To those . . .

.  .  . two or three who read this blog .  .  .   lol


I'll be gone for a while .  .  .

Wishing y'all the BEST!!


Life is beautiful baby!


Peace and love .  .  .


Until next time . . .  Ciao!!

Do we hear the messages?

I love this joke, and its message . . .


Preacher Joe is standing on the steps of his church while the flood waters rise .  .  .  As the water reaches his waist, a boy in a rowboat happens by . . . Get in the boat Preacher Joe! The water is rising! . . . No, God will save me! says Preacher Joe . . .


A half hour later, water up to his chest, and a second boat comes by with a young couple in it . . . Get in the boat Preacher Joe! This is serious! . . . No, God will save me! says Preacher Joe . . .


A while later and the water is up to Preacher Joe's neck . . . A third boat appears  .  .  . Get in the boat Preacher Joe! You're gonna drown! . . . NO! God will save me!! says Preacher Joe . . .


Alas, the water rises even further and Preacher Joe drowns . . .  He goes to Heaven, where he meets his Creator .  .  .


I've done everything I can to follow all your rules, I loved you and feared you, and you let me drown, says Preacher Joe . . . I don't understand?


God looks down at Preacher Joe with a bemused look . . . You're my son and I love you Preacher Joe . . . And I know you did your best . . .  But you dumb motherf*****!  I sent you THREE BOATS!!


Moral?  The Universe sends us messages, both subtle and not so subtle . . . Are we AWARE enough to recognize them when they come our way?


Life is beautiful baby!


Peace and love . . .


Until next time . . .  Ciao!!

Looking for inspiration?

Daryn Kagan was a fixture on CNN for several years . . . She began doing sports when CNN had their evening half hour sports show at 11 pm Eastern time .  .  .  She then transitioned into hard news and did a weekday morning show with Leon Harris . . . I always thought they had terrific chemistry together and was sorry to see them go .  .  .  

DK now has a website .  .  .


http://www.darynkagan.com/index.html


The website features feel-good and inspirational stories .  .  .  There is something there for everyone who might be looking for some inspiration, or who might be experiencing self-pity, or simply killing some time online .  .  .  This site is definitely WELL worth checking out!  I go there regularly and always find something inspiring .  .  .  


Life is beautiful baby!


Peace and love . . .


Until next time . . .  Ciao!!

Who goes to Heaven?

 No, I didn't write this, but I do like it!

I was shocked, confused, bewildered
as I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
nor the lights or its decor.

But it was the folks in Heaven
who made me sputter and gasp--
the thieves, the liars, the sinners,
the alcoholics and the trash.

There stood the kid from seventh grade
who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
who never said anything nice.

Herb, who I always thought
was rotting away in hell,
was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus, "What's the deal?
I would love to hear Your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
God must've made a mistake.

"And why's everyone so quiet,
so somber - give me a clue."
"Hush , child," He said, "they're all in shock.
No one thought they'd be seeing you."

Life is beautiful baby!

Peace and love . . .

Until next time . . .  Ciao!!

What now?

I've always been a serious athlete . . .  Still am, and will be until my last day . . .


And always a serious sports fan . . . 


Yeah, I'm on the spiritual Path, but we ALL live in the real world too, right?


The last two months have been pure sports porn .  .  .  I mean SPORTS PORN!!


The NBA playoffs, the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs .  .  .  Something every night .  .  .


I love basketball and love hockey .  .  .  Played and coached .  .  .


But now, there's no basketball and no hockey .  .  .


I'm an addict without his crack .  .  .  Where's my freakin' meth?  Where's my sports porn?


How do I fill my time?


Watch porn?  That gets boring after three seconds .  .  .  So, no .  .  .


Buy a few Makita cordless tools, and put an addition on the house?  Maybe .  .  . lol


Spend ten hours at the gym?  But, seven point five of those are spent reading .  .  .


Read voraciously?  Wait a minute .  .  .  I do that now!!


Meditate?  Done, and done!


Spend a week with Deepak at his Malibu compound?  Just waiting for the invite . . .

Guess I'll simply have to do what I did before .  .  .  Which was, what?  March seems like so long ago .  .  .  Can't remember . . . LOL

OK, maybe I should move to Venice Beach!!


Life is beautiful baby!


Peace and love .  .  .


Until next time . . .  Ciao!!

A terrific book . . .

Wayne Dyer is a great author .  .  .  One of his books provided me with the impetus to move forward when I felt a bit "stuck" . . .


