What Do You Appreciate?

It is Sunday morning and 27degrees out and so far this winter in Boulder has been mild. We have lots of sunny days here and I am grateful for that. I am also grateful for you the readers of my blog. This month I have had over 21,500 visitors to my site. That is my record, last month was my previous best with 16,000 visitors. I am also grateful to StumbleUpon.com since many of those who come to my site find there way here through StumbleUpon. Check it out, I randomly find the most interesting sites through StumbleUpon.

Today I am going to my wife’s aunt’s birthday party. She is 96y/o and a very interesting character. It is also one of my brother’s birthday and unfortunately I will not be able to see him today. He is a person that lives the idea of Thinking Globally and Acting Locally. He is now a Clackamas county commissioner in Oregon where he is able to think about the big picture and make things happen in his community. Happy Birthday Jim and Aunt Helen. I am grateful to have them both in my life.

Do you ever feel like you forget to fully appreciate all those that matter to you and all that you have? It is so easy in this hurry and worry world to forget what is most important in the pursuit of something you and I think is out there in the future. Take some time today to appreciate those you love and what you have. An appreciative state of mind is one full of gratitude, love, peace and joy. These kinds of emotions make life worth living. If you every feel like you are having a bad day just change your focus to who and what you appreciate and things will get much better quickly.

That is even true on a national and Global level. If you and I appreciate all that we have as a nation even in challenging times then we will feel better. The more of us feeling better the sooner our nation will head in a healthy direction. If our nation does better it will affect the whole planet. Again I want to encourage you to spend time in appreciation because it just feels better and works better all around.

Thank you again for coming to my blog and sharing in my ideas. I appreciate you taking the time to read and think about the topics I write about, I trust you get value from them. Feel free to leave comments, I would also really appreciate hearing from you.

Truth Matters

It seems lately that I often find myself straddling the seemingly conflictual worlds of politics and consciousness. There is something really challenging about attempting to write about both of them in relationship to each other. I actually began writing this blog with both consciousness and politics as themes I wanted to pursue. My natural tendency is to seek consciousness and to invite that in others and at the same time read, think and feel often about the ways of politics. What’s clear to me is that we need so much more consciousness in the political process. I will attempt today to again marry the two is this discussion which may speedily end in a messy divorce.

My favorite anti-consciousness characters are Mr. Limbaugh and his band of group thinkers. Here is what the truly conservative magazine the National Review said about them recently:

“Did the Limbaughs, Hannitys, Savages, and Ingrahams lead us to this sorry state of affairs? They surely did. At the very least, by yoking themselves to the clueless George W. Bush and his free-spending administration, they helped create the great debt bubble that has now burst so spectacularly....”

This quote is not from the so-called Liberal media but in fact from a very traditional magazine. The reason I brought this quote to your attention was to show that even people who think very differently can recognize the chaos created by people who lack consciousness. This is not to say that the conservative view of the above magazine is aligned with my consciousness themes but it appears they have the insight to spot thinkers who lack true wisdom and awareness. It is reassuring to me to know that people can still find truth beyond differing points of view.

The truth matters theme has been very forefront in my thinking lately. Chapter two of the Joy Diet by Martha Beck is about sitting quietly every day to hear your own truths. This exploration of seeking your truth is so inspirational to me because it is such a validation for the importance of the work I do professionally and personally. I highly recommend that you find this book and take it on as a journey to consciousness and as a way to be a better citizen of the world.

I want to share here another thought where I can blend politics and consciousness together. The Obama budget according to people who understand is a very progressive shift from the past. My observation is the trust people had in electing Obama president came from a level of higher consciousness both in us the voters and in he and Michelle. This budget heads the nation in a new direction that will continue to expand hope for us all.

Here are some responses to the budget that stirs the hope for me:

Paul Krugman, saying Obama's plan "looks very, very good."
"Elections have consequences. President Obama's new budget represents a huge break, not just with the policies of the past eight years, but with policy trends over the past 30 years. If he can get anything like the plan he announced on Thursday through Congress, he will set America on a fundamentally new course.
. . . .But fears that Mr. Obama would sacrifice progressive priorities in his budget plans, and satisfy himself with fiddling around the edges of the tax system, have now been banished."

Robert Reich added that the budget "represents the biggest redistribution of income from the wealthy to the middle class and poor this nation has seen in more than forty years."

Enjoy the day and join me in being grateful for the truth that will set us all free.

Feel Better Naturally

Are you looking forward to the weekend? It must be around a payday for you, isn’t it nice when the money comes? I came upon two really interesting quotes while working on a collage with my clients and later some information that got me wondering what is going on. Today’s blog is kind of a hodgepodge of thoughts. Let me know if any of the ideas are of value to you.

