The Stooge in me

I read an article on Yahoo today in which MGM and the Farrelly brothers are lining up the cast for a new Three Stooges movie, set to come out in 2010. As a self confessed Stoooge-aholic, this is big news.

I remember coming home from school, in the days before video recorders, and putting on the TV. Moe, Larry, and Curly were always on the UHF band, so the picture on many days was snowy or fuzzy. Didn't matter. My little sister and brother and I would watch these over and over again. If the picture got real bad, and I couldn't see what was happening, I'd fill in the scene in my mind.

During the commercial breaks, we had our chores to do. The house had to be clean and dinner had to be ready when dad got home from work. Mom always left a note on the table on how to cook dinner and being a few years older than my siblings, I usually started dinner. My brother and sister would get the table cleaned off and set with plates, silverware, and cups. Sometimes we would have things ready and sometimes not.

I always admired the Three Stooges. It seemed life was so serious, while growing up. The Stooges took all things cherished in my little world and made a mockery out of it. School, court, work, sports, girls, were the playground of the Three Stooges.

There was a time, as we got older, when my brother and I weren't getting along very well together. Dad gave us the job of painting the hallway that went upstairs. We began the job and over an hour into our chore, neither of us said a word. We were in close proximity to each other and I let my paint brush slip and hit him with paint. Oh, Sorry, nyuk nyuk nyuk, said I. He caught on and before long I was smacked with an errant brush stroke. Over the course of the next hour, there was more paint on each other than on the wall. We had fun, broke the ice between us, got the job done, and are best friends today.

You might even remember a song called the Curly Shuffle, so I went looking and found it on Amazon for you.

If the lives we live now are dictated by the life we had when we were younger, I wonder how much different my life would be if I just let my inner Stooge flow more frequently. Laughter is the best medicine, maybe I'll start today, I just won't poke anybody in the eyes.

Prosperity is here today

There's a goldmine between your ears. That's an old saying that I just made up. But what if it was true? How do you mine something so intangible as the going ons of your mind? There are a myriad of books on prosperity, movies like The Secret, seminars, courses and more to help give you the tools to delve into your mental storehouse of riches.

Do you ever wonder sometimes if some of the current prosperity books are like a watered down not totally accurate way of acheiving success? We played a game as kids called Chinese Telephone. We would have a number of us kids lined up and the first would whisper something in the next kid's ear and then this kid would pass along the message to the next in line. This would continue on until the last kid would have to repeat the original message. We would all laugh on how distorted the message ended up. I makes me wonder why the world is in such economic turmoil with all the prosperity messages out there.

If we were to fall back to the original ideas on prosperity, would we come up with a different how-to list? Napoleon Hill's classic Think And Grow Rich is considered the heavy weight in terms of success and acheivement. Yet, where did his ideas come from? Who were his contemporaries and can additional information be gleaned from them?

There is a resource available where you can get the writings of many authors relating to prosperity and acheivement. Authors including Napoleon Hill, Thomas Troward, Ernest Holmes, Wallace Wattles, Charles Fillmore, Ralph Waldo Trine, James Allen, Florence Scovil Shinn, and more. 39 total books to give you the power tools to mine the gold inside of you and create your part of the world the way that you would like it to be created.

Ron Peer has compiled this collection for you to enjoy. Click Here to access your collection and to read how Ron has used the tools in these books to become a writer of plays and screen plays.

"Get excited and enthusiastic about your own dream. This excitement is like a forest fire - you can smell it, taste it, and see it from a mile away." -- Denis Waitley

You are courageous indeed

I was reading an article on the DailyOm website and the article was titled Remembering Who We Are.

Many thoughts of our world today popped into my mind. Mostly the troubling parts, the wars, economy, suffering, stress, tension and more. The article shifted my focus dramatically. It said, "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience."

And that seems to me that we have this whole thing backwards. I have heard it said, in the beginning, God created man in his own image, and quickly mankind turned around and returned the favor by creating God in its own image. So humankind has forgotten who it really is, a being of eternal nature with infinite potential. We limit ourselves to the here and now and forget that there are no limits. I forget on a regular basis and as a result I get to feel the negative effects on my corner of the world.

The article continues with:
"As spiritual beings, we are visitors in this physical realm. The fact that we came here and lost all memory of what happened to us before we were born is one of the many reasons that it takes so much courage for a soul to incarnate on earth. This is why spiritual inquiry so often feels like a remembering—because it is."

