Walking down the street
Contemplating
Guided by the desires of my feet
Pondering
Where do I go, what will inspire
Investigating
Nature’s beauty, oh how I admire
Seeing
Light bugs flash a pleasant show
Dancing
Wind at my body blows
Caressing
Earth is the giver to all
Loving
The biggest and even the small
Learning
Trees give us more than shade
Remembering
Fruit, nuts, and berries from the glade
Savoring
Sweet tastes and loving comfort from Her
Whistling
Harmonious songs, I finally concur
Realizing
Heaven is here behind the veil
Releasing
Old rhythms and ways of no avail
Beginning
My journey back to the oneness of it all
Sharing
This epiphany with you, it is my call.

©Candice Tomlin July 10th, 2009

Candice Tomlin started writing poetry in high school and instantly loved it!  She  even won a 2nd place award for one of her very first poems. Poetry got her through some rough years; initially it was a way of coping, later becoming a great passion, but always a natural ability. Recently, she has had poems flying out of the ink like you wouldn’t believe and she now knows deep down that this is her calling.

You can leave a comment here to let Candice know how her work has affected you – or you can email her at candicetomlin@hotmail.com

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“There was a time when we were not: this gives us no concern – why then should it trouble us that a time will come when we shall cease to be?” – William Hazlitt

A couple of years ago, I was flying home late one night after spending all week in California for a business trip. I would fly for these trips to either California or Tokyo about once every 1-2 months so they were very familiar and routine for me. Pretty much nothing interesting ever happened, which in my opinion is a great thing when it comes to traveling.

On the flight that one fateful night, I had just finished reading Steve Pavlina’s Personal Development for Smart People, and as I was writing my review of it, I notice that the airplane started going downwards very fast… faster than I’ve ever experienced before. My ears almost never pop when I fly, but that night my ears were popping every minute for several minutes in a row.

I looked around, and nobody else seemed to be concerned. (At least nobody outwardly showed concern) But there was this question in my mind, and a feeling in my gut… “Are we going to be okay?” Right after that thought crossed my mind, the airplane started experiencing major turbulence. Enough that even though I don’t get airsick, my stomach was starting to feel very uneasy.

Between the rapid drop and the turbulence, I was having trouble writing my review, and I wasn’t feeling particularly safe in that moment. I thought to myself…

“I wonder if I’m going to die?”

In that instant, I realized that if in fact I was going to die, my preference was not to be typing something on the computer that wouldn’t even reach the people it was written for (i.e. you). So I paused for a moment, looked out the window and saw the beautiful moon and just focused my attention on being calm and present.

It was a delightful feeling, and I felt strangely at peace despite the unusual circumstances of my flight. Well, until…

Another massive turbulent streak brought me back to my mind… “Am I going to die?” I tried to tune into my intuition, but I wasn’t able to hear it. That’s both good and bad because although I wish I were able to hear my intuition all the time – and in this case so I could have an answer to my perilous question – in my experience my intuition usually only tells me when there’s something REALLY big to be concerned about.

And since it wasn’t shouting at me, “Danger Will Robinson! Danger!” I concluded that we all would probably be alright. I turned my attention to the moon again, enjoyed the calm serenity, and within a few moments the pilot announced we would be landing shortly.

I’d like to say I felt relieved, but I didn’t. For me, landing was just another part of this experience called “life,” whether that experience lasts longer, or had ended last night. Either way, I realized I was grateful simply to be alive and experiencing this wondrous mystery.

I’m not entirely sure why I shared all that with you. Perhaps there’s a question in my mind that asks, “How can I connect with others more deeply? How can I inspire, encourage, enlighten, and ultimately empower others?”

And perhaps this blog post was one way in which I can answer those two questions. My very real airplane story isn’t really about me, although I was the main character. I sense it’s really about all of us and how we choose to respond to adversity, challenge, and those things which threaten our ideas about life and the way we live.

Although you may view this post in the perspective of somberness, as the topic of death often does, we still have a choice how we receive these messages about death.

I am reminded of a quote from a very enjoyable movie called The Last of His Tribe that is based on a true story. The following words were spoken by Ishi, a Native American who helped bring wisdom to the west:

“If you do not sing for your dead, how will they be able to find the trail to their ancestors?”

That’s a very good question, regardless of whether we believe in an afterlife. That question gets to the heart of the matter in a very direct way – When given the choice between sorrow and joy, what would we rather choose?

When my brother Michael died of cancer in 2001, I spoke at his eulogy. I spoke of how wrong it was for such a young man in his early 30’s, in great health, and with two very young children, to be taken at such a young age. I also spoke about the joy he brought to all of our lives, and how those joyful memories can bring smiles to our faces during that time of painful emotional upheaval.

And when I finished my eulogy, I looked out among the sea of more than 100 people who cared about Michael deeply, and what I saw touched me deeply. With tears in their eyes, people were smiling.

In the likeness of Ishi, those in attendance rose beyond their sorrow and found a way to sing… to help Michael find the trail to his ancestors.

———————-
When faced with the threat of divorce, Chris Cade turned to personal development to mend his relationship. That set off a chain reaction of unexpected events, ultimately leading him to request that his employer lay him off in April of 2009. Although Chris did still eventually get divorced, the changes in his life continue to be positive, empowering, and permanent.

