Inaugurate the Wondrous
Posted On Dec 17 2008+ CLASSES WITH WILLIAM + You Can Have a Life You Wholeheartedly Love Body and Soul *Change of Address & UNSUBSCRIBE links at end* + + + + + + + + Dear One, Kim Ivy of Embrace the Moon and I met to inaugurate our plans for the class we’re crafting for you – Body & Soul Inauguration. You may have read that we’re presenting a class on January 3rd at Kim’s Dojo (training hall) in wonderfully vibrant downtown Ballard. Kim and I enjoy each other’s company and we have fun together. We invite each …
What Alice Walker Says Applies to You, Too
Posted On Nov 20 2008In the last posting for you, Alice Walker’s wonderfully compassionate letter to President Elect Obama. Today, I have re-written it for you, as if she had composed it to you. I believe what she says applies to you, dear one. Take it to heart. +++ Nov. 5, 2008 Dear One,You have no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us. Us being the people of Planet Earth. You think you know, because you are thoughtful, and you have studied our history. But seeing you deliver the torch so many others before you carried, year after year, decade after …
You Can Learn the Magical Healing Panacea
Posted On Nov 17 2008You Can Learn the Magical Healing Panacea FOOT REFLEXOLOGY Recently, I needed some help with my bladder and prostate… too much information? I turned to my first love – Foot Reflexology to handle the problem. Really, my first love is magic. But when I first met Foot Reflexology back in 1973, the therapist diagnosed all sorts of cool things that confirmed what the doctor had said. How did he know? I felt confident that reflexology was magic. I still feel that way. Here’s why you might think Reflexology exhibits wonders • You can heal yourself when you travel. This …
From your happy, relaxed state …
Posted On Nov 13 2008To begin today, the software fairies at Body & Soul Mentor chose for you a big quote from Alice Walker. Even if you aren’t an American, you’ll find inspiration and great mentoring here. + + + Nov. 5, 2008 Dear Brother Obama, You have no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us. Us being the black people of the Southern United States. You think you know, because you are thoughtful, and you have studied our history. But seeing you deliver the torch so many others before you carried, year after year, decade after decade, century …
Mind Altering Quotes
Posted On Nov 5 2008I have one space left for my class FLOW: THE MAGIC OF MAKIN ART. If you want to come, call me 206.328.2073. You can read more about it and get on the email notification list here => http://www.VitalArts.net/events/ I though you might enjoy these quotes that I will be handing out in class on Saturday. What spaces do they open up for you? What new perspective? QUOTES FOR THE CLASS One of the surest tests [of the superiority or inferiority of a poet] is the way in which a poet borrows. Immature poets imitate; …
Here Is What Happened To Matisse…
Posted On Oct 29 2008Here is what happened to Matisse the first time he took up brush to paint – “When I started to paint, I felt transported into a kind of paradise.” He’s talking about flow. He’s talking about the right brain. He’s talking about the Buddha brain. He’s talking about conscious action. He’s talking about presence. Art of any sort has the ability to put you into the graceful state of flow. When you are in flow, you enjoy what you’re doing. You lose self-consciousness. Your sense of time changes. It disappears completely. It stops dead in frozen, perfect moments. Or it …
The Other Thing That Happens Is…
Posted On Oct 15 2008It’s 5:17 in the DARK morning, I am half way through my workout, but I want to put my artistic vision that blossomed in my heart during the night onto paper. I want to do it NOW. I find the paper… Do some physical therapy… breathe hard while I get the crayon… do some more PT… breathe… Oh! Blue tape, that will be good. Tape it down… more PT… …Enough, you get the idea… The Muse had grabbed me. Again. The other thing that happens when you engage in life in general and in art in particularly is that passion …
The Sky Is Falling?
Posted On Oct 10 2008Do you remember the story? An acorn falls and bops Chicken Little on the head. She panics and dashes around shouting, “The sky is falling! The sky is falling! The sky is falling!” She vows to tell the king and sets off on her journey. One after the other, she convinces her friends that the sky is falling. She tells them she has evidence that she has heard with her own ears and seen with her own eyes and even a bit of sky hit her in the head. And off they go to see the king who will certainly …
What Are You About, Dear One?
