I meditate. Of course I do. Everyone searching for a bit of
enlightenment does. I’ve heard myself say, I meditate every morning
in my garden when I can. But if the truth be known, I find it hard
to meditate. Maybe you’re like me too. But we would never admit it,
would we? It’s like the basic lesson in Self Realization 101. It’s
difficult for me to shut down the monkey mind and settle into the
silence. When I settle, there’s always a party going on.

I don’t even have the excuse that there’s no place quiet enough.
I’ve got plenty to choose from. Sitting down by the creek, in my
garden, in the living room, or the comfy couch in the recording
studio, are all excellent choices. I don’t have kids or grandkids
or a business that invades my mornings either. No, I have no
excuses.

I don’t give up, however. During the summer, the obvious choice is
my garden. I close my eyes. I feel the gentle Wyoming sun on my
body. I hear the hummingbirds soaring about the blooms. The day is
revving itself up to be glorious. Then the neighbor two acres away
decides to mow. I wonder if I remembered to put softener into this
last wash. An ant crawls up my leg. The mower hits a rock.

Like I said, I find it hard to meditate. But I’ve developed a
system that works for me. Every morning and before I go to bed, I
do this:

I take deep breaths, calming myself down, and then I open the
valve of gratitude. I don’t think of specific things or my mind
will take over. I immerse myself in an immense feeling of gratitude
for my life (and all that it entails – even the fact that it’s
difficult to keep thoughts at bay for one lousy minute). I let
gratitude overwhelm and overflow, up and out into the universe.

After releasing gratitude for all that is, I reverse the flow. Joy
floods back in and becomes a torrent. I feel it hitting my heart,
my mind, my body, washing me clean. It fills me to a point where
the dam breaks, letting gratitude flow once more, and the cycle
begins again. What a way to start my day. Breathing in joy,
breathing out gratitude. I feel I am Super Woman!

Try it sometime. I think you’ll get hooked too. Hooked up to the universe, that is. (And it don’t get much better than this.)

Intuition can provide you with some amazing viewpoints, helpful solutions and unexpected answers. As you develop the habit of becoming still and looking within for clues, it gets easier to hear that still, small voice within.

How can this inner communication become a trusted resource? How can it be leveraged to consistently increase the quality of life?

The answer my intuition provides for that question seems disarmingly simple – implement what you learn.

Actions

Ideas are cheap. Answers are easy. Solutions are more plentiful than problems because there are usually several ways to solve any particular problem. Intuition is happy to provide these insights and delighted when we notice help is being given. But these whisperings from the subtle side are all useless unless we actually do something with what we learn.

“For whereas the mind works in possibilities, the intuitions work in actualities, and what you intuitively desire, that is possible to you. Whereas what you mentally or ‘consciously’ desire is nine times out of ten impossible; hitch your wagon to a star, or you will just stay where you are.” – D. H. Lawrence (1885 – 1930)

Did you ever wake up in the middle of the night with a great idea? Here’s an example of one way intuition is providing answers to your questions . . . spoken and unspoken.

Have you ever told yourself you’d remember the idea in the morning and gone back to sleep? Was the idea there in the morning?

Usually ideas like that are long gone by morning. Occasionally they can be resurrected. Maybe these words can serve as a catalyst to help you remember something important that you had forgotten until this moment. Pause to reflect on it, and allow your mind to recapture the idea and let it expand

Write it Down

All too often, ideas and answers delivered by our intuition are gone forever. Why? Because we never took action. In fact, sometimes we don’t even bother to write it down. Instead we fall for that old trick, “Oh, I’ll remember THAT!”

But do you? Have you remembered it in the past? Always? What’s the point of encouraging and developing intuition, only to ignore it when it offers help?

“As soon as you think it, ink it.” – Mark Victor Hansen

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve lost a song idea by not writing it down immediately when inspiration struck. I told myself, “Surely I’ll remember it!” Yeah, right. Occasionally. Usually not.

It’s a shame to lose a potentially good song, but that’s nothing compared to the “big questions” intuition can help us shed light upon. These are clues we don’t want to lose. That’s why it’s so important to get in the habit of capturing insight now, in the moment, while it’s fresh.

Later is an Illusion – Capture it Now

I read about neuroscience research findings concerning intuitive insights. Any new idea not captured within 37 seconds will likely be forgotten. After seven minutes, it’s almost certain to be gone forever.

So how do you compensate for such a rapid evaporation rate? You simply develop the habit of capturing intuition whenever possible. Too much trouble? Take a moment to review what’s at stake, and see if that will help you generate the internally driven inspiration needed to actually get it done.

“Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. – Steve Jobs (b. 1955

It’s an Easy Habit to Be Ready for Inspiration

Here’s how I do it. I prefer to wear shirts with a pocket. I almost always keep a small spiral notepad and a pen there. Through the years, I’ve been able to capture some helpful nuggets, just by my willingness to be prepared.

We travel quite often. Janey keeps a small notebook within easy reach while we’re rolling down the road. Frequently, she grabs her pen and writes for a couple of minutes, grabbing an idea while it’s fresh.

I also have a miniature recorder that I keep by the bed. It’s funny when Janey wakes up abruptly saying, “Huh?” When she realizes I’m whispering into my recorder again, she rolls over and goes back to sleep. She’s used to me writing in the dark or talking to the recorder in the middle of the night.

Use It

Receiving, recognizing and capturing intuition is a good start, but it’s a job half done. Without implementation, it’s all for nothing. Whenever possible, I try to take action on my inner impulses as soon as possible. Whenever I do, I find that related impulses come right on the heels of my action.

When I take action on that, more intuition arrives. As the time gap continues to shorten between the nudge and the action, it begins to feel easy, effortless, even magical.

Let’s examine the opposite. If you get a nudge and don’t write it down and don’t take action on it, that’s another way of saying you’re ignoring it. That sends a message to your intuitive nature that goes something like this, “Yeah, I heard you, but I’m too busy. Not interested. Thanks but no thanks.”

With this attitude, it’s natural for intuition to dry up. Use it or lose it. In my own experience, if I go through a spell where I “put off” song idea impulses, before long they quit coming. Ouch.

“Trusting your intuition means tuning in as deeply as you can to the energy you feel, following that energy moment to moment, trusting that it will lead you where you want to go and bring you everything you desire.” – Shakti Gawain (b. 1948)

It’s all about trust. It’s about a way of life beyond the narrow confines of the logical mind. Logical, predictable, left-brained thinking definitely has its place, but it’s only the tip of the iceberg.

“Intuition isn’t the enemy, but the ally, of reason.” – John Kord Lagemann

“Brain researchers estimate that your unconscious data base outweighs the conscious on an order exceeding ten million to one. This data base is the source of your hidden, natural genius. In other words, a part of you is much smarter than you are. The wise people regularly consult the smarter part.” – Michael J. Gelb, author of “How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci”

“Intuition comes very close to clairvoyance; it appears to be the extrasensory perception of reality. All great men are gifted with intuition. They know without reasoning or analysis, what they need to know.” – Alexis Carrel (1873 – 1944)

Many of the most brilliant people who have ever lived tapped into their intuition and used it daily. When it becomes a habit, it becomes expected and natural. It’s an effortless way of life – a no-brainer. To others, not privy to the process, it looks like living in the flow, like magic.

“The intellect has little to do on the road to discovery. There comes a leap in consciousness, call it intuition or what you will, and the solution comes to you, and you don’t know how or why.” – Albert Einstein

“Intuition will tell the thinking mind where to look next.” – Dr. Jonas Salk (b. 1914), doctor, discoverer of polio vaccine.

“During [these] periods of relaxation after concentrated intellectual activity, the intuitive mind seems to take over and can produce the sudden clarifying insights which give so much joy and delight.” – Fritjof Capra, physicist

Watch for clues. They come in many ways . . . goose bumps, (a.k.a. thrill bumps), a sudden chill, butterflies in the pit of your stomach, a constricted feeling in your chest, a sudden, expansive feeling of relief, sudden nausea. These are examples of how effective your body can be at communicating with you directly, without the need for words. If you are pondering a particular question and your body gives you one of these sensations, it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to translate the message . . . “Yes” feels good. “No” feels bad.

“The mind can assert anything and pretend it has proved it. My beliefs I test on my body, on my intuitional consciousness, and when I get a response there, then I accept.” – D. H. Lawrence (1885 – 1930)

Other times, you may see words form on the inner screen of your mind. Or you may hear words in your imagination. How do you know if these “messages” are real?

“Trust your feelings, Luke.” – Obee One Kenobee, “Star Wars”

True messages often come with a feeling of lightness, euphoria or joy. Questionable ones are often accompanied with a sense of foreboding, doubt or fear. If a new idea shows up and it gives you energy and hope, that’s a good vote of confidence that you can trust it.

If you feel drained of energy, that’s a good clue your intuition is warning you to go the other way. Intuition has its own language, and like any other language, it becomes easier with deliberate resolve, attention and practice.

“Intuition isn’t mystical.” – Dr. James Watson – Nobel laureate and co-discoverer of DNA

When we’re in the flow, it’s effortless and it feels good. Very good. We expect intuitive help, and our expectation expedites its manifestation. We expect it to be helpful and so it is. We expect it to enhance the quality of life, and so it does.

We expect to be in the zone . . . enjoying the benefits of a life inspired on purpose by inspiration. And so we are. And so it is.

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Listen FREE to the songs below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

Miracle in Disguise Synchronicity is such a positive and hopeful idea, it begs the question, "Why not actively look for it and even expect it, as long as it feels good?" http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor11 Angels Around Us Is it your higher self, or your guardian angel, or perhaps an over-active imagination? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor3 Blue Water Water and the sea are such perfect metaphors for the larger reality we are all immersed in. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor6 What Would Love Do Now It’s tough to remember to ask yourself this question in the heat of the moment, but it can pay big dividends. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor10 Take the Plunge Their advice is "for your own good", but the last thing you need to hear is their worst-case scenario. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor11 Here A love song to the beloved and/or to the larger part of ourselves. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor16 Ten Purdy Word Song The style and mood of the song matches the flow of the words themselves, painting a colorful word picture that is easy on the ears. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescAnth.html#Anchor14 Songs by Tupelo
Inspiration from a Stroke of Insight from Jill Bolte Taylor You’ve heard about the "right brain" and the "left brain," right? The left brain is all about logic and sequential thinking and the right brain is all about the abstract flow of consciousness and how it relates to "the big picture." Have you ever heard a description about watching from a peaceful, detached viewpoint as the cognitive brain functions slowly quit functioning? Have you ever heard anyone talk about what it feels like when the inner chatter finally quits and all that’s left is awareness? On this video, you will. Prepare to be amazed, moved, inspired and thrilled with this intelligent look at something that is rarely seen . . . and the fact that you’re hearing about all this from a brain scientist makes it even more fascinating. Get a Broader Perspective – Do It Different and Work Smarter When I think of the view from our broader perspective, to me, it means the viewpoint of our inner self . . . who we really are. Without the filters of our ego, the world looks quite different. The problem is . . . this lofty viewpoint seems illusive. People occasionally identify with broader perspective with no apparent effort or intent, but it’s rare to arrive at such a viewpoint accidentally. More commonly, brief glimpses are caught deliberately by intent, and repeated by personal discipline and the use of clever techniques. Transform Your Inner Critic into Your Inner Coach Whatever is the predominant thought and attitude about any given subject is what we create in our experience. So if we allow our inner critic to run amuck with the usual garbage dished out by the modern media conglomerates and cultural conditioning, we lock ourselves into a self-perpetuating cycle of negativity, lack and disempowerment. If you look beneath the surface, these prolific comments from our inner critic contain concealed, valuable and powerful gifts. To receive the gifts, it’s necessary to shift your attitude about the nature of the inner critic self-talk. Quit considering it as a negative hindrance and out-of-control annoyance bent on your self-destruction. Instead, see it as an attempt at communication from your higher self, urging you to make improvements in order to live up to your potential. How to Live the Life of Your Dreams Through Intuition Intuition feels good. That should be enough of a clue it’s something that can be trusted. But, our culture has done a thorough job of instilling doubt about the wisdom of following our instincts. Instead, we are taught to think things through and be logical. These mental tools are important, but they were never intended to be used instead of intuition. They work better when used in conjunction with intuition. If we are open to it, we get nudges and insights to move us in the direction of our greatest joys, our most valuable contributions, and our most satisfying life. Those quiet whispers and gentle taps on the shoulder are examples of inner guidance in action – intuition. Inspire Yourself on Purpose – Inspiration from Inside Out Here are twelve common sense reminders on how to inspire yourself. The word “inspire” derives from root words that mean “in spirit” or “spirit within.” Although there’s always another step to take, these points are a natural result of recognizing and identifying with this realization of who we really are. How Do You Feel – About Inner Guidance? Is it a hunch? Is it a voice in your head? Is it something you feel? Don’t confuse what you feel with who you are. Once you are able to access this awareness of pure being and identify yourself with it, you won’t get carried away by whatever emotional cloud happens to be passing by. Celebrate life through one of the more subtle forms of communication available to us – inner guidance. Articles by Tupelo

We all get in a funk occasionally. It’s part of living here in this playground of duality – light and dark, hot and cold, up and down. Without occasional bad moods, how would we recognize a good mood? Without feeling despondent occasionally, how would we recognize euphoria?

Recognizing the fact that you are experiencing a bad mood is the first step to getting out of it. Once you realize your spirits could use a lift, here are some tips to help make it as quick and painless as possible.

Find the Cause and Make Inner Adjustments

Negative emotions of any kind, regardless of what you call them, are there to bring you a message from your deepest inner self. The message is something like this: “Your current train of thought is out of sync with the personal direction held most dear by the best possible version of yourself.”

When your thoughts are in alignment with your sense of purpose, you infuse your life with happiness, enthusiasm and joy.

