Family Dynamics And Going Off Course

Today I want to write about the inner struggle of when our heart guides us to what is true and the need for the ego to be right.  This differentiation is important but often disguised with the logic/rationalization of our mind.   One of my clients has struggled and her family has struggled because of her addiction.  Families are often troubled deeply be the addictions of family members. 

Addictions often arise out of the dysfunction of the family.  The addict is often unconsciously placed into the role of the Identified Patient (IP) by the family members.  This lets the other members of the family place blame on the IP and not examine their own part in the situation.   This is a familiar pattern in most trouble families but a serious question goes unanswered.  Is the IP the only one who needs help?

These families are usually made up of members who each have their own level of dysfunction.  Some may have blocked off their hearts, others hide their issues better, anger and impatience may spill out of the interactions, and some may even enter into full denial that they too have issues.  The ego-mind wants to blame others, wants to avoid looking at self and will push others away to keep in the safety of its own rationalizations. 

Back to the opening statement, the ego that pushes away the IP does so to be right and in control.  The rationalizing mind often does lots of closing down to keep protected from feelings what may be uncomfortable.  The heart knows the truth and this truth complicates relationships because all the logic won’t get past a knowing heart. 

As I am writing this I realize I am trying to explain something that most of us don’t want to look at.  A key question: Is the situation I find myself in because I am living the truth of my heart or is the ego rationalizing the situation and keeping me blind or blocked to what is right?  The right thing to do is to listen to the heart and to remain compassionate even when the ego is feed up, impatient or mad.  Compassion for the person in need is always a healthy and better strategy than impatience and anger. 

Signs that we have gone off course:

We need to be right

We are blaming others for how we feel

We are angry at being disappointed

We lose patience with the struggles of others

We have lost touch with our compassionate heart

We find ourselves judging others who aren’t doing what we think they should

We think we understand what is going on inside of another

We put expectations on others that are unrealistic

We feel powerless so we give up trying or push people away

We rationalize our pulling away because we feel out of control

We let our ego mind dictate our life and focus on what is wrong instead of what is going right

 We all do the above at times, the key is to notice when we are off course and to take the time to acknowledge we now must head ourselves in the right (compassionate) direction. The wisdom of the heart is an excellent guide for this process.  



When Stuck, Seek The Light

It looks like it is a list week because I am encouraging you and me to get ourselves in gear so we can bring about any shifts in life that we know are necessary.  This weekend I had a massage and the therapist told me I was carrying too much tension in my neck and shoulders.  Sometime my work feels like I am carrying the weight of all those I help and emotionally that is a lot of weight to carry.  Addicts battle their upbringing, their addictions, the legal system because of all the trouble they get themselves into, and maybe most of all, themselves.  When we don’t feel ok about ourselves we tend to make poor decisions about our life and that often leads to more troubles to deal with.

How do we break out of the discouraging cycles we find ourselves caught up in?  How do we care enough about ourselves to say no to what isn’t working and yes to what we know is right for us?  How do we cause a significant shift in our life when we are filled with self-doubt?  How do we create a positive life when we may never have had much in the way of positive experiences? 

I remember once I was working with a client that had significant chronic pain and there was a dark cloud that followed him wherever he went.  In a group exercise I asked everyone to come up with at least one positive possibility, idea, or memory in their life.  This guy could not think of one positive thing.  I could feel how stuck he felt so I was inspired to ask him, “If he could imagine light coming into his life?”  I didn’t say what that light might be so he could imagine it in any way that might work for him. He said he would give the idea of light a try. 

There happened to be a book at that time by Shakti Gawain called Living in the Light.  I picked up a copy at a local bookstore and gave it to him.  About three months later he called me to report how well he was doing, he had friends and invited me to a summer gathering.  He also thanked me for helping him. 

How do we let more light into our lives?  Here are 20 ways to turn the light on inside of you:

1. Read inspirational books (see list below)
2. Listen to expansive ideas (see list below)
3. Take classes on something you want to learn
4. Find a mentor, personal coach and/or counselor
5. Seek out the feedback of those around you
6. Say yes to opportunities to open and express love, compassion and kindness
7. Find what kinds of activities make you feel energized and alive and do them often
8. Express yourself creatively in ways you enjoy
9. Explore regularly the endless potential within you
10. Each day take time to appreciate yourself and your life
11. Practice mindfulness and be present throughout your day
12. Smile often and make a difference in the world in ways that bring you joy and purpose
13. See life as an experiment and adventure that is endlessly fascinating
14. Listen within to the deep inner wisdom of your heart, your body, and your intuition
15. Find ways to communicate with your spirit or higher nature
16. Connect into the knowing ways of the Earth and the universe
17. Practice daily total love and acceptance of yourself. 
18. Be a more social person and reach out to others and enrich their lives and yours
19. See the beauty around you in nature and from human creativity
20. Each day seek to become a more aware and conscious human being

Are you ready to let the light in?



Let Yourself Be Uplifted By The Ideas Of Others

My last few days off have been very energizing and with lots of inner practice and a very interesting interview at Insights At The Edge over at Sounds True (go through ad to the right please) of Ann Marie Chiasson MD who is both doctor and energy healer.  She shares some mind-bending ideas that certainly enhanced what I thought was possible.  I have mentioned the Insights At The Edge on a number of occasions and I want to emphasize again this free podcast series which is so mind expanding.  If like me, you are interested in the further realization of your potential then take the time to listen to as many of the interviews as you can.  You will be amazed at how much more you can escape out of the box of your own mind toward a freedom of expression that will leave you in awe of what is possible. 

Here is a list of the interviews I highly recommend:

Ann Marie Chiasson

Tara Brach

Sally Kempton

Natalie Goldberg

Danny Dreyer

Mark Thornton

William Buhlman (OBE’s)

William Bengston

Thomas Moore

Shiva Rae

Stanislav Grof

David Ison

Peter Levine

Sandra Ingerman

Alex Theory

Bruce Lipton

David White

Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Terry Tempest Williams

Sean Corn

Geneen Roth

Michael Beckwith

Barbara Marx Hubbard

Most of the rest of these interviews are also well worth your time.

