My Secret Weapon

Last week when my ISP crashed, I went to the library. It has always induced fond memories of my not-too-long-ago youth. I spent many hours in this quiet paradise reading, writing, doing homework, and seeing fellow students cram for final exams, which meant they may temporarily remember, but not learn.

Studying should be a slow process that you do daily to retain as much as possible. Besides, you can't learn lifes answers in one day, it takes a lifetime to find them.

The library was the only place that I could actually hear minds expanding in the oasis of knowledge. You automatically feel smarter when you go to the library. The expansion of the mind also stretches the intellect. The various books, magazines, and thousands of other resources greet you with a smile as they impatiently wait to jump into your head.

There is nothing like holding a solid 2000 page dictionary in your hand or seeing the various volumes of encyclopedias. You can even research on microfiche like a true brain detective. Everything is at your disposal. At my local library, I can even get FREE copies and in L.A. if anything is free it is a miracle.

Everyone has become so used to researching on the internet, but it does not compare to researching at the library. The long arm of library resources far outreach Google resources which has many broken links and "Address Not Found" pages.

If you have questions, you may assume librarians know the answers, but some of them are clueless. The old stereotype of a librarian is that of a ultra conservative bookwormish woman donning cat glasses. Although librarians come in an assortment of characters, I saw the antithesis of the stereotype last week.

I went to the check out desk where a female librarian in her late 50's sported a tattoo of a snake from her wrist to her elbow.

I had the same initial shock that you probably have? It just didn't seem right. Having a tattoo says one thing about your character and being a librarian says another. Never the twain shall meet -- until now.

Even in the film Party Girl, the main character trades a life of partying to become a librarian.

Our spiritual classroom never ends. We are constantly learning and being tested. Spirituality is a library of many resources. Our hearts fill with life and our spirit organizes, categorizes and archives our impressions. We can pull them up anytime on our mental screens and recall how we learned from an experience or get background on an experience we have yet to learn?

Every piece of information we get from our library informs us and thus improves our lives. The library is my secret weapon. It is the only source I can rely on to get the information I need.

It is my greatest defense against not becoming dependent on the internet. It is like a sword: I do not draw without reason. I do not sheath without honor.

Knowledge is power!

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Stain Free

“God, who foresaw
your tribulation,
has specially
armed you
to go through it,
not without pain
but
without stain”

~C.S. Lewis

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Imagine it

"You cannot depend
on your eyes
when your
imagination
is out of
focus."

~Mark Twain

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Squeezing Lemons

In Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events, Jim Carrey plays multiple roles in this calamitous, yet zany tale of three recently orphaned children, Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire whose parents perish in a fire.

"If you have ever lost someone very important to you, then you already know how it feels; and if you haven't, you cannot possibly imagine it."

The children have inherited a massive fortune, but can't collect until 14 year old Violet becomes 18. In the mean time, the orphans are sent to various unsuitable relatives, but one in particular, Count Olaf is trying to kill them so he can have their fortune.

He bounds them to servility where they are forced to use their imagination to transport them to a peaceful paradise where they feel love. "Violet loved to invent; her brother, Klaus, loved to read; and their sister, Sunny... she loved to bite."

Olaf locks them in a car and leaves them on the railroad tracks. They are left to their own inventiveness to escape. They go from relative to relative, but somehow keep winding up with one of Jim Carrey's multiple characters, until Olaf comes up with an outlandish scheme to marry Violet so he can inherit the fortune immediately.

Also starring Meryl Streep as a woman who lives on top of a precipice and afraid of everything, especially real estate agents; Billy Connolly as a herpetologist, Catherine O'Hara as a justice and a engaging narration by Jude Law as the voice of Lemony Snicket.

Through its zaniness, there is a spiritual syllabus; especially the use of imagination. Imagination is the cornerstone of Soul travel. We can transport our Souls any time we feel lost, lonely or alone. This story also teaches that we can use our unique gifts to create the life we want, which starts in our imagination and can eventually manifest into our reality.

There is a dark side of life, but if we know that going in, we can battle those dark moments of despair with the collaboration of God. Moments of despair don't last forever, they are purification rest stops. These are the times we can plan our reinvention, put on our game face.

Sometimes we are dropped into new environments that cause us to scramble. Thank God for these moments. The moments when we think we can't make it are the instances that we find spiritual muscle to help us examine each consequence with the eyes and ears of God.

"At times the world can seem an unfriendly and sinister place, but believe us when we say there is much more good in it than bad. All you have to do is look hard enough. And what might seem to be a series of unfortunate events, may, in-fact be the first steps of a journey. We hope to have you back in our arms soon darlings, but in case this letter arrives before our return, know that we love you. It fills us with pride to know that no matter what happens in this life, that you three will take care of each other with kindness, and bravery, and selflessness as you always have. And remember one thing my darlings and never forget it - that no matter where we are, know that as long as you have each other, you have your family, and you are home."

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Chocolat For The Soul

Sometimes it takes a stranger to stir the pot to make soup. Chocolat starring Juliette Binoche as a chocolatier and unmarried mother of a small daughter; Judi Dench as a broken hearted grandmother and a brief performance by Johnny Depp as a "river rat" gypsy.

Chocolate is the panacea that brings magic and awakening to the Souls in this small village where everyone knows everyone else's business, and holds it against them.

Binoche's character, Vianne Rocher is an itinerant caped crusader with shamanistic wisdom who blows into town like a clever north wind and opens a chocolaterie during Lent.

