Setting Intentions Creates Opportunities

A few years ago I read Intention by Wayne Dyer.  The book was powerful for me but time passed and I forgot about the book and the importance of having intentions.  In a recent conversation with a co-worker the subject of having intentions was brought up and it reminded me to return to setting intentions daily.  Now I have a notebook next to my computer and each morning I write my intentions.

I have decided to daily set my intentions for several reasons: 

•    First, it is great to get clear about what we want to make happen this day and in our lives.  If we understand our intention for today, for the week, for the year we have a chance of making it happen.  If we don’t know where we want to go we won’t know if we get there.
•    Second, if we have some idea of the results we want to create then our mind and intuition go to work to help us get there.  It is as if with clarity of intention we activate the parts of us that help reach the goals we desire.
•    Third, intentions create energy that has the capability of drawing into our lives what we want.  This energy is a very attractive force and things seem to fall into place when we know what we want.
•    Fourth, with intention we can move past any stuck places or any sense of helplessly.  We set a course with intention and that motivates us to think past what isn’t working toward what we want to make happen.  Leaving what isn’t working behind is a positive thing.

The plan is to write the intentions (as many as you want) everyday and then be open to the ideas, inspiration, and higher forces that are waiting to guide us.  Then when we are guided it is important, and a key to success, that we do our best to follow the guidance.  These directing force are what clear and consistent intentions activate.  Great clarity and persistence will bring about great results.  

 

Tip – Make sure your intentions are written with positive language and are focused in the now.  Think big and go for the best in you.  

Here are two of my intentions written as affirmations to give you examples:
1.    I Am guided by my Higher Self to be an ever expanding force for peace, compassion and consciousness on the planet
2.    I open to new and amazing opportunities coming to me now in wonderful ways



Peace Letter #65

Dear President Obama,

Intention is a powerful force.  When you get clear about positive changes in this country and set the course through your leadership the intentions will gather the energy of the people to bring about the best results.

Three intentions most people share with you:  Peace, Healthcare for all, and taking care of our planet.  Lead us please by example and clarity of intention.  Ask us to rise up and be the possibilities in 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


Healthcare Reform Is The Right and Compassionate Thing To Do

I have to admit to growing impatient with the whole fight against healthcare reform.  Why are people not seeing through all the rhetoric and reading between the lines?  This being run like sheople by political views is nonsense and plays completely into the hands of the corporations who profit hugely at a giant cost to all of us.  The insurance industry does not provide health care, medicine, hospitals, research or anything else except costs.  All the needed services come through other business entities, corporations, and organizations.  We do need their gate keeping their limits to our services, nor their controlling requirements.  This seems so clear at so many levels that real change is needed and a public option is essential or even better we can all have medicare. 

It is time that people look beyond their closed minded ideas and instead look to how we can make healthcare affordable to everyone.  Excellent healthcare is a right for all Americans not just those who can afford it.  It is fundamental right much more than large profits for share holders and CEO’s.  How come people are arguing for the continued benefit of corporations rather than their own needs? 

Government is not bad but it is certainly not working as well as it could.  The financial influences in DC are corrupting the process.  However without government we would be in one heck of a mess.  If corporations were the governing body we would be even more of a mess.  Government has elections and built in safeguards like the executive, the judicial and the legislative.  Corporations exist only to make profits with little concern for the people or the planet. 

Taxes are part of every successful democracy on the planet.  We cannot have healthcare, fire department, police, schools, national security and so much more without taxes.  Fair taxes are needed not tax cuts mostly for the wealthy. We cannot wage and cut taxes.  Let’s instead end the wars and be willing to pay reasonable taxes for what serves us all. 

These are not some political ideas offered here but the reality of the imperfect world we live in.  Next time someone is bashing the government and healthcare reform ask them what ideas do they have to make the system work better.  If they say lets keep it the same then I would ask how will that work for the many people who have little or no coverage?  This seems like a matter of compassion and the realization that we are all connected to each other.  Whenever any of us suffers because of greedy systems then the whole planet is burdened by the lack of heart. 

Please write, email or call your elected officials today in Washington DC and tell them to support the healthcare reform that you believe will make a positive difference. 




Peace Letter #64

Dear President Obama,

Please end the war and provide us with good healthcare instead.  If all people on the planet have a home, food, healthcare and an opportunity for a meaningful life then there is no need for war.

Yes it is that simple.  We prefer the peaceful simple way because that is what is best for the most 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



Part Two: Making Life An Exciting Exploration

Here are the second 15 points I wanted to share with you to invite you to consider being more fully who you are capable of becoming for the good of us all: 

16.    Accept yourself without question – To set yourself completely free to live an amazing life you must learn to fully accept yourself.  All self-doubt originates from your formative years and none of it is true.  Begin today to fully and completely accept yourself just as you are.
17.    Explore your potential – The human potential is limitless.  How have you explored what is possible within you?  What desires inside are calling you clearly toward your higher expression?  Who do you want to become?
18.    Be in the moment – Of course where else could you live except in the now.  Unfortunately your mind too often slips back into the past or wanders off into the future.  The present is where all the action is and the only real place you can be. 
19.    Live your truth – You know what is truth for you and what is not.  When you live in truth your life feels right and energizing; when you ignore truth then you feel at a loss and unable to have a real passion for living.
20.    Seek and be open to inspiration – Inspiration is all around you in the song of a bird, in a walk in nature, through an intuitive moment, through the writings of another, by way of a great piece of music and on and on.  All you have to do is be open.
21.    Practice never ending improvement – Each day if you do one thing to get smarter, be more tuned in, live healthier or spread more compassion then soon you will be a much better version of yourself and happier.
22.    Treat all life as sacred – All life forms are sacred because they all have the same source or creative force of the universe.  You are part of this sacred web and remembering that will empower your life in an infinite number of ways.
23.    Explore unity consciousness – If you realize your connectedness to everyone and everything on the planet, you also realize that what you do does matter.  In the silence of deep awakening is the realization of the divine nature in all of us.  Live the way of Namaste.
24.    Take action on your dreams and desires – Dreams and desires reside in you for the purpose of encouraging your growth.  As you take the path towards what you want you will discover energy and support from the universe to help you realize your dreams. 

