Laissez les bon temps rouler!

OK, you're at a Mardi Gras bash on a Saturday night .  .  .  Eating, drinking, dancing .  .  .  What to do?  Only one thing .  .  .  Laissez les bon temps rouler!


Life is beautiful baby!





Peace and love .  .  .


Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

Friday ramblings . . .

A few random thoughts on a sunny but cool Friday .  .  .


Just finished reading Alchemy of Light .  .  .  Great book!


I have an REM CD in my car, and can't seem to NOT play it .  .  .  That's me in the corner, that's me in the spotlight losing my religion .  .  .  :)

Meditation right now is off the charts .  .  .


A gym buddy named John can be very philosophical .  .  .  Yesterday he said life is like a jig saw puzzle, and as we get older the puzzle gets bigger and the pieces get smaller .  .  .  I liked that .  .  .  Unfortunately, I had no such wisdom to match his .  .  .  I was thinking about how hungry I was .  .  .  :)  Maybe I'll have something good for him tomorrow .  .  .


I despise being deceived .  .  .  Then again, maybe I allow it to happen, which would mean I'm the one at fault, right?


It seems there are so many people in a lot of emotional pain these days .  .  .


If everyone would meditate for only ten minutes each day, this world would be infinitely more peaceful .  .  .  Or, we could just replace alcohol with reefer .  .  .  When was the last time you heard about someone getting high and then doing anything violent?


I have huge respect for policemen, firemen, and nurses .  .  .


The disaster in Japan is beyond heartbreaking .  .  .

How much monkey business is too much?




You wouldn't know it from this blog, because I keep it under wraps when I write, but my inner freak is sometimes bursting to get out .   .  .  And it often does .  .  .  :)  


I'm going to a Mardi Gras party tomorrow .  .  .


We should legalize and control marijuana and prostitution, within reason .  .  .  That would not only raise money and free up law enforcement to concentrate on the really bad stuff, but also significantly reduce sex slavery and child prostitution .  .  .  


I have a friend who used to be a spy .  .  .  Come to think of it, he still may still have a hand in that business .  .  .

Lindsay Lohan and Charlie Sheen .  .  .  Are they drinking the same water, or what?  Can you imagine those two in rehab together?  And maybe throw in Janice Dickinson as an afterthought .  .  .  Whoa!

It takes a LOT to make me angry, but when it happens, you don't want to be in the same room .  .  .


OK, time for slice of some red velvet cake, courtesy of my friend Nancy .  .  .


And on that note .  .  .


Life is beautiful baby!


Peace and love .  .  .


Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

Bipolarity . . .

I can speak from experience on this .  .  .  Believe me, on this topic I have a Ph.D .  .  .  :)


The topic is, the spiritual path and its challenges .  .  .  


You must understand that I've been on this path for decades .  .  .  Yeah, I'm THAT old .  .  .  LOL  But, no walker or cane yet .  .  .  Hell, I go to the gym everyday and lift as heavy as I did three decades ago .  .  .  And, I'm a lot smarter about it now, so I avoid injury .  .  .  With age comes at least a little wisdom, right?  lol


Anyone who goes down the spiritual rabbit hole with no fear will never be disappointed .  .  .  The rewards are endless .  .  .  But, and pardon my English, it ain't always easy .  .  .


The spiritual path is exhilarating .  .  .  Truly, it is, and there's NOTHING like it .  .  .  But, our old worldly habits continually pull us back, or try to .  .  .  It's so easy to slip back into the old behaviors, many of which are self-defeating and spiritually destructive .  .  .  That's the bipolarity .  .  .  If you've read The Teachings of Don Juan, A Yaqui Way of Knowledge, you'll know the concept of the Spiritual Warrior .  .  .  In the words of Don Juan, there is only the Path, and it takes a warrior's discipline to maintain it .  .  . 


I consider myself a Spiritual Warrior .  .  .  Everyday there are struggles .  .  .  And you know, there's not a doubt in my mind that it's ALL worth it .  .  .  I've been challenged in so many ways so often .  .  .  Even today, and again tomorrow .  .  .  

Life is beautiful baby!

Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!! 

You could get hurt doing this!

Doing what?  Drunk dancing, of course .  .  .


Honestly, most of us have done it, but hopefully it didn't end like this!





Life is beautiful baby!


Peace and love .  .  .


Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

There just MIGHT be an alternative . . .

OK then .  .  .  Let's do the math on this thing .  .  .


We're feeling down .  .  .  A little depressed .  .  .  Maybe thinking, I want to pull the covers over my head and stay in bed all day .  .  .  Who HASN'T been there?  If you haven't, you're not human!  


I KNOW this post will piss people off, but I don't care .  .  .  And perhaps the people who are most pissed are those who need to think about this shit .  .  .  


I'm going to make the point that at least 50% of the people consuming anti-depressants on a daily basis don't need to be .  .  .  Maybe, there's another solution .  .  .


