It is a cold cloudy Sunday morning here and I am getting ready to go for a run. I still feel energized from being around so many people yesterday at the county Democratic convention. Today I feel grateful for my life, for my partner Bobbi, for our dog Pax, and for our life here in Boulder. I will go for a run in a place filled with natural beauty and enjoy (more after I am done) my body pushing itself up the trails and feel the strength of my legs, heart and lungs. It is good to be alive.
I keep on coming back to the idea of how important it is to be OK with yourself. The process of growing up is a challenging one with many people along the way sharing their judgments about who we are. Unfortunately many of these critical assessments come from people who are not OK with who they are. There is a long human history of passing on poor self-acceptance. Most of us have work to do about loving who we are. Please consider this:
• You are made of the same stuff of the Divine Source that created you
• Your heart is unlimited in how much love you can give and receive
• Your mind is a powerful tool that has the ability to think thoughts and generate ideas that are unique and world changing
• You have a creative genius in you waiting to be expressed
• Your body is an amazing creation that carries on multiple tasks automatically, while keeping you healthy, digesting your food, regulating you energy flow and so much more.
• You have a purpose unlike anyone else ever on this planet and only you can realize the purpose
• You have an inner knowing, intuitive wisdom that contains the highest consciousness of humankind
• You have within your cells the entire history of human evolution
• Your capacity to listen with compassion is the greatest gift you can give to those you care about
• Your emotions are a wonderful feedback system that constantly lets you know when you are on course or need to course correct in your life
• You have your breath which offers you in each moment the opportunity to breathe consciously with awareness
• You are your Spirit which wants to take you higher in your life and soar to Its fullest expression
• You have the capacity to take full responsibility for your life and empower yourself to create the life you desire
• You seeking and exploring of truth is the journey of all the wisest and most conscious human beings
Please allow this list of who you are to integrate into you life. You are an amazing creation waiting to be self-realized. We all cheer you on because we are enriched by you being you as fully as possible.
Obama Delegate and Getting Involved To Make A Difference
Hi Thanks for stopping by today. This was on very busy day. I am just getting to my blog at 8p.m. I headed off to the Boulder County Democratic Convention at 7 a.m. I was an Obama delegate and I listen to many talks by numerous candidates for office in the county, in the state, and of course for President. This was my first convention ever and it was fun to participate in democracy in action. One thing about us Democrats is that we are not big rule followers so part of the process seemed chaotic at times. That makes it also more alive. By the way Obama won the vote at the county convention winning 75% of the vote.
I had an image of the same convention of Republicans with every thing in order, everybody following the rules, no one challenging the doctrine of domination by those in power, and everyone moving in rigid unison. Now image the very wooden and uninspiring McCain leading the way.
How did you day go for you? Did you do something out of the ordinary? Are you stuck in a rut? It is way too easy to find yourself doing the same things over and over. This convention was a nice break for me. I very much like exploring new things, new places, new ideas, and new ways of going about life.
What could you do tomorrow that would really spice up your life? This is an election year, I am sure your local political party would welcome you getting involved. There are many opportunities to give of your time, energy, and resources. Getting involved makes you feel good about yourself. There were many at the convention who decided this was the year to not sit on the sidelines. New leadership is badly needed and you can make a difference.
Find a way to get involved in turning this country in the right direction. This is a great way to move out of the ordinary and make you live feel more alive and meaningful. Talk to you tomorrow.
Stop the Hyper, Slow Down, and Explore Balance
I went last night to hear one of the presenters on the now famous movie – The Secret. I had heard he was a very good speaker. I found myself quickly getting restless as I listened. He talked at a hyper level with words and ideas flying at all of the 300-400 who attended. I do not know how to take in information at that speed. I felt at some point I needed to take cover from such a barrage of ideas. There was no time to contemplate or integrate, even for a moment, what was being said. That doesn’t work for me but maybe it does for others? It was like some kind of New Age revival meeting and even though I am aligned with the ideas, the performance did not work for me at all.
Today I am giving an hour presentation called, “Finding Balance In Your Life.” It has been a few months since I have given a talk and I am excited. My style is more relaxed then the one I saw last night. I invite people to ask questions as we go and try to give them time to sink into the ideas I share. Here is a quick summary of what I will share.
1. We live is a crazy sped-up world, where we want everything now. I have heard it called a hurry/worry world and I think that fits.
2. There are 5 components essential to finding balance: mental, emotional, physical, spiritual and relationships. The first four our about self and the fifth is about how to keep our relationships healthy and balanced.
3. A good beginning point is to find ways to slow down. Your breath is a key component. The speaker last night seemed to be on the verge of running out of breath for most of his talk.
4. Your thoughts are powerful. If you think thoughts that are positive, hopeful, creative, compassionate and expansive than your life will be like that; if you focus on limits, complaints, lack and judgment than you life will reflect that.
5. Love and acceptance of yourself and those you are close to is essential. If must start inward and spread out to those you love.
6. Be present to each moment in life. Hanging out in remembering the past or living fully focused on the future will make you life now a mess.
7. Take full responsibility for your life, your thoughts, your emotions. The blame and complain game creates a lousy life.
8. For self-nurturing explore the following: creative expression, quiet-time, having fun, forgiveness/letting go, listening compassionately to self and others, set limits, be flexible, express your purpose, be proactive, get the rest and sleep you need, eat with health in mind, keep your mind
and heart open, set intentions, take actions, find what works to bring order to your life, and much more.
Frankly my talks are most intuitive and the ideas above flow from a very simple guideline of key ideas I have on a single sheet of paper. I have given so many talks over the years that I trust fully in my ability to come up with all that I need to make this talk heart felt and thought provoking. I wish you could be there because I love to inspire. Have a good Friday and an enjoyable weekend.
How Come We Love To Watch People Being Killed?
As I said yesterday on my blog I have been watching the Oprah and Eckhart Tolle series. Another point they made was about how much we humans love to watch movies and shows about humans hurting and killing each other. Can anyone explain that gruesome fascination to me? Many of the big hit movies are about murdering and the awful ways we treat each other. Video games are terrible for their graphic use of killing as entertainment. Is all of this violence good for us? Here are some questions I have – What are your answers?
• Where does all this love of violence come from?
• Are we all pissed off?
• Have we lost touch with our hearts?
• Are we so numbed by life that we need to see terrible things to feel something?
• Do we not care about each other?
