Leo Tolstoy on God

LEO TOLSTOY ON GOD: "When you look inside yourself, you see what is called 'your own self' or your soul. You cannot touch it or see it or understand it, but you know it is there. And this part of yourself--that which you cannot understand--is what is called God. God is both around us and inside of us--in our souls.

The more you understand that you are at one with God, the more you will understand that you are at one with all His worldly manifestations."

Sunday, March 30, 2008

The Importance of Our Humanity in the Search for "Spirit."

People everywhere are now being told to look within. Among the many encouraging voices, you also hear mine through this Blog. But I want to bring attention today to the importance of keeping our perspective on the human element of ourselves. I think our humanity is just as critically important as our spirituality.

I remember my class on “Self-Discovery” at Unity Village, taught by Rev. Robert Brumet. In 10 hours, two hours each weekday, Brumet helped us unlock the mystery of our humanity and our personalities. One of the tools he used to do that was “The Enneagram” by Helen Palmer.

“The Enneagram” lists nine personality types that many psychologists use to profile people and also to help them understand themselves and why they make the choices and do the things that they do. Studying the Enneagram was a real eye-opener for me.

Being the youngest of nine children in my family, three boys and six girls, I was able to see...truly see...the personality of each of my other eight brothers and sisters.

We all fit into each of the different personality types: The Perfectionist
(1) The Giver (2) The Performer (3) The Tragic Romantic (4)The Observer (5) The Devil’s Advocate (6) The Epicure/Adventurer (7) The Boss(8) The Mediator (9).
And each of us plays a distinct and unique role in our family.

What I appreciated most about the “Enneagram” is that it helps us to understand fully what the world looks like to that personality type. NO one personality is superior; each sees the world in a different way and operates from that view. The “Enneagram” is eerily accurate and because of this, it also helps us take corrective action, if needed, because of the tendencies in our personalities.

Another important class I took at Unity also focused on our humanity: The Twelve Powers of Man. This class, taught by Rev. John Anderson, focused on the powers that humans have within them: Faith, Imagination (Creativity), Zeal (Enthusiasm), Power, Will, Understanding (Discernment), Love, Strength, Wisdom (Judgment), Order, Elimination and Life itself!

There are several books written on The Twelve Powers. My class had only one text, but most of my classmates and I interchanged several books to get a full scope of ideas. The important thing is that at the end of the class, we understood fully how and why we may be tremendously successful in one area of life and not in another: we simply have not focused on developing that aspect of ourselves.

Most importantly, we understood why some individuals who are not in any way spiritual...don’t even know God’s name...are succeeding in material ways of which we can only dream: The Twelve Powers of Man are available to each person in the world. Each person either uses it, or, loses it! Most of the time, most of us are just using one to one-third of The Twelve Powers.

So with my training and my having lived to the age that I have, I KNOW there are several aspects to this unique being called Che’. Each part of me...and of you...is critically important to the development of the whole.

Should we focus solely on the Spiritual, our humanity, i.e. the human aspects of ourselves, including our egos, will fall short and will start clamoring for attention. To be a fully actualized person, we need to be willing and able to develop ALL aspects of ourselves and keep some in check, like our egos.

I know there are those who believe that The Presence encompasses ALL of who we are i.e. the spiritual and the human, including personality, ego and other aspects. (See Namaste Publishing’s Blog: Saturday, March 29 and Sunday, March 30. I am the first to admit that I need to get into the subject matter on a deeper level in order to understand this aspect of “Presence.” When I do, then this community will be the first to hear about my enlightenment.) For our purposes here, though, Presence or Spirit is incorruptible and is our true SELF. Our humanity includes our corruptible self and all its concommitant challenges.

I think the biggest mistake any one walking the Spiritual path can make is to neglect their humanity, focusing solely on spiritual development. I made that “mistake,” but I did so consciously, knowing that I was choosing to develop my spiritual self, which I felt was critically absent from my life at that time.

Once I reached a certain plateau, Spirit, itself, told me when to get off and back into the reality of the world, with my personality, ego, issues and all of life. But in re-entering, I was stronger and wiser, because I then had Spirit as my constant guide and companion.

Spirit cannot take care of our everyday affairs. Through meditation and focus and prayer, we are guided to living life a certain way...a truly beautiful way. But only if we pay attention, listen, discern and follow guidance.

I have seen many spiritual people, following a strictly “purist” Spiritual philosophy, struggle very badly to make ends meet day to day. As one of my friends recently wrote to me, “Most spiritual people I know are totally broke! They take NO ACTION! ”

Prayer, meditation, faith and trust in God help the inner person develop. God cannot be GOD if he cannot ACT through us. We are the channel for God’s good. So, we must follow the guidance we’re given in mediation and prayer, not wait for God to deliver us! He can’t do that; he has no hands or feet but ours.

We need to ACT when we’re given guidance to do so. We must go BOLDLY forward ; we must ACT without fear, doubt or worry about the results, knowing and feeling in our Spirit that all is well because God is in Charge! This is “Divine Order” operating in and through your life and as your life.

So taking action, paying attention to our human needs and the tendencies of our personality are also critically important to Wholeness.

The reason so many of us are now focusing on the Spiritual is that it often has been overlooked, even NEGATED, in some religious practices. I’m excited about the raised consciousness that is now unfolding EVERYWHERE.

But as we move forward into the uncovering of more and more of our Spirit, i.e. The Presence, let us not negate or neglect the human aspects of ourselves. Let us keep our feet firmly planted on the ground.

Let us use the power of WISDOM to guide us, as well as use spiritual guidance.

Let us continue to honor our humanity... our personalities and their frailties... just as diligently as we seek to find the Divine Presence within.

Namaste’,

Che’
NOTE: Later this week, I will discuss the process of "co-creating" our world with God by connecting to Spirit within.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

The Real Secret: Having Faith

It was just about a year ago that millions of people were rushing out to buy the DVD and the book, "The Secret." For many of those people, it was the first time they'd heard that they could actually create their world through their thoughts, their mindset, over the "matters" in their lives.

I remember the first time I'd heard that I could achieve successful results by focusing my thoughts in the direction I wanted to go, I thought I'd discovered nirvana. And in the beginning, too, it seemed that everything I wanted, I was able to create. Things came very easily to me then: as I thought it, I seemed to create it, with little or no effort.

