Happy Easter!

I said that to someone today who said
they didn't really
celebrate the holiday.

That's ok, I said...
I tend to want to
celebrate any reason
that has people
wanting to be
nicer to each other.

So...

even if it's not your "thing,"
I hope you have a very
wonderful and special day.

Speak to me live

 

The Great Escape?

There is trouble in your life and you find
an escape. Then you go to a place that is
hypnotic in nature, and becomes difficult
to escape.

The problem is that it takes you away from
living a life that you could really love.

Maybe you don't love the life you live, but
if you escape it, you will never do anything
to change it.

Virtual life becomes better than the real one.

In actuality, if you are willing to take the
steps necessary, your real life could be
better than a virtual one - any day.

It is at a greater risk. It takes more work.
It has a greater level of difficulty because
the rewards are so much greater.

Of course, life is about choices, and you are
making choices all of the time, even when you
don't think you are (non choices are by default
choices).

Are you choosing wisely?

If you are in doubt, odds are you might want
to reconsider what you are doing.

A part of you knows what is best, and it also
knows that making a change won't always be the
easiest thing you ever do, but it also knows
it will likely come with the greatest reward.

That voice will never give up on you.

It loves you, and it knows what you are going
through. And it knows that if you continue on
the path you are on, you aren't doing yourself
any favors because in the end, you will discover
there was a price to pay that was greater than
any you would have paid to face things.

It will help you get what you need...
you just have to be willing to...LISTEN.

Consider that when an escape becomes your
life it ceases to be an escape...instead
it winds up being a form of a prison.

If these thoughts resonate for you know that
you can get what you need without compromising
yourself. And, the best part is you can get
it in a way that works for ALL of you, not
just a part.


Speak to me live

Out of Fuel?

I just read the following quote,
and I thought others might find
it interesting:

A relationship with no trust
is like a car with no gasoline.
You can stay in it all you want
but it won't go anywhere.

(couldn't find an attribution.
If you know of one, please let
me know).

Might that hold true for a
relationship without love,
without respect, without...
as well?

Are the things that make a
relationship good and nourish
us the fuel that keeps a
relationship moving forward?

Is a relationship without
those things sitting metaphorically
disabled on the side of the road
complaining about being stuck, but
doing nothing about it?

So many stay in relationships
that don't go anywhere.
Are those relationships
out of fuel?

If this resonates for you you
might want to consider what can
be done to fuel up or find
an alternate way to go.

I bet where you are headed is
great...but what good is it
if you don't find a way to
get there?

What do you think?
 

Zero & Value: Perspective | Video

Some would say zero is nothing, worthless.

Nissan put together a fabulous commercial
for their LEAF electric car.

Whether or not the car interests you, the
idea behind it can go for almost anything:
whatever you believe something to be can
be relative.

Recently someone was asking for help.
Many people were saying they were in no
position to help. I made the point that
if helping was their desire, even $1
would work.

We often forget that things can add up.
There are some who would be happy to
get $1 here, a $1 there because they
know that those dollars can add up
to money in their pocket.

They have a perspective that might
put a few more dollars in their account
than someone who doesn't value those
smaller amounts that come their way.

It is difficult to remember that there
is more than just the one perspective
we experience. It isn't always
convenient to recognize another
perspective, either. However there
are times that remembering it might
just give us the advantage we need.

If you haven't seen the LEAF commercial,
here it is:


 

Not Perfect = Not Good?

Recently I told someone "Life
is good." Interestingly, it gave
them the impression that my life
was perfect.

I had said good because I was focused
on something that made me feel good.
I didn't say good because life is
perfect. As a matter of fact, it is
a far cry from perfection.

There are things I am frustrated about,
depressed by, saddened by, confused by...
the list goes on. However I keep going,
and I keep reminding myself of the
things that I tell other people, and
it helps - a lot. Sometimes.

I tell you this because it is easy to
look at another person and their
circumstance and think they "got it
made." You never know what is going
on in their world and in their mind.

We all have our moments. Hopefully
just not all at once because that
would really suck!

In the meantime, if your life is
feeling sucky at the moment, you
are not alone. If you want to feel
better find something you can feel
good about - and focus on that.

Want to go back to feeling sucky?
Odds are you might. Just keep
bringing yourself back to that
good thing. Will it be easy?
I think you already know the
answer to that question.

You may even give up. Be kind
to yourself if you do. It
happens. What also happens is
sooner or later you will come
out of what you are in.

