AGE. It's JUST a number. Or, isn't it?

I like to think of myself the way the French describe it, “une femme d'un certain age.”

So, I never tell people my age, and most people are too polite to ask. If they were to do so, I wouldn’t tell them anyway, unless we were in an intimate relationship...and then...the only reason I’d share it is because I wouldn’t want the person to think I was only 16!

Many of my long-time friends know my exact age because when we met so many, many years ago, who CARED about stating how old you were then?

Time does change everything.

As I approached my 30th year, I was still excited about getting older...then 35. Now.
Today...I simply am “une femme d'un certain age.” All the pride about growing older seems to have gone out the window.

Why do we do this?

Age, like anything else, is just a number. At least, it should be.

But most of us, including me, get caught up in the perceptions of others when they hear our age.

In some cases, it’s sensible not to state your age before people meet you. Like in some work places, for example, where people would think you’re an “old fart,” because you're at a certain number. Or maybe if you’re trying to date a much younger guy or woman, and you also look much younger than you are...those are all valid reasons...I guess.

The truth to me about age is that it does not matter, about the numbers. It’s your attitude, style and behavior that count.

I’ve met some people in their late teens, 20s and early 30s, who go around as if they had the weight of the world on their shoulders. They are bogged down with worry. You see it in their faces...you see it in their style. They move slowly because they think and feel old. Life is wearing them out. The reverse is true for some older people. They move with a light touch.

I’ve always walked fast all of my life. I still do. My age has not, and never will, slow me down.

With that brisk walking, people really can’t tell my age. They have to do “research” on me, and if they are that curious, and it’s THAT important to them... I say,
"Well... Go Right Ahead!” Your business is NOT my business. Even your business...about ME!

Age doesn’t...and shouldn’t...say anything about you...unless you want it to be so.
The reason that age does become a factor for many people is that they buy into the belief that if they are a certain age, they have to do and be a certain thing and act a certain way.

Yes, I do believe in appropriate behavior, especially when you SHOULD know better. One of the true benefits of aging should be the wisdom that it brings. Getting old, unfortunately, though, doesn’t mean that everyone gets wise.

I’ve met some people much older than I, who are so “unwise” in their thinking...their talking...and their “being” that I want to move away from them as far as my feet would carry me. Then, there are those older people who are locked up in the past...with either regrets or good memories...still feeding and living off those memories. Some are very bitter folks, others are happily oblivious to the day they are in because they are so busy living in yesterday. Then, there are those very old people who just bring JOY!

I’d like to think that whether you’re 25 or 55 or older, you still are getting up each day and seeing the freshness that it brings...the promises that it holds...the hope of joy that it carries as the darkness of dawn gives way to the light of day.

Regardless of your age, I hope you’re able to see the beauty of each day and its uniqueness. I’m hoping that your age does not prevent you from doing something fresh, each day. I’m hoping that each moment of every day, you’re living ONLY IN THAT MOMENT...seeing the beauty of the NOW, as Eckhart Tolle urges us to do in his book, “The Power of Now.” I’m hoping, most especially, that you’re not worrying about later today or tomorrow...and certainly NOT about what happened yesterday or last year, or 10 years ago.

My greatest wish for you, today, my friend, is that despite, or because of, your age, you are truly living in the moment and seeing the freshness that it brings.

Remember, also, that what is inside of you...your SPIRIT...is ageless! It doesn’t care how old you may look on the outside...it’s how you connect to “it” that matters. Then...it'll also keep you looking...so much less than your "age." You will be "Forever Young!"

Namaste’,

Che’

Linking Spirit to Spirit...through the Internet! Thank you, God.

Sometimes, no matter how busy you are, you've just got to stop what you're doing...and listen. Or read.

That happens to me several times in the course of a day...and in a week...countless times. But each time I stop and listen and read, I always say, "Thank you, God."

Most of the "interruptions" I get come from my friends all over the country, some of whom I haven't seen in YEARS. But whenever I get their e-mails, I stop what I'm doing and read...because I know it is their way of touching my spirit...with their spirit. Those moments are PRICELESS!

