TupeloKenyon.com » Relationships

Why Don’t We Stay in Touch?

Tupelo — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:00:55 +0000

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We mean well, but we rarely get around to picking up the phone. We think of our friends and family often, but our busy lives get in the way of staying in contact. Yeah, that’s it. That’s my excuse . . .too busy!

Hey, they probably think of me too, at least occasionally . . . but they rarely call either. So, we’re even.

Emails are better than nothing, but even that doesn’t happen as often as it should. When was the last time you got a genuine hand-written letter? When was the last time you sent one?

A four-dollar birthday card is a reasonable stop-gap measure, but it really doesn’t do it. True, it’s quick to send and nice to receive, but it’s not the same as a more personal connection. For example, whenever you get a card with little or no personal note added, how does it make you feel? Short-changed? We all long for something resembling a real connection.

Here’s a personal example of this mysterious spotty contact. I have a cousin that I rarely see. Rob lives in the East. I live in the West. We have so much in common, it’s almost spooky. We’re about the same age. We both have one sister and no brothers. We’ve both been writing songs since we were young teenagers, and we’ve both been professional musicians for about 40 years. We’re both recording engineers, recording artists, graphic artists, etc. You’d think we’d stay in touch. Nope.

Every time we’re together, it’s great. It feels easy, comfortable and close, even if it’s been years. (And it usually has!) We enjoy one another’s company, and go our separate ways. Then we don’t call. We don’t write . . . no letters, no email – nothing. I just never get around to reaching out. Neither does he.

So, we’re incommunicado. I don’t know why, but that’s the way it’s always been.

How about you? How many people would you love to hear from? How many would love to hear from you? (Probably more than you think.)

Would you like to feel inspired about staying in touch with those who are important to you? Here’s an inspiring video on YouTube that’s been viewed over seven million times. It’s short (2:28) and sweet . . . so even busy people can enjoy it.

It’s about the bonds of friendship and family extending through time and space . . . and even between species. It’s an unlikely reunion between a full-grown male African lion and the human care-givers who rescued him when he was a tiny cub.

You may want to have some Kleenex handy. It’s a heart-warming experience. After you see it, you’ll know why it’s been viewed so many times. (I first saw it on July 30, 2008 and YouTube reported 7, 606,185 views. By the very next day, it reported 8,283,933 views.

Obviously, there are lots of people wondering why they don’t stay in touch better. This moving video has inspired millions to reach out and connect with those who mean the most. Enjoy . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adYbFQFXG0U&NR=1

P.S. Sorry this article is so short, but I wanted to finish it early so I have time to call Rob. (And maybe a few others!) Here’s an easy way to share this video - scroll down and click on the link that says, “Email this article to a friend.” (It’s below the related articles and above the box detailing my free newsletter.)

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.


Low Maintenance Relationship Life seems to be all about relationships . . . to our friends, families, lovers, and to our creator. There’s always room for improvement. ^{http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor7} Hand in Hand and Heart to Heart "You and I drew a good lot in life." We never take it for granted, but continually re-create it on a daily basis looking forward with imagination and gratitude. ^{http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor16} Time of Our Lives Time is so fleeting, so elusive, it’s good to remember the importance and power of living right now. ^{http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor7} Where Only Freedom Flies To be together and feel free at the same time is the essence of a relationship of mutual personal growth. ^{http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor13} 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} Lovin’ Gold Having someone to share the details of your life with is bound to be one of the very best definitions of living a wealthy life. Someone to love, dream and grow with through the years is a wonderful way to feel rich, complete with the potential for compounding interest over a lifetime. ^{http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor5} Roots and Boots We all begin our lives standing on the shoulders of our ancestors. To take a moment to try to understand what they saw, and feel what they felt can help to make our own view just a little bit clearer. ^{http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescAnth.html#Anchor1} Lovers of the Heart Isn’t it interesting that lovers feel even closer together sometimes when they are apart. How many times throughout history do you suppose lovers have stared at the moon at the same time, from different locations, with their hearts overflowing for their beloved? ^{http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescAnth.html#Anchor12} Take My Hand Companionship and the sharing of love is the thing, whether it lasts a moment or a lifetime. ^{http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescAnth.html#Anchor19} Songs by Tupelo



