the spin our mind puts on what is happening.  We have the power to make our life miserable just by our thoughts.  

The good news is we can change our thoughts, we can question them and feel much better.  The even better news is, according to Katie, that underneath all these thoughts we carry with us is and endless flow of joy.  So what we need to do is get past our thoughts and find our higher nature, which is full of joy and freedom.   Now that sounds like a great vacation from the nonsense of our mind.  

In review, stop believing your thoughts and you will be much happier.  Could it be that simple?  Why don’t you find out?

Become the Source Of Your Own Freedom

Today I am back on schedule with writing my blog.  The last few busy days have been a real joy to participate with others in growing what we each have a passion for.  I like the idea that our passions, our sense of unique purpose can be essential guides for directing us toward the most wonderful of lives.  The phrase, “You create your own life” is stated often in the self-development circles of influence.  This statement means you and I are responsible for the world we create and the sooner we acknowledge that inside, at a deep level of awareness, the quicker we take conscious charge of how we want to shape our lives.

Taking responsibility means we listen inward and hear what is guiding us, hear the forces of desire, passion and purpose.  These guiding forces, when paid attention to, can show you where you need to go and what you need to do.  If you follow where you know you need to go, you will create happiness and success.  If you don’t, you will feel dissatisfied, unhappy and less and less in touch with yourself.

True personal freedom comes from making the choices that matter to you and following through to create the life you are here to live.  Settling for making a living doing what you can tolerate instead of going after what you want will never be satisfying.  Each day you choose to pursue the life you want, or you choose to get by, make do, and exist more out of fear than from a place of empowerment.  

Here are 10 powerful ways to manifest your personal freedom:
1.    Listen to what, you know in your heart, you are to do
2.    Follow you inner knowing and don’t stop until you arrive at your destination
3.    Say “no” to fear by acknowledging it and then courageously going forward
4.    Follow and express your own unique purpose as if your life depended on it
5.    Take each day as an opportunity to grow and move toward greater success
6.    Ignore the inner critic and grow your internal dialogue to be accepting, supportive, and encouraging
7.    Be willing to take full responsibility for you life and how you create it
8.    See yourself as a positive force for good in the world enhancing the lives of those you serve
9.    Follow your highest values and live according to what you know is right for you
10.    Make being conscious and compassionate the two ways you interact with the world and you will experience true freedom

It seems I am in a list mode lately.  Lists are great for getting points across in simple clear ways.  I hope you find these ideas helpful.  Please leave a comment below about what points are most important to you and if you want a private consultation drop me an email at explorelifeblog@inbox.com.

Can You Hear The Sound of Success Growing?

Another full day and things went very well at the Whole Foods product show.  It appears there is interest in our peace t-shirts.   We are excited about that possibility.  The other products we saw there were amazing and we met so many interesting people.  My wife and I both had the thought that we need to get out more.  One of the people we met is a lavender farmer in Boulder County.  Lavender is a very healing plant and this guy has some great products.  I don’t know if you have ever had the privilege to walk through a lavender farm.  It is a sensory bath of joyous smells.  I suggest you make plans to visit a lavender farm in late summer and enjoy. 

Now I want to say a few words about the joy of success Barack Obama is having after his 9th and 10th primary victory in a row.   The voter turnouts in these primaries have been huge and there is a ground swell for change flowing across the nation.   Change is needed and we the people will have to let the next president know what we want and expect.  I can feel a new era is on the way.  I feel hopeful that this new era will be about:

•    A return of the people to power in this country
•    A return of compassion and heart to government
•    A return to higher values  
•    A movement toward joining the world community instead of acting superior
•    A realization that our Planet needs to be cared for by us
•    A time of people coming together for the common good
•    A time for people to explore their shared hopes, dreams and desires
•    A time for progress forward toward a more sustainable future
•    A time for movement toward clean energy independence
•    A time for health care for all citizens
•    A time for the world citizens to put those that threaten us on notice that they cannot win because we are not afraid
•    A time for peaceful engagement and solution finding
•    A time to remove the money influence from elections and government
•    A time for corporations to serve us and become partners to the power of the people
•    A time to move toward ending the nuclear threat by the US leading the way in disarmament
•    A time for ideas to be explored and new technology to be invented that will make all of our lives better
•    A time to return to the Bill of Rights and end the government intrusion into the private lives of our citizens
•    A time to return honesty to the political process
•    A time to secure voting accuracy through a paper trail
•    And many more positive things, which are waiting for us to help make them happen.

