Words from Walden

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Birds From Walden Double-crested Cormorant

The double-crested cormorant is a unique bird. It is so rare that I had never seen one before a couple of days ago.

The bird landed on the pond and although it swam around like a Duck, I knew it wasn’t.

I saw a long beak that reminded me of a Blue heron, only smaller. The difference is that herons have long legs and tend to walk around the edge of the water in search of food.

This bird however would ‘duck’ under the water and come up with some kind of food to eat. It may have been a frog, fish or plant, I could not tell.

What I did observe was the bird getting tangled in the weeds and almost drowning.

It was sailing around for quite some time very elegantly and in complete control until it got tied up.

Immediately it started squirming and panicking.

It seemed as if it was going to drown and I quickly took off my shoes and socks to go save it.

By the time I was ready to jump in, the bird was gone. With a heavy heart, I thought the bird drown infront of my very eyes.

Seconds later the bird reappeared fifty feet away from where I last spotted it.

The bird kept going under the water and coming back up, swimming back and forth trying to shed itself of the weeds that had wrapped around its wings.

Although the bird stopped squirming and looked as if it regained control, I could see the grassy weed trailing behind it like an untied shoelace foloowing along awkwardly.

I knew the bird could not fly like this and it seemed uninterested in making it to a peice of land to do the edge walk that is characteristic of the heron.

What to do? How to help?

I thought If I got in the kayak and paddled towards it, a couple of things may happen. One, it would panic and I could grab and untangle it, two, it would forget that it was trapped and fly away furiously.

It was the former and not the latter that ended up happening.

As I paddled toward the bird in a game of cat and mouse that last for almost an hour, the bird would duck under the water and reappear somewhere else.

One of the times the bird went under it came up without the weed.

With my part in the rescue complete, I took the kayak out of the water and retreated to the edge of the woods to watch this beautiful bird wade in the water.

The bird tried to fly away but would only get 20 feet before again landing on the water.

I was unsure if the bird was still impaired or perhaps it was a baby (a huge baby) just learning to fly and did not yet know how to travel at height or distance.

The bird decided to get out of the water and sunbathe on the dock. The way the birds basked in the sun was remarkable and angelic.

In an alluring display of beauty rarely seen it would open its wings to dry off and in doing so puff out its chest suggesting strength and grace simultaneously.

It reminded me of the American eagle on the U.S dollar bill.

Just as quickly as it appeared it was gone. Moving on to the next pond or pasture. It didn’t make a noise like the Canada geese when it flew but like the ones we loved the most that have moved on, its beauty remains long after its departure.

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Birds from Walden Blue jay

Bluejays can be seen in the Northeast of the U.S. and Canada for the duration of winter even though they are also in places like Florida.

They are bright blue beautiful birds and are strikingly different from each other. There are skinny ones, fat ones, tall ones, short ones, young and old ones.

They are a tight-knit group and they often flock together often descending upon birdhouses en-masse.

Although they look pretty and cute these birds squawk loud like crows and they seem to be aggressive towards other bird species.

At times, these birds are even aggressive to other Bluejays.

Bluejays are too big for most feeders and when they try to sit on the perches of the smaller feeders, their wings start flapping as they try to get the food out. Realising their deilema they will defer to the open concept birdhouse instead.

I have been fortunate enough to see a bluejay pair appear and within a minute of their arrival another dozen swoop in for a snack. Bluejays numbering Fourteen frolick and forage for food.

The colours exposed by these birds look extraordinary, especially against the backdrop of a white winter snowy morning.

The brightness of this bird is parralleed around Walden only by the Cardinal, Goldfinch and Oriole.

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Birds from Walden American Eagle

Twenty years after the world witnessed the tragic events of Septemebr 11th we honour the lives lost with this article about the American Eagle.

The American Eagle is one of the most amazing and powerful animals on Earth. It’s hunting skills along with ferocity make this predator number one among birds.

Gliding far above any and all food that it wants to catch, It can drop down undetected. In flight entertainment consists of swooping in at thirty to fifty miles and hour (on a side note a peregrine falcon can travel at speeds of 200 mph)

It can spot its prey from over a mile away. With an average wingspan of 5-8 ft, Eagles can sail effortlessly above anything and everything.

The Bald Eagle is a stealthy enough to swoop down undetected to pluck fish directly out of the water.

With talons that cut through and grip it’s prey, this bird represents the true power and yet it is so elegant and smooth in flight.

A symbol so powerful that it is seen on the American quarter, silver dollar and half dollar.

It is also found on every single bill (except Thomas Jefferson on the $2).

It can be found by looking on the opposite side of George Washington on the one dollar bill and is almost touching the faces of Abraham Lincoln, Alexander Hamilton, Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant and George Washington, respectivley as we move up to the one-hundred dollar bill.

Steeped in the history of America, it has been woven into the social fabric and was placed on a copper penny as early as 1776. It is imprinted on the all americans and immigrants alike. seen in every airport and most government seal’s.

It is the main fical point of the Seal for the US president, a most recognizable symbol for that branches out around the entire world to symbolise strength, ferocity and elegance. just a couple of core values delivered to the world by America.

Lest we forget – 9/11 and all its heroes!

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Birds from Walden Ducks

Ducks are another phenomenal species of bird.

They are innately great parents and stay with their young all day and night. They will travel up and down rivers, streams and lakes with their entire ‘school’ of children.

They can often be seen in the early morning hours traveling single file, on land and or water, in lines and rows that stretch longer as the numbers grow.

I have noticed that in the lakes and streams around Walden that it is not one adult duck with a baby or two, but instead there seems to be a large family containing five or six adults and up to 30 chicks at a time.

Projecting caution at all times to protect their young these Male and Female Ducks share the workload.

I have been fortunate enough to witness the chicks following orders to jump in the water one by one while the adult will lead from the front. Another adult will stand at the entrance to the water counting to make sure all the ducks are there.

This reminds me of being a young lad and going for walks with the class at school, where the teacher would be continuously doing a headcount.

There is a saying “like water off a ducks back”. This means that if you stay well oiled with love and light, than anything bad that life throws at you, you can let hit you and then roll right off of you without the impact of crushing you or defining you.

Ducks are known to be great swimmers. When you see Ducks they look serene and appear to be floating calmly on the water. What you can’t see is the Duck’s feet paddling hard under the water.

This is a great metaphor for action. Take action and work hard toward your goals but do not talk about the difficult parts of the journey. Just smile and flow along with the water of life.

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Birds from Walden Grackle

The Grackle has an iridescent blue silk head on a smooth black body. Although this bird is freaky looking it is also very beautiful

Grackles appear to reverse their color schemes from the time babies with the blue on the body and the black (or brown) around the head.

Although they look a mean and scary, they are very considerate to the other birds around the feeder and can often be seen patiently waiting for their turn.

Unlike some species that will scare off the little birds, the grackle has surprising suprise big-brother-like qualities.

Not shy, the grackle will let us know when we have breached its safety and comfort zone. This observation was made apparent when from inside a kayak, I entered his space and got a little to close to the nest.

The bird, protective as any parent would be , tried thwarting my attention as it flew away from the nest in an effort to get me to follow .

Armed with the realisation that this was happening , the next move is to gently paddle away from the nest in question.

Studying the grackle is a good lesson in “dont judge a book by its cover”.

Personally and metaphorically speaking , these birds have transformed from the ugly caterpillar into the beautiful butterfly in the attachment of my mind.

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Birds from Walden blue heron

blue heron

This beautiful bird can be found at the edge of the pond, often sneaking through the long grass in search of frogs.

The heron stands tall and straight in its posture helped by its long legs. Slow to move unless it has to.

Colours of a purple-ish grey-blue separate the truly majestic-looking creature from other similar typed birds such as osprey and flamingos.

This huge bird has a massive wingspan and simultaneously looks elegant and cumbersome at the same time while trying to take off.

It furiously flaps its wide wings barely clearing the treeline as it flys away in an upwards path that does not allow much leeway for mistakes.

At times it will fly through the tree branches because it can not clear the treetops, yet it still manages to not crash into the leaves.

Always making seemingly hard work look easy, the heron eventually reaches full stride at which point it looks effortless.

Over time one particular Heron has learned to exit the pond on the opposite side, thus giving it more ‘runway’ to chart a better flight pattern similar to the Canada geese.

