What to do in the face of uncertainty? These times make many of us feel uncomfortable. Are you feeling that too? What is going on that makes thing seem so uncertain?
* Our government is a mess of political nonsense and bickering. The party out of power wants the party in power to fail especially in the White House.
* The economic system is collapsing in its present form because it is driven only by profits and the accumulation of power.
* Those that represent the insurance interests have bought out real Healthcare reform.
* Those that call themselves the religious right are filled with judgment towards others and the mistaken belief of their moral superiority.
* The people are filled with self-doubt and unrest over the way things are because they actually believe their own ego obsession with replaying the past and anxiously planning for the future.
* There is a war going on and this is very unsettling to all who participate and their families.
* Unemployment or the threat of it is costing many their peace of mind.
* There are a small group of religious extremists that want to disrupt that status quo and this has many people are edge.
* The planet is showing the results of human waste and neglect.
* Those who have been battered and abused as children have few options to help them break from the cycle of violence.
* Substance abuse is rampant because for many "numbing out" seems like the best way to deal with the insanity of the world.
Where is the hope? The mind has little to offer when the challenges are so complex. Our thinking is too often is run by the fear of the unknown or what seems uncontrollable. Our hearts are better resources when the mind is boggled with too many words but even in the depth of compassion there is the need for a quieter knowing.
The following is a picture of a spiritual person who understands that the solutions to the world's problems are not located outside of ourselves but instead resides in the power of the moment in each of us. To make contact with the now we must find a way to sit in quiet contemplations where all the true knowing exists. The silence offers the solutions to all that needs to be understood from our higher nature.
This drawing comes from the wonderful collection of Mary Scrimgeour a local artist here in Boulder. 
Peace Letter #35
Dear Mr. President,
One day at a time, please move forward with the highest human wisdom, guided by your compassion heart and trusting that higher consciousness will eventually be the principle force for this nation and the planet.
You stand as our leader and we are grateful. There are many who have the true capacities of higher knowing and compassion and we stand with you also. Together in consciousness we will all transform the present into a world where every human being is given the best opportunity to find peace, love and happiness.
Stand strong and feel the positive energy of all of us who support you.
Joseph Bernard, Ph.D.
Join me and send President Obama emails of support and encourage the end of war and the other dysfunctional ways of government at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
Are You Afraid Of Opening Your Heart?
Is this sign posted in front of your heart?
Love is the most important experience you can have as a human being. When your heart is open you get to be with yourself in a loving way; you get to be with others in a way that expands you as a person. The ability to love may be our greatest human quality.
Love is the opportunity to explore your higher nature. The heart gives us intelligence beyond the thinking mind. The knowing heart is a powerful guide for creating the life you desire.
When the heart is open, you are able to experience compassion for others as well as yourself. Compassion is an advance state because your heart allows you to go beyond concern for just you and your family. With compassion you can be accepting of a diversity of ideas, points of view, and ways of being in the world. The overall health of the humanity and the planet is only possible if compassion is a guiding force. With an open heart there is no limit to what you and the rest of us can do for each other. Love contains the answers to all human problems.
Knock! Knock! Knock! (My hand knocking on the inside of your computer screen.) If you don’t let others in, it is time to now even if it is scary. Holding out on the rest of us isn’t making you happy and it is leaving the rest of us out of what you have to give.
Sometime as you know the experience of love can seem painful. Is it love that is painful or is it the expectations of ego-mind that cause you to feel hurt? Love only hurts from seeking to control, from not accepting differences, from contracting in fear of loss and other forms of not letting go and loving.
Love does not hurt; love opens you to be in the world full of joy and comforted by the flow of love in your life.
Here is an assignment to expand your heart, take it on if you feel courageous enough to do so. First feel all that you feel with an open heart. Share your feelings of love towards others. Be caring to someone who would appreciate it. Practice acts of kindness towards those at work. Do something to show a dose of extra love to your partner, child or friend. Give in some way that would push you out of your comfort zone. Each time you do one of these expressions of love, take a few minutes to appreciate how loving kindness feels inside of you.
You love is needed in the world so please give as much as you can each day.
Peace Letter #34
Dear Mr. President,
In a very simple way all the problems in this nation and on the planet can be resolved if we practice loving kindness. Yes it may sound too simplistic, if only it was as easy as it sounds.
If both parties acted with kindness towards each other then we could all sit down together and find solutions.
If all nations acted with kindness towards each other then all wars would come peacefully to an end.
If all beliefs acted with kindness towards each other there would be no need to judge or condemn different points of view.
Please do not underestimate the power of loving kindness: in your work towards healthcare for all; in trying to contain extremism; in shrinking the corporate influence and their need for power; and for extricating us from the wars that entangle us today.
May your heart be courageous in the most trying of times.
Joseph Bernard, Ph.D.
Join me and send President Obama emails of support and encourage the end of war and the other dysfunctional ways of government at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
The World Is In You
It was good for me to pose yesterday’s 10 question because it got me thinking about who I am at my essence and what my priorities are at this point in my life. I also understand more clearly that my heart and my spirit are where my focus needs to be. There is also a clear desire to by more expansive and inclusive in my thinking; that is why I like the statement: "I am not in the world, the world is in me."
Let’s explore some of these ideas from my present level of consciousness. Today as I sit here writing I am aware of a calm impartiality that has grown with my mindful practice. That impartiality allows me to be present with my thoughts, ideas, desires and emotions free from judging. I am accepting of myself.
I understand that I have two powerful forces guiding my expression and my exploration of the world. I have my heart and its compassion and caring and I have my spirit that has limitless resources and wisdom. When I live from my heart and spirit I am free to enjoy the peace, love and happiness of the now. If my ego-mind is in charge I experience suffering. This is a no-brainer of what is best for me.
