Hello my friends,

How are you?

Over the weekend I’ve been thinking about how to distill the wisdom I’ve been offered over the years into a practical ‘take away’ for readers to jump start a successful journey. Here are a few tips for starters.

1. Develop a Metaphysical Framework– life is such that even THE MOST DETERMINED person will hit a wall where determination is not enough. Sometime in life, each of us, even the luckiest, the strongest, the fastest, the richest, the most powerful will hit a wall where determination is just not enough and there is no way to take control. Winning the lottery, cresting Mt. Kilimanjaro, winning the election will not make that sick loved one better. So each of us, if we don’t have an inner guidepost needs to develop one. Doesn’t matter what flavor it is. But essential to peace of mind.
2. Practice: Be true to that guidepost and practice whatever discipline it requires. Make it real for you. So, if it’s meditation, set the time aside. If it’s five times prayers, do them. Do whatever it takes to keep your head, (your ego) on the floor in submission to that higher authority.
3. Community: Find a community of like-minded people to share life’s ups and downs. My teacher once said, “ When your faith is small, you need to surround it with a strong fence.” For example, when you first plant an acorn, you need to protect it otherwise the goats and the cows and the sheep that come along will eat the young sprouts. Once the acorn has established its tap root nothing can shake the mighty oak. So, find a community of good and like-minded friends while you grow your roots.   
4. Hurry Slowly: Everything we want is coming to us. But most of us are driving a hundred miles an hour through the forest of life and we’re wapping into the trees. If we would only slow down, we could maneuver through the trees, avoid a lot of head-bangings—and still get to our destination. I remember as a young L&D nurse during a delivery, a mother was pushing and we were having fetal distress, the baby’s heart rate dipping dangerously low; so, I called the attending OB-GYN for help. Dr. N. came in, stood and watched the mother and the monitor and then quietly disappeared. I went running after him demanding, “Why’d you disappear? to which he replied, “I might do something.” When he saw my puzzled face he said, “In this business, one must learn to hurry slowly. Yes, I could rush and do a stat C-section now. But the mother and the baby will have a more difficult recovery. Baby’s have a remarkable reserve, and if I monitor the baby and watch carefully, the baby will tell me what to do.” Sure enough, the baby delivered shortly and safely with 10/10 apgars.
5. Love the Mirror or Personal Grooming: Be diligent in removing one’s own blemishes, rather than focusing on others.  The world is a magnificent mirror designed for us to groom ourselves into alignment with Goodness. What you see in the mirror, what your consciousness sees, is yourself.Oh, I hear you, “But, but, but! I am not  like the Parkland shooter. I am not dropping bombs in Syria or slaughtering the Rohingya!” Oh, I do hear you! I made similar excuses until the day, my teacher turned around to all of us self-proclaimed pacifists and vegetarians,”There is not a vegetarian among you.  I watch the way you mentally devour each other! True saivum, true non-violence does not hurt another soul in word or thought or deed!” “Ouch!”

So dear friends, enjoy the journey—hold hands, hurry slowly, discard all the baggage along the way, and keep your eye on the goal. Tally Ho!