The Power of Gratitude

All of us appreciate when someone expresses gratitude to us, and when we express gratitude to others, we put in motion a good feeling that always comes back around. Thanking someone else for what they did for us can make their whole day sometimes. We all have our work to do and in the course of a day, how often do we really express appreciation to each other? I mean sincere appreciation, not just thanks and duck out the door. When we know we have done good work for someone and they take the time to acknowledge us, it can make our day. And we can make their day.

What a simple, yet powerful act, and we all have the ability to stir up these wonderful feelings in ourselves and others. When we express gratitude to others, they are, in turn, inspired to express it to others.

Knowing that others appreciate us is important. Of course we all work for money because that is the medium of exchange in our culture. And yet, it really stirs up good feelings when gratitude is expressed.

This same energy exchange works with people at work, people we have intimate relationships with, business dealings with, casual acquaintances, and those in spirit. Express appreciation for our various caregivers whether they work in our doctor's office or the stores where we shop.

So even from a selfish point of view, if you would like other people to treat you like that more often, treat other people that way more often.

Extend those feelings to your spirit guides as well. They help us by advising and protecting us. That is their job, but we really keep those channels of communication open, like a dialogue, a two way street with them when we do.

Some people's concept of prayer is that you engage in it when you want something. No. It is good to say thank you to your spirit guides, ancestors and angels every day.

Think of it this way. If you have a friend who only calls you when you want something, you will tire of getting their calls and not want to answer. So if it goes both ways, then you have a good friendship. It is the same way with spirit guides, ancestors, angels. Take a few moments every day to thank them for all the good things that are happening to you. Everything. Who do you think gives you good ideas and accurate instincts? Who helps keep things running? Who helps keep you healthy and safe? Who helps us get more out of life?

Thanksgiving to me has always been the best holiday because it is so simple. We get together with family and friends to share a good meal, some conversation, some games and music and just appreciate each other's company. What a great way to spend a day!

We have always invited some people in addition to family to join us and lots of other people have this tradition as well. Years ago, when I moved around the country a lot for business, people would always get orphan dinners together. That was a word they used for all of us who were transferred in from some other place just for the job and had no family or friends there. So a bunch of us would get together, everyone would bring some food or beverage to share and we would have a good time hanging out that day.

It is in our nature as people to want to enjoy social relations with others, the same way as it is in our nature to help other people.

So enjoy your holiday and know that I appreciate all of you. Every one of you have added something to my life just by your presence.

And I look forward to seeing each of you again whenever you feel that the time is right.

May you all enjoy much light, love and happiness every day, and especially now.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dylan: A Voice That Matters

When I heard on the radio that Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature last week, I was both happy and stunned, because that was just not one of those thoughts that had ever crept into my mind before.

You see Dylan and I have a long history, one that has been interrupted over the years. Many years ago, when I was a teenager and my cousin Mike first played a Dylan record for me, it was an enlightenment that interrupted and blew away everything I thought I knew about popular music. My earliest love in music was classical music and for a while I took violin lessons, but I was disenchanted with the traditional type of training that went with it at the time. So the first instrument that I taught myself just by listening was the harmonica, especially the style that is known as blues harp.

I had started to be interested in learning to play the guitar because the sound was the primary driving instrument of the pop music that was the engine in our world then. So I bought an acoustic guitar, a chord chart, and a Bob Dylan songbook, and that is what I used to teach myself how to play. I also got other sheet music for pop songs, and played in bands and solo for a while. I kept the guitar in my life for a long time, jamming and playing for friends.

But the lightning bolt that came with learning Dylan songs kind of blew away all the other songs and spoke to something deep and mystical within me. After listening to the radio continuously playing sweet little boyfriend/girlfriend ditties, to suddenly be exposed to songs like "Chimes of Freedom," "The Times They Are a Changin,""My Back Pages," "Mr. Tambourine Man," "Masters of War," "Maggies Farm," "It Ain't Me Babe," "Blowin' in the Wind," and "Like A Rolling Stone" just got into my bones and cut me to the quick the way no other songs had.

At the time, the struggle for civil rights was hotly contested and the Vietnam War was being loudy protested, and his songs were the only songs the spoke directly to those important issues that we were struggling with. His songs somehow helped me see the world in a whole different way. So I sat in my room, practicing over and over until I felt comfortable playing in front of other people. I used to stuff a rag under the strings by the bridge to mute the sound while I was practicing.