• Have we been so programmed by the fear-based news that we need a rush to feel anything?
• Is murder and suffering ok now because we have lost our moral compass?
• The war in Iraq is about our leaders murdering for power, is this damaging to our psyche?
• Does murder and pain make us feel better about our own lives?
• There has been 100,000 to 500,000 killed in Iraqis since the war began, why is this ok in any way?
• Can a person in touch with their soul really be ok with murder?
• How can any church or minister support a war if they say they represent the teachings of Jesus?
• Do you get a rush watching those murderous films? How come, do you think that is?
• Why would anyone vote for John McCain if he loves the power of war so much?
There are more questions to ask but for now I hope that has got you thinking. It sure has me wondering where is humanity heading. Are we heading toward the light of consciousness and compassion or towards the darkness of heartlessness and the ego’s need for power?
It seems we are at a point where we need to choose a higher path or go the way of past fallen civilizations. Please let me know what you think.
What Does Life Want From You?
Last night I watch part one of the Eckhart Tolle and Oprah series. What an incredible gift to the planet this series is. Eckhart is such a light for the world as is Oprah. The format is excellent with people able to conference in, phone or email questions. I very much appreciated the interactions of Oprah and Eckhart, they seem to enjoy the opportunity to share their ideas with the world.
The idea that seemed to impact my wife and I the most from part one is this question: “What does life want from me?” This question is a different take on, “what do I want from life?” The reason it feels so powerful to me is that it asks us to be mindful of what we are called to do. The word “life” can be substituted by “Universe,” “God,” “Source,” or whatever seems right to you. Oprah used the word God. She said, “She prays regularly asking God to use her to do good in the world.” Her prayers seem to be working very well. Eckhart used the world Life as his guide. Who he has become says his seeking guidance has also been very helpful to him and all those he has touched. Many seekers use Source or Universe in talking about their guiding force.
So if the higher wisdom of the Universe was to guide you, what are you to do with your life? Do you listen for guidance? Eckhart talked about the quiet within, the stillness as the place to listen for your higher knowing. Yes you and I have very unique purposes that only we can realize. If life is our guide, where do we need to go and what do we need to do?
How do you know if you are aligning with what God/Source want for you? The way you know is by how you feel in you mind, heart, body and spirit. If you feel energized, alive, open in your heart, full of inspired ideas, and it seems like you are soaring than you right where you need to be. If things don’t feel right, your heart or mind is closed down and you feel stuck than you have gone off course.
I would highly encourage you to check out this exceptional series. Go to Oprah.com to find out how you can tune in on this opportunity to become a more conscious, aware and happy human being.
In Search of Self
Over the years our journey is toward a fuller realization of self. Along the way with open mind and heart our lives can be rich with growth and insight. This makes for a satisfying and rewarding life. The goal really is to be who we are. That seems simple enough doesn’t it? There are however some complications that can occur along the way.
We come into this world with a soul that has purpose and an infinity of possibilities. Our soul chooses the life it enters seeking to fully express itself. Then life happens, parents and society program this little mind, body and heart, yet the soul remains free of that conditioning. If raised in a more enlightened situation, the soul and self remain free to be who they are. In this ideal world, there is love, play and the full expression of our higher nature.
Most of us were not raised in homes where love was pure and consciousness guided those who attended to us. What we got instead was the struggles and confusion of those egos limited by their own social conditioning. That was not bad, it was simply the nature of the situation our soul chose to enter. Basically we learned to be like those who raised us. We were taught to view ourselves and the world, with the same misunderstandings and beliefs they had. A reminder here, this is not about blame, this is about awareness.
Somewhere along the way, we began to question some of the ways and viewpoints we had learned. That is part of growing up and maturing. Without that questioning, we can only play out the limited ideas that have been passed on to us. There are those that settle for living their lives without questioning. They tend to live in a way that closes the mind and heart to the world that doesn’t fit their narrow viewpoint. We all know people who are closed to other ways of seeing the world.
The opposite of closing down is obviously opening up. If we truly want to find out who we are, we need to open up. Opening up means keep our minds and hearts receptive and available. This open state is one in which the mind actively questions and seeks to be more conscious. This is an ongoing process that is meant to last a lifetime.
An open heart is about expanding our capacity to love. This is a pure love full of acceptance of self and others, full of the joy of deep connection, full of the compassion that comes from understanding. Love of this nature has the unlimited potential to resolve all human issues. With an open mind and heart, you and I are capable of anything we desire, we can be all we want to be, and we can be a positive force for good in the world.
The challenge here for most of us is to wholly step into the love and acceptance of self. This is essential on the journey to being a totally self-realized human being. The search for self is all about love and acceptance. There is no way around this need to be completely ok with who we are. As long as this is unresolved, our ability to love and accept others will be limited.
I want to invite you to take the next big step in your life and love and accept yourself just as you are. This will take awhile, but the rewards will be well worth the effort. With love and acceptance, you will open yourself to a rich flow of giving and receiving love. You will open yourself to a rich flow of life with all the abundance the world has to offer. “I completely love and accept myself,” is the phrase you want to explore until it is true.
Let me know how it goes and let your love and light shine.
New Job and New Sins
How is your Monday going for you? It is off to a good start today. I just took a new job with Boulder County Public Health and got my TB test today and filled out a lot of paper work. I get excited about new work even though I would rather do my own thing, sometimes the economics of the situation says, it is time to go to work for someone and get ahead for awhile. My blog and my peace company have kept me very busy but not financially robust. So I returned to work I know well which is mental health, recovery, and program planning. This may mean that my blog is not as consistent but only time will tell that. I am excited both about the new opportunity to use my finely tuned skills and experience and I am also excited about keeping my blog and peace company moving forward.
I was reading on the Internet today that the Catholic Church has come up with so new sins. I, being a recovery Catholic, like to make comments about my former church and about churches in general. I find it interesting that these old guys in Rome think about ways to make their followers feel guilty. Confession is one of the great guilt making institutions. The purpose of confession is to review all that you have done wrong and then go to a priest and have him forgive you and give you some things to do to make up for your wrong doing. Now why can’t our government set up confessions so they don’t have to put so many people in prison?