Now Chris follows his heart’s dreams to empower people worldwide with his network of websites, the Inscribe Your Life® program, and his upcoming printed book “Think Without the Box®” Chris is also the visionary behind world’s #1 spiritual story website

————————————

Evolution Ezine may receive a commission if you buy through one of the links – these proceeds help keep the Evolution Ezine free.  Thanks for your continued support.

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I meet you all in a field of Gold

that consists of nothing

but

ever present,

sheer Grace.

Gently carrying its

ripples of consciousness

rhythmically in this dimension

in seeming cycles

between this

and

ancient

Dream Time.

Yet another

walkabout

to start,

it seems.

Prior and resting

just the still, clear lake

letting all arise and subside.

Staying in the flow,

with devotional surrender

we are

carried by a gentle wave.

Resisting ever so slightly,

swept away by a storm.

Meeting you All in

this field of gold,

magnificent, glorious

Life.

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Chapter 1

The pain in his abdomen was getting worse. It had been waking him up every night for the past week, and on this night he wasn’t able to fall back asleep. He knew that he needed to rest, but sometimes walking around relieved the burning sensation that crept up at the base of his esophagus.

Don slowly pulled the covers back and quietly got out of bed, careful not to wake his sleeping wife. Suzanne was still working full-time as a bookkeeper for a small paper company while trying to take care of him. He felt guilty for what he was putting her through, and although he couldn’t contribute financially, the least he could do was not wake her up in the middle of the night.

Making his way down the narrow hallway of their one-bedroom craftsman, he could see the full moon peeking through the open drapes. Their house was at the bottom of the foothills of town, but it was still up high enough that he could see the twinkling lights of Eugene that dotted central Oregon’s Willamette Valley.  It had taken them several years to save up for their first house, and it had been a badge of pride for them when they finally moved in.

However, Don couldn’t shake the feeling that one day soon they might need to sell it and resume renting. He had been an engineer for a local semiconductor company since graduating from Oregon State University, but when a  multinational had acquired the firm three years ago, it began to systematically “reduce redundancies” one departmentat a time. Unfortunately, Don’s department was nearly decimated on a day eighteen months prior that he referred to as “Black Friday.” He couldn’t find another job in Eugene because his skill set was too specific, and when he got sick, he wasn’t able to move to another city with a larger job market.

In the kitchen, Don caught sight of the microwave clock: 11:11. It was the third time in less than a week that he had casually glanced at a clock when it was that time. He wasn’t superstitious, but the pattern was becoming regular enough to notice.

He began to look through cabinets and drawers for some antacid pills to help his stomach pain. In the back of his mind he knew they probably wouldn’t do any good, but it was a habit and seemed to bring him emotional comfort even if there was no physical relief. When he opened the drawer containing the tarnished silverware that he and his wife only used during the holidays, he noticed a large stack of unopened bills from the hospital and various doctors he’d seen recently.

He had been dreading this day ever since being admitted to the emergency room late one night, when the pain was so unbearable that he could hardly move. And although the hospital had to treat him, he couldn’t forget the knowing look from the admitting nurse when he told her that he didn’t have any insurance.

Don carefully removed the stack of bills from the silverware drawer and sat in the middle of the kitchen floor, fanning the envelopes around him in a semicircle. The envelope windows from the hospital bills revealed a rainbow of colors, starting with white, then progressing to more vibrant shades of yellow, orange, green, blue, and red. After they were sufficiently organized by color and size, he began to open the bills one at a time and glanced at the past-due amounts while placing them in front of him in two stacks—one for the emptied envelopes, and one for their contents.

At first he was calm, but as he opened more and more envelopes, he began to get angry. How could they charge this much for just a couple of days’ worth of visits? And other than a few pain pills, they hadn’t given him anything that helped.

Most of the time was spent with doctors who didn’t even know what was wrong with him, but they all charged full price even though they were absolutely clueless. And when they finally did figure out what was ailing him, they weren’t sure how to deliver the diagnosis: “The good news is, we now know what’s wrong with you . . .”

Being diagnosed with cancer at thirty-nine years old was one thing, but leaving Suzanne to pay off the hospital bills after he was gone hit him hard. The doctors couldn’t agree on exactly how long he would live, but they all said that it wouldn’t be more than six months. And although pancreatic cancer wasn’t curable, the doctors presented many options that could be tried to temporarily improve the quality of life during his last few days.

But judging by the mountain of medical bills that Don had collected in the flurry of hospital and doctor visits during that initial two-week period, there was no way he could imagine spending any more of Suzanne’s money just so he might die with slightly more comfort. The pain was excruciating at times, which was why he had gone to the emergency room that first night, but seeing how much money he had spent just finding out what was wrong temporarily numbed him.

Suzanne stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes. “What’s the matter?” she asked. She looked down and saw the bills surrounding her redheaded soul mate. “Oh, you found those.”

“Why didn’t you tell me these came? Were you hiding them from me?”

“I wasn’t hiding them. I just couldn’t bear to open them. Is it bad?”

