A Poets View

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference

by: Robert Frost

Being independent is seen sometimes as being different in today’s society.  If we find ourselves taking a different path than our peers we are seen as the “odd” one.  Yet do we really want to have someone else thinking for us or making decisions for us because it’s the popular thing to do?  Just because your peers are taking drugs or drinking and driving does that mean that you have to adhere to that same behavior?  In high school and college I know that many of us were faced with these situations.  Many of us followed what everyone else was doing because it was the “cool” thing to do.

Many people also follow the guidance of others in relation to what they do for a living.  We may want to become a  writer or musician yet we are guided towards another career by well meaning people who decide they should do our thinking for us.  It takes courage and an immense amount of self confidence to take the road less traveled.   It is so much easier to follow the pack than journey alone, yet a journey alone provides us the freedom we need to grow and become who we were meant to be.  We can only find our true self by taking the road less traveled.

I snapped the photo above while at the Botanical Gardens.  I watched my little feathered friend for a matter of about five or six minutes.  While his peers were enjoying the water, murky as it was, he simply stood there and watched.  His contemplation gave me the idea for this post.

Here are some suggestions:

1. Believe in what your heart tells you to do.  Following your peers in what they think and do only allows you to ignore your true self.  Think for yourself even if it differs from others.

2. Let go of expectations.  Let others be who they are.  Even if you do not like their choices or have the same beliefs allow them to be an individual and independent of anyone else.

3. Listen to your heart.  Even if you have conformed to a certain way of living yet feel in your heart you want something different, you have to take the road your heart provides.  As my favorite guru, Dr. Wayne Dyer professes, “The reward of self-sufficiency will far outweigh the practice of conformity.”

It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery

For the past few weeks I’ve been reporting on the Sandra Cantu murder case out of Tracy, California on My City By The Bay blog.  This disturbing case has drawn many feelings both from the heart and the ego.  On my last post I mentioned that the killer should be taken out of suicide watch so that she can just end it all.  I said that because I truly believe that anyone who takes a life does not deserve to live.  I know that sounds harsh and I tried looking deep within myself to understand if that comes from my ego or my heart.  I think it is derived a little from both.

The anger I have over this case,  a person killing a child, makes my ego come into play out of that anger, wanting to see the killer punished.  However at the same time my heart is wounded as a result of a child being killed yet allowing the killer to commit suicide would not do anything to bring the child back.  What’s done is done and cannot be changed by anyone else leaving this earth.

This is very conflicting.  I know that any feelings coming from anger are basically rooted and ruled by ego. Yet, my heart grieves for this young girl and her family.  She was only eight years old and I just cannot have any sympathy or compassion for the person who killed her.  I want to be able to say, well the killer obviously is greatly disturbed and needs help but saying that goes against what I feel in my heart.

I think many can understand these conflicting feelings.  Most people are peaceful and passive at heart yet when we see something so terrible such as murder it is only human to want to see justice. 

I would greatly appreciate your thoughts on this subject.

The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover is yourself.

Alan Alda

This quote by Alan Alda eloquently describes the essence of individuality.  We are all blessed with intuition yet not everyone listens to those soft words which come from our heart.  

Have you ever been faced with a situation where there is something that is telling you to stop yet you go ahead anyway?  That something telling you to stop is your intuition.  My mantra is to always listen to that soft whisper.  When asked to do something or go somewhere your initial reaction is that of your heart.  That is your inner self or your intuition that guides you in the right direction.

I believe we are all connected.  We are all brothers and sisters.  What makes us individuals is not our hair or eye color but our spirit.  Our spirit with roots in creation and passion.  Our spirit and our heart are at the core of our individual nature.  Within spirit lies our creative talents - our true authentic self.  Our heart houses our feelings and passions.  These two entities work together to help us find our true self.

Being an individual is being able to tap into your spirit and find the real you.  We must not adhere to what others think or feel we should be.  We should march to our own drummer and seek our own truth.    Just think if we were all the same in our creativity and passions, what a boring world this would be.  We are all one yet unique in our spirit.

