Keep Growing To Feel Positive About Life

If we are not active in our growth then life will not feel right.  Sometimes our growth rate is on a steep incline, sometimes like rolling hills or even flat for a while but we cannot afford to let it swing downward for much time at all because we begin to not feel ok.   Abraham Maslow, a psychologist who studied people who were mentally and emotionally healthy, discovered that people feel better about life and themselves if they are growing as human beings

Growth is a life long journey and it can come in many forms:

•    Work often provides us with opportunities for growth through the challenges of what we do and the relationships we form.  We can learn how to do our work more effectively through our experiences.  We can learn to communicate with others who view the world very differently. 
•    Having a family is another way to grow.  With a spouse and children there will be many opportunities to see yourself in relationship to those you love.  You can quickly learn what you do well and what areas of improvement would make you a better parent or partner.
•    Life transitions are big learning opportunities.  When we lose or find a job, retire, get a promotion, have to relocate, get divorced, have a family member die, come into a large sum of money or many other important events much gets stirred up inside.  Again we have an opportunity to see ourselves.  We can witness our heart being broken or see new energy fill us with purpose.  Life is always inviting us to grow.
•    Many life experiences help us grow.  As we move through life we can either keep our hearts and minds open or closed.  If we close down learning becomes harder and sometimes the lessons can be abrupt.  If we remain open the lessons come in the form of awareness.  With awareness we see who we are and make more informed choices about where we are going and have the opportunity to live with more meaning.
•    Going in search of growth can come through seminars, reading, exploring blogs like this one, learning martial arts, practicing meditation, going back to schools, attending adult education classes, exploring a personal interest that keeps calling you, finding a mentor or coach, embarking on a new career, learn a new language, and an endless number of other possibilities.

Growth feels natural and inspires us.  Set time aside each week to pursue learning, awareness and new directions.  The extra-super-plus is the growth is often fun and energizing because it makes us feel alive. 


Peace Letter #51

Dear President Obama,

Your days must be unbelievable busy.  I sure hope you take some time to be with your family and your friends.  There is so much pressure on you that you have to take good care of yourself. 

Speaking of health your healthcare plan lacks boldness without a public option.  The wars we are in are not doing us any good and programs like my work in mental health and addictions recovery are suffering because of a lack of funding. Please put an end to the wars and focus on what is going on here at home. 

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

 


Self-Esteem Comes From Within

Lately one of my clients has struggled mightily in his recovery when he got involved with another addict in early recovery.  Staff, his sponsor, and peers warned him that to get involved at this stage in recovery in a relationship would put his sobriety in danger.  Sometimes the call of inner forces is hard to ignore.

In this case the inner forces seem to be the hope for wholeness through another.  My client suffered much physical abuse as a child and he is always looking for love in the wrong places.  When he gets close to another person he becomes like a little boy seeking validation.  He wants to feel ok about himself and he hopes the love of another will make him whole.

Wholeness will never come from outside oneself.  Feeling ok about who we are will not come from our relationships with others.  It seems so enticing the idea that the love of others will make us ok.  It does not and too often places so much weight on the relationship that it cannot survive. 

This new relationship of my client went from spending their lives together to not talking in about a week and my client went through a mental and emotional rollercoaster.  He was so anxious that he ended up going to the hospital because he felt he could not breathe.   His thoughts and the attached emotions were so powerful that they can take his breathe away.

When we depend on others to feel ok about ourselves we put ourselves in a very vulnerable place.  This is actually an impossible situation because it can never do what we hope it will.  It is a set up for failure; so something else is needed. 

Arriving at self-approval is only possible by building a relationship with who we are.  What that looks like is:
•    Getting to know our thoughts and inner dialogue
•    Paying attention to and respecting our emotions
•    Freeing ourselves from self-condemnation
•    Developing a connection with our higher nature/spirit which is free from the dramas of our life. 

As we explore these aspects of self we open ourselves to the possibility of self-acceptance despite the imperfections we all have.   Finding ourselves sets us free to be who we are.  


Peace Letter #50

Dear President Obama,

This is my 50th letter to you in support of the challenges you face as President in these very oppositional times and also the importance of the US moving away from war toward a peaceful intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan.  I must argue boldly that peace is much smarter than war at every level.  War destroys us economically, kills our military personnel, depletes our resources for more essential services, and creates new generations of terrorist who hate America.  

War is a no-win situation and peace is a win-win situation.  Please head a new direction and focus on peace for the good of the nation. 

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
 


Put Your Faith In Your Spirit Not The Beliefs Of Others

This runny nose and cough are hard to shake.  I am tired of being so snotty.  I was looking over at my Facebook page and seeing other friends were going through the same cold symptoms that stay around for a few weeks.  The alternative interventions I have tried have done very little.  This must be some kind of mutant strand that time and rest is the best hope. 

Looking at some of Tiger Woods’ comments about being raised with the influence of Thai Buddhism, I was thinking that often people who get in trouble for their behavior site their faith as the path of their recovery.  That makes sense because we must go with what we know when we find ourselves confused about life.

I have studied Buddhism extensively and find it unlike any other religion because it does not have a God, which is very refreshing to me.  The image of God has been so trashed by those who claim male dominance, blind faith, going to war for God, guided to act like an idiot in the name of God etc.  It makes me hesitant to even use the name of God. 

There is no doubt a more powerful force out there than you and I.  What that force is I do not claim to know and frankly doubt anyone who does claim to have a direct relationship.  I have my ideas and am much more interested in exploring my own higher nature rather than someone else’s religious beliefs.  Beliefs are just thoughts we give meaning to and they have little or not basis in reality except.  Every belief from my viewpoint needs to be examined and re-examined as an ongoing part of the process of maturing and awakening to who we are.  