Her chocolate concoctions stir up more than emotions and tempers. She entices the senses and unlocks deep prejudices and longings of the townsfolk, especially Comte de Reynaud, played by Alfred Molina, the town's leader, sermon writer and voice of morality.

Labeled an atheist because she doesn't go to church, Rocher's challenge is not only to shake some chocolate "scents" into them, but awaken sensibilities dipped in tradition and hypocrisy. As unique as her red shoes, Rocher has an uncanny knack for reading people.

Part of her charisma is to put people at ease without judgment. Part of our spiritual skill set is having the intuitive dexterity to read people. We must be aware of how people shield their true selves to harm us in order to elevate themselves and how they project distorted impressions of us.

When we know our true purpose, we work alongside God. We can't be afraid of what others think of us; it's not about us. It's about mediating the conflict that arises when we feel that our purpose is compromised. God can't be forced down the throat, godliness has to live in the heart.

Rocher's spirit is like a roaring kettledrum solo that disturbs the tranquility of the town. She bangs a gong to change and opens a Pandora's chocolate box. She discovers that people are like chocolate, made with different ingredients and devoured by disparate vices. And yes, some bite off more than they can chew and others don't sample any. Their has to be a balance of both.

If nothing else, Rocher's presence caused a stampede to confession where parishioners reveal with guilt that they have indulged in chocolate that "tortures you with pleasure."

We are all searching for personal truth that may not be found in tradition or religion, but the stark nakedness of knowingness.

Rocher is a paradox; a free spirit who is not really free until she breaks the cycle of fleeing from town to town seeking her own truth.

At one point her daughter bemoans, "Are you Satan's helper?" Although Rocher comforts her daughter, she must be thinking of how her daughter is being affected by the town gossip. Her daughter then yells, "Why can't you wear black shoes like the other mothers."

Later Rocher confesses to Johnny Depp's character, Roux, a concern that has been bothering her for a long time. "Don't you ever think about belonging somewhere?"

Like the young priest sermonizes,

"We can't go around measuring our goodness by what we don't do, by what we deny ourselves, what we resist and who we exclude. I think we've got to measure goodness by what we embrace and what we create and who we include."

After Rocher mends relationships, bridges, friendships, teaches kindness, humility as well as tolerance, she changes the way people feel about her and themselves and has an epiphany in the process.

You have to belong to yourself, no matter what you do? If you don't have a sense of belonging; a sense of being in the right place at the right time, then you are spinning your wheels.

Souls travel in groups, we eventually find our own family and in doing so, we discover our own place in our spirit to bring us tranquility -- and that's just enough to satisfy our spiritual sweet tooth.

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9 Hours Later

My ISP is finally up again after crippling my work schedule. It's terrible to be so dependent on something that is unreliable. No doubt there was a lesson in all of it.

Was Spirit telling me to slow down? Get some R&R or that you can never completely trust technology no matter how hard you try? In any event, the ISP lines were busy this morning so I had to leave a voice mail. It's a small, but reliable company usually and they have only been down one other time since the two years that I've had them.

They finally called me back about a half hour ago and swore that it was nothing on their side and that they had no complaints. "Sure," I thought to myself, "You just don't want to admit it?"

They suggested that I reset all of my settings. (How did they know this if it wasn't their fault? Hmmmm, something sounds fishy?) Anyway, I played along and reset eveything and even unplugged the computer and plugged it back up.

As I was restting my login name and password, I noticed that I didn't have an area code on my access numbers. It dawned on me that I should put the area code in as well as the access numbers. And......IT WORKED!

In L.A. we just had a major area code change and now everyone has to dial the area code with the phone number, even if it is the same area code.

So it is all sorted out and I am back with you all. I know you missed me because I sure missed you. You make my day.

I will proceed with this weeks theme tomorrow. I don't forsee any other technological calamities. If so, well you know I'll be thinking about you.

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ISP Down

My ISP is down. Ah, the wonders of technology. Once again it has me hostage. I will be back as soon as they sort it out.

In the mean time. I hope you all are having a terrific day.

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In Your Own Defense

When I initially saw Defending Your Life, I thought it was one of the cleverest and funniest films about past lives that I had ever seen -- and the same is still true today.

Not everyone accepts the notion of past lives and that's okay, but for those of us who do, this film is definitely worth a spin in your DVD player.

Written by Albert Brooks and starring Albert Brooks and Meryl Streep, Defending Your Life takes the past life concept and brings it into present day.

Brooks plays, Daniel Miller, a recently deceased man who is stuck in Judgment City. After meeting his defender, he finds out that all people on earth are only using 3% of their brains and they live in fear. The point of life is to evolve, get smarter and move on to the next plane.

"Fear is like a giant fog. It sits on your brain and blocks everything. Real feelings, true happiness, real joy. They can't get past the fog, but you lift it and buddy you're in for the ride of your life."

When Miller asks whether he is in heaven or hell, his defender says, "Nope, it isn't Hell. Actually, there is no Hell. Although I hear Los Angeles is getting pretty close."

Miller has to defend his life and explain his fears in order to evolve to the next spiritual level or he will be relegated to repeat another stint on earth; the ashcan of the universe.

He finds himself inside a courtroom where his kismet isn't kind. He participates in a melodramatic trial, during which scenes from his life are replayed on a giant screen where he is left gaping at the play.

While the prosecutor tries to prove that Daniel failed to face his fears in numerous situations, his defender argues on his behalf.

True to character, even Shirley MacLaine makes a cameo, greeting people at the Past Lives Pavilion. Daniel is enraptured by an altruistic Julia, played by Meryl Streep and he must summon up the courage to express his true feelings for her, or she will leave him behind.

