Fishing For Soul
Angling for Spiritual ReconnectionArchive for love
The Gift of Giving
“‘Tis the season” goes the saying and this holiday season you may be thinking about what and how to give.
Here in New York City, Christmas shoppers are hustling and bustling though the stores, on the streets, and in the subways. I often wonder where they get their stamina and how they can carry so many packages. I also wonder why they are out there shopping. Are they doing it because they feel like they have to give something, anything, the ‘right’ thing, or are they shopping for presents for the sheer joy of giving?
I asked myself those same questions and this is what I heard in response:
“”Whenever you are ready to give, then give. Do not think about what it will look like, or how it will be received, just GIVE.
When you give without expectation and without worry, you will find that YOU RECEIVE. That is the way of it.
What do you have inside of you that you can offer NOW? The smallest gift can bring the greatest rewards.
Be free in your giving and BE OPEN to the joy of it.
There is no thing greater than when you align your self with giving from the place of utmost integrity and authenticity.
There lies the true gift.
And so we say – Thank You!” – At One + JM
Amen!
Give to yourself this season.
Join the Earth Spirit Works and Always Economically Viable communities for these special events in NYC
and beyond.
Always Economically Viable presents a FREE Tele-Event, “A Vision for Your 2010″, on Thu., Dec. 17th, 8-9PM ET.
Call the Conference Line at 218.862.1300, ext. 951782.
(Bring a notebook and pen.)
We’ll journey to our peaceful and prosperous future selves and embrace the success that we are NOW.
And…
If you are in NYC on Dec. 19th, please come and celebrate with us at our Annual Shamanic Candlelight Fire Ceremony, an ancient, uplifting ceremony of transformation and purification.
Celebrate the Winter Solstice and your self as you humbly and gratefully release 2009 and welcome the exciting, prosperous New Year. Let your heart and soul soar as we gather to experience the healing and ecstatic energies of fire and allow it to help us trade in our old story for a brand new one.
When: Sat., Dec. 19, 2009, 7-10pm
Where: 1133 Broadway @ 26th St., 2nd Fl, Rm 245, NYC
What to Bring: A rattle or drum (some will be provided), a birthday cake candle, an intention for transformation to share with the group
Your Investment: $60
Registration and Info: Earth Spirit Works Web Site
I hope to see (or just hear) you at one of those events.
Today I am grateful for all that I have been given, all that I have now, and all that will come. I am grateful for the beautiful Earth and the endless stream of nourishment and support that it provides, the sky for it’s magnificent shadows and light, my body and breath, my wise friends, family and teachers, new and prosperous business opportunities and connections, my clients, my computer and Blackberry, love, sex and magic.
Thanks and peace to all!
Joe
What Have You Discovered About Yourself Lately?
“Every one of us has in him a continent of undiscovered character. Blessed is he who acts the Columbus to his own soul.” ~Author Unknown
Monday was Columbus Day and it got me thinking about discovering and conquering. As I considered my latest self-discoveries and what I’ve conquered this year, I encouraged my fitness class participants to use their exercise time to discover something new about the body and it’s amazing abilities, and to conquer a new challenge – do an extra pushup, push a bit harder in the Spin class. Some realized that physical limits often exist as a strong beilef and nothing more. That’s good news!
“And every time you question what you believe, you become a kinder human being.” – Byron Katie
I’m reading Byron Katie’s A Thousand names For Joy – Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are. It reminds me once again of how much has changed in my life this year – 10 short months – and how grateful I am to all who have been a part of my evolution. That’s a good reminder!
One of the greatest things that has happened for me on this journey of self-discovery is that I no longer believe a lot of the old stories that I used to tell myself. I seem to have conquered those ‘demons’. Or so I think. Maybe I’ll discover that there is more work to do there and then I’ll conquer yet another old fear, limiting thought, or self-destructive pattern. That’s an interesting thought!
I went back to my hometown last weekend. I sat in my parent’s house looking at the familiar and unfamiliar things that fill it. I took my three-year-old niece to the the elementary school that I attended and we ran together around the playground and across the soccer filed. I saw myself as a 6, 8, and 10 year-old running around that field that once seemed so vast, competing with ghosts from the past. “I’m certainly not that little boy anymore,” I said to myself (yes, that was relief you heard). That’s reality!
“There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.” ~Nelson Mandela
I like to celebrate myself and my achievements. I’ve been buying myself flowers again (lilies) and enjoying the aroma that fills my apartment. I bought myself a gift on Sunday – a book that I’ve been wanting to read for quite some time. I was reading it on the subway yesterday and was happily lost in the world that the author created. That’s so rewarding!
And so it goes…
What have you discovered and conquered lately? How will you celebrate your achievements?
Amen!
Today I am grateful for The Work of Byron Katie, time to read, new business opportunities, my amazing clients, an abundance of cash, my warm bed, friends and family, letting go of the past, my beautiful life partner, iContact, Robin and Melea, an island getaway in December, my book agent, editor and publisher, Hay House Publishing and Radio.
Thanks and peace!
Joe
Loving Our Parents
Affirmation: “I am forever grateful for the loving relationship that I have with my parents.”
