Masking and UNmasking

Isn't it interesting how the masking and unmasking we do at costume parties mirrors what is going on in the world around us? The green leaves that sprouted in spring and came to fullness in summer now turn colors and fall to the ground, leaving only the skeletons of the trees contrasted against the sky. 

During the year people see us in different ways. One mask might be our professional status, the face which others see as we present ourselves as skilled individuals. Another face is our personal self where we engage in our relationships, hobbies, activities and other pursuits. Then we have our spiritual persona where we follow our spiritual path or our religious rituals. 

Yet, at the heart of it all, there is simply the person who embodies all of this. Where others may see only one of these aspects of us, few see all of them. 

Standing in our sacred space, reflecting on our place in the world, we choose which aspect of our persona we choose to present next. Consciously choosing what is next we may emphasize a different aspect of our professional practice, relationships, avocations and spiritual practices. 

So the metaphor of masks at parties reveals truth. The characters we choose to inhabit for an evening at a party is a playful way of trying on some other character or characteristics that we wish to experience. 

The masks we wear may be revealing the truth of the direction we desire. Yes, I know that one thought may be that this is only an evening's entertainment.

Now look again, for there is a root of truth that appeals to us when we choose to read the same kinds of books, the same kinds of movies and are fascinated by the same kinds of stories over and over again. There are common threads that appeal to our sense of who we are and what kind of world we want what kind of life we want, how we would like to see ourselves as a person. 

Masking is a way of looking at the world through different eyes for a while and letting others see us differently for a while. As we all have experienced, this can be very enlivening and enlightening. And that is why we look forward to doing it. 

Knowing this about ourselves is revealing of inner truths as we enjoy our revelry. Knowing this about Halloween is like appreciating the difference between soul cakes and trick or treat.

You see in the old days, at Halloween, visitors would come to visit and sing songs, say prayers or tell stories about those who had died this year and the hosts would offer them soul cakes and drinks in appreciation. The Celts called this day Samhain and it marked the beginning of winter. They would also set a place at the table for the person who had died, and this was called the dumb supper.

Ironically, in a far a way country which we now call Mexico, on that very same day of the year, the Celebration was called La Dia de Los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead. And on this day too, the dead were honored with their favorite food and people told stories to remember them and wish them well on their journey into the next world, and like the Celts, they also bake special breads just for this holiday.

In both cases, the honoring of the dead was also a celebration of life. The Day of the Dead prominently features skeletons dancing, affirming that life goes on on another level. 

So the sweetness of life and the recognition of the various levels of self that we consider on this holiday offers a great insight into what life means to us, how we see ourselves and the impact we have on others. Masks and treats of this holiday are other aspects of self hidden in plain sight. And the pleasure is that all of this can be enjoyed with a great deal of fun, illumination and imagination. It is delicious, isn't it? 

How to maintain good energy when times are difficult

I have always felt that there is good energy in the building where I live. Now I know why. Recently one of my neighbors told me that long ago, the local hospital was just a couple of blocks from here and so this building was built as housing for the nurses who worked there so that they could live within walking distance. No wonder I always feel lots of good juju here.

There is now a large sign more than 6 feet tall out front advertising the property for sale.

Every day I wake up, I express gratitude for having another day. I also express gratitude for being able to live here and affirm that for today, and for as long as it lasts, I will be happy to be here. When the time comes that someone else buys the property then I will know whether I can stay or have to move. Since I cannot afford to buy the property, that decision is not within my hands. I maintain my peace of mind by affirming that I am happy today. Other decisions will be made in the future.

Sometimes it is hard for us to stay in the present at times like these. I know that some of my clients have had difficult transitions finding new jobs after being laid off, or getting out of problem relationships and finding new ones.

We have to remain confident that there is a solution for us, even if we cannot see it right now. Sometimes it takes time, and sometimes we may not be able to see it because our attention has been focused elsewhere.

In the bigger picture of our lives, sometimes we need to take a step back and reflect so recognize why we are where we are and where we are going next.

What did we get out of being here? How did our life change for the better? What is the next thing for us to do? Do we have a plan for our progress? Do we have a burning desire to change our direction?

Each time we come to one of these important transitions, we have an opportunity to choose again.