I know now what was at work then was the "Power of Enthusiasm," about discovering something new. Because our thoughts, good or bad, are always creating our world for us, whether we're paying attention or not. Thoughts really are "things" and those "things" do manifest in our lives as "good" or "bad" experiences or results.

The book I mentioned two blogs ago, "The Presence Process," by Michael Brown, has an affirmation that has us REMEMBER our thoughts are creating the "things," good or bad, in our lives. Although it does not say this directly, affirming "I acknowledge my reflections in the world" is another way of saying our thoughts are producing our life.

I'm very good at synthesizing information. So, it did not take me long to equate the affirmations from the "Presence Process" to the concept of the "Power of Positive Thinking" I'd heard for many years from my metaphysical teachers and authors whose work I'd pervasively read.

The reason every thing seems new is that it is so difficult...so very, very difficult...for us to get the message. Jesus tried to convey the message of "thoughts are things," by stating that "as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." He also tried to demonstrate this in all of his work, all that he did while he walked the earth. "Greater things than these you also can do," Jesus said. "It is not, I, but the Father within me who doeth the work," he'd also said in another passage.

Yet, we deified him, instead of understanding him and trying to get to the crux of his message. According to the book by David Ord, "Your Forgotten Self," deification was not Jesus' intentions. He really did not want us to look upon him as "extraordinary;" Jesus wanted us to understand his work so that we, too, could "follow" him and do greater works than he.

The Secret was a great eye opener for many people. I'm glad they found a message they could believe in. But I wonder if those millions who bought and read the book and viewed the DVD, "The Secret," have really gotten true control of their lives. I would bet that for most, the "Power of Enthusiasm" has now waned and life is feeling the same way it did before they'd discovered "The Secret."

I would make an even stronger bet that many now are feeling disillusioned.

The main reason is that a key, and critical, point was missing in "The Secret." In its desire to have MASS appeal, "The Secret" neglected to mention in a concrete way that our thoughts and our very beings are fueled by the Power within us i.e. Spirit. The book and DVD talked about "The Universe," but not the Spirit within.

It is ONLY by connecting to "Spirit" and having FAITH in that Divine Connection...and its guidance in our lives that we can maintain true "transformation" in our lives on an ongoing basis.

The real truth is that there are NO shortcuts to developing Faith! It takes sustained efforts, conscious desire, strong intentions and letting go of personal agendas to develop Faith! It takes looking past the disappointments and lackluster appearances of today to the certainty that tomorrow will bring the manifestations we truly desire.

Having Faith is a knowing that God is GOD in our lives, even when the path before us seems filled with potholes and obstacle courses.

Cultivating Faith, and activating that Faith, through Trust, Prayer and Meditation, is the Real Secret to all the Success we want to create in our lives!

Namaste',

Che'

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Striving to be Spiritual, not Holy, in the Workplace!

Years ago an engineer in one of my classes at Unity Village made a statement that has stayed with me over the years. He said that those of us striving to grow on the spiritual path while in the corporate world are “in the closet,” and he boldly challenged us to “get out of the closet” about our spirituality in those workplaces.

His statement has stayed with me because I wish it were that simple.

Over the years, I've struggled with this issue. When I was promoting my book, this was the key question many people were concerned about: how do you balance your spirituality in the workplace?

After much thought, here are my thoughts.

The greatest challenge for many on the spiritual path is how to maintain their corporate positions, without betraying their inner sanctuary. Few workplaces today have any tolerance for spirituality in their corridors, offices and cubicles. So maintaining equilibrium between the spiritual and the professional is one of the greatest challenges for so many people.

I, personally, have walked away from places and people who have posed too great a threat to my inner sanctuary. I certainly don’t recommend this route for the faint hearted. For me, it was the only way I could truly survive those times.

Now that I’ve gained greater footing in my spiritual roots, I no longer feel as if I have to be away in order to thrive and survive, despite the work world remaining the same. This is all part of the redemptive value of “seeking first,” before then entering into that world of "work."

The challenge, though, continues to be keeping the secret.

I don’t want anyone in the workplace really knowing my secret. I don’t want people knowing my inner pulse. You see, I still continue to be fiercely competitive as a corporate person. I don’t want to give anyone an upper hand in perceiving about me a weakness that they may exploit. For that reason, I truly dislike it when people describe something I’ve done as "sweet."

Years ago I learned this important lesson about not letting others in on your secret. There was a small staff of PR and Communications people, so in the spirit of openness, I allowed some co-workers to get to know me. Whenever I reflect on it now, I shake my head at my naivete’.

Once people know who they think you are...some want to run away. They think somehow you’re going to “contaminate” their world with your spirituality! Others, not understanding anything about your belief system, automatically think you’re a “religious freak!”Yet others believe that you won’t be capable of doing the work because you’d be praying through the day. In their ignorance, they somehow believe, you’d try to transform them and their place of “worship.”

Little do they know!

I truly have NO interest in sharing my spiritual life with people who are so unconscious to their inner world that I would have to inject them with awareness. That is NOT my job; that is not the role I ever aspire to play in anyone’s life. Life itself, eventually, will take care of that. Even the most spiritually comatosed people come awake in a crisis or emergency. That’s when they shout, ”God Help me!”

And maybe...just maybe...that’s when their journey will begin.

Why are people so scared of those of us who would be spiritual?

Their egos.

Spiritual growth is a threat to the ego’s survival: Gosh...to give up...to GIVE UP...MY view of the world! Never! Never! I love my view of the world. I like my way of seeing people the way I do. I love my way of being jealous and hating and getting even. That makes me ...in CONTROL!

When I finally became aware that Spirit was asking me to give up my ego, I begged...truly begged...for “this plate be taken from me.”

The hardest thing to give up in life is our ego. And in this ONE lifetime, most of us won’t.

EGO is the essence of our humanity!

It is this very EGO that tells a corporate manager that you don’t have a pulse if you are not spewing hate at the competition! Some companies want you to actively seek to destroy their closest competition. Some use every low tactic...every way to fight...to win. They think you can’t fight...if you don’t have that fierceness to WIN AT ALL COSTS. They fear...that without YOUR EGO...you ...they...cannot survive!

