WHAT A YEAR!

I have to admit I am very thrilled with our President select, I think Barack will really bring us the much needed change. He is erudite, humble, sincere and very smart, I am looking forward to his presidency. I encountered that talking about politics is a rather delicate excersize in the US, and at work one was advised not to talk politics at all because it could be perceived as harrasment. Luckily I was not the only elated person in the office after the election results were clear. Just very proud of America taking such a bold step and showing so much hope and courage!

XOMO

CIRCLE

As I travel further and further along my personal road of life I encounter more often these intriguing roundabouts ;-)
No I am not going in circles or getting lost! Au contraire, these circles seem to connect everything magically (something most Asian relegions have acknowledged for thousands of years). I still struggle with this concept of unity, that all, everything and everyone are ONE. I just can't believe that the person who cuts me off in traffic is part of me and that we are in that same reality...that an insane mother who kills her child is somehow connected to me, it just doesn't make sense.
I would love to be liberated from duality and feel more united at least to start with being united with my real self...part of that journey. For now I'll just enjoy the scenery and try to be as much as possible HERE and NOW. That is a bigger challenge than being occupied with the past and future, something most people are very skilled in. In my next writing I'll describe a few of these circle samples, like how I found a Unitarian Universalist meeting via the Buddhist temple and how I finally understood the real meaning of the Dutch word for the Universe, HeelAl.

Forget time and I'll be back before you know!

Be well, MO

LOVE FAQ

As I discussed love with several people this "frequently asked questions" idea came to me as a way of touching some love input and feedback. By no means would I consider myself a love expert, yet I think we all have some love expertise...

Q: So, what is love not?
A: To be treated as an afterthought and certainly not as an object of any ones ego.

Q: Is there a difference in being loving and being in love?
A: When a person loves with every fiber of their being (being in love) something wonderful happens. They become caring, nurturing, giving and mostly protective of those they have included in their love sphere. Kindness radiates from them and illuminates all about them. Being loving does not necessarily include nurturing and protecting, but certainly includes respect and compassion.

Q: Can you harm someone you love?
A: Yes, and harming your loved ones is harming yourself.

Q: Are there levels of depth in love?
A: When feelings are shallow and superficial they are cloying and restrictive. If a person is unstable in their soul and hasn't the ability to love themselves, there is no possible way they can even respect those they claim to love.

Q: Do you need to love yourself first?
A: Not being able to love yourself causes an emotional rift and one tends to stray from their partner, seeking what they inherently don't have. In this self absorbed state they don't realize it has to be found within before it can radiate outward. Unfortunately, because of this insecurity, they often refuse to let go of the very ones they are hurting so badly.

Q: How do personal priorities and love live together?
A: When you really love someone priorities naturally melt together, you’ll probably find out you have the same priorities!

Q: What is unconditional love?
A: Unconditional love is when you know you have found real love and can say: I am sharing my heart and my soul knowing I can trust you to treat it gently and with care. All I have, and am, is ours. Its total openness and transparency, the “you and me” transcends into “us”.

Q: Why is unconditional love so hard?
A: Unconditional love is opening your heart to everything from joy to pain. Sometimes the person you love may not reciprocate or even understand how you feel, but you should allow yourself to feel it regardless. Love is fearless. But it's silly to say I will love someone if they make me happy... or have my children... or fix my dinner... or any such thing. That's most certainly not unconditional. Most people love conditionally, often without being aware of it; this is what causes pain and conflicts.

Q: Why do so many seem to fall in love with the “wrong” person?
A: Wrong person does mean they aren't good people... it's just they may not be good for you or me. However, the good news is this... the right love may be just a thought away... right there inside your heart.


MO LOVE 2 U, MO

LOVE 2

I LOVE YOU!
People use it every day without knowing the real meaning of it. These words should be seen as strengthening bonds rather than breaking it apart. Saying “I love you” expresses genuine feelings of care and compassion. It’s profound and deep, making it sometimes seem almost impossible to understand. But when you feel it… you know it’s just there. And it isn’t just by letting people know through words that you love them; it should show in your actions and responses.

