Dear Ones,
I invested some time lately reflecting about Thanksgiving and what it means to me now compared to what it meant to me a decade ago. All that reflection led me to create a short video blog. I trust you will find something of value here.
Please do share your thoughts and perspective of this truly American Holiday in the comments below.
Until next time,
NAMASTE
Rev. Robert
How many times have you been told that if you ‘leap, the net will appear?’ How often have you followed that advice? Do you have direct experience of the ‘net’ appearing only after you have leapt into something unknown or unseen? I believe several ‘nets’ have caught us all during our lives even if we have not been aware we had leapt into the unknown. Are you willing to take another leap? Are you willing to experience Shambhala?
We all know the consciousness of humanity is shifting, changing, and evolving in ways 
many of us have never considered. We are rapidly approaching what many consider a major turning point in human consciousness. Some believe the world may end, others believe we are on the precipice of a new birth in human consciousness. I agree with the perspective that we are poised to take a giant evolutionary leap into a magnificent new expression of human consciousness. We are currently presented with the opportunity to create a ‘Shambhala of the Mind.’ The term Shambhala grew out of Tibetan and Indian Buddhist traditions and means ‘Pure Land.’ I believe humanity is being called to create a state of ‘Pure Consciousness’ in order that we may experience the ‘Pure Land’ of Shambhala.
In order for us to do this however we must take a leap. We must be willing to step away from what we have always known and TRUST, really TRUST that GOD has our backs. We must be willing to go to those scary places, those places within that we have been unwilling to explore. I believe we are being called to take the Inner Journey of Enlightenment and discover our own limiting beliefs and how those self-imposed limitations are limiting the consciousness of humanity as well as our individual lives. We must leap and Trust that we shall be caught in the loving strong arms of Spirit. Thus, we shall be lifted up to something higher, something unknown, and something beyond our present comprehension into the Consciousness of Shambhala.
I know we could fill volumes providing proof of how the Universe has always supplied the net at just the right moment. How we screamed and flailed as we wished to feel the safety of the net, how we bounced higher than we could have imagined once the net threw us back into our lives. Today I am asking you to step into your day and live from that place that knows…”there is no one and nothing against me.” Live from the consciousness that knows you are forever uplifted, forever supported, forever sourced by the unlimited resource call GOD. Begin today to live from the Consciousness of Shambhala and boldly declare your Truth, the Truth of GOD operating AS your life to everyone you encounter this day.
If we all begin today to live life fully, to live beyond any sense of fear or limitation we begin to empower others to do the same. There are so many wonderful examples of this happening right now. I recently submitted a short post to a blog that is collecting 50,000 blessings from around the world before December 21st 2012. You are invited to submit your blessing, for yourself, the world, or humanity, on the Global Blessing Blog as well. Barbara Marks Hubbard, the famed futurist, has begun a campaign to celebrate the Birth of a New Era of Conscious Evolution. Humanity’s Team is celebrating Global Oneness day on Oct 24th. These are a just a few of the amazing initiatives that are bringing forth an expanded consciousness for the future of humanity. I encourage you to find the programs and people that you can engage with in order to serve this evolving vision for humanity’s next 100 years.
There is an old and often overused an acronym for the word TEAM, together everyone achieves more. I would like to suggest that the next great evolution of human consciousness is not about achievements or about gaining, collecting, earning, building or amassing, but rather it is about BEing MORE (Motion Of Reality Evolving). I believe we are called , as a collective, to BE the Motion of Reality Evolving. We are being called to actualize our beliefs in something greater than ourselves, to empower a world that works for everyone, to envision a world where borders are irrelevant, to participate in a community on consciousness rather than a community of form. The Evolution of Humanity is upon us and I encourage you to Leap into the unknown, Trusting that the net must appear and propel you even higher than you are in this moment, into the Consciousness of Shambhala. I believe when enough of us allow the net to propel us upward we shall know Shambhala as the Truth of our lives and this planet.
Then we can begin serving something greater than our planet…we can begin to serve Universal Peace.
Until next time,
NAMASTE
Rev. Robert
Photo Credits:
Can’t we all just get along? Why did this happen to me? Will I ever be a success? Who do these people think they are? These and so many similar questions have somehow become the basis of how so many people look at their lives today. Not long ago a dear friend reminded me that “The quality of my life is directly proportional to the quality of my questions.” The question I am thus called to ask is whether my questions look at what’s
wrong with my life or what’s right with my life. Have a I asked myself recently “Does it have to be this way?”