So step back from the mind and settle into the objective viewpoint. From this perspective of pure awareness, take a good look at the thoughts you have been thinking lately. (It’s likely more accurate to say, “your thoughts have been thinking you,” before you brought the light of pure awareness to the table.) Your funky mood is telling you those thoughts are not serving you well. They are not bringing you happiness, enthusiasm or joy . . . so make a decision right now, in this present moment, to change the color of your thoughts.

Do a 180-degree mental pivot, and deliberately point your thoughts in the opposite direction.

Replace despair with hope.
Replace worry with confidence.
Replace fear with love.

This kind of deliberate, directed thinking is a choice. It’s a personal decision based on understanding what you want and how to get it. If you’re tired of seeing your life through the dark lens of a funky mood . . . and are serious about letting the light in, change your thoughts.

Nobody can do it for you. Nobody else has to change in order for you to feel better. Nobody has to behave differently. All that needs to change is your attitude . . . the way you react to the events in your life makes the difference. Once you get a handle on that, you can maintain mental and emotional equanimity, regardless of outer circumstances.

“. . . the way that you choose to take it into view,
Makes it hell or a whole lotta fun.”
- from the song, “Hell or a Whole Lotta Fun” by Tupelo Kenyon (written in 1976)

3 Steps to Busting Bad Moods

* Notice how you feel.
* Examine your predominant thoughts.
* Redirect your thoughts, as needed, in sync with your highest ideals and your sense of purpose.
* Repeat as needed.

Accelerate the Process with Outer Adjustments

Once you’ve addressed the inner causes, here’s a list of 17 funk fixers:

1. Meditate – If your stinkin’ thinkin’ is responsible for your funk, and if it’s a challenge keeping your thoughts in a better place, try placing your attention elsewhere. Take a few deep breaths and relax deeper and deeper every time you exhale. Become still, and focus your attention on your breathing. Notice that you aren’t controlling it – just notice how the breath seems to be breathing you, without any help on your part. Allow stress to melt away as you become deeply relaxed. Look for the stillness between the breaths and between the thoughts. Be here, in the stillness, as you simply witness everything – your breath, your thoughts, sounds and other physical sensations. (See previous articles, “Simple Toning Meditation” and “Guided Meditation for Self-Healing and Personal Development.”)

2. Change Your Environment – Get out of the house. Go for a walk. A radically different environment can expedite a radical shift in the color of your thoughts. (This can help you get a fresh perspective on things, but going somewhere else is never the entire solution because . . . wherever you go, there you are.)

3. Exercise – Get your blood pumping. Increased heart rate and respiration sends more oxygen and endorphins to your brain, and that feels good.

4. Use Your Imagination – Relive happy moments. Pull out an old photo album (or photo folder on your computer) and look for photos that feel good. Spend some time with them, wrap your thoughts around them, and allow the positive emotions to wash over you.

5. Gratitude – Have a personal gratitude party. You can do this alone or it’s fun to share it with someone you love. Notice (and feel deeply) all the things you are grateful for. To take this to another level, express your gratitude whenever you can. Look for opportunities to do that.

6. Be Here Now – Bad moods are often the result of worrying about the future or regretting something in the past. Refocus your attention on this present moment, and notice that, right now, all is well. The secret is to keep your attention sharply focused in this micro-moment. At this precise instant, I’m alive, I’m breathing, I’m not starving, and there are no wild animals gnawing on my leg. It’s good to be alive – it’s a priceless gift, and life is now.

7. Listen to Uplifting Music – Music touches us and transports us emotionally like nothing else. Pick your music deliberately to produce the desired result – happiness, enthusiasm and joy. (See previous article, “Benefits of Music for Personal Development.”)

8. Watch a Good Movie – Choose something that will give you a lift. Pixar and Disney animations are good for a change of emotional scenery. Some fantasy and science fiction movies work well, as do romantic comedies. Anything funny breaks up the brittle edges of a bad mood and lets in a little fresh air and sunshine.

“What was significant about the laughter . . . was not just the fact that it provides internal exercise for a person . . . a form of jogging for the innards, but that it creates a mood in which the other positive emotions can be put to work, too.” – Norman Cousins (1915-90)

9. Play with Pets – Puppies and kittens are fun. Better yet, try to find a litter, and just hang out with them for a while. If you can find some youngsters, six to eight weeks old, that’s ideal for a good laugh and an emotional facelift.

10. Indulge Yourself – You deserve it. Take some time for you, and do whatever makes you feel good – a hot bath, massage, nice meal, etc. (See previous article, “Take Time for You.”)

11. Help Someone – When we slide down into a funk, often it’s because we think, “It’s all about me,” or worse yet, “Poor me.” Be useful to someone else and get some perspective. Notice all the people in the world who, compared to you, have serious problems. Feel empathy and compassion, and do whatever you are inspired to do about it, but mostly . . . pause and be grateful for the blessings in your own life, as you help others. Get some perspective and blast yourself out of myopia by asking yourself, “Okay, really . . . how bad is it?”

12. Smile – Just the firing of those facial muscles can help lift your mood. It’s a psychological and physiological way to reverse engineer happiness. There have been impressive studies done demonstrating how this works. A smile activates the pressure points on both sides of the mouth, which triggers good feelings. So even a fake smile helps. Try it now. Paste a big, wide, cheesy grin on your face, and just hold it there for a few seconds. (You might want to do this while nobody’s looking . . . otherwise, they might give you something real to smile about.) As you feel the smile muscles exercised in your face, can you feel the subtle changes in your brain? Interesting, eh?

13. Enjoy Alone Time – If your life is full of juggling your schedule with lots of other people, get away for a day . . . or a week, and just be your own best friend. Remember who you are – not who everyone else thinks you are or who everyone else wants you to be. Get re-grounded and centered. Then you have more of yourself to offer others.

14. Be Inspired on Purpose – Whatever makes you feel good and enthusiastic is good medicine for the soul and poison to bad moods. Ask yourself what inspires you, and deliberately focus your attention on that.

15. Sing – Even if you don’t sing or haven’t sung for years, try it. Put on a favorite song or an album you are very familiar with, and sing along. When you don’t know the words, hum. Allow the magic to work on you. It’s almost impossible to remain bummed out while singing. Like the fake smile (tip #12), complex psychological and physiological factors come into play when your body is generating tones. (That’s why Tibetan monks chant.) Harmony, melody and breath are powerful. They revitalize your psyche and nourish the soul.

16. Visualize – Imagine how you want to feel. See it clearly in your mind’s eye. Once it’s identified and clearly defined in your brain, move it to your heart. Feel it. Imagination can apply to feelings too, so explore how you want to feel in great detail – mentally and emotionally. Once that’s done, guess what? You’re already there. Now just sustain it with the three steps offered earlier:

* Notice how you feel.
* Examine your predominant thoughts.
* Redirect your thoughts, as needed, in sync with your highest ideals and your sense of purpose.
* Repeat as needed.

17. Decide to Change Moods – Mean it. If you’re fed up with bad moods, make a conscious decision to do something about it. Personal resolve and commitment make it happen.

Banishing Bad Moods

Bad moods are unhealthy. They are stressful and take their toll on you. They also affect those around you who you love most. With practice, attention and deliberate action, inspired by your personal decision, you can make bad moods a thing of the past. You’re going to love how that feels. (So will your family and friends!)

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Listen FREE to the songs below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

Trash Our Treasures People seem to have a history of awarding seemingly insignificant details with places of prominence in our lives, while ignoring or even destroying the most important aspects. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor2 May You Have Joy Have you ever felt a warm appreciation for someone in your life, and just wanted to wish them well? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#anchor12 Who is the Watcher Explores the silent witness within and the idea that life occurs in this present moment. Always. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor-14 Seriously A reminder of the importance of making it a point to deliberately live life in joy, reverance, and with a light-hearted spirit. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor15 Blue Water Water and the sea are such perfect metaphors for the larger reality we are all immersed in. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor6 Celebrate Life Create your own personal celebration of life by your choices, rather than allowing life to be something that merely happens to you, or around you. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor2 Do What You Love Discovering what we have a true passion for, and then figuring out a way to build a life around that passion is one of life’s greatest feelings of accomplishment. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor10 Just One Step Just begin. If you will just get underway, the project itself gains momentum and carries you along to its completion. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor12 Hell or a Whole Lotta Fun Nothing to do? How about too much to do? Our attitude seems to make the difference. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescAnth.html#Anchor16 Songs by Tupelo
	Simple Toning Meditation When it comes to meditation and contemplation, all we really need is a simple technique that produces obvious results. Celebrate life through this easy method of calming the mind and getting in closer touch with your inner being. Guided Meditation for Self-Healing and Personal Development It’s helpful to have a helping hand once in awhile. I was fortunate to have friends show me how to meditate. It was just friends showing friends something cool . . . because they could. Or maybe it was some kind of big brother / big sister program for the spiritually ripe. It was easy. It was casual. It was a life-changing experience. Benefits of Music for Personal Development All music is not created equally. This article takes a look behind the scenes to catch a glimpse of how the intent of the composer translates to the feeling evoked in the listeners. Many links are included to streaming mp3s. Celebrate life through music! Take Time for You Don’t put yourself at the end of the list. You deserve to be first, at least some of the time. Don’t let your entire life slip by with everything else (and everyone else) getting preferential treatment over your most important priorities. Their needs are important, but yours are important too. Celebrate life by taking time for YOU! How Do You Feel – About Inner Guidance? Is it a hunch? Is it a voice in your head? Is it something you feel? Don’t confuse what you feel with who you are. Once you are able to access this awareness of pure being and identify yourself with it, you won’t get carried away by whatever emotional cloud happens to be passing by. Celebrate life through one of the more subtle forms of communication available to us – inner guidance. Integrity Through Self-Reliance When you live your life as if the whisperings from your soul really matter, you are living life in your own way, on your own terms, based on your own realizations on what is right . . . what is good . . . and what is true for you. You are tuned into your own station. The signal you are receiving and the message you are broadcasting with the story of your life are both on the same frequency. You are joyfully and gratefully choosing your favorites from the buffet of life. Life Drama as Blockage to Personal Development Some people seem to relish drama in their lives. They go from one catastrophe to another. They thrive on it as if drama is what makes them feel alive. You may be able to see that they are attracting these experiences by their daily thoughts and feelings. But, they don’t recognize it from within the narrow confines of their personal drama. To someone immersed in drama, the idea that they are creating it is completely foreign. With intent, practice and mindfulness, what was once considered drama that snowballed out of control becomes simply examples of the contrasts of life to help you sharpen your preferences and shape your desires. Six Killers of Individuality and Personal Independence Is the course of your life determined by your own internal road map or by a map made by someone else? Each of us can choose our direction deliberately and live a life custom sculpted. Each life can be as individually unique as the person living it. If you pattern your life after someone else, exactly what is it you have to offer? Self-Discipline in 3 Easy Steps Why is it so difficult to follow through and accomplish what you set out to do? Usually, there is one important missing ingredient: personal discipline. For most of us, the idea of discipline is an external force – it’s something that comes from the outside. For instance, we discipline our children. Most of us are familiar with discipline as a verb (something we do to someone else), but we’re not so familiar with the concept as a noun – something we cultivate from within and apply to ourselves. Relax and Rejuvenate for Balance and Productivity Whatever you do, taking time to relax and regenerate helps you to do it better. If you don’t pause occasionally, shift your mind into neutral and recharge your batteries, your productivity plummets and you may not even realize it. You need time to let your mind wander – time to imagine new possibilities – time to enjoy the simple pleasures of life – time to nurture soul. Life is more than an endless to-do list, and many of its most important gifts come when you allow yourself to put the daily details on pause and just experience the simplicity of life in the moment with nothing in particular on your mind that needs to be done. Appreciate Here and Now No matter what’s going on in your life right now, there’s something to appreciate about it. The act of appreciation rivets our consciousness to this present moment. With our attention focused on the here and now, we are living life fully, since right now is the only time there ever is. Articles by Tupelo

]]> http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/05/02/17-bad-mood-remedies/feed/ 1 http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/04/04/get-a-broader-perspective-%e2%80%93-do-it-different-and-work-smarter/ http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/04/04/get-a-broader-perspective-%e2%80%93-do-it-different-and-work-smarter/#comments Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:00:31 +0000 Tupelo http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/04/04/get-a-broader-perspective-%e2%80%93-do-it-different-and-work-smarter/ For instrumental music while reading, choose: hi-fi (broadband) or low-fi.

While traveling in Costa Rica, I was fascinated by leaf-cutter ants. I read about their efficient, organized and highly evolved society and watched them at work for hours. From this experience, I learned the value of working smarter by trying a different approach inspired by a broader perspective.

The ant trail looks like a miniature super highway with thousands of ants marching in single file. They are all carrying a piece of leaf, each one about the same size, carefully cut for maximum efficiency. Each load is larger and heavier than the ant itself and maxes out its carrying capacity.

The ant trail leads to a rocky area with an abrupt ten-foot drop – a miniature undercut cliff, impossible to walk down, especially with such an unwieldy load. Even though it’s breezy, there’s still a big pile of leaves at the edge of the cliff, dropped there by the ants that gave up. The cliff is obviously a dangerous route, especially when carrying a large leaf, which acts like a sail in the breeze. It’s too tall to jump, although there are leaves at the bottom of the cliff scattered around a few crippled ants and a few dead ones. Many ants get blown off the cliff or make the jump, even though their chances for success from the evidence below doesn’t look good.

A small percentage of the ants veer off before the cliff and climb a gentle incline. From up here, you can see the road taken by the majority, you can see the cliff, and you can see that route is not working. You can also see an easy route that goes around the cliff through the brush, protected from the breeze, and leading back to the ant colony.

Most of the ants continue to work harder. They struggle against the wind with their heavy loads. Some take perilous risks at the edge of the cliff. Some are damaged from their misguided exertion. Others are blown away. Some die.

A few ants dare to explore a new way, even though most of their peers continue blindly in the direction of the ant in front of them. These innovative ants explore a new direction. They try something new. They do things differently. They step away from the crowd, climb a little higher and are rewarded with a broader perspective.