Posted On Oct 5 2008Josh, a new reader, asked me such a challenging question I thought I’d pass it on to you. Here’s his question, “In one great sentence tell me what you believe you are about?” The form of the question raises other issues about believing, so for this exercise I abbreviated the question to: In one great sentence, what are you about? One of the questions I ask my patients is — who is the you that you refer to. If you don’t think there are multiple versions of you, then you have not been paying attention. So, who is the YOU …
You’ll Love This Brain Storm
Posted On Oct 1 2008Before I tell you what my brainstorm is and how you can save money, get my focused attention, solid information, and heart filling inspiration to help you live a life you wholeheartedly love, I’ll give you a story. I was thinking about — The Are-You-Kidding-Me Great Option – For One Dollar More… Option Two I am giving you for THE WHOLESOME ENTREPRENEUR Launch. You get One Dozen Life-Giving Secrets on How the Wise Entrepreneur Sustains and Nourishes Body & Soul While Caring for a Business. And for $1 Dollar more you get a membership that gives all my Laser …
Announcing the Launch of The Wholesome Entrepreneur
Posted On Oct 1 2008When I was putting my affairs in order for my surgery last winter (when doing major surgery there is always a chance, however small, of not making it), I updated my wills and I wrote like mad to finish The Wholesome Entrepreneur. I wanted to leave it as a legacy for my daughters, both entrepreneurs, and to the massage profession. I finished it before I went under general anesthetic. Obviously, as we all expected, I survived. And I have this Life Giving Manual for you now. I launch The Wholesome Entrepreneur, on October 2nd at 6:00 AM PDT. The subtitle …
Cut through the Lies
Posted On Sep 25 2008Politicians lie, exaggerate, obfuscate, spin, and manipulate your base fears. So, what? So, what happens for me is I lose my sense of humor. I descend from skeptical, which I view as healthy, to cynical, which I find to be dark, oppressive, hopeless, and no fun. Here’s a cure go. Read www.FactCheck.org every time you see a political advertisement. Or better yet, skip the ads and just read what the scrupulously non-partisan folks at Fact Check have to say. These folks rate the veracity of political campaign ads. Recently, in the US campaign, you may have seen some real stinkers. …
It’s Always about Fear
Posted On Sep 18 2008Fear, FEAR, fear. It’s always about fear, dear one. My friend, Jack Blackburn, reminds me of The Course in Miracles, which say there is only fear and love. And fear’s not real. Even with a couple of scary medical diagnoses, the worst single-month drop in my retirement funds in half a decade, the steady erosion of the dollar, all of which I am experiencing this week, it’s all still only fear. And in this moment beyond my fear, what? THIS PRESENT MOMENT! Robin song, small fishing boat motor, 7 mph SE breeze, gray sky and clouds, looking across the Salish …
Hubble and Humbling
Posted On Sep 11 2008I talk about perspective often in my letters to you. A picture is worth 1000 words. Music helps, too. This lovely 6:13 minute film by NASA is beautiful and humbling, in a good way. http://tinyurl.com/56uuv6 Enjoy, William P.S. Simply Serene – Four Amazingly Powerful Ways to Be Instantly Alert and at Peace will serve you well if you want some guaranteed ways to become present. I talk about the famous Owl Eyes in depth in this one. Go for it = > http://tinyurl.com/mbd4x
Oh, I See Your Problem
Posted On Sep 3 2008“Oh, I see your problem,” Zen Master says, “The trouble you have is that you think you have time.” Woof! Who’s the “you” Zen Master addresses? To which “you” does the master refer? It’s not your Buddha mind, now, is it? It’s not the wise inner sage. It’s your personality, your ego identity, your ego mind. Your ego has a couple of jobs, at least. One: Always be right. Justify if you need. Be delusional if you need. Be right by being wrong if you need. Just be right. Two: Keep the knowledge of your certain mortality at bay. I …