The heron bird is a rare treat and if left undisturbed can be watched for hours at a time.

In the early morning hours, not far from Walden, the great blue heron can be seen flying just a couple of feet above the water. Sailing across the lake on its way to the next adventure.

It will play in one pond and then another as it travels around the neighbourhood, always coming back for a swim at Walden pond.

Recently I spotted a heron at the edge of a pond and right besdie it was a deer. They were not in competition or hunting each other, instead they looked like a pair of little boys fishing as the sun started to rise behind them in the early hours of another humid summer morning!

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Birds from Walden Cardinal

Cardinal

Like the Robin, The Cardinal is another bird that is a power symbol.

This radiant red bird portrays perfect symmetry. Most commonly seen with a stylish spikey haircut on the top of its head, a head that is a brighter red than the rest of the body.

Sporting an orange beak, the rest of its face is covered by a black mask to protect it from the sun, identical to most Goldfinches.

The Cardinal’s head is a more solid red than the rest of the body which has a touch of grey, looking like a painter’s purposeful brushstroke blended it deep into the red.

Somehow through the striking redness , these birds seem to disappear in the green canopy of the bushes.

I often spot a pair in the forest frolicking for fun. The pair are similar and different at the same time. One is the normal red Cardinal that was described already. The other is grey or the Northern Cardinal with a tinge of red, identifiable as a Cardinal because of the signature black mask and orange beak and the spikey hair-do.

There is also an indiviudal short stout red Cardinal around Walden pond and this particular bird does not have spikey hair. The day I spotted this one there was a significant rainfall so it is possible that it was wet.

The Cardinal makes a very unique noise consisting of four fast sharp tweets followed by three longer slower ones.

The full red Cardinal like the Oriole and the Blue jay bring a colour that is not native to the green tree lines and bushes and provides a rush of colour to Walden’s wildlife.

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Birds from Walden Goldfinch

Goldfinch

The goldfinch is one of the brightest most colourful birds that frequent the gardens and bird feeders around Walden. ‘Finch’s’ are seen throughout the summer in the northeast.

These miniature birds are yellow with black markings (almost like a miniature yellow oriole). Sometimes they are green and look as if they are wet even though they are not.

They travel in packs and will most often be seen flocking a feeder together in numbers of four or five at a time.

If there is safety in numbers there is also beauty in numbers as a group of goldfinch’s together will radiate remarkable sharpness and vivid deep detail. These little birds tend to stick together because in their world there truly is safety in numbers.

If you are really fortunate you may witness blue finch’s. The same small bird but blue. the blue finch is another wonderous sight to behold.

As far as flying they are not the best. They go forth in 10-20 foot spurts and then drop a bit before pushing on again in what looks like an elevated struggle to travel further. The distance is covered in sections instead of a smooth sail like the red-winged blackbird or the soft glide of a grackle.

Personally and selfishly these are one of the most delightful birds to watch. Their bright yellow colour is only made sharper by the black cardinal-like mask over their face which aides in protecting their eyes from the sun that shines as bright as the Goldfinch itself.

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Birds from Walden Canada Geese

Canada geese

As I sat staring at the water in deep thought I heard a noise from far away getting closer. It was the unmistakable honking of a pair of Canada geese flying directly towards the pond in anticipation of a late afternoon swim.

Canada Geese are graceful for their size and when they arrive, they come in like flying ninjas. Originally appearing as if they will land on the ground feet first, but alas they opt for the water.

They immediately look like they were swimming in the pond for hours already.

They can be seen careening their necks back and forth in order to move in the water. After some time the geese eventually step out of the water to dry off in the sun as they walk over to the lily pads searching for frogs.

Awestruck by this treasure provided by nature, I noticed the bird staring back at me and not moving for 30 minutes and then it went in the water again.

After the staring contest the geese swam around for a bit longer and then it was time.

More squawking meant they were calling radio control in the form of the red-winged blackbird to announce take off.

After being cleared by the control tower to the west , the 2 geese squawked louder and faster. They positioned themselves at the far eastern edge of the pond.

They started flapping their wings faster and got even louder before eventually becoming airborne and barely clearing the tree line as they flew towards the setting sun. And like that they were gone until the next time.

Geese are the closest thing to a jet plane that we find in the Animal kingdom. The 747 jumbo jet was most surely modelled after someone watched in amazement, this marvel of engineering.

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Birds from Walden – Oriole –

Oriole

Oriole’s are a type of blackbird. Waiting until spring is in full bloom to make their entrance they are exquisite in their sharp orange color which similarly to the red cardinal, stands out beautifully, highlighting any green backdrop of trees, bushes and shrubs.

The Oriole is a unique bird with beautiful popping colors so bright that there is a radiant glow in the landscape when they inject their presence.

Found nesting in the canopy of a tree, these birds prefer the higher elevation for protecting their young. Sometimes they build their nest low, only a couple of feet off the ground in shrubs, long grass or bulrushes.

Orioles are a beautiful mix of orange and black. The most common in the northeast is the Baltimore oriole, however, there are other types including –the orchard oriole and the spot breasted oriole.

Oriole’s can bend their tale inward and hang of the side of the feeder. This is a brilliant display of the way birds can manipulate their bodies to experience dimensions that humans could only dream of .

An interesting observation made after spending significant time watching the hummingbird feeder is that Oriole’s seem to be the only other bird around Walden pond that fly in for the sweet nectary taste of sugar water.

Sitting above the plastic flower pedals of the red feeder, Oriole’s can be seen careening their neck down and around into the fake yellow pollen pedals to take a good long drink.

Where one is found there are usually more around. In the early morning they can be heard with one of their signature song patterns; a high,low,high, whistle that is unmistakable.

Some birds run into glass windows or doors thinking that it is an opening, the oriole seems to do this more than most birds except for the red-winged black bird.

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Birds from Walden HummingBird

Hummin bird

The hummingbird is a special sight to behold. This miniature, magical, majestic bird comes in many colours and sizes. It can be seen flapping its wings so fast that it appears to be floating on the spot.

This little creature is a marvel of physics and biology.

It is the only bird in the garden that can fly backwards which only add’s in making it a true joy and delight to watch. A pretty remarkable trait and in a sense, an animal super power

There is a tiny green hummingbird that frequents the feeder around Walden pond. It is so small that it can sit on the edge of the feeder and drink the sugary “nectar” without the humming sound of energy buzzing in the background.

Most of the hummingbirds around Walden have beaks the same length as their body,

Attracted by a simple mix of 1 part sugar and 4 parts water, ‘real’ plants or flowers are not actually needed to attract this beautiful bird.

Although this type of bird comes in many sizes and colors it is always unmistakable with its long beak used for getting right inside the feeder to inhale a long drink. Even with eyes closed they make an unmistakable noise.

The hummingbird feeder is pleasant to watch in the late spring and early summer. It offers a superb spectacle for children and adults alike, bridging biology and nature in lessons that simply can not be taught in a school setting.

The design of such feeders, along with the hummingbirds beak, make it so that other birds can not get the nectar because their mouths are not long enough to take a drink of the sugar water.

There is however one other bird that fondly frequents the feeder, The Outstanding Orange Oriole.

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Birds From Walden – Robin

The red-breasted American Robin represents the official start of spring and of new beginnings.

The Robin is a powerful symbol of parenting and hard work in the bird kingdom. Its values are as firm as its boundaries. Visibly willing to sacrifice itself for its young by distracting anything bigger that comes near its babies, it shares this innate, altruistic trait with humans.

The Robin shows how to care for its young by regurgitating its food and putting it directly into the throats of the babies in the nest. The babies are too helpless to feed themselves and rely on the adults of the tribe for food and shelter, another shared human trait.

Upon breaking out of the egg, the baby is extremely weak and tired. They can often be heard chirping for food. Their bodies are so fragile that their eyes are barely open. Even though they are unable to fully open their eyes, they innately know that they need to stick their neck straight up and open their mouths to receive a meal from their parents.

The mommy and daddy birds spend their days hunting for worms and foraging the forest to support their young.

Shelter comes from relentless work and Robins will spend their days finding hay or dead grass to weave and wrap tightly into a perfect nest. The nest is hidden as best as possible. Nests can be found in trees, on top of wood fences, anywhere that they will be semi-protected by the elements.