In case you were wondering, the new sins possibly could include: selling drugs, genetic manipulation, social and economic injustice and pollution. I guess this is the newly released 2.0 version of the 10 commandments. I frankly can’t believe that people actually pay attention to what leaders of this church or any others have to say about sins you may be committing. As I have mentioned before, this is all about control. Churches are primarily social control agencies trying to clamp down on what you think, how you act, and what you believe. That may make sense for out-of-control kids to have a set of clearly defined guidelines but for adults? I suggest you follow you own inner compass of what is right and wrong and leave those in the Vatican, Salt Lake City and elsewhere to live whatever way they think is right for them.
The idea of guilt as a social control to me is for the lazy minded who have given up their own thinking to follow the thinking of others. The idea of sins is even more questionable. Sins are things we do wrong according to a bunch of men who have no better moral compass then we do. I doubt the existence of sins and encourage you to say goodbye to guilt. A better way to live is to pay attention to your own inner right and wrong and when you do you will feel better and when you don’t you will see that doesn’t feel as good.
I hope you have a good day and you act according to what feels best to you.
Daylight Savings Time, Take a Leap Forward in Life
Daylight savings time is here and so we get to leap forward today. Do you like leaping forward? Here are some ways to take a quantum leap forward in your life:
• Stop believing your thoughts, you are much deeper than your thoughts
• Find the stillness inside, spend time there, that is the expanded you
• Open to the energy from Source which is everywhere
• Seek to realize what wants to be expressed in you
• Find the place of higher knowing within you
• Be present to each moment as fully as possible
• Expand your consciousness by seeking to awaken
• Change all your human relationships to be about love, understanding, compassion and connection
• Find the presence within that is beyond you the personality, that presence is in everyone
• See beyond your mind structures to the place where we are all One
• Grow daily as a way to always keep you heart and mind open
• Fully love and accept yourself today and from now on
Have a wonderful Sunday and be the amazing human you can find inside today.
If you want more of these kinds of ideas check out my wonderful little e-books over there to your right. There are full of encouraging and uplifting ideas meant to take you higher. I write to inspire the best in you. Buying my e-books supports my work and will keep giving to you the kinds of thoughts that will enrich your life.
Raising Your Vibrations For Incredible Results
Let’s take a trip in the Stream of Well-Being together and see how we can enjoy the abundance that flows in and around us. If we listen careful there must be some guidance we can hear from the higher vibration of the Stream. Maybe we need to raise our vibration up to match the Streams higher level on manifestation? I suspect that would be an excellent idea. How about you and I experimenting and seeing what works?
I suggest we begin with the idea that now is the best time to acknowledge our desire to actualize our connection to the Stream of Well-Being. This flow of well-being is only available to us moment by moment not in the future or from something in the past. I want to be present and open to the flow now, allowing it to enrich my life.
Emotions seem to be a relevant part of the connection to the Stream. If we are connected, our emotions will be expansive, uplifting and receptive. If we are grinding away fearfully hoping for something better, the Stream will pass us by because we lack receptivity. Emotions are a powerful connector, so take yourself to a level of high positive expectation.
Think in terms of what wonderful things you can do with all the Stream has to offer. Imagine doing things that make an extraordinary difference in your life and in the world. Compassionate giving could feel so good to you the giver and to those that receive. Can you imagine the joy and smiles of richly giving?
The world is a very abundant place where all you will ever need is available. The Stream of Well-Being is the supplier that knows no limits. So there is plenty to go around for everybody. Can you feel what it would be like to allow you share to come you way? How big of share do you deserve from a Stream that has an endless supply?
You are a powerful attractive force. Are you willing to acknowledge that and be fully receptive to all that is available to you? You can even raise your attractive power by simply accepting yourself and believing in who you are and what you are uniquely here to do. Just fully being you can cause the floodgates of the Stream to open in your direction.
Can you really allow yourself to have what you want? Take a few minutes to come fully in alignment with the flow of the Stream. Imagine that you are standing or lying in the Stream of Well-Being and it flows through every particle and cell of your being. You are fully and completely saturated with the Streams flow of abundance. Does that feel rich and good or what?
Now join with the Source of all universal manifestation. You and the Stream come from the Source. Be fully yourself means realizing your oneness with Source (God if you prefer). Remember the Source is within you. You and the Stream and Source are one. Can you for this moment completely own your oneness with the creative force of the universe? Take time each day to join in quiet contemplation with the energy of Source. You will feel very expansive by doing so and the results will leave you in awe.
I hope you find these ideas expansive and you take your vibrations to the level of pure manifestation where you and the Stream of Well-Being are one. Leave me a comment as to how this all feels and what point(s) resonate most powerfully with you.
I suggest we begin with the idea that now is the best time to acknowledge our desire to actualize our connection to the Stream of Well-Being. This flow of well-being is only available to us moment by moment not in the future or from something in the past. I want to be present and open to the flow now, allowing it to enrich my life.
Emotions seem to be a relevant part of the connection to the Stream. If we are connected, our emotions will be expansive, uplifting and receptive. If we are grinding away fearfully hoping for something better, the Stream will pass us by because we lack receptivity. Emotions are a powerful connector, so take yourself to a level of high positive expectation.
Think in terms of what wonderful things you can do with all the Stream has to offer. Imagine doing things that make an extraordinary difference in your life and in the world. Compassionate giving could feel so good to you the giver and to those that receive. Can you imagine the joy and smiles of richly giving?
The world is a very abundant place where all you will ever need is available. The Stream of Well-Being is the supplier that knows no limits. So there is plenty to go around for everybody. Can you feel what it would be like to allow you share to come you way? How big of share do you deserve from a Stream that has an endless supply?
You are a powerful attractive force. Are you willing to acknowledge that and be fully receptive to all that is available to you? You can even raise your attractive power by simply accepting yourself and believing in who you are and what you are uniquely here to do. Just fully being you can cause the floodgates of the Stream to open in your direction.
Can you really allow yourself to have what you want? Take a few minutes to come fully in alignment with the flow of the Stream. Imagine that you are standing or lying in the Stream of Well-Being and it flows through every particle and cell of your being. You are fully and completely saturated with the Streams flow of abundance. Does that feel rich and good or what?
Now join with the Source of all universal manifestation. You and the Stream come from the Source. Be fully yourself means realizing your oneness with Source (God if you prefer). Remember the Source is within you. You and the Stream and Source are one. Can you for this moment completely own your oneness with the creative force of the universe? Take time each day to join in quiet contemplation with the energy of Source. You will feel very expansive by doing so and the results will leave you in awe.