I hope you feel the same optimism I do.  We can all make a difference.  

Whole Foods and An Interesting Story

It has been a very busy day.  I spent most of it at a Whole Foods event for perspective vendors.  Whole Foods is a very value driven company and is looking to partner with local vendors to expand their product lines.  They want to help local businesses grow so they can grow.  As I listen to how they partner with vendors, I thought this is a company that is committed to quality and to caring for people and the Earth.  This is who I would love to carry the Peace t-shirts we have designed which are organic cotton or bamboo shirts made sweatshop free.   I am excited about the product show tomorrow where we show our designs.

My wife Bobbi and I are fully committed to working for peace and have designed these shirts to help people express their support for peace.  All the shirts have positive messages because we think peace comes from being peaceful and focused on the positive changes we want to see happen in the world.  You and I are needed to make peace possible.  Checkout our shirts at: www.Peace-Together.com.

I want to also share with you a very interesting StumbleUponvideo passed on to us by a friend who knew we would very much appreciate this person’s talk.  This talk expresses so much about the importance of appreciating and living live fully.  Please enjoy and I will write more tomorrow after I come back from the product fair.  

Remember that you are just as amazing as this person sharing his story.  Please take his story and allow it to lift your story even higher.  

Let’s Build A New Model Together

"You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete." R. Buckminster Fuller

I came upon this quote while wondering about the Web and I thought there is great wisdom in this quote from one of the great alternative thinkers.  I want to talk about change on two levels today.  I want to explore change on an inner level, that is growing and changing ourselves.   I want to also explore changing and enhancing our nation and the planet.  

As a therapist/counselor/coach I have worked intensely with people and myself on personal awareness and growth for over 30 years.  Building a new model for individual success and happiness involves some radical steps away from all the family, educational social, and religious conditioning we received growing up.  Most of us received a big stack of faulty beliefs, ideas, and limits tossed in with a whole slew of confusing emotional responses.  This programming was done with the best of intentions but reflects the limited nature of our role models and life examples.   You and I learned a variety of ways of being in the world that reflect the limits of the ideas, belief etc. of those who taught us directly or indirectly.  Much of what we learned was about: being not ok, guilty, sinful, have to fit in, be afraid, compliance, don’t be selfish, the badness of desire, not deserving, keep quiet, stay invisible and too many other ideas.   These are all part of the model we live now.  Building a new model is a tall order.  I will write more about this in the coming weeks.

Then there is our broken nation with leaders who are dishonest, without hearts and very dysfunctional, buried under the weight of influence, seeking approval from the voters but driven more by the need for more campaign funds.  All of them stuck in their own limited model of what is possible.  Presently the battle of fear, power and greed is dictating policy and the people are left to be spied on, many without medical coverage, and treated as if they don’t really matter.  Government is no longer run by or for the people but instead the forces of oil, insurance, military-industrial complex, banking, profit motives for corporations, and other mega influences now run the show.  This model of power hunger is starving the life out of democracy.  I will also write more about this in the coming weeks of this presidential election year.

There is much to do both in ourselves and on our planet.  The new models need to be constructed but first we must do a deep soul search to be fully aware of what is most important to us.  We need open minds and hearts to succeed.  There will need to be much giving up of old ways.  We will be packing up and leaving our comfort zone behind.  