The Robin will only stay in the nest long enough to lay the eggs and keep them warm for a while. The signature eggs are so unmistakable that Crayola has named a crayon after them, Robin’s egg blue.

Once the babies are hatched the adult bird will stay away from the nest, not too far away, but not so close that predators can easily spot the babies inside.

After a couple of days, the robins are ready to leave the nest. They do not travel far though; they first need to practice flying. In the days following their initial departure from the nest, the babies can be seen flying short distances at heights that are close to the ground.

While the adolescent birds are learning to fly, the parents can be seen close by. Happy with their role in the reproduction process. I have been fortunate enough to witness these beautiful button-eyed birds begin to share the joy of nature with the youngest and newest tribe members.

These birds can often be seen looking like stealth ninjas fluttering towards each other. As one bird moves in for the attack, the other jumps upwards a couple of feet off the ground maneuvering remarkably before torpedoing downward on 45-degree angles. From my observation it is unclear whether this is a pattern of mating, playing or fighting. My guess is that it is a game.

The song the Robin sings to the other birds and other robins, in particular, is original in its own right.

This bird signifies renewal and is one of the first of the spring.

By May the Robin can be seen aerating lawns around North America while digging for worms.

If you see a nest, you may get close up and view the beautiful blue eggs but please do not touch them or momma will be mad.

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New Series Birds from Walden Red-winged Blackbird

“The birds I heard today, which, fortunately, did not come within the scope of my science, sang as freshly as if it had been the first morning of creation.” -Henry David Thoreau-

When I moved to Walden pond there were many unknown’s to discover, both inside and out.

One of these unknown discoveries is the many different birds that live so intentionally and peaceful in a harmony, rarely seen in man.

I have arranged some of the most intriguing birds into a series of articles that will appear weekly for your enjoyment.

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived” -Henry David Thoreau-

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Red winged blackbird

The red-winged Blackbird represents re-birth and renewal. After a long winter in the Northeast, this beautiful bird is one of the first that we see softly, sweetly, singing songs of spring.

One of the songs is a whistle. A mating call that is accompanied by symmetrical body movement. The dance consists of stretching out large and circular like the sun.

As the deep cooing call comes, the red-winged blackbird spreads his wings in full display, appearing twice as large and more appealing to potential mates.

At first glance, it looks like almost any other blackbird just with a bright red stripe sitting above a yellow stripe, on the shoulder of the wings.

Once the mating song has been sung, the bird opens its feathers to show its prowess, displaying the fullness of its wingspan and deep colours.

This beautiful blackbird spends most of his day flying back and forth from tree to tree, opting to sit atop the crowd wherever it lands.

This stunning and graceful creature directs the traffic of all the other birds around Walden pond with his unmistakable whistling voice.

At times acting as a radio control tower, the bird can be heard clearing the runway so that Canada geese can take off like jumbo jets after their swim.

It also acts as a defender of all nests and will help the other birds in the forest by distracting anyone who gets to close to said nests.

This bird is a leader among birds. One who takes pride in the tribe protector role and it shows through the harmony that is seen in abundance around Walden pond.

There is one particular red-winged blackbird that I have come to adore for its whimsy and innovative nature. On the comical side, the bird keeps flying into the window at the front of the house.

It will start on the ledge and try to fly upwards, attacking the two fake bird decals that are affixed to the window.

The fake birds are there to prevent real birds from crashing into the window and this seems to be a counterintuitive approach when it comes to the red-winged blackbird.

This beautiful bird will repeatedly smash into and then fall back down the face of the window in a feeble and funny effort.

The innovation aspect the bird shows is in morse code. How many humans know morse code? Exactly!

The bird can be seen perched on the metal antenna attached to the outside of the home. Intentionally, the bird starts pecking his message into the metal frame and over the ether, communicating with other birds.

At first, it seemed unfathomable but after continued observation it was unmistakable. A message would get sent and from another antenna 500 ft away, a return message would arrive seconds later.

Back and forth these messages would continue. I do not know morse code so it is unclear what the birds were communicating but they were clearly speaking back and forth through the rattling of metal.

The first time I thought it must be an echo however, the pecking patterns perceived were different from each other in both length and speed.

In the early evening with the sun at its back, the bird will sail smoothly towards the feeder and the effect is the colourful yellow and red wings appear as a solid orange.

At other times the bird can be seen exiting a tree and diving down to the cattails at the edge of the pond, bracing onto a long stock as it bends but does not break. The bird will almost touch the water before bending back the opposite way and then it will sit still soaking up the sun.

The red-winged blackbird is the initial start to spring around Walden and next comes the Robin, the official bird of Spring everywhere.

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Alphabet soup for the soul – “Z”

Z is for Zygote

“A zygote is a gamete’s way of producing more gamete’s. This may be the purpose of the universe”

Robert A. Heinlein

The dictionary defines a zygote as “An egg that has been fertilized by sperm”

This is a natural biological process in humans and animals and is the initial stage to reproducing .

It is in essence life itself , the first manifestations of a soul’s entrance into the human experience.

The Dali Lama the explains the intended objective of a zygote beautifully when talking about how suffering can create joy.

After exploding on the scene through the birth canal, we see how suffering can very quickly be turned to joy.

A child is born and another point of attention connects to the rest of the universe.

Some children will remain lighter and vibrate higher throughout their lives. Unfortunately due to the conditioning received and chemicals, foods, water, and other external forces in the public sphere, the overwhelming majority of the people on our planet have been so conditioned out of their natural state that they are more dense and their waves are vibrating incoherently.

What is needed is a return to Abundance of health , Benevolence of being and a call to Creation. A return to quiet time and time to go within. A return to healthy grown fruits and vegetables and clean and pure drinking water.

All of this will allow the zygotes vibrate higher from the beginning.

There is no irony in the fact that at the end of Alphabet soup for the soul ,we are starting back at the beginning. it is intentional. it shows the cyclical nature of all things.

The Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and, the end!

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I want to thank you for taking this journey with me through Alphabet soup for the soul.

I will be launching a new series for your enjoyment next week called Birds from Walden.

Below is the link for the first series that I posted on Words from Walden.

12 steps to a spiritual awakening

Alphabet soup for the soul – “Y”

“Believe you can and your halfway there”

-Theodore Roosevelt-

Y is for You

You have everything you need inside you already.

You have energy and light and electricity coursing through your veins so you have access to higher dimensions and realms that can not be measured by science.

You are electric, your thoughts are liquid.

You are a wave of light and energy.

You are a radio and every single moment, you are transmitting your vibration across the universe. A big part of the vibration signal you send out is based on what you feel as a body and what you think as a mind. And, therein lies the problem.

As the French philosopher , Pierre Teilhard de Chardin said;

“We are not Human beings having a spiritual experience;

We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”

Those who are spiritual will understand this while

Those who are not, suffer under an affliction of their own mind and also their bodies.

You have all the tools and if there is any doubt about that, just read through the Alphabet soup for the soul starting at A is for abundance . You will quickly remember that everything you need is inside of you already.

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Alphabet soup for the soul – “X”

X is for -” X marks the spot“

“If ‘X’ marks the spot of the destination of our life journey, then ‘Y’ should be the reason we’re choosing to go”

– Cedric Crawford-

The phrase ‘X marks the spot’ has a couple of different attributions. One version is that old pirates would bury their treasure and the way they would remember where it was, was by placing an X on a map close to a landmark that they sought out as the burial site.

Another version is that it was used by the British army. When performing executions, A soldier would mark a piece of paper with an x and positioning it on the heart of someone sentenced to death.

Somewhere along the line we became less barbaric in the approach to this phrase.

For the purposes of this article you are X and X marks the spot where you are standing at any time or point in the world. You are at the centre of your own world at all times.

This means that you are the center point of your own reality. Everything you come in contact with on a daily basis is a message for you and you alone.

The guy you pass on the street at a certain time everyday, he has a message for you.

The lyrics to a song that stir up feelings inside you, pay attention to that message.

The bird that lands beside you in the park or the cat that crosses your path. The email you get or the book you read. All of these are messages for you in your world.

Other people are receiving their own different messages. There is magic in song, scenery and surroundings.