Background . . . I was in Palm Springs in August, 2006 . . . I had picked up the book The Power of Intention at the airport to read on the flight, and then for some pool reading material . . . I just noticed it at the last moment . . .  That book spoke to my mind, heart and spirit like nothing I'd read in a long, long time . . . In a way, it said everything I believe, but more effectively than I could say it . . . From time to time, including the last week, I'll pick it up and read part of it, or just open it to a page to see what gems of inspiration the Universe wants me to see at that moment . . .


My suggestion?  If you haven't read it, pick up a copy and get going . . .  A GREAT book!




Life is beautiful baby!!


Peace and love . . .


Until next time . . .  Ciao!!

I LOVE this message . . .

Seane Corn is a world-renowned yogini, and one of my heroes . . . This video is awesome, the message is beautiful, and well worth taking two minutes to watch . . . She nails it exactly .  .  .







http://www.seanecorn.com/



Life is beautiful baby!  

Peace and love . . .  

Until next time . . . Ciao!!

Are YOU the friend you'd want to have?

There are things that define us . . .  


One of which is, what kind of friend are we?


Think about it . . .  Analyze . . . Go deep . . .


Are we loyal?  Are we compassionate?  Are we empathetic? Do we wish the best for everyone?  Are we petty?  Are we envious?  Do we gossip?  Do we take people for granted?


Who and what are we as a friend?


Am I the friend I'd want to have?


Yes . . .

Life is beautiful baby! 


Peace and love . . . 


Until next time . . .  Ciao!!

The Last Day

Two weeks ago, while having lunch with a friend, we somehow got onto the topic of our last day, and what it might be like, and what kinds of thoughts and feelings we'd have, knowing that this is it . . . Realistically, most of us won't know our last day is our last day, because death can often be very sudden . . . However, we were talking in theoretical terms . . .  And by the way, this topic was not morbid or depressing in any way . . . It was actually very enlightening . . .

A good chunk of it was spent talking about relationships, and how we'd hope that we would have those in order, just as we'd hope to have financial affairs in order . . . What really struck me though was a comment he made . . .  He said, I hope that I'll be back on good terms with person A and person B . . .  Apparently, there are two people he's estranged from, one a family member and one a former friend . . . Without getting into details, he felt he is not entirely to blame for these two relationships going south, but at least partly . . .  So, he's wondering if there's any hope in patching things up, and re-establishing the relationships?  He truly does want to, but seems to be feeling fear that if he makes the first move, he'll be rejected, or perhaps perceived as weak by the other parties . . . In other words, it's like a game of relationship chicken, and let's see who's weak enough to blink first . . .  After listening to him articulating his thoughts, I responded that he should put the fear aside and listen to his heart, listen to the Voice . . . He's a spiritual person, and knew exactly what I was saying . . .  And really, if he makes overtures and they're rejected, then he knows there's no hope . .  .  It's done . . . And if someone perceives him as weak for reaching out first, then so be it . . . But, he would know within himself that it takes strength, not weakness, to reach out . . . And really, don't we all tend to place too much emphasis on what others might think?  And finally, I said to him, What if they're feeling the same thing you are, but don't have the strength to reach out?  In that case, it's up to you to do it . . .  It's the only way to find out if differences can be resolved . . . Someone has to jump in feet first, right?

Two personal anecdotes . . .  Two years ago I had a falling out with a friend . . . As we both look back, it was silly . . . But there were some hard feelings on both sides . . . After a while, I just thought, Screw this . . .  It's ridiculous what's happening . . .  I called him and apologized for my part, and eventually he did the same . . . And he said, I'm glad you called, because I was having similar thoughts . . .  But if I hadn't called, would he have called me?  I can't say for sure, but I doubt it . . . Now, we're closer than ever, but if someone hadn't made the first move, that wouldn't be the case . . .  And we'd both be the losers in that case . . .

The second thing is that in my extended family, there is a mother and a daughter who are estranged, and have been for ten years . . . They're both stubborn, and in this case, there's blame falling on both sides . . .  My guess is they'll never resolve their issues, mostly because each feels so strongly that if she reaches out first, it will be seen as weakness . . . But I do know that at some point, they'll realize what they've missed and deep regret will set in . . .  I'm on good terms with both of them, and this whole thing is terribly sad to watch . . .  Especially since there are grandchildren, who the mother has never seen . . .  I know, it seems unimaginable, doesn't it? 

Are you still with me? lol  This is a bit longer than I thought it would be . . .  However, the point is this . . . If there's someone you've been thinking about reaching out to, or wanting to reach out to, do it . . . Put fear and ego aside, and focus on the upside . . .  The upside could be huge!  The potential positive impact on two lives can't be measured . . .   If we let fear make decisions for us, life loses a lot of richness . . .