Take a moment and ask yourself what questions you have been asking yourself lately? I can say I have been asking more negative question that positive during the past few months. I have been asking myself why did this happen to me? What did I do wrong? How could I have done better? All of which subtly implies I did not do my best in the first place. None of these questions have served me in moving forward in the process of manifesting my dreams and desires. If anything, these questions have kept me stuck in a self feeding loop of questioning my abilities to fulfill my mission here on the planet.
I consider myself a very positive person. I strive to always see what is possible rather than what limitation are appearing in my life. I’m the person many turn to when they have forgotten the ‘song of their soul’ and know I can help them remember their own song. I however seem to have forgotten some of the lyrics to my own song. That is why I recently turned to a Professional Practitioner of Religious Science and asked for help in remembering my center, my song, the calling of my heart and soul. That person did a fantastic job of guiding me to a place where I could once again affirm my own abilities and talents, a place where I could once again trust in my skills and mentally know I am here to make a difference. She asked me questions that caused me to ask myself even more thought provoking questions. She never asked me “why” I believed as I did. She asked quality questions that served to lead my thinking in a direction that brought my Truth into focus for me once again. Having someone in my corner that did not judge my lack of confidence or the fact that I was questioning myself was helpful and incredibly supportive.
As I reflected upon where my life has been during the past few months I remembered that I was here to make a difference, as is each of you. I re-affirmed that I have the skills, training and presence to be that same conduit of remembering for others as this woman has been for me. In fact, I get to return the favor and be a confidant, a listening ear, a Professional Practitioner for her as well. Sometimes I am the singer and sometimes I am listening to the beauty of GOD’s voice echoing through another’s voice.
I know each of you has incarnated here on planet Earth with a unique set of skills, talents and gifts to share with the world. I know as human beings having a spiritual experience we can sometimes get knocked off center, we can sometimes begin to ask ourselves the types of questions that lead to dismay or even depression. I also know we can ask the questions that affirm our existence and thus serve us in moving towards our goals and dreams more effectively.
The one question I often use and have found to be incredibly beneficial is simple. It is easy to remember and can be used in many different situations. I suggest that whenever you are unsure of the meaning behind an event, what you are being called to do, or how you will accomplish something just ask yourself, “Does it have to be this way?” If the only possible answer to this question is YES then you have no need to question any further and your path is clear. If, however, and what I find to happen most often, you answer NO then you have a wealth of opportunities to explore. Whenever I ask this question and a client answers NO they immediately begin to see alternative paths, various ways of being, or new perspectives of how they can live life more fully.
“Does it have to be this way?” Provides the space and time to explore how you can experience the details and events of your life differently. “Does it have to be this way?” invites you to change your perceptions of your life and how you are accomplishing your mission. “Does it have to be this way” opens the heart and allows GOD’s perspective of your life to emerge more fully than ever before.
In my spiritual counseling practice I serve many individuals in exploring the current experiences of their lives. Sometimes we explore what appears to be going wrong, and other times we explore what is absolutely going right. Regardless of the why behind our sessions together the end result is always the same. My clients learn how to ask themselves better questions. They learn to ask the type of quality questions that produces a quality life. They are supported in remembering their own Divinity, their own unique purpose and mission for being on the planet at this time.
If you would like to learn more about how you can learn to ask yourself better questions, how you can support yourself in creating the life you truly desire or simply allow yourself to be pampered with a Professional Practitioner session or dive deeply into a complete Visionary Breakthrough Coaching program I would be pleased to offer my services. Simply visit my site, learn more about me and then ask yourself if working with me would benefit you in creating the life you truly desire. If you answer YES then contact me and I’m happy to schedule a complimentary session with you to explore the possibilities rather than staying mired in the limitations.
Until next time,
NAMASTE
Robert
Photo Credit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/o5com/4951006091/in/faves-53047939@N06/
I imagine someone somewhere knows the origination of this quote. I however have had it taped to my computer monitor for many years and have never found it anywhere other than on this thin slip of paper. I cannot even remember who handed me this piece of amazing wisdom. I do believe the hand of GOD was present in making sure this quote came to me exactly when it did. It has become a constant reminder that I am not here to run away from change but rather embrace and actually be one that leads the charge for change. If you feel your call here on planet Earth is to be one that wants to be an expression of a fixed mindset, a constant in a sea of chaos then this exploration may not be for you. Then again the fact that you found yourself here may mean that this is your call to explore a different paradigm, a way of being in front of change rather than resistant to the inevitable evolution of the human race.
