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our world

Have you noticed that when thoughts of the November and December holidays begin to take form a good portion of our life revolves around those months. If not, physically then certainly mentally and emotionally, and then physically as we fall into the the commercial part in the form of buying which has become, or shall we say, taken over, the holidays. Of course, preparation can mean anything – depending on your lifestyle.

With all that’s happening in the world lately I think the joy of the holidays will have a special meaning. I’ve often read that underneath the chaos there’s order. If we can get pass all the tragedies, we can see the beauty that’s also unfolding. The love that goes out to those who need it in the form of money, food, housing, compassion and prayers is wonderfully alive.

I read Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda www.yogananda-srf.org quite a few years ago. There was food for thought in that book. I’m thinking of one paragraph now. It said that all the violence, negativity, greed, etc. affects the universe. Whatever is in the consciousness of all of us is felt by the intelligent universe. If we want order we need to stop the craziness because only a loving world will produce a loving environment. We’re producing chaos when we contaminate our world. I think about that book often and wonder about those words. He’s not the first or the last to write about this cause and effect applying to the mass consciousness.

“The deeper the self-realization of a man, the more he influences the whole universe by his subtle spiritual vibrations, and the less he himself is affected by the phenomenal flux.” – Swami Sri Yukteswar

“We are reborn each day-indeed each moment-and we begin afresh with the possibility of new perfection in every breath we draw.” -Rabbi David A. Cooper

“The modern world is desacrilized, that is why it is in a crisis. The modern person must rediscover a deeper source of his own spiritual life.” -C. G. Jung

“The more materialistic science becomes, the more angels shall I paint.” -Edward Burne-Jones

“There are very few human beings who receive the truth, complete and staggering, by instant illumination. Most of them acquire it fragment by fragment.” -Anais Nin

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talking food

I’ve been thinking about getting back to eating more uncooked foods. There are a lot of books about eating raw and they are a great support system, and a great support system is needed to get very clear about what to eat and why. At the moment I’m reading three books that are informative, inspiring, very interesting and, I think, enjoyable reading. They are Eating for Beauty by David Wolfe www.sunfood.com , The Master Cleanser by Stanley Burroughs www.mastercleanser.com , and Wisdom from the Monastery by Peter Sewald, Editor.

Last week a great French bakery on 20th Street and Ninth Avenue in Manhattan called to me. Everything is prepared at the cafe. Trust me; it’s all delicious. When I got back to the apartment where I’m staying, I picked up one of the three books and started remembering what it was like to eat raw. It’s really nice to go to a food shop and select your favorite foods thinking about taste only, but when you consciously plan to eat in a way that gives ultimate nourishment to body, mind and spirit, your life changes. I want to experience that feeling again. That feeling of seeing changes in my body, inside and outside, and having the discipline to take charge.

So I’ve been a fixture at *Bonobo’s on 23rd Street www.bonobosrestaurant.com where the ambiance is airy and conducive to enjoying fresh foods prepared in simple ways with an emphasis on being delicious and uncooked. The people behind the counter are helpful. You can sample before ordering. They’re patient and friendly. It will take a little time to get back to eating that way. I can still taste the delicious sandwich and almond croissant at La Bergamote, but I really want to eat differently and I’m heading in that direction now.

*It’s now 2013 and Bonobo’s is a restaurant of the past.

Change is good. Right?

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the unexpected

When I was at the Optimum Health Institute in San Diego www.optimumhealthinstitute.com I met an older Farrah Fawcett look-alike. Her name was Madelyn. She started a travel agency when she was in her sixties. She had endless energy. She was at OHI for only a week. On the day she was leaving I found her relaxing on the lawn. Her taxi was due in an hour. I stayed and we talked til the taxi came. About three weeks later, and four days before I was to leave OHI, Madelyn called and said that she and a friend had planned to go on a cruise soon. However, her friend had to cancel because of an emergency. “Could I go?” she asked. Madelyn was a travel agent; the price was reasonable. If I said yes, I had to immediately fax all my personal information to her to send to the cruise line. This was a new experience for me. And sending personal information, and a check to someone I barely knew was a leap of faith, and sometimes a leap of faith is what’s called for. After a day of juggling the pros and cons, I accepted. It felt right.