10 Ways to Grow a Relationship of Mutual Personal Development Even though the way of discovery and personal growth is a one-lane road, it sure is nice to be able to share stretches of it with someone else. With what kind of person could you share something so profound? If having this kind of life partner is important to you, have you asked yourself, “How can I be that kind of person? 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. Communication - Friend or Foe Our communication skills can make or break us. This article includes some refreshing insights on communication from an unusual vantage point. Celebrate life with newfound attitudes about the art and science of communication. 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. Gratitude for Home and Family Home and family is literally the center of our universe, but how often do we take it for granted? Celebrate life through gratitude for our sense of home and the people we share it with. Make Assumptions Obsolete by Communicating We assume because we don’t know. We don’t know because we don’t ask. We don’t ask because we act as if we already know. Or, we don’t want to appear stupid. So we make an assumption. Then we forget it is merely something we made up, and we behave as if it’s a fact. When the facts are known, it would never occur to us to assume. The solution is clear communication. When we know the truth, assumptions are forever unnecessary. 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. Articles by Tupelo

Connecting Through Silence

Tupelo — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:00:36 +0000

For instrumental music while reading, choose: hi-fi (broadband) or low-fi.

Silence is a rare commodity these days – especially in the west. Around the clock, cars, trucks, airplanes, cell phones and all kinds of machinery disrupt the silence.

We have to deliberately seek and preserve opportunities for total quiet. It’s a worthwhile pursuit . . . otherwise we might forget the powerful, regenerative benefits of peace and quiet.

“We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature–trees, flowers, grass–grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence…we need silence to be able to touch souls.” - Mother Teresa (1910-97)

Most people are “tellers.” They’ve got stuff they need to tell you. Often, it’s not so much they have something to say as they have to say something. It’s cultural conditioning. As a race, we’re out of touch with our silent center, so we compensate with an endless string of words.

Of course, language skills are important. Our development as a species was a direct result of our ability to cooperate, which was made possible by our ability to verbally communicate. Our relationship with words is neither good nor bad – it has just become out of balance.

The superficial use of words contributes to our alienation from one another. The words we use are often like masks . . . they shield us from who we really are. Especially when we are out of touch with who we really are, we use words – and lots of them – to compensate.

“Some people talk because they think sound is more manageable than silence.” - Margaret Halsey

When you re-enter the silence, you lessen the dependency for continual yak-yak-yak sessions. Comfortable with the silence, you’re no longer driven to get attention from those around you, and you let down your guard . . . take off your mask.

When you’re once again connected with the silence, it’s easier to connect with people in meaningful ways. When you’re coming from the place of stillness and the power of silence, you can connect with people at a place beyond your personal story and beyond their personal story. Instead, you can feel the connection at a deeper level where you are already connected . . . at a place where you have much in common . . . that inner place of quiet, stillness and peace.

“To communicate through silence is a link between the thoughts of man.” - Marcel Marceau (b. 1923) - French mime artist

Mums the Word

As a spiritual exercise, have you ever declared a day a word-free zone? The idea is to go all day without muttering a single word. Of course, it’s much easier if you are around people who understand what you’re doing. If you’re around just a few people, that’s even better . . . especially at first. After you get the hang of it, you will become comfortable even in crowds. But let’s face it, from the everyday perspective of the average person, a word-fast is just plain weird.

“I have always thought it would be a blessing if each person could be blind and deaf for a few days during his early adult life. Darkness would make him appreciate sight; silence would teach him the joys of sound.” - Helen Keller (1880-1968)

I experimented with this silent treatment often, especially in my twenties. I enjoyed an advantage of living in the Alaskan wilderness, so there was nobody around to comment on how weird it was. I’ve done it a few other times when I’m around people, and although it’s not as easy, it’s still a fascinating experience.

If you are silent with a friend or spouse, it’s interesting to experience how your communication doesn’t suffer. In fact, it feels like deeper, more meaningful communication can be accomplished without words getting in the way.

“Silence makes the real conversation between friends. Not the saying, but the never needing to say is what counts.” - Margaret Lee Rumbeck

Beyond Words

Taking a sabbatical from words is the fast track to learning the subtle intricacies of facial expressions, body language, gestures, tones of voice, and the hidden meanings often obscured by words. When your thinking process is all about words, your mind functions at a certain level. It is capable of so much more. When you agree to make words off limits, even for awhile, you’ll find your mind settling into deeper, more peaceful levels where you feel a closer contact with everyone and everything around you.

“True silence is the rest of the mind; it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment.” - Sir William Penn (1621-70)

During my speechless days, I would carry a paper and pen with me for those rare occasions when a word or two seemed absolutely necessary. But it was rarely needed because other, more direct ways of communication soon came to the rescue when required.