I hope you find these ideas expansive and you take your vibrations to the level of pure manifestation where you and the Stream of Well-Being are one. Leave me a comment as to how this all feels and what point(s) resonate most powerfully with you.
Taking Yourself Higher
I love it when people leave comments because it lets me know that what I write about has touched someone at some level. I write because I feel inspiration, encouragement, love, purpose, peace, creativity, potential, passion for life, consciousness, compassion, and progressive ideas want to flow through me and be shared with those who want to expand in heart, mind and spirit. I am glad you stopped by today because you and I are connected in consciousness.
I wanted to write today about ways you and I can naturally take ourselves higher. This topic is something I have explored for more than 30 years both in my life and working with others. The human potential has always been a topic of great interest to me and therefore I have focus on my own potential and helping others explore theirs. Here is a simple list of thing you can do today and whenever you need to alter you state to open to being more of what you are passionate about expressing:
1. Take time to expand in the moment by being fully present. That means slowing yourself down and hanging out in the now. This can be challenging because the past and the future both call you away from this moment. Just watch where you want to go and bring yourself home to the present moment.
2. Bring your focus to your breath. The process of breathing in and out is so much more powerful than your realize. If you pay attention to your breath and gently deepen it, you naturally will take yourself higher. More oxygen = more aliveness and clarity.
3. Expressing your creativity is a surefire way to take you higher. Creativity can be expressed in so many ways. You could write poetry, sing a song, do a drawing, tell a story, give a talk, explore colors, make a collage, sew a quilt or whatever creativity calls you to do.
4. Take a walk in nature and begin to open to the wonder of all of life. Nature is full of beauty, patterns, colors, and aliveness that you can feel connected to if you open up to communicating with it. Feel the nature as if it is within you.
5. Take a few minutes each day to enjoy some quiet time. When you slow down and quiet yourself, you naturally open to your deeper nature. That nature is one with the Source of the entire universe. Hanging out with your Higher self will take you naturally higher.
6. Spend time with your heart. An open heart is the best and more powerful way to feel wonderful. There is no limit to how much you can love. Explore loving everyone and everything even if only in the moment. Practice acts of kindness and compassion and you will feel great.
7. Pick up a copy of Be Here Now by Ram Dass and read the brown paper section. This section naturally takes you higher just be reading it and exploring the ideas it offers. I have turned that section into a series of collages for my own higher purpose (see example below).
8. Explore writers who can take you higher like Ram Dass, Deepak Chopra, Louise Hay, Eckhart Tolle, Thich Nhat Hahn, Osho, Gangaji, Yogananda, just to name a few. There is so much out there that can expand your thinking and open your heart.
9. Begin your day by looking into the mirror and opening your heart to yourself. Look directly into your own eyes and give love to yourself. Yes this can be challenging but if you truly want to be an amazing human being then it must begin with self-love.
10. Take time to practice meditation, quiet contemplation, tai chi, yoga, or opening to the grace of the universe. I prefer quiet relaxed walking meditation, tai chi and gentle yoga. Find out what works for you and explore the adventures of inner space every day.
I know you will find these ideas helpful and expansive. Let me know what you enjoy and what you learn. Together you and I can make this world an amazing place if we all take it higher.
I wanted to write today about ways you and I can naturally take ourselves higher. This topic is something I have explored for more than 30 years both in my life and working with others. The human potential has always been a topic of great interest to me and therefore I have focus on my own potential and helping others explore theirs. Here is a simple list of thing you can do today and whenever you need to alter you state to open to being more of what you are passionate about expressing:
1. Take time to expand in the moment by being fully present. That means slowing yourself down and hanging out in the now. This can be challenging because the past and the future both call you away from this moment. Just watch where you want to go and bring yourself home to the present moment.
2. Bring your focus to your breath. The process of breathing in and out is so much more powerful than your realize. If you pay attention to your breath and gently deepen it, you naturally will take yourself higher. More oxygen = more aliveness and clarity.
3. Expressing your creativity is a surefire way to take you higher. Creativity can be expressed in so many ways. You could write poetry, sing a song, do a drawing, tell a story, give a talk, explore colors, make a collage, sew a quilt or whatever creativity calls you to do.
4. Take a walk in nature and begin to open to the wonder of all of life. Nature is full of beauty, patterns, colors, and aliveness that you can feel connected to if you open up to communicating with it. Feel the nature as if it is within you.
5. Take a few minutes each day to enjoy some quiet time. When you slow down and quiet yourself, you naturally open to your deeper nature. That nature is one with the Source of the entire universe. Hanging out with your Higher self will take you naturally higher.
6. Spend time with your heart. An open heart is the best and more powerful way to feel wonderful. There is no limit to how much you can love. Explore loving everyone and everything even if only in the moment. Practice acts of kindness and compassion and you will feel great.
7. Pick up a copy of Be Here Now by Ram Dass and read the brown paper section. This section naturally takes you higher just be reading it and exploring the ideas it offers. I have turned that section into a series of collages for my own higher purpose (see example below).
8. Explore writers who can take you higher like Ram Dass, Deepak Chopra, Louise Hay, Eckhart Tolle, Thich Nhat Hahn, Osho, Gangaji, Yogananda, just to name a few. There is so much out there that can expand your thinking and open your heart.
9. Begin your day by looking into the mirror and opening your heart to yourself. Look directly into your own eyes and give love to yourself. Yes this can be challenging but if you truly want to be an amazing human being then it must begin with self-love.
10. Take time to practice meditation, quiet contemplation, tai chi, yoga, or opening to the grace of the universe. I prefer quiet relaxed walking meditation, tai chi and gentle yoga. Find out what works for you and explore the adventures of inner space every day.
I know you will find these ideas helpful and expansive. Let me know what you enjoy and what you learn. Together you and I can make this world an amazing place if we all take it higher.
Update on 2008-03-07 17:06 by Joseph Bernard
Beatrix Potter and The Stream of Well-Being
Sorry if I have been a bit of a bore lately with my regular foray into the confounding ways of politics. I just watched a British film and the above sentence just came out of somewhere inside of me. I have been stirring about in the attic of discontent and want to again bring my focus back to what is possible in us, what lingers and longs for expression. The phrase that keeps on popping up is the Stream of Well Being. This phrase comes from the works of Abraham-Hicks and I do feel a close connection to the possibilities it poses. Oh yes the film is still inking my words with the color of proper English. The movie was the story of Beatrix Potter, the wonderful children’s storyteller artist. Now let’s see if I can make sense with this story and my image of the Stream of Well Being.