Just realize that just because
this moment is less than perfect
doesn't mean that your life is
less than good.
 

You'd never be wrong, but if you were.... | Video

In this video Kathryn distinguishes what it
is to be wrong, and how we usually relate
to those who don't agree with us when we
think we are right.

There are things she says that, in my
experience, seem to hold truer than most
of us would like. At the same time there
is a great deal of love and optimism for
who we are as "human."

See what you think.

 

The Time to Take Action

I just read about the Air Traffic Controller
who was watching a movie while working, and
the article discussed other traffic control
concerns.

When I read it, there were several things that
came to mind, not the least of which is a
metaphor for things that are happening in the
world in which we live in right now, here in
the US.

The controllers have only had 8 hours in between
shifts up until now. Many people need that many
hours to function properly, so the fact that they
need some of those hours to commute and take care
of things doesn't seem to me to be a good thing.

How often do we do with less of something that
should be good for us? How often do we hurt
ourselves in the pursuit of something?

Have the controllers spoken up? I don't know,
but I have to wonder. How often do we speak up
when something is not working? How often are
we at the effect of someone else's decisions
and choices which in turn can affect another's
decisions and choices?

These controllers are sleeping through "important"
moments in their lives and the lives of others.
At a minimum, a nuisance or inconvenience, at
a maximum, it could be catastrophic.

How often do we sleep walk through our own lives,
or sleep through (metaphorically, or otherwise)
the important moments in our lives?

While the issue may very well be an issue of
sleep - or, rather a lack of sleep - if we focus
on it alone there may be other things that run
deeper and are missed. The fact that someone
was watching a movie - someone who had to be
aware of the trouble the others had been in -
someone who knew the rules and broke them -
someone who knew their actions could adversely
affect others - tells me that there is more
going on, and given the way things are going,
we would do ourselves a favor by taking a look
at the bigger picture and asking ourselves
questions instead of focusing on just this one
industry/series of events.

In order to change, we have to first be willing
to look at what is, and we don't all have a
governing body looking over our shoulder calling
attention to perceived problems and difficulties.
It also means that that are likely to be times
that we alone are also responsible for the pickles
we get ourselves into, as there is no one telling
us what to do, or how to do it.

The harder it is to look, the more likely cleaning
up the potential mess afterward is going to be a
lot harder than if you had faced what needed to be
faced in the first place.

It is much better to create dynamics that help
us rather than create a patchwork that appears
to work - but we know it's just a quick fix.
Not many things can be patched over and over
and maintain their strength and integrity. In
addition a fix made with love and forethought
is likely to have a better and longer lasting
impact than one that is just slapped together
and expected to last a lifetime.

Air Controllers aren't the only ones who are
having issues, and the sooner that we in our
own personal lives and in our lives as co-
citizens on this planet are willing to look
at how things are, the sooner we can make
changes and potentially avert disasters in
other words start ACTING and stop REACTING.

The time to take action is before you need to;
you'll have a much better chance of preserving
whatever that thing is that you value than if
you wait. That applies to Liberty and Health
and Relationships and Money, and...

 

Change

I heard someone today say,
"change requires changing."

It is kinda like a "duh,"
don't you think? And yet
when things aren't working
out the way we want them to,
and we know that what we're
doing isn't helping or working,
we still often remain the same.

Why is that?

It's because we are comfortable
in the familiar surroundings.
How we are is like home to us,
and because of that we keep
wanting to get home by our actions.

The only way we're going to change
is to move, or to in some way
create a new place to come home to.
We could change the furnishings,
and our environment isn't the same.

Some things are drastic, others more
subtle. If you want to make a change
(see a need for one) then it is
important to find the way that works
for you...and odds are, it is the
way that is unlike the one you've
been doing.

One last thought...we have an easier
time making changes when WE personally
see the need to make them. If you're
having difficulties making a change
ask yourself if YOU really want to or
if it is someone else's desire for you.

Some battles can end right there.

Have a great week!
 

The Greatest Thing | Video | Music

A friend of mine shared this song with me
a few years ago. As old as the song is,
it seems timeless in its message.

A contestant from American Idol pulled it
out and dusted it off for people who likely
never heard it before last night.

Hearing about the news is what reminded me
about it.

In addition, kudos to Casey for sticking to
his guns and going with what felt right to
him. Yes it was atypical, and that is
likely what was so great about it.

