Daily Inspiration 10-11-16

"Happiness based on condition 

is like building a house 

on a sand bar at low tide." 

-- Albert K. Strong 

Many have decided that their happiness is based on conditions. They say, "I am happy when __________," or "I will be happy when ________," This makes me happy," or "He or she makes me happy," or "To me, happiness is _________." All of these are based on conditions, and if the conditions don't show up, what then?

I've often said that happiness is a choice, it is not a destination. It truly is a choice, and if it is left up to the whims of conditions, happiness is a hit and miss affair at best. Some of the most popular songs in all of songdom are based on conditions making us happy or unhappy. To live happily ever after is a common phrase, and based on the divorce rate, that would be a lot of unhappily ever after candidates. But even those who haven't divorced may be seeing that happily ever after is merely an idealism. And, besides, divorce only creates unhappiness if we decide that it does.

Abraham, Esther Hicks demonstrates that happiness is a personal choice this way: "The best thing you could do for anyone that you love, is be happy! And the very worst thing that you could do for anyone that you love, is be unhappy, and then ask them to try to change it, when there is nothing that anybody else can do that will make you happy." That would also broaden to include not just anyone else, but any thing else as well.

Conditions are constantly changing. We don't run the world, the world is running on its own. We are creating some conditions perhaps, but by and large there are a massive number and types of conditions that we are not controlling. I love John Mayer's song, where he says they're "waiting on the world to change." That could be a while. Probably never.

Love is the same way because love and happiness are similar vibrations. As everything is as we prefer it, we are in love, and when the other does something that really upsets us, we are no longer in love, it is very much conditional love. If they are faithful, I will love them, and if they are unfaithful, I will despise them, or it could be a million things that are much less traumatic that turn us off. Of course, that's a good way to visualize conditional love or conditional happiness, as a light switch that is turned on and then turned off, turned on again, then off again, and so on. Light, dark. Feel good, feel bad. In love, out of love. Respect, no respect. With unconditional happiness, we turn the switch on, then we seal the switch inside the wall so we can't turn it off.

Conditions are challenging. In fact, I would have to say that as long as we leave it to conditions, we could never be happy or in love for very long. And, it's okay to live that way, as most of us do. But, what if we chose unconditional happiness instead? Could we live a life of unconditional happiness? I think, yes. We simply decide to be happy no matter what. If we give in to what, we can recommit to be happy regardless of what. As we practice being happy without what calling the shots, we become unconditionally happy. Conditions no longer decide. We decide. We have the power. The only question remains is will we choose it or not.

Michael Singer, from his book, The Untethered Soul, says, "If you want to be happy, you have to let go of the part of you that wants to create melodrama. This is the part that thinks there's a reason not to be happy. . . .The question is simply "Do you want to be happy?" If the answer is really yes, then say it without qualifying it. . . .You have to give it an unconditional answer. . . .The real question is whether you want to be happy regardless of what happens." 

What would your life be like if you practiced unconditional happiness? Unconditional love? Unconditional appreciation? It wouldn't be without challenges, but the sincere practice of it makes it easier and more consistent until the challenges have no effect anymore.


The Happy Place Is Within, Not Without. 

Spread Some Joy Today--but deciding to do so.

Daily Inspiration 10-10-16

"We need only to align 

 our thoughts with appreciation, 

 for contentment 

is not so much a state of affairs 

as it is a state of mind." 

-- Alan Cohen 

I love to quote Alan Cohen because he is prolific, so there's a lot of wise tidbits available, yet mainly it is his divine point of view. He sees the world as I want to see it, and I am more each day. He expresses the calm understanding that James Allen talks about, and that I have long desired. He does all of this with a style of writing that is smooth going down and delightful in digestion.

I've read many of his books, but had never read his first book the launched his career--a career that I might like to refer to as a common sense spirituality master. As Jesus did his teaching with parables, Alan shares his down to earth spiritual thoughts with little stories. His first book from 1981 is, The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore -- Living Fully, Loving Freely. Even today it is still selling well. I'm only part way through but I'm not in a hurry as I am savoring each paragraph because it is delightful.

The quote above came from the chapter, Enough Is Enough. It's not about getting fed up, but more like realizing the wealth in all things is already within. He talks about the difference between the unhappy ones who are always seeking, while only those who are constantly finding are fulfilled. "And finding is not something that happens to us--it is something we do." 

But here is what I want to bring out of the early part of this chapter that I find a great value in and have practiced myself. He says, "For the past few years, I have been practicing a very powerful mantra: "Perfect!" He says it is not a mantra to use in meditation, although it certainly could be used that way, but is a mantra to use in our daily lives.

I use, "Perfect!" often, and also, "Excellent!" It doesn't matter what it is that is going on around me, it only matters how I process it. Alan says, "It's not so much what we do that counts, but what we think about what we do." So to resolve in our mind that whatever it is really is perfect, makes it perfect, even if it wouldn't have normally been to our liking. It's a point of view, and one that we may not have normally taken, but as we do so, the world around us changes. Wayne Dyer said that, "when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." And, I can tell you from personal experience this is absolutely true.