To have faith means for me to search for the truth and trust my inner guidance, the quiet wisdom of heart and intuition.  My faith does not involve listening to someone preaching from a book about their own beliefs.  That would be their beliefs/thoughts not mine. Religion has no purpose for me; spirituality deeply enriches my life.  

The greatest wisdom is contained not in words or beliefs systems but in the quiet knowing of our heart and spirit.  Enjoy you day and be open to inspiration.   


Tell Congress “People Matter More Than Profits” in Healthcare

I am still battling a cold and when I talked to the herbalist and Pharmaca she said people have been coming in a saying that they can’t seem to get past their colds.  Hopefully the Chinese herbs I am using will make a difference.  I have tried all the alternative remedies I can find.  My health is usually excellent and this has been frustrating.  

Speaking of health, it seems the debate about a Public Option has come up again in Congress.  This seems an essential piece of any real reform.  The insurance industry is so arrogant that they are reporting huge profits as they cut more people from their coverage right in the face of us Americans.  It is like they are saying, “We will do what we want and you can’t do anything about it.”  This just supports those who view of the heartless nature of profit-making as a major societal problem.  This debate is not about how to give Americans the best possible healthcare, it is about how do we insure the continued expansion of wealth for the major share holders of these corporations while not pissing off the people.  Seems like a messed up agenda, doesn’t it?

There appears to be a huge disconnect from what is the right and compassionate path in the healthcare discussion.  Discussion is a much better word than debate actually since there is no real debate.  In reality there is the healthcare/medical/drug corporations telling Congress what they want and Congress doing what they are told.  Is that all right with you?

This battle between the people’s needs and corporation’s profit margins are causing most of the problems in this country and the world.  In healthcare it seems clear that the corporate interests and those that dislike government are presently winning this battle.  How long will we the people be willing to let this go on?  

Those who only care about making more money are putting our health and that of our families at risk.  Yes it is true that this “profits over the people” has been a skewed set of priorities for a long time but is it really ok in any way?

Major changes are so needed now.  It is up to us to be the leaders in this reclaiming of our government from the corporate interests.  The people in every way matter much more than the margins of profits for corporations.  Please take a stand for the people in healthcare and this will be a cornerstone for building a much stronger America.   


 
Peace Letter #49

Dear President Obama,

Yes the Public Options is essential.  Yes ending our war making is essential.  Yes protecting our environment is essential.  Yes a better education system is essential.  Yes more good paying jobs is essential.  Yes more compassion at every level is essential.  Yes to the return of government for the people.

Please say no to profit making over the needs of the people, no to money influence in Congress, no to the military that is mind locked on controlling others at any cost, no to more prisons, no to more compromise at a severe loss to the people’s needs, no to your advisors who consider fear as way to guide policy, no to more cuts for mental health and addiction programs.

Things are not right, people are growing more angry at Washington DC and strong, impartial, action oriented leadership is needed now and you are the best bet we have had in years.

You can make a huge difference but you are going to have to really stir things up to do so.

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

We Must Help Our Suffering Brothers And Sisters

The day before at the monthly staff meeting two very interesting things happened.  There was a presentation about identity theft and an improvisation theatre group came and worked with us as a way to release some anxiety about the economic impact the staff is feeling.

Normally I would choose the improv. theatre as the focus of this blog because I am a big fan of this very expressing form of performance art.  I go monthly to see the Boulder Improv Theatre West.  They are both incredibly funny and very moving in their telling of stories the audience shares with them. 

It was the identity theft presentation that got me thinking about a lot of things especially after a conversation with a young staff member who wasn’t even at the presentation.  She said, “Why are we stealing from each other?”  We agreed that we are all brothers and sisters and wondered why there seems to be a lack of important values that seem key for the well being of society.

This got me thinking as we talked.  My thoughts turned to jail as our primary intervention for people who break the law even though most of them were severely damaged as children through abuse and neglect.  I wrote about this in my letter to my nephew below.  These troubled souls and I have worked with many of them in my community were sexually and physically abused some daily from the time they were little kids.  One of my clients was beat by his abusive dad everyday until he was big enough to knock his Dad on his backside. 

These brothers and sisters of ours in the human family often turn to drugs and alcohol to numb out their childhood pain.  Too often because of their substance abuse they end up in jail and are re-traumatized by that experience.   How will the cycle of trauma end if they never get the help they need to heal?  Statistics show that people with drug addictions commit many of the identity theft crimes.  Only about 3% are caught.  One out of six of us have been impacted by this growing crime; soon it will be one out of three. 

Many of these abused children now have children of their own and have no models of healthy parenting or values and become perpetrators themselves.  The cycle not only continues but also expands into the next generation unless counseling and treatment is offered.   This means that jails as the primary intervention creates more problems in the long run for society then they eliminate.  As the trauma victims grow crime will continue to rise.

This means that people with trauma create more trauma and have little or no touch with higher values.  The values don’t develop if the family is in survival mode because of trauma.  If a person is significantly traumatized his or her ego is too damaged to know what is right or wrong at a very elementary level.  How could a person tell right from wrong if he or she has been treated terribly abusively for much of his or her lives?

We as brothers and sisters must find ways to care for each other to break the cycle of trauma or the damaged people will continue to do what they need to do to provide for themselves any way they can. 

Compassion is needed now more than ever.


Peace Letter #47

Dear President Obama,

The cycle of abuse in this society have left us with many in prison, in pain and in poverty.  This means compassion is needed more than profits and big bonuses.  Where has the heart gotten lost in America and is that the reason our nation is in trouble?