“It’s devastating. It’s obscene how much they charge. I counted twelve different doctors I didn’t even see who billed me for things I can’t even pronounce. If they’re going to charge that type of money, they should at least have the decency to stop in and introduce themselves.”

“They’re probably not used to treating people without insurance,” she said sadly. “We probably should’ve been married sooner.” She nearly choked on the words as her eyes began to well up.

Don had proposed marriage to Suzanne more than a decade prior, but she hadn’t been able to bring herself to marry him. Not that she wasn’t fully committed, but she didn’t want to let the government dictate what she considered to be a sacred agreement between two individuals. The fact that marriage was a state-sanctioned contract with financial incentives angered Suzanne to her core—love shouldn’t be bought or sold. They had held a private commitment ceremony nearly five years ago, and in the end, even their families hadn’t acknowledged their marriage because they weren’t invited to the ceremony.

As the years progressed, their “statement” didn’t seem to mean anything to anyone but them. Although that had initially been the point, it slowly began to make things more and more complicated, especially when it came to health insurance. The policy provided by Suzanne’s employer didn’t acknowledge domestic partners, so Don had remained uninsured since he’d been out of work.

Following the diagnosis, they finally went to the county courthouse and signed the papers to become officially married. But afterward they discovered that Suzanne’s company’s policy excluded a spouse’s pre-existing conditions, so Don’s cancer and related symptoms wouldn’t be covered.

“In my mind we’ve been married for years,” said Don. “We did it our way, and it was beautiful.”

He, too, was thinking about how much easier things would be if he had insurance, but he blamed himself for losing his job. He never regretted keeping their marriage private, although he couldn’t forgive himself for being laid off. If he would have made himself more valuable, or if he wasn’t so shy, he could have become friends with the new executives and might still have his job.

“But the insurance—” Suzanne couldn’t stop her tears from flowing, and turned away from her husband as she silently cried.

Don crawled over to his wife and softly caressed her long brown hair. Seeing her break down made his heart hurt because of what he was putting her through. “I’m sorry,” he said, the words barely audible as they caught in his throat. “I’m sorry for leaving you.”

Chapter 2

Over the next few weeks, Don’s depression deepened. He seldom got out of bed, and he refused to eat more than a couple bites of bread a day. He found that the less he ate, the weaker he became. And the weaker he became, the more he would sleep, which gave him a temporary reprieve from the intensifying pain.

When he did emerge from bed, he would often gravitate toward the kitchen to open the silverware drawer. Every time he did, he would find more and more late notices piling up. They had nearly doubled in volume, and although there were very few entirely new bills, the late fees were quickly compounding, and the paper they were printed on became more vibrant in color. Additionally, the doctors’ assistants began to leave answering machine messages under the guise of concern:

“The doctor would like to schedule a follow-up visit to discuss how you’re feeling, but we need to take care of your outstanding invoice first. Please call as soon as possible, and we can work out a partial-payment plan if that’s more convenient.”

As his pain continued to worsen, Don began to research the costs associated with various treatment options. He knew it was a temporary fix, but the pain was becoming unbearable and he could barely function.

“I think it’s time to go back to the doctor,” Suzanne said one afternoon when she discovered her husband doubled over on the floor of the bathroom.

“There’s nothing they can do,” replied Don.

“They said that they could make you feel better.”

“How? It’s not exactly a curable disease.”

“But they said that different treatments could make you more comfortable. Don’t you think we should try chemo at least once to see if it helps?”

“Once isn’t going to make any difference. Besides, do you know how much it costs? We still haven’t paid a dime to those first doctors who didn’t even know what they were doing. And the most expensive bill is the oncologist, who’s the one we need to go back to for the chemo.”

“We can start paying him a little every month so we can keep the treatments going.”

“So we can go into even more debt? I don’t think so.”

Don had been researching how to pay for the chemotherapy treatments, and he couldn’t figure out a way to make it work. He knew that they would probably let him start the treatments and perhaps allow him to continue until he succumbed to the disease. But the cost, even by the most conservative estimates, would burden Suzanne with financial hardship for many years to come. It was also likely that she would have to sell their house just to keep the collectors off her back for the first few years. And even that wouldn’t be enough to take care of it all. He already knew that he had a life sentence—he wasn’t going to impose another one on his wife, just because she had the unfortunate luck to fall in love with him.

“Some things are more important than money,” Suzanne said softly. “I can’t stand to see you in so much pain.”

“Maybe I should just leave,” he said. “Maybe my time is over.”

“Don’t even joke about that!”

Although Don had never said it out loud, it was something he had been thinking about for a while. When he first confronted his mortality after being diagnosed with cancer, he had to admit that he was afraid of dying and wanted to put it off as long as possible. He’d also made a promise to himself when he first met Suzanne that he would always take care of her financially, whether he was alive or not. Being able to do so after he was gone was his promise of immortality. And the thought that he would simply cease to exist, without leaving even a little bit of money to her, made him feel like his entire life had been a waste of time.

But the main reason Don didn’t want to die was because he didn’t want to leave Suzanne. His mother had died of cancer when he was only two years old, and his father had died of it when Don was a freshman in college. He had always felt abandoned by his parents, and he vowed that he would never be responsible for leaving anyone he loved, for any reason.