There is a big difference between embracing change and actually being a champion for change. I have found four distinct responses to change. First there are those that resist the change, those that allow the change, those that embrace the change and those that champion the change. Think about the last time Facebook made a change to the profile page. Some resisted vocally and almost violently. Others simply allowed the change to happen and took no stand on what the changes meant. There were those that embraced the change and began to use the new format as quickly as possible and then there were those that were out in front of the change and not only expected the change but were trying to get people excited about the change before it even happened.
Think about the people in your spiritual community. Can you name several people that fall into each category when a change happens in the Sunday service or the way a meeting is scheduled, or a group is organized? More often than not the positive people in our lives allow, embrace or champion the change. Those that find fault with most things, the resistors, often hide in the corners or the parking lot and only share with other resistors. Now this is not to say that the resistors are wrong or do not have a valid point of view. It is to say that change happens and trying to get back to the “Good Ole’ Days” just doesn’t happen. I have often thought that those that long for the Good Ole’ Days are actually looking for a way to strengthen their relationship with GOD. Recognizing that a longing to go back to the Good Ole’ Days is truly a call to go deeper into our own sense of separation from the Divine can be an eye opening opportunity to embrace the Divine Truth of our connectedness to GOD in every moment.
The question thus becomes whether or not you are really willing to allow yourself to be lead to a new way of being. Are you willing to allow yourself to be led, guided, supported and served as you discover the magnificence within yourself? Yes, there is magnificence within you; in fact it is within every one of us. We are all magnificent emanations of GOD and as such hold the keys to our own transformation.
The primary key to unlocking your magnificent potential is simply to embrace the deep Truth that you are special. Yes, you are created with gifts that no one else could ever have. The gifts you have may look similar to others’ gifts and yet yours are unique to you and in the way you share those gifts. Michael Bernard Beckwith once said, “Your gifts make their own way in the world.” I believe that what he meant was that by allowing your gifts to express themselves they create a path along which your life is enriched. The simple truth is that you have to be willing to allow those gifts to unfold naturally. There is no way to force your unique talents. You simply are being called to relax, and do what you love. Follow your passion, follow your bliss and allow GOD to manifest it’s magnificence as your magnificence.
All this requires change. We have to be willing to allow the long held perspectives of our lives to be changed. We are being called to embrace the fact that our vision of our lives may just be different form GOD’s vision of our life and thus we must change to fulfill the magnificent vision of our highest good. Perhaps you always thought and believed you were not good enough to fulfill the dreams you hold for yourself. Today is the day you are being asked to let go of those beliefs and change your thinking. Another famous quote in the New Thought movement teaches us to: “Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life.”
Are you ready to change your life? Are you ready to experience the Highest vision of your Life? Are you ready to take the leap and allow your magnificence to guide you into the greatest journey of your life? If so I know I can serve you in becoming the Greatest You possible. Simply contact me and together we can explore how my personalized coaching program can serve you in using your magnificence to create the life you truly desire. Make the call and I will share my gifts with you through a complimentary coaching session that will help you determine if what I do would serve your evolution or not. Are you ready to be one of those people that make a difference by embracing and even seeking change? Are you willing to allow yourself to be guided into a new paradigm of Authentic Spiritual Living? Are you ready to take the leap and Trust that you are supported, served and propelled towards the Highest and Best version of you that has ever imagined? All this and so much more is possible when you choose to take authentic action and set the Universe in motion on your behalf. Let’s connect and see what magnificence emerges as your Divine Life.
Until next time,
NAMASTE
Robert
Photo Credits:
Hand Holding Light:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/turyddu/2682923190/in/photostream/
Change Sign:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/spursfan_ace/2328879637/in/faves-53047939@N06/
To the best of my knowledge Solvitur Ambulando is the one and only piece of Latin I know, can pronounce and understand its meaning. This humble little phrase was introduced to my language only a handful of months ago and yet it has never been far from my lips since that day. In fact a wear a small blue rubber wristband, the type that is so very popular these days, that is inscribed with these words. The reason behind sharing all this is to impress upon you the powerful effect a couple of words can have on one’s life.