In time, "Blowin' in the Wind" became an anthem of the civil rights movement, sang on that same massive gathering where Martin Luther King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech.

If you think that all of this is just a dated irrelevant memory, look at what is still going on in our world right now. Go to You Tube and look up and listen to "Chimes of Freedom" and see if those lyrics don't grab you bone deep. Or give another listen to "Blowin' in the Wind" or "Like a Rolling Stone" or "Positively 4th Street."

It is true that he has never been known for his beautiful singing voice. What resonates a half century later are the incredible lyrics. Many other pop musicians launched careers or added noteworthy songs to their repertoire by creating more melodic versions of his songs.

Some songs are made for dancing. Dylan songs are made to stick in your mind and cause you to think all kinds of thoughts. His songs have been an important part of my life and the Nobel committee just reminded us that poetry and songs deserve the same kind of recognition as good books.

How does all this resonate now? Yes, when I was young I protested against the Vietnam War because I did not feel that we should ever get into a war unless it was an absolute matter of self defense, and yes, I feel that we should still avoid getting into wars whenever we can. Yes, I am one of those dreamers who wants to see a peaceful world with justice for all people. Dylan has always been a voice for those ideas and so I think that it is quite a powerful statement that he got that award, and I am happy that he got it. If you are not familiar with his music, give it a listen.

Celebrating Freedom from limiting thoughts and openness to new ideas

We recently celebrated July 4th, which is about how we fought for our freedom as a country by choosing to free ourselves from the British Empire and create our own country where we would have the freedom to live as we like and elect leaders who would represent our interests, first and foremost.

In some ways, we do this every day when we wake up and begin another day. Each day, we are given another opportunity to make new choices and explore new ideas.

What kind of new ideas? Within recent years we have chosen to explore new spiritual paths and practices, many very different from the ones we knew earlier in our lives.

Energy healing is another practice that many people are opening up to, and as we open to these practices, we experience how well they work.

Ideas about positive thinking and the Law of Attraction give us a different perspective on life, which encourage us to choose more consciously to create our lives.

When we look at life from a fresh perspective, we change the way we eat and the ways we relate to food. We change the way we think about voting and who we choose to represent us.

New ideas also lead us to choose different forms of entertainment. Growing numbers of people have now disconnected from cable and satellite dishes and get their news and entertainment through the internet, independent radio stations, watching documentaries and independent films and reading different books or joining discussion groups, book clubs and meetings which support their new exploration of ideas.

Many people have been forced by changes in the economy to figure out new ways to make a living, and although the changes can be wrenching and traumatic at first, many have found more satisfactory ways to make their living.

One of the things I do most often is help people see other possibilities and support them in their transitions. Often at times like this, we need people who will support and encourage our choices and our new thinking because in our explorations some of our old friends may think that we are off track, so it takes someone else who has an objective vision to help us see more clearly and encourages us to continue our explorations to have a happier new phase of life.

Given the changes in our world, we need new friends and helpers who will support our new visions for our lives and are traveling down these new roads themselves to create a better life for themselves. Opening our minds to new thoughts will lead us to explore new territories and these new worlds we are living in may bear little resemblance to our earlier lives.

As we enjoy the fireworks, what are the ways that we are freeing our minds to live in new states of independence? What new ways of thinking will help us enjoy our new freedoms? What will our next step be? Even though changes can be kind of scary and upend our old status quo, the rewards on the other side are exciting.

Remember that courage means proceeding even in the face of doubt. Doing a sure thing requires no courage. As we call upon our courage, we can feel the physical sensations in our body when we rise to meet new challenges. New thoughts may encourage us to act swiftly and decisively, and as we make progress, there will be new waves of joy that confirm our choices.

Creating a new country and creating a new life have these things in common. Countries can be pieces of geography and they can also be states of mind. What will you choose next?

In a few days we will be celebrating July 4th, which is about how we fought for our freedom as a country by choosing to free ourselves from the British Empire and create our own country where we would have the freedom to live as we like and elect leaders who would represent our interests, first and foremost.