“Can I get you a pain pill?” Suzanne asked.

“They don’t work anymore—keep them for yourself.”

He didn’t know how much longer he could tolerate the pain, but the thought of acquiring more medical bills felt even worse than his physical discomfort. Although the thought of ending his own life had initially repulsed him, it began to make more and more sense as a viable alternative.  If he could work out the details to minimize the trauma inflicted on Suzanne, she might eventually forgive him and agree that it was the best solution for everyone.

Later that week, Don had an intensely vivid dream that felt incredibly real. It started in a lightfilled tunnel swirling counterclockwise, with the path he was standing on remaining still. As he walked closer to the light, he saw his deceased father gesturing for him to go away. He was drawn closer in order to speak with him, but his father began to fade as he approached the spot where he’d been standing. Then the entire tunnel dimmed to blackness, and he could hear footsteps walking toward him.

As the ominous sounds grew more intense, he became acutely aware that he was standing completely naked. He felt vulnerable as he tried to cover himself with his hands. After several minutes, the footsteps were silenced and he could hear a figure breathing loudly immediately in front of him. As he tried to calm himself, he couldn’t help but feel that there was something familiar about the sound of the breath.

Slowly, the figure came into focus as the light around them began to brighten. The man standing there was of medium build and dressed entirely in white. Don strained to make out the details of his face and then rubbed his eyes in disbelief. After his focus completely returned, there was no mistaking it—the person who was standing before him looked exactly like Don himself. It was a feeling similar to looking in the mirror, with two major exceptions: there was twice as much energy emanating from the reflection, and the figure’s movements didn’t correspond to his own.

Don’s focus returned to the fact that he was standing there naked, and when he looked down, he was relieved to find that he was now fully clothed. He was wearing exactly the same outfit as the person in front of him, yet his own was completely black. He imagined that there was some significance to the fact that he was clothed in black while the other was in white, but he was just happy he was no longer naked.

There was a long silence while the two stood staring at each other, until Don finally said: “Hi.”

“Hello,” said the other in a voice that was nearly identical to Don’s.

After another uncomfortable silence, Don finally asked the only question he could think of: “Who are you?”

Without pausing, the man answered, “I’m Robert—nice to meet you.”

Robert stretched out his hand in a greeting, but Don just stood there looking at it, dumbfounded. Robert retracted his hand after a few seconds, and Don felt a smirk creep onto his face. The smirk widened into a full smile, and within seconds he began laughing hysterically. He continued to laugh for over a minute and then doubled over at the waist and slapped the ground next to his feet as tears streamed down from laughing so hard.

“Robert!” exclaimed Don in between chuckles. “That’s classic! I finally meet my doppelgänger, and his name is Robert! Of course your name is Robert—why wouldn’t it be?” He didn’t know why the name struck him as funny, but it did. There was something ironic about a supernatural experience having such a common name.

“So, Robert”—he tried unsuccessfully to suppress his laughter—“what brings you here?”

“I’m here to help you.” Robert was getting noticeably annoyed.

“Help me? Help me with what?”

“With your transition. Anything you don’t understand or anything you could use some extra help with.”

“My transition?” Don’s laughter stopped instantly.

“What transition?”

“Your transition to the next dimension—the next stage of your journey.”

Don took a few moments to reflect on these words. “Are you the grim reaper or something?”

“Not exactly.” It was now Robert’s turn to laugh. “I’m more of an advocate. I’m here to help you transition in whichever way you choose.”

“You mean you’re here to help me die?”

“That’s oversimplifying it a bit, but I guess you could say that.”

Don felt a chill on the back of his neck. “Are you the angel of death?”

“I wouldn’t say the angel of death, but I’m certainly one of them.”

“You mean there are more than one?”

“Of course there are. Do you know how many people die every day? There wouldn’t be time to do anything meaningful if there was only one of us.”

“I have a question,” said Don thoughtfully. “Why me? And—why now?”

“Everyone ultimately takes the same journey, and now is your time to be on Summer’s Path:

Spring flowers wither

Honey Moon condenses light

Summer’s Path begins.”

Robert smiled after reciting the haiku, and patiently awaited Don’s response.

“Um, okay. I guess I’ve never really understood poetry,” said Don. “What do you mean by ‘Honey Moon condenses light’?”

“The Honey Moon is the first moon of summer —the moon that celebrates the summer solstice.”

“Okay . . . but how does that condense light?”

“After the first day of summer, the days begin to shorten. Leading up to summer, the days grow longer, so it’s easy to take light for granted. But as they get shorter, every second of light must be cherished.”

“Is light a metaphor for something?”

“Light is our life force—the energy we need to exist. Whether you call it a metaphor is up to you,” Robert laughed.

Don let Robert’s curious words sink in before continuing. “It’s ironic that it’s called a honeymoon,like after a wedding. Don’t you agree?”

“Not at all,” replied Robert. “Actually, I can’t think of a better word to mark the beginning of a life together.”

Don sat down on the narrow path and put his head into his hands as he remembered his honeymoon with Suzanne at Crater Lake. He knew life was short, yet he couldn’t help but feel he had been careless with his time with his wife. It saddened him to realize that he had taken his years with Suzanne for granted. And now it seemed as if he had once again come to a major crossroads. He needed to decide if he should let the cancer take its course or if he was prepared to shorten the process.

