The Power of Love

Our society in turmoil, reaching far and wide,
Every nation, city & village, with nowhere to hide.
War, violence & oppression, seem to be the norm,
Global economic crisis, adding strength to the storm.

Debt hangs over our heads, what can we do,
Is this world what we want, for our children too?
Leaders try new ideas, hope & change have no chance,
With no cooperation, & an oppositionist stance.

Elections are sideshows, each trying to score,
Points with negativity, one liners and more.
Monopolization & greed cause all manner of strife.
Most slaves to making a living, rather than a life.

We can fix it all I am certain, raise our species higher,
We lack not resources or ability, simply the desire.
Erase all global debt, with the mere stroke of a pen,
Rid ourselves of this burden, if not now, when?

Give everyone, everything, they need to survive,
And our limitless potential, will more than thrive.
All disease, crime and violence, will surely disappear,
When people replace profit, and love replaces fear.

Some say a Utopian dream, that reality would rival,
But I call it our only, real chance of survival.
My wish for our children, that they may fly like a dove.
May the love of power yield, to the Power of Love.

Extremists of many creeds, are regularly in the news,
Destruction, death and fear, the methods they choose.
At times they may possess, points that make sense,
But the message is lost, amidst all the violence.

Be you Muslim or Hindu or Christian or Sekh.
No religion’s more deadly, than of which I speak.
No matter the faith, what they first must do,
before praising their God, is praise this religion too.

This religion spares none, with its lies and illusions,
we are but its faithful slaves, my only conclusion.
It robs us of our freedom, our health and sanity,
halts all our progress and disables technology.

This religion creates, all stress, disease & fear,
poisons our waterways and pollutes atmosphere.
Unless we revisit, reconstruct or release.
its firm grip on us, shall never cease.

This religion can be tamed, all hope isn’t lost,
we made it all up, never considering the cost.
Given away our power, to a mere thought,
that some deserve more, the pain it has brought.

We can build a new future of freedom and ease,
create a new world, of endless possibilities.
End this religion, poison the fertile sod,
for the religion of profit, where money is god!

Generations from now, perhaps several, perhaps few,
An Angel returns home, unsure what to do.
On the way home from school, she changed routine,
Now feeling uneasy, unsure what she has seen.

Through the open door, of her comfortable home,
Her loving parents greet her, she is not alone.
Good day precious daughter, what have you to say,
Your expression seems strained, are you troubled today?

This day I read historic books, thought it would be fun,
To learn of life’s ways, in early century 21.
first I thought them fiction, could this really be true,
war, violence, disease, & oppression too.

Our mischievous little Angel, we are sorry to hear,
you’ve read of such things, but you’ve nothing to fear.
Elders consult these books , so they always know,
Of the direction our species, can never again go.

We abandoned long ago, violence & destruction,
Peace & cooperation, now society’s construction.
We learned these ingredients, to be so essential,
To ensure all can rise, to their fullest potential.

So do not worry sweet daughter, do not be upset,
You are safe, free and secure, don’t ever forget.
Your potential unlimited, you will more than survive,
It is your birthright, to dream & grow & thrive.

Below are some suggested organizations that work toward making our world a better place.
We can make the above scenario a reality. It’s the least we can do for our kids!

http://www.cityharvest.org/ (Feeding hungry new Yorkers)
http://ww5.komen.org/ (Breast cancer research) Save the Breasts!!
http://www.thepeacealliance.org/ ( Helping create a culture of Peace)
http://www.thetrevorproject.org/ (suicide/crisis prevention for LGBT youth)

Generally speaking, I have great faith in humanity.  I am of the firm belief, that there is nothing we can not accomplish. We need only to take down the self made obstacles that impede our progress. We can rid ourselves of the limitations of poverty, hunger, disease, violence and needless suffering. We simply need to agree to do it. We have the resources, the technology and the ability. The only thing we truly lack, is the desire.  I know the task seems overwhelming, but by what would you rather be overwhelmed, something coming at you, or something coming from you?   I deny the power of these things over us. I know we can do it. Yes We Can!!