Sometimes we don’t even know what the message is until a future time and date. Have you ever experienced this? Something happens and you instantly recall a song or a book you read in the past. The reason you realise right away is that it was meant for you.

This happens sometimes without our knowing. Maybe you wanted to run first thing in the morning but when you woke up your foot was sore. instead you decide to run later in the day and on that run you happen across something that you would not have otherwise seen. that is also a part of the magic.

Do you believe in something you cant see but you know is there? Just like a WIFI signal that we know is there because our phone is working yet we cant see it, God is the magic and is there at all times. Unlike the WIFI signal she doesn’t ever cut out on us.

You are the X and the map is your imagination. So, start with right now, , where you are and with whatever you have.

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Alphabet soup for the soul – “W”

W is for Work

“I learned the value of hard work by working hard”

– Margret Mead –

If you do the work , you will reap the rewards. And, if you do what you love it will not feel like work (most of the time).

Working hard is not about money or fame but rather about being the best version of you that you can be for your level of consciousness at any given time.

The goal is to evolve, but personal evolution does not simply happen by creating your future from a closed trans-like state of becoming nobody and no-thing, in no time, from no place and nowhere. There is another step that is essential.

After you create your future from that meditative state , that spiritual dimension , you must re-enter the physical body and play in the 3D world of physical form.

The trick is trying to stay conscious without repeating the negative thought loops, patterns and unconscious behaviours, that are hardwired inside each of us. Neural networks that have been laid down over a lifetime.

We must ask the question, What can I do so that i don’t fall from grace today? And, If I do fall from grace , How can I shorten the refractory period ?

Have you ever been upset about something you have said or done and then hours, even, days later you are still upset about the same thing?

This is where you must forgive yourself and move forward in an effort to become lighter and vibrate higher. This is where we realise we are human. We get up and dust ourselves off and return to doing the work.

As long as we just keep working and taking action in the direction of our goals and dreams then the prize is inevitable.

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Alphabet soup for the soul – “V”

V is for Vision

“If you are not being defined by a vision of the future, then your left with the old memories of the past“

-Dr. Joe Dispenza-

Do you have a vision for your future?

If not, now might be the time to start thinking about it. Where do you see yourself in 1, 5 or 10 years? How about 20 or 30 years?

The important thing to note is that those milestones will happen no matter what. It is up to you whether or not you have a say in how they happen.

Since you have the power to choose and create your future, you might as well make a conscious choice of what you wish to become before it’s too late (if your reading this than its not too late).

One of the smartest people I ever knew said make a list of what you wish to have twenty-five years from now and spend the next twenty-five years getting it. To some that may sound a little too difficult but that is because you have a mental block that has allowed you to ‘accept your lot in life’.

Somewhere inside you is a limiting belief that says ‘life is just the way it is and I have no control over my future’. Some will be happy enough repeating the same day over and over.

I am here to tell you that you are in possession of the golden lamp and the universe is the genie here to grant you as many wishes as you can muster.

A new car, what colour? a new house, where? a new job, in what industry?

Your wish is my command says the Universe to the person holding the lamp.

Please don’t just take my word for it. Practice this for the next 60 days;

TRY THIS: Sit with your eyes closed for 5-10 minutes a day and dream about all the desires you wish to manifest in this life. At first, you may not believe the things you are putting forth, in fact, you probably won’t believe it but do it anyway. Do not let this stop you from dreaming daily.

Continue to repeat the same dreams, wishes and ideas for the full 60-day period and not only will you start to believe it but your brain will also start to seek out the answers on how to do it. The key is to not waver.

Stick to the same dream and do it every day from that closed eyes state. You will find out that the universe will provide you with opportunities that you previously could not see. That is when the magic begins. Do you believe in yourself? Do you believe in magic?

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Alphabet soup for the soul – “U”

U is for Universe

” Ordinary men hate solitude. But the master makes use of it, embracing his aloneness, realizing he is one with the whole universe”

Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

Universe, God, Source, The Tao. These are all different names for the same thing.

These are all ways of saying creator or creation.

The Tao describes the Universe as;

everything and nothing

good and bad

up and down

right and wrong

light and dark.

If this is so then although, God has given us all the gifts of creation, the truth is that She is not pre occupied with what any one of us do. The whole thing is one big connected cosmic joke and each part (good and bad) is necessary for God to experience God.

In this context God (or the universe) is everything. As that old Santa looking guy who had conversations with God has told us, there is nothing that is not God. No -thing.

The creator made it this way intentionally so that the universe can experience itself as one combined conscious entity.

The most beautiful part is that the Universe has started a massive shift to awaken the masses since the turn of the century. It started in earnest in the 1970’s, however, it sped up at an exponential rate once the internet was widely used.

Before that the knowledge was kept to churches, universities, politicians and the ultrawealthy. The internet has changed that. We can find out anything we want and find out what’s going on any where in the world that is connected via internet.

Now we are all connected and I can talk to people from every country in the world simultaneously . We are all connected as part of one universal consciousness. Brothers and Sisters made by God for God

When God made Humans the apex of creativity, we became his perfect creation. That holds with it the meaning that you are a perfect creation exactly the way you are at this moment.

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Alphabet soup for the soul – “T”

T is for Transformation

Self-transformation is not just about changing yourself. It means shifting yourself to a completely new dimension of experience and perception.

– Sadhguru-

An tiny egg turns into larva which then turns into a caterpillar, before finally, transforming into a beautiful butterfly, so too a human being can transform from ugly to beautiful.

The butterfly is a perfect metaphor for the ego. We can transform our ego from the ugly caterpillar that is leeching onto its existence, scared by what it see’s and continuously squirming to and fro in an effort to get ahead, yet barley making any progress.

We can transform that slow repetitive, predictable and agonizing route into a multi-dimensional and multi-directional, stunningly majestic butterfly.

Once the metamorphosis is completed in the fourth stage, a butterfly breaks out of the chrysalis and upon its own strength it emerges to explore new opportunities.

Opportunities that were previously unseen to the lowly caterpillar become visible. This beautifully transformed creature not only has a new life but it is also able to explore new dimensions of time and space once thought unfathomable.

From a fresh vantage point the butterfly can travel far across the planet migrating the globe to witness the Universe beyond the scope of a caterpillar whose entire life is bound to a couple of trees in a park. Become beautiful, become a butterfly.

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Alphabet soup for the soul – “S”

S is for Suffering

“Pain is certain, suffering is optional”

-Buddha-

The Buddha famously said ‘life is suffering’ and that is true if you believe it. It does not however, have to be that way. The Buddha also said that suffering is optional. I believe pain is a bodily experience whereas suffering is a condition of the mind. There can be one without the other.

Henry Ford has been attributed with saying “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right”. It’s a choice and each individual gets to decide how to proceed. I believe the same goes for suffering. You can decide to suffer or not, it is up to you.

Let us use the example of having to receive a dozen stitches in your arm from a wound. The cut is deep and it hurts. There may be lots of blood around the cut and you may not be able to focus on anything except the hurt and the discomfort that has become your entire world a moment.

That is not suffering however, it is pain. Suffering enters when we start agonizing over the pain and when we attach the human idea of “woe is me” or start to project the worst-case scenario as our monkey mind will almost certainly always do to try and keep us safe.

If we remove ourselves from ourselves, and just observe the reality of the situation from a detached point of view then we stop it at the level of pain and we do not suffer.

The irony in this scenario is that suffering is ego-driven. By placing the attention on Me, My or I , in the act of Suffering, It is actually the ego taking over.

If that were not the case and you were to accept that, yes, this is unpleasant but the doctor will fix me up and everything will be fine than you will not suffer, you will simply be in pain.

A helpful strategy in this situation would be to feel compassion other people and once that happens you are no longer separated by your own ego. Thus, you become connected again to all that is and you will see an instant transformation from suffering into compassion. Which would you rather feel?

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Alphabet soup for the soul – “R”

R is for Remembering

“Can you remeber who you were, before the world told you who you should be”

-Charles Bukowski-

Babies and toddlers innately know what to do? They do not have to be taught or learn, they just know. It also helps that they believe in themselves, have a faith in themselves and desire that is unwavering. Conversley and most importantly they do not doubt themselves.

Have you ever seen a toddler learning to walk? How many times do they fall down?