You and your family must be the compassionate and caring model for an increasingly suffering nation of those without.  Hope comes with compassion and kindness, not war and profit making.

Your challenge is great so that means greatness is waiting in you and all of 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 of government at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact



The Mind Works Better In Positive Anticipation

Yesterday at work was better as I sat through meetings and set up my schedule for the week.  My cold is still very tiring.  This adjustment to my new surroundings when not feeling my best is more struggle than I had anticipated but I am also appreciative of the new opportunity.  Have you ever struggled with something and shortly there after wondered what was that all about?  I'm thinking that will be the case here.  If I am struggling I often remind myself that six months from now this will seem silly or maybe it is simply time to let go of some rigidity in my thoughts.

My appreciation for having a job and for working with people I can make a difference with is worth focusing on.  My peers in the Outpatient Program are excellent and very supportive.  It seems my mind works so much better if I focus on what is possible rather than what is being lost.  I suspect the same is true for you too? 

The mind works best in positive anticipation.  As I have written often, a mind stuck in complaining is going nowhere except in the toilet.  Sorry for the potty language but your mind can shape your experience of life either as rosy or crappy.  The choice is yours. 
 
Also because the economic situation seems more and more dire in human services, I decided it was time to explore other options to bolster my financial future.  Since my blog and my social activism for peace are my passions, I thought why not figure out how to better provide for my family and myself (more cookies for my dog, more financial freedom for my wife and me) through these two avenues of great interest. 

You will see the Explore Life Journal in a more active mode in structure over the next 6 months as I expand in what I have to offer.  My goal is to provide more products and get more readership while having the quality of my writing remain intact.  Your feedback along the way will be greatly appreciated. 
 
I have signed up for a new blog success site called the Third Tribe Marketing.  If you blog this site is well worth exploring.  I am looking at ways to monetize my site and what works best is ever changing.  The Third Tribe people will be very helpful.  Going for a higher expression of myself will encourage the best in me and I look forward to the journey. 
 
That is enough information about what is up for me.  How about those Olympics?  Can you imagine the kind of training, focus and self-discipline it takes to be as good as these athletes are?  Think if you put that kind of heart, commitment and passion into your life, how much success you would create.  I could be an Olympic Blogger, a Nobel Prize Peace Advocate, or the most compassionate listener ever.  What do you want to be? 



Peace Letter #46

Dear President Obama,

There is no better time to move into strong and courageous action than now.  It seems like some in Washington DC have grown to dislike the game.  They are leaving at a time it takes more courage to stay.  The game is rough there and frankly you have to play with the will power of an Olympian.  You have the will of many people in this nation behind you now but as you can see there is growing discontent. 

Please work to immediately make our nation stronger by doing everything you can to fix what is broken in DC.  There are very few members of the Senate or Congress interested in anything more than the needs of their egos.  Our elected officials must be shown to be bigger than the petty agendas running them.  Be the light, inspiration and leadership they need and end the drain of war, extricate influence money, have a public option for real healthcare reform and protect our planet for the future.

The time is now and we want you to be strong and clear in your 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



Three Years Of Blogging Here, Thanks For Sharing The Journey

Another exciting milestone for the Explore Life Journal and reason to celebrate!!!  It has been three years this week since I started this blog.  My dedication to writing about exploring life has been strong and inspired.  I feel grateful for this outlet to write and hopefully make a positive difference for all who read these pages.  You the reader are a blessing to me.  Thank you very much for sharing my journey.  

Now I go forward with the intention of turning this blog into also a success as far as bringing in income and expanding my traffic.  I have signed up for some help to do that and I look forward to the improvements.   I will share more about that as I learn.

Your feedback and comments as I take this to the next level will be appreciated.   My technical skills are minimal but the inspiration always seems to be within my fingertips.  

I have a mixture of things to share today.  One is that I change the words at the top of my blog as I was doing an assignment for a Better Blog in 31 Days through Problogger.com. These words now more fully capture the focus of this blog:

A personal journey in ever changing times: Finding peace, passion and purpose while exploring consciousness, compassion and connection.

Next, I wanted to share with you one of my paintings which is a color exploration.  This painting is uplifting to me.  It resides in the office where I do most of my writing.  

My letter to my nephew below on the day after he became a father got to him via my sister and he sent a very positive response.  I love him and this letter came directly from a higher source of inspiration in me.  It feels great to know the message was received with an open heart.
/journal/2010/2/13/a-letter-to-my-nephew-the-police-officer.html

I have been off for four days, my cold seems better, my work is changing and somewhat frustrating and I look forward to Spring as it has been very cold around here.  Have a good rest of the week and I will be back tomorrow.  

President’s Day, Peace Letter#45

It's President’s Day so I thought I would focus my blog today on another Peace Letter to President Obama.  This is a day set aside to honor George Washington and Abraham Lincoln two great leaders at critical times in our history as a nation.

Dear President Obama,

Happy President’s Day to you!  Like President’s Washington and Lincoln, you too have been handed the task of the presidency at a critical time in our history.  You too have the skills and intelligence to alter the direction of this nation.  The courage and focus your job entails is beyond what most of us can even imagine. 

Many of us have hope that real progress can be made on the following issues:

• The de-escalation and end of the wars we are in as soon as possible
• Real healthcare reform that includes a public option
• Significant reduction of the corporate/money influence in Washington DC
• Protect and improve our environmental
• Repair the quagmire of small mindedness in Washington DC
• Get people back to work
• Return to government by the people and for the people

Day-by-day your efforts will make a difference and we will again find positive reasons to have hope.