One of my dearest friends whom I haven't seen for years...but with whom I feel as close as yesterday's conversation...is Joycelyn. She's in Colorado now. Even when she lived in the SF Bay Area years ago, we rarely saw each other...but stayed connected in spirit.

Just a few minutes ago, Joycelyn sent through an e-mail that puzzled me at first because it was about an invitation to an event in St. Louis. But I knew that this invitation had a message. So, I searched and quickly saw it was a link to a Website...then to a beautiful song.

I stopped...and listened to the song. It brought tears to my eyes, it was so beautiful...and caring and touching.

Then, I sent it on to a few other friends to touch them...to stop their day...to let them know that they are loved...and that no matter where the day is taking them, they are going be all right.

I love my e-mails. Each one is from a friend who knows I'll read them and screen them and, when appropriate, pass them on. You see, my friends know...I care.

Linking spirit to spirit to my friends whom I haven't seen in a long time is what I enjoy doing most...it makes me have a reason for "being."

Sometimes, too, we can link to things that don't have life but which bring just as much beauty and joy into our lives, or a special message.

For example, FROGS are at the entrance to my back and front doors....tucked away, but they are there...in my kitchen and other rooms discreetly placed. At one time, I HATED FROGS...I was scared of them in the place where I grew up and where they were plentiful. But I studied the Chinese way of home decorating, Feng Shui, which suggests that FROGS are a way of bringing prosperity into the home. It's then that I began to appreciate frogs and have displayed them ever since. In addition to Feng Shui, I now keep FROGS around for another special reason.

I'd run into a woman in a pet store who was purchasing live grasshoppers. I asked her why, and she explained that they were food for her FROGS: "FIRST RELY ON GOD," she said. Wow! She told me that on a day I really needed to hear that...and from that day, my love-fest with FROGS intensified.

Now...I look at my FROGS...and remember throughout the day to...FIRST, RELY ON GOD. Connecting to Spirit through FROGS.

Even more poignant for me in the spirit-to-spirit connection is my memory of Chelsea, a Tabby kitten I'd picked up less than a year ago. I'd brought Chelsea home because no one else wanted to take her, despite her beautiful golden and white coat and green eyes. She'd been found outside the building where I was doing work for a short period. But I couldn't let her go to the ASPCA. I just couldn't.

I remember having a lot of trepidation about how Chelsea would get along with Mikki, the golden retriever in my life at the time, too. Mikki was terribly possessive of me and everyone around her. True to form, Mikki gave Chelsea no peace, tormenting this poor kitten, 1/100th her size, at every chance she got.

I knew I had to think of a solution FAST...when I felt Chelsea's spirit.

One day, she sneaked into the dining room to be near me, even though she knew Mikki would have a go at her. And even though she was less than a month old, she was smart enough to know that Mikki was TOO BIG TO GET UNDER THE DINING ROOM TABLE.

I didn't know that Chelsea had snuck out of the bedroom until I heard Mikki's growling. What I saw touched me to the core.

Chelsea...scared as she was...was standing up with ALL her courage...her chest high...confronting Mikki...from under the table. Chelsea was scared...she was just a baby...but Chelsea knew that she had to battle for her survival with Mikki...NOW OR NEVER!

Seeing Chelsea like that...willing to risk her safety...to be near me made me decide: I'd have to be around all the time to keep her safe. That was not realistic.

So, quietly, the Spirit within me led me to find...within a few days...a family with two boys who already had two cats and were looking for a third.

I cried hard when I turned Chelsea over to Betty and her husband, Bob, who were both understanding but anxious that I would not change my mind. They need not have worried.

My spirit knew what I had to do. You see...Chelsea's spirit linked to mine...in that moment...she displayed her COURAGE...and SPIRIT!

Friends...FROGS...Cats.
Spirit linking to Spirit.

Thank you, God!

Namaste',

Che'

The Guilt Trips…from Pizza… to Religion…to God!

Like everyone else, I have my days when nothing would satisfy my hunger but a pizza.
I tend to crave pepperoni pizza ONLY once a month, as that’s the limit I’ve set for myself. Today was that day for a Domino’s Pizza.

