You Decide

"It's better to be a lion
for a day
than a sheep
all your life."

~Sister Elizabeth Kenny

Read more...

The Handshake

My hand is throbbing. I had a meeting earlier with a prospective employer and he squeezed my hand so hard that it is sore. I don’t know if he was just happy to see me or if he was using my hand to relieve tension? I have to keep opening my hand and closing it just to get it to relax. I think it’s in shock.

Have you ever noticed the way people shake hands? From the timid hand shakers to the hand breakers, the way someone shakes your hand is a very touchy subject, but it says a lot about you.

Handshaking is an ancient ritual. It is reported as long ago as 2800 B.C. in Egypt. According to historian Charles Panati, folklore places the handshake even earlier and speculates that because the right hand is the weapon hand, presenting it open and without a sword came to be seen as a sign of peace and acceptance. Though archaic in origin, the handshake is still the accepted form of greeting in our society in modern times. In both social and business situations, the handshake is important.

Read more about various types of handshakes. Be careful, the next hand you shake may be your own?

Read more...

God Rocks

At times the world can turn you on your ear and drag you to dark places where you feel you can never escape. You may feel that no one is there to hear your cries or no one is there to wonder about you. Even though you may not think so, someone is always there to hear you. God has an ear for all of us.

The language of God is not shrouded in religion, color, creed, isms or schisms. It is in every fabric of beingness. God speaks to us eye to eye, ear to ear, heart to heart, in a easy dialect that we can understand. It isn’t a message in a bottle that has been cast in a sea many years ago. It is now.

This is what God says to me.

I am a rock
Splash into me
Wash upon my shore
Unflinchingly
Through the dark waters
Tread unto me
I am your light
Your shoulder
Blessing your Soul
I feel your waves breaking
Your water shifting colors
Through the currents ends
I embrace you with
Majestic tenderness
Rest in my arms
I am you
I am God

We can all be the rock of God. God rocks.

Read more...

Defining Wisdom

We never know when wisdom is going to strike. It is not predefined, it has no rules, no timing and no form, but is does have substance. Tons of it. We develop wisdom to get from point A to point Z, resting at each letter in between.

Wisdom is a spiritual system of weights and measures that balances our thoughts, reasoning, logic and perception while deepening our collaboration with spirit. As children wisdom commences when we learn not to touch fire or we will get burned. We will go through a series of wisdomatic exercises until wisdom is embedded into us.

Initially it has to be taught, then we discover it on our own. Which is the brilliant part of it, discovering it as we go along. The spiritualists and scientists stand on opposite sides as far as creation goes, but in wisdom, the divide is closed.

Though it has spiritual overtones, wisdom is somewhat scientific. In biology, mitosis is the process in cell division by which the nucleus divides, typically in four stages resulting in two new nuclei, each of which has the same chromosome and DNA as the original cell -- such is wisdom. Once wisdom is produced, it divides itself, not in four stages, but several stages because each time you discover it, you pass it on, and the person in which you pass it on, passes it on and so on and so forth. The end result is mind blowing. Wisdom comes at every age and every stage.

Wisdom is when the pupil becomes the master. Our internity awakens, sparks fly, and something inside of us ignites in a culmination of universal energies that expand our consciousness into a knowingness that is beyond the scope of the heavens. It may sound erudite, but it’s really simplistic in nature.

Wisdom is waking up and thinking, “Hey, now I know what that means. I am no longer in the dark.” We begin to see the end result before we do whatever it is we are thinking about doing. Seeing the outcome of what was once an insurmountable obstacle is an awesome feeling. Wisdom also borders on intuition. You know twice as much than you did yesterday and half of what you’ll need tomorrow. Wisdom is the pendulum of time.

Achieving wisdom is like a gong that bangs in our head when we realize that we have learned something. The vibration lasts a lifetime. There is no end to wisdom, it keeps going long after we are gone. Listen, a gong is right around the corner.

Read more...

Tow To Hell

As a blogger, I am always taking mental snapshots of life. From the mundane to the fascinating bits of the rainbow, there is usually something brewing wherever I am. Take for instance, tow truck drivers. I know you’re probably thinking, why tow truck drivers?

I saw someone’s car being towed last night. The sports car was in between two cars. The tow truck drivers quickly jacked the front of the car up and put a dolly under each front tire. They pushed it back and forth and pulled it out from the curb. They must have hit the car in front and the car behind three or four times. As they were doing this, people stared in awe at the underhanded feat.

One woman was livid, saying she should report the drivers for being so rough. The car being towed had partially blocked a driveway. Another observer shouted, “Leave it alone!” The tow truck drivers worked so quickly that the car was literally gone in 60 seconds. As they hooked it up and sped off, the car was like an animal in the wild that had been tranquilized and tagged but not released.

Some would call it legalized theft. Did you know that tow truck drivers are probably the most hated individuals in the world? What kind of person would even want to be a tow truck driver? I mean, how does it feel to get up every morning knowing that your job brings a heap of hatred from others? What is in their psyche? Do they even care if they are despised because they know they have power?