Here are a few suggestions:

1. Let go of responsibilities that others have bestowed upon you without your consent.  You should not have to live up to any choices others have made for you.  You are your own person and as a result make your own choices.

2. Do not ask permission for anything.  As an individual you can stand up on your own and create from your spirit.

“Throughout life people will make you mad, disrespect you and treat you bad. Let God deal with the things they do, cause hate in your heart will consume you too.”

Will Smith

I unfortunately had the distinct displeasure of seeing disrespect first hand last evening.  I went to a concert where my dear friend was performing with her quartet. It was a beautiful show of which I will be reviewing on My City By The Bay blog later this week.  I still have three more shows to attend.

Before each song my friend would say something about the song and the songwriter and would sometimes throw in a little wit which the audience loved.  However there was a man in the crowd who found it necessary to heckle her between songs.  Whenever she began speaking he would blurt out something by either repeating what she was saying or he would ask a stupid question.  Now,  I know her very well so I know how she was feeling while he was doing this yet, she handled it amazingly well. The first couple of times she responded very nicely to his heckling and by the end of the show she merely ignored it.  It was disturbing to everyone.

His behavior during the performance is the perfect example of ego ruling your actions.  The negativity was clear and displayed throughout a room full of patrons enjoying a concert.  Why he felt the need to do this I will never know however it’s a perfect example of ego ridden behavior.

As the night went on I became more and more angry with each of his heckles.   It infuriates me when someone I care about is being disrespected.   At one point I actually, without even thinking began to get up when my friend sitting next to me stopped me.   My reaction to his actions, feeling angry and wanting to do something about it, was just as bad as his heckling.  My reaction came from my ego.  I had the choice to get angry or simply ignore it and I chose to get angry.  I’m glad I didn’t act on that anger.

Here are some suggestions:

1. Simply let go and let God.  We choose our behavior.  When we see someone disrespecting someone else we can take the high road and either ignore it or gently tell the person who is being disrespectful that his or her behavior is not condoned.

2. Being disrespectful towards another human being is despicable.  Never let your ego choose dominance over another person.

Photo courtesy of www.k53.pbase.com

“Man has falsely identified himself with the pseudo-soul or ego.  When he transfers his sense of identity to his true being, the immortal soul, he discovers that all pain is unreal.  He can no longer even imagine the state of suffering.”

Paramahanda Yogananda (1893 - 1952)

I’m writing about this today for two reasons.  First, being Easter in a few days and being raised Catholic you are taught that suffering leads to eternal life.  Secondly, in many other cultures and Religions people are taught that we do not suffer as only the person we imagine ourselves to be suffers.

To be completely honest, I cannot believe in either one of these teachings.  In my opinion to believe that we have to endure suffering in this life to be in pure bliss throughout eternity is completely illogical to me.  On the other hand to believe that we really don’t suffer but rather imagine ourselves suffering is just as illogical.

While I truly believe that the ego is the negative source of our being the quote by Paramahanda Yogananda is very difficult to absorb.  Dr. Wayne Dyer , my favorite Guru puts it this way. “If you have a headache and feel pain, you must unattach yourself from your body and look at the pain from the outside, then you can move that pain and be rid of it.”  I’m sorry but I just cannot understand this way of thinking.  To put it simply when I am in pain, I have pain.  I fail to understand how the ego is behind that pain.

In the Catholic religion I’m supposed to feel pain and embrace it so that I can live in heaven throughout eternity.  I’m sorry I don’t understand that one either.  Neither teaching makes sense to me at all.

I wish I could come to some understanding on this subject so please, someone out there enlighten me.

Your thoughts are very much appreciated.

Photo courtesy of www.3.bp.blogspot.com

I’m not using a quote or poem today because the photo says it all.  What matters is what we think and how we see ourselves.  