Defending Your Life is ripe with spiritually rib-tickling insights and memorable scenes. Julia loves to eat because no one gains weight anymore. In one scene where people look at their past lives, one woman screams with abhorrence when she sees that she was a sumo wrestler, Daniel was a Zulu with a spear and war paint, and Julia was Prince Valiant.

Each of our Souls are made of several life experiences that shape our thoughts, ideals and motion in this lifetime. When people tend to speak of past lives, they tend to romanticize them. We can't all be kings and queens, gods and goddesses. Some Souls had to play Jack The Ripper and Attilla the Hun.

Some aspects of our past lives carry over into this life, but we may never realize it unless we study the connection between our Soul. We are all capable of doing grand gestures and horrific acts. Greatness and wickedness both lay dormant in our Souls until we wake them.

While it is more acceptable to be great, wickedness serves its purpose too. It helps great men become greater, it makes new laws to protect us, it brings awareness. For many, wickedness is a reference as opposed to an action that dishonors and disfigures us for life. I am in no way advocating wickedness, just dissecting it on a Soul level.

On the other hand, I am advocating greatness. The hands on our clock move in relation to our connection with our inner life. Like in the film, we may even get snippets of our past lives. Some could be frightening and others could be captivating, both are enlightening.

Learning about past lives can be fascinating, but knowing too much can push us over the edge. Eckankar is one teaching that helps Soul to comprehend this view from inside of you. It's gentle approach helps you to accept and progress.

In the film Brooks' character has to overcome his fear and redeem himself. When he finds love, he also has to find the courage to express it.

What kind of life are you living. Is it something you can be proud of? If presented a slide of your life activities, would you be ashamed of any of them?

What you do today can have a positive or negative impact. Wouldn't it be eventful to bookmark a spirited life as opposed to a dismissive one? You can.

It's never too late to redesign your life and make it into something worthwhile.

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Zorba's Dance

This week's posts are thematic; spiritual lessons in films. From modern to classic films, spiritual aspects are sometimes overlooked in the way of hype, but if you look past that you will be able to see the silver lining.

In the film, Zorba The Greek, Zorba is an outspoken rogue who loves to dance. He dances at the drop of a hat and frees his mind of the deep pain that resides in his troubled Soul.

Zorba is a drifter and catalyst who brings life to the restless island of Crete after meeting his new boss on a ship and asking to go with him. Zorba explains,

"You’ve got everything except one thing. Madness. A man needs a little madness or else he never dares cut the rope."

Together they work to rebuild a mine that has been closed for years. While not a magnificent film, it tenderly emphasizes how you can alleviate a painful episode in your life without letting it keep you down.

Zorba uses the art of dance as a weapon; it defends him from his heartache and uplifts his Soul to the heavens.

Pain is like a predator that stalks us in the night. Once it gets a hold of us, it rips us to shreds like shrapnel. It makes its way through our bodies, storing itself in our emotions and memory, attaching itself to our ability to feel vibrant again.

Zorba takes this process and smashes it to pieces like a plate on the dance floor. In one scene, he invites his boss to dance. After they collapse from exhaustion, Zorba reveals that he has lost his three year old son.

"When my little boy Dimitri died, everybody was crying. Me. I got up and I danced. They said Zorba is mad. It was the dancing. Only the dancing stopped the pain. Why do the young die? Why does anybody die? Tell me? What’s the use of all of your damn books. If they don’t tell you that, what do they tell you? I spit on their agony."

That's just it. We learn to overcome pain through invention. Dancing was the only way Zorba knew how to deal with his loss -- and it worked!

While he still carried the pain, he no longer transported the sorrow associated with it. When we begin the process of rearranging the pain, the severity is mollified. By the time we are finished rebooting ourselves, we have gained another layer of skin. We don't forget what has happened, we acknowledge and regroup.

Although it may feel like it, God has not forsaken us and left us on desert ground for vultures to rip us open. We are slowly making our way back to our spirit, walking, crawling or dancing. Pain has mangled us, but it won't keep us broken.

The Zorba dance is one of the most recognizable pieces of music in the world. It has been the musical backdrop of countless commercials and was even played at the closing ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympics.

When Zorba begins to dance to the old rebetika song "Syrtaki," he extends his arms on either side like an eagle about to take flight. As he crosses his right foot over his left and snaps his fingers, he begins the traditional dance of the Hasapiko.

The slow tempo becomes faster and he moves with the steps of the Hasaposerviko. While his alter-'eagle,' is soaring the azure skies, his pain becomes joy. Such is the power of God, to transmute our pain into bite size pieces.

At the end of the film, Zorba's boss finally gets the nerve to ask, “Will you teach me to dance?” Like Zorba, he too wants to flee from the cavernous place in his Soul.

The next time you are in so much pain that you think your world is coming to an end and you don't know what to do --- Dance.

"Do you dance boss? Dance? Did you say dance? Come on my boy!"

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Grandeur Of Humanity

"The true grandeur
of humanity
is in moral elevation,
sustained, enlightened
and decorated
by the intellect
of man."

~Charles Sumner

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Caring

"No society can long
sustain itself
unless its members
have learned the
sensitivities,
motivations
and skills
involved in assisting
and caring for other
human beings."


~Urie Bronfenbrenner

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T-Shirt Guru

The other day I saw a man wearing a T-shirt that read, 'There Is No Finish Line.' Its interpretations provoked many thoughts. I felt my head starting to rumble and shake at all of the possible meanings?