First this flabbergasting information: 250 million people take anti-depressants. They take more anti-depressants than any other medication in this country. Is there an epidemic of depression out there or is this about drug companies inventing more and more reasons to be medicated. As a mental health professional I would like to offer a some natural ways to taking care of depression that doesn’t involved putting yourself under the influence of medications.

Here are 10 natural anti-depressants:

• Exercise has been shown to have a very positive affect on depression
• Seeing a counselor is a proven way to move yourself out of depression
• Meditation, yoga, and tai chi are other natural ways to reduce feeling low
• There are herbal remedies that can make a difference without the negative affects of drugs
• Take time to explore what interests you and you will find yourself more interested in life
• Get up and get out into the world, find things to do, watch funny movies, enjoy life
• Focus on what you are grateful for and keep a journal of what you appreciate about your life
• Spend time with friends who are upbeat and enjoyable
• Take up golf, tennis, bike riding, hiking or some other activity and enjoy doing something that can be fun and healthy for you
• Have a purpose in life and do something about it every day

If a doctor says to you, I think an anti-depressant may help you, ask what are other options. Print this list and do things positive that will help you feel better. Our nation is becoming a drugged out country, is this because of depression or because of a society that needs to head in a new and healthier direction?

The follow two quotes are from an interview of Lynne Twist in a magazine I came across during my work yesterday. Lynne is the author of the book The Soul of Money and she is truly a super fundraiser and a wonderful speaker spreading her light around the world.

“What you appreciate appreciates, in money and in life. With your attention, your inner riches grow.”

“When you stop chasing more of what you don’t need, you free up tremendous energy to do more with what you have, and what you have grows.”

These quotes are great reminders of how to open to a richer flow of prosperity in your life. Having more money can help you feel more freedom, which can help you have more joy in your life.

Have a prosperous weekend and get active in ways that enrich your life.

The Light Of Insight Part 3

Today I want to share the third and last part of this series on perspectives on consciousness. Yesterday’s blog didn’t seem as clear as the day before so I am opening to further inspiration. There is where the intuitive fingers dance across the keyboard beyond the regulation of the orderly mind.

First inspiration is that in times where our consciousness is expanded, we often enter a state of sensing that we are beyond the ordinary self. This altered state is one in which the personality shrinks away to minor role and what steps forward is a great awareness that instantly is able to include everything our senses can take in and more. The image is of a person limited by body and memory all of a sudden finds him or herself free of the limitation of the everyday reality. This “wow” state is without boundaries.

The “wow” state is made up of joy, freedom and an ever deepening consciousness. The interesting thing is, the further out of normal reality you are stretched the further out you can travel into new and different insights.

The new expanded you is what can be called the Higher Self. This Self is not anchored down by limiting human beliefs or past memories. It is totally free to be in the moment fully present to all that is possible at many levels ordinary reality doesn’t include. When you experience this Self, you disappear and You take over. Is this making sense? There is self and you and there is Self and You. There is you of ordinary reality and there is you that is extraordinary, beyond limits, totally free.

Again it feels like words are so limiting. The best idea is to take a trip on the Wonderland Express of higher consciousness and then report back. The simplest way to board this Express is in this quiet moment flowing easily and intuitively down the stream of well being on the raft of awareness. Take a few minutes or more today and relax into your breath. Allow that breath to natural deepen with awareness. Let the racing mind put on the breaks of stillness and ride easily on the waves of inhalation and exhalation. Follow the higher knowing waiting to guide you and be open to fresh views of all that you once believed to be reality.

The peace, joy and freedom of a truly open Self will take your breath away.

The President’s Talk and Expanded Perspectives Part 2

The talk by President Obama last night was very inspirational. It is so refreshing to hear ideas from our President that are reasonable, thoughtful, intelligent, articulate, progressive and compassionate. The people of our nation deserve leadership that truly cares about what is for the good of everyone. Welcome to a new era of hope and genuinely positive possibilities.

I feel mixed about whether to say more about the talk or write about Part 2 of the ideas I began to share yesterday. Fortunately on a higher level both topics are truly related. Let’s just say that transforming energy, health care and education are part of the recognition that we are all interrelated. If we care for the people and the planet then we are living the practical response to an elevated consciousness.

Let me venture back to the more metaphysical discussion of the unity of all being and the possibilities in each of us for an advanced knowing beyond the rational mind. In moving about your or my circumstance, we can be aware and awake or asleep. Asleep doesn’t work for me, does it work for you? I choose to keep waking up, are you on board with that?