Beatrix was a creative soul who obviously stood squarely in the Stream of Well Being. She was a artistic/writing genius in her time and all creativity comes from the Stream. She lived life fully expressing her own uniqueness in a way that would be a good example for us all. Despite some dreadful controls placed on her by the social standards of her family and the times, she rose above them and ventured out into a world she created for herself. She was the most successful children’s author and was able to buy and preserve numerous farms in the lake district of England. That is flowing with the Stream.
Let me put in some light on well-being. Well-being is the healthy and vibrant call of all the positive urges within us. It is the urge to live fully, to honor our inner callings, to care for our body, to expand the mind, to express love, to passionately pursue our highest desires, to seek to be more conscious and more realized and to dance with our spirit which knows no boundaries. Expressing our well-being leads to the fullest experience of joy.
So Beatrix and her imagined animal friends were well-being in words and images. They were the highest realization of this human spirit. What longs for expression in you? Where do your urges call you? What would your full expression of well-being look like to you?
I want you to take about 10-15 minutes and close your eyes and imagine that you are stepping fully into the Stream of Well-Being. In that expanded and receptive place, take several long slow exhales and inhales and allow yourself to get caught up in all that longs to be expressed inside of you. Visualize and activate all your senses and then be in your minds eye and heart all you can imagine being. Let this indoor mental/heart party go on until you feel yourself as fully alive as ever. If you can imagine it, you can make it happen.
I am rafting down the Stream as I write this, would you like to join me?
Ideas For Inspiration and Next Day Primary Thoughts
Yesterday in my travels across the web to build more traffic for my blog, I came upon a thoughtful post I felt everyone would appreciate an opportunity to read. The post is titled Fill The Cup and is about how you can make a difference. Everywhere on the web there are people speaking up for what they see as important. The web gives voice to many who have things worth saying. What do you have to say that others would benefit from hearing. Start your own blog or post comments at other people’s blogs. Your voice is always welcome here if there is heart and purpose in what you have to say.
The primary night was disappointing if you were hoping, as I was that, Obama would close out the nomination. It looks like Hillary’s tactics of going negative using the fear factor worked well according to the experts. I am so tired of the use of fear to get peoples attention. We are all, so programmed to be run by fear. The nightly news is all about fear. This president has started a war in the name of fear. The worse governments always use fear to control the people.
Can we move on from fear based campaigns and really talk about the issues that matter most? Can we leave fear out of the discussion and let people decided about who has the vision of leadership we want? Can we look to see who has the qualities that can inspire the nation not control it? That is enough politics for awhile here at my blog. I even get tired of it and I have a passion for the process.
I picked up a book at Costco yesterday. It is a classic called, You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay. Louise has been a great inspiration to me over the years and I felt I could use a good dose of her these days. I invite you to have a read of this book if you find yourself needing some inspiration. This book is about your thoughts and your ability to love and accept yourself. We can all use healing in this area.
I often return to books/authors that lift me up. There are also great sites on the web that are worth exploring. Go to your favorite search engine and put in a topic and you will find lots of resources. If you look under self-development you will find may references that will lift you up. I found another site worth visiting yesterday; check out abbeyofthearts.com
At the abbey site see the post for March 4th and look at the article called Widening Circles.
I hope you day goes well and you find a moment or two to love yourself for who you are. You deserve love today and every day.
Big Primary Tuesday and the Age of Money Influence
Another big primary Tuesday and as usual the experts have their opinions about what it all means. Are you getting tired of the process? Isn’t there way too much money being wasted to spread unkind remarks? If there is one thing that really needs to happen to make America better; that one thing would be to get rid of all the money influence in the elections and in D.C. Once elected official get to Washington, they all seem to get bought by those with the money. How can you have a vibrant democracy if the money influences the making of all the laws? Banking gets laws to support their interests. Insurance companies get laws to influence their interests (Hillary gets more health insurance money then almost anyone else). The war machine industries get laws passed in support of their profits. And of course the energy companies get every legal request they make.
There are many more lobbyists than there are people in Congress. Everybody with money is looking out for their interests. Who looks out for the needs of the people? In Washington, DC there is really only one political party. That party is called the Money Influenced Party and their concerns for what is best for the people is in words only. Money is not inherently bad it is more that money, in the hands of those who want to buy influence, can be very effective. This present administration has made their friends very rich and Congress seems happy to do so. As long as money has a major influence our democracy will continue to fade away.
I hope this day at the polls ends this nonsense and get the final two candidates chosen. On the Republican side, John McCain is an old soldier that will bring an endless war to Iraq and more ridiculous economic policies to the White House. There is no inspiration in this man. He is as wooden as you get.
If Hillary scores a huge upset and is the party candidate then you get a secretive, politician that says whatever she thinks the people want to hear. She is a good enough speaker and will rally lots of people behind her.
If Obama becomes the candidate you will see a lot of nasty stuff thrown at him by those that hate in America. He is brilliant speaker with a passion for the people. His record as an organizers and advocate for the less fortunate means he has heart and is about empowering the people. He has the qualities and vision to lift up this nation in a time when there is a real need for leadership.
I hope you have a good day today and that the candidate you support does well. This is a day about the future of this country and a vision for the future we can all work to make possible. Call your congressional representative today and let them know you want the end of money influence in Washington DC so the people can have their country back.
There are many more lobbyists than there are people in Congress. Everybody with money is looking out for their interests. Who looks out for the needs of the people? In Washington, DC there is really only one political party. That party is called the Money Influenced Party and their concerns for what is best for the people is in words only. Money is not inherently bad it is more that money, in the hands of those who want to buy influence, can be very effective. This present administration has made their friends very rich and Congress seems happy to do so. As long as money has a major influence our democracy will continue to fade away.
I hope this day at the polls ends this nonsense and get the final two candidates chosen. On the Republican side, John McCain is an old soldier that will bring an endless war to Iraq and more ridiculous economic policies to the White House. There is no inspiration in this man. He is as wooden as you get.
If Hillary scores a huge upset and is the party candidate then you get a secretive, politician that says whatever she thinks the people want to hear. She is a good enough speaker and will rally lots of people behind her.