“Don’t talk unless you can improve the silence.” - Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986)

When you are silent, it’s easier for others to be silent. You both get the feeling it’s okay to be true to yourself without masks, games, or any kind of coercion involved. Without words, it’s easier to connect at a more fundamental level where nobody needs anything from anyone else.

“Silence is as full of potential wisdom and wit as the unhewn marble of a great sculpture.” - Aldous Leonard Huxley (1894-1963)

First, Listen Quietly

Being in touch with silence is about listening. It’s a rare person who actually listens from their deep connection with the silence. Many of the people I’ve met seem to listen only long enough to determine whether or not the ideas match their own opinion. As soon as there is anything less than a perfect match, the listening is pre-empted by busy mental activity.

Quickly, a rebuttal must be composed to voice as soon as there’s a break in the conversation. And, we all know people who can’t be bothered to wait for a break in the conversation. Their opinion and their words and their story is so important, they interrupt to inject it with great urgency. . . repeatedly!

Did you ever feel like saying this? “Pardon me for continuing to speak while you were interrupting.”

Whenever I catch myself interrupting, it feels good to know that I am aware of it, at least occasionally. That’s the first step to allowing a little more silence and a little less ego into the conversation.

“I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet, strange, I am ungrateful to those teachers.” - Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931)

The ego-based, one-upmanship style of “communication” is superficial compared to the profound contact made by people comfortable with sharing the silence. Silence is more than an absence of words. Much more. It’s a characteristic of the great nothingness from which we all came and to which we return.

“Silence is deep as Eternity; speech is shallow as Time.” - Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881)

The Great Stillness

By “nothingness,” I don’t mean “empty.” It’s a state beyond things, beyond words, and beyond all attributes of physical reality. When you connect with this great stillness, it’s easier to connect with others in a profound way, beyond the limitations of ambiguous methods of communication . . . like words.

“Silence is the language God speaks, and everything else is a bad translation.” – Thomas Keating

Silence can be the answer to many kinds of problems. Many “problems” are nothing more than mental constructs. They are word play, repeated and multiplied by the intensity of emotion attached to them. Silence is beyond all this. It is beyond the realm of words. Re-connecting with the great peace of total silence helps provide perspective for all aspects of life.

“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)

There’s a time and a place for everything under the sun . . . a time for frivolous chatter, a time for the precision teamwork made possible by articulate verbalization, a time for deep philosophical discourse, a time for the release of humor with jokes, puns, and silly word-play, and a time for deep silence.

“Silence at the proper season is wisdom, and better than any speech.” - Plutarch (AD 46?-120?)

When our dependency on words is tempered by our sessions of silence, the idea of conversation takes on a new dimension. In a word . . . profound.

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.


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} Where Only Freedom Flies To be together and feel free at the same time is the essence of a relationship of mutual personal growth. ^{http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor13} 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} Take My Hand Companionship and the sharing of love is the thing, whether it lasts a moment or a lifetime. ^{http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescAnth.html#Anchor19} Low Maintenance Relationship Life seems to be all about relationships . . . to our friends, families, lovers, and to our creator. There’s always room for improvement. ^{http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor7} Songs by Tupelo



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. How to Keep Your Word This article is a poignant reminder of the power of your word. Celebrate life by honoring your word . . . and therefore the people with whom you interact. 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. Articles by Tupelo

How to Accelerate Manifestation

Tupelo — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:00:12 +0000

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

Numerology Clues of New Beginnings

Tupelo — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 06:12:26 +0000

For instrumental music while reading, choose: hi-fi (broadband) or low-fi.

Numerology is an ancient study of numbers. How it works is deep and a little mysterious, but it’s simple to use. Even without understanding the details of why it works, we can still learn from it.

It’s just another tool in our spiritual tool bag to provide us with information and inspiration.

Like electricity, we can benefit from it as easily as flipping a switch, even if we don’t know (or care) about the technical details at work behind the scene.

Numerology 101

Here’s a quick overview of numerology at a basic level. By adding up all the numbers represented by your birth date and name, you arrive at a single important number that can reveal amazingly accurate insights about your personality, your personal attributes, and clues about how to live your best life.

There’s an excellent book that goes into fascinating detail about how to benefit from the discoveries of numerology. It’s called, The Life You Were Born to Live: A Guide to Finding Your Life Purpose - by Dan Millman. There’s a short review about it on my recommended book review page.

Wow Factors on Every Page

Several times, I have shared this book with groups of friends and family. Every time, we have been amazed at the uncanny accuracy of the personality traits and other personal attributes the book details for people with particular master numbers.

