It may be argued that sometimes the magic works and sometimes it doesn't. However, what's indisputable is that the magic will never work if you don't believe.
I found this on my kitchen table this morning.
I have no idea how it got there and why I simply didn't crumple it up and throw it away before reading it.
You may take from it anything that you like. . .
Everyone has to die of something but you don't have to hurry it along.
Kathy McKee, former girlfriend of Richard Prior
Here's an example that happened to me just the other day.
A friend gave me a Colibri lighter for Christmas. It is a well-made instrument that I use to light my pipe (what I smoke in the pipe is irrelevant to this conversation and, actually no one's business). One of the functions I like best about it is the ability to adjust the intensity of the flame from a mere flicker to a virtual flame thrower.
Well, after having nearly burned my thumb off while using it recently, I figured that I had better adjust the flame before I set my entire body on fire! So, I looked at the base of the lighter where a set screw is located. Turning it one way or the other will either intensify or reduce the flame.
I had used it previously and distinctly remembered that turning the screw to the left decreased the intensity. So, using a small screw driver I began turning it down, i.e. to the left. However, despite turning it ALL the way left I found that the flame had not been reduced one iota. I was flummoxed. I kept turning it the left until no matter how much force I applied, it simply would not turn any further.
Hmmn, I thought to myself. I remember it working just fine for me that way in the past.
Then I had an epiphany. As it so now often happens, maybe my recollection was NOT correct. Perhaps the adjustment called for the screw to be turned to the right.
So, I used my small screwdriver to slowly move the screw in the opposite direction. Sure enough, the flame slowly started to recede to a safe level!
SO SIMPLE!
I had closed my mind to even the possibility that moving the screw in the opposite direction would solve the problem. I had locked into a single way of thinking that would not even allow for a possible solution! Once I entertained the idea that maybe, just maybe, if I tried things another way, the damned thing just might work right, the problem was actually resolved.
FREE your mind - in ALL things.
When it remains closed we will never know what could have been. When it is opened, a whole new world will be revealed.
Doing is a verb, i.e. a word that denotes action. When we do, we create.
Nothing is a noun, i.e. a word that signifies a person, place, or thing - the doer or receiver of action. How can something that doesn't exist be the recipient of action?
So, if you put the words together they really don't make any sense. By it's very definition, if you are doing then you are actively creating something. The ultimate outcome may be either positive or negative, but it is not nothing.
So, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, if someone asks what you might be doing for the day and you have no plans, instead of responding with nuthin', you might more accurately answer, I will be doing something - which is working on doing nothing.
That is all. . .
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| Joseph Welch/Wikipedia |
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| Welch and McCarthy/Wikipedia |
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| Kevin McCarthy/Wikipedia |
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| Michael Ochs, Getty Images |
Charles Manson? Really? Hear me out.
Most of us would like to believe that the world has an innate sense of justice, i.e. a good life is rewarded in one way or another, while a bad one brings with it corresponding punishment. And, most of the world's religions preach the paradigm that if those tenets do not come to pass in this world, they certainly will in the next.
Well, I cannot speak with any certainty of what happens in the afterlife (should there even be one). However, in this life, I believe that things are not quite that simple.
Let's take Manson as an example.
First, as a human being, he was insignificant in so many ways. He was diminutive in stature, only about 5'6". Despite having a relatively high IQ, he was poorly educated having attended high school and some college but never formally graduating. His mother was just 16 when she had him and he never experienced a stable home life. Manson was in and out of reform schools and prisons beginning at the age of 9. He fancied himself a songwriter and musician but never achieved any real success at either. He never really had any professional life (except murder) to speak of.
Yet, in the end, he DID achieve his ultimate goal. And, that was to become famous. And, that Manson did in spades!
You may argue that he didn't become famous but, rather, infamous. However, to me, in this case, that's just a matter of semantics. Manson didn't give a shit if any remembrance of him is associated with evil. The fact that you remember him is enough. Bizarrely, he may even be seen as a type of immortal. His name and foul deeds will live on long after you and I are gone.
Mission accomplished.
Yes, that sucks but that's how life often goes - and, it has been that way for centuries. John Milton (1608-1674), in his epic poem, Paradise Lost, has the ultimate Evil Character, Satan, explain his motivation for risking everything and being cast into hell by saying; Better to rule in hell, than serve in heaven.
Satan is not interested in living a good life of servitude - and, neither was Manson. Both had a lust for power and control over others, no matter the personal cost. They were willing to pay the price for their infamy to achieve their so-called immortality. And, in some perverse way, it worked. Will Manson's soul be condemned to never find peace? Perhaps. But, we will never know that for sure.
I know that considering the brutality of his crimes it is difficult to see anything human in Charles Manson. We can call him a monster yet he was one of us. He even lived to the ripe old age of 83.
Yes, my friends, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, no one ever said life was fair.
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| Words and photo by F LoBuono |
And, quite frankly, it ain't that hard!
When people think of changing the world, they think in terms of greatness, i.e. Gandhi, MLK, or, perhaps, the Dali Lama. Of course, people like them create sea change. However, in the bigger picture, it's the little things done on a daily basis by mere mortals like you and I that establishes real positive energy and, therefore, constructive change - you know, the small things that may not get noticed by anyone but yourself and the people you effect by doing them.
Here are some of the simple things that you can do to generate positive energy:
1. Be polite and pleasant to everyone you meet - a smile or a simple hello, especially to a stranger, can make a total difference in their day and, therefore, yours too.
2. Be respectful - not only to authority figures but also to those who may have less of an impact on our lives.
3. Be confident and still humble - yes, we can be both. We have value but so does everyone else around us.
4. Be mindful - we are not alone. ALL of our reactions elicit an equal response from those around us. So, make your choices based on the bigger picture.
5. Be kind - make a conscious effort to eliminate cruelty from our lives. Sometimes, this requires a bit of sacrifice like having meat free days or eating only foods that are processed in humane ways. ALL sentient beings deserve our respect.
6. Be involved - extend your sphere beyond your couch. Actively participate in events that make your community a better place.
7. Be patient - life travels fast today. Don't let the frenetic pace ruin your inner peace.
8. Be positive - negative energy is easy to find. Don't fall for it. Keep your thoughts heading in the right direction.
9. Be generous - most of us have more than what we really need. Don't be afraid to give, even if it hurts a little. Whatever you do give will be returned to you in spades.
10. Be loving - love is the most powerful force on earth. Cultivate it with abandon. We can never have too much love.
None of the things listed are difficult to accomplish. They don't take great means, education, or status. They only require a little effort. And, if we can incorporate them as a matter of routine in our daily lives, not only will our own lot improve but the worlds' will, too.