Have you ever noticed when being in a social situation where you are meeting people for the first time they always ask “so what do you do?”  Then they automatically base their opinions of you on what you do for a living.  And, we all do this.  We all ask that question.  We unfortunately are not what we do for a living unless of course we are making a living doing what we love to do.   If you love to play guitar on weekends yet work 40+ hours a week at a job you hate only to collect your paycheck and benefits, is that who you really are?

We have to look deep inside to our soul.  We have to connect with our inner most feelings and passions because that is who we really are.  Money and material things do not make us who we are.  Yet, we inevitably work and live for money and material things.  It is a vicious circle.  When we realize and see ourselves for the person we are inside our spirit, only then can we see our true self image.

What other people see based on what we do and how we look is meaningless.  It’s what we see inside that makes all the difference.

Here are some suggestions:

1. If we think we are not good enough, that is what we will manifest in our life.  It’s what we see inside and embrace with our heart that tells us we are unique and loving.

2. Stay away from those who constantly gossip and judge.  When you participate in these negative energies your self image is at an all time low.

3. Be happy about and grateful for what you have in your life.  Do not look for material sources to fill your life.  Only your passionate spirit can fill you.

4. Ignore criticism.  Criticism is born of negativity and should not be acknowledged.

Below is an interview I conducted of one of my favorite people, Paula Katinas.  She is not only a gifted writer but a great friend.  She works as a reporter in New York which is something I greatly admire about her.  I would so much enjoy being a reporter.  I wanted to introduce her to all of you and report on some fascinating facts about Paula.  For more information about her you can visit her myspace link at the bottom of this post.

Thank you Paula for affording me the opportunity to interview you.

1.  It must be exciting reporting for a local publication.  What made you decide to become a reporter?

       I have wanted to be a newspaper reporter since I was a child. I saw the “Superman” television shows, as well as movies like “His Girl Friday,” and they really struck a chord with me. I thought journalism was a glamorous profession filled with witty women who fell in love with equally witty men. So, I guess my answer to the question of what made me decide to become a newspaper reporter is that it fed my movie-filled imagination. I fantasized a lot as a kid. While my job is far from glamorous, I still love it because it allows me to fulfill a fantasy of being a writer. It is exciting work. I cover everything from drug busts to community board meetings and get to write features on interesting local people. I just wrote an article on a local woman named Giulia Melucci who has published her first book, a memoir titled “I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti.” It’s a memoir about how she is so successful in the kitchen but has lousy relationships with men. I really like the variety of articles I get to write. Also, being a reporter makes you feel like a big shot in the neighborhood. It’s a big ego boost when the local congressman takes your calls.

2.  Finish this sentence.  If I weren’t a reporter, I would be a…

      If I weren’t a reporter I would be working in a grocery store or a supermarket stocking shelves. I think working in journalism has opened up a world of possibilities for me that I would have been too shy to think of, otherwise. I think my life would have been so much different. I would have been too shy and withdrawn to go after my dreams.

3.  Is there one particular story that stands out above the rest?

       There are a number of stories that come to mind. The September 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center was certainly memorable. I was not at the Twin Towers that day, but the community I cover, Bay Ridge, lost 32 people in the attack. Two days after the attack, this would be Thursday of that week, the families of the victims started coming into the newspaper office one by one asking us to write about them. I sat with many of them, interviewed them, and tried to get a sense of who these victims were. My paper printed numerous articles about the victims over the next several weeks. One of them was a 25-year-old man named Terrence Gazzani, who worked in Cantor Fitzgerald, the bond firm which had offices on the top two floors of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. His aunt brought in a picture of him. He was a handsome kid. He could have been a model, that’s how handsome he was. I showed the picture to my editor and saw, “This is what the terrorists have done. They’ve taken away promising young people like this kid.” But I have also loved many of the features I have written throughout the years. I did a couple of articles two years ago on two local radio personalities here in New York named Joey Salvia and Christina Stoffo. Both were regulars on The Michael Kay Show, a sports talk radio show on ESPN Radio. And they are both originally from Brooklyn. Christina is no longer with the show. Both of these talented people are very different off the air than on. They seemed nicer, much more intelligent and articulate off the air. For a long time on the show, Salvia played the role of a womanizing sleazeball and Stoffo played a sex kitten. In real life, he’s a married man with a young son and she’s so intelligent, she could run a major corporation. The interviews made me realize that a lot of what you hear on the radio, even on talk shows, is role playing. Interestingly, Salvia’s role on the show seems to be changing. They even ‘fessed up to the fact that he’s happily married and the father of a newborn.