25.    Find your courage and live with determination – Courage resides in the heart and determination is the soles of your feet.  Move forward with clarity, step past the fear, and keep going to the finish line.  Only the courageous live life fully.
26.    Follow through with your commitments – Commitments are promises to self and others that mean something to you and those who matter.  Your word is powerful so give it when you mean it.  Do what it takes to fulfill your commitments and you will sleep peacefully at night.
27.    Learn to be centered – When centered you move about your life with power, determination and fluidity.  Always meet the world from your center and you will achieve great things in a relaxed way.
28.    Live big, let your light shine – There is within you the most incredible light and the world needs you to let it shine.  Play big, express yourself fully and be a beacon of inspiration, purpose and passion.
29.    Take charge with humility - You and everyone else has a powerful ego.  Please contain the ego for the good of all and instead be humble enough to live impeccably within your own quiet higher nature.
30.    Walk on the earth with respect and be peaceful – Walking respectfully and peacefully through every aspect of your life will be a blessing that will return to you in endless ways.  There will be many who will be glad to call you a friend.



Peace Letter #63

Dear President Obama,

Yes it is time to be courageous and pass the healthcare bill but it is weak without a public option and frankly feels like a sell out by Congress if it is not included. 

The other courage needed is to get us out of the mess in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The people do not support either of these wars so please listen to us and do what is right.

Joseph Bernard, Ph.D.

Please 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

How To Make Life More An Exploration, Part One

Expanding your mind of ideas will greatly enrich how you go about life.  The following are fifteen different ways of being worth fully exploring as you go about your life each day:

1.    Meditation - is a practice of quiet contemplation and taking back your mind from the chaos of thoughts.  There are many forms of meditation.  Most communities offer classes and there are vast resources online and around the world
2.    Spirit as guide, higher self, higher power – there are much greater forces within you beyond the workings of your ego and personality.  These forces are worth exploring and when you want to learn more about your higher nature opportunities will present themselves. 
3.    Live with purpose – you are here on the planet like the rest of us with a specific purpose that only you can realize.  The rest of us are counting on you to be you as fully as you can. 
4.    Open your heart – The heart is your contact with the world.  If your heart is open you build meaningful relationships and experience life as fulfilling.  Compassion is a key ingredient in transforming the planet from struggle to peace.
5.    Take control of your mind – Your choice is to either be mindful and shape your experience of life or let your conditioned ego-mind run your life.  One is running your mind and the other is being run by your mind.
6.    Pay attention to your feelings – Feelings bring color and depth to your life and if they are pay attention to, they are the best guide as to what is best for you and what will bring you the most happiness.  Focused feeling can power you to success.
7.    Keep the body fit and eat right – The body is more than a your transporting unit, it is the feeling and action center.  A healthy body makes you feel more alive and good food keeps that aliveness energized. 
8.    Learn to listen to others and self – Listening is true gift to others and essential to your for a rewarding life.  Listening means hearing with your heart and have compassion for the journey of each being.
9.    Express your creativity – There has never been found a limit to creativity in any human being.  You are creativity waiting to be expressed in your own unique way. Express yourself for the good of all.
10.    Let the Child play – Inside of you is a child, mostly that child wants to remind you that being playful is important to how you experience life.  Sometimes the child was pushed away too early and it lies inside in a ball hoping you will invite it out to play to help make you whole.
11.    Ask questions, explore beliefs - You were given a mind to question all your thoughts and beliefs.  The world is really in need of questioning minds who can see through the blinders of limiting beliefs and closed minds
12.    Develop Impartiality – Your ability to move beyond the judging mind and simply be a witness to your own process is transformative.  If you can watch and be accepting of yourself, you can do the same for others.
13.    Explore Higher Consciousness – The goal of the game of life is to become more awake and aware and thereby free yourself to make healthy and vibrant life choices.  The more you are conscious, the more you can help others be awake and aware.
14.    Be positive about money – Money is energy, you can view money any way you want.  You can be open to having all the money you want and use money for the good of humanity or you can judge other who have money and keep it from flowing through your life.   
15.   Trust is a powerful practice – if you can learn to trust yourself and those around you, you then liberate yourself to be more fully the potential that resides in you.  Trust the universe and things will flow in abundance.

Part two tomorrow will add 15 more to this list.  Have a good Monday and live as fully as you can. 

Thought Particles Manifest

Throughout your day what you have been thinking has a major effect on how you have been feeling and what has been happening in your life.  Thoughts move particles which are the building blocks of all matter.  So if in clarity you think about healing, the particle of thought move into action and create healing.  If your mind is unconsciously playing a regular message of not deserving, you won’t create what you want. 

Yes thoughts are very powerful even if they are not based in reality.  You can either be conscious about how you use your mind or unconsciously be run by it. 

Thought particles can heal, can damage, can bring prosperity or sabotage it, can enhance your focus or push you into anxiety.  You are made up of particles as the basic building block.  Your thoughts gather particles into form.  If you think, “I need a new car” and you focus your thoughts on making that happen, soon you will look out and see that car in your driveway.  

These particle gatherings, caused by our thinking, can be powerful in a number of ways.  If you concentrate on what is not going well in your life you create real discomfort in you in the form of upsetting emotions and more disappointing results.  If you set your sights on a goal for world peace your mind starts gathering the idea forms (particles) and soon you have a plan and steps to take.  You might even see yourself receiving the Nobel Peace Prize as an exercise in visualization to fully activate your thought forms. 

Thoughts and their particle friends can be used in the healing of self and others.  If you or a friend or family member is in need of healing: close your eyes and imagine the particles of healing filling the person with the light of perfect health or positive well-being.  The particles created by thought then do the work of healing at a very organic level. 



