writing...
the paragraphs below are selections from my upcoming books. they're in no particular order or grouping and are for your personal delectation.
enjoy!
=-D
enjoy!
=-D
magic...
The difference between fantasy magic and real magic seems to be:
when you're sitting around visualizing, creating mental imagery, using the law of attraction, waiting for the "poof" "ala-kazaam" moment when it shows up at the couch you're sitting on, that's fantasy magic.
When you're doing, working toward a creation; involved in enterprise, project or purpose; when you're on a mission and you collaborate with the universe et' al, allowing the universe room to do its part, leaving available the space in your planning and actions for possibilities beyond your absolute knowledge and resources, acting as if the things you need will come and they do,
that's real magic.
when you're sitting around visualizing, creating mental imagery, using the law of attraction, waiting for the "poof" "ala-kazaam" moment when it shows up at the couch you're sitting on, that's fantasy magic.
When you're doing, working toward a creation; involved in enterprise, project or purpose; when you're on a mission and you collaborate with the universe et' al, allowing the universe room to do its part, leaving available the space in your planning and actions for possibilities beyond your absolute knowledge and resources, acting as if the things you need will come and they do,
that's real magic.
do what you love and it won't matter what you don't have
something's missing...
though there is nothing missing, my restless spirit insists...
though there is nothing missing, i take inventory and confirm infinite abundance...
though there is nothing missing, my beautiful friend ambition urges me forward...
because there is nothing missing, i rise from my perfect place, stepping forth, i fulfill my mission of gratitude, i help the universe expand it's amazing & unlimited love...
though there is nothing missing, it fits right in.
though there is nothing missing, i take inventory and confirm infinite abundance...
though there is nothing missing, my beautiful friend ambition urges me forward...
because there is nothing missing, i rise from my perfect place, stepping forth, i fulfill my mission of gratitude, i help the universe expand it's amazing & unlimited love...
though there is nothing missing, it fits right in.
beauty...
it's easy to find the beauty in each little thing around us when we stop taking everything so personally, when we stop trying to find ways to be offended.
you might ask "how can i not be offended if something is offensive? isn't being offended a natural reaction?" the simple answer is; yes it is.
taking offense to the behaviors of others is an extension of our built-in self-preservation mechanism, the part of our psyche that constantly seeks to judge situations as harmful or not harmful. this very automatic part of us judges everything we consciously come in contact with, comparing it with past experiences, deciding whether it's good or bad (safe or un-safe). it's important to note that offense comes not from some cosmic moral code of right and wrong that applies to the universe et al, but rather from what we as individuals have been taught is right and wrong, most of which was instilled in us before we were 7 years old. when we react to something with offense, it has failed our internal 'right/wrong' test, whether it's currently harmful or not. when we are actively engaged in being offended, we are focussed on the offensive element, not a bad thing when we are in danger. focussing on danger can save our lives.
the problem is that most of the time we're offended, we're not really in danger. we take a position of moral superiority and feel less threatened when there never really was a threat. this judgmental threat management is a fear-driven, automatic function. it can become out of proportion and cause us to recede into a detached world of moral superiority. the ability to experience beauty is left outside.
the solution? awareness.
simply be aware of your reactions to the people, places and things you come in contact with. notice how often you find offense with the world around you. when it happens, ask yourself directly "am i really in danger right now?". most of the time, you'll find you are not. simply noticing our fear driven reactions usually decreases them dramatically, often bringing calm balance within reach.
practicing present moment awareness can often bring to light our own habit of frequently taking offense to new and different ideas. noticing and allowing this habit to naturally dissipate removes a self-induced distraction from the beauty that surrounds us always. the more we get out of our own way, the better our human experience becomes.
you might ask "how can i not be offended if something is offensive? isn't being offended a natural reaction?" the simple answer is; yes it is.