So, on my last day, I hope all my finances are in good shape and there's no mess for my loved ones to clean up . . . And, more importantly, I hope I don't have any regrets where people are concerned . . . No "I wish I'd reached out to this person or that person when I had the chance" . . . And no, "How could I have let that opportunity pass?" . . . 

My last day? Ouch!  That could be today!!  lol

Life is beautiful baby!

Peace and love . . .

Until next time . . .  Ciao!!


PS . . . Today CAN'T be the last, because I haven't had my hole in one yet!  But, I'll be on the course this afternoon . . .  :)

 

LOVE basketball . . .

Mavs ROCK!

Miami . . .  Dallas . . .


No doubt .  .  .


Miami has more pure talent . . . 


Dallas wins . . .

Life is beautiful baby!!


Peace and love . . .


Until next time . . .  Ciao!!

The 5 pm phone call . . .

Starting a Saturday with a cheeseburger for breakfast . . .  lol


Some great cardio at the gym . . .


A peaceful ninety minute drive to a watery location . . .


Plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures . . .


An early start to happy hour with some family and friends . . .


Phone rings at 5 pm . . .


Answering it with, Hey Bro, wish you were here!


Followed by silence, then shocking words delivered slowly . . .  I    have    something    to    tell    you . . .



Nothing will bring a great day to a screeching halt like hearing the news that a dear friend has cancer . . . NOTHING!  How do we deal with that?  Answer?  With difficulty, at least at first . . .  I'll say this, however . . .  This man will deal with it with grace and strength . . .  He'll feel just as badly for friends and family as they will for him . . .  He'll be cheering them up . . .  And, he won't take anything in life for granted . . .  He'll live each day, as the cliche says, as if it were his last . . .  He'll be an inspiration to all those around him .  .  .  This is VERY serious cancer, as cancer goes . . .  He won't give in .  .  .


L'air is the Miracle Man . . .  Is there room for another?  


Life is beautiful baby!


Peace and love . . .


Until next time . . .  Ciao!!

A cheeseburger for breakfast . . .

A few stray Saturday morning thoughts .  .  .


Last night I grilled two cheeseburgers, but ate only one .  .  . That second cheeseburger for breakfast this am was awfully good!


Highlight of my day yesterday?  A violet quartz crystal given to me by a great friend suddenly reappeared after being lost since January . . .


I DO believe in lost causes, and St. Rita .  .  .


If you haven't read my series on L'air (L'air V), please do that . . .  Speaking of lost causes!  L'air is the Miracle Man .  .  .


Gotta do some cardio today .  .  .


I really don't believe the Israelis and Palestinians will ever come to anything close to an agreement . . . I say that with great sadness . . .  Then again, I could be wrong . . .  What did I just say about lost causes?  Hmmm . . .


My dear friend the artiste, whose exhibition opening took place Thursday evening, has already sold nine pieces!  Atta boy bro!


I was awakened early this morning by neighbors kids having a VERY loud party outside . . . It was 215 am, and Eminem was blasting, with Fuck this and Fuck that . . . Just what you want to hear at 215 am, right? lol  The sad thing is, I was having the best dream, and they ruined it for me . . . Damn!


Life is beautiful baby!!


Peace and love . . .


Until next time . . .  Ciao!!

Gay or straight . . . A choice? Are you kidding me?

You know the feeling . . . From time to time, we come across a story that gets the juices flowing . . . Or perhaps, boiling!  Such is the case for me after reading yet again about a group that claims to be able to "straighten out" people, in this case boys, who exhibit the tendency towards "effeminate" behavior, or boys who may have "gay tendencies", whatever that means!  These groups have been around for a long time, and many seem to have religious/fundamentalist affiliation . . .


Sometimes, we have to scratch our heads and wonder if this really is the 21st century?  How on earth can some people (hopefully though a minority in society!) still be so incredibly backward in their thinking?  To think that I've CHOSEN to be straight is absurd . . . To think that the gay friends I have or have had in my life have CHOSEN to be gay or lesbian is equally absurd . . . We are what and who we are!  Gay, straight, bisexual, it's WHO WE ARE!  


Does the Creator frown on homosexuality?  Personally, I don't think the Creator could care less about a person's sexual orientation . . . Truly, it's a small part of the totality of the human being . . . I believe the Creator would be more concerned with how much love, kindness, compassion, empathy, etc a person displays . . . In short, what is in their heart?