At Domino’s the pizza is more appealing because...it’s just a few minutes from my house...it’s prepackaged and ready to go…and it costs just $5 for a large. So I planned making a quick stop on my way in and get my quick fix for dinner. But it wasn’t to be.

Today was my day for a guilt trip. On the days that I’m able to pick up the pizza quickly, get home and quickly eat my two slices, I don’t feel any guilt about having all the extra carbohydrates. But today...Domino’s had run out a few minutes before. So, I had to sit and wait for the pizza...all the while thinking about my indulgence. Nonetheless, I waited.

Sitting waiting too for her pizza was another woman with a pretty face and a seemingly happy disposition. In hearing I had to wait a few extra minutes, I smiled at her in half-frustration, saying “just my luck.” That seemed to open her up.
She asked me about my makeup and the seeming “glitter” on my face. We began a casual exchange.

Then...she REALLY opened up.

She told me that she normally wouldn’t be having pizza today, but she had taken the day off. She’d had a series of mishaps yesterday, including a flooding in her bathroom and her cat having to be rushed to the emergency room. “This is the first day I’ve ever taken off work,” she said.

Puzzled, I asked her then, why, was she feeling so guilty. She explained that she was very happy...and lucky... to have this job as a legal secretary; she couldn't "mess up." Then she talked about some other things, including all the extra weight that she needed to lose.

I knew God wanted me to step in and use my training and skills as a spiritual director, when I heard her tell me that most of the time, “I feel so covered up. I don’t know who I am in there. I feel so lost to myself.” I then told her that in addition to my professional communications and PR work, I was trained as a spiritual director.

She hesitated for a moment, telling me she was a “Christian” and wondered if that would go against her religion. I smiled, explaining that I was an ecumenical spiritual director i.e. I work with people of all religions, because you see, I told her, “I don’t focus on the person’s religion. I focus on the Spirit of God within them.”

She relaxed and talked some more. And I talked some more, encouraging and soothing her.

What was troubling to me as she talked was the guilt trip she was on. I told her that from what she was telling me, she’d created her own prison in her head...with different cells and that she needed to let go of that prison. She said that she knew, but she didn’t know how because she believed that God was mad at her for messing up so often!

I wondered out loud who had told THAT! She said the minister at a church she used to attend.

I felt myself getting indignant, but I knew I had to stay with the process. So very calmly, I continued to talk to her, building her and offering her some quick strategies to get back on her road to feeling good...especially about going to work tomorrow, where, she said, she’d be given a hard time for taking the day off!

A woman with a pretty face...weighed down with guilt...by a job she was "lucky" to have... and a minister!

I explained to her that God is not going to put her on any guilt trip, because he doesn’t weigh our works in the world...“he only knows our Spirit.” I explained that that’s what was important i.e. her connection, or lack of connection, to him. I said if God were ever to get “mad” with us...and he doesn’t...it would be for that reason and that reason ONLY: not connecting to our Spirit!

She seemed to have had a burden lifted. She smiled through the slight tears that had formed in her beautiful blue eyes.

We hugged before I left Domino’s. I told her I charge nothing for my spiritual director's work i.e. for meeting with her, so she could call me without worrying about having money, and we could meet once a month...if she wished. I told her the reason I don’t charge is simple: she is the one who does all the work! We would start with her getting rid of all that guilt that had been placed on her soul.

She smiled a happy smile, as she and I walked to our cars. That's when I learned her named..."Vicky," she said. "It's really Victoria...but what I'd really like is to start calling myself 'VICTORIOUS.' " I gave her a thumbs up for that.

The last thing she said to me is, “I’ll call you.”

Did I say that I was on a guilt trip about stopping at Domino's for pizza?

Well...NO!

By the time I got home, I was ready to eat FOUR slices, not two.

Namaste’,

Che’

The Challenges of Being Silent and The Silence...Boy, oh, Boy!.