Contribution by Jim Allmon

In the book, The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams, the Velveteen Rabbit asked, "What is REAL?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit....

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"Does is happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have been carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

When we love a person, an animal, or a plant, they flourish. Everything embraced by love grows. However, we can only love to the degree we love ourselves.
Fall more and more in love with that which you truly value in yourself. Love flows from a wellspring in your soul and is the purest nourishment that God and the universe can provide.

It's a good practice to send out thoughts of love every day, as those toward whom they are directed will feel them. Love with all you are and they will feel the effect. The beauty is, you will heal not only them, but also yourself in the process. Love has an interesting way of melting away old scars and repairing broken things.

Deep within your soul, feel all the love you can. Silently, in your heart, radiate love to everyone around you. That's all there is to it and there's nothing else that needs to be done. Loving people share their love... even when it may not be understood or reciprocated. You see, unconditional love is the greatest gift there is and like any treasure from God... it's meant to be shared.

We were created in love and by it and the life we have is meant to be savored. Don't go forth stumbling in the darkness. Instead shine brilliantly in the light of love and become a beacon for humanity. Learn from life and embrace the miracle of you.

Fly high into the stars and enjoy yourself!


Love to you, MO

LOVE 1

What is the shape of Love?

What we see is not the most important.
Could dust rise without the invisible
hand of the wind?
Could a fan turn without any current?
Could lungs breathe without breath?
Tell me
What is the shape of Love?
How much does Joy weigh
when held in the palm of your hand?
Can you catch the Spirit of Life in a jar?

All things seen depend
upon the Unseen.
All sounds depend upon Silence.
All things felt depend
upon what is not felt

Adyashanti

Just wondering what is the definition of LOVE?
Can you LOVE someone and act in an unloving way at the same time?
What does LOVE do?
Why is there LOVE?

LOVE, MO

The Daffodil Principle

Picture by Rachel from California.
A good friend of mine always forwards these jewels. The story of "The Daffodil Principle" originally appeared nearly ten years ago in Jaroldeen Edwards' book Celebration! A beautiful story and a great insight as well...I lived in this area and know that road very well, yet I never discovered that garden!
I hope it is OK to share this with you all!

Here's Jaroldeen's story:
Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come and see the daffodils before they are over." I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead. Going and coming took most of a day - and I honestly did not have a free day until the following week.

"I will come next Tuesday," I promised, a little reluctantly, on her third call. Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I drove the length of Route 91, continued on I-215, and finally turned onto Route 18 and began to drive up the mountain highway. The tops of the mountains were sheathed in clouds, and I had gone only a few miles when the road was completely covered with a wet, gray blanket of fog. I slowed to a crawl, my heart pounding. The road becomes narrow and winding toward the top of the mountain.

As I executed the hazardous turns at a snail's pace, I was praying to reach the turnoff at Blue Jay that would signify I had arrived. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house and hugged and greeted my grandchildren I said, "Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in the clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these darling children that I want to see bad enough to drive another inch!" My daughter smiled calmly, "We drive in this all the time, Mother."

"Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears - and then I'm heading for home!" I assured her. "I was hoping you'd take me over to the garage to pick up my car. The mechanic just called, and they've finished repairing the engine," she answered. "How far will we have to drive?" I asked cautiously. "Just a few blocks,"Carolyn said cheerfully.

So we buckled up the children and went out to my car. "I'll drive" Carolyn offered. "I'm used to this." We got into the car, and she began driving.
In a few minutes I was aware that we were back on the Rim-of-the-World Road heading over the top of the mountain. "Where are we going?" I exclaimed, distressed to be back on the mountain road in the fog. "This isn't the way to the garage!"

"We're going to my garage the long way," Carolyn smiled, "by way of the daffodils."
"Carolyn, I said sternly, trying to sound as if I was still the mother and in charge of the situation, "please turn around. There is nothing in the world that I want to see enough to drive on this road in this weather." "It's all right, Mother," She replied with a knowing grin. "I know what I'm doing. I promise, you will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."

