Archive for the ‘Love’ Category

Some days I just don’t know which way to turn.  I may feel paralyzed, fearful or just plan ornry. Here’s the great secret: no matter how paralyzed, fearful or upset we might be, there is an immediate solution.  Bless it all and just keep on breathing.

Thoughts are energetic things.  They leave their imprints on ourselves and those around us. Long before we discovered the truths of quantum physics, the Chinese had a saying, “Though the bird of sadness may land on your head, don’t let it build a nest.”

We allow negativity to build a nest when we fail to observe the subtle and not so subtle presence of negativity.  Most of us are inundated with TV, the radio, and of course of newspaper or online home pages and negative friends or colleagues.  A steady diet of this low level negativity may turn the most optimistic individual into a pessimist, wearing us down through association.

Take heart, the secret of secrets is no secret at all.  Love it all, love yourself through whatever apparent mess you are in, and know that gratitude and forgiveness will lift and restore you Soul.

I don’t know about you, but life is sweeter when there is a diet of joy, laughter and contentment…so choose where you eat!

Would you be fulfilled?

If not now, when?

You hate your job/career and suffer every moment. Your parents wanted you to be a doctor. You wanted to be a musician.  It wasn’t logical nor would it make money, so you opted to be a doctor.  Your parent’s wishes fulfilled, you do your time until retirement.  Finally you are free to respectably begin living your dream. But life had different plans, and instead you have a heart attack and stroke – at the same time!

Your friend calls to say they are suicidal and want to kill themselves. Half listening, you tell then you’ll stop by and see them tomorrow. (They did what they said they’d do before you got there.)

You give and give and give, and never allow anyone to give back. (You get to stay in control, but do you let yourself receive love unconditionally?)

You’re afraid you will be ridiculed when you share your idea/dream/goal.  You do nothing.  (The one who did it anyway goes home with the cash.)

Would you be fulfilled if you died tomorrow?

The clock is ticking, and we really don’t know when “the bell will toll for us.”

Live every day as though it and you are precious.  You are.

Mix life with love. Tell people you love them – a lot.  Add laughter.  It makes life more fun.

Why wait until you lose weight, gain weight, get married, get divorced, take that class, get that award….

You might never get a second chance.

The choice is yours. Life life now. There really is no tomorrow.

Do what you love and the Spirit will follow! In today’s world there is a growing trend toward applying spiritual principles in everyday life. That includes not only your personal life, but your business life as well.

Millions of individuals are no longer willing to compromise their ethics for their paycheck.  Large portions of corporate Americans are leaving, either by choice or lay off.  Many are choosing to simplify their lifestyle, oftentimes choosing to follow a dream and become entrepreneurs. Greed and corruption have broken the backs of many corporations.

There is a countering ground swell of people who practice applied spirituality. They care, take appropriate action, and actively work to make this world a better place. They have always been there. Now, however, the are becoming more visible.

What is practical spirituality? I refer to spiritual as that which expresses the highest part of our nature, and religion as a container through which we express this nature. Spirituality can be expressed apart from religion, although religion is not really separate from spirituality.

Practical spirituality is the application of spiritual principles to life. Love, faith, integrity, trust, gratitude, acceptance, cooperation, curiosity, joy, service, and creativity represent facets in the fabric of spiritual expression. When these attributes are applied in the business world they foster good will, loyalty, and a host of other benefits to employees and customers alike.

In the four years between 1994 and 1998, the Gallup organization found that the number of people who said they needed spiritual growth jumped from 56 to 82 percent. Today, workshops and books integrating spirituality and business are common. 

Fifteen years ago, the separation between spiritual practice and business was distinct. Boundary crossing was an illicit journey.  As a national karate champion, I had the luxury of sharing my spiritual perspectives with the language of the martial arts. The paradox is that the martial arts are spiritual arts.

Commitment to something you love will eventually blossom into the language of spirituality.  To love life is to live fully.  To live fully requires discipline, or discipleship towards something. Martial arts, a business, a loved hobby, service to others, caring for those you love, and commitment to a cause are all aspects of a spiritual life in action.