At that moment, the sound of a hundred voices began echoing inside his head. But the voice he kept hearing the loudest was Suzanne’s: “Don’t even joke about that . . .”

After the voices faded, Don slowly stood back up and looked deep into Robert’s eyes, trying to decide if he could trust him, and if he actually could help with the transition. “Okay, you have my attention—what can you do to help?”

“I can start by giving you advice about how to make your transition easier.”

“Like what?”

“The first thing you need to do is get your affairs in order. You don’t want to unnecessarily burden your loved ones once you pass on.”

“But I don’t have any money.”

“Yes, but you do have obligations, and that’s even more important to figure out. I recommend you visit a lawyer immediately.”

“A lawyer?” Don questioned. “Why do I need a lawyer? What should I ask?”

Robert had already turned and was walking away. He waved without looking back, and before fading into the distance, he said, “I’m an advocate, not a babysitter. Just go see a lawyer, and come back to me after you have the answer you need.”

———————————————-

The #1 best-selling e-book is now available as an expanded-edition hardcover. Now with two additional chapters, this first printed edition of Summer’s Path by DailyOM co-founder Scott Blum presents the remarkable story of Don Newport, an engineer who comes face-to-face with his personal destiny under extraordinary circumstances. After losing his job and his health insurance, Don learns that he has a terminal disease, with only a few months left to live. On his deathbed, he meets Robert, a brazen angel of death who promises to help him with a graceful exit. As Don prepares to say his last goodbyes to his loving wife, Robert attempts to change Don’s perspective about his mortality and proposes an exceptionally unique option. Summer’s Path is the prequel to the best-selling book Waiting for Autumn.

Click here for Summer’s Path by Scott Blum

SPECIAL OFFER: Order Summer’s Path and enter to win a summer retreat for two at the exquisite Canyon Ranch Resort.

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This is a sad time and a sad generation. Although there is no world war, although the technology to live a comfortable life has never been as advanced, although we can now reach one another in a click of a button; all the good things we possess can’t seem to cast away the dark clouds that hang everywhere, obscuring the azure sky, blocking the warmth of our bright and faithful sun.

Stripped of its radiance, we walk on cold pavements each day, flaunting the calloused hearts that hold back our tears, wandering the streets hurriedly, as though we knew where we should be going. The truth however is that we walk naked, pretending we are strong, numbing our hearts and killing our souls, just so we can get by, just so we’d be the people our twisted society wants us to transform into.

Rich and poor alike are dying within, the humanity of their souls being sucked away either by the necessity of their survival or by their meaningless ambitions. Where then can we find that little piece of heaven, that small flame of hope that would keep us from stumbling in the dark?

I urge you to look more closely, for it is there, streaking through the thick fog, making its way through the darkness.

Busy morning. You hurry off to work unable to take a single bite of breakfast. You arrive at your office. You see what’s on top of your table. Coffee and croissant with a sweet note from a dear friend. You pause for a while, you savor the strong aroma of java, and take a good sip. Not much for a tv commercial, but enough to catch the first glimpse of sunlight of your day. A little piece of heaven.

-You got busted at work. On your way home you went through a hell of a traffic jam. Then right there at your doorstep, your two-year old child opens up her arms and hugs you. You feel her tiny fingers holding on unto you. She kisses you. Numerous little kisses that take away all your tiredness and frustrations. A little piece of heaven.

-A storm has just passed. The city lay in flood and ruins. In a few moments more, children emerge from their houses. They proudly carry the paper boats they have just made. No flood could dampen their spirits, no storm could darken the light in their eyes. You hear their laughter. You get infected with their joy. A little piece of heaven.

-It’s way past lunch. The young scavenger still has to search heaps of garbage before she could buy anything to eat. Something unexpectedly catches her eyes. A soiled doll with blue eyes, a red apron, and a missing leg. She smiles for her good fortune. She’s just found a gift for her little sister’s birthday! A little piece of heaven.

Christmas. An old lady lives alone. The doorbell suddenly rings. The house is quickly flooded with young
professionals bearing gifts for their old teacher. They could not forget her motherly hand. They remain thankful for her wisdom. A little piece of heaven.

-A rebellious daughter. A patient and prayerful mother. A realization that brings a lasting change. Repentance. Daughter graduates valedictorian in her class. Mother listens to her speech, tears streaming down her cheeks. A little piece of heaven.

-A man stricken with AIDS and considered an outcast. An old nun who reaches out, treats his wounds and embraces him warmly, passing no judgement, no fear, no condemnation. The man smiles and looks up to heaven. He breathes his last, but in that last breath was a breath of hope, and a renewed faith in God. A little piece of heaven.

Have you seen them? Have you caught a single piece of happiness lately? You may not be looking. Or you may not feel you can give some little piece today. Look. Believe. Smile. A smile brings out a lot of sunbeams, and attracts streaks of happiness along the way. Catch a piece today, your very own piece of heaven.

