Eight Steps To Personal Freedom

Yesterday I wrote about freedom and how important it is for me and I am sure for you.  The world is kind of crazy these days and so many easily give up their freedoms because they live in fear.   They give up freedom: to credit card companies who put them in debt; to government by allowing themselves to be spied on; to corporations by working more hours just to keep their jobs; to religious organizations because they find it easier to be told what to believe; to political points of view that make little sense but are anti government; to their thoughts which are often totally out of control but take too much effort to reign in; to relationships that are not working but they fear being along; and many other less that freeing circumstances. 

We have all found ourselves caught up in situations that are not working and confining but sometimes it takes a while to get untangled.  Let me suggest that together we set out on a course that will take us to more freedom.  Each step along the way will ask us to be aware and to make healthy choices.  Now let’s look at 8 dynamic steps that will assist us all in having more freedom in our lives.

1. Take back your mind from the craziness of its thoughts.  Learn about mindfulness and figure out a way to practice it in some form everyday.  You are not your thoughts even though they may convince you at times that you are.  You are much more than even your best thoughts can imagine.
2. Make a thorough investigation of all your beliefs because most of them are not true.  Beliefs limit freedom by holding us back, by limiting what we think is possible, and often by putting us down.  These beliefs are of no use and false.
3. Give up trying to get people to accept you because that will never happen.  The approval of others really doesn’t matter.  What matters is who you are as a person.  Are you genuine, are you thoughtful, are you kind and compassionate, are you creative, are you supportive of others.  These matter and will surround you with people worth spending time with.
4. Make it your goal to enjoy life, to have fun, to be playful and to be happy.  There is no way that “things” can bring your true happiness.  Joy comes from your relationships, your willingness to be real with others, living passionately, and from doing what matters most to you.
5. Find ways to open your heart and to give more of yourself.  Yes having an open heart can seem like risky business at times but the being closed down is miserable and numbing.  Your ability to love is endless and if you find ways to give love you will find lots of love come your way.
6. Be respectful and accepting of all your emotions.  Some definitely are not pleasant but they are your truth in the moment.  If you shape your thoughts to generate feelings that are hopeful, appreciative, compassionate, inspirational, you will find your life is a joy to live. 
7. Take care of your body.  Yes it needs tune-ups and to be used actively, it needs a good stretch regularly, it needs high-octane fuel (healthy diet), it needs stress reducing practices and it needs lots of rest.  A well cared for and loved body will carry you along smoothly over a lifetime.
8. Lastly build a relationship with your higher nature, your intuitive knowing, your spirit.  The more you find ways to access this part of you that is infinite and unlimited, the more free you will feel.  Your spirit is totally and completely free and the more you open to it the more you will untie the knots of life’s limitations.

May we be free, free at last of our own limitations.



Each Of Us Needs To Explore and Express In Our Own Way

TGIF!  It has been a slow and sometimes frustrating week and I am trying to figure out how to make the best with what I got.  I find it interesting to experience myself as having way too much time on my hands at work and a big desire to do more that is meaningful.  So this situation got me thinking about how I can more successfully adjust to what is? Here is best understand of these circumstance as of the moment I write this.

Freedom is very valuable to me and owing an organization 40 hours per week is causing me discomfort.  Yes I realize I am not that different than a majority of people on the planet who also work for others.  So I am thinking and intuiting what am I to do with what is?  Time is a gift for doing things but sometimes more like a lazy river meandering nowhere fast.  What am I to do with this gift and how do I learn to flow with the river at its pace? 

What immediately comes to mind is what more can I give?  How can I use mindfulness to be ok with what is?  What do I have to offer that is yet unclear in me?  How can I open even further to my spirit’s guidance?  Where can I make a difference?  Who needs my support and encouragement? 

If it is time to make a change, how do I do it in a way that works both for myself financially and purposefully?  My ideal is financial freedom, a well-funded Peace-Together Foundation, lots of time to write, teach and still provide some direct services.  I am open this day to be clearly guided to what I am to do next, where I am to go and how I can make more of a difference? 

That’s my ideal, what is yours?  Are you where you want to be?  Do you know where you want to go?  What is your soul guiding you to do?  When was the last time you too a big risk and should I also consider this?  Do you and I have to walk out on the edge to push ourselves past our fears to see what we need to see?

As usual the questions are flying but the answers lie within.  Please remember one thing from what I share here today, it is imperative each of us finds our own way free from the false beliefs of others and the huge pressure to comply from society.  If you closely examine the situation the world is in and ask the questions that need to be ask, you will arrive at a similar conclusion to the one I have, that is, we are not even close to having the answers and solutions we need for humanity and the planet and anyone that is absolutely sure they know what is right for all of us should be questioned and most likely ignored.

May the light of insight shine brightly.

Finding Our Way To Our Purpose With Passion

The papers I have read so far are thoughtful and informative as to the level of awareness they have.  I so much enjoy inviting and encouraged others to awaken, to explore what is possible within them, and to find a way to open their hearts so we can all benefit.  What is this passion in me about?

Back in 1973 I took a course at Portland State after I completed my Bachelors Degree in Education from OSU.  As I write this I remembered that I was drawn to education after a year or two in my undergraduate program because I thought teaching was what I wanted to do.  That draw to teach was right but it wasn’t in the way I thought of then.  This course at PSU taught by a very inspirational teacher Elizabeth Drew woke something up in me that was in waiting.  

What woke up was a passion for learning, for thinking, for questioning, for looking beyond the surface, and for living my life as an experiment and exploration.  Once the genie was released from the bottle, I began to search for my next step in my education and within months I was in a Masters Program in Education – Counseling.  Those three years of classes fueled the passion for learning and as soon as I finished my degree I went looking for more.  That looking has never ceased since that time.  I always have 3-5 books going and new things to explore.  I can’t seem to get enough or maybe I know I got more to experiment with and this life is flying by. 