Not only do they get back up every single time but they eventually reach their end goal. This single metaphor tackles many areas inherent to success, such as;

Always get back up

2. Do not ever stop trying to reach your goal

3. Do not entertain “no” or “impossible as an option

A toddler will learn how to walk because they never entertain the idea that they can’t walk. It simply is not an option not to do so.

A wise guru said that if a child is alone and hungry , and see’s berries on a bush, the child does not try to put the berries in their ears or their eyes. The child understands intellectually that the berries go in the mouth and no one needs to tell the child this.

As children we knew what to do, how we felt and who we were. Somehow it is conditioned out of us overtime by well meaning people who want to fill our heads with their dogmas and ideology, based on what they experienced in their lives and what they think they know. Sometimes the advice is helpful, like not putting your hand on a hot stove or learning not to walk in front of a moving car. More often than not however the “lessons” are nonsensical and better be left unsaid.

Young kids are in the present moment the majority of the time and are almost always in a state of bliss , even when upset they are fully present with those feelings. They will sit with the feeling for a minute or two and once felt, they are done with that emotion. This is because they allow emotions to move through them and out of them.

Young kids are naturally in a waking meditation, enamoured with the world around them and not worried about the mistakes of the past or what will happen in the future.

Adults do the opposite and try to not feel the emotion by either burying it quickly or distracting ourselves with something else so we do not have to feel the unwanted feelings.

Which sceanrio is more helpful? As such we must remeber what we have forgotten and be more like the curious children of the world. We must allow all emotions, good and bad, to play their part and feel them before ultimatley releasing them back to whence they came.

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Alphabet soup for the soul – “Q”

Q is for Question

“Question everything. Learn something. Answer nothing.”

-Euripides–

Question everything. Question your thoughts. Question your beliefs. Question the Universe and then do it again. This is how you will find out who you truly are.

Question your values, your purpose and your reason for doing the things you do. Ask other people questions and then question the feedback you receive from them.

Question why you notice the same person on your way to work every day and not the other 10,000 people you pass on the street or on the train or in your car. Question why certain types of information cross your path and the timing of their arrival. Question everything relentlessly until you find the answers that are true to you and then keep on questioning.

The results of your life are a direct response to the questions you have asked. If you are unhappy with your current life situation it is because you are not asking the right questions or maybe you are not asking any questions .

Take all the information, the constructs, the beliefs, the values and the experiences which you have accumulated up to this exact moment in your life and question if they serve you or not. If they do not serve you then softly say goodbye and let them go.

Inspiration and creativity is deep inside you already and so are the answers you seek. It is no accident that you arrived on the planet at this precise moment in time. Start asking Why? Who? What? Where? When? How? Once you start asking those simple questions the answers have no choice but to emerge.

As this blog has noted in the past when we begin to ask open-ended questions our brain has no choice but to bring forth the answer through the nouns you experience in our life.

If you are not participating in the creation process of the story that is your life then you will end up with a life lived unintentional and not by design. By default you may miss out on the future you want because you will simply walk right past it without ever even noticing.

You will miss the opportunities that are presenting themselves daily and you will have to settle for the leftovers that remain after all the creators have plated their desires from the buffet of life.

Once we ask the questions the Universe will align to answer those questions. However, if you are not looking for the answers then you will not see them.

TRY THIS: Ask a question for which you’ve been longing for guidance. Now over the next few days pay attention and you will see some answers. Keep asking the same question until you receive answers. It doesnt take long.

If your unsure where to start here are some questions to ask ourselves;

Why are we here? What would it feel like to …? How can I…? What would it look like five years from now if …? What will allow me to …? When will I…?

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Alphabet soup for the soul – “P”

P is for Physiology

Lets play a game.

Imagine if you will in your mind’s eye that you are holding a bright shiny lemon. First feel the softness of the lemon that gives a little when you squeeze it tight (not too tight).

Next, notice the waxy skin on the outer layer and the unmistakable scent of the uncut lemon.

Now place it down on a cutting board and grab a big sharp knife.

First cut the lemon in half and then into smaller wedges like you when added to a glass of water.

Finally, pick up one of the wedges and bite into it.

What does it taste like? Did your mouth water or maybe your eyes squinted at the taste?

You just changed the physiology of your body by thought. What you think literally affects your body.

If your body can produce that kind of a change just by thinking about a lemon for less than one minute , then what do you think is possible for our physiology if we sat alone in thought for ten minutes a day, everyday?

After a couple of months our bodies would reflect the change we are attracting in our meditation and we would feel as if the dreams we are going after have already happened, because according to our physiology and just like the lemon, we have changed our thoughts to reflect that the event has actually happened.

Then we begin to step into the things we are meditating about. We start to attract the right people, events and circumstances in our lives and in doing so we have just created our future.

As the saying goes, When life gives you lemons make lemonade.

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Alphabet soup for the soul – “O”

O is for Observe

“Observe your thoughts, dont beleive them”

-Eckhart Tolle-

Do you ever observe yourself having a conversation in your mind and asking yourself questions?

If your mind can observe itself asking questions then who or what part of you is doing the observing?

Michael Singer talks about this idea beautifully in his book the untethered soul. A must book or audio-book for anyone who has experienced spiritual awakening (or wants too).

If we can observe our thoughts then the saying “you are not your thoughts” rings true.

Can you bring your full attention and awareness to your right shoulder ? Can you slide that awareness across your shoulders and down the other arm to your elbow? The answer is Yes to both those questions. So, then your thinking mind is not who you are.

The real you is the awareness. The real you is a soul, a spirit , the body and the mind are just the vessel which carries the spirit. Simply a result of this earthly human experience we are having.

We were a soul before birth and we will be a spirit long after leaving the body which is having a human experience for less than a nanosecond in the continuous clock of creation.

The fact that you’re observing your mind means that you’re not your mind. You are not attached to it.

The idea is to detach from your mind and the identity that has been created for you and by you. With that freeing of the mind you also get freedom from your body which is your unconscious mind running programs.

Once you notice the programs are just playing on repeat you can ask questions.

Questions like, Why does the adult me feel the need to continue to repeat the program i followed when i was younger ? Can I invent new programs to replace the old ones?Am I just repeating a neural pathway that is on without my knowing and understanding what is happening? Can i disconnect that pathway that is on auto-repeat ? Can i disconnect the neurons that have been laid down over the years or decades?

Such questions begin to open the door to your awareness and will lead you down a new path. A path that will be very different from the cyclical experience you may have had for your entire life until now. A path of growth and creation.

The end result is a new person who has broke free from the chains of the past. A person who can see that the soul has a bigger say in personal evolution than previously known. A person who sees that the human body and mind is capable of much more than ever thought possible.

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Alphabet soup for the soul – “N”

N is for Nature

“Let us spend one day as deliberately as nature“

-Henry David Thoreau-

Nature has the answers to many existential questions if we are willing to sit back and observe carefully.

The examples that can be found vary across the animal kingdom, in the plant life kingdom and throughout the oceans of the world. Some are subtle metaphors and some are so stunningly obvious that they make me ask “How come I didn’t I see that before?”

The Amazon rainforest alone holds many of the answers to life itself. Answers of how to grow, nurture, breathe, eat. Along with all the healing that takes place under the canopy. The answers are truly everywhere, all we have to do is look.

It is no mistake that humans are made of the same elements that are found in the stars which permeate the farthest reaches of space. It is also no mistake that the human body and the earth are both made of 70% water.

Nature contains duality in everything. Among other things it is both beautiful and ugly, gentle and strong, loud and quiet, fierce and friendly, order and chaos.

As the prophet foreshadowed; a day, would arrive out of nowhere and with a wallop winter would be upon us all.

As witnessed through the window, high above the perch where I write these words, the snow blankets the soft bed of rich green grass that lays beneath it. I am reminded that winter has swept in and taken credit for all the work the autumn winds did whistling the weary down for slumber and putting the land to sleep.

Greatness is similar to snow. It starts with little flakes which turn into a snowball that fits into a hand and with a couple of rolls in the sea of snow it’s the size of a soccer ball. The snowball gets bigger as it continues down the same path with momentum.

Creativity is sparked and the culmination becomes a beautiful snowman that children can make come to life and play with, as if it were a real person.