Do you know that studies, especially in Europe, show that over a six week period, EXERCISE has been proven to be as effective as anti-depressants?  Yes, people who reported depression were put on an exercise program, and guess what?  They showed marked emotional improvement, equal to that of drugs .  .  .  Which, by the way, have some VERY serious side effects, such as suicidal tendencies for some people .  .  .


Which takes me back to Saturday at Gold's .   .  .  I was talking to Mikaela, a gym bud .  .  .  She said, after running for a half hour, I'm in love with the human race .  .  .


Exercise, and some meditation .  .  .  The one-two punch that knocks out that grey depression monster for many .  .  .


Are you pissed off?  Know what?  If you are, I don't care, 'cause exercise and meditation put me in a place where I love you anyway .  .  .  :)


Life is beautiful baby!


Peace and love .  .  .


Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!     

OK, I said I'd never get political on this blog . . .

This post might skirt the edges of the political world .  .  .  But, I feel very passionate about this topic .  .  .  And the topic is, the over-medication of the population in Western society .  .  .  Now I understand that many people legitimately need medication for this and that, some of it very serious .  .  .  Some of us are only alive because of medication .  .  .  That isn't my concern .  .  .  My concern is the medication given under dubious circumstances, or less serious circumstances, to people who really don't need it .  .  .  Case in point, the huge number of people who are being treated with anti-depressants .  .  .  Do some require this medication?  Definitely yes .  .  .  Do ALL who take it require this medication?  I'll leave that one open to each individual .  .  .  But that's just one example .  .  .  Drug companies have their place, and God love them .  .  .  But they're not in business to help people .  .  .  They're in business to make as much money as possible, and it just so happens they do it by making drugs .  .  .  Is that too cynical?  You decide .  .  .

Another side to this is how we make ourselves sick through lifestyle, then the pharmaceutical industry and its products kick in to treat the symptoms, not the cause .  .  .  WE are often the cause of our own demise, and the big pharma companies are only too happy to make more money because of our own flawed habits .  .  .  Is THAT too cynical?  Again, you decide .  .  .





Life is beautiful baby!


Peace and love .  .  .


Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

A moment meant to be . . .

Stepping out of the change room at Gold's and heading toward the free weights to do the usual pre-workout warmup .  .  .  Seeing a friend named Rob and saying Hello .  .  .  Rob, not saying hello, responds with, I want what you have .  .  .  Oh?  What's that?  Rob tells you he wants some of your cheerfulness, positivity, sincere warmth .  .  .  Those are his words .  .  .  How do I get that, he asks?  This initiates a fairly long conversation in which he tells you some very personal things about pain, illness, fears, and a genuine desire to get rid of all the negative shit, and replace it with something far more positive .  .  .  This is a man who has done the heavy lifting .  .  .  He's identified what he wants to lose, and what he wants to gain .  .  .  He wants one door to close on the shit, and another to open to a better life, a higher consciousness .  .  .  You say some things and he says, That's exactly what I needed to here .  .  .  You realize that this moment is exactly the catalyst he needs to finally stop spinning his wheels .  .  .  You see the relief on his face, the change in his body language .  .  .  The door to something more positive has opened for Rob .  .  .  What he makes of this moment is ultimately up to him .  .  .  You know this was not the last conversation .  .  .  Then, it hits you .  .  .  You almost didn't go to the gym, because of a tight shoulder .  .  .  But, something made you go .  .  .  The inner voice and its Higher Source .  .  .  You gotta love how this works, huh?!


Life is beautiful baby!


Peace and love .  .  .


Until next time .  .  .  Ciao

When I started this blog . . .

.  .  . early 2009, I knew there would be few followers and comments, and very little interest in what I have to say .  .  .  The subject matter isn't quite mainstream .  .  .  lol 


That's perfectly OK .  .  .


I'm a FISH, and on a different wavelength than most .  .  . 


But to those who read these posts, I know this or that resonates .  .  .


And that's what matters .  .  .


It isn't about the size .  .  .  :)


At least, this blog isn't!


Life is beautiful baby!


Peace and love .  .  .


Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!      

Too much beach time?

Well really, is there EVER too much beach time?  Blue sky, soft white sand, palm trees swaying in the warm breeze, and sun pouring down upon all the beach goers of multiple shapes and sizes .  .  .  


I try not to overthink, and not to think anything negative about myself, my life, and others .  .  .  For the most part, I'm very successful .  .  .  But every once in a while, I'll catch myself and my thinking going exactly where I DON'T want it to go .  .  .  Like yesterday at Caddy's Beach, where I found myself mulling over relationships past and wondering, just wondering, what might have been .  .  .  Now please understand I'm not talking about relationships of the romantic kind necessarily .  .  .  We have all kinds of relationships, and the vast majority are completely and utterly non-romantic .  .  .  I'm just talking about relationships generally .  .  .


Put up your hand if you've ever had a relationship with anyone on any level that disappointed you .  .  .  OK, I see EVERYONE'S hand up .  .  .  Including mine .  .  .  It just seems to be a part of the human condition .  .  .  We have expectations we shouldn't have, or expectations the other party can't live up to .  .  .  We thought they were more than they are, or more genuine, or stronger, and so on .  .  .  And then, in truth, we have to admit WE'VE let people down for the same reasons .  .  .