I interpreted it to mean that life goes on; we never finish living, we are just moved to a different playground. How would you interpret it? A pessimistic perfectionist may think, "Of course there is no finish line because I have to get it perfect and that will never happen."

T-shirts wield a lot of power. We can make comments without opening our mouths. Political statements, funny expressions are lasting words that can emblazon a T-shirt.

At one awards ceremony years ago, Michael Stipe of REM made a statement by taking off his T-shirt to reveal another T-shirt and another one, until he made his point. I can't remember what he said at the time, but he was protesting something he felt strongly about.

Once I was wearing a T-shirt that read, 'Evolution, Not Revolution,' and a man came up to me and asked me what I was doing for my evolution? It lead to a long discussion about how God leads us through the darkness until we find the beacon of light which is really us uncovering our own murkiness. Yes, God leads us to us.

Though I like reading T-shirts, one of my favorite T-shirts actually reads, 'No Comment.'

What statement do you want to make? What has been the most provocative T-shirt you have ever worn or seen? How many comments do you get on your T-shirts? How many conversations have you had about a T-shirt?

A T-shirt is a personal billboard? It gives you the opportunity to speak to many types of people; it's an ice breaker; a communication device. If you could say anything on a T-shirt, what would you say? If anything, it says something about you.

Depending on what you wear, you can become a T-shirt guru. Remember, if the T-shirt fits, wear it.

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In God We Trust

Trust is a varied emotion. It hangs in the balance of thought and desire, right below the intellect and the heart. We develop it as a refuge for sanity. It increases or decrease according to our experiences. It is always around us, following us, fueling us, flowing in us.

We trust that we will get paid at the end of a work week; that goods or services we purchase will be of a high standard; that our partner is faithful; that we will procure happiness and be a product of it's offshoots.

If we didn't trust, we would be a couple of cans short of a six-pack. There would be panic, paranoia, sheer emotional mayhem. Even those who are faithless trust.

Trust is such a precious commodity that it gets confiscated by 'Trust Bandits.' People who shatter your trust into a million particles that make it difficult for anyone to recover.

This is the time when you can trust God. In fact, you can always trust God, but you may forget that when you get involved with someone who pulls a white rabbit out of a hat and dazzles you with every trick in the book. You're not thinking of God when someone promises you the stars and gives you stardust.

When sharks smell blood, they start circling. Their skills are as sharp as their teeth. They specialize in making you drop your defenses. You don't see them licking their lips preparing to devour you. Then one day when you are so enraptured and distracted; BAM! BANG! POW! You're out like a light.

When you wake up, all of your trust is gone.

Trust is an exchange. A trade. You are trading yours for someone else's.

If we trust that the world is basically good, we have to also trust that there are people who want to hurt us, who want us to mistrust others, and who want us to fail. Those very same people are the ones from who we can learn the most.

If we can defeat them, we can defeat anyone. They keep us in the trenches of doubt until we take them all out with awareness. Our radar has to be up at all times. We have to look, listen, and constantly observe. We have to act with measured thought and forthrightness.

We give our trust to people we CAN trust, not people who don't deserve it. People who prove they have the qualities we require; people who trust us because we are trustworthy like them. Trust is an instinct.

In acting there is an exercise called, "Trust." It is when you have to fall backwards and trust that someone will catch you. It is a scary thing to rely on a stranger, but it helps you eradicate fear and build trust that you won't be left hanging on stage if you forget your lines.

The United States national motto is, "IN GOD WE TRUST." It originated during the Civil War as an inscription for U. S. coins. On Nov. 13, 1861, when Union morale had been shaken by battlefield defeats, the Rev. M. R. Watkinson, of Ridleyville, Pennsylvania wrote to Secy. of the Treasury "From my heart I have felt our national shame in disowning God as not the least of our present national disasters," the minister suggested "recognition of the Almighty God in some form on our coins."

And the rest is history. If they recognized the power of God back then, we can trust that God loves us.

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Naked Villainy

I am always glad when people respond to posts. Sometimes for various reasons they respond via email without making their comments live on the blog.

Provocative comments frequently get trampled in the rush of popular opinion. Check any "Letter To The Editor" section of a newspaper and you'll see many varied opinions in response to an article the newspaper printed.

They are usually grouped together on a page you may flip past. It's almost like newspapers don't really want to print them, but they feel it is their duty to the readers. Often, the letters are better than the article in question.

I received such a passionate response to my post on Mediocrity that I wanted to showcase it. There are many people out there who feel the Emperor's not wearing any clothes. They feel stunted. Shunned. Shut out. Shut down. They feel that they are the minority and their voice cannot be heard. This is for them.

This my Letter To The Blogger.

Alexys, I found your post very poignant and relevant to today's society. I too had an AOL account and when I asked them to close it, they did everything they could to stop me from doing so. They extended my contract and installed vicious spyware that gave my computer a virus that crippled it.

Again, I requested that they close it and they said they would, but I later found out that they were stealing money from my bank account. I ended up closing my bank account to stop these con artists from helping themselves to my hard earned cash.

Whilst on the subject of computing, it never ceases to amaze me how people buy Windows? It has got to be the worst OS out there. Bill Gates has made a fortune by creating what is not a mediocre product but a truly inferior one, yet people support this inferiority with open arms instead of demanding that Gates make a substantial product, not a substandard one.