I brought in this New Year 2008 with about 300 other people from around the country, and a few from around the world, in the Silence. All of us had spent the prior three days cultivating the Silence from early a.m. to late at night, with Dr. Michael Beckwith coaching us to “Love Life, Love God,” as we struggled to stay silent...not fall asleep...and remain focused. ( Dr. Michael Beckwith is most recently known for "The Secret," both in DVD and book format, and also is founder & spiritual director of Agape International Spiritual Center, Culver City, CA. For more, check out: http://www. agapelive.com).

The first day of this four-day retreat was the most challenging. That’s when we met people we’d never met before and wanted to socialize and interact...in the midst of the progam...at breakfast...lunch...at dinner...during breaks. For the first day and a half, Michael was pretty tolerant of infractions. But by the end of the second day, he was absolutely focused on us “Getting Silent.” Michael Beckwith, folks, is THE REAL DEAL! I’ve never met any spiritual or metaphysical leader, before meeting Michael, who was so committed to sharing his Secret and so passionately wanting us to enjoy what he enjoyed: The Silence.

“Love Life, Love God” was the mantra Michael chose for us to get, and stay, focused while we breathed in and out all day. Slowly...slowly...slowly...the interactions...the sign language...the note passing...all human interaction and contact ceased...after we all realized the seriousness of our quest and felt the impact of Michael’s persistence.

By Day Three, we were “Loving Life, Loving God.” We really were...In the Silence.

We began to see the external transformations in each other, as people moved more inward and into the Silence of their Being. So, on Dec. 31, 2007, we were all gearing up and getting ready for midnight, many of us wondering how it would feel for the first time in our adult lives...to not be dancing and screaming and partying as the old year gave way to the new!

But with someone as astute and practiced as Michael Beckwith and his wife, Rickie, we didn’t have to worry. The first two hours prior to the midnight hour, indeed up to 11:30 p. m, Rickie Beckwith led us in song, after beautiful song, filling us with music and joy and celebration of our Spirit. Michael coached us on claiming our Power. Then, just as beautifully...they moved us back into the Silence...just in time for midnight.

After that four-day retreat session in Rancho Palo Verdes, California, the Silence, and life as I know it, has never been the same. Now, I try to take the opportunity as often as I can...to go into the Silence...to renew my soul, connect to my Spirit...“Loving Life, Loving God.”

I also received a recent e-mail from one of my fellow retreatants, stating how often she, too, goes into the Silence and how the retreat also has left a lasting impression on her. I’m sure this is the story of all 300 attendees.

Staying in the Silence when you’re secluded from the world is one thing. But staying in this Silence when you’re in the midst of the world is another...unless you have a DETERMINED SPIRIT...AS I DISCOVERED tonight that I had.

I got home about 7 p.m. and instead of settling in with a glass of chardonnay to celebrate the end of a long week, I decided to watch television for about an hour...drink some tea...and then go into the Silence for an hour.

So at 8 p.m., I settled in... anticipating a quick refresh of my silently saying the mantra: “Love Life, Love God”...when just five minutes after I started, my normally quiet townhouse community was suffused with music.

I could not believe that my normally quiet neighbors would choose THIS moment to turn up their music...and want to enjoy THEIR FRIDAY NIGHT...with SONG!

HUH?

I tried to stay in the Silence, despite the music. It was a struggle for about 15 minutes...then...I got lost somewhere inside.

About 30 minutes into my meditation, I realized that there was absolutely NO sound...even in the distance. As suddenly as it had begun, the music had stopped. My neighbors had burned themselves out on the song (s), they probably were determined to hear to begin their Friday night.

After I moved out of the Silence, I smiled.

One small infraction from my neighbors...and a GIANT triumph for me!

“Be Still and Know...” Psalm 46:10

Namaste’,

Che’

"Awakening to Your Life's Purpose" ...A Recommendation.

This past Monday I had just parked my cart and prepared to wait in the long line at Costco, when I saw the guy in front of me with NO cart...but his hands were full! At Costco...no cart!

Then I looked at what he was holding, it was about eight copies of the book, "A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose," by Eckhart Tolle. I know Oprah Winfrey has been blabbing about the book for months now and about having an on-line class. Well, lately, Oprah hasn't been one of my favorite people, so I really wasn't focused on supporting another one of her "causes."