I have created a collage with an image of these powerful creating and healing particles (they are much small in reality, more microscopic in size).   I have included the affirmation of “I Am” as a reminder that you and I are made up of our thoughts, particles, emotions, and a spiritual nature.  As you focus your mind to gather particles with a purpose in mind be sure to remember your Higher Self as a way to even more powerfully energize what you want to manifest. 

The writings of Deepak Chopra are filled with great descriptions of the ways to use your mind and understanding of quantum physics (particles) to create the life you desire.




Peace Letter #63

Dear President Obama,

As you battled even those in your own party about healthcare I can’t help think about all the money that has been poured into this debate to influence the outcome.  Money influence causes many in Washington DC to lose focus of their values and their heart.  If they really listen to their inner truth they would no real healthcare reform with the public option is what is best for the people. 

Please Mr. President hear your higher truths and guide us to care for others from a place of genuine compassion and real reform.  Please do the same about these wars we are in.  They do not represent the higher values of anyone.  

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 #9 A Big Step Towards Freedom

It all begins in the quiet moment when you realize you are not your thoughts, this moment can be very liberating.  Most of the time we are unaware of our thoughts and too often those thoughts are very limiting and sometimes even destructive to our health, goals and hopes.  If we are not paying attention to what we are thinking then we are not using our mind, it is using us.  This user is the ego and an unchecked ego parades about trashing our peace of mind and our relationships with others.  The point here is that watching our thoughts is very important for creating the life we want. 

Here is a practice you will find helpful and it will set you free from being run by a crazy ego-mind:

First step is to recognize that you are not your mind.  This instrument of thought is like a possessing entity.  You have been taken over by your thought-making machine and you actual have come to fully believe what you think. 

Now that you realize you are not what you think then what is next.  This awareness of the power of your mind to be so utterly convincing is an awakening, which can set you free.   With this awareness the next step is to begin to observe the thoughts and inner dialogue flowing through you.  There is no judging, just watching.

•    Watching your thoughts as you wake up in the morning
•    Watching as you brush your teeth
•    Watching as you eat breakfast
•    Watching as you interact with others
•    Watching as you drive your car or sit on a bus or train
•    Watching as you sit at your desk
•    Watching as you attend a meeting
•    Watching as you get anxious
•    Watching as you find yourself become impatient
•    Watching as you slip into fear
•    Watching as you interact with a person in authority
•    Watching as you approach someone you love with an open heart
•    Watching as you go into self-judging
•    Watching as your day shifts to other activities
•    Watching as you sit down for dinner after a busy day
•    Watching as you wind down in the evening
•    Watching as you review the day and have thoughts of gratitude
•    Watching  your thoughts as you fall off to sleep

As you become a practiced watcher free of the inner critic, your awareness and compassion for self expand.  This self-knowing and loving kindness is so liberating from the usual judging and harshly critical mind.  This is the beginning for true freedom and the place in you where love, joy and peace reside.


Peace Letter #62

Dear President Obama,

Kindly lead the way to the public option because it is what is right for the people and will hold the corporate profit seeking in check.  Corporations will not self-regulate any more than my dog would if his bag of cookies fell onto the floor.  It is against their nature.

While you are at making huge positive strides for the good of us citizens would you also please begin to remove our military action from Afghanistan as soon as possible?  War is about doing awful things for control and that no longer fits with the higher values of humanity.   We must end this cycle of violence now. 

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




Set Intentions, Seek Awareness, Live With Purpose

Yesterday’s blog was also a clear reminder to myself about the importance of my work for peace.  I sometimes get caught in the drama of making a living and need to remind myself of my higher purpose.  Yes my job includes helping others find peace within and this is purposeful work.  Yet there is great resistance from most of those I work with in my new job.  They are angry, resentful, and often have no experience of what peace of mind or happiness is even about.  Working for peace begins in being patient with even the most troubled of clients.  

Each day while wading through the paper work and unmotivated clients, I need to still set my intention to spread peace, compassion and consciousness in all that I do.  I need to remind myself that even though this work is not what I had intended, there is something about why I am here that will be a gift to me and to those I have the opportunity to serve.  

Fully showing up to what is, that is the task in front of me, then listening to the higher guidance so that I can be shown what to do and how to do it better.  Linking in with my Higher Self is my intention for 2010 and the work place challenges are a perfect opportunity because I frankly need lots of guidance to keep my own peace while inviting others to come along for the journey of self-exploration.  

What further insights and awareness will I gain from being present to what is?  How will my consciousness expand by doing the work of this work personally and professional?  What experiences will lift me up to new levels of self-realization?

Along the way I must feel what I feel and be willing to acknowledge and be respectful of my emotional states.  If I do not then I cannot be at peace within.  So feel what is going on and then set the intentions and live in the now, not the swamp of disappointment and self-judging.    

My peace work is everyday both within and out in the relationships I build.  When I come from my heart and share my awareness even the most resistant can’t help but feel the truth within themselves of the importance of finding their way to peace.

Peace Letter #61

Dear President Obama,

Guide us to find our way to peace so that we can work together for the compassionate well-being of all of us.  Let’s put all of our resources toward helping each other and no resources toward war.  We can do so much more to help other nations if we come from a compassionate heart.   

Kindness is a much more powerful tool to transform others than any weapon.  

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

My Purpose Is About Peace, Would You Join Me?

As you may have noticed I have been writing our President about moving our nation toward peace for over two months now and still we don’t have peace.  I am outraged, just kidding but if I was taking this personally then my ego would certainly be out of control (which would be a sign that I have no peace within).  If the President himself actually has read any of these letters it would be amazing.  He certainly has a difficult job and he has little time to read emails from some guy in Colorado who is obsessed about peace. 

Peace is an obsession of mine and I am proud of it because frankly that is what we all want at some level.  We want peace of mind and peace with others.  Peace is the natural state of those who can find their way into the moment and actually reside there for at least brief periods of time.   Peace comes only to those with open hearts and open minds.  Closed hearts can’t feel peace and closed minds can’t imagine it. 

