The 10 Suggestions

1) Thou shall relax! I've got things covered

2) Thou shall cease killing each other.

3) Thou shall refrain from fouling your own nest.

4) Thou shall value diversity.

5) Thou shall breathe deeply and dine slowly.

6) Thou shall grant the benefit of the doubt.

7) Thou shall learn to listen.

8) Thou shall speak often with your eyes and less with your lips.

9) Thou shall familiarize yourself with forgiveness.

10) Thou shall strive to be grateful.


Found in the appendix of the "Book of Padrac" at Skellig Michael, circa 600 AD.

Dance With The One That Brung Ya

Darrell Royal, head football coach at the University of Texas, was asked on the eve of a critical game with Texas' bitterest rival, if the coaching staff planned on doing anything different, had they planned any surprises. To which Royal replied with the title of this post. He meant that his Longhorns were going to do what they did best. I need desperately to heed that advice. With all that is going on in the world, and the killing of nine souls in Charleston, South Carolina, on Wednesday the 17th, I have been overwhelmed with the negative aspects of life. So, I have to get back to the basics. I sought out an old friend for advice:

"And most of all I will love myself. For when I do I will zealously inspect all things which enter my body, my mind, my soul, my heart. Never will I overindulge the requests of my flesh, rather I will cherish my body with cleanliness and moderation. NEVER WILL I ALLOW MY MIND TO BE ATTRACTED TO EVIL AND DESPAIR, rather I will uplift it with knowledge and wisdom of the ages. Never will I allow my soul to become complacent and satisfied, rather I will feed it with meditation and prayer. Never will I allow my heart to become small or bitter, rather I will share it and it will grow and warm the earth. I will greet this day with love in my heart."

~Og Mandino The Greatest Salesman in the World (Scroll II)

To those victims of the shootings--what can I say? There is an insanity in our country that has nothing to do with mental instability. It is a way of life. It is a belief system. I realize that nothing significant is going to change. Not in our gun laws. Not in our cultural hatred. Not in the glorification of a short lived government (the Confederate States of America). I hope, despite my saying that, your deaths will not be in vain.
                                                                                                                        
Depayne Doctor--Cynthia Hurd--Susie Jackson--Ethel Lance--Rev. Clementa Pinkney--Tywanza Sanders--Rev. Daniel Simmons, Sr.--Sharonda Coleman-Singleton--Myra Thompson. Rest in Peace.

Grinding Gears

Well, it's certainly been interesting since I posted Mum's the Word. I suppose I took that suggestion a tad too seriously. I've found that being Irish and a natural inheritor of a 'kiss from the Blarney Stone,' (in fact, I think it was more a make-out session) that I didn't want to use one word when ten were available. So I nixed possible posts understanding I wouldn't be able to live up to my own challenge of brevity. No matter...lesson learned.

As to re-engaging the blog after an extended layoff: not easy. I keep believing I've said it all. God (Life-Presence-Universal Mind) says to keep telling you. Like my first journalism class in High School where the rule of thumb was; "tell 'em what you're going to tell 'em, tell 'em, tell 'em what you've told 'em," God seems to want me to continue. (yeah-I don't understand it either) Why do I think so? Reread the 10-14-14 post 'Open Parenthesis'. (specifically the paragraphs listed 'Second' and 'Fourth') Here is what has happened since. IRAQ 12-2-14  ITALY 1-21-15  DENMARK 2-15-15 ZAMBIA 3-12-15  HUNGARY 4-8-15  VIETNAM 5-6-15. (new countries and the date they showed up as a "hit.") In the eight months since Open Parenthesis, six new countries. Averaging about one every six weeks or so. (Wakarimasen 2-12-14 to Open Parenthesis 10-14-14 was 8 months as well, with 13 new countries--but remember, 3 came in 16 days. So, a slightly higher average, but more countries were available as "new.")

Now here is what happened this morning. I checked the blog for activity and saw Greece was on the day before. I thought, OH-HO, Greece is new! Double checking myself, I saw I was wrong. Greece had come in sometime between 2-12-14 and 10-14-14. But it did cause me to wonder what Western European country hadn't been a visitor. The only one I could think of was--Portugal. And I thought about trying to "lure" them into a hit like I had Japan (2-12-14) and Australia. (G'Day Mate! 5-29-13) The thought exhausted me. I didn't want to. I exited the blog and went out for a couple hours to run errands. Guess who dropped in between then and now? Portugal.

So. Yep. Uh-huh. A co-inky-dink. But a powerful, interesting, rather remarkable co-inky-dink. One I choose not to ignore. And unless I am willing to start hearing voices in my head, (which I am not) one of the ways for the "source" to communicate. (and emphatically at that) As to where we're going? Don't know. But I do know where we've been:  Australia--Austria--Belarus--Belgium--Brazil--Canada--Chile--China--Columbia--Denmark--Finland--France--Germany--Georgia--Greece--Hungary--India--Indonesia--Iraq--Ireland--Italy--Israel--Jamaica--Japan--Kazakhstan--Kenya--Kyrgyzstan--Lithuania--Malaysia--Mexico--Netherlands--Pakistan--Philippines--Poland--Portugal--Romania--Russia--Serbia--Singapore--Slovakia--Spain--South Africa--South Korea--Sweden--Switzerland--Suriname--Taiwan--Tanzania--Thailand--Turkey--Ukraine--United Kingdom--United States--Venezuela--Vietnam--Zambia--Zimbabwe.  

Effortless Progress

"Blue also has magical powers," she said. "You watch a reef and tell me if I am lying. Blue crashes onto a reef and what color does it release? It releases white! Now, how does it do that?"

Lloyd Jones; from the novel 'Mister Pip'

Mum's the Word

For the remainder of the month I set forth a challenge. Before speaking, mentally decide how you can relate what it is you want to say in the fewest words possible. (If an example is required, refer to 4-14-13.)

Told Me What?

So what am I saying? (an indulgence to those who claim they don't understand) Because you hold it in your mind, it (GGG) will sustain you--nurture, nourish, and maintain you. It will be your guiding light, a beacon to bring you home. No matter the hell you are experiencing, if you can conjure the thought that this is a Gift, which you could (somehow) be Grateful for, you will not only find the means to muddle through, you will experience God. This isn't a promise--it is reality. Decide that God can use YOU as a means to interact with life (creation: any and everything) and the process produces the outcome. The resistance (fuck this!) that you experience is the result of expectations. Let it be what it is. (it's going to be anyway) Then allow yourself time to examine why you struggle against what is. This is the unmasking of your ego and the method by which you surrender to that which some call God. (call it what you wish) Regardless, once you begin to integrate what Life brings you, (harmony) you demonstrate a personality reflective of the aspect of God you are here to embody. GGG is a method, a process, a 'hack,' that allows for immediate transformation. There is no simpler spiritual application you can employ. The link provided yesterday (Shots of Awe--Godmode) is validation from another source of what I have been telling you for nearly 3 years.

Told Ya

Gift Gratitude God is one such "God Hack." As an ontological engineer employing what has been suggested, (GGG) you do create conditions that construct a conduit to the numinous. What is experienced then and there is epiphany...yet you question it. All your preconceived ideas are put to the test. How restrictive is your definition of what God 'should' be?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fB-48RCOdA