The impermeant nature of life returns the snowman to the earth in the form of melted water which in turn allows the grass to grow strong and thick. Changing from spring through the summer and eventually to the autumn as the cycle repeats itself endlessly forever and ever.

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Alphabet soup for the soul – “M”

M is for Mindfulness

“Living twenty four hours with mindfulness is more worthwhile than living 100 years without it.”

-The Buddha-

Mindfulness or meditation? These two “M’s” often get confused for each other and for good reason. They are very easy to conflate because they are very similar. Both offer great ways to stop and break negative thinking loops.

Mindfulness is finding the present moment anyplace, anywhere and at any time. When we do this we can regulate ourselves on the spot.

Young kids are mindful and they are almost always in the present moment. They have a limited concept of the future or past.

Mindfulness is playing with a dog or just watching the dog playing by itself. It is watching a bird in a bird feeder or the trees swaying gently in the summer breeze. It is watching the clouds painted in the sky moving by gently by.

Mindfulness is focusing on the breath in and out, in and out. It is forgetting about the past and surrendering any plans for the future and therefore finding the present moment which is truly a gift.

There are countless ways to be mindful including breathing, gratitude, compassion and meditation.

Mindfulness is becoming centred so the flight, fight or freeze stress response is turned off with intent. This allows us to navigate our outer world with more grace and ease which spreads from person to person if viewed through the correct lens.

Joe Dispenza teaches us that meditation begins in the present moment when we become nothing or no-thing, no-where in no place, in no time, and no space.

A body scan is a fast way to gain mindfulness and prepare for meditation. A body scan is exactly what it sounds like and it allows us to quickly get present by becoming aware of our awareness.

Start at the top of your body and work down. Focus your awareness on the head, shoulders, chest, abdomen, hips, thighs, calves, feet or any variation that works including starting at the bottom and working your up to the crown of the head.

Quick heart coherence is another great trick taught by the Heart Math Institute. This is done by deep breathing while focusing your attention on the chest area, then breathing deeply in and out of the heart.

Spending time in nature will also breath a certain frequency onto and into us that will help our physiology in a similar way as meditation and mindfulness does.

Some people opt for a guided journey to a mountain top and see light filling the body. Electrical charges will course throughout the body energizing and emanating light in every direction and across many dimensions.

I have learned all of this through personal experience yet to quote Socrates “The only thing I know for sure is that I know nothing”.

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Alphabet soup for the soul – “L”

L is for Light

I should observe such a beam of light as an electromagnetic field at rest.

-Albert Einstein-

While travelling in a streetcar and looking back at the clock tower in Bern Switzerland, a young Albert Einstein dreamed of what it would be like to ride alongside a beam of light.

How fast would one have to be traveling to ride on a beam of light and what would it look like on the clock. Would the seconds freeze or possibly go in reverse?

The answer is one would have to be travelling at light speed of course (300,000km a second according to Stephen Hawking). That Clock tower sparked the idea for the special theory of relativity which has revolutionized modern physics and the way we view our universe.

The math equation is more famous than its origin story described above. E=MC2.

Part of what we learn from the math is we are all light waves of energy and we vibrate through space and time.

Some shine brighter than others. We can even shine brighter than ourselves . The reverse is true as it is easy to vibrate lower and denser at certain times.

Our thoughts determine how bright we shine and how coherently we vibrate. No matter how low or dense your vibration is at this moment, you can change it with your thoughts.

The world needs more light workers so be careful of the things you put in your mind. Everyday we choose what goes into our subconscious minds by the music we listen to, the media we consume and even the people we interact with.

You are raising your vibration right now by reading this and putting your attention on the spiritual element inside everybody, the soul, which also requires nourishing to flourish.

TRY THIS: Make a list of the things that bring you down to a lower vibration and beware of them going forward. Be on the lookout for lower frequencies that come with emotions such as envy, jealousy, shame, guilt, blame, just to name a few.

You can start today and work to replace these feelings with higher vibrational frequencies such as love, joy, gratitude, compassion and peacefulness. And when you fall from grace daily (which will happen again and again) just dust yourself off , get back up and continue the journey toward your highest self.

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Alphabet soup for the soul – “K”

K is for Karma

“How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.”

-Wayne Dyer-

Karma is a Sanskrit word that means action, work or deed. Most people have understood this idea from a very young age. It’s as simple as cause and effect. Good karma, bad karma, whatever you put out you will come back to you in return.

Do unto others as you would have others do unto you is the golden rule and it is also how to create good karma. You reap what you sow is another story. It is a very simple method to ensure you live a peaceful, happy, joyful and meaningful existence.

If the energy you put out into the world is positive then it will return to you manifested in some positive way (that you can not predict or intend, or at least I can not).

A good example that covers all three words used to describe karma (action, work, deed ) is helping a friend move to their new house or apartment.

By helping a friend, one would be initiating a positive action by performing positive work and doing a positive deed. With one decision this person has given and therefore is adding to a positive rating in the spiritual bank account. Karma.

In helping a friend move one would have sent good karma into the ether and therefore would receive good karma in return.

The caveat is that it won’t happen the way you think it will. The end result is the same or greater but it is not the way you imagined it.

This does not mean that if you help move a friend that they will help you move when it’s your turn. That is too easy to predict. The only predictability about karma is what you give you will also get ( good or bad doesn’t matter).

The lighter you are, the more light will shine through you. Everyone puts out karma, even if they don’t know they’re doing it. So be intentional about what kind of karma you are putting out there for others to receive and feel.

So, is your karmic bank account on the plus side or negative side?

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Alphabet soup for the soul – “J”

J is for Jesus

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

-John 8:12-

Jesus Of Nazareth is the most widely recognized lightworker ever to walk the earth.

Where The Buddha is famous for saying the words “life is suffering”, the death of Jesus on the cross is the visual personification of suffering. It is also a great metaphor for how the majority of people view the world today.

Jesus could access other dimensions and realms of existence through the third eye. In the gospel of Matthew, verse 6:22 says “The light of the body is the eye; if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light”.

The third eye has been noted throughout the world and history as the place where we transcend our human experience into something more magical. Practiced from Egypt, India and China before Christ, to the Romans in the time of Jesus and, sweeping the internet a score of centuries later. It is seen as the gateway between the physical body and the metaphysical.

The pineal gland sits almost in the center of the brain. It is the size of a grain of rice and as depicted in many ancient hieroglyphs it is a pinecone shape and it is the third eye.

The pineal gland acts as a transducer, a radio antenna that crystallizes and shimmers to allow a flood of chemicals into the brain. An explosion of ecstasy that will thrust one right out of the physical body and into a spiritual realm.

Jesus of Nazareth taught us how to elevate our vibrations and frequency to another level. Quantum physics is now proving this level scientifically and it will only become more obvious and tangible going forward.

Jesus walked on water, made blind men see, deaf men hear and mute men speak. His Dharma continues to be fulfilled long after his death and his Karma is stamped throughout the books of the time.

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Alphabet soup for the soul – “I”

I is for Infinite Intelligence

“I know this world is ruled by infinite intelligence. Everything that surrounds us- everything that exists – proves that there are infinite laws behind it. There can be no denying this fact. It is mathematical in its precision.“

-Thomas Edison-

There is an infinite intelligence that allows our bodies to breathe while we sleep. It also allows our bodies to repair and regenerate while we sleep.

This same intelligence allows blood to travel through us covering 19,000 km or 12,000 miles a day.

It allows a human heart to beat 100,000 times daily. It allows the lungs to take around 20,000 breaths a day. The most amazing part is that we don’t even notice any of this is happening.

The complexity of the body although empirical is in a realm that is still unfathomable for most people. This is due to infinite intelligence.

Whether you choose to call it God, Universe or Source, they are all the same thing, infinite intelligence.

It defies thought and understanding to grasp the full significance of the intricate nature of the human body. It is also completely perfect and designed to be that way.

This infinite intelligence is not just in our bodies but is everywhere we look as well.

All the drops of water that make up an Ocean and that then force the waves to roll in and out depending on which way the earth is facing and the pull of the moon.

The stars and planets that are suspended in the sky and waiting for us to explore.

The mass migration of birds in the winter, heading south for warmer destinations closer to the equator. How is it that a bird can know how to get from Boston to Boca Raton?