It's about perspective and our thoughts about that perspective that guides us throughout our days.


Perfect! Excellent! I Am Enough! I Am Injoying Myself! What A Wonderfully Magical Day! 

Spread Some Joy Today--by aligning our thoughts with appreciation today. It is love, joy, peace, contentment, and more in that one word.

Daily Inspiration 10-9-16

"INTERNET 

ACCESS CLIMBS, 

but disadvantaged at bottom." 

-- Front page headline from 

Daily Republic newspaper, 

Fairfield CA 

Many, many years ago, I used to read the newspaper for news and to get the latest crises firmly implanted in my memory. Then, for many years, I never even bothered taking one or reading one. In the last few years, I've taken the local paper, primarily to see if any of our clients are in there with ads, or write-ups, or other mentions that we may blog about, and the best reason I take it and actually go through it every day is to laugh.

I need laughter. I crave laughter. And, I find a lot to laugh at and with in the newspaper. Take the headline above this morning for example. When I read this, and it was bold enough that it would be impossible to miss, I burst out laughing and every time I think about it now an hour later even, I laugh more. It's hilarious!

Leave it to the newspaper to restate the obvious: "Internet access climbs." Well, duh! Are you serious? I'm not even going off the path thinking of asking what it is climbing, but that is funny too, yet the obvious increase in Internet exposure and growth is a no-brainer to pretty much everyone, I'm sure.

Then, they continue to state the obvious saying, "but disadvantaged at the bottom." So, I ask myself: Self--where are the disadvantaged supposed to be? At the top? Seems obvious to me that disadvantaged means less advantage, less of anything and everything. If they were anywhere else, they would be advantaged, I'm thinking. Anything that is 'dis'd' is always below, right? They could even be disproportionately disadvantaged. I'm sort of assuming this is what the newspaper meant. Seems obvious the way the headline is stated.

I tried to read the article, but the obvious just got blatantly obvious, and so I moved to the sub-titled article: "Survey: Keeping in touch top reason for going online." Hmmm. Not nearly as funny, but certainly it is also obvious.

Then the next front page article: "Time for Clinton, Trump to keep calm, debate on." Well, hey, there's some media humor. The next debate? is on tonight. Yippie! Let's get sloshed! I'm sure it will be funnier than the headlines today. . .


When You're Not Giving Your Attention To Crises Anymore, You Will Find Humor Everywhere! 

Spread Some Joy Today--by laughing as much and as often as you can today. Let's call it, Laughter Sunday! It might brighten your upcoming Monday morning!

Daily Inspiration 10-8-16

"We can't all be stars 

because someone has to 

sit on the curb and clap as I go by." 

-- Sebastian Horsley 

"How to get rid of the ego as dictator 

and turn it into messenger and servant and scout, 

to be in your service, is the trick. 

 -- Joseph Campbell 

Yesterday, I announced a major change in me that is bubbling up within and though part of me struggles against it, this change cannot be stopped. I have wanted it a very long time. One could say that it is a lifelong journey to get here, because it certainly has been as I see and feel it.

I realized what one part of this major change is yesterday. It is the release of my ego controlling the talk in my mind.

I've been whacking at it in various ways by becoming aware that it is there and in what it is saying. Most of it is under the surface like the biggest part of an iceberg, but a sufficient amount comes through my lips to make me wish I could suck it all back in, reconsider what is said, and then to say it without the unbridled assistance of my ever-present ego.

Yes, I've been working on this for quite some time, and making some progress, but I want much more. I want full and complete control. Even beyond that, I want it completely under wraps. I don't ever want to listen to it's inane defensive babbling again.

The volcano that I referred to yesterday has born a fissure eruption and a rather significant change in my ego ranting was addressed. I was talking with someone and I said something that probably sounded like I was upset by someone else's choice and how it affected me. Based on her comment that she would be upset by that as well, I stopped immediately, and told her that I am not upset by that, and that these were simply facts in the issue, and that my goal is to serve at the client's behest, and I would very much like to leave the egos out of it. I said that if we can leave the ego out, it will serve the greater good.

I've never said anything like that before. But, you know what happened with that statement? My ego was completely gone. It went into hiding. It said nothing. That has never happened to me before either. It used to always have a lot to say in justifying, rationalizing, analyzing, blaming, and being on the defensive.

You cannot imagine what a joy that was for me. I felt totally at peace on the entire subject, and the entire situation. Even this morning, I feel at peace with it, when all the times before when discussing this issue, my ego was ablaze with defensiveness. What progress! What a change! And, to know that this is only part of the change in me that is welling up is so exciting!

Of course, the other realization about this that I had was that this was a whole lot like unconditional love. In business? Could there be such a thing? That answer is a definite, yes!

The source behind this change was my asking for it, and in trusting the Universe has my back as Gabrielle Bernstein says. It is trusting in the Lord, as I wrote in that song back in 2000. It is letting go and letting God. Or as Gary Zukov wrote in The Seat of the Soul, "Try looking at life as a beautifully well-organized dynamic. Trust the Universe. Trusting means that the circumstance that your are in is working toward your best and most appropriate end."