As we look back, note how the choices we made then were made with the best information we had at the time. We acted on it in a way that made sense to us. So now we act with the information we have now. At each birthday, we look at our future through the lens of experience and wisdom we have acquired since our last birthday, and then we apply that going forward.

The current situation of my possible move has motivated me to really start a deep house cleaning so that if and when I need to move, I am only taking with me what I really want and need, and also rediscovering things that it would be good for me to either use again, discard, give away or learn from again.

Staying calm, staying present, we are able to enjoy each day and able to make the best of every opportunity in life.

Enjoy the playful spirit of the Summer Solstice this coming Monday. Savor the beauty of the longest day of sunlight in the year, and celebrate in whatever way you feel best.

Gaining Control by losing control. How does this make sense?

We have all heard of that expression "one day at a time." I am getting an exercise in that right now as I continue to live where I live without a lease and without knowing what will happen until someone buys the property and announces their intentions. So each day I get up and give thanks for the opportunity to live here and for having another day of life. Whether I get to stay or have to move will be a decision that is out of my hands at this time. I appreciate each day for what it is and I do what I need to do every day.

It takes a lot of courage to trust that things will work out without knowing the answers to all our questions. It also takes a lot of courage to be open to possible developments that we had not anticipated. Actually, doing some research now is revealing some patterns that I had only been vaguely aware of before. At this moment I am keeping those discoveries to myself until I see how they all add up and how they may influence future choices. Suffice it to say that I am making discoveries because these factors are causing me to research and reconsider what I know and what I prefer.

Face it, it can be unnerving when we have a plan and it unfolds in a different manner than we expected because it took a different turn.

We all like it when things go according to our plans. But sometimes, it just happens that someone else makes a decision or takes an action that sets in motion a chain of events and next thing you know, your schedule has changed and your plans have changed.

Be patient. The changes work out just fine. Just like that old saying about when one door closes and another opens.

Sometimes we gain control when we lose control. Here is a simple example of a fun way to experience this. I used to lead drumming circles and still use the drums with people who want a different kind of meditation experience. By just listening and following what we hear, we feel the music and our minds are just following that track. Malidoma Some, an African drummer and shaman whom I had the pleasure of encountering says that "a person who has trouble with drumming has trouble with listening."

Consider that for a moment. When we become more aware and pay attention to the signs we pick up from all around us, we find new paths. We learn melodies that we did not know. Fresh thoughts come to us. And we learn to work with others more beautifully, more harmoniously. We play together, listening to each other, we find a groove and that frees our mind to travel. And we would never have discovered those paths had we not opened our ears to listen.

So you are not drumming, you say? All drumming comes back to the first drum, our heartbeat, our breath. As we are more observant and aware of our surroundings, we perceive in ways that were once not visible to us. Hidden in plain sight is also revealed by listening to things that we have not been tuning into before.

It's also interesting how sometimes pieces of information come to us that help us make decisions that we were not even searching for. Guess all you can say is that the guiding influences in our life must have intended for us to have those, whether we call those guiding influences God, Goddess, spirit guides, ancestors, angels or something else. So here we are. Once again making a decision that veers off our original course. Is that bad? No. Making changes often leads to finding a better way to do things.

If we allow things to come to us, they will. Sometimes not being certain will get us where we want to be, except that the process of discovery reveals that we are in a place that we did not know we wanted to be but it is working out well although it was unexpected.

And we can gain control by losing control.



* A note about the photos. The image on top is the 4 of Wands from Ciro Marchetti's Tarot of Dreams which is one of the decks I read with all the time. The bottom photo is Layne Redmond, one of my teachers in the world of drumming.

Is Your Heart As Light as a Feather?

In the Egyptian mythology, the goddess Maat weighs a person's heart, which they equated with the soul, at the time of their death, and if their heart is light as a feather, that person gets to move on to the next level of consciousness, the next level of existence.

Is your heart as light as a feather? Do you do the things that make your heart sing? Or do you plod through life not believing that you could be more or do more? Have you ever said things like "I hate my job, but at least it's a paycheck?" Have you ever said "My marriage really sucks, it has been that way for years but I don't want to leave until I get a better offer?" Have you ever said "I have always wanted to dance, but I don't think I am coordinated enough?" Have you ever said "I have always wanted to see that place, but no one wants to go with me?" Have you ever said "I have always wanted to learn more about that, but I never seem to have the time?"