A car is a person’s most sacred possession and they hate it when someone tries to take that possession. The tow truck drivers I have come across have been negligent, brutish and a couple of gallons short of a full tank. They hold your possession hostage and some of them even leave room for negotiation, i.e., it will cost x amount to let your car off the hook.

For the most part they seem to lack the airs and graces of conversation, and the knowledge that cleanliness is not only next to godliness; they are one in the same. Maybe they could keep a little deodorant, toothpaste and a toothbrush in the glove box? I am not saying that they have to lift their pinky while having tea, but it would be nice if they knew how to carry a conversation and perhaps diffuse a situation when it heats up.

Once my car broke down and I had it towed to my house. I rode with the driver and it was like riding a roller coaster that had gone off the tracks. The driver sped through various parts of the city, weaving in and out of traffic like he was being chased. As he turned right, gravity would push me to his side, as he turned left, I almost flew out of the window. (Just between you and me, I think he liked turning right because I would almost wind up in his lap.)

At such a high rate of speed, I was hoping someone would call the police so at least I could jump out of the truck on my own free will, without falling out. As this was happening, my poor car was bouncing up and down, banging, scraping, yelling. How would we like it if someone put a hook in our mouths and dragged us for miles on end?

I had probably gotten whiplash several times over during the journey. My insides were still bouncing when we finally arrived. The car had scratches that weren’t there before it was towed and the alignment was ruined because the driver didn’t tow it correctly. I’m sure that others have worse horror stories than mine.

The upshot is that when my car was missing years ago, I was hoping it was towed and not stolen. Alas it was stolen. Typical, where are the tow truck drivers when you really need them? The one time in my life when I would have killed for my car to be towed. I had some things in there that I could never replace and my friend had just moved from London and his suitcase was inside with all of his belongings; cash, clothes, passport, and sentimental items.

Possessions are not everything, but they are a nice bonus to enhance our lives for as long as we are here. We don’t have to be attached to them, but we can appreciate them for the joy they bring to us. There is so much spiritual doctrine on giving up possessions, but if you give up everything, you won’t be able to have anything. You can balance the inner life with the outer life. All it takes is practice and avoiding tow truck drivers.

P.S. Some tow truck drivers are angels. They rescue drivers who are broken down and will tow them for free. They deserve a special thanks.

Read more...

Smoke Signals

My sister-in-law loves to meditate in her car. She calls her car a “prayer box” for that reason. In fact she doesn’t even have a car radio. Nothing to distract her from her heart to hearts with God.

When I meditate, I usually do it in a quiet place closing my eyes, and breathing deeply. I couldn’t imagine doing it in the car; especially with my eyes closed. I don’t think my insurance company would like that. I don’t think I would like that, much less other drivers who happen to get in the way of my...um..meditation.

Last week, I tossed caution to the wind, ripped a page out of my sister-in-law’s book and tried it her way. I got in my car and imagined myself on the highest mountain top overlooking the incredible vistas and glorious indigo skies. And you know what? It worked for the first five minutes. I was on top of the world, above all the lower world Yin and Yang.

I was floating in traffic, trying to keep my eyes on the road and God at the same time. This would have been splendid, but every time I got to a traffic stop, I was assaulted by cigarette smoke from a driver in the next car, or the next two cars. It didn’t matter where the car was; in front of me, behind me, on the side of me, or on top of me.

The cigarette smoke disturbed my mediation, made my eyes water, and filled my lungs with second hand smoke. The combination of smog, traffic exhaust and smoke was too much to maintain a proper meditation. Even if I rolled the window up, the smoke would find it’s way in, just like annoying little gnats that materialize from thin air. You may have seen it yourself? When drivers are driving with their hand extended out of the window holding a lit cigarette.

I never understood why smokers don’t want to breathe their own smoke, but they don’t mind if someone else does. I call this syndrome, ‘smoking fingers.’ If a driver is going to smoke, why don’t they keep their smoking fingers inside the car with their windows up? Didn’t they know I was trying to meditate?

Seriously, one’s personal environment is important, especially when meditating. I pulled over and went to a park. I took a walk around the lake while observing a family of ducks frolic in the water. This was more my speed. To observe nature and appreciate the beauty that surrounds us daily.

It’s not about where we are when we shift our attention, it’s about where we go when we shift it.

Although the “prayer box” method works well for my sister-in-law, I’ll stick to meditating in a quiet room -- smoke free.

Read more...

Oneness

"The first peace,
which is the most important,
is that which comes
within the souls of people
when they realize their relationship,
their oneness with the universe
and all its powers,
and when they realize that at
the centre of the universe
dwells the Great Spirit,
and that this centre is
really everywhere,
it is within each of us."

~Black Elk

Read more...

The Feeding Hand

"If you pick up a starving dog
and make him prosperous,
he will not bite you.
This is the principal difference
between a dog and a man."

Mark Twain

Read more...

Controlled Excess Part 2

The models were no more than a preconceived idea of how people should live. Every detail was planned right down to the freshly baked oatmeal cookies that were on the table for guests and bottled water in the side by side stainless steel refrigerator. Some details were customizable, but not enough to really say you designed it yourself.

