A Bit Stuck?

I'm feeling a bit stuck right now. If someone asked my advice about that, what would I say?

You know it's temporary, right? Have you been taking the actions you've been guided to take? What I mean is, are you getting thoughts and ideas coming to you, that you may not be acting upon? Why do you think you're not? Confidence an issue? Not enough belief in yourself? Too distracted? Waiting for someone else to help you?

Now that I've asked the questions, try the following:

1. Continue to meditate or whatever practice helps you to feel closer to Spirit.
2. Take one small action step towards the ideas that are coming to you.
3. Keep your mind on your intentions, and off what probably won't happen.
4. Still not sure? Do it anyway. Put yourself out there. What's the worst thing that could happen?
5. Know whatever you do, that you are on your path. You can run on it, walk on it, crawl on it, even trip on it. The speed you go is up to you.

Sometimes Things Just Happen

Sometimes Things Just Happen

As I've been learning more the last few years, I tended to spout off the idea, that “Things happen for a reason, and for the best.” However lately I've changed my mind about the first half of that saying. Things sometimes happen for a reason, but sometimes they just happen. Whether the results can later be evaluated as “for the best” depends on how we react to, and deal with “what happened.” Everything that we experience can be a lesson for living a better life in the future. If something “bad” happens, we can curse our chronically bad luck, blame someone or something else, begin to worry about the next problem, or wonder what can be done to get on “the right track again.” I prefer to accept the situation, and take additional action if possible:

• Can something be done to change what's going on?

• Is there someone I need to apologize or makes amends to?

• What can I learn from this that will make me a better person?

• How can I turn a negative into something positive?

• Could my experience ever help someone else?

The last 6 months have been as challenging in some ways as any period in my life, but I've managed to wake up happy, hopeful, and extremely grateful. I know many of you reading this have had many more challenges, but the idea is still the same. Sometimes really bad things happen. If a loved one dies, we grieve and mourn, and accept that things aren't going to be the same for a period of time. We can be of service to others by asking for donations in the deceased's name to a charity or organization. Some have set up foundations or organizations to continue helping others in the loved one's name. How many people have been helped through donations to Alex's Lemonade Stand or the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure? The point of this message is acceptance. Acceptance coupled with positive action rather than resistance, will keep us healthier and happier as we move through the rest of our lives. The best is yet to come.

10 Things I Believe

1. I believe that Love is the most powerful force in the Universe.

2. I believe in redemption.

3. I believe that an overwhelming majority of people in the world are good.

4. I believe that power is much greater than force.

5. I believe that we must be conscious of where we need to improve as people, and work on being better each day.

6. I believe that all people do the best they can given their genetics, and life experiences, and I'm not 100% sure about the genetics.

7. I believe in second chances. (See #2)

8. I believe there is an organized structure to the Universe, and that there's a rhyme and reason for everything that happens in our lives.

9. I believe that things really do happen for the best.

10. I believe that if you love someone and are rejected, don't be afraid to love again. If you trust someone and are betrayed, don't be afraid to trust again. If you listen and don't agree, don't be afraid to listen again.

At What Point

For those of you who don’t live in the Philadelphia area, there has been a very big and almost unspeakably sad story in the news. It concerns 70 year old Dr. Kermit Gosnell. You can Google his name for the details, but the short summary is that he was charged with eight counts of murder in the deaths of a woman and seven third trimester babies. He allegedly killed 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th month viable babies by cutting their spinal cords with a pair of scissors. Those eight are the charges so far. Without going into the details, he was able to run a chamber of horrors for many years, while making an average of $15,000 a night. He also is alleged to have had a profitable side business writing Oxycontin prescriptions. If you live in the area, I'm sure you've heard about this story.

This is certainly not an antiabortion piece, nor is it about sick demented people. I realize that people who commit murder are in some way very ill, and were often abused as children. It's also not surprising that many sad, often terrified, neglected, and abused children turn into dysfunctional, heartless, and dangerous adults. But this man was a doctor. Without knowing his background, can we assume that he wasn't abused as a child? That he was in all likelihood an excellent student from a supportive family, who was able to stay on track, avoid temptations, and become an M.D.? My question is, where and how did he get so far off track? Was it a very gradual change which began with doing “just one thing” that was ethically questionable? Was the amount of (probably unreported) cash that was coming in enough to quickly turn him from a doctor to a monster? Was there some point where he felt that he had worked his whole live to get where he was, and deserved more and better?

On the spiritual side, you can think of people as having a True Spirit or higher self, which I believe is strongly supported by our hearts, and an ego which is supported by the thinking and logical side of the brain. For the sake of my point, I know I'm oversimplifying, but bear with me. When did this once young man who wanted to do good for the world and for an under served community (one of his life purposes supported by the heart) get taken over by his ego, which never gets enough? All of us have egos, and we all want recognition and nice things. There's a balance between the ego and our True Spirit which is different for everyone. Some have their ego in the driver's seat, with the Spirit helplessly along for the ride. Others are led by their Spirit with their ego present, but knowing its place. Most of us know where we'd like to be, but are constantly moving back and forth in the middle.