And so my sweet, darling daughter who had never given me a minute of difficulty in her whole life was suddenly in charge - and she was kidnapping me! I couldn't believe it. Like it or not, I was on the way to see some ridiculous daffodils - driving through the thick, gray silence of the mist-wrapped mountaintop at what I thought was risk to life and limb.

I muttered all the way. After about twenty minutes we turned onto a small gravel road that branched down into an oak-filled hollow on the side of the mountain. The fog had lifted a little, but the sky was lowering, gray and heavy with clouds.
We parked in a small parking lot adjoining a little stone church. From our vantage point at the top of the mountain we could see beyond us, in the mist, the crests of the San Bernardino range like the dark, humped backs of a herd of elephants. Far below us the fog-shrouded valleys, hills, and flatlands stretched away to the desert.
On the far side of the church I saw a pine-needle-covered path, with towering evergreens and manzanita bushes and an inconspicuous, lettered sign "Daffodil Garden."

We each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path as it wound through the trees. The mountain sloped away from the side of the path in irregular dips, folds, and valleys, like a deeply creased skirt. Live oaks, mountain laurel, shrubs, and bushes clustered in the folds, and in the gray, drizzling air, the green foliage looked dark and monochromatic. I shivered. Then we turned a corner of the path, and I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight, unexpectedly and completely splendid.

It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it down over the mountain peak and slopes where it had run into every crevice and over every rise. Even in the mist-filled air, the mountainside was radiant, clothed in massive drifts and waterfalls of daffodils. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, saffron, and butter yellow.

Each different-colored variety (I learned later that there were more than thirty-five varieties of daffodils in the vast display) was planted as a group so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue.
In the center of this incredible and dazzling display of gold, a great cascade of purple grape hyacinth flowed down like a waterfall of blossoms framed in its own rock-lined basin, weaving through the brilliant daffodils. A charming path wound throughout the garden. There were several resting stations, paved with stone and furnished with Victorian wooden benches and great tubs of coral and carmine tulips.

As though this were not magnificent enough, Mother Nature had to add her own grace note - above the daffodils, a bevy of western bluebirds flitted and darted, flashing their brilliance. These charming little birds are the color of sapphires with breasts of magenta red. As they dance in the air, their colors are truly like jewels above the blowing, glowing daffodils. The effect was spectacular.

It did not matter that the sun was not shining. The brilliance of the daffodils was like the glow of the brightest sunlit day. Words, wonderful as they are, simply cannot describe the incredible beauty of that flower-bedecked mountain top.
Five acres of flowers! (This too I discovered later when some of my questions were answered.) "But who has done this?" I asked Carolyn. I was overflowing with gratitude that she brought me - even against my will. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"Who?" I asked again, almost speechless with wonder, "And how, and why, and when?"
"It's just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory.

We walked up to the house, my mind buzzing with questions. On the patio we saw a poster. "Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking" was the headline. The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read. The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman, two hands, two feet, and very little brain." The third answer was, "Began in 1958."

There it was. The Daffodil Principle.

For me that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than thirty-five years before, had begun - one bulb at a time - to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountain top. One bulb at a time.

There was no other way to do it. One bulb at a time. No shortcuts - simply loving the slow process of planting. Loving the work as it unfolded.
Loving an achievement that grew so slowly and that bloomed for only three weeks of each year. Still, just planting one bulb at a time, year after year, had changed the world.

This unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. She had created something of ineffable magnificence, beauty, and inspiration.
The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principle of celebration: learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time - often just one baby-step at a time - learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time.

When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world.
"Carolyn," I said that morning on the top of the mountain as we left the haven of daffodils, our minds and hearts still bathed and bemused by the splendors we had seen, "it's as though that remarkable woman has needle-pointed the earth! Decorated it. Just think of it, she planted every single bulb for more than thirty years. One bulb at a time! And that's the only way this garden could be created. Every individual bulb had to be planted. There was no way of short-circuiting that process. Five acres of blooms. That magnificent cascade of hyacinth! All, just one bulb at a time."