Out of curiosity, though, I asked my co-shopper, an Asian man, "Why are you buying EIGHT copies?" He quickly explained that he'd read the book, loved the message, and now felt compelled to share it with his friends. He further explained to me that although he has never really gotten involved in any Book Club, he had even logged on and joined Oprah's because he wanted to participate in the on-line class and discussions.

Being into the stuff I'm into, obviously I felt I was missing a good message in Tolle's book just because of my current resistance to Oprah-mania.... I KNEW I was bigger than that. Plus, I'd somewhat enjoyed Tolle's first book, "The Power of Now."

So I asked my new friend to hold my place in line while I tried as quickly as I could to grab a copy from the book section. My friend was so happy to oblige...he took possession of my cart.

I got home that holiday night, President's Day, and I started reading "A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose."

Wow!

All the stuff that I had studied for so many years and had "grown through" and am still growing through...all beautifully explained in Tolle's book. The stuff about how our EGO is the true "devil" in our lives, separating us from our connection to the Spirit within us. How the EGO's negative and questioning voice is all we hear all...day...long.

When I'd first heard about the book, much as I appreciate the movements on protecting the environment, I didn't want to read a book about the environment and about going green. Certainly, a book...labeled "A New Earth" would be about that. It totally is NOT!

It's all about the stuff we need to know about EVERY day as we go out and try to interact with other people in the corporate world... in our jobs...with our spouses...partners...friends...and just people!

What Tolle does especially well is to break down all the spiritual stuff into
easy- to-understand examples. He has a wonderful way in the book of taking stuff that others would make and think controversial and just stating his "truth" and moving on. "Awakening to Your Life's Purpose" is not a book you will want to put down! The material in the book also is not stuff you can ignore. It's in your face...it's there...it's what we do every day, separate ourselves from our ESSENCE...our SPIRIT...our true selves.

I really appreciate this book by Tolle!

I appreciate it so much that I, too, like my Asian friend, signed up for the first time to join a Book Club so that I can take the on-line class, starting on March 3.

I'm not quite finished with the book...but I've read enough to know that it is a GIFT. I will finish it off soon...in time for March 3!

I invite you to join me and my new friend to connect closer to your Spirit by reading Tolle's book, then joining us in the on-line discussions at oprah.com. You owe this to yourself... to your Spirit.

Namaste',

Che'

Don't Be the 101st Monkey!

There is a phenomenon that scientists observed in the 1950s, called the ”Hundredth Monkey Phenomenon.” Scientists observed that a certain Japanese monkey, named Imo, began to wash her sweet potatoes to remove sand. She taught this trick to her mother and her playmates on Koshima Island. Her playmates taught it to their mothers. When about 100 monkeys on the island began to do this, there was a shift: all of the monkeys began washing their sweet potatoes. Then, the practice jumped over the sea, and monkeys everywhere were washing their sweet potatoes!

This 100th Monkey Phenomenon applies to all of us. It says that when only a limited number of people know of a certain thing or way, no change occurs. But when about 100 of us agree on anything, there is a shift in energy and in mass consciousness! It takes ONLY about 100 people to agree on anything for us to begin to experience change in our consciousness!

We are witnesses to this phenomenon when we see dramatic shifts in people’s voting behavior this year in the Democratic primary elections.

Daily, people are shifting their support from one candidate to another because of a shift in their consciousness i.e. an ideological breakthrough.

In Christianity, people deliberately use a rule of agreement to support each other in prayer. It is in Matthew 18:19-20 that Jesus said,”Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”

Deliberately agreeing with someone on something is one thing. To have your consciousness affected and infected by people you don’t even know about is something else.

How do we stop this flow of energy from reaching us?

We block it.

Just as the 100th monkey’s energy is required to execute a change in consciousness, your energy and focus are required to keep hold of your consciousness at all times. I’m not talking about the 2008 elections. I’m talking about your life.