Now in this class I have an opportunity to invite others to find their passion, to live as fully as they can, to make a difference in the world in their own unique way.  If just one light goes on there may be enough enlightenment to wake up the world.  There has been more than one light that has gone on with my assistance and even in this class I can see the aliveness that is there now that wasn’t there when it started 7 weeks ago.  I am often humbled by this opportunity to be present and to inspire others because I can’t imagine doing anything more rewarding and more purposeful.

There is further expression in me lining up now and waiting to be released out into whatever world I am blessed to share in.  I do what I do because I am who I am. 

What is the call in you inviting you to awaken, to express, to explore, to give, to make a difference?  Join with me and so many others who want to leave the world a better place and together we will. 



Is Approval Seeking Necessary?

Papers are due tonight in my class and I am excited to read them.  They were to answer 20 of the 140 questions I gave them that I thought my assist them in expanding their awareness and consciousness.  This is an opportunity to see what the class is picking up from the material presented and from their own learning about life.    I get to work with these students and provide them with a unique perspective of my being a student of life and an experienced therapist.  I very much enjoy teaching at this level with people who are early in their learning about counseling others.

As I write this now I am sitting in my classroom as people are doing their counseling practice with each other.  I am staying away from listening in because I want them to get more comfortable.  Having an observer always creates a different dimension.  One of my fellow teachers observed me tonight (this is called Peer Observations here at the college) and I felt a tinge of anxiousness even though I feel confident in what I teach. 

The papers are in and sitting on my desk and I am holding back reading them as I write this.  I also got the written report from the peer observation at our break and I already looked and it was very positive.  Yeah!!! I feel relief.

The papers will wait because I want to explore this idea of what causes us to be so concerned about what others think?  It is like we are hardwired for approval seeking.  I wonder if that is true cross-culturally.  I suspect any culture that is highly influenced by the West is going to have some similar influences and seeking approval will be one of them. 

Why does it matter what other think?  Is it because we have self-doubts or judgment towards who we are?  Is it because we think all humans need to be approved of?  Is it the conditioning of our family and our culture?  Maybe we think approval of ourselves is wrong or a sign of too much ego?

My suspicion is that we seek the approval of others because we don’t fully approve of ourselves.   What is your answer?  When do you feel like you give yourself the approval you want?  Are you aware of your own self-criticism or judging?  Who is your harshest critic? 

Self-acceptance and self-love are very positive qualities.  What will help you develop these qualities? 

This is a lot of questions and the hope is that we all take a closer look at how we view ourselves.  If we are critical and withholding of our approval towards ourselves than maybe it is time to examine that strategy?  Are we able to make ourselves a better person by beating ourselves up?  My sense is we are just get better at beating ourselves up. 

Recognize and change the judging mind, find reasons to appreciate yourself and learn to be ok with who you are in the moment and it all works out for the better.



Anger Is On The Rise

It seems like anger is building out there and maybe it should be because the world is not working too well for many these days.  Driving on the road the anger is evident.  People are aggressive and impatient.  Even in a parking lot I came around a blind corner and a guy called me a "son of a bitch" and I don't know why.  The political world is heating up and most of the heat is anger driven.  People are so angry they are even considering voting for Tea Party candidates who don’t have well thought out plans to make things better but they share in their anger. 

Is the way to change getting angry enough to do something about what is wrong?  Is being angry with government going to change it?  Is being angry with politicians going to make things better?  Is replacing the incumbents with even less thoughtful people going to improve our world?  What is driving all this anger?  

Anger from my viewpoint as a mental health professional comes from fear.   If we are angry we are afraid of what is going on, we feel out of control, we don't know what is going to happen but we fear it will be worse.  Fear is an emotional state most people are in denial of because fear makes us feel small.  Anger is an emotion we feel is acceptable because we feel bigger and more righteous in anger.   Doesn't it seem there is a lot of righteous anger out there.  People are sure they are right and the rest of us can "go to hell" seems like the attitude held by many.  There is full attach mode going on and anybody who disagrees politically, religiously, or gets in their way quickly is under attack.  This does not seem like a positive development.

How could anyone be sure they are right?  I have been studying human nature for over 35 years and I am only sure there is more to learn, more to understand, and a great need for more awareness and consciousness.   Yet, there are many so-called experts with their opinions who claim to know, but do they, or are they run by their biases?  There are also many who live in judgment over others for thinking differently then they do.  There are many run by the beliefs of their religions and never question these beliefs.  There are many run by their emotions and don't even know what they are feeling.  There are many stuck in blaming and offer no constructive solutions.

What should we do with the anger that is pouring out all over the place?  Here are some things to keep in mind: 

• Don't take it personally - anger that comes at you is mostly not personal just emotions out of control and more about the angry person than about you 
• Get tuned into your own feelings - when you learn to be aware of what you are feeling, you can acknowledge your emotions and be ok with them and then these emotions will shrink in their impact on you
• Remember all feelings start with your thoughts - if you are finding yourself run by strong emotions like anger, change your thinking so you don't make yourself so upset
• Stop blaming others for your emotions - you feel what you feel, no one has the capacity to get inside of you and make you feel anything, all you feel is self created
• Find out ways to release anger - anger is a big emotional charge that builds in your body, find ways to release this charge by doing something physical like working out, going for a walk, taking time to chill, even writing or creative expressing yourself can be a powerful release.  Talking about anger can be an effective release
• Step back from what is making you mad – when you are able to observe yourself, you have a greater ability to make necessary changes.  A mindful practice will assist you in expanding your ability to observe self and others free of judging

Lets all do our part in slowing down and being aware of our own anger, see what is causing us fear and than commit to taking care of what we need to do so we can live in peace. 