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Posted On Aug 27 2008The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian By Sherman Alexie Aimed at young people, Grades 7-10, I recommend this book for everyone from age 12 up. If I were king of the universe, I’d require it. (http://tinyurl.com/5oqryr) At times, it’s laugh out loud funny, inspiring, tragic, while revealing of the inner workings and deep poverty of an Indian reservation in the late 20th C in Western Washington State. Amazingly, Alexie tells the story of Arnold Spirit and his journey to leave the reservation and leave poverty without being sentimental, maudlin, or blaming. As a white folk, I am grateful …
YOUR TIME’S RUNNING OUT…
Posted On Aug 1 2008YOUR TIME’S RUNNING OUT… Your chance to join BODY & SOUL MENTOR ends 9:00 PM PDT August 1st. THAT’S TONIGHT! I don’t know when you’ll be able to join after this time. And it will never be at a better price — $1.oo for the first month. NEVER. Go for it => http://www.bodyandsoulmentor.com YOU GET… Remember when you become a member, you get these books, manuals, and Laser Focused reports as part of your monthly membership: The Wholesome Entrepreneur – $27 Altar Making – $Priceless Amazingly Content — How to Be In Love with All You See …
How Optical Illusions Help You Eat Well
Posted On Jul 31 2008How can air in food make you more satisfied – make you eat less? How can it curb a tendency to be fat, or reverse a trend? Can it? Turns out – yes. Feed a hungry college student a half glass full of smoothie and they will eat 20% more at lunch ½ later than the college student who drinks the SAME smoothie only whipped until it swells to a full glass with air. Not only that, but the ones that eat the airy smoothie don’t make it up at their next meal. My brother, John, and …
The Biggest Concerns I Hear
Posted On Jul 22 2008Here are the two biggest concerns I hear from people about joining Body & Soul Mentor. I have no time. I hate reading on a computer. I don’t have time … A concern of some folks is the old time thing. “I don’t have time,” they say. “Who does? Well, actually, you have enough time for this.” Because of two things, you’ll get your money’s worth. 1) I have priced this so that there will be no financial barrier to joining. 2) I have compacted so much value in this site that even if you apply the minimum of 17 minutes …
Fear Reframed
Posted On Jul 21 2008A famous British stage actor used to be horribly frightened before each performance. One day someone kindly inquired, “How’s your body feel when you’re about to go on stage, when you say you have stage fright? What are the sensations you feel. Just what your senses tell you. Don’t label the sensations.” “Hmm,” he pondered. “Well, my heart’s racing, I’m breathing high up in my body. I’m on edge…” “And how do you feel when you’re excited?” his friend continued. “Oh! It’s the same.” So, from thenceforth, whenever he was preparing to go on stage and the old stage fright …
What Are You Hungry For?
Posted On Jul 14 2008Sometimes, I find it hard to tell when I’m really hungry for nutrients as opposed to being emotionally hungry. I have been on a long journey to heal some early wounds around eating. I am much recovered. Because I like to explore my edges and live outside my comfort zone, I still find it difficult. Obviously, living outside your comfort zone, can trigger emotions. I found this list from Mindless Eating comparing physical hunger to emotional hunger, helped me, you might find it useful, too. Physical Hunger Builds gradually Strikes below the neck, e.g. growling stomach Occurs several hours after …
The Journey Begins
Posted On Jul 9 2008The Journey Begins The doors are closed to new members on Body and Soul Mentor web site. Woof! Now I’m into the huge, Humongous UPGRADE. Double woof! I have tons of work to do. OPENING THE DOORS I’ll be opening doors for new members for one week starting, 6:00 AM PDT July 24th. I will close them on Midnight August 1st 2008 EDT. HEADS UP: I will close the doors when I have 200 new members if that happens before the August 1st cut off. And I reserve the right to close the doors for any reason that I can’t …
How Do You Mix Ho’oponopono with Tolle?
