From the Heart | The Book of Deservingness

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As we proceed into 2012 we must be clear on our vision of who we are, the goals we hold most sacred, and what we deserve. In the Jewish religion, at the outset of the New Year, adherents offer each other the blessing, "May you be inscribed in The Book of Life," meaning, "May you live healthfully and joyfully during the coming year." The Book of Life contains a chapter called "The Book of Deservingness." Its appropriate blessing might be, "May you know deep within your soul that you deserve to … [Read more...]

What You Make of It

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2012 is here. Finally. After many years of anticipation, sensationalism, foreboding, titillation and wild prophecies, we've reached the end of the Mayan calendar. The era of momentous astrological configurations. World upheaval. Apocalyptic destruction. Dissolution of the world as we know it. Mass landing of UFOs. The spiritual ascension of humanity. The dawn of a new age. And on and on and on.... Prophets, authors, soothsayers, shamans and Hollywood have had a field day predicting, … [Read more...]

Leave Your Nets

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December marks the beginning of whale season in Hawaii. Around this time majestic humpback whales appear in Hawaiian waters, having traversed 3,000 miles of deep blue sea from offshore Alaska. The whales stay through the winter, mating and bearing their young. To watch them cavort is a spectacle for the senses and the heart. Last Valentine’s Day, Michael Fishbach and Gershon Cohen were fishing off the coast of Baja when they encountered a humpback whale tangled in a myriad of fishing nets. … [Read more...]

I Wish I Could Give You the Moon

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A Zen story tells of a man who came home one evening and found a thief tossing his possessions into a sack. In Zen fashion, the homeowner decided to just sit outside the door and meditate. At some point the thief saw the man and dashed out of the house. In the commotion the homeowner opened his eyes and saw that the thief had dropped a bowl from his sack. "Wait, you forgot something!" called the homeowner as he picked up the bowl and tried to catch the crook. But the thief was running fast … [Read more...]

Kitty Hawk Moments

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When the Wright brothers achieved the first airplane flight at Kitty Hawk, NC, on Dec. 17, 1903, they likely had no idea how much the world would change as a result of that single event. The flight lasted only 12 seconds and distanced only 120 feet (shorter than the wingspan of a Boeing 747), but it marked a milestone in human history. In that one instant, humanity recognized that powered flight was real and we were no longer bound to the earth. Each of us has our own "Kitty Hawk moment" -- … [Read more...]

Bring it Forth

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Do you have any doubt that you can be everything you want to be? Do you believe you are limited by your history, genetics, karma, or any other factor? If so, take heart. Your destiny far outshines your history. Scientists tell us that dogs evolved from the wolf. About 10,000 years ago, people began to breed dogs to draw forth traits they valued. Wolves were selected for hunting skills, herding and loyalty. Over time breeding became more and more specialized, until today we have over 150 … [Read more...]

The Tailor’s Secret

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Are you concerned about how you look in your bathing suit? Do you worry you don't look as good as you did last year, or ten or twenty years ago? Are you struggling with friendships or business ventures that once worked for you, but do not offer the reward they once did? If so, George Bernard Shaw might show you the door to peace: "The only man I know who behaves sensibly is my tailor; he takes my measurements anew each time he sees me. The rest go on with their old measurements and expect me … [Read more...]

A Better View of the Sky

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An experience as devastating as the earthquake and tsunami in Japan causes us all to wonder why and how such an event can occur. The loss of human life and damage to property poses many sobering questions to a person of compassion and conscience. It touches us at the deepest level and forces us to confront the experience of suffering. Yet there are lessons, insights, and healings that come from even the darkest night of the soul. Disasters move us to revisit and reorder our priorities, and … [Read more...]

Atomic Contrast

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I was invited to present a seminar in Hiroshima, Japan, the city devastated by the atomic bomb in 1945. As I approached the Hiroshima train station via the bullet train, I felt uneasy, wondering if the psychic shadow of the holocaust would linger unto this day. To my surprise, Hiroshima Station felt light and airy, passersby friendly and upbeat. At initial encounter the place actually felt more peaceful to me than the dozen other cities in Japan I have visited. As my host drove me through … [Read more...]

Eternal Life through Facebook

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I was surprised to receive a Facebook friend invitation from Eric Butterworth, a respected author and minister who introduced me to the New Thought movement many years ago. The astounding element of Dr. Butterworth's invitation is that he is dead. He passed away eight years ago. How he found his way onto Facebook is a matter of great interest to me. The Internet and Facebook bear huge metaphysical lessons. In truth, no one ever dies and we are capable of communicating interdimensionally. In … [Read more...]