Daily Inspiration 6-30-16

"They say to, be yourself, 

as if one could actually do otherwise." 

-- Albert K. Strong 

I was thinking today of a local businessman. I've known him since 1980, and I've done business with him many times in the tens of thousands of dollars over the years. It's been quite a while since I have been in his store or bought anything as I don't have need of his products any more.

A word I might use to describe him is cantankerous. Some might say cranky, opinionated, negative too. But, I love him. I feel like I can see right through him to the part that he often hides. Do you know any people like that? How do you really feel about them?

I have no relationship with this person other than I respect what he's done and appreciate how he's been generous with me on purchases. He's owned the same business longer than I've known him, so I appreciate his tenacity, especially in the business he's in because I used to own one like his, and that is how we initially met.

The reason I mention this person is to expose the idea that no matter how gruff a person may choose to be on the outside, there is nothing but love on the inside. It may be many layers deep in there, but it is always there, because I believe that we are all the same in this, and we are all love underneath our individual personalities and appearance. And, when we have the interest, we can choose to see that within others, while at the same time allowing them to be how they choose to be.

He and I don't see eye to eye on the business he's in and many of the ideas that might surround it, but I respect his point of view while not agreeing with it. And, isn't that so much of what love is?

I worked for a manager many years ago who said that no one ever met his expectations. He wanted people to be like he wanted them to be, and he was constantly disappointed that they didn't live up to his expectations. This caused him all manner of disappointment, frustration, and anger. Where is the love in that? If he could have respected where others were while not agreeing with them, the resistance would have been lessened, or even released entirely, allowing him to see the love that is within all of us.

Back then, he was my nemesis. But, I was in a similar place in many ways. It was only after his passing, that I realized that I loved the man and respected his travels, as I learned to love and respect myself and my journey.

One of the most insightful and delightful quotes I've ever found is by Abraham Lincoln where he said, "I don't like that man! I will have to get to know him better." What a perfect point of view. We feel their difference, but we know that if we bother to look past it, we will find that which we all are made of.

Maybe next time we run into someone who is cranky, negative, seemingly mean-spirited, we could just accept them at face value: I don't like that person. But, as so many of us stop there, let us take it to the next level: I will have to get to know them better. Maybe next time we run across a person like this, we will celebrate instead.


I See. I Release. I Allow. I Love. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by seeing that person the way they are, then releasing our resistance to them, allowing them to be as they choose to be without any need to agree with them, and then love them as they are knowing that deep inside, we are all one in the same.

Daily Inspiration 6-29-16

"Break a leg!" 

-- Theatrical slang for Good Luck! 

I can't tell you why, but strange, seemingly random thoughts pop into my head at will. Yesterday, the idom, break a leg! just popped into my mind, and then I immediately thought, no--break a chain! Okay, that was weird. But it felt perfect, so I went with it.

With flashbacks to the song, Unchain My Heart, I imagined how we have a tendency to chain ourselves to or to feel tied to someone, or something, or even an idea or belief, fear.

I like how Assata Shakur defines that: "People get used to anything. The less you think about your oppression, the more your tolerance for it grows. After a while, people just think oppression is the normal state of things. But to become free, you have to be acutely aware of being a slave."

I realize and understand that being chained to anything is a self-inflicted act, but even enlightened people may sometimes not be paying attention, and as Assata Shakur said so well, "people get used to anything," even being chained up.

But, these chains--and I believe there can be many at the same time, can be broken. We, alone, have the power to break these chains. It is not something that anyone can do to help us, except perhaps to help us see them, and then just love us while we make the decision to break them one by one until we are feeling that glorious freedom of release.

Now, you might be the exception and have no chains that bind you. Fantastic. You can support a friend or loved one who does, as you would be a great example of that glorious freedom, and we lead best by example.

But, for the rest of us, including myself, I say that today is Break A Chain Day! Go out, or rather, go within, and break a chain today! Break a chain! Just one. Experience the feeling of the decision, and the action of breaking that chain. It might be a little chain, an easy one to break. Great. It doesn't matter. The degree is only in our mind anyway. Celebrate that release. Rest in that release. Feel that joy, and the peace of mind. Yes! You did it.

Ready for another? Break that chain! Not ready for another? Pause, reflect on the one you took out, and live to decide and act another day. It's all good. We are always in charge. Awareness is the key. Procrastination is okay for a while. Just remember the joy of the doing.

I hope you have only a few chains. We get so used to them that we don't realize how many there are. But, we have the power and we can break one at a time and feel the relief of each one, delight in each decision, and celebrate each movement. I am committed to breaking at least one chain today. I have a list of them. I created them. I can break them. And I will relish the joy of doing just that.

One last thought. Sometimes, we might imagine that a chain is attached to us and that we are being held and that we need to break that chain. And, sometimes maybe the chain isn't really attached to us, but we are simply holding on to it. In these cases, there is no need to break the chain, we simply need to let go of it. I think that once we see how this is true, we will realize that all the chains are being held by us and that they aren't ever attached to us. We are attached to them.


Today Is Break A Chain Day. Break A Chain! 

Spread Some Joy Today--by unchaining that joy that comes standard in every human being. We think we should save it, but it is unlimited and is best expressed opulently.

Daily Inspiration 6-28-16

"Words are, of course, 

the most powerful drug 

used by mankind." 

-- Rudyard Kipling 

I think how we say something demonstrates how we feel about the subject. Often, through the days and weeks in our daily travels, we use a small and repetitive mix of words as we describe events, use small-talk, communicate to ourselves, and more. The choices of those words help to limit us in the depth and breadth of our world, or expands us into the Universe surrounding that world.

Consider how many times you might have used these words in the last 10 days:

Frustrated, anxious, angry, pissed off, hurt, stressed, impatient, irritated, nervous, overwhelmed, painful, oh shit, stupid ass, terrible, disgusting, lazy, jealous, embarrassed, exhausted, overloaded, okay, cool, happy, pretty good, fair to middlin', glad.

Now, consider how many times and in how many ways you may have used these words:

marvelous, delightful, extravagant, luscious, inspiring, radiant, gleaming, centered, focused, perfect!, fantastic, fortunate, joyful, unstoppable, superb, amazed, tranquil, magical, yummy, exquisite, brilliant, awesome, fabulous, surprising, wonderful, captivating, enchanting, ravishing, engaging. 

Sometimes we want to have the feeling before we've had the thought, and the thought most often contains language, or words and phrases, and one of the more important things I've learned is that it is the thought that creates the feeling. It is the dog that wags the tail rather than the other way around, and our language has far more power than we think it does.

I've written several times about using better words in typically mundane conversation, such as in answering that silly question that people so often ask, "how are you today?" And, even though I might feel like slapping them for asking me that, it serves me better to give them something they haven't got a clue how to deal with.

I could give them a really, really sad story of what has gone wrong, and in how many ways, but we all know they aren't really that inquisitive or interested. But, I don't want to give them the most boring and typical answer, "fine. how about you?" I might have to puke if I did that again.

So, I make stuff up that is short and see if I can shock them out of their stupor and engage their joy. I'll say things like, "I'm off the chart today!" or "I don't think it is even possible to feel any better!" or "I'm blessed all over!" or "I'm loving my life today, how about you?" or, "I'm supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!"