The thought of it filled my mind. I was suddenly overwhelmed with the implications of what I had seen. "It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years. Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"

My wise daughter put the car into gear and summed up the message of the day in her direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said with the same knowing smile she had worn for most of the morning. Oh, profound wisdom!

It is pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson a celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, "How can I put this to use tomorrow?"

Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards

http://ci.sutter-creek.ca.us/daffodilhill.html

Update from a local:
"...I had heard the garden burned in the fire, but was hopeful that the flowers would bloom anyway. Much to my delight, the owner's home did not burn, the neighboring church did not burn and the Daffodils were spectacular! It was a wonderful day and a very special treat for me! The garden is open for a very limited time. Only from March 22, 2008 to April 6, 2008 and is open to visitors after 10am. If you've never been, you are missing a wonderful gift. You can see a lot of the burn area that surrounds this garden, but to me it makes it that much more special."

Ananda, MO

MO MATT

From: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080722.html

What are these humans doing? Dancing. Many humans on Earth exhibit periods of happiness, and one method of displaying happiness is dancing. Happiness and dancing transcend political boundaries and occur in practically every human society. Matt Harding traveled through many nations on Earth, started dancing, and filmed the result. The video is perhaps a dramatic example that humans from all over planet Earth feel a common bond as part of a single species. Happiness is frequently contagious -- few people are able to watch the above video without smiling.

Here you can find Matt: http://www.wherethehellismatt.com/videos.shtml

We want MO Matt!

Oh...I just found this on Matt's website in his FAQ section:

Question:
Why is the world so screwed up?
Matt's answer:
Men.
Question:
How do we fix it?
Matt's answer:
Women.

JULY?!

I can't believe we are near the end of July and that I didn't post here for over a month! My apologies! As a blogger I feel committed to write at least once a week, so I guess I'll have to work double shifts for the coming weeks! LOL

We had an unexpected move at the beginning of June, luckily we moved within our neighborhood, but unpacking and getting settled took some time.
Summer is also a time we spend mostly outside in the water, as we have the privilege of a community pool behind our townhouse. I take our daughter for a swim 7 days a week, so there's not much time left for "internal" explorations...

When I thought of this blog lately it appeared to me that it actually is a diary of my spiritual journey, so let me update you with the latest places I've been.

I must admit that the traject from The Secret to Eckhart Tolle was a very refreshing one. Honestly I got tired with the chase of being successful, the best you can be etc.etc. and was longing for something that could actually bring me closer to ME.

From Eckhart I learned a lot, about ego and its short fused character. The being PRESENT is a wonderful feeling and something I still exercise every day. It brought me to Thich Nhat Hahn and his teachings are very profound and stripped from any commercial goals, listening to him is like being in an actual monastery.

The past 2 weeks I've immersed myself in the Integral theory and the world of Ken Wilber. From wikipedia: The integral movement (also called the integral paradigm, integral philosophy, the integral worldview, or the integral approach) is a movement that seeks a comprehensive understanding of humans and the universe by combining, among other things, scientific and spiritual insights.

Integral might be said to have both a broad and a narrow meaning. In the larger, generic sense, Integral means whole, complete and holistic, such as body-mind-spirit and East-West. In the narrow or more specific sense it refers to the Integral Yoga and Philosophy of Sri Aurobindo, as well as the Integral Psychology (the term coined by Indra Sen) and Psychotherapy that emerges from it.[1]. Although the basic ideas were first articulated in the early twentieth century, the movement originates with the California Institute of Integral Studies founded in 1968 by Haridas Chaudhuri, a disciple of Sri Aurobindo, who was the first to fully define the idea.

This will take while to study and I enjoy it! When I was watching a Ken Wilber video on youtube I found Adyashanti http://www.adyashanti.org/ and I loved his work! He studied Zen for several decades and his "teachings" are so deep and profound and yet so clear and humble. He is also funny! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYr7KYWVzoE&feature=related

Being accepting (of my complete self in the first place) will make it easier to be accepting of others...I really like to leave that place of judging behind me...

