Tag Archives: mind-body-spirit

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Potential : Incredible!

I walk around the Boston area a lot since I don’t have a car and I love it because I really get to look at people and feel present. I really get to feel the pulse of humanity.

One of my favorite musings when I travel around is picturing what amazing potential that every person I look at has. From the homeless man on the street to the rich-looking lady executive walking by me and everyone in-between – they all have much more power inside than they know. If they were made to realize how they can really impact the world in a positive way with that power

Here’s something to chew on – Gandhi, MLK, Buddha, Susan B. Anthony, Mother Teresa, Joan of Arc etc. where all just human. They shared the same similar DNA to us. We all have the potential to change the world. Even if it’s as simple as buying a stranger a flower helping someone pick a dropped bag of dropped groceries. From simple acts of kindness we, the 6,973,738,433 can help shift Mother Earth and our universe into a new age.

Shell Mandala, Longboat Key, FL 2011

Shell Mandala, Longboat Key, FL 2011

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Bodhisattva Big Band

In case anyone knows of musicians in the Boston area, I’m putting together a band…

Bodhisattva Big Band and we’re looking for musicians and performers in the Boston area.

The idea is to have tribal/healing/entertaining/globally awesome music and performance that will be similar to a drum circle but will incorporate whatever musicians come our way. We’re seeking drums like djembes, bongos, tablas etc., anybody who wants to shake a rattle, bang a gong, rock some castanets, play some didgeridoo, flute, violin, ouds an so on. Also, anyone who wants to free their bodies by dancing, moving, and singing.

Rehearsals will be structured but informal and we will do covers like Beatles, Marley, Peter Gabriel but will also create our own music as well.

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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..

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WHAT ARE WE PRACTICING? – Pema Chodron

The painful thing is that when we buy into disapproval, we are practicing disapproval. When we buy into harshness, we are practicing harshness. The more we do it, the stronger these qualities become. How sad it is that we become so expert at causing harm to ourselves and others. The trick then is to practice gentleness and letting go. We can learn to meet whatever arises with curiosity and not make it such a big deal.

- Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice For Difficult Times

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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!

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The Fork and The Flame: Finding Joy 101

Here’s Chrystal Kubis and I with our “pilot episode” of our show “The Fork & The Flame”. Our purpose is to help people find as much happiness, inner-peace, humor and strength as possible in their lives. In addition, we also want to help people find the freedom to find their joy and remove their internal and external barriers.

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Think You’re Open Minded Paul? Open Wider!

My friend Chrystal Kubis and I were having one of our deep discussions about inner wisdom and how we came by ours. I told her that I thought mine came from the reservoir of knowledge that we all have deep inside of us that can be drawn upon. For us Buddhists, that would be our inner Buddha which merely means that we all have the capacity and potential to become a Buddha or an enlightened being. Then I made a crack about how I thought that channelers were a bit daft after I saw that she had Abraham Hicks (http://www.abraham-hicks.com/lawofattractionsource/index.php) on her Ipod and that I had doubts as to the validity of a woman channeling some guru’s soul.

Well, Chrystal got me on this one because she said she had been a skeptic about the more “woo woo” type of things like channelers and that from what she had seen, she was now a believer. I realized that even though I consider myself very left and open-minded, that I can still open my mind and perception further; my inner scientist often needs more rational proof of metaphysical and supernatural events and like many skeptics, I need pushing. Yup, I can be judgmental folks and sometimes it takes my friends to stop me and help me realize that there is still so much mystery out there in the world and we know so little. Damn the skeptical circuits, set engines to full open mind and go full speed ahead.

If you want to see Chrystal and myself talking about some great stuff as “The Fork & The Flame” on YouTube, here’s our link for now. yup it’s long and future ones will be shorter but enjoy. it’s very engaging!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTv6NatJOsU&feature=plcp

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Unrealistic Expectations

We are often unrealistic in our expectations. We wish we could attain enlightenment swiftly without having to apply any effort, and we want to be happy without having to create virtuous causes. Unwilling to endure even the slightest discomfort we want all our suffering to cease, and while living in the jaws of the Lord of Death we wish to remain like a long-life god.

We are often unrealistic in our expectations. We wish we could attain enlightenment swiftly without having to apply any effort, and we want to be happy without having to create virtuous causes. Unwilling to endure even the slightest discomfort we want all our suffering to cease, and while living in the jaws of the Lord of Death we wish to remain like a long-life god.

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
Living Meaningfully, Dying Joyfully

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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.