It was like being a science project. Were secret cameras installed at every turn? Was there a hidden weather machine too? I could imagine the controlled snowflakes, acid free rain, waterfalls, meteor showers and perhaps a controlled lunar eclipse?

As the salesman spouted off various amenities, including screenings of the latest films, summer concerts, walking tours, wine tasting, massage, tanning and hair salons, hourly shuttles to the beach, even a library -- everything except a church. Too much perfection drives you crazy.

My friend and I looked at each other and we both had that look that required no words, no explanation, just a knowingness that you get when you know someone really well. We both smiled at the salesman and said in unison, “I think we’ve seen enough.”

As we were driven back to the car, we saw various construction crews quickly pounding out someone’s house; someone’s but not my friend’s. I knew from his look that he wasn’t happy living in a controlled environment. It was like an ant colony, except with people. It seemed so prefabricated, so fake, like living in a giant pickle jar. You know how pickles look in the jar; so ripe and juicy from the outside, but when you finally get one out, they are shriveled and a lot smaller. This community was a pickle.

The whole community wouldn’t be finished for another 9 years. If you don’t mind living on a construction site with the various noisemaking tools and machinery or sawdust or construction workers? Wait did I say construction workers? Hmmm, they ARE muscular, never mind, I can’t think of myself. Great, that thought cued my brain D.J. to spin the song “Y.M.C.A.”

“Young man, there's no need to feel down. I said, young man, pick yourself off the ground. I said, young man, 'cause you're in a new town. There's no need to be unhappy.”

We went back to my friend’s place and de-frazzled our brains, trying desperately to purge the sales pitch from our heads. As we sipped a cold lemonade, we laughed and cringed about the “perfect community.” He looked around his place and sighed, “Why am I moving?” He does have a beautiful townhouse, I have never seen one as gorgeous. Maple hardwood floors, floor to ceiling windows, light, bright, airy, quiet, stunning.

Sometimes you have to go outside of your back yard to appreciate what’s in your backyard. The mind causes us to think that what we have is not enough, when it’s what we need right now. When it is time to move, we will be the first to know. My friend has some silly ideas sometimes, but at least he doesn’t sit back and say, “I wonder what that would be like?” And one phrase is truer today than it has ever been, there’s truly no place like home.

Oh noooohhhh, I hear it again, “It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.” If you’ll excuse me, I have to fire my D.J.

Read more...

Controlled Excess

My friend has been looking to buy a house for the last three months. The homes he has seen thus far have been in less desirable neighborhoods and highly desirable neighborhoods. Real estate is somewhat enigmatic, if not unpredictable.

A decent house in a so-so neighborhood can be a bargain, whereas a dilapidated shack in Beverly Hills is still over a million dollars. Although he wants to live in Beverly Hills because of the greenery; as in manicured lawns, not dollar bills; he has found that it is next to impossible to fulfill his abode desires. A million dollars is nothing to sneeze at and way too much to fork over on a shed held together by string and gum -- even if it is in Beverly Hills.

Today he asked me to accompany him on his tour. Being the terrific and modest friend that I am and a connoisseur of new digs, I jumped at the chance to join him. (I really am modest. Don’t let my rapier wit fool you. See, an immodest person wouldn’t have bothered to backtrack.)

Although the housing market is dropping a little, house prices are still steep, especially here in Southern California. With that in mind, my friend compromised his tastes and desires to consider a townhouse. Several minutes later, our adventure would find us in the middle of community living.

Community living is a concept where a whole community is planned and put together slowly by developers, builders, retailers and the like. This particular community was partially finished and they were pre-selling the homes that were left. Surprisingly, they only had a few left. (Per the sales pitch)

We walked into the sales office where soft music caressed our ear drums and everyone spoke in soft quiet tones as if they were in a library. They proceeded to show us a miniature model of the community. As if this wasn’t planned enough, every time the salesman told us about one sub community, he used a laser light pointer to highlight it on the actual mold. The pointer was a bit much.

Next was the tour. We were led to a row of electric vehicles to tour the expansive grounds. After passing dog walkers, construction workers and miscellaneous people who looked like they were lost, we arrived at our first sub community.

It was a modified housing tract. The model homes were very close together. You could touch your neighbors hand if you opened the window. Distance would be more expensive and not an option in this place. Inside the homes were mahogany hard wood floors, flat screen T.V.’s in every room, controlled access, computerized appliances and climate control, gourmet kitchens, Mediterranean tiled bathrooms with spa tubs; the works.

The one thing lacking was warmth. A home should have a warm feeling when you walk into the door. It should make you feel safe, comfortable, loved or at least like you have not walked onto a film set.

(to be continued)

Read more...

Miss Fortune

Apparently it pays to be psychic. There is a psychic that lives close to me. She has two home businesses within 2 blocks of one another and two classic cars; a Rolls Royce and a Jaguar. Yet every time I pass by her shop, it is empty. It makes me wonder how she does any business, but she must have some customers in order to run two businesses.