“The world is in me,” is such a far out statement that my thinking is left grasping. If I go to the higher knowing within I can sense what that feels like and know it to be true. The proud ego says, “Of course the whole world is inside of me. “ The Higher Self hums in resonance with this truth.
That is enough about me and my experiment called Life. Let’s tune into your experiment with life and what you are exploring:
• What about you, where are you awakening and realizing the higher states of awareness?
• What have you learned lately that set you freer to be?
• What is the next step toward your higher expression that you sense growing in you?
• Where in life are you expanding and where are you yet contracting?
• What lifts you up into your spiritual self?
• Where does you heart long to express more of your unlimited supply of love?
Let the force of spirit and heart be with you.
Peace Letter #33
Dear President Obama
Your work with the GOP in Baltimore was masterful. Your first year on the job has left you well informed about the issues and the challenges. The Office of the Presidency is so demanding and thankfully you have the skill set and the mind to thrive. Your restraint in responding to the small mindedness of those who have no idea of the big picture was remarkable. Your face showed the holding back of anger and the consciousness to rise above the pettiness of politics. You are the right person in the right place at the right time. Thank you.
Now would you be willing to rethink the war effort especially in Afghanistan. This is not about winning; this is about rising about of the rubble of human thinking that since the beginning of wars has been nothing but a disaster. Humans have so much more to offer than weapons and death. Let’s focus on real help, which would feed and house people and turn the Afghani people into grateful friends.
Would you please have that same kind of talk with the Democrats also because they all appear intoxicated with an elixir blended from influence money and power.
Joseph Bernard, Ph.D.
Join me and send President Obama emails of support and encourage the end of war and the other dysfunctional ways of government at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
10 Questions To Expand Our Higher Thinking
This week has seemed disjointed because of my work changes and some other possible opportunities. There is so much unknown ahead so I thought, what are some basic questions that are good to review when I need to expand into thinking bigger and more openly?
Here are 10 questions that will invite you and I to take a deeper look at things and push us toward a clearer focus as we head into the further mysteries of life:
1. Who is the "I" when you think of yourself?
2. What if anything is limiting you from spreading the infinite love of your heart?
3. What is the knowing in you that is beyond your busy mind?
4. Do we have to suffer? If not how come we end up causing our suffering?
5. Where else would you find happiness other than the now?
6. Does the God many tell us to follow really have a religion, support male dominance, insist we accept certain dogma and beliefs?
7. What matters most to you?
8. Explain this: "You are not in the world, the world is in you."
9. Where are you going in your life?
10. Who do you want to become?
These questions are asking us to be more awake to who we are and what is the potential within all of us.
Also you might appreciate this excellent article over at Change Your Thoughts - Change Your life
Enjoy your weekend.
Peace Letter #32
Dear President Obama
Now the question is how do we take your ideas and inspiration from your State of the Union and turn them into positive action? There is so much to do with the chaos of egos in the Senate knocking heads and lobbyist filling the hallways.
Let’s be totally honest - the war effort is a major drain. There is no good war in the mess we are in no matter how much you try to rationalize Afghanistan. We need to move from military action to compassionate action and most of resources will be liberated to do good both there and at home. Many of the people of this nation are suffering and they are the #1 priority.
Now is the time to push in the right direction,
Joseph Bernard, Ph.D.
Join me and send President Obama emails of support and encourage the end of war and the other dysfunctional ways of government at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
Guidance Is Knocking As You Read This
Life is an amazing journey if you and I are present to it. Each day offers us the beauty and the simplicity of all that surrounds us if we take the time to notice. If we are open in our hearts there is love, joy and gratitude in most everything. Peace is waiting also if we show up in our lives free of the agenda from yesterday or for tomorrow. All that is possible becomes possible by living mindfully whether, going to work, working out, cooking a meal, loving those we share the day with or seeking guidance. The guidance part is of particular interest as I write this because in the moment there is always available to us the direction we need.
A few days ago I shared a story in group, at the treatment program, about a friend who went searching for some personal guidance about where he was to go for further growth. He received a direct message from a very unlikely place, his television. A minister, he did not know nor would ever actually watch on TV, was saying something about going to India so he stopped the channel surfing and listen for a few minutes. The minister then looked directly into the camera and said Jonathan (my friends name) you need to go to India. That led him on a powerful journey to India that deeply enriched his life.
Today I received a phone call from one of my clients in that group where the story was told and she enthusiastically wanted to tell me about an experience she had. She said remember that story about your friend who went to India. Guess what happened to me? She then said yesterday she was having a bad day and feeling very sorry for herself. Early recovery for addicts is often like that. She had lost her ability to drive due to some of her addict issues and she really was tired of asking for rides from her parents and riding the bus. She declared, "I am going to get a job, buy myself a car again and drive anyway even I am not suppose to." I listened and hoped she wouldn't but this is where the story gets good.
She was standing outside of an office where she had an appointment in a few minutes. She was crying, smoking a cigarette and feeling lousy. As she stood there a guy on a bike she did not know came by and spoke directly to her. He said, "Driving would not be a good idea and it would not work for you." He rode off. She took a few moments to ponder what he said and then in a flash of insight she realized that she was being guided. She felt much better after that.
There is always guidance waiting for us if we are mindful, present, open and quiet enough to listen.
Peace Letter #31
Dear Mr. President
Your speech was excellent and a reminder of why people got out to vote for you. Yes your job is incredibly challenging and we applaud you for being willing to take it on. Those that complain about you don’t have the courage to make a difference. You do and that is inspirational.
