The Secret?

I had a fabulous run this morning.  I didn’t sleep well but then it seems as of late the battle of wills occurs when I slip into bed.  Then I have to really work to achieve the quiet mind and even once sleep claims me, the fight is carried on into the next stream of consciousness .  Dreams have been reflecting my anxiety regarding these recent rounds of events.  Even though only 4 1/2 hours sleep were attained last evening the need to run and find that connection, an affirmation to the living world held a deeper level of need.

And so as I greeted this day in all its glory I decided to do one of my first routes plotted out when I moved to New Westminster and began running again.  Today’s run was right up there and reminded me why I love to do this.  I got to thinking about many things this morning.

I am excited by the though of how much more energy I will have after the surgery.  I will just soar and I’ve never let myself do that before.  And with that thought I began to contemplate a few things I have been working on over the past few years.  I did a workshop a few years back and one of the exercises was to write for 5 minutes how we would look if we were truly happy and content in our lives.  We had to write down how we would dress, where we would be living, what type of work we would be doing…and we needed to add as much detail as we could.

I wrote furiously and managed about two pages of itemized detail on what ‘happy’ would look like on me.  Next we shared this with the group.  The last part of this exercise was rather telling.  We were asked why were not in the state of happiness that we had just described.

Oh, a plethora of excuses sprang to the surface.  I could easily have bemoaned the circumstances of my life with just cause but then the light bulb really went off.  It was quite simply my attitude that stood in the way of achieving the state that I so wanted to be in.  Change that and just see what comes of it.  I took the bait.

I have read about the Law of Attraction.  I have listened to tapes about secret societies that hold the key to untold wealth and power.  I have researched these secrets  and then I stopped and wondered why I found all of this rather tedious.  In truth, I don’t seek extreme wealth in monetary form.  I have no desire to own an estate on every continent.  I have no need for ten automobiles and a yacht or two.

I would like to be a successful writer and be able to earn a decent living from the proceeds.  And I will realize this.

There is an awful lot of talk about the law of attraction these days.  It started with the book The Secret.  Like many of you, several years ago I purchased it and attempted to apply what it spoke of.  Nothing changed.  Last year I listened to some tapes that stated the powers that be removed the truly beneficial information as they felt ‘threatened’ to some degree on what was being disclosed in this particular book.  Hence, The Secret remains as such.

Then I got to thinking about the whole power thing.  Power is one of the most misunderstood entities on this planet.  Too often it gets confused with control.  Beating the masses back into submission by means of using fear tactics does not grant power to the instigator.

Power is knowledge, it is love, it is selflessness, it is surrender.  Power is standing before this world  in all your vulnerability and accepting it as such.  Power is a quiet force that grows and spreads to like-minded individuals when it is released and shared.  It cannot be coveted and has no monetary value.  It is simple in its subtlety and yet when understanding begins to form you will see it in its honesty.

We talk about the power of natural forces.  Indeed.  Wind is without question a powerful entity.  It can rip down a forest or stir the seas up to boiling.  We are in awe of this, yes?  And we cannot harness its random nature, but we can learn from it.

And so I will continue to grow and find that quiet power within.  I will surrender this to the world, to the universe.  What comes back to me feeds the spirit, feeds the heart.   As this cycle continues, what is received is offered back and so a balance is found.  The life source flows naturally and unimpeded.

Thinking on these books such as The Secret, I liken it to the American Dream. We are all being sold one vision when there is an infinite kaleidoscope of viewpoints to choose from.  You just have to find the one that fits.  I also find it interesting how the introduction to these things starts by having the potential customer being asked to  ‘imagine having wealth beyond your wildest dreams…”

It is a current phenomenon I am sure.  Yet, it’s what we are instructed to go after.  It will make us happy.

This morning I was reminded on my run that I am still very much alive and still very much a part of this world and that made me very happy.  And I am going to allow myself to have this.

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great day.

Blessings!