In some ways, we do this every day when we wake up and begin another day. Each day, we are given another opportunity to make new choices and explore new ideas. 

What kind of new ideas? Within recent years we have chosen to explore new spiritual paths and practices, many very different from the ones we knew earlier in our lives. 

Energy healing is another practice that many people are opening up to, and as we open to these practices, we experience how well they work. 

Ideas about positive thinking and the Law of Attraction give us a different perspective on life, which encourage us to choose more consciously to create our lives.

When we look at life from a fresh perspective, we change the way we eat and the ways we relate to food. We change the way we think about voting and who we choose to represent us. 

New ideas also lead us to choose different forms of entertainment. Growing numbers of people have now disconnected from cable and satellite dishes and get their news and entertainment through the internet, independent radio stations, watching documentaries and independent films and reading different books or joining discussion groups, book clubs and meetings which support their new exploration of ideas. 

Many people have been forced by changes in the economy to figure out new ways to make a living, and although the changes can be wrenching and traumatic at first, many have found more satisfactory ways to make their living. 

One of the things I do most often is help people see other possibilities and support them in their transitions. Often at times like this, we need people who will support and encourage our choices and our new thinking because in our explorations some of our old friends may think that we are off track, so it takes someone else who has an objective vision to help us see more clearly and encourages us to continue our explorations to have a happier new phase of life. 

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November, the Month of Gratitude

November to me is an entire month of celebrating gratitude, with the civic holiday of Thanksgiving as the crowning event in the month. This year I am also happy to see a growing list of companies that are closing for Thanksgiving so that their employees can also spend time with their family and friends, reversing the ugly trend of just turning this magnificent holiday into just another shopping day.

One of the best things any of us can do to improve our lives on a daily basis is to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. It helps me to maintain a pleasant atmosphere and improve the results I get in my business. How does that work?

Easy. When you smile and are easy to get along with, people like to talk to you, do business with you and be kind and happy in return. When we express gratitude to our spirit guides for all the help and good they have brought into our lives, they appreciate our expressions because that makes our interaction more of a dialogue rather than a one way communication from someone who only calls on us when they want something.

I am grateful for having a good landlord who keeps the building where I live in good working order.

I am grateful for an auto repair shop that keeps my car in good working order and is honest and efficient, so I am happy to recommend them to family and friends.

I am grateful for the helpful and knowledgeable people who work in the grocery stores where I shop because they help me find things and offer useful advice.

I am grateful that my chiropractor, massage therapist, doctor and dentist are all people who not only do their work wonderfully well but they also have good attitudes and I am happy to work with them.

I am grateful that I have family and friends who live nearby and I enjoy spending time with them, and help them when needed.

I am grateful to live in a city that does a fine job of providing service to us, including the rec centers and the library which I use daily.

I am grateful for all my clients who have provided me the opportunities to serve them, and in turn I am grateful that being able to do so helps me make a living by doing work that I love.

Notice how when we express gratitude that everyone seems more cooperative and pleasant.

Notice how when we express gratitude that more and more unexpected good things happen for us or to us.

Notice how when we express gratitude that even things that at first seemed difficult or troublesome can often produce something good before it is over.

Notice how expressing gratitude fills the air around us with vibrations that are loving, kind, cooperative, compassionate, happy and good natured and these vibrations draw more of the same back to us. Like attracts like. Law of attraction. Sympathetic vibrations.

So if there is one thing that I could share with each one of you that would help you create more positive and beneficial results in your life right now and every day from now on, this is it.

Express gratitude every day, and watch developments in your life blossom and thrive.

Discover more joy every day, in every way. Life is good.

Welcome to the month of gratitude and Thanksgiving!

Enlightenment Can Be a Tricky Process

Enlightenment can be a tricky process. You make some progress forward and you slip back a bit, then go forward again, then maybe sideways some.

Several years ago, voters in Colorado decided that legalizing marijuana for medical use was a good thing.

So then lots of people invested time and money and went to work and started growing, some put their savings together to open shops where marijuana products would be legally sold.

New jobs were created in towns all over the state. Green jobs. Local jobs. Sales taxes were generated.

Then some towns decided that they didn't want any of those businesses in their town. Last night, Longmont became one of them. Conservative city council members decided that if people need to go to dispensaries, "they can just drive over to Boulder."