Yesterday I recommended 10 of my favorite inspirational novels and today these interviews because they are all about being more fully alive; about arriving each day with lots of energy even as we get older; and because you and I are alike in that we know there is more waiting inside of us and around us that we can feel calling us to be more.  This “moreness” is not from a place of not enough but from a knowing inside of us that we are here in this life to be all that we can be because it is our purpose.  This personal expression of purpose can’t help but greatly enrich the world.



Change Your Thoughts Change Your Life: Ten Best Spiritual/Inspirational/Motivational Novels To Extend What You Think Is Possible

I am in the midst of four days off I have been doing two OBE’s per day and having some really interesting adventures.  See the novel experiment in the post below to get a taste.  The fun of these adventures is that I feel more in touch with myself and my muse is fully activated.   There is a sense of separation from the story of my life and yet other stories emerge.   Maybe there are parallel planes of existence? 

It is so easy to get caught up in the drama of life that you and it can actually feel real.  That realness quickly dissolves when I put a dose of mindfulness into my thinking.  With a little examination it become crystal clear that my thoughts are just thoughts and have little or no basis in reality.  This clarity of my process seems so liberating at a number of levels.

If my story is just a story then I can change it.  If my story isn’t real then I can watch it and not get caught up in it.  Both of these ideas are not new but very freeing so I think I will adopt them as more real than what I previously thought.  Maybe you and I can totally alter our perceptions by changing what we think?

Today is a paid holiday.  I love paid holidays.  But it is not a holiday I take off from being present or seeking growth because these activities make it even better.  If I can get paid to pursue awareness and consciousness then I have a perfect job.  Now I need to figure how to do this all the time.  My mind is bubbling like a nice dark chocolate bread pudding ready to come out of the oven.  Lots of sweet ideas and a taste for the extraordinary, that is what I am brewing up.  Do you want to join me?

Let’s turn this week upside down or inside out so that we are not stuck in the groove of the familiar.  Are you ready to rock?  First I want to suggest that you stop by your local library or bookstore and pick up some new reading.  You know what interests you but let’s put a different angle to it.  You need to stir yourself up in some kind of way that will enhance your life.

Here are a few books I want to highly suggest to shift you to a more high powered gear.  I am about consciousness and growing our connection to our potential and our higher nature so these books all have this flavor.

Ten Best Spiritual/Inspirational/Motivational Novels To Extend What You Think Is Possible:

Illusions – Richard Bach

Hypnotizing Maria - Richard Bach

The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho

Old Path, White Clouds – Thich Nhat Hahn

The Way of the Peaceful Warrior – Dan Millman

Siddhartha – Herman Hesse

Stranger In A Strange Land – Robert Heinlein

Daughters Of Joy – Deepak Chopra

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari – Robin Sharma

The Way Of The Wizard – Deepak Chopra

It is always good to read stories that help you venture outside of the box of your own thoughts.  Enjoy!



Novel Flow Adventure Continues – Lets Give It A Number – Part Four

The moon was approaching full as I floated off the screen and beyond the range of normal human perceptions.  This is no ordinary life and I must remember that the expansive experiences are more real than the daily routine of living. The off screen version is free of the conditioned past and not concerned about the future.  Yet I took often hang on to the familiar and discount the unusual.

Wait is that a knock at my door?  Not again!  Is someone trying to expose my lack of conformity?  The little kid knows to not trust what adults say.  Sometimes he actually believes me however because he sees me step off the reality wheel and that makes him happy.  Just the mailman delivery another check; yeah I love the flow of money.

Today a mountain lion will contemplated venison tartar but I won’t see him looking.  All kinds of life hide behind what we think we can see.  This blindness may be a peaceful cohabitation. 

The white haired young women with the bold eye lashes pushed hard against my back trying to rid the tension of too many emotions piled up as I carry the weight of those who want help but are too wounded to not bleed feelings everywhere they go.

On that table with the mists of soothing aromas I wanted to leave my body because travel was calling me.  My time was up and so I left peacefully with determination to set off on the journey later. 

The leaving happens easily with the help of my higher Self but there is a deeper journey awaiting that so far I skim the surface of.  This time I ended up in a place called Healing Heaven where people go when they are unconscious or in an induced coma.  This is a place where the still alive go for healing when they are unconscious.  It never occurred to me that a place like this existed.  It still seems odd but a friend name Davy may shed some light here next time we cross paths. 

The day is cool but bright and my body is ready to travel the pathways and trails and running is my chosen method.  As I sit here and write I can feel the energy of movement gearing up.  Nature calls me up in to the hills but my easy rider self wants to cruise instead of work too hard.  Maybe a roller coaster trip is what is called for? 

Back - Cruise guy won out with a few hills but mostly flat. Then I took a longer ride into OBE land and the rest got to be fun.  I seem to keep on coming back to meeting my Self that is not anchored in my ordinary mind.  This is a positive thing and together we seem to like to soar like birds especially over the ocean.  There aren’t too many oceans in Colorado but that doesn’t stop us as we visited a two favorite beaches one called More Mesa in California and another at Ecola State Park in Cannon Beach.  Soaring off these cliffs down toward the ocean is like hang-gliding without a hang glider.  Do you ever dream of flying?

My stomach is singing a chorus from Little Shop of Horrors except my name isn’t Seymour.   Grab the two-for-one promo and let’s roll.  Murphy’s is the joint and tasty food is on the menu.  Dreamland later was spiced by dinner and some love.