This is often the case with many psychic shops that I see. Psychics seem to live in expensive areas. Often times they live and work in the same place. I have seen some psychics hound people as they walk along the street, begging them to come in and find out what they don’t know. My contention is that if they are really psychic, they would know that the people they hound do not want to come inside.

Sure, psychics are fun at a carnival or fair, but that’s more of a curiosity. No one can really read your palm, tea leaves, jewelry, or foresee your future. If they could read fortunes, why wouldn’t they have won the lottery for themselves by now? You are their lottery.

Once I got a business card on my car windshield from Madame Tina which read, “Don’t die without knowing?” Hmmm. Without knowing what, I thought? I was intrigued, but not enough to pay a fortune to find out. Her rates were $75.00/hour and up. Who knows what the fees would become once she got you into her trap?

Is being a psychic an ancient art or an ancient way of thievery? How does one train to become a psychic? Is there a school? Correspondence course? Learning through osmosis? Or can anyone put up that blinking neon sign that blinds our perception? Their business is based on fear -- your fear. Some folks are more than happy to fork over cash to find out what they, “need to know.”

Psychics may be alluring, but they are dangerous, out to get your money and abuse your trust. They manipulate your emotional environment and fan the negative flames to make you feel that you are in trouble and you need them to get out of it. If you really want to know something about your life, invest in viable answers from reliable sources. Research it yourself.

You can develop your own intuition and absolute reliance on your inner master; not someone who does not have your best interest at heart. Your future is revealed slowly by God. You get what you can handle, when you can handle it, not before. There is a reason psychics are called fortune tellers -- they are only increasing their own fortunes at your expense.

Read more...

How To Wake Up Happy

Here are 10 ways to wake up happy. Do them daily and you will be so happy that you won’t be able to contain yourself.

Talk to someone who makes you feel appreciated.

Listen to your favorite song everyday.

Cultivate love.

Smile.

Take your mind off of the little self.

Be in the moment right here, right now.

Acknowledge that you are not alone and you won’t feel alone.

Maintain positive thoughts.

Don’t go to bed angry.

Repeat everything the next day.

Read more...

Digging God

The magnificent arms of God stretch from country to country, ocean to ocean, heart to heart, Soul to Soul. Everyone is in God’s reach and God reaches everyone, even those who don’t believe God exists.

Take a look at the side of this blog and you will see what I mean. People have visited from all over the world. Visitors have come from the furthest corners of the globe and locations in my own backyard. Some have visited from places I never would have imagined. Not only am I amazed and grateful at the amount of visitors, but for the amount ot times they visit.

We have all gathered here to feel God; to see how God works; to know God; to be godly. We have come to this round table of expression, thoughts, ideas, truths, and experiences. We have brought bread and wine for our journeys. We have ventured out of our home territory to find a commonality; hope; a reason why we exist?

No matter what part of the world we are from, we are all kindred spirits from the same bloodline seeking truth. Our DNA is identical as the offspring of God.

We know life’s answers are not written on the wall. We have to go beyond scratching the surface. We break ground by digging long and hard to find truth. After a while, we see a glimmer of hope. As we continue throughout the years, we get exhausted, but we don’t give up. Then suddenly when we are not looking, we hit paydirt.

We are thrilled that we have found truth and the trick is to hang on to it or lack of faith can steal it at any time. Just to make it a little more interesting, the path to the paydirt reroutes itself and we’re off again on another incredible journey.

The knocks are harder, but the payoffs are more rewarding. As hard as it is to attain spiritual freedom, it is harder to maintain it. There is always the notion to rest on one’s laurels, but that is precisely the time when the foundation could shift and we have to be prepared for movement.

We have to trade our knowledge to gain access to deeper truths. Each time we reach a plateau, we trade more truth to reach more truth. This continues throughout life. When we reach our final truth, we are handed the keys to the glorious kingdom of self-realization. But to get there we need a large shovel and a strong back. We’re getting there.

Don’t ever stop digging. Don’t ever stop wanting to know.

Read more...

Ask Away

“I am prejudiced in favor
of him who,
without impudence,
can ask boldly.
He has faith in humanity,
and faith in himself.
No one who is not
accustomed to
giving grandly
can ask nobly
and with boldness."

~Johann Kaspar Lavater

Read more...

Simply Marvelous

"Like snowflakes,

the human pattern
is never cast twice.
We are uncommonly
and marvelously intricate
in thought and action,
our problems are
most complex and,
too often, silently borne."

~Alice Childress

Read more...

Move It Or Bruise It

They say that space is the final frontier. They are right. We need space. We have space in between letters, words, cars, houses, just about everything. There are very specific rules about space that we have come to expect, but there is one place where the space rules are always broken; personal space.

Why do people disregard this precious commodity that seems to be disappearing by the second? Is it because we lack intimacy in our lives and we try to establish it with strangers? Personal space is like prime real estate; it’s highly valuable and highly sought.

Every time I stand in a line (a queue) of any kind, I have someone clipping my heels, touching my back, shoulder, leg, almost stepping into my skin. When I move up, they move up. When I move up again, they move closer. This harrowing two-step continues to the point of vexation.