If Obama becomes the candidate you will see a lot of nasty stuff thrown at him by those that hate in America. He is brilliant speaker with a passion for the people. His record as an organizers and advocate for the less fortunate means he has heart and is about empowering the people. He has the qualities and vision to lift up this nation in a time when there is a real need for leadership.
I hope you have a good day today and that the candidate you support does well. This is a day about the future of this country and a vision for the future we can all work to make possible. Call your congressional representative today and let them know you want the end of money influence in Washington DC so the people can have their country back.
How Do You Decide?
Decision-making can be very challenging. Recently, I have been offered an opportunity to contribute to a local program which would utilize my skills in program design and treatment/recovery. The time commitment and compensation doesn’t add up very well so I have been sorting out how does this serve me, how will I benefit as a way to feel positive about this opportunity. My inner guidance has been paid attention to. I have consulted with others and that has been very helpful. I find with the help of their perspectives, I can make a more informed decision.
Life is full of choices and oftentimes these choices we make shape our lives. Here are seven ways to sort out your decision-making so that you have all that you need to make the best possible choices for yourself:
1. Always check in with your emotions. Find out how you feel about what is possible. Your feelings will guide you. Be on the lookout for fear because it often misguides.
2. Notice your physical response to what you are thinking about doing. Feel if you open and expand into what you are considering or do you contract and close down.
3. Listening carefully for your intuition, your higher knowing. There is always higher guidance available if you listen inward.
4. Write out the benefits of what you are considering. How will you life be enriched? How will you be better able to contribute or give of your unique skills?
5. Seek the feedback of people who you can trust to give you more ways of looking at what you are considering. Different viewpoints can be very helpful.
6. Imagine going into this new choice you have made. Feel it, sense it, try it on, and explore how it will be. You imagination will tell you lots about the possibilities present.
7. Be grateful for the opportunity to have choices. Choices are a gift that you can choose to explore and enrich your life. The more choices, the more blessed you are.
Each day presents you with decisions about ways to grow, to be more successful, to give, to receive, to contribute, to enjoy, to love and much more. Take those choices and enjoy what life has given you. There are many on the planet that would love to have all the options you have been given.
Have a good day, and may you have many choices to choose from, all of which enhance you life.
Life is full of choices and oftentimes these choices we make shape our lives. Here are seven ways to sort out your decision-making so that you have all that you need to make the best possible choices for yourself:
1. Always check in with your emotions. Find out how you feel about what is possible. Your feelings will guide you. Be on the lookout for fear because it often misguides.
2. Notice your physical response to what you are thinking about doing. Feel if you open and expand into what you are considering or do you contract and close down.
3. Listening carefully for your intuition, your higher knowing. There is always higher guidance available if you listen inward.
4. Write out the benefits of what you are considering. How will you life be enriched? How will you be better able to contribute or give of your unique skills?
5. Seek the feedback of people who you can trust to give you more ways of looking at what you are considering. Different viewpoints can be very helpful.
6. Imagine going into this new choice you have made. Feel it, sense it, try it on, and explore how it will be. You imagination will tell you lots about the possibilities present.
7. Be grateful for the opportunity to have choices. Choices are a gift that you can choose to explore and enrich your life. The more choices, the more blessed you are.
Each day presents you with decisions about ways to grow, to be more successful, to give, to receive, to contribute, to enjoy, to love and much more. Take those choices and enjoy what life has given you. There are many on the planet that would love to have all the options you have been given.
Have a good day, and may you have many choices to choose from, all of which enhance you life.
Outside Feedback Can Be Very Healing
Yesterday it was 70 degrees and a great beginning to March. Today it is 32 degrees and there is 4 inches of new snow on the ground. Yikes this weather change is too much.
I hope you weekend is going well. Yesterday afternoon I had a body assessment and massage. Heidi is a friend of ours who is also the best bodyworker/intuitive/healer. I got some very valuable feedback about some inner work that needs further healing. I can’t say enough about the importance of getting feedback from others to help you grow past what may be holding you back.
Without feedback you can spin for years in a stagnant pond of unfinished business. It took almost 15 years for me to gain the insights I gained yesterday. That was way too long even though I have been active in getting feedback, sometimes it takes awhile to go deep enough. Bodywork is often very helpful because the emotions and images of what needs healing reside in the body memory and a skilled practitioner can access this information. I am very grateful to Heidi for her work. It will now be able to better move me forward in some very powerful ways.
Here are some signs you may need outside feedback:
• You are alive and breathing, everyone can benefit from the compassionate feedback
• You find yourself in a holding pattern and things don’t seem to be moving forward
• You feel frustrated or upset because you don’t know what to do next
• Your energy is low and depression is bringing you down
• You have great ideas but you can’t seem to carry through on them
• You feel blocked in your heart and distant from people
• You mind seems are snarled up and confused
• You can’t seem to get things flowing in the direction that you know is right for you
• You lack purpose and/or focus in your life
• You desire prosperity and success but they are not happening
• You feel yourself holding in lots of emotions and have too much tension in your body
• You feel full of life but alone and longing for love
I hope you find this list helpful. In almost every community there are skilled bodywork professionals. Ask around and you will have friends that can recommend people.
In some communities there are even very powerful healers that most don’t even know about. I remember I worked with a woman in Portland, OR and she was telling me her daughter had come down with a very mysterious illness which lingered on and on. My friend said she had heard of a powerful healer in Chinatown and she went looking. One day this very small white bearded man dressed in a traditional black outfit showed up at her door. He did not appear to speak much English but she brought him to her daughter’s room. He stayed for a while, doing some diagnosis, gave her some herbs and then tied a red cloth on her door handle and was gone. The next day the daughter was back to her healthy self.
I share this story because there are resources out there for us to utilize to bring deeper healing and realization to our lives. Asking for feedback and getting help is ok to do. You deserve to have a life of great health and success. Along the way you may benefit greatly from the intervention of someone who has access to who you are at a deeper level of knowing than you do.
I have found the simplest of questions coming from my intuitive sense have brought light to those I work with. I love to see the light of insight go on and then profound shifts can take place.
Where is your life could you benefit from feedback? Ask and your will receive.
I hope you weekend is going well. Yesterday afternoon I had a body assessment and massage. Heidi is a friend of ours who is also the best bodyworker/intuitive/healer. I got some very valuable feedback about some inner work that needs further healing. I can’t say enough about the importance of getting feedback from others to help you grow past what may be holding you back.