How do you stay competitive in the corporate world, without foregoing your spiritual strivings?

You let Spirit lead.

Yes, you start every assignment with an awareness of Spirit. Yes, you pray. But do so...in secret! Don’t move your lips; move your heart!

You pray to be truly creative. You pray to let Spirit guide your hands, your thoughts and your feet. You ask most, especially, that your work benefits others. You also strive to do work that overall is for the greater good of all.

If you truly are at your most creative, if you truly are putting forth your most inspiring self, i.e. you truly are at your best, then Spirit will take care of the rest. No matter how much it seems that the competition is gaining, or has gained, ground, you don’t give in...you don’t give up. You keep on moving and striving and focusing on your goal.

Trust Spirit...to do the rest.

As to the question of interacting with others in the workplace who would feel the threat of your spirituality: you keep your secret, making it only your business and God’s business. Treat everyone with kindness, respect and courtesy as another human being on the path. Strive also to keep the “namaste’” attitude even with those who would seek to disturb your peace. Eventually, others may ask, in admiration about your style. Then...if you feel led...you can tell them your secret.

The secret is that in the workplace, you should strive to stay connected to your Spirit, you should not strive for Holiness. That’s what the Pope, the nuns and the monks are doing. That’s why they are living “outside” the world of "work." That’s why you also should strive to support these people in any way you can with your financial contributions. They are holding the fort for all of us!

In the workplace, don't try to be on any type of mission.

You don’t have to transform any soul...just your own.

Namaste’,

Che’

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Now your fast is over...what next? An Exciting Next Step: If you DARE!

I still look forward to hearing the results of your EGO fast this past week.

If you’re like me, during the course of the week, you would have found other ways to block your ego from entering in through a side door. The block that I found most effective was the “Presence Process,” offered by Michael Brown in his book of the same name.

I started this fascinating book more than two weeks ago when I got it in the mail. As I read through the pages, I realized that I had to be ready, very ready, to begin what Brown was offering. The “Presence Process” is not an experience anyone should enter into without serious intentions. The Process is life-altering, and you have to be ready...fully ready...mentally...and emotionally...to begin this “Process.”

It is much more than a book. The Presence Process is an EXPERIENCE! And it’s an experience that changes your life and your view of the world...forever!

I actually began the experience of the “Process” on Wednesday, March 12. The first day I had some mild discomfort staying still for 15 minutes, morning and night. By the second day, I was settling in comfortably into the experience. By the third day, I was psyched for my 15 minutes in the a.m. and p.m.,i.e. just before climbing out of bed, then just before falling off to sleep. By day four and day five, “stuff” began to happen. That’s all I can say.

Who can explain to someone who was practiced at meditation HOW 15 minutes of breathing in and out in a continuous stream, seemingly in ONE Breath, could be life altering!? No one.

But Michael Brown had prepared us for this in the first 100 pages, when I started getting impatient with him...“ Just Let’s Do It! Stop Talking About What’s It’s Gonna Be Like...and Let’s Start Doing it!” I found myself truly impatient with the care and deep explanation Brown put into explaining every nuance of the Process.

After a week of doing the ”Presence Process,” folks, I truly know why he did. He knew what was coming. He knew the stuff that would keep surfacing day after day, plaguing you, as you focused on staying centered throughout the day on the one “single” affirmation he gave you for the week.

“I choose to experience this moment.”

That’s all.

Fifteen minutes in the morning...breathing in and breathing out in a continuous stream...and all you’re affirming is: “I choose to experience this moment.”

Picture that.

Picture that, indeed.

Then...the “Process” begins.

The unearthing of stuff. Huge stuff...baggage and stuff...you had stacked away for YEARS that you thought you’d BURNED...keeps popping up to the surface to be healed.

I wrote a friend about this, he wrote back, “Yep. It is Hell too. Many find that.”

The Presence Process is a little bit of Hell, yes. But more importantly, it is a whole lot of Heaven, mostly.

This stuff is empowering.

It is addictive.

I’m in my second week now, with a new affirmation: I acknowledge my reflections in the world. And I can’t wait to get my “fix” every day...every night...morning and night. Breathing in...breathing out...15 minutes. That’s all...it seems.

Then...your hell and your heaven begin to unfold.

You begin to see where YOU are the ONE, the ONLY ONE, creating your experience in the world, even as it is unfolding in your life, day by day. You then begin to realize that you have within you, the power to execute a plan of change for your life. You’re NOT, as you may have thought, a “victim of circumstances” in your life.

Everything that is showing up now...is your reflection in the world.

I tell you all this to invite you to experience the “Presence Process” for yourself, so that you, too, can begin to experience LIFE in a NEW Way. The entire Process takes 10 weeks.

Since you already have been focused on setting your EGO in the background of your life, I highly recommend that you start the Process as soon as you can. I am confident, that by the first week of dedicated focus on the Process, you’ll be writing, proclaiming your own “aha” moments. This truly is a much deeper way of looking at life, beyond positive thinking and affirmations!

To get your copy, simply click on the link for Namaste Publishing on this Blog, or go to amazon.com.

You’ll just be a few short steps away of experiencing life in a totally new and empowering way!

Namaste’,

Che’

Saturday, March 15, 2008

The Challenge: Go on a FAST...but it's NOT what you Think!

Out of a book of nearly 700 pages, not counting the 600 more in lessons and workbook, “The Course in Miracles” can be summed up in two lines: “There is only one problem. There is only one solution.” It took several attempts of my studying The Course to finally get IT!

“There is only one problem. There is only one solution.”

The problem: separation from Spirit.
The solution: recognizing the problem and solving it.

That’s as simple as it is...if we believe!

So, this week, I’m offering you a challenge. The challenge is simple: go on a fast.

I’m not saying to stop eating. No. I, like you, enjoy food, drinks and treats too much to offer that as a solution.

No. The fast I’m talking about is the one that keeps us separated from our Spirit: The EGO.

Can you do that?

This week, can you go on an “EGO” fast?

Every time you feel yourself responding to anything, can you get “conscious” enough to STOP!

Can you hold back your emotions, your thoughts, your need to win, to challenge someone else?