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Preface

I’ve often wished people were born with instruction manuals. Each would be different based on what we needed to learn, but the basics would be the same: how to create healthy relationships, how to deal with sorrow and pain, how to reach our goals, and how to know what we want to do with our lives when we grow up. We’d continue to have our own unique life lessons, but we’d have a guide to refer to when we were feeling overwhelmed or lost.

In real life, we don’t come with such a manual—or a warranty registration card, for that matter—to help fix us when we feel broken. What I’ve done with this book is the next best thing to a manual. I’ve set up tools so that you can actually learn to live your life in accordance with what your soul desires . . . learning to live the life you were meant to and having a guardian angel in the form of a book to help you along the way. We weren’t meant to go through life completely lost, without help, and I believe it’s part of my soul’s purpose to help people navigate their own lives.

It is one of my greatest blessings to be able to use my work as a vehicle to help others. In March of 2004, my husband and I started a company called DailyOM, which sends out free inspirational e-mails each weekday to our subscribers. Every day a message of hope, inspiration, peace, and healing is circulated out into the world as it makes its rounds among e-mail in-boxes across our great earth. The natural progression of this led me to put out my first book, DailyOM: Inspirational Thoughts for a Happy, Healthy, and Fulfilling Day (Hay House, 2008), which was so well received that a second one was called for.

This new book is formatted slightly differently. It’s divided into nine basic parts, starting out with Being Honest with Yourself and ending with Helping Others. In between is a magnificent journey of DailyOM stories—along with those from my own life so that you can read about times when I’ve been in the very same place you may be in, whether that place is one of feeling lost or confused or even at the point of giving up all hope of being happy. An amazing life is waiting for you. Your life.

•••

Introduction

When I started to talk with people about my first book, I noticed a pattern of frequently asked questions, the most common being: “How do you come up with a new DailyOM idea every day?” I sometimes wonder myself as I look back on the years without having ever missed a deadline. It became apparent soon after DailyOM was launched that I was to use my life experiences to help others. This gave me great relief, because it seemed a shame to have gone through so much pain, heartache, and growth just for myself without being able to share what I’d gained with others. It almost seemed wasted on one person. I’ve always been an open book and happy to share what I’ve learned with others so that their own journeys may be easier.

Soon I developed a system of working with the universe to help fine-tune the DailyOM stories. I decided to pick one day a week when I wouldn’t go into the office and would instead stay home and have a meditation day. I picked Tuesday for no particular reason.

First thing in the morning I sit at my altar and just spend some time there, clearing my head, breathing, and lighting a candle and incense. I then set my intention that this time be for writing down story ideas (five of them at a sitting) and ask to be a clear channel to receive the wisdom of the universe. At that point either I’m left completely blank or the messages start coming in strong. I’m shown an event or circumstance in my life and start to write down notes. I then feel what it was like to be in that situation, what I went through, the steps I took, and how I healed and moved on.

This process usually leaves me with about a paragraph of otes containing the essence of the story, although an entire story has come through all at once before. Often I’m asked to go outside, and I always love it when this guidance comes because of my enjoyment of nature and her profound messages. I may feel guided to watch ants or commune with a tree, and I know that a beautiful metaphorical story about nature and humanity will come forth. These are some of my very favorite stories because they’re easy for all to access and understand, as they’re very disarming to the soul.

The next logical question people always ask me is: “Do you mind being used in this way?” I don’t feel “used” at all, although sometimes I’d like a break from the lessons that seem to come every single day. I feel that this is a commitment I made on a soul level, and in return the universe provides for me and I am never without what I need. This work is in me, and even if I wanted to, I couldn’t escape it.

When I receive e-mails from readers about how these stories have changed their lives, I’m brought to my knees in tears of gratitude. There’s no greater feeling to me than fulfilling my life’s purpose and doing what elevates my soul, what makes it sing.

You too have the ability to allow your own soul to sing, and like me, you may find it takes a while to learn what it is that makes you happy and fulfilled. The journey is so worth it, and on those days when you just feel like giving up, take a deep breath and know that you are not alone.

Blessings,

Madisyn

Sample Chapter….

T R A N S L A T I N G  Y O U R  F EE L I N G S – A R E  Y O U  E X C I T E D  O R  S C A R E D ?

When new challenges and opportunities show up in our lives, we may diagnose ourselves as feeling scared when what we really feel is excited. Often we have not been taught how to welcome the thrill of a new opportunity, so we opt to back off, indulging our anxiety instead of awakening our courage. One way to inspire ourselves to embrace the opportunities that come our way is to look more deeply into our feelings and see that butterflies in the stomach and a rapidly beating heart are not necessarily signs that we are afraid.

Those very same feelings can be translated as excitement, curiosity, passion, and even love.

There is nothing wrong with being afraid as long as we do not let it stop us from doing the things that excite us. Most of us assume that brave people are fearless, but the truth is that they are simply more comfortable with fear because they face it on a regular basis. The more we do this, the more we feel excitement in the face of challenges rather than anxiety. The more we cultivate our ability to move forward instead of backing off, the more we trust ourselves to handle the new opportunity—whether it is a job, an exciting move, or a relationship. When we feel our fear, we can remind ourselves that maybe we are actually just excited.