Peace begins inside and can spread out into the world.  Peace is only possible if we become more conscious human being.  The present paradigm is about war and control so we need to raise our consciousness to the level where peace and compassion are part of the new paradigm

I have a peace t-shirt company as you can see by the bright colored ad here at my blog.  I offer a free guide to inner peace, which you can download here.  I teach my clients how to find their way to inner peace.  I write about peace here often at my blog. I try to be at peace at least part of my day.  When I go to sleep at night I hope to sleep peacefully.   I often go for a walk to find the place of peace inside of me.

Is peace important to you?  Do you think it is possible?  What are you doing to find your own peace?  Can peace be created by making war, trying to control others, or by having the biggest military?  Yes I know there are not nice people out there but do we have to spend billions for weapons systems that would kill us all off hundreds of times over in pursuit of trying to eliminate our fears?

I would love it if you would join me and go to the link below and tell President Obama that war is the old way and we want the kind of real change that would bring about peace. 

We do not need to be in Afgahnistan other than to provide aid and it is time we got out of the war that never should have been in Iraq.  This insanity will happen as long as we the people allow it to. 

In peace we could afford all that we need for healthcare, better education, employment programs, and to work for a healthier, happier humanity. 

Please join me and send President Obama emails of support and encourage the end of war at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

The Evolution Revolution

There is so much written these days and much of it is just opinion but people get outraged over the thoughts of others.  If you ever read comments by people you realize a couple of things.  One is that there are a lot of angry people out there.  Two is that many people need to get a life and purpose that involves doing more than blaming the government and others for the problems of this nation.  Three is that the time has come for us all to put aside our differences and instead go in search of mutual solutions. 
 
The barriers of anger, blaming and differing view points are all about the human ego which has a major need to: be in control, avoid responsibility, and be righteous to the point of blind faith in one's own thoughts.  The real revolution for change in this country needs to happen inside as the ego-based structures around us are already destroying themselves on their own (i.e., financial structures collapsing, war making breaking our government, environmental degradation and corporate greed,).  See this article about the need for a revolution at a political/governmental level. 
 
The revolution starts with the realization that we too often believe our own thoughts, which means the ego-mind is in charge and it is run by fear, driven by the need to be in control, and always greedy in its self-centered ways.  The owning of our emotional states is another challenge we need to take up because we too often blame others and circumstances for how we feel.   We feel what we feel because of our thoughts in response to circumstances. 

A healthy human revolution will take place when we become mindful of our thoughts and take responsibility for our feelings and behaviors.  A deepening of our connection to our higher nature is the best path to the fullest realization of our potential to resolve the human issues that are for now getting in the way of real progress.  
 
Being in the world in a way that serves everyone is to be awake, mindful, compassionate, with equanimity and in search of mutually beneficial solutions.  Let’s make this a journey of conscious evolution/revolution where all humanity rises up to care for each other and the planet.  Would you join me on this journey? 

I have created a group over on Facebook called Progressive Hearts and Minds.  It is in the very early stages and I am open to the wisdom of all who join in. 





Peace Letter #60

Dear President Obama,

You could join us all who want to consciously evolve this nation past all the differences of ego called points of view and the need to be in control.  Bring together the best mind, hearts and souls and together we can find some common ground.

Peace is the way, compassion is the path, spirit is the guiding force within each 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


Old, Past, Narrow Thinking Is Not Working

It seems we, our nation, and very possibly the world are stuck between the ways of the past and the need for new and more evolved ideas.  Many love the past and seem to only value the way things were.  Others recognize that neither the past nor our best ideas now seem to be working.  It seems time for a higher level of consciousness to arise in all of us so we can leave the narrow views and the old ways behind for the benefit of all of us.

The following is a list of old ideas and beliefs that seem in need of updating:

•    That war is a viable way to deal with problems between nations and radical groups
•    That religious beliefs in controlling others is the name of God has nothing to do with God but is all about male ego   
•    That men have the right to dominate women
•    That the game of politics is working when in fact it is clearly badly damaged and in need of drastically revisions
•    That buying influence is hurting everyone but the few that can afford to.
•    That healthcare for profit is flawed at many levels especially for those who may loose their homes, financial future and everything else if they get very sick
•    That we should trust people who spread hate and judgment towards others
•    That those who blame and complain are respected even if they offer no credible solutions
•    That the status quo is ok and we shouldn’t mess with it
•    That unregulated commerce is a good idea after the mess left by the last president
•    That privatizing government function is a good idea
•    That test scores are the best indicator of the quality of education
•    That a huge defense budget is necessary in modern time
•    That to live in fear of a few small band of radicals is ok and shapes so much of our national policy
•    That those in the military are heroes and that glorifying war makes it ok
•    That less taxation is better than balancing a budget
•    That churches dominated by elderly white males should be trusted
•    That government is bad when there is not other humane and compassionate alternative  
•    That corporations have rights like individual citizens
•    That “might makes it right”, the big stick foreign policy is so in need of new ideas
•    That the Bible is anything more than an old text written by men who were definitely not God
•    That the talking heads of political opinion have anything worth listening to
•    That following others or ideas with blind faith is a good idea
•    That anger is some kind of higher value than peace
•    That the human ego is an acceptable driving force for many of our social, financial, governmental, and corporate institutions

Yes there is so much to question.  No the past is not better nor are the old and narrow ideas.  It is time for us all to step out of our comfort zones of ego-mind and go in search of higher knowing. 

Peace Letter #59

Dear President Obama,

Isn’t it time we grow up and move beyond war?  Isn’t it time we no longer let fear dominate our policies?  Isn’t it time to use government to bring about real changes for the best of all?

It seems the nation is in a battle between old ways and their influence money and new ways, which we must explore to evolve democracy.  You have been elected to be an agent for change and we need you to do so.  What makes most sense is boldness from the start.