And I guess that's the question and the lesson. Where do we want to be? Are we here in this life to get every little bit that we can? Is that old bumper sticker, “Whoever has the most toys when they die, wins” really true? Or are we here to serve others, and give of ourselves? If we are always moving among different spots along the continuum, my suggestion is to try to stay closer to the side that gives. That's the place where you'll find real joy.

Back to the Blog

I'm returning to my blog after several years. You can see the date of the previous blog entry, so it's been awhile. It's not that I'm that great a writer, because I'm not; but I do believe I've got something to say. Whether anyone reads it or not is out of my control, but I'm going to “put it out there” anyway. The title of the blog will continue to be More Than I Thought, referring to who we really are, as opposed to who I once thought we were.

I've kind of been on a Spiritual path for about 15 or 16 years. I remember sitting with my whole extended family in a restaurant celebrating my sister's 40^th birthday. Somehow the conversation got to the book, The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield. I read the book, the next week, and something just clicked inside of me. It was as though a light came on, and ever since, I've been very interested in Spiritual/New Age/Consciousness types of books, audios, and videos. I've meditated off and on since learning in college, (currently on) and strongly believe that my purpose in this lifetime is to be a light for others. I try not to proselytize, or talk about my beliefs, but I do try to set an example. I believe that everyone is valuable, has a spark (or more) of the Divine in them, and should be treated as such. Often I fall off the wagon, but I try to be as nonjudgmental as possible, and as loving to everyone as I can. I'm not a saint, and have a long way to go, but I'm a little better each day. I think we're all taking small steps toward the beings we have the potential to be. That doesn't mean that every person is in the same place. People like the Dalai Lama, Mother Theresa, and some incredible gurus in India are a lot closer than I am. People who volunteer in soup kitchens and work hard for those less fortunate may be ahead of me too. But I'm probably closer than a criminal, or a person who hurts others. Maybe that's just being judgmental. Anyway, I've learned that we can follow our ego (which is never satisfied) or we can follow our higher (and I believe real) selves. It continues to be my intention to take the latter course. More often than not, I think I succeed.

Resistance

I’m finding that the most difficult aspect of attracting is keeping resistance away from things. Resistance is any thought that is not of the same vibration as that which is desired. For example, if my desire is for a different career, and I have the thought, ……. But at my age…….. that’s resistance. So much of my thoughts, words, and behaviors during the day are of a negative variety. Working in an inner city school, where the achievement and skill levels get lower every year, while the expectations get higher. See that’s resistance!

God has put me in a doctoral program for learning acceptance, patience, and divine love. I’m in a situation daily that I don’t like, and expected to love it and learn from it. Sometimes, I get the sense that teaching in the city is a prerequisite for getting what I really desire, being an author, lecturer, and life coach.

I will continue to call on my guidance. I will continue to meditate, and will continue to have faith that I am exactly where I need to be at this stage of my life. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here. God is guiding my life, and I must accept that I am where I belong. The question that I need an answer for however is this: If I don’t like my job, I don’t like the outside work that goes with it, and I feel like I have the heart of an artist, whose not doing art, what do I do now? It’s 26 years! I am always open to your guidance.

December 2, 2006

December 2, 2006

I have the sense that Spirit woke me out of a sound sleep. I woke up at about 1:30AM completely alert. This is unusual especially on a weekend, when I’m not as stressed. Is there a message that you have for me?

Vicki and I had a nice time last night (tonight) with Steve and Robin. We were all very comfortable with each other and had a lot to talk about. I felt they really liked us. What’s not to like? Vicki and I are a great couple, and Vicki looked great as usual.

So what’s the message? Where’s my book? Am I making a mistake waiting for it to be channeled through me, or am I mistaken about the whole idea of a book? I know that I must spend much more time writing or at least journaling. Could I be mistaken about the whole author/lecturer/life coach career idea? Ego doubt
again?

Philadelphia Eagles and My Emotions

There have not been too many times when my emotions have gone from sky high to subterranean low. I mean as extreme as I can imagine. Not as bad as winning the lottery and then getting hit by a car, but close. The Philadelphia Eagles have not been playing well lately, and they needed this game to get "back on track." The team made tons of mistakes, including several by their sometimes brilliant and sometimes brain dead quarterback Donovan McNabb. Anyway, the game seemed lost, but with forty five seconds to go, the Eagles' terrific, but often injured running back, Brian Westbrook ran fifty some yards for an improbable touchdown. I was screaming and clapping alone in my condo. My wife was out shopping, but I screamed with pure joy all by myself. Thirty five seconds to go, and the game would be one of those last second steals. The Eagles didn't do a great job on the kickoff to Tampa Bay, who started on their own 36 yard line. To make a horrible story short, Tampa was down to their last play, and went for a 62 yard field goal for the win. A kick like this has only been done twice in NFL history, and the kicker, Matt Bryant wasn't even that good. The longest field goal of his career was like 50 yards. Making a 62 yard field goal would be like throwing a basketball from the opposite side of the court, and having it go in!
Do I really have to tell you what happened? The kick was GOOD!. The game was over, and I sat in shocked disbelief and dismay along with the rest of the city. Another day in the life of a Philadelphia sports fan.