My parents sat together on the couch in their living room last Saturday night – my mom at one end sitting upright, eyes wide, smiling and talking, talking, talking, and my dad at the other end with his head in his left hand, eyes half open, listening and interrupting to correct my mother every now and then.
That is an all too familiar scene at my parent’s house and as it unfolded yet again I thought, “They’ve been doing this for 50 years. How incredible is that?” My heart was overflowing with love and admiration. “Those are my parents and I love them no matter what.”
In Tuesday’s blog I mentioned that my parents had celebrated 50 years of togetherness last Saturday. 50 years of marriage. 50 years of sharing the same house, the same bathrooms, the same bed, the same cars, the same dishes, etc. 50 years, six children and 11 grandchildren. 50 years of ups and downs, and in and outs. How incredible is that?
Throughout the weekend at my parent’s I found myself wondering what it would be like to not have them around. I got choked up as I watched my niece’s video montage play on a laptop at the anniversary gathering. Years of memories appeared on the screen, and image after image took me back to 1969, 1973, 1977, 1984, 1991, 1998, 2002, and so on. With each picture and passing year I saw how my parents, and everyone else in those photos, have aged. “Time is going by very fast,” I said to myself. “Pay attention and share the love.”
“When you can see your parents as the incredible beings that they truly are (just like you!), you allow your self the PLEASURE that comes from feeling LOVE.
Even if you have not met the people who gave you life, you can still honor them, love them, and be in gratitude for their coming together and CREATING you.
Even if you believe that your parents mistreated you in some way, you can still pray for them, honor their path, and send them LOVE. For without those two beings, where would you be now?” – At One
Amen.
Today I am extremely grateful for Janet and Rod and all that they have given me, my siblings, my childhood home, the town of Folsom, PA, the ability to forgive, grow up, and move on, my new Blackberry, friends old and new, my life partner, my book agent, editor and publisher, Hay House Publishing and Radio.
Thanks and peace!
Joe
Love Revisited
Here’s another Law of Attraction message about love from a recent meditation. Some things are worth repeating. One day it will all sink in.
“It is absolutley, positively, 100% OK for you to rethink your thoughts about certain ‘romantic’ love situations. It is when you try not to have the thoughts that you create pain.
You may say, ‘But the thoughts themselves are causing me to have feelings that are unwanted.’ To that we say, yes, of course, but as you move through the thoughts and feelings you rediscover that love is still there and that feels good. Love is all ways there. Where would it go? When you focus on it not being there in the form of another human being then you create suffering. For indeed, you have allowed that person to become, for you, the physical embodiment of love. And then that person is no longer there in the same way and you say that love is gone, or lost, or over. Love is love. That is what we all ways say. Love is love and there is nothing you can do about it. So why not be in love? It is much easier for you to be in that energy, it is much more natural, than any other state. But you like to fight it. You like to keep love from flowing to you and through you. You dole it out. You ration it. You save it for ‘the right person’. And then you are heartbroken and feeling pain. Is that what you want?
Lack feeds lack. Love feeds love. What will you feed? How will you be in love RIGHT NOW? Focus on the love that is here NOW and allow that to attract the physical embodiment of the love you desire, which is of course here, now.” – At One
Amen.
Today I am grateful for love, divine guidance, my computer, words, warm sun, Central Park, friendly neighbors, kindness, affection, my bike, breath, strong legs, a growing business, t-shirt sales, extraordinary friends, Connie’s drum, this blog that helps me to keep things in perspective.
Thanks and peace.
Joe
Swimming in Soul
“As you move forward into the beauty of your own light, please know that with every breath there is an opportunity to become more of what you desire. You cannot help but be who you are, where you are now. Isn’t it amazing to know that this journey of life is just like a body of warm, clear water where you can swim and swim and swim and swim and swim and swim and swim, and never become tired?
Life is good. That is it’s nature. Let it be that!
Life is meant for you to enjoy. Do that!
Life is full of everything you could ever want. Embrace that!
YOU HOLD THE KEY!
Choose. And then swim in the endless delight of you.” – At One
TRY THIS: ‘Heart Radiance Activation’
Sit quietly with your eyes closed. Imagine your self swimming, floating, drifting easily and happily in a warm, clear body of water. As your vision expands, imagine a bright, white light radiating throughout your body. Tap your self gently on the heart chakra (the middle of your chest) and take three deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Notice your thoughts, your emotions, and the physical sensations that come and go. Practice observing.
End the experience with a ‘Thank You’ to your self and know that in allowing your self to be with your self you have given your self a wonderful, priceless GIFT. – At One
My Gratitude List for Thursday, May 21, 2009
I am grateful for my breath, my body, my friends visiting from Peru and their incredible clarity, peacefullness and wisdom, my home, my friend and business partner Leslie, my teaching jobs and my students, laughter, meditation, At One, my garden, my quiet Harlem courtyard, the sun, Robin at Shine Connections who is helping me to connect with businesses who want what I offer, water.
Amen!
Thanks and peace.