Posted On Jul 8 2008Emily, a reader of Amazingly Content (http://tinyurl.com/6ybefp), asks this great question. I thought I’d share it with you. *** Dear William, I am reading your ebook Amazingly Content. I already knew about ho’oponopono from Joe Vitale and Dr Len but it’s great to hear the inspiring stories in your ebook and more information about how to apply it. I have some questions on using ho’oponopono. Recently I have been looking into the material of Eckhart Tolle and others who teach being in the present, in the now. I would like to continue to do ho’oponopono but am unsure how to …
Obviously, Not True…
Posted On Jul 4 2008A reader wrote this about my Laser Focused report Amazingly Content. (http://tinyurl.com/6ybefp ) Since this Ho’oponopono thing is so obviously not true, I’m going to have to take advantage of your guarantee. If it is true, then prove it by using it yourself to change my mind about asking for this refund. See, it ain’t true! Isn’t that sweet? I smiled and cheerfully refunded his money. I didn’t try to change his mind. Amazingly enough, I am content. But the truth is, I understand what he’s saying. Ho’oponopono, the method in the report, is obviously untrue. How could it be …
What Was Revealed – 100 Day Practice
Posted On Jun 19 2008This isn’t the most powerful question in the world – Is today a good day to die? This is – Is today a good day for Suzanne to die? Holy Poop! If I have any doubt about the nature of life and death, this question will flush it out. If I have any doubt who my wife, Suzanne, truly is, this question will slap me awake. A Refresher – My friend and colleague, Kim Ivy challenged me and her students with maintaining a practice for 100 days. It’s a traditional Taoist idea. I took it on. My Practice My practice …
Colonoscopy Fun
Posted On Jun 12 2008I had the scoping today, an easy procedure, and as you may know, now being recommended for everyone starting at age 50. In my face as I waited, I read a plaque that announced, colorectal cancer has the 2nd highest high kill rate amongst cancer patients, BUT if detected early by colonoscopy people have nearly a 100% chance of survival. It’s one of the good news stories and a no-brainer. Dear One, when your doctor recommends it, GET A COLONOSCOPY . Luckily, you can prepare by reading hurmorist, Dave Barry’s — A Journey into My Colon and Yours – before …
Which Is Sacred? (A 50-Word Mini Saga)
Posted On May 22 2008Which is sacred – The fast-food box floating at the lake edge or the swallows zooming over the surface hunting? Practicing Taiji, my bliss in the present moment deepens while I dance with the darting swallows. The Styrofoam interrupts. How to find the sacred even there? Bobbing beautifully, dazzling light – Ah. (50 words.) Can you hear the heavenly choir in the lawnmower? Can you hear it sing in the leaf blower? (The big park lawn mower was swooping around me as I practiced my morning Taiji as it does each Monday morning. Can …
Insightful Awareness Experience
Posted On May 8 2008I have a very insightful, a bit spooky, fun video for you. It will give you some insights into awareness itself. If you have been paying attention, you will have noticed that I think awareness matters. Enjoy = > http://www.dothetest.co.uk/ Blessings, William P.S. To deepen your awareness more, dip into SIMPLY SERENE – Four Amazingly Powerful Ways to Be Instantly Alert and at Peace. It will give you four ways to become more deeply aware. I talk about the famous Owl Eyes in depth in this one. Go for it = > http://tinyurl.com/mbd4x
Announcing Foolproof Relaxation
Posted On May 3 2008Today, I happily announce a Laser Focused Report – Foolproof Relaxation. Taa-ta! It can show you How to Relax, Become Present, And Be At Ease Anytime and Anywhere You Want. No kidding! How? Read these stories… Yikes! Demons and Worries Three AM and the demons of worry are here. Yikes! Toss and turn. Get up and pee. Get a drink of water. Back in bed, the fears wait for you. Still no sleep. Thoughts racing and repeating… What to do? Obviously, you use the methods you learn from Foolproof Relaxation. With Foolproof Relaxation, you will know what to do when …
Tolle Trick for Presence in the Office