Unlimited Growth Increases the Divide

Happy Monday to all of you.  This morning I woke to a frozen world.  The first heavy frost was on the ground rendering the blades of grass very still with an icy white expression to them.  There was a dense fog on the water that spilled out onto a few roadways.  So the drive in saw me descending into these various realms and feeling decidedly charmed by the whole thing.  Yet another canvas is being created as this day begins that will never be repeated.  It will remain an original for as long as the mind can remember.

And various thoughts ran through the grey matter on this beautiful day here on the west coast.  A phrase has been rearing its ugly head a few times this week.  It is a statement that really gets under my skin.  For all of you who write, it might be a bit of thorn to you as well.  It is the phrase “Words are cheap. Actions speak louder than words.”

Personally I find words to be one of the most powerful tools on this planet.  Actions are in many cases a result of words, be they written or spoken. Words can never be described, nor should they be as cheap. Yes, they are misused constantly.  Are they used carelessly?  Most definitely.  I have a deep love and respect for these things we call words.

It amazes me what you can do with them.  I am sure you’ve had those moments when you’ve read a passage that just reaches inside and imprints the words upon your heart.  That’s not cheap at all.  In fact to me, those moments are priceless.  They inspire me and move me in oh so many ways.

And words cause just a wellspring of emotion, do they not?  They can cut you to pieces if when uttered, their intent is cruel.  The pain that can be inflicted is at times unimaginable in its intensity.  But they can also heal, tremendously so.  Words that are spoken out of love caress the fragile heart so very gently, like a balm they soothe.  They feed and nurture it as well.

Twice this past week I have come upon that aforementioned phrase which is such an abomination in my mind.

The thought that followed this was a building that was across from the college I attended here in downtown Vancouver back in 1993-94.  I was still smoking at the time, so during breaks I would sit outside with a coffee and cigarette in hand.  The building across from me was a small hotel with the words “Unlimited Growth Increase the Divide” written above the entrance way.  Curious about this rather auspicious statement I looked into its origins.
BC Hydro, which is quite a big corporation in these parts, began buying up the entire block.  The man who owned and ran the Del Mar Hotel offered this space to those who were on a low-income.  It was a clean and affordable place to stay.  Hydro tried to buy the property and went after the owner more than a 100 times.  Trust me, this property would have been worth a few million at that time and it would now be worth considerably more.  The owner was successful in staving this giant off and so the corporation built around the small hotel.

The inscription was put on this building as a reminder.  And where are we now?  We have an economy that surely cannot continually grow at the rate that it has.  As we saw in 2008 the weight of unlimited growth began to chip away at the base causing collapse.  I said this before and I will say it again, we must change how we do business.  It’s not about profit for the 1% anymore.  It’s about sustainability and longevity.  It is about fairness and quality of life for all of us.
I have inserted below a little write-up about this rather unassuming little building and the powerful words posted on her mantel.  Time to get a forum happening as to how we begin the process of changing the economy to a model of a more modest and usable format for all concerned.

We are now hearing phrases such as Fiscal Cliff.  Perhaps the time is right to begin to make the changes that are necessary.  The economy affects everyone in this world in some fashion or other.  For the common good, we need to make changes.  It will be painful initially, but no fingers are to be pointed.  If we value honesty, then why don’t we try living by it?

I am at a point now where I understand fully that I am responsible for my life.  I am responsible for my happiness.

I can blame my past.  I can blame everything around me, but at the end of the day theonly person that can change the circumstances of my life is me.

I have experienced some awful occurances in my life.  And you know, I could dwell on this and I could be the epitome of the the victim and all the world would tell me that I had just cause.

Do I?

I was given this life, blessedly so.  And this is what I will celbrate and explore to full advantage.

Happiness is mine, if I want it.  I accept.

Success is mine, if I want it.  I accept.

Love is mine, if I want it.  I accept.

 

About the Inscription

Description of Work:

“UNLIMITED GROWTH INCREASES THE DIVIDE”

The text consists of 7″ copper letters above the entrance to the gallery.
The text is cut from 1/4″ copper plate and installed in its original
red metallic state, inviting a “corporate” reading. However, it will
change with time and exposure, to a greenish, aged surface. The text
will be visually assimilated into the existing green color of the
building, and will remain permanently on the site.