Back at the ranch on a Sunday afternoon I wandered toward dreamland and found myself in a place called Anza-Borrego where the desert flowers were dancing to the tune of spring.  As I wandered about I ran into a deep caramel skinned women who introduced herself as Mary Skeptica and I knew something seemed familiar.  She proceeded to tell me that she was a shaman who claimed to occupy my feminine side.  This was news to me but then again how many guys seek a relationship with their inner feminine? 

Maybe we should form a book club or something I suggested.  We both laughed and she sat me down for a pointed lesson she felt I needed to hear.

I woke up grasping onto the ideas she shared and promised myself to sit down and write notes about the insights I gained.  Distraction followed and here I sit scratching my head trying to remember the conversation.  The one thing I do remember other then her name and relationship to me it that I can go back their an meet her.  Looks like I will be heading to the desert instead of a dessert later.    



Say No To Corporate Greed And Religious Righteousness

There is so much that we all need to be questioning and concerned about within the political arena that I have to write about it today.   I have decided that GOP stands for the God Of Profits also known as greed.  The attempts to eliminate unions and collective bargaining were ramped up during Reagan’s presidency when the wealthy got huge tax breaks and the unions were bashed continually by Reagan who was clearly a puppet of corporate interests.  How long will people allow those who don’t care about us to hold elective office?

It is good to see the people of Wisconsin are up in arms over the GOP governor who mismanaged the state and now he wants to blame the unions.  Typical moves when greed and ego are in charge.  Unions have long served a positive purpose in protecting workers from the greed machine.  Unions are imperfect like we are but the bashing of them is for only one purpose – to maximize profits.  Are profits more important than people?

The far right in Congress has actually entangled their confused sense of God into not funding birth control and other important Planned Parenthood programs (no abortions would have been funded by this money in case that is an issue for you.)  This seems to be really a war on women as if they don’t matter and run by some kind of very mixed up rationalization of the ego mind.  Is it ok that those in power want to take away women’s choices? 

I am a mental health and addictions professional and I work with people every day who were incredibly damaged by parents who were not ready for parenthood.  Birth control and lots of it is essential to the health of the nation since those in Congress are not willing to pay for the less fortunate, to fund needed programs to offset the trauma of these young people’s earlier years.  The method this nation has decided to use to deal with all those who weren’t wanted or weren’t protected as children is to put them in prison for the levels of dysfunction.  Is it ok with you that someone you may know who was badly traumatized as a child will be put in prison when their trauma causes them to makes the wrong choices in life?

The God Of Profits group also want to repeal the health care bill, which although far from enough it represents a move in the right direction.  Not if you love profits more than people.  This is again all about maximizing profits for the insurance/medical/drug industry and not caring about the majority of people who could loose every thing because of the high cost of healthcare.  It seems today everything is driven by the profit motives with not the least concern about what is right for the people.  Is this really ok with you that more profits matter most?

The real false prophets are profits and the real God is compassionate not greedy.  It is time we no longer allow corporations and so-called religious to dictate policy because they are loud and pushy.  We need to push back and we can do so with positive and determined effort.  Remember what the people did in Egypt and know the people have the power.



Kindness Changes The World

Kindness changes the world.  Most days if you watched the news you would think kindness doesn’t exist.  Acts of kindness happen every day in many situations, all over the world.  We have an infinite capacity to be kind if we have an open heart.  Kindness usually comes in simple ways but has profound affects both on the receiver and the person who gives. 

Work in the human services is often about being kind to those we serve.  Most other work in which we interact with others offer us opportunities to be kind.  If we are a member of a church or community, we have opportunities to be kind.  When we are out in the world opportunities to act with  kindness will present themselves.

Why is kindness so powerful?  When we give to another, we enrich their life experience and we enrich our sense of self.  Kindness comes back to us because the universe rewards positive action.  The law of karma and the golden rule both support the idea that kindness comes back to us.  We give however not to receive but to be kind to others.   

Giving with compassion changes our relationship to others.  When we give we expand out connection to each other.  This giving from the heart is powerful and transforms us to be more of what we are capable of being.  We can more fully realize our hearts capacities by interacting with our world from a place of kindness, caring and compassion.  The more we love through kindness the more our heart opens.  The more our hearts open the more we invite other hearts to open. 

Acts of kindness can transform the world toward a compassionate planet where everyone matters and we all look out for each other.  Kindness is needed today as much as ever in human history.

The following are acts of kindness we can integrate into our day and make a big difference:

Be kind in our words to others

Give a hand when you can

Listen with compassion

Reach out to someone who needs a friend

Give to those in need

Let go of judging and instead be accepting

Find your way to peace inside and spread it out into the world

Be more patient with others and yourself

Give of your time to organizations that help others

Help those that are going through a challenging time

Check in with people who may be lonely

Visit those who have experienced loss

Feed those who are hungry

Organize actions that give people their basic needs

Find what opens you to your compassionate heart and express it

Be present with people and give emotional support

 What would you add to this list?  Which acts of kindness do you do?  Are you willing to do more?



Taking Care Of Self When You Take Care Of Others

I saw this really interesting meal on Guy Fieri’s Diner, Drive-in’s and Dives on the Food Network so I had to make it and 1.1/2 hours later just after 9pm we were eating a stuffed spaghetti squash that tasted really good.  It took a long time and was a lot of work but well worth it.  Food is can be so southing, a creative form of expression and I find cooking is a great way to unwind after work.  What do you do so help release a busy day?

Today I had both good news and not so good news at work.  I found out that one of our recent graduates from the treatment program relapsed and lost his housing.  That kind of news is not surprising but always disappointing because we do our best to help our clients be successful.  This is a reality of this work that I have done for many years but it still makes me feel sad.

The good news is that one of our grads called to say he is doing well and now has 15 months of sobriety.  He has work and his family is doing well.  Another recent graduate of our program has been coming to groups to help her keep her recovery going strong.  Both of these grads doing well feels much better and makes the work more rewarding.