Without feedback you can spin for years in a stagnant pond of unfinished business. It took almost 15 years for me to gain the insights I gained yesterday. That was way too long even though I have been active in getting feedback, sometimes it takes awhile to go deep enough. Bodywork is often very helpful because the emotions and images of what needs healing reside in the body memory and a skilled practitioner can access this information. I am very grateful to Heidi for her work. It will now be able to better move me forward in some very powerful ways.
Here are some signs you may need outside feedback:
• You are alive and breathing, everyone can benefit from the compassionate feedback
• You find yourself in a holding pattern and things don’t seem to be moving forward
• You feel frustrated or upset because you don’t know what to do next
• Your energy is low and depression is bringing you down
• You have great ideas but you can’t seem to carry through on them
• You feel blocked in your heart and distant from people
• You mind seems are snarled up and confused
• You can’t seem to get things flowing in the direction that you know is right for you
• You lack purpose and/or focus in your life
• You desire prosperity and success but they are not happening
• You feel yourself holding in lots of emotions and have too much tension in your body
• You feel full of life but alone and longing for love
I hope you find this list helpful. In almost every community there are skilled bodywork professionals. Ask around and you will have friends that can recommend people.
In some communities there are even very powerful healers that most don’t even know about. I remember I worked with a woman in Portland, OR and she was telling me her daughter had come down with a very mysterious illness which lingered on and on. My friend said she had heard of a powerful healer in Chinatown and she went looking. One day this very small white bearded man dressed in a traditional black outfit showed up at her door. He did not appear to speak much English but she brought him to her daughter’s room. He stayed for a while, doing some diagnosis, gave her some herbs and then tied a red cloth on her door handle and was gone. The next day the daughter was back to her healthy self.
I share this story because there are resources out there for us to utilize to bring deeper healing and realization to our lives. Asking for feedback and getting help is ok to do. You deserve to have a life of great health and success. Along the way you may benefit greatly from the intervention of someone who has access to who you are at a deeper level of knowing than you do.
I have found the simplest of questions coming from my intuitive sense have brought light to those I work with. I love to see the light of insight go on and then profound shifts can take place.
Where is your life could you benefit from feedback? Ask and your will receive.
When Stuck, Find Your Heart
Today it is like Spring out there where the birds are singing and the day is calling me to play. I want to go outside, hop on my bike and just enjoy the break from this cold winter. Warmer weather makes me feel better. I am more of a spring/summer kind of person. However, today I feel restless and full of discontent. I am upset because some things are not working out like I want them to. I know I am feeling sorry for myself. The results I have been working for are slow to come and it puts me in a place where I need to take on some work for much less pay than I want. That makes me mad. The worse part of this situation is that I translate the low results, as there is something wrong with me. This is an old inaccurate theme that runs through me and it is not about self-love.
I just got an insight as I wrote the above sentence. Yes, something happened along the way where my thinking turned slippery as I allowed negativity toward myself. In other words, I stopped loving and accepting myself at a thought level. Whenever I do that, things start sliding away from where I want to go. I am not sure where I went off course but I do know what I need to do to get back on course. I need to reopen my heart. As I have been writing lately, love is the most positive force on the planet and is the solutions to almost all problems.
I just took a deep breath in and opened my heart. I invite you to do the same in this moment. As you breathe in, imagine your heart opening and expanding. With each breath, you fill more and more of your body with the healing energy of love. Your heart now pours love into every particle and cell of your being. This love that fills you is from the Stream of Well-Being available to us all. All we have to do is be open to receive, to allow the flow into us and our lives. You and I glow when our heart fills us with love. Then take this outpouring of love and share it with those you love and even those you don’t know. Be a fountain of love, compassion, caring and kindness today. See how that feels.
I know I feel so much better just writing this for you to read. The heart is the healer and healing is needed everywhere in the world today and you can make a difference. Let your love shine.
I just got an insight as I wrote the above sentence. Yes, something happened along the way where my thinking turned slippery as I allowed negativity toward myself. In other words, I stopped loving and accepting myself at a thought level. Whenever I do that, things start sliding away from where I want to go. I am not sure where I went off course but I do know what I need to do to get back on course. I need to reopen my heart. As I have been writing lately, love is the most positive force on the planet and is the solutions to almost all problems.
I just took a deep breath in and opened my heart. I invite you to do the same in this moment. As you breathe in, imagine your heart opening and expanding. With each breath, you fill more and more of your body with the healing energy of love. Your heart now pours love into every particle and cell of your being. This love that fills you is from the Stream of Well-Being available to us all. All we have to do is be open to receive, to allow the flow into us and our lives. You and I glow when our heart fills us with love. Then take this outpouring of love and share it with those you love and even those you don’t know. Be a fountain of love, compassion, caring and kindness today. See how that feels.
I know I feel so much better just writing this for you to read. The heart is the healer and healing is needed everywhere in the world today and you can make a difference. Let your love shine.
America In Jail, Into Blaming, and In Need of Attention
The end of the week is upon us and my mind is full of questions and things to contemplate. Did you read in the paper or hear on the news that more than 1 out of every 100 Americans are now in jail or prison? Sounds like something has gone very wrong in this country. How is it that jail has become the solution to many of our societies ills? It looks like fear is running the show, which means America has lost its heart.
Then I read this billionaire who owns a huge media chain says the reason our economy is a mess is because of Obama and Clinton. I guess he feels it is important to blame somebody other than himself and the present administration? The name of the game in this country is called Blame. The goal here is to not take responsibility for anything; then it is always someone else who is at fault. What age of development is this? Are the people of America returning to preadolescences or just too afraid to be held accountable?
Recently, I heard the president say that the war in Iraq has nothing to do with the economic troubles in America. Does he know what its like to be in debt? I guess he figures, we are all incapable of thinking beyond his own ability? Since the President has not been held accountable for his poor thinking or behavior, why should he think he will be now?
That is enough to question for now. I feel a strong need to refocus my own thinking. The trouble with focusing on what isn’t ok, is that you keep finding more that isn’t ok. Keeping my thoughts on what isn’t ok makes me feel not ok. I prefer to focus on feeling happy. This is my plan to live a happy life and I invite you to do the same.
