Archive for November, 2007
Posted by the White Wizard on
November 22, 2007
Have you ever been alone for a special day, such as a holiday or a birthday? How did you feel? Most of us have had that experience. What is important is how we choose to react to it. We usually want people around us to recognize the “specialness” of the day, which is another way of saying we want them to acknowledge that we are special.
When I was in college, I was a 3,000 mile plane trip from home. I usually only went home for Christmas and for the summer. Most of the time I was invited to a friend’s home or a faculty member’s home for the other holidays.
One Thanksgiving, though, I was without an invitation. All my friends had gone home and I was alone in my apartment. It would have been very easy to feel lonely, but I chose a different path.
I decided this was an ideal opportunity to truly have a day of giving thanks. Being very committed to religious practice at the time, I made this a day of fasting and prayer. Instead of gorging myself on food, as I usually did, I chose to do without food or drink. This day was to be devoted to activities that allowed me to focus on my spiritual connectedness, and to express gratitude for my blessings.
At one point I got on my bicycle and rode all over campus. I do not recall seeing another person there that day. I was truly alone… but, I was not lonely. I felt very connected to my Source of truth. And, I felt very grateful.
Thanksgiving Day has been different for me ever since. That one event allowed me to step away from the cultural norm and to go back to the roots of the day. There are other reasons to celebrate Thanksgiving — being with family and friends is a significant one — but, they all focus upon gratitude.
What can you gain from this? Three things:
1) We can choose our reality. You may not yet believe that we can truly change our physical circumstances. That’s ok. For now, just allow yourself to understand that we can choose how we respond to our context. In choosing our response, we can deeply change the experience. In NLP this is called “reframing.”
2) Our choices have impacts long into the future. Two paths may diverge with only a slight separation. Over time that slight separation becomes a huge difference.
3) Consciously or not, we are always choosing our response and, thus, choosing our paths. Most people are “stumbling” onto their path by automatic reactions. Those who are “awake”, choose their responses deliberately. Choose your paths wisely, because you are truly choosing your future reality.
May today, and every day, be a day of thanksgiving for you so that your chosen path may lead to the future you desire.
Posted by the White Wizard on
November 15, 2007
I have long taught my students that myth always has a strong basis in reality. The more widespread the myth the stronger the basis must be. A myth, such as dragons, that is virtually universal across time and societies is indicative of a strong foundation. That basis is generally lost in antiquity — such is the nature of myths. If it were not lost, then it would likely not be a myth, but just be an anomaly of history.
Science and, thus, society may not comprehend the foundations of the myth until a “discovery” is made to remind us of its ancient foundations. Without this understanding, we can dismiss myths as part of an unenlightened cosmology of ancient people. This not only denigrates our forbears, it also deprives us of a richness in our understanding of Creation. Our inability to understand the basis of something does not make it less true…. And, when we ridicule myths, or their followers, we are really revealing our own pious ignorance.
Occasionally, science identifies some of these foundations. This happened recently with the discovery of a fossil of a strange dinosaur. It was named Dracorex hogwartsia in honor of the popular Harry Potter books. The name means basically “Dragon King of Hogwarts”. It has much of the appearance of mythical dragons.
I do not believe that this is the full explanation of the dragon myths, but it does give insights into its possible origins that are acceptable to society and science. The full explanation will go much deeper, and cover terrain that most are not prepared to cross. This story does serve the purpose, though, of reminding us that all myths have a basis in reality.
Knowing the basis of a myth yields understanding about the myth; understanding leverages power. So, the important question for today is:
What is the basis of your personal and cultural mythology?
Posted by the White Wizard on
November 1, 2007
The Perfect Storm. It was a book, then a movie. Now, it denotes the accumulation of a series of contextual events that individually may have been minor or insignificant. Once brought together in the same environment, however, it creates a context for something disasterous in huge proportions.
I believe we are seeing the generation of the perfect storm. Here are the factors:
* The value of the US dollar is rapidly declining. We are now on par with the Canadian dollar. Only a few years ago we were running about CD$ .67 to US$ 1.00. We have declined relative to other world currencies as well.
* Our gold reserves are being depleted. Some countries are turning in their US dollars and asking for gold. Other countries (Egypt being one) have asked for their aid payments to be made in Euros, rather than US dollars.
* Grain reserves are collapsing. The last I read, we were down to 56 days of stocks in the US, approximately 1/3 of what it was a few years ago.
* Pressure on crops and grain supplies are increasing tremendously. Europe is seeking more of our grain. One-half of the Canadian wheat did not mature this year, because of exceptional summer heat. We import about the same quantity that was lost, and Canada is one of our major sources of grain. Prices are escalating. Some grains have doubled since last year. Because of the scare over Chinese flour, there is more demand for North American grain here in the U. S.
* Oil prices are climbing. They are hovering near $90/barrel now. While retreats are quick possible, the predictions are for continued increases. Analysts are predicting $100 soon. These prices are four times what they were five years ago, and are pushing 50% higher than they were 11 months ago. Our administration has declared they are “very concerned” about the increase in prices and it’s impact on our economy. Our reserves are down 5.3 million barrels. The US is currently the largest consumer of world oil production, but China is rapidly overtaking us. Their demand is rising by 15% per year. Considering that oil drives economies, it should be no surprise that access to oil is a strategic (ie., military) consideration.
Where is all this headed?
Our economy is already starting to show signs of slowing. Increases in fuel costs will affect all aspects of our economy. When you put all these factors together, we may well be headed for the “perfect storm” economically. And, we have not even factored in the declining housing market, the looming mortgage disaster, global warming impacts, the destruction of thousands of buildings in California fires ($2.5 billion at last count) and the displacement of nearly 1,000,000 people from a major economic center for this country, peak oil, the diversion of crops into biofuels, nor the economic strain of a protracted war.
What I pay for gas has risen nearly 50% this year. Natural gas went up 30% at the beginning of the year and supplies are short. A local fertilizer plant is closing because they can no longer obtain natural gas. Food costs are up, and will continue to rise as the impact of rising oil and grain shortage moves into the market.
Combine all these factors together and we may well see a powerful economic crisis.
What does that have to do with this website?
Everything. This website is about moving gracefully through life. It is about being in positions of personal power (that does not necessarily mean power over others), where you can adapt readily to changes in the external world. It is about being “ahead of the power curve.”
To do that you must be aware of what is going on around you. Once you are aware, you must take action. Your action must not be reaction. Rather, it should be thoughtful and conscious, graceful and honest, and respectful of others and the earth.
You may feel that for the reasons discussed here, and for others, that we are headed for some difficult times. If that is the case, you would be wise to prepare as best you can. There are many things to consider: food supplies, medical supplies, evacuation plans (including where and how you will meet with loved ones), gardening plans, cash reserves (how many Americans have a savings account?), etc.
If you are serious about being prepared for possible future events, you should consider joining me for an intensive training program. It will teach you to be self-sufficient by learning to access your inner resources in powerful ways. This is not a survivalist head-for-the-hills training. It is pragmatic and spiritual, giving you the tools to manage your life in whatever circumstances you find yourself. Further, it gives you the tools to create and manage those circumstances. It is intense, personal and expensive, because it demands a strong commitment from both of us. I do not, at present, promote it. So, if you are interested, contact me and we will discuss it.
Until next time…. be conscious of your world…. be conscious of yourself…. be a force for positive…. BE!