Are you ready to be stretched beyond what you thought is possible?  Do you believe in yourself and your fellow planetary citizens and that together we can do what we need to do?  Can our nation once again become a leader on the edge of what is possible for the good of all?  There are always many questions and what lies ahead is even more questions.  Are you ready to ask those important questions and seek solutions and results for the common good of all now and for the generations to follow?  

I think so, I hear the stirrings in my heart, and sense that across this nation and the globe, and everywhere, people are excited and alive with a feeling of what we all know is possible.    Stay tuned and your feedback is requested.  

Favorites and Not So Favorites

It is Sunday around here and I thought I would share some of my favorites for the fun of it and as always to provoke thought, raise questions, and shine the light on creativity and awareness.

My favorite radical thinker is Osho

My favorite songwriters include Marvin Gaye, Bob Dylan (not as a singer), Jim Morrison, Van Morrison, Neil Young, Cat Stevens, Bonnie Raitt and peace/progressive songsters

My favorite chanter is Krishna Das

My Favorite Law of Attraction writer is Abraham/Hicks

My favorite wisdom and inner peace writers are Eckhart Tolle, Thich Nhat Hahn, Deepak Chopra, Gangaji and others

My favorite inspirational figures include Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jim Hightower, Al Gore, Ammachi, Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela, Molly Ivins, Ralph Nader, John Sherman and more

My favorite desserts are apple pie/strudel, chocolate mousse, carrot cake, chocolate/peanutbutter ice cream and much, much more

My favorite ideas are progressive, open minded, compassionate, understanding, expansive, inclusive, accepting, creative, diverse, potential, and about our connections to each other, and our ability to expand consciousness

My favorite people to ignore include: Dick Cheney, Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannerty, Bill O’Reilly, Michelle Malkin, Dr Laura and more and the least bright of them all is George Bush

My favorite abstract artists include: Kandinsky, Mark Rothko, Richard Diebenkorn and many others including collage artists.

My favorite ridiculous ideas are: compassionate conservative, original sin, infallible pope, Christians who support the war in Iraq, the bible written and interpreted by men as the word of God, creationism, hell, profit motive rationalization, domestic spying for our safety, fear mongering by the White House, Blackwater, arrogance by leaders, Congress not holding the president accountable, allowing torture, the Patriot Act, people not asking questions, Christian Right(Wrong),  and so much more

Yes I know I am stirring things up, the carrot cake is very controversial.  There is so much to be stirred up about.  I hope you get stirred enough to join the movement of the people taking back democracy. I also hope along the way that you keep your heart and minds open so that you can be at your best.  

Terrorists Are More Myth Than Reality

It is time for me to do some more writing about what is going on in the world and what can we do about it.  Most Friday evenings I watch Bill Moyer, one of the few real journalist out there asking real questions about what is going on.   As you know from reading my blog, I strongly support all citizens asking questions, seeking the truth beyond the media barrage of slanted information, rationalization, and political double talk.   Watching Bill Moyer always stirs me up, your can find out more about his show on PBS.org.  

Today I want to share some ideas about terrorism that are quite different than the information we are feed almost constantly by this administration and the media:

1.    The number of radical terrorist out there who really want to do us harm is very small.  In a numbers game, those of sane mind and rational beliefs win out by billions.
2.    These small radical groups are only as powerful as we are fearful.  If we are not fearful, they have no power.  Think of a bully and than imagine a large group of thoughtful people putting the bully in his place.  
3.    History is absolute full of examples of governments creating fear to gain power over their people and to rationalize all kind of horrible human endeavors.  Think war, torture, imprisonment without trial, domestic spying, suppression of opposition, and much more.  That was Germany, that was Russia, that is the USA now.
4.    The less we citizens pay attention the less our Congress does to watch out for us.  Congress has provided zero checks and balances and allowed this administration to conduct some kind of terrorist campaign that is totally not effective and has in fact involved the US in terrorizing Iraq.
5.    The trumpeting of terror has allowed our government to rationalization the starting of a war that is killing/murdering hundred of thousands of Iraqi citizens who are like you and me and not terrorist.  This rationalization makes no sense if you mind is able to function and see beyond the rhetoric.
6.    How long will we allow the government to take away our rights, spy on us, eliminate our speaking up, be a killing machine, give huge war profits to their friends, condone torture and secret prisons, build up private armies, and create huge debt for our children and just sit there and put up with it???
7.    Yes your lives are busy and there is much to take care of and to be concerned about but if you think politics doesn’t matter than it is time for a wakeup call.  There are no terrorists waiting at your door.  The government and our elected officials are the ones you need to hold accountable for their fear mongering and power grabbing, for their lack of concern for the people.  