In higher consciousness we have greatly expanded awareness and a keener sense of our unlimited nature. To live in the realization that we are innately so much more than we have yet to discover means that if we take the time to tune inwards, we are bound to find a huge reservoir of potential. That potential awaits patiently for us to explore and express it.

In addition to what waits within us there are resources activated by our rising consciousness that we can tap into to even further advance the activation of our potential. With the accompanying greater clarity of senses that come along the way of awareness, we can move beyond our usual self limits and step into the field of what is endlessly possible. The awakened vision, sensing and the intuitive opens doorways of guidance and sets us free to create a more conscious and rewarding life.

This is challenging again to write about as if the words get garbled in my mind trying to explain what seems unexplainable at times. Let me see if I can restate all of this with greater lucidity. In you and I is an unlimited potential that we can tap into by advancing our awareness. That potential jumps in clarity the more conscious we become. With consciousness comes additional attributes that make it even more possible to be a fully realized person who spreads his and her light everywhere they go. And in the lightness of our own being we completely step into the unity of our connection to every living thing not only on our gem of a planet but also through the vastness of our universe.

Yes you and I are much more expansive than we have yet realized. I be back tomorrow with further perspectives.

The Oneness Of Us All, Part 1

On my journeys of self-exploration I have come upon a number of very profound experiences. These experiences have altered my way of viewing and being in the world. I wanted to share several perspectives that have come from this journey into stillness. Today I will explore one of those perspectives, which is the unity of all living things.

What I understand now very clearly is that we are all connected completely at all times. In the quiet moments of contemplation I have crossed the illusionary boundaries of separateness and have experienced the absolute connection of all things. This awareness feels like this person known as Joseph being expanded beyond my body, my personality and my thoughts into the collective consciousness of all living things.

This is where words can be less than fully descriptive of what this expansion of self feels like. I will continue to attempt to explain these experiences, please allow more than your mind to participate in this exploration. There is knowing here beyond the rational mind. So in this state of unity with all things, there is a deeper understanding of our connections to each other. This is why I feel such huge distaste for war and the other destructive things we humans do to each other and other living things. From the level of consciousness of our connection to each other, I understand that all negative, harmful acts against other living things harm us. All labeling of others as enemies puts us at odds with ourselves. All mistreatment, all judging, all hate, all biases, all greed, all heartlessness come back to us. It is no wonder that so many people suffer so much in places like the Gaza Strip, and other heartless zones of human misery.

None of this is necessary if we were to awaken to our expanded nature, to our interrelatedness, to the unitive qualities of every living thing on the planet. The Golden Rule and the idea of Karma both speak to the unity of all things on this microdot of a planet in an endless array of universes.

If you are willing, try this visualization when you have some quiet time each day: Image everyone joining hands across the planet, then joining hearts and minds, and then joining their spirits. Feel the unity of all human beings and then extend that to all other living things including all bodies of water and forests, the polar ice and the warmth of the sun’s influence. Now imagine all this awareness inside of you as if you are the container. This expanded state is much more accurate of your real nature than the one your personality argues is real.

Tomorrow join me as I continue Part 2 of this journey of inviting you to expand the consciousness of who you imagine you are.

More About The Purposefulness Of Giving

When I chased after money, I never had enough. When I got my life on purpose and focused on giving of myself and everything that arrived into my life, then I was prosperous.
Wayne Dyer

I am a huge believer in giving back and helping out in the community and the world. Think globally, act locally I suppose. I believe that the measure of a person's life is the affect they have on others.
Steve Nash

Yesterday I wrote about giving and as I put together some quotes, I came upon these two additional ones. They seem to say so much that I thought they needed some highlighting. Wayne Dyer is a well-known self-help author and Steve Nash is a professional basketball player who was the league’s most valuable player in two recent seasons. I have admired both for the way they live their lives and now even more for the wisdom of these quotes.

Wayne Dyer, who seems to always be on PBS, talks about living with purpose and giving of himself as the way to financial success. It only makes sense that anything we do with a clarity of purpose and with a sincerity of effort will generate great results. The powerful part of this equation is the fully giving of ourselves to what we are doing. How do you hold yourself back? What parts of you are reluctant to give fully to what you are doing? Take some time to explore this holding back, maybe it is in your heart, or in some limiting set of thoughts.