Thank you for doing the best you can,

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




Happy Valentines Day

This seems to be commercially invented holiday but who cares because it is about love.  Here is a quick summary of what I have learned about love over my lifetime:

• Love is our capacity to have compassion, caring and kindness towards others and ourselves
• Love is the opposite of fear, love is being open and expansive, fear is being closed and constricted
• Love is our most natural state
• Love is a likely occurrence of being in the present.
• Love comes in many forms, romantic, familiar, spiritual, conditional, unconditional, love for all, universal love, love of ideas, compassion, acts of caring and kindness, forgiveness, acceptance, loving-kindness etc.
• There is no limit to our capacity to love
• Love is the answer to all human problems
• Make Love Not War is better stated as “Express Love Not War”
• Love of self allows us to love others
• In loving others sometimes we open our hearts to self
• Love is the expression of the Divine with in us
• Our highest human capacity is love
• Our Higher Self is the source of love
• The heart is the center of love in the body
• Loving people are valued by all
• The loving heart can be trusted much more than the rationalizing mind
• The way to resolve all the world’s problems in through the human heart
• Love is about sharing ourself with another
• Love does not cause suffering , it is our expectations that do
• Looking for love of self through others misses the point
• Self-love begins inside and spreads outward
• Love lifts us up to our divine nature
• Love is joy

Today and every day I send love to Bobbi, my Dad, Joan, Jim, John, Kathleen, Ed, Sharon, their familes past and present, especially Jan, my friends at work and from my life including Bill, Chris, Joe, Lee, Danny, Gerry, Holli, Heidi, Miriam and little Ronya and the rest of the crew at the ARC, my blog readers especailly Mike, Pax my dog, all other friends and all beings on the planet.  All of you are in my heart.  May we all be filled with the light of consciousness and live in love, joy, abundance and peace.

Also I send love and peace to the President and his family instead of a letter today.

A Letter To My Nephew The Police Officer

My sister became a grandmother yesterday and she was very excited to have a beautiful and healthy granddaughter.  I remember the birth of her son and how wonderful that day was.  He too was a beautiful child.  He grew up well loved and cared for by all of us in the family.  Now he is starting his own.  

I want to write a letter to him about this momentous occasion.  It would be my hope that he would be receptive to my message here even though he might want to discount his uncle who sees the world in a different way then most of the people in his work.  My nephew is a police officer and he works with many of the same types of people I do (he is in Oregon, I am in Colorado).  We work with people who have substance abuse problems and break the law.

Dear Nephew (no name for his privacy)

I first want to send you much love and congratulations on the arrival of your daughter.  Such amazing grace has come your way.  You deserve these blessings of a beautiful daughter and a wonderful wife.  

I remember when you came into the world surrounded by love.  I watched you grow up always with love in my heart and the joy of knowing you.  You are a special human being with a wonderful heart.  You turned out this way because of the love you received since your life force entered my sister.  

Now you are an adult and you get to hold your precious daughter.  She too will be surrounded by love.  Take a deep look into her eyes and remember the child in you too.  This wonder and perfection of your creation came from love.  

When you return to work there is something I ask you keep in mind.  In my work as a therapist with those who have addictions and end up in trouble with the law, I have learned a few things.  Inside of each one of them is the innocent child you see in your arms.  They may not have been born in love however.  Most of these precious infants certainly were not surrounded by love as they grew up as you did and as your daughter will.  Many survived drugs before they were born, suffered serious neglect, were physical, emotionally and sexually abused.  The percentage of people in jail that were seriously abused as children is around 90%.

Those you encounter during your work did not have the precious love and support your received.  That is not your fault and helping them get to some kind of healthy view of self and the world is often a very long journey.  That has been my work for many years.  

What I hope for you is that you remember the love for your daughter and family when at work and have compassion for those you police.  They too need caring and kindness, they have so much to overcome.  I have heard how police talk about the people they deal with and it all sounds so heartless and dehumanizing.  That frankly is the opposite of what is needed.  

Please keep you heart open in your work, you are a gentle and wonderful human being and very capable of much compassion.  The world is badly in need of compassion and kindness.  

Much love to you, your daughter and your wife,

Your Uncle Joe


Peace Letter #44

Dear Mr. President,

My sister became a grandmother yesterday and I was reminded of how wonderful life is and how important being raised in love is to individual and societal well-being.   There is so much fear going on these days that I wonder where the love and compassion has gone.  

Congress, particularly the Senate, seems to be run by people who live in fear and have lost touch with their hearts.  Where is the compassion: for each other, for the challenges you and the rest of us face, for the needs of the people?  

Essential human service programs are being cut here in Colorado and I am sure all over the nation.  The people are loosing out as the egos battle for profit and power.  How come so many hearts are being pushed aside by closed and rationalizing minds?

Please be guided by your heart Mr. President and you will know what is right.  While in your heart, I request you guide us out of war soon.

Thank you for all the work you are doing to keep our nation going forward.  

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

Fully Realizing Our Higher Nature Part II

In my practice of Higher Self Matrix Meditation in yesterday’s blog, I had a couple of interesting observation/questions.  I feel the connection to this matrix talked about in the near death experience.  What I struggled with was a few questions: 

•    How do I keep this connection going throughout my day?
•    What are concrete signs to let me know I am connect to Self as I go through my day?
•    How do I communicate with the Higher Selves of others?
•    How can I encourage others to align with their Higher Selves?
•    What is the universal guiding/god force for the collective being of our Higher Selves?
•    How can my ego let go fully and place myself in a place of complete faith and trust of my Self?
•    How would the world change is everyone tapped into their Higher Selves? 