Common comments are, “Wow, that sounds just like me” . . . and “That’s exactly like my wife” . . . or “She may not admit it, but that describes my brother perfectly!” There are always several “aha” moments every time we share the book. It’s a great way to better understand the people who mean a lot to you. Some employers even “run the numbers” on perspective employees before hiring them to gain extra insight into the person’s inner worlds.

Numerology is a fascinating field, if only from the standpoint of curiosity, but this article is about an aspect of it that has the potential to affect us all. Some aspects of numerology pertain to one individual at a time, while others can have a global influence.

As Easy as 1, 2, 3

This article was written at the end of the year 2007. Add up all those numbers and you get 9, which represents completion. Add up the numbers in the year 2008, and you get 1, which represents a new beginning. Of course, every year ends with the idea of completion and every year gets underway with the idea of a new beginning. The outgoing year adds up to a 9 with the incoming year adding up to a 1 exactly once per decade. What makes this particular cusp different is this is the last time it will happen before the year 2012.

2012 is Synonymous with Big Earth Changes

The year 2012 is famous in metaphysical and new age circles as the end of the Mayan calendar. It marks the cusp of a major shift in energy worldwide. Adding up the numbers of 2012 gives us the number 5, which represents change. 2008 is also a year of presidential elections in the U.S., a new beginning that will likely bring changes with worldwide effects.

Energy Dips, Cusps, and Lulls

There seems to be a lull between the completion of the old and the beginning of the new. The energy takes a dip and resets itself to zero before getting ramped up into the fresh energy of the new beginning. Apparently, these energy dips are a natural part of the ebb and flow of life on planet earth.

So, if you are experiencing a dip in energy in your personal life, don’t beat yourself up about it. It may have very little to do with you personally and very much to do with the energy of the planet recalibrating itself, getting ready to take it up a notch.

All living things and all aspects of nature have cycles and seasons beyond our understanding and often beyond our notice. Still, we may feel the subtle effects of these changes, even though we may not be able to put our finger on the exact cause. We can pooh-pooh the whole thing as the workings of someone’s over-active imagination, or we can choose to play along, if only out of natural, childlike curiosity . . . just in case there is insight to be found by the adventurous spirit.

Get Profound Inspiration from a Prime Source

Another interesting source of information about numerology and energetic changes can be found in the work of Lee Carroll. (I mentioned him in a previous article, “Kryon Discovery Retreat Review.”) Lee’s work, for the last 18 years has provided a unique perspective on the changes so many of us feel individually, as well as the changes our entire planet is undergoing.

The information at Lee’s website is all free, and there is a lot of it. He has presented compelling insights at the United Nations on seven different occasions, and those transcripts can also be read on his website. He’s also written a dozen books that have been translated into over a hundred editions worldwide.

If this kind of channeled “woo-woo” (his word) doesn’t scare you off because it’s different from whatever you have grown accustomed to, there is a whole new world of inspiration, insight and understanding to be found (free) at http:www.kryon.com.

Quick and Complete Overview

On Lee’s Kryon website, there is a new series of five articles called, “The Lightworker’s Handbook.” These articles do an excellent job of encapsulating some of the most profound information revealed in the last 18 years. If you are interested in exploring the numerology ideas hinted at in this article, listen to the free audio .mp3 called, “2007-2008 Transition” presented at the Smithfield Theater: smithfield.mp3. The ideas are expanded upon in another free .mp3 called Longmont_08.mp3.

Exciting Times Ahead

New beginnings are good. These energetic lulls represent exciting times to come, full of promise and potential. This article is my last one of the year. The first article I wrote for this website, at the beginning of 2007, is called, “The Power of Beginning.” It is just as relevant today, at the end of the year as it was when it was written on January first.

I am forever grateful to people like Dan Millman and Lee Carroll, angels in disguise, who dedicate their lives to providing us with glimpses of the more subtle aspects of life. Their passion for the truth and their life’s work has the potential to make a profound difference in the quality of our lives if we are willing to consider new ideas with an open mind.

I am grateful and excited about wrapping up another year with a sense of accomplishment and completion, but my attention, energy and passion is focused ahead on the potential and promise of the next new beginning.

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.