If you and I don’t ask question, get involved and take action then any hope for a vibrant democracy will slip away.  Yes you and I are the architects of our future, not the people in Washington DC.  I suggest you find a way to make your voice heard, that you live with courage, that you follow your truth and that you believe in yourself and your ability to make a positive difference in the world.  The time is now to fully show up and be a mindful and heart filled  force for good.  

Lots On My Mind and A Full Heart

Friday will be a very busy day so I am writing my blog the night before.  I first wanted to say how blessed I feel to have so much love in my life.  I am very grateful to my wife Bobbi, and to all my friends and family and to Pax our new dog who seems to be getting in lots of trouble, as puppies do, but he gives so such love back.  I hope Valentines Day was full of love for you.  

I have been visiting lots of blogs and websites lately working on building traffic to my blog.  I have to tell you there is so much going on, so many wonderful sites, so many people writing inspired ideas, so many opportunities to expand your thinking and your awareness.  If you want to have an interesting experience I suggest you go to StumbleUpon and sign up.  This is a wonderful site for randomly exploring the Web.  I am led to the most interesting stuff via StumbleUpon.  

Another thing I have been thinking about lately is that if you want information that will help deepen you inner life, help expand your ability to manifest success, or want to go explore and see about the endless possibilities out there, take some time to search on the Internet at Google or Dogpile or another search engine.  Life is so fun and there are so many positive and expansive ideas out there.  

In the morning tomorrow I am have the second session with a management team to help them work more effectively together.  Where we last left off there was some unfinished business and I hope to help them move on from the past.  Then in the afternoon, I will meet with some people about an income opportunity for myself.  Income is a good thing and more income would be very positive.

A couple of other thoughts to share: check out theta waves and meditation in your Web searching; explore the affirmation of “I Am,” a simple statement of self-acceptance and realization of your higher nature; there is a Boulder Magazine called Elephant that is full of interesting interviews of people who are expanding the way people think and experience life; and remember that your capacity for love is at least as big as the planet so please share as much light and love as you can.  

I will write again on Saturday.  Have a wonderful weekend.   

A Heart Filled World

Happy Valentines to you and to every person on the planet, everyone deserves love.   This is a day set aside to acknowledge love.  That is a wonderful thing to do, to place a whole day aside to remind us about love.  The world needs so much love these days.  I hope your let your heart shine today and give lots of love.  

Think for at least a moment or two about all those who would appreciate love and send love to them.  You can simply close your eyes and imagine loving everyone on the planet.  Let your heart feel full of love, then fill yourself with love, then send love across the planet into every living thing.  Feel the planet covered in love like a blanket of warmth, caring and kindness.

This morning my wife and I went out for breakfast as Valentine treat.  We ate at the Walnut Café – Southside here in Boulder where you can always count on great tasting food.  Today is a cold snowy one after being 60 degrees yesterday.  We are adjusting well to this weather change because are stomachs are full and there is lots of love in our home.  


Yes everyone deserves love.  Yes even the most hurting and hurtful with sadly damaged hearts deserve love.  Terrorists deserve love.  Presidents deserve love.  Presidential candidates deserve love.  Congress deserves love.  Corporations deserve love.  Everybody deserves love no matter who they are, what they do how they think, or what they believe.  Please send love to someone that you find unlovable today.  It will do your heart good to open a little bit more.  Yes I do have people in mind that I question what they are doing but I will send them a big bunch of love just because I can and they deserve as much love as anyone.