If I am the landlord of my own space, these are illegal tenants who need to be evicted. Out of all the space in the world, they had to step into mine. You would think that a space invader would get the message, but they think that I am making more space for them to fill. I am not one to be rude, but I feel like saying, “Back off!” Maybe I need to wear that T-shirt that reads, “If you can read this, then you’re too close.”

The best estimates for personal space is about 24.5 inches (60 centimeters) on either side, 27.5 inches (70 centimeters) in front and 15.75 inches (40 centimeters) behind.

What will it take to make people respect personal space? Do I have to wear bumpers? Do I have to be fit with alarms that sound when someone crosses the line? Perhaps I should wear taser clothing so when someone gets too close, they get fried? No, no, no, that wouldn’t be quite right, after all, I have to set an example for you.

Just for the record, I don’t advocate violence, but I do think the space invaders need to step back, stop pushing, slow down and please, please, please stop elbowing, me in the back. If I am moving forward, stay where you are until enough distance is established between us so I can blink my eye -- without our eyelashes touching.

All this talk about space makes me think of the only space I don’t want; space in my head. That is always chockfull of stories to pass on to you. However, the next time someone invades your space, mention God. They will either run away or respect the distance between you.

Protect your personal real estate. Don’t entertain a space invader unless they make an offer.

Read more...

Silent Burdens

I have been told that I have an honest face; whatever that means? What is an honest face? Is it a face of compassion? A face of neutrality. A face that reflects inner balance or a face that tries to escape every time it hears, “You have an honest face.”

If Helen of Troy had a face that launched a thousand ships, then I have a face that launches a thousand lips. People tell me their innermost thoughts, problems, anxieties and spiritual ailments. Sometimes I feel like a priest or a psychologist. People usually come up to me and strike a conversation and wind up telling me their life story.

There was the man whose wife was dying of cancer; the woman who had a miscarriage and still had a nursery set up in her house; the former model whose boyfriend beat and severely bruised her face, and the many others who sought my face for solace.

Pain is a burden. A weight that people carry throughout their lives. When it gets too heavy, they have to put it down. When they alleviate the pain, they lift themselves back up.

The other day, I met a man who poured his heart out. We were talking about real estate and he blurted out in non sequitur fashion that he hated his father. “Excuse me” I said. “I hate him,” he repeated. “Why?,” I said knowing what was coming but too late to turn back.

He began to show me his hands. “See these?,” he uttered with his lips trembling. “Yes,” I nodded. “My father threw his away,” he recalled as his face got tense.

“He was a prominent plastic surgeon, one of the best in the country. People would flock to him from around the world because of his hands. His hands were like gold. He was working so much that I would hardly see him, but every time he came home, even if it was late, he would come into my bedroom to make sure I was okay. I knew I could always count on him.

He clenched his jaw as he continued his tale.

"One day I came home and my mother was crying. I asked her what was wrong? She couldn’t tell me at first. Then she finally cried that my father was having an affair. I didn’t know what an affair was? I was only 10 years old at the time. She turned to me and told me that my father wasn’t going to live with us anymore. He left my mother with three kids when he cheated with another doctor. Then the shocker came when he quit his practice so he wouldn’t have to pay my mother alimony and half of his assets. All those years in medical school were wasted. He threw his hands away. I hate him.”

There was a sadness in his face as his heart emptied. A sadness that I knew would be with him for the rest of his life. Obviously he was in a lot of pain over his father. Not only did he feel his father threw his own hands away, he felt that he was thrown away along with his mother and sisters.

I don’t know how long he had been carrying this burden, but he dropped it in front of me. He never got over the fact that his father did that to his family which has caused a lot of confusion and emotional chaos in his adulthood. But when he told me, his burden was lifted. He looked like he felt lighter, happier, even excited.

Sometimes silence speaks louder than words. If you declare yourself a true vehicle for spirit, people will find you. You provide the ear and they do the rest. Lifting someone’s burden can lift your heart, but be careful not to empathize too much or it will weigh you down. A sympathetic ear is all they ask? Not much for a weightless world.

Read more...

Rubber Soul

From time to time we get caught in a negative force field. A swirling black energy that makes us sad, lonely, angry and frustrated. It causes us to want to cash in our ticket to the biggest lottery in which we have already won -- Life!

It’s like being pinned under a car tire or being buried alive with all the minutiae of living. Stress from bills, the job, relationships or lack thereof, misdirection; all the things that wear us down and make us feel unworthy, unloved, uncherished, unwanted, unproductive and unfulfilled.

All is not lost. Our spiritual resolve has a reserve; a secret if you will? A secret that can be stretched for miles. We have a rubber resolve that coats our Soul and protects us from the spiritual earthquakes of a bipolar world, or the split personality of life. Even if we are pushed to our limits, we always snap back like a rubber band; back to the tutelage of Soul. Soul is impenetrable, nothing can harm it. Nothing.