They don’t fight the wind because they see it’s not necessary. They don’t jump or hang-glide off the cliff because they see it’s not necessary. Their overview of the situation provides them with an obvious solution . . . go around the cliff.

They work with less exertion; less danger. More efficiency. More success. They reach their objective.

Eventually, more and more of their peers will catch on and realize they too can reach their objective by working smarter instead of harder. In time, the route around the cliff will become the new super highway . . . until some free-thinker is inspired to strike out on his own to see the broader perspective and find an even better way.

Thinking about the ants, I realize how often we work harder . . . and harder . . . and harder . . . at the very same things. The solution is not to work harder. In fact, working harder is often the problem. We’re so consumed by the details of our busy-work, we don’t pause long enough to look up and catch a glimpse of the broader perspective.

Whatever our task, whatever our goal, there is likely a better way to approach it. There is likely a new and improved super highway waiting to be discovered by those willing to leave the herd mentality, be different, and trust their personal vision from the broader perspective.

Our Broader Perspective

What is our broader perspective, and how do we access it?

When I think of the view from our broader perspective, to me, it means the viewpoint of our inner self . . . who we really are. Without the filters of our ego, the world looks quite different. The problem is . . . this lofty viewpoint seems illusive. We all have access to it, but most of us spend the vast majority of the moments of our lives viewing the world through the eyes of ego.

Ego’s Perspective

We are conditioned by our current culture to identify ourselves with what we do, what we have and where we are. Who we are is missing from ego’s viewpoint.

Ego is anchored to the past and attached to the future. This present moment – right now – is illusive to the ego because ego’s realm is the world of thought rather than the world of being. The realm of being is all about the present and has nothing to do with yesterday and tomorrow.

Ego says, “I am a writer.”
The view from broader perspective is, “I am soul and enjoy writing.”

Ego says, “I am rich.”
The view from broader perspective is, “I am pure being and enjoy the process of manifesting in my life the abundance permeating the entire universe.”

Ego says, “I am an American.”
The view from broader perspective is, “I am that I am . . . currently focused in a particular body residing in this particular place.”

Ego says, “I am defined by my history and concerned about the future.”
The view from broader perspective is, “I am here and now in this perfect moment, as I always have been and as I always will be.”

Identifying with Broader Perspective on Purpose

People occasionally identify with broader perspective with no apparent effort or intent, but it’s rare to arrive at such a viewpoint accidentally. More commonly, brief glimpses are caught deliberately by intent, and repeated by personal discipline and the use of clever techniques.

Intent

After understanding the difference between society’s default sense of identity (ego) and who we really are (pure being), the natural inclination is to explore the realm of being. This is done by deliberate intent. It’s a subtle shift of attention away from all things outward (the realm of the ego) to inward states of being.

In the process, it’s not necessary to deny or deprive yourself from the myriad delightful physical experiences available. It is enough to loosen the attachment to them and most importantly, stop the personal identification with the physical senses and the objects of the senses. All these things are enhanced and enjoyed to the fullest once the intent is made to shift the personal identification away from the ego’s world of things to the soul’s realm of being.

Discipline

Discipline is simply a promise you make to yourself, once you are willing to apply the effort necessary to keep it. It seems the entire world conspires to make you forget who you really are – being. Through discipline, you promise to remind yourself to look through the illusion and identify with pure being in this present moment.

Clever Techniques

There are tools available to help access the realm of being more fully and more often, rather than hoping you will meander there accidentally.

1) Be still with attention on your breath. Breathe in. Breathe out. In and out. Over and over. Between the in and the out is a still point. Allow your attention to flow and expand into this stillness. This is only possible to do in this present moment – now. Whenever you are here, in the stillness, you are in the realm of being, experiencing your broader perspective, beyond the reach of ego.

2) Be still and observe your thoughts. Just watch them go by. It’s not necessary to try to change them or slow them or stop them. Just observe. Look for the gaps between thoughts. This quiet and peaceful (although fleeting) stillness is also available only in this present moment – right now. Whenever you detect a gap between thoughts, pour your attention into it and enjoy the sense of being that exists beyond thought. This awareness is the field that thoughts occur within. From here, you are able to watch the thoughts as they parade by, one after another. Since you are observing them, you are obviously not the thoughts . . . you are the watcher of the thoughts.

“Who is the watcher, who sits in the stillness and knows,
And who is the looker, who notices the king wears no clothes.
Who is the seer, who sees beyond the mind,
And who is the seeker, who’ll find the grand design.

“It’s everyone, and nobody at all,
Crying out, and heeding the call.
Reaching out . . . it’s the silent kind,
Reaching in . . . with an eye on the mind.

“Cause time keeps the sun shadowed from the face
It’s dawning is now and here is the place.
Not up ahead and not back then,
What else is there . . . If not now . . . When?”
From the song, “Who is the Watcher” by Tupelo Kenyon

3) Learn new meditation techniques. Here are some tips offered in previous articles, “Simple Toning Meditation” and “Guided Meditation for Self-Healing and Personal Development.”

Focusing Our Perspective

The view from our broader perspective is not the kind of thing that you catch a glimpse of once and then automatically have it forever. True, you will likely remember it forever because this shift of identity away from ego and toward being is one of life’s grandest ah-ha moments. But it must be recaptured again and again. Intent, discipline and clever techniques are necessary because our culture constantly reinforces identifying with the ego – what you do, what you have and where you are.

Society’s machine depends upon an army of egos to make it tick. That’s just how it is. Still, society is a good tool to use deliberately to enhance our physical experience. We’re here to enjoy all aspects of our lives, including everything made possible by our senses, our cultures and even our egos. But to benefit from all these things, we don’t have to identify with them. It is not necessary to confuse any of them with who we are.

We are soul, pure being . . . the eyes, ears and hands of the universe itself – here on the leading edge of creation. Deep inside all of us is a spark of our source, and we can choose to identify with it or choose to ignore it. We are powerful beings. In fact, we are so powerful, we can chose to believe we are powerless and make it so by our belief.

Or, we can identify ourselves with the creative power of the universe, now experiencing its grandest creation from within the creation. Once we catch a glimpse of a view of this magnitude, our deliberate intent, personal discipline and clever techniques help us continue to sharpen the focus of our broader perspective.

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Listen FREE to the song samples below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

	Who is the Watcher Explores the silent witness within and the idea that life occurs in this present moment. Always. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor-14 Way of the World Life is so huge . . . so diverse . . . the possibilities are literally infinite. What’s the best way to sort it all out and carve out a little niche of our own? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor1 It’ll Be All Right Now It’s one thing to understand intellectually that the thoughts we think mold our experience, and another thing to live every moment as if it really is a basic law of nature. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor10 A Heartbeat in Eternity’s Highway In the grand scheme of things, what’s the difference between a single moment and all of eternity? What’s the point of reference? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor17 Soul in the Stars It feels good to try to see the bigger picture once in awhile,and to focus on gratitude for what we have, rather than the frustration of what we are lacking. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor4 Story Belt Celebrates the importance of keeping things in perspective while being a part of the bigger picture. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor8 Love is Who You Are "What is love, anyway?" Is it something you give or get, have or make? Or could it be, down deep, simply who we are? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor1 Within Without An atom and a solar system is virtually the same thing – mostly empty space! Even quantum physics is still wondering, "Is the universe a great big thing, or a great big thought?" http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor6 Same Olde Time Time – it’s so relative. "What if distant starlight shining in the endless sky is just the same, by a different name, as the twinkle in your eye?" http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor7 Songs by Tupelo
Simple Toning Meditation When it comes to meditation and contemplation, all we really need is a simple technique that produces obvious results. Celebrate life through this easy method of calming the mind and getting in closer touch with your inner being. Guided Meditation for Self-Healing and Personal Development It’s helpful to have a helping hand once in awhile. I was fortunate to have friends show me how to meditate. It was just friends showing friends something cool . . . because they could. Or maybe it was some kind of big brother / big sister program for the spiritually ripe. It was easy. It was casual. It was a life-changing experience. Know Thyself – Ignore Comparisons and Be Yourself The average person is content to base self-knowledge on comparisons to other people. If this is the measure of self-knowledge, it is based on someone else’s standards. This practice misses the point of “Know Thyself.” Instead, it’s all about how to fit in. We are all unique individuals with our own strengths, talents and nudges leading us to embrace our own best life. True knowledge of self is attained from personal insights of looking inwardly rather than outwardly towards others. Appreciate Here and Now No matter what’s going on in your life right now, there’s something to appreciate about it. The act of appreciation rivets our consciousness to this present moment. With our attention focused on the here and now, we are living life fully, since right now is the only time there ever is. Self-Discipline in 3 Easy Steps Why is it so difficult to follow through and accomplish what you set out to do? Usually, there is one important missing ingredient: personal discipline. For most of us, the idea of discipline is an external force – it’s something that comes from the outside. For instance, we discipline our children. Most of us are familiar with discipline as a verb (something we do to someone else), but we’re not so familiar with the concept as a noun – something we cultivate from within and apply to ourselves. Enhance Your Self-Image on Purpose Here are twelve common sense reminders on how to inspire yourself. The word “inspire” derives from root words that mean “in spirit” or “spirit within.” Although there’s always another step to take, these points are a natural result of recognizing and identifying with this realization of who we really are. Ego or Soul? Who’s Driving Even though I identify my sense of self with soul, there seems to be another “something” inside forever jockeying for position and making its presence known. This is the ego. What’s the difference? How can you know which one is in charge? What are their characteristics? Since I prefer peace to mayhem and contentment to perpetual, blind striving, my goal is to keep soul in the driver’s seat as often as possible. Instead of an either/or situation, I like the idea of soul and ego peacefully coexisting in a manner that best serves the greater good. Articles by Tupelo

]]> http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/04/04/get-a-broader-perspective-%e2%80%93-do-it-different-and-work-smarter/feed/ 4 http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/01/11/how-to-accelerate-manifestation/ http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/01/11/how-to-accelerate-manifestation/#comments Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:00:12 +0000 Tupelo http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/01/11/how-to-accelerate-manifestation-%e2%80%93-keep-quiet-about-your-dreams/ For instrumental music while reading, choose: hi-fi (broadband) or low-fi.

Whenever a new desire or grand plan is born within us, the tendency is to share it with others. Every time we talk about it, the energy of the dream seems to deflate a little more, until it becomes merely a topic of idle chatter.

Why is that? How can we add to the excitement and urgency of our dreams instead, and speed up their manifestation?

The Two Faces of Reality

All of creation can be divided into two areas: the realm of the seen and the realm of the unseen. In other words, everything we can experience through our five senses is one face of reality. Everything that is beyond the reach of our five senses is the other face of reality. Both realms are equally valid, and they fit together perfectly.

When it comes to manifestation, we are naturally concerned with the things that can be enjoyed through our senses. But where do these things come from?

That is a question for the quantum physicists and the consensus is that particles are not to be congratulated for their own creation. In the grand scheme of creation, according to the current understanding of quantum mechanics, the basic building blocks of physical reality do not spring forth from other particles. Instead, the world experienced through our senses originates from the other face of reality – the one beyond the reach of our senses. This is not a new idea. Our understanding of science is simply allowing us to understand it in new ways.

“The pure impulse of dynamic creation is formless; and being formless, the creation it gives rise to can assume any and every form.” – Kabbalah (BC 1200?-700? AD)

So, how does this idea help us to manifest our dreams more efficiently?

Ego and Spirit

We can think of the two faces of reality as the face of ego and the face of spirit. Ego perpetuates the illusion that it is a separate entity, cut off from all others and cut off from its source. Spirit is one, all-powerful, and the source of all manifestation. (Remember the quantum physicists’ conclusion that particles do not beget particles – instead, they are created from the other side, the side of spirit.)

You Are Identified With Which Side?

As long as we identify ourselves with ego, we cut ourselves off from this infinite power of creativity and manifestation. When we identify ourselves with the other face of reality, the face of spirit, we regain the wondrous gifts of our source. If creativity and manifestation is our goal, it makes sense to reconnect with spirit, the prime source of all creativity and manifestation. It also makes sense to minimize our identification with ego and its self-serving viewpoint and narrow field of reference.

“Instead of identifying yourself as a physical being who occasionally has a spiritual experience, why not identify yourself as a spiritual being now having a physical experience?” – paraphrased from Dr. Wayne Dyer

Why Do We Want to Talk About It?

When a dream is born, ego wants to share it with others. Perhaps this sharing takes the form of bragging, motivated by its longing to feel special for having such big plans and grand ideas. Or, perhaps the ego is looking for validation and agreement from others because of its own insecurities.

But it’s a dead-end street. Here’s why:

As you begin to explain your dream, others ask questions and express doubts that make you feel the need to defend your position. Their questions and their doubts can poison your resolve and give you second thoughts about the viability of your direction.

Your over-willingness to discuss your innermost dreams can be misinterpreted by others as an invitation for advice. In this case, you set yourself up for well intentioned, but misguided opinions about the logic, feasibility and rationality of your dreams, according to them. They may not understand that these dreams originate from the other side of reality, beyond the arena of such limitations as logic and rationality.

It’s important to recognize where such a retaliatory barrage comes from. Is it coming from the sphere of spirit, infusing your dreams with additional creativity and power to help speed up your manifestation? No, it’s coming from the face of ego, cut off from the power of all creation.

Why Do They Rain on Your Parade?

What motivates someone to throw such a wet blanket on your dreams? Are they jealous? Are they afraid you will succeed and excel and make them look bad? Even if their well-intentioned advice really does have your best interests at heart, what good can their ego-based viewpoint possibly do? So it’s best to quit talking about it and just do it.

Expressing Doubts About Your Own Dreams is Even Worse

Before you open your mouth to express doubts about a dream, ask yourself what you expect to accomplish. One of two things can happen:

1) The other person agrees completely and wholeheartedly, snowballing your small, previously insignificant doubt into an avalanche of negativity. This can take you off guard. It’s hard to recover from that. How do you go from back to the excitement of regaining the momentum of your dream?

