Tuesday, November 13, 2012

The time has come . . .

It's been fun . . .

Spreading my message of positivity . . .

A few people get it . . .

I'm outta here . . .

Unless I change my mind at a later date . . .  lol

Every human being is a Divine Spirit . . .

Think from the heart . . .



Peace and love . . .

Life is beautiful!!

Ciao

The greatest rock song . . .

And if you don't agree?

Good luck to you . . .  lol



Peace and love . . .

Life is beautiful!!

Ciao

Inspiration in Survival

If we look, we'll find inspiring stories and inspiring people all around us . . .

One of those people is Gabby Giffords, a former congresswoman who survived an assassination attempt in January of 2011 . . .  Thirteen people were injured and six killed . . .  She was shot in the head, and survived . . .

In a grueling ongoing recovery process, GG is doing amazingly well, and delivered the Pledge of Allegiance at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte this past summer . . .  I watched it live on television, and it was a magical moment for anyone who knows her story . . .  I've wanted to post it here, but never did get around to it, until now . . .





Peace and love . . .

Life is beautiful!

Ciao   

Monday, November 12, 2012

It's rockin' . . .

Pythagorus?  Euclid?

Does anyone know who they REALLY are?  lol

Doesn't matter . . .

Be consciously grateful . . .

Always GRATEFUL . . .

I'm tired of those who are full of self-pity . . .  Full of morose crap . . .  Poor me . . .  My life is so shitty . . .

Know what?  If that's you, do what my grandmother suggested . . .  Get out there and do something positive for someone . . .  Their gratitude will elevate you . . .

Gratitude . . . I'm bursting with it!  My life isn't perfect, and never will be . . .  Whose is?  But people would line up for my life, and probably yours too . . .  And if you don't think they would, take another look . . .

Think of Gabby Giffords!!

Peace and love . . .

Life is beautiful!!



Ciao

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

The highlight of my day . . .

Today I had the chance the sit down and talk with a dear friend . . .  A cancer fighter and cancer survivor . . .

And THAT was the highlight of my day . . .


Peace and love . . .


Life is beautiful!


Ciao baby!!  

Monday, November 5, 2012

Just what the doctor ordered . . .

One of the things that's so terrific about blogging is that it gives us an outlet to say what we're REALLY feeling at any particular time . . .  And what we're feeling is constantly changing . . .  That's life!

The past seven days have seen events that have left me everywhere from very up to very down and everywhere in between . . .  Yesterday started out as a tough day . . .  I went to the gym earlier than usual, for no specific reason . . .  As I walked into the workout area, the first person I saw was a great gym bud named Carey . . .    He's one of those people who can go on and on . . .  All I have to do is say hello and then he's off . . .  Also a very entertaining guy, and a real raconteur . . .  We hadn't seen each other since June, since he's been in Thailand and Vietnam and then training at a different gym for a month . . .  As the title of this post says, he was just what the doctor ordered . . .  He regaled me with stories of his exotic (and erotic) Thai experiences, one after the other . . .  I literally had to force myself away to start working out, because it was so entertaining listening to him . . .


Once again, I thought to myself, this is how the Universe works . . .  If we really listen to the messages, many delivered through our intuition, things are put in our paths which become pivotal . . .  Seeing and talking to Carey turned the whole day around!  If I hadn't decided to go to the gym ninety minutes earlier than usual, our paths wouldn't have crossed . . .  Ya gotta love that!  


And I woke this morning feeling much better, said my Hail Mary's, and sent out a message to the Universe asking forgiveness from anyone I've ever hurt in this lifetime or any other, and forgiving anyone who's ever hurt me . . .  No grudges, no hard feelings, no negative emotions . . .  Everything is fine, and I'm completely OK with everyone on the planet . . .  White light all around!  


Peace and love . . .


Life is beautiful baby!


Ciao

Friday, November 2, 2012

This has been a week!

Do you reflect?  Are you at all introspective?  When you put your head on the pillow, what are your thoughts?  Anything about gratitude?  

OK, so I'm going to reflect upon the week that was . . .  The last seven days . . .

Started in a small city a few miles west of where I live . . .  Fantastic!

Back home . . .  So glad to be home . . .  I love my house . . .  It's a refuge . . .

A friend coming home from a week in San Francisco . . .  A spectacular week!!  We'll talk tomorrow at a favorite place . . .  This is truly a miracle man . . .  L'air . . .  In the last three years he's lived a lifetime . . .