taking offense to the behaviors of others is an extension of our built-in self-preservation mechanism, the part of our psyche that constantly seeks to judge situations as harmful or not harmful. this very automatic part of us judges everything we consciously come in contact with, comparing it with past experiences, deciding whether it's good or bad (safe or un-safe). it's important to note that offense comes not from some cosmic moral code of right and wrong that applies to the universe et al, but rather from what we as individuals have been taught is right and wrong, most of which was instilled in us before we were 7 years old. when we react to something with offense, it has failed our internal 'right/wrong' test, whether it's currently harmful or not. when we are actively engaged in being offended, we are focussed on the offensive element, not a bad thing when we are in danger. focussing on danger can save our lives.
the problem is that most of the time we're offended, we're not really in danger. we take a position of moral superiority and feel less threatened when there never really was a threat. this judgmental threat management is a fear-driven, automatic function. it can become out of proportion and cause us to recede into a detached world of moral superiority. the ability to experience beauty is left outside.
the solution? awareness.
simply be aware of your reactions to the people, places and things you come in contact with. notice how often you find offense with the world around you. when it happens, ask yourself directly "am i really in danger right now?". most of the time, you'll find you are not. simply noticing our fear driven reactions usually decreases them dramatically, often bringing calm balance within reach.
practicing present moment awareness can often bring to light our own habit of frequently taking offense to new and different ideas. noticing and allowing this habit to naturally dissipate removes a self-induced distraction from the beauty that surrounds us always. the more we get out of our own way, the better our human experience becomes.
work gently, trust the process.
to expel great energy or to be in silence, each is effortless...
effort is the fare the ego pays for it's seat in the captain's chair.
realization...
i realize, i make concepts real by thinking them. they have been made real through the process of realization when i realized them. the world, the universe is affected by these very real things i've created, by way of the influence of the thought energy and my ensuing actions.
each new realization i have, create, receive, experience... is added to my chain of thought. in succession, they each affect my overall sense of reality and the actual experience of all my fellows.
you needn't seek to act in ways you think will earn the respect and admiration of others. it's enough to realize beauty, love, appreciation, compassion & support in silence. to live in this way is a good and prudent use of human form. it's a productive use of time and energy to create and express these concepts in your genuine manner.
just go,
and know you're going in the right direction.
just do,
and know you're doing the right thing.
each new realization i have, create, receive, experience... is added to my chain of thought. in succession, they each affect my overall sense of reality and the actual experience of all my fellows.
you needn't seek to act in ways you think will earn the respect and admiration of others. it's enough to realize beauty, love, appreciation, compassion & support in silence. to live in this way is a good and prudent use of human form. it's a productive use of time and energy to create and express these concepts in your genuine manner.
just go,
and know you're going in the right direction.
just do,
and know you're doing the right thing.
lose...
if you lose all of your money, god's still here.
if all who love and care for you suddenly turn their back to you, god's still here.
when all hope is lost and you feel as alone as you can feel, it's okay, god's not depressed. god's still here, right now, over flowing with love for you...
if all who love and care for you suddenly turn their back to you, god's still here.
when all hope is lost and you feel as alone as you can feel, it's okay, god's not depressed. god's still here, right now, over flowing with love for you...
perhaps what you see as struggle could actually be exercise, intended to provide you with robust emotional health
knowledge... awareness
knowledge can be thought of as know ledge, to know the limits of the ledge you're on. awareness is intimacy with what is beyond the ledge, what is beyond physical, sensual contact, intimacy with that which is unknowable.
this is possible when awareness extends to the separation of the mind and the self. when the distinction is consciously present, so then is the personal experience of what is out of reach of the physical senses. the simple practice of noticing the separation of the thinking mind and the self that is experiencing those thoughts is awareness.
fear is the state of experience when mind and self believe they are one and only, when knowledge is sought for the confirmation of security and when that which is beyond knowledge is given the attempt of explanation.
the best way to share this awareness experience with others is live it and love them as you do. to attempt to explain it is to attempt the impossible. live in awareness and show boldly that which you are with loving kindness. the naked example is more effective that words can ever be.
we don't need to know the name of a dance to enjoy watching it or to desire to dance the dance ourselves. it needn't be explained or given verbal blessing of earthly purpose. awareness is recognizable and desirable by all eventually, it allows us to experience what we cannot explain as knowledge, embrace what our mind can only know as a mystery and love without condition or reservation.