Anniversary, Lockout, Guns and Back Home

I just got back from two days up in the mountains where I was away from all the things I do including writing this blog.  I meant to write a post on Saturday but the long hike at elevation wiped out the three of us (my wife, Pax our dog and myself) and we took a long nap in the afternoon and then got locked out of our cabin. More about the lockout as I share my story of the weekend. 

It was our 4^th anniversary this weekend and we decided to go to my wife’s sisters cabin up at Red Feather Lakes where we stayed last year for a week.  It is a nice house in a beautiful place.  Last year and this year we however got locked out because the lock jams randomly or at least for us.  This time is was after dark and it was getting cold out.  I had to back my truck up next to the house as close as I could get.  My wife stood on the top of the truck and slowly worked the window open and ripped the screen out.  I provided support to help her keep her balance and then she stood on my shoulders and jumped up into the window as I pushed her.  She went in headfirst.  I was a funny scene to see her legs straight up in the air.  We had a good laugh even though it was a difficult struggle to get her in that upper window.  We won’t stay there again unless the lock it fixed.

The other interesting event was our hike at about 9000 feet which was up for about 90 minutes and rocky and then a return back down.  The beauty of this trail is a joy but some of the sounds around us were very unsettling.  There were people shooting guns as if it was a battle zone, lots of rounds sometimes rapid fire.   Regular hunting season isn’t here yet so it wasn’t hunting.  I understand in this area, maybe in all of Colorado, you can shoot small animals year around.  There were times it seemed very close fortunately I don’t think it was.  What is it about guys and their guns?  Is there some kind of ego compensation going on there? Yes that sound like a therapist’s kind of question possibly because I am.  How can shooting at things like small creatures provide any sense of fun or satisfaction?  This seems like heartless play by men who have lost touch with something?

I don’t understand the need for guns and how come it is ok to just fire away near hiking trails?  Guns bring violence into the world and they don’t belong in areas where people go for recreation.  I don’t see shooting as a sport but more like senseless killing.  If you feed your family that makes some sense but small creatures are most likely not for eating.

I personally support banning guns from all public lands.  Recently there were arguments about students having guns on college campuses.  This debate seems idiotic especially with all the use and abuse of drugs and alcohol.  There are no needs for guns on campus, on public lands, bars, restaurants and other public places. What are the benefits of guns for humanity?  Yes there are a very few people who need to be controlled but why is it more and more that guns and imprisonment are often the only choices. 

Other than the all the gunfire on our hike and being locked out of our cabin, the weekend was a nice break from the norm.  Frankly I am glad to be back home.  Have a good week. 



Thoughts Shape Your Experience of Life

Another day, another bunch of stuff to do, clients to see, dinner to make and a walk to take.  I enjoy my life and most times it feels a joy to live.  Sometimes my joy is even expanded by the people I help and the writing I do.  Other times my joy is less because I cross paths with people who are struggling, worrying, and/or in fear.  Two people I work with have been affected by cancer one directly because he has been told he has a very difficult cancer and he may not make it.  The other has a sick brother and he is feeling the concerns and weight of knowing that. 

Both conversations have passed through my thoughts the fear of being ill and yet that fear has been more of an awareness that these two situation could have been me.  I did not carry the cancer thoughts with me for long.  I have to admit that I don't like to carry those kinds of fear because I have another fear that my thoughts are powerful and can create disease within me.  These same powerful thoughts could also create or have created ongoing health for me.  By my track record, I would say my thoughts are good at creating health so I decided I need to trust that and not go with the thoughts of fear.

I want to emphasis that our thoughts are powerful creators in our life.  I know for many this will be a reminder, myself included.  Reminders are usually very valuable.  If we think healthy thoughts we have a much greater chance of being healthy.  If we think unhealthy thoughts we will most likely manifest disease and illness.  That same is true of thoughts about our work, our finances, our relationships and our experience of life.  If I focus on what I don't like about my work, my work experience will be negative.  If I focus my thoughts on what I love about my work, I will love being at work.  If I worry about my finances I create anxiety.  If I trust in the increasing flow of money, I open to that fun experience.  If I focus on what I enjoy and love about my relationships they will continue to be sources of happiness and love.  Our experience of life is colored everyday by what we think about these experiences.  To me it just makes sense to think in a positive and hopeful way about my life.

Here are some questions to help clarify you way of seeing the world:

Do you focus on what you like and appreciate about your work, your co-workers, your finances, your relationships and your life? 

Do you primarily look at what is wrong, who is a problem, how come you are in the situation you are in and other less than uplifting situations in your life?

Do you often feel disappointed in yourself and those in your life?

Do you wake up optimistic and hopeful or negative and ready to complain?

Do you take action when you know you need to or do you second-guess yourself?

Do you trust your intuition and your heart to guide you or is your ego in charge of your life?

Do you appreciate the little things, the moments of beauty, times of inspiration and other experiences that happen in the moment?

What you put the attention of your thoughts on will expand.  Thoughts on what is right and good will make life feel right and good.



A Night Of Inspiration

Yesterday was a very busy day with attended an evening workshop on Mindfulness and the Homeless and then the gym for a late evening workout after a full day at work.  I am squeezing the writing of this blog wherever I can find a few minutes.  There were not very many minutes to write but I did put together some ideas to share with you today. 