The part that stopped me was the reference to courage. True courage incorporates the depths of the soul. How courageous you are working so hard to provide for your family. How courageous you are to sacrifice. How courageous you are to see your sons and daughters go to fight overseas.

On this earthly plane, we don't seem to get many answers. Search your soul, see your big picture, and remember that you are more than any earthly problem.

Making big changes in your life?

John Lennon said “Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.”

Has that ever happened to you?One moment you are totally clear on where you are going and what you are doing and then WHAM, something comes up and suddenly your lost, dazed and confused?

This is the theme of the feature film TAOS.Here we meet John Wahlberg, a super-stressed out, fast-track lawyer in the prime of his life who is on the road to join his girlfriend in Aspen (where she is expecting him to propose). When his car breaks down, stranding him in Taos, New Mexico, he is suddenly stuck in a small town without WiFi or cell coverage. A shaman, a woman, and a little magic reveal the possibilities of a new way of living.One path leads to the unknown.The other path is his current buttoned up, elite, financially secure world. Curious to know which path John chooses?



Great news from our friends at Spiritual Cinema Circle -- you can receive TAOS plus 3 great short films for FREE when you sign up for a trial membership at no charge. (just pay a small shipping fee). They are the only DVD service dedicated to films about love, compassion and inspiration, one of the many reasons we wanted you to know about them.

“The Spiritual Cinema Circle is providing a great service to those who want to evolve and be entertained at the same time.” Deepak Chopra

Ideas for anxiety and stress relief

Meditation is a process of calming the mind to reap the benefits of anxiety and stress relief. In our challenging times, you may wonder, well great, how do I calm my mind? Bills to pay, collectors calling, work is slow, and I feel sick.

Anxiety and stress are big contributors to bad health. It amazes me that in times of mental turmoil, our minds can torture the body to the extent of creating headaches, body aches, muscle tension, changes in heart rate, and so much more. On the opposite end, when our minds are peaceful, the body is relaxed, and a smile just feels right.

Ok, so how can I get to the place where I can ease my worried mind and enjoy the benefits of calmness and peace of mind? Myself, personally, have had great results using meditation audios when I go to bed at night. I really get a good night's sleep, which is a key element in our ability to handle stress. The audios which have worked best for me have been from Effective Learning Systems. Audios are available for both resting or while active, such as driving.

Effective Learning Systems began in 1972 as a way to help people reach their full potential through deep relaxation, guided imagery, self hypnosis and more.

Do you have the jitters whenever you try to be still? Have you considered a natural solution? Various herbs can help to calm your body. Just as caffeine can give you a jolt, natural herbs such as passionflower, ashwagandha, melatonin, or 5-htp can help to bring down the anxiety to help you relax and make it even possible to meditate. 5-htp has been shown to favorably modulate serotonin levels, which can help with mental help and sleep patterns. Of course, if you are under a doctors care, check to see if any supplement will counteract any prescription which you may be taking.

The body and the mind are integrated into one unit, no matter how separate they may seem. Increasing the level of exercise throughout your day can be of benefit to you. I know, exercise is something that there is no time or energy for. So let's think about simple adjustments instead of 4 times a week at the gym. Parking a bit farther away from the grocery store gives your shoes a few more miles over time. When you take out the gallon of milk from the fridge, do some arm curls with the weight for several reps to keep the arm muscles toned. If you live close to the store, consider walking instead of driving. If you have a home or apartment with stairs, you have a built in stairmaster. Every little bit of exercise that you do allows the body to do what it does best naturally.

The body naturally regulates all the necessary ingredients to keep you healthy when you give it proper nutrition and a little exercise. Give yourself the choice of calm. Even in these stress filled times, you are still you! You are still magnificent! And you deserve to feel good about you!

Neale Donald Walsch coming to Colorado

Neale Donald Walsch, author of Conversations With God, is coming to Lakewood, Colorado Friday March 20 and Saturday March 21.

The bestselling author of the renowned With God series is making another visit to Mile Hi Church to inspire important changes in your daily life.
Since the publication of the groundbreaking spiritual work, Conversations with God, people have repeatedly asked the author to explain the process of his dialogue with Deity. Now, in a very mind-expanding and spirit-awakening presentation, Neale not only explains, but for the first time demonstrates how he speaks with God and gives you an opportunity to have your own conversation with the Divine.