For a very long time, I've been learning to really let go of that rope and trust. I have tested it before and it held true, and now that door is opening wide. I am walking through it in sheer joy as a changed man.


My Ego Has A Place, But I Have Stripped It Of It's Dictatorial Authority. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by finding that place within you where you can feel that you are fully supported, honored, loved. That is where you really are.

Daily Inspiration 10-7-16

"The answer to the questions, 

Do I have a free will? 

and Is intention working with me 

as an all-pervasive universal force? 

is Yes. 

Can you live with this paradox?" 

-- Wayne Dyer 

I have arrived at a place of major change in my life. I've known this intention was coming for some time, and through my free will, I have been choosing to resist that change with resistant habit patterns. I know this because these habitual resistant patterns used to feel good and they no longer do, and this unconscious intention that I've been praying to show itself is now breaking the surface like a volcano does prior to rocking the neighborhood.

This is not something that has come about in a day or a week, or even a year, but like a volcano has been slowly but surely coming up, and though I've asked for it and knew it was eventually coming, did not know the timeframe. It is very near now. I can feel the ground shaking periodically so to speak.

Yesterday, I wrote about trust--having a sense of certainty in allowing the Universe, or God to come through. Many things are now beginning to make sense to me that in weeks and months past felt like confusion, being lost, out of sync. At the same time, growth in my awe of life all around me has been occurring.

In Wayne Dyer's book, The Power of Intention, from which the quote at the beginning was gleaned, he lists what he calls four steps to intention. They are, discipline, wisdom, love, and surrender. And, although I may be taking this out of his context, I feel that these have been major steps in my life. For the last many years, I have been in the love place. Anyone could see that in my writing where it is exposed clearly. Now, as yesterday's post indicates, I am entering the surrender place, that place of trust, of allowing, of giving, of accepting the direction I have been praying for.

Have you ever felt any of these things? I think others do. I was listening to Gary Zukov reading the 25th anniversary edition of his famous life-changing book, The Seat of the Soul. He said something that instantly made sense to me, and I believe mirrors with different words what Wayne Dyer's quote said. He said that there are conscious intentions and unconscious intentions. Using Wayne's words, free will, and intention.

It seems to me that often our free will, or conscious intentions struggle against our Spirit's intentions. I have written about this in many different ways, and it seems so real and true. I might call that being out of alignment, as Abraham, Esther Hicks might say. And, then there is in alignment where our free will and our inner unconscious intentions work as a team, such as when I am trusting, feeling good, allowing.

It reminds me of the autumnal equinox which just passed on September 22nd of this year. The 90 and 100 degree heat may continue to try to come through, but it is essentially done for. It is resisting the change of the unconscious intention of the seasons and it is also doomed no matter how hard it tries to hold on to summer.

Such is the case with me right now, and yesterday was a day that made this clear to me. A glorious day! Even though I played my resistant game as I have been for a long time now, I could easily and wisely see the change is taking over, and it won't be long now. The time is at hand.

I celebrate this change with all my love, and though I may yet consciously resist a bit longer, I can feel the joy coming, and major changes in how I live the remainder of my life.


The Place Where Free Will And Intention, Or Conscious and Unconscious Intention Are In Alignment Within Me. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by recognizing when it's time to let go of the rope and soar.

Daily Inspiration 10-6-16

"God's love and grace 

are not daunted by 

your fears, self-doubts, 

or dark fantasies. 

Grace seeks not to fix, 

but to affirm." 

-- Alan Cohen 

Have you ever heard someone telling you one or more things that are going wrong in their life, and then when they are done with their admission, you begin to itemize things that they can do to fix it (in your opinion, of course) only to have them reject each one in turn?

It seems to be a very common thing--one might even say, a natural thing--to try to help someone fix a problem. And, it seems that in these situations, we have many suggestions, perhaps even ones we have used ourselves in similar circumstances.

I'm certain that God never would see this situation this way. God would not offer solutions to a problem that doesn't really exist. As Alan said at the beginning, "God's love and grace. . . are not daunted." Not daunted by any of our attempts to cover up the real higher selves that we are beneath the dribble of our fears, self-doubts, and more.

God's love is unconditional. No matter what. This means that there is nothing, and no things that we could possibly do to dissuade God from loving us fully and completely.

This morning as I was looking at these wonderful quotes by Alan Cohen, I was also thinking about a song I wrote back when I was doing 'church.' It is a simple song with the title, Trust in the Lord. I posted the lyrics on 12-15-10 here.

As I was thinking about that and some of the readings of late, it seems to me that we pray a lot and trust very little. We hope a lot, and are certain very little. What would our lives be like if we really and truly trusted in God, in God's grace, and God's assurance, and especially in the depth of God's unconditional love? Would we act differently? Would we fuss over these little fears, self-doubts, or dark fantasies? And, how would we interact with others? Would we be more supportive and not critical? Would we share the unconditional love with others that we feel from our Source?