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

World Tremors Reflect The Disruption We All Feel

As I read through my post from yesterday I have a couple of responses.  The first is that because of all the shifting going on in my work and with this bad cold, I have been struggling with staying present.  It is not easy to stay present when things are up in the air, when the unknown is more forefront than the familiar.  When health is compromised, it become harder to think clearly and emotions seem to destabilize. 

This is a time of upset for many.  The world seems to be literally shaking as we experience our own internal tremors.  There is anger rising and more intolerance of differing ideas.  That says to me the rationalizing ego-mind is running the show and fear is the predominate thought.   We cannot come to mutually beneficial solutions if our hearts are run over by the mind in Hummer mode. 

How do we take back the mind from hate, intolerance, impatience, judgment, anger and fear?  The answer is really very simple but not so easy.  There is no dominant mind in the now.  In the now there is what is, free of the control of the mind, there is impartiality, observation, enjoyment, appreciating, compassion, hope, and freedom to just be. 

 

Take a few minutes each day to hang out in the now and you can do that by stepping back from all the doing and just sit or walk quietly and appreciate what is in you and around you.  The deepening breath is a helpful pathway.  Nature is a natural way to be present: watch the wind blow through the trees, hear the birds singing, listen to a stream or the ocean, hear the laughter of children, appreciate the beauty of a wonderful song, enjoy the company of those around you, and walk with peace in your heart.

Have an enjoyable and play filled weekend. 

 


Peace Letter #58

Dear President Obama,

Yes you are so right to keep on working away and pushing through different issue.  Keep the positive forces moving forward and soon the momentum despite the resistance will shift to the favor of what is best for all of us. 

Hear the call to peace, to better resources for health for everyone, to more compassion for those in need, to protect our planet for future generations, and for good work for good pay for all, so once again we become a land of opportunity for everyone in this 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




Work Life And The Struggles Of Today

Work changes due to funding issues have ended me up in another department with clients who are going through the motion and have little or no interest in recovery.  They just want to stay out of more trouble with the law.   They are compliant but show up in body and often not at all in mind or heart.  Leaving old destructive patterns behind takes a full commitment. 

My work is now much less satisfying and more draining.  I am really glad it is Friday and I have two days off coming up to re-energize.   I was thinking today I have been working in the human services mostly for local government agencies or non-profits for much of my career.   I have moved around a lot geographically and job wise to keep myself learning, to avoid burnout and to keep life interesting.  I have worked in Portland OR, Vancouver BC, San Francisco and Santa Barbara CA, Denver and Boulder CO.  I have been a counselor, a management consultant, a teacher, a trainer, critical incident expert, a supervisor, a training coordinator, a contract manager, volunteer coordinator, manager of a drop-in center, Employee Assistance professional, and private practitioner.  Each job I learned from, most I enjoyed, all seemed to provide me an opportunity to make a difference and each job brought me together with other professionals who I enjoyed working with and having as friends.  

Work has been a positive experience but doing a job to make money has its limits.  I find myself tired today of all the rules, all the right ways and wrong ways of doing what others pay me to do.  I think about how much energy is taken up jumping through hoops, satisfy funding sources, and putting up with the endless mind numbing paperwork and I think there must be a better way?  

As I get older I have more thoughts about my future.  I have nothing to show for my work as far as investments, stocks, retirement plans because I don’t stay long enough to get vested.  I have to keep growing and changing in order to remain mentally and emotionally healthy enough to do the work.   This makes the future uncertain and that uncertainty weighs heavier these days.  I know I have made a positive difference for others but I seem to have fallen short in taking care of myself financially.  I have always trusted that things would work out and I would be provided for by some kind of karmic payback for devoting my career towards helping others.   Now doubt is creeping in to my thoughts.  

Just in the last day or so, I realized that my own strong support for healthcare reform comes from my feelings of vulnerability.  I fear for my own future in tough economic times because I know if given a chance those on the political Right would eliminate the social safety net of Social Security and Medicare claiming privatization is better and eventually tax cutting their way out of these programs.  Greed seems to be a much more powerful force than compassion these days especially in our nation’s capital. This feeling vulnerable is not that much fun.  

What concerns you these days?  How can we turn things around toward more compassion and prosperity for all?  What changes do you want to make to enrich your life? 

For an inspired dose of hope checkout this blog post.

Creative Expression Will Forever Change You And The World

The Food Network provides my wife and I the majority of our TV watching.  We enjoy the Iron Chef and Throwdown with Bobby Flay, Good Eats with Elton Brown and other programs.  I like the shows because I enjoying cooking and being inspired for new dishes to try.   There is something about creative expression that I find energizing and that includes in the kitchen.  Tonight on the Food channel there is a show called Dinner Impossible and that show really take lots of creativity also.  Chefs are very creative people and if you have seen Iron Chef you know what I am talking about. 

Writing is a wonderful creative outlet and that is why I enjoy my blog so much.  In my work with my clients and in my groups much creativity is needed to keep growth and awareness expanding.  When I paint I love the creativity of working with colors and shapes.  When I do collages the creative flow comes easily through images and words I have been drawn to in preparation.  Check out the collage below and see the many images and ideas that expand in their impact when they come together.

What creative outlets do you explore?  What creative interests do you have that you have wanted to explore?  Who are creative people you know and what inspires you about their work?

Take a few days to think about and feel for what inside of you is asking to be expressed and in what form it wants to manifest.  Look around you and see the creative expression in buildings, in design work, listen to the songs on the radio, watch a movie, read a good novel and marvel at the creative genius working through the filmmakers and songwriters, the architects, the wordsmiths and know that same kind of creative expression is waiting in you.

You may not realize it yet but there is in you a creative genius waiting to come out.  You may have had glimpses of this waiting genius while: playing with a small child; doodling while on the phone or at a lecture; arranging flowers in a vase; writing a love poem; coming up with a great idea in a meeting; singing in your car on the way home from work; dancing in the privacy of your home before others get up; pecking away at your keyboard as ideas come flying out; with a camera you capture a human emotion that sends consciousness through every viewer; in a quiet moment of contemplation you come up with a solution that represents the next evolutionary step in human understanding; and others ways creativity is trying to speak to and through you. 