These ups and downs are part of working in addictions, mental health and any other human service type work.  Sometimes this emotional rollercoaster takes more of an inner toll than we may notice.  If you do this kind of work, you know what I am talking about, yet this work has to be done so we do it.

Cooking is one of my outlets to offset the ups and downs.  I also work out daily and spend quiet time usually in the form of an evening walk which I will do after I complete this first draft.  Also an important reminder for me is the model in Tuesday post.  This model shows that in the realm of my mind, I must keep present and positive.   If I don’t, I can get very weighted down by the challenges of this work. 

I’m taking a four-day weekend coming up just because I can feel I need the extra few days for self-care.  Time off to relax and renew is very important.

How do you care for yourself when you feel the weight of what you are doing?



How Come There Are So Many Closed Minds?

Lately I have been questioning: why do people get so upset/angry at people who see the world differently than they do?  Why is it so intolerable to some that others don’t have the same beliefs they do?   How come people find it offensive when others question their ideas?

In religion and politics there is so much energy about who is right and wrong.  There are battles between those that say their beliefs are correct and science in wrong.  There are political people that hate those who think differently than they do.  There are people willing to give up their lives in the name of their religious beliefs to prove non-believers are wrong.  Frankly all of this anger, hate and judgment towards those who see the world differently seem like minds and hearts that are closed and that does not seem healthy? 

As a mental health professional and observer of human nature I am often surprised by the responses of those who judge others as wrong and do so with such anger and hate.  The political arena is full of that. Media promotes arguing of differences.  Terrorism is based on that.  Most wars are caused by that.  Religions promote that.  Why is it ok to judge others who think differently, feel differently and look at the world differently as not ok or bad?

My observation is that closed minds do not like to be questioned.  Closed minds are run by ego and are sure they are right.  Closed minds are threatened by other points of view.  Close minds want to be in control.  Closed minds close hearts and the ability to have compassion for others.  Closed minds lack the flexibility to see from the perspective of others.  Closed minds are not fully present.  Closed minds feel fear about what they don’t understand.

What I have observed is that the human mind works on at least two levels of function.  One level is the ordinary mind that is directed by the ego and is about survival and control.  The second level is the higher mind that is about awareness, consciousness, our spiritual nature, and is more the gatekeeper of the heart. 

The ordinary mind level is run by the ego and is judging all things and people in one of two categories - good or bad.  This mind quickly decides what is right and wrong and can get very inflexible.  This inflexibility comes from its own thoughts and fears.  The ordinary mind actually believes what it thinks.  In the self-protection mode of the mind, the heart can close down.

The higher mind is much more comfortable with questions, with ambiguity, with changing ideas and believes and seeks to understand more than to protect.  This makes the higher mind more open and willing to grow.  This also allows the heart to open more fully.

Rigid thinking and protected hearts keep people away and make it difficult to feel compassion and seek understanding of those who see the world differently.  This closed way of being turns most others into enemies and therefore a threat.   This is the cause of most problems in the world and the breeding ground for extremism in the world. 

The best antidote for those who suffer from closed minds is love and its other manifestations compassion, caring and kindness.  With love, growth and awareness the ordinary mind can be saved from itself. 



Take This Model of Focus And Post It

In one of my creative flow sessions I was thinking about my clients and their struggles and this clear image came to mind about how to visualize the journey of life.  This visual works for all of us as a directional model.  Here is the visual my wife created that takes my hand drawing into a whole new level of clarity:

This journey is heading in the right direction when it is positive, in the present, and exploring out potential and from that comes growth as a human being.  This growth is essential to feel ok about who we are.  Positive is important because this puts us in the right frame of mind.  Present is key because if we are not present then we are off track and in the past or future.  Our potential is limitless and this is about living that potential as fully as we can in each area of our life.

Being positive, present and living our potential most often feels joyous, loving, hopeful and in touch with our freedom.  Being present is full of positive emotions because we are present to what is possible in the moment.  Exploring our potential makes us feel alive and energized.  Personal growth and self-realization makes us feel positive about our life

How we get off course is by allowing the mind to wandering into the past or future.  Both of these off course maneuvers cause us to head in the wrong direction.  If we head to the past we tend to enter into self-judgment, often feel powerless because the past is the past and anger is a familiar companion.  The past often haunts us because we falsely live in such dissatisfaction with who we have been.

If we head into the future then we leave the now and this often causes worry and anxiety.  The normal reaction to these emotions is to seek control.  We cannot control the future; yes we can make some plans and take some actions but they only happen in the now.  There is so much life energy used when we live in the future because we spend lots of time rehearsing, obsessing and worrying and because of that there is little time and energy left to make life happen.  

If you are an addict or tend to be hard on yourself, attempting to live in the past or the future will move you back to wanting to be numbed out or going into avoidance.  This is the cause of most relapses on the road to recovery. 

Take this model and put it some place where it can serve as a reminder.  We all need regular reminders to help bring the best out in our lives.

From Be Here Now to Be Love Now

Be Love Now is a really wonderful book with Ram Dass sharing his lifetime of insights and consciousness.  He talks of the early days of his spiritual journey and joy of spending time in the pure unconditional love of his teacher Neem Karoli Baba.  I have been blessed to attending many of Ram Dass’s talks, listening to his presentations and do a weekend retreat.  My connection to him began by reading his early books Grist For the Mill and The Only Dance There Is and then the classic Be Here Now.  Jim a friend I made working nights at a Psychiatric Hospital introduced me to his books and I have been a fan every since. Thanks Jim.

Ram Dass to me is the first American Saint for his journey into spirituality and all the many lives he has touched and awakened.  Teachers like Ram Dass are a gift to humanity.  His light has lifted us all.

What teachers, what books, what inspiration has helped you more fully express who you are?