Every day, we’re exposed to the newspapers and television news and programs. Now, there’s also the Internet. Everywhere, people are reading and seeing the same news, programs and advertisements.

It just takes 100 of those people to agree that “this is okay,” and have a shift in energy for you to be affected.

So, pay attention! Don’t unconsciously be the 101st Monkey!

Pay attention to your thoughts…your words…your consciousness!

In order to remain true to yourself and whole, you’ve got to be vigilant about the input of energy flowing in and around you and most especially, through you.

By becoming cognizant of the power of energy, this does not mean that you sometimes will not choose to “go with the flow.” But it’s one thing to make a CONSCIOUS decision to be influenced or persuaded; it’s another to be manipulated through your being unaware.

Every day, I urge you to stay in the consciousness of your Spirit! Stay connected to that. Stay cognizant of the energy flowing toward you from people, on a personal level, in your space: if it is negative, expunge it! If it’s positive, invite it!

Namaste’,

Che’

Our Humanity has Gone to the Dogs...um...literally!!!

I look forward every year to the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show held in February at Madison Square Garden, New York City, and televised over two nights on cable. My love for dogs, and my family’s, is inherited from my father, who spent most of his working life with animals. My father especially loved dogs, and every picture I have of him is with a dog.

Watching the Dog Show these last two nights, though, I had a special insight: our humanity really has gone to the dogs!

More than 2,500 dogs compete to get into the show at Madison Square Garden. This year, more than 700 media credentials were given out to journalists around the world, covering the show. Thousands of people flock to Madison Square Garden to be part of the excitement.

This is the Oscars, Grammies, and Wimbleton of the dog world. Except… the dogs don’t know it.

All the competing dogs know is that they are supposed to strut a certain way… run a certain way… pose a certain way and, yes, smile a certain way… at the right time.

These dogs don’t know that they belong to special categories of dogs: Hounds, Terriers, Non-Sporting, Herding, Sporting, Toy, and Working. All they know is that if they behave a certain way, they get loved (cheered), and they get treats from their trainers.

So how is it that they are made to perform the way they do?

They are bred to do so.

Isn’t it interesting that our humanity so attempts to refute its innate spirituality that it seeks other species to convert?

Dogs were made to hunt, and play, be companions, be workers, be helpers and lovers.
What do dogs know about being on a show?

A Dog Show is simply another example of our humanity's need to express itself. Owners spend years breeding dogs so that they can ultimately win at this pinnacle of dog shows at Madison Square Garden.

Why? So they can have bragging rights and also see their dogs prancing around to lyrics such as, “I’m too sexy for my shirt...too sexy...,” as in the Pedigree commercial.

Do you know what it took for Uno, the 15-inch beagle in the Hound category, to beat out Vicki, the Toy poodle, who already has her own Website, or Bruce, the Australian shepherd, or any of the other four dogs?

It took gumption and style and charm. But it also took something else.
Uno was not the prettiest dog at the show. But Uno was bold, and she stole hearts. She showed her Spirit!

There was that spiritual and emotional connection with the crowd, because it erupted every time this 15-inch beagle appeared. The judge, Dr. Jay Donald Jones of Marietta, GA, who was sequestered away from the excitement, until the final judging, must have felt that connection, too. It didn’t take him long to choose Uno. In the past, I’ve seen other judges waver for a long time before making a decision.

So, ultimately, it was Uno’s “spirit” that won over the crowd!

This should be a lesson for all of us.

No matter how much we try to “dress up” our humanity, no matter how pretty we try to make ourselves on the outside, it’s what lies within us that matters most!

It is that connection to Spirit that ultimately makes us winners in all of life’s competitions.

So Uno, you did good! You let your Spirit shine, despite all the humanity around you that would have you be otherwise.

Next on the humanity front: we can expect cat owners to start clamoring for their kitties, too, to do their Cat Walk i.e. strut their stuff on television! Quite frankly, it’s going to be war between the lovers of cats and dogs. That’s how it all gets started: humanity looking for more ego expression.

Meanwhile, I encourage you to keep your focus. Keep strutting your spiritual stuff. Don’t let that be only for the dogs!