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} Compass Spin What would life on earth look like if our perspective allowed us to see centuries passing in the wink of an eye? ^{http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor8} 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} 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} Songs by Tupelo



The Power of Beginning The most important part of any project is the beginning. Just begin and follow through and you will be amazed at the momentum. . The creative power of the universe responds by lining up the details to bring it into manifestation. Coincidences begin to occur. Your job is to choose and then begin. Kryon Discovery Retreat Review After an inspiring weekend at the Sunrise Ranch, I drove away 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. 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. Articles by Tupelo

Life Drama as Blockage to Personal Development

Tupelo — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 12:00:03 +0000

For instrumental music while reading, choose: hi-fi (broadband) or low-fi.

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. They think, “Surely I would never choose . . . (fill-in-the-blank). They act as if such an idea is totally absurd.

There are two scenarios that can explain this kind of manifestation of drama:

1) They are not yet aware that thoughts and feelings are powerful creators, so the dramatic results created are not deliberate.

2) They have at least considered the idea of deliberate creation, but still have unidentified fears holding them back from further personal development. Rather than face those fears, it’s easier to continue to concoct daily drama drivel as an excuse to keep them from focusing on what is truly important.

Be Cause . . . It’s More Effective

Most of us interested in personal development have people in our lives who fit one of these two situations. Does that mean we have to be an effect of their drama in order to interact with them?

Practically speaking, yes, but it’s a matter of degrees. Until we attain the hallowed consciousness of total enlightenment, other people’s drama rubs off on us. But, there are things we can do to minimize the negative effect of these interactions.

Stay Centered

The best thing you can do is maintain your balance and stay connected to source energy. Just because the other person is drowning in drama as a result of their ego being in the driver’s seat, that doesn’t mean you have to join them there to interact with them.

Instead, do your best to allow your connection to spirit to infuse the relationship with the viewpoint of broader perspective. It’s not necessary to force this upon anyone against their will. It is enough for you to remain centered and focused on pure awareness, who you really are. The positive influence you contribute by such a focus is inevitable, even without any deliberate, specific attempts to help. Helpful energy oozes into the relationship simply by your dedication to your own balance and your mindfulness of who you really are.

Focus on Positive Attributes

Whenever you are in the company of someone dawdling in drama, do your best to ignore any of their personal attributes that annoy you. Instead, make a mental list of all their attributes you adore, and place your attention there. This mental exercise will help you interact with this person in the best possible way. As you focus your energy on these positive attributes, the other person responds by accentuating them. The less desirable attributes fade to the background when you are together as a natural result of withdrawing attention from them.

This shift can happen quickly, or it may require a period of time. But by focusing on their best attributes, your experience in the interaction is improved, and their emphasis is gradually shifted to their own positive attributes.

If the other person has any interest in your relationship, they will respond to your gentle emphasis of their most positive traits and their more abrasive traits will not come forward as often, when you are in their company. If the other person has no interest in your relationship, this process will not work as well, if at all. If this is the case, it’s a moot point anyway, because how long would you be inspired to endure an abrasive manner if the other person is not interested in a mutually satisfying relationship?

Personal Development Blockage

Some people may be aware of their potential power to create their lives deliberately, but for myriad reasons, they may be stuck in fear. They may be afraid of their own magnificence and sabotage their own growth with ongoing personal drama.

If the subconscious mind spoke, to might sound something like this: “I couldn’t possibly place any energy or attention on personal development with all this other stuff going on in my life. There’s no time for spiritual matters with the endless necessity of mundane details and sudden emergencies always clamoring for my attention.”

Personal Development is Preceded by the Desire for Personal Development

Of course, you cannot wish personal development upon someone else, no matter how much you think they need it. The desire for personal growth and spiritual development happens one person at a time. The best you can do when interacting with someone bent upon sabotaging their own growth with unnecessary drama is to remain centered yourself while keeping your attention focused upon their positive attributes. In time, the details of your interaction will gravitate around these areas, and your own connection to source will offer a positive influence in their life.

It’s not necessary for you to try to direct or orchestrate this influence in any way. In fact, you may be surprised and delighted in the details of your personal influence. On the other hand, you may never know any of the details of your influence, but you continue anyway simply because kindness feels good, and it’s the right thing to do.

“The way we live our life is like a pebble dropped, into a quiet pond,
It carries on just like a circle growing.
The ripples that we make may touch another shore, you may never know for sure,
How much you’ve helped someone without you knowing.
- from the song, “Be Kind” by Tupelo Kenyon

Be Mindful of This Moment to Make the Next One Better

Life doesn’t have to be an endless struggle from one personal drama to the next. Life can be fun, satisfying and joyful, from moment to moment. The thoughts we think, the pictures we envision, and the feelings we allow make all the difference.