More MO, soon...

YOXOMO

THE LAW OF THE GARBAGE TRUCK

The Law of the Garbage Truck (Not sure what the source is, but like the idea!)

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly.
So I asked, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost caused an accident and sent us to the hospital!" This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck."
He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, full of disappointment and rage. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't pick up their garbage and spread it to other people in your life, whether at work, at home, or to people that you don't even know on the streets.
Always remember that good people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so.....
"Love the people who treat you right and forgive and pray for the ones who don't."

Things always appear when it is "time", I needed this one, to help me with becoming more understanding, compassionate, accepting and therefore much more relaxed!

My apologies for the fact I've not posted in a while, I went through a move and I am still unpacking and such...

XOMO

ONE MO

Spending time abroad always refreshes my views on things. I just got back from a trip to my home country the Netherlands (Holland). I was incredible happy to see that two of my dear friends were totally traveling on the same spiritual path, yet we were also able to exhange new findings and personal views during a nice long conversion fuelled by mouthwatering food!

Currently I am reading several writings by Thich nhat hahn and his work really contributed to a deeper understanding of being aware/conscious/in the 'now'/one.
I experienced being much more at peace with what is, and the deminishing of stress caused by what is not yet...

MOre later, love, Mo

WOW: NOW

One of the reasons I have not posted lately is because I've been on a trip through the present. I know it sounds silly, but when you read "a new earth, awakening to your life's purpose" by Eckhart Tolle, this is exactly what could happen to you.

To be honest it's hard to talk about his book, you have to read it and feel it within you. This is not material "to understand", you don't need to be of certain age, or have a certain education, you are ready for it or not yet. Eckhart even recommends to put the book away for a while if it does not make any sense to you.

It is about becoming conscious, transcending your ego and discovering your true, 'bare' Self. You are not your thoughts, you are not your history, and you are not your body, and the moment you think: "I don't know who I am anymore" you're getting close to meet your true Self ;-)

WOW, is the word that comes out of my mouth during reading almost every page. It's a beautiful, peaceful, serene, and sacred, feeling. Again, it's an experience that goes beyond words.

I feel like I've been invited to become a student of the Universe, a privileged feeling, and very exiting indeed. I am getting better at observing myself and being more in the present moment. I enjoy things much intenser, and I am less affected by external things.

I feel that I am disconnecting from identifying myself with my past, and I am less concerned about the future. I realize that there really is only NOW, yet I can enjoy taking inspired action (while being present) for something I'd like to accomplish.

Geez, forgive me if this all sounds like lala land bla bla to you...JUST READ THIS BOOK!

Love to you, YOXOMO

http://eckharttolle.com

GOT HO'OPONOPONO?

"Change the world and start with yourself" makes sense and that is what HO'OPONOPONO entails if you wish to describe it in simple terms. For me it means I take 100% responsibility for anything that happens in my daily life, and this is not an easy exercise! We are such a blaming society, yet this blaming game does not provide us with any relief or solutions. When you take response-ability you empower yourself and you are inspired to create solutions instead of more barriers.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ho'oponopono is a Hawaiian word for a form of family or personal therapy.

Practitioners believe it is an ancient Hawaiian practice. To date, the earliest documentation of a practice called ho'oponopono is from the Hawaiian language newspaper, Kuokoa in 1863. Mary Kawena Pukui recorded her experiences and observations from her childhood (born 1895) in her 1958 book. (Handy & Pukui; Chai, 2007)

Pukui described it as a practice of extended family members meeting to try to "make right" broken family relations ("making right" is the literal translation of the Hawaiian term). Traditional ho’oponopono sessions include "prayer, discussion, confession, repentance, mutual restitution, and forgiveness." (Cody)

In the 1980s, Morrnah Simeona developed what she called an updated and streamlined version of ho'oponopono that is practiced by the individual alone. Her practice continues to be taught by her students in Hawai'i, including Ramsay Taum, and Ihaleakala Hew Len, Ph.D[1]. According to Hew Len, ho'oponopono is a Hawaiian healing process based on the principles of total responsibility, taking responsibility for every one's actions. He says if one would take complete responsibility for one's life, then everything one would see, hear, taste, touch, or in any way experience is one's responsibility because it is in one's life. Total Responsibility advocates that everything exists as a projection from inside the human being. The problem isn't with our external reality, it is with ourselves and to change our reality, we would have to change ourselves.