this is possible when awareness extends to the separation of the mind and the self. when the distinction is consciously present, so then is the personal experience of what is out of reach of the physical senses. the simple practice of noticing the separation of the thinking mind and the self that is experiencing those thoughts is awareness.
fear is the state of experience when mind and self believe they are one and only, when knowledge is sought for the confirmation of security and when that which is beyond knowledge is given the attempt of explanation.
the best way to share this awareness experience with others is live it and love them as you do. to attempt to explain it is to attempt the impossible. live in awareness and show boldly that which you are with loving kindness. the naked example is more effective that words can ever be.
we don't need to know the name of a dance to enjoy watching it or to desire to dance the dance ourselves. it needn't be explained or given verbal blessing of earthly purpose. awareness is recognizable and desirable by all eventually, it allows us to experience what we cannot explain as knowledge, embrace what our mind can only know as a mystery and love without condition or reservation.
give of yourself as if you had an unlimited supply,
because you do.
...remember, the guy passing out the water isn't thirsty.
and what is the key to business success?
do what you love, the money will follow... doing what turns you on gives you a compass to follow. we love doing the things we love doing for a couple of reasons- partly because of past experience, base paradigms; childhood experiences in our formative years, they're internally driven from subconscious memory.
also part of what turns us on are new ideas coming to life through us. often in concert with our established, memory driven loves. these new ideas feel so wonderful because they love us as they come to life through us, they're grateful to be coming to expression through our hands and minds- following our inner burn.
that feeling of being turned on in the creative process, often called "being in the zone", is the internal music we hear when our personal loves and newly manifesting ideas from universal source entangle synergystically, complimenting one another as melody and harmony in rhythm with one another and the world they're emerging into. this creates within us a symphony we simultaneously feel is an old familiar song and something new, bold, never before heard. it's being born through us with our willing consent and to our total amazement. we see it as a mother sees a newborn child; genuinely a part of herself and a whole new life of it's own, created in free, loving partnership with the beautiful source of life in all of us, that source that spins the planets, grows each blade of grass and makes sweet spring water taste so good.
is it really possible to have that kind of amazing, esoteric experience in business? find out for yourself! stop postulating so much on profit/loss and start creating that which is organic to you and completely self-powered, do what turns you on and you'll know. chase the burning desire inside you, that's why it's there- to be followed with ghusto!! as you chase, it will continue to lead you.
the charged up feeling will subside at times, these are the natural rest cycles built into every thing, every process on earth. allow them. take your rests. don't worry when inspiration subsides, it'll be back, ...back with ghusto! honor the inspiration by allowing the rest time.
take care of maintenance issues in periods between super inspired creativity. prepare for the next flurry of creativity, gently stimulate your creative self when the break time is over. quietly listen to your inner-self, you'll know when. gently coerce the machine back into motion with soft nudges of playing in creative ways you love.
this process is really about creating an attractive atmosphere for new ideas and concepts to express through you, allowing them to do so without reserve on your part, then serving them as a humble serf would bathe the feet of his charge- ever conscious of how next to serve, how next to give, anticipating and preparing the next sacrifice of time and love for it's sustenance.
give to your inner turn-on with love and ghusto! it's the simplest, truest formula for genuine success...
also part of what turns us on are new ideas coming to life through us. often in concert with our established, memory driven loves. these new ideas feel so wonderful because they love us as they come to life through us, they're grateful to be coming to expression through our hands and minds- following our inner burn.
that feeling of being turned on in the creative process, often called "being in the zone", is the internal music we hear when our personal loves and newly manifesting ideas from universal source entangle synergystically, complimenting one another as melody and harmony in rhythm with one another and the world they're emerging into. this creates within us a symphony we simultaneously feel is an old familiar song and something new, bold, never before heard. it's being born through us with our willing consent and to our total amazement. we see it as a mother sees a newborn child; genuinely a part of herself and a whole new life of it's own, created in free, loving partnership with the beautiful source of life in all of us, that source that spins the planets, grows each blade of grass and makes sweet spring water taste so good.