The more you let yourself explore, the greater energy and genius is released and joy and freedom become your experience of the world.    

Peace Letter #57

Dear President Obama,

“Lead the change we believe in” is a line I saw in a brief video to you about the influence of banks and I would add drug companies, medical corporations, insurance industry, the military-industrial complex, investment and mortgage firms, oil and energy companies and many more.   We hoped you would help us with the bringing about real change as the rich get richer and we struggle more and more. 

Yes I understand the challenges are endless and it is hard to decide what heartless forces to take on first but you wanted the job and we wanted you to have it. 

Please work to get us out of war as soon as possible and bring us real health care reform so we all will be fully covered with reasonable costs. 

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 Off Track, Return To The Quiet And Simple

My wife now has the flu I had over the weekend.  Her cold is also continuing and I can hear her coughing away upstairs.  I feel for her because I was just there myself.  It is not much fun when the cold and flu hits.  Usually I make it through the cold and flu season without getting either but under stressful times the immune system can be compromised.  I still feel stressed and tired from the circumstances of work and life these days.  The virus my wife has still seems to have some kind of hold on me yet.  I may need to go see a doctor to knock out remains. 

As I shared in my story yesterday, there has been much also stirred up mentally, emotionally and on a soul level.  When things get stirred up there is change in the air and the opportunity to expand awareness.  Getting knocked out of the comfort zone indicates to me that I may have been playing it too safe.  My growth may have flattened out and there is a need to get more active in my learning, in my pursuit of consciousness, in pushing myself towards some new goals.

I began the year focusing on expanding my relationship with my Higher Self.  Now I see that this relationship doesn’t really need more action but instead I have to patiently tune inward to deepen my journey.  This is hard for me to do because I work better when I have clarity about where I am going and in this new territory of my self-searching there are no roadmaps just practices that have worked in the past.  Lately some of those practices seem to not have the benefits they did in the past.  My sense is that the simple practices are much better for me than the complicated ones because my mind already does a good job of twisting me into a knot. 

Back to the simplest of mindful techniques:  Find a quiet place to sit or walk and focus on breathing with awareness.  Tonight under the bright moon, I will walk from my center with the breath at the forefront.  Slowly in a relaxed way I will come back into myself, find my balance and move forward towards more awareness. 

Breathing in,
Noticing the breath,
Feeling the sensations,
Watching the thoughts,
Riding the waves of emotions,
Just being as I am.

There is no other moment,
There is only the now,
In the present is the only real human possibility,
Happiness, peace, love and consciousness await,
Freedom is in the watching,
Joy is in the now.
    


Peace Letter #57

Dear President Obama,

Looks like the filibuster is showing the self-serving ego driven nature of your opposition.  There are not real solutions being offered.  That lack of real ideas has to be pointed out very clearly regularly because for too long the words of the oppositional point of view of blaming and complaining against government has really been all the GOP has offered.  They come into office with the goal of destroying government by running up debt.  The people suffer from such a destructive ways.

Everyone knows change is needed and the people of this nation desire it.  Please bring the public options back onto the table and withdraw any secret agreements that might be holding you back from doing so because without a public option the insurance, drug and medical corporations remain clearly in the drivers seat.

Also end our involvement in war, it is costing much more than we have agreed to support.  We the mass majority of people want peace.

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


A Demanding Voice From The Night

"Turning it over to a higher power" is a phrase used in recovery as part of the 12 Step Program.  I have come to appreciate this idea of being able to set aside the ego and reach out to a higher guiding force to take over my life and show me a better way.   I said appreciate but doing so is not that easy because my thoughts are powerful forces that argue for the benefits of the ego’s point of view.  Just a few nights ago I had a powerful experience that shed some light unto the struggle of letting go to a greater force.  
 
Last week I had a very strange middle of the night episode with a strong voice in my head.  About 3 a.m. I was awakened by a loud voice in my head.  (I share this with some trepidation because it sounds a little odd but if you read my blog you know I am a bit unusual already by the way I look at things.)  That voice talked to me in a very aggressive manner demanding I look at the world from a point of view that I had been reading in a book.  I had continued reading the book because some of the ideas made a lot of sense to me while others seemed written by a very controlling mind. 

So the voice was telling me about myself and I felt determined to hear it because I was open to learning.  I thought the voice represented some kind of higher knowing and I was willing to wade through the aggressive controlling nature of the way I was being talked to.  The voice was like a critical father which I react to from my past.  At some point I got angry and said that if you are some representative of God and treat people as you are talking to me then I am not the least bit interested in knowing you nor your God.  The voice had mentioned a certain media driven religious leader as one close to God and that alone told me this voice was way off or the world was a bigger mess than I had imagined.

It was as if that voice from the controlling author of the book at my bedside had manifested at in this early morning hour to get me in line with the teachings.  I had spent time in the past with a spiritual teacher who shared much wisdom but was very much a critical father figure.  I rejected this critical voice loudly in my own mind and at the point it subsided and I went back to sleep. 

I am still trying to sort this all out but something changed and I feel like my body has been on a spring cleaning gig and pushing a lot of crap out of me.   I also feel like my life has been turned upside down at the same time.  My hope is that I get back to feeling better and centered again soon.  This has all been very disruptive but I still feel clear that my push back was what I needed to do.   I also feel there is something I was to learn from this oddly disturbing night visit about letting go to a higher power which at this point I understand to be my higher self.  At the same time I need to release this critial inner voice driven by my ego-mind that sounds like a mean spirited parent.  I now sense that may be holding me back much more than I have realized.  I am sure there is more to learn here.
 
I will write more about this as I sift through the thoughts and memories still fresh from this event.  Have a good day. 
 



Imagine A World Where Our Hearts Guiding All We Did

Welcome to March, I hope it is an amazingly positive month.  There is again a big push for healthcare reform going on and so much money is being spent to keep things as they are.  The GOP and the Democrats in DC are all in bed with the medical, drug and insurance corporations that don’t want anything to change.  Why would they when profits are soaring and the insurance companies can drop people who get too sick?  This profit over compassion is a major downfall in this country.  I wonder what it would be like if corporations really cared about the people and the planet.  