But, it is much more than mundane conversations that can be improved. It is more our inner dialog than anything outside of us. Do you use any of the second batches of words above in your inner conversations? Try adding them on purpose and watch what happens. Search for more and more descriptive words that add magical and delightful flavors to your inner language fare. Get out the Thesaurus and have some fun. Do it with abandon. You'll be charmed I think, and what you feel as a result will improve dramatically as the language inspires it to do so.

It's not fair or practical to expect the feeling without considering the thought. And, it is the thought, and how it is expressed, that will create a more radiant feeling. Want some more joy in your life? Change your vocabulary. As you change your vocabulary on things you see around you, interchanges with others, and more, you will experience a greater awareness of the good around and inside you, and spread those thoughts and feelings with others, adding zest to their lives too. Be extravagant! 

And, by the way, you can have so much more fun with this in business, or at work. If there was ever a place this was needed, it is there.


I'm Feeling Opulent Right Now! It Is Heavenly! 

Spread Some Joy Today--by changing things up a bit. A little radicality or rascality is good. Have some fun!

Daily Inspiration 6-27-16

"Who's in charge here?" 

-- Common phrase 

But, I don't need to ask, 'who's in charge here?' because I know who's in charge. Me.

Who's in charge of what I feel? That would be me. Who's in charge of what I think? Me again. Who's in charge of what I see? Hmmmm, me. Who's in charge of what I do? Me. Who's in charge of my life experience? That would be me. I'm in charge of me. I'm in charge of all of that. All of it.

I had an interesting evening yesterday. You know I love movies, and the ones I really like, I like to see again and again. I watch at least one pretty much every evening; however, I'm picky. I want to laugh. I want to cry happy tears of triumph and joy. So I like romantic comedies best. Chick-flicks is what I think some call them. I must be soothing my inner chick. I like other movies too, but laughing and joyful tears are always the most satisfying.

Yesterday, after waiting for the movie, Joy to be released, and then waiting for it to cool off so Netflix would send it to me, it arrived. It's purported to be a happy ending of overcoming the odds. But, about 15 minutes of it was all I could stand. The seriously dysfunctional family the heroine was involved with, even at an age normally gone and on her own was sheer torture for me to watch. Great actors played the parts, but their craziness took me places I didn't want to go. It reminded me of some of my own family's craziness which I escaped from finally at age 20. But, it was more than that.

To be fair, there were other factors in play. One of which was a book that I read the day before. I committed myself to finish it, but I could have easily put it down after about ten pages. And last evening, I found myself feeling crappy. It could have easily developed into a depressed state had I allowed that. And, I used to at one time. So, I went to bed a few hours early and let go of my consciousness for a while.

Why do I bother saying any of this? I say it to show who's in charge. It wasn't the movie or the book. It was me. The movie and the book were merely an influence and I chose how to be influenced, partly from some old memories, and partly from my desire for joy now. I was in charge of how I felt. I was in charge of what I was thinking. I was in charge of the remote control. I was in charge of paying attention, and also in charge of letting it go. I am in charge of what I see. I am in charge of what I do. I am in charge of my life experience and what I choose to experience, and what I choose to no longer experience. In other words, I am in charge of everything.

And, you know, I love being in charge, or rather, being aware that I am in charge. I love having accepted being in charge. I love periodically starting sentences, and even paragraphs with the word, 'and.' I love thwarting the naysayers from time to time, just for the fun of it. Much of my life was learning how to be in charge, when all along, I had the power already. It wasn't until later that I realized this and accepted the charge.

I like how Abraham, Esther Hicks says it: "Once you are in control of the way you feel, you will enjoy it all: You will enjoy the sensation of your conscious awareness when you are not a vibrational match to your own desire--and you will enjoy the sensation of deliberately bringing yourself back into vibrational alignment with your desire." That is exactly what I did last evening. I was out of alignment where my desire was not a vibrational match to what I was experiencing, and I purposely chose to regain my alignment. This morning, I am back in joy.


Moving In And Choosing The Rhythm In My Life. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by remembering that you are joy within. Allow it out as you desire, and spread it about by only experiencing your own.

Daily Inspiration 6-26-16

"Real love is unconditional love." 

-- David R. Hawkins 

David continues, "Unconditional love is a decision we make within ourselves. The process is one of intention and the decision to be a loving person. If I decide to love you, that is my inner decision. There is nothing the other person can do about it." 

It amazes me how I continue to learn and grow. Sometimes new insights or I might call them, clarifications, come to me at odd times. I might be saying something and hearing what I'm saying in a different way as if some of those things I'm saying are speaking back to me. This also happens when I am listening to another, or watching the birds in the courtyard. There is no predictor of the insight. It simply comes. And, I had one of those yesterday about unconditional love.

David R. Hawkins touches on it in another of his quotes: "On the level of acceptance, love is experienced as a stable state, a permanent condition of a relationship. The source of love is seen to be within ourselves, emanating from our own nature and reaching out to include others. In the state of desire, by contrast, we speak of being "in love," as the source of happiness and love is thought to be outside of ourselves."

Although he is comparing our perception of the source of love as being within us or outside of us, it is the first sentence of this quote, or rather, part of it, that resonated with what came to me yesterday. It is this: ". . . acceptance [is] love . . ."

Abraham, Esther Hicks would use the word, allowing, as has Wayne Dyer in his famous definition of unconditional love as, "allowing others to be what they choose for themselves without any insistence that they satisfy us." The key is the allowing part. It is the acceptance. It is accepting. It is not resisting. It is letting go of the rope. It is to "let it be" as The Beatles said so well.

When people are within our expectations or our own accumulated views of our life, it is easy to accept them. They are 'like' us. We match enough that it is easy to accept them or to allow them. However, when people are radically different in thought or action, we tend to have a hard time accepting and/or allowing. We have a tendency to exclude them--not so much to shun them, but rather to not allow them into our sphere of how we see our life. We simply don't accept them. They are not 'like' us.

Then there is this thing where the word love is used in so many ways and it becomes hard to understand what it is. This is especially true of unconditional love, or to love without any conditions attached, no prerequisites.

It occurred to me yesterday that acceptance was a great way to see this unconditional love. Acceptance is also interchangeable with allowing. We accept the other. We allow the other. We feel no need to change the other. We are perfect in our difference. We are perfect in whatever sameness there may be. We make no demands. There is no need or desire to be upset in any way for any of the differences regardless of their degree. They are. We are. We are both creations. On the deepest level, we are one. On the shallow level, we may have grand differences. No matter. I am accepting. I am allowing. I am loving.

If you have a mind to, try this for a few days. Begin accepting others on purpose. Allow them to be as they are without feeling any need or desire to have them be anything or any way other than they are. Consider also how people do things. They do them this way, and I do it that way. Accept how they do it. Allow their way to be okay--allow it to be not only okay but perfect for them. Let them have their way. Let them own it. It's okay for you to own your way, and they to own theirs, and both be accepting and allowing of the other. I predict your love will dramatically expand.


Unconditional Love In Action! What Could Be Better? 

Spread Some Joy Today--by allowing your joy to flow where ever it may decide to flow. Find joy also in what you see in others.