4.  I know you are an avid reader.  What is your favorite genre and who is your favorite author?

      I actually like non-fiction better than fiction. I like biographies and books about politics. In terms of fiction, my favorite writer is Jane Austen. I try to re-read “Pride and Prejudice” and “Persuasion” every couple of years.

5.  Working on a novel is very time consuming.  When do you find time to write?

      This is an interesting question to me because I am grappling with this issue at the moment. I am finding it very difficult to find the time. I write all day for a living.  And I often cover things at night. When I come home, all I want to do is relax. Working on the novel seems like an extension of the workday to me. But I am going to try to break the writing down into smaller segments, even if it’s just 15 or 20 minutes a day. It will take a much longer time to finish the novel, but I think it will be a better pace for me.

6.  Tell us a little something about your novel.

      My novel is about a middle-aged woman who helps a man in his mid-30’s search for his missing father on the streets of New York. The main character, Margaret, is based on me. She’s a newspaper reporter with a self-confidence problem. In the book, she’s going to learn a lot about herself and her capabilities. In the search for this old man, she’s going to find herself. I have written about 50 pages so far.

7.  Finish this sentence.  When I am not working you can find me…

When I am not working, you can find me taking long walks, reading a good book, or
spending time with friends.  My friends are very important to me.

8.  If and when you experience writer’s block, how do you deal with it?

      Writer’s block is a tough thing to deal with. My way of dealing with it is to just write, even if what I’m writing is idiotic and will never see the light of day. The act of writing itself gets you unblocked, I believe. I think people experience writer’s block because they are perfectionists. They want what they’re writing to be PERFECT. When you write for a newspaper and you have to produce three or four articles a day, you know they’re not all going to be sensational. You just do it.

9.   What inspires you?

      Everything inspires me. A sunrise, the sound of birds chirping, overhearing a person on the subway saying something funny, a movie, a piece of music, a baby’s smile. Everything.

10. What makes you smile?

      I smile when I see an act of kindness, whether it’s directed at me or is just something I’m witnessing.

Thank you so much for this interview. If you want to learn more about me, I’m on Facebook (search for Paula Katinas) and I’m on MySpace, where you can find me at http://www.myspace.com/woman617

Photo courtesy of www.floridastateparks.org

Strength of numbers is the
delight of the mind.
The Valiant in spirit glory in
fighting alone.

Ghandi

Did you ever notice that when you decide on doing something, whether it be changing jobs or following your dreams and you begin to discuss your ideas with family, co-workers and friends, that you will inevitably need to defend your ideas and most likely end up arguing in defense of your thoughts?  Why? Because when we put those ideas out there, two things happen.  First, behind those ideas is our ego intent on bragging to others in order to validate the thoughts and intent.  Remember that intent from ego is taking the wrong direction.  Intent from heart is the true and right direction.

Second,  no matter how strong you feel about your idea, the fact is that when others finish telling you how “out there” your idea is or give you logical reasons as to why it’s never going to work, all that negativity will kill your idea and result in it never coming to fruition.

As in the quote above, the Valiant is one who stands alone in his or her ideas.  Your ideas from the heart grow and our born into fruition by your not needing any validations but rather taking that first step on your own with a clear understanding and knowing that this idea which comes from your heart is your destiny.