The practice that Solvitur Ambulando refers to has made a vast difference in how I perceive life and I know it has done the same for many others as well. The practice is actually quite prevalent in most aspects of our lives and on a daily basis as well. The fact is this simple process is one of the most prescribed practices for the relief of stress and worry. Solvitur Ambulando or It is solved by walking provides you a great excuse to get away from the stressors of daily life and commune with the Divine Truth of your life. How many times have you stood up from your desk and just took a walk around the office or invested a portion of your lunch hour walking around a local park or even around the block? Think about the sense of relief you feel during a lazy Sunday afternoon walk.
I am going to ask you to take a moment right where you are and simply visualize yourself taking a walk. In your mind you are free to walk wherever you like. Maybe you’re walking in the woods or a city street. Perhaps you’re walking along the beach or a grassy park. Wherever it is; invest a few moments to take a mental walk. Go ahead and take your time, I’ll be right here waiting for you to return.
Welcome back. I am confident that taking a mental walk was rather refreshing. I know this works for me. I have been using walking meditations for much of the past decade. As beneficial as taking a mental or physical walk can be I have found an even more profound way to practice Solvitur Ambulando.
Walking Labyrinths is one of the most profound Spiritual Practices I have ever
experienced. The simply process of walking a path where you cannot get lost, where you will always reach your destination, where you will always find you way to your center and always find your way back to the beginning is incredibly relaxing and insightful. The Labyrinth never fails to provide me with the insightful thoughts and intuitive perspectives that are serving the unfolding of my Divine Life. Just like any great spiritual practice the Labyrinth is never the same twice. The experience is unique to each moment, each adventure, and each experience of Solvitur Ambulando.
I began walking Labyrinths simply because many of my friends were experiencing the power of this form of walking meditation. My first experience was in 2005 at a mystical place called Asilomar, California. During my first stroll into the center and back again left little impact. Sure, the walk was relaxing and yet, I did not have the epiphany many had assured me the Labyrinth could produce. In fact, I rarely experience epiphanies during my walks. Yes, they have occurred and yet more often than not I gain a sense and an experience of clarity around a pre-existing question or concern. I walked that particular Labyrinth several times during the week and with each step I found myself trusting more, listening more deeply and becoming aware of a deeper calling within myself. That call continues today as I have begun sharing this amazing practice with my children.
Both my kids, age 6 and 4, have begun to enjoy the practice of Solvitur Ambulando with me. We have discussed that when we walk in towards the center we allow ourselves to think about anything we might be done with, would like to let go of, or simply do not need any longer. Then on the way back out we allow Spirit to tell us what to take home, hold onto, or embrace as walk towards a new beginning.
Recently my daughter asked why I often stand in the center, open my arms, lift my face to the sky, close my eyes and stand silently for a few moments. I explained that I am praying to the four directions using much like Native Americans pray to the four directions. She is familiar with that concept and so easily took to the idea of standing in silence for a moment.
We also developed a few rules when walking a Labyrinth. One, we walk, as this is not a race. Two, we walk quietly, so as not to disturb others. Three, there is no right or wrong way to walk a Labyrinth. These three simple rules that they can remember and abide by have begun to instill a sense of sacredness as we share our walks of consciousness.
Now we have begun to seek out new and different Labyrinths. We travel to exotic, as far as my kids are concerned, locations to search out and walk together. Our adventures have begun to take us farther away from home and our trips become wonderful adventures. We visit different churches and retreat centers simply to find labyrinths. They always want me to take a picture and send it home so “Mom can see what we’re up to.”
Solvitur Ambulando began for me as a way of getting away from the hustle and bustle of my day. It was a way of being alone and separating myself from reality. Now it has evolved into a practice of being in the world. It is an expression of shared family time. It is an adventure of Faith and Trust and most importantly, it is a chance to experience the solutions I seek through walking.
Until next time,
Peace and Blessings
Robert
P.S. If you would like to know where my current favorite Labyrinth is just leave a comment below and I’ll let you know the location of a hidden gem in the heart of Lakewood Colorado.
Photo Credits: Walking Woman http://www.flickr.com/photos/aigle_dore/5481288539/in/faves-53047939@N06/
Labyrinth Photos: Robert Brzezinski
Shit Happens….we all know the saying and yet I am going to challenge you today to re-phrase this old trite saying with “GOOD Happens.” Yes GOOD happens and sometimes it appears to be something other than our expectations or desires. I recently had the opportunity to walk through a big pile of steaming GOOD that looked nothing like what was supposed to happen. I had quite a huge financial and emotional investment in the outcome of that day. The end result however was vastly different from what I wanted.