What really bothers me is the entertainment industry -- the playground of mediocrity. It's amazing how someone like Tom Cruise can be one of the biggest "stars" in the world, without having a shred of acting ability? People see his unsightly face in magazines and read the lies that he has paid for through his multimillion dollar publicity firm that say he is a great actor just to make sure they get paid. They HAVE to say it as a business, but we don't HAVE to believe it.

We have to think for ourselves and judge for ourselves. Like Salieri says, "Mediocrites everywhere." F. Murray Abraham gave such a marvelous performance as Salieri in Amadeus lamenting about mediocrity that he soon disappeared after that and mediocrity grew exponentially. We never heard from him again.

That speech was the demise of his career and he was resigned to a life of mediocre parts while starring roles went to Brad Pitt, John Travolta, Mel Gibson, Jack Nicholson just to name a few bad actors who pale in comparison.

God gave us a gift to use our minds and think for ourselves and we throw it away so others who barely clothe their naked villainy and implant their opinions and while we remain on auto pilot. That's how thought is destroyed and how nations crumble. We may as well sew our lips together and set our minds ablaze. The day we stop thinking for ourselves is the day we die.

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Possession

"The renown which riches or
beauty confer
is fleeting and frail;
mental excellence
is a splendid
and lasting
possession."

~Sallust

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The Curse Of Mediocrity

It creeps in like a thief in the night, stealing our good intentions to be the best we can be. It makes itself comfortable inside our consciousness and attaches itself to our perspicacity.

It is the curse of mediocrity; a hideous malady that is rapidly becoming prevalent in society. What happened to people doing their best or at least "wanting" to do their best? Are people becoming so used to mediocrity that it is their best?

Few people seem to want to do their best anymore. They do just enough to get by and just enough is just not enough.

I recently took my car in to get an oil change and the next day, I found that the oil had leaked out leaving a large puddle in my driveway. To compensate for the garage's incompetence, I had to take time off work to take the car back and wait until it was done AGAIN!

In the meantime, I lost precious time that was allotted for something more pleasurable; ANYTHING other than waiting around in an auto garage. We have to pay for incompetence, whether it is ours or not. We pay for ours in a lack of pride, but we pay twice as much in time and frustration for someone else's.

Is incompetence tied to mediocrity? Yes and no. Incompetence has various degrees. Most of the time it shows up in various stages of undress and sometimes it is completely nude. Those are the times that can leave us the most dissatisfied.

The garage didn't even apologize for their negligence. Mediocrity has no apologies. I had to use more time, they had to work twice on one job without getting paid for the second time around and it all could have been avoided if they had paid attention and cared about what they were doing in the first place.

A writer can never regain lost time or lost work. Once it's gone, it is gone forever. Frequently story lines disappear entirely if not expressed in a timely manner.

A friend of mine closed her AOL account and then found out that AOL was still illegally deducting money from her bank account. She called AOL and was on hold for 45 minutes before she was disconnected. She never called back. She let it go.

That's the problem, we can't let it go. We must get it. We owe it to ourselves to get it. It's our name and reputation on the line. We can't let mediocrity take a chunk out of us. We can't become besmirched because of mediocrity.

That's how mediocrity proliferates. It looks for complacency. For low standards. For carelessly. For short attention spans. For you. When it knocks on the door, we can't open.

In the film Amadeus, Salieri sings the tune of mediocrity.

"I'll speak for you. I speak for all mediocrities in the world. I am their champion. I am their patron saint. On their behalf I deny Him, your God of no mercy. Your God who tortures men with longings they can never fulfill. Mediocrities everywhere, now and to come. Amen! Amen! Amen!"

We can flip the script. Change it. Rework it. We can't let mediocrity steal our will to achieve satisfaction. We can't be complacent. We have to speak out.

We can't let it mediocrity spread. Stand up, be heard, scream if you have to, but say something? Don't let mediocrity kill your right to be thoroughly proficient in everything you do. Kill it before it kills you.

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Decisions

“Unless your heart,
your soul,
and your whole being
are behind every decision
you make,
the words from
your mouth will be empty,
and each action will
be meaningless.
Truth and confidence
are the roots of happiness.”

~Anonymous

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Balance

"The best and safest thing
is to keep a balance
in your life,
acknowledge the great
powers around us and in us.
If you can do that,
and live that way,
you are really a
wise man."

~Euripides

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In The Dark

My niece is addicted to horror films. She loves being frightened. She loves screaming. Cringing. Grabbing hold of the person sitting next to her. Tossing freshly made popcorn in the air during a blood curdling scene. Being on the edge of her seat. The whole nine yards. Sometimes she even screams in anticipation of screaming.

She is not the only one? Horror films make billions of dollars in foreign and domestic revenue every year because people love the thrill of horror. Seeing horrific incidents can cause us to become anesthetized to the horrors of society. They can cause us to think that the world is like that?

While some aspects of the world are horrifying, there is still beauty to behold. Love to apprize. Life to live. Vim and vigor. Though horror hides these aspects, it can still bring them out in a roundabout way? After seeing a horror film, we may focus more on the positive aspects of life.

However, my niece is a different case. Horror films are a release for the horror she feels inside. The horror of not having a relationship she so desperately craves. The horror of not living on her own. The horror of not having a career she likes? The horror of human nature. And the saddest horror of them all; not having a father. He abandoned her and her sisters when they were babies?

It's no wonder she clings to horror. It's all she knows. The Halloween series, Scream series, Nightmare On Elm Street series, Friday The 13th series, Urban Legend, The Exorcist, The Omen, The Sixth Sense, The Ring, and The Grudge are embeded in her emotional architecture.