Some people got relief from health problems jobs were created, taxes were paid, local people were employed and yet, the council members just decided that they didn't want these kinds of businesses here.

Win some battles, lose some battles. I predict that eventually the laws will change and we will just have legal marijuana period, not just medical.

It is just foolish that it has taken this long. The experiment with banning beer and liquor didn't last for 80 years. After about 10 years, they admitted it was a mistake and repealed the law, let businesses open legally again and then taxed them.

I think that some people know that the enlightened approach would be to just do it that way, it's just that they have been stuck in their anti-drug position for so long that they choke on the idea of saying "oops, we made a mistake, so let's correct it."

But one of these days, the tide of public opinion and votes will sweep them aside. Too bad we wasted so much time haggling over it, and they will finally come out and admit that they know it is a beneficial plant and people want it, so let's just go ahead and sell it and tax it.

It will be like the day when naysayers in the field of green energy finally get up and say "yes, let's just go ahead and build more solar, wind and geothermal energy generators and run more power lines to them so that we are not so dependent on fossil fuels. It takes time for stubborn people to come around, but one of these days you will see the turn of the tide.

They will get up and say "yes, it will work. Let's do it." I am hoping this agreement comes sooner than later. I keep holding that thought.

Transforming One Moment at a Time

Removal of self doubt is one of the greatest ways we can advance our own cause. How many times have we come up with an idea only to let it drop because we don't think that we can do it? Or we share our idea with someone who discourages us.

Those are obvious interferences. But often our failure is subtle. For example, when we tell ourselves that one day, we will do what it takes to get in better shape, or one day, we will have our own business. Or one day, we will have a relationship that works well. One day we will dance. One day we will sing. One day we will walk with someone who shares our dreams. One day we will make love like there is no tomorrow. Today is that one day, if we choose it to be so, and then follow through with action.

All it takes to shift the energy on these desires is to keep reminding ourselves that there are things we can do to make a difference now. That we are becoming what we have been thinking about, now.

As we remind ourselves that we are transforming now, becoming our future now, then the changes begin to take place immediately. Perhaps we do not get everything the way we want today, but we can feel our progress towards it today. Keep remembering to thank our spirit guides and the universe for all the good we have received so far, and be open to whatever they can do for us going forward.

And with each bit of progress, our dream becomes reality. Bit by bit, moment by moment, we make it real.

Feeling Your Vision

When you are visualizing what you want in life, do you also feel it?

It is one thing to visualize your success, your future, your desires, but is it only a picture in your mind? That is only the first step.

Desire is a powerfully important ingredient. When you think of your vision for your future, do you feel it intensely? Like a gut level feeling? Or do you just see a picture?

Try this experiment yourself. How much more power and energy is there behind your vision if you can actually feel it? Can you sense that time and place where it is real?

Isn't it true that we know something is real when we can feel it?

If we only think we can see it, it could be a hallucination. If we can actually feel ourselves experiencing that vision, living in that vision, then we know it is real.

Test this technique on yourself to see if you can verify what I am saying.

Picture yourself having what you want in life. Now see if you can feel it.

Your vision can be about whatever it is that you want. Prosperity, business success, career change, a new relationship, vibrant good health, new friends, a satisfying spiritual path, absolutely anything you want to include.

So picture it. Now feel it.

What happens? What's the difference?

Blue Healing

The blues has a way of lifting your spirits by taking you down to the bottom and letting you bounce up. I love the blues. Something about the urgency of the music, the gut level feel of it has the power to energize and move. It's also kind of sexy, seductive and playful.

Wonder where you get that feeling when you are hearing the blues? Considering that blues inspired some creative soul to draw eerie, edgy sounds of out a guitar using a beer bottle neck, the earthy vocals fit nicely alongside it. That primal feel is what grabs your attention when the singer not only sings sweetly but mixes it with a range of sounds, growls, shots, and sensuous moans mixed in. And if at some point you don't find yourself laughing or smiling over some of the lyrics, you haven't been listening.

And some nights, that's exactly what I want to hear. The visceral feel, going straight for the emotions, and kicking it into gear with those rhythms that just call you up to dance. Dance, and let it stoke the fire of seduction. Let it bounce in those playful ways you like to do. I see that sparkle that comes with that smile. Funny that works, isn't it?