This same intelligence also allows a bear to hibernate for months while losing half its body fat but no muscle. Dropping the Bear’s heart rate from 50 bpm down to 10 bpm, and dropping their body temperature from 38 degrees down to 33 degrees. This same intelligence allows a bear to go months without drinking, urinating or defecating.

A bamboo tree grows underground without sunlight for 4 years and is not visible above ground until the 5th year. At that point, it breaks through and then shoots up 60-80 ft in a couple of months. That could not happen without infinite intelligence.

The rain that turns to snow at a certain temperature and the revelation that every single snowflake is uniquely different than its counterpart.

The beautiful colors of fall foliage or the grass that exactly like fingernails will grow faster the more you cut it.

A field full of dandelions that all look the same until you get a closeup and realize that like a snowflake every single one is different.

All around us are the designs of infinite intelligence at work and most of us don’t even think about it for even a second during our entire lives.

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Alphabet soup for the soul – “F”

F is for Focus

“Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it. “

-Greg Anderson-

What we focus on expands. Many people have been attributed with saying “Energy flows where attention goes” and whether the energy is positive or negative this is true of everyone. No one is exempt from this universal law.

If you want to become a musician for example, then you must place your attention on that. In doing so your energy will flow there.

In order to achieve success, you have to practice by visualizing and then becoming the thing it is that you want. If you direct your attention towards this thing then the energy inside you flows directly to it.

This means you have to do the things a musician would do. You must write music, learn instruments, practice singing, learn about the mixing equipment and find places to practice live in front of people. Essentially you must focus the majority of your energy and attention on that thing.

If instead, you say I’ll start tomorrow, I’m too tired right now or I’ll start later, then your energy is now tied up in procrastination and since your attention is not on becoming a musician anymore, then you will not become that thing.

When I first started writing I had no experience. I didn’t even know the difference between a noun and a verb.

I did know, however, that in order to become a writer there is only one way. I had to immerse myself in the craft. I had to focus my energy and attention on writing by sitting down and forcing myself to write. So that’s what I did.

Every day and unsure what to write, I would set a timer and write down whatever came into my head until the timer went off.

After doing this month after month I slowly found my style and progressively got better.

The reason is that I focused all my attention on becoming a writer; as such my energy started flowing to where my attention was going. There is no other way to achieve the things you want.

The more you find your passions, purpose and principles the easier it becomes until one day you reflect quickly on your journey and realize that your time and energy has been steadily flowing where you put your attention.

Go into your memory bank right now and recall a time when you were stuck in a state of being mad or upset and couldn’t get unstuck. The reason is that negative energy was flowing to that thought or situation and that energy directed your attention to the loop that got you stuck in the first place.

The flip side of that coin is that we have all had moments when our energy was so bright and radiant that even an energy vampire crossing our path could not disrupt it. That is because our focus was on something greater.

By focusing all your time and energy on your dreams, that reality will expand until you become that thing.

Ask yourself where is your attention flowing? If you don’t like the answer then focus your energy and attention towards your dreams until they become a reality.

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Alphabet soup for the soul – “E”

E is for Earth

“What’s the use of a fine house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on.”

–Henry David Thoreau–

The Earth that we occupy is drenched in various forms of life that are full of energy and intelligence, both visible and invisible to the human eye.

The energy we experience on Earth is all around us, it is in everything and everywhere. The leaves of a tree that produce food for both humans and animals is made by and infused with a higher intelligence. It is also found in insects and organisms.

Is Earth the only place that intelligent life can prosper in the entire cosmos?

As we expand our universal reach through space we will find out that undoubtedly we are NOT the only planet where intelligent life exists in such abundance, but you already knew that.

One of the most intriguing things about Earth is that it is the only planet that we currently know of where so many life forms thrive together, so completely and complexly in a web of connectivity, where all these different life forms are structured to depend on each other for survival.

Another empirically fascinating fact is that Earth is a place with such extremes that the climate you are in can kill you or make you stronger.

A place where due to gravity we see oceans and lakes stick to the earth like glue and rainwater naturally falling out of the skies. A place that can erupt, shake or burn in an effort to regain control. A planet that can speak to the global awareness of all its inhabitants to wake up.

Often referred to as Gaia, or Mother Gaia, this planetary consciousness of Earth is a living breathing thing that plays by different rules which are much more sophisticated than meagre humans can currently fathom.

As for Gaia, she got fed up with waiting for us to fix the problems we created and decided to clean the causeways of Venice and patch the ozone later herself. The symbiotic relationship that falls under the umbrella of Gaia is dependant on it.

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Alphabet soup for the soul – “D”

D is for Dharma

“It is better to live your own dharma imperfectly, than to live an imitation of somebody else’s life with perfection.”

– Bhagavad Gita–

Dharma is the destiny deep inside all of us, it is our reason for living. In Buddhism, it means ‘cosmic law and order’.

Simply put it’s the version of yourself that you are trying to get to. For context, Karma is the steps we take daily towards fulfilling our Dharma.

If you can get real quiet and shut out the distractions in the various forms that are flying at us , seemingly all day – every day, then we can start to discover our own core values and in doing so we will find our life’s purpose, our Dharma.

The easiest way is to ask the universe a question and then get real quiet and look for the answer.

We all have our purpose buried inside us and if we start asking the questions, like a flower, it will bloom and start to open up showing the most beautiful version of itself.

An example from my own life is shutting down the external noises from media, society, social media and even the people closest to me whom I love dearly.

In doing so, the answers that come forth guide me toward my dharma and it becomes clear what the overall ‘big picture’ looks like.

Dharma is not about money or getting paid. In a roundabout way, it is about others. What kind of impact do we wish to have on others? What can I do that will allow me to serve others?

If you can answer those two questions then it’s possible you have found your dharma and to reach its full potential you will need to focus your attention on that area.

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Alphabet soup for the soul – “B”

B is for Benevolence

“Dress yourself in the silks of benevolence because kindness makes you beautiful.“

–Richelle E. Goodrich–

Benevolence and Altruism, two states that guarantee compassion, joy and well-being. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? With consistent practice it is.

We are designed to be sentient and generous beings. When we show kindness for the well-being of others we shift the focus off ourselves and in doing so forget any pain we are in both physically and psychologically . The kind of pain that keeps us stuck in lower frequencies.

The states of physical stability, physiological stability and mental calmness that come as a result of equanimity are worth installing the daily practice and discipline required to get there.

At a physiological level our body releases the needed chemicals to signal peace and calm instead of the fight or flight signal that goes off when the stress response is turned on (the stress response for many is on constantly).

In helping others, we help ourselves to heal and once that happens we can heal others. If energy flows where attention goes then by taking attention off yourself and putting it on someone else, that means your energy is flowing to them and that is energy they can use to heal their body and heal their mind.

Once we practice emotional intelligence then we begin to vibrate higher, shine brighter and we can create from a place of love and light.

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Alphabet soup for the soul – “A”

A is for Abundance

“Abundance is not something we acquire, it is something we tune in to.”

–Wayne Dyer –

God, Source, The Universe, The Feild. Whatever you call the higher power that created us and allows blood to travel substantial distances freely through our veins is providing abundance everywhere, all the time.

This same infinite intelligence keeps us breathing while we are fast asleep, resting and repairing, regenerating and rejuvenating so every day we function at an optimal level.

The same higher intelligence also provides fruits and vegetables to nurture the body. By harnessing the sun’s power plus water as it falls from the sky, all the food needed for survival grows on trees, bushes or directly out of the ground.

The amount of food produced each year is enough to feed the whole world multiple times and it all stems from the tiniest volume of seeds which grow into full abundance right in front of our eyes.

Made purposefully by God and given for us. The amount of abundance is greater than one can attempt to fathom.

One day while making dinner, I cut open a pepper and there were at least one hundred seeds inside one red pepper.

If even half turned into peppers after planting then I would end up with fifty new peppers, each with a hundred more seeds which is the same as five thousand more seeds.

After just a couple of years, you would have half a million followed by a number like 50,000,000 and on and on forever expanding.

All of that abundance comes from one seed planted with love and cared for over a much shorter time frame than one might assume. This idea works in an endless possibility of ways and means. Some are noted in this article. The brain is another great example.

Just look at how many neurons are in the human brain. As of the last count, there were 86 billion neurons inside a human brain. Is that how many drops of water are in all the oceans? How about the number of grains of sand? Is it possible that there are 86 billion stars in the universe?