Send some love to our Earth too.  Our planet could use lots more love and consideration.

Send love and be open to receive love.  Get the flow of love expanding everywhere and in everyone’s hearts.  Love really can heal the problems of the world.  

Lots of Love and Peace to you today and everyday.

Have You Forgotten How To Play?

This morning I was playing with our new puppy Pax (The Peace Dog) and he loves to fetch the ball and then have me chase him to get it back.  I love playing this simple game with him because he seems so happy just playing.  Playing too often kind gets lost as we get to be adults.  Life takes on a more and more serious tone, as we get older.  Is this really necessary that we push the playfulness away?  Do we have to leave the child in us behind and get so serious?

I think not.  Let me tell you why.  Playfulness is essential to feeling alive.  All of life including work is only something we take seriously because we are trained to do so.  No I don’t want a doctor doing surgery while making like a clown but humor and laughter would be good.  Yes even in the most intense places I have worked being playful has been a good way to deal with the job stressors.  In my days working in a psych ward, it was playfulness and humor that kept us sane.  

All creativity comes from a willingness to play with ideas.  Love that is alive involves playing and enjoying those you love.  Have passion for what you do includes being playful and finding joy in what matters to you.  Living with purpose also means playfully pursuing what you are here to do.  Your inner child has to play or it will shrink into passivity and life will seem awfully boring.  Even the spirit within you needs to have playtime or it will not be heard from much.

Find ways to be playful everyday and enjoy the lightness that comes into your life.  You are here primarily to have fun and enjoy life not matter what other people have told you.  You are here to fully express your uniqueness in whatever way feels full of life for you.  You have so much to give, why not make it fun.    

More Ideas About A Blog Kindness Campaign

I wrote on the first of the month about a kindness campaign as an idea that would bring bloggers together to make the world a better place.  I have been thinking more about the idea of this kindness project and want to share some of my ideas.  I have to admit my underlying purpose is to promote world peace.  Now if you oppose such an idea than this project may not be for you.  It is hard for me to imagine that someone would not be for world peace but I am sure there are people out there with different ways of looking at things.  This project is not a political project but more of a social activists, social artist kind of project.  The following are some of my ideas for the project and your feedback is wanted and needed:

•    The beginning of kindness to me always taking the time to listen to those around you
•    We are all connected so this kindness project will help us explore our connections
•    Giving of our time is a way to act with kindness
•    Giving of our support financially or with supplies or help meet other needs
•    Compassion comes from understanding where others are coming from.  That is kindness in action
•    People can come together over the Web and plan projects of kindness in their community, nationally or globally.
•    We could all agree on a project to take on together
•    Project ideas may include: eliminating hunger, helping people get educated, listening with kindness, providing books to read, opening minds to new ideas, exploring ways to promote self-love and acceptance, spending time with people who need support, volunteering in your community, exploring different cultures, exploring different view points, helping those who are suffering, and many other ideas.  
•    There could be a National or Global Kindness Week
•    Creative solutions seem to be in great need and within us are those solutions waiting to be discovered
•    The more we work together, the more we open each other’s hearts and ideas
•    What act of kindness can you do today?  Maybe a pledge to do one act of kindness each day.  
•    What other ideas come to your mind?  How can we make a huge positive difference in the world by spreading kindness?  

Please share your ideas here.  Lets do something that will open our hearts and all those we are kind too and the world will then know the healing and nurturing qualities of kindness, compassion and love.