These questions are very exciting to me.  I will explore them and trust you will join me in that exploration.  My hope has always been that this blog is a vehicle of inspiration and encouragement for all of us who want to wake up more fully to our higher nature.  Even my political writing encourages questioning and going beyond the ego mind.  On a global level the need for awakening is very obvious as so many of the systems of government and commerce are breaking down. 

Change always begins within.  First we become aware that things are not working and suffering is the usual notification process.  Through the gift of suffering we have an opportunity to step back and assess the situation.  If we can do so impartially then are assessment can make us more aware that even at our best, we are limited by our ego-driven personality.  At that moment of insight, for me anyway, I find myself open to finding a greater wisdom source.  That source of egoless knowing is my Higher Self and to connect to this knowing moment-by-moment has the unlimited ability to free me from suffering.  In the now of my alignment with Self I am completely free to be happy, peaceful and loving. 

How do you and I open to this alignment with Self? 
1.    We must be aware enough to know of our higher nature
2.    We must find a way that works for us to align with Self
3.    We must be quiet enough to listen to the guidance of this powerful knowing force
4.    We must develop trust in this knowing guidance of Self
5.    We must be willing to give ourselves fully to our Higher nature

Obviously there is a lot to explore here.  I am completely committed to exploring the full realization of my Higher Self in my daily life.  I will share as I go and I gratefully welcome your insights along the way. 

 


Peace Letter #43

Dear Mr. President,

They keep on saying “no” to every idea even to ones they have suggested, this must be very frustrating to you the workings of the GOP mind.  The mind when run by the need for power is clouded by ego’s desire.  This kind of thinking is closed and unable to see a larger perspective.  This kind of mind is a great detriment to the nation.

You on the other hand must have an inclusive mind that remains open to all possibilities, which it appears you do.  You keep on trying to reach out to others no matter there political leanings but there really is very few available because they have closed down their thinking.

Opening minds is challenging, I know, I do it for a living.  In essence they have to change the story in their own thoughts.  Your best chance is to share a story that is compelling to all of us and then we will help others embrace the story.  Past themes like the Great Society are models.  We need to return America to greatness as a nation where everybody matters and the global partnerships transform the chaos makers to powerlessness.

Also please do you best to end our participation in war immediately. 

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


Aligned With A Higher Knowing

Maybe it is because my body is aching lately with this congestion and because work is so in transition that I feel myself feeling uncertain.  When I get to this state of uncertainty, I know it is time to tune in more.  There is a place in me (and you) that is clear and fully awakened.  That place I call my Spirit or Higher Self. 

I was just reading an account of a person who had a near death experience where he was dead for over an hour and a half.  He had terminal cancer and he and his caretaker had an agreement that when he died the caretaker would leave him undisturbed for as long as she felt comfortable.  He had read some interesting writings about the first couple hours after death so he did not want his body to be messed with or moved. 

His accounting of the journey into the light is really mind expansive and if you care to read it, you can do so here. 

There were a number of powerful images and ideas that stood out from this story of being in the light.  The image that really had impact for me was the idea of the Higher Self matrix in which the Higher Selves of each of us is connected as if we are all one being.  Each of us is a different aspect of this one being.  To say “we don’t know” about anything would be inaccurate from this connection to each other.  The guidance of the collective consciousness, the highest wisdom of humankind is always available to us.  This knowing within is so much greater than the ego-mind.

Back to my life filled with uncertainty, I decided as I was writing this to come up with a meditation/visualization that would connect me to this Higher Self Matrix so that I can always be aligned and listening.  Here is the step-by-step meditation and please feel free to explore and adapt it with me:

•    Take three long slow breaths emphasizing the exhales
•    As you complete these breaths let you mind, heart and body open to your Higher Self  (This sense of Higher Self [Self] will vary in each of us)
•    As you connect with Self continue to breath in a deep yet relaxed manner
•    You might imagine this energetic body around your physical body with a stream of light flowing both into the top of your head (crown chakra) and extending out into a place where it links in with all Selves
•    As you link in to this Being of Selves be sensitive to how this connection feels
•    Explore further the feel and sense the energy of that connection and what it does to your sense of self and Self
•    Take as much time as you need to explore this connection with the One Being and how enhanced you feel
•    As you practice the connection and get comfortable with it, you can then tune in by listen to the guidance made available to you and also by requesting guidance for specific questions you have
•    The more you practice this interchange of self and Self and One being the more the channel will open
•    Soon you will have all the guidance you will need to create a joyous, loving, purposeful, prosperous and peaceful life

Share what you learn as you go and I will do the same. 

 
Peace Letter #42

Dear Mr. President,

Everyone is a critic these days because they are run by emotions rather than their higher nature.  When survival is forefront in people’s lives their deeper thinking mind is pushed aside and reactivity takes over. 

The GOP strategy is fear based and this gets people in full reactive mode.  The opposite of fear is hope and compassion.  As humans we cannot in the moment be both in fear and have an open heart.  The story you need to tell is one of hope and compassion because a nation with hope for the future and compassion for each other will push aside fear and center itself on a positive mission.  

Please take war out of the story as soon as possible because it is based on fear. 

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

Finding Balance

Yesterday my friends sent me this colorful picture that inspired me to write this blog post.

I see the yin/yang symbol in this photo as did my friends Dan and Miriam.  You might see two cats on a baby blanket and that would also be true. This symbol comes from Chinese philosophy and it shows the energy of opposites within the whole; about finding balance between the yin, which is receptive and feminine and the yang, which is forceful and male.  Balancing the Yin and the Yang is important at many levels.