In Be Love Now Ram Dass shares powerful reminders to anyone who has been on a spiritual path.  This is not about religion; this is about exploring our spiritual nature free of any dogma or doctrine.  What comes of this exploration is often a much more positive sense of self, a deeper connection to others, and the awareness that come from being a more conscious human being.  

Just yesterday with my wife and a friend we read through parts of the brown section of Be Here Now and had a wonderful conversation.  A few years back, I did a collage series from this book because it was so inspirational to me.   

Here are a few of my collages in honor of the teachings of Ram Dass and his loving Guru Neem Karoli Baba:

 



Novel Adventures: More Free Flowing Creativity

Junctions set me wondering where all the options could take me.  I decided to take an inner journey to explore the complications the junction decision matrix.  Not long after the sleep master took over I found myself coated in a thin white layer of protection because my traveling buddy said we were rocketing to the outer edge of the universe.  This is rocketing by some means of self-propulsion that our higher nature knows about but for some reason keeps it secret.  Can you image the airlines industry crashing if we could all rocket wherever we wanted to go? 

Let me hold a minute of silence in sadness over this  business sector nightmare.   Ommmmm

There may be a problem though.  According to what I have been told about this ability I could be across the universe in seconds.  Now wonder the protection is needed.  So does that mean I could be at my brother’s house in Oregon in minus time.  What if I over shot my destination by less than a second? Would I end up in Katmandu or some other mistaken destiny?

So we (me and my infinite self) got to the outer edge and I had this horrible feeling of uncertainty.  According to a friend of mine who is so smart about science, he said we can’t go out of our universe because all the particles/atoms are confined to this universe.  I guess this means we live in a closed system, does that mean we still have free choice if each atom is interrelated?

Back at the outer edge, which is surprisingly defined I hesitated to step across and mess with the balance of both universes.  What would the universe do with my mess of particles exiting the Milky Way stage?  And would I cause the other universe an overload of cataclysmic proportions? 

I won’t know on this journey because we found a door and opened it into this all white backstage kind of setting and I went looking for Ed Harris and Truman.  What is this place?  Off I went to a deeper state of sleep and here I am back full of questions and tasty dinner. 

The licorice tea spunked up my mouth as I still felt dazed by my journey.  The white protective stuff lies like dust on my blanket.  I did have this adventure?  If I only knew what it all meant. 

The message I got today from the universe was compliments of my dog.  He told me that if you live in positive anticipation there is much to wag you tail about. 

By the way, at answer.com they say don’t put a gerbil in a pool of water because they don’t like it and it is a mean thing to do.

(Maybe this is the beginning of an e-book brief novel series and we can share where the flow takes us.  Will you join me?  My mom thought about being a writer but never did and most of us have books of ideas so maybe we can explore this idea as novel adventures or real life explorations?)

An image of my cousin Sharon and I walking down the street in Palm Springs and talking about life has come up lately and that would be very nice.

I made it back to the end of the universe and entered into this white room and then when I went down the hallway things began to change it was like an underground aquarium except that I was looking at the edge of the next-door neighbor universe.  Maybe we can’t travel beyond this universe?  Oh no, that means Star Trek isn’t even possible. 



Social Networks (Not CPAC) Can Help Transform The Planet

Go Egypt Go!!!

Politics have been on my mind lately as I am sure it has been for most with the near miraculous transformation of Egypt happening before our eyes.  There is still so much to be decided there but the people decided that their repression was over.  The same forces of non-violence have been a powerful influence in our own country’s history thanks to Dr King.  From what I understand Facebook also played a role in this amazing event.  Social networks are beginning to understand their power and their potential to influence positive change is immense.  Big expansive ideas can gain traction by spreading the word with so many people linked together. 

Then you have CPAC (the Obama bashing organization) the opposite of big expansive ideas, where the egos battle each other to see who can be the most narrow in their thinking.  Their idea of freedom is to eliminate government and let profits and greed be the guiding principle for this nation.  The radical religious component of this group is actually much more dangerous to the American Way then Muslim brotherhood. 

The religious right actually believe their own very narrow beliefs and expect the rest of us to follow along.  Narrow mindedness is the definition of true repression.   Narrow mindedness is about closing your heart down and excluding those who don’t think the same as they do.  This narrow tent of thinking spreads much fear and hate and offers no positive big ideas or solutions except to return to the past.   They shout for balance budgets but whenever they get into power they spend like crazy on building up the military and supporting oil, banking and other giant mega corporations because they actually believe their own fear driven minds.  Think the financial disasters of the George W Bush era, which are still haunting us.

My hope is that social networks will be part of real transformation across the planet, which includes:

Helping us move past narrow thinking everywhere 

Replacing corporate greed so it is no longer the dominating force in this country or anywhere in the world 

Awakening compassion in people where judging and fear now dominate 

Expanding higher levels of consciousness through all of us so we can more fully realize our positive potential

Opening us up to the creative flow of ideas and solutions to energy, healthcare, food, water and all other needs for the planet.

What are you hopes for positive change?

Self-Barriers Stop Us From Where We Want To Go

The day was long and it wasn’t until after the gym and past 10pm that I sat down to write.  Throughout the day I had been thinking about the endless field of possibilities we all play in and wondered how often we even get a glimpse of who we are and what potential waits for us.  When working with people at the intense level I do, I notice how so many people hold themselves back by how they think about themselves.  This is true for staff and clients. 

There are certain ways that these self-limits manifest:

The biggest issue is usually self-judgment about not being ok.  For people that have destroyed much of their lives through addiction this judgment may seem rational but it is just more of the same self-destructive ways.  Others are run by learned criticism that they continue from their childhood through their self-talk.  

Other powerful limiting issues include the beliefs we have that have no basis in reality and only exist because they go unexamined.  The unexamined life too often falls very short of our potential.  Beliefs are just collections of words we decide are real but examined with awareness these limits can quickly dissolve.