Every now and again though, something happens that shakes my faith to the core and causes me, if only for a few fleeting moments, to abandon all hope, to believe we… are all doomed. Sadly, this week my friends, such an event has occurred. I feel myself slipping into the depths of depression and despair, is all hope for our species lost? So I reach out to you my friends for support, courage, compassion and understanding. I know with your help I can make it through this dark time  for humanity. For just yesterday, season 2 of the Jersey Shore premiered. OMG!! WTF!! Can we not do better than this??!!

OK, OK, I know this is not one of my usual thought provoking posts, but I am allowed to have some fun on occasion am I not? Actually, I take that back, Most of it is quite thought provoking. Though I am not sinking into the depths of depression and despair, the rest of it pretty much applies. Be well, Peace…..

Thanks for stopping by, join the conversation!!

Some years ago, my lovely daughter graduated from high school. I put the following letter in her yearbook. I post this here not because I feel I am the perfect parent, far from it. I am every bit as capable of screwing up as anyone else and have done so many times. I post this to perhaps put in perspective and hopefully ease some of the stress associated the path beyond graduation. Choice of college, career and so on. It is sad that we expect one so young, to make such monumental decisions. Unless they have a clear path in mind, I have often felt perhaps a two year associates degree should more than suffice, until a clearer vision of who they are and wish to be emerges. Sadly, we do not give our youth much freedom in that respect, although we certainly can and should change that, all it takes, is a simple choice to do so. On to my letter, hope you enjoy…..

Dearest Tara,

June 16, 1984, 7:35am, I am blessed to bear witness to the miracle of your arrival on the planet and further honored to be one of the first human beings to hold you. The beginning of the wondrous journey of your life.

Congratulations my precious daughter on your high school graduation. On to your next adventure! Your future awaits. The possibilities are endless. You can be, do or have, whatever it is you desire. All of life is choice, YOUR choice. Know that whatever you choose to be or do, it is never too late to change course. Simply choose to. Do nothing that you don’t want to! Whether you wish to be president, a humanitarian worker in a far off corner of the globe, a clerk in a store, a janitor or anything in between, know that you have my eternal support.

Be the source of your life experience. Create it, do not merely react to it. Although all circumstances may not always be what you wish them to be, your response to them, ALWAYS is. As you create your journey remember the following: You are not the money, the job, the car or any “thing” you may possess. You are a physical manifestation of Divinity itself, as are all other beings on this planet. See this Divinity in others, even if they can not see it in themselves. Always seek power with others, never power over others. Be kind to yourself, as well as others. Forgive yourself  your perceived failings, for this is no such thing as failure, you walk away from every experience with gained wisdom, even though sometimes it may not be immediately apparent. Be compassionate. Most of all, love yourself. A very simple way to obtain these things for yourself is to give them to others. The great truth is, we are all One. What you do for another, you ultimately do for self. Whatever you give away, you get back tenfold.

Need nothing, desire everything, choose what shows up. Do your best to relinquish requirements, conditions and judgment. Everyone is doing the best they can with what they have, no one does anything inappropriate given their view of life. Beside taxes and the eventuality of transitioning from this particular physical form, there are no guarantees. However, I can give you one guarantee as you create the journey of your life. You will always have my Unconditional Love. There is nothing you can do or say that would change that. For this love costs nothing, demands nothing, requires nothing, it simply is. Although I know you do, I do not even require you to love me back.

I am very proud of you and honored to be your dad.

Much love,
Pops.

Thanks for stopping by, join the conversation!

Since President Obama has taken office, much of the time of his administration, has been consumed with attempting to enact reform legislation. Health care  reform, after a long arduous process, recently passed. Currently, financial reform, in order to avoid the previous meltdown from repeating itself, is being debated and worked toward. Thankfully, it seems this legislation will not be as drawn out and painful as health care reform was. Going forward, beyond financial reform, will be the task of attempting to address immigration reform, yet another emotionally charged and volatile issue. I applaud President Obama and his administration’s efforts, all of these issues need to be addressed, it is a monumental undertaking  and they have put forth a monumental effort.