Can you stop the voice in your head that triggers your emotions?

For just THIS WEEK...can you fast?

I’m choosing to offer you this challenge this week because it is a Holy Week for people who are Christians. I know some of you reading this blog are Hindu, Jewish, Buddhist or even total non-followers of any type. So, I’m not asking you to do anything against your religion or for Christianity.

I’m simply asking you to put your EGO in check.

As you know, I am a Christian. I’d like to think that this is my Holy Week, too, according to all the teachings of my faith.

What many of you also know about me is that I also am open to all faiths. My true religion is the belief that ANY road to God...to connecting to the Spirit within you... is the right road to get you there.

So, I’m not talking about a religious practice. I’m talking about us reaching a Common Ground this week...through our connection to Spirit.

I’m choosing this week because you’ll probably see and hear some Christians running around, trying to get an extra hour or two off work on Friday. They’ll say that they are going to Good Friday services or some such thing. But...check them out 15 minutes later. They’ll probably be with their buddies at a pub down the street from work.

Then, on Saturday, some Christians, too, will be busy shopping for Easter Sunday. Most of what they’ll be buying, believe me, is BOOZE!

Yes. Easter is another occasion for us to celebrate...and yes...for some to get riotous drunk! But, hey, I'm not criticizing that either...whatever works...and once we don't get behind the wheel of a car afterwards.

So, while the Christians are busy running around and getting ready for the big day on Sunday, all you others can be getting ready to celebrate something too:

Slowing down your EGO and starting the reconnection to your Spirit!

If you’ve never meditated, this would be a good time to start, while your EGO is on hiatus. Every time you have a block of 15 minutes or extra time, try to go within...get quiet...really quiet...and start listening.

I can’t promise you that you’ll not be distracted by the “noise” of your mind...but try to focus on your breathing. Breathe In...Breathe Out. Focus on your breath. This will help keep the distractions out.

Should you stay conscious of holding off the EGO all week, by Saturday, you should feel some change. I promise. You should start to become more aware of yourself...as YOURSELF.

By Sunday, you’ll be able to understand that the message of the Resurrection is really the message of the Reconnection...to Spirit.

That was the message Jesus, The Christ, tried to teach.

That was the message that got so distorted...still is distorted to this day.
By Sunday, you’ll begin to know the TRUTH.

And you truly will start to be SET FREE!

Let me know how it goes.

And...if it doesn't work for you...don't worry: there's always next week to start back on your ego trips.

Namaste’,

Che’
No other blogs will be posted this week as we rise to the challenge of “FASTING!”

NOTE: There are two very powerful and insightful books I highly recommend, dealing with these subjects. “A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose” by Eckhart Tolle and “Your Forgotten Self: Mirrored in Jesus, The Christ,” by David Robert Ord. Both books are available through Namaste’ Publishing or amazon.com.

Friday, March 14, 2008

To Love...Yet Feel Alone: HOW Your SPIRIT Comforts YOU!

My best friend's,Thenia's, mom died suddenly this week! She'd had seemingly routine surgery for knee replacement, went to Rehab, went home and was healing nicely. I got a call from my friend...that her mother had died. I'm still reeling from the shock, as I loved this woman as if she were a member of my own family. She was my family...because she loved me over all the years that I'd known her. Whenever she heard me anxious about something...anything...she'd say,"Don't worry, baby, just pray!"

To know Mrs. Nanette Clardy of Chicago was to know that you were loved! This is a woman whose every breath was about giving love ...and yes...being loved!

I spoke to my best friend's sister, Margrette, last night. Margrette's in a safe place emotionally because she said she feels supported from "within." She said she's still in shock, has her moments, but overall she's more surprised that she's not throwing herself up and down and all around. "A few years ago," she said, "that's what I would have done."

What happened to Margrette more than a few years ago is that she began to truly, truly get the message of the Spirit of God within her. She'd always read her Bible and was always into the "Word." But Margrette and I have had numerous discussions as she's tried to reconcile what she was hearing on the pulpit and what she was feeling in her Spirit. Now, she says, "I fully...fully get it! I KNOW the TRUTH!"

This is what happens to us when we connect fully with the Spirit! We just KNOW the TRUTH!

Last night, my best friend's sister and I also talked about their mom, about her sudden death...and why...and how...she must have made her transition. She and I theorized that her mother died...chose to give up...in the moment that she did...because she felt alone and unloved! The irony of this! A woman who lived love and breathed love...died feeling "unloved" in her moment of death.

You see the heart attack that she succumbed to...did not kill her. It was the feeling that she was alone...by herself. First, in the ambulance with the Paramedics...then in the Emergency Room. The doctor said he was having her moved from one gurney to the next when she just..."passed."

What my best friend's sister and I both KNOW is in that moment...she became FRANTIC...not knowing ...NOT FEELING the LOVE...she was so accustomed to from her three daughters, son-in-law, Ronnie, and her two grandchildren, Candice and Ronnie. "Where ARE THEY?" The doctor said she kept reaching out for his hand!

What Mrs. Nanette Clardy did not know...was that ALL HER kids were on their way. Her eldest daughter, Joanne, always the quietest of three girls, was quietly following the ambulance. Margrette, the second daughter with whom I was speaking, spoke about HOW confrontational SHE would have gotten had she been told not to ride in the ambulance. There was NO WAY she would have taken NO. But it was God's way! It was time for her mom to go!

Margrette and I both agreed that as her mom reached out for love...the human hand and touch...feeling it absent...she must have gone within...in that final moment. She must have finally made the connection to Spirit...and agreed that this is the ONLY LOVE she truly needed!

Nanette Clardy of Chicago was 76 years old.

Namaste',

Che'

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Choosing Not to Pass Certain Life Tests: Selling Your Soul vs. Personal Authenticity!

Every time I’m given a test that would ask me to respond from a place where I have to give up even a little bit of myself, I fail. And I do so proudly...albeit resentfully...each time! There are those who would say that being flexible with others is the key. I agree. You need to be flexible on procedures, plans, strategy and for the overall common good. But don’t EVER, EVER ask of me that I sell ANY PART OF MY SOUL to fit with YOUR personal agenda!