is it really possible to have that kind of amazing, esoteric experience in business? find out for yourself! stop postulating so much on profit/loss and start creating that which is organic to you and completely self-powered, do what turns you on and you'll know. chase the burning desire inside you, that's why it's there- to be followed with ghusto!! as you chase, it will continue to lead you.
the charged up feeling will subside at times, these are the natural rest cycles built into every thing, every process on earth. allow them. take your rests. don't worry when inspiration subsides, it'll be back, ...back with ghusto! honor the inspiration by allowing the rest time.
take care of maintenance issues in periods between super inspired creativity. prepare for the next flurry of creativity, gently stimulate your creative self when the break time is over. quietly listen to your inner-self, you'll know when. gently coerce the machine back into motion with soft nudges of playing in creative ways you love.
this process is really about creating an attractive atmosphere for new ideas and concepts to express through you, allowing them to do so without reserve on your part, then serving them as a humble serf would bathe the feet of his charge- ever conscious of how next to serve, how next to give, anticipating and preparing the next sacrifice of time and love for it's sustenance.
give to your inner turn-on with love and ghusto! it's the simplest, truest formula for genuine success...
Difference between people and machines in manufacturing is that you can give people a beautiful place to work, imbued with your love and they will in turn imbue their love into the product. a machine cannot do that
"don't try to teach a pig to sing,
it wastes your time and annoys the pig".
when we live in awareness, we know when to say less. most of the time, it's a good time to say less, ever mindful to avoid providing singing lessons to the un-desirous.
when we live in awareness, we know when to say less. most of the time, it's a good time to say less, ever mindful to avoid providing singing lessons to the un-desirous.
a catastrophic event is seldom as significant as the awareness it creates
blame
blame is good, it can motivate us to distance ourselves from those who would harm us.
blame is also bad, it can be a tool of self-delusion, causing us to believe we cannot change our suffering.
blame is unnecessary to the enlightened being. mindful of our oneness, we realize that we sometimes harm one another much the way the hand can sometimes do things that mistakenly cause harm to other parts of the body (i'm intimate with this as i use hand tools). if the hand were mindful, it probably would not make the transgression.
an evil minded person is no less innocent, he doesn't realize his self- transgression.
blame is also bad, it can be a tool of self-delusion, causing us to believe we cannot change our suffering.
blame is unnecessary to the enlightened being. mindful of our oneness, we realize that we sometimes harm one another much the way the hand can sometimes do things that mistakenly cause harm to other parts of the body (i'm intimate with this as i use hand tools). if the hand were mindful, it probably would not make the transgression.
an evil minded person is no less innocent, he doesn't realize his self- transgression.
say your peace
speak your mind, give your opinion completely - just once. we weaken what we exaggerate, we dilute what we repeat...
listen as if it were very important to do so all of the time, because it is.
allow silence to have it's time in conversation...
talk, listen and silence each have an significant part to play in our interaction, allow each it's own time.
should the sun shine brightly when it's raining, we are blinded by the glare, the beauty that is either element is unnoticeable in the fray and their complimentary relationship becomes chaotically confusing when they compete.
be mindful that conversation is a collaboration.
listen as if it were very important to do so all of the time, because it is.
allow silence to have it's time in conversation...
talk, listen and silence each have an significant part to play in our interaction, allow each it's own time.
should the sun shine brightly when it's raining, we are blinded by the glare, the beauty that is either element is unnoticeable in the fray and their complimentary relationship becomes chaotically confusing when they compete.
be mindful that conversation is a collaboration.