The middle class is what makes this nation work and unless we are looked out for, all the money in the world won’t matter. Reducing costs makes sense and are what is right to do. Please make your number one priority, reducing the cost of war, not the services needed by the less fortunate.
We of reasonable minds not blinded by ideology stand in support of you and a better tomorrow.
Joseph Bernard, Ph.D.
Join me and send President Obama emails of support and encourage the end of war and the other dysfunctional ways of government at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
What Happened To Compassion In The Modern Political Arena?
The program I work for is experiencing some financial problems and the treatment side is closing down until mid May. That is where I run my groups, teach mindfulness, and provide counseling for those early in recovery. The situation of this state and the nation is that those in most need to survive and get healthy are the first ones cut from service. Colorado is 50th of the 50 states in Addiction and Mental Health Services. The homeless, the addicts and those with serious mental health issues are a very low priority in Colorado and nationally. This population does not have the resources to advocate for themselves. What happened to compassion in the modern political arena?
The money in this country is focused on war, on saving financial institutions and making sure the healthcare industry is assured of a healthy profit margin. Actually the focus is more on making sure the stockholders of the war machine, the financial corporations, and the insurance/medical/hospital industry all keep their vast sums of money.
Let me be clear here that money is not the problem. It is those who acquire money at almost any cost and who use their money to buy influence in Washington D.C. that should be the concern of every thinking citizen that can see through the sea of misinformation. As it stands now: the war will continue because it is a profit center; real reform in healthcare is doomed because of all the influence money spent on our elected officials; and Wall Street is protected against failure because the influential want it protected.
Sorry if this sounds lacking in optimism. Real change is possible only if we look into each other eyes, find our hearts and become conscious of how much we all want the same thing. What we in this nation want is simple, we want a good life, a better future for all those we love, and the freedom we are all guaranteed by our constitution. We have to put aside our petty differences, drop the dogmatic righteousness, silence the ego's need to control, and instead look to see what matters most.
The fear mongers will argue that war is essential, that saving Wall Street matters more than saving the people, and that healthcare run by the government will be a mess. The truth is that war is insanity for all those involved and no amount of rationalizing will change that. Wall Street is basically owned by about 5-10% of the population and the rest of us will be just fine if it has less influence. Frankly the way the insurance companies and the hospital/medical corporations run healthcare, I would prefer a fair mind government over a profit driven heartless industry.
Where would you stand if you saw this through the eyes of those without? Would you stand in judgment over the less fortunate or would you have compassion for those in need? The top 5-10% income levels have little or no understanding of going without. The other 90% may have experienced the struggles of life or know someone they care about who has. This is where compassion comes from; it comes when the heart is opened to the suffering of others. There is little or no compassion in Congress because being in power and getting re-elected can silence the cries of the heart.
It is your voice that need to be heard, your heart that need to be open, your mind that need to seek understanding. Are you up for the challenge?
Peace Letter #30
Dear President Obama,
There is so much to do and so many forces in the way of real change. Habit, limited vision, and too many lobbyists blind the viewpoints of those inside D.C. Congress has all that influence money guiding them. Rationalizing egos runs the military. You can rise above that and do your best by representing the people who elected you.
First simplify everything by removing the focus on war. Next reel in the corporations who only serve the gods of profit. Finally call the people together with a cause and get them the correct information and we will be much better off.
Peace first,
Joseph Bernard, Ph.D.
Join me and send President Obama emails of support and encourage the end of war and the other dysfunctional ways of government at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
What Is So Scary About Our Feelings?
I have been thinking about why most of us deny many of the emotions that come up. Almost every thought we have has an emotional component and we all know we have very busy minds. So if we have lots of thoughts, then we have lots of emotions being activated whether we acknowledge them our not. Let's explore what might be getting in our way from acknowledging all we feel, then let's look at some ways to become more aware of our interior landscape of emotions. The reason this emotional exploration is important is that we are feeling creatures who must express ourselves emotionally to be fully alive, energized, and in the best health.
What stops us from being aware of all that we feel inside? Here are some possible explanations:
* Is it the social conditioning that trains us to ignore our emotions?
* Do we think it is safer to not feel?
* Does denying emotions make them go away?
* Do our families teach us to ignore or deny feelings as they do to keep things under control?
* Schools seem to teach everyone to behave, does that mean feeling only the approved emotions?
* Many churches/belief systems mistakenly teach us to judge our feeling as good or bad so maybe we try not to be bad?
* Many of us are taught the to feel feeling is a sign of weakness. Do you believe that?
* Men and most women are taught to not show emotions because they would look less than cool? Does that sound familiar?
* The ego-mind likes to avoid emotions because it feels more in control. Is our ego tied to being in control?
* Does it feel safer to live in our thoughts and to stay away from the mystery of emotions?
* If we are afraid of our feelings how do we open to love? Is love an emotional or mental state?
* The rationalizing mind prefers to keep things explainable so does it push our feelings out of conscious awareness?
* If we were to tap into an emotional flow within us would if be overflowing or barely felt?
* Songs allow for feelings, creativity allows for feeling, how come you and I discount them?
* Are some feeling ok in our mind and some not? What makes them ok and what makes them not?
* Does suppressing emotions make us feel safer and happier?
* Do we feel it is our right to feel what we feel?
* Do we doubt ourselves and therefore doubt what we feel?
* Do we feel that feelings don't really matter so we tend to ignore them?
This is just a few of the questions that may explain our reluctance to feel. Now what do you do to offset this denying of emotions?