In that moment of what many would call failure I found strength and a sense of courage I did not know exited within me. I had never planned for this experience, I had never anticipated or even entertained that what was occurring could have ever occurred. I could have easily labeled the entire day a failure. I could have labeled myself a failure. I could have lamented on the time and money I had wasted on getting to this point of failure. I could have easily become a victim of circumstance, chance and fate. I could have argued and tried to make others wrong. I could have retreated or ran for cover.
I believe most of us alive on the planet today can relate to the options I have outlined. When faced with the appearance of failure we have been trained throughout our lives to either fight our experience or flee from that same experience. When our experience does not go according to our plan the default is often fight or flee. The real strength and courage is when you choose to stand and BE something more than what most people expect.
During my recent experience I walked a different path than what I think most people would expect. In return for my display of courage and strength I experienced support in ways I never knew possible. People I barely knew rushed forward to support me in the hour of my greatest need. It felt much like the Universe rushing forward to affirm a sacred “YES”. I know these people were expressing the Absolute Supportive Nature of GOD. They were the conduits through which I was being reminded of my future. I actually began to feel a sense of JOY welling up within me simply because I was being reminded that something greater than my expectations was being born through me. I was filled with the Light of Spirit reminding me that I was still on the right path and that my path was going to take a different route to the destination.
It was during this time that a great friend Rev. Jeff Anderson shared an analogy with me. He asked me to consider a river. He called it the River of Life. He also asked me to imagine the places where that river ran as straight as an arrow. As hard as I tried I could not visualize the River of Life flowing in a straight line. He shared that the beauty and the joy of being in a river is that it NEVER runs a straight course. The twists and turns create excitement. The bends in a river eventually create the oxbows. While a young river may be filled with more twists than an older river, and old rivers do appear to eventually straighten themselves out, the oldest of rivers still never run in a completely straight line. He called me to always remember that the River of Life will sometimes kick us you into an eddy of calm water and sometimes drop you off an unexpected waterfall of excitement.
You may be wondering what my experience was and how that might be similar to the circumstances of your life. Let me simply say that after four years of intense study and preparation I was asked to invest another year of my life along my path of becoming a licensed minister of the Center for Spiritual Living. I could go on and on with a story about how I had been victimized, how this wasn’t my fault. I could easily make those that made this request of me wrong. However my reality is vastly different. I have been able to step into a sense of joy and wonder as I get to explore the coming months and serve my ministry by going deeper within myself. I get to take a deeper look at my beliefs and gain more knowledge, more insight and eventually become a stronger more courageous minister. I ask you to look at your life right now. Where may you have experienced a failure and chose to live in the joy of new opportunities? Where are you now stepping into something more expansive something greater for your life right now. Where are you making someone or some organization wrong when Spirit is calling you to look deeper within yourself to find the GOOD in your experience?
I invite you to take some time this day and reflect upon how your life will be better when you move beyond perceiving this event as something that happened to you. Long ago a great teacher and friend taught me that every event of my life was for me and not about me. Today I want to remind you that every experience of your life is for you, it is somehow beneficial to the evolution of your consciousness. The fun begins when you choose to find the benefit rather than giving power to the perceived challenge.
Lately the question most people have been asking me is “what’s next?” I simply tell them that every person’s path is different and I am currently building a team of people to support me through this time of great growth. I would suggest you begin to develop a team that will support you through your personal adventure. I am therefore offering you a no-cost coaching session. This 30 minute session will support you at looking more deeply into your life and begin to develop a plan of exploration that will serve you in finding the right people to help you move to a new level of awareness, strength, courage and spiritual living. Simply send me an e-mail using the address below and we’ll schedule your no-cost session. Join me and together we can find Joy in what appears to be failure.
Until next time,
NAMASTE
Robert
Photo Credit: Failure
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tinou/96393863/in/faves-53047939@N06/
Photo Credit Joy:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jhansensnaps/4523349724/
I believe the 12th of January 2011 will forever mark a turning point in the national
conversation around violence. I, like many people in the United States, have been following the developments around the tragic events of January 8th 2011. While that event, as of this writing, was only a few short days ago, it seems like an eternity since I first heard what happened that day. I can share that I have felt called to author a response, an indictment and a few different rants about the many issues this event encompasses. Something inside kept me from flying off my handle and spewing my beliefs all over the page. Today January 12, 2011 however has become the day of change, a day of healing and a day of contrast.