Anyone who tells me that their God (or their CONCEPT of their God) condemns homosexuality is going to lose me right away . . . It isn't even worth discussing . . .  And I can't relate to that God AT ALL .  .  .


My grandfather was born left handed . . .  He didn't make the choice to be left-handed . . .  In kindergarten a century ago, his left hand was tied behind his back to force him to use the right hand .  .  . The message being, there's something WRONG with you fella if you're left handed .  .  .  How does that play on the psyche of a child, when they're told they're abnormal? How do others view them when they're portrayed as abnormal?  Now extend that to sexual orientation, and the damage done to those who are forced into some kind of quack therapy in order to make them straight/normal(?)?  It should be criminal .  .  .


The whole thing is sick . . . I'm not looking to get into a discussion with anyone about this, because we never change the minds of backward thinking people who base their backward thinking upon religious interpretation .  .  .  Discussion is fruitless . . .  I'm just blowing off steam . . .  LOL  And BTW, I'm NOT AT ALL insinuating that all Christians, or all Jews, or all Muslims etc take this backward approach to sexual orientation, and the need to change the orientation of certain people .  .  .  I know several very religious individuals who have no problem with say, gay Christians or gay Jews .  .  .  And I'd hope that most would feel exactly that way .  .  .  Unfortunately though, there are still enough misguided ones around who can do a LOT of permanent damage through their whacky views and actions . . .  No doubt, in their minds, I'm going straight to Hell .  .  .  But, ya know what?  There is no Hell!  Man, THAT will surely get them going, huh?  Hah!! :)


Life is beautiful baby!


Peace and love .  .  .


Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

PS  I'm left handed too, and proud of it!!  :)

The body says no, but the mind says yes . . .

I know what you're thinking . . . lol Nah, I'm talking about the art exhibition opening I have to attend tonight . . . My good friend the artiste has an exhibition opening tonight, and honestly, I feel like staying in . . . Have a bit of a cold . . . But what does a good friend do?  He sucks it up and gets his ass to the opening . . . And really, once there, it'll all be good! Plus, I'm transporting L'air, the miracle man (I've written about him extensively here, the latest being L'air V), and it'll be wonderful to see him . . .


So what's the point of this?  We do what we have to do, and that's that . . . Friendship and love override selfish impulses, right? Or, should? Yeah, I suppose that's exactly the point! 


Life is beautiful baby!!


Peace and love . . .


Until next time . . . Ciao!!

My newest hero . . .

Jill Bolte Taylor is a neuroscientist who suffered a stroke in late 1996 at thirty-seven . . . Due to her deep knowledge of brain function and anatomy, she was able to track the stroke as it occurred, giving her a unique perspective to a very serious event . . .


Because the stroke was in the left brain, her right brain became dominant and she felt a deep sense of peace, a kind of spiritual euphoria she'd never felt before the stroke . . .  She's written a terrific book called My Stroke of Insight . . . In this book she chronicles the events of the stroke as they occurred . . .  She also does an excellent job of explaining brain anatomy and function in a way that the lay person can follow, especially focusing on left brain vs. right brain . . .  This is a book that anyone with a scientific or spiritual bent should seriously consider reading . . .  It's great!  She also offers some important spiritual insights, that any reader can gain from . . .  There are some videos on Youtube of her speaking about her experiences . . .  Also a terrific video on TED . . .


She has an inspirational story, and is without question a hero!  Check out her website . . .

http://www.drjilltaylor.com/ 


Life is beautiful!


Peace and love . . .


Until next time . . . Ciao!!

Lessons learned . . .

In no particular order of importance . . .


Stay active, and don't give in to society's perception of how a person of a specific age should act . . .


Keep learning, no matter what it is . . .


Seeing the humor in things will take us a long way . . .


Find the silver lining . . .

The Universe is speaking to us all the time . . . It's a good idea to listen!


Minimize worrying, because so much of the worrying we do is completely unnecessary and unproductive . . .


Be consciously grateful . . .

Stay away from extension ladders as much as possible . . .

People always show us by their actions, more so than their words . . .


Be in sync with the Universe . . . 

Never wish harm to any other person .  .  . VERY bad for the karma!

Take me for granted at your peril . . .  LOL  

When looking after an inebriated friend, it's wise not to stand in FRONT of him . . .


Recognize the Divine nature of all human beings . . .


What goes around comes around . . .  ALWAYS . . .

We can be the teacher, and the student, at the same time . . . 

Timing is everything, and we can't force something to happen before its time . . .

Listen to the Voice . . . When it tells us something isn't right, it usually isn't . . . When it tells us someone is bullshitting us, they usually are . . . The VOICE!