It says a lot about the greatness that can
come from going with the beat of our own
inner drummer, or outer bass (LOL).

Of course, the true verdict remains to be
seen with the voting, but I gotta believe
regardless of the outcome, he is sitting
in a better place for it.

For some it will be about the trophy,
which does have its own rewards, but for
others winning is about the reward of
finding oneself and the valuable things
that come along with that - things that
no one else can give you which, for that
reason, may just be inherently more
valuable.

If you haven't heard the song,
here's your opportunity.



and Casey's Version


 

on MSG | Recipe | Homemade Bouillon

I have heard that MSG can affect our minds,
among other things. Search the internet and
you will find a myriad of not-so-good info
about it.

In general, I try to create things from
scratch, when possible, and especially
when I hear that there are things reportedly
that have a particular effect that is
detrimental. I don't know about you, but
I got enough stuff messing with my mind,
without chemicals coming into the mix.

Of course, there are various sides to any
story, and there will be those who will
say that MSG is safe, however, I would
much rather go for something that has a
better chance of being safe because I
made it.

At one point I was using a lot of bouillon,
and discovered that it, too, had MSG, so
I decided to see what I could find as
a substitute.

I found a recipe that is vegetarian
(maybe vegan?) that seems to be working
quite well as a substitute. I use it in
boiling water as I would use bouillon,
sprinkle it on various foods, like eggs
and popcorn, and have made soup with it.

On top of everything else, I would
suspect that the recipe has less
sodium content than the kind of
bouillon you buy in the store. For
anyone who is watching their intake,
I would imagine that could be a very
good thing.

I share the recipe with you, in case you
may be inclined to give it a try. If you
do, let me know what you think!

Homemade Bouillon

1c. Nutritional Yeast Flakes
1T. salt
1/2 t. ginger
1t. pepper
1t. marjoram
1t. tarragon
1t. paprika
1t. rosemary
2t. sage
2t. thyme
2t. celery seed
1T. garlic powder
1T. onion powder

I put all of the above into a
small blender/mixer and make
into a find powder.

You can figure 1T per cup of
water if you are looking for
a ratio suited to a bouillon
cube.

I bet you can find some great
uses for it, and you can
certainly mix up the ingredients
to suit your own tastes.

As a side note, Nutritional
Yeast Flakes are considered
a Super Food, rich in Vitamin B,
that have been used as a
substitute for those who do
not eat cheese. For some, it
is a very inferior substitute,
however I have tried it on
homemade pizza and omelets
and would have to say it is
not bad at all...for the
sake of the flavor, as it
certainly will not have the
grease or texture of actual
cheese.

Enjoy!
 

Have you ever really wanted something really bad?

Have you ever really wanted something really bad?

Have you done all that you could to make it happen,
even if didn't? Have you said all there is to say?

If so, you might appreciate the following
statement I made to someone:

"I have done all that I can. I have exhausted
every avenue, every option, every street, every
thing...so much so I stand here feeling empty
and yet complete."

The beauty is that it was a situation that I
very much wanted to turn out differently than it
did; however, despite the outcome, I found
peace in the fact that I said and did everything
I could.

Communication is a beautiful and powerful and
freeing thing.
 

Believe in Past Lives?

Did you know that the process of
Past Life Regression is a hypnotic state?

Perhaps you don't believe in it,
or it's not for you.
That is understandable.
Many people believe that we get
one shot at life and, then, that's it.

As far as I am concerned, if that's
all you believe, maybe you are right,
and that is truly all there is. To me,
what comes before and after this moment
is not nearly as important as THIS
moment.

There is a great saying about what the
PRESENT is. If we are paying attention
in the moment, every moment has the
opportunity to be a gift - if we are
are paying attention.

What is helpful to recognize about
Past Life Regression is that it is
a hypnotic state, which means that
it is one that is more open than
our conscious state. For that reason,
it is often better able to give us
the answers we might be looking for,
and sometimes answers to questions
we didn't even know we had.

There have been some pretty amazing
stories that have come via people's
experiences with the idea of their
own past lives.

Those I have led through past life
regressions have found what seems
to be some correlation in their
experience to their current life-
at least in THEIR case.

I never believe anything is bad or
good...however, I think information
can be a helpful thing. The times
I did the regressions, the information
that came up was helpful to the person
I was speaking with.

To be fair, it doesn't take much for
the mind to build relationships and
associations. It could very well be
something that came from a childhood
experience (or any experience really)
that was reinforced many times.