On those days and nights when you feel like you need some medicine to lift your spirits, bathe yourself in some blues. You might be having a drink while feeling funky about the way things have been going. But after you soak in that music for a little while and feel it moving you to dance, you will be feeling better.

Blues can heal. What sweet medicine.

What Makes Us So Mysterious?

What makes us so mysterious? Why do we sometimes not know why we chose what we did? All of us have had some experience in life where we find ourselves thinking that if we had a chance to do something over, we would choose differently.

Our lives are full of moments like this. Yet, every choice we have made has altered the course of our lives. For better or for worse? Those are judgements we make. When one door closes, another opens, and we are the ones opening and closing doors. Sometimes we just want to see what is behind one of those doors. Other times we get help when someone else opens a door for us.

We are complex. All kinds of factors go into our decision making process. Why we choose what we choose is often not even known to us. We do what we like. We do what we want. We do what makes us feel good. We get feelings and we act on them. We get thoughts and we act on them. Sometimes we choose wisely. Sometimes we choose impulsively. Sometimes strange choices can turn out magnificently. We are mysterious.

We change so frequently in the course of our lives that careers, relationships and choices we are making now, we didn't even imagine years ago. We are living experiments, evolving, always evolving.

Our dreams often foretell of things to come in our lives. We also have experiences of how powerful we are when we have a strong desire and focus on something and our actions, even the little subconscious ones, lead us in that direction. Then, poof! One day we find ourselves exactly where we thought we would be.

We weave in and out of levels of consciousness, sometimes recognizing the correlation between our thoughts, desires, actions and where we find ourselves, and sometimes wondering how we got where we are.

We are mysterious because we weave in and out of these levels of consciousness and that makes life look mysterious, as well as making ourselves look mysterious to others. That is exactly what makes each one of us a work of art, a work in progress.

We all love mysteries, and that is why we are fascinated by each other.

Fortune Telling Is Not As Mysterious As We Are

We live in the present, but the future is all around us. Everywhere we look there are choices we can make that will shape what is to come next.

If we take a look all around us, we find the seeds of what is next. The choices we make each day determine what options will follow. We can track where our energy flows. Once we place our attention on something, we will either get confirmation of that choice or an omen to choose something else.

The flow of energies follows the patterns we set and we have the ability to alter that flow with every choice we make.

So in a reverse sort of way, the future has left clues all around us to what is in store for us later.

Consider that what we like to do now. There are indications of that all around us. So what happens if we pursue that course? Consider the kinds of activities we enjoy. Will we keep on doing them, or choose something else?

Are we open to adventure? Are we ready to embrace new concepts, new friends? New relationships? What are the things we are going to finally get up and do, and the things we will scratch from our list? There are clues in what is right here, right now about what is to come next. We might not always recognize them, because maybe something will happen that causes us to choose differently later today or tomorrow.

Fortune telling itself is not as mysterious as we are.

Winter A Little Further Into Spring

It can be easy to forget what season it is here. Sunday it was snowing, cold and windy. Today it is sunny and windy. The turning of the seasons from winter into spring is always kind of jerky, a sequence of shifts back and forth before finally opening up into planting weather and blossoming into the new growth.

Some of that new growth has been poking up for a while now, but the dips back down into low temperatures and snow remind us that we are still in winter.

I keep thinking that it is time to garden, but last year, it snowed until the end of May.

And this reminds me of how our own progress looks sometimes. We start moving forward and we have setbacks and speed bumps, then we get going again. Even though we may have a clear vision for ourselves, our path, our plan, our work, our pleasure, we still have to redouble our efforts at times to keep us getting to where we are going.

Our growth, just like the return of spring, is not always smooth. It goes in fits and spurts until finally the new growth gains momentum and stays up.

A Moment at Sunset

This evening I was sitting by the window facing west, having a drink and watching the sunset. I am feeling quite happy with the progress of events right now. No, no sure things, but delicious opportunities.

I have opportunities again to do more of the work I love most. I am relaxing, knowing that tomorrow will be a long drive to the next gig. That's fine. I am ready.

For now, things are moving forward. New friends. New work. More dancing. More music.

It is always a good thing to toast the setting sun, and feel gratitude for what is going well.