The day began with news of a video by the apparent leader of the Tea Party, Sarah Palin. It has been no secret that I am not a fan of Ms. Palin, yet during the past few days of private and media based attacks against her and her beliefs, I felt her opponents might just be playing her as the scapegoat in all this. I choose this morning to give her the benefit of the doubt and see what she had to say in response to what is now considered a national tragedy. To say I was not impressed by her video would be a major understatement on my part. Sarah, in my opinion, knowing many are trying to lie that blame squarely at her feet, attempted to deflect the blame on to the shooter, when she stated, “Acts of monstrous criminality stand on their own. They begin and end with the criminals who commit them, not collectively with all the citizens of a state, not with those who listen to talk radio, not with maps of swing districts used by both sides of the aisle, not with law-abiding citizens who respectfully exercise their First Amendment rights at campaign rallies, not with those who proudly voted in the last election.”
I respectfully disagree. I believe the collective consciousness of the human race does influence the events of the day and the overarching beliefs of our society. As was so clearly stated today, “I believe that for all our imperfections, we are full of decency and goodness, and that the forces that divide us are not as strong as those that unite us.” I am with you on that one Mr. President.
Knowing that my thoughts contribute to the collective consciousness of our planet I am called to be more careful with my words and. I know some of you are angry right now, and hurting, and confused and I want you to know IT’S ALL GOOD. The events of last Saturday can be a call to greatness. President Obama began to outline what that greatness may look like during his speech at the memorial service for the fallen heroes of the Tucson tragedy when he stated, “But what we can’t do is use this tragedy as one more occasion to turn on one another. As we discuss these issues, let each of us do so with a good dose of humility. Rather than pointing fingers or assigning blame, let us use this occasion to expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully, to sharpen our instincts for empathy, and remind ourselves of all the ways our hopes and dreams are bound together.” The call to recognize and embody our ONENESS, the Unity of ALL life is evident in our elected leader’s words and actions during this time of national mourning.
Just prior to that statement he made the point that, “We should be willing to challenge old assumptions in order to lessen the prospects of violence in the future.” I tend to hang out with people that have made the fulfillment of that last statement their personal missions on this planet. Many of you may know of The Association for Global New Thought. (AGNT)
The founders and current leaders of AGNT reads like a who’s who of the New Thought Movement. Dr. Rev. Kathy Hearn, Dr. Rev. Roger Teel, Michael Beckwith, Rev. Howard Caesar, Barbara Marx Hubbard, Mary Manin Morrisey, Tom Zender, Rev. Christian Sorensen, Dr. Barbara Fields and many others have built an organization whose projects and programs are changing the collective consciousness of our planet.
Fourteen years ago this amazing group of people began a project called The Season for Nonviolence. Each year beginning on Jan 30th and running through April 4th, like-minded people and organizations around the entire planet come together in consciousness and physical forms to create a way of honoring, embracing and promoting the viability of living a nonviolent life in a nonviolent world. The multitude of people around the planet that honor the 64 days between the anniversaries of the assassinations of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are truly challenging old assumptions in order to lessen the prospects of violence in the future.
As you look at your response to the events of the past week, the way some lay blame and others accept responsibility to lead us into a new way of being, I simply ask you to consider this: What are you ready to leave behind and what are you ready to embrace as a new way of being for yourself and as an example for humanity. This past week has been one of painfully difficult conversations and my sense is there may be more painfully difficult debates in our near future. As we collectively move through this time of grief and eventual healing I call you to remember the words of our President, “at a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized – at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who think differently than we do – it’s important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds.”
This my friend is a step in creating A World That Works for Everyone.
May all your words heal this day and until the end of your days.
NAMASTE
Robert Brzezinski.
Yes, 2011 has begun. You may have set your resolutions, or intentions, or goals for the year, or not. My intention here is not to encourage you to set resolutions, as I do not personally participate in that practice. I have found that setting intentions is much more powerful than resolutions, and the Universe has a way of bringing into my life those experiences, people and relationship that fulfill my intentions each year.
Regardless of how you choose to honor the New Year, I believe there must be a time of preparation in order to get centered prior to committing ourselves to our resolutions, intentions, or goals. This time of preparation and centering is obviously different for everyone. Over the past decade I have started to affirm that my highest and best good for the coming year will make itself known to me prior to setting of my New Year intentions. The past two years have presented me with an opportunity be in service to the “Future Leaders of the Free World” and experience the fulfillment of that affirmation at the same time.