Posted On May 1 2008Here’s another trick from Eckhart Tolle to get present when the phone rings. It’s especially useful if you work in an office setting. Studies show that a ringing phone bugs people — too many rings in the day creates a stressful hazard. Here’s the antidote… When your phone rings, don’t answer it. That is a radical choice right there. I have used this effectively in the past to create vast realms of freedom. Experiment with this one. But that’s not Tolle, that’s me. Here’s what he suggests: Let it ring once, twice, or thrice while you listen to it fully. …
Your Buddha Brain
Posted On Apr 16 2008If you’ve been paying attention, you know one of the Four Alluring Paradigms that I have is: Upgrading Your Right Brain (http://tinyurl.com/34del4) Neuroanatomist, Jill Bolte Taylor, had an opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: One morning, she realized she was having a massive stroke. As it happened — as she felt her brain functions slip away one by one, speech, movement, understanding — she studied and remembered every moment. This is a powerful story about how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another. Watch this wondrous, passionate video => http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/229 Briefly, the …
Magic with Oprah and Eckhart Tolle
Posted On Apr 3 2008I struggle with my own craziness all the time. When I’m crazy, I am living inside of my mind listening to a strident voice harangue over a tinny radio urging me to blame my closest friends and my wife for my troubles. If I take the time to get present — and I know lots of ways to do that – I return to a connection with the Present and Presence. I become sane. I am happy and serene. Eckhart Tolle who penned the best seller The Power of Now wrote a follow up book – A New Earth. He is …
Regain Your Sanity Instantly
Posted On Mar 27 2008Obviously, you’d like a technique that can restore you to sanity and help you to regain your perspective instantly, right? I have a technique wherein you can instantly shift your perception and become sane and grounded and whole. Well, not quite true. There’s a catch. The shift happens instantly, but you have to be in the right frame of mind to flip the switch. The good news is that if you practice this before you need it, it becomes so fast for you that even when you’re nuts you can go to your special spot and flip the switch to …
How to Make Difficult Decisions
Posted On Mar 20 2008Here’s how you can use your body to make decisions. Hold the question in your mind. Recently, I was wrestling with what price to set for my private membership monthly subscription rate. In this example I ask, “Is $9.97 a good price?” I then feel my body’s responses. I mostly feel my belly. You can experiment to find the place in your body that responds best. Just scan your whole body top to bottom. Close your eyes. It helps. My body “smiles” with the price of $9.97. Now I try the other side of the …
Good Day to Die – 100 Day Challenge — Update
Posted On Mar 10 2008Good Day to Die – 100 Day Challenge Two events on my way to 100 days. One – a dawn so brilliant and soft, the challenge was too easy. It was hard to take it seriously. I took it joyfully though and that worked beautifully. Remember, my challenge is to be able to say at each dawn, “Yes, today is a good day to die!” I have shown up every day for the dawn challenge, walked and done Taiji or Qigong to still the mind. The hardest day was a stop on our road trip. Massively ugly place to walk …
Easy Way to Benefit Your Finances and Spaceship
Posted On Feb 27 2008If you use a word processing program, you can save some of your money and spare some vital resources with a simple step. Set the default margins on your paper to a smaller setting. Word and others have a default setting that looks good but wastes valuable paper. My version default is 1.25″. I changed it to 0.75″ on the right and left. If you use metric, change your default to 1 cm less. In MS Word 1. go to File then click Page Setup. 2. You’ll see the margins there. You can change them all. I just changed the right and …
The Rise of the Author
Posted On Feb 20 2008If you haven’t read this goodie yet, please do so immediately. Although Mark Joyner’s writing is always clear and even fun to read, his insights are profound. Many call him a genius. http://www.simpleology.com/p/riseoftheauthor/wmwittmann The title is easily misunderstood – the importance of this document reaches far beyond authorship (although your concepts about this will be permanently altered). I just started reading it myself, and I felt I should let you know about it right now. This changes *everything* my internet and publishing gurus say. We’ll see. I recommend reading it, and deciding for yourself. It’s a freebee so you’ve nothing …