From San Diego I went to an International Living seminar at Delray Beach, Fl. The seminar was in four days. An OHI acquaintance arranged for me to stay with her friend, Monica, at Delray Beach. At 11pm I arrived at Miami airport. I managed to get an excellent driver who knew the lay of the land. Though there were moments when I wondered about my sanity. We discovered that the house was surrounded by many trees in a dark area, and when I got out of the car, I still couldn’t see the house. The driver drove off, and I walked up the dirt driveway, suitcase in hand, saying a short prayer. Then I saw it, and on the door was a note – one that would warm anyone’s heart. It said, “Please enter, make yourself at home. Don’t be afraid of the dog. Your bedroom is the last room on the right.” Monice was asleep. I fell asleep thinking to myself that there are people who simply trust the world, and I’ll meet one of them tomorrow. I met Monica that evening; she was as wonderful as her note. Four days later she drove me to the seminar and we said goodbye. Good conversation, good food, lots of laughter, and bicycle riding together, made her feel like an old friend.

At the Delray Beach seminar I met someone who had just returned from Malta. “Malta?” I said, “Tell me about Malta.” In the meantime, I sent a fax to Madelyn. She replied that we were to meet in Barcelona in four weeks to begin the cruise on the Sea Dream www.seadreamyachtclub.com .

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winter

What’s it going to be, a cold, very cold or utterly freezing winter? Snow? No snow? I’ll settle for a relatively calm winter with temperatures dipping into the high 40’s. Once a month comes a gentle snow fall leaving only a light film on the ground which disappears by the next morning before it gets dirty. They’ll be a few nicely snowy days during the December holidays. The first snow of the season. We’ll have lots of sunny days because we’ve got to get our vitamins A and D naturally. And they’ll be none of those blustery days. Just the name conjures up horrendous blow-you-away-winds as you turn a corner. No. They’ll be none of that. I realize that there are those people who l o v e the cold and snow. Are there many of you? Well, perhaps you can explore those parts of the world where cold weather is the norm and you won’t be disappointed, because I’m planning a very nice winter. You would think that after the hot, sticky summer we had cold would be like a breath of fresh air. It isn’t. So help me. Get out your prayer beads, light your incense and meditate on 40 degrees of winter wonderland. And focus. Tell the forces that be that freezing is not on the agenda. Yes, it will be a lovely winter.

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what happened?

There are people, situations, things that with all your heart you want to keep close to you. But no matter how hard you try something conspires to take them away. For instance, it can be a person. You walk on egg shells for the sake of a relationship. It turns out to be more work than you bargained for, but you keep on keeping on. You want it to flow because you love this person who is oblivious to it all. The feeling can be compared to being in rough waters and rowing a boat with all your might to keep on course while the other person sits opposite you sipping a favorite beverage and enjoying the scenery. Or you have a relationship you cherish. Then ever so suddenly that person is distant. You’re in the dark and nothing is forthcoming. You have no idea what’s going on. What happened? Or it could be a position that’s supposed to be yours. And it turns out it’s not. You’re qualified; you’re downright perfect for the job. Someone with less experience and abilities was tapped. What happened?
Or perhaps you have a business that you’ve put your whole self into. It’s a business that gives you pleasure and you don’t mind. You’re doing fine and it’s all thriving. Then you begin to lose your edge and things begin unraveling. You know it’s possible to get it to where it once was, many people have, but for you it’s like carrying the world on your shoulders. What happened? Or it could be where you live. Are there signs indicating it’s time to move? Are you staying because moving is a hassle and the market is not in your favor. But things are screaming at you; there are signs, but you’re not reading them. You don’t want to move. What happened?

Could it be something is waiting around the corner for us, and what we hold on to is preventing the next step from occurring? Sometimes the energy simply wears away and life is handing us a gift that we can’t yet see. Maybe it’s only when stepping back after giving our all that we can get a glimpse of it. What do you think?