Steve Nash is famous for his giving (passing) the basketball to his teammates. The way he plays, he makes everyone better. The way he thinks will make the whole world a better place. Giving back for all we get will make a difference. Giving because we can, will help us feel more alive and joyous. How do you want to make a difference? Can you do that without giving of yourself? What unique gifts do you have to give? What inner resources can you give that will make you a star in what you do?

Look around your life, listen inward to the place of knowing and this week do some giving that will make a difference both for others and yourself. Be open to the flow that comes with giving, that comes with living purposefully, that comes from an open heart, and find real joy in the moment.

Instead Of Blaming, Try Giving

Yesterday, I did my weekly political rant. Phew that feels good to get that built up crap out of me. I mentioned Rush Limbaugh and I have to add one more comment here. From what I can tell, those that listen to him are angry, blamers and complainers and must feel pretty miserable about life. I have compassion for their internal struggles and would highly encourage them to stop listening to this darkness because it will only ruin any chance for peace of mind and happiness. There are much better things to do than spend the day listening to stuff that makes a person feel worse. Try giving.

Why do people listen to talk radio anyway? I listen occasionally to Air America but frankly most of it is just more empty opinion, which is too often fear based and blaming. The more you and I listen to the fear and blaming of others, the more powerless and unhappy we feel. These times we are going through need courage and responsibility from all of us. Try giving.

The blame game is boring and unproductive. Instead look around and see where you can make a difference. Is there someone who needs to be looked after or listen to? Are there people hurting in your community that you could help? Can you give of your time or resources to support compassion in action locally? Having compassion is transformative to those helped and helpful in heart for those helping. Giving feels great, where can you give in your community that will make a real difference to other human being?

Sure giving to Public Radio and the local Opera Association is a positive thing but maybe not as satisfying as helping at the local food bank, meals on wheels or homeless shelter. Let your heart be the guide for your giving. Do what feels right and makes you feel good. Giving frees the soul and liberates the heart.

Giving opens the way for receiving.
Florence Scovel Shinn

For it is in giving that we receive.
St. Francis of Assisi

Giving is true having.
Charles Spurgeon

No one has ever become poor by giving.
Anne Frank

Giving is better than receiving because giving starts the receiving process.
Jim Rohn

The giving of love is an education in itself.
Eleanor Roosevelt

I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.
Maya Angelou

Right Wing Republican Nonsense

It seems the whole radical Right is following Rush’s guidance and trying to crush hope in America’s future by making sure President Obama fails. Those of that mind would rather all of us suffer more than have the Democrats succeed. That means their dogma, their regaining power is more important than the health of our country. Does that make sense to you? Are these supposed leaders offering any real solutions other than the ones that got us into this mess?.

These questions are important because our success depends on the country getting its confidence back. Opposition always has a place in politics but there are times we need to join forces to deal with our problems rather than just complain? If new and positive solutions were offered we would be better off to fully consider them. Instead there are just “no” votes. Those seem to be “no’s” for our future.

What is most concerning to me is that not even the so-called “experts” know what to do. There are no clear answers, so it seems to me we need everyone working together in search of workable solutions. This is missing from those that just vote “no” and don’t offer any help to make things better. It reminds me of the old Reagan strategy to deal with the drug problems in this country, their solutions was – “Just Say No” and it didn’t work at all.

It seems the Republican group-think is “just say no” and eventually they will get back into power. Do you think this will work or is it more self-serving with a total ignoring of the negative impact on the country. Where are the Republicans leaders who really care more for the greater good than for regaining power? These leaders who can think beyond the ego’s need for power and join forces for the good of the nation need to come together with those already offer solutions. Saving the country from financial crisis seems to be the top priority, don’t you agree?

I look forward to the day when power and greed shrinks away and we all wake up to the realization that we are all interconnected. What’s needed most is compassion and understanding and the simple security of a home, food and health care for all. This is all easily possible if we quit building all these insane war machines and started really caring about each other.

Have a peaceful and compassionate day.

Maybe It Is Time To Kick You Own A . .

Do you ever feel like stirring things up in your life? Have you ever moved to a new place, town, or state to stir change in you and your life? Do you ever feel restless as if you are not fully who you want to be? Is your life grooved so deeply that you can’t seem to get out of it? What old habits/ways do you need to change or you will bore yourself to death? Is there an intuitive sense that wants to guide you towards a new life? Have you ever wondered what the meaning of your life is?

If you answered yes to any of these questions maybe it is time to examine what is happening inside of you and in your life. As far as life goes, there needs to be new growthful things happening or it just feels like something in missing. You can’t keep doing the same things over and over and feel OK about it.

What are the best ways to stir things up? Here are six ideas to help you get things unstuck.