When our emotions cause us pain, Soul stands firm. We are never out of its view. It does not want to see us hurt, but it cannot interfere with our fate. However, it does hold our hand through it all and never lets go. It wipes away the silent tears that get caught in our eyes. It listens to our cries in the dark; it eases our pain, but it won’t take it away. It won’t rob us of the experience. That’s how we master ourselves and beat life at its own game of fate.

We have to be chess masters, knowing when and how to move to the next square without getting captured. Being trapped within the limitations of the mind causes us the most pain. The mind is a tyrant and an incorrigible servant. It misguides our spirit. Soul always trumps the mind.

Once we allow ourselves to be liberated from the mind in a way that we are not mindless, then we can really understand the merit of life. Our minds brings us to the fountain of spirit, but then our spirits lead the way beyond the mind. Once this is understood, then you will understand that you are worthy, loved, cherished, productive and fulfilled.

Read more...

After The Storm

Some time ago, I posted about a great little film called You Are Blessed. Everyone who saw it loved it. This was sent to me from the same creator of that marvelous film. It is a great site that reminds us of our blessing. If you have already seen the film, watch it again. Every time I see it, it brings joy to my heart.

This quote fits in with the theme of yesterday. I think it says it all.


"When I despair, I remember that all through history, the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and, for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it...always."

~Mahatma Ghandi

“Often, when we are in the midst of turmoil, and all around us is spinning out of control, it is difficult to believe the storms of
life will ever pass. In such times as this, we can, it seems, do
nothing but tie a knot in the end of our rope and hang on. And this is all we need to do. We need only to hang on to love, hang on to light and hang on to truth. For when the storm has passed -- and they always do -- these three will remain, as strong and certain and invincible as they have been since time began. As Ghandi said, love always wins.”

~Kate Nowak

Have a blessed day full of all the gifts of spirit. Work, love and play with equal amounts of love. It is really all that we have.

Read more...

Five Years Ago

Five years ago terrorists crashed two airplanes into the World Trade Center in New York City. It was September 11, 2001; (known as 9/11). 2,973 people, including the terrorists were killed. Lives were shattered into millions of pieces and the shock waves will be with us forever.

I remember the day as if it were yesterday. I awoke early and I turned the T.V. on to catch the morning news. The images I saw will be with me for the rest of my life. I saw the footage of what I thought was a disaster film. Explosions. Black billowy smoke. Airplanes engulfed in flames. A crisp blue sky turning completely black.

I WAS watching a disaster film -- only it was real. An eeriness came over me. A heavy feeling in my gut that felt like lead lining my stomach. It wasn’t pleasant and it wasn’t going away. I didn’t know what was happening? Then the reporter said in horror, “The World Trade Center has been attacked by terrorists!”

My mouth dropped. A lump formed in my throat. I was stunned. Like I had been punched. I stood motionless. Silent. My heart was bleeding. Screaming. My emotions still not sure where to land.

As the event unfolded, everything was in slow motion. They kept replaying the plane crashing into the building; the dense charcoal smoke; people running with horrified looks on their faces scattering from ground zero. People’s lives were changing before my eyes and all I could do was watch as those fateful words echoed in my mind, “The World Trade Center has been attacked by terrorists.”

Times like these cause us to question our mortality and immortality. They make us wonder if we exist only to perish? They make us think? They make us question everything we think is real? Is our existence in vain? We wouldn’t exist if God didn’t love us. We are put here to understand and overcome the ills of inhumanity.

As long as we live, we have disasters. It’s part of our existence on earth; a part of God’s plan. We exist to eat from God’s table, but in order to get to that table, we have to gather the food (experience). In order to get the food, we have to scrounge through the forest and surmount the darkness of the forest.

After darkness breaks, we see the light, we gather food (wisdom) that gives us strength to go to the next table (evolution). Though we may not know God’s plans, we still have to exercise our spirit, otherwise it lays dormant only to die
within us. The world is variable, it changes from day to day.

Love is the only constant we have in this world. Love is all we leave in the world. To love each other is our greatest reward.

The victims of 9/11 were mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, daughters, sons, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, grandmothers and grandfathers. They may be gone now, but they have left love; the sum in which to remember them.

Read more...

The Cure

"So many gods
So many creeds
So many paths
That wind and wind,
While just the art
Of being kind
Is all the sad world needs."

~Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Read more...

Recycle

"Wise sayings often fall
on barren ground,
but a kind word
is never thrown away."

~Sir Arthur Helps

Read more...

Talking Dogs

People with dogs are different. They are friendly for the most part, but definitely different. Everyday while I am enjoying my routine walk through the neighborhood, I see a parade of dog owners walking their pride and joys.

Many of the dogs look like their owners, from the facial hair to the body size, down to the expressions and gestures. They are almost one with each other. The only difference is that the dogs have four legs.

Dog owners and walkers have a certain protocol. When the owner sees the walker approaching, the owner will usually stop the dog and let the walker pass. Some owners ignore walkers completely and let their dogs almost mow the walker down.

The most unusual trait of dog owners is when they reinforce “dog manners.” When I say “Hello,” to the owner, they usually speak, but when I speak to the dog, the owner’s response is “(dog’s name) say hi.” “Go on (dog’s name) say hi.”