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on waiting

If anyone thinks New Yorkers are impatient they haven’t shopped at Whole Foods Market www.wholefoodsmarket.com . It’s an exercise in patience. You look at the long lines and observe the shoppers quietly moving at a snail’s pace to the front where finally it’s their turn to be called to a check out counter. All the Whole Food stores are spacious, but the space is chock full of choices everywhere you look and move. At times there’s a cart jammed at your ankle. It’s always unavoidable. Shoppers know this. There is order in the chaos of so many people choosing from so many great foods. I’m sure the people who can shop in the morning when it’s less hectic do so. On second thought, maybe it’s not less hectic. Maybe someday I should find out.

You cannot judge the patience of New Yorkers by what you see on the streets. Whether it’s walking, hailing a cab, or looking for a parking space because on any given day (not in all neighborhoods) there’s lots of stress and hurried movement and it’s almost impossible not to react. But get in a line at Whole Foods to see magic at work.

Eckhardt Tolle www.eckharttolle writes that we should accept what is and honor the present moment. And when we do all unhappiness and struggle dissolve and life begins to flow with joy and ease. Many people have written in a similar way. Of course, the only way to know this is to try it. People waiting in lines quietly, sometimes smiling, are doing just this. It’s nice.

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about what we do

I’ve noticed that during interviews many artists say that what they’re doing is fun. And if it wasn’t fun they wouldn’t be doing it. They have passion and absolutely love their work (they probably don’t even call it work – more like play). It’s a great way to live. It seems that way should be everyone’s birthright. And if we don’t have this passion and love for what we do in life, it’s our responsibility to somehow rethink how to make it happen because it’s often been said that more heart attacks occur on a Monday morning than any other day of the week? An interesting fact.

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it’s up to us

I’m sitting in front of a window overlooking the East River. It’s calm and I see the lights to the north and south of Manhattan and the lights of Queens and it’s beautiful. I turned off the TV an hour ago, and as I look at the beauty before me, I’m thinking of what water has done to parts of Louisiana. Again we’re left wondering about many things. We play the TV images over and over in our mind, but nothing is resolved. We cannot make the misery go away. Most of us are not going to Louisiana to physically help. We donate money. We donate clothes. And we pray. We all have different opinions about what’s going on in our world today. We live in interesting times in that information is always at our fingertips. There is something strange about witnessing the suffering of people long distance as they’re going through incredible pain.

I went to the Union Square Greenmarket www.unionsquarejournal.com/greenmarket.htm and as I lifted a handful of okra I said to the woman next to me that it was my first time buying it. She smiled and told me the best way to prepare it. She said she’s from New Orleans and is a caterer, and tonight she was preparing dinner for a group of friends. Everyone was going to pay $50 for the meal. The money would be donated. That was her way of helping people in her hometown. I’m sure a lot of love will go into the meal she prepares tonight.
And I understand that what we do with the information we see on the screen is up to us.

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trusting our world

“Don’t play for safety – it’s the most dangerous game in the world. ”
-Hugh Walpole

For many reasons I love this quote. I have it written in a notebook and whenever I read it an incredible feeling comes over me. Because I really do believe this world belongs to everyone and we have to trust it and welcome it into our lives, confident that we’re more than capable of living life lovingly, wisely, grandly, happily, peacefully. It’s a delightful quote; it reminds us to be free, to abandon stress, and to imagine the things we’ve yet to do.

One evening I caught the tail end of a lecture given by Christiane Northrup, www.drnorthrup.com on PBS. Listening to her was fun; she had a radiant smile, and although the topic seemed heavy (The Mother/Daughter Relationship), she played with this subject and everyone in the audience enjoyed listening. Then she ended the evening saying there’s no reason to be sick when we start getting old. “Happy, healthy, dead” is the way she phrased it. I can’t remember how it tied into the subject, but it did. Those words, happy, healthy, dead seemed magical to me. When I think about them I say them because I want to plant the seed for this at a future date. It just dawned on me as I’m writing that I should start adding the part about a future date, or it will seem that I’m ready to say goodbye to this life. We need to feel the world is a friendly place, even though it doesn’t always appear that way.

“Everytime we choose safety, we reinforce fear . . . our world grows smaller and smaller.”
-Cheri Huber

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“Confucius Say”

“Find a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life”.

Yup, that was my yearbook quote at Stuyvesant H.S. in New York City. Pretty powerful stuff… How many of us can relate?

-Michael