Often in the corporate world, that’s the price many people every day are paying for a paycheck. They are quietly and steadily giving up a piece of themselves, every time they have to say “Yes,” to a practice they do not believe in. They have to grin in the face of personal insults to themselves or other people, because the perpetrator is a person in power. They grin and bear it! The question you have to ask yourself every time this happens to you and you’re tempted to say, Yes, follow it up with...BUT at what price?

There are so, many, many other people for whom saying “Yes,” at any cost is nothing. They would rather sell their souls for those paychecks than examine their souls. And those are the people who keep on going and moving on up and striving and arriving at the top. They never seem to tire of quite frankly, “Kissing Ass,” to get there. I can’t say that these people will ever have a heavy price to pay. We don't know this. Plus, it depends on the overall worth of your life. Those who still are climbing and doing and being: they would say some of us are the fools!

The truth is that if we don’t feel that what we’re doing is wrong, if we truly believe that giving ourselves away for the ability to buy goods or having a fat bank account is what life is about, then we never will have a problem. Life just moves along...and selling out...is just water rolling off a duck’s back. Those people don’t even stop to give a quick, “Quack, Quack,” to remove the impact. For there is none.

It’s those of us who struggle with a conscience I worry about and the torment they experience by saying “Yes,” when they so desperately want to say, “No!” They have a family to provide for...a mortgage to pay...a life style to maintain. They can’t compromise...jeopardize...any of THAT...for their soul...

No one but the person involved will know the ULIMATE price he or she pays. No one but that individual knows. Whether remaining unconscious to his/her Spirit or being conscious but choosing to act otherwise, that price is never known by the outside world. These are the people who seem the most successful.

But I also personally know some people who are tremendously successful without paying a price of any kind. Those are the "lucky" ones....and they are few. They learned early on how to let Spirit rule their lives...and just let the rest be...exterior to themselves. They don't take themselves too seriously, they are the nicest people to work with and for, and they quietly go about making life and the workplace a pleasant, caring one for others. THAT to me IS THE ultimate mark of success!

We're all witnesses to those who seem to operate from the Spirit within. And some of us might ask:

-What is personal authenticity anyway?
-Why is it so darn important?
-Who is the ultimate judge?

Wouldn’t you rather be admired by the masses...the multitude of people out there...for the car you drive, the neighborhood you live in...the title that you have...the company you keep?

Who truly CARES about personal “authenticity” that NO ONE...NO ONE...NO ONE ..WILL SEE?

This so reminds me of the Alicia Keys song, “No One.”

See it below! HEAR the beat...as you read...

For me, the “You” is all about Spirit! That’s the worth to ME...of Personal

Authenticity!

Namaste’

Che'

NO ONE, sung by Alicia Keys (w/Junior Reid)
(This is the abbreviated version for context).

I just want you close
Where you can stay forever
You can be sure
That it will only get better

You and me together
Through the days and nights
I don't worry 'cause
Everything's going to be alright
People keep talking they can say what they like
But all i know is everything's going to be alright

No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I'm feeling
No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I feel for you, you, you
Can get in the way of what I feel for you
...
...

When the rain is pouring down
And my heart is hurting
You will always be around
This I know for certain

You and me together
Through the days and nights
I don't worry 'cause
Everything's going to be alright
People keep talking they can say what they like
But all i know is everything's going to be alright

No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I'm feeling
No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I feel for you, you, you
Can get in the way of what I feel

I know some people search the world
To find something like what we have
I know people will try try to divide something so real
So till the end of time I'm telling you there is no one

No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I'm feeling
No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I feel for you

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

When Life Truly Becomes Difficult: Remember... A Hero Lies in YOU!

Mariah Carey’s song,"HERO," is such a powerful, insightful and, yes, spiritual song. On the surface, you might not think so. But when you really listen to the lyrics, the message is nothing but spiritual.

“So, when you feel like hope is gone, look inside you and be strong. And you'll finally see the truth that a hero lies in you." (See full text below)

So many times in this path of life, we’ve got to reach inside ourselves and see the stuff of which we’re made. The first line in Dr. M. Scott Peck’s book, “The Road Less Traveled,” is: “Life is Difficult!”

Who would dispute that! Even the most seasoned travelers on this journey, called LIFE, would tell you that going from day to day, you’re always on a rocky road. Despite seeming self-confidence, no one TRULY knows the road ahead. There always can be a slippery path around the bend. You just don’t know. What about the lonely road we sometimes must travel? How do we prepare for this journey we all must take, this journey of LIFE?

Do we build large road maps to direct us? Can those maps serve us when we’ve lost our way i.e. when we TRULY are lost? What happens when the maps become obsolete?

Life sometimes can get pretty scary. It sometimes can be like being out on a desert road, and you’re lost. NO other cars are coming by, so you can’t ask for directions. You’re also running out of gas, and there still seems to be miles and miles and miles of desert road ahead.

You’re lost.

You’re truly lost.

You’re now getting scared.

What do you do?

To whom do you turn and ask for directions? How do you know where to go?

You don’t.

When you’re lost...when all hope is gone...when life ABSOLUTELY does NOT make sense...when the road ahead you makes you scared...so...scared to travel down...you BECOME STILL!

You STOP...all outward action.

You don’t turn right.

You don’t turn left.

You especially DO NOT TURN AROUND!

You just STOP.

You do not move.

You observe.

You listen!

You just...listen!

You listen for as long as it takes to start hearing something...
...the directions for you to travel on down the road ahead.

You listen.

Then...you begin to hear the guidance on where to go.

You follow.

Truly...when life is difficult...oh SO difficult...that you know not where to go.

You reach inside you.

You become strong.

For a Hero lies in YOU!

Namaste’,

Che’

Lyrics to Hero by Mariah Carey
There's a hero if you look inside your heart
You don't have to be afraid of what you are.
There's an answer if you reach into your soul
and the sorrow that you know will melt away

And then a hero comes along
with the strength to carry on
and you cast your fears aside
and you know you can survive.

So, when you feel like hope is gone
look inside you and be strong
and you'll finally see the truth
that a hero lies in you.

It's a long road when you face the world alone;
No one reaches out a hand for you to hold.
You can find love if you search within your self
and the emptiness you felt will disappear.