Namaste’,

Che’

Religion and Spirituality: They DO work Together!

The recent Presidential elections have shown me the true souls of people!
Until tested, you never know the true depth of a person's beliefs about certain matters. We tend to make assumptions about the people we associate with and some we call friends. We assume that we all loosely share the same values i.e. to be open-minded and fair and to treat people with respect in their daily walk. But in reality...you really don't know!

I'm glad that the Presidential elections on the Democratic side brought out the best, and what I see as the worst, in some people. A few years ago, before I truly committed to a spiritual walk, I tended to make decisions based on superficial standards of judgement. As I moved more inward, though, I realized that I had to be authentic in all that I do. That included my politics...the way I see people...the way I make decisions moment by moment every day.

For me to be authentic, I cannot lie to my spirit! I cannot espouse one day to care about seeing the ONENESS in people, yet when it comes down to matters of conscience, I do something else. That is what it means to be spiritually AUTHENTIC!

I know a lot of folks who claim to be doing a "spiritual" walk, and so they sit up in these "spiritual" churches week after week. Yet, I wonder about even their basic decency. That's where I KNOW religion comes in.

You see, religion establishes rules of conduct for people. Yes, some religions go way too far in their policies. But if the basic rules of conduct are followed in ANY religion, without getting too interpretrative, then all of us would be all right!

For people to attempt to do a spiritual walk by just acknowleging they have a spirit within guiding them, I believe gets them totally lost in their human choices. The reason is that no one is evolved enough in his or her connection to Spirit to live without some other form of guidance. Religion provides this.

I don't care whether your religion is Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism, Muslim, Hinduism, Bahaism or Judaism, it has some rules of decency and conduct for you to follow!

I recommend that in your walk with Spirit, you find some religion whose rules you can embrace to guide you in your daily walk on earth. Until you return back to your Spirit, then you'll need these rules to help you in your interactions with others.

I truly don't want anyone in my space...in my life...who is so blinded by superficialities that they can't see beyond a face! If that is so, my "season" and my "reason" for knowing that person is over.

I challenge all of you today to truly embrace your Spirit by learning the basic tenets of ANY religion: decency, fairness and honesty!

Namaste',

Che'

"Don't Die With the Music Still in YOU!"

One of my very best friend called me early yesterday morning. It wasn't quite that early here...and later in Chicago, where she lives. But for her, it was very early. If I know anything about my friend, Thenia (Parthenia), it is that she loves to sleep. Her husband and I laugh all the time because "our girl loves to sleep."

But yesterday, she must have woken up early because she had a purpose! She wanted to talk to me...to tell me that no matter what life and people in their humanity threw at me...that I should never, ever give up. I could hear the tears she tried to hold back in her voice, as she tried in her own passionate way to tell me that I had all it takes to go on believing and doing and dreaming and being...whatever! She knew I was very okay...but for some reason, her Spirit must have talked to her because she had that urgency to tell me. She'd called me on my home number, and I didn't answer. So, she called me on my cell and that woke me up, after she'd hung up!

I don't know what within her Spirit inspired her to call me with such urgency. But I listened. I thought.

My life has zigzagged all kinds of ways. But the constant has been my desire to communicate to people. I never realized fully until today when I listened to my favorite motivational speaker/preacher, Joel Osteen, on USA...that beyond being my career field, Communicating is indeed my purpose!

I did my undergraduate work in Speech Communications and my graduate work in Journalism. Did I KNOW then that "communicating" was my purpose in life? No. But my
Spirit knew! For in life, there are NO accidents!

I grew into my desire to communicate and keep communicating to people.

If you've ever been in my presence for more than an hour, you'd know how
I can't go for too long without talking...about something...about life...
about anything currently on my mind or your mind. I like to communicate in speech..

Then, if you really, really know me, then you'd know that there are those times when I don't want to talk at all! I just want to lock myself away and write...and write...and write...or just be Silent and by myself. Writing and Being Silent
are also big communications favorites for me!