We can assure ourselves that this opportunity has come our way because we are meant to take it. Framing things just a little differently can dramatically shift our mental state from one of resistance to one of openness. We can practice this new way of seeing things by saying aloud:

“I am really excited about this job interview,”

“I am really looking forward to going on a date with this amazing person,”

or “I am excited to have the opportunity to do something I have never done before.”

As we do so, we will feel our energy shift from fear, which paralyzes, to excitement, which empowers us to direct all that energy in the service of moving forward, growing, and learning.

——————————————————————-
Learning to Live is the next best thing to a personal instruction manual: a guiding light to reassure us that we’re on the right path, and to help fix us when we feel broken.  To download the first 45 pages , to purchase (which will then enable you to enter to win a San Diego Retreat as well as access many free gifts) or to just learn more visit…

Learning to Live

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I was blessed
when a seed was planted in my mind, which I gave my Attention to
It became an idea, which I applied my Faith to
It became a dream , which I gave my Passion to.
It became my reality, which I gave my Thanks for
Guard your thought’s, control your mind, and the world is yours
and all that is in it.

Ken O Byrne http://blueplanetcharity.ning.com/

I have rustled for some time with the fact that all my friends searching for their way in life, their calling, finding their Passion, seem to be moving into healing, Although that’s a beautiful gift and a very rewarding calling in its self, It did not appeal to me, surely we were not meant to all be healers.

So the big question is what is my calling my gift, how can I find my Passion?

It was sometime after my introduction to the Teachings of Abraham and while spending time in Meditation that the idea came to me….

to start a charity.

For some time I had been looking at an old ship – Irelands Last light vessel – a historic ship just sitting doing nothing for the last five years or more.

What a waste…

It kept returning to my thoughts- as much as I tried to focus on other things , then it hit me to start a charity to purchase the ship and convert it  into a Majestic Tall Ship totally embracing renewable energy and promoting same.

If I could accomplish this the ship could then be put to use delivering much needed food and medical supplies throughout the world where ever needed. Working in conjunction with other charities to provide relief.  I could also start a youth program using my own experience to help empower youths who would not normally get the breaks or who were heading for trouble.

Once the idea came and I said yes to it things began to move.  The day after I wrote the poem “The Passion”  my application was accepted and The Blue Planet Charity became an recognized charity here in Ireland.  Then, after an article was written in our local paper, I was nominated for Gaisce – The Presidents Award – and now all the Schools in South East Ireland have been contacted on my behalf…

And now I have the opportunity, through the Evolution Ezine, to introduce The Blue Planet Charity to People all over the world.

What started as just a thought – during meditation – is now – more and more each day- becoming real…

Because I  said yes…

What are your Passions?  What thoughts have been popping up – just waiting for you to say Yes?

Well – What are you waiting for?

——————————————————————

To learn more about Ken O Bryne and his Passion visit…  Blue Planet Charity

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Recently, I had the opportunity to meet a long term mystic. During a lecture he was presenting on a mystic’s role in society, he uttered the words “inner warrior,” while looking directly at me. I had never met him and wondered if he knew I was the author of Mystic Warrior. His lecture was fascinating and I couldn’t wait for a chance to speak to him without distraction.

In accord with the universal law of attraction, my intense desire precipitated our meeting quickly. Less than an hour later, at the hotel lunch buffet, he was walking towards my table carrying a plate of food. I jumped up and invited him to join us, which he accepted.

I asked him whether he knew I had written Mystic Warrior. Calmly, he smiled and answered that he didn’t. He explained that when he lectures, “it’s not me that’s speaking, but rather, the ‘Master Within.’” He was referring to the divine aspect at the heart of every soul – the divine aspect that all mystics strive to tap into.

Then I asked him the question that his lecture had triggered. “Is it permissible, from a mystic perspective, to use your spiritual power to intervene and thwart the ‘evil intentions’ of someone that is ‘abusing an innocent?‘”

Now you must understand the significance of this question from a mystic perspective. In the mystic’s view of the world all is one. There is no good vs. evil. The cause of “evil” is ignorance.

What I was asking is, what is worse, using your power to control someone or allowing that someone to control another? This is the mystic equivalent of a Hollywood blockbuster plot crisis. In the movie, Superman, for example, it’s when Superman has to decide between saving the world or Lois Lane. Either way, someone is going to lose. Philosophers describe it as “the lesser of two evils.”

First, he explained that I was assuming the act to be “evil,” and that was only my perception. Next, he explained that my perception of the “abuse” could also be mistaken. He went on to state that there could be a number of reasons why inaction might be better than action for all parties involved. Karma may be involved. The dispute may go back lifetimes. There was no possible way I could take into consideration all the factors that were governing the parties’ behavior. The best course of action would be for me to send unconditional love to both parties.

I held my tongue and told him I understood all that. Then I added,

“What if you knew the person’s motivation was pure self interest?”

“How would you know?” he countered.

“What if the first party communicated that to you?”

He nodded, but repeated his assertion that the safest course of action was to send unconditional love.

Then I asked, “What if the abuse affected a large number of people?”

He paused and looked at me. He recognized that this was a topic I had pondered at great length. Every answer he had offered, I had already considered and came back with another question. That’s when he asked,

“Who is directing you?”