Each year between Christmas and the New Year the United Centers for Spiritual Living hosts its Regional Winter Teen Camp. This year around sixty 13-18 year olds and a group of advisors shared an amazing spiritual adventure at a camp in central Colorado. The theme was Namaste To Stay and I cannot fully share what an amazing experience this truly was. 4 nights and 5 days exploring what spiritual community and spiritual living look like with a group of committed individuals will give anyone chance to pause and take stock of the previous year.
While everything that happens at camp is confidential I can share that this experience is truly life changing. While my official capacity is to serve as a facilitator and role model, I get to fully immerse myself in the processes and share a spiritual experience that we all participate in.
I am most impressed by the willingness of these young people to “GO THERE” as well. The most amazing part of it all however is that while the adults serve as facilitators and mentors the processes, workshops, and experiential aspects of the week are developed by the youth themselves. Yes they do have some help and guidance from the camp director and others; however they are the guiding force behind what happens at camp.
As they develop and conduct the camp the teens have an opportunity to step into true leadership. I know that it is through these experiences that the current and future leaders of New Thought get to come together and co-create a true shared spiritual experience.
What then does all this have to do with intentions? Each of the past two years I have served as an advisor at this camp and each time my theme or intention for the coming year has made itself known during the camp experience. This year the theme is Discipline. While I did not become aware that this would be my theme for 2011 until the evening of January 1st, the seeds of this theme were planted during camp. Camp has become a time of preparation and service. During camp I let go of all my worldly concerns, responsibilities and most importantly, my electronics. As I share my wisdom with the younger generation and learn from their wisdom I have access to new perspectives, new perceptions of life. The youth teach me more than I ever expect. This year they taught me discipline and I wasn’t expecting that from a group of teenagers.
How often do we see what we expect to see in others? These youth helped me to see a different side of their lives and they inspired me to get more disciplined about my eating habits, my work habits and my spiritual practice just to name a few. Whatever your current perception of the youth of our world may be, I believe you would be inspired if you took some time to hang out with these spiritual leaders.
The youth of New Thought are not future leaders. They are current leaders. They are developing the skills, confidence and intentions to BE Leaders in service to humanity. They are co-creating an expression of spiritual community, and they are preparing themselves to step into greatness on the world stage. They are models of spiritual living evolving into young adults and the “Future Leaders of the Free World.”
This year as you live into your intentions, keep your resolutions, or accomplish your goals all I ask of you is to consider how you can also serve the youth of the world. How can you share in their growth and experience your own evolution as well. What can you do to get started? Find a teenager and ask them how you can serve. Serve the teen group within your spiritual community, or start a group if there isn’t one already. Ask your spiritual leaders what you can do to serve the “Future Leaders of the Free World†and maybe next year you’ll get to experience how CAMP can change your life.
Photo Credits:
Hands and Heart:Â http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicepopkorn/2250395225/in/faves-53047939@N06/
Planet Earth: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/2222523486/sizes/m/in/faves-53047939@N06/
I simply Love this time of year. It’s not the lights, or the singing or the wildness of the Holiday season. What I love most is the silence. I imagine you have had plenty of opportunities to read blog posts or articles this past week about the eclipse, the solstice, and the holiday season. The holiday season is busy enough, and if you celebrate a birthday, as I do, during this week or last you understand how crazy this time can be. That is why I value the silence more so during the month of December than any other.
Ask yourself, “When was the last time I simply sat in the silence and allowed the presence of the Holiday Spirit to fill me, to wash over me, to remind me of my inner light?” If your answer is anything more than earlier today or just yesterday, I invite you to stop reading and spend a few minutes in the silence right now. Go ahead, I won’t be offended and this blog will be waiting for you once you have invested a few minutes basking in silence.
I am confident life feels just a little more peaceful for you if you actually took a few minutes of time for yourself just now. I have found that in the silence the most profound insights occur. In the silence I am reminded of my inner light, the light that shines regardless of the circumstances. This week’s lunar eclipse is a great example of how even if you try your light can not be extinguished. While the Earth’s shadow was blocking the sun’s light from shining on the moon, the bigger truth is that this event did not diminish the Sun’s light one bit. It did not impede the Sun from shining or sharing its light. Yes the light appeared to change color or become less intense and yet that is simply the reflection of light we were seeing differently than we were seeing just minutes before. Our perception of the Sun’s light changed even as the light itself remained the same.