Daily Inspiration 6-25-16

"Find perfection 

in what is 

rather than 

what will be." 

-- Alan Cohen 

I absolutely love this quote because I think that it states the simplest path to well-being and joy. 

Someone might say, "well, I'm broke, have loads of obligations and I don't see anything even approaching perfection in that," or some other of the millions of versions of pointing out what-is as being completely undesirable. Yet, I've come to realize through experience that regardless of how it may seem, there is benefit in there somewhere. One might even say, there is benefit in there or you wouldn't be experiencing it.

There's a deeply insightful and popular quote by Abraham Lincoln where he says, "I don't like that man. I'll have to get to know him better." Find the perfection in that man, what's good about that man, what is likable about him. We all have initial judgments about things and people that cross our paths. That is perfectly normal behavior, and often it cannot even be helped as it is pretty much automatic; however, we need not linger there more than a moment. There is plenty more to see as we allow ourselves to look around some. And, I think we will find some amazing things there as well.

There are a lot of lessons, or benefits that come from being broke. When we allow that openness to what they may be, being broke will lose its hold on us.

The real benefit is accepting and owning our experience. Whatever we are experiencing, we have ordered it in one way or another. The Law of Attraction is unwaveringly fair to all. It is no respecter of persons, only thoughts and feelings. It responds to negative as easily and efficiently as positives. So each experience then, if accepted as if we ordered it on purpose (though we may have not been paying attention), is perfect. It is a creation of our own making. We may be blinded to how that could be possible with our "things just happen to me without my wanting them" thinking. I like how Jim Rohn said it: "Things don't just happen, they happen just."

Without accepting the responsibility for the experience, it is far more difficult to find any perfection in it. By accepting responsibility for the creation, it is pretty easy to see the benefits, the perfection. It's also easier to see how all this perfection is in play by looking at the rearview mirror. Realizing this now, I can easily see how I created everything, naming some of them good and some of them bad. We each get to name them since each is our creation. Is there benefit or perfection in bad? Absolutely. Bad is just a name with a feeling attached to it. We're in charge of all of that and can change it at will.

There's a popular question from years back, and a book as I recall, "why do bad things happen to good people?" Yet, in all fairness, it works the other way too: "Why do good things happen to bad people?" Those are all just labels mixed with thoughts and feelings. I've had bad things happen to me too. I don't say it like that anymore, nor do I question any more why bad things would happen to me, because I can clearly see how I created it all. I can see now how I held on to it for how long I held on to it. I can now see how I might even do it over and over again thinking that the same thinking could work to change it. As Einstein said and I paraphrase, the thinking that created the problem will not solve the problem, as it will require solution thinking not problem thinking to find the solution.

In other words, finding the perfection in what-is, allows me to move beyond what-is. Whereas, blaming what-is, keeps me in what-is. The key to the transition is accepting our creative powers, and not looking outside for someone or something to blame.


Seek The Perfection In Your Own Creation. 

Spread Some Joy Today--because you're loving your life and living your love. Joy is love. Love is joy. Loving is spreading joy.

Daily Inspiration 6-24-16

"The past has no power 

to stop you from being present now. 

Only your grievance about the past 

can do that." 

-- Eckart Tolle 

The past has only the power that we give it now. Memories only have the power that we give them now. What is over is over except when we re-member it and re-live it today. The only power that exists is in the present, right now. If we give the past or the future any power now it is given from the power of the present.

Can we re-live the past? Of course. In the present. Can we change the past? Of course. In the present. However, the past is not really being changed, but only our perception of the past, or rather, only our feelings about the past. Once a thing is outside of the present, it is unchangeable as it was, but changeable only as it is in the present.

In other words, it's all about softening our memories of the past. We can't go back and do it over or do it differently, but we can think about it differently if we feel that this is important for us to do in order to more fully live in the present now. It's more like letting go of the rope of resistance that we have a tendency to hold on to because of how we feel about the past. Once the rope is dropped, it's over. Done. Moving on now.

Wanting our past to be different than it was is an itch that cannot be satisfied no matter how much scratching and rubbing is done. What is better even than trying to soften those memories is simply to let them be. Let the past rest in the past. I did that. They did that. It was that. I felt crappy at the time. I was happy at the time. Whatever it was, was then. Serving it up years later in our today moments, takes so much power from our enjoyment of what is now.

We are creators. Let us create anew. The only place we can create is in the present. Let us focus on creating right now, never again worrying about what was or what might be.


This Is The Realm Of Joy, Love, Appreciation, Delight. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by doing just that today, right now. Even if it's only the dog that you're spreading it to, it is being broadcast, and the best part is that you created it right now. You're in sole charge of your joy. There is no other power.

Daily Inspiration 6-23-16

"Light, shadows and color 

are the flavors of sight." 

-- Albert K. Strong 

This morning I saw something in a different light. Literally. I was looking at a workbench in my office that I mainly used as a shipping table when I had my eBay business. I had all manner of things stacked around the front of it and on top of it, and that had recently been cleaned up. The morning sun was coming through the sliding door very brightly and lit up part of the work bench and I was amazed looking at it. I've looked at it for at least 12 years, but today I saw it in a different light. And, it got my attention.

This also caused me to think about how we see things, experience things, do things habitually, believe certain things, and then, one day, we see it in a different light and it really gets our attention, and changes our perception of the thing.

Sometimes this happens and it causes us to unload things, to clear the deck, to begin anew, to change. Other times, it may cause us to be inspired to grow, to do something new, to expand, to appreciate differently. It is a wonderful experience. It's really an all-positive experience because the end result is movement, action, doing. And, in our physical bodies, action is a special thing for us--especially inspired action.

I know all to well how easy it is to just go though and stay close to my habitual patterns. I know they are habitual patterns. Do this, then do that, then this, all in that order, over and over again. Then, one day I see those patterns displayed to me in a different light. I see that well-worn rut. It's not that those patterns are bad or so negative, it's that they are the same thing over and over again. They might even be, and often are very enjoyable, yet shallow.

I long for inspiration, followed by inspired action. I long for magnificent obsessions. I've had many in my life, and I know how they feel. They are glorious, and well. . . magnificent. It's been a while, but in the meantime, I have been learning a number of things. I've learned so much about learning to enjoy the process, to enjoy thousands of moments every day. I've learned to be easier on myself, find less fault, find more value, love myself more, and have a good time whatever I am doing.

I ran across a wonderful quote this morning that I'll share with you from Mia Sheridan from her book, Leo:

"Everyone tells a story about who they are in their own head. That story defines you, dictating all your actions and all your mistakes. If your own story is filled with guilt and fear and self-hatred, life can look pretty miserable. But, if you're very lucky, you might have a person who tells you a better story, one that takes up residence in your soul, speaking louder than the woeful tale of which you've convinced yourself. If you let it speak loudly within your heart, it becomes your passion and your purpose. And this is a good thing, the best of things. Because it is the very definition of love, nothing less."

I'm so grateful for those who taught me a better story starting with Jim Rohn, and all the way to Abraham, Esther Hicks. And here's a perfect quote from Abraham, Esther Hicks on what I have found to be the fastest way to change the story in my head, and to see things in a different light:

"Feel appreciation for those who provide examples of Well-being. How would you know that prosperity was possible if there wasn't some evidence of prosperity around you? It's all part of this contrast that helps you to sharpen your desire." 