Foundations of The Explore Life Journal

Now that the journal has been happening for a year, I thought it would be a good idea to look at the foundation of ideas and topics that have guided the blog. When I began the blog I had many thoughts and ideas about what I wanted to write about and share.  As I look back over this past 12 months I see there are certain topic areas I feel drawn to regularly.  Here is what I now understand and want to expand upon as the foundation of this Journal:

1.    Consciousness – I write to spread consciousness.  I do that by asking questions, by sharing ideas, by offering expanded viewpoints, by encouraging the connection to your higher self/spirit/soul, and by inviting you to be aware.  A humanity fully of consciousness is needed now more than ever.
2.    Progressive – I believe in the importance of living in the world as it is and then planning on moving forward in a manner that is proactive.  My politics are progressive because I think it is essential that we question what is going on and that we make plans to create a better world.  The world we live in is dynamic and ever changing, so you and I need to always be growing.  Thinking, planning and having compassion for what is best for the people and future generations is progressive.
3.    Responsibility – I believe we create our own lives.  Playing the game of blame and complain makes us powerless.  The opposite of powerless is taking responsibility.  Responsibility means we see ourselves as able to respond, we see ourselves as the creators of our life through our thoughts, feelings, intentions and actions.  
4.    Unity – I see us all connected to each other.  We share this small planet together as we orbit about this giant universe.  Earth is like a single organism and we are particles that make it up.  There is many more similarities in what we desire, hope for and want than there are differences.  Our main differences are only in limited beliefs and those are not prohibitive barriers to exploring how connected we all are to each other.
5.    Love – I see love as the highest law, the solution to all major problems.  Compassion and understanding will end all human relationships problems.  Kindness and caring are the best guidelines for healing of what ails humankind.  If you and I can open our hearts than we can be incredibly powerful forces for good on the planet.
6.    Potential – I see every person on the planet as having unlimited potential.  My writing is about encouraging and inspiring you to explore and express your potential.  Within you are endless possibilities and your job is to realize all that you can in this lifetime.  I will do my best to encourage that.  
7.    Purpose – I believe tied to our potential is a unique purpose in each one of us.  No one, I want to say that again, No one can ever be or do what you are here to express in your lifetime.  You have a unique purpose that only you can realize.  The world needs you to passionately express yourself as fully as you can.  We all depend on that.
8.    Inspiration – I write to inspire the best in you.  I write to encourage you to express your creativity, to explore your intuition, to live in harmony with your inner knowing.  I write to lift you up, to give you confidence in yourself, to help you find the greatness inside.  
9.    Health – I believe that we can keep ourselves healthiest if we take care of our thoughts, our feelings, our bodies and our spirit.  Keeping fit means opening and expanding your mind; paying attention to and expressing your emotions; exercising the body by strength building, endurance and keeping flexible; and nurturing your spirit through silence, contemplation, prayer, walking in nature, creative expression, loving, and whatever else makes you feel expansive.
10.    Self-realization – I write to share my love.  I write to explore my own potential.  I write to remind myself of important ideas.  I write to express my creativity.  I write for the pure joy of expression.  I write to articulate the wisdom within me as a reminder of the wisdom within you.  I write to realize my purpose and to make a difference in the world.

I always welcome feedback and constantly read and explore new ways to grow myself and give more to my readers.  Thank you for sharing this journey with me and I hope you will let me know if I am making a positive difference in your life.        

Can You Open Your Mind and Heart Enough?

Lately I have found myself writing more about the need for us all to be more active in what is going on in our communities, our nation and on our planet.   This is such a feeling of urgency inside of me about this need for us all to be as conscious and we can be.  I woke up this morning and was doing my morning visualization about us all living on a loving, conscious planet and the statement “we are all one,” came into my mind.  This is the theme I want to explore in my Sunday blog.  

We are all one.  We all inhabit this tiny planet in a huge solar system, which is part of gigantic universe, which is small part of an endlessly expansiveness.  Do you see how big it is out there and hall small this planet is.   Earth is more like a single organism in this giant universe.  On Earth there are healthy components like love, compassion, kindness, understanding, acceptance, consciousness, humility, open mindedness, patience, and many other aspects that allow the planet to thrive and expand toward its fullest potential.  There are also the potentially cancerous components like greed, hunger for power, fear, arrogance, unchecked ego, hate, need for control, and other aspects that cause wars and other horrible human acts of disrespect for each other.   This hurting side of human nature has forgotten that we are all much more connected than separate.  