Feel It . . . Then Let it Go

What if you are the one sinking into a whirlpool of personal drama? Recognizing it is the first step to pulling yourself out. Whatever the feeling is, experience it completely so you can let it go completely. Only when you are able to release any particular feeling, are you ready for the next one. If it’s a bad feeling, experience it and then release it so you are empty and available for the better feeling that is sure to come. It works the same way with good feelings. Experience it completely and then release it. Only then are you once again empty and available for an even better feeling.

Choose a Better Thought to Create a Better Feeling

The trick is to be aware of those thoughts, mental pictures and feelings so that you can deliberately make it better, and better, and better. Whenever you feel less than joyful, notice the thoughts and mental pictures that triggered the feelings. Retrace your thoughts for the last few minutes and be objective about them. Are they the kind of thoughts that help move you toward what you really want? Probably not.

Whenever you catch yourself sabotaging your dreams with sloppy thinking, right now, in this present moment, deliberately choose a thought that makes you feel better. If it makes you feel better, even a little, it is helping you move in the direction you want to go.

Once you have successfully turned yourself around and are once again moving toward your dreams with more appropriate thoughts, repeat the process. Choose a thought that feels a little better. Relish it, envision it, and pause to take notice of how you feel now. Better? If so, take another small step in the same direction. Choose another related thought that keeps you moving in your chosen direction, and continue to notice how you feel. (See previous article, “The Law of Attraction.”)

“You can drive yourself down the rocky back roads,
Bouncin’ up and down with the bumps.
Feed yourself garbage and your life is drivin’ you,
Spinnin’ wheels, down in the dumps.

Or you can live your life down the middle of the road,
Help yourself, by bein’ selective.
And live your life like a jambourie,
Be cause, it’s more effective.

Celebrate,
Celebrate Life,
Celebrate Being Alive”
- from the song, “Celebrate Life” by Tupelo and Janey Kenyon (1983)

The Drama Drops Away When You Want It To

As you make a habit of this mindful state of becoming increasingly aware of your thoughts and the feelings they spawn, life becomes an ever-more joyous journey of deliberate creation. Drama drops away naturally.

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. Drama never spirals out of control again because you understand that you do have control. You control it by being mindful about choosing your thoughts and mental images deliberately to move you in the direction of your dreams. Your feelings tell you on a moment-to-moment basis if you are on track or not. If not, change your thoughts to change your feelings to change your life.

Some people catch on to this simple manifestation formula quicker than others. I have been aware of it for many years, but still occasionally forget and allow my thoughts to take me in the wrong direction, even though my feelings are offering obvious clues I’m on the wrong track. With practice, I have got better and better at it so the time that elapses before I catch on about my stinkin’ thinkin’ is smaller and smaller. There is always room for improvement if that is your intent.

Your Intent is the First Step To the Life of Your Dreams

It all begins with intent. If it is your choice to continually improve at deliberate manifestation, you are already well on your way. Your example will help to inspire others to open their minds to new ways of life, beyond drama. Your life will continue to unfold in pleasing ways, and your contributions to others add to your feeling of satisfaction, purpose and joy.

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.


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} 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} 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} Low Maintenance Relationship Life seems to be all about relationships . . . to our friends, families, lovers, and to our creator. There’s always room for improvement. ^{http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor7} Songs by Tupelo



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. 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. 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. Make Assumptions Obsolete by Communicating We assume because we don’t know. We don’t know because we don’t ask. We don’t ask because we act as if we already know. Or, we don’t want to appear stupid. So we make an assumption. Then we forget it is merely something we made up, and we behave as if it’s a fact. When the facts are known, it would never occur to us to assume. The solution is clear communication. When we know the truth, assumptions are forever unnecessary. Don’t Take it Personally Why do people criticize? It’s not about you - it’s about them. When you get criticized, here’s what to do with it - don’t take it personally. Praise can be just as harmful (but sneakier) - don’t take it personally. If you’re a habitual critic, here’s how to stop . . . but don’t take it personally. 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. Communication - Friend or Foe Our communication skills can make or break us. This article includes some refreshing insights on communication from an unusual vantage point. Celebrate life with newfound attitudes about the art and science of communication. 10 Ways to Grow a Relationship of Mutual Personal Development Even though the way of discovery and personal growth is a one-lane road, it sure is nice to be able to share stretches of it with someone else. With what kind of person could you share something so profound? If having this kind of life partner is important to you, have you asked yourself, “How can I be that kind of person? Articles by Tupelo