This is not something we should do. It is something we can choose to do. The more I remind myself of that song, of the unconditional love I feel from time to time, of the presence I sometimes feel, the closer I get to trusting. Sometimes the silly cares of the day tend to get more of my attention, and this happens more because it is in my face at the moment than that I believe in it more. As the bridge of the song says, "when what I want may disagree," not as if I'm actually arguing with God, but yet at the same time, I am. Then I come to my senses again and remember and then "I will pray and let it go, and trust in God."

Alan Cohen adds, "If you could love yourself as God loves you, you would simultaneously become the Lover and the Beloved." What a wonderful place to be.

So as I go through my day, the more I remember that I am loved, the more I will remember to love those in front of me. The more I remember that I am forgiven all, the more I will remember to forgive those in my life, in my business, in the world. The more I remember the Grace that is constantly given me, the more grace I will be able to give others.


And, That Makes My Day Pretty Dang Wonderful! 

Spread Some Joy Today--by trusting, injoying, sharing, loving.

Daily Inspiration 10-5-16

"Fantasy Football: 

Winning the Super Bowl 

without ever showing up for practice." 

-- Albert K. Strong 

James Allen said:

"Mind is the master power that molds and makes, 

 and Man is Mind, and evermore he takes 

the tool of Thought, and shaping what he wills, 

brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills:-- 

He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass: 

Environment is but his looking-glass." 

This morning I read this quote from Abraham, Esther Hicks that just came:

"Each and every component that makes up your life experience is drawn to you by the powerful Law of Attraction's response to the thoughts you think and the story you tell about your life. Your money and financial assets; your body's state of wellness, clarity, flexibility, size, and shape; your work environment, how you are treated, work satisfaction, and rewards--indeed, the very happiness of your life experience in general--is all happening because of the story that you tell." 

As I read that, I pondered it by asking myself, "am I attracting what I want? What are the stories that I am telling myself? Am I wanting the physical results without doing the mental work? If I am where I am financially, physically, and otherwise because of the stories I am telling myself, it might be better for me to pay more attention to the stories in my head."

A day or two ago, I mentioned seeing a pothole in the road. Suppose I see a pothole and then decide to find all the potholes in the city? What do you suppose will happen? I know. I would find a serious amount of potholes and all of them of different size, depth, shape. Some might be "pre-potholes," sort of like pre-diabetic, or pre-cancerous, and such. As I focus on those pre-potholes, they will surely become full-fledged official potholes.

And as I spend my time doing that, I am becoming a pothole expert of sorts. I could then write a book all about potholes, how they come to be, the various ways they show themselves, how to catch potholes in the pre-pothole stage so that they can be repaired before the actual pothole forms. I would have lots of photos of potholes, with scientific drawings, and maybe even links to a YouTube channel so that I could use video to promote my ideas about potholes. But, as I see in looking at YouTube and typing in 'potholes', there are already quite a number of people focused on potholes. I should be surprised, but I am not really, because there are potholes all around the world, and many much larger than those here in my city.

After a time, I see nothing but potholes. Everything around me reminds me of potholes. I write letters, appear at council meetings, cajole officials in public about potholes and how they are taking over the city, and they just ignore me. Sometimes, I just get screaming mad at these low-life politicians who won't listen to the facts, and don't do anything about all the fricken potholes all around this city. We're drowning in potholes! They are everywhere! I hate potholes!

My mental life has taken charge of my physical life. My thoughts have built my story. My story has caused my actions. My actions has reinforced my story. I am feeding myself with my own dung.

Or, my story could be what is going well, going right, feels good, is good. I could spend my time building the building, rather than tearing everyone else's down. I could pay attention to my story and adjust as necessary to get what I want instead of what I don't want. I could see the world as good rather than bad, joyous instead of fearful, whole instead of broken. It is a place where potholes may exist, but I don't focus on them. I allow others and things to be as they will as I choose what I want and intend to see, hear, smell, taste, feel, and sense.


"If We Perceived Life With Reverence, We Would Stand In Awe At The Experience Of Physical Life And Walk The Earth In A Very Deep Sense Of Gratitude." -- Gary Zukav 

Spread Some Joy Today--by enjoying your beautiful smoothly paved Wednesday.

Daily Inspiration 10-4-16

"Everything you are against 

weakens you. 

Everything you are for 

empowers you." 

-- Wayne Dyer 

This quote by Wayne Dyer leapt off the page when I first saw it this morning. I've known this for some time now; however, I've never seen it said quite this way, and in this way it is said so powerfully, and clearly.

This is one of the things I dearly love about learning. I can read many things on a subject from many authors, and then I read one that says it just so, and my ultimate goal of understanding it achieved in a moment.

It reminds me of a time when my wife and I had two teenage relatives living with us who were thought to be slow learners because of their grades. They weren't slow. Lazy, perhaps. But, I really think they weren't inspired. In school classes with 30-40 kids at a time, it is easy to have several fall by the wayside.