He wasn’t referring to some external source. He was referring to one of the most fundamental teachings of mysticism, teachings that have been conveyed by numerous, great religions.

I smiled and he recognized that I understood him. I started to laugh.

I sat back in my chair, awed by the elegance of such a simple question and the thoughts it had spawned. The kingdom of God lies within. The goal of the evolving soul is to align his will with the will of God. If you want to know how to handle any situation, consult the Master Within.

Now it’s true that there are plenty of psychopaths that claim God told them to do some despicable act, and we can be confident they’re mistaken. And it’s also true that a person’s understanding of the Master Within will change over time, as the person’s wisdom increases and his or her ability to attune with the one source of all creation improves.

But as a fundamental guide to how you should act in every situation, there is no simpler and more elegant advice than to ask for direction from The Master Within.

To prepare to connect with your innermost self and provide yourself with an opportunity to receive guidance from The Master Within, visit: http://www.EnergyCenterClearing.com/evolution.html

Best wishes,

Ed

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A while back I was tying up some loose ends by deleting files on my computer I knew I wouldn’t need. During this expedition through the computer, I came across a paper I had written in college about comparing and contrasting the Holocaust with the Japanese Internment Camps. I decided to skim through the paper, and the last paragraph caught my attention because it so vividly expresses why spiritual evolution is not an individual experience, and to truly elevate ourselves to the next level we must in turn be elevating others to their next level.

“In this game of life, we are only as good as our partner… our partner being the other in a relationship, or a race or ethnic group co-existing with a dominant culture. The best game is when partners are equal, in top form, sharing their diversities, and enriching their experience. Dominating a partner only weakens the game, unbalancing it, lessening its vigor and quality. It is my hope in these changing times that the rules for the game will improve, encouraging understanding,and thus, acceptance and respect for all partners.”

The above synchronizes very well with ideas brought forth in The Celestine Prophecy – that when two peoples’ energies are aligned, the total energy between them amplifies. In other words, the whole truly is greater than the sum of the parts.

Therefore, as long as we view spiritual evolution as an individual thing, for each of us, we are losing out on that opportunity to amplify our energy. Also, to view spiritual evolution as uniquely individual to us requires that we deny the possibility that we are interconnected.

Whenever we take another step towards enlightenment, we increase the presence of harmony in the Universe. However, as long as there are others who have not taken steps forward, we are also increasing the contrast between those in harmony and those who are a little more chaotic. This is not unlike the disparity between the rich and the poor, which we have seen causes great societal problems. It is also not unlike the difference between the skilled and the unskilled, such as in a soccer game between some young children and a professional team whose sole goal is to win at all costs. As you can imagine, the disparity in such a game ensures that nobody has fun.

The same is true of our spiritual evolution. Though we all are individuals with unique personalities and different paths, we’re also interconnected and our different paths still lead to the same place. Though some of us may reach that place faster than others, we should be aware that we are not doing it alone… that we cannot be doing it alone. Every step we take towards enlightenment helps to amplify the interconnectedness of the Universe whether we try or not… whether we care or not.

So when I title a post “Why We Must Spiritually Evolve Together,” it is not a command to do something, but rather, a statement of undeniable truth. There is no other way to evolve spiritually, and all attempts to believe otherwise come from our egos wanting to feel more important than they really are.

In our awareness of this truth, we begin to understand the incredibly powerful impact of extending a hand of gratitude and compassion towards everything. However, it’s not enough for me to say that… because half of the people reading this are probably thinking I’m out of my mind (which I’ll admit, I have been “working” towards!). Instead, ask yourself this:

If I knew without a doubt that all people were interconnected and our spiritual evolution was ultimately dependent upon one another, how might I interact with other people differently?

Your Partner in Transformation,
Chris Cade
Inscribe Your Life

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I am a dweller within. A dweller within, I am.
I have experienced life, living on the edge.
Flirting with disaster, I have looked into the eyes of death.

Challenging the elements, I have found a way to live.
Being faced with the permanent separation from this earthly body,
I have come to know my eternal self.

You see, I am so much more than a physical body.
Whether I am adventurous or just lazy;
Whether I am sexy, or crazy;
Whether I am devious or divine;
When I am mischievous or being kind,
I am a dweller within.

I have learned to quiet my mind, to observe the drama of life,
Yes, to even have a powerful influence on remote situations.
I am a creator, a sorceror, a shaman.

I have seen and had an influence on beings who have passed on.
I have seen a craft of another dimension
Silently following a spiritual acquaintance.
With a smile on his face, he slowly drove his old car
Down the road, back to his home.

Though I was many miles away,
I saw you, John, being followed
By your friends in that saucer-shaped craft.
Maybe you’ll introduce me, someday.

I have helped put out fires in Florida, while meditating in California.
I have helped calm down a hurricane with my mind,
For I am a dweller within.

Whether I inhabit this body on this planet,
Orbiting around a star we call the sun,
In this galaxy, called the Milky Way, in this universe, or any other,
I will find peace and happiness in life without end,
Overcoming challenges and chaos, or whatever hardships I may suffer,

For I will remain a dweller within.

2009 Richard D. Iyall

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