It occurs to me that the reform most needed is not being addressed. As yours truly sees it, the only reform we need, is consciousness reform. Reforming our minds and our thought process will cost us nothing.  We will not need endless debates in congress, we will not need to appoint fact finding committees and we will not need to spend obscene amounts of money on research. All that is needed, indeed all that was ever needed, is a very simple, yet very complex reforming of our consciousness. We simply need to realize the following; every woman is our sister, every man is our brother. We need to learn to love people and use things, not the other way around. Everyone on this planet deserves basic dignities, food, clothing, shelter, education, health care and the opportunity to follow their passion, simply because they are alive.  These things are not privileges, they are the rights of every human being. I have said this before but it is worth restating here, it has been said that you can tell how evolved a society is by how it treats the least among them. By this measure, we are not very evolved at all.

We allow needless suffering such as hunger, poverty, homelessness, disease and oppression to exist because we say we can not do anything about them, we can not afford to. How insane is this?! We have given our power away to this thing we call money. Look deeply at every societal dysfunction, almost every story on the news can be traced to reveal money, possessions or power at its core. Even in the event of possession or power, neither of these are acquired without money. Its not that money is bad, it is our thoughts about it. We agree that money or the lack there of, can determine the quality of life, we even agree that without it, you may not have a life. Once again, how insane is this?! We need to revisit, reevaluate, revise and restructure this thing we call an economy. We may even want to get rid of it entirely. For a more in depth explanation of what I feel this would look like, see my piece on the economy, posted here on January 10, 2010. Our system of economics, in its current form, and oppression, are inseparable. There is nothing wrong with accumulating wealth, as long as it is not done at the expense of others. For someone to win really big, someone else has to lose really big.

I’ve said this before, but I will restate it here. When an individual, group or nation is cast aside, disenfranchised, discarded or oppressed, we all lose! We lose out on their potential contributions to our lives. A person of great wealth my cry foul at such a statement, claiming they do not lose at all. I will explain very simply how they would be mistaken. There are millions on this planet, whose every waking moment is consumed with thoughts of where their next meal will come from, where will they sleep tonight, how will they provide for their family, will we even survive today? A person of great wealth might be unconcerned with the conditions I just spoke of, until something like the following occurs. Either they, or some close family member are diagnosed with some incurable disease, although they would pay any price for a cure, none is available. Perhaps, just perhaps, if the millions who suffer daily on our planet, were afforded the basic human dignities I spoke of earlier, there in, would lie the cure.

So you see, this reform of consciousness does not need to be made from a mindset of unity, compassion and love for humanity. It can be made from mindset of separation and selfishness as well. All one needs to do, is make the connections between a wasted life, the possibilities it contains, and how their own experience of life might be lessened because of it. It has been said, we need to create a world that works for everyone, or we will have a world that works for no one. Carl Sagan once noted, that this pale blue dot of a planet we know as Earth, viewed from space, is a single, living breathing organism, and an organism at war with itself, is doomed. Yet, I am hopeful, I say we are not doomed, I have faith in humanity, I know our potential is unlimited, we just need to allow it to unfold. We can bring about the reform most needed. C’mon people, Yes We Can!!

Thanks for stopping by, be well, be peace. Join the conversation…..

I have observed that quite some time has passed since my last post. It is my intention to post at least two to three times a month.  The previous weeks have found me immersed in a health issue, nothing that was life threatening, yet potentially for me, very life changing. Although not completely resolved, things seem to be quieting down to a manageable level.  What this experience brought me is a deeper appreciation of what it is to be human, along with the knowledge  of how very human I truly am.  I was totally consumed with the issue at hand 24/7, with little time for anything else. My mind was filled with worst case scenarios, fearful of losing my way of life, my envisioned future and even fearful of my lovely wife Marie leaving me, because I would not measure up to the person she has known all these years. Could all these things happen? Anything is possible. Will they all happen? Highly unlikely!!

The mind does have a habit of jumping straight to most fearful place first, instead of the most hopeful. I had always thought that somehow,  my spiritual outlook  would make facing such issues a little less turbulent, it eventually did, but only after the initial rude awakening. Going forward, I will explore alternative healing modalities, as traditional western methods are limited in solutions for my particular issue. I am cautiously optimistic in regard to future results, not because of my lack of faith in alternative healing, more because of faith in my ability to do my part in producing a positive outcome. Once again, I am very human. At some later date I will report back on progress and future outlook. For now, I am happy to be back.

Be well, be peace and join the conversation!