And then a hero comes along
with the strength to carry on
and you cast your fears aside
and you know you can survive.

So, when you feel like hope is gone
look inside you and be strong
and you'll finally see the truth
that a hero lies in you.

oh....Lord knows dreams are hard to follow,
But don't let anyone tear them away.
Hold on, there will be tomorrow,
In time you'll find the way

And then a hero comes along
with the strength to carry on
and you cast your fears aside
and you know you can survive.

So, when you feel like hope is gone
look inside you and be strong
and you'll finally see the truth
that a hero lies in you
ohhh that a hero lies in.....you.

Monday, March 10, 2008

"Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" ....When EGO tries to RULE!

I tell people all the time: unless you're on drugs or totally blitzed out on "something," DON'T SWEAT THE STUFF! Don't sweat stuff that keeps popping up to ruin your day, your sense of Peace. It's all...just stuff!

There's a great book written about that, "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff," by Richard Carlson. He's also written other good books about not sweating...when the stuff starts rolling.

Over the years, as I've grown spiritually, I've developed a radar of sorts for deciphering "small stuff," that disguises as BIG stuff! I've learned now when to KNOW the WHEAT from the CHAFF!

You see small stuff comes all wrapped up in a beautiful package. It looks great on the outside. That's part of the seduction. But through your process of discernment, even before you see the "gift" inside, you begin to have an eerie feeling...it's "just small stuff."

The "eerie" feeling you begin to have is your Spirit letting you know beforehand...not to expect much...not to be disappointed when you do see the final package. That is your intuition, your Spirit within, guiding you...and telling you "what to expect."

When you try to go against this feeling and this KNOWING...it's just your EGO trying to rule you...wanting you to start stressing...wanting you to remember it's STILL there. Well, just IGNORE it. The EGO is what causes us all the pain, strife, heartaches and heartbreaks in the world. The EGO is what causes us to feel like a failure. Rise ABOVE IT!

Don't sweat it! Just go Above or Through it! Once you learn HOW TO, then you'll ALWAYS come out okay on the other end. The key is to TRUST THE SPIRIT WITHIN YOU...TO GUIDE YOU.

Proverbs 3: 5-6,"Trust In The Lord With All Thine Heart And Lean Not To Thine Own Understanding. In All Thy Ways Acknowledge Him, and He Shall Direct Thy Path!"

You know what you KNOW when you KNOW IT! Without this feeling of certainty...then...all the rest is just "chaff," or "small stuff."

Don't go chasing behind things that look attractive ...because of the packaging. Sometimes, it's just an empty package inside.

I recently learned this AGAIN! It was just a reminder...because I ALREADY knew: my SPIRIT had told me...whispered to me in a loud voice..."IT'S JUST SMALL STUFF!"

DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF!

Namaste',

Che'

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Freedom in Marriage: Liberating the Spirit and Soul of Your Partner!

From time to time, I hear from people that the reason they hesitated to be married is that they did not want to be caged in! I can agree with that, as I know there are some people, who are so insecure, they want to do nothing else but lock their mate up and throw away the key!

Marriage for some people can be like a prison. I don’t envy those people. So when you see it playing out differently, you want to give a big “HIGH FIVE” to the individuals involved. That’s what happened with me just yesterday, so I want to give big KUDOS to my friends *“ Sandra” and *“Lester” and to tell them to keep on keeping on with the Spirit of God leading them in their LOVE and in their LIFE!

Sandra and Lester have known each other for 20 years and have been married for 11. They are a couple in their early 40s.

I visited Sandra yesterday, just to catch up, relax and have a good afternoon. We ended up with Sandra taking photos of me, with two of her and Lester’s three cats. Those photos are now pictured on my blog.(Scroll to the bottom).

Despite the good time we were having, Sandra seemed restless all afternoon. “You look so dressed up,” she said, “We should go to Los Gatos. It’s just four miles away...totally just four miles away!”

If you know my friend, Sandra, you then knew that... WE WERE GOING TO LOS GATOS SOMEHOW!

What I didn’t know...was that Sandra also had a plan to get us there without us having to do any of the driving! We continued to enjoy our afternoon...having drinks and hors d’oeuvres and chatting while loosely watching a movie. “Lester is going to fix dinner when he gets in,” Sandra said. She still kept mentioning Los Gatos.

On cue, her husband, Lester, got in at 7:00 p.m. And within 15 minutes Sandra told him that “Che’ and I have been waiting for dinner.” So, Lester knew he had little time.

Within 30 minutes, he’d cooked up a great seafood dinner and salad, set the table. We had dinner at about 8 p.m., with Lester leading us in a thoughtful prayer.
Then...for Sandra’s next surprise!

Now, “Che’ and I would like to go to Los Gatos,” she told Lester. “Okay,” Lester said.

“And,” she added quickly, ”we don’t want to drive. So, you’ll have to drive us. Steven { their 8 year old son} is putting on his shoes and getting ready, and we’ll be ready to go in 10 minutes.”

“Okay,” Lester said.

Within 20 minutes, we were downtown Los Gatos.

Lester stopped and asked us, “Where would you like to be dropped off?”

We chose the first of three places we would visit that night.

The night was fun! Sandra and I both felt LIBERATED!

First, I was approached by a young man, Rick, half my age, who would not go away, despite our protestations. He even followed us to the next place we decided to walk to and relax.

It was truly liberating to not care if we talked to anyone else in the places we visited or they to us. We were just two good friends out having a good time!

By 11:15 p.m., we’d both had enough. It had been a long day. We took a cab back to Sandra’s and Lester’s home. I picked up my car and drove the 30minutes home.

I sent Sandra an e-mail at midnight to let her know I was home.

She was still up, so she sent an e-mail immediately back, stating that for some reason the keys she’d taken with her had not worked when she tried to get in... so, she'd had to call Lester from her cell to let her in.

“He did...through the side door,” she wrote with a smile.

I laughed in the midnight hour, because I knew how like her own woman she must have felt, going out and partying. But then...having to have her husband let her in the door like a kid!

Well...that’s all right...it’s all about being FREE in a marriage...FREE TO BE...whatever.