• I keep on saying this: if you want to stir your life into a whirlwind of growth, take time to hang out with yourself in silence. Turn off the Tube and the Radio and listen inward. There is an endless supply of really interesting things going on if you just take the time to listen.
• Figure out what beliefs you have about God/Heaven/Hell, about humanity, concerning politics and religion and toss them all into a huge heap of useless information. Then take the time to go searching for your own truth not someone else’s idea of what truth is.
• Look at your life, see where you are run by your habits, fears, ridiculous self-talk, and family traditions and stop being so boringly predictable. Throw yourself and everyone else off by doing things that are fresh and new for you. Say no to the old ways and yes to exploring.
• Whatever else you do from this list, make this one you do for sure. Stop being so damn serious about things, lighten up, have some fun, enjoy life. Seriousness is terminal. Having fun is a much more alive way of living. Especially watch out for your pride and the need to be right, these can make you really stuck on yourself.
• Make a commitment today to stop seeking the approval of others. You are not here on this planet to live up to anyone’s expectations. Stop saying yes when you want osay no. If you really want to feel ok about yourself, you must live according to what you know is right for you.
• Slow down, stopping rushing around and acting like your house is on fire. Let go of this worry nonsense. Instead relax, be patient and let things come to you. No more fighting upstream, instead learn to flow with the wisdom of nature and flow effortlessly as you can downstream.

OK is that enough to stir the cobwebs out of your mind? If not find other ways to wake yourself up and live more fully each day.

If You Want To Feel Good, Talk Nicely To Yourself

At my work we have a full crew of clients in treatment and when we get people together things start getting stirred up. Emotions start flowing; reactions start happening. This energy charge that happens between people is about humans having thoughts and emotional responses to those thoughts. Sometimes our thoughts make us feel excited and positive about what is going on in the situations we find ourselves. Other times our fearful or negative thoughts create unpleasant feelings.

Let's look at this process so that we might better understand what happens.

Picture this: An event/situation/interaction occurs - you have thoughts about it - those thoughts cause an emotional response - then those feelings cause you to have a behavioral reaction.


Event --> Thoughts --> Feelings --> Behavior

What this means is that as you go through your day, you have thoughts about all that is going on or not. Those thoughts cause you to have feelings about whatever is happening. Those feelings can range from happiness to sadness, from excitement to anxiety, from hopeful to scared. Once your emotions start ramping up you may find yourself out of control and the next thing you know you are hugging your boss or yelling at your teenage daughter who you love very much or some equally unexplainable response caused by your emotions.

How do you best affect your response to any situation? The answer is to pay attention to your thoughts, which can also be called self-talk. If your inner dialogue/thought process is hopeful and positive then your emotions will be positive. If your self-talk is upsetting then your feelings will be angry, fearful, or something equally uncomfortable.

Peace of mind and feeling great all start with your thoughts. It is really quite simple; if you want to feel good, think good thoughts and talk nicely to yourself.

Today watch your thoughts and how you talk to yourself. Make sure you self-talk is kind and supportive, if not change that inner dialogue to bring out the best in you and help you feel positive about you and your life.

Take Time To Do A Heart and Mind Check

It is still feeling good to have the quiet time at home. Both our dog Pax and myself miss my wife Bobbi. Pax is not nearly as appreciative of the quiet time nor having the house to himself. Someone comes over in the afternoon to take him for a walk but the rest of the time he is alone this week. He never complains and so far he hasn’t chewed up anything in frustration. Dogs give such unconditional love. The world would be a better place if we took lesson about love from our dogs.

President Obama was here in Colorado yesterday to sign the new stimulus bill. Isn’t it great to know there is intelligent leadership trying their best to turn things around?

So far the Republicans seem to want to keep things as they have been the last 8 years because they and their friends I guess have done just fine. I frankly don’t understand that because only the very wealthy are not feeling the impact of the downturn. How come people who have certain beliefs refuse to change them despite the evidence that their ideas are not working?

Excuse my skipping around today on my post but I feel less orderly and more in the questioning mode. If you read my blog regularly then you might think I am always questioning things. Your perception is probably accurate. The process of questioning most things is what I do for a living. As a therapist it is my job to question my clients, their thoughts, their behaviors, their self-talk and maybe most of all, their beliefs. Too many people I work with are totally limited by false beliefs about themselves, others and the world.

So let me see if I can tie the above topic areas together in some way that makes sense. (As I write this I am stalling and hoping to be inspired with some great ideas.) Could it be that loving, taking intelligent action and questioning beliefs all fit together? I think I can safely draw this conclusion: an open heart and an open mind are true keys to a life of learning, of loving, of personal freedom, and the path to a joyous life.