Here are a few suggestions:

1. You do not need endorsements from others.  Endorsements come from ego.  Your heart needs to be the ruler.

2. You don’t need to announce your ideas.  They come from your spirit therefore they need no introduction or applause.

3. Creation is derived from the unseen into the seen.  It is born within your spirit and created as a result of that birth by you.  

“The purpose of our journey on this precious Earth
is now to align our personalities with our souls.
It is to create harmony, cooperation, sharing, and reverence for Life.
It is to grow spiritually.
This is our new evolutionary pathway.
The old pathway - pursuing the ability to manipulate and control -
no longer works.
It now produces only violence and destruction. “

~ Gary Zukav ~

As humans we have two distinct personalities.  There is the mind which is dictated by our ego and the heart which is ruled by our deepest inner being.  These two aspects of our human makeup are constantly at war.  The trick is to realize that our egos create these wars and as such we need to ignore our ego.

Egos are responsible for manipulation, competition, jealousy, hate and all the other negative feelings attached to our mind.  Our heart being our core self is the personality which loves and has compassion.  Most of us live with this tug of war between ego and heart.  As a result we are not living our true lives.  We are constantly in a negative vs. positive quarrel which causes nothing but pain.

Ego dictates having material things in order to be happy.  It dictates having power over others.  It dictates putting self over anything and everyone else.

Heart doesn’t dictate.  Heart is not manipulative.  It is our inner most passions living within our souls waiting to be born.  It is freedom, love and caring.  It is unique to each one of us.  It delivers love from us to those around us.  It does not need material things to be happy because it is the essence of happiness.  It is not “all about me” because it puts others first.  It does not compete with or manipulate others.  It is simply our spirit.

How do we ignore our egos?

1. Listen to your heart before you say or do anything.  It is the intent behind your words and actions that come into play.  If you say something to prove someone else wrong or make yourself sound special or powerful in some way then it is your ego speaking.  Speak, do and react with your heart.  The first thought in your mind when reacting to someone or something is usually your heart speaking, so listen.

2. Don’t brag.  I know I am guilty of doing this though I try not to brag.  When in conversation try using “I” much less and using “you” more often.  Listening to someone spend an entire day boasting of who they are and what they have is a tiresome bore so don’t do it.

3. Don’t allow yourself to become attached to “things.”  I know as I have become older I no longer even want material things.  You don’t need them to be happy.  You will find happiness within yourself.

Photo courtesy of Zytu.org

“Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul.”

St. Augustine

As a society we are geared towards seeing outer beauty.  We are bombarded with advertising that elicits thoughts of looking younger, prettier, more handsome etc…  We fail to see that beauty is within our soul.  When we think of beauty we think of models, celebrities and body builders and we rarely focus on their inner beauty but rather how they look at any particular moment.  We do that with ourselves as well.  We’re going out on the town and what do we do?  We have our hair done, we shop for new clothes, we pile on the makeup, shop for new shoes then go out partying.  While there is nothing wrong with wanting to dress up, we have to realize that feeling good about yourself does not happen by dressing up but be seeing the beauty that is inside.

Scenario:  A black tie affair.  Everyone is dressed to the nines.  A guy walks in the room, invitation in hand and is wearing jeans and a t-shirt.  What do you think happens? Nothing.  The guy in jeans doesn’t even notice.  Why?  He knows his beauty lies within.  He doesn’t have to show up in an Armani suit.  That is the key.  We have to be comfortable in our own skin and not allow outside pressures to dictate what we should wear or how we should look.

Here are some suggestions:

1. See yourself as a soul within a body rather than a body with a soul.  Our soul is our inner being, our core.  Our body is merely the encasement.

2. Try and ignore all the advertising and marketing that tells you how to dress and look.  You are what you are so be proud and feed your inner soul, not your outer shell.