She is substituting the things that lack in her life with horror. She tries to escape from her own horror with more horror. She has had many positive experiences in her life too, but she doesn't hold on to them.

In the spiritual realm, there are no bad experiences. Every experience comes with a lesson plan. Once we learn it, we graduate to the next lesson. Whether we think it is good or bad, it causes us to remember. When we archive those memories, we can always refer back to them to see the lesson again.

My niece loves horror because she lives in fear; fear of not ever finding what she is looking for? She is running away from what life has to offer her. She is cheating herself and cheating her life. She is dying to live.

Maybe one day she will realize that she has the key to her life, all she has to do is use it.

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The Secret Lives Of Humans

It's amazing what you can find out about people unbeknownst to them? My neighbor Ben is a straitlaced accountant, single, somewhat of a loner and never has any guests visit from what I see?

He always lets me know the latest tax tips and any business loopholes or deductions that I can use to my advantage.

Even though he is 35, every time he sees an attractive woman, he blushes like a shy teenager who has his first crush. His cheeks turn red, his eyes flutter and he bows his head in embarrassment.

Recently it has been unbearably hot and humid in Southern California, in fact, it is fire season because of the weather. Sometimes people leave their windows or doors open for the evening breeze.

One night as I was taking the trash out, I noticed Ben's door was left open. As I passed by hoping to see him and make small talk, I saw him standing in front of a full length mirror -- in a gorgeous black evening gown.

Yes, you heard me right. He was wearing an evening gown, a blonde wig, red lipstick, rouge, eye shadow, eye liner, foundation, concealer -- full make-up. He looked better than any model I had ever seen. He was absolutely stunning!

I couldn't believe my eyes? My jaw dropped with my trash bag. I quickly picked up my bag and got out of there like buckshot from a shot gun.

As I got to the trash bins, I heard Ben's door shut. He must have heard me? Did he forget that he had his door open? By leaving his door open, he also left his life open. Maybe he wanted someone to see him?

Part of the spiritual path is practing the law of discretion. Being discreet is somewhat tricky. We have the natural proclivity to tell someone what we saw, but we can't always do it. Even if we find out something about someone else that doesn't mean that we have to spread it?

We wouldn't want to resort to gossiping; that addictive habit that we develop that does more harm than good. As long as what they are doing doesn't cause danger to anyone, your lips must be sealed.

You have to be a keen judge of situations. Imagine everything God knows about us, but loves us anyway. God sees the closet skeletons pile up, but the unconditional love does not waver.

If you are asked specifically about the person or incident, you can answer in a way that doesn't not constitute gossiping. Declare yourself the vehicle for God before you answer. That will clear you of any karma you may incur by answering.

(By the way, this doesn't count as gossiping, it's simply stating a case for example.)

Maybe Ben's little secret helped him do his job better, just like Ed Wood, a film director who used to dress in women's clothing? If Ben knew that I knew his secret, it would crush his spirit. I can't ever let on that I know? Some things are better left unsaid.

"One's first step in wisdom is to question everything - and one's last is to come to terms with everything."

Georg Christoph Lichtenberg

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Walk In Your Shoes

Are you spiritual? How can you tell? Is it connected to your belief system? Is it a separate entity? Is it a intensity that engulfs you, gently bringing you solace and balance?

Some people think that going to church makes them spiritual. Others think that meditating makes them spiritual. Still, others believe that they don't have to do anything in particular to be spiritual.

They walk around clutching a red string, a cross, a star of David, rosary beads, or a bag of prayer beads and think that makes them spiritual.

A spiritual person does not walk around saying, "I'm spiritual." It is the way they walk around that says it.

Spirituality is caught, not taught. When did you catch it? When did you have the urge? The longing to be solidified? A yearning to feel? When did the questions start? Where do they end?

When did your life begin? Does any of it end? When did you know what you know? What do you know? What do you need to know? When did your time on earth feel different? When did your steps become measured?

When did you feel the life force run through you? Was there thunder? Lightening? Did you see the light? When did your eyes open? When did your perception of the world change? When did you begin to negate everything you were taught to believe? When did you start rewriting your history?

When did it all sink in that you are responsible for your life? When did the bough break? When did your heart open? Had you had enough of your life the way it was? Were you looking for a deeper connection to your core being?

Are you finding what you're looking for? Is what you're looking for what you're really looking for? What have you acquired? What more do you want? When did you step into your shoes? Were tight at first before they became comfortable?

No one else can walk in your shoes. No one else can have your unique experience. Your shoes are only yours. No matter what happens, no one can wear your shoes. You must make your own shoe prints. Walking in your shoes is the only way to make an impression.

When can you answer all of the questions, you will enjoy walking in your shoes. The answers are revealed daily like sand in the hourglass. Don't let them slip through your fingers.

Welcome to your life. Relish the joy walk.

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The Flip Side Of The Dream

It is a given that pursuing your dreams is probably one of the most arduous tasks you endeavor to do. You may not know what it entails in the beginning, but you do it anyway with sheer determination and an expected positive outcome.

It is like base jumping off of a building. You free fall into the wild blue yonder, excited that the descent will forge you into jubilation.
But what happens if the harness breaks? This unexpected event could send your dreams into a tailspin.

Our dreams don't have a back up plan; a what-if-this-doesn't-work out-safety plan. That doesn't even cross our mind. In our heart of hearts, we know that whatever we pursue is going to come to fruition.

Well, believe it or not, sometimes we don't always get what we want, but somewhere in the process we get what we need. Even though we may not always achieve what we plan we still get something out of it.