The evening presentation was by Jana Drakka a Zen Priest whose ministry is the homeless in San Francisco.  She is an amazing person who found herself homeless and addicted after being traumatized by the relationship she was in.  She was intuitively drawn to Zen and found her way to the Zen Center in SF and began her long journey to her recovery. 

With her lovely accent from her native Scotland she talks about the mindfulness and meditation she teaches those who are homeless and troubled.  She got hooked on serving humanity when she saw even the most troubled get some peace of mind through the practices she teaches.  She says of being a Zen priest she has made a commitment to non-attachment to the things of the world, which means she is homeless.  I am confident she has a place to stay each night because she is a valued resource in San Francisco and a member of a spiritual community.  Jana is a bright light to the world and especially to those she serves.  

I felt very uplifted by her presence and her words because in my work with addicted client many we serve are without a home.  I find helping these trouble human beings very rewarding and meaningful. 

Jana – Thank you for being who you are and making such a positive difference.   Jana has a Facebook page and can use your help at Jana Drakka Community Services.



Love All That Is Happening Within

"Be attentive to what is arising within you and place that above everything else . . . What is happening in your most innermost self is worthy of your entire love; somehow you must find a way to work at it."  Rainer Maria Rilke

I came upon this quote in my reading yesterday and it reminded me of something I want to remind myself and you my reader about.   It is essential that you pay attention to what is going on inside.  Why you might ask?  Your inner messages of words, images, sensations and intuitions are there to show you who you are and to guide you to your fullest expression. 

The poet Rilke says you must love all that is happening within because that inner happening is what matters most to you.  The world around you plays a minor role in what is important to you.  Your heart, your deeper wisdom is what matters most if you want to create a life that is fulfilling and happy. 

If you pay attention to the bombardment of advertising and the general held opinion of others, you would think that happiness and fulfillment comes from outside of you, from the things of the world.  That is what advertisers want you to believe.  Cars, clothes, shoes, the right home, and a big enough bank account will leave you with things but never fulfillment or happiness.

So slow down, tune in, listen, and appreciate all you are being shown about yourself, about your potential and where you can take your life.  These inner messages are a gift that keeps on giving if you pay attention.  Remember you are the expert at what you need and want and what will make you happy.

Today make a commitment to honor and respect what goes on in you and soon the love of that wise inner guidance will help you create a life that you will greatly appreciate and enjoy.  By the way, the world will be a better place if you are you as fully as you can be.



A Oasis Of Calmness And Empowerment

Do you ever feel overwhelmed?  Do you find yourself unsettled often?  Are you trying to find some kind of "ok" place within?  Are you looking for peace of mind?  If you can't find support from others, how do you support yourself?  These are a few questions that came to mind as I thought how the world feels overwhelming at times and why I’ve been feeling the need for a physical based practice of some kind. 

In the past I have practices and taught Yoga and Tai Chi and have missed being regularly active in those practices over the past few years.  With so much abuzz in the world I feel a strong pull back to those physical and inner practices.  I sense a longing to be more grounded, to be more in touch with my sensing physical nature, and to more frequently experience the power of being in my body.  So I have determined to resurrect some old practices and learn some new ones to be more fully in my body and to access more skills for peace of mind. 

I want to share some practices you can explore with the hope of encouraging you to locate a greater sense of serenity and empowerment inside:

The first practice is called Grounding.  To do this is very simply but the results can be quite profound.  When you feel upset or in need of a solid feeling of connection to yourself and the world try this exercise: 

First stand up and feel you in your body.  Feel the ground underneath you and feel your feet firm against the floor (in or without shoes doesn't matter).  Then breathe in with a relaxed yet slightly deeper inhale than normal.  Now on the exhale let your legs bend at the knees and allow your body to sink about 2-3 inches towards the floor. The feet remain flat on the floor as your do this. On the next inhale come back up so your legs are no longer bent at the knees but short of your knees being locked.  Continue this inhale and exhale action with leg movements for 2- 5 minutes.   As you complete this exercise walk slowly around, feel your legs underneath you and feel your deeper connection to the ground and to the reality of the moment. 

The second practice is one I just learned yesterday from a book (Awakening The Mind by Anna Wise) I found at a used bookstore.  I had gone there in search for some new practices that I could find helpful for bringing greater inner strength and peace to myself.  This one is also simple and quite interesting when you notice the results.  When our mind gets overactive, as it is most of the time, try this: 

Find a comfortable place to sit and focus on your tongue.  As you become aware of your tongue gently invite it to relax as if it is floating freely in your mouth.  It may feel shorter, fatter or lighter as it relaxes.  Do this relaxation for a minute or two.  Let yourself only be focused on the sensations of your tongue relaxing.  Now take a breath and try to have a thought.  I noticed that having a thought without engaging my tongue was difficult.  It seems we think with our tongue?

The third practice is finding your center, which I have explored through yoga, tai chi and other inner focused body practices.  Our center is where we want it to be.  We can be centered in heart, in our belly, in our navel area, and even in our head/third eye.  The center point I most connect with is just below my navel. Try this practice with your center:

I breathe in and out as if I am breathing through my center.  As I practice this my breath naturally deepens so that my center extends outward on my inhale and relaxes inward on my exhale.  After I feel I have a strong energetic flow at my center I imagine the flow of a fire hydrant.  I sense my center flowing energetically like the flow of water from an open hydrant.  The flow is strong and powerful.  I allow myself to feel strong and powerful. In the martial arts this place of center is the way to be engaged with the world in an empowered way.

Each of these practices will seem like a personal gift given to you for your well being if you give them a good try.  Enjoy, deepen, empower and be peaceful.