The solstice also marks an important aspect of light at this time. During my youth I would celebrate my birthday and the solstice together as they fall within a day of each other. I would celebrate the longest night of the year as an opportunity to have the longest party of the year. I would work to obscure my light, to cast a shadow upon my light, to cause those bodies that reflected my light to appear dimmed and clouded in many ways. Eventually I found myself more clouded than light, or so it appeared. Remember the light was always there and nothing could truly diminish my light. Then I found my spirituality and started to affirm that rather than suppress my light I would amplify my light, find objects that would reflect my light more widely. I now know that I AM THE LIGHT. I also know that You are the Light. No matter when in the year you celebrate the anniversary of your birth you are a Divine glowing expression of light and I know you have been called here to serve humanity by sharing your light.
Many great teachers have shared that playing small, hiding your light, or trying to obscure the truth of your life serves no one. I am here to remind you that sharing your light, affirming your Truth and playing big can only serve humanity as well as the evolution of your consciousness. Eckhart Tolle wrote, “Life gives you whatever experience is the most beneficial to the evolution of your soul.” I would have to believe that this would include the time you spend in silence each day. In the book A Course in Miracles it is written that, “In quietness are all things answered, and is every problem quietly resolved.” The silence provides the space, the time and the opportunity to pay attention to our inner light, and how we are being called to share that light.
The planet is entering an evolutionary shift at this time. Humanity is calling for more light to help it see the future. Will you lend your consciousness to the mighty task of shining more light so others may see the Divinity of ALL Life? Will you be part of the solution to the planet’s troubles? Will you choose to shine your light so brightly that other will be called to reflect that light rather obscure the source as it shines across the cosmos? Will you sit silently and listen for the call?
I am reminded of the classic song of this season, Silent Night. The opening lyrics say it all, “Silent night, holy night All is calm, all is bright.” In the silence we experience the calm and during this holiday season I affirm all is bright for you and yours. Regardless of which holidays you do or do not celebrate as this year closes please know your light can never dim, your light is a beacon by which others see a model of spiritual living.
Until next year,
NAMASTE
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucas_b/548200003/in/faves-53047939@N06/
The fun never ends on our 70 Day Journey of Conscious Prosperity. As we approach the end of this collective adventure, the Universe keeps on giving. Recently I had the pleasure of sharing some time with a great friend and my personal Money Mentor Rev. Karen Russo. 
I do not remember the exact date that we first met, however I do remember turning to my wife and simply stating, “One day I will have the opportunity to work with this woman.” In all honesty my wife may have thought I was being a little egotistical, however roughly a year or more later the opportunity presented itself to work more deeply with Rev. Karen and her amazing book The Money Keys. As I began to explore the book I also realized how she was describing my life exactly, and more importantly my consciousness around money. Well, as the Universe would have it, I was presented with an opportunity to train more deeply with Rev. Karen. After a series of events I am happy to be a Money Keys Coach. It was during this process that my financial consciousness changed forever and for the better.
She can do amazing things for you as well, if you’re willing to do the work and enjoy the journey. During our conversation Rev. Karen spoke extensively about the Money Traps and how to escape their paralyzing grip. Together we covered most of chapters one and two from her book. Rev. Karen also offered each of us a free starter kit to help you explore The Money Keys: Unlocking Peace, Freedom and Real Financial Power. Head on over to her website and sign up for your copy of the STARTER KIT today.
You can also engage with Rev. Karen by visiting her Facebook Page. Give her a “LIKE” and join the ever growing Money Keys community. Rev. Karen shared so much amazing information you will want to listen to the interview closely. Especially when she talks about her upcoming 21 Day Money Keys Program. This program is your opportunity to have Rev. Karen coach you along with a group of like minded individuals. Rev. Karen’s 21 Day Money Keys Program has already jumpstarted business owners, creative professionals and spiritual seekers into mastery of spirituality, belief, and habits with money for not much more $6 and 30 minutes a day (that’s one latte and one sitcom!)
By now I am sure you understand how much I love this material, how much The Money Keys has changed my life and how much I believe it can change your life as well.
Here is the link to my Prosperity Interview with Rev. Karen
Please feel free to add your comments below once you have had a chance to listen to the interview. I am truly looking forward to your feedback.
Until Next Time,
NAMASTE
P.S. These days we’re all required to make full disclosure of affiliate relationships. I’m proud to be one of Rev. Karen’s Affiliates. If you decide to invest in becoming a member of her 21 Day Program, I will receive a commission and be extremely happy for you! I’m honored to recommend this program.
(If you want to become a Money Keys Affiliate, you can too! Visit http://www.themoneykeys.com/affiliate.html )
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