3. See people for who they are.  Do not place emphasis on what they are wearing or how they look.  

Soon to be released by Dr. Michael Roizen

Serenity

Greet the day
Serene in essence
Clothed in light
Warmed in heart
Bound in spirit

enlightened

By: Joanne Olivieri

I used my own poetry today because it captures the core of inspiration.  Inspiration or “in-spirit” comes from within us.  When we are inspired we are in touch with our spirit.  It is important to be observant of the world around us.  What may seem like the least little thing to us may be the greatest source of inspiration.

Wayne Dyer in one of his lectures speaks about a bird landing on him while he was walking along a beach.  This one incident inspired not only a book but a lecture series.  Below you will find a fantastic book on how to attain inner peace by Dr. Wayne Dyer.

Living in a cosmopolitan city it is easy to get caught up in the urban hustle and bustle.  However even within a city setting your observations of the situations around you can touch your spirit.

Something as innocuous as a blackbird flitting about rummaging for food can inspire an epic poem or short story.  I know it has for me.  It doesn’t matter whether you are an artist or writer or just someone who likes to walk for exercise, the important thing is that you observe the world around you because it is in observance that we become inspired.  My friend over at Observations at today.com has a wonderful post on this subject.

By observing and really listening to nature and the world around us we allow ourselves to become free, open and at one with nature’s essence.  So, when you hear the phrase “take time to stop and smell the roses” do just that.

How do you become inspired?

1.  Take a walk in nature.  Just listen to the quiet and experience the natural setting.

2.  Immerse yourself in what you love to do.  Focus on it as if there were nothing else around you.  Become what you are doing.

3.  Observe your surroundings.  Even if you are just in your living room watching tv, look around and observe everything in your presence.  Trust me, there is inspiration in everything.

The true way to render ourselves happy is to love our work and find in it our pleasure.

Francoise de Motteville:

Work is an integral part of life.  We have to work in order to make money so that we can take care of our families.  As a result many take on jobs they dislike merely because they may pay well and we think we need to make more and more money in order to be happy.

When we were born and made our debut on this earth, our talents and creativity debuted as well.  Our passions were inherent within our soul when we were born.  This is why we all gravitate to different hobbies as we grow.  To ignore our passions and work at something we dislike is to ignore ourselves.  We cannot keep passions dormant.  They must be set free because they are at the very core of our being.

As mentioned earlier, though we need to make money in order to live we need to find a way to make money at what we love doing.  That is a very difficult task.  We need to find a job that is in sync with our creative spirit.  If we are lucky enough to be able to make a living with what we love to do then we are living our true authentic self.

As a writer, I certainly do not make a living at what I love doing but I still need to write everyday.  If all I worked was a regular job and did not employ my creative talents to what I love, I would be miserable.  Miserable, because I would not be doing what I love to do.

Here are some suggestions

1. Take time each day to do what you enjoy.  Whether it’s reading, working out, writing or watching movies, it really doesn’t matter what it is, the important thing is that you do it each day.  After a while you will realize that what you love to do can be your life’s work whether paid or not.  Your imagination and the universe will supply you with the ideas you need to realize your dream of making a living with your passions.

2. When you decide to do what you love stay focused on your vision.  Stay away from a negative thought process which allows your ego to  say “you are making the wrong choice.”  Do not allow others to manipulate you into thinking you are wrong in doing what you love to do.  Remember it comes from your heart and your heart is never wrong.

3. If you are unable to make a living on what you love to do, then find a job that is in sync with your passions.  If you play guitar but cannot make a decent living as a musician, then teach guitar to students.  Work in a music shop.  Play your guitar in your neighborhood for tips.  It is just a matter or using your imagination and being focused on what you love to do.

4. When you are inspired everything else falls into place.  When you are doing what you are meant to do, the universe takes over and allows you to fulfill your dreams. 

Photo courtesy of www.joelchua.com

I decided to write about this topic today after seeing the Nightline debate on this same subject.  Deepak Chopra as well as a couple of other ministers and an ex prostitute were debating the existence of Satan.