Some terrific gym moments . . .  Love my gym buds . . .  Bill, the guy who's 46 and looks 35 . . .  Ronny, who can do pushups all day long . . . Lorraine the nurse . . .  Jamie, the police guy . . .  

And SO much more . . .

Peace and love . . .

Life is beautiful!  

Ciao baby!! 

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

The apple of my eye . . .

No question, my beautiful daughter is the apple of my eye . . .  Many people have told me she's the feminine version of me . . .  Both personality and physicality . . .  I was there when she was born, when she broke her forearm in six places at five, when she broke her ankle at twelve, and again at fifteen . . .  She's an athlete like me, so she's had some dings . . .  And then a broken thumb at sixteen . . .  Her kindergarten grad, her first basketball game, every band concert, her Care Bear Village, her first driving lesson, her high school grad, her university grad, and endless other things . . .

I had the great privilege of coaching her on many basketball and soccer teams . . .  She's a great athlete . . .  And then we coached a team together that won a championship . . .  She's a great coach too!

Six years ago, she decided to turn her back on her degree and pursue a career in the media . . .  Five years ago, almost to the day in 2007, she and I made the trip to her first job a LONG distance away . . .  

She had a career dream, to achieve a specific goal . . .  And she's had to make a few major moves to make it all happen . . . 

At exactly 2:48 pm local time today, she called me to say she's achieved that dream . . .  Or at least, the first level of it . . .

I LOVE that little girl!

Peace and love . . .

Life is beautiful . . .

Ciao baby!!  

You gotta watch this . . .

I was in Vancouver visiting my daughter in June . . .  One day on Granville Island we were sitting in a large open area enjoying the sun . . .  Probably about 50 or so people there . . .  Out of the blue, two men and a woman (early twenties) showed up dressed in black and they proceeded put on a stunning 15 minute jump rope show that left me speechless!  A friend sent me this video, and it's worth watching . . .  It took me back to that sunny day in June with my beautiful daughter . . .

Peace and love . . .

Life is beautiful!

Ciao baby



Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Perfect moments . . .

This morning, I met a great friend and colleague for breakfast at my favourite morning spot . . .  It's called Prairie Ink, which is the perfect name . . .

Everything with him is so easy and natural . . .  No drama, no negativity . . .  We're both naturally very positive . . .  I have no time for the negative . . .  I experienced the ultimate negative on Sunday, and want no part of that . . .  

And then, this afternoon, I called a great friend in North Carolina . . .  She and I told a few jokes . . .  Also called a friend in Florida, and talked some Notre Dame football . . .

All in all, a GREAT day!!  Didn't get to the gym, but will tomorrow . . .  Probably twice!!

It's about the people . . .  And to the two or three who actually read this blog, I know you get it . . .  lol

Peace and love . . .

Life is beautiful!!

Ciao baby . . .

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

I LOVE asparagus!

Yeah, I do . . .  But in fact, this post has NOTHING to do with asparagus . . .


In the last week, I've had two conversations with two terrific friends which have stayed with me . . .


Conversation #1 . . .


M has had some health trouble for a few years . . .  Breathing issues, lung issues, stomach issues, intestinal issues, energy issues . . .  You get the picture . . .  Tested for everything under the sun, and it comes back (thankfully) negative . . .  M has said over and and over, I have to lose some weight, and change my lifestyle . . . 


Conversation #2 . . .


D has some life issues . . .  Childhood and adult . . .  Getting therapy . . .  Can't let shit go . . .  So many things from D's past continue to impact the present . . . As we talked, I had the feeling D just needs to let it all go, and said so, and D asked, How do I let it go? . . .  Let me back up . . .   I've let ALL KINDS OF SHIT go . . .  Believe me, my life hasn't been the one you might choose . . .  lol  But I embrace everything . . .  And I've let it all go . . .  And I mean, everything!  

But his question caught me . . .  How do I let it go?  I had to think about that . . .  And I've come to the conclusion that it was mostly this . . .  I had come to the point when I was so completely fed up with letting the shit rule my life . . . So I said, let that stuff go!  And I did, a couple of decades ago . . .  Simple, huh?  Maybe not . . .


Back to #1 . . .


M is so positive about embracing the fitness lifestyle, and feels SO MUCH better and empowered for doing it . . .  M reached the point of being absolutely fed up, and did what needed to be done . . .  And will never look back . . .

Back to #2 . . .