Further limits come from a life of things not working like we expected and this gets translated into self-doubt.  This doubt about who we are is a mind invention and often includes the idea that the flaws in us are to blame for our disappointments.  We all our born flawless but our interpretations of the world can get negative and doubtful. 

When we put the circumstances of our own life outside of ourselves through blame we make ourselves powerless.  Blaming and complaining leaves us with nothing else to do since we refuse to see our part or take responsibility for the results we find in our lives.

Sometimes after a difficult time we even loose faith in things working out.  We wonder, “why me?” and may even give up.  This stuck place turns us toward depression and then the downward cycle can seem impossible.  There is however help here but it means reaching out to others like professionals and people who care enough to help turn us in a more positive and healthy direction. 

Another self-imposed limit can be ignoring our inner messages that change is essential.  Turning away from these knowing messages of intuition, of gut instincts, of stuck emotions, of obsessive thinking, and of turning away from what we really want to do, can leave us feeling empty and stagnate. 

These limits are not real but seem so embedded at times that it can be hard to get unstuck.  Others can be very helpful especially professionals who know how to support and encourage positive changes.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out when you need help.  This reaching out really does shorten the suffering cycle and is good at removing the mistaken self-limits in our way.

The creative flow especially in the form of writing, journaling and other expressive ways can bust down limiting barriers.  I will return with more of my barrier busting novel experiment soon.  

Our Essence Is A Place Worth Visiting Two Doors Down and Page Three

In group therapy last night we had fun going through a book called the Guardians of Being with words and ideas by Eckhart Tolle and art by Patrick McDonnell.  This is a simple consciousness expanding book with delightful pictures to go along.  If you are a pet owner with any bent towards awareness this book is a must read.

Here is one of my favorite quotes:  “What is it that so many people find enchanting in animals?  Their essence, their being is not covered up by the mind, as it is in most humans.  And whenever you feel that essence in another you also feel it in yourself.”  Eckhart Tolle

That essence in you and I is beyond our personality, our cleverness, our thoughts, our achievements, our power, or anything our world would usually value.  That essence is in all living things including our pets, the ecosystem of the Amazon, a herd of elephants, the solar system, and the creative force of the universe.  

Where is that essence located in us?  Could it exist in each cell as life force?  Or be in our heart with its unlimited capacity to feel and be love?  Could it be that this essence is not individually located but found when we experience the unity of all things?  Or is it our breath interacting with the universe?  Maybe it is all of these or something our words and ideas can’t wrap around?

Our essence is not realized by any cognitive process.  It is much more a feeling sense, a knowing beyond ordinary thoughts, an intuitive understanding.  Stillness is a very direct passageway into the light of knowing.

When was the last time you connected with your essence?  You will always know when you do because the feelings of that connection are so expansive that much of what separates us from the other drops away and the heart opens with such compassionate grace.

By the way, the creative flow is another powerful doorway to understand the greater possibilities that exist within our essence.

I have been inspired to keep this novel experiment going so here is page three:

No Little Louie is fine (how could you think that?) but his bribe demands were too heavy as I dug the trench in his backyard for his gerbil swimming pool.  Do gerbils swim or is this twerp up to some kind of mad experiment?  My guess is with madness.

There must be some kind of structure to this book my inner do-what-is-right-self proclaimed.  What are the basic elements need for the alchemy of this novel.  For now the elemental table is under construction but the parts that have arrived so far or lie in waiting include: out-of-body-experiences, insightful moments, travel twists, friend references, unique messages from the universe and a free form.   That is enough order in the court.

Off in the background the dishwasher did a monotonous two-step. The foreground was occupied by bunch of gray matter trying to not interfere with the flow of things even as I noticed the word count pass 1000 words.  That isn’t bad for an effortless effort.  

The brown pages of Be Here Now still send me trippin even though I never really tripped.   In the California desert between LA and Vegas with the friendly intervention of some chemicals I dropped the ego in the sand and found instead a place called unity consciousness.  Everything slowed down and I explored a freedom from self-identity.  It was a wonderful walk that I never wanted to end.

Insight: I suspect that OBE travels offer similar access to  expanded states of being with a little less heart and more visualization.  Other levels of exploration still sit on the shelf of endless possibilities down the street from eternity.

The flow can get bumped in the explanation of things and then I heard the laugh of the big-armed guy down the hall and I knew I was back at it.  This is about fun, about expression and letting go of the self-imposed structure of ordinary life.  Freedom, thank god almighty free at last.  Thank you Martin.

When I went to the mailbox today there was a postcard with a beautiful picture of some place.  On the backside the note said:

Thank you for listening with your heart.

 (It was signed by) The Universe

I took this as a sign that I was doing something right.  In celebration I laid down on my launch pad and went into orbit around my heart, which I now realize has a garden.  I think Eve ate an avocado and god’s punishment was that She gave it a huge seed. 

On this journey I entered a field somewhere on the Kansas plains and walked until I was carried away by a tornado and deposited back at Bobbi’s Diner just in time for the Thursday vegetable lasagna special.  Bobby Flay would badly lose this throwdown.  But Guy’s already been here and high-fived it.

This novel adventure is fun and I was thinking should I do this separately or continue it here as part of my regular posts? 

Creative Flow Energizes Life And Page Two

Work has been very stressful lately and a 2a.m. racing mind reminded me that sometimes the people I try to help can make my head hurt.  Our treatment program is composed of a band of alcoholics, several homeless guys, a mental health client who needs more meds, an addict hooked on anything that will alter his state of mind, and a few others who can seem functional when they are not in the throes of their addiction.  This mix makes for strange roommates who would never choose to live together in the small space we have.  There are also recent grads of our program experiencing varies levels of success or bouts with failure.  Herding the energy of these people in search of healing can leave the staff and myself worn out at the end of the day. 