However, have they REALLY let us down, or vice versa?  This is where the beach comes into play .  .  .  Yesterday at Caddy's, I was mulling that whole thing over .  .  .  Relationships, and who has let me down, who have I let down, and was it all meant to be?  Because, everything is a teacher .  .  .  And you know, at least in my case (because I never project my reality onto others), I can say it all seems to work out perfectly .  .  .  I'm EXACTLY where I'm supposed to be right here, right now .  .  .  The people in my life are supposed to be EXACTLY where they are .  .  .  So should I ever be disappointed with how it goes with person X or person Y?  I'll allow myself some short term disappointment, but then it's over .  .  .  But, I'll carry them in my heart, as I do everyone close to me .  .  .


And I'd say to them, please don't forget me either .  .  .   :)


Life is beautiful baby!





Peace and love .  .  .


Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

Ever feel . . .

.  .  . like you're a runaway train on a one way track?

Life is beautiful baby!





Peace and love .  .  .


Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

Speaking of relationships . . .

We've all heard it said that relationships are mirrors to ourselves . . . And in fact, they ARE!

We each have relationships on many levels, from the less than deep to the very profound . . .

We might think of relationships as teachers . . . If we look at each of our relationships, what do we see? Do we see something superficial and benign? Do we see ourselves as needing something from the other, or they from us? Do we find the energy being sucked from our soul? Are we better off for knowing this person, because perhaps they make us better?

There are many barometers of ourselves . . . There are relationships, there are behaviors, there are emotions . . . And then there are . . . THOUGHTS and beliefs . . .

Perhaps we should from time to time take inventory of our personal interactions, and ask, Why is person X or person Y in my life? What are they showing me? Does this person add value to my life? Do I add value to theirs? Am I better off for knowing him or her? Should I make a change?

Life IS beautiful, if we simply allow it to be . . . 

Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time . . . Ciao!!

Do you ever ask yourself . . .

HOW DID I GET HERE?!   :)


Life is beautiful baby!





Peace and love .  .  .


Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

Are you guilty?

Well yeah, you probably are occasionally, as am I from time to time .  .  .

Guilty of what? 

Unproductive, if not destructive thinking .  .  .

Human consciousness is about thoughts .  .  .  We think, we analyze, we look for solutions to problems, and on and on .  .  .  Yeah, we think and then think some more .  .  .

Aerosmith has a song with lyrics, If you could step outside your mind .  .  .

Imagine that concept being reality .  .  .  In fact, it CAN be reality .  .  .  

Spend a day analyzing your thoughts .  .  .

Are they angry?  Are they of jealousy?  Are they of worry?  Are they about things we can't control?  Are they of worst case scenarios?  Are they of poor self-esteem?  Are they positive?  Are they life enhancing?  Are they self-affirming thoughts?

We can go on and on, but the point is, we ARE what we think .  .  .  Our behaviors and actions define us .  .  .  Where do actions come from?  They don't occur in isolation, they come from thoughts .  .  .  So in reality, it's our THOUGHTS which drive behaviors and then define us .  .  .

An idea .  .  .  Take a step outside your mind, and become an observer of thoughts .  .  .  Maybe it'll be enlightening .  .  .

Do you like what you see?

Life is beautiful baby!

Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

Letting go . . .

In the last three days, I've read blogs about "letting go", and had some conversations about same .  .  .  :)


Clearly, this is the theme of the day .  .  .  :)


Not that long ago, the son of friends died from leukemia .  .  .  A traumatic event .  .  .  That is the nightmare of any parent .  .  .  It simply puts everything into perspective .  .  .


I thought, how would I deal with that?  And truly, I have no idea .  .  .  Until we wear those shoes, we don't know .  .  .


But it could be a divorce, the loss of someone we thought of as a friend, a job opportunity, or anything at all .  . . 


We ALL experience shit .  .  .  Life will never be smooth sailing all the time .  .  .  We have moments of calmness, but the choppy waters return .  .  .


But this I know .  .  .  How do we let go?  We bring in our friends .  .  .  We involve those who would empathize .  .  .  


They take on our pain .  .  .  They absorb the feelings of loss, of guilt, of "I'm in extreme emotional pain .  .  ."


We never want to inconvenience friends .  .  .  But, we would easily and happily be inconvenienced to help a loved one, a dear friend, another human being about whom we care deeply .  .  .  


So, ask them to do what you'd do for them .  .  .  They'll be more than willing .  .  .  They love you, and will give you whatever you need .  .  .


Life is beautiful baby!


Peace and love .  .  .


Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!! 

Too much separation . . .

Human beings share the same space, the same energy, the same consciousness .  .  .  But, we can't see it .  .  .  The veils are too many, too thick, too heavy .  .  .  


Let's lift some veils, one by one .  .  .  Let's see that we're really all just a small drop of the same Source this IS the ocean .  .  .  I am you and you are me and we are all together .  .  .  The Beatles said it in I Am the Walrus .  .  .  :)






Life is beautiful baby!


Peace and love .  .  .


Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!