I have been a physical fitness enthusiast for 25 years, including 10 of those years as a competitive bodybuilder and personal trainer. So, needless to say, I spend a fair amount of time in the gym. We have recently turned the calendar to reflect the beginning of a new year, 2010 is upon us. This is time of year most gyms rise in population with new arrivals. It is resolution season. We are three months into the new year, this is about the time, if not sooner, that the presence of the resolution arrivals starts to dwindle. The resolution dissolves, the commitment fades, priorities change and life returns to pre resolution status. I have witnessed the above migration to and from the gym for 25 years now. For the most part, I would say a very small percentage, maybe 5, actually stick with it.

If you are among the new arrivals, thinking you have had enough and considering packing it in, or perhaps already have, PLEASE reconsider. Hopefully, what I have to say will encourage, energize, reinvigorate and inspire you to refocus and renew your commitment. Let me assure you, the benefits of self care far exceed the effort. A well rounded program of proper nutrition and exercise will improve every aspect of your life, physically, mentally and emotionally. You will see improvements in flexibility, strength, endurance, mental acuity and self image. You will be better able to fend off disease and better able to recuperate from illness or injury. Small example, depression runs in my family, not everyone is affected but a significant amount are. I am convinced that the effort, energy, attention and focus I have given physical fitness is a major reason why I do not suffer from depression. Besides the previously mentioned perks, the aesthetic benefits are nothing to sneeze at either. At the end of this piece, I will post a picture of myself, taken at a photo shoot in April of 2009. Not to shabby  for a 49 year young man if I say so myself. Not that I am under any illusions as to my appearance, I am fully aware, and also grateful, that there are many out there that are in much better shape than I. I merely post the photo as a demonstration of what is possible. In short, everything you do outside of the gym will be easier because of what you do inside the gym. Not that regular attendance at a gym is the only way to achieve your goals but regular participation in the program of your choice is.

OK, lets go over the many reasons folks usually give up. It is too hard, I have too many commitments. There are obligations to family, friends and work. Errands to run, appointments to keep, deadlines to make. All of these can usually be summed up and incorporated into the most frequent, and my personnel favorite reason cited, I have no time. There will always be a reason not to focus on yourself, life is full of twists, turns, and detours. Should these reasons sound all to familiar, take a deep breath, relax, and take a walk to the nearest available mirror. Are you there? Good. Now, allow me to introduce you to the most important person on the planet, YOU! Yes you, not your spouse, your kids, your parents, co-workers, boss or anyone else in your life that you may put before yourself. Self first, always. Have you ever been on a plane and actually listened to the pre flight safety instructions? When informed about a change in cabin pressure, you are instructed to put your oxygen mask on first, BEFORE assisting others. That is because you will be of no use to another if you are not safe yourself. The same applies here. Caring and nurturing yourself will enable you to show up as a better parent, spouse, co-worker, employee and friend. How can you be the best possible you in all your relationships, if you are neglecting yourself, for what you believe is the the benefit of others? In reality, you are cheating everyone else in your life of gift that is you. You can never reach your greatest potential or fully participate in your life by neglecting to care for your health and well being.

I will go one step further, not only are you cheating those in your immediate circle, but all humanity. When you show up fully engaged and ready to participate in life, who knows what your possible contributions could be? What song might you sing, what novel might you write, what picture might you paint, what screenplay might you pen, what invention might you invent, what disease might you cure? And even if you were to do none of these things, perhaps someone in your immediate circle of family or friends would simply because of your presence in their lives. At the very least, everyone would benefit from a happier, healthier you. So, in this you see that putting yourself first is truly not selfish, but selfless. All you really need to do is expand your definition of self.

So get out there and create the best you possible. There are too many people that would be cheated if you were not the best you can be, mainly you. I once heard it said, forget everything anyone says, pay attention to what they do. Actions speak so much louder than words. Should you be a parent, your dedication and commitment will demonstrate a positive example, that your children will  emulate, producing a confident, happy, healthy, self respecting adult that will benefit generations to come. Should you not be a parent, your dedication and commitment will produce a confident, happy, healthy, self respecting person that will benefit all who encounter you. So, in closing, can you think of a good reason not to do this?!

Thanks for stopping by, be well, be peace, join the conversation.