Expand Your Limits the Fun Way February 20th
Posted On Feb 17 2008Every once in a while something comes along that lets you break out of your mundane, day to day perspective. This event is free. And it won’t be repeated for three more years. You want to catch this one. Perspective: Here’s a news flash. You live on a sphere in a solar system. You and I live on Spaceship Earth. How cool is that! It’s the heart of simplicity just look at the moon and watch the sphere of the Spaceship Earth block the sun’s beams of light from caressing the moon. Yes, it’s a total eclipse of the moon …
How the Traveling Wilburys Can Show You the Way
Posted On Feb 13 2008This oddity of contemporary rock and roll demonstrates playful creativity and gives you permission to hop onboard and play. I’m talking about the Traveling Wilburys. You may have bumped into stories about them or heard their music. I recommend, in addition to listening to the music, that you watch the DVD that comes with the 3 disk set. The behind the scenes section is a master class on playful creativity. I’ve watched it three times. What they do is so beautiful, their relationships so loving, I am moved to tears each time I see it. The story starts with …
The 100 Day Challenge
Posted On Feb 6 2008Kim Ivy, www.ebracethemoon.com , is at it again – The 100 Day Challenge. I am modifying it some for you. Do some practice that moves your life forward everyday for 100 Days. She is starting her students on February 7th to honor Chinese New Year. I started on the 4th. My practice is to greet the sunrise, rain or shine, and practice Taiji (Tai Chi). More importantly, I will practice until I feel my life is complete each morning and I can respond to the question, “Is today a good day to die, William?” With a wholehearted, “Yes!” Does that …
Is Today A Good Day To Die — 100 Day Challenge
Posted On Feb 5 2008Is Today A Good Day To Die — 100 Day Challenge People die. Friends die. They sometimes die young. I ask myself, “Is today a good day to die?” Death is certain. Time of death is uncertain. How then to live this day? You can modify the last line if your want to: How then to live your life? Do I stay current with my mortality? If you’re like me, you need a reminder. More tomorrow on how I am going about staying current. You can join me. Blessings, William PS Pass this on to anyone who might like to …
Love of the Ordinary
Posted On Jan 25 2008Remember the child who receives a fancy toy for Christmas by his doting parents. Watch as the child opens the present, see the looks of adoration on the faces of the parents, then note the surprise that moves across their faces that changes in the next moment to disappointment, finally, as the light dawns, to delight. What are they seeing? They’re watching their first born open the present, look at it briefly, discard it, and, then happily play with the box and wrappings for hours. As I write this, I’m in Kona, on the Big Island, Hawaii. This is everybody’s …
Chuck Ling Ferret Studio
Posted On Jan 16 2008“What’s the name of your studio?” I gently inquire. “Huh?” you wonder. “What’s the name of your studio? What do you call the place where you do your creative work? “You do have a place to do art and to work on creative projects don’t you?” If you want to build your right brain, and I assure you that you do, then you need to have a studio. It needn’t be more than a flat surface in the corner of a room stocked with cool pens where you can doodle. But setting aside space gives this aspect of your life …
Presencing
Posted On Jan 9 2008To see a world in a grain of sand And a heaven in a wild flower, Hold infinity in the palm of your hand And eternity in an hour. -William Blake Zen and the poets have been addressing presence for centuries. What’s new is that everyone is paying attention to presence now, not just a handful of monks. Presence lives outside of language so I find it hard to talk about. Blake’s poem points to it brilliantly. Let me take a stab at it, too. You travel into Presence often, but perhaps you don’t fully grasp the importance of this. …
Is That a SHARK?!
