Attracting the + Energy

We are energy beings and we’re filled with electrical vibrations which in turn means that we have plenty of positive and negative ions coursing through our body systems. In a more philosophical sense, we have positive and negative emotional and spiritual energy. We can either invite the good energy into our lives or attract the dark stuff. While it’s not always our decision whether darkness enters our lives, we can choose how we cope with it and how to shield ourselves. Yup, it’s all around but you don’t have to give into it.

Cultivating the positive energy takes work and determination. Ironically, it’s easier to give in and be cynical and pessimistic about how difficult life is and be overwhelmed by the negatives of life. Once you do this, you set up a pattern of inviting in adverse energy into your life which includes negative people.

Personally, I like to work hard and everyday, I ponder how fortunate I am to be healthy and surrounded by love. I put up a shield when I feel like any dark souls are trying to draw my energy. If my depression comes a knockin’, I put in extra effort to stay in the light and have my friends and/or family around. when my dark nights visit me. Of course, I also try to meditate more too.

We have choices about our energetics and the more we get the positive ions flowing, the more we’ll attract the same.

I like to surround myself with the positive energy of nature. The banyan trees in Florida always rejuvenate me..

Understanding Ourselves: Get Back To Your Roots The Hominid Way (Part 1)

my colored pencil rendering of a model by the brilliant paleoartist Viktor Deak

I have a passion for the study of paleoanthropology as well as trying to get a handle on our human origins; it’s a key to understanding ourselves as people and where we come from. This science can also help us better understand our mental health, our humanity and our neurobiology.

When I say understand our origins, I mean digging back at least 3 million years or more. Studying this science fits in with my pursuit of wellness psychology, social psychology, positive psychology, and health psychology.

Since I was young, I’ve always had a fascination with our hominid ancestors and was particularly struck by the fossil known as Lucy, an Australopithecus afarensis that was discovered in Africa in 1974. She became this magical icon for me and represented my human connection to primates so much so that I drew a version of her based on paleoartist Viktor Deak.

If you want to know how big a nerd I was when I was 10, my parents bought me Lewis Leakey’s classic book “Origins” for my birthday and I jumped for joy with equal excitement of getting my G.I. Joe Egyptology action figure set.

boy, did I love this set!

My fascination with all things paleoanthropologic continued through high school with a human origins class, in college with another human origins class and also a primatology class. Attending American University in D.C. I was able to go to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, check out the cool prehistoric human fossils and then go to the National Zoo and sit and watch the gorillas, orangs and monkeys numerous times. and has continued with my studies in psychology and art.

(To be continued….)

Episode #4: The Fork and The Flame: Maintaining Yourself And Your Energy In The Midst of Change

Here it is, #4 in the Fork & THe Flame series with Chrystal Kubis and myself. Please enjoy!
We like to bring the laughter to wellness!

The Fork & The Flame Episode 3:

Here’s episode # 3 or Chrystal Kubis and me discussing and how we overcome tricky situations with gusto and humor!

To The Power of The Magic Kid In Us All

the magic time in the Lee Family circa 1969!

What were you like when you were a child who saw the world through enchanted lenses? You know the one: the version of you that could discover endless possibilities with simple items like a rock and a piece of string. You were the kid who could take blankets and chairs and construct a regal and impenetrable castle made of housewares and imagination. This was the version of you that had endless magical powers of mind and mental resources. In addition, you could host a tea party with the most illustrious of royal dolls or take a kite and fly it so high that it could touch the moon and return to earth unscathed.

As a boy, I was an unstoppable force of hope, creativity and possibilities. I had two loving and brilliant parents who encouraged me to explore the world around me with my imagination, my curiosity and plenty of book to read. To me the world was full of magic,  miracles and seemingly unlimited fun vocational pursuits. I wanted to become an artist, an archeologist, a herpetologist, a rock star, a paranormal investigator and a few other cool job endeavors. My world was rife with possibilities and mom and dad gave me the freedom and intellectual powers to investigate as much as I could.

Though my later childhood and youth had their definite complications, I never lost hope in the face of some serious adversity. My father had a major personality disorder and a mental illness that caused our once healthy nuclear family to implode. This in turn created my own mental havoc and unleashed my bipolar issues but I managed to weather these life storms with my creativity and imagination intact. Even after my parents’ destructive divorce and in spite of my dad’s issues, he still showed me great love and continued to help to foster my imaginative powers as best he could. My mom (the rock solid foundation of my life) also continued to encourage and inspire me to use my creative abilities and guide me on a positive course.

Now, as a successful adult who has figured out a new version of his life’s mission, I am constantly in communication with my young Pauly. Through all my trials and tribulations, I’ve managed to maintain my creative talents and it’s my hope that I can continue to help people from all walks of life stay in touch with or rediscover that power of their inner-kid. Being able to draw on your magic child is the key to living the magic of a mindful life and rekindling your creative and mindfully healthy spirit.

 

Party Like It’s 2012

Having a grand time running into a sculpture...

Here’s a simple sentiment today for you folks: get out and have a good time. Party it up. Live life to the fullest and just have some fun. I use the term party for any activity that involves upping your positive energy. This includes pursuits like hiking, hitting the beach, sports, artistic endeavors, being with loved ones, meditation or just having a party because you’re six feet above the ground. I can’t say it enough but our existences’ are impermanent and there ain’t no guarantees that you’re going to live to a ripe old age so get to it.

Impressive Impermanence

Every day, I think about the fragility of my life and those around me that I love. I cherish every moment of contact with my family and friends whether it’s a Facebook chat, an email, phone call or best of all spending old-fashioned, 3-D moments in realtime with them. Truly, I don’t sweat the small stuff with people that I love and I only surround myself with people who can enrich my life. I can no longer make time for the psychic drainers.

I have no doubt that the more we focus on the impermanence in our worlds, the happier we can be. If we can help to convey this to people who do stress and suffer more than they should, we can in turn make this world a better place. So, I challenge you dear readers to spread the word. Help people realize that life is difficult but once you can shift your perspectives and live the impermanent dream we’ll all be better off.

New Joy Meditation

A Reading from “The Prophet” by Gibran that I did

http://soundcloud.com/paulotus/the-prophet-by-kahlil-gibran

Beyond Life

If a man tries not to learn he grows old just like an ox!

His body indeed grows old but his wisdom does not grow.

I have gone round in vain the cycles of many lives ever striving to find the builder of the house of life and death.
How great is the sorrow of life that must die!
But now I have seen thee, housebuilder: never more shalt thou built this house.
The rafters of sins are broken, the ridge-pole of ignorance is destroyed.
The fever of craving is past: for my mortal mind is gone to the joy of the immortal NIRVANA

- The following excerpts are taken from the book The Dhammapada translated by Juan Mascaro published by Penguin Books