For now, I offer you this one simple thought. Nothing more complicated.

Just toast the setting sun and feel gratitude.

Manifesting Magnificently

One of the important things to remember about manifesting is that it is the goal that is important. We need to state what we want in clear terms and be open to creative solutions.

At the same time, we want to state our desire in such a way that we rule out ways of manifesting that may be detrimental to us.

Focus on your goal, take action steps to get there, and let the strength of your desire shine through.

When magic is happening, manifesting can take mysterious shapes.

It is not tricky. You just have to be clear.

Your action steps, willfully expressed, help define, as does the desire. As a result, we may find that at times we need to redefine our vision.

When those three sides of the triangle are firmly in place, they are powerful. If you are not getting what you want, check those three sides to see how strong they are and if one or more of them needs to be rebuilt or reinforced.

Validation

In some of the old ways of doing things, it was harder to get validation for what we were creating. You had to find an agent to represent you and then they would try and find a publisher or gallery or music label that might be interested in making your creations more visible to audiences, customers, readers.

Today, we can write what we want and post it and then try and draw people's attention to it. We can post photos of our art and videos of our music.

Then it is just a matter of getting other people to take a look at it. With all the billons of websites out there, finding things can be real hit or miss.

But at least it is possible to get validation of our work sooner rather than later. That vote of confidence might be all it takes for someone to be encouraged to continue on with their work.

Of course, that is not to say that a person would not like to see their books published and sold, their art sold or reproduced or their music being bought and listened to by appreciative audiences. Who wouldn't like greater success?

At least the chaos of the Internet is a place to start. We no longer have to wait for a middleman for at least some people to consider our creations. For that, I am grateful. Aren't you?

Out of Context

The story of Augustin Hadelich, who I wrote about yesterday, touches on the story of another great young violinist, Joshua Bell. Some experts see the two as comparable talents.

In 2007, Joshua Bell was put on a baseball cap and ordinary clothes and stood playing Bach on a Stradivarius in a Washington subway station. The thousand or so people who passed by while he was playing obviously thought he was just a street musician playing for tips.

He was in Washington to play at the Library of Congress and he regularly sells out symphony halls, commanding $100 a ticket. Yet, that morning in the subway, no one recognized him.

The Washington Post put him up to the idea to see what would happen.

How often do we fail to recognize talent when it is out of context?

Is a musician only good if they are booked into a concert hall? Is an artists only good if a gallery or museum features their work? Is a writer only good if a major publishing house publishes their books? Can we recognize true beauty when it pops up in unexpected places? Do we have trouble recognizing true beauty and true talent when it pops up in unexpected people?

Asking

In the process of making our transitions and achieving our goals, we can get help from other people simply for the asking. It is good to be reminded of this in a simple elemental way. It feels really good when our task just got made easier because someone helped us.

People like to help other people. That is why when disasters hit, people suddenly and spontaneously to see what they can do to help. It is as much human nature to be compassionate as it is to be concerned about survival.

Sometimes what another person might need to achieve their goal is something that we can easily provide. However, if we don't ask, we will never know.

Of course, nobody really likes someone who is always asking for something and not giving anything in return. Gratitude is an important aspect of giving and receiving. But returns do not have to be in terms like money.

For example, there is an old Celtic tradition that if a stranger is given food and shelter for the night, the stranger repays the kindness with a gift of song, poetry or storytelling.

Once again we see the traditional emphasis on the exchange of energy.

So on your way to creating your new life, your new career, your healing, your art, your whatever, remember that it is fine to ask. Then also remember that it is appropriate to offer something in return.

Sometimes the giver will not ask for anything for themselves, so the payback comes in more general terms of showing a kindness to someone else.

You know the old saying. What goes around, comes around.

Leaving Marks

We never know who we will dance with when we are open and enjoying the dance. Our partner could be someone we set our sights on and went for, and she can also be someone who we just happened to meet who suddenly clicks with us.

When the music is playing so beautifully and we are moving together with the music, it is effortless and we blend with the sound until our bodies move through space as dreamers who get from here to there without seeming to exert and muscles, simply flowing with joy together. Music, people, all one.

The music is always part of the background except that we are not always conscious of it. We get so used to white noise that we don't hear the dance of life that is going on all around us.