If we have too much Yang we are pushy and controlling.  If we are too much Yin we are passive and lack assertiveness.  In relationships couples need to figure out how to balance their energies or they won't be able to stay together.  At work if we are too "yin" we may not get the promotion we had hoped for or to often go unnoticed.  If we have too "yang" at work we may irritate our employees or seem insensitive.   In social settings the yin tends to be quiet and introverted; the yang is outgoing and noisy.  Imagine a flowing stream and a bull in a closet.
 
Finding balance in all areas of life is helpful.  Balance keeps both energies on hand so that when flow is needed yin is utilized, when boldness is called for "yang" is appropriate.  Both male and the female aspects are present in all of us.  Creative males are often in touch with their flowing side and executive females may access their inner bull-ness.  
 
Energetically we want to be have both stillness and strength, flow and passion.  At night our energy may be more “yin.”  In the morning we may be more “yang.”  When a convincing presentation is called for the “yang’ energy may be needed.  In a sensitive negotiation the “yin’ may be the needed ingredient.

Take some time to notice where our energy is at and how we can amp up when needed or amp down.  At night the “yin” energy helps us sleep.  If you tune into the energy you will know what is needed.  You can hit a powerful “yang” drive off the tee but need a “yin” putter to get the ball in the hole.  

Experiment and see what works best for you with loved ones, at work, in competition and socially.  Tuning into this energy will deepen your sense of self and enrich your chances for success.   
 

 
Peace Letter #41

Dear Mr. President,

The ego-mind is difficult to change because there is so much invested in having control, being right and looking right as you can see from all those who feel they need to oppose just about everything you do.  

This presents you and the nation with significant barriers to positive change.  You must conserve the energy you use trying to encourage the opposition towards your proposals.  They are not able to bend because of their ego is invested in the story in their head.  

Your best bet is to wake us all up to what is needed with a new positive story about what is possible.  We all share dreams and desires for a better life for our families and ourselves.  

Please move us away from war toward a optimistic view of what is possible for our nation if we work together.   


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

We Could Trust Government Healthcare More Than Corporate Healthcare

I am a little under the weather today.  My head hurt yesterday and my chest aches with congestion.  On my way home from work, last night, I stopped by the Vitamin Cottage to see what kind of immune booster they had that would help me feel better.  The staff there is always very helpful and I came home with some remedies.  I realized that I trust a nutrition person more than I trust going to a regular M.D.  If I go to a doctor they will give me some powerful medication that might make me feel better but in the process compromise my immune system.  

This not feeling so good and watching a client I interviewed suffer through so much pain because she cannot afford to get the treatment she needs, got me thinking again about the need for a good healthcare system in this country.  I fully support a public option so everyone is covered because I know it will not be run by a profit margin or give huge bonuses to their chief executive.  The people that oppose this reform do so because they don’t trust government.  I guess they actually trust corporation more?

From my viewpoint and observations I believe that if many corporations and the GOP had it their way, healthcare benefits would be eliminated, retirement programs would taken away, and Medicare and Social Security would be wiped out all in the name of less government and taxes and greater profits for the management and the stockholders.  Am I misreading what I see?

What is amazing is that the many of the people who would most benefit from keeping and enhancing these programs are the ones foaming at the mouth in opposition.  Why is this?  Where do they get their information?  Why don’t they question what they are being told?   

Government is not perfect but it is not innately bad.  Government today is flawed because it is more of a reflection of the lobbyist and the millions of dollars of influence.   Less government and less taxes only means the rich get richer and the rest of us go without.  

The past eight years under Republican leadership left us in a huge mess with a huge debt.  They ran the country into the ground with less taxes, eliminated much regulation and built a huge debt.  Now they are obstructing every way they can the present leadership so they can get back into power.  Why does anyone able to think critically not see what is going on?  Why would anyone want these profit and power seekers back into power?  

We all need to see what we are angry at and be the leadership we want so we can bring about change.

When it comes to political ranting by someone better at it than me, check out Margaret and Helen.  She is a hoot and right on about the idiocy of politics.  



Peace Letter #40

Dear Mr. President,

Your attempts at reaching across the isle is a great gesture but not working.  There is no compromise in the GOP.  It is hard enough to get the Democrats in line.  Government seems at a standstill and people are getting more and more restless and they blame whoever is in power.  It is as if they have forgotten the previous administration’s huge mess they left you.   

It is time for a new direction and it has to be bold.  You have to use your voice and your constant access to educate the people to what you are doing.  Congress is a mess of ego and influence and they will not lead the changes we need.

It is time to pull us out of the mess Bush put us in both in Iraq and Afghanistan.  We are in a huge financial mess because of these wars.  There is no greater need then to get us back on our feet as a nation and it will not happen with the drain of war.  

No matter what you do you will be criticized, so please take the higher road of peace and consciousness.    

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
 

Entertainment And Distraction Is Not The Answer

Super Bowl Sunday is such a media event about something that really doesn’t matter in human history or the evolution of consciousness (although the game was fun to watch).  This game and so many other hyped events are interesting but are only really about entertainment and distraction.  Being entertained is part of living in our culture.  Many of us spend lots of money to be entertained.  We also buy the best entertainment equipment as if this is going to make us happy or satisfied with life.  This pursuit of happiness and satisfaction by filling our time with entertainment or buying the right things is looking in the wrong places for what most of us ultimately want.  

Yes home entertainment centers can be a great distraction but it is doubtful anyone has ever found real or lasting happiness from a wide screen TV or a great stereo system.  Going to concerts, movies, plays, opera, symphony, lectures etc. can be enjoyable but most likely these events haven’t really made us truly happy either.