Your heart will never be as light as a feather until you ask different questions and get different answers.

All of us can make our hearts light as feathers if we choose from love instead of fear. We can make our hearts lighter if we are kind to other people. We can make our hearts lighter if we do things that bring more joy into our life.

When we are living with joy and love, we are radiant and others can see that inner light glow through us. When we are living with light in our hearts, we enjoy all aspects of life: our work, our relationships, our play, our life in this world.

Changing our thinking is the first step on the way to lightening our heart. Positive thinking can light the light. Would you like to make your heart as light as a feather? How do you think it would feel to live that way?

Mentoring Your Manifestations

I have been thinking about how we can continue our relationship in the most flexible and useful way.

What I mean is this. One of the main types of service I offer at metaphysical fairs is tarot card readings.

However, for steady growth and development, you probably could use other of my services, beyond tarot readings.

As a mentor, there could be a number of things I can help you with. For example, perhaps you would like to spend some time looking into your past lives to see what you can learn in this way.

Then again, maybe you would like to spend time doing some energy work, learning about your chakras, learning ways to clear, strengthen and heal your energy fields.

Another beneficial thing would be to spend some time doing meditation with light percussion or visualization.

Maybe you would like to do some dream work.

Mentoring can also include sessions where you simply want to explore possible paths and life choices that are presenting themselves. A combination of discussion, accessing my clairvoyant abilities and insights based on experience. During major life changes in career, relationships, spiritual development and more, this flexible mentoring approach can be most helpful.
 
I am offering a special bundles of sessions at a significant discount as a way of expressing my gratitude to you and to be able to offer you a variety of ways to help.

There is a maximum amount of freedom here. You are buying some of my time and energy, but how you use it is totally flexible.

Package of 3 half hour sessions for $129 (my normal rate for these would be $150)

Package of 3 one hour sessions for only $199 (my normal rate for these would be $300)

Package of 3  90 minute sessions for $299 (my normal rate for these  would be $450)

If you would like to engage in a mentoring program that encompasses a larger view and a longer term of development, consider this:

A series of 24 one hour sessions, consisting of 
2 hour life assessment session to clarify your life purpose
2 sessions on your vision for your directions, your goals
2 sessions to explore pathways to achieve your dreams
2 sessions focusing on your spiritual gifts
5 sessions on personal energy development
5 sessions of developing intuitive skills
4 sessions on self healing practices specific to you

This is a total of 21 sessions, and 2+1 = 3, the number of manifestation, the power of change in your life. The initial session would be 2 hours, and all the other sessions 1.5 hours each, or 32 hours of my time, for a total of $1899. This same amount of time, purchased one session at a time, would normally be priced at $3200.

If you would prefer to make all of your sessions one hour each (after the initial 2 hour session) for a total of 22 hours, the tuition would be $1299, compared to the normal price of $2200.
 
Because of the huge discount I am offering to mentoring clients, I am requesting payment for these bundles of sessions in advance.

Are you ready to manifest your dreams?

If you have any questions, please ask.

What Do We Mean By Freedom?

Every year at July 4, we set off fireworks to celebrate our freedom as a nation. It is always fun to watch those bursts of color in the sky and as we look at them, think about the limitlessness of the universe and the joys of creation and the excitement of victory.

What a great time to think about how we want to use our freedom to create the future direction of our lives. So in that spirit, I have created new offerings for all of you, my present and past clients, to find better ways for us to work together.

One of the things I like best about doing my work is knowing that I have helped others. Working together through a number of sessions helps you achieve more of what you want to achieve with a plan tailored to meet your needs.

When we have a clear vision of our lives and a sense that we are following our path to that goal, notice the increased feeling of freedom! Isn't that what we really desire?

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.

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.

Gratitude As a Survival Skill

Job searches can be very frustrating. Here you are perfectly willing and able to work, but nobody is calling us to come to work. What is even more frustrating is that today, often companies tell us to email your resume and cover letter and they never acknowledge us, interview you or let us know if the job is already filled. At least if we had a chance to interview for something we are qualified to do, we could feel that we had a chance or we might get some inkling that we didn't get it because they are looking for something else in the candidate, and if we knew what that was, we could learn it. It is frustrating if we see something listed that we know we can do, but the employer never even talks to us about it. A person can start to fill with self doubts.