We are not always as important to another person as they are to us . . . It's just a fact . . .

Wearing something red is a good pick-me-up . . . 

We often don't realize what the lesson is until much later . . .


When we screw up, recognize it, take responsibility, and if necessary, take the steps to make it right . . .

Too much thinking can be dangerous . . . 

When I was twenty-one, I had a knee injury that necessitated a full leg cast for a few weeks . . . When the cast came off, I told my girlfriend, I don't need these crutches anymore!  She said, That's a VERY bad idea . . . For the next three days I was in the worst pain of my life . . .  Lesson?  Listening to the advice of a wise girlfriend is ALWAYS a good idea! 

Foreplay baby . . .


Never close the door to a person who has wronged us . . . They can change, we can forgive, and they may yet have a huge role to play in our lives . . .

A good lasagna recipe is crucial . . .

Don't be late for anything . . . 


The opposite sex has a lot to teach us . . .


Alone time is to be treasured . . .


Time with friends and family is to be treasured . . .


We never know where inspiration will come from, or when . . .


Don't be a punching bag . . . Stand up for yourself, and don't put up with unnecessary crap from people . . .


Forgive . . . And that includes ourselves . . .

Happy feet . . .


Being on a spiritual Path does NOT mean putting up with crap from people . . . Being spiritual does not mean meek and mild . . . Meek and mild doesn't get us far . . .

Awareness and thinking are not the same . . .

Wisdom and understanding are not the same .  .  .

 A person who is wise and aware functions at a higher level than one who is thinking and understanding . . .


Treat people with love and respect, and they'll usually respond in kind . . .

Everything is a teacher . . . 

Smile and laugh baby! 

Watching comedy videos on Youtube can be just the ticket to feeling better . . . Nothing like humor to get the endorphins pumping . . . 

Besides our health, the most important thing we have is our attitude . . . 

Spirituality and assertiveness are completely compatible . . .

And finally . . . People always remember how we make them feel . . . Make them feel special, and they'll love us . . . Make them feel taken for granted, and they'll eventually leave us . . .

Life is beautiful!!


Peace and love . . .


Until next time . . . Ciao!!

PS  If YOU have any inspiring lessons to pass on (I'm ALWAYS open to inspiration), don't be shy!

You lucky BASTARD!

I have a dear friend who is always calling me a lucky bastard . . .  He'll pick up the phone and say, You lucky bastard!  I always tell him, Yeah, that's what I am . . .  But, I'm a lovable bastard . . .  You can be angry with me, but not for long . . .  Because, well, I'm so freakin' lovable! LOL


I was twenty feet in the air on an extension ladder today . . . My feeling?  I HATE that . . . Who invented extension ladders?  Probably someone I despised in a past life . . .

I once owned an orange t-shirt . . . My daughter hated that shirt!  So, I'd put it on and immediately go to wherever she was . . .  It was like showing a cross to a vampire!  LOL


We always figure out when we're being taken for granted . . .  


I was at a terrific social event Saturday evening . . . A friend became, shall we say, a LONG way beyond inebriated . . . So, I took him home to look after him . . . He slept on the couch . . .  I slept on the floor . . .  Maybe I slept two hours . . .  Couldn't find his wife's cell number . . .  Next day, we made the exchange . . .  Looked like she was upset with ME . . . And I'm thinking, why aren't you thanking me?

Life is beautiful!!


Peace and love . . . 


Until next time . . .  Ciao!!

ALONE

Yeah . . . 

Sometimes ALONE is perfection . . .

Waking up ALONE . . .

My time is MY time . . .

No schedule . . .

No pressure . . .

NoBODY to please . . . 

Except MYself . . .

Poetry of and for the soul . . .

Thinking and feeling perfection . . .

This state of being . . .

Letting go of frustrations . . .

Awareness . . .

ALONE . . .

Life is beautiful baby!

Peace and love . . .

Until next time . . .  Ciao!!

Gratitude baby!

What a week . . . Wild and whacky . . .


It reminds me of why I should be grateful . . .


I spent a good part of today with some of my favorite people . . .  Very spiritual people . . .


What am I MOST grateful for a this moment?  It's a Friday night, and I get to stay in . . . lol  Not usual for me . . . 


I'm going to consume some red wine, eat some Italian, and wish the best to every human being . . .


Oh, and one more thing . . . Sitting in traffic today at a red light and hearing this song . . .  It just summed up everything I was feeling at the moment . . .





Life is beautiful!


Peace and love . . .


Until next time . . .  Ciao!!