Anyway, we began having some fun with them learning new words, and reading, and having them tell us what they just read, or rather, their understanding of what they read. I'll never forget one of the words we all learned. It was obsequious. Fascinating word. We found that they could easily repeat or regurgitate what they read, but they weren't understanding it, so as we played with that, they grew and grew in their learning. What's more is that they were excited, engaged, having fun doing it. Learning really is fun.

Anything I spend time and energy fighting drains me. Anything I spend time and energy praising inspires me anew. Pushing against something takes a lot of energy, whereas, delighting in something gives me more energy.

As I go through my day finding potholes to complain about, I am like a leaky tire soon to go flat. As I go through my day finding things and people to appreciate, I find that I have increased energy and joy.


Struggle? Ease! Hmmmm. I'll Take Ease, Thank You! 

Spread Some Joy Today--by opening your eyes to all of the joy that is surrounding you. It has always been there awaiting your attention.

Daily Inspiration 10-3-16

"All this worldly wisdom 

was once the unamiable heresy 

of some wise man." 

-- Henry David Thoreau 

In my browsing this morning, I read the quote above and burst out laughing. All this means is that when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.

I laugh at this because it is fascinating to me how I have stumbled, fell into, found myself in the right place at a very odd time, and hundreds of other ways that I have been guided to in spite of my predilection for something else, and attracted because I am searching for something, even when I may not remember what I was searching for.

Yesterday, I shared insights into Garbrielle Bernstein's latest book just release, The Universe Has Your Back. She says, "The key to trusting in the Universe's plan is to let go of all outcomes. When we get hung up about how something "should" turn out, then we disconnect with the flow of universal guidance. The energy behind a "should" mentality is controlling and manipulating. The Universe does not align with that energy. Therefore, we cut off communication and receptivity. It's when we let go of the outcome that we open up our perceptual worldview and allow ourselves to be led." 

Of course, it all begins with the desire to know, a desire for something more or different. This is the fuel of living or life itself. The contrast around us causes us to want something. As we become specific about that, we think we should be so specific that we know it all, but that would be within the limits of our own knowing. If however, we allow the Universe, or God to bring exactly that or maybe even something way better, in that releasing to the Universe, we put all the power of the Universe at our disposal.

The thing that we have the most control over is how we want to feel. If we simply stick to that ideal, and give up everything else, we are opening ourselves to magic! I can think of several times in my life where I gave it to God, to the Universe to handle, stating simply what I want from a feeling point of view and I was rewarded with far more than I could have imagined on my own. Far more.

Wanting is life. It is living. We cannot not want. Getting is something we can control if we want to, but when we let it go, let all the resistance go, and give it to the Universe to provide the details, miracles happen.

HOWEVER, truth be told, I have only released full control a few times in comparison. Most of the time, I hold tight to how I think it should turn out. I pay attention to the facts, the reality, that it hasn't yet come, that my desire may be out of line, it may just be wishful thinking. I change my mind over and over. I let my ego tell me all the reasons why it won't happen, that I don't deserve it, not smart enough, or just not enough period. I pay attention to the economy and all the lists in the news about how many things are not right yet, so why should mine be? I try and try, and try, I state that I'm gonna change. When? Tomorrow, of course. I bargain, and I attempt to manipulate.

I am practicing releasing my resistance, but it has to be something powerful to get through that resistance. Of course, what is more powerful than God? I am changing though. I am becoming someone who lets go and allows God more often.


Asking, Then Getting Out Of The Way. 

Spread Some Joy Today--because it is so wonderful--magical really--to see the other's face light up when you are sharing your joy. It's as if your joy has become theirs.

Daily Inspiration 10-2-16

"The most profound way 

to practice releasing resistance 

is to see clearly 

how we don't want to let it go." 

-- Gabrielle Bernstein 

About a week ago, I bought Gabrielle Bernstein's latest book in print and unabridged audio. It is titled, The Universe Has Your Back - Transform Fear To Faith. What's interesting to me about this is that I have bought all of her books, and read a portion of her first, Add More ~ing To Your Life, have not yet read the others, and yet I devoured this one. It's so interesting how things work out.

This book is full of powerful wisdom for me. It sort of reminds me that I am on the path I meant to take, and it has tools that help me practice staying on my path. I say my path because somehow I know deep within what I chose before I came here and these things that I often stumble across are reminders and expanders.

Since I talk about letting go of the rope all the time, I have long realized that it is my resistance that causes any ills in my life. It is in the letting go of resistance or letting go of the tug-o-war rope that brings me back into alignment, back into love.

This book reminded me so much of a favorite book from 1992 by Marianne Williamson, titled, A Return To Love. Both are teachings using A Course in Miracles as a foundation. So many of my favorite teachers use that same foundation, such as Alan Cohen, Gerald Jampolsky, and many more. 

In the introduction, Gabrielle quotes A Course in Miracles: "We must not seek for the meaning of love but instead seek to remove all the barriers to love's presence." In other words, remove the resistance, let go of the rope, and even more important, return to love. It is the idea that love is our truth, or all that is, and that everything else is simply hiding the truth.