And, best of all, seeing myself in a different light from the past, I have come to feel inside, and display outside, my better example of Well-being and prosperity. The list is very long for the love that has been shared to bring me to this place. Even though I may be eagerly anticipating my next magnificent obsession, I delight in the travel toward that inevitable; albeit, temporary destination.


Lights! Camera! Action! 

Spread Some Joy Today--by seeing your life in a different light, renewing your joy and loving your travels.

Daily Inspiration 6-22-16

"Comparison need not be competition." 

-- Albert K. Strong 

If you were a painter and you created a painting that you were happy with, do you think that Rembrandt could improve it? If you were a songwriter and you created and recorded a song you were pleased with, do you think that Paul McCartney could improve it?

It doesn't matter, unless you make it so.

I was wandering around my office/library/entertainment room/music room this morning thinking for ideas to write about. I was looking at a series of music cassette racks that have been mounted on my wall since about 1988. Quite a number of the 150+ cassettes there were songs that I wrote and recorded. Many of them are not so good, but at the time I created them they were great.

When I began writing and recording songs in late 1983, even the very first recordings were so moving to me that I listened to them over and over again. I was inspired to try different things, to write better, to record better, to play instruments better. One of my coworkers encouraged me at every listen, and I couldn't wait to play him the latest improvements.

Of course, fast forward to 2016, 30+ years later, and I can easily see how these early recordings were not very good and could easily be improved, but that can happen at any stage for anyone. In 1984-5, I hired musicians to play on an album I recorded. Talk about improvement! Wow. What a difference skill makes! Yet, all of these musicians could have been improved by someone more skilled and with more experience. But, it just doesn't matter in the end. Whatever it is, it is. Whatever it was, it was. Whatever will be, will be.

Whether it is looking at my early writing, songwriting, recording, teaching skills, learning--whatever I have done or will do can be improved. But should that idea negate the accomplishments that went before? It doesn't need to. The only time that it matters is when we are thinking competitively. Who's better than whom? Which team won? Which of my children is the smartest? Looking at the opinions of others as a judgment criteria for our own creations is opening the floodgate of criticism. Best to keep that gate closed as much as possible.

Do you suppose Rembrandt had an early period where his work was not so good? Or Leonardo Da Vinci? Paul McCartney? Well, yes and no. And both of those decisions belong to the creator, not the critic.

Being open to improvement and accepting help or suggestion is great and can be really encouraging and inspiring, but letting someone else be a critic is not. Stand as tall in your kindergarten days as your post graduate Ph.D., travels.


It's All Good. Let It Be. The Journey Is Ahead. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by loving what you've accomplished and finding joy in all that you do by not comparing yourself to another.

Daily Inspiration 6-21-16

"People don't resist change. 

They resist being changed." 

-- Peter M Senge 

Change can often be a challenge, and this is especially true when the need for change is coming from the outside. Someone thinks we need to change, or someone else wants us to change. It doesn't matter if it is as simple as how we do things, how we talk, and such, or as complicated as changing our complete lifestyle. We've got all these beliefs and habits mixed all around in there, and all of that creates reluctance, which is another r-word for resistance. Some of that might even create rebellion, which is resistance on a more massive scale.

When change is desired from within, resistance is less if not completely missing, and can be replaced with eagerness.

Just because we are saying to ourselves, "I should change, I need to change, I ought to change this, this is not coming from within. It is coming from without. When it comes from within, it comes with desire, eagerness, fun, delight.

I like what has become one of my favorite phrases I learned from Abraham, Esther Hicks: "be easy about it." In other words, let go of that rope of resistance. Just let it go. Drop it. Chill. Breathe. Here's some elaboration on that:

"Be easy about this. Be playful about it. Don't work so hard at it. Let your dominant intent to be to feel good, and if you don't feel good, then let your dominant intent be to feel relief. Feel your way through it. If you think your way through it, you can get off on all kinds of tangents. If you feel your way through it, you can come quickly to your Core Energy, and when you do that only good can then flow to you." 

We're so action-oriented. We feel that we must make it happen or it just won't come about. So Abraham softens this with a little more chill:

"Leverage your time more by spending a little more time every day imagining and a lot less time every day doing. Do a little more imagining and a little more less doing. Until eventually most of what's happening is happening in the cool, calm, anticipatory state. Just imagine yourself into the successes, and watch what happens. Imagine a little more and act a little less." 


Making Change A More Joyous Experience! 

Spread Some Joy Today--by feeling how much you are loved and adored. You know you are!

Daily Inspiration 6-20-16

"You have underestimated 

what you deserve." 

-- Alan Cohen 

I have often done just that--underestimated what I deserve. I imagine that we have all done that, even every single human on the planet. It is 100% a self-inflicted artificial limitation. I know this because the world and the universe is non-stop abundance in action. There is abundance all around us, abundance of everything positive and negative, and every other duality.

The trouble so many of us seem to have isn't so much recognizing abundance around us, it is having that abundance come to us. We see others with it. We want it. Yet, in the seeing of it in others, and noticing that it is not in us, we aren't really seeing abundance, but lack of abundance. And further still, it is more about how we feel about this than what we see.

Because there is so much available, we deserve whatever it is that we might choose. We can choose more or we can choose less, and that is the real abundance--that we get to choose what we want. That is the real deserving. To lay claim to what we want, to feel that ability to choose for ourselves, knowing there is plenty for all.

The earliest meaning of deserve is to serve. Of course, this applies in the same way. We underestimate the ways in which we can serve. Serve ourselves. Serve others. You could even take that all the way down to doing. To do. To reach. To give. We underestimate how much we can give, how far we can reach, how much we can do.

It is so often our own internal dialog that is our limitation suppressing our deservedness. I know this to be true in my own life, and if there is anything that has changed for the positive in me that has made such a large difference, it is changing my own internal stories.

Abraham, Esther Hicks gives us great guidance here: "Start telling a better-feeling story about the things that are important to you. Do not write your story like a factual documentary, weighing all the pros and cons of your experience, but instead tell the uplifting, fanciful, magical story of the wonder of your own life and watch what happens. It will feel like magic as your life begins to transform right before your eyes, but it is not by magic. It is by the power of the Laws of the Universe and your deliberate alignment with those Laws." 

What it comes down to then, is that we each deserve what we think we deserve. We each make our own choices, follow our own paths. And, we can make a change in these at any time we choose. So, deserving is not something that is given to us, but accepted by us. You could say, as many have in many ways, we get what we deserve, and that would be true enough, but any limitation on what we deserve is done within ourselves. We then deserve what we have, and also whatever we choose to expand into. At will.


You Deserve Your Heart's Desire, Or As You Choose. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by feeling your way around today, following your joy.

Daily Inspiration 6-19-16

"Give up being right. 

Instead radiate peace, harmony, 

love, and laughter from your heart." 

-- Deepak Chopra 

The need to be right is a whole bunch of work. The number of those who are wrong is huge and constantly growing and so being right requires a continual growing and expansion, using up more and more resources until it's like an overloaded computer crashing. Whew! Who knew being right was such a challenge?