Has this world gone to the dogs? Since when can dogs speak English? You would think that they recite Shakespeare too. “It’s not enough to speak, but to speak true.”

People are really connected to their pets. So much that they think of them as human. What’s next, the dog walking the owner? The dog driving the owner’s car? The dog chomping on a big cigar? The dog going to work and bringing home the bacon instead of eating it?

Is it because animals have an incredible sense of loyalty, protection, love and compassion? Yes, they do. Animals give what they get, like people. If you give love, you get love. If you don’t, you won’t.

The next time I am on my walk, I will carry The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare, just to keep up with them and see if they are reciting it “trippingly on the tongue.” It a dog’s life. A real bitch!

Read more...

Our Holy Grail

I know a man who is in his own way. He works a temp job at a mortgage firm and HATES it. In fact, he doesn’t even like anyone to ask him about his job? If you don’t ask about his job, he thinks that you are thinking about asking? The hatred of his job has made him paranoid.

The crux of it is that he is trying to be an actor, but he is spending more time working the temp job than auditioning. When a company wants to hire him, he goes into a work-a-phobic coma and comes up with an excuse as to why he doesn’t want a permanent job.

In L.A., actors are a dime a dozen. It is a hard business; a frustrating search of the holy grail where many come up short. Although, he is making a decent wage, he still lives in an extremely cheap apartment, but complains that he wants to move because it is too noisy. He also needs a computer because he spends a lot of time on the library computers, but complains that it is not long enough. And he especially needs a car for auditions.

No casting agent is going to take him serious if he doesn’t have a car. L.A. doesn’t have a reliable public transportation system like New York, European and Asian countries. Sometimes auditions come up at the last minute and you have to be ready to go at the drop of a hat. Although he can afford it, he won’t buy a car or a computer; two items that are cheap enough to help him get closer to his dreams.

Instead, he would rather rely on others to take him places to get around. I usually take him to the market to get heavy or bulky items like water and laundry soap. If he knows I’m coming, he will find other places to go just to hang out with me. Never overlooking the chance to let God flow, I usually take him other places, but often times he sucks the energy out of me and I have to recharge my battery.

People like this don’t do us any good. They are only thinking of themselves. Not only is he in his own way, he is starting to get in my way. Just like clearing dead leaves from the driveway, I have to clear him out of my life so I can at least assist someone else who needs me and doesn’t take advantage of kindness.

I think he is afraid to fulfill himself. He won’t do anything that is outside of the norm for him. He will only work within 2 miles from his apartment because he only has to take one bus. He spends most of his free time on the library computers or internet cafes or looking for people with cars.

He hasn’t found “It” yet and by “It”, I mean an indication that he is doing the right thing, on the right path or even searching for the right fit. He is flailing. I have tried to help him on many occasions with resumes, rides to auditions, companionship, but I can’t really help him, I can only delay his epiphany.

We have to find the holy grail that lies inside of us. We have to drink from the chalice of life and not rely on anyone to fill it. It is our purpose. We must possess an absolute self-reliance on our inherent ability to glow. It is there that our real miracles occur.

Read more...

Private Sanctuary

My bathtub knows a lot about me. It is always there when I need it offering comfort and wisdom. It is there that I can surrender the weight of the world. It is all mine. My time. My space. My Peace. My revelation. My Self by myself. My conversation with God. Everything that completes my spirit.

Even when I was a newborn baby, crying because I didn’t have anything to read, when my mother dipped me into a warm bath, the outside world stopped and the inner world began. To this day, nothing else can replace the power of surrendering to a bubble bath. Away goes troubles down the drain.

My bathtub is a place of peace where I always return. It is my private sanctuary. A sacred experience. A place with no judgments, no criticism, no rejection, no negativity of any kind. Just pure acceptance and a gentle reminder that I am one with God.

Just thinking about it puts me at peace.

Read more...

Never Too Old

My neighbor is a bunny. The Energizer bunny that keeps going and going and going. He can easily put any triathlete to shame and still have energy left over to run a marathon in another state -- and run to get there.

Every morning he jogs three miles, swims 12 laps in the pool, does calisthenics, rides his bike 4 miles to the beach and returns home to do gardening. In addition to that, he runs a business in another country and doesn’t speak a word of English. And to top it off, he is in his mid 60’s, but looks like he’s in his 40’s. I wouldn’t believe it if I didn’t see it with my own eyes.

He amazes me. He moved here from Korea last year so his son and daughter could attend the University Of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), which is a couple of miles from here.

Every time I see him, he bows his head and has a huge smile on his face. No matter what his day is like, he always takes time to smile. Although he can’t speak a word of English, I can feel the warmth effusing from his heart. It is uncomplicated. Pure. Refreshing. Gentle. Like a tender wind that emanates from knowing God.

Sometimes words complicate love because they usually have attachments. If you say “I love you,” to someone, you hope that they will say it back. That is not always the case and can cause disappointment, sadness, resentment and unfulfilled desires.