As a counselor, I know my clients do so much better when they are able to: open their hearts to self-love and the loving of others; question their limiting beliefs and create new and healthier ones; and take back their lives through the active positive work of a lifetime of recovery. I know I also do better with a loving heart, and active mind, and the freedom to express my own purpose and potential.

Take time today to do a heart and mind check. Make sure both are open and ready to move your life forward in thoughtful and passionate ways.

Let’s Redefine Humanity’s Direction

There is so much stirred up financially in the world that I wonder if this is because we humans have some how gotten our priorities mixed up? Has the pursuit of money at all cost been damaging to our banks, our corporations, our churches, our social structure and even our families? Money is a positive resource to have but greed and the desire for power have tainted this resource.

Our financially institutions have gambled their resources trying to make more. Corporations are dishonest, discard people as if they don’t matter, set up offshore addresses to avoid taxes, and do many other questionable practices in the name of profits. People who want more often give up time with their families trying to make additional money. Even many churches seem to be more about building their financial resources than about the work of the soul. Where has this gone wrong? What has caused this material madness?

Instead I want to propose and different direction or focus for our lives and the wealth of the planet. Let’s make this all about giving about living from a place of kindness, of caring and compassion for each other.

Here are some steps we might consider to alter the course of humankind and save the planet while doing so:
• Open your heart to giving. The easiest way to happiness is to give.
• Make your life about what positive differences you are making for those you love and those you wish to help
• Use money as a positive resource for bringing about change. True wealth could be about being effective agents of change.
• Make being compassionate your purpose in life. That means having an open heart, listening to understand, and seeking to bring relief.
• Ending suffering can be another wonderful purpose. Making sure everyone can eat, have a home and get the medical care they need.
• Caring for the planet may include less buying of unnecessary goods, buying green, driving less, or buying local.
• Make self-care a priority. Each day love yourself by quieting the mind, paying attention to your feelings, caring for the body and nurturing your spirit.
• Instead of showing love by buying things, show it by giving love in the form of time, of listening, of helping those in their struggles.
• Work for places where people matter. Make sure what work you do is satisfying. No more working at jobs just for the money.
• Plant a garden and give it lots of caring attention and then enjoy the great tastes of your labor.
• Keep things simple, live within your limits, enjoy the wonders of a life full of loving-kindness.
• Go for a walk and appreciate nature, the stars at night, the moonlight, the wildflowers, the animal life, and the connection you feel to the Earth.
• Keep an open mind, keep on leaning and growing, keep reaching to express your potential and all will seem to work out just fine.

What ideas would you add to this list? Your ideas do matter and are truly needed if hope is to win out over greed and fear.

The Unlimited You Is Through This Doorway

It is a holiday for me today. I have the day off, thank you Presidents Washington and Lincoln,  from my Recovery Treatment job and a very quiet house. My wife is in Las Vegas for an apparel show called Magic where she is selling our organic, free trade, peace t-shirts line which we designed. You can check them out at www.peace-together.com. She just called as I am writing this to let me know she is there and looking forward to her day. I will miss her for sure and also appreciate the quiet time to tune in and aligned with the higher knowing part of myself.

I love quiet time, time to be still and appreciate the moment. Sometimes it seems, life gets way too busy and I have no time to be quiet and enjoy myself and the moment. That is because I allow it to get so busy that my doing takes over my being. I am making a commitment this week to be much more tuned in, to enjoy the week of quiet around here.

Do you have time to be still and enjoy yourself and the amazing freedom of each moment? Take a few minutes right now and let your breath come into your awareness. Set yourself free to be fully in this moment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . There is no hurry or no worry if you are really present to the now, there is only freedom to be, feel, think, sense, imagine, dream, or hope for whatever you want, or just do nothing and feel the joy of being present to your experience of yourself being here and now.

Quiet time is a gift you can give yourself anytime of the day. It only takes a few minutes to let yourself experience this gift by quieting the noise of the world and instead tuning into your expanding breath.

Yesterday the blog explored the expanded nature of all human beings. This quiet place inside of you is the doorway to that enlightened state of human possibilities. Take a few minutes right now to allow that doorway to be opened and experience your expansion into the infinite possibilities within you. . . . . . . . . .

Now that you are have had the experience of expansion and felt the peaceful and unlimited energy of that place, go dive in and let me know how it goes. There is true bliss beyond any other when you allow yourself the freedom to be all that you are. The unlimited you is waiting.