Often when we are learning or expanding on a thing or our thinking, we feel that we fail to be perfect at it, even for the level we have achieved, and so we can beat on ourselves about failing, missing the mark, not being there yet, or whatever. Gabrielle says that "we can forgive ourselves for not doing things perfectly, and we can forgive ourselves for holding on to old patterns. Honoring this shadow side of ourselves is the way to heal our resistance." 

But, here's the key of the whole book to me: Recognize where I am, what I am feeling, honor it, then turn back to love, or choose again. In other words, we can stay there if we want, but all of that is fear. Don't get upset by it, just acknowledge it, honor that it is an honest feeling, then choose what we already know is better and move on.

Throughout the book, she openly admits to her own resistance, even as far as she has come in her own learning, yet she becomes aware by how she is feeling as to where she is at emotionally and even physically. The healing path is always turning to love again and again and again.

This is the practice that I often talk about. We think we should finally arrive and no longer have to practice, but the practice is never over. It is the journey. There is no destination. The journey is our life, and so we can choose to practice, or we can choose not to choose.

She points out often how we don't want to give up our control: our judgments, fear, the relentless manipulations of the ego, and more. We resist. It's true, and it is also okay, but some people just don't want to change, don't want healing, are happy in a mysterious way to be unhappy. She mentioned how Sigmund Freud realized that some of his patients didn't improve because they did not want to improve, and that this realization changed his entire practice.

The theme of the book is also the idea that the Universe is always guiding us; albeit, we are often clueless about that. She shares many ways to communicate with the Universe and to seek openly the divine guidance by letting go of how things will come to pass, and just believe that somehow they will and it will always work out perfectly--even when sometimes there seem to be obstacles along the journey. It's all perfect.

There is so much value in this book for me, yet the single most valuable idea is as she says, "Our happiness is a direct reflection of how quickly we can restore our fear back to love." She adds, "The miracle isn't how well we avoid fear; the miracle is how quickly we return to love."

As I go through my day, and I feel that low vibration of a fearful thought, such as anger, resentment, disappointment, and such, when I realize or become aware of what I am thinking by paying attention to how I am feeling, I can accept and honor that, and then, I can choose again. I can choose love.

It's kind of like going fast on a merry-go-round, then getting off and trying to walk a straight line. We may be caught up in it for the moment, but in a very short time, we can return to clarity and better control.

I have been practicing this in earnest for quite some time now, and I can tell you from my own experience the joy that is contained in how fast I turn to appreciation, to feeling good, to love. It is a very powerful idea and practice.

The Practice Of Choice. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by remembering it is joy that you really want.

Daily Inspiration 10-1-16

"You could spend your whole life 

imagining ghosts, worrying 

about the pathway to the future, 

but all there will ever be 

is what's happening here, 

and the decisions we make in this moment, 

which are based in either love or fear. 

So many of us choose our path 

out of fear disguised as practicality." 

-- Jim Carrey 

One of my top ten favorite quotes of all time is from a man from history that I so admire--Abraham Lincoln. He said, "I don't like that man. I must get to know him better." The path he was forging in our history created a lot of adversaries holding hard to the status quo, and some acted quite mean in the attacks on him. Yet, he acted more out of love than out of fear based on all of my readings.

This quote says volumes to me. It says, what he was immediately feeling. He acknowledges this in his spoken words, "I don't like that man." But, rather than elaborate all the reasons that he doesn't like him, as many of us might, he realizes that not liking him is not what he wants. You could say that he realizes he is out of alignment with his inner truth, or his inner compassion. He realizes that the reason he doesn't like him is mainly because he doesn't really know him and that deep down he is probably different than he seems right now, so he states, "I must get to know him better." The first part is acknowledging the fear, and the resolve is turning to love.

I put the quote into Google and found a site where someone asked, "should we strive to be the same?" The "best answer" based on relevance shown, the person said this: "Horrible advice. I don't like many people. . . many vain, selfish, shallow, arrogant, pig headed, racist, sexist, manipulative, dysfunctional, insane people. If I 'got to know them better' it'd be keeping me from 'getting to know' the sane, rational, kind, caring healthy people I like. No wonder Lincoln was a depressed individual with suicidal tendencies."

Hmmmm. I wonder where this person is? Fear or love? It's so interesting that this answer was listed as the best answer. But, it is practical. This person is watching the clock and there's only so much time, so why bother with someone I don't like because I need to spend my time on agreeables.

I wonder if this person realizes that he or she takes themselves everywhere they go?

Our fears are so easily 'disguised as practicality.' Or logic. Or prejudice. Or being among the chosen ones. Or whatever we decide to make up to justify our position and dress up our fears.

Notice how many names the respondent used to describe the person: vain, selfish, shallow, arrogant, pig headed, racist, sexist, manipulative, dysfunctional, insane. I'm certain they could have gone further. The more we want to dislike a person, the more names we call them, to strip them of their humanity, to make them less and less like us. All of this is the ego trying to make itself number one and everyone else as the enemy. And, of course, we only take this a few tiny steps further when we call a disagreement war.