* First make a commitment to yourself to become aware of you as a feeling human being
* Second do your best to not judge your feelings because they are neither good nor bad, they are just feelings
* Pay attention and acknowledge every feeling you become aware of throughout the day. This is a private process in general and no one needs to hear about what you are feeling if you don't want to share
* Sharing feelings with people who are willing to listen and not judge is helpful
* Acknowledging your feelings is most important because that sends a message you that what you feel is ok.
* Unexpressed emotions become tension in your body, so when you feel tense, go explore the emotions that are going on inside
* Take full responsibility for all you feel, no one else makes you feel what you feel. In fact your feeling come most often from the thoughts you have in reaction to the events and people in your life
* Feeling feelings make you feel alive
* Your heart and body are the place in you where feelings are felt. Have an open heart and be fully in your body
* If you feel either the large flow of energy or you feel stuffed up energetically, you are experiencing emotions
In all situations your thoughts about yourself and your life create either emotional contraction or expansion. Love and hope cause you to expand and be open. Fear and worry cause you to close down. Feelings are part of what makes you a wonderful being with the capacity for passion, sadness, caring, joy, and hope.
Peace Letter # 29 To The President
Dear President Obama,
You have a big speech coming up and we all are looking for something to be hopeful about and you are good at encouraging the best in us. Call on us to be bigger than our disagreements and more creative in finding solutions to the many challenges of our time.
Real changes involve leaving the old ways that don’t work behind including: war, a corporate run health care program, under-regulated commerce, environmental policies that damage the future of the planet, and a political system that is run totally by influence money. These things must change even if it makes those benefiting from these dysfunctional systems mad. They are already mad because they don’t get everything they want.
Courage to you and to all who seek what is best for the people,
Joseph Bernard, Ph.D.
Join me and send President Obama emails of support and encourage the end of war and the other dysfunctional ways of government at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
Placing Your Mind In The Back Seat
Sunday we went to a Bark Park Birthday Party. My wife’s friend Debbie’s dog was having a birthday. The dog park is at 8000 feet and the temperature was a blowing 30 degrees with a chill factor that seemed close to zero. After 50 minutes and Pax tired from running around with all his new dog friends, we made our way to the car and defrosted from the cold on an hour drive home. People are amazingly adaptable and this cold little party was fun in its own unique way. A receptive mind was needed in this case and it is the kind of mind needed to get the most out of life. Thankfully I am home warm now sitting in front of my computer.
My mind has been struggling with the idea of not being the part of me that makes all the decisions. This year I have made a commitment to always pay attention to my intuitive/higher self knowing and do my best to place the busy mind in the back seat. The ego-mind wants to be in the drivers seat and it too often is because most people think their thoughts are in charge.
If your mind is running the show, it is time to change course. The ego run mind controls us usually from the fear mode focusing us on how we messed up in the past or what we should be worried about in the future. This directive force called the rational mind often is run by habit, the need to be right, and the determination to act in control. Thinking is slippery ground because of the ego. Take a few minutes and review your decision-making, the decisions made with the ego’s agenda most likely fall short of what you wanted. If you were honest with yourself you would see that most ego driven decisions have led to some kind of suffering in your life.
The other directive source within us in quiet and has no particular agenda than to help you navigate the ever-changing ways of life. This guidance system is locked into the present moment. It never has an agenda to look good or be in control. Instead this quiet guiding force simply informs us with inner messages about the best course of action or inaction. The wisdom connected to this guidance comes not from the mind but from a knowing, a consciousness that exist in our Higher Self/Spirit that is not bound by habit or fear.
Take time this week to explore and expand your intuition. Simple exercises can be fun: like when the phone rings guess who it is before your answer; tune in and ask what your heart feels about a decision you are considering; take a moment or two of silence and listen in for guidance about something you want to make happen; listen to what you know beyond your thoughts about others, situation and opportunities. As you listen and explore you will find that you are always guided if you are open to hear the wise messages. Have an insightful week.
Peace Letter #28
Dear President Obama,
Please ignore the insanity of any messages from Bin Laden. We cannot let a small band of ego driven fear mongers dictate world policy. I suspect he is the last person you wanted to hear from. The Bush administration used him as a poster child for sabotaging American democracy through mistaken action including the Patriot Act, spying on Americans, going to war, torture, secret prisons and much more.
We voted you into office because we wanted real change not fear driven misguided action. Your task ahead to right the ship of state is massive. Please consider removing us from war rather than growing our participation. Also know we are behind you.
Joseph Bernard, Ph.D.