HO'OPONOPONO
By Joe Vitale (excerpt)

"Two years ago, I heard about a therapist in Hawaii who cured a complete ward of criminally insane patients--without ever seeing any of them. The psychologist would study an inmate's chart and then look within himself to see how he created that person's illness. As he improved himself, the patient improved.

"When I first heard this story, I thought it was an urban legend. How could anyone heal anyone else by healing himself? How could even the best self-improvement master cure the criminally insane? It didn't make any sense. It wasn't logical, so I dismissed the story.

"However, I heard it again a year later. I heard that the therapist had used a Hawaiian healing process called ho 'oponopono. I had never heard of it, yet I couldn't let it leave my mind. If the story was at all true, I had to know more. I had always understood "total responsibility" to mean that I am responsible for what I think and do. Beyond that, it's out of my hands. I think that most people think of total responsibility that way. We're responsible for what we do, not what anyone else does--but that's wrong.

"The Hawaiian therapist who healed those mentally ill people would teach me an advanced new perspective about total responsibility. His name is Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len. We probably spent an hour talking on our first phone call. I asked him to tell me the complete story of his work as a therapist. He explained that he worked at Hawaii State Hospital for four years. That ward where they kept the criminally insane was dangerous.

Psychologists quit on a monthly basis. The staff called in sick a lot or simply quit. People would walk through that ward with their backs against the wall, afraid of being attacked by patients. It was not a pleasant place to live, work, or visit.

"Dr. Len told me that he never saw patients. He agreed to have an office and to review their files. While he looked at those files, he would work on himself. As he worked on himself, patients began to heal.

"'After a few months, patients that had to be shackled were being allowed to walk freely,' he told me. 'Others who had to be heavily medicated were getting off their medications. And those who had no chance of ever being released were being freed.' I was in awe.'Not only that,' he went on, 'but the staff began to enjoy coming to work. Absenteeism and turnover disappeared. We ended up with more staff than we needed because patients were being released, and all the staff was showing up to work. Today, that ward is closed.'

"This is where I had to ask the million dollar question: 'What were you doing within yourself that caused those people to change?'

"'I was simply healing the part of me that created them,' he said. I didn't understand. Dr. Len explained that total responsibility for your life means that everything in your life- simply because it is in your life--is your responsibility. In a literal sense the entire world is your creation.

"Whew. This is tough to swallow. Being responsible for what I say or do is one thing. Being responsible for what everyone in my life says or does is quite another. Yet, the truth is this: if you take complete responsibility for your life, then everything you see, hear, taste, touch, or in any way experience is your responsibility because it is in your life. This means that terrorist activity, the president, the economy or anything you experience and don't like--is up for you to heal. They don't exist, in a manner of speaking, except as projections from inside you. The problem isn't with them, it's with you, and to change them, you have to change you.

"I know this is tough to grasp, let alone accept or actually live. Blame is far easier than total responsibility, but as I spoke with Dr. Len, I began to realize that healing for him and in ho 'oponopono means loving yourself.

"If you want to improve your life, you have to heal your life. If you want to cure anyone, even a mentally ill criminal you do it by healing you.

"I asked Dr. Len how he went about healing himself. What was he doing, exactly, when he looked at those patients' files?

"'I just kept saying, 'I'm sorry' and 'I love you' over and over again,' he explained.

"That's it?

"That's it.

"Turns out that loving yourself is the greatest way to improve yourself, and as you improve yourself, you improve your world.