Retired Americans  are looking for second or third careers. While some do so out of necessity, others express a heartfelt desire to make a difference in the world – spirituality in action.

Young people have embraced social entrepreneurship and social media as avenues to create change.  It’s not uncommon for entrepreneurs to donate 10% of their income to charities of their choice. Young and old alike are actively reaching out to build bridges of opportunity for those they have chosen to serve.  The gifts they bring gives me hope that, “The best is yet to come.”

If you would like more information about integrating practical spirituality in the business world, register now in the box below for a complimentary tele-seminar on June 18th, 2009, at 6:00 p.m. PST.  The call will be hosted byTom Martin of Martin Media.  Learn how to build your bottom line while lifting your Spirit.

Your confirmation will go directly to your inbox. Please hit the respond button to insure your registration.  Thanks for investng in your own future.

It’s been a long time since I wrote anything, although I’ve had lots of topics in mind.  My dear cat Nubie (Nubs for short)  passed away two weeks ago after a long illness….most of my time was spent sitting with him every chance I got.  Work took a back seat whenever possible, so that I could be present during his journey.  What a ride it was! He taught me more about love than I can say in a blog. But here’s a few highlights:

1.  Why celebrate loving one day a year? Make time for your loved ones now. Nubie was petted, combed, played with and adored every day.  On special occasions he got catnip. That’s a great way to keep a relationship healthy.  He wasn’t afraid to wake me up with a paw under the covers to let me know he needed something (usually food).  He also cuddled and knew when I was upset.  That’s a great thing for two-legged relationships as well.  Pay attention to your loved ones while you have them.  Keep your relationship alive with appreciation,  good food, laughter and some special treats. I didn’t wait for him to get sick before he knew he was loved. Our relationship changed when he got ill, and our loving deepened. We had a strong foundation of trust, built on years of understanding, loving, caring and sharing.

2. Sometimes loving appears to hurt. Watching my cat decline physically left me feeling helpless.  Thank goodness I was bi-lingual and could understand cat.  He too, could understand human. Love allowed us to communicate just fine. Men and women sometimes speak different languages. Love allows us to intuitively understand each other, if we take the time to listen. Sometimes all our loved one needs is the space to be heard, held and acknowledged. Sometimes they need time alone.  Don’t take things so personally.  Those things go a long way toward building a successful relationship. So does a genuine “I’m sorry.”

3. Loving someone means accepting everything, including death. I was honored to be part of my cat’s process. As his body grew weaker, his Spirit grew stronger and his messages to me, his beloved human, grew stronger as well.  Loving made it easy for me to tend to him during his last days, and he died at home, loved, accepted and cherished, in spite of his appearance (it was pretty tacky.)

4. Love is contagious.  Mr. Nubs touched so many people during his life that our friends called frequently to say hello and tell him it was “okay to go.”  I put the phone to his ears and he’d perk up when he heard their voices.  His favorite neighbor, whom he referred to as “The big guy over there” came regularly to visit, as did the big guy’s wife. Countless people were touched as Nubs completed his mission – to love people and encourage them to open their heart in return.  He was a healer cat, and he had a following.  Let loving be the healer and you’ll have a following too.  Practice making loving your default response, and you’ll be in good shape, no matter the shape you’re in.

5.  Nubie taught me the value of sitting in the silence with him. He’d curl up on my lap and we’d meditate together. We also watched movies for hours on end, since his pain was less when he was held.  It’s the same for people. Don’t be afraid of the silence, it’s a container for loving. Don’t be afraid of pain either.

6.  Nubs was a great mirror.  During his illness, he kept showing me things about myself. What a master teacher he was. In the end, he taught me to be free.  What a gift to give to the one you love.  It was a hard journey for both of us, but he’s free and so am I.  Free to celebrate our life together, and free to choose to love again.

7.  Because your loved ones may go away does mean that love ends.  Love lives in my heart, and gratitude for the loving expression that was lent to me in the form of my cat lives on in me.  I won’t rush to replace Nubie. He’s irreplaceable.  There will never be another Nubs.  Yet, when loving calls again, I will answer, and be the richer for it.