After the dance, we leave the public space and we come home. There were times when we left marks on each other's bodies, times when we were so hot for each other that we did not notice anything except the feelings that were penetrating our souls, consuming our entire consciousness as we consumed each other.

At times like these we were holding each other so tightly that we didn't even know how hard we were touching. We just wanted all the touching we could get. Our nails and our teeth were reaching to touch the part beyond the physical. If we left marks or drew blood, it was not because we were seeking pain, it was because we were seeking pleasure and we were holding tight so that there was nothing between us.

It is always about closeness and it is always about the heart. Long after the skin has healed and the marks disappear, the only marks left are the ones on our hearts.

Cosmic Do-Overs

Karma or as others call it, fate, is often hidden in plain sight.

Consider the obvious fact that we are here. Sometimes people think that we need to rise above the sensory experiences of our bodies to get to some etheric level that they envision as floating somewhere above this physical world.

No, I don't agree. We are born into these bodies because they are the best vehicles for us to learn our cosmic lessons. There is no better place for learning cosmic concepts or applying them than right here. That is why we are here.

And I certainly believe that the fact that we have these bodies means that we were created to experience them to the fullest. As long as we are here, make the most of it.

All the greatest and most delicious parts of the human experience are right here, along with the worst and most odious aspects.

Reincarnation is a gift. We get do-overs. Those of us who still have lessons to be learned get a chance to do them over.

When we truly appreciate our bodies and enjoy the experience of living here, that is the best method of appreciation for the opportunity we have been given.

If there were some better place for us to be, wouldn't we be there?

Look around. Look at your self. Look at your life. What would you like to get out of your experience inhabiting this body next?

You know for sure that it is some kind of cosmic do-over. You don't have to wait until after you die to sense ways to answer this question. We get multiple chances to get a taste of it within this lifetime we are living.

Maybe the fist step is to have gratitude for being here in this body instead of thinking that we need to rise above it.

Body Magic

I am liking the energy of renewing my dedication to getting more exercise. I like the feel of the energy that the basketball players and volleyball players are stirring up as I do my workouts.

I look around and see other people who are also exerting the effort to strengthen their bodies by shedding the extra weight as I am, or rebuilding after various injuries that may make them limp as they gather the courage to keep moving around the track, swim or use the various machines. Yes, of course there are also those who are already fit, perhaps working on being superfit.

The energy of the whole place is kinetic and inspiring.

At first it takes an act of will to get up and go. And the more often we do it, the better we feel. Yes, sometimes I would rather stay in my comfortable chair and watch a movie or read a book, but I make myself get up and go anyway.

That act of will is our necessary way to break out of lethargy and make magic with our bodies.

Magic is defined as change according to will, and we are working magic on ourselves as we express our will. Then the more we do it, the more resistance to this change fades away.

Not everyone looks glamorous as they work their magic on their bodies, but all of them are showing a lot of heart. Gratitude for survival, the intention of health and healing, desire for creating a better life. All are visible.

Amazing things happen when we do magic with our bodies. Change according to will.

Drawing Our Own Map

As we take action on what we need to do next, we may draw on things we have done before, but in a different way. We may recall people we have known, and suddenly realize different lessons they have taught us, lessons we may not have realized we were getting at the time.

Retrospect offers different lessons than the present. Perspective adds to what we know. There are things we have learned that we didn't know we learned. It is cumulative.

That is why we might feel that a choice or a decision is familiar. We may have visited this choice in our thoughts many times in dreams or in real life experiences, and now we are perceiving them in a whole new way.

Perhaps I am a good reader because many jobs I have done in my life required that I be able to read people, but in different contexts and different settings.

Our ancestors had some guidance on what plants were good to eat by watching the birds and the animals. We get some lessons by observing what other people are doing that works. We have developed some skills by hard lessons, and some by easy lessons.

As we sense the flow of energy, we make our way. We choose to abandon efforts where we feel thwarted, and go with the flow that takes us forward.

Staying open to guidance and picking up clues from our guides, we notice fresh opportunities. We will usually have attachments to things we have done before and things that are comfortable. Survival means being willing to leave some of that behind, even clear it out, so that our path ahead is open.

Watch how you feel, and watch what happens when we draw our own map. You may be surprised at which way you are heading.