Lester is very, very active. He plays several instruments, runs long races, is active in all kinds of sports. So, he knows the freedom he enjoys. So, last night...on a Saturday night, he stepped aside...and let his wife just have a little FUN!

Watching my long-time friends interact brought nothing but happiness to MY heart...Now, I also have the memories, too, of a lovely little guy, Rick, who felt bold enough and grown up enough to talk to me!

Try this type of liberation! It’s good for your soul.

Namaste’,

Che’
*Names changed.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Your Birthday: It is YOUR Holy Day!

When I logged on to my computer today and saw today's date, I realized it was a special day for one of my long-time acquaintances. So, I immediately stopped and tried to reach her before she set out on her weekend activities to wish her...a Happy Birthday!

To my chagrin, her birthday was actually two days ago. We chatted about how she'd celebrated. I expected to hear her say that she'd pampered herself in some way...that she'd had a lazy day, getting up at 10 a.m...having a catered lunch etc. But she disappointed me: she'd actually gone to work on her birthday and only celebrated with a special dinner last night and by going to an annual dance tonight in her city.

I couldn't help but tell her my truth: "Your birthday SHOULD BE YOUR HOLY DAY! Why did you go to work?" She hadn't thought of taking the day off to celebrate herself, but, she said, "I will next year!"

In a way, I felt sad that this beautiful and vivacious person, who always was so bubbling with life, seems to have gotten to a place in life where she forgot herself...where she did not seem to think she was "worth a day!" This was the person who, with absolutely NO conceit, over the years always seemed to appreciate everything about herself and her life. She just knew how to be happy and to express joy everywhere she went.

I know going to work for some people may be the happiest thing to do... for some people...on that day. But for me there should be a balance between your work and who you are when you're not at work. You can love your career, as I do, but the bottom line is that despite the job, despite the husbands, wives, girlfriends, boyfriends, spouses, partners and kids, you need to appreciate yourself for YOURSELF. So how is it...that on the ONE DAY that is uniquely yours, you treat yourself like you're "nothing special!"

Well, you ARE SPECIAL! Your Birthday SHOULD BE YOUR HOLY DAY!

Most companies have flexible holidays. That's what those should be used for: taking off on a day that YOU consider important to yourself! And there is NO REASON that I can think of that ANYBODY WOULD TELL ME that his or her birthday is not an important enough reason.

Who else is going to celebrate you, if not YOU? Which company or organization when you're worn out and old would remember that you worked every day of the year, including your birthday, bringing in fine results every year...every time. You'd be lucky if they sent a representative to your funeral, which is a practice a few decent companies still do!

Don't get me wrong. It's good to be dedicated to your company and your work. And if your birthday happens to fall at a critical time in your company's cycle, then bust your a.. a little harder to get the work completed...before your birthday, so you can take off with leisure on that day.

Like I said, if you don't celebrate you ...and appreciate you...then who will?

You are somebody special; don't ever forget that! And if you don't look on any other day as Holy, look upon your birthday as that day.

Namaste',

Che'

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Letting Go and Letting the Process Unfold...naturally...

In his book, "Seven Spiritual Laws of Success," Deepak Chopra lists "The Law of Detachment" as one of the key laws for succeeding. Since I was exposed to Chopra's concepts in the early 1990s, I have practiced "detachment" in many situations. Sometimes, though, I tend to believe that my interference in the process would be more effective. I'm always wrong!

Every time I attempt to intercede in the natural flow of events, I always end up regretting it, or realizing that I haven't conquered my challenges with developing more patience. When I do wait, I've found that I'm always pleased with the results, even if I don't agree with some decisions. ALWAYS...the results are in DIVINE ORDER and for my highest good, because God always is in charge.

Sometimes we think we want something badly because on the outside, it seems to be all that our heart desires at that moment, or in that time or place in our lives. We feel that "if only I can get this," then my life would be all right. God always knows what truly is right for you ...in that moment..and long term.

The late James Dillet Freeman, poet and writer at Unity's School of Christianity for decades, is the person whose work most inspired me, as I embarked on this exploration of the Spirit within. Today, Freeman's work is just as powerful to me as the first day I read his poem, "I am There."***

About Faith, Dillet writes in an essay, "Help my Unbelief," "Faith is the expectation of the unexpected. Faith is an open and courageous heart. The arms of faith are outstretched, not in supplication but in surrender to life's sovereign will, in submission to the ruling order of the universe, in receptivity to good.

"Faith is the power to see in the disappointment of today, the fulfillment of tomorrow, in the end of old hopes the beginning of new life. Faith is the inward power to see beyond the outward signs, the power to know that all is right when everything looks wrong."

Now THAT IS believing in the Divine Order of things..."the inward power to see beyond the outward signs, the power to know that all is right when everything looks wrong."

Folks, that is FAITH!

With our shortsighted and limited human view, we would sell ourselves short on things we desire, believing that "this is as good as it's going to get." Whenever we get a "no" on something, we think that our life is gonna stop. But often, it gets bigger and better. God interceded and stopped us in time...before we made a decision that would not have served us in the long term. Hindsight is 20/20; God's vision is beyond perfection...it is wisdom, it is correction, it is long-term.

I've seen the wisdom and grace of God in my life so often that I should never, ever doubt that everything will work out so much better for me, were I only to wait...be patient...and know that God is in charge! Every "no," from someone or something, is God's "yes" to me! Often that "yes," is so-o much more.

Through my training at Unity, I learned that "Letting Go and Letting God" is the only thing you need to do, after you have followed all the required steps, done all that you can do. Then...YOUR work is done! Your ONLY next step then... should be to surrender all to God...by "Letting Go...and Letting God" BE GOD in your life. Ps. 46:10: "Be Still and Know that I am God."

I was reminded recently not to push things....not to have MY will be the will of the Universe for me. I've learned over time that my life truly is in Divine Order; God is in Charge...and I can and MUST "Let Go and Let God."

I've learned..that detachment...truly is the key to success.

I urge you to not push things in your life...don't force your will. Let things just be...just go with the flow...once you've done everything you know was yours to do.

This is for EVERY area of your life: with your career decisions...with your mate...in all areas of your personal and professional lives. Just know that your life TRULY IS IN "Divine Order." All that is yours will come to you naturally, without strain or struggle, through God's grace...through "Divine Order!"