Keep Thinking Beyond Limits

It wasn’t planned this way but after I finished my post on Saturday a few more of the opposite pairings came to mind that seemed important to add to the conversation.  This whole pairing idea was started because of the importance of questioning and expanding our thinking.  If we don’t attempt to fully examine a wide spectrum of ideas then the mindless repetitive nonsense of of those who are have yet to awaken will be in charge of the world.  Here are three more pairs of thought that will benefit us to examine:

Anger or appreciation – it seems the world is run by anger lately. The underbelly of anger is made up of fear and the needs of the ego.  When either fear or ego is in charge the world is in a mess.  Anger has been leaking out all over the political process because people’s fears are stirred up and egos feel out of control.  Politicians who use fear as a major way to get votes are selling their souls because of a hunger for power. 

The opposite of anger is appreciation and a key component to a healthy mental and emotional state.  When we focus on what we have to appreciate in life, everything seems better and possibilities seem endless.  So the choice is appreciate what is or feel miserable about what isn’t.  Neither by the way are right or wrong they are simply opinions or thoughts directed by how we want to look at things.  Appreciation has two great advantages: one is that it feels so much better to be in appreciation and two is things work out for the better when we are focused on being grateful.

Competition or cooperation – Our nation is highly competitive and that has advantages but not when it often takes the form of having to be right or needing to be in control.  There are many who feel they have to win as if their self-esteem is dependent on it.  Winning or losing doesn’t matter unless that sneaky ego of ours is involved.  Competition has the capacity to bring out the best in people and sadly sometimes the worse.

Cooperation is definitely needed at almost every level of human society.  Families need to work together to stay together.  Work doesn’t work without people cooperating with each other.  Communities fall apart without people working together.  Our government is a mess because egos see being right as more important than seeking solutions.  Cooperation is a problem solver and solution innovator and so needed today in this country and around the globe.

Isolation or Connection is a growing concern in this nation.  Watching the world on TV or on the Web doesn’t mean we are connecting to people.  Many people live in the incredible isolation of the fear of their own thoughts and beliefs.  We are all global partners on the planet so we need to think big and beyond the imaginary boundaries of our maps.  What we do in our community has a greater affect on the entire planet than most would realize.  If we live, buy and act locally we limit the planetary affect. 

Connection is a huge piece of the puzzle for solutions to the world’s problems.  If we sit down with each other we will discover how much in common we have.  We all want a better life for ourselves and our families.  We all want the freedom to choose our own life.  We all want love.  We all want a purposeful life.  We all want so many things just like everyone else.  Yes we are deeply connected at so many meaningful levels.  If we realize our connection there is no limit to the resources we can bring together to resolve all the world’s issues.

So keep expanding our thinking, keep opening ourself to possibilities and keep awakening more fully for the good of all humanity.  

Stop Blaming, Start Thinking Solutions

There is so much going on politically, socially and religiously that needs to be questioned at every level.  Our thinking needs to be uplifted beyond the ego, beyond our limiting points of view, beyond narrow religious beliefs, beyond endless empty opinion, beyond the greed driven economy, and beyond the wining, blaming and complaining.  There is a higher nature in every one of us, an objective, compassionate, conscious and observing mind that can step back and see with clarity.   How come so many hang out in thought places of hate, of anger, of fear, of blame and other miserable states of mind?  Is it as easy as change our thoughts, change our experience of life.  I would argue it is and here is why.

We live in a world that seems focused on “us versus them.”  That “us vs. them” is represented by our many TV battles of reality shows, sports and endless cop and bad guy shows.  So our psyche is filled with these battles against potential enemies. This is all about fear and little is about what it takes to create a better world.  This “us vs them” are just thoughts that we can change.  Here are areas we need to use our higher mind to act more clearly :

Fear or Hope – Fear is a powerful state of mind that runs our world and is so not necessary if we work together.  TV shows and news feed our fear, politics use fear to manipulate, religions use fear to control.  Fear is just a thought and it can be changed if we choose to do so.  Hope and love are really much closer to reality and much more pleasant thoughts to have.  In times of disaster people come together from all beliefs and work together in compassion and hope for those in need.  So when we want to we can come together for the good of all.

Debate or Conversation – everywhere the airways are filled with opinion, which is all ego based and destructive.  The shouting heads do nothing but stir up problems.  Debate is too often ego masturbation.  Turn off all opinion based program especially Fox and you will be happier as a person.  Instead of all this nonsense filling the air lets sit down and talk and listen and leave the big mouths out in the cold where they can chill out.  We need people to sit down and talk, to seek understanding, to find positive solutions, and to act with compassion.

Blaming or Taking Responsibility – the blame agents of the world are crap magnets.  The more we blame and complain, the more we have to blame and complain about.  This is so obvious that if we don’t see it, we need to stop everything we are doing and find out who we are.  The world will never get better in blame mode it will only get worse.  What changes things, in a positive direction, is people taking responsibility for what is not working and get involved in what will work.  To blame the government and taxes is to not be willing to be part of the solution.  We are the government and we have to hold us accountable.  Taxes are not the problem, we lack our leadership to make the system work.  No well working system means total chaos (think Mexico). 

Entitlement or Compassion – there are many who feel entitled to have all the money and power they want and hate those that need help.  This is because greed has replaced their hearts.  Social Security, medicare and healthcare are essential for any civilized nation yet the heartless project (blame others for acting as they do) their entitlement issues on those in needed.  Compassion is one of the great teachings of all religions yet the so call “religious” lack compassion for most people.  Compassion, love, caring and kindness have the power to resolve all (every single one) of our world problems.

Are you thinking with clarity, consciousness and compassion?



