Be Creating

the untethered soul : the journey beyond yourself By Michael A. Singer Having read several of my books, blogs, and articles, by now you are probably aware that like Michael Singer, I believe we are trying to do something that doesn’t work – we are trying to find love, joy, happiness, etc. outside of ourselves.  We are trying to control something that is not within our control: other people and the world around us.  Everything we wish to experience is part of our inner landscape; they are not out there somewhere to be found.  Singer in his book, the untethered soul, helps you explore your inner landscape, an activity that for me has been a life long journey.  He begins by asking you to look at the concept of self and the inner dialogue you engage in with self .  Once you begin to think about and explore the concept of self, you quickly realize “… the concept of ‘self’ may turn out to be a bit more elusive than initially presumed.” As a human y...

Paulo Coelho Monica Haim captures what I believe to be the essence of Paulo Coelho in these words – “Through the many spiritual ruminations of The Big C —he who has tread the paths of the hippie, the Jesuit, the occultist, the lawyer, the mental asylum inhabitant, the writer and the misunderstood son—we can come to terms with the world through the soul of a seeker and the heart of a poet.” Although I have never met Paulo and I know little about him, his influence on my thinking has been vast. I feel as if we are kindred spirits. He has inspired me as a person, as a spiritual being and as a writer. I envy his ability to wrap a spiritual lesson in a story told in the style of a fable. He is a true Dreamweaver. Like Coelho I believe, “People never learn anything by being told, they have to find out for themselves.” Like him, I try to build this into my writing and additionally into my teaching. Three themes flow thorough his work: live in the moment, look within and life is a s...

Peaceful Warrior Peaceful Warrior written by Kevin Bernhardt and directed by Victor Salva, starring Scott Mechlowica, Nick Nolte, and Amy Smart 2006, DEJ Productions .  Peaceful Warrior is the incredible true story based on Dan Millman's bestselling novel. A gifted gymnast, Dan, comes to rely on Socrates, a mysterious stranger, after a major motorcycle accident shatters him. This  snippet  of dialogue is one of the reasons I love this film.  Socrates: Everyone wants to tell you what to do and what's good for you. They don't want you to find your own answers, they want you to believe theirs. Dan: Let me guess, and you want me to believe yours.  Socrates: No, I want you to stop gathering information from the outside and start gathering it from the inside. For me, this captures much of my life’s work.  I believe that each individual has the answers within him/herself.  That helping is all about creating the conditions for someone else t...

Today as I sit at the lake and listen to the birds chirp, the animals scurrying through the underbrush and the wind in the trees I find myself struggling to focus on the present moment.   As I near the end of my six weeks surrounded by nature away from the noise of the city, the TV, the radio and the neighbors I find myself anxious each time I shift awareness towards my return to the city. Then this morning my friends and I must have been in harmony as all of us were thinking about the sounds of silence and the healing power they can provide.  First, my friend Jenny McFadden from Australia shared a lovely meditation. The Great Bell Chant ( available online ) consists of a wonderful video, chanting and the words of Thich Nhat Hanh. Then Kelli Spencer posted  “ Okay, long story short...a friend posted the lyrics to a song that prompted me to look for it on YouTube where I came across the song The Sound of Silence . And now, you're asking for me to get to t...

The hummingbird is sacred to native peoples throughout the Americas and they celebrate it as  a symbol of embodying tireless joy and the ability to drink deep of the sweet nectar of life.   What a wonderful description of living a mindful life. Mindfulness is the cultivation of focused awareness on the present moment.   It is a tireless sense of joy of life and all it has to offer.   When you are mindful you let go of the past, you aren’t worrying about the future you are consciously in control of your mind and focused on the present.   It is the present of the NOW!   JWT Worldwide, one of the world’s largest marketing communications brands, named mindful living as one of the top 10 trends that will shape the world in 2014 and beyond. Google offers its employees a program called Search Inside Yourself – developed by Chade-Menge Tan.   The program has been shown to build compassion which is beneficial to individuals, their communities and...

Lately I have heard several speakers talk about your mind as if "it" is not a part of you.  They spoke about IT as being out of control, full of unwanted or unnecessary information, an underused or over attended entity.  As I listened I wondered why they were speaking about your mind as if it wasn't an integral part of who you are, as if it was a separate thing and should be treated like a friend or even worse an enemy. I wanted to scream... "You are your mind and it is you."  Just as each part of you is you and you are it. You are not a robot that has replaceable parts.  Yes I know medical science has come a long way in being able to replace hips, knees, hearts, kidneys and other vital parts but they become part of you.  In fact one of the issues facing organ recipients is their bodies rejection of the new/foreign organ. Some claim not only better health but along with the new organ came preferences and characteristics of the donor. Candace Pert, internat...

Where do your thoughts come from?  They often appear to arise from nowhere and yet with a bit of exploration you may find that something someone said, something you read, a song you were listening to, a TV show, or your awareness of something around you sparked a thought.  Becoming more aware of what ignites your thinking can allow you to be more selective in what you pay attention to.  How necessary are most of your thoughts?  Much of your thinking may be drawing your attention away from the present moment.  Your thoughts are where you store your desires, fantasies, memories, dreams, shoulds, have tos, and more. They are the home of the past and the future. Learning to quiet your mind and let go of some of your thoughts opens the door to mindfulness.  Ask yourself: ·          Is this thought true? ·          Where did this thought come from? ·    ...

Hanging in the entry to Fairlawn Elementary School in Evansville Indiana is a gilded framed mirror with the quote “Be the change you want to see in the world” painted above it.   Imagine yourself standing in front of this mirror every day thinking about who you want to be. You pause for a moment to be consciously aware that you can make a difference. Looking at your reflection, you recognize that the actions you take are a reflection of the change you want to see in the world.   If you are acting kind, peaceful, smiling, being of service not only will those same actions be reflected back to you in the mirror of life, they will grow and expand to everyone you meet.   If on the other hand you are blaming, shaming, finding fault in others you will experience the same and it will spread out all around you.    This last week I met a young man at Gulliver Primary in Miami Florida just beginning his career in education.   He was full of excitement, energy...

The Fourth of July happens to be my favorite holiday.  I love the whole idea of celebrating our liberty and freedom it always reminds me of all I have to be thankful for in my life. I love it all: the sounds-the kabooms, crackles and whistles; the smell of BBQ and sulfur; the explosion of color; the feel of the hot sun of the day and the cool breeze of the evening; the taste of potato salad, black bean and corn salsa, brats and backed beans;  most of all I love the time I spend with my two sons.  As my sons Wesley and Duncan join me at the lake I try to take time to savor every moment.  I try to set aside everything else and be totally in this moment.  I recognize that each moment is a gift to be savored and shared with those we love, the nature that surrounds us and the health we enjoy.  Sitting and watching a movie, drinking root beer floats and cleaning fish all become precious moments. Being mindful of this moment is worth celebrating 24/7.