2) The other person disagrees with you, so you keep talking to clarify your doubts and justify your position. You go on and on trying to make the other person understand why you are justified in doubting your dream. The more you do this, the bigger your doubt becomes until you kill your dream completely.

“Argue for your limitations and they are yours.” – Richard Bach (”Illusions”)

There’s no benefit in either scenario of chatting up your doubts, so it’s best to keep your mouth shut. Do a 180 in your mind and think about all the reasons why your dream will work. Or, put it on the shelf and reach for a bigger, better dream that inspires your excitement, commitment and enthusiasm for enlisting help from the other side of reality.

“Strength in numbers is the delight of the timid. The valiant in spirit glory in fighting alone.” – Gandhi (1869-1948)

An urge to talk about your deepest desires, your grandest dreams, as well as your doubts indicates a personal weakness looking for strength in numbers. The timid rarely reach their dreams. In fact, they usually don’t bother to try. They remain discontent, but mildly appeased as they look around the crowd and notice all the other unfulfilled people. From the vantage point of the ego, living a life of unfulfilled dreams seems normal.

“I’m taking a chance, a confident stance for jumping,
Here I go, who knows where I’ll land.
But I’m tired of all that bad news from the profits of doom,
I’ve noticed that their lives are not exactly in full bloom.

So I’m taking off their blinders, and throwing them away,
There’s so much more to living than the safe and narrow way.
The meek will surely inherit the earth . . .They won’t get very far,
While the bold go for adventure, exploring beyond the stars.

So I’ll encourage inspiration, and I’ll soak it up like a sponge,
Instead of terminal safety, I’m ready to take the plunge.
Instead of dying of caution, I’m living to take the plunge.”
- from the song, “Take the Plunge” by Tupelo Kenyon

Exceptions?

There’s an exception to every rule, and fortunately, some of us are blessed with people in our lives with which we can talk about such important matters. These “soul buddies” understand where we are coming from (or at least from where we are trying to remember to come) and base their responses accordingly.

If you broach the subject of a big important dream or goal, they may be encouraging and supportive or they may simply advise you to shut up about it and just do it.

If you find yourself in an energy vacuum and try to start a bitch and moan session, they might remind you to do an about face and list the positive aspects of your dream instead. Or, they may advise you to simply drop it and find a bigger dream.

If your soul buddy is in tune and tapped in at the moment of your conversation, it’s likely no harm will be done, because they too are learning to identify with the face of spirit. If you forget, it’s great to have someone to remind you. A person like that is invaluable beyond measure. Treasure them.

Rare soul buddies do not apply to most of the ideas in this article. This article is about the average person who is swallowed up in the world of the ego. Don’t give them the opportunity to compromise your dreams and goals born in the realm of spirit. They are not qualified to have a relevant comment, but that won’t stop them from making them anyway.

“He who wishes to exert a useful influence must be careful to insult nothing. Let him not be troubled by what seems absurd, but concentrate his energies to the creation of what is good. He must not demolish, but build. He must raise temples where mankind may come and partake of the purest pleasure.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)

Your Dreams are Important

From the vantage point of the other face of reality, the face of spirit, you recognize that dreams and desires are born from within you for a purpose. As an individualized manifestation of spirit, you are on the leading edge of creation.

Your experience of embracing your dreams and working through the process toward their manifestation benefits all of life. The presence of the universe itself is becoming more than it was before because of your personal dreams and the process of manifestation. It’s a big job, an important job, being here on the physical side while being identified with the spiritual side. Why not embrace it in joy, marveling at the wonder of it all, and enjoy the experience to the fullest?

“Where there is joy there is creation. Where there is no joy there is no creation: know the nature of joy.” – Maitri Upanishads (c. BC 800-)

“I do not think there is any thrill that can go through the human heart like that felt by the inventor as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success . . . Such emotions make a man forget food, sleep, friends, love, everything.” – Nikola Tesla

You don’t need the endorsement of the crowd to pursue your dreams. Keep your own counsel and trust your inner guidance to steer you toward your dreams. Your on-board, personal guidance system has the marvelous habit of steering you toward the people who can help you, while avoiding the rest. (See previous article, “How Do You Feel – About Inner Guidance.)

When you keep your dreams to yourself and resist the urge to chat about them, you are “valiant in spirit glory” as described by Gandhi, relying on your own source, spirit, to guide you in the most appropriate way. Nobody but your own inner self knows the most appropriate direction for you. Allow your manifestations in this realm of the senses to be inspired by, and spring forth from the other side – the inexhaustible face of spirit, beyond the reach of the senses.

Inspire Yourself on Purpose

Meditation is helpful. Sit quietly and watch the screen of your mind. Notice your breathing. Allow your busy mind to gradually become quieter, naturally. Listen.

Regardless of what religion or philosophy you subscribe to, you can become still and ask to be shown whatever you need to know. No mumbo jumbo is required – no rituals, no ceremony – only pure intent is required. (See previous articles, “Simple Toning Meditation” and “Guided Meditation for Self-Healing and Personal Development.”)

Ask your guides, your guardian angels, your guru, savior, favorite saint, or the deepest and purest, wisest part of yourself, who has always been identified with the other side of reality, for contact. Ask them to show you whatever you need to know. Mean it.

And then be still. You are inviting creativity and manifestation from the other side, the side of spirit, into this side of physical reality. Be receptive. Be sincere. Be ready.

When it comes, you will recognize it by the way it makes you feel. However your answer(s) come to you, they will likely sound like music to your ears.

“Music is the harmonious voice of creation; an echo of the invisible world.” – Giuseppe Mazzini (1805-72)

Be Your Own Best Friend

If you need someone to help you sort it all out or just someone to talk to, try talking to yourself by journaling. Write down your thoughts and feelings whenever you feel the need for more clarity.

Your journal won’t try to talk you out of anything or try to “talk some sense into you,” and it won’t ask misguided questions that put you on the spot to defend your position. Journaling gives you the opportunity to communicate with the deeper, wiser, more centered part of yourself. It helps you stay in closer touch with the part of yourself based on the spiritual side of life, and helps you recognize the thoughts, feelings and attitudes that originate from this arena of the senses, this narrower side of life – the land of the ego.

Identifying and recognizing ego-based thoughts is a good step in the right direction toward more efficient manifestation. With this awareness, it’s easier to turn to the other face of creation, the face of spirit, and proceed with the process of manifesting with the confidence, power and creativity of the universe behind you.

Fly with the wind. Float downstream. Let the creative power of all creation, spirit, be the wind beneath your wings and the stream beneath your canoe.

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Listen FREE to the song samples below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

	Take the Plunge Their advice is "for your own good", but the last thing you need to hear is their worst-case scenario. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor11 Hell or a Whole Lotta Fun Nothing to do? How about too much to do? Our attitude seems to make the difference. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescAnth.html#Anchor16 Trash Our Treasures People seem to have a history of awarding seemingly insignificant details with places of prominence in our lives, while ignoring or even destroying the most important aspects. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor2 Miracle in Disguise Synchronicity is such a positive and hopeful idea, it begs the question, "Why not actively look for it and even expect it, as long as it feels good?" http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor11 Angels Around Us Is it your higher self, or your guardian angel, or perhaps an over-active imagination? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor3 Here A love song to the beloved and/or to the larger part of ourselves. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor16 Love is Who You Are – Live Version "What is love, anyway?" Is it something you give or get, have or make? Or could it be, down deep, simply who we are? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHTu.html#Anchor19 Within Without An atom and a solar system is virtually the same thing – mostly empty space! Even quantum physics is still wondering, "Is the universe a great big thing, or a great big thought?" http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor6 Songs by Tupelo
How Do You Feel About Inner Guidance? Is it a hunch? Is it a voice in your head? Is it something you feel? Don’t confuse what you feel with who you are. Once you are able to access this awareness of pure being and identify yourself with it, you won’t get carried away by whatever emotional cloud happens to be passing by. Celebrate life through one of the more subtle forms of communication available to us – inner guidance. Simple Toning Meditation When it comes to meditation and contemplation, all we really need is a simple technique that produces obvious results. Celebrate life through this easy method of calming the mind and getting in closer touch with your inner being. Guided Meditation for Self-Healing and Personal Development It’s helpful to have a helping hand once in awhile. I was fortunate to have friends show me how to meditate. It was just friends showing friends something cool . . . because they could. Or maybe it was some kind of big brother / big sister program for the spiritually ripe. It was easy. It was casual. It was a life-changing experience. Beyond Science, Philosophy and Religion Is truth absolute or relative? Is there anything beyond science, philosophy and religion? Many of the world’s top quantum physicists think there is. Celebrate life by stretching you imagination. The Dilemma of Desire What is desire? Where does it come from? Why do we have it? Does it serve us in a positive way, or does it distract us and keep us perpetually in discontent? This article sheds some light on these important questions so that each of us can find our own answers. Belief Systems vs. Knowing How do you discern between something known and a habitual thought – a belief? The first step is to recognize that the vast majority of our beliefs are based not upon our own personal experiences and revelations but upon anecdotal evidence and the recommendations of other people, past and present. Goal Setting or Let Go and Let God There are two approaches people use to manifest their desires. Some set goals. Others surrender and presume the universe is conspiring to deliver to them their every desire without strain, in its own way and in its own time. Which way is better? Can these two methods be used together? Choose the Companionship of Positive People Who Inspire You If the people you spend the most time with are inspiring, supportive, encouraging, and they demonstrate qualities you want to emulate – great, you are on the right track. If not, it’s up to you to do something about it. Life is too short to put up with other people’s pity parties, bitch-and-moan marathons, and oh-woe-is-me clubs. Good Listener Secrets – Listen with Your Heart When someone is talking to you, do you hear with your ears, monitor with your mind, or listen with your heart? Invest a few minutes thinking about the importance of listening well – a deliberate conscious act – and watch your relationships grow to a new level of closeness and understanding. Inspire Yourself on Purpose – Inspiration from Inside Out Here are twelve common sense reminders on how to inspire yourself. The word “inspire” derives from root words that mean “in spirit” or “spirit within.” Although there’s always another step to take, these points are a natural result of recognizing and identifying with this realization of who we really are. Ego or Soul? Who’s Driving Even though I identify my sense of self with soul, there seems to be another “something” inside forever jockeying for position and making its presence known. This is the ego. What’s the difference? How can you know which one is in charge? What are their characteristics? Since I prefer peace to mayhem and contentment to perpetual, blind striving, my goal is to keep soul in the driver’s seat as often as possible. Instead of an either/or situation, I like the idea of soul and ego peacefully coexisting in a manner that best serves the greater good. How to Live the Life of Your Dreams Through Intuition Intuition feels good. That should be enough of a clue it’s something that can be trusted. But, our culture has done a thorough job of instilling doubt about the wisdom of following our instincts. Instead, we are taught to think things through and be logical. These mental tools are important, but they were never intended to be used instead of intuition. They work better when used in conjunction with intuition. If we are open to it, we get nudges and insights to move us in the direction of our greatest joys, our most valuable contributions, and our most satisfying life. Those quiet whispers and gentle taps on the shoulder are examples of inner guidance in action – intuition. Articles by Tupelo

Intuition feels good. That should be enough of a clue it’s something that can be trusted.

But, our culture has done a thorough job of instilling doubt about the wisdom of following our instincts. Instead, we are taught to think things through and be logical. These mental tools are important, but they were never intended to be used instead of intuition. They work better when used in conjunction with intuition.

“The only real valuable thing is intuition.” – Albert Einstein (1875-1955)

There was a phrase popular in the ’60’s that encapsulated the wisdom of following your instincts and paying attention to your intuition: “If it feels good, do it.” At first blush, this may sound hedonistic, but if you dig a little deeper, perhaps it reveals wisdom from the soul.

When we feel good, we are on the right track. Our thoughts and emotions are in alignment with our deepest aspirations and the desires we are currently embracing. Our body, mind and spirit are all on the same team, all pulling together in the same direction. It’s a good place to be, and it leads to a life of satisfaction, contribution and joy.

The way we feel is a clear indication of how well our outer life is in sync with our inner life. (See previous article, “How Do You Feel – About Inner Guidance.”)

If we are open to it, we get nudges and insights to move us in the direction of our greatest joys, our most valuable contributions, and our most satisfying life. Those quiet whispers and gentle taps on the shoulder are examples of inner guidance in action – intuition.

“Trusting your intuition means tuning in as deeply as you can to the energy you feel, following that energy moment to moment, trusting that it will lead you where you want to go and bring you everything you desire.” – Shakti Gawain (b. 1948)

Serendipities

Serendipities are apparent coincidences that offer great benefit without the necessity of you clamoring over the details. When you are open to intuition and trust your instincts, serendipities come with the territory. Your higher self, your guardian angels, the intelligence of the universe, (whatever you choose to call it), knows your hopes and dreams. All of them. This grand intelligence also knows the hopes and dreams of everyone else.

Imagine a quantum “place” beyond the limitations of matter where every desire from all people co-exist. Imagine many strings of intent extending outward in all directions from each person like a gigantic spider web. Some strings avoid and repel other strings, like opposing magnetic charges, since they have nothing in common, nothing to offer one another. Other strings intersect and intertwine, fit together perfectly, and contain the seed of potentials unseen and unimagined.

“We could call it a coincidence, if that would be better for you,
But the way that it all fell into place, was more than I could do.
Is that a glimmer of recognition, fleeting in our eyes,
A random act of happenstance, or a miracle in disguise?”
- from the song, “Miracle in Disguise” by Tupelo Kenyon

Attention Please . . .

Those potentials are made known to you through your intuition. An inner nudge, a subtle sense of knowingness alerts you to pay attention. Something wonderful is about to happen . . . if you allow it. It’s up to you.