The other thing that happens is when there are no jobs paying anything like what we used to make and you find ourselves competing for a minimum wage job that requires no special skills and we still don't get hired. Or we decide to try for other kinds of work and we are competing for jobs that pay far less than what we were making, and totally unrelated to our education and experience.

Yes, those are frustrating and discouraging experiences. I have been there too.

In the face of all this, incorporating a gratitude ritual into our lives can really help turn positive energy your way. Other people are drawn to people who smile.

To counter all this frustration, take a few moments to be thankful for the good things we have received today. Say it out loud to yourself. Make list and write it down. Reinforce the notion that things will get better and somewhere we will find an opening and an opportunity. Express gratitude for any good development at all.

This keeps the mind open. That is what is important. Focusing on where we got shut out or screwed over blinds us.

If we keep running into walls instead of openings, negative feelings will be the dominant landscape of our thoughts. So rather than dwell on them, look to other places where there are openings and kindness rather than walls.

Yes, sometimes that means accepting the fact that we have to change our career path even if we don't want to. Accepting that fact allows more time to explore other options. Sometimes when we are busy being grateful, we find useful thoughts. For example, perhaps a hobby or other activity we enjoy can be turned into a source of income. Even if it is only a source of some money rather than all we need, that is helpful.

Look for the things that went well. That could be the support of friends and family. This could be a bit of helpful advice from a book or article we read. We could express gratitude for new leads we have found, and the people who are kind to us even if they didn't hire us.

Gratitude for having a place to live, heat that keeps us warm and food to eat. Gratitude for good health and the ability to get up and go for a walk.

Gratitude for spirit guides who are looking out for us and are helping us, even if they seem to be taking a long time. I find the thought of ancestors as spirit guides particularly helpful because those who came before us figured out what they had to do to survive, and they would like to see us survive too. Since we are their offspring, I tend to think that good breaks and anything helpful that comes along could be something that they are moving my way.

Remembering to incorporate this simple ritual of gratitude in our life will open up channels to receive and help to attract more good attention our way, even if it is little by little.

Gratitude is a kind of survival skill.

Supercharging the Rituals of Career Change

When we come to major crossroads in our lives, we need to take both practical and symbolic actions to help with our transition into the next phase of our life.

For example, if we are changing career paths, or changing jobs, it is a good time to de-clutter and clear our living space of the old energies and invest it with new energies.

Job hunting can be depressing if you let it get you down, so make time to go for a walk or swim or dance, or whatever form of physical activity you enjoy, because it will help keep your spirits up and keep your body energized by getting your heart pumping and the oxygen flow can stimulate new ideas.

Taking time for meditation every day helps restore calmness and clarity too.

Many people like to put up a poster board and place words and pictures on there that express what they want and even just glancing at that is a form of visual affirmation every day.

Another powerful step is to get in touch with your spirit guides, God, Goddess, guardian angels, ancestors or whoever you call on for help and do something symbolic to ask them for their help. By that I mean choose some physical symbol of the successful change you want to make and keep one with you and keep one where you see it every day.

We have to call on every bit of help we can when we need it. Every one of these exercises dovetails.

When you clean your space and discard what is no longer important, you have room for what is important. When you reaffirm your intentions and do the rituals that keep mind and body strong, you keep moving forward. When you ask for help, you acknowledge that you don't have all the answers, so you trust that your helpers will provide some for you.

Communicate your desires to everyone you meet, not just close friends. People like to help other people, and they will be better able to help if they know exactly what you are trying to do, what your goal is, what you are open to, and what might work.

We all have rituals that we follow every day. In your time of need, find a way to supercharge them and gear up so that the changes work in your favor. There may be doors opening that we have not seen. There may be opportunities that we have yet to unearth. There are connections yet to be made. Put in place a set of daily rituals that really support you. If you need help with this, ask me.

Right Time, Right Place

Tonight I had a great time listening and dancing to some reggae music in a great theatre in Boulder. What makes it more interesting than just a night out with some good music was the fact that it was customer appreciation night sponsored by a company that sells supplies to indoor gardeners.

Of course there are all kinds of things that people take pleasure in growing indoors, like orchids, tomatoes, herbs, fruits and vegetables, but the real boom in gardening entrepreneurs came with the legalization of medical marijuana in Colorado.