Artist Statement:

“The strategy behind “Unlimited Growth …” is direct. It is directed at
those who operate our free-market economy in their own interests, while
excluding those interests that would be ‘responsive to the needs of the
community’. The subtext to “Unlimited Growth ..” relates to several
aspects of public art including the need to address the use of
site-specific work as a way of intervening in local issues, and in this
instance, acting as a marker of resistance by the economically
marginalized, as represented by a parallel gallery and a hotel
providing affordable housing. Walter raises questions related to the
systems underlying the transactions and power-plays that constitute
normal business in the world of real estate development. In Walter’s
art the museum without walls is also a museum OF walls, walls new and
old, as well as those walls that perpetuate economic class
distinctions. Her text on the façade of the Del-Mar Hotel will stand as
a witness to the various power-plays, including the threat to move B.C.
Hydro’s head office to the suburb of Burnaby, that led to the
development surrounding 553-555 Hamilton Street.” – from “The
Interventions of Kathryn Walter” by Bill Jeffries, Contemporary Art
Gallery, Vancouver, 1990

And the World Watched….

Yesterday the US Presidential Election took place as many of you know.  I don’t know about other countries, but I do know that Canada watches very closely to the outcome of these events as they do impact us.  They impact us in a big way.  I was delighted with the outcome.  What I find curious is why Americans feel Obama should have done more than what he has in the last four years.  When he took over the reigns of government from George Bush, the economy was in serious collapse, the country was in serious collapse..and that was due to a Bush’s inept handling in my opinion.  Government spending was completely out of control.  When Bush took over from Clinton, the economy was perhaps at its strongest and Clinton left the house in good order.

The Bush administration were basically fear mongers. Wars began and money was literally bled from the coffers to support these initiatives.  I recall watching a documentary that was looking at government spending in the USA.  Apparently $12,000,000.00 dollars in cash had been flown to Iraq.  $8,000,000.00 could not be accounted for.  And I couldn’t quite figure out why you would fly that amount of cash to a foreign country that was now engulfed in a war started under false pretenses to begin with.  But then, I am not someone who understands warfare to begin with.

We all remember the phrase ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction’ being bandied about.  I was really pleased that Canada did not join forces with the US in the Iraq initiative.

War really isn’t the answer to anything.  It is destructive, negative and only creates further divisions.  Hence the need to have better and more powerful weapons.  Personally it scares the shit out of me what sits in the arsenals of various countries’ war chests.  And to what purpose?

If all these countries think that by being wealthy and having the ability to annihilate half of the countries on this planet  is power, then they are sadly mistaken.  Power is when you take an impossible situation, mend it and make it work.  Power is when you can take people who are repressed and fearful and give them hope and a voice to be heard.

We have been talking about bullying as of late, and in many ways, what these governments are doing to their citizens is bullying on a much larger scale.  When you promote education and encourage free thought then you see the true power of humanity.

Unfortunately there are still too many small-minded dictators out there with a hunger to control, not govern.  And this is the catch really.  To govern effectively, you likely won’t be popular with everyone, ever…but you will have their respect because you are looking out for everyone’s best interests…not just a select few.

One of the best Prime Ministers in Canada in my mind was Lester B. Pearson.  He was an incredibly competent and effective leader.  And he did an amazing job with a minority government.  What he managed to do was encourage everyone to work together for the greater good of the people.

I really believe President Obama is much like this so I do hope that the senate and congress and the republicans will in fact begin to listen to the electorate and work with the President as well.

What frightened me most about Romney getting into office are his views of women.  That we still do not have the right to manager our own bodies in his mind scares me, and that there are still so many with this viewpoint.  There is a separation of church and state for a reason.  And an effective leader should not be in power to enforce their beliefs on the electorate, but rather to enforce good sound management of the nations resources and business dealings and do so in a manner that is respectful to all.

In any case, I congratulate President Obama on his victory.  Now I will focus on my country and see if we cannot find someone to step up to the plate who has a vision for all who live here.  I do know we can affect change if we try.  I do hope the day will come when we can all work together to make this world a much better place than it is today.  I believe it can be done, I believe it must done.

Take care everyone.