The prostitute claimed that she heard voices telling her to do evil and that she knew that these voices were not in her head.  She also claimed that she was a drug addict at the time.  She believes that Satan was directing her evil acts.  While I do believe she heard voices I do not believe they were the voices of Satan.

Deepak Chopra took the stance that Satan is a non existent myth and that we all have the capacity for good and evil.  I have to agree with him on this particular statement.  I do not believe there is a Satan.  Because we have the power of choice and free will we also have the power to go against what our heart tells us and as a result listen to our ego which can steer us in the wrong direction.

There was another minister who believes that Satan is an angel who fell out of grace from God and this fallen angel is in fact the devil or Satan.  Many people do believe this to be true.  I absolutely do not believe this scenario.  It was also stated that in order for you to believe in God you must believe in Satan.  That was the most ridiculous statement made on that show and the perfect example of how the ego works.

I remember years ago going to see the movie the Exorcist when it was first released.  I was not a child at the time yet that movie scared the daylights out of me.  In fact, it still does.  I cannot watch that movie at all.  The special effects, the rotation of the head and everything else just made me cringe in fear.  I’ve asked myself many times why that movie had such an effect on me.  My answer was quite simple.  It was scary enough to make me question my beliefs about Satan.

My belief is that we all have racing thoughts which at times can be evil because we all have an ego and free will.  When we or someone does something evil it is out of fear, rejection, loneliness etc… The list goes on and on.  I truly believe that if we understand that our ego is the “evil” within us and that we should learn to think and act with our heart then those voices and racing thoughts will no longer exist.

I am very curious as to your thoughts on this subject.

In solitude, where we are least alone

Lord Byron

Within our society, solitude is looked upon as anti social or strange.  We think that we must constantly be surrounded by people engaging in a busy lifestyle.  However, the opposite is true.  

In order to connect with our deepest feelings and energies we must find time for solitude.  It is where we can connect with our inner most thoughts and ideas.  When we are in the midst of family, friends and activities, we lose that deep connection to our spirit.  

As the quote portrays, we are least alone in solitude.  We gather our thoughts and energies in one limitless continuum and experience the birth of our passions.   Our passions being the path to our authentic self can only be directed through solitude and meditation.

So many of us spend day after day being busy with school, work and so many activities that we fail to nourish our spirit through solitude.  We think we have to be busy all the time because that is what society tells us we should be doing.

Just as a flower needs quiet time to bloom and grow among nature’s palate, so do we need that quiet time to nurture our spirit.

How do we find solitude?

1. We find solitude in nature.  We find it anywhere we can be alone with our thoughts and ideas.

2. Look within.  You will find that deep within your soul are energies waiting to be born.  They can only be set free when we find the quiet time to acknowledge them.

3. Set some activities aside.  Make time for yourself and allow your passions to run wild.

Home is where the heart is…

My thought for today is focused on being happy and at peace with where you live and what you have.  Depending on our salaries and these days lending institutions determines where we can afford to live, work and play.

Our homes reflect who we are and what values we hold.  Being thankful for the fact that we do have somewhere to “hang our hat” is what is important.  There are so many homeless people living on the streets all over this country and the world that we should be thankful on a daily basis for what we have.

It doesn’t matter if you live in a mansion, an apartment or a room in a downstairs basement.  The fact is you are sheltered from the elements and have a place to sleep.  I see people in my neighborhood all the time sleeping in doorways and on park benches out in Golden Gate Park.  I often wonder while I’m snuggling in for the night on a rainy and cold evening where these people are and if they are warm enough to sleep.

On the other side of the spectrum I also know people who are never satisfied.  They have to have more room or more things to display in their homes in order to keep up with their neighbors.  I can never understand why.  If all you care about is having more and more to compete with everyone else you will never have enough.

What I am trying to convey today is be thankful for what you do have.  Help those who are less fortunate.  Though money can buy you “things” it can never buy you happiness.