We really do create our own little world, and some are quite little perhaps, but to make things really, really simple, there are only two choices we have at our disposal: love or fear. As Jim said, we are often very good at disguising our fear in practicality, but no matter how we dress it, it is fear. As we decide that love might feel better, work better, bring together rather than segregate, we can begin to choose love. As we become habitual love-choosers, our world expands to become a world big enough to encompass all.


Try Choosing Love. See How It Fits You. 

Spread Some Joy Today--Joy is love. Love is joy. All is appreciation.

Daily Inspiration 9-30-16

"Your work 

is not to fix them; 

they are not broken." 

-- Abraham, Esther Hicks 

I was watching a video from Starbucks about a rural Christian church in Cordova, outside of Memphis, TN. In the video a Muslim group bought property directly across the road to build the Memphis Islamic Center. The pastor was initially upset and began to pray about it and read the Gospels again. He felt they should welcome them, so he put up a big sign saying just that. One of the members of the church told the pastor that he was very upset about this and that he might have to leave the church. The pastor suggested he reread the Gospels. After doing so, the member said that, "it wasn't them, it was me." He was not demonstrating the love that is so apparent in the Gospels. He knew it in his heart and so he changed his mind.

War is crass. I wrote that a long time ago. We pretend to seek a world without war. Beauty pageants are known for the women saying they want world peace. We have no power to put that upon the world. In this scenario, it would never be. There are too many variables, and all of those variables begin with us.

If we say we want no war; that we want peace, then the first place to look for it is in our own mind. Are we at peace in our mental and physical life? Is there no war within us or waged around our bodies? We cannot project on to the world anything more than we are ourselves. That would be the height of arrogance and ignorance to attempt to do so. Yet we do, don't we?

It has been said that there is no way to peace, but that peace is the way. That would be exactly right. It has to begin within. We will know it is when we are in alignment with our Source within. Whatever name we may give that, it has no boundaries and it has no differences. Source is one in many voices. And, we know it when it is in alignment because of how we feel. In alignment, we feel good, we feel that peace that we proclaim, we feel the unconditional love of our Source, we feel good.

When we are at war within, leaving peace far from us, we can be said to be out of alignment with our Source because our Source is love. We know where we are by how we feel. We will be feeling fearful, angry, upset, full of rage, violent in our bodies. We lash out. We inflict pain verbally and physically. We are living in fear.

Whether it is an argument with our spouse, our children, our neighbors, or co-workers, or whether we are encouraged into more fear with other people's facebook posts about politicians, or this is wrong and that is wrong, we know where we are if we will pay attention to how we feel. If we are feeling bad, angry, upset, disappointed, powerless, we are living in fear. Our Source is not there. We are out of alignment. This is exactly why there will never be world peace. If we cannot have it within and at home, how could it ever come globally? It cannot.

Whatever we want, we must line up with that, and we will know where our alignment is relative to our Source by how we feel.

Let me finish this post with the entire quote by Abraham, Esther Hicks from which I found the quote at the beginning:

"You're not ever going to teach them how to vibrate, nor would you want to change them all to a place of vibrating just like you. Your work is not to fix them; they are not broken. Your work is to choose from among all of that which feels best to you, and fixate on it as long as it gives you pleasure and joy. And in doing so, you will align with the Energy of your Source, and you will live a magnificent experience. You just have to not let your joy depend upon what anybody else is living, cause that'll get you every time." 


World Peace Begins Within Each Of Us. We Each Control The World We Choose To See. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by laying down that rope of resistance and fear. In so doing, joy is automatically released.

Daily Inspiration 9-29-16

"The effect you have on others 

is the most valuable currency there is, 

because everything you gain in life 

will rot and fall apart, 

and all that is left of you 

is what was in your heart." 

-- Jim Carrey 

At the beginning of my commercial truck adventure 

in 1989 at Bidduph Chevrolet in Santa Rosa, CA 

Not very experienced at selfies, 

but here's the somewhat older gentleman 

that writes these Daily Inspirations today, 

In my uniform of Tommy Bahama shirt, shorts, and flip-flops. 

Today is another milestone for me. This Daily Inspiration is number 2,557, and it is the completion of 7 full years of daily inspirational messages that I've publicly posted in multiple venues, via email and on the Internet. The first was published on September 29th, 2009. Yesterday would have been the full completion but I skipped August 10th, 2013, the day my wife passed away. That phrase passed away is such an interesting way to say died, but I like rose above better yet. I firmly believe that she left pain behind for nonstop joy and unconditional love.

Milestones are interesting things. They are simply markers, and really don't mean anything more than we choose them to mean. Sometimes they can help us move forward, sort of prodding us, daring us, exciting us, challenging us. They can also cause us to reevaluate, reconsider, restructure, abandon, or begin again anew.

If I added up the hours that I have spent doing these daily messages, it adds up to around 250 24-hour days. Wow.