These things would change if corporation had compassion for people and respect for the planet:

1.    Air pollution would be cleaned up because they would understand clean air is essential for humanity and all other forms of life on the planet.
2.    The streams and water supply would be protected for pollution because drinking water is essential to all of us.
3.    Banks would stop taken advantage of people with fees and credit cards because they would understand that these are customers who they value and want to treat fairly.
4.    Healthcare companies would care for everyone because that is why these exist and profits would be something used to reinvest in even better services.
5.    The military industrial complex would be replaced by green energy and innovation focused on improving the quality of everybody’s life.
6.    Investment and mortgage companies would be involved only in trading and selling things of real value so that everyone has a chance to proper.
7.    The oil, gas, coal and nuclear energy companies would fade into the past as sustainable energy is developed for the good of the planet.
8.    The auto industry would clean up it’s gas guzzling and make cars that ran clean and lasted for a long time while making mass transit a priority.
9.    The news industry would actually return to reporting the news instead of opinion and the lives of celebrities with the goal of making the citizens informed about what is really going on.
10.    The prison industry would be reduced to a small fraction of what it is and mostly replaced by real treatment and help for those who are damaged mentally and emotionally.  

There is hope for a better America.  I have two links below to emphasize my points.  The first one is the Progressive Democrats push for healthcare not warfare, which I totally support (see ad below).  The second is a link to Deepak Chopra and his always insightful points of view about the nature of humankind and how consciousness can make a difference.   

Have a great start to the week.  

P.S.  Happy Birthday to my brother Jim who is a wonderful person working in county government in Oregon do his best to make things better.  

Peace Letter #56

Dear President Obama,

As you know Mr. President, I write to you advocating for our nation to focus on peace not war.  I think it would be very safe to say that if we focused on healthcare not warfare than United States and its people would be much better off and certainly more at peace.

I know you must be up against huge odds to do what you know is right.  We support your efforts and encourage you to keep pushing toward the highest and best for 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

Wake Up Men: Time To Find Our Hearts And Our Higher Nature

There are a number of issues in the world of politics I feel the need to rant about today.  I have been focused else where here at my blog because expanding consciousness and compassion seem like the best way to make a difference.  I think you will agree with me that there are some things going on that are really not acceptable anymore and it has to do with us men primarily.

First the healthcare summit made the GOP look like a crying bunch of big egos that insist we continue to hate government and just trust them and their corporate buddies.   They do not offer a single idea that would benefit the people more then the healthcare, drug and medical corporations that pay them millions and millions to stay in office.  The clear blatant truth of self-interests is so apparent that it shocks me that people with well functioning brains cannot see what is going on here. 

The Democrats in DC are not much better.  We the people are being sold out to the profits machines.   A single payer system seems more and more like a good idea because we cannot trust our elected officials or their funding sources to represent our needs.

Senator Bunning decided that getting his way was more important than extending unemployment benefits for millions of Americans.  The ego mind is a powerful force.  Thank you Senator for showing us how delusional and self-important the ego mind can makes us and cause total blindness to what is the right and compassionate action to take. 

Bank Of America CEO Ken Lewis left his position at the end of 2009 with a stocks and benefits package of $83,000,000 after the company had extensive problems.  I guess his leadership had nothing to do with the banks problems?  Maybe giving him that amount of money seems fair to someone but certainly not the stockholders or customers of that company or US taxpayers who had to help bail him out. 

James Dobson had his last broadcast on his Focus On The Family Radio show.  Thank God!  He speaks as if he is the right hand man of some God, which he has made up in his own head and people actually believe the nonsense he spreads.   Sadly another ego-mind filled with righteousness and condemnation and lacking true compassion and higher consciousness.

Arizona Republican Congressman Trent Franks said African Americans were better off under slavery.  He made up some kind of ego driven nonsense due to his anti-choice point of view about abortions.   How does a person like this get elected?  How come we are willing to elect someone who is this blinded by his own closed mind?

Why does anyone listen to Glenn Beck, Rush or Fox News other than to feed their egos?

Last of my rants today this may be the one that has the most charge for me.  I was listening to the BBC on NPR about the Congo and about 6 women who had been raped as part of the political unrest going on there.  When will we men stop raping and abusing women?  Every war we start ends up filled with women being raped; every time there is unrest the women take the brunt of the male need to dominate. 

Men dominate all major religions and most have women in a secondary role.  The Right Slanted religious movements of Christians, Mormons, Muslims, and Catholics all have women as subservient even today.  This lesser role leads women to be abused. 

Come on men join the 21st Century and see through your closed minds and cold hearts.   

 

Peace Letter #55

Dear President Obama,

It is time to focus on this country and the needs of the people.  No more draining us for war making.  What about: those who are hungry; those who are homeless or losing their homes; those who have suffered incredible abuse; those who are addicted because of this abuse; those with mental illness; those who can’t find decent work for decent pay; those who want a better education; those who are sick but have no or not enough coverage to get well; and so many others that lose out because of need to control others through war.

We need real healthcare reform with a public option or single payer system and we need to stop killing others through our foreign policy that is dominated by going to war. 

That is why you were elected because all the millions of us who voted for you did so for one reason.  We want real change. 

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 Human Potential Is On Display At The Olympics

I enjoy watching the Olympics because it reminds me of how amazing the human potential is.  People learn to fly through the air on skis like ski jumping where they fall over 200 feet or the freestyle where they launch up 4 stories and do all these spins and twists.  Wow those athletes have learned to do amazing things which most of us would not even dream of doing.

These athletes have trained to move with incredible beauty and grace, with blazing speed, for long distances or sit on a tiny sled and go over 90 miles an hour down an ice tube.  These incredible feats take such dedication, skill and focus.  It sometimes seems we human beings could do just about anything if we put our minds to it. 
 