Posted On Dec 12 2007What scares you? Here’s a 50-word mini-saga for you. Silver members may read more about the amazing Mini-Saga’s here. = > http://tinyurl.com/2ul5z9 Holy poop! It’s a BIG shark! Swimming my way! Through the cavern twenty feet below me. Swim away slowly at a 90 degree angle. Breathe. Don’t look back, yet. Swim away. The fish aren’t worried. Hmm. Breathe. Head for the beach, hang out with the fish. I ask again – What scares you? When you’re present, you can see danger early and clearly. I did. If you stay present, breathe, you can notice the fish aren’t scared. Fish …
Cool Way to Stretch Your Storytelling Muscles
Posted On Dec 6 2007Write an exactly 50-word mini saga. I hear this can become quite addictive. I enjoyed writing this one, it’s a memoir — Orion Predawn, on the dock, overlooking the Sound, I see Orion rising over the hill behind our condominium for the first time this season. I recall this was Dad’s code name during the war – the hunter – recovering looted Nazi art. I am saddened I never heard those stories from my father. (50 words.) Certainly, you can write your mini-saga longhand. The more intimate the saga the better it lends itself to handwriting. Handwriting may also bring …
Flying Dragons and Owl Eyes
Posted On Nov 29 2007I titled my next project I’m working on for you – Flying Dragons and Owl Eyes. Fun, huh? In researching this book and video project, I taped a conversation with the playfully inspiring Kim Ivy of www.EmbraceTheMoon.com about the magic of standing meditation. We discovered in our 35-minute conversation some surprisingly powerful secrets emerged. These gems were secrets for us, too. That’s the value of these freeform conversations inspired by presence. You discover what you didn’t know that you knew. You can get listen to this freebie here => www.BodyAndSoulMentor.net/getstandingmeditation.html Why would you want to listen? Because – • You’ll get …
Evening
Posted On Nov 9 2007Evening It’s one o’clock in the morning and my brother, John, and I are sitting on either side of my father’s hospital bed in the quiet, dimly lit care unit in lovely costal southern California. Our father is dying. For several hours he has been disappearing into some realm where we could not follow. He stops breathing. Minutes pass. Then with a huge effort he takes another breath and returns. He talks with us, making sure things are good between us, stays as long as he can, then some wind sweeps him away on his journeys. He repeats his coming …
Sacred Intervention
Posted On Oct 26 2007Sacred Intervention You’re riding your bike at a good clip through the early fall grayness and suddenly, you glance a swath of glorious green, sun light illuminating the ridge, just there… “Wow…” For a moment, you’re speechless, everything stops and you’re in heaven. You feel deep serenity. You experience the peace which passeth understanding. “Oh this is cool, I should tell people about this…” your mind is back and chattering again. But even with the renewed chatter that inevitably comes, everything has changed by this intervention of the Sacred upon the mundane. Your ego mind can’t let this peace stand …
Three Iguanas
Posted On Oct 18 2007True. Imagine standing in a huge noisy, florescent-lighted hall after an exhausting cross Pacific flight. You creep forward slowly in line at U.S. customs. You’re getting closer to the head of the line. Slow. Maybe you’re sweating a bit. After all you have three live, endangered iguanas hidden in your prosthetic leg. What! Yes! Three iguanas. Alive! You get to hear about this because the heinous Jerome Jameson was caught smuggling them. No one asked him what his goals were, of course. Anyhow, he might have limply replied, “The money, of course.” And they would have left it at that. …
Romantic Arias and Mozart
Posted On Oct 12 2007Here’s an Exactly-50-Word Mini-Saga – Romantic arias and Mozart’s sacred choral music replace the Beatles and Bossa Novas at home. Golden Baroque trumpet music replaces the omnipresent sounds of pacific surf at my office. Yellow and red leaves skitter across our driveway as I walk up from the beach. I become more interior in autumn. I wonder what changes for you, dear one, as your seasons change? Blessings, William P.S. Feel free to let people know about these insights. P.P.S. Members can find out more about 50-word mini-sagas in the members section of Body & Soul Mentor.
“The Spiders Are On My Tomatoes!”