God's plans don't always match our plans. It is a hard pill to swallow, but it is reality. This is the part of dream pursuit that derails us. Some will achieve their dreams in the way they envisioned, but others won't.

Sure, some diehards will still pursue what they want and bang their heads against the wall, but if it is not meant to be, it won't become a reality.

For instance if a ballerina has trained from an early age to one day dance on stage and she suddenly breaks her leg before she is set to debut, she is devastated. She figures that she has trained and sacrificed for nothing. Not wanting to face the world as a loser, she contemplates suicide, until her night of dark Soul turns into a conversation with God.

Through her anger and frustration, she accepts that she may never achieve a career on the stage, but she can still use her training to help others realize their dreams. And that's it in a nutshell.

Although we pursue certain dreams, we never know if they will coincide with God's dream for us, but that doesn't mean we should stop dreaming. It is a contradiction, but we should still follow the path that makes us happy. Don't think about the "What ifs'?"

There is an old adage that goes, "Those who can't do, teach." Teachers have a role too. If it weren't for teachers (many who have pursued the dream they teach), there wouldn't be champions.

I have a friend who attended drama school in England. He said that he was always impressed at the ability and talent of the tutors. The voice tutors sang like angels, the drama tutors could put most actors to shame and the fencing instructors were so skilled that they used many of them to coordinate stunts in film productions.

The point is that our dream can change when we work with God. There may be another aspect of our dream that we neglected to see?

If you know that when you begin the pursuit, you will be better prepared for whatever happens. We can never stop dreaming. There will always be something inside the Soul that says, "Go for it!"

Who says the other side of the dream is not as joyful? The flip side of the dream could be the side you missed in the first place?

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Clean God

This weekend I attended an Open House. An activity when a homeowner who is selling his house leaves it open for potential buyers to see. Open House is usually an owner's time to show why his house is the best for you. It is like an audition.

That's why I was shocked to find that this particular house was absolutely filthy. I walked in and immediately felt like I had walked into a coal mine. The carpet was sordid and worn in places, paint was peeling, the ceiling was cracked, the rooms had a cloud of soot that made my eyes water and my skin crawl.

This wasn't what they call a "fixer," either, but it still was in bad condition. Needless to say, I made a quick exit while I could still see clearly.

A house reflects your state of consciousness and a dirty house is a state of consciousness in dire need. Cleanliness is not next to godliness, it IS godliness.

If your house is cluttered, so is your mind. Your focus suffers, your work is not the best it can be and you're not presenting yourself in your best light. Cleanliness brings a sense of pride, order and clarity.

Cleaning your personal environment, unclutters your consciousness and sharpens your awareness. Bathe and condition your consciousness daily for that strong healthy glow of godliness.

The next time I attend an Open House, I'll have to take a gas mask and protective clothing.

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Eternity's Mirror

"Beauty is life
when life unveils
her holy face.
But you are life
and you are the veil.
Beauty is eternity
gazing at itself
in a mirror.
But you are eternity
and you are the mirror."

-Kahlil Gibran

The veil of beauty is in direct proportion to love. In varying degrees, the veil shrouds or reveals. The mirror is the only place where the veil is transparent, for it is there that we see our true selves. A vision that sears through physical appearance. A vision that fills our very being and allows us to reside in the arms of God.

What do you see in the mirror?

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Own Yourself

"The individual has always
had to struggle to
keep from being
overwhelmed by the tribe.
If you try it,
you will be lonely often,
and sometimes frightened.
But no price is
too high
to pay for
the privilege
of owning yourself."

Friedrich Nietzsche

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Twig

"I do not want
to die
until I have
faithfully
made the most
of my talent
and cultivated
the seed
that was
placed in me
until the
last small
twig has grown."

Kathe Kollwitz

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Am I There Yet?

At what point are our dreams realized? How long is the road? How many miles? Steps? Feet? Inches? When do we know that we have reached the summit of the mountain? We know when we know.

No matter how many times we chant, "Am I there yet?," it won't get us there any faster. It's an illusion; a twisted game the mind plays with the Soul causing us to question if we are doing the right thing?

Though the Soul is in control, the mind thinks it has a handle on things? It thinks it's the master of your fate. The mind is the butler, the Soul is the master.

On the way to the dream, you put in the time, fan the desire, wrestle with doubt, let it consume you like a slave of lust, suffer consequences in the beginning, encounter sleepless nights, withstand bumps, bruises, shed a few tears and welcome euphoria that comes in spurts, but it does come nevertheless.

You also can expect the unexpected. The journey will become magical. People will appear along the road to help and others will try to hurt you. Unfortunately you won't be able to tell the difference until you entertain their offers.

You can no no more plan the realization of your dream than you can plan to meet the love of your life or win the lottery. It happens when it is time to happen.

When Michelangelo was painting the Sistine ceiling, he was hounded daily by Pope Julius shouting, "How much longer?" Michelangelo responded with, "When I am able." Frustrated that it was taking so long, the pope beat him with a stick one night repeating, “When I am able, when I am able.” He also threatened to push the artist off of the scaffolding if he didn’t hurry up.

This still didn't help Michelangelo finish the ceiling any faster. It was finished in God's time and worth every glorious minute. When we think we have to achieve our dreams within a time frame, that causes extra pressure and may even cause us to derail ourselves?

God has a plan for each of us. When our soul is ready we will get to where we are going --- all in God's time.