Joel Osteen today said that we must ALL have a purpose in life! Every day, we must wake up with "something to do." Without a purpose, he says, we wither and die! He cited several examples of older people who lived longer by having a purpose. He also spoke of people who were more than 100 years old and still had all their mental faculties because they'd always had a purpose: doing crossword puzzles! Even a simple purpose, Osteen said, like waking up to take your walk or saying "hello" each
day to the mailman can be a purpose for the very old!

So, today, I urge all of you...even if you don't have a champion like I have in my best friend Thenia, my friend Jim, my friends Alain and Michelle...to keep on believing in your dreams! Decide TODAY that you're never going to die with your dreams unfilfilled!

To stay active and on purpose, get active...get passionate about something...politics...people...your kids ...your grandkids...

Decide that you're going to fulfill each one of your dreams! But please...don't do like so many... die with the music still in them.

Listen to your Spirit! It's calling your name to not wither and die!

Osteen today cited people who decided at age 50 that they were "old," even though "we didn't bury them until they were 80!" Thirty wasted years being "old" and lots and lots of music still in them.

My friend, Thenia, and you others: don't worry, I'll never die with music still left in ME!

I challenge you to find your Music today!

Live your purpose!

Namaste',

Che'

About Hardship and Hard Times...

I often wondered as I had "dark night experiences" why those trials had come upon my path. With enough of these experiences, I have observed a constant: we always learn something when we're going through these trying and "seemingly" hard times.

I use the word "seemingly" because I believe we should see the blessing in these trials. First, it is only when life knocks us over that we truly turn to God as our only hope and salvation. When our health fails...when we're down to our last dollars...when we are in trouble with the law...when our husbands or wives leave us...or have some other type of "separation," be it emotional or physical...these are the ONLY times some people remember God!

Once many people live through the experiences, though, they go right back to doing things as they were before they remembered God's name. All the promises they made to Spirit during those times of crisis are quickly forgotten, just as soon as the crisis is over. Until the next time...

Dark night experiences are quite different though. Those are the experiences where we deliberately are taking a closer walk with God. We are following guidance of our Spirit, but despite our best efforts, we still experience trials and tribulations, sometimes on a daily basis...for a period of time. I mean months...I mean years.

What are those experiences all about?

Like the shorter trials and tribulations, I still believe these dark night experiences have come into our lives to bless us and ultimately to lead us into "wholeness."

For me, I have learned all my important lessons in life through my dark night experiences. Hard as they might be and might have been, I would not have traded them for anything in the world.

For one thing, I learned about people and their humanity!
For another, that's when I found my path to wholeness!

In life, you cannot trade anything for EXPERIENCE! Wisdom is priceless!

Being outgoing, I always accepted people i.e. friends at face value. However, it is only as I went through deep experiences did I witness the "souls" of people, many of whom I called friends.

I've lost or left behind many of those folks. I count that a blessing. For had it not been for the dark night experiences, I would have been lulled into a belief that I could have called them "friends."

On still a deeper level, though, those dark experiences have truly taught me that God is God and always will be my source of HOPE AND GLORY!!! Without knowing and FEELING God's presence and his GRACE AND MERCY ...sometimes day to day...in my life, I would not have survived.

There is no companionship I desire as greatly as I do God's companionship.

There is no man's presence, no woman's presence, no child's presence, no "thing's" presence, I desire greater than God's presence.

I truly have seen the impotence of our humanity going through my dark night experiences. I truly have seen the shallowness... and depth...of all my friendships as I've sought God's comfort and presence.

I feel blessed...because I know...I do not walk alone! God always is there whether we seek him or not. He does not impose his presence upon us and truly communicates with our Spirit once we seek him in Spirit.

So, today, I challenge all of you to look deeper into your connection with God!
Don't give lipservice to a relationship with him. But day by day, truly examine your connection with him i.e. your Spirit. Look closely as to whether you're seeking his presence because you're scared of "being punished," or if you truly hunger for his companionship, as you would a man or woman you love, a job that you desire, dollars in the bank, healing of a chronic condition.

I challenge you today...to connect to your ...Spirit!

Namaste',
Che'