Stress is the great exercise facility provided by the universe for your emotional enhancement
emotions
emotions are a response, don't wait for them to be favorable to take action.
create an empowering response by taking action in the direction of your tiniest creative voice.
embark immediately, bring your fears and hopes with you, it'll do you all good to see this...
create an empowering response by taking action in the direction of your tiniest creative voice.
embark immediately, bring your fears and hopes with you, it'll do you all good to see this...
powerless, not helpless
i am powerless over my sub-conscious thoughts and actions; over behaviors, emotions and thought chain rhetoric. i do not engage effort to control these elements of my being by force. it is a balance of power i seek... through the habitual engaging in prayer (god thought), conscious human interaction, self-observance without fear (simply noticing), mental exercise (gratitude, visualization, detachment, observation), physical exercise and self-care.
when recruited as free allies, these forces and powers work in concert to influence that which i am consciously powerless over in my own mind. its like a political process that works best when practiced in a spirit of collaboration rather than control, competition or coercion.
when recruited as free allies, these forces and powers work in concert to influence that which i am consciously powerless over in my own mind. its like a political process that works best when practiced in a spirit of collaboration rather than control, competition or coercion.
There is no shortage of things we need. There is perhaps an awkward distribution, many things piled up in some places with little available in others. ironically, the one universal shortage we actually experience is that which is available in unlimited supply. It is personal awareness.
find your quiet mind
in quieting the sometimes deafening din of my mind, i can hear, feel, experience my own true self, the part of me that knows what i'm okay with and what i'm not. it's taken much practice and that was time well spent.
with the practice of a personal moral inventory, i stay current with each moment as it passes. i don't have to wonder if i'm doing the right thing, i already know. i don't have to wait for some worldly approval process, i have one within.
ironically, it feels universal by way of connection with the universal love of my god. it feels right by way of my internal connection with the universe.
guilt comes to me loud and aggressive, because it's convincing me, persuading me. my internal moral inventory answers with a whisper that i understand clearly when i take a quiet, calm moment to listen. i need no persuading because i know it's right for me. it is fluid and flexible, as is the universe i am part of.
with the practice of a personal moral inventory, i stay current with each moment as it passes. i don't have to wonder if i'm doing the right thing, i already know. i don't have to wait for some worldly approval process, i have one within.
ironically, it feels universal by way of connection with the universal love of my god. it feels right by way of my internal connection with the universe.
guilt comes to me loud and aggressive, because it's convincing me, persuading me. my internal moral inventory answers with a whisper that i understand clearly when i take a quiet, calm moment to listen. i need no persuading because i know it's right for me. it is fluid and flexible, as is the universe i am part of.
There's a time and place for mindlessness,
chose it consciously.
where do you live right now?
the thoughts we walk around with all day, our level of awareness, our perspective, our paradigms; this is where we do our living. it's the domicile of life and we each build our own with our body and our mind. do you live in a prison or a palace?
i live in a palace.
it used to be a prison but i've spruced the place up a bit... quite a bit.
i've put in new floors, an observation deck on the roof, expansive windows have replaced the little portholes. i've knocked down many of the interior walls to make room for guests, i like having company over.
i used to have a bunch of old furniture, much of it torn up & broken but i would sit on it anyway. i threw most of it out so i'd have room to dance.
i got some new records to play, fun, happy songs mostly. i play them loud and dance in the new free spaces a lot.
i took down the big fence outside long ago. lately, i've been taking all the doors off the hinges, one at a time...
yup, i live in a palace today. same building on the same foundation, but, it's a whole different feel since i remodeled.
you can too. you don't need a contractor, it's free! and you can start today, even right now if you want to...
i live in a palace.
it used to be a prison but i've spruced the place up a bit... quite a bit.
i've put in new floors, an observation deck on the roof, expansive windows have replaced the little portholes. i've knocked down many of the interior walls to make room for guests, i like having company over.
i used to have a bunch of old furniture, much of it torn up & broken but i would sit on it anyway. i threw most of it out so i'd have room to dance.
i got some new records to play, fun, happy songs mostly. i play them loud and dance in the new free spaces a lot.
i took down the big fence outside long ago. lately, i've been taking all the doors off the hinges, one at a time...
yup, i live in a palace today. same building on the same foundation, but, it's a whole different feel since i remodeled.
you can too. you don't need a contractor, it's free! and you can start today, even right now if you want to...
the world of the spirit
"We have entered the world of the spirit. Our next function is to grow in understanding and effectiveness."