Join me and send President Obama emails of support and encourage the end of war and the other dysfunctional ways of government at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
The 19 Steps Of Life
This is List Post. It was my assignment for my 31 Days To Build a Better Blog created by Darren over at Problogger.com. I really appreciate the ideas so far as I am on Day 2. As you know I already do lists but this was done for the fun of it and I thought you would appreciate knowing my version of what the
“The 19 Steps Of Life” are:
1. Your spirit chooses to enter this life and begin the process of exploring the full expression of your soul
2. You mother carries you from cell to birth and you are influenced by the prenatal experience, hopefully positive
3. You find yourself screaming as you enter the world, maybe a forecast as to what’s to come
4. You arrival makes or expands a family and you feel the confines of being in such a small being unable to communicate directly with words
5. Your conditioning begins as you find out what people think is good and bad at too early of an age. They share what they learned which is likely confusion past from generation to generation
6. Soon school begins and it is scary and there were mean adults you didn’t know (mine was scary people who looked like mad penguins)
7. Then you are expected to learn all this stuff, behave and not feel or act inappropriately which means you have to learn to numb out
8. Soon your body becomes awkward, your mind full of confusing thoughts and disruptive emotions, numbing out seems even more important and drugs sometime enter into the search to make sense out of what makes no sense
9. Then you go to High School, sports events, proms, see a dermatologist etc and by the time you are a senior you think you know everything
10. Next you might go to college or work. One teaches you lots of stuff and the other about life as hard work. Neither direction is really helpful with the great questions of life
11. Then you find a partner, get married and start a family or maybe not in that order. More life lessons come flying at you and you get better at denying all uncomfortable feelings
12. You then find yourself in a career you are unsure of with a family or it is coming apart and you ask yourself is this my life? You put your head down and push forward despite the angst
13. The questions expand, you might even go to church (be careful of those who claim to know God) or to counseling and you want something more than more chocolate
14. One day you discover there is something inside that is in chaos as you become acquainted with your thoughts, self-talk and the emotional roller coaster inside. “Maybe my ego/mind is getting in my way” is a thought you might have
15. Then in the midst of lots of uncertainty you start valuing peace and quiet and before long you discover there is wisdom in the stillness within you and you go exploring
16. You then begin to awaken and make contact with your spirit/soul (usually nothing to do with going to church on Sunday) all of a sudden it begins to all make sense
17. If you are not too old when you become awakened (hopefully not your last breath) you will have lots of time to enjoy the peace, love and happiness that comes from being present in your own life
18. If you miss out on the awakening, you die in fear maybe even grasping toward an empty concept of God, if you have stepped beyond the ego and become conscious, you die in peace
19. Then you die and it begins again or does it. I guess we will all find out, won’t we?
Peace Letter #27
Dear Mr. President,
Thank you for going after the Supreme Court with such vigor. Democracy is in trouble already without the floodgates that the Supreme Court opened to increase corporate influence.
Your challenges seem to grow daily. Hang in there because the most difficult of times tend to being out the best in all of us.
There is my 27th letter requesting a change in direction in Afghanistan. I advocate for peace and in these times peace makes so much more sense because there is so much on the plate of this nation without waging an unclear war in a country we do not need to be in. Please consider peace.
Let your heart be your guide,
Joseph Bernard, Ph.D.
Join me and send President Obama emails of support and encourage the end of war and the other dysfunctional ways at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
Tonight My Art Was On Display At The BMOCA
I am so excited. I got to have at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art this evening and it was so much fun talking to people who enjoyed my work. I even met one of the original artists who did the drawings in the book that I use for the theme of my collage.
Here is just the collages:
Inner Practice #6 Seeing For The First Time
It has been a few weeks since I last shared an inner practice with you. The New Year has started out with a lot of energy and change is definitely in the air. This technique invites us to look at the world freshly and that is always a very positive thing to do.
Our eyes when we see things regularly tend to look at objects, places and people more from how we remember them to be. This habitual viewing keeps us seeing what once was and missing what is. The old views and the old stories in our head blind us to both the simple and the beautiful that surrounds us. We have become too mechanical and unconscious in our viewing the world.
Inner Practice # 6 - This practice invites you to put away your old vision of the world and instead see everything as if it were brand new. Take a minute now and turn from your computer and look around as if you are seeing the room you are in for the first time. Notice the details, colors, objects, and your response to them. If you do this with an openness there will be a "wow" factor about: what you haven't noticed before; a clarity and brightness of colors; and maybe even a surprise about what you noticed about who you are by what you surround yourself with. If there is no "wow" factor don't be discouraged because with practice you will learn to see things more as they are rather than a memory.
Make a promise to yourself to view things with open and receptive eyes. Notice if you even see your partner anymore. He or she has changed over time; did you miss this transformation? Your children sometimes change before your eyes if you are watching especially when they are younger. Your work, your home, the sky, and the morning sunrise can all be seen as if for the first time. Explore this practice on the weekend and see if you can take in all that is around you with fresh eyes. There has been more happening than you may have noticed.
This inner practice gives you direct feedback about how present you are. If you can only see what was, then you are not present. You are seeing from habit and conditioning and that means you are blinded by your own stuckness. If you can see the brightness and vibrancy of those around you then you are present. If all seems more alive, then you are waking up to the fascinating now. This practice will make life much more interesting and you might even take a deeper look in the mirror and see somebody you are beginning to real appreciate.
Peace Letter #26
Dear President Obama,
Looks like you have a battle with the Supreme Court on your hands. As you know this should be an impartial panel not the very right leaning group we have. You have another challenge for an already too busy plate. We want to be a force for positive change so call on us.
Please know, as I write you most every day, that you have my support and many others. I however very much wish you would remove us from participating in the conflict in Afghanistan and Iraq. Have the military build schools, wells, hospitals and ways to feed themselves. Please no more killing; haven’t we done enough?
Peace, wisdom and strength to you,
Joseph Bernard, Ph.D.
Join me and send President Obama emails of support and encourage the end of war and the other dysfunctional ways at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
Life As A Rewarding Exploration
Another book disappeared at work. I keep on giving out books for the clients to read and too often they leave with the clients or someone else picks them up. I don’t mind as long as the books are read and passed on. My favorite books to lend to those in early recovery/making changes in their lives include: Thich Nhat Hahn, the Miracle of Mindfulness, Eckhart Tolle's The Power Of Now both non-fiction and filled with the consciousness needed to take back and inspire your life; and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and The Way Of The Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman both stories that awaken the readers to greater possibilities.
Reading is such a powerful way to change your thinking and replace the old thoughts with new possibilities. A few months ago I put together a post including my favorite consciousness raising books. Check out this list.
I get excited reading and exploring ideas, areas of interest, new ways of thinking and understanding. My favorite topics these days include: cooking, consciousness raising, nutrition, sports, prosperity, spirituality, inspirational fiction, politics, and self-help. Sometimes I go searching on the Web for short concise information on a variety of topics. It is fun for me to have so much I can explore at my fingertips.