D hasn't yet reached the point of being so fed up with letting the negative rule life . . .  But D will . . .  And when D does, I'll put a notch in my belt . . .  Another person reached on the TRUE level, the level of Spirit . . .


Here's the point . . .  We have to reach the point of feeling so much pain, that we finally say, It isn't worth it . . .  And when we do, great stuff happens, because we don't want to look back and see that shit again . . .  Seems to be the human condition, huh?!


Peace and love!


Life is beautiful baby . . .


Ciao!!

Do you ever wonder . . .

Where have I come from?  Where am I now? And where am I going?  

I know the answer . . .  The answer is Spirit . . .


We are ALL Spirit . . .


Every Journey is Divine . . .


Live with the expansive heart . . .

Choose love before hate . . .

And never look back!

Peace and love . . .

Life is beautiful!

Ciao baby!!


Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Let it FLOW baby!

Sometimes, life feels impossible . . .  We do and do and do, and our head is so damn sore from beating it against the wall . . .


And then there are those other times, when we float on the Sea of Possibility, and it's SO much easier . . .  It just FLOWS . . .


How do we separate the two?  And how do we spend more time in the latter state?


My experience, and ONLY mine . . .  Connect with the inner being, the HIGHER being of who and what we are . . .  The spiritual thing we all should aspire to . . .  The Path with Heart, as Don Juan told Carlos . . .


It ALL begins with GRATITUDE . . .  The mother of all emotions . . .  If we express true gratitude, people are drawn to us naturally . . .  We exude a positive vibe . . .  And, we're genuinely happy . . .


Life is beautiful!


Peace and love . . .


Ciao baby!!


Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Synchronicity . . .

One of my favorite posts from December 2010 . . .  You might find it a bit long . . .  But if you're meant to read it, you will . . .  lol  It explains a big part of what I believe . . .  Synchronicity baby!


New Year's Eve is only a few days away .  .  .  What are you planning out there in Blogland?

I mentioned Matt my masseur in my previous blog .  .  .  The story of how Matt and I were brought together is a good one .  .  .  One of those where it's clear to me that the Universe set in motion a series of synchronistic events to get us together, so he could fix my shoulder and then various other body parts that will kick up occasionally (I go the the gym regularly, and work hard, so you gotta know stuff is going to happen every so often) .  .  .  And at the same time, I could help him in a completely different way .  .  .

This goes back to April '07 .  .  .  During a workout, I felt a slight twinge in my right shoulder .  .  .  Nothing big, just a small something .  .  .  During the next couple of weeks, it was still there and getting slighty worse .  .  .  Still, no big thing .  .  .  YET!!  I kept on with my workouts, but was beginning to notice that I was having to work around it more and more .  .  .  By August, it was so bad I knew I had to shut it down for a while .  .  .  It was August 10th, a Friday, and I was standing looking at the pull up machine and thinking, This is completely insane!  Snake had better take a little time off .  .  .  I was leaving for Los Angeles the next day anyway for ten days, so by the time I return, it'll be better, right?  Wrong .  .  .  It actually got worse .  .  .  I was in more pain when I returned than when I left .  .  .

What to do?  I called a physio establishment nearby and set up an appointment .  .  .  Multiple appointments later, many dollars spent, and absolutely NO progress .  .  .  My range of motion is still restricted, the pain level hasn't decreased, and my frustration level is going through the roof .  .  .  Not only that, I didn't like the physio at all .  .  .  She was cold, and I felt, more than a little uncaring about my anatomical dilemma .  .  .  I bailed out of that, and was left wondering, What now??

One day not long after that, I'm sitting in my office at the end of the day .  .  .  Time to go home .  .  .  I picked up my briefcase to leave, and then a thought came literally out of nowhere .  .  .  Why not call my good friend Steve in Oakville?  So, that's what happened .  .  .  Steve answered and we were chatting, and the conversation eventually got around to my shoulder, and my frustration and not really knowing what route to go with it .  .  .  Just at that moment, a colleague named Kristin walked into my office to use a computer, as her's was doing some funky things and was unusable .  .  .  Kristin is a dancer, and is always getting therapy for her back .  .  .  After Steve and I said goodbye, she said, I know a great therapist who does wonders for my back, and I'm sure he can help you .  .  .  I called right then and was able to get in to see Matt two days hence .  .  . 