There is often this need for re-energization at the end of the workday and that got me thinking again about the boost I get from creative expression.  No matter how tired I am I can almost always get charged up enough to enjoy writing this blog.  So creativity is renewing and refreshing and I love that.  So here we go again because it is time to explore some additional flow in the direction of page two of the novel approach. 

I can feel the excitement in my body as I move toward this writing; let’s see how it flows this time:

All along the cliffs of my discursive thoughts stood my observer in search of emptiness and freedom from judging.  Today I might have a glance of that potential then it would slip away into the habitual nonsense of conditioning and religious upbringing.

On the beach, my walks had rewired the busy mind toward a quiet revelry of the moment but that did little good when I had a tempest brewing inside because change was trying to bang down my door.  So I did what had become natural.  I laid my towel out on the sand and quickly fell asleep. 

If my essence could have been seen by other than the ESP talented mutt just coming toward me after chasing a tennis ball into the surf, the world would have noticed that my life force had left the body and was traveling on an Air France Concord Jet into the past.  There in Paris near the grave of Jim “the Doors” Morrison, I walked heading toward the beautiful church on the bluff. 

Once inside even though a mass was going on I stared up at the dancing mosaic ceiling, which seem more like a make believe heaven of a make believe bible. 

There was a noticeable pop like a muffled gunshot and the priest fell to the ground, screams broke out and in the ensuing chaos a mean-eyed man with a recently acquired limp heading down some stairs within the sanctuary.  Where was professor Hanks when we needed him?

I am a good observer but I lack the craziness to chase him because that’s stuff secret agents like Bourne would do.  Not me, besides that I don’t like mean people.

The French sirens drew closer and I left my towel on the beach as I went for a swim to clear the after affects of adrenaline of this Parisian encounter with my shadow.  Even Jung would be confused by this manifestation so how in the world would I be able to figure it out. 

Soon after my return home there was a knock at the door both familiar and knawing so I dismissed it but it grew in intensity and I made my way towards the child replica of Louie De Palma who I knew was outside.  I opened the door to see this round mound of ectoplasm lift his nose like hound and say, “what’s up mister neighbor man?” Was this his arrogance or was his daddy’s genetic ego DNA link to a cigar face named Rush?

In the high pitched tone of Neil Young ballad came a noise that seem to emanate from a place not more than a ten yards off tackle ramble.  Oh Louie, Louie, I gotta go now.  Off I went in search of cement.  

At the hardware store ring up a former Harvard librarian discussed current events and shed new light on ways to see what was unfolding on the political landscape but the bags of cement in my arms hurried the conversation toward the parking lot.

This is fun and I had a new idea of including people I know into the story and in unique ways tying these stories within stories together. 

Infinite Creativity And A Novel Approach

Today I wanted to follow up on my post from yesterday about my experience of dialoguing with my higher Self.  In this dialogue there was a soothing comfort and I noticed this comfort in my breathing.  It felt like ordinary me and Self were breathing in harmony.  This harmonies breathing brought with it a great sense of well-being.  Of course these two aspects of me were breathing together since they are really just ideas but this breathing felt more expansive. 

I want to see if I can duplicate that unified breathing experience as I go through my day.  I sense that breathing as I sit here, close my eyes and settle back into a place of inner comfort imagining the garden in my limitless heart.  The question is, can I do that without closing my eyes and tuning out the world around me? 

The other idea floating about my mind on my run yesterday was the concept of infinite creativity and as I looked around I saw the beauty and abundance of both human creativity and the natural creations from a more powerful source.  I suspect this urge to be creative and express ourself is an aspect of our larger Self.  I had this thought about Self and creative expression as I wandering about a bookstore and specifically while skimming a book on poetry as spiritual practice.  I was struck by all the creative energy that flowed to write all these books around me. 

My mind then raced ahead thinking about my favorite genre, which are books with stories that uplift, inspire, and move us to a higher level of consciousness.  My next thought was I want to write another novel and give this underlining theme of books that enlighten a further exploration. 

Now my mind is touching into the creative flow and I think about writing the novel live here at my blog and see how that works.  I wonder if I can write it word by word like I write this blog with a focus on being present and seeing what ends up on the screen?  So here goes my first experiment:

There was a tug on my shoulder from behind, my fight or flight mechanism went on high alert and I jumped up and spun around to defend myself.  There was no body there but certainly some thing was in my space.  I sputtered out some kind of air-depleted demand wanting to know what the hell was going on.

In another moment I was lying on my back like Sonny Liston.  There dancing over me out of a sudden mist was a blue skinned woman in a sari, laughing as if she was really enjoying herself.

Oh no not you again! I said and soon we were nose to nose. 

In the next moment I woke up and instantly remembered I had been traveling in my sleep.  I got up to move around and felt a demanding hunger for some Chicken Korma.  Off I went to the café across the street where I often go to settle my anxiety with a plate of food.

It isn’t easy being intuitive in a world where most people actually believe the nonsense of their own bonehead thoughts.  But somebody has to help wake people up, the alternative is more ditsy ex-governors talking through their backsides.  Yikes are people that dumb?

Somewhere on another planet Bill O tries to explain the existence of the moon avoiding any rational thought.  The Faux News Network stumbles in the ratings because they can’t remember what values they do believe in and if the truth even exists.  

There I go again expecting people to utilize at least some form of critical thinking once in a while. 

Then my damn alarm goes off and I realize I was just in a dream of another dream while my body floated somewhere above Greenland watching the polar cap melt.  Not exactly exciting, nor is Greenland very green.   I hate alarm clocks so I grab it, jump up and move to my ready for launch stance.  As the clock is ready to go airborne I notice below an elder lady in my flight plan and abort the mission. 

“Christ you know it ain’t easy,” for John, Yoko or me.

That was a fun alphabetical romp; see you tomorrow.