Daily Reflections, p. 81 ––––=–––– in quieting the sometimes very active din of my mind, i can hear, feel, experience my own true self, the part of me that knows exactly what i'm okay with and what i'm not. it's taken much practice and it's been time well spent. in continuing the practice of personal moral inventory, i stay current with each moment as it passes. i don't have to wonder if i'm doing the right thing, i already know. i don't have to wait for some worldly approval process, i have one within. ironically, it feels universal by way of connection with the universal love of my god. it feels right by way of my internal connection with the universe. guilt comes on loud and aggressive- because it's trying to convince me, persuade me in alignment with dogmatic precepts. my internal moral inventory answers with a whisper that i can hear clearly in quiet moments of reflection. i need no persuading because i know, at the deepest level, it's right for me. it is fluid and flexible, as is the universe it's part of... if what you're doing right now does not merit your mindful attention, perhaps you could reconsider doing it at all.getting out of the rut
“Many times in our recovery, the old bugaboos will haunt us. Life may again become meaningless, monotonous, and boring.”
NA Basic Text, p. 78 ––––=–––– Early in my recovery experience, i found myself in an uncomfortable state of being... i was a few months into the step working process and changes in my personal awareness had been tremendous; i was praying, reading spiritual literature as well as writing every morning and night; i was going to several meetings a week; i had a whole new group of really good, close friends that i spent a lot of time with; i was a coffee maker at one meeting, a gsr at another; i was busy and involved with the activities and people who had changed my life and given it so much meaning... and i was bored. the activities that had brought a new, euphoric sense of freedom had lost their "zing". the euphoria had settled and what was once amazing had become mundane. my first reaction was to find a way to revive the spark, to get that euphoric feeling about recovery back into my daily life. i went to my mentors and friends, shared what was happening, and they gave me encouragement as well as tips on how to get that "zing" back. "do more h&i work", was one suggestion; "have a book study at your house" was another. i received several ideas and put them into action. these suggestions worked and my zeal for the recovery process returned! ...only to drop into another lull some time later. this cycle of euphoria/boredom/re-"zing" played out several times until i hit somewhere around the 7 year mark. at that time i thought "how can people keep doing this for twenty or thirty years?". i noticed the pattern. i was seeking to relive the initial emotional spark of the catharsis of changing from living in active addiction. i had been chasing the high of early recovery, ironically, this cycle began to look like active addiction. my mistake was a common one, i believe. i had assumed the paradigm that because i was engaged in a spiritual pursuit, this process "should" be infinitely exciting, interesting and fun. i also assumed the corollary that at times when it did not, i was somehow deficient and needed simply to re-apply myself to the same actions that had sparked me earlier. well, i have yet to find any thing that is infinitely exciting, interesting and fun. it's part of the human condition, the ebb and flow of all things. we eventually feel a bit burnt out on even the activities we love the most, they're renewed when we take a break from them for a while. the practices involved in awakening the spirit create sensations that are a part of our physical human experience and are subject to these same universal laws of balance. there is an amplitude to all aspects of life: awake/asleep, day/night, work/rest, build/erode/rebuild and on and on it goes. it's the same with the euphoria we experience with a spiritual awakening. please understand that i'm not advocating disregarding the practice of spiritual principles, even for a short time. i don't believe it's in our best interest to be intentionally obsessive, compulsive and totally self-centered in our human interactions, even for the best of intentions. quite the opposite. you see, spiritual principles are not actions or experiences, they are the integrity by which we choose our actions and experiences. my suggestions for surviving the "rut" times we all occasionally feel are two fold: first; notice you're in a rut. just sit with it in awareness that you feel the way you feel. notice what boredom feels like and notice you're not likely to perish from the sensation. a very powerful spiritual experience can be had through practicing awareness and allowance in harmony with one another. most emotional charges we feel dissipate with focused awareness. prolonged exercising of awareness and allowance, of any state of being, brings with it an enhancing of our individual power of choice, freedom from the addictive nature of the human experience. second; pray for guidance and follow your gentle inclinations for change. trust the quiet voice in your heart, it's the voice of god, really. |