Wake Up, Wake Up, Wake Up

Waking up seems to be a theme on my mind lately so I am wondering if this theme is my tuning into what I see as a very significant need in the world or is it some aspect of myself, my own inner knowing that is seeking to be more awake, more conscious.  I am going to make the assumption that both are true because we are all interconnected.  I want to explore how my (our) growth and awakening are aligned with the evolutionary/higher consciousness needs of the people on the planet.

First point is that the human evolutionary drive feels primal so we are all in the midst of some biological imperative that never lets up.  Our body at a cellular level is always ready to move forward, to express itself more fully.  I am not a scientist so I can only explaining this as a more of intuitive sense.  Deepak Chopra is a wonderful source of wisdom about this from a medical and quantum level.  Over at Sounds True he has an excellent series on The New Physics Of Healing.  Bruce Lipton (at Sounds True also) is also an excellent resource for a deeper understanding of the biological forces pushing for our awakening.

Second point is that each of us along the journey of our life has opportunities to awaken probably on a daily if not moment-to-moment basis.  We humans sometimes tend to put our heads down and push forward.  That push of what feels like survival can short circuit the opportunity to slow down and notice the awakening that is waiting for us.  Slowing down seems to be the single most important discipline for those who are interested in awakening.  We struggle to awaken when we are at full speed ahead.  We need to instead slow down, take a deeper breath, look around and become acquainted with the moment.  Insight, awareness and higher consciousness come from taking the time to be fully present.

Third point is that individual change impacts the collective consciousness. Our change impacts the collective knowing.  If we feel the urge to grow it is both within us and provoked by the collective consciousness. As we awaken and expand in our awareness, the whole is affected.  When the light of insight goes on inside we naturally spread our light to those around us and the world quietly shifts.  We are both individual consciousness and share a unity of consciousness.

Final point is that if we look around and tune in we can feel the fear of the unknown, we can sense the longing for change, we can hear the shouts of ego, we can feel our own reactivity and other waves of emotions, thoughts, ideas, beliefs etc.  There are no clear answers except that the past hasn’t worked.   We all feel how stuck things are if we question beyond the surface noise of the human verbal jungle, we will find a deep urge to express more fully, to rise above the muck of empty thoughts and verbal jujitsu and seek a place of solutions for all beings.   The watered down dogma is useless, the moral majority is neither, politics is failing and greed is in charge.  At the same time there is so much waiting in way of positive possibilities.

Our only real hope is for you and I and everyone else to wake up and get engaged in meaningful dialogue with minds and hearts that are open enough to seek ways that represent higher consciousness then created the problems we face today. 

So wake up as best as you can today and then more the next day and on and on.  

Your Inner Guidance System

Much like the space shuttle and the space capsules that went to the moon, we have any inner guidance system that helps keep us on course in life.  We are however much more flexible and wiser than the guidance systems that directed those journeys out beyond the Earth’s atmosphere.  Our system is run by the guidance of our critical thinking mind, the wisdom of our heart and the deep knowing of our intuition. There are endless possibilities in each moment and all we have to do is pay attention to the guidance being made available to us.  If we follow this guidance, our lives will remain on course for a fulfilling life.  If we go numb, quit caring, stop growing or ignore our higher sense of knowing, we will suffer.   

There are a number of ways our guidance system may be communicating with us that we may be missing, ignoring or utilizing.  The follow are a number of ways guidance may come to us:

Gut instincts – there has long been recognized a knowing that we feel in our stomach.  This knowing may come in the form of tension or tightness when we know something isn’t right.  The gut may also feel light or charged with positive vibration like laughter and excitement, which tell us we are heading in the right direction.

Intuitive messages – these messages are often felt or seen inside.  There is a sense that this is what we need to do.  Intuition is a knowing in us that we can always trust because when we do as we are guided they tend to work out well for us.  Paying attention to our intuition will encourage the guidance come more often and in ways we can understand.

Body sensations – the body is made up of a variety of sensing abilities that provide us almost constant feedback and guidance.  We can see when things look right.  We can hear the message that matter most.  We can smell the scent of what will work the best.  We can taste the flavor when things are going well.  We can touch into a deeper sense of flow within the body, which tells us we are moving toward greater aliveness.

Clarity of thought – our minds are thinking, figuring, judging understanding and questioning machines.  The mind can drive us to distraction or slow to glimpses of insight.  If we learn to sort through the noise of the mind’s chaos we find a stream of calmer knowing.  When a thought is clear we see and feel that it is so.

Heart center – the heart is actually full of processing and sensing cells much like the brain.  The heart also has a huge signal pathway for knowing called emotions. The Heart knows what is right or wrong for us by how we feel.  When we feeling joy, love, peace, freedom and harmony, we are on track and doing, being, and going as we should.  If we feel fear, anger, worry and discontent we have lost touch with what we know is right for us.

Feedback from others – often we have blind spots, dark sides, shadows, pockets of unawareness where others can help us see ourselves more truly.  People we trust can help us by providing insights they have about who we are and what is or isn’t working for us.  They too have all the above knowing tools and when turned in our direction, they can provide a great deal of light to our life.

The world around us – there is such a thing as universal guidance in which synchronicity and happenstance play a role in informing us about what we need to know.  This guidance may come in the form of a sign on our way to work, a song we hear on the car radio that replays in our head, a butterfly that lands on our shoulder as we contemplate an idea, the timing of something so perfect we know it was meant to show us the way.  The universe conspires to help us whenever we get clear about where we want to go with purpose.

Other guidance points may include: moments of uplifting energy that tells us we are spot on, clarity of sight when we realize everything seems more clear, feelings of oneness with all that is around us, a light of inspiration can shine and brighten our pathway, or a peaceful moment of knowing will tell us we are going where we need to go. 

