Making the Most of the Hand You’re Dealt
Life has a way of dealing each of us a deck of cards that ranges in numbers and colors. Each and every day we wake up and pull a card and the day has been defined. There are good days and great days and sad days and unhappy days; however there is one thing that is is guaranteed – you have the freedom to accept what you are dealt or you can fold. Over the course of a little more than four years, I had no idea what cards I would be dealt or that I would desperately need to find…
Sing a Song of Gratitude
Sing a song of gratitude, every day, to remind yourself daily how to be thankful. Remember that the Universe loves you. The Universe loves me. Love is within, without, and all around us. Love is in every being, every object, every thing. Remember the magic of life that is in life. Play with the faeries and angels and animal spirits. Let them be your helpers. Thank your ancestors and all those who have come before us, for the lessons that they teach us and the help that they have given us, so that we can be here now. Smile. It…
Embracing Our Global Family
Anyone who has faced the prospects of leaving one's words for posterity for real instead of a theoretical exercise and survives is blessed beyond words. Sharing the following words becomes a privilege and yes, even a responsibility. There is nothing more certain in my mind than we are all members of the family of Man. Over the years it has become commonplace for leaders all over the globe to obscure the light represented by acknowledging that our family, while at times dysfunctional should be guided by love and never hate. The legacy I would like to survive me is that…
Share Your Gifts to Overcome Adversity
Over the past few years, every one of us has been through some form of adversity. In fact, many of us have been hit by more than one serious, disruptive challenge. In this "perfect storm", everything that we have come to trust and believe about ourselves and our lives has come under some form of attack. Whether it is an illness, loss of job, erosion of wealth, divorce, or a death in the family, it seems as though the path on our journey has gotten a little more difficult. As we stand here looking into the future, looking for answers,…
One for All and All for One, Once and for All
It is redundant to think of reaching out to build teams, alliances and communities, as we are already all connected. There is no us and them. There is only us. We - all of us who occupy this planet, organic and inorganic, living and not, past, present, and future - are the world. We all come from the Earth and return to Her belly. We are all made of the same substance, same as the sea, the soil, the stars. There are, and ever have been, only so many molecules in existence and all the rest - birth, growth, death,…
Become a Partner in Change
We can all personally take steps to halt injustice or alleviate suffering on our own, and certainly our individual efforts can bring about substantial goodness and change. However, when we empower others to join us, our collective efforts reverberate like a pebble hitting the water... and our effectiveness grows exponentially, often in ways we would not have imagined. If we presume that others bring meaningful information and dialogue to the table, they will come through in ways that they themselves often didn't expect. In communities in which suffering is chronic due to poverty, social isolation or even natural disaster, a…
Feeling Creatures Who Think
Last week I shared Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor's TEDx Talk with you and the idea that choosing to stay angry affects both your body and your mind. This week I'd like to share another powerful concept that Dr. Jill makes: that we are feeling creatures who think. We are not thinking people who feel, yet this is what our society believes and values – which is at the heart of many of our issues. Here is the science and biology behind it. Our limbic system is constantly asking, “Am I safe?” If things feel familiar to our limbic system, then we feel calm and safe. The system…
You Can’t Do It Alone: The Power of Community
It is only in the most recent history that people subscribe to the ideal of "independence," of doing it on your own, of not needing anybody to support you. And in concept, this may be a good idea but only as a concept. We have millions of years of a genetic heritage that argues for community and we have maybe 75 to 100 years that argues for independence. Human beings have survived out of their interdependence, not their independence. When infants are born they are completely helpless and would surely perish if not for the love and care given by…