That’s why it is so rejuvenating to see my neighbor’s smile. He gives it away and doesn't expect anything in return. It’s like a thousand lights. He is still going strong where most people in his age group would have stopped a long time ago. Getting older doesn’t mean you have to stop living?

Happiness isn’t based on age. It’s based on being connected to your inner source. The spark in your eyes. The spring in your step. The love in your heart. The energy that moves you. The energy in which you move.

My neighbor makes me feel alive just by observing him. Seeing his zeal. I don’t know what kind of life he had in Korea, but it seems as though he’s happy here, happy being alive, just happy -- and that is a dynamic statement. A statement I take to heart.

Read more...

Did You Know?

In honor of Labor Day, I am passing on this dandy little list of home remedies to make your labors a lot less cumbersome. Enjoy. Thanks Alex.

Drinking two glasses of Gatorade can relieve headache pain almost immediately -- without the unpleasant side effects caused by traditional "pain relievers."

Colgate toothpaste makes an excellent salve for burns.

Chewing on a couple of curiously strong Altoids peppermints will clear up your stuffed nose.

For achy muscles from the flu, Mix 1 Tablespoon of Horseradish in 1 cup of olive oil. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, then apply it as a massage oil, for instant relief for aching muscles.

For sore throat. Just mix 1/4 cup of vinegar with 1/4 cup of honey and take 1 tablespoon six times a day. Vinegar kills the bacteria.

For urinary tract infections, dissolve two tablets of Alka-Seltzer in a glass of water and drink it at the onset of the symptoms. Alka-Seltzer begins eliminating urinary tract infections almost instantly -- even though the product was never advertised for this use. ( Note : Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold Medicine is not the same and contains aspirin, which can cause stomach bleeding if you have ulcers.)

For skin blemishes, cover the blemish with a dab of honey and place a Band-Aid over it. Honey kills the bacteria, keeps the skin sterile, and speeds healing. Works overnight.

Get rid of unsightly toenail fungus by soaking your toes in Listerine mouthwash. The powerful antiseptic leaves your toenails looking healthy again.

To prevent the screws in eyeglasses from loosening, apply a small drop of Maybelline Crystal Clear nail polish to the threads of the screws before tightening them.

Forget expensive rust removers. Just saturate an abrasive sponge with Coca Cola and scrub the rust stain. The phosphoric acid in the coke is what gets the job done. (And people drink this stuff?)

If menacing bees, wasps, hornets, or yellow jackets get in your home and you can't find the insecticide, try a spray of Formula 409. Insects drop to the ground instantly.

For splinter remover, pour a drop of Elmer's Glue-All over the splinter. Let dry, and peel the dried glue off the skin. The splinter sticks to the dried glue.

For boils, cover the boil with Hunt's tomato paste as a compress. The acids from the tomatoes soothe the pain and bring the boil to a head.

To disinfect a broken blister, dab on a few drops of Listerine, a powerful antiseptic.

For bruises, soak a cotton ball in white Heinz vinegar and apply it to the bruise for 1 hour. The vinegar reduces the blueness and speeds up the healing process.

For fleas, add a few drops of Dawn dishwashing liquid to your dog's bath and shampoo the animal thoroughly. Rinse well to avoid skin irritations.

Next time your dog comes in from the rain, simply wipe down the animal with Bounce or any dryer sheet, instantly making your dog smell springtime fresh.

For ear mites, use a few drops of Wesson corn oil in your cat's ear. Massage it in, then clean with a cotton ball. Repeat daily for 3 days. The oil soothes the cat's skin, smothers the mites, and accelerates healing.

For fast pain relief, mix 2 cups of Quaker Oats and 1 cup of water in a bowl and warm in the microwave for 1 minute, cool slightly, and apply the mixture to your hands for soothing relief from arthritis pain.

Read more...

Character

"There is no such thing as a
"self-made" man.
We are made up of
thousands of others.
Everyone who has ever
done a kind deed for us,
or spoken one word
of encouragement to us,
has entered into
the make-up of our character
and of our thoughts,
as well as our
Success."

~George Matthew Adams

Read more...

Art Of Life

"What was any art but a mould
in which to imprison
for a moment
the shining elusive element
which is life itself -
life hurrying past us
and running away,
too strong to stop,
too sweet to lose."

~Willa Cather

Read more...

Dead Dogs

My brother has to have the one of the worse jobs ever?

He picks up dead dogs; raccoons; opossum's, any animal that is left on the side of the road. He was actually on a waiting list to get this job. He also has to rescue stray animals and snakes. It's funny because he was afraid of insects when he was younger. Such an odd occupation?

I guess in a way, he gives animals their last rites, but it is still bizarre. And I thought my old jobs were awful? I used to groom dogs. Bathed them. Cut their hair and nails. Fluffed their tails. Put ribbon on their ears. Cologne. The works. There were some poodles who even got their nails painted.

It was a fun job in high school, until a dog came in with an ear infection. It was one of the worse smells that I had ever experienced (imagine something dead???) That was the end of it for me. That and the fact that I was allergic to dogs, but I'll never forget it.

Read more...