On this planet you and I need to pay attention and take care of our health and the health of the planet.   A healthy Earth needs healthy, conscious, compassionate people.   Those that start wars, torture people, violate human rights, are arrogant and power hungry, and seem heartless, are in need of healing or cancer will spread further throughout the Earth organism and harm us all.

We are all one.  The worst response is to let fear control us.  The best response is to be guided by our hearts.  Love, compassion and understanding are the universal healing salve that can bring remission to even the most cancerous components.  

Can you let you mind and heart expand enough to invite the entire planet into your family?  There are no terrorists, there are only family members who are hurting, who need our understanding, who need limits set, and heart rediscovered.  Yes we are all truly one.   

Eckhart Tolle, Oprah and You

Today I got a newsletter from Eckhart Tolle.  He and Oprah are doing a 10-week course for free about his latest book The New Earth.  This enlightened book of is an excellent read and it will absolutely expand your thinking.  His first book The Power Of Now is a classic book about being a more conscious human being.  

Oprah is such a gift to the world because she spreads inspiration and the possibility of deeper awareness.  She is a heart-based, insight–oriented human being who sees from a larger perspective and invites everyone to wake up to the potential they have.  I strongly urge you to checkout the writings of Tolle and to sign up for the 10-week class.  I already have.

There is within us and around us everything we need to express out most expanded nature.  As I have been writing lately, it takes tuning in and listening, breathing, being in the now, and loving you and all those you interact with.  I have been trying to invite you to create a simple formula to keep you aware in the moment; to help you be present to the infinite potential of the now; to encourage you dream big and imagine what you most want; to pay attention to your desires, inner wisdom, and your calls to live with purpose; and to make a commitment to explore and express yourself as fully as you can.  

I have been writing about all these ideas in a number of different ways because you and I are needed at our best NOW.  The planet needs us all to be conscious so we can think big enough to make sure our precious Earth is healthy enough for us to live here.  The world is full of fear and we need to have the heart and courage to see past that and instead seek solutions not more weapons, more fear, not more isolation.  

There is no way a small group of fanatics should have the power we give them by being afraid, by the taking away of rights in this country under the faulty guise of protecting us.  The terrorists have already won if we let fear rationalize: needless war, torture, imprisonment without due process, secret CIA prisons, spying on Americans, private armies (Blackwater, Infragard), oppression of opposition, the executive branch using “we are at war” to rationalize all of its power seeking actions; and with all this insanity of ego there is huge profits for the military-industrial complex.   

Yes here I go again ranting, there is so much to be concerned about and frankly most people are too busy to pay attention.  Now is the time for each citizen to be as awake as possible, for us all to join together and bring this country back into the hands of those that should be in power; that would be you and I, the people.  

Please if you don’t do anything else, take the time to pay attention to you heart, listen carefully to those you love, participate in you community to make a difference locally, start or join a national movement that is making a conscious, compassionate difference in the world.  Be awake and aware, that will make a very valuable contribution to a better world.     

How To Set Yourself Free To Be

It is another Friday and I am filled with excitement.   The past 24 hours I have had a huge influx of visitors at this blog.  Over 3000 people have come to check out my site and many came to read, “Which Ways Do You Limit You.”  This is a very inspired list that came from a higher knowing within me.   My years doing counseling and coaching have blessed me with sharing the inner journey of many as they took on life’s challenges and kept on growing.  I have listened compassionately for over 30 years and I got to know many of the themes that hold us all back.  Also paying attention to my own limiting ways has been very insightful.