"Let me give you a quick example of how this works: one day, someone sent me an email that upset me. In the past I would have handled it by working on my emotional hot buttons or by trying to reason with the person who sent the nasty message.

"This time, I decided to try Dr. Len's method. I kept silently saying, 'I'm sorry' and 'I love you,' I didn't say it to anyone in particular. I was simply evoking the spirit of love to heal within me what was creating the outer circumstance.

"Within an hour I got an e-mail from the same person. He apologized for his previous message. Keep in mind that I didn't take any outward action to get that apology. I didn't even write him back. Yet, by saying 'I love you,' I somehow healed within me what was creating him.
---------------------

My apologies, my love and my appreciation,

HO'OPONOPONO MO

GROWING UP OR OLD

I can't vouch for the validity, but the story is good nonetheless.

Growing Up or Growing Old
By: Author Unknown

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and
challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know.
I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my
shoulder. I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old
lady beaming up at me with a Smile that lit up her entire
being.

She said, "Hi, handsome! My name is Rose. I'm 87 years old.
Can I give you a hug?"

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, "Of course you
may!" and she gave me a giant squeeze.

"Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?" I
asked. She jokingly replied, "I'm here to meet a rich
husband, get married, have a couple of children, and then
retire and travel."

"No seriously," I asked. I was curious what may have
motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

"I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm
getting one!" she told me.

After class we walked to the student union building and
shared a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends.
Every day for the next three months we would leave class
together and talk nonstop.

I was always mesmerized listening to this "time machine" as
she shared her wisdom and experience with me. Over the
course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily
made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and
she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the
other students. She was living it up.

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our
football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She
was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to
deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her 3x5 cards on
the floor.

Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the
microphone and simply said, "I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I
gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll
never get my speech back in order, so let me just tell you
what I know." As we laughed, she cleared her throat and
began:

"We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old
because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to
staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have
to laugh and find humor everyday. You've got to have a
dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many
people walking around who are dead, and they don't even know
it!" she said.

"There is a huge difference between growing older and
growing up. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for
one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will
turn 20 years old. If I am 87 years old, and stay in bed for
a year, and never do anything, I will turn 88. Anybody can
grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability," she
added.

"The idea is to grow up by always finding the opportunity in
change. Have no regrets. The elderly usually don't have
regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not
do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets."

She concluded her speech by courageously singing "The Rose."
She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them
out in our daily lives.

At the years end, Rose finished the college degree she had
begun all those years ago. One week after graduation Rose
died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college
students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful
woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be
all you can possibly be.

Thanks to Jim for sharing this story.

1000 MARBLES

A good friend shared this story with me and I had to share it with you, enjoy!

1000 marbles
By: Author Unknown

The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps
it's the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to
rise, or maybe it's the unbounded joy of not having to be at
work. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning
are most enjoyable.

I'm a Ham radio operator and spend some time working with
radios and electronics. So when I heard this story it really
made me think! I hope that you will find some application in
your own life as well...

A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the basement shack
with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning
paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday
morning, turned into one of those lessons that life seems to
hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it.

I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on
my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap
net. Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap,
with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know the
kind, he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting
business. He was telling whoever he was talking with
something about "a thousand marbles."

I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say.
"Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job.
I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be
away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a
young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a
week to make ends meet. Too bad you missed your daughter's
dance recital."

He continued, "Let me tell you something Tom, something that
has helped me keep a good perspective on my own priorities."
And that's when he began to explain his theory of "a thousand
marbles."

"You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic.
The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know,
some live more and some live less, but on average, folks
live about seventy-five years."

"Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900
which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has
in their entire lifetime. Now stick with me Tom, I'm getting
to the important part."

"It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about
all this in any detail," he went on, "and by that time I had
lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays. I got to
thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had
about a thousand of them left to enjoy."

"So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble
they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to
roundup 1000 marbles. I took them home and put them inside
of a large, clear plastic container right here in the shack
next to my gear. Every Saturday since then, I have taken one
marble out and thrown it away."

"I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused
more on the really important things in life. There is
nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out
to help get your priorities straight."

"Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with
you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning,
I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure
if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a
little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a
little more time."

"It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend more time
with your family, and I hope to meet you again here on the
band. 75 year Old Man, this is K9NZQ, clear and going QRT,
good morning!"

You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow
signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I
had planned to work on the antenna that morning, and then I
was going to meet up with a few hams to work on the next
club newsletter. Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife
up with a kiss.

"C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to breakfast."

"What brought this on?" she asked with a smile.

"Oh, nothing special, it's just been a long time since we
spent a Saturday together with the kids. Hey, can we stop at
a toy store while we're out? I need to buy some marbles."

HAVE A GREAT WEEK... and may ALL of your Saturdays be
special!

TIME

Short caption for the Time cover I made; Joe Vitale talked about a magazine cover he made in one of his recent blog posts as a way to connect a feeling to a future outcome. That is just what I did with my Time cover, and I must say it feels great to see my work on that cover and it fuels my faith in "anything is possible"!

YOXOMO

SYNCHRONICITY

More about this image (I made about a year ago) and synchronicity later.
It's not a real cover but a visualization and inspirational tool.

Ananda, Mo

THOUGHTS ARE THE SEEDS

One of the most prevalent discussions about The Secret is about people thinking that just focusing on something will eventually get you what you want. Bill Harris talks about this magical thinking on his blog http://www.centerpointe.com/blog/ and states that this is the way to not getting what you want. Another "Secret" teacher Mike Dooley www.tut.com says: "thoughts become things."

When I started to review my thoughts I got really scared because I was thinking things I did not want to happen and I realized things happened in my life I'd never thought of...how is this possible?

After reading The Passion Test by Janet and Chris Attwood I finally realized there are more key factors to your thoughts coming true. Your mind tricks you, you might think you want A, but deep down it's really B that you have a passion for. So first you have to be really clear about what you really want in your life. Janet and Chris developed an easy process to get down to your top 5 passions, be warned you might surprise yourself! ;-)

Thoughts related to your passions are the seeds you plant, then you need to give it attention, or as others have called it "take inspired action". You need to water your seeds and feed it, weed it. When you are clear, your actions speak for themselves, you know which action will help you to get a step closer and which ones will not.

Then you'll have to let it grow, let it go, sit back, relax and enjoy watching your seed maturing in a beautiful flower or tree. In this phase you remain without tension. Intention-attention-no tension.

I am no longer afraid of my thoughts, I just laugh and let go. No matter how often I thought about getting a flat tire because I had over 50.000 miles on them, I did NOT get a flat tire!

One other thing I'd like to mention, I am so grateful for Chris and Janet describing the following: "... spirituality and wealth are complimentary, not mutually exclusive, ways of living life." My belief that it was an impossible combination was one of my major psychological roadblocks and this one sentence was enough for me to finally let it go, wow what a great feeling!!

I can continue to write about this wonderful book, but I'd like you to read it for yourself. Interesting...my puzzle keeps growing and I keep finding more puzzle pieces!

Find yourself and become more of it!

YOXOMO

FROM JOE AND MO

I just received an update from Joe Vitale's blog and guess what it is about?
http://blog.mrfire.com/secret/oprahs-little-secret/
"I just interviewed Will Bowen, author of the best book of 2007, A Complaint Free World, for my Hypnotic Gold members.
The interview was fantastic, as I expected it to be, but the ending really blew me away.
That’s when I spontaneously asked Will what Oprah had to say about him, his book, and his movement.
He then told me the most amazing thing:
“Between takes Oprah leaned over to me and said, ‘I have nothing to complain about’.
“At first I thought she meant she had nothing to complain about because she’s Oprah and life is good.
“But we talked and I learned that her life is so great because she does not complain to begin with. She always focuses on what she wants. Her not complaining created the Oprah we see.”
I love this story."

That is exactly what I recently experienced! I just stopped complaining and convert every occasion into a learning experience. It's a great feeling and it makes you feel happier, happy for no reason :-)

YOXOMO