Joe
Heart Happy: Law of Attraction Advice for the New Month
I’m reflecting on the start of a new month. How do I feel? What do I want? Where do I see myself three months from now?
While sitting in the office last night meditating on those questions I heard the following:
“Isn’t it exciting to be thinking thoughts of a new beginning? When you are able to project calm, happy, loving thoughts into the future, you automatically enable All That Is to assist in the manifestation of more of the same. Please take a moment to think about what your predominant thoughts have been so far this year. Have you been focused on joy? Have you been focused on positive abundance? Have you been showering love on yourself and others? Indeed you have, and you have set the future in motion.
You are where you are now because you said, ‘I want that,’ and in order to get ‘that’ you needed to experience what was. ‘That’ has come and now you say, ‘I want that’ once again. It is a different thing that you are wanting, but the process is the same. BE THAT WHICH YOU WANT. In other words, do not think that you are in any way separate from what you are desiring. Feel free to think BIG thoughts about where you want to be in one month, two months, three months. The internal experience you are having reveals so much. Can you allow your self to act on those thoughts? Can you allow your self to rest in the knowledge that all is well? Can you allow your self to BE and RECEIVE?
This is not a game. This is your life! How will YOU manifest it? We advise you to experience it with the utmost joy. Indeed, a happy heart is what you all are wanting. Go on and find out how to have it. Revel in your ability to begin from where you are. The time is now.”
Amen.
Thanks and peace.
Joe
If It’s So Easy How Come Everyone Isn’t Doing It?
I feel like my mind/consciousness has expanded a hundred fold this month. It’s been an easy and welcome adjustment, a space I’ve been seeking for many years. The key has been recognizing my thoughts as thoughts and nothing more. No attachment, just acknowledgment, a bit of curiosity and lots of gratitude. It’s as if I now have more room inside my head just to be happy and peaceful.
The other day I was meditating on the word ‘morose’ (defined as sullen, ill-tempered). The word popped into my head as I was thinking about how my life has changed since the first of the year. I realized that I took pride in my ability to be just that – morose. I wore it like a badge of honor. Morose. Wow. It took a lot of time and energy to live in that state of mind.
Here’s what my guides had to say about changing the way we think and act, and how long that process may take:
“The moment you begin to recognize that your thoughts create your world, then you have the ability to easily move from doubt and fear to curiosity and wonder. What does it take to achieve that? It takes consistency. It takes courage. It takes trust. It takes compassion. It takes self-inquiry. It takes LOVE. All must come from YOU. When YOU are full of love for your self, when you are compassionate toward your self, when you trust your self, when you act courageously on your own behalf, when you consistently show up for YOU, then you see that the world is kind, generous, abundant, and all-loving. That makes it much easier for you to remember the infinite nature of Being.”
So be it.
Thanks and peace!
Joe
Love In The Supermarket
I shop at Fairway Market on 74th St. and Broadway in Manhattan. I’ve shopped there for several years because I like the selection of foods, the prices suit me, and the location is convenient. I hop off the #3 train at W. 72nd St. on my way uptown, grab my groceries, and head back to the #3. Easy.
Lately the Fairway has become something more than just my favorite market for groceries. It has become a place for enlightenment. Yes, it’s true, I’ve been having mystical experiences in a grocery store. Last night, for example, I went to Fairway to get my favorite Sabra hummus with roasted pine nuts and found myself wandering around the aisles in a state of bliss.
I was on my way home after a workout at the McBurney YMCA and decided that I must have that hummus. I sat on the subway reading Byron Katie’s (there she is again!) Question Your Thinking, Change The World, and was letting the following passage sink in as the train reached my stop:
‘The advice you’ve been giving your family and friends turns out to be advice for you to live, not us. You become the wise teacher as you become a student of yourself. It stops mattering if anyone else hears you, because you’re listening. You are the wisdom you offer us, breathing and walking and effortlessly moving on, as you make your business deal, buy your groceries, or do the dishes.’
Waiting for the light to change at 73rd St. so I could cross Broadway, I called a friend. We chatted briefly as I approached the rows of flowers, fruits and vegetables that line the street outside the market. I said goodbye to Lynn, grabbed a few apples and pears, and headed for the entrance. As I walked into the store I noticed how vibrant the colors of the oranges, broccoli, brussel sprouts, and Odwalla juice bottles seemed. Then I thought of my dear friend Lynn and how much I love her. A warmth filled my chest. I strolled down the aisles looking at the abundant variety of food and felt so grateful. I filled my small basket with a dozen eggs, chocolate, coconut water, several cans of cat food, rice pasta, grilled artichoke hearts, and two containers of hummus. Every time I placed something in the basket I smiled. I looked people in the eye and smiled. I thought of Lynn again, and Fred, Leslie, Eduardo, Holly, Mary Anne and Lou. Such amazing people! Such sweet souls! How blessed I am to have them in my life. I thought of my family and how good it is to finally let them be who they are. I felt lighter and lighter with every step as love poured over me, into me.
By the time I reached the checkout I was utterly peaceful. “Everything is perfect,” I thought. “I have all that I need. That’s the way it’s always been.”
Amen.
Thanks and peace!
Joe