The best starting place is for you and I to put our attention on what we want. (An open heart and mind is key to this process.) I will make my intention to be happy for the rest of my life. That means I put my attention on things that make me happy. I want to focus: on the positive results I want to create; on the love that I have; on gratitude for what I have; on enjoying the beauty of the world I live in; on the joy of being in nature; on the aliveness I feel by living with purpose; on the flow of creativity and inspiration I feel inside of me; on the joy of my friendships with family, friends and my dog; and on all yet to be realized as I further express what is within me.
How about you? Where do you want to put your focus? Remember, what you think about expands. If you think what is good and possible, there will be more good and possible. If you think about blaming and how awful things are, there will be more to blame and more to feel awful about. Where will you put your attention today?
Let Love Rule
Over the past few weeks I have been combining personal issues and issues present in our nation and on the planet. I will continue to do that during this election year because I think we are hopefully going to change directions and leave the total dysfunction of this administration behind. We are going to have to participate or more of the same will continue. Today, however, I want to write more about the mind and heart hoping to invite more insight and awareness in you and I.
One of my favorite writers for expanding consciousness is Osho. His books are available in bookstores and libraries. He was a radical thinker and stirred a lot of controversy in his time. Here are a few of his quotes that I find rich with consciousness and thought provoking:
“The more fearless a person is, the less mind he uses. The more fearful a person, the more he uses his mind.”
“If love is not allowed to flow, it becomes fear. If love is allowed to flow, fear disappears.”
“Love gives courage, love takes all fear away – and the oppressors depend on your fear.”
“A person full of fear can only hate, a personal full of fear is more against life that for life.”
“If love appears, boundaries will disappear. If love appears, religions will disappear. It is because love is missing that you are searching for God.” Osho
These perspectives are provocative because they put love as a key component to how we experience life. I will take these ideas and explore them because I think they are important for me to understand at a deeper level. I invite you to do the same. Then together we can be more empowered in our own lives and out in the world. Have a good day and let love rule.
The Heart Never Lies
There is so much going on out their in the world and across our nation. There are ideas and opinions flying about with people who are sure they know what is right. The very vocal are probably the ones we should ignore the most. The ones that tell us vigorously what we should believe and how we should think are the ones that should most pay attention to what they are saying. Yes the experts are there in droves to attempt to record and shape our thinking. The analysis is driven by minds that can’t quiet down enough to hear what really matters. What matters most is the calling of you own heart to do what you know is right for you. The heart never lies, it’s the head that spreads confusion about the world. All confused love issues are also the cause of our thoughts not our purest desire to love.
We live in a time rich with possibilities for insight, expansion and higher values. Now each of us must see from a larger viewpoint with more heart. It is well past time that:
• We quiet the experts and find our own way.
• We ignore the words of those of corporate religion and find our own truth.
• We stop paying attention to the media manipulation, misinformation and programming by our government and instead live by the compassion of our inner knowing.
• We participate in cleansing the game of politics of the dominance of money influence and lies and become a higher expression for the good of all.
• We return corporations to their initial charter, which was to be in service to humanity.
• We hold those running government directly responsible for debt they create and the mess they make (Iraq).
• We say no to fear as a way those in power attempt to control the people and become courageous citizens speaking up for what is right and what is not.
• We evolve past killing each other as a way to resolve differences and control people.
• We fully wake up and end the lies, money trails, conflict of interest and self-serving ways of those who govern us.
• We demand our government end torture, domestic spying, war mongering, and trampling on our rights for their unenlightened agendas.
There is so much more to be added here but this will do as far as stirring us all to ask questions.
The time has come to bring as much awareness and compassion into the world as we are capable of generating. The partisan squabbling are simply egos battling and the head winning out over the hearts. Turnoff the TV and find your own way to what matters most to you. You, with as much consciousness as you can awaken, are needed today. Then from that place of your own knowing, you can become a force for good, compassion, understanding, truth, and higher values in a world that seems to have lost heart.
Peanut Butter, Pax and The Passion of Pursuit
Today I am still struggling some kind of imbalance within my system. I woke up during the night soaked from my battle against whatever is going on inside. Feeling less then fully clearheaded, I decided to share with you a funny story brought to you by my new dog Pax. No I am not going to become one of those blogs obsessed about their pets. However humor is a very healing and I wanted something to chuckle about as I wrote this. Norman Cousins, a prominent political journalist, author, professor, and world peace advocate, wrote much about the power of humor and laughter to bring about healing (go to dogpile.com to search for more info about Norman Cousins).
The other day I was sitting downstairs writing my blog and I smelled peanut butter. I thought, oh I had left the lid off the jar when I was making a snack for Pax. Then all of a sudden, my mind set off these red blinking alarms and I thought that is too strong a smell and I shot off running up the stairs. Our home is one of those 3 level ones and as I went up to the kitchen level, I noticed the jar was missing. I then headed up the next set of stairs and their was the lid and looking down at me was Pax, at the top of the stairs, with peanut butter all over his face. The large jar was half empty and Pax was obviously trying to get some of the peanut butter off his beard which was now a peanut butter brown. I called my wife to hurry up and come see what I was seeing. We both started laughing so hard. Sure he had made a mess and left us without an essential part of our regular diet but just the innocence of the pure pursuit of what he wanted made us laugh and appreciate his nature.
We love peanut butter and so does our dog. The negative for Pax was he couldn’t drink enough water and as you well know he must of felt all stuck up inside. The rest of the day was spent in trying to recover.
Yes there are some pointed lessons in this for all of us. The passionate pursuit of what you want is a very positive thing. He went for what he wanted, counter-surfed, and was rewarded with an abundance of great tasting delight. When you and I pursue what we want with passion we often create very positive results. His hard end of the lesson spectrum came from overdoing it. That can be the same for us. The journey toward what we want is the juice of life. Arriving and indulging for a while is the glory of success. Staying too long means you dull your pleasure and extinguish your passion.
The journey is the most important part of the pursuit of life. The arrival is to be celebrating but the further march to higher levels of self-realization must then begin anew. That is the way of living for us humans that will give us that greatest joy and aliveness. Are you in pursuit or languishing in peanut butter at this point in your life. Most likely your journey is what is going on and if you understand and appreciate that for all it is, then you can have joy and peace of mind all the way along.
I hope you find yourself covered with peanut butter, chocolate, money or success soon. Don’t stay too long, wipe your face, and then move on to the next pot of gold (success, love, happiness, money or whatever makes you feel good).
If you have any stories you want to share let me know and I will post them on my blog if they seem to fit. Have a fun day counter-surfing for what you want.