What are you ways of knowing that match with these above and what additional insight can you share?

Intensity Of Sources For Awakening

Yesterday I presented 20 questions to invite you and I to become more conscious.  I was wondering if questions on a screen are an effective way to provoke insight and awareness.  My hope the answer is yes.  I know my readings often provoke my thinking to be more expansive.  I often have insightful experiences through the variety of podcasts where I listen to the spoken word, which seems more alive and enlightening in a different way.  Maybe most potent of all are live conversations, counseling, presentations etc.

This tells me several things.  That we are awakened in a variety of ways and I suspect these are different for each of us.  Maybe however the more alive the presentation the more powerful the potential for awareness?  The sound of voices is more alive than the written word so maybe the potential for awakening is stronger.  Direct interactions bring with them the personal energy of the counselor, the friend, the presenter etc and the potential for awakening is even more alive.   This makes sense to me, does it to you?

What other factors affect the awakening potential?  Certainly the degree of consciousness of those we interact with has an affect.  Unaware people are usually not going to be forces for our awakening. 

The receptiveness of the receiver seems important also.  If we are open and active in our search for consciousness we will make it happen more easily.  If we seek to awaken we will awaken.  If we have little or no interest, we will at times gain greater insight by accident.

Another influence includes the importance of the lessons in our life that are in waiting.  It seems the more we need to learn something to move our life forward the more the opportunities for awareness will be presented.  This idea is not new but I have always wondered what makes these needed lessons appear in our life; what is the source that guides these lessons.  My understanding is that we all come equipped with a higher guidance system onboard.

I will write more about our higher guidance system in tomorrow’s post.  For today, be open to what awakening potential in you is waiting to be expressed and enjoy your day. 

Twenty Of The Best Questions To Expand Consciousness

As you know if you are a reader of my blog I am passionate about peace and consciousness.  I have decided our best hope for peace is for us all to wake up.  Raising our consciousness is waking up and I wanted to share with you 20 or my favorite consciousness raising questions.  These 20 questions come from a list of 140 questions I put together over the weekend.  Let me know what you think of these questions, actually more what insights you gain from exploring them.  Ask each question of yourself.

Here are twenty of the best questions for expanding your consciousness: 

Who am I?

What matters most to you and how are you living what matters?

If you are not your thoughts who are you?

How did you exist before this lifetime and what will continue after your body dies?

Is there a knowing beyond your mind? How do you know that and what is this knowing?

What is your higher self?

What ways are we all alike?

How do you wake up when you know you have been sleep- walking through life?

What from your past are you allowing to mess with your life now?

What are your methods of growth and how do you keep them expanding?

Are you your harshest critic and if so what will you do to be more supportive and kind to yourself?

What do you know of the power of silence in your life?

How would you spread more loving-kindness in the world?

How does seeking the approval of others get in your way?

Why is it healthy to acknowledge and accept your feelings?

Why is taking responsibility for your life essential for your well-being?

What does it mean to do self-care of mind, body, emotions and spirit?

How come there is so much anger in the world?

How come life’s lessons are so important?

How come your individual expression is so important for you and humanity?

Please enjoy and expand.



Pax’s Lessons About Life

It was a sunny and warm Sunday afternoon when I sat down to write the draft of this.  My dog Pax and I had just returned from a walk.  It was hot but he had a good swim in the lake so now he is lying near me taking a nap.  My dog is wonderful teacher if I pay attention to what he shows me about life. 

Pax speaks in his own language by the sounds he makes and the actions he takes to indicate: what he likes, when someone his invading his space, when another dog is trying to take his toy, and when he is so happy when we get home.  What do his messages show me about life?

When he makes noise to tell us he likes something it is his way of saying how much he appreciates us giving him attention.  He loves to be hugged, petted, scratched etc.  He purrs almost like a cat.  We can learn from this that it is good to share our appreciation.  Appreciating is a two-way street, we benefit both from being appreciated and giving appreciation.  Those who care for and about us appreciate loving affection.

He understands the importance of boundaries that is why he lets someone know if they are invading his space.  He loves to look out the upstairs window where he barks at people who come too close to our home.  He does the same in our backyard.  We all must learn to respect our own boundaries and say “no” when we need to and keep our distance from people who are not healthy for us to be around.

When another dog is trying to take his toy sometimes he gives them the growl that clearly says back off.  He understands the importance of placing limits on others.  It seems we as a nation need to place limits on how much BS we are willing to put up with.  I know Pax would really growl if he saw how much intolerance is going on out there, how much we waste on war, how much we let the people say nonsense and spread misinformation and don’t hold them accountable, how much we let the religions of the world tell us what to think, say, and do and so much more.  There is much to growl at and to say that is enough and we are not going to put up with it any more.

Lastly his apparent joy when we get home is about appreciating the moment, about appreciating those we love, about valuing our relationships most of all.  As he sleeps away as I write this, I think what a joy he is, what a gift he is to our life.  I too get excited when I see him after I have been away.  We all need love, we all need to be cared for, and we all need to have relationships that nurture us.  Pax is excited about life and it is infectious. 

Peace Corp, New Opportunities, Expressing Our Uniqueness

One of the staff at our Detox program is heading into the Peace Corp and there was a going away party for him at a local pub last night.  The University of Colorado band was playing on Pearl Street near the pub because tomorrow is the first home football game.  The place was busy and buzzing.  It is sad and exciting to say goodbye.  He will not miss the crazy drunk college kids tomorrow night in Detox because he has worked with them before and he is knows they can be a handful.