I have much enjoyed reading Conversations With God. If you find yourself in Colorado and not sure of where Mile Hi Church is located, contact me for directions. I'll be volunteering at the book sales counter, so stop by and say Hello.

Should you not be able to attend Neale's presentation or workshop, visit Amazon.com for his book and video selection. There is also an eleven week course presented by Mr. Walsch on DailyOm.com You will learn how to dial up the happiness in your life. Happiness is a key ingredient in your life, health, relationships, spirit, and the health of the planet.

A path to enlightenment

This past Saturday I went to the library to return a couple of movies and a book. While there, I browsed the books and picked up "Everyday Enlightenment", by Dan Millman. I had watched the movie "Peaceful Warrior", based on a book written by Dan Millman and thoroughly enjoyed the movie and the philosophy of Socrates, a character in the movie.

Sunday morning I awoke tense, frustrated, and anxious. My life seems to be getting nowhere. I don't seem to be able to make money. I have many money making ideas, yet need time to develop the skills, marketing, and products to sell. I visualize my life as I believe it can be, and it still doesn't come to be.

I sat downstairs by my computer and bitched to God. Do You care? Does it matter that one of your creations is in pain? If you care at all I should be able to open this book and your Spirit will flow through the words. At random, I opened the book to a section on fear. I read about the strength of our immortal soul, yet within the framework of humanity we can still be stricken by fear. This fear goes by many names; anxiety, depression, stress, overwhelm, feeling stuck and more. I closed the book with a "what does it mean" feeling and the thoughts began to flow freely.

My anxiety was just long term fear. My lack of focus was fear of not being able to follow through with a project. A voice seemed to say "why do you wear so much fear?" I was quite bewildered because I didn't know fear was a constant companion. An image popped into my mind of all my fears looking like clothes and banners that I wore. The voice seemed to say "how would you feel if you could take off your fear like taking off a tee shirt? What if for just a few moments you took off your fear and just breathed in the lightness of just being you?" In my mind I removed my banners of fear -- the angst, worthlessness, feeling of failure. I still clung to my fear in the form of a tee shirt. "Well, what if?" I thought. Can I give up my fear? I took off the fear tee shirt and immediately felt free. I was awe struck. In my mind I wandered around a beautiful sunlit hillside totally ecstatic of being released from this burden. I went on to have an absolutely wonderful day and evening. I even awoke today very content just being me.

I am curious also to see how events unfold. I don't know if I will don my cloak of fear once more or acknowledge its presence in my life and coexist in a peaceful way. In the book, Dan Millman states "Fear is not only an adversary, it is also a guide." My fear said, don't write this blog post, nobody cares. Which possibly means somebody else needs this. Maybe it's you.

How your ideas make you money

I am absolutely confident, that in this economy, you can make money. I am so confident in you, that I am here to let you know the world needs you.

It seems many of us have lost our entrepreneurial passions and sold our souls to a corporation. Yet, not many corporations are taking care of us, are they? I'm not much of a historian, but I think the first European families that landed in America, faced quite a challenge economically. There wasn't a Walmart around then nor was there a job to be found in the land. To survive, they relied on each other.

Who is relying on you? Who are you relying on? When you take inventory of your personal skills, or better yet, let somebody close to you take inventory of your skills, you will find that you are actually confined and limited by your job. If you allow your talent to flow, what need can you fill? Who can benefit by your abilities? How much is your time worth? When you bring value into some one's life, they bring money into your life. We are so much more connected than we will ever know.

Silly example from my life. I have a scroll saw and I just kind of tinker with making things. In the beginning of my new "toy", I was quite crude in my attempts at art. I had come a long way and during the holidays this past Christmas, I had made some gifts from scrap wood on my scroll saw. I was shocked and flattered when I was asked to make a piece of art for a co-worker of Lisa's. I was absolutely befuddled when she wanted to know how much I would charge. In a nutshell, two people were happy over this, Lisa's friend had a work of art, and I had some extra money. I have now been asked to make an artistic birdhouse, which I will begin after writing this post. I never seriously thought of this tool as a means to make any money.

The point is, what are you good at, and yet you don't see the value in that talent? Are you good at sewing? Cooking? Arranging? Wood? Metal? Teaching? And through the internet, you can greatly expand talent beyond your local area.

Just like the original colonists, when we rely on each other, the support, the value exchange, the harmony will overcome mere survival and will allow us all to thrive.