The Remake…

Earlier this week, during the Grammy Awards, it was announced that the song “We Are The World” would be remade. Originally penned in the mid 80s, by Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson to raise funds and awareness for the famine in Ethiopia, it will now be used to do the same for post earthquake Haiti. The lyrics speak of us all being God’s great big family, of the realization, that we are the ones we have waited for. That nothing will change unless we each become the change we wish to see. That what we do or fail to do for another, we ultimately do, or fail to do for our self. A noble and valiant undertaking, I salute the effort and wish for it  success well beyond what might be envisioned.

As noble and valiant the undertaking, as well intentioned the effort, rebuilding a nation will take much more than the funds that any telethon, fund raising effort or charitable organization can provide. Not that there is anything wrong with charitable organizations, I am regularly involved with City Harvest, a food rescue organization, dedicated to feeding the hungry. www.cityharvest.org  I have many times, advised others, feeling depressed over their current circumstances, to get involved with the charity of their choice. There is no quicker way to deal with your individual circumstances, than to get involved with something bigger than yourself. Notice I say “deal with” current circumstances, not get over, or get passed. Whatever events one experiences, they must be acknowledged, noticed, looked at and incorporated into the experience of life, not denied, ignored or hidden away to later resurface in some other form, such as some life altering disease, personality disorder or depression.

All charitable organizations, no matter what issue they address, are simply very small bandages on very gaping wounds. The gaping wounds I speak of are the many agreements we have about life, illusions really. We agree that we are separate from each other, that somehow, some of us are more deserving, more entitled, even better than others. The truth is, rather, I should say, my truth, is exactly the opposite, we are all connected, all One. Every one of us is as special as any who have lived, is living now, or will live in the future. One way our illusory agreements manifest themselves, is the belief that this thing we call money, can restrict us from doing a thing, such as rebuilding Haiti. We have the knowledge, ability and resources, it can be done. Think about it for a moment, money is simply a piece of paper, it can do nothing for you. It can not feed you, clothe you, put a roof over your head, educate you or keep you well. We only AGREE that it can. Think of the limitations we put on ourselves because of the power we have agreed to give this piece of paper. We delay infrastructure repair, limit disease and scientific research, destroy our environment, restrict educational opportunities, block health care access, allow hunger, homelessness and needless suffering to exist. How insane is this?!

Imagine for just a moment, that you come from a society in which money did not exist. A society where everyone is cared for and given every opportunity available simply because they were alive. Would it not be easy to see how insane are our thoughts about this thing we call money are? For a more in depth examination of my thoughts on money, see my post on the economy dated 10, January, 2010. So how do we get passed this agreement? How do we stop limiting ourselves? It is really as simple as it is complex. We need not form any committees to study the issue for endless hours. We need not spend billions on research and development. We simply need to make a shift in our thinking. We need to change the “every man for himself, what’s in it for me” paradigm we currently are experiencing, to know, live and demonstrate, the truth that we are all connected, all One.  I know many would say this would not be possible, we could never make this shift, we would be unable to enact the change.  History is filled with examples of things ( too many to mention here) that could never happen, that could never be. Just to name a few; at one time it was believed the world was flat, to believe otherwise could get you killed, we now know the truth.  Many believed women would never get the right to vote, today no one questions that right. At one time, slavery was commonplace and accepted, sadly, today it still does exist is some forms, but in no way is it accepted or encouraged. There was a time when human flight was considered impossible, it is now taken for granted. There was a time when interracial marriage was not legal, today it would be illegal to deny such a marriage. And, in more recent history, in 2009, the United States of America witnessed the first African American, Barack Hussein Obama, take the oath, for the office of the President. Certainly an event many believed would never happen.

So, can we elevate our consciousness? Yes we can! Can we change the paradigm? Yes we can! Can we know for certain that every woman is our sister, every man our brother? Yes we can! Can we save Haiti? Yes we can! It really only takes a minor adjustment in our thinking, to make a major impact in our world. Our potential is unlimited, if we would only allow it to unfold. We simply need to stop restricting ourselves and get out of our own way. I know it sounds like a monumental undertaking, but feel free to start small. Start within your own community, your own village, your own social circle.  Like the song says, we are the world, I invite you to help make it a better place.  Be well, be peace!

Thanks for stopping by, join the conversation.