Learning and exploring are two of my favorite pastimes. I feel like a kid when I discover something new or gain insight into the workings of the universe, a tasty dish, why certain athlete can rise above their competitors, the moment of insight where everything changes, or healthier choices I can make. This feels like personal empowerment to me.
These days there is so much to explore that I can’t imagine anyone being truly bored. If boredom comes up all you have to do is go find what you are looking for on the Web or at your local library. If it isn’t information or ideas that excite you then there is the journey of a deeper life, which is about the ways of the heart and spirit. When new insights and the flash of enlightenment come knocking on this path, there is little else that can feel as rewarding.
What is your path of learning and growth about? Where do you want to grow deeper in your understand?
"You will become as great as your dominant aspiration . . .
If you cherish a vision, a lofty idea in your heart, you will realize it." James Allen
Peace Letter #25
Dear President Obama,
It seems the country is restless with Senator Kennedy’s seat being lost. Sorry this may make thing more difficult for you. Maybe playing the middle of the road by supporting war, the banks and corporations is not what we are all looking for when we had change in mind.
The status quo is not working, propping up the paradigm is making things worse. Many of us want real change: shifting power back to the needs of the nation and all its people not just the wants of the wealthy alone; ending the huge waste of our resources on war; stop rescuing banks so they can charge us more interest and fees; real healthcare for all not as a profit center for corporations; give up being the biggest military force and instead become the most compassionate nation; and so many other positive possibilities.
Can you dream with us?
Joseph Bernard, Ph.D.
Join me and send President Obama emails of support and encourage the end of war and the other dysfunctional ways at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
The Awakening Of A Therapist
Today I thought I would share with you about the journey it takes to be an effective counselor/therapist. This has been my life for most of my adulthood, listening and guiding those in search of help along the journey called life. When I was young I was shy and I knew how to listen intently to those I counseled. Most people love to be listened to and that is primarily what I did with my clients.
I worked with addicts, people struggling with mental health issues, couples, families, and in group settings. Clients benefited because they got to hear their own thoughts out loud as they talked away. They also got a dose of unconditional acceptance free from the ordinary judging that fills most people’s lives. This all helps to brighten ones sense of self which is important on the journey towards wellness.
As I matured I found myself less fascinated by their stories and more interested in what was getting in their way from creating the life they wanted. My counseling became focused on the content of the emotions and the blocks that come from not expressing.
This new direction in my work was a reflection of wanting to move the client from problems to solutions. This represented my own growth in which I moved toward more self-empowerment in my own life. I started to wake up more fully in this state of my own development.
My next phase of therapeutic intervention happened because of my own deeper search for meaning and purpose. I matured as a person and focused more on how my clients could grow to more fully express their own more expanded nature.
The human potential has always been an area I enjoyed exploring with clients. In this phase of my counseling my goal was to help others more fully express who they are. This is a dual journey both the client and the counselor grow as they go. There is no longer the idea that I know what is best for my client. They are infinitely more wise about their own life than I am. My work is now about inviting and encouraging their own highest expression.
Now my work is different at subtle levels. My listening carefully is much more about being fully present. It is my responsibility to do my own work so that I show up as consciously as I can. Through my personal growth I am now more patient with the process and more at peace within. This allows me to deal with more chaos in my clients and it gives them the freedom to be more truly who they are in the moment.
In my present job, I work with addicts in the early stages of recovery and they often bring lots of anxiousness, ego dominance, dishonesty, and impatience. I now just sit with them in mindful practice and invite them to thaw out from the journey of self-numbing they have been on. I invite them to explore the part of them untouched by the insanity of their life. This part I call the higher self, others might call it their soul or spirit. Together we explore the possibilities of coming more fully into their lives. This journey is more spiritual at times than psychological.
My work has deepened with clients as my inner work has expanded. I could not have done what I do now, when I started in this work, because I was a much different person. Now together we both get to step into the moment of what is waiting in us for full expression. This path is rewarding one.
In your own life I am sure you too have experience an evolution of who you are. Being a parent teaches you constantly. Careers evolve as you evolve. Relationships expand or dissolve as you do. Relationship with your spirit also transforms over time. All this makes you a more enriched person of depth, growth and compassion. Remember next time you have some time to talk with someone be sure and ask them about what they have learned about life through their own living.
Peace Letter #24
Dear Mr. Obama,
In this past year what did you learn most from your challenging on the job training? What has surprised you about the responsibilities placed in your capable hands? How can we lend you support in meaningful ways?
Let us help take a load off you by encouraging you to withdraw many of our troops from Afghanistan and Iraq and help them in other ways. You were given a mess and none of us expect a victory so lets leave peacefully and help in more positive ways.
Thank you for your courage,
Joseph Bernard, Ph.D.
Join me and send President Obama emails of support and encourage the end of war at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
Evolving Past The Dominating Warrior Mind To The Compassionate Difference Maker
It was nice to have a holiday yesterday and a 3-day weekend another advantage of working for the government. On my midday run I saw a bumper sticker that I wanted to share with you. It said, ”Why do we kill people who kill people to show that killing people is wrong?” That seems such an appropriate question for all humanity to look at. Martin Luther King would appreciate the absurdity of this kind of policy.
So how come we execute people; how come we go to war to get people who caused harm to us? Are we eliminating our enemies or in fact creating more of them? Isn’t killing others to get back at them totally an ego thing? The ego says, “I am right and I am going to show you by taking your life.” Isn’t that faulty thinking with an unhealthy attitude?