“Fear is static that prevents me from hearing my intuition.” – Hugh Prather

You are a powerful creator because you have the power of choice. You can shrug it off as a fleeting fancy of the imagination. Or, you can choose to play along by offering your hunch the benefit of the doubt, just to see where it leads.

Assume for a moment that the hunch really is a message from somewhere and/or someone even more wonderful than you can imagine. (Even if it’s from a grander, wiser part of yourself, offering input from a broader perspective.) Why not see where it leads? What do you have to lose?

“All our progress is an unfolding, like a vegetable bud. You have first an instinct, then an opinion, then a knowledge as the plant has root, bud, and fruit. Trust the instinct to the end, though you can render no reason.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-82)

Common Sense

The tools of rational thought and logic come in handy. They allow you to temper your intuition with common sense to keep you safe and help you avoid unforeseen problems.

As we first begin to be receptive to intuition, the common tendency is to second-guess ourselves. “Was that a cosmic whisper or just my mind playing tricks?” The mind is part of the mechanism, every time, because that’s how we’re wired. The wary, skeptical question remains, “Is this ONLY my mind, or is the nudge originating from somewhere deeper?”

We want to believe it, so at first the tendency is to consider every little thing intuition. Every thought, every emotion, every fleeting feeling, every coincidence is suspected to be a secret message from your guardian angels. Maybe so, but if this is the way it happens for you, the law of silence may help you when it comes to interacting with the average person who doesn’t believe in such things. We have all seen people like this – they seem to be out of balance, and their spacey ways give new-age thought a bad name.

With practice, it gets easier to recognize what’s an angelic tap on the shoulder and what’s a random, nonsensical hiccup of a thought triggered by indigestion. Balance is the key. Intuition is a powerful tool. Rational thought is also a powerful tool. Used together, even the sky is not the limit!

“Intuition will tell the thinking mind where to look next.” – Dr. Jonas Salk (b. 1914) Discoverer of polio vaccine.

No Substitution for Action

So far, all these intuitive nudges and logical thoughts can be experienced alone, sitting in the easy chair. But, this is just part of the formula. Eventually, you must act upon your instincts.

See It . . . Feel It . . . Do It

In your mind’s eye, think it through in detail. See the vivid pictures in your imagination. Ask yourself, if you follow through in the direction of your hunch, what will be the likely outcome? What would you most like to see develop from this seed of intuition? What is the best case scenario? That’s where you want to put your attention, your enthusiasm and your joy.

As you make a habit of this mental out-picturing of the wonderful potentials of your intuition, you are sending a clear message to the source of your instincts saying, “Yes, I like this. This feels good. It’s fun. I can do this. Thanks for the idea.”

This willingness demonstrated by your clear intent will trigger more nudges, more ideas and more energy. Feel this energy as a growing urge, bottled up in your body. As it continues to grow and develop, new ideas will be added to previous ones until an obvious action plan begins to take shape.

Follow Through. Take Action.

Now it’s time to put your inspiration to work. Allow your spiritual and mental realities to take shape in the physical world too. Get out there and rub shoulders with others. Share ideas, and look for further inspiration as a spin-off of someone else’s ideas. Watch for serendipities, and give your intent that you expect them.

Imagine all the other people whose strings of dreams fit together perfectly with yours. They are also receptive to finding you so that your dreams fit together and create something even grander than either of you previously imagined. Allow it. Intend it. Expect it. Let it be.

This last step of manifestation, the action step, is where some people bog down. We all know people with big ideas and very little get-up-and-go. It is in the field of human interaction where hunches lead and where dreams take form.

People control the resources. People control the money. People working together continuously create more than any one person working alone. So, be receptive to opportunities to work with others in ways that you may not have foreseen. Trust serendipities. An unexpected possibility of teamwork could very well be the “coincidence” attracted by attention to your intuition and your deliberate intent.

Working Alone and Working Together

Even for someone like me, who usually works alone, collaboration has produced some of my most satisfying creations. My teamwork with my wife, Janey, has resulted in eleven music CDs and a video DVD of our unusual journey together as touring musicians for the last 30 years. (You can see a 9-minute preview online free here.)

“Life is like music, it must be composed by ear, feeling and instinct, not by rule. Nevertheless one had better know the rules, for they sometimes guide in doubtful cases, though not often.” – Samuel Butler (1612-80)

When I think back on the aspects of my life that have provided the most satisfaction and joy, I realize they all started with a hunch, a quiet whisper in my ear, or an intuitive tap on the shoulder. Gratefully, I did not write them off as musings from an overactive imagination and ignore them. Instead, I was willing to play along and take the next step in the direction of my nudge, and then the next, and the next, curious where it may lead.

“So I’m taking off those blinders and throwing them away,
There’s so much more to living than the safe and narrow way.
The meek will surely inherit the earth . . .They won’t get very far,
While the bold go for adventure, exploring beyond the stars.
So I’ll encourage inspiration, and I’ll soak it up like a sponge,
Instead of terminal safety, I’m ready to take the plunge.”
From the song, “Take the Plunge” by Tupelo Kenyon

How to Encourage Inspiration

Just ask. Give your intent that inspiration happens to you. Give your intent that you are able to recognize it and act upon it. Here’s an easy way to do it: Sit quietly. Take a few deep breaths and relax deeply. Allow calmness to envelop you. Put your attention on the screen of your mind and be still. Then, think to yourself or say out loud: “Please show me whatever I need to know.” Be still again and watch your thoughts march by. Notice how you feel. Be receptive. Allow it to happen by your clear intent. Be patient and ever watchful for the guidance you have invited into your life. (For more details on meditative methods, see previous articles, “Simple Toning Meditation” and “Guided Meditation for Self-Healing and Personal Development.”)

Gratitude

The attitude of gratitude seems to go hand in hand with intuition. In your purity of intent, you are so sure that the intuition you request is going to show up, you feel good about being grateful for it in advance. It’s an assumptive attitude that helps obliterate any trace of a doubt. You are sure it’s coming soon so you are thankful for it now. (If it feels good, do it.)

How to Recognize Intuition

My best guess is that the moment intuition is noticed differs from person to person. For me, I sometimes hear words spoken in my mind. This is a little different than the usual mental chatter. It’s clear, calm, and delivered in a matter-of-fact style. When I have centered myself as described above, and asked for input, and then “hear” a directive spoken in my imagination, I listen. I don’t follow it blindly, but I’m in the habit of considering it. Other times, intuition comes as strong feelings that linger a little longer than normal, and feel a little deeper, somehow. Other times, an urge comes over me that seems to come out of nowhere. In that case, I will usually follow-through with it, if only because it’s so unusual and I become curious where it might lead.

Janey mentioned a health-related experience when she experienced her intuition coming through very strong emotions. It was at a time when she was getting lots of well-intentioned but conflicting advice from friends, family and doctors. With the benefit of 20/20 hindsight and now that she is living happily ever after, she realizes her emotions were telling her what she needed to know.

Her usual avenues of intuition and inner guidance were blocked due to the intense mental chaos and the highly charged emotional nature of the experience. Looking back, she realized that whenever she was given good advice, in alignment with her inner guidance, she felt peaceful and at ease about the entire situation, actually forgetting about it for long periods of time. When she was given advice contrary to her intuition, her inner guidance let her know through tumultuous emotions. Confusion reigned, tears flowed and it didn’t feel good at all. It was not subtle, but the message came through loud and clear.

Maybe It’s Make-Believe. Who Cares?

What if this is all just wishful thinking? What if inner guidance and intuition are simply new age constructs that have no reality in the physical world? So what? Even if it’s all just the stuff of fairy tales, you can still end up with the life of your dreams. How bad is that? Even if your belief is the only thing that makes it true in your experience (and your experience alone), you still win. So why not play the game of life with gusto by being open to the possibility of wise, life-enhancing intuition and wonderful, unforeseen serendipities?

“The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves.” – Carl Jung (1875-1961)

Pursuing the Best Life Possible

By tempering the subtle nudges of intuition with common sense and rational thought, I have happily pursued my dreams ever since I was a teen-ager. Of course, it’s always a work in progress, but I can honestly say this approach to living the life of my dreams is a good life. A very good life!

In fact, Janey and I agree that we have never seen a life or a lifestyle that we would like better than ours. That doesn’t mean our particular way is better than that of anyone else. It just means we have been successful in discovering and building upon the very best life FOR US. It’s only natural that the life of your dreams would be different than ours. (See previous article, “Your Passion as Your Compass.”)

This idea of the life of our dreams is a moving target, forever morphing into the next potential. As our intuition and imagination keeps offering new adventures, our life grows and develops, building upon the benefits of all the times we paid attention to our inner guidance in the past.

We got here by honoring our intuition, following our instincts, and being forever receptive to that still, small voice within. And, we’re grateful for it all.

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Listen FREE to the songs below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

Miracle in Disguise Synchronicity is such a positive and hopeful idea, it begs the question, "Why not actively look for it and even expect it, as long as it feels good?" http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor11 You Gotta Have Fun Our moments are fleeting . . . and finite. Too few to squander on "bad news". We must steer our attention deliberately in order to attract the kind of life we were born to live. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescAnth.html#Anchor20 Do What You Love Discovering what we have a true passion for, and then figuring out a way to build a life around that passion is one of life’s greatest feelings of accomplishment. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor10 Take the Plunge Their advice is "for your own good", but the last thing you need to hear is their worst-case scenario. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor11 Songs by Tupelo
How Do You Feel About Inner Guidance? Is it a hunch? Is it a voice in your head? Is it something you feel? Don’t confuse what you feel with who you are. Once you are able to access this awareness of pure being and identify yourself with it, you won’t get carried away by whatever emotional cloud happens to be passing by. Celebrate life through one of the more subtle forms of communication available to us – inner guidance. Your Passion as Your Compass Allow your passions to stretch their wings and the direction of your life could surprise you – in a good way. Celebrate life with passion! Action and Satisfaction A satisfying life includes time for doing balanced by time for being , embracing and celebrating all aspects of life. Being, doing, having . . . all these things are important ingredients of our package of life experience. Denying any aspect of it only serves to diminish our joy of living a full, inspired, and satisfying life. Goal Setting or Let Go and Let God There are two approaches people use to manifest their desires. Some set goals. Others surrender and presume the universe is conspiring to deliver to them their every desire without strain, in its own way and in its own time. Which way is better? Can these two methods be used together? Inspire Yourself on Purpose – Inspiration from Inside Out Here are twelve common sense reminders on how to inspire yourself. The word “inspire” derives from root words that mean “in spirit” or “spirit within.” Although there’s always another step to take, these points are a natural result of recognizing and identifying with this realization of who we really are. Simple Toning Meditation When it comes to meditation and contemplation, all we really need is a simple technique that produces obvious results. Celebrate life through this easy method of calming the mind and getting in closer touch with your inner being. Guided Meditation for Self-Healing and Personal Development It’s helpful to have a helping hand once in awhile. I was fortunate to have friends show me how to meditate. It was just friends showing friends something cool . . . because they could. Or maybe it was some kind of big brother / big sister program for the spiritually ripe. It was easy. It was casual. It was a life-changing experience. Articles by Tupelo

We are all continuously feeding our minds with the words we read, the audio we hear, and the images we see on the screen. The ideas we expose our minds to immediately before going to sleep are powerful. They sink deep into our subconscious mind as we ease into the alpha state of consciousness, as part of the sleep cycle. Here, the subconscious mind reviews the ideas over and over, not because they are the most important, but simply because they were the most recent.

We all experience this phenomenon regularly. Pause and think about the last time you woke up feeling like you’d been dreaming all night about whatever your attention was upon before sleeping – a movie, a TV show, an article. Since it’s easy to recognize this principle in action, how can we use it deliberately to enhance our personal development?

Programming the Subconscious Unconsciously

To drive home the point, here are some ways people are affected in a negative way by this powerful pre-sleep input when performed in a random, unconscious manner. If you watch a violent horror movie right before going to bed, chances are your dreams will be full of scary images and fearful situations. This is how you set yourself up for nightmares.

Watch a soap opera or read a pulp-fiction “romance” novel before bed and, chances are, your dreams will be full of emotional confrontations. This is how you set yourself up for problems in your relationships.

Drop off to sleep while the TV is on a news channel and you are effectively programming your subconscious mind with ideas and images of violence, corruption, injustice, and an endless barrage of man’s inhumanity to man. In other words, the very worst examples of life on planet earth. This is how you set yourself up for a negative attitude that percolates into all areas of your life.

Who would do this deliberately? Nobody in their right mind. But, it’s done daily by millions of people all over the world non-deliberately, unconsciously, and unaware.

Justifying Unawareness

In countless ways, these actions are justified: “Oh, it’s just a harmless fantasy. Everyone knows horror movies aren’t real.” (Surprise, your subconscious mind doesn’t know that it’s not real. It processes the information just as if it were completely factual. Your muscles twitch, your heartbeat races, your respiration quickens in a bad dream, just as in real life.)

Here’s another common justification for unconscious, non-deliberate mind-feeding: “Oh, that soap opera or romance novel is just fiction. It’s harmless and has nothing to do with real life.” (Surprise, oh yes it does! If you saturate your mind with those attitudes – especially right before sleeping – they will begin to seep into your day-to-day life and contribute to the creation of similar interpersonal scenarios in your experience.)

“Oh, I’m not really listening to the TV. I just leave it on while I’m falling asleep to provide some background noise.” (Surprise, you don’t have ear-lids. You can close your eyes, but the sound goes deep inside as you drop off to sleep, when your mind is the most receptive – the most fertile ground for germinating new ideas.)

Accidental Hypnosis

Think of hypnosis and how susceptible the mind is to suggestions in the hypnotic state characterized by drowsiness on the cusp between sleep and wakefulness. This light, hypnotic state is a similar state of consciousness to the time when you are falling asleep. As the brain wave activity diminishes as it approaches the alpha state, the mind is open, fertile and receptive to whatever is presented. If you make a habit of presenting your mind with the atrocities graphically depicted daily on the evening news, are those really the seeds you want to nurture into such a fertile garden of your mind in such an optimum time for germination?