It isn't much fun either. The rewards are minor, and the efforts major. So letting go of that rope of resistance is a perfect thing to do. Yet, often loving instead of being right appears to be hard to do. It's not. Lay down the rope, and then it is easy. Hold on to the rope and keep pulling, and it is hard.

So, I thought today that I would re-energize some ideas that can help make the transition more fun and more enjoyable. Get some cheap spiral notebooks, or legal type pad, or you can use a word document in your computer. I'll share three list ideas, and I highly recommend them all.

1. I Love. . . This is remembering things that you have loved. Simple things. Complicated things. It doesn't matter what, just keep adding more and more and more until you're back in love again. Here's some of mine that are still true and I still love: I love. . . the smell of wet concrete on a hot day, a full tank of gas, new tires on my truck, riding around with Charlie (he loves to ride!), the smell of the morning at sunrise, the sound of birds in my courtyard.

I think you'll find that it is the simple things, the things we don't give much thought to that will hit this list. Keep it where you can find it quickly and add to it often.

2. I Appreciate. . . Where the I Love list is like memories of things, this is more focused on the present. Just make an ongoing list of what you appreciate. Here's some ideas: I Appreciate laughter. Kindness. Sunshine. Clouds. Traffic controls (just imagine the havoc without them!). My truck. My life. Etc.

Feel free to add some of these to the I Love list and vise versa. They are the same vibration, it's just that one is more like a memory and the other is happening now.

3. My Book of Positive Aspects. This goes into more detail about how you think and feel positively, lovingly, appreciatively about something or someone. Start a new page for each subject and write as long as it feels good. Now that you've recorded it, that will be there if you ever want to review it, but the real value is in thinking about it and writing it in the book. There is great power in that doing.

I predict that these three, and even any one of them will be a grand tool in feeling good, releasing resistance, renewing your view of life, enjoying yourself more, enjoying others more, loving more. There is no being right in any of these. There is only love and appreciation.


Happy Father's Day. Happy Person Day. Happy Day. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by writing out your loving thoughts. You might even share them with someone too.

Daily Inspiration 6-18-16

"Orlando tourism: 

No significant new cancellations now 

but future unsure." 

-- Associated Press article in 

Fairfield's Daily Republic newspaper today 

When was the future not unsure? For that matter, how can the future be unsure? Does that mean that the future cannot be predicted accurately? Or, maybe it means that the future lacks confidence, or the future is some mystical concept. I don't know, but it was a hilarious line to me.

Many years ago, I would be very concerned about things in the newspaper, and since I wanted to be positive more often, for years I gave up even looking at one. Now, I look to see if any of my clients are in there, and mostly to laugh at stuff like the quote above.

It is also interesting how many headlines state situations this way. It is this, but. . . and whatever comes after the but, takes away from what went before. Everything is good today, but, you never know when the other shoe will drop! It's kind of like saying the positive thing backward, or saying the positive thing as a negative.

It's all point of view. To say, "I live in a rough neighborhood, but most of the time, it is quite peaceful." That's like saying that it isn't peaceful, or at least it isn't very often. The more accurate way to have said that is, "I live in a quite peaceful neighborhood." Yet, news wants to focus on the hood, not the peace. Peace doesn't sell newspapers, but trouble in the hood does.

Here's another from today: "Solano jobless rate dips below 5 percent." We live in Solano County just to clarify that word. I was told a long, long time ago that 5 percent of the population at any given time is unemployable for quite a variety of reasons, including lack of interest. So when it gets to 5% or even near it, this means full employment, or everyone who wants a job is working. To go below 5 percent then means there are so many jobs that employers are having to dig into the unemployable to get warm bodies. Still, that dribble is inconsequential. What is more interesting is what the headline failed to say. It could have said, "Solano employment exceeds 95%. But, that wouldn't be news. Jobless is a better word for news.

How we choose to see things, what we pay attention to makes all the difference. All of it. In this world, there are always two ends to every stick, even if they are attached to each other in intricate patterns. Which end of the stick we choose to see is what we see.

Now I enjoy the newspaper because I get out loud laughter from it every day. Certainly not every headline, but enough to fuel some enjoyment.

By the way, one of the funniest books--well, I should say THE funniest book I have ever read, is by Jay Leno. The title is, Jay Leno's Headlines: Real But Ridiculous Headlines From America's Newspapers (Books I, II, & III). There are some on Amazon for .01 plus shipping, and yet it is worth thousands of dollars in laughter.


Learning To Laugh At Real Life By Seeing It With Funny Eyes. 

Spread Some Joy Today--How about we all simply enjoy ourselves today. Laugh more. Take things easier. Enjoy more. Be silly more.

Daily Inspiration 6-17-16

"Life is a process of accumulation. 

We either accumulate the debt or the value, 

the regret or the equity." 

-- Jim Rohn 

This morning I received a blog post from Seth Godin. The first part of it is here:

"One of the fundamental equations of our self-narrative is: If I only had more support, I could accomplish even more. 

Part of this is true. With more education, a stronger foundation, better cultural expectations, each of us is likely to contribute even more, to level up, to make a difference.

The part that's not true: "If only.""

I focused in on that phrase, "if only." How many times do we use that phrase in our own conversations with ourselves, and in conversations with others? I can look back and see hundreds of times that I have used it. I was always looking for more support and blaming others for not supplying it, and lamenting about how I could do this if only I had that, and I could do that, if only they would do this, give me this, supply this.

You've heard the question, "is the glass half full or half empty?" The half empty glass is "if only." And, here's the good news: The half full glass is, "what if?"

"If only" is on one side and "what if" is on the other. They seem like the same on the surface, but they are as different as the glass being half full or half empty.

"If only" is all negative. It's all about what isn't right. It's about what is wrong. It's about what is not working. It's about blame. It's about justification for not doing more. It's about saving face. It's about a certain reality. As Abraham, Esther Hicks might say, it is focusing on and wallowing around in "what-is." There it is. This is what is happening. I can't do anything about it because. . . What can I do? They won't give me the support I need. It is complaining. It feels bad. It creates despair through powerlessness. It is all negative.

"What if?" on the other hand, is very positive. It's the dreamer. It is using one's imagination. It is conjuring up solutions. It is finding a better way to see things. It is joyful. It feels good. It is empowering to be able to see a thing complete, to imagine a problem solved, to imagine others participating in your dream. "What if" is a perfect way to achieve, create, and to feel better. It is wonder and delight. It is all positive.

"What if" created everything worthwhile, while "if only" is still waiting for someone to do something about it. It's as easy as changing one word. . .


What If? Imagine The Possibilities. They Are Endless. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by imagining joy around every corner today.

Daily Inspiration 6-16-16

"They say, 

"It's the thought that counts." 

But, that 

is only part of the story." 

-- Albert K. Strong 

Recently I have been watching thoughts in action. It's a fascinating thing to do. I've been watching thoughts of others, and watching my own thoughts, as if I were hovering above the scene viewing it independently from myself.

It's interesting to watch how a thought becomes a belief, which is really only a thought that we think over and over again, or that we've accepted as truth to us, those beliefs that others have expressed, and often live by. Nothing new here. This is how parents are such an influence on their children--or at least, they can be that.

Thoughts are powerful things. Mike Dooley likes to say that, "thoughts become things." Well, true enough, but they become even more than things really. But, there is more to the story of the power of a thought, or even a belief. The other part of the story is what we feel.

A thought could be seen as a sturdy nail--sharp point and all. It can be a powerful thing. What we feel, or our emotion about and surrounding that thought would then be the hammer that can really drive that point home. Thoughts are energy, and emotion, or how we feel about that thought energy becomes that driving force that can turn that little spark of energy into a full-blown lightning storm. 

And, here's a valuable point in this. All of this is malleable. None of it is permanent or fixed. It can look really, really strong and could withstand anything, and then fall like a boulder off a cliff. It may work for a while, and then it can turn from valuable to worthless based on our surroundings, interactions, new knowledge, and a number of influences that can lead us to change, by changing our thoughts, and/or changing our feelings about those thoughts.

I like to look at these thoughts, beliefs, and feelings as all temporary. It may stick around for a time, but it could just as easily be gone in a flash.

Last night, I watched a movie that was just released on DVD, starring Sally Field, titled, Hello, My Name Is Doris. If you haven't seen it, Doris is what used to be considered an 'old maid.' She is obviously in her 60's and never married because she couldn't stand the idea of leaving her momma. She took care of here momma all the way through her momma's death, and she was just the same as her momma. Her momma was a hoarder and the house was a disaster. Doris worked in an office in the city, became infatuated with a young supervisor. He was the influence that helped mold some new thoughts and beliefs. Doris's brother was concerned and wanted to help, and finally Doris let it go. She let the stuff go because she changed her thinking, and that change in her thinking led to a renewed life without that lifetime of baggage she was carrying, physically and emotionally. That was a major change to take place.

There is a lot going on in our lives all the time. Whether that seems normal or not doesn't matter. It is still going on, though it may be the same or similar things over and over. It's not what happens to us, but how we feel about it. As something is happening, we are having thoughts about it and those thoughts are creating emotion. It is the emotion that gives the thought power.

Some ask, does the thought come first and then the emotion, or the other way around, or both at the same time? It is all of that, but in the mean, it is the emotion, or how we feel that drives us. If it is a negative emotion, in that it doesn't feel good, we have the power to soften that, to soothe that with a different thought, creating a softer feeling. As we continue with that process, we can go from feeling crappy to creative, from despondent to delighted. Of course, it also works backward. We can go from enlightened to disillusioned, loving to fearful. We always get to choose when we realize that we have that option. We always have and always will have it, but sometimes our beliefs can convince us that everything happens to us not by us.

Watching thoughts in action in others and in myself these last few days has re-energized the idea that we are always in control of what we choose to think and how we choose to feel. The emotion is pretty much automatic unless, we take hold of the idea that we are in control. Hovering above and watching our own thoughts and feelings in action is a perfect way to see that we have control and to exercise more of that control. We can see how and why we were feeling crappy, and we can see how and why we are feeling elated. Then we can make choices that cause us to have and to be and to feel more like we would really like to.


That Is Our Ultimate Power In This Life. We All Have It Equally. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by exercising your power to feel and spread joy today.

Daily Inspiration 6-15-16

"We only have what we give." 

-- Isabel Allende 

I had a thought and wrote it down the other day to contemplate it further. Here's what I wrote: What's the difference between compassion and feeling sorry for someone?

Etymologically speaking, there is little difference. Com-passion is to be with or be together in pain and suffering. The original use of passion was in reference to the suffering of Christ at the time of the crucifixion, hence the name of that massively popular Mel Gibson movie. Much later it was used to describe sexual desire, and later still, in the number one slot on Dictionary.com, it is, "any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, as love or hate."

Then compassion, in the way I've come to understand it, and I have a large amount of company, is to love another unconditionally in their current situation. It's no longer about having pity for them, as in feeling sorry for them, or sorrow for them, and it is certainly not about feeling their pain or suffering directly as in sympathy. It is more like recognizing the other, seeing that they are perhaps in a situation that is not the best for them, while holding them up as in a prayer for their healing and well-being.

So then, feeling sorry for someone is to have pity of them and compassion is to pour love on them. Other than thought and feeling, either of these may contain action or activity; however, I would want only to receive that action that is accompanied with compassion.

The Dalai Lama XIV said it well: "A truly compassionate attitude toward others does not change even if they behave negatively or hurt you."

I think that a feeling sorry attitude wouldn't care in the least.


"There Is No Exercise Better For The Heart Than Reaching Down And Lifting People Up." -- John Holmes 

Spread Some Joy Today--by carrying compassion with you in your heart.

Daily Inspiration 6-14-16

"You cannot fail. 

You can only produce results." 

-- Wayne Dyer 

How interesting is that? No more failure. No more possibility of failure. No such thing as failure anymore. There is only some kind of result.

Of course, looking at it this way would apply equally to success. No more success. No such thing as success. No more possibility of success. There is only some kind of result.

This has always been true. Yet, over the years, decades, centuries, we have developed judgement of results, and then we were so creative that we labeled them, as we have labeled every other thing.

So, feel free to change it back. Make your own decision. You have always had the power to label things, and you have the power to unlabel them too. Change it to suit your fancy. Change it to soothe your psyche.

It's been a long time since I've been to church, but when I was going, they used to say quite often, "God is good. All the time." Well, if that is true, then there is no downside, is there? It's all good. Maybe we simply haven't looked far enough to see it, or rather, relaxed enough and let go enough to see it.

It is often our resistance that leads, when I think we are better led by our release. And one way to unlabel things is to pay more attention to how we are feeling, and act on that by either being satisfied with how it feels, loving it, or finding a better feeling with a different thought. Release is a different thought. It is a more soothing thought, and it creates a more soothing feeling.


We're All So Much More In Charge Of Everything Than We Often Think We Are. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by making your own choice for that.

Daily Inspiration 6-13-16

"You can study gravity forever 

without learning how to fly."

-- Shawn Achor 

I think that often there are so many more reasons that a thing or an idea won't work, that we may have a tendency to justify that to ourselves, and to others, for our own comfort. That could be called success if one wanted it to be called that. I successfully didn't do that because. . . It doesn't make any sense because. . . and then there's the all time classic: If God wanted people to fly, He would have given us wings. It is just as easy to say that if God wanted me to _________, He would have given me ________. More justification, for sure, but with a much higher authority. . .

People who fly study flying. It's not that they don't know about gravity. They understand gravity pretty well. After all, it is prevalent in our world. But they don't let gravity keep them down. Instead, they find ways to work with gravity, along with other things like wind.

Of course, should I consult other people about my idea of flying, most, if not all of them will remind me of gravity and that what goes up, must come down, and if God wanted us to fly, He would have given us wings.

And now, flying is commonplace.

Or, is it?

Maybe it's not even about flying at all.


And Maybe It Is. Follow Your Own Instincts And Dreams. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by letting go of strife today. Who needs strife anyway? Get rid of the struggle too. Just chill.

Daily Inspiration 6-12-16

"It is not doing the thing 

we like to do, 

but liking the thing 

we have to do, 

that makes life blessed." 

-- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 

I pondered this Goethe quote for some time. Who doesn't like doing the things that we like doing, love doing? And, who likes doing the things we don't want to do? One would think that the former is happiness, and the latter is unhappiness. What might it be like to do the things we like or love to do all of the time, and never, ever do anything that we feel that we have to do? I don't know. However, if I find a way to like what I feel that I need to do, or maybe it is others who want me to do, then I could be doing what I like to do all of the time.

But the thing that struck me about this second part of the quote about liking the thing we have to do, is that the first part comes natural, like a child playing, while the second part is not natural, yet learnable. And, once we learn how it works, it will become more natural, or it will flow more smoothly.

It is a worthy endeavor to consider ways in which to like that which we need to do.

How can we make it fun? How can it be enjoyable? What can we learn from the experience? How can learning to enjoy this enhance my life?

I know that when I have things that I don't want to do, I seem to have roadblocks, or walls, or mountains in my way. I fully realize that I created them, but that doesn't change the fact that they are there. This causes pause. It creates procrastination, which is a purposeful pause. The purpose is to avoid doing what I don't want to do.

It also applies to that which I don't quite know how to do.

Not knowing how creates more walls, mountains, swift and deep rivers to cross. I say things like, how am I going to get this done? How will I figure it out? Who can I get to help me? I need help! I don't know who to call. Frustration, powerlessness, procrastination.

So, how do I make it fun? Enjoy the process? Move the mountains, forge the rivers, blow up the walls?

One way is to make it a game. Another is to take a little bit at a time. Another is to ask someone. Heck, maybe it's on YouTube! Or maybe there's an online class. I could reward myself, treat myself for making some kind of progress,

But, in the end, I think what it comes down to is laying down my notions that it is something I don't want to do and then practice allowing life to unfold and show me something I haven't seen. It's like treating it as an adventure, going to a foreign land where I don't speak the language, but I see so many interesting things that I've never seen before--or that I never would have seen if I didn't allow the unfolding.

A sense of adventure, allowing our lives to unfold in our travel through life, a willingness to learn and find new ways to enjoy our life are all worthwhile in doing the things we love to do and loving the things we need to do.


Oh, Did I Mention That It Is Worthy Of Practice? 

Spread Some Joy Today--by allowing some more unfolding to come through.

Daily Inspiration 6-11-16

"Your world 

is as big as your vision." 

-- Alan Cohen 

So simply said, and so profoundly true--our world is as big as our vision, and is big enough to be as big as it can be and it is also small and as small as we will allow it to be. We control how we see the world.

As well, it goes beyond our world, because God is as big as our vision. Love is as big as our vision. And, I believe that these three ideas are actually one in the same.

It kind of reminds me of that interesting book, Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, M.D. Our world is as big or small as our thoughts about it. Our reality is as real as our thoughts about it. Change is as open or closed as our thoughts about it. Our beliefs are as strong or weak as our thoughts about them.

I'm near the end of my second listening to an insightful book by Rob Bell, titled, Love Wins. The subtitle is, a book about heaven, hell, and the fate of every person who ever lived. It's obviously a big title. I have to say also how much I have enjoyed Rob's reading of his own book. At the end of chapter five, there was a part that jumped off the page (I also have the physical book. . .) Here's the phrase that caught my total attention: "That's how love works. It can't be forced, manipulated, or coerced. It always leaves room for the other to decide." 

He was referring to how big God is and how big love is and how big our world is at the same time. He thinks it is HUGE, more than big enough to encompass all. . . in all. That's really big.

This book and these thoughts resonated perfectly with me because I have thought that way about God. And then too, about love. Those who read my posts often, know that I talk about love all the time. Not so much about God, because that is more of a volatile topic, yet to me they are one in the same. Everyone has individual feelings surrounding the subject of God, and yet God's love encompasses all of that and so much more. We get to choose and we are choosing all the time, whether we are choosing that we are victims or rulers.

I think the most important idea is how we see ourselves separate from God, or separate from love, or separate from our world, or whether we are immersed in them instead. Maybe a better way to say that is, are they outside of us, or within us? Just something to consider. . .

At the end of this excellent chapter, Rob is essentially saying that God is big enough, and is so big that he gives us the authority to rule, to do, to choose, to think, to create as we will. We can choose pain, so-called evil, and have as much darkness as we desire to have in our lives. Some look at that and say, "why doesn't God do something about that?" The answer is because God is big enough, loves enough to allow us to choose for ourselves.

At the same time, when we turn to choose better, to find more that pleases us, works for us, that power has been given to us too, and he ends the chapter with this beautiful passage: "And to that, that impulse, craving, yearning, longing, desire--God says yes. Yes, there is water for that thirst, food for that hunger, light for that darkness, relief for that burden. If we want hell, if we want heaven, they are ours. That's how love works. It can't be forced, manipulated, or coerced. It always leaves room for the other to decide. God says yes, we can have what we want, because love wins." 


Love Wins. Although, It Is Not A Competition. It's A GIVEN. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by expanding your vision of joy--the joy you experience and feel and enjoy, and the joy you exude to others while you are doing that. Joy is a not just a feeling, it is a state of being

Daily Inspiration 6-10-16

Remind: 

To cause to remember. 

To cause to remember. . . hmmm. . . maybe that means to put back together from where it was originally, as in re-member. So then, remind might then be to re-mind, or to put back to the mind that which was originally there. Makes sense to me.

So. . . . from my favorite Ask and It Is Given Perpetual Calendar by Abraham, Esther Hicks, from the June 8th message, I share this reminder to remember your original blessing:

Absolute alignment with 

your own Source Energy means 

that you know the following: 

You are free 

You are powerful 

You are good 

You are love 

You have value 

You have purpose 

All is well 

Maybe even read that over several times. I did. It encourages me to feel those things and to be those things and to let go of the things that are not those things. Perhaps it will do the same for you.


My Oh My That Feels Good. I Feel Loved Just Reading It. I Feel Renewed. Alignment Is The Best! 

Spread Some Joy Today--because joy is meant to be spread. And why the heck not? It is, after all, the same vibration as love and appreciation.

Daily Inspiration 6-9-16

"Why become enamored--or enraged--at the mirror 

when it is simply reflecting 

what you are sending to it?" 

-- Alan Cohen 

What if that person in front of you that you are communicating with is the mirror?

What an interesting thought. Consider that what you see in the other person is a reflection of what you are sending. It doesn't matter whether you're a salesperson, a husband, wife, child, best friend, total stranger, bank teller, plumber, teacher, student, or any other person or position. I think that we get back through others what we ourselves are sending out.

Which makes it all the more important, and interesting fun too, in all your interactions from now forward. Pay attention. See what happens. Ask questions of yourself, such as, what am I sending out? How am I feeling about that? As I see my reflection in others, how is that causing me to feel? What's up with that?

In 1987, I wrote a song for my late wife, Nancy. We had only known each other for a couple of months, but the lyric of the song demonstrated what I'm saying here today. It is called, Nancy's Eyes, and here is the lyric:

Verse 1: Nancy's eyes reflect the joy I feel in me. In Nancy's face I see all I've come to be. And in her smile, my love comes back to me. In Nancy, I see me.

Chorus: In her I see reflections of what's inside of me. She radiates the qualities that once I couldn't see. Now I understand the love she sees in me. For I reflect the love in her she's choosing to set free. 

Verse 2: In Nancy's voice, I hear the feelings I express. In Nancy's touch, I feel the warmth of my caress. And in her laugh, the laughter I possess. It's me that she reflects.

If we are seeing anger, disappointment, or other upset in the face of the other, the first thing to check is what we are putting out. When we begin paying better attention to what we are sending out to the world, we have more control of our environment, because the world is going to reflect much of what we are sending, and as we send better, we will receive better. As we send more joy, we will receive more joy. As we send more respect, we will receive more respect. As we send negative things, fearful things, we will receive those in kind. As we send positive things, uplifting things, loving things, we also will receive those in kind.

When we pay attention to what we are sending out, it will cause us to pay more attention to what we really want to send out. Deep down, we already know what we want to receive. Who doesn't want love? Not one. Who doesn't want respect? Not one. Who doesn't want joy? Not one. Not even the so-called meanest, nastiest person on the planet. Deep down they want these things that we want too. They just go about it not paying attention to the reflection and how it aligns with their inner desires. 

There is an old saying, "go forth and multiply." Well, that can't be helped. We do it all the time whether consciously or unconsciously. How about we go forth and multiply a little love, respect, joy, enthusiasm, appreciation, freedom, empowerment, and all that resonates with the best within us? 


Sounds Pretty Dang Good To Me! 

Spread Some Joy Today--by letting your love light shine through.

Daily Inspiration 6-8-16

"I respect your opinion 

of my work." 

-- Scott Ginsberg 

There it is. It has been on the deposit receipt for years, and this morning as three of these are on the top of my desk waiting to be filed, I see it: "Your opinion counts." Below that is much smaller type is a request to give the bank feedback in an online survey. So, my mind sort of took off with that bit of dribble. . .

"Hello, I registered my opinion online, but I don't see the results of it anywhere. Can you direct me so that I can actually see that my opinion matters and that, as you say, "my opinion counts"? After all, I took the time to give it to you, and the least you can do is to show me how it counts, don't you think?"

On the other end, I hear what sounds like a recorded voice saying, "I'm sorry, sir, but your opinion has expired. We appreciated your opinion, but it is no longer valid. The time has run out. Please feel free to share your opinion with us again, because, as we always say, your opinion counts."

What? My opinion has expired? My opinion timed out? My opinion is no longer valid? What's up with that?

So, you can see how my mind works sometimes. It just goes off and has a bit of fun here and there, and I get to go along for the ride. Then, it hit me! What an interesting concept: Opinions that expire, time out, and are no longer valid. How interesting is that to contemplate. Well, maybe just for me. . . 

Go with me for just a little longer if you've got nothing else to do. Besides, it's Wednesday. Hump day. It's downhill to the weekend, and it's in sight. . .

You have an opinion. You share it with someone in some sort of way. They accept it. The opinion has landed. Perhaps, you are volleying with another, who gives you their opinion. You take it. Hmmmm. You consider it. There it is. Which causes you to share another opinion about their opinion. After all, there are the finer points to be considered. Back and forth. Back and forth the opinions go. Served and returned.

Then the other says, "I'm sorry, but your previous opinion has expired and is no longer valid." And you go, "what do you mean? My opinion can't expire. It's been served and I thought it was a very good opinion. How can it no longer be valid, unless I take it back? You have no authority to invalidate my opinion! Only I have the authority to invalidate my opinion. Just as you can only invalidate your opinion. What would you think if I arbitrarily invalidated your opinion? You'd be pissed to say the least. Now take it back. Take back your arbitrary invalidation of my opinion!"

I've had this quote by Scott Ginsberg above on my desk for a few weeks, "I respect your opinion of my work." The context that he gave this was around the idea of people being critical of us and this was a grand response. It works well. But, I think it says so much more in a broader sense. Let's use it this way: I respect your opinion. I mean, after all, we all have them--even millions of them. And, it seems to be a given to respect our own opinion. We serve, and then we serve and then we serve and, well, it's out there. But, many times, we kind of let the opinions of others expire. We may even invalidate them. Dis them. But, if we mean to have anyone else respect our opinion, it is only fair and honorable that we respect theirs. It is the loving thing to do.


Your Opinion Counts. I Respect Your Opinion. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by allowing others to have their say, while allowing yourself to have yours. There is joy in there somewhere, and it is worth sharing.

Daily Inspiration 6-7-16

"Resentment 

is like taking poison, 

and waiting 

for the other person to die." 

-- Malachy McCourt 

I'm guessing that the Bible has been interpreted in so many different ways as to be whatever anyone wants it to be or to say. It is also probably the most quoted book in all of history. As well, there are many facets of religion that surround and attach themselves to parts of the Bible. In addition, the Bible has been used in healing and as a weapon, as it also has brought people together, and held them apart. As well, it continues to be those things today.

I was thinking about Christianity in general, and Christians specifically, partly from some reading of late, and mostly from personal interaction and experience in the same time frame.

It is said that a Christian is a follower of Jesus of Nazareth, termed The Christ, and known with the combined first name and the job description (Messiah or Christ) as Jesus Christ. And from my limited church training, I was to understand that to be a Christian is to be a follower of Christ (Jesus), and that the ultimate objective in this is to be as "Christ-like" as possible. In other words, to become as Jesus taught--to become like Him.

In all my studies of the Bible, and countless other things, it has been my interpretation that to be Christlike is to love unconditionally. To love our enemies, to love our brothers and sisters, to love our neighbors, to love the less fortunate, to love ourselves. When I think of Jesus, I think LOVE. To me, He is the embodiment of that which is love, and not just any kind of love, but agape love, or what I term as unconditional love. To love in spite of. To love in lieu of. To allow others to be as they choose for themselves, without any insistence that they satisfy me.

It's a high goal. It's challenging. We might think it is more challenging today with all that is going on in our instant communication world, but I think it has always been challenging. It requires a choice--to choose to allow, to love, and to forgo ourselves, and by forgoing ourselves, I don't mean to be selfless, because that often takes away loving ourselves. What I mean by forgoing ourselves is the last line in the last paragraph: To allow others to choose for themselves, without any insistence that they satisfy us. That IS unconditional love.

So, when I see or hear of Christians, and especially those who have claimed that for a long time, or leaders in their church, who are resentful and angry at other people, tearing down the other's buildings so theirs can be the tallest and so much more, I wonder what their definition of being a Christian is. And, of course, this doesn't just apply to Christians, but all people really.

To see brothers and sisters at odds with one another because of something as simple and yet so powerful as a thought. And when that thought is thought often enough, it becomes a belief. As it becomes a belief, it guides our actions, as all of that determines our character. It is sad to see the separation of people in this way, but it is their choices that I honor, whatever they may be.

If I could be even the tiniest influence to those that I touch, it would be my ultimate objective, passion, and desire to remind people of the depth, joy, and reverence of unconditional love. And, that to be Christlike is to be that, live that, spread that, and grow that love--practice that. Because, I really do think that when it all comes down to the basic foundation of all of life, it is love that is the energy that runs the entire show, and as we line up with the vibration of that energy, we thrive, and as we are out of harmony with it. . . well, that is the rest, isn't it? Or maybe the word is unrest. 


If Jesus Is Love, If God Is Love, Then We Are Love. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by being willing to practice allowing the joy within you to touch others today, and every day.