After enjoying the pleasures of smoke illegally most of my life, it feels very interesting to be living here while this happens and watch the cultivation and consumption of smoke become on the one hand, a gourmet experience, and on the other, a sort of every day above ground business.

Growers have advanced their art so far that smoke is no longer referred to simply as smoke. It now has names for the various strains that these geniuses have cultivated.

Other companies may have customer appreciation golf outings or customer appreciation banquets, but how appropriate for the growers to have a customer appreciation night in a theatre with reggae bands.

I am just smiling about the whole thing. How lucky I got to happen to be living in a state just when legalization happened. It's a weird reality. A whole new crop of green entrepreneurs are doing their part to create local businesses to boost the economy. The reality kind of zings again when talking someone in another state where these things are not legal and they are still worried about hiding everything and not getting caught. And when you remind them that it is not that way everywhere any more, they go "oh, that's right. You're in one of the states where it is legal.

Eventually it will happen. Just like beer could not remain illegal forever. Eventually, politicians will wake up and decide that it is smarter to legalize it and make money taxing these new legal businesses instead of spending tons of money trying to prevent people from doing what they want to do and will do, no matter what their status is. One of these days there will not be legal and illegal states, and there will be customer appreciation concerts featuring reggae bands everywhere.

Progress

So today, I finally figured out how to do the newsletter. The guy at the help desk was helpful and we got the problem solved. So soon you should be seeing it in your email.

Just as I was wrestling with the curve ball from the mailing list, then came another one. The organizer of the the event I was going to read at this weekend fell and broke his neck, so the show is canceled. Hopefully Charlie will have a successful surgery and the event will be rescheduled.

In the meantime, I got my newsletter out and tonight I dance again.

There are always setbacks. The question is how to bounce back from them. As I book my events for this year, I am taking some off my calendar and replacing them with new ones. Got to keep trying new things. Booking more private parties now, more private sessions, more everything.

This year is already full of surprises and it is only two weeks old.

I have been laid off my day job for a month now, and I am pursuing new options. Perhaps I am done with that forever. This is not how I pictured my transition, but it is what it is.

What a perfect time to invest more energy into making dreams come true.

Taking Another Road to Get There

Have you ever experienced a time when you felt that your situation would reach a favorable conclusion, even though you did not know how?

There is a magical, surreal quality to the progress of events. Perhaps the source of that is that we are really connected to the source. Being connected to the source, we know that whatever course of events we find ourselves following, that it will turn out alright.

We can imagine several options, and any of them could be pleasing.

It is exactly when we let go of thinking that there is only one solution that we are free to welcome other solutions.

Going with the flow, we tap into the life energy all around us and take the path of least resistance.

Trusting that there will be a good outcome to our situation eases our struggles. We still have to make efforts in our own behalf, but allow that there are a number of good possible outcomes. When we do that, we find more freedom.

It is not that we do not set goals, rather it is that we trust that there is more than one way to achieve our goal. In so doing, we might find ourselves restating or redefining what the goal is.

The closer we tap into the source of energy, the more we can feel that we are riding the wave instead of pushing against the current.

If our energy is flowing swiftly, and we are making progress, so what if it took a different route than we planned?

It is like driving down a road toward the place we want to go, and we see that an accident or road work has jammed up the flow of traffic ahead, so we detour and find another road that will get us there.

Look at how that same analogy works in other places in your life.

Magic in Action

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" said Arthur C. Clarke.

It is easy to see how that refers to cell phones, computers, ipods, TVs, and other things that represent a quantum leap forward to an older generation, although less amazing to a younger generation.

People can easily agree on this.

Yet, when we look at less physical aspects of our lives, it seems more magical. For example, have you ever noticed how when you are thinking of things, they just seem to manifest? You think about a subject, and here is a book on it, found in an unexpected way, and unexpected place.

Many people have had the experience of thinking of someone, then suddenly they call. How about thinking that you would like to do something, and here is an opportunity to do it?

Yet, when it comes to bigger things, like creating a more satisfying way of getting income, our belief is often that the results are in someone else's hands.

How funny. One person imagines a new product, creates it and makes money from it, and we do not see that as magic. It is simply hard work. Another person imagines a piece of writing, or a picture, or sculpture and creates it, and it seems amazing that someone could have created music or art that beautiful, a product of imagination, rather than hard work. Why is it different?