However, there are a couple of pieces here.
One is that the earlier the interest,
especially if it is strong, the more interesting
(in my mind) it is to look at from a
past life perspective possibility. Ever see
very young children who have seeming
inexplicable talents? Might past life
possibilities be a potential explanantion?

The other part to this is that every person
and experience is unique. What is it
about that person at that time in that
circumstance that gives birth to that
particular dynamic? Why is it that for
one it will "stick" and for another it
is inconsequential?

Could it be there is something more?

Perhaps it is something to think about.

Perhaps it will do nothing more than
just give you an appreciation for what
you have now.

Perhaps you have another option.

Any which way you go, it's all good.

If this is of interest to you, feel free
to write me about your interest, your
opinions, and to ask any questions you
might have.

Thanks for listening.
Have a great day!
 

A (Humorous) Tale of Two Brains | Video

Men and Women are different.

Nothing new there.

People are always
attempting to explain it.

Anyone who can do it with humor,
and in a way that is helpful,
in my opinion,
is definitely a person to
consider listening to.

With that in mind,
I share the following video.
If you like his approach,
there are others on YouTube,
you can also view.

A Shift | Video

In the last entry I wrote about how
perspectives can empower or be
destructive. On the heels of that
I saw this video. I believe it is
a remake of sorts of another video
that was in Italian(?)

Actions are often stopped or taken
by the meaning behind the words
we use, and their resulting meaning.

Just like the previous blog, I am
looking more at the perspective
shift that is possible, the one
that is able to empower a seemingly
disabled situation.

I suspect is much more possible in
our day-to-day lives, if we are
willing to be more aware and alter
how we go about the things we need
to do.

If you have a minute, check it out,
and let me know what you think.

Need Help?

I heard something today to the effect
that men are humbled by the time they
seek out someone to help them. Those
who are willing to seek out the help
usually find that it is done as a last
resort because they can't seem to
accomplish what they need to on their
own. As a result, some will label
themselves as weak.

I find that interesting, as it is
something that there would be those
who would want to manipulate that
would use that as an argument.
"You are obviously a weak man, and
you need my guidance."

(While this person was speaking
specifically of men, I believe
that the same could hold true
for women. In general, I try
to stay away from making broad,
sweeping generalizations based
on a label, such as a gender.)

It is also interesting for me to
sometimes sit back and observe how
arguments are made and won by how
they are presented. Is someone
weak, or are they just a human
being who is in need of some
assistance?

If every human being that was in
need of assistance was weak, we'd
all have to go by that label.
Then, once labelled that way, we
judge ourselves as inferior, and
the downward spiral would continue.

On the other side of things one
could make the argument that a
smart person knows when assistance
is needed to accomplish a goal.
And this smart person is empowered
by seeking out that help.

If life is lived in the focus
that we have, then almost anything
could be configured in a way that
empowers or is destructive.

If you are in one place and you
want to get somewhere else, but
haven't been able to on your own,
I might be able to help.

You would be surprised how
seamless things can be with the
right kind of assistance, and
it doesn't necessarily need to
be a long, drawn out ordeal.

I realize that it may be something
that consciously is difficult to
grasp, however it makes more sense
than you may be able to grasp which
would make sense because if you had
grasped it, things would have been
different already.

You could go to a city on your own,
or you could go to a city and visit
with an expert guide. By yourself
you may find things interesting that
the guide would gloss over. With
the guide, your attention may be
drawn to something you would have
missed.

There are pluses and minuses with
the choices we make. The mistake
we can sometimes make is to label
them in a way that is positive or
negative or right or wrong when,
in fact, it is just "different."

One last thought on the idea of
"help." A person may have the skill
to be able to build a building on
their own, and might be able to
do just that. The thing is, though,
the destination - a completed
building - will likely be reached
that much more quickly with some
help. Does that mean that person
is weak or inferior?

You may be looking to get somewhere
in your life. And you may just be
able to get there on your own.
But you might get there quicker and
with a better use of your resources
if you have some assistance.

You're a smart person. I know you
will choose wisely, and what is
best for you...you do know that,
don't you? If you didn't, I hope
with what I have said, you will
reconsider who you think yourself
to be and the options you choose.
Sometimes having good company
along the way can make things
seem so much more simple and
effortless.

I am available to be a part of your
crew...if interested, let me know
when I can start! :)

Have a great day!