Bedtime Story

The tradition of a bedtime story for the young ones is another good example of this principle in action. What kind of parent would tuck in their young, wide-eyed child and read them a cozy story about the Texas Chainsaw Massacre? Any conscientious parent with half a brain and even a little heart instinctively knows to find stories that help instill helpful principles like honesty, helpfulness, honor, truth, self-confidence, teamwork and so on.

Why is it that this common-sense approach so often gets lost as we “mature” into adulthood? We know that these pre-sleep moments are important in the early development of the child. The altruistic principles illustrated in the best bedtime stories impact their fertile subconscious minds and contribute to the character and personality of the child.

This principle of feeding the mind deliberately does not stop at an arbitrary age of 9 or 13 or 45 or 78. The bedtime stories we continue to feed ourselves continue to impact our subconscious minds in powerful ways. They continue to contribute to who we are, how we view the world, and the quality of experiences we attract.

Beneficial Bedtime Stories – Deliberately

If we really understood and therefore believed that our mental diet makes a difference in the quality of our lives, what would we do about it? First, we would be conscious and aware of the information we provide for our subconscious mind all the time, but especially during the hour or so before going to sleep. We would deliberately put this principle to work for us instead of allowing it to work against us. Before bed, we would listen to positive, uplifting music with lyrics that accentuate the positive. Or, we would read inspiring words from books that resonate with us. Carefully chosen fiction would also be a good choice if the themes fire the imagination in positive ways. Short or medium length articles like the ones on this website offer productive, inspiring food for thought that offer healthy nutrition for the subconscious mind as you drop off to sleep. Try reading one article per day, just before bed. Another helpful technique is to listen to an audio recording or watch a video on self-help, personal development topics. (For a list of recommended, quality materials with my short reviews, click here.)

Mental Poison

Avoid the news like poison before bedtime. If you still feel the need to inundate yourself with the “best” of the planet’s bad news in the name of “staying informed,” do it earlier in the day. Then you have a chance to recover from it before you sleep.

“For most folks, no news is good news; for the press, good news is not news.” – Gloria Borger

More and more people are getting their news through their computers so they have more control on the kind of stories they get. Networks and news conglomerates have their own agendas that determine which stories they choose to spoon feed, and you can bet that your best interests are not at the top of their list.

You Call That Entertainment?

Pick and choose your entertainment more deliberately, especially right before bedtime. After decades of violence in the name of entertainment, we have become desensitized to just how perverse, hideous, and self-destructive it really is. We have been brain-washed into thinking nothing unusual about seeing dozens of acts of violence and murder daily in the guise of wholesome entertainment. Is it any wonder there is so much violence in our world when we consider it normal, average and healthy fare for entertainment?

“Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.” – Isaac Asimov (1920 – 1992)

Your Personal Daily Review

Knowing the importance of the hour or so before sleep, how else could you put it to use for maximum efficiency? It’s the perfect time for meditation, contemplation, or quiet reflection of your day. Review the day’s events in your imagination and notice the instances when you could have done better. Whatever moments don’t feel good, ask yourself what would have been a better approach on your part. Visualize how you would like it to go next time. See it clearly. Act it out in your mind’s eye. As you drift off to sleep, your subconscious mind will accept these most recent, vivid images as truth. When similar situations come up in the future, you will handle them in a manner more in alignment with your deliberate choosing.

Do It Differently

Just because so many people seem to be unaware of the importance of feeding the mind deliberately is no excuse for you. You know better. Normal is not good enough. Average is practically an insult. The masses are well-duped by the media and continue to let poison pass by the gatekeeper to their minds. Many gatekeepers seem to be permanently out-to-lunch, retired, or simply incompetent due to lack of practice. For a life of excellence, you must be the proactive, deliberate, aware, and conscious gatekeeper and feed your mind on purpose. Protect and nourish your subconscious mind as if it were the key to living the very best version of your ideal life. Feed your mind the good stuff, especially right before bedtime, and enjoy . . . sweet dreams.

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Listen FREE to the songs below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

Trash Our Treasures People seem to have a history of awarding seemingly insignificant details with places of prominence in our lives, while ignoring or even destroying the most important aspects. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor2 It’ll Be All Right Now It’s one thing to understand intellectually that the thoughts we think mold our experience, and another thing to live every moment as if it really is a basic law of nature. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor10 Who is the Watcher Explores the silent witness within and the idea that life occurs in this present moment. Always. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor-14 No, Yes! Examines the folly of continually holding conflicting thoughts at the same time. Yes I can. No I can’t. I want that. But do I really deserve it? Around and around it goes. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor10 Songs by Tupelo
The Trouble with TV Does TV enhance our life experience or get in the way of living our lives? Celebrate life with this refreshing perspective on the boob tube. The Law of Attraction With anything as important as the law of attraction, it’s a good idea to hear it described many times from many different angles. This article looks at it from several viewpoints as well as revealing how to get the understanding of the law of attraction from the prime source. Many links are provided including links to streaming mp3 songs that incorporate the principles of attraction in the lyrics. Celebrate life with an ever-clearer grasp of how the law of attraction determines your life experience. Benefits of Music for Personal Development All music is not created equally. This article takes a look behind the scenes to catch a glimpse of how the intent of the composer translates to the feeling evoked in the listeners. Many links are included to streaming mp3s. Celebrate life through music! Spiritually Thriving Through Choice As we go through the motions of life, eventually it becomes apparent that what we have to do to get by needs to be balanced with our deep longing to thrive spiritually. Our activities need to be undertaken consciously. Our choices need to be made deliberately – with full awareness of the potential consequences as well as the potential rewards. Articles by Tupelo

I’ve found it helpful to think of two separate entities who inhabit my body. First, this is an important distinction. You often hear of someone claiming to “have” a soul. The viewpoint inferred by this choice of words begs the question, “If you have a soul, who is having it? The body? The mind?”

To me, it seems more accurate (and more useful) to think about it the other way around. That is, soul is who I am (who we all are) and we now have a body.

Even though I identify my sense of self with soul, there seems to be another “something” inside forever jockeying for position and making its presence known. This is the ego.

What’s the difference? How can you know which one is in charge? What are their characteristics?

Soul’s Attributes

Soul is all about peace and contentment. Soul perceives the outer world through the five senses via the mind. Soul perceives the inner world through knowing, feelings, emotions, hunches, nudges, dreams, daydreams, inner sight and inner sound.

“Thinking, understanding, reasoning, willing, call not these Soul! They are its actions, but they are not its essence.” – Akhenaton (d. c.1354 BC) – Egyptian king

Ego desperately needs to be right. If it can’t be right, the next best thing is that it needs others to be wrong. Ego is alone and unconnected to others. It is driven to compete with all the others, so that it can be recognized as best. If not best, at least better. The ego’s sense of self is wrapped up in titles, awards and achievements. It must be continuously recognized by others for its accomplishments and special-ness.

Ego’s Characteristics

Ego needs stuff – the more, the better. It is identified with possessions and the perceived prestige that accompanies them.

“Many could forgo heavy meals, a full wardrobe, a fine house, et cetera; it is the ego they cannot forgo.” – Gandhi (1869-1948)

The ego is engaged in a never-ending striving for more. It is never satisfied, never content, and never at peace. In fact, those things are considered threats to the ego – if you were totally peaceful, why would anyone need an ego? Ego may delude itself into thinking its striving, pushing and shoving is driven by a longing for peace, but the truth is, its striving is driven by the love of striving.

Ego Needs – Soul Is

Peace and contentment is the domain of the soul. Soul doesn’t “need” anything and is perfectly happy just to be. Soul is fulfilled by its attention on the present moment and whatever circumstances come with it. Soul has no longing for things or awards or recognition or outcomes. These are all in the realm of ego. Whatever it takes to remain peaceful, that is the objective of soul.

Soul does not shrink from experience – in fact, it relishes experiences that allow it to grow in awareness. Therefore, soul doesn’t mind possessions – it just remains detached from them with the understanding that they are all temporary.

“The self-controlled soul, who moves amongst sense objects, free from either attachment or repulsion, he wins eternal Peace.” – Bhagavad Gita (c. BC 400)

All possessions are loaners, to be enjoyed in the moment, and easily released when it’s time. Possessions come and possessions go – the sense of being “I am” remains to experience each of them in the moment of now. From the viewpoint of soul, all things are temporary playthings, capable of providing amusement and a richness of experience, but never to be allowed to get in the way of peace and contentment.

Relatively Peaceful Coexistance

I notice both of these viewpoints active within myself on any particular day. Even though I have made the conscious decision to identify with soul, ego elbows its way to the forefront quite often with its petty needs and inconsiderate attitudes.

It doesn’t have to be an on-going, internal war between the two. To function in the world, we seem to need both soul and ego. The problems arise when the ego is allowed to run amuck in an unsupervised manner. When ego is under the watchful eye of soul, a workable balance can be achieved.

“Our ego is our silent partner–too often with a controlling interest.” – Cullen Hightower

Shrinking Ego / Growing Soul Visualization

When I was first learning the benefits of meditation about forty years ago, I often pondered these two seemingly opposite viewpoints that co-existed in my head and heart. I realized that ego could be put under the control of soul and eventually began to enjoy occasional success at deliberately choosing soul as the captain. It’s not easy (ego is a relentless competitor), but with diligence and discipline, an ever-increasing percentage of moments had soul in the driver’s seat.

“To make the right choices in life, you have to get in touch with your soul. To do this, you need to experience solitude, which most people are afraid of, because in the silence you hear the truth and know the solutions.” – Deepak K. Chopra (b. 1946)

In meditation, I focused my attention on a mental image of soul and ego. In my mind’s eye, I saw each of them as glowing orbs of light roughly equal in size, filling the mental screen. I noticed as I was successful in diminishing the size, power and importance of ego, its orb shrunk and soul had more room to grow into. It seemed so simple . . . as “A” shrinks, “B” is allowed to expand.

It was a helpful image that now, forty years later, I still use. I don’t think of it as an inner battle that will someday be won or lost. Instead, it is a spiritual exercise that reminds me that both soul and ego are necessary to function in the world.

“Meditation is the soul’s perspective glass.” – Owen Felltham (1602?-68)

Since I prefer peace to mayhem and contentment to perpetual, blind striving, my goal is to keep soul in the driver’s seat as often as possible. Instead of an either/or situation, I like the idea of soul and ego peacefully coexisting in a manner that best serves the greater good. Communication between the two is encouraged, so as often as possible, balance is the outcome.

“The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.” – Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (1830-86)

In my meditations, I still envision the ego shrinking which automatically allows more “room” for soul to grow into. And whenever I notice a strong desire to be “right” or notice a thought of superiority or an urge for needless competition, I try to remember to take the old ego down a notch and allow soul to resume its rightful place in the driver’s seat.

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Listen FREE to the songs below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

	May You Have Joy Have you ever felt a warm appreciation for someone in your life, and just wanted to wish them well? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#anchor12 Who is the Watcher Explores the silent witness within and the idea that life occurs in this present moment. Always. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor-14 A Heartbeat in Eternity’s Highway In the grand scheme of things, what’s the difference between a single moment and all of eternity? What’s the point of reference? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor17 Soul in the Stars It feels good to try to see the bigger picture once in awhile,and to focus on gratitude for what we have, rather than the frustration of what we are lacking. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor4 Blue Water Water and the sea are such perfect metaphors for the larger reality we are all immersed in. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor6 Story Belt Celebrates the importance of keeping things in perspective while being a part of the bigger picture. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor8 Love is Who You Are "What is love, anyway?" Is it something you give or get, have or make? Or could it be, down deep, simply who we are? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor1 Songs by Tupelo
How Do You Feel About Inner Guidance? Is it a hunch? Is it a voice in your head? Is it something you feel? Don’t confuse what you feel with who you are. Once you are able to access this awareness of pure being and identify yourself with it, you won’t get carried away by whatever emotional cloud happens to be passing by. Celebrate life through one of the more subtle forms of communication available to us – inner guidance. The Dilemma of Desire What is desire? Where does it come from? Why do we have it? Does it serve us in a positive way, or does it distract us and keep us perpetually in discontent? This article sheds some light on these important questions so that each of us can find our own answers. Action and Satisfaction A satisfying life includes time for doing balanced by time for being , embracing and celebrating all aspects of life. Being, doing, having . . . all these things are important ingredients of our package of life experience. Denying any aspect of it only serves to diminish our joy of living a full, inspired, and satisfying life. Integrity Through Self-Reliance When you live your life as if the whisperings from your soul really matter, you are living life in your own way, on your own terms, based on your own realizations on what is right . . . what is good . . . and what is true for you. You are tuned into your own station. The signal you are receiving and the message you are broadcasting with the story of your life are both on the same frequency. You are joyfully and gratefully choosing your favorites from the buffet of life. Balancing Desire with Contentment It’s a fine line we walk between wanting more and feeling satisfied with what we have. Desire is unavoidable – it comes with the territory. So, the trick is to find the balance. There’s a middle ground to be found where deep feelings of contentment and satisfaction are spiced with the delicious excitement of something more on the horizon. Articles by Tupelo

Is your life too full to take on anything new? Are you too busy to give any attention to a new business idea?

Is it possible you’ve allowed your life to fill up with mediocre pursuits and time-devouring activities?

Mind-numbing busy-work can steal your energy and make you feel too tired to seriously consider other directions and opportunities.

What if you knew that a life of excellence was lurking right around the corner, if you would only prioritize your moments in such a way so that you could recognize it. Take an objective look at the various activities of your life. Get inspired to lose the mediocre to make room for something better.

Most of us are content to remain in our comfortable ruts. The rut is familiar, it feels safe and can be counted on to produce the results we have become accustomed to. But, ruts have nothing to do with adventure, inspiration and excellence. A rut is like a grave with both ends extended. No room for excellence there.