Maybe we should quit thinking of it as work. Think of it as something we would like to do that we could make money from. Our income would grow simply from doing something we would enjoy doing anyway.

I don't mean just the obvious easy choices like mattress tester or marijuana taster.

I mean someone has fun walking dogs for other people. Someone else has fun by doing custom woodwork. Someone has fun by tuning up cars. Someone has fun by doing psychic readings or energy healing. Someone has fun by designing computer programs. Someone has fun being a landscaper or a farmer. Someone has fun cooking.

How many times have you come across a new product or service and thought, "I wish I would have thought of that." Maybe you did think of it, but you didn't do it.

So let the magic play out. Think of what you can do or would like to do and focus on it and see how much support the universe provides. All magic starts with imagination, then the rest flows from there.

What Do You See?

Notice how the scenery always changes, even if you are not going anywhere. How can that be?

When our state of mind changes, our perception changes. When our feelings change, our moods change, and so we see things in a different light.

Just like you can drive down the same road to work every day and then one day see something new, not something newly built, something that was there all the time and you just didn't see it until now. How could that happen? How aware are we of the world around us every day?

So look around you. Do you see a world of helpful people? Or not? Do you see a world of friendly people? Or not? Do you see a world full of interesting people? Or not?

What influences what you see? Did you ever see it differently than you do now?

If you would like to change what you see, what would you need to do?

What We Thought We Would Be

The first time I ever remember someone asking me what I wanted to be when I grew up was way back when I was in grammar school. The question kind of stumped me, because at that time the farthest I was thinking ahead was to a softball game after school.

So I did what most kids did and just said whatever came to mind. I think I said that I wanted to be a lawyer because the night before I had watched a TV show with a lawyer in it and that sounded like as good a thing as any to say. Sure, I want to be a lawyer.

Of course, I forgot about that as soon as they got done asking me about it. Not once in my life did I ever think of going to law school. Heck, there were more important things to think about, like softball or basketball.

Then again in high school, they asked what I would like to be and what I wanted to major in when I went to college. At that time, I was just getting acquainted with the charms of the opposite sex. Why would I want to think about what class I would like to take in college when I wasn't even done with high school?

I have no clue what I answered then. Maybe newspaper reporter because I used to deliver newspapers, and I used to read them all the time, and the one I delivered had a great columnist by the name of Mike Royko. Back then, when you rode the subway or the bus home from work, you could tell that everybody was reading his column because they had the paper folded back so that they could read the left side of page 3, which is where Royko's column always was.

So at some point, I chose majors in college and chose jobs when I got out of college, then every so often, I chose to change jobs and change careers when something looked interesting.

There were times when I set goals and then achieved them and then moved on. Then I would choose some other career goal and achieve that.

Sometimes when we look back and reflect on what we have done and remember all those times when we said things about what we thought we would be, we notice that we still have time to choose again.

I figure I will live to be 150, so I haven't even had my midlife crisis yet, so I still have time to think about what I would like to be.

Yes, it has changed several times already. But hey, who says you only get one chance to choose in 150 years?

All these vitamins and supplements they keep coming up with keep working so well that maybe if I take enough Horny Goat Weed, vitamin C and Niacin I can live to be 250. Why not? I still have plenty of time to think about what I would like to be!

All Dreams Are Fragile

All dreams are fragile until they are strengthened. Dreams begin as visions that dance in our imaginations.

It is not until we act on them that they begin to take on a heavier consistency. After we have helped to shape our dreams through action, results start to coalesce.

The picture in our minds grows brighter, stronger.

If we do not handle this dream carefully at first, it may escape our grasp, fall and break into a million little pieces.

We have to treat it more gently when it is smaller, to nurture it into its full size. All dreams are fragile until they have time for us to breathe life into them. Until then, they are just visions.

All dreams are fragile at first, so handle them gently.

Once they have been molded by experience and strengthened with our efforts, they are strong enough to stand alongside all our other accomplishments.

That is why the visions that come to us in dreams seem ephemeral at first. Everything starts with a vision. And when they are in that visionary state, they are fragile at first.

So treat them kindly and sweetly and then you will be able to influence which ones grow and become the next stage of your life.

All dreams are fragile at first, so handle them gently.