Super Bowl And The Unity Of All Things

Now that was a fun Super Bowl Game with lots of scoring and good play.  The halftime show was mediocre because the creative expression of music lost out to big stage hype.   Now its Sunday evening as I sit down to compose this and I am still under the buzz of too many hours in front of a TV.  I feel like I have to reactivate my brain after it was put on hold for the last four hours.  Maybe a brisk walk out in the cold crisp night will jump start the mind and open me to a creative flow.  I’m off to give that a try. 

I am back and after a 40 minute walk in 20degree weather I feel more tired than energized for writing but before I head upstairs for bed I want to share an experience I had today.

This afternoon I was doing my out-of-body practice when I had a very interesting encounter.  I was lying there going into a deep and relaxed state with a thought that I wanted to have contact with my higher nature.  I soon felt a hand grasp mine and pull me away from my body.  This energy then pulled me along and we floated upward.  Soon we arrived at this beautiful garden and we sat together on this bench.  I realize sitting my not be exactly what we did since neither of us had a physical body.

Sitting there and conversing it soon became clear to me that my higher self and I have the ability to be in constant communication, which would be a really good thing.  We talked as if we were one and also like partners on a journey (we are.)  I had this insight that my higher nature or Self and my ordinary self only were separated by a thin veil of beliefs and it was time to remove any barriers.  The next image that came to mind was my two two selves sitting in a garden in the middle of my heart.  I also felt that this journey today was more an inner journey and I wanted to have more experiences like this. These images and insights felt calming and reassuring.  As I write this my thought was, it is time to fully appreciate all that I am.

In this conversation, I learned that not only was I close to my higher Self but also close to the great creative force of the universe.  This Great Spirit and I are also one.  This awareness helped me expand into a unity consciousness of us all being connected to each other.  We are all one from the Great Source to you and I and tuning into the oneness seems very encouraging.

My commitment is to each day spend time in aligning with this place of conscious awareness of the unity of all things and to open to the wisdom and flow of that unity.  Would you join me?



Does Egypt Mean Hope For Us?

Egypt is on everyone’s mind if they pay attention to the news.  This change of power that will come about speaks to the power of the people.  The people have risen up because they wanted freedom from a repressive regime.  This regime has been feed over $2 Billions dollars a year most of which went to the Egyptian Military and that money got spend on weapons systems made by US corporations.  This has been a giant government entitlement program for companies like Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics.  Checkout Amy Goodman one of the only real investigative reporter left for more.

There are many well-educated young people in Egypt who can’t find work and they seem to be a leading force for change.  Economics and the will of the people are powerful and in this case it seems to be leading to the downfall of a government that quit meeting the needs of the people. 

These happenings bring a sense of hope for the greater good when a strong military country like Egypt goes the way of the people. 

I know there are powerful forces in this nation that are tired of the rhetoric of those who seem only to care about more power and greater profits.  Just maybe, no leadership in any nation in these times of global awareness can be heartless and greedy for long without the people saying this is not right and it is time for change. 

We all can have much courage if we are in touch with our heart and our higher nature.  This courage will guide us when it is time for change and we will come together to make that happen.  Greed and hunger for power are lesser forces than our hearts and higher consciousness.



Moving Past The Old Self-Doubt

What if you woke up one day and realized that you are an unlimited spirit?  This spiritual essence is covered by a thin layer called your physical body and personality.  How would that change the way you see yourself?  What would be different about the way you live your life knowing that your spirit was what mattered most?  How would you go about more fully realizing this spirit in you?

Is the truth of who you are in your thoughts?  Are you what flows from your heart?  Are your feelings who you are?  If spirit is who you are, what do you do with your personality and how do you take care of your body?

Questions, questions, questions, is that the way to understand?  Maybe or maybe not but it seems of great value to at least stretch the mind.   Your deeper knowing is most likely not from the part of you called the rational mind.

There is a higher knowing (spirit) beyond the habitual and ego run thought parade.  This knowing is not from figuring things out but rather awakening to a higher understanding.  It is an awakening more to our original nature, to our higher expression, to the spirit within us.

I have probably said the above in a number of ways in other posts and often the writing on these Web pages serve as a practice of exploration for me.  I don’t claim to know but I am often thankfully guided beyond my ordinary mind. This knowing beyond my ordinary mind is something I have come to trust after many years of uncertainty.  I find it interesting to note how much it takes to offset the imposed limits of my early years.  Where does all this self-doubt come from?

Do you struggle with self-doubts, self-judgment, and others forms of wayward thinking and self-talk?  If so you are just like everybody I know.  That may be comforting or not but changing the self-doubt sometimes seems like the work of a lifetime.  The following are 17 ways to shorten the path from self-doubt to a healthy sense of self:

1. Stopping believing your thoughts, they are not real
2. Turn your self-talk into the language of positive support and encouragement
3. Acknowledge and respect all the feelings you have, there are no bad feelings
4. Turn off the endless judging of your ego-mind, practice accepting and appreciating people, things and as they are
5. Stop all blaming and complaining and figure out what you can to take responsibility and positive action
6. Listen to your intuition, your heart’s wisdom and your higher knowing 
7. Find your inner stillness, spend quiet time with yourself, there is much to enjoy in silence
8. Be as fully present as you can throughout your day, being in the now is naturally uplifting
9. Workout daily to energize your body and expand your fitness, a healthy body makes you feel ready for life’s challenges
10. Do what you love to do, if possible each day and you will enjoy yourself
11. Spend time in nature and feel your connection to the world around you
12. Ignore all beliefs systems that focus on what is wrong with human beings because they are misguided and limiting
13. Develop an ongoing conversation with your spirit and get in touch with who you really are
14. Find work that has purpose and do it with passion
15. Open yourself to the rich abundant flow of the universe knowing you deserve the best
16. Discover what makes you feel at peace inside
17. Follow what makes you feel alive and happy

It seems to me these above ways are so much more real than many of the ideas and beliefs you and I have been taught.  Explore them and let me know what you discover.