Happiness is an inside experience not an outside event.   If happiness is what we want, we must turn off the distractions of the outside world and instead tune in to who we are, what we think, what gives us meaning, and the workings of our heart.  Looking elsewhere will leave us missing the deeper experiences of real happiness, peace of mind and a life with love.

Distraction is what most of us are good at.  When work isn’t going well or our relationships are not satisfying, we go in search of distractions like: drinking, drugging and partying, making sports matter, 4 wheeling, church, having affairs, eating and other activities so we don’t have to pay attention to the emptiness inside.  

The interesting thing about this distraction mania is that the emptiness inside is more because of the distractions themselves than anything else.  There is nothing boring about tuning inside to find out about our higher nature; making contact with our spiritual Self.  This investigation into who we are is fascinating if we are at all interested in what is possible within us.

Yes go have fun and be entertained but make a commitment to self to spend some quiet time each day.  This silent exploration can be in the form of meditation, mindful practice, a relaxed walk, a radio/music free drive to work or home or any other time set aside to be open to the awareness and inspiration of just being.  
 
Even my dog Pax knows the benefit of quiet contemplation.  He is a great teacher about being present and enjoying the peace and happiness of the moment.

 

Have a good second week of February and be still enough to discover the depth of life awaiting you.  


Peace Letter #39

Dear Mr. President,

It must be fun to watch the Super Bowl in the White House with friends.  Taking a break from the reality of the work of your Presidency is so needed.  It was good to have the Saints win, maybe there is something higher going on.

I wanted to encourage you to again revisit the decision to expand the war in Afghanistan.  This is a huge drain on us financially and emotionally.  We all know and feel that war is not good.  Please do what is right and get us out of there as soon as possible.

You can alter the course of humanity by stopping the use of war as the way to resolve differencies.


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

In Search Of A More Expanded Point Of View

I don’t know about you my readers but I find myself stirred up about so many things lately.  With all this mental activity I need to also take my time each day to quiet down and be present.  In the moment, the chaos drops away and I find peace and touch in with my heart and the happiness inside.  The question most on my mind lately is how can each of us bring our peace, compassion and happiness we find within the now, out into the world? 

The world of politics, religion, society, corporate dominance, and war mongering all seem based on the future or the past with no acquaintance with peace, compassion and happiness available in the now.  This lack of present awareness makes the world act chaotic, fearful and angry.  So how do we bring about the consciousness of what is possible in the now into the arena of society’s struggles?

Let’s first shine some light on five culprits of chaos:
1.    Ego-mind – The human ego is the cause of most if not all of human suffering.  The ego-mind can rationalize the most horrific of ideas in order to be in control and in power, to be right and to look good. 
2.    Religiosity – In the name of God there has been endless wars and mistreatment of others.  God has no religion.
3.    Partisan Politics – The Republican Party only cares about being in power, the Democrats try to represent a large diversity and seem unable to work together, and both parties are run by corporate influence instead of what is best for the people.
4.    Profit Seeking At Any Cost – this is the driving force for all corporations with little or no consideration for the planet, the people and future generations.  Greed and hunger for power is making a mess out of so much.
5.    The Use Of Fear To Manipulate – Fear has always been used by the political process and society to get people to fall in line and do what they are told.  Fear is used to rationalize war, to kill healthcare reform, to spend our financial resources on weapons, and so many other major wrong directions in policy.

These culprits are all products of not being present to the real peace, compassion and happiness within us.

What are some more expanded ways of seeing ourselves, and the world that will place us more often in the now where we can seek to find real solutions untainted by the past thinking and the future worries? 

Let’s open our minds and hearts to five solutions for sanity:
1.    Wise Mind – Beyond the self of ego is the Self of our higher nature.  This Self is waiting to guide us if we quiet down and are present enough to listen.  The planet needs wise mind not more egos in power.
2.    Spirituality – The Source of all creation is found in the quiet practice of contemplation with an open heart and a receptive mind.  No church or dogma or scripture is needed.
3.     Healthy Political Process – Today what is needed is the elimination of influence money at all levels, real leaders of compassion and wisdom in office, well managed government is necessary, and what is best for all the people has to be the primary concern.
4.    Taking Care Of The People And The Earth – Clean water and air, healthy food, adequate housing, and dynamic education will take care of most of the needs of people and the planet.  We have within us unlimited capacities to create what is needed for the good of all.
5.    Hope And Understanding – The world becomes a safe place when we have hope and seek to understand each other.  Together we all share very similar dreams and desires for a better world for ourselves and those we love.

Please share what culprits and solutions are in your expanding mind.  Within our hearts is an endless capacity for compassion and that compassion is so essential today.



Peace Letter #38

Dear Mr. President,

We need your compassion as a guiding force.  The world is run by the hunger for profits and power with little thought or wisdom about the real needs of most of us.  You have the compassion from working in your earlier years with those in need.  That wisdom and heart is so necessary today. 

Your compassion is needed to end our warring ways, to find the common ground of what is best for all the people, to end the bickering and focus instead on solutions for the many concerns of the working masses.  This is a nation not built on fear but on the right attitude of freedom to fully express our potential in a supportive environment of good government.

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


Inner Practice #7 Total Acceptance

We are judging highly critical machines well conditioned by our families, schools, religions, government and society.  We place everything into the category of “good” or “bad” and actually believe this thinking process.  This judging makes for much human suffering as we push people away, close our minds and hearts, and even start conflicts and wars over the judgment we place on others.  It is time for us all to look at others and ourselves from a different point of view.  That viewpoint is called acceptance.

The Buddha nature is one of acceptance.
 
 

Acceptance is being with who we are free of the need to make ourselves better.  When we are accepting we have no need to change others or the way we are.   All that arises in us is ok, all we feel is ok, all we think is ok.  No one needs to be different than they are when we are accepting.  