Manifesting Your Unique Expression

Who are you? Are you your body, your thoughts, your feelings? Are you the story about you in your mind? Are you the drama you call life? Is there more to who you are than the eye can see? Who were you before this lifetime and who will you be after? These are all questions worth exploring is the search to find out who you really.

What do you think of these ideas: you are significantly more than your physical and mental presence; you existed before this body came into existence; your energy body (unsure what is the best way to describe it) is much more who you are than your thoughts, emotions and body. This energy body is called spirit, soul, source energy, higher self, divine nature, life force, higher power and other names in an attempt to describe the indescribable.

In case you were wondering, here is the way to increase your body, mind and heart’s ability to manifest is to expand into your energy body where all things are connected. This place of universal connection or collective consciousness is the air space/universal palate where ideas and thoughts generate physical reality. (Please understand that this is difficult to explain because I am still exploring these ideas as I go and words are slippery when trying to explain what is best understood beyond the logical mind.)

In other words we create/manifest most powerfully when our ego mind is overridden by the higher mind, which is at all times linked to the source of all creation in the universe. Linking to that higher source within is the goal if you want to take charge of creating the life you desire. How to do that is through the doorway of stillness. Dropping through the busy mind into the quiet of your higher mind takes focus and a willingness to practice. Meditation and mindfulness practices are excellent ways to prepare you for a regular dialogue with the more expansive aspects of self.

Today take some time to sit or walk slowly in silence, no effort is needed other than quieting the mind. The simplest way to slowing the mind down is to focus on your breath. As you are breathing in and out just follow the journey of the air as it comes into you and expands your chest and as it flows out and relaxes your body and mind. If you take 10 long slow breaths you will begin to feel the slowing down happen. Through slowing down, spaces of silence begin to appear and you can just enjoy the moment. In those moments let yourself feel the call to expand into your higher realms and feel the unlimited nature of this place in you and beyond your body/mind.

As you allow yourself to expand into these states of higher possibilities have a thought about what you want to attract/manifest into your material world. Plant the cosmic seed of an idea and allow yourself to be open to the fruition of that desire. With practice your will soon very clearly see that you shape your own experience of life. Knowing that, you then set clearer and clearer intentions until your life is flowing in a stream of well-being where all your need, want and desire come easily and effortlessly.

Make this all about playing with the endless possibilities of life and set yourself free to have what you want and to make the world a better place by spreading your joy and all else that wants to manifest as a unique and wonder expression of who you are.

Let This Day Be A Reminder Of The Power Of Love.

Happy Valentines Day to you and to all people who share this planet together, let’s let love and compassion be our guide. Is there any doubt that spreading loving kindness is a positive thing to do? Can you imagine a world where there is enough compassion and caring for everyone? All wise spiritual traditions agree that love is the highest human expression.

Imagine spreading love everywhere you go each day? How would it feel to let your heart open more each day? Is there any limit to the love inside of you or anyone else? Sure there are people who have lost touch with their hearts but showering them with love would help them open up again. The capacity to love in many of us is barely tapped into and just waiting to expand.

Isn’t it time we let love be the major force for positive change? Terrorism cannot exist in a loving environment. All terrorists are looking for love in the wrong places. All the people in prison just need the love and support of others to change their lives around. Even the baddest and scariest of people would do better in a caring environment. This is not some airy-fairy idea. It is instead what makes the most sense to anyone who has an open mind and an open heart.

Look around you, where do you need to spread love. Let this day be a reminder of the power of love. Commit to loving more each day and that includes: yourself, those you care about, and all those you come in contact with. Remember there is no greater human expression than loving, having compassion, caring for others, being kind and living with and open heart.

Love has the power to transform each of us and the planet. Are you ready and willing to open your heart to love?

Nimble, Flexible, Watchful and Willing To Go With The Flow

The night sky is filling with clouds as snow approaches. I am sitting here feeling the excitement of a child waiting for the transformation of the outdoors into a winter wonderland and also the dread of the slipping runner hoping to not fall on my backside in the early morning hours of what tonight will bring. I appreciate the kid in me, and the protector looking out for my not so young body. Both serve me well at different times.

Is your inner child still alive? Here is a good way to find out. Do you still have fun and are you still playful; or are you all business? It is so easy to push the kid away and get serious about what you are doing. Instead of stuffing the child in you, how about valuing it and using it to feel alive and playful.

It is good to also appreciate the part in you that looks after your health. It is too easy to get overly serious about what you are up to and compromise your health, your peace of mind, and your ability to feel love and have compassion. Being out of touch with yourself can cause you and those around you much suffering. Your aware self keeps you safe and sane.