“The eye for an eye kind of mentality would make us all blind,” is something Gandhi said. This is the same kind of idea again with the ego-mind at work. A major part of our justice system is one of punishment of making sure people pay for their crimes. It seems that too much of this system is run by the ego-mind.
When will we humans evolve past the idea of getting even, of the need to control and punish with such righteousness? When will we stop going to war or killing others because of our ego driven beliefs? When will we quit starting wars as a means to deal with people who don’t do what we want them to? What will it take break the cycle of violence against each other to show who is right?
If we could learn to pay attention to and take responsibility for our own thoughts we would begin to move away from the dominance of our egos. In that paying attention we would clearly see that we are too often run by the need to be right, the need to look good in front of others, the need to be in control and other ego needs. Once we see and understand our thoughts we can make choices that come from more awareness and more consciousness. This higher state of knowing allows us to evolve past the old ways of the dominating warrior to the compassionate difference maker.
Let’s hope we all have a more aware week where our thoughts are less unconscious and more mindful.
Peace Letter #23
Dear President Obama,
I hope your week is off to a good start. I know there has been much on your mind lately. I hope you have been reconsidering expanding the war in Afghanistan. This is not necessary and we will be much better off trying a humanitarian approach, which we can win.
Please call together people who oppose the war and listen carefully. They will have important guidance for you.
Peace to you in the moment,
Joseph Bernard. Ph.D.
In Honor Of MLK, What Are You Doing For Others?
It is an honor to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. on this day. As I reviewed the news at the Huffington Post this morning they had this quote from Dr King:
'Life's Most Persistent And Urgent Question Is: What Are You Doing For Others?
Dr King spent his adult life doing for others and the world is a much better place because of it. That spirit of reaching out to our brothers and sisters with compassion and helping them is so needed today. Look around you and see what causes matter to you? Where do you see the need to help? What are you willing to give?
In Parade Magazine yesterday was a story of a family of four who sold their big house and moved into a smaller one and used the money from the sale to make a difference to those who were less fortunate. What can you give in either in resources, time, energy, or ideas?
There are many people and organizations that help those in need. Take some time and investigate what areas you want to make a difference in and then look at what organizations are involved and see which ones you want to help. Volunteering and giving always feels good.
Let your heart open up and allow your infinite supply of compassion be tapped into and bring your flow of love out into the world. This is a wonderful way to feel happy and purposeful.
I came upon another quote the other day whose author is unknown. This quote is very fitting for this day in honor of Martin Luther King.
“Do all the good you can, with all the means you can, in all the ways you can, as long as you can.”
Peace and inspiration for compassionate action for you this day and every day.
Peace Letter # 22
Dear President Obama,
This day is in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. who has been an inspiration to you and to all of us. His heart of compassion made a huge difference in the world. Your heart of compassion can also do the same.
Let you be inspired by your heart and bring real peace to the world. Compassionate action is helping those who need our aid not with weapons and war but with kindness and understanding. Please bring your heart into every discussion about Afghanistan so that compassion wins out over war.
Peace to you and all Americans,
Joseph Bernard, Ph.D.
Join me and send President Obama emails at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
Our Thoughts Are Not Real But The Peace Of The Now Is
There is so much on my mind lately that I forget that thoughts are just a collection of words I give meaning to and they are not reality. By this I mean that my thoughts about a client are just my thoughts not necessarily what is real. I think about what Pat Robertson said, “that the Haitian people are suffering because they have a pact with the devil,” and I think he actually believes his thoughts and that is sad. I see myself judging him and when I am conscious I recognize my thoughts are just thoughts and instead I turn to compassion.
The escalation of the war in Afghanistan has caused lots of thoughts as you can see by my serious of letters to the President. These thoughts are neither good nor bad, just thoughts in my head about circumstances that I disagree with and I am working on being more peaceful inside. Then there is the healthcare battle that also has my head going on about the lack of needed and real change happening, and when conscious, I see the energy those thoughts are just a bunch of judgment I have that creates uncomfortable emotions. I am getting upset over what is going on in my head and frankly that doesn’t seem like what I want to be experiencing. Real change begins inside with the expansion of my/our ability to be present in a peaceful and compassionate way.
Excuse my rambling but there are several points here that may be of value. First please realize that all your thoughts are just words and they do not represent reality just your interpretation of it. Reality is only happening in the moment and our thoughts too often get in the way of appreciating what is.
Another important point is that our thoughts create within us an emotional response. If we think things are lousy, we will feel lousy. If we think things are great we will experience life with more openness. Yet, on another level, if we understood our thoughts aren’t real we would free ourselves from much of the reactivity of emotions. Emotions come from being in our mind away from the present moment. If we wander in our thinking off to the unfinished business of the past or wishing for a different future we create emotions of discontent. If we free our minds enough to be present then what arises is the happiness and peace of the now.
Yes I know the mind just keeps on like a tree full of yakking crows but in those moments of awareness, of insight, of being fully present in the now, there is “being” that is totally free. This state of being is who you and I are beyond our thoughts and our emotional reactions. In this state beyond noisy mind is the knowing of our higher nature, our spirit, our unity with the creative source of the universe.
Enjoy your weekend. Enjoying the weekend is best accomplished by taking a few minutes here and there to step past the busy mind. Remember we are spiritual beings having a human experience, not the other way around.
Today is my sister's birthday; Happy Birthday Joan out there on the Crooked River Ranch in Oregon. Much love to you and love to my cousin Sharon and the rest who is having dinner with her tonight.