Yes we are all imperfect so self-improvement is a desire that comes up in us.  Self-improvement is ok too but driven my non-acceptance it amounts to the judging mind back in control.  So being accepting of who we are is that goal here even if we all desire to explore other expressions of ourselves.

Now the practice:
Take the next few days or week to accept everything you encounter throughout the day.  This means politics, war, rude coworkers, anxiety about the future, anger towards others, spontaneous joy, desire for compassion are all acceptable in others and in you.  The restlessness in the night is acceptable, the growling at traffic is acceptable, the religious ramblings of closed-minded follower are all acceptable.  This practice includes not only fully accepting what is, but also not planning in the next moment to change others or yourself.  Just accepting is all that you are to do.

Let me know what this practice teaches you.  I will share my lessons too.



Peace Letter #37

Dear Mr. President,

Over on my blog we are practicing totally accepting what is within us and around us.  This means freeing ourselves from the need to judge everything as either good or bad.  This practice would be very useful in politics to move from the partisan conflicts that run DC to all of us working together peacefully in search for the solutions to our nation’s and global problems.

War is the ultimate misfire of the judging mind.  All wars come about due to people believing they are good and believing others are bad.  Both good and bad are simply thoughts of the rationalizing mind.  Acceptance is the peacemaker.

Please become the great peacemaker,

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

When Stressed, Time To Chill

Today was one intense day at work with so many changes going on, stress over morale, and people calling crying on the phone as their mental health issues are causing them such unrest and anxiety.  Due to budget issues my services are going to be transferred to another part of our program for a while and I look forward to the changes and feel sad about the program that has been put on hold.   I need a great walk tonight after I finish writing this post to sort things out and calm my mind. 

Working with those who are suffering is so draining sometimes that I leave spent.  Moving outdoors by walking, running, riding my bike or hiking re-energizes me.  What works for you when you feel stressed out? 

Signs that you are stressed:
•    You are eating to sooth your unsettled state
•    You feel restless and find it hard to fall asleep
•    You feel impatient towards those you love
•    You feel irritable often
•    You are low in energy or often tired
•    You lack motivation
•    You feel stuck or out of balance
•    You isolate and avoid others
•    You drink too much to cope
•    You feel closed down in your heart
•    You feel rigid in your thinking
•    You feel your emotions near the surface and you push them away

If any of these fit for you, it is time to chill.  Over the next couple of weeks I will share with you ways to chill and not get shrill. 

Today’s chill pill is a 5-Count Breath.  It goes like this:

Breathe in slowly to the count of 5 hold your breath to the count of 2 then slowly exhale to the count of 5 and hold for 2.  Do this for 10 cycles and then if it feels good and time permits you can do 10 more cycles. 

Now you are relaxed and ready for whatever life presents. 

Inner peace begins in the quiet space between the breaths.  


In Praise Of Walking

When I moved into my new neighborhood a few months ago I didn't think about how much different it would be to go for a walk.  At my old place it was flat and in a short walk I was in green space and enjoyed the quiet of my late evening walks.  Walking from my home now is either up or down and green space is a longer walk away.  Now at night I walk in quiet neighborhoods and there is some exercise involved in moving up hill towards the open space with some really nice views.  All of this is about getting out and walking, which to me is a wonderful way to leave work behind and to clear my thoughts.   
 
Most times when my mind isn't too busy my walks are meditative.  I enjoy a quiet walk in which my mind slows down and my breath moves more into the forefront of my awareness.  Thich Nhat Hahn writes beautifully about walking meditation in a little book called, The Long Road Turns to Joy: A Guide to Walking Meditation.  It is available at Amazon.com

Sometimes my walks will be full of ideas and inspiration for things I am working on or new opportunities.  My ideas walks are usually very energetic and I come home feeling alive and ready to move into action.  Often the topic for this blog comes to me as I wander the hills here where I live.
 
Other times my walks are a break from my daily workouts.  The walks are always uphill and get my heart going.  On a cold morning or evening this time of year, I get to dress warm, pump my heart up and take in the wonderful views like the foothills of the Rockies which you see in this picture. 

Walking is wired to make you and I feel good.  With these days of fast doings there is very little time for slow beings.   Let me state that in another way because I think there is an important point here.  In the times we live there is so much emphasis on going fast, from fast foods to fast driving.  This emphasis has our bodies riding around and making little contact with the natural world around us.  If our feet rarely touch the ground in any meaningful way like going for a walk, we don’t feel grounded.  Feeling grounded is essential to offset the busy mind and the dizzy emotions.

Walking naturally slows us down and gets us back into our bodies.  This slowing down, brings us more easily into a mindful state which as you know from this blog is a way to be in the world that can bring us real happiness and peace of mind.  




Peace Letter #36

Dear Mr. President,

I am so glad you are going to talk to the Democrats too in the question and answer format.  They need guidance beyond the blindness of the influence money and the people pleasing egos.  It is time to get to work, drop the posturing and everyone get involved in finding solutions to what ails our nation.

You have the daunting task of guiding these elected representatives and the people of this nation forward in ways that go beyond partisanship and dogmatic obstructionism.  The best way is to keep it simple.  Focus on jobs worth having, affordable housing, reasonable healthcare for all, greening of America, and the end to war. 

We the people are not served by an agenda run by fear, by anti-government sentiment, by corporate dominance and by the religious righteous.  This change of culture is not simple but also needs to become part of the dialogue of change. 

Wow that is a huge undertaking.  Yes it can be done by opening one mind and one heart at a time. 

You and the rest of us have to be the change we wish to see in the world,

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