If you look at what the athletes can do today compared to what they did in earlier Olympics it would show that the human potential seems to expand with the power of intention.  Fly higher, jump further, skate faster, do more flips and twirls, it all seems to stretch those who compete.  The physical body seems to have limits but maybe some if not most of those limits are self-imposed.  The focused mind energized by emotions can make us do more than many would think is possible.  Thank you Olympics for the reminder that we can do and be more.

If you could be a Summer or Winter Olympian what would it be?  If you could win a gold metal for doing something with great purpose and success what would it be? 

Enjoy the rest of the events and take a minute or more to visualize yourself on the medal stand bending over and winning a medal for being the best at what matters most to you.

   

Peace Letter #54

Dear President Obama,

The Healthcare Summit was a great idea.  It is too bad so many are under the influence of the healthcare dollars.  They simply can’t see straight when intoxicated by those that finance their staying in power. 

As you can see there is great vested interest in keeping things the same from healthcare to being at war.  This has to change; fresh not influenced viewpoints are badly needed to move this country forward.  How about a panel of citizens involved in Public Health, Medicine, Alternative Therapies, and Innovation to propose substantial reform in healthcare?  How about a panel of Social Activist, Economists, Spiritual Leaders, Mediators and Communications Experts to deal with ending our fascination with war? 

Change is so needed and it must be forceful and courageous.  

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


Flow Into The Mystery

Life is so often confusing and full of the unknown.  Lately everything seems so up in the air for me, how about you?  What I have noticed is that I have been trying to figure things out with my thoughts forgetting that thoughts are just collections of words I give meaning to and have little or no basis in reality.  The knowing I am after exists on another plane of understanding beyond the thinking mind. 

So it is time to go into the mystery.  Remember in the Indiana Jones movie where they had to trust the bridge would appear if they were ready to take the first step.  As they stepped out into the unknown the bridge magically appeared so they could cross it. 

The mysteries of life are often like that invisible bridge.  You have to be willing to take risks and go into the unknown. You know when the risk is big because your stomach gets tight and fear crawls over your body. Then you take the next step often blindly with trust and courage in your heart.

Inside the mystery is different for everyone so there are no road maps to follow.  What mystery is awaiting you?  Where do you know you need to go but so far you have held back?  Is it in love, your work, following a dream, living with purpose, setting a boundary or saying yes to something that seems too crazy to figure out? 

Imagine that first step and the trust it takes.  Remember you have a higher guidance system onboard waiting to show you the way and keep you as safe as possible as you go.  Now take a quick tour inside and see what is holding you back.  Feel the fear and do it anyway.  The worst that could happen is that you end on you backside with a good dose of humble pie.  The best is that you may find yourself journeying down the road of inspirational insights and great success.   

"All genius is a conquering of chaos and mystery."
Otto Weininger

"Every branch of human knowledge, if traced up to its source and final principles, vanishes into mystery."
Arthur Machen


Peace Letter #53

Dear President Obama,

People need work but billions of our dollars are being spent in Iraq and Afghanistan.  People want jobs more than they want us to be occupying other countries in pursuit of a radical bunch of men.  How does this priority of war make more sense than putting people back to work?

We are patient people but we need to believe in something better or the grassroots of your support will drop away and it will be you against a party who has only one interest.  That interest is getting back into power to feed their egos and their investments.

Give us reason to have hope and we will follow you towards a much better America.

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 #8 Coming Into Your Center

Everyone, starting in childhood, goes in search of his or her center.   Our desire to find our center is because we all sense the importance of it.  To be centered means to move about our lives with strength, tuned into internal forces that are essential to feeling empowered.  All truly successful people have found the way to their center or they would not have arrived at their destination. In sports, the martial arts, dance and meditation the center is the place from which we focus out body in movement or stillness. 

Today’s Inner Practice is about finding our center.  Each of us has a center located at the navel.  Here is the practice to explore:

Sit or lie down and breathe with awareness into the mid section of your body.  See a target with a red dot in the middle and expanding circles.  Sense a place between your back and belly, breathe in and find the center.  Become acquainted with what it feels like to be in your center. Imagine aligning your center with the crown of head, balls of your feet, with your spine and through your heart. 

Now get up and move with full awareness of your center.  

As I am writing this last night, I take a break and go out into the cold night for a walk to experiment with my centering to gain further insight as to its affects on me.  I feel as I breathe deeply down into my center that it is as if I am breathing in and out through my navel.  This seems to make me stand up taller and walk with more a sense of inner power.  As I continue to become more watchful of the affects, I notice that I linked in automatically with my Higher Self.  I now understand that when I feel centered I am also aligned with my higher nature.  As I return to writing this I have remained centered and it is as if the flow has opened up to a relaxed exercise in awareness and expression.  That feels inspirational and energizing.

Now return to your awareness of center as you move about.  If it is quiet initially that seems helpful.  Then as you deepen your resonance with your center any outside distractions seem much less impactful.  If there is someone to interact with, see what talking to others feels like as you maintain your center.  Experiment with this centerness for as long as you have the time. 

Try driving to work centered and being at work centered, if you have a difficult interaction coming up, try to be centered before the meeting.  Cook, eat, wash dishes from a centered place.  Center yourself in the morning and before you go to sleep.  Experiment with as many different ways to explore being centered as you can come up with and see how it feels inside. 

Your comments are valued, please share your experiences of centering so we all can benefit. 


Peace Letter #52

Dear President Obama,

Please take the reigns of government and pull back hard: on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq; on listening to CEO’s of insurance corporations who care little for the people they serve; on seeking the approval of the GOP because that is not possible; on tax breaks for the wealthy; on Blackwater and other private security forces who are professional hit men we pay for; on those companies that get tax breaks while polluting the planet; and on any other situations in this country that is not acting for the good of all.

Yes I know there is a lot to control out there but if government does not look out for the good of the people, nation and planet, who will?  Big government is neither good or bad, a well run government can make a difference.   

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