“We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we make the world.”

Buddha

When we dream we dream in images.  When we are awake we see images.  We are human with visual capacities that have no boundaries.  We visualize the future and what we want it to be.  We see through our mind’s eye what we want to become and where we want to be.  We all have wishes, hopes and dreams which will come to fruition when we allow what we visualize to fly freely with limitless intention.

We’ve all heard the old lines “When you wish upon a star.”  No truer words than these have ever been spoken.  When you cast your wishes and dreams to the universe they become energy which is cast back to you in the form of opportunities.  What you desire and wish, you can create.  You can be anything you want as long as you believe you can achieve your dreams.

Here are a few suggestions

1. Wish for anything you want.  Refuse to limit yourself out of fear.  You can create what you want by simply believing in yourself.

2. Send your wishes out to the universe.  You can do this by praying, saying your wishes out loud and visualizing them in your mind or simply writing them down in your journal and visualizing them on paper.  Ask and you shall receive.

3. Use affirmations.  Eliminate doubt in your words.  Use phrases like I will or I shall.  Don’t ask but affirm.

4. Keep your visualizations in your mind.  By seeing them you will begin to create what you want.

Hello all,

Thank you.
Jo aka jodapoet

I’m happy to report that my inner child is still ageless.
James Broughton

Though our bodies or outer shells may age, our inner self never ages.  It is infinite and therefore time does not apply.  We live in a society where age is taboo.  Plastic surgeons are always in business and making money like there is no tomorrow.  Why? Because we all think that we need to look younger in order to feel young.  Absolutely not true.

When we strive to look younger all the time, it is an endless journey.  We will always need more botox or more face or eye lifts.  We will never be happy.

You could be twenty years old and be a couch potato or 60 years old and walking everyday.  It’s what you feel inside and what you do with that passion that determines your age.

I’m not saying to ignore your body at all.  You should eat healthy, get some physical and mental exercise each day, however the need for those wrinkle creams are a product of your ego - not your inner self.

Here are some suggestions

1. Force yourself to be active.  You don’t have to run marathons but make yourself do something each day.  Even if it is taking a walk around your block, it is enough to get the juices flowing.

2. Do not label yourself.  If you say “I’m getting old” or “I can’t do that because I’m too old” you are limiting yourself into the confines of judgment from ego.  Living in this negative genre will surely age you before your time.

3. Take baby steps.  Each day try and do something that helps your outside shell and inner self.  Take a walk and listen to the serenity of nature.

4. Challenge yourself.  Take up a new hobby and immerse yourself in your passions.

Today, give a stranger one of your smiles.  It might be the only sunshine he sees all day.  ~Quoted in P.S. I Love You, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Have you ever noticed that when you are kind to someone the joy you feel is immeasurable?  Just smiling and saying hello to someone on the street can not only put a smile on their face but allow you to share your heart with someone.

There are those who would be kind in order to get something from you and sometimes it is difficult to tell whether they are being genuine or have their own agenda.  The sure fire way to tell is how do you feel when they are kind to you.  If you feel a sense of joy and love within your heart then they are being genuine.  If your intuition kicks in and you find yourself asking, why are they being so nice, then you’ve already answered your question.

Just think if we were all kind to each other what a different world this would be.  There would not be wars, there would not be violence and there would not be anyone hurt or angered.  As humans we sometimes choose not to be kind and that is the problem.  Our choices are made with our egos rather than our hearts. Be kind and act from your heart.

Here are a few suggestions

1. Each day smile and say hello to a stranger.  It may not seem like much but it will make both of you feel significant and boundless joy.

2. When you answer your phone, smile.  I know this seems weird but a friend of mine told me this and she does this each time she answers her phone.  Why? because the smile is felt by the other person.  

3. Do a random act of kindness.  It could be donating to a cause or it could be helping a friend with groceries or simply taking the time to let someone know you care.  Do it everyday without fail and you’ll see the difference it makes.