Finally, abundance can be shown through the neuron example via human evolution in learning. If scientists one hundred years ago claimed there were only 14 billion neurons in the brain and today they are saying 86 billion, then how many neurological circuits will the human brain have 100 years from now.

It matters not that we didn’t have the ‘proper’ tools 100 years ago. What matters is the abundance was already there, we just couldn’t see it.

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New years eve 2020

New years 2021 and I love you all.

As always thank you for supporting this blog. Its so humbling to have such amazing interactions with people from all over the world.

A new series series will be revealed on this blog tomorrow. To read my first series; 12 steps to spiritual awakening series click here

The newest series for 2021 Is called; Alphabet soup soup for the soul

A is for Abundance, B is for Benevolence, C is for Creation.

“A” will be released on New years day.

Every Saturday there after there will be a new letter of the alphabet.

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Cloud Cover

The article below can be for readers of this blog but more so their friends or family members that are struggling. There is already magic in this article because the two people I shared it with both told me it helped them in unimaginable ways that indeed I can imagine. If it helped them, maybe it can help you or someone you know.

There are times when we can get into unfavourable states of mind (thinking) and body (feeling) where things seem as though there is no hope and life seems pointless and unimportant, those are just the clouds.

When it feels as if things will never get better those are just the clouds.

It may get worse than it is right now, it likely will, but those are just the clouds.

We only feel that way because we are stuck in a certain mental state or mind pattern (most likely an unconscious repetitive loop. )

Our thoughts are telling us lies and we just believe them without questioning them. Those are just the clouds.

When we begin to question our thoughts we will see that most are not even true and if we dig deep enough, underneath every thought there is an inherited belief or program that is directing all of our patterns. Those are also just the clouds.

You, however, are the sunshine behind the clouds and that means you are always bright and always there even though there are times when it feels dark and cloudy.

All you need to do is just wait out the storm and things will be better. You know this already because you’ve seen it in your past.

Every time there is a storm, every single time, the sun always comes out after, sometimes it is even accompanied by a beautiful rainbow.

So why do the clouds feel so heavy and dark? Because those thoughts are clouding the sunshine, but if you just get back up or hang on and don’t let go because you know that you are the sun and not the clouds, then eventually the clouds will disappear.

It will always get better and one day you will realize that the things you think are bad and horrible in the moment, are actually the things you need to turn into the person the universe intended for you to be.

When we are stuck in these thought patterns it is easy to not fight back, but you must fight back because your mind is tricking you. Those thoughts are just the clouds drifting by.

Things always get better because you are the Sun and those, well , those are just the clouds.

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Becoming Limitless

I’ve heard people say that limiting beliefs are invisible and that you can not see them.

What if the reason we can’t see them and thus what is holding us back is that we have never actually looked.

What if then, we do look for them?

It first starts by asking why we think the things we do. The simple question of why allows us to begin the process of exploring ourselves by taking a deep dive to find out the root cause.

When we ask the question of why we do the things we do, then the answers will surely come. Our brain starts to uncover the reasons and the fabrications of the mind that were placed there by others in our past and they will start to dissolve.

If we look close than we will find out what our limiting beliefs are.

From this new vantage of knowing, we can begin to re-frame the story that we have made up in order to reshape our destiny. We replace it with a more positive and predictable story that will serve us now and into the future.

By seeking out the limiting beliefs that we have been carrying inside us unknowingly for our entire lives, we can replace them with new beliefs. New beliefs that align with our highest purpose and our dreams.

The First step is to look at the areas of your life that are not where you would like them to be. for this, you must do an honest analysis.

The next step is to question your beliefs. Why do I believe this? How long have I believed this?

You may find out those are beliefs that you had 20 years ago and they no longer serve you.

We must ask ourselves where do these beliefs come from?

Limiting beliefs can numb our entire world and the saddest part is we don’t even realize it. We can get stuck in unconscious cycles for decades and not even be aware that we are running someone else’s programs.

Once we see that our limiting beliefs are just a made-up story that we have been playing on repeat then we can change them and make up new beliefs. A new story that’s more compelling towards our own happiness and self-worth.

The point I am trying to make is that if we are living a life based on a belief system that we made up based on what we learned from schools, parents, media, religious leaders and society at large then it is up to us to disrupt the pattern.

What better way to do so than to make up new beliefs where we are the hero of the story and we do what we want with the one life we have on this planet. Where we are choosing to do things consciously, instead of running that playback loop that we all do subconsciously.

So start right now. Ask Why and when making up new beliefs don’t just shoot for the moon, shoot beyond the moon.

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Steps to awakening series , step 12 of 12

12. Overwhelming breaths of compassion that release tears (or almost do) as they force their way to the surface

This step produces deep wells of emotion that bubble up from inside and explode right out of the throat center. These are mental or physiological imprints from our past. These formations, also called samskaras are stored inside us and are forcing their way to the surface for immediate release.

This step made me feel very weak and scared until I learned what it was. From the time we are born we start recording everything we see in our environment. This is how we make sense of the world around us. The stronger the emotional attachment to the perceived past event (whether it’s good or bad) the more likely it is to leave a lasting impression.

Childhood trauma in particular is like taking an x-ray. As the image gets snapped, our body contracts and an imprint is recorded which stays inside the body until it comes to the surface.

We either release it or choke it back down, burying it deep inside, in which case the trauma is literally still a part of us. That is why it is so important to release right away.

Especially when we start to wake up there will be many of these deep breaths of overwhelming compassion that rise to the surface.

These are the imprints trying to escape and it is very important to allow them to escape even if it means we start crying for what appears to be no reason.

A song lyric or a conversation we overhear will suddenly trigger a rush of energy that rises from the solar plexus region and moves from that lower energy center up through the heart and right into the throat where we release and shed past trauma by letting go of the samskara.

This is the only way to move beyond them. If we keep them inside and bury them then they will always try to escape until we stop resisting.

Thank you for reading this series and please let me know what you have experienced during your journey into awakening by clicking the following link. https://wordsfromwalden.com/contact/

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Steps to awakening series, step 11 of 12

Step 11- You consciously surrender to the present moment

This is what we should be doing anytime we are frustrated or find ourselves getting mad, upset, angry or even depressed at our current situation. When any of these uncomfortable negative feelings happen, we must stop as soon as we become aware and ask the simple question. “Am I surrendering to the present moment?”. We will find that the answer is always a very loud no. Often, we try and control situations that are out of our control and that is when we see these feelings arise.

If instead, we surrender to the present, we realize that in that exact precise moment there is nothing wrong and that everything is perfect. This idea was best described by a British playwright when he said. “There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so”. That is a quote from Hamlet by William Shakespeare, and it is accurate.

Things are simply things. It is the meaning we attach to them that makes them either good or bad. A fair example of this is stealing a loaf of bread. Some may think this is wrong however if you stole a loaf of bread to feed your children who may otherwise perish due to starvation, would it still be wrong? You could then say that it would be wrong if you did NOT steal the bread, for in not doing so you have allowed a child to die.

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Steps to awakening series , step 10 of 12

Step 10 – You embrace your future while letting go of your past

One of the main points that we have been discussing throughout this series is that when you wake up then change occurs naturally.

Therefore, we begin to embrace a new future that is different than the path we were once on. Sometimes this means letting go of certain things we use to do or places we use to go along with letting go of unmet expectations we had for ourselves from 20 or 30 years ago, in a different lifetime.

When we move from being a victim to being a creator it can be lonely at first. One thing we realize is that we are very different than even we thought we were and if we were asleep then most likely those around us are still asleep. This can be difficult however we quickly learn how to connect with others that are experiencing the same things we are.

As we learned in the previous step there is no time for the same old story and because we are too busy creating it means the past slowly dissolves itself. This is not something to fear but rather something to be truly excited about.

The strength and courage that come with this new reality will carry us forward and allow life to happen for us instead of to us.

Since the original creator made everything perfect it is safe to say that we will find the people we are meant to find when the time is right. We also start to notice that certain people show up at certain times so we can help them and in turn, they can help us move forward confidently in the correct and necessary direction towards the higher self. By embracing our future, we begin to see new opportunities and believe in ourselves more. we now know that we can literally make it up the way we want to.