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Ocean Of Fire

I just saw the film Hidalgo. Aside from the impressive trailer of a horse race across the desert, it was a tedious film with many slow moments. For a so called action adventure film, it took forever to get to any action.

The film is loosely based on the life of long distance horseback racer, Frank T. Hopkins. Set in 1890, former cavalry/Pony Express man Hopkins and his painted mustang Hidalgo are performers in Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show.

Hopkins has a reputation as one of the greatest long distance horseback racers in the West which brings a challenge from an Arabian Sheik to a grueling 3,000-mile race across the Arabian Desert, called the "Ocean Of Fire."

In comparing the Ocean Of Fire to the spiritual race, it is very similar. We start with all the hope in the world, knowing that we are going to win the coveted prize. We already have plans of what we are going to do with it once it is in our grubby little hands.

We begin trotting, then galloping. Once we get into full stride, we find it grueling and almost impossible to complete. We run into blinding sandstorms, swirling locust swarms, other riders trying to knock us off of our horse, intense physical, emotional and spiritual depletion; no food, no water in the desert alone, facing death, yet we still persevere.

While Hidalgo wasn't great, it had memorable scenes. When Hidalgo gets injured, Hopkins grapples whether to kill him? He holds the gun to Hidalgo, but can't bring himself to pull the trigger. Hopkins starts to walk away.

Another rider sees Hopkins and gloats that he knew he couldn't finish the race. Hopkins doesn't say a word, but in his shadow, you see Hidalgo getting up and standing on hind legs as if he has been insulted by the riders comments.

When we fall off of our horse from exhaustion and we think its over, we get a second wind and get up to finish the race. During the race, we are taken to our limits. Then something miraculous happens? Our limits are redefined. We have gone beyond what we "thought" were our limits.

Hopkins and Hidalgo eventually win the race, much to the chagrin of the nay sayers. Hidalgo is a story about the underdog, ahem, I mean the 'underhorse.' It's about the struggle to prove yourself to yourself.

After Hidalgo wins the race he goes back home. A herd of wild mustangs have been released from the corral. Hopkins looks at Hidalgo, takes his saddle off and releases him to run among his own.

That's what happens in the spiritual race. We survive only to be turned free to run with the gods. No longer chained to a body. Just free. That is the prize.

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High Light Independence

In honor of July 4th, America's independence day, today is a day of individual independence. Independence means that you are on your own, free from the burden of someone or something else. Emancipated from the little self that loves to dominate and bring you down.

Independence allows you to make your own decisions and have the conviction to stand behind them. You can express your voice in such a way that it contours who you are.

Independence is the embodiment of flexibility which is an asset to spiritual liberation. When you are willing to be flexible, you are willing to grow flexibly. Rigidity does not work in enlightenment.

So now that you know what and who you are really celebrating, it's time for fireworks. Fireworks began in China when a Chinese cook accidentally mixed three common kitchen ingredients (black powder); Potassium nitrate or salt petter, sulfur and charcoal and lit it.

The result was colorful flames. The cook also noticed that if the mixture was burned when enclosed in the hollow of a bamboo shoot, there was a tremendous explosion.

The first application of this technology was for entertainment. Slowly the theory took roots that this loud sound was perfect to chase away evil spirits and to celebrate weddings, victories in battles, eclipses of moon, religious ceremonies and you.

Remember, you don't have to wait for July 4th to celebrate. Celebrate life's moments everyday.

Happy independence from the tyranny from the little self.

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Breathing Room

My sister is in the hospital with pneumonia induced by exhaustion. She can't breathe without oxygen. She is dehydrated and hooked to an I.V. initiated by a new nurse who had to tap my sister's arm and wrist to find a blood source.

The nurse couldn't find enough blood in my sister's arm (if that makes sense?), but hit a gusher in my sister's wrist. I watched as the nurse fussed over her, knowing my sister must have hated it.

My sister is the care giver, not the care taker. She is not upset that she is in the hospital. She is upset that she won't be able to do everything for everybody; which includes baby-sitting for free, one-sided car pooling where she takes the same kids to school everyday and she's lucky if the parents contribute gas money or say a simple, "Thank you."

She also relentlessly helps her daughter with her many homework projects and has even assisted her other daughter in a clothing store, all for free and volunteering to help whenever help is needed.

My sister is one of the most generous people I know. She will give the shirt off her back. Usually the givers are not comfortable taking, which leaves more for the takers.

There has to be an equal amount of give and take. The givers will give until they have no more. The takers will keep taking, wanting more. If you are a giver, stop giving for a while and see how people respond?

For the givers, it is okay to receive. For the takers, there has to be an ebb; you can't keep taking and not giving anything. Don't let yourself get exhausted to the point of hospitalization. When the physical body breaks down, the spirit crumbles. Sometimes body and spirit never recovers.

In my sister's case, the hospital is the best thing that could have happened to her; at least she can get some rest. As much rest as you can get in a hospital without someone coming in to change the I.V. every couple of hours.

Her doctor gave her simple advice from his horn of plenty that I'd like to pass on.

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Get plenty of rest.
Drink plenty of water.
Give plenty of gratitude.
Give plenty of love.
Give yourself plenty of breathing room.

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Being Happy

“Being happy
doesn't mean
that everything
is perfect.
It means that
you've decided
to look beyond
the imperfections.”

"Never allow
someone
to be your
priority
while allowing
yourself
to be their
option.”

Anonymous

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The Human Soul

“The human soul
has still greater need
of the ideal
than of the real.
It is by the real
that we exist;
it is by the ideal
that we
Live.”

~Victor Hugo

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