I highly recommend counseling or coaching as a way to discover yourself.  The other best method that I know is to be comfortable with you silence and see what themes flow through your mind, heart, body and soul.  Meditation and contemplation are excellent avenues for finding your way into the interior landscape of your thoughts, feelings, desires and truths.  Taking time throughout your day to breathe and be present is what I have been writing about lately.  There is no better inner resource than the breath for helping you tune in.  Here is a practice that will enrich your life:

Find a comfortable place to sit and then begin to pay attention to your breath.  The goal here isn’t to deepen the breath because that will happen naturally as you follow the breath going on and flowing out. 

The exhale is where you let go, release and share with the world; you can let go of what may limit you or you can imagine that on your exhale you spread love from your heart out into the world. 

The inhale is where you breathe in the love, joy, and all good things from the universe; on the inhale feel every particle and cell of your being be filled with love and healing. 

So now you have this cycle of giving and receiving going with your breath.   It can also be a cycle of release and opening, whatever works best for you. 

Once you have this flow going with awareness, slip past the images you have created and go exploring to see what thoughts are there, what emotions are there, what beliefs are there, what awareness is there and what other moments of clarity await your understanding.  This inner search if done on a daily basis will help you become an incredibly conscious and dynamic individual.  Go with the breath into the amazing collection of all that you are and all that your potential longs to express.  Breathe and explore and enjoy. (you can do this same process walking quietly through nature, riding on a bus, while on a break from work or wherever you can fit it in.)

Have a great day and let that sparkle in your eyes shine out to bless the world.

Basking In The Light Of The Now

There seems to be many wonderful ideas flowing my way lately.  I made a commitment to be more present and in the moment and it seems the moment is full of things, ideas, inspirations the now has to offer me.  My “Breathe and Be in the Moment” mantra is very helpful.  As I mentioned before, I recently discovered I have this quietly sabotaging old theme that has limited me for much of my adult life; “hang in there (or hurry) and you will get through this.” I have to admit this old theme is a surprise but it makes total sense because part of me has explored and taught the antidote to that inner limitation for many years.  You and I often speak and teach about what we need to hear inside.

I have meditated, worked on being calm and centered in the moment and assisted many others to do the same.  I have lectured and written extensively on the importance of being present, in the now and relaxed about life.  This “hang in there or hurry” message is about not being in the present; it is about living with the idea the future will be better and you just have to hang on until you get there.  Does any of this sound familiar to you?

Some people spend most of their lives with their thoughts in the past.  They miss out a lot on what is in the present.  

I would guess many more people spend their time in the future.  Our world is more future- oriented.  The false idea that everything will be better at some time in the future is something people live for.  The plain and simple fact is that you never ever make it to the future.  The future by its very nature is not in the moment.  All you and I can experience is in this moment.   There is never any future in the moment.  Now is now, the present is a gift of being fully in the now.  

OK so what does this all mean and how can I benefit from these ideas you may be asking yourself?  All this means is you are invited to live fully in the moment, to be fully present to all the gifts each moment gives you.  Some of the gifts in the moment include: your breath, your thoughts, your openness to opportunity, your heart’s expression, your aliveness, your imagination, your intuition, your sense of knowing, your happiness, your desires, your ability to listen and be present for another, your kindness, caring and compassion, and so much more is right here in the now.

I hope you find yourself basking in the light of the now regularly and from there anything is possible.

MY BLOG IS ONE YEAR OLD TODAY!!!

OOPS!  I almost forgot that today is one full year of doing this blog. Yeah!!!

It is time to celebrate.  I am dancing around the room jumping up and down and enjoying the fullness of this moment.   

Thank you so much all who have taken the time to share in this journey with me. 

I still have much to write about and I will continue my focus on these areas:

Self-Development, Personal Growth, Raising Consciousness, Strategies for Success, Living With Purpose and Passion, Being Peaceful, Making the World a Better Place, Speaking Up For Democracy, Living With Heart, Compassion and Kindness, Exploring Our Connections To Each Other and more.

If you get value from this blog, spread the word.  My goals are to have lots of traffic, sell my e-books and make a living inspiring the best in you, and together us making the world a better place.

Peace, Love and Joy to You. 

Joseph                           

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