“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.” – Vince Lombardi

“Excellence is the perfect excuse. Do it well, and it matters little what.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

The 80/20 Principle

How much of what you do every day is responsible for contributing to your life’s dreams? What percentage of all your “doing” translates into your happiness, your joy, your personal satisfaction, your financial independence, and the on-going manifestation of your dreams?

It would be a complicated process to sort it all out, but definitely worth the time to think about. How much of what you do is simply habit and is a result of the rat-race-rut, and how much represents your deliberate choices fueled by the power of your dreams?

You’d likely discover that only about 20% of your effort is producing about 80% of your results. This is known as the Pareto Principle, named after an economist who determined that the average business earns 80% of its profits from only 20% of its customers.

The same principle can be applied to personal development. Typically, one-fifth of your activities are supporting your dreams and the direction you have deliberately chosen. Four-fifths of your activities are getting in the way of that. (If you haven’t yet chosen your life’s direction deliberately, this might be a good time to review a previous article entitled, “10 Steps to Discovering Your Life’s Purpose.”)

“Each honest calling, each walk of life, has its own elite, its own aristocracy based on excellence of performance.” – James B. Conant

Busy is No Excuse

Sure, you are busy. I understand. Everyone is. So what? In this day and age, busy is the default modus operandi. We all start from “busy” – some stay there accidentally, and others reprogram their style of “busy” in order to be busy-on-purpose. An honest look at the details that consume your time will likely reveal areas that can be re-prioritized in order to make more room in your life for excellence. (Here’s a book to help inspire yourself to put this principle to work in your life: “The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Success by Achieving More with Less” by Richard Koch.)

“Get your priorities straight. No one ever said on his death bed, ‘Gee, if I’d only spent more time at the office.’” – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

“Doing” is Only Part of the Package

What you do is important, especially if what you see is clear. Your inner vision provides the fuel and the fire for your activity. See your desired future in your mind’s eye first, and then the activities that occur to you will be inspired. You will be performing your actions on purpose, rather than being caught up in a blur of activity – activity for activity’s sake.

It’s too easy to be consumed with the details of doing and lose the big picture. To avoid this pitfall, make visualization a priority in your life. Make an appointment with your imagination every day and be diligent about keeping it. Realize that it’s a critical ingredient in your life and treat it as such.

Everything else in your life springs from the sparks of your imagination, so regular sessions help keep your life on-purpose, which translates to satisfying feelings of gratitude and joy. Without this regular connection to your inner world, your life whizzes by in a dizzying blur of mindless action.

Call it what you will – meditation, contemplation, affirmations, prayer or day-dreaming, but DO IT in order to temper your endless doing with your infinite being.

“Losers visualize the penalties of failure. Winners visualize the rewards of success.” – William S. Gilbert (1836-1911)

“I would visualize things coming to me. It would just make me feel better. Visualization works if you work hard. That’s the thing. You can’t just visualize and go eat a sandwich.” – Jim Carrey on the Oprah Winfrey Show, 1997

Recognize Temporary Activities and Then Move On

Janey and I have been independent and self-employed for virtually our entire lives. One example was a two-and-a-half-year stretch when we worked for a major cruise line. We traveled all over the country doing shows about Alaska. We lived there for fifteen years, so we were hired to be unofficial ambassadors for Alaska, singing songs, telling stories, and answering questions about the desirability of “the last frontier” as a travel destination. As jobs go, it was a good job, but it soon became clear that it was not contributing to our grander picture of our desired future. We kept thinking it would lead to the next step, but it never did – it just lead to more of the same.

Yes, we were traveling and yes, we were playing our original music and making people laugh and feel good, but it wasn’t enough. We were too busy performing a mediocre function for a corporation to allow more excellence into our lives.

“Excellence means when a man or woman asks of himself more than others do.” – Jose Ortega y Gasset (1883-1955)

We had no time for songwriting. No time for recording. No time for Janey to write her novels. No time for me to produce this website. No time for the kind of concerts we are most passionate about performing: (1) community concerts open to kids and seniors and everyone in between . . . and (2) intimate gatherings with other people interested in personal development who “get” the songs I enjoy writing. These are the activities that feel most in alignment with our current picture of “purpose.”

We appreciated the experience with the cruise line and were grateful for the opportunity to pay off our mortgage twelve years early, but we began to feel hungry for more purposeful activities. We realized that 80% of our effort and time was budgeted to contributing to only 20% of our dreams. We had it backwards and knew we had to turn it around. That’s when we recognized our era as Alaskan troubadours as temporary. So, we moved on. Once again, we are totally independent, and love the freedom of deliberately choosing our activities every day in closest alignment with our dreams and deliberately chosen direction.

“Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work.” – H. L. Hunt

Since we have “moved on,” we have recorded several new CDs, a two-and-a-half hour DVD, Janey has written another book (a novel), I have written enough articles for this website to fill a book or two, and we have performed hundreds of concerts. All this, and we still have time for our other passions: Janey’s stained-glass artwork, my songwriting and recording, hiking, motorcycling, scuba diving and international traveling.

“Wise are those who learn that the bottom line doesn’t always have to be their top priority.” – William Arthur Ward

Having time for these activities doesn’t come automatically. We can do what we love because we took the time to . . . (1) recognize what that is . . . and (2) prioritize our time to clear out the mediocre to make room for excellence.

First, we checked in with our imaginations to clearly visualize what we wanted to experience and then deliberately pruned the extraneous mediocre activities to make sure we had plenty of room in our lives for the excellence we chose. We looked around and noticed people we admire do not settle for “pretty good” – they consistently choose excellence and adopt a positive, persistent attitude to help make it a reality in their lives. This is the lifestyle commitment we chose to emulate.

It’s a good system. It’s easy to do once you know how. It works and I have no hesitancy in recommending it. Give it a try. What do you have to lose? Mediocrity?

“Excellence is a better teacher than mediocrity. The lessons of the ordinary are everywhere. Truly profound and original insights are to be found only in studying the exemplary.” – Warren G. Bennis (b. 1925)

Before you risk becoming consumed by arbitrary activity, check in with your inner vision about what you truly want. Only then can your action be on-purpose and inspired.

“Unless you know where you’d like to go, how could you possibly get there?
And until you know when it’s time to go, how could you arrive on time?
Cause to get to where you’re goin’, gotta get up and go.
When the time is right, buddy, you’re just gonna know.
Every journey begins with just one step, and it all begins in your mind.”
- from the song, “Just One Step” by Tupelo Kenyon

Make a List, Check it Twice

Once you have a clear picture of where you want to go, write it down at the top of a page. Under it, make two columns. At the top of the left column, write “mediocre.” At the top of the right column, write “excellence.”

Now, think of all the activities you do throughout your day – one by one. Ask yourself if it is an example of excellence that brings you closer to your chosen direction, or a mediocre time-burner that just gets in the way. Is it something you do instead of what you really want to do? If so, you’re looking at something contributing to a life of mediocrity.

“Set priorities for your goals. A major part of successful living lies in the ability to put first things first. Indeed, the reason most major goals are not achieved is that we spend our time doing second things first.” – Robert J. McKain

Continue thinking about each of your activities and writing them in the appropriate column. Don’t be surprised to see the mediocre column fill up first. When you can’t think of any more activities to write down, you will likely have about four times as many listed under the mediocre column as under the excellence column.

This written exercise is a powerful tool to help crystallize your thinking by recognizing which activities can be re-prioritized in order to make room for more excellence in your life. The written list has some staying power – you can refer back to it often and revise it as needed.

Have fun with it and don’t beat yourself up. Cut yourself a little slack. Forget about how bad the past may look and be hopeful, grateful and excited about this present moment and the future as you continue to prioritize your moments in ever-better alignment with your dreams.

“To accomplish great things we must first dream, then visualize, then plan… believe… act!” – Alfred A. Montapert

There are no wrong answers – just the opportunity to recognize where you’ve been working against yourself. This helps make it easier for you to consolidate your energies so your dreams, goals and actions are all pointing in the same direction. Your life’s energy will be invested more efficiently by eliminating any possibility of your dreams pulling in one direction while your actions are pulling in another.

After you are aware of these things, in time, you will notice how your day-to-day choices begin to come into better alignment with what you really want in life – the things that make you feel good about living a life of excellence. Keep at it, be patient and you will see your life transform without strain. Commitment to excellence will become an automatic habit, simply because it’s more fun. You will be living your life from the inside out.

“Persistence is the twin sister of excellence. One is a matter of quality; the other, a matter of time.” – Marabel Morgan

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle (384-322 BC)

“The secret of joy in work is contained in one word – excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.” – Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973)

You will be able to recognize which of your activities are temporary and when its time to move on. You will simply feel better physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually when you are not working against yourself.

“May you marinate in gratitude for what has come to be,
While you look to the horizon for your dreams expectantly.
May your body, mind, and spirit be on the same team,
May you think and feel and do and say what you really mean.

May you have joy . . . a peaceful mind . . . and a hopeful heart.”
- from the song, “May You Have Joy” by Tupelo Kenyon

Besides the deep feelings of joy and gratitude in your life, you will enjoy the satisfaction of stepping out of the mediocrity that the masses seem content to settle for, and into the rare arena of excellence. The result is the underlying objective of all human endeavor – simply . . . happiness.

Definition of happiness by John F. Kennedy: “The full use of your powers along lines of excellence.”

This powerful idea of excellence can be applied to whatever nudges and whisperings stir in the depths of your soul. We are all so different, so it is only natural that our dreams are equally diverse. It’s a huge universe with plenty of room for billions of different demonstrations of excellence in all areas of life. With a commitment to excellence, happiness and satisfaction are a natural by-product, regardless of the details of the endeavor itself.

“An excellent plumber is infinitely more admirable than an incompetent philosopher. The society which scorns excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity, will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy. Neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water.” – John W. Gardner

This article is not about someone else’s idea of excellence but the deliberately chosen direction of your life. It’s about your ideas of excellence as applied to the quality of your life. It is your best possible life. Sure, it’s a moving target, continually refined on a year-to-year, day-to-day, and moment-to-moment basis. It’s free choice at its finest, chosen by you, on-purpose – your life of excellence.

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Listen FREE to the songs below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

Just One Step Just begin. If you will just get underway, the project itself gains momentum and carries you along to its completion. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor12 May You Have Joy Have you ever felt a warm appreciation for someone in your life, and just wanted to wish them well? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#anchor12 Miracle in Disguise Synchronicity is such a positive and hopeful idea, it begs the question, "Why not actively look for it and even expect it, as long as it feels good?" http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor11 Take the Plunge Their advice is "for your own good", but the last thing you need to hear is their worst-case scenario. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor11 Do What You Love Discovering what we have a true passion for, and then figuring out a way to build a life around that passion is one of life’s greatest feelings of accomplishment. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor10 Songs by Tupelo
10 Steps to Discovering Your Life’s Purpose Of all the self-help ideas I’ve come across through the years, this one has been the most helpful. For me, it’s been the Rosetta Stone of personal development techniques. After getting a handle on the idea of “purpose”, other areas of my life fell into place more easily. Quarter Million Dollar Idea for Productivity Some people get things done and some don’t. Why is that? We all have the same number of hours in the day. Supercharge your productivity with this simple but powerful idea. One man actually paid a quarter million dollars for it (and felt he got a steal!). It’s yours free if you can prioritize the time to take a look. Take Time for You Don’t put yourself at the end of the list. You deserve to be first, at least some of the time. Don’t let your entire life slip by with everything else (and everyone else) getting preferential treatment over your most important priorities. Their needs are important, but yours are important too. Celebrate life by taking time for YOU! Integrity Through Self-Reliance When you live your life as if the whisperings from your soul really matter, you are living life in your own way, on your own terms, based on your own realizations on what is right . . . what is good . . . and what is true for you. You are tuned into your own station. The signal you are receiving and the message you are broadcasting with the story of your life are both on the same frequency. You are joyfully and gratefully choosing your favorites from the buffet of life. Action and Satisfaction A satisfying life includes time for doing balanced by time for being , embracing and celebrating all aspects of life. Being, doing, having . . . all these things are important ingredients of our package of life experience. Denying any aspect of it only serves to diminish our joy of living a full, inspired, and satisfying life. Work – Just a Job or Visible Love Do you love what you do and do what you love? Here’s a step-by-step method on how to put your passions to work and start living the life you were born to live. Articles by Tupelo

Last week-end, Janey and I attended a three-day event at the Sunrise Ranch in Loveland, Colorado. It’s called the Kryon Discovery Series – An Interactive Retreat featuring the profound core teachings of Kryon.

It was produced by our long-time friends, Dr. Sid Wolf and Dr. Amber Wolf. The main attraction was Lee Carroll, prolific author and channel for Kryon.

We were invited to play music each day as part of the program, so we had the double privilege of being participants as well as contributors to the event.

About a hundred people attended and everyone I talked to had a positive experience. By the end of the event on Sunday afternoon, everyone was glowing. It was a profoundly moving experience for most, and I know of at least a few who had a life-changing catharsis.

An Inspiring Diversity of Fascinating People

The teamwork was impressive as so many experts were available to share their expertise with everyone attending. Knowledge and wisdom were flowing not only from the presenters, but also from the people attending the event. Participants brought inspiration and experience from literally all over the world. I was amazed at how many people came from Europe, Australia, Russia, Ukraine, as well as from all over the U.S. There was so much to do and see and experience and learn, the time flew by and seemed too short, even though it was a three-day event.

The Producers and Hosts of the Event

Dr. Sid Wolf was the primary architect of the group exercises. His credentials include a lifetime of service in the healing arts as a psychologist, with a PhD in counseling. He’s a holistic health practitioner, certified Rolfer, and for the last decade or so, specializing in a fascinating healing modality called “Body Talk.” His expertise and forty years of experience was evident as the events of the weekend unfolded. He guided everyone through a series of exercises in small groups of five people. We met once a day with the same people in our small groups. Layer upon layer of superfluous personal baggage fell away, revealing our connection to one another in profound ways.