Navigating Through the Scary Parts

When we have come to a turning point in our lives, and our plans must change, navigating by our feelings proves to be our most reliable guide. As we tune into a consciousness other than the everyday consciousness, we can see openings that we did not see before. Pathways appear and open. As part of this process, we find ourselves letting go of our previous plan.

Courage is what are calling on when we proceed even in the face of fear, going ahead even though we have doubts. That is why taking risks causes us to get goose bumps and opens our senses to a hyper-aware state. Every breath awakens us to a more intense state of awareness. Our eyes open wider, our hearing becomes more acute, our sense of the energies all around us becomes fine tuned. It is love that that gives us the strength to face fear and embrace change. Fear may give us a jolt and make change necessary, but it is love that allows us to proceed along our path to nourishment, healing and success. Our heart is the true center of our body and soul, and our feelings are the heart's messengers.

Knowing that does not mean that we do not feel fear. In fact we feel it deeply, because it is the other motivator in our lives that is as powerful as love. At times, those two power sources can run side by side, propelling us through the gates of our next peak experience, over the top of our next threshhold.

If we follow our feelings from the jolt, we will be able to find our way through the scary parts and manifest an even better future. Radical change is like that lightning bolt that illuminates, electrifies, and spurs us into action.

If we have lived a life where we are used to getting what we want, we can become scared when we are jolted into change. If we have lived a life where we are not used to getting what we want, it can be scary when we manifest what we do want. Either way, we are summoned to continue our journey.

Halloween costumes and haunted houses can be scary, but not nearly as scary as setting off on a new path and making radical changes in our life.

Whether we are putting on or taking off costumes and masks, moving forward on our path may require yet another change in identity. Which of these identities is temporary, and which is permanent?

You Are Enough

How many times in your life have you faced the thought that you are not good enough, smart enough, beautiful enough, or desirable enough?

How many times have you wondered if you are not enough because someone else was chosen for the job, the relationship, or whatever else it was that you were seeking?

How many times have you wondered if either your best years were behind you and that your best opportunities have already come and gone?

Fortunately, none of that is true. That is fear talking.

You are always enough.

Perhaps if you chose a different goal, you would get exactly what you want. Perhaps you have been defining your success by someone else's standards and that is why you allowed yourself to feel that you were not enough.

Are you working from your own definition of a good relationship or someone else's? It is possible that you can have a good relationship even if it does not look like what your friends, neighbors and relatives are doing.

Are you working from your own definition of a good job or career choice, or someone else's? When you have felt like you were not enough because someone else got the jobs you wanted and were well qualified to do, perhaps it is time to set a new direction. Perhaps it is time to see whether that hobby or special interest of yours can become the source or a source of your income.

If you redefine your vision of relationships, you can find yourself in the position of plenty and have gratitude for your success, rather than feeling like you are not enough.

If you redefine your vision of what you do to make money, you can find yourself in the position of joy and success because you are setting your own standards instead of trying to live up to someone else's.

Never give up. Let go of the idea that you are not enough. You are more than enough. You have more going for you than you realize.

Let the love come through you as you affirm that you are enough. You always have what it takes to have joy and love in your life.

This is love talking. Listen. Now feel it. You are enough.

The Joy of Living

The joy of living is not something you find. It is something you create.

Anybody can be happy when you are making buckets full of money and everything is going their way. It takes a person with a positive disposition to feel joy and find happiness when everything is not going easily.

Try this. When you feel like you are in a difficult situation, and you know that it is one you do not control, release your futile attempts at control. Notice how the burden lifts off your shoulders. Don't you feel lighter already? When things are out of your hands and they are ridiculously bad, just laugh. I just look at some of these things and say, OK, whatever. I keep on redefining my future instead of letting someone else define it for me. There is joy in that.

We all need to do whatever we can to move in the direction of our dreams. We can make wise choices about how we use our money. We can associate with people who love us, or at least like us, and will help us.

We can be optimistic about what comes next.

Now I have times when I feel the deep dark funk, the soul searching lows and down times as much as anyone else, but I realize that they are just part of the ebb and flow of life.

If you think that joy is something you have to search for to find, try this. Just decide to share a joke, sing a song, be optimistic about what is happening, and keep doing what you love, what moves you in the direction of your dreams, what makes your heart sing.

You will be surprised at how fast things will turn around. Joy is not something we find. It is not like we lost it while we were carrying in the groceries from the car or digging through old paperwork. Joy is something we intentionally create.