When people I know leave and move on to new experiences I feel both a positive anticipation for them and sadness because they are gone and I will miss them.  This 24 y/o guy was a joy to have around and now he gets to go to Azerbaijan next to Iran on the Caspian Sea and make a difference for children in a difficult place to grow up.  They will greatly appreciate him and he will grow as they teach him also. 

His going also has me thinking it is a time for change for me also.  I feel the call again and again to write more, to make a bigger difference, to commit more deeply to my own journey toward higher consciousness, and to focus more on my peace work.  It seems the universe is lining up support for that to happen but what that looks like is yet unclear.  I am ready, my wife is ready and Pax our peace dog is ready. 

I don’t find myself waiting, instead I sense a greater urge to explore more ideas, to further open my mind, to expand my heart, and to keep getting stronger in ways of flow, intuition, creativity and passionate action.  Where this will lead me is unknown but there is much positive anticipation. 

The words in me that I feel and want to explore are: love, peace and harmony.  I send those out to the world to show me the way to my greater expression.  I also send them to my young friend as he heads to a foreign land where his life will be very different for the next two years.  Love, peace and harmony, may we spread it everywhere we go in our own unique way.

What urges to change do you feel?  What guiding ideas are calling you to expressing your uniqueness?

Individualism Is Our Best Hope

Individualism is something to be banished according to conservative religious groups.  Of course it is because individuals are dangerous because they think for themselves and tend to question beliefs and ideas.  Those that question seem very threatening to those that are filled with beliefs that they think everyone should share with them.  All religions are made up of belief systems that they feel are right and that all others are wrong.  Just that belief alone should make everyone question everything they say.

Individuals who seek to follow their own knowing, who keep exploring ways to be more aware and awake human beings, who pursue life according to their own higher values are essential to freedom and the growth of consciousness on the planet. 

The followers are much more dangerous to the survival of humanity.  Most fundamental religions would collapse if the people began to be individuals, if they began to question the dogmas and beliefs of their ministers and churches. 

Politics is another example of the danger of followers.  People in the Tea Party think of themselves as unique thinkers.  In reality their movement is financed by very wealth contributors who manipulate them into supporting the ideas that keep them wealthy.   There are no new positive solutions in this movement just the same old tired ones of blaming government and taxes for all their problems.  Of course the very wealthy want government to stay out of their way.  

One of the recent Tea Party winning candidates said that evolution was impossible and basically her religious story was the only truth.   That is pure belief blindness.  Who are the people voting for her, obviously they are angry and blinded by their own beliefs. 

One in Seven people in this nation are now in poverty.  Our system of government is working well for about 2% who are very wealth.  Followers have and will only make this situation worse. 

Individuals have the capacity to bring about real changes because they think outside the box.  Open and creative minds are the answer, not doing the same old ideas that got us into the mess we are in.

Individual people will never be led to believe nonsense because they have common sense.



Let The Self-Doubt Go And Become Present To The Now

The evening darkness is coming early now as the sun sets in the mountains.  I can no longer be in denial that Fall is on its way.  I have noticed that my thoughts don't hang out in Fall, I go right to "oh no Winter is coming."  Looks like I better change my thinking because Fall can be very enjoyable.  This has been a hot summer with most days 90 or near 90 degrees.  Cooler weather will be appreciated as long as it doesn’t get cold.  The ice and snow is what I really wish would never happen because it means it is slippery for my bike riding and running on trails.  It is beautiful here so even the snow isn’t bad for a day or two.

I was talking to a co-worker today and she was struggling with feeling under-appreciated and I could feel for her.  This kind of work can be demanding and sometimes us human service professionals feel overlooked and under appreciated.  Yes co-workers and clients can speak of gratitude and that feels good.  Ultimately though appreciation for most work we do comes from inside.  When we appreciate ourselves, our purposeful work, our satisfaction for doing what we want to do that can make us feel complete even when the outside world may forget to tell us how much we are valued. 

Lately I have become more aware of the subtleness of the ego at work.  I have found myself in moments of pure enjoyment in nature or simply appreciating some aspect of life and than a picture flashes on the screen on the inside of my forehead.  That picture is an image of one of my screw-ups in life and it is placed there by my ego to take me away from the moment and put me into discomfort.  The ego does that because it exists only when we hang out in the past or the future. 

Ego’s don’t like the present moment because they realize they have little or no influence over our experience of the now.  In the present we are fully into what is going on and often enjoying being in the company of who we are and those we love.  Love, happiness, joy, peace, freedom, and awareness can only happen in the moment.  We can’t love and be happy in the past or in the future.  The ego prefers we worry about the future and obsess about the past.  Why is this is the ego’s agenda?  How come the ego is so uncomfortable with us enjoying the now?

I am unclear why this is except to say that our ego is more comfortable having us be uncomfortable.  That means the ego can have us in fear or anger, which allows the ego to dictate our thoughts and run our life.   Being in fear or other negative states of mind is how most people live and that is why so many are unhappy, angry and afraid.  When the ego is in charge people become upset about life and have very few moment of joy. 

The opposite of ego dominance is living moment to moment and enjoying the experiences of being fully present.  Yes sometimes the present can seem challenging but in those challenges can come satisfaction, relief, or insight.  Actually in the moment is the only place that love, peace and happiness occur naturally and we could say that all positive emotions arise effortlessly by being present.

I have gone off in several directions here.  Let’s see if I can tie things together.  If I appreciate the moment, I don’t have to worry about the coming of Winter.  In the moment, my ego has much less power to crash the party of the present.  Being in the moment and mindful gives me wonderful experiences of life that I can totally enjoy and appreciate. 

If we find ourself in self-doubt, unappreciated, fearful, angry or upset, take a step away from the thinking mind and instead become present to the greater possibilities of the now.