Letter For Peace #21
Dear President Obama,
I hope you had a chance to watch Bill Moyer last night if not please catch the part with Greg Mortenson about what he has learned in Afghanistan. His quiet mission there of education is making a real difference. He said he learned how to help by listening to the people. Have you and your able team sat down and heard the needs of the people there?
I understand that you are surrounded by experts but they may not know how to listen to what is really needed. If you listen carefully you will hear what you want for your own daughters. You want them to have a good education and live a full life. War does not allow that to happen to those who get in the way of war machine. Peace comes through listening with an open heart and finding the common ground of the basic needs and hopes we all share.
Peace and hope to you,
Joseph Bernard, Ph.D.
Join me and send President Obama emails at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
What Is More True, Our Story Or The Moment?
"Your life is whatever form this moment takes . . . Not some story you're telling yourself in your head." Eckhart Tolle
I came upon this quote in the recent newsletter from Eckhart Tolle. As I have mentioned, he is one of the great teachers of consciousness on the planet.
Let's explore the idea of this quote because it seems to offer you and I a level of consciousness that would be beneficial.
Our life is about now, not about what happened yesterday or the anxiety of worrying about tomorrow. It is so easy to get caught up in the disappointment of what someone did or obsess about what will happen next. In that process of spinning in our head we let the moments pass by unnoticed. So much of life is spent in going over stuff or planning for what we think is necessary to feel ok and we miss the now where true peace, love and joy reside.
Life is not the story in our head, is that really true? So what we think about an event/situation doesn't make it true. Are all stories in our mind just made up and actually a distraction from what really is? How much of the time do we spend in our stories and totally miss where all the action is in the now?
Think about how we talk to ourselves about how something came about while the moment slips by unnoticed. Can we actually resurrect the feelings of a past event, no, not separate from the moment. How come it seems so important to so work everything over in our thoughts and so unimportant to be fully present?
What stories are we running in our head that have zero basis in the reality of the now? In blaming and complaining about the past, don't we miss out on the possibilities of the present?
It’s Friday and I hope you have an enjoyable weekend and commit to taking the time to be present enough to experience the happiness of the now.
Peace Letter # 20
Dear President Obama,
Thanks for being a compassionate leader and moving into action for the people of Haiti. Compassionate action is what conscious, caring and thoughtful leaders do.
Compassionate action is what is needed in Afghanistan not more war making. When we feed the needy, teach the young to think, and make sure they have the basic, there is little ground to plant the seeds for future terrorists.
May your life be filled with the kindness and caring of those who have great respect for your efforts.
Joseph Bernard, Ph.D.
Join me and send President Obama emails at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
Help For Those In Haiti
Power To The People
You probably recognize this theme from the 60’s. This idea seems even more important today because “we the people” need to take back our government from the money interests that now are running it. President Obama was elected by “we the people” to usher in real change in America. After one year it is obvious he cannot do this alone.
There are many issues we have to tackle as citizens. The following 11 concerns that need our creative solutions:
1. Banks are running unchecked making bad financial decisions and then our government bails them out. This does not help the people only those who own the banks. Still they are not regulated for the good of us all. Fees and credit cards are robbing the people.
2. Corporate bailouts are not for the working people; they are for the stockholders. Most people own very few stocks. The ownership of these corporations is in the hands of a few. Corporations have more rights today than the people. The people have become the working class for the wealthy.
3. Our elected officials in Washington DC are all owned by Corporate America. They no longer serve the people. They serve those who pay for their election. We are the ones that put them in power, now it is their turn to represent our needs. Election reform is essential so there are zero contributions for influence.
4. The healthcare industry paid millions to influence the present legislation that will keep us behind all other major democracies as far as health care. We the people have been sold out no matter what the confused “tea party” people think. This is highway robbery of the people.
5. Investment and mortgage firms were bailed out for the benefit of the stockholders, how did “we the people” benefit? They invested poorly and we paid for their mistakes not the executives. Many of us are out of work, when do we get help?
6. We are in a war in another country, which we cannot win and it is breaking us financially for whose benefit? This is not for the benefit of the people. It seems the military/industrial complex benefits significantly. No more wars.
7. The Religious Right (actually very wrong) are trying to dictate government policy. We were not created as a Christian nation but one of religious freedom. We need to tax every religious organization/church who is involved in politics, lobbying, and attempting to influence our government.
8. We are running around in fear of Moslem radicals, big government, liberals or whatever so-called evil force the talking heads and media are stirring up in us. It is all propaganda to make us afraid. When people are afraid they give up power to those in control. The spread of misinformation intentionally to create fear is outrageous and unacceptable.
9. The Federal Reserve is a power force behind those who hold all the financial resources. It is not federal, it is a private corporation running the money flow and set up to protect the money interests not those of the people.
10. Our educational system is failing because it is so in need of real reform. The focus on testing teaches nothing but how to score on tests. Real education is about learning, critical thinking, creativity, values, questioning, and understanding why the basics matter.
11. The corporations and their products are damaging our planet. All the real scientists agree. We need to quit buying these products and be as green as possible. Can we get everyone to think beyond profits and consider the generations that will follow us?
Choose one of more of these issues today and let your voice be heard for the good of us all.
Letter #19 for Peace
Dear President Obama,
Bring us together now as a powerful force for real change in this country as you did for the elections. We need to end war, bring about real financial reform, offer low cost health care to all, reduce corporate influence in government policy, legislate real election reform, make our education exceptional, protect the people from profit seekers and fear mongers, and save our planet.
That is a large agenda. You will need all of us involved who care and have hope. Please find your way to peace as a start and then slowly we the people will take on the other important agendas and win out over the forces that are run be fear and hate.
Joseph Bernard, Ph.D.
Join me and send President Obama emails at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact