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.

Daily Inspiration 6-6-16

"Is it age? 

Or is it something else?" 

-- Terry Minion 

[This is an article I wrote published in Boom Magazine this month. See more about this publication at www.primetimeliving.org]

This morning I put my little dog, Charlie, down so he could go outside and water the bushes. Before he moved, he stretched, and then sneezed loudly. When he sneezed, his body jumped up and moved left about four inches. I started laughing, saying, "Wow! A big one!" This reminded me of my own sneezing that seems to get bolder and more powerful as I age. What's up with that? It makes me laugh more. If someone were watching me write, laughing periodically, with a huge smile, they might be curious what I was writing, but, alas, I find myself laughing more as I get older.

But, is it age? Or is it something else? I think it's something else.

My father would have recently turned 89 years of age if he were alive. Instead, he passed at age 36, and I was just 13. My younger sister would be 64, but she left at 21. I never thought I would live past 30, but here I am at 66. Age isn't a given, but in my opinion, a grand opportunity. Each day is precious when we decide it is, as each day is another day closer to the end as we decide that instead. 

Some people think I'm old. But I don't. I think 80 is old. It's always out there way ahead of me. I guess when I'm 75, I'll think 90 is old. They say that men grow old gracefully, so I guess I have something to look forward to.

Mark Twain said, "When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it had happened or not; but my faculties are decaying now and soon I shall be so I cannot remember any but the thing that never happened. It is sad to go to pieces like this but we all have to do it." I can relate that memory is a relative thing, and certainly subjective, even periodically unpredictable.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez looked on age in this way: "Age has no reality except in the physical world. The essence of a human being is resistant to the passage of time. Our inner lives are eternal, which is to say that our spirits remain as youthful and vigorous as when we were in full bloom." I can so relate to this as inside, in my heart, in my mind, I feel young. If I feel any age at all it is paying attention to my physicality.

But here is my favorite age quote to bring this rambling all together from George Bernard Shaw: "You don't stop laughing when you grow old, you grow old when you stop laughing." It is so interesting to me how much more I laugh now than in my past life. I find so many things lighthearted, funny, and probably the average person (who is that anyway?) doesn't find these things funny, but I no longer care what they think. I find them funny, and I love to laugh. I love to smile. I love my life. 

Is it age, or is it something else? It is something else. It is enjoying our life at whatever age we find ourselves. It is not taking everything so dang seriously. It is allowing others to do as they wish without us insisting they satisfy our whims and thoughts. It is allowing. It is living in this moment with the heart of a child in whatever body we find ourselves in today.


Enjoy! Or Rather, Injoy! 

Spread Some Joy Today--by being easier, and especially on yourself.

Daily Inspiration 6-5-16

"Leaving space 

is as important as 

filling it in." 

-- Alan Cohen 

A few nights ago, we went out to dinner, and there just happened to be a single musician playing 12-string guitar and singing for entertainment. He was quite talented and had memorized a lot of songs, since he played and sang for two hours with very little space between songs, and some with no space. I really enjoyed what turned out to be a 5 or 6-song medley flowing from one to the other. The first two were sort of a natural choice, but the others made it very interesting in how he weaved them together.

I love 12-string guitar too. As a guitar player, I know that a 12-string is harder to play. You have two strings to push down with each finger instead of one, but this guy made it look like it was the easiest thing in the world.

For what he was doing, he did very well. He also had quite a range on his voice to add to the whole of the performance. There was one thing that I noticed though, not offering it as criticism so much as just to point out how someone with that talent might improve the sound considerably. It would be to pay closer attention to and to appreciate more fully the space.

It has often been said that the space between musical notes is more important than the notes themselves. In my mind, I would say that they are equally important, but that the only thing that makes it music, or at least makes it worth listening to is the spaces.

In music there are a lot of ways to describe space, and notes and how they may combine well, or not as well. Attack, rest, tempo, beat, syncopation, and so on. If I were to point something out about this music that I enjoyed over a great dinner, I would say that the corners were rounded off. What would have improved it would have been some sharp edges here and there--those kind of periodic starts and stops, sustain and abstain, along with more dynamic nuances.

Those changes would have made it a great performance instead of a good performance. That is often the difference between a cover and the original too. It takes more time to prepare, but the time invested is worth it.

I see how this applies in much of what we do in our lives. We can even be very good at what we do or what we are doing, and then with just a little more attention, take it from good to great. Some might say, "well, they aren't paying me to give it that much attention," but, what we get out of it is only part of the story. If we're putting something out there, it is more beneficial to all concerned to give it the best of ourselves. It is also how we grow and become more, to expand and be more influential.


We All Choose Our Spaces. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by sharing our best self with all the others that we come into contact with, or communicate with from a distance. There is joy in that sharing.

Daily Inspiration 6-4-16

"Yesterday I couldn't spell it, 

and today I are one." 

-- Terry Minion 

I used to say the phrase above a lot. I think it mainly has to do with doing things or making changes that you weren't sure could be done, and then, after a time, and seemingly all of a sudden, you're there. Obviously, there was a journey, but you might not have even thought of it as that--or, maybe you just forgot about the journey and didn't realize that you were on one. It's kind of a silly phrase, yet I've found it true enough.

Somewhere in late 2007 to early 2008, I found Abraham and Esther and Jerry Hicks. One of the phrases that stuck with me that Abraham said would help anyone who desired a better life to actually have one, was this one, which I printed out and put on my wall so that I would be reminded often: 

"Today, no matter where I'm going and no matter what I am doing, it is my dominant intent to see that which I am wanting to see." 

Here's a slightly modified version (in bold) I just read from one of their posts that adds just a bit of clarity. Here's the whole post from a workshop in Albuquerque, NM on May 9th, 1999:

 "Milk every moment for all the pleasure you can get from it. When you say, "It is my dominant intent to look for things that feel good today. No matter where I'm going, no matter what I'm doing, no matter who I'm doing it with, it is my dominant intent to look for what I'm wanting to see, to look for things that feel good," and the more you develop the habit of that kind of vibration--the more the Universe understands that that's who you are! And so, the more you have access only to those kinds of things!" 

As I read that, I thought, "I am that now!" I don't even think about it anymore. It is habitual now. I just look for what I want to see. As my eyes scan the things around me I may be going through, I see what I want to see and the things that I don't want to see just fly by. In other words, I focus on what I want to see while the rest is out of focus, like one of those photographs where you see one image clearly, and the rest of the image is blurred.

I also realize that Abraham was spot on. As I do that all day, every day, wherever I am, wherever I am going, whomever I am with or in the presence of, I feel good, with spurts of joy, even some laughter as I realize what I am feeling and seeing, most often with a smile so full that feels like my whole body is smiling.

These are just normal days. You could say, "nothing special," but what is more accurate is that everything is special. It is simply a choice. I took to heart the affirmation about seeing what I want to see, and feeling good as the worthy goals, and they came to pass consciously with that choice to put it into joyful action. And, what is even better than I expected, the affirmation is now me--it is on auto-pilot. It is unconsciously working, and I feel it in my life every single day.

So, I offer you this: Assuming you might enjoy such a thing as seeing what you want to see and feeling good every day, I invite you to write down the affirmation, read it often, and when you feel ready to act on it, begin doing it consciously, or on purpose. Then pay attention to what happens. It won't take very long, and I predict you will have found a whole new way of looking at life, and experiencing your life.


I Have. There's Enough For Everyone. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by looking for joy and sharing your joy.

Daily Inspiration 6-3-16

"It doesn't matter 

how many times a story has been told. 

As each and every person is unique, 

each and every person 

 has their own stories. 

Each voice is important 

 and valuable as any other." 

-- Albert K. Strong 

So much of what I read and study is repetitive in some ways. I might listen to or read several authors on the same subject and each with their own point of view. And what amazed me again about this was hearing another voice that reminded me that each of us has stories. Each of us is unique. Each of us is of value.

Sometimes we might think to ourselves that it has all been said before, and we might even add that it has been said by smarter people than I, but that takes us off the point. The point is that each story is valuable. Each point of view is unique, and each is worthy of sharing if we have a mind to.

I was just recently introduced to Rob Bell. I first saw him on the supersoul.tv Super Soul Session by Oprah Winfrey just a few weeks ago. I went and watched his video talk again and enjoyed it as much as the first time. So I bought his latest audiobook, and then another. As I was listening to this first one, which is his latest book, titled, How To Be Here, I was amazed at how different his expression of his ideas was. It is unique to him. I'm so glad that I found his thoughts and voice because much of it resonates within me, thereby making it valuable to me.

I could say, "well, Eckhart Tolle said it all about being present in more than one book, and in several recorded talks," but that isn't true. Rob Bell added much to it. How many perspectives are there on the subject of being present? How many people are there on the planet? That is how many there are. Sure, some may say the same things with a different voice, and yet others will add something more, taking us on a different journey.

I find that I love to hear many different perspectives on a subject that I am interested in. It fills out my knowledge. I love it when the way someone says a thing resonates within me. I think, "Yeah! I agree," or "Wow! How cool was that! I never thought of it that way. It makes perfect sense."

I buy a lot of books and audiobooks. Most of them I finish, but probably 25% of them I only get a little way into it, and then decide I've heard or read enough. That's okay. Though I was taught as a kid to eat everything on my plate, thereby having a "happy plate," I make up my own mind now. Even so, the part that I did read or listen to was enough. I got all I needed.

It's also interesting to me how I never heard of someone who has been writing books, speaking, and teaching for over 30 years, and then I find them. Heck, maybe they found me! The world is full of people I've never heard of that are going to make a big difference in me as soon as we are introduced. I love the excitement and anticipation about that.


Every Voice Has An Audience. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by stopping for a few moments here and there to just enjoy the view. It doesn't take much.

Daily Inspiration 6-2-16

"I am simple, complex, generous, selfish, 

unattractive, beautiful, lazy and driven." 

-- Barbara Streisand 

That about says it for all of us, I think. . .

(Classic post from 12-26-10) 


We Are All So Much More Than We Show, Including Contradictions And Mystery 

Spread Some Joy Today--Relax. You're good. You're covered. You are loved . . . As You Are.

Daily Inspiration 6-1-16

"As the plant springs from 

and could not be without, the seed, 

so every act of a man springs from 

the hidden seeds of thought, 

and could not have appeared without them. 

This applies equally to those acts 

called "spontaneous" and "unpremeditated" 

as to those which are deliberately executed." 

-- James Allen, 

As a Man Thinketh 

I've been on this journey to learn about myself, about others, and the world, how it all works, and much more, for quite a number of years. I didn't realize how long a journey it has been until I found a file on my computer called, Lessons Learned. When I opened it, there were two sets of bullet points, one dated 2-83 and the other, 6-83. I'll list one from each date group just for the heck of it:

"Give love without expecting any return. When you expect a return, you're not giving, but taking." 

"The warm fuzzy bag has an unending supply."

It's obvious to me who I was reading back then. Much of the thoughts listed on this page were teachings of Wayne Dyer. He has been a huge influence in my thinking, and there is a very long list of others who have influenced me as well.

Yesterday, I also found a letter to my wife on my computer. It was dated September 18th, 2011. She died in August of 2013. The letter was 3 pages, a little over 1,800 words and was a desperate attempt to get her attention and have her change her thinking toward living. In it, I pulled out everything that I had learned to that point, gave quite a number of examples of what she was doing that demonstrated her thinking, and also added that I loved her unconditionally, and that whatever she is choosing was okay, and that no one can choose our thoughts for us. I also told her what I wanted, and that the best influence I could ever be is to be that which I wanted. What I said I wanted was joy, hope, peace and love.

The last few sentences of that letter brings it all around: "I would love to have a partner, a lover, a friend. As long as you continue thinking how you are, there is no hope of this. That is okay. I love you no matter how you choose to be. If I could only impart one thing in all of this, it would be that you are making choices and that those choices are just fine. And this: I choose joy, hope, peace and love regardless."

Have you ever seen a loved one going down a dark road and not being able to change their mind about it? This was not my first experience with this kind of situation, but this time it was with someone who I was very close to, making it more desirable to succeed in helping change their thinking. And though I alluded to it in the letter, that I cannot change anyone else, but the best I could do was to be a positive influence, and that people can only change for themselves, she chose to stay on the path she was choosing every day. And, so did I.

This is the only reason I share some of this intimacy. It is that no matter why, or no matter how hard we might try, that we have no real power over the thinking of another human being. This does not mean that we cannot be an influence--we certainly can be an influence, and that the best and the only way to be an influence is to be our best self for ourselves, and at the same time, unconditionally loving the other so that we allow them to make the choices they make without any insistence that they choose otherwise. This is all we can do regardless of the relationship with another human being. 

It is that love that is demonstrated by allowing them to choose for themselves that means the most. That doesn't stop us from saying what we want, or what we would hope for. That is a good thing. But, in the end, the best influence we can be is to follow our own choices, our own heart, while expressing our love for the other.


Nothing External Has Any Real Power. It Is ALL Inside Of Us. That Power Is Expressed Through Thought.

Spread Some Joy Today--by loving the joy that is within you as you share it with any and all who may enjoy the gift.