Namaste',

Che'
***See text of poem in its entirety on link at the bottom of page.
See also the "Golden Key" by Emmett Fox, also on link at the bottom of page.

Monday, March 3, 2008

Working out at the Gym: A Spiritual Practice!

Many spiritual teachers are talking everywhere now about the practice of Gratitude in all that you do.

Or maybe, I’m now hearing them. And when I recently heard a Jewish Rabbi as a guest speaker at a local church talk about the ongoing Jewish practice of trying to give "Thanks" at least 100 times a day, I realized where this message of “gratitude” may have originated.

Whether the practice of giving Thanks several times a day truly started with the Jewish people or didn’t, it’s a great practice. I became more willing to practice gratitude, the more I saw results of that practice in my life. i.e. the more thanks I gave, the more reasons I was given to be truly grateful. Now, saying thanks has become a way of life for me. Recently, I took it to the next level.

Working out two to three times a week at my local Bally’s is not the most exciting thing in my life.

But it’s what I feel obliged to do for 1.5-2 hours each time, and I have been doing this for many years i.e. at least 20 years. Over the years of course, I’ve found many, many excuses over the course of a week or month as to WHY I couldn’t go to the gym...until my body begged me to...run there for my workout.

Now, I’ll be running to the gym because my body begs me to do so, and also because my Spirit, too, is feeling empty.

You see, I do resistance training at the gym.

This is where you use weights to do 10-15 repetitions in “Sets” on all parts of your body...from your legs to your thighs...to your torso...to your abs...to your arms...shoulders. There are a lot of machines at the gym, and you can do about two to four Sets on each body part. You use your body part to push the weight forward and slowly bring it back, of course, setting the weights at an appropriate level for you. Unless you’re into bodybuilding, or working out is a passion for you, going to the gym for many of us others can be a mind game: “I will; I won’t. I will; I won’t” on our workout days, knowing that EACH time we finish we feel so much better.

I truly now have solved this problem. The gym now has become my place for Spiritual Practice.

I now use my time at the gym and my resistance training to give “Thanks.”

Each time I take the machine out, I count. When I bring it back, I say, “Thank You.”
By doing this on each and every machine...can you imagine how many times I have an opportunity to give “thanks” during my workout?!
You do the math.

Each time I’m at the gym, I work out on more than 15 machines with four Sets of 15 repetitions. In addition, there are three or four machines where I do only Two Sets, with 10-15 repetitions. For example, if I’m working on my thighs, I push the weigh out or up, Count…”One”...slowly lower or push the weigh back, watching my breathing, and saying “Thank You.”

This has taken the monotony out of my workout. It gives it focus, and it also provides me with a way of staying in the “NOW.” By having to focus on Counting and Giving thanks, I’m staying in the Now moment. My mind can’t go wandering any place because it has ONE FOCUS, “NOW”: STAY IN THE MOMENT. NOW… COUNT, BREATHE, THANK YOU! COUNT, BREATHE, THANK YOU! COUNT, BREATHE, THANK YOU!

The day I discovered this practice was on the same day I heard the Jewish Rabbi. It took all that I had in me not to shout to him, “Hey, buddy, a 100 “Thank Yous” in a day? That ain’t NOTHING! Try 1,000.”

I smiled instead, thinking of my next workout.

Give it a try the next time you're at the gym. You, too, might be able to say “Thank you,” a thousand times!

Namaste’,

Che’

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Your ABUNDANCE is EVERYWHERE...Look Around You!

On most days now, here in the San Francisco Bay Area, we’re experiencing spring weather! The trees are responding with beautiful flowers. Falling over into my backyard are the branches of a beautiful cherry blossom. It was bare until recently. Each day now, I take pleasure in looking at the new flowers attaching to the branches. I see the tree filling up with an abundance of flowers, truly becoming a thing of beauty, bringing me joy.

Abundance does that to our mood! It makes us feel happy, joyous, and glad. We want to sing and dance.

Do you see abundance everywhere around you?

No?

Oh, I got it...you didn’t win the lottery last night.

But your ABUNDANCE IS EVERYWHERE!

A loosely organized group of people in cities around the country, calling themselves "Freegans," discovered that they can eat, free, or spend as little as possible, by getting their food supplies from dumpsters outside restaurants and grocery stores. The group discovered that about $30 billion of good, unspoiled food and supplies is discarded each year in dumpsters throughout the United States. So, these individuals, some of whom are very well off, decided to make their food "purchases" there. The cost: zero.

Yet many people are going starving right here in America, because they say there's not enough to eat. It's their vision and their "view."

You may think that your supply depends on a paycheck or on having a particular job. But I'm here to tell you: your supply will keep coming in, whether you have a certain job or not. The Universe is your Source...and there is an ABUNDANT SUPPLY of everything that you need or think you need, right here...and right now!

Look around you...

Which room are you in?

What is inside that room?

Can you SEE the THINGS?

Take a moment...and look at everything...in the room around you.

Take it ALL...IN!

Where did THEY each come from?

Yes, I know the couch was a gift handed down from your grandmother.

Or, the table might have come from an antique store.

But they are your STUFF, aren’t they?

And your STUFF is EVERYWHERE, isn’t it?

Can you SEE WHAT I SEE?

Can you see...the ABUNDANCE...of "stuff" you have?

I’m not taking about what you DON’T have...

I want you to focus on what you DO have...ALL AROUND YOU!

Your Abundance is EVERYWHERE!

Realize that you’re able to read this e-mail...think...see...do and be...because of the ABUNDANCE OF EVERYTHING around you: the chair you’re sitting on, the electricity that allows you to see the computer screen, the water or tea you’re sipping, the computer that is allowing you to read this...the...

Every day, were you to STOP, before you begin your day and say,“Thank you,” before racing ahead, you’d be able to see the ABUNDANCE...and the ABUNDANT supply that is EVERYWHERE present in your life!

Go Ahead! Try it...SEE if you can stop counting!

Namaste’,

Che’

Personal Authenticity: "To Thine Own Self Be True"...

"To Thine Own Self Be True and it must follow as the night, the day, Thou canst not then be false to ANY man."
William Shakespeare.