Sitting in the waiting room, Matt walked out to greet me and take me into the room .  .  .  We've all experienced what happened right then .  .  .  As soon as I set eyes on Matt, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this person will be able to help me .  .  .  You know when the vibe is just that strong?  We've all been in situations like that .  .  .  Matt did his diagnostic thing for about ten minutes, and then said, I know what's wrong with your shoulder?  I asked, What?  His response .  .  .  Everything!  Then he laughed and said, this thing is really f'ed up .  .  .  And then he listed five things that needed fixing in descending order of significance .  .  .  And he started to work right then on making things right .  .  .  Matt promised me three things .  .  .  One, he can fix me .  .  .  Two, it will take at least three weeks with three appointments per week .  .  .  And three, it's really going to hurt!  My God, did it hurt!  He got into places in my shoulder and armpit that had me tearing up occasionally from the pain, but it had to be done .  .  .  This was as deep as deep tissue massage gets .  .  .  The good thing was that as soon as he stopped, the pain stopped .  .  .  Not only did he fix me, but we had some terrific conversations about life and relationships and reality and so on .  .  .  I was able to give him some insight into things going on in his life while he was fixing me .  .  .  So, it was win-win .  .  .

Once that issue was dealt with, I continued to see Matt for this and that, and he always made it better .  .  .  So what is the point of all this?  As I said earlier, the Universe conspired to get Matt and I together .  .  .  Why?  I needed something from him, and he needed something from me, and neither of us knew it .  .  .  That's how synchronicity works .  .  .  I don't believe in "coincidences" .  .  .  I do however believe in synchronistic events .  .  .   And this a perfect example of that .  .  .  What if the thought to call Steve in Oakville hadn't come out of nowhere?  What if he hadn't answered and we didn't have the conversation?  What if Kristin's computer hadn't been misbehaving, and she hadn't come into my office to use mine?  What if she hadn't come in at exactly the moment she did, while I was telling Steve about my shoulder issue?  What if, what if, what if .  .  .  That's synchronicty (not coincidence!) at work .  .  .  Sometimes, people parachute into our lives out of nowhere in a sense, and they end up having a profound effect on us .  .  .  Blindsided by synchronistic events .  .  .  When I meet someone, I always assume that this person could end up being crucial to some aspect of my life, and of course, vice versa .  .  .

We ALL need to open up to synchronicity . . .

Life is beautiful baby!

Peace and love .  .  .

Ciao!!

Friday, April 13, 2012

The Spiritual Path Comes with No Guarantees

It's been a few months since I've posted anything . . . Seriously, I've not even thought about blogging until last week, when the spark seemed to rekindle just a bit . . .  I knew what I wanted to write about, but was not at all certain how to say it . . .  That, however, was then . . .  And this is now . . . So, shall we begin?  


The title says it all . . .  I've been on a spiritual path for years, if not decades . . .  A few of my friends and family know, but mostly I keep it to myself . . .  I don't advertise . . . My feeling is that people who like to broadcast their spirituality are mostly ego-driven, and really not very spiritual at all . . .  This blog has been a great outlet for me off and on since 2009 . . .


Being on the spiritual path never guarantees that everything will be sweetness and light in one's life . . .  As a matter of fact, since December 2011, my life has been a roller coaster of events and emotions . . .  A lot of unpleasant shit has happened, which has been completely outside of my control . . .  However, what has made it bearable is the spiritual grounding I've developed over time . . .  I'm so thankful for having that to fall back on . . .  It gets me through . . .  The concept of the Spiritual Warrior has always appealed to me . . .  Not once have I thought, Why me?  As in, why is this shit happening to ME?  The more appropriate question would be, Why NOT me?  No one is immune from life's events, good or bad or neutral . . .  And then, all I can control is how I react . . .  There have been times when I've felt overwhelmed, and I have to admit that I've slipped a bit at times and reacted in ways I wish I hadn't . . .  But, that's just being human, isn't it . . .  But the grounding has never disappeared . . .  And for that I'm extremely grateful, because without it, where would I be?


So, that being said, all we can do is Warrior on, dealing with the good, the bad, and the neutral in the best ways we can . . .  Everyone on this planet has challenges from time to time, and some of our most valuable lessons come from those . . . So, even though it's been a challenging time, I'm grateful for whatever lessons I'm learning as a result . . .  And believe me, I HAVE learned a few!!  And we should never forget that everything eventually passes, the clouds clear away, and the sun always rises tomorrow . . .


Life is beautiful baby!


Peace and love . . .


Ciao!!