Sometimes I ask myself, "what the heck am I doing?" "Why am I doing this?" "What is the value of doing this, or continuing this?" Sometimes I think I am just putting out dribble, and other times, I felt divinely inspired. My goal has always been to be in touch with that divine inspiration, as it comes through me rather than from me. But, who knows? Maybe none of it has, maybe some, maybe all in some sort of mysterious way.

Then I get a note from a reader saying how much this particular message was just for them, just for now, perfectly received, divinely stated. Sometimes I get several, and in each I am amazed, and reengaged and inspired anew. I think that if even one was touched in that way that it is worth any and all of the time, energy, commitment, and production that I have within me. If I can have just a little dinky bit of a positive, uplifting--indeed, inspiring effect on another, it will be worth it many times over. I love how Jim Carrey began this post with, "the effect you have on others is the most valuable currency there is."

What amazes me more about some of the notes I get is which messages were valuable to them. Sometimes I feel like I hit the mark with a message, that it was divinely coming through me and might even be a little profound. Then, I write one that I felt missed the mark, was not divinely inspired, and even though it was the best I could do at the moment, I wasn't particularly pleased with it. Often, it is on one of those kind of posts where I felt I missed the mark that I get more responses. It's then that I know that regardless of how I feel, sometimes God comes through anyway, and I'm blown away.

It is not completely altruistic. It probably helps me more than it helps others because it is a way of me expressing my thoughts, feelings, ideas, inspirations. It allows me to think out loud so to speak. To gather my thoughts and find a way to put them together so that they make more sense. And if in so doing, others benefit, all the better.

I am so grateful for the few who read these, and I especially love those who bother to take the time to send me notes now and then reinforcing the idea that I might be providing some sort of value to them. They are milestones that encourage me to keep going.

I have learned so much along this path of sharing. I dare say that I am the greatest beneficiary.


Thank You For Your Part In This Co-Creative Experience. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by letting your light shine!

Daily Inspiration 9-28-16

"Honesty is vulnerability. 

Sadly, not everyone 

can handle someone's honesty. 

However, lying allows people 

to be comfortable." 

-- Shannon L. Alder 

I stated yesterday that I would continue with the topic of holding back. As I looked at the quote above, I thought how that spells out holding back and probably the biggest reason for it at the same time: vulnerability.

Feeling vulnerable is to feel naked on a Friday at noon in Times Square. It is purely fear-based thoughts about holding back, not being enough, missing the mark, recalling past so-called failures, embarrassment, and more. That feeling of being vulnerable can keep us "tight in the bud," as Anais Nin stated so poetically. But, to quote her more fully, she said, "the day came when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." That is the essence of letting go of the rope; of letting go of holding on; of letting go of holding back.

I stumbled across a wonderful video on YouTube of the actor and comedian (and artist!) doing a commencement address to the 2014 graduating class of Maharishi University of Management (MUM). It's only 26 minutes which is short for most commencement addresses I've watched, and it was pure joy because Jim Carrey is not only funny, he is full of life. To me, he is the embodiment of a cup that runneth over. Yet, the bits of wisdom that this address contained was surprising and enlightening.

Toward the end of the subject at hand, holding back, he said, "You can join the game, fight the wars, play with the form all you want, but to find real peace, you have to let the armor go. Your need for acceptance can make you invisible to this world. Don't let anything stand in the way of the light that shines through this form. Risk being seen in all your glory." 

Some will never let the armor go, as the risk of the exposure, their vulnerability, and their need for acceptance keeps them tied to the dock in a ship meant to sail the oceans. We all get to choose for ourselves.

In my case, I've learned to release a lot of holding back, but I have often felt more of the time as if I've tied myself to the dock, afraid to let go, in the attempt at personal security and false peace.

Years ago when I was studying personal development in the 1970's, there was the concept of the comfort zone. I even wrote and recorded a song about that. Supposedly, we most often voluntarily keep ourselves within a zone of comfortableness, where we know what we know. It feels good there much of the time, and it can also become boring and tedious. To venture out of the zone of comfortableness is to feel the pain of the unknown. The teachers would chide us into venturing out, taking a risk, and as we chance to move out, the zone is automatically expanded, and we blossom a little. It refreshes us. It can be invigorating.

These are similar ideas and all associated with the potential pain (because it is often a mirage) of risking growth, risking so-called failure, risking being vulnerable, allowing our light to shine even if only a little. And besides, does anyone ever really ever not hold anything back?

Since vulnerability is clearly fear in one form or another, and the opposite of fear is love, then the best we can do at any time is to live in and project love. Not only to those outside of us, but in loving ourselves enough to risk in confidence that love will catch us if we fall.

Whenever we are comparing ourselves to another, or even to our ego-driven ideas of what we should be, we are living in and projecting fear. If that's where we want to live, fine. If not, choose love more often. We have unlimited opportunities to do just that. We always have the ability to choose.

Are We Willing To Risk Love? 

Spread Some Joy Today--by practicing risking to experience joy, even when others choose fear. Leading by example is always good form.