Posted On Sep 24 2007“The spiders are on my tomatoes!” she cried, “and my husband is in front of the TV watching football… ” The seasons change. Here in the northern hemisphere my patient laments the coming of winter, the loss of her garden signaled by the spiders, and the loss of her husband to televised sports until spring. He does emerge in the spring along with her flowers. What is your lament about the season change? How can you ritualize the loss of the last season? What can you get excited about in the season to come? You can make your seasonal …
Do You Keep A Nature Log?
Posted On Sep 18 2007August 14th, 2007 – An black eagle landed on a branch 20 feet below an adult in our “eagle” tree. It fell off while still holding on with its talons. Yikes! It flapped and screeched to get back up on top of the branch, barely succeeded. Woof! Because of her clumsiness and her complete blackness, I suspect she is a newly fledged bald eagle that I heard begging for food at the nest last week. – fancy version of my entry in my Duwamish Head Nature Log. Do you keep a nature log? I recommend it. It is part …
Why You Need a Paper Route
Posted On Aug 10 2007“I’ve noticed,” Mom said, “ever since you got your paper route, you haven’t been sick.” Having a paper route in the middle of the last century meant delivering papers to people’s homes seven days a week, 365 days a year in rain, snow, summer dog days, and excellent weathers. It meant, in my case, exercising hard for 45 minutes up to an hour and a half on snowy Sunday mornings in the dark. “Where have I heard this before?” you inquire politely. “That’s right – Younger Next Year and Harry’s rules. The first rule is exercise hard six days a …
Yummy Water? Fun Electrolytes, News from the Universe, Save the World
Posted On Jul 12 2007Are you sweating? It may be summer now where you live. If not, remember this for when it’s sweating season. When you exercise six days a week as I have been recommending, you will sweat. You need to replace the fluids you sweat off. You can lose as much as a quart in a hard workout – drink water. Lots of it. Don’t like water? Can’t stand the stuff? Hang on… What else do you lose? If you peeked at the title of today’s piece you know. You sweat off electrolytes. Lick some sweat – it’s salty. …
Younger Next Year
Posted On Jun 6 2007When it comes to getting older, you think you know – But guess what? You don’t know. The point of this book is that you do not know. And you have the wrong picture in your head. You know what it meant for your old man and his father.., for your mentor and a few billion other guys. But the rules are changing. Right now. And your prospects are different. Quite different. Harry–that’s Henry S. Lodge, M.D., my doctor, my coauthor, my close friend–is going to give you enough of the new evolutionary biology in his chapters so that you …
Awakenings & Pilgrimages
Posted On Jun 5 2007A lovely crew of us met to explore the idea of pilgrimages. Everyone took a short journey out to the shoreline and the tide flats into the heart and nature and returned with epiphanies. Obviously, this was powerful for people. Genius showed up. Everyone contributed wisdom. What do these insights have to do with pilgrimages? surrender allowing renouncing what’s important? what’s too heavy to carry? expectations hope – as in the power of giving up hope. faith messiness (we even learned a professional carpet cleaner’s trick – it worked.) “The 2×4 comes to all.” “Let your curiosity be greater than …
Two Magic Nutritional Supplements Zap Bad Guys
Posted On May 16 2007After reading Andrew Weil’s very useful book, Healthy Aging, I decided to try some of his suggestions. (Just out in paperback.) Weil favors Zyflamend, an anti-inflammatory supplement, composed of a half dozen herbs and other goodies. One herb included is turmeric, that’s right, the spice. It turns out that folks in India who eat a bunch of it have much lower incidences of Alzheimer’s disease. Since I have some genetic predisposition to this inflammatory brain condition, I thought taking some would be a good plan. (It would be difficult to get enough in your food unless you shift to the …
Serene Successes
Posted On May 14 2007I thought you might be inspired by the successes of these fellow readers. You can read more about Simply Serene here. William Your book helped set me on a journey that I have beenwaiting for. It is one I knew for years I would take, I even knew the timing. What I let go of was the How, I had the why. After I read Simply Serene, I attracted different material to solidify the journey, and the people to help point the way. I will continue to include the link in all my e-mail, and hope to begin to bless …