In this times of constant change you and I have to learn to be nimble. That is easiest when you combine the child in you with the carefully aware self. The child can go with the flow and have fun no matter what comes your way. The cautious self can look out for where you are heading and make sure you will be ok. The mixing of the adventurous and the watcher makes for flexibility and adaptability when they are most needed.

This quote came to me while I was stumbling about on StumbleUpon and I wanted to share it with you. Have a good weekend and enjoy the moments that touch you.

“I would rather have a mind opened by wonder that closed by belief.” UnKnown

SPECIAL NOTE: I also wanted to dedicate this blog today to Rabbi Michael Lerner a very inspirational leader of the Spiritual Progressives movement. His health is in need of your supportive thoughts, prayers and light. Over the next month or so I will be sharing more of the topics that this very passionate spokesperson stands for as he works daily to make a difference for us all.

Live In Hope, Follow You Passion

My work in Addiction Recovery is sometimes very challenging when people we are trying to help are so stuck in their thinking that they sabotage themselves and go back out into the world to try and drown their emotions. On my way home I stopped by a nursing home to check up on one of our clients that has all but completely destroyed his liver from his self-destructive use and thinking that left him very ill. The scene in the dining room of this care facility was sad and dismal. I found my heart hurting as I watch all the sad faces and old bodies looking as if they had lost hope and any sense of purpose. That was a scary sight and a questioned flashed through my mind. Will we all end up like this?

My gut is still feeling tight from that memory of all those suffering souls as I sit here and write. I make a clear pledge to myself; I commit to living in hope and to following my purpose until I cease to breathe. I will take care of myself in every way I can to make sure that I live fully until I die. If you every feel sorry for your situation, walk through a nursing home and get clear that you still have much to do and live before you go.

Sorry for the seriousness of my writing today, but addiction, old age, and dying are on my mind today. The Buddhists say we should contemplate our death everyday. That sounds like a good idea to me as a daily reminder about how good it is to be alive and how thankful we can be for each breath that allows us to keep on going.

These times we live in are challenging. The really good news is that each of us has within who we are deep inner resources that we can use to guide and encourage us forward towards a purposeful and hopeful life. There is no reason to get down when we still have a reason to live, when we still have things to accomplish, when there is still hope to be part of something that will make the world a better place. If we quit trying, if we close down our hearts, if we loose focus then the meaning of life slips away.

My hope is that today I can make at least a little difference to someone, that I can feel compassion for the suffering of others, that I can renew daily my determination to go for more in life, and that I can be free enough in mind and spirit to keep on being who I am as fully as I can.


The view outside my window last night was amazing. There was two new inches of snow turning everything into diamonds in the full moonlight. Beauty always heals the heart and balances the mind.

Why Not Do What Interests You?

Today or tomorrow or the next day will bring the completion of my second full year of blogging. YEAH!!!  What I have learned about myself from blogging almost every day for 2 years, it is that I have good self-discipline, lots of interests, and a willingness to challenge myself to keep on coming up with new ideas to write about. I started writing my blog with several purposes in mind. I am a social activist/artist, a student of the human potential, and an explorer of consciousness and spirituality. Over the past two years I have shared many ideas from these areas of interest.

My mix of progressive ideas, extensive questioning of beliefs and thoughts, a positive slant on human nature, and a deep desire to be more conscious and encourage others to awaken, provide my readers with a unique blend of thought provoking articles. My hope is that along the way my readers have benefited from my ramblings and will continue to do so over the next year. Please feel free to let me know what your comments are about any of my writings.

Today I want to write about the pleasure of exploring your interests. Recently I have had fun exploring cooking as a form of creative expression. I cook very intuitively like I write. My inspiration comes in the way of quick flashes of ideas and then how to do it often also flashes by. This process of inner picturing of what I am cooking is very similar to my writing this blog. When I trust these flashes of guidance, I end up cooking and writing at my best. This to me is exploring and expressing my human potential through a deep knowing place in me. That place is in you too and very worth exploring.

Another of my interests is reading books and articles that help me expand my thinking. I read about happiness, prosperity, consciousness, investments, nutrition, creating success, progressive ideas, fitness, spiritual concepts, futurist projections, quantum physics, sports, athletic excellence, and inspirational people. I love to find new ideas that better my life and health and that I can share with others. I always have 5 or 6 books going and magazines folded at where I left off. Reading and learning makes me feel positive about myself and happy to be alive.

What interests you? Are you taking the time to explore your interests? If so how does it feel? If not, how come? A secret to happiness is to follow what interests you and live the life of an adventurous explorer.