Along with his wife, Dr. Amber, Dr. Sid also served as M.C. His style is casual, although it’s apparent that his knowledge and experience is deep and wide. His delivery is friendly and warm, and his quirky sense of humor had us laughing constantly. The profundity of the experience had many weeping because of the deep, personal revelations discovered as a result of the processes designed by Sid and Amber. Other people had tears streaming down their face because there were some hilarious moments.

Dr. Amber was the perfect counterpart to Sid’s contribution. She has a very calming, deep spiritual presence that helped set the tone for the experience. She led everyone in powerful meditations, including two that she has recorded: Alpha Healing Access and Healing Wave Meditations – Your Divine Flame, Letting Go Into Deep Sleep.

Both Sid and Amber have been working with Lee Carroll for many years and their friendship and playfulness were contagious. Everyone responded to the obvious love and camaraderie shared among them. Their light-hearted style drove home the point that spirituality can be playful, joyous and spontaneous. Their example permeated the room throughout the weekend, and by the end of the retreat, everyone seemed to get it: personal development and spirituality is FUN!

The Main Attraction

For me, the main highlight of the entire event was meeting Lee Carroll. We had never met him before this event, and didn’t know what to expect from such a famous guy. We were delighted with his casual manner, his sincere kindness, and his wonderfully spontaneous sense of humor. He is one of the funniest people we have ever met. That’s a significant realization, considering we’ve been in show biz for 30 years together and have met many other entertainers, including professional comedians.

Lee is in a different league. His humor is not the result of skits or gags or scripts or memorized jokes. Instead, it seems to overflow from his joyous heart, his infinitely deep spiritual commitment, his keen intellect, and his childlike, playful spirit. He trusts his spontaneity completely, and appears to hear the humor for the first time, at the same time as the audience, and enjoys it right along with them.

If you’ve never heard of Lee Carroll or the Kryon books or the channelling process, here’s a brief overview in Lee’s own words. This is from book 11 – Lifting the Veil: The New Energy Apocalypse (Kryon). See my brief review of this and two other Kryon books here.

New to Channelling?

“I don’t have an evangelistic work. In other words, I don’t have a doctrine for you to accept, and I don’t really wish you to dump your old ways and see mine as great. What I really want is somehow for the channeled messages to open a door within you, expanding what you might think of yourself, and for you to examine some information of what most of the masters on the planet tried to teach us. Do this, and it might expand the horizons of the reality of your spirituality.”

From the Kryon Website: “Channelling Definition: The divine, inspired words (or energy) of God as imparted to Humans by Humans.”

Sacred Paths are Many

One of the things I appreciate most about Lee Carroll is his obvious commitment to the information coming through him. Of everyone I’ve ever known, Lee is the most ego-free. He has no possessive sense of ownership or monopoly of the truth. Instead, he honors and speaks highly of others who bring light to the planet in their own way, even if it’s different from his way. (And even if it’s very similar to his own way – other channelers, for instance.) This fact is demonstrated by his willingness to team up with other channellers and present programs together, each contributing their unique version of the truth.

The Reluctant One

If this was all Lee Carroll did, it would be amazing, even potentially earth-changing, but it’s just the start. He is known as “the reluctant channel” because, on the surface, it appears that he didn’t exactly choose this life. It chose him.

He used to be the kind of person who would roll his eyes at all this woo-woo (his word), and chuckle under his breath at the absurdity of it all. All this new age stuff is invisible, right? So, you can’t prove any of it. How convenient!

Lee’s background was very left-brained, linear and logical. He was a successful engineer and owned his own recording studio for about 30 years. He struck me as being very intelligent and has a love of understanding things scientifically. This particular trait makes for a fascinating dichotomy. The leading-edge information about spirituality and personal development described in the Kryon work is primarily invisible. At first brush, it’s not provable. It’s beyond the scope of the five senses, and therefore not in the scientific arena, by definition. Or, is it?

Above and Beyond the Call of Duty

For someone like Lee, it’s not enough to simply deliver the information. Instead, for 18 years, he has been scrambling around behind the scenes “connecting the dots.” He seems passionate about finding and reporting on the scientific evidence that supports the information given by Kryon. The result is an amazing combination of the metaphysical and the scientific. The gap between spirituality and science is closing and Lee’s work is on the cutting edge of helping people see the bigger picture hinted at by the quantum physicists. (See previous article: “Beyond Science, Philosophy and Religion“).

Witnessing the Channel

During the weekend, Lee channeled Kryon three different times. It was fascinating to see the process, as well to experience Lee’s casual manner about it. To say it was inspiring would be an under-statement. I was introduced to the Kryon material about ten years ago by Dr. Sid Wolf, and I have read all of the Kryon books. I’m familiar with the material, but to witness Kryon’s delivery from only a few feet away was a special spiritual treat.

The “New” Science Forecasted by Kryon

On Sunday, Lee presented a narrated slide show on his on-going research to validate and substantiate the Kryon information. It included information about the shifting of the earth’s magnetic grid, the evolution of human DNA, and our growing understanding of what was once called “junk DNA.” It now appears to be much more important than junk – perhaps even playing an important role in our awakening inter-dimensional awareness.

It would be amusing, if it wasn’t so sad, to admit that we humans see something we’ve yet to understand, and decide to call it “junk.” A better use of the word may be to describe our arrogant style of trying to force new discoveries into old paradigms.

Another fascinating part of Lee’s presentation was a six-minute video clip of gifted children in Japan who have the ability to learn in an entirely different way. Most of us were taught all the small pieces, one at a time, in a linear, sequential manner. From an understanding of all the pieces, we are expected to deduce the whole.

These special kids already seem to be aware of the whole. They see the big picture, and have the ability to learn spatially, holistically, and intuitively. The video showed them “reading” by simply fanning the pages of a book quickly several times and then reporting on the details.

Another youngster, probably about eight years old, was able to report the theme of the book simply by placing his hand on the cover. This is even more remarkable than reporting the facts and details in a book because the theme is not described in the words of the book. He got a holistic understanding of concepts that are beyond the words themselves.

There was much more awe-inspiring information in this scientific segment of the program. Ah-ha moments came often. I was soaking it up like a spiritually parched sponge. I felt like it was over way too soon. I could have been there for hours watching Lee “connect the dots.” You can catch a glimpse of more of Lee’s discoveries and insights here.

A Gig to Remember

On Friday and Saturday evening, before Lee’s channel, and again on Sunday afternoon, Janey and I were invited to play music. We played six songs on Friday night, right before the evening channel. We performed six more on Saturday, followed by the evening channel. Then, we played two more songs as a farewell at the end of the event on Sunday.

Were we nervous? Yes, a little at first, but the audience was so enthusiastic and loving, the experience was a pure joy.

Seconds before we took the stage on Saturday night, Lee turned to me and asked, “Ready?” My reply came quick and clear, “I’ve been getting ready for this moment my entire life.” What an honor to be a part of such a profound program! We made many new friends and became reacquainted with some old friends.

Genuine, Personable, Accessible and Fun

One of the most incredible aspects of the weekend was Lee’s accessibility. He’s available, just one of the folks, like family, usually hovering around with his Nikon camera, documenting the details of the retreat.

At one point, our conversation turned to websites. I mentioned this site and told him I had recently decided to make all our songs from all eight of our CDs available to hear online free, as streaming mp3s. He said he had recently done the same thing with the Kryon channels.

As of this writing, there are 69 channellings of Kryon available from live events around the globe since 1997. This list is continually updated. They can be read free online or printed out. Here’s the link to the printed transcripts. Some of these are also available as free audio downloads.

By request, Lee has also been invited to channel Kryon at the United Nations – six times! Those channels can be accessed here.

Later in the conversation about websites, Lee mentioned he was curious to see if book sales would diminish, but they remained steady, even with the same material available online for free. We talked about giving and contributing without preconceived assumptions or attachments to outcomes. And then, he probably said something hilarious, and I laughed until my sides ached. (Again.) Did I mention he was funny? And warm? And real? And inspiring? What an amazing person!

The Next Kryon Discovery Retreat

As you can see on the Kryon website (on the “Seminar and Conferences” page), there are several opportunities to go to a Kryon event (about 60 per year), but this Kryon Discovery Series is unique – it happens only once a year. We have been asked to return next year with our music (and quickly inked it into our calendar). Here’s another link with many photos of the 2007 event, including many of the attendees as well as the people mentioned in this article. There’s even a few of Janey and I doing our “Laughing Bird” thing. If all those great photos look like fun, that’s because it was!

The dates for next year’s event are September 26, 27 and 28, 2008. If you are interested in attending next year, here’s a link with a list of all the up-coming Kryon events. As the time draws nearer to September of 2008, this Discovery Series Retreat at the Sunrise Ranch will be listed (although it’s not listed yet, as of October 2007.) By January, it should be listed.

The 11th Annual Kryon Summer-Light Conference™
KRYON REUNION IN SEDONA

Earlier I mentioned how Lee Carroll sometimes teams up with other channellers at the same event. There will be three others joining Lee at this Kryon Reunion. (Geoff Hoppe, Steve Rother, and Ronna Herman. Ronna was responsible for helping to get Kryon noticed by sharing her experience and contacts with Lee when he was just starting in 1995.) This is the “flag-ship” event of the year and is being held in beautiful Sedona, Arizona on June 13, 14 and 15. We have been asked to perform at this event too, and are delighted to be opening the seminar on Friday. For complete details, here’s the link: Kryon Reunion in Sedona.

Music

The songs we chose to perform at the Kryon Discovery Retreat are listed below. (You can listen to 12 of the 14 songs online. “Life is an Art” has not been recorded yet – next CD. “Merlin’s Magic Spoons” is very visual and appears only on our DVD entitled, “Celebrate the Journey.”) Throughout the weekend, behind the various activities and meditations, they played our instrumental CDs entitled, “Celestial Sounds of Harmony and Light” – Volume One and Volume Two. This is the music offered at the beginning of most of these articles that you can listen to while reading.

Basking in the Warm Glow of an Amazing Experience

I drove away from the Sunrise Ranch deeply grateful that there are people like Lee Carroll in the world, and Dr. Sid Wolf, and Dr. Amber Wolf, and my wife Janey – busy going about the work they are inspired to do. They move us, open us up to new potentials, and help us see the bigger picture. These angels-in-disguise offer the wisdom of their experience to bring us understanding, laughter and joy in the sacred process of our own personal development.

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Listen FREE to the songs below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

Friday night: Love is Who You Are "What is love, anyway?" Is it something you give or get, have or make? Or could it be, down deep, simply who we are? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor1 Angels Around Us Is it your higher self, or your guardian angel, or perhaps an over-active imagination? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor3 All That We Take With Us Even sorrow brings us gifts of deeper understanding and a clearer perspective of what is really important. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor3 Be Kind Your example and the kindness shown to others can have a rippling affect that goes on and on. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor9 Blue Water Water and the sea are such perfect metaphors for the larger reality we are all immersed in. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor6 Story Belt Celebrates the importance of keeping things in perspective while being a part of the bigger picture. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor8 Saturday night: Life is an Art – (not recorded yet) What Would Love Do Now It’s tough to remember to ask yourself this question in the heat of the moment, but it can pay big dividends. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor10 Who is the Watcher Explores the silent witness within and the idea that life occurs in this present moment. Always. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor-14 Soul in the Stars It feels good to try to see the bigger picture once in awhile,and to focus on gratitude for what we have, rather than the frustration of what we are lacking. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor4 Merlin’s Magic Spoons In this story, set to music, Janey finally reveals the secret of her famous magical spoons and how she learned to play them so well. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescCJ.html May You Have Joy Have you ever felt a warm appreciation for someone in your life, and just wanted to wish them well? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#anchor12 Sunday Afternoon Wrap Your Wings Around Some call it intuition; others call it inner guidance. Whatever it is, once you begin to rely on it, it "sounds" mighty quiet when it seems to stop. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor4 Celebrate Life Create your own personal celebration of life by your choices, rather than allowing life to be something that merely happens to you, or around you. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor2 Songs by Tupelo
Choose the Companionship of Positive People Who Inspire You If the people you spend the most time with are inspiring, supportive, encouraging, and they demonstrate qualities you want to emulate – great, you are on the right track. If not, it’s up to you to do something about it. Life is too short to put up with other people’s pity parties, bitch-and-moan marathons, and oh-woe-is-me clubs. Meaningful Spiritual Relationships – Namaste Matters Behind the faces, beyond the reach of social conditioning, deeper than individual egos, we are identical. We are presence, consciousness, pure knowingness – the awareness of “I am.” We are life itself. Celebrate life with this insight on how to take your personal relationships to a whole new level. Belief Systems vs. Knowing How do you discern between something known and a habitual thought – a belief? The first step is to recognize that the vast majority of our beliefs are based not upon our own personal experiences and revelations but upon anecdotal evidence and the recommendations of other people, past and present. How Do You Feel About Inner Guidance? Is it a hunch? Is it a voice in your head? Is it something you feel? Don’t confuse what you feel with who you are. Once you are able to access this awareness of pure being and identify yourself with it, you won’t get carried away by whatever emotional cloud happens to be passing by. Celebrate life through one of the more subtle forms of communication available to us – inner guidance. Guided Meditation for Self-Healing and Personal Development It’s helpful to have a helping hand once in awhile. I was fortunate to have friends show me how to meditate. It was just friends showing friends something cool . . . because they could. Or maybe it was some kind of big brother / big sister program for the spiritually ripe. It was easy. It was casual. It was a life-changing experience. Benefits of Music for Personal Development All music is not created equally. This article takes a look behind the scenes to catch a glimpse of how the intent of the composer translates to the feeling evoked in the listeners. Many links are included to streaming mp3s. Celebrate life through music! Beyond Science, Philosophy and Religion Is truth absolute or relative? Is there anything beyond science, philosophy and religion? Many of the world’s top quantum physicists think there is. Celebrate life by stretching you imagination. Articles by Tupelo