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Quit listening to anything which is fear-based
That can be anything or anyoneâincluding your friendsâand it can be pretty subtle. âHow to Prosper in a Fear Economyâ is a cover story of a national magazineâs January issue and, at first glance, seems positive. But why not go further and resolve not to be part of a âfear economyâ at all? Why not resolve to be part of an economy which is based on love, trust, generosity, and prosperity for all, and KNOW that this is possible?
Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.
John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963, Thirty-Fifth President of the United States
At my winter solstice gathering most everyone was talking about âparadigm shifts.â Itâs in the air, especially in the economyâitâs time for a major shift in how we live our lives on this planet. To help effect this change, Iâm challenging myself and you to make a different kind of new yearâs resolutionâto change an attitude or belief or way of acting in the world which might help bring about the real change Obama and others are talking about. Iâll have some specific suggestions later in the week.
This morning as I walked my labyrinth with small, measured steps, I was reminded of the movie, What About Bob, where Bobâs therapist advises making changes with baby steps. In fact, it has been said that you need only take one small step towards spirit, for it to meet youâmore than half way. And so, with my new grand adventure underway, I am reminded by my labyrinth walk that all it takes for the rest of my life to show up is for me to take one baby step at a time.
From 1/17/08
This morning I watched a video by Alberto Villoldo, Ph.D., entitled, Healing the Luminous Body: The Way of the Shaman, in which he talks about Destiny retrieval. This feels very similar to James Hillmanâs ideas in Soulâs Code, and to a number of current writers/thinkers. The idea is this: no matter what current circumstances are, no matter what diagnosis you have been given, etc., there is a possible healthy, whole, joyful, successful you which already exists in the âfutureâ; the retrieval opens a doorway to that possible you and retrieves it from the âfutureâ to the present momentâyou merely need to allow it, step into it, etc.
I took this idea with me into the labyrinth this morning, and walked toward that âpossible meâ which is a successful visionary artist, leaving behind the worries, fears, doubts, and nay-sayers in my mind.
From 1/17/08
This morning I watched a video by Alberto Villoldo, Ph.D., entitled, Healing the Luminous Body: The Way of the Shaman, in which he talks about Destiny retrieval. This feels very similar to James Hillmanâs ideas in Soulâs Code, and to a number of current writers/thinkers. The idea is this: no matter what current circumstances are, no matter what diagnosis you have been given, etc., there is a possible healthy, whole, joyful, successful you which already exists in the âfutureâ; the retrieval opens a doorway to that possible you and retrieves it from the âfutureâ to the present momentâyou merely need to allow it, step into it, etc.
I took this idea with me into the labyrinth this morning, and walked toward that âpossible meâ which is a successful visionary artist, leaving behind the worries, fears, doubts, and nay-sayers in my mind.
The problem is, even after a âonederfulâ experience in the labyrinth or at the Oneness Blessing, I need constant reminders to keep me connected to that realization. A chance encounter with a butterfly can do it or with a âonederfulâ person; little notes I leave for myself can also be quite helpful, In this vein, I have created a line of clothing, cards, mugs, bags, and stickers which you might find helpful, too. Check them out at âThe Onederful Storeââhttp://www.cafepress.com/oneder. I hope you enjoy your trip there, and thanks for visitng here.
It never ceases to amaze meâyou follow the path of the labyrinth in to your own center and, if you look long/deeply enough, it opens out onto/into the entire universe. Kabir (version by Robert Bly) says it better than I:
Inside this clay jug are canyons
and pine mountains
And the maker of canyons
and pine mountains,
All seven oceans are inside,
and hundreds of millions of stars.
The acid that tests gold is there,
and the one who judges jewels,
And the music from the strings no one touches,
and the source of all water.
If you want the truth,
I will tell you the truth,
Friend, listen:
The God whom I love is inside.
A number of years ago a friend gave me a deck of cards called Osho Zen, based on the spiritual teachings of Osho. Eash morning I draw 1 or 2 cards to reflect on for the day. This morning I drew Clinging to the Past and Moment to Moment. I realized that an event from the previous evening upon which I was obsessing was, indeed, the past and I sure was clinging to it in continuing to chew upon it in my mind. I used my morning walk in the labyrinth, then, to be in the moment, with each step being a new moment, a new beginning, a new life all in itself. (You can select Osho Zen cards online at: http://www.osho.com/main.cfm?Area=Magazine&Sub1Menu=Tarot&Sub2Menu=OshoZenTarot&Language=English
From 1/8/8
Willow was sick over the holidays. This is the first morning in a long time that she joined me out in the labyrinth. The morning was balmy; I was in shirt sleeves, enjoying the warm breeze blowing in a new sense of inner peace and calm.
From 12/24/07
Willow hadnât been coming to the labyrinth for a while. This morning I entered with a different energy than usualâdancing (a la Chocolat)âand she ran through a portion of the labyrinth, like a kitten playing, chasing an unseen friend.