Imagination

Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions. ~Albert Einstein

Destination

Destination: The place to which one is going or directed. The ultimate purpose for which something is created or intended.

This photo is of me doing one of my most favorite things; snowboarding. I love the freeing feeling of riding down the mountain in the crisp, fresh air, as fast as I can with the gorgeous snowy mountains surrounding me. Personally, there's just no other experience quite like it. It also seems extremely appealing in the moment, since Seattle is going through a heat wave. A lot of Seattle homes don't have air-conditioning, including my own, so thoughts of snow and cool air are prevalent in my many unique attempts to stay cool today.

So several years ago, when I was just learning to snowboard, I distinctly remember a friend of mine explain the basic element to the sport; Look at your destination, point your shoulders, body and head in your desired direction, and your board will follow and take you there. Anyone who's ever gone through the process of learning to snowboard understands that the very concept of even moving on the board with your feet attached seems like absolute insanity. Usually the first few experiences feel extremely awkward, because you have no ability to move your feet to correct your balance. Just simply standing up on the board for the first time seem disastrous, and actually moving down a hill can feel like train wreck just waiting to happen. You must use your body for balance, otherwise you'll fall flat on your back. Needless to say, the learning experience is comical and an awkward adjustment, but the accomplishment is extremely gratifying. Fortunately I stuck with it long enough to enjoy it immensely, and I never forgot that very simple advice that my friend gave to me several years ago. In fact I’ve broadened its meaning, and now often remind myself to use it as a symbolic metaphor for reaching goals, desires and passions: Whatever your destination is, simply point yourself in that direction, ...and go!

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought." ~Buddha

Truth...

Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for the truth. ~Benjamin Disraeli

Prosperity...

The spiritual substance from which comes all visible wealth is never depleted. It is right with you all the time and responds to your faith in it and your demands on it. ~Charles Fillmore

Friendships: Mirrors of Our Own Character

Friend: One attached to another either through affection or esteem.

Have you ever heard of the saying that you can tell the genuine character of a person by the people they surround themselves with? The term power of association comes to mind. I must admit, I am incredibly grateful for the friends that I have in my life. I can genuinely say that I respect every one of them. They are my confidants, and they make my life better. They provide insight and integrity and I'm proud that they are part of my life. I've also learned, through years of experience, that not everyone we meet can be a friend, as it's the discerning selection process that makes our friends so incredibly special. It sets them worlds apart from mere acquaintances into very special, lifelong, unconditional friendships. We choose them to be in our lives because we find something special and good about them. It's interesting how the people we choose and attract in our lives are a mirror of our own character and integrity, just like the law of attraction: Like attracts like. Do you ever notice that those who are truly aware of integrity also continuously surround themselves with genuinely good and respectful people? There is also the flip side of those who repeatedly choose dysfunctional or superficial friendships and then become mystified when their reputation becomes questionable. It's all a very distorted perception of what's actually genuine and beautiful, as well as an extremely unattractive trait...a little like the movie Shallow Hal. Creating friendships based on the ability that one can merely fog a mirror, or other ridiculous superficial reasons typically end up creating more negative in many lives than they do positive. It can be a tough pill to swallow when one takes inventory and realizes those same dysfunctional relationships divulge one’s own true character. It's interesting how we don't always clearly see the messages we are sending out to the world through the power of association, yet those on the outside see it all too clear. Of course we experience difficult situations, and it's our true friends who lift us up and see us through. My point is that we cannot claim to be mere spectators upon our own lives, claiming powerlessness over choices of our friendships that can sometimes end up creating havoc on our lives. It’s our own responsibility to make wise choices and be selective. If one really wants to see their true self, their own emotional health and maturity level …just look at the integrity of the friends we surround ourselves with. Hopefully it will bring about a genuine smile and sense of sweet gratitude ...because whether we admit it or not, the friends we choose are in fact a mirror of our own true character.

Spirit of Love

You will find as you look back on your life that the moments that stand out above everything else are the moments when you have done things in a spirit of love. ~Henry Drummond

Serendipity

Serendipity: The outcome of where one accidentally discovers something fortunate, especially while looking for something else completely unrelated. It can bring about circumstances and lead us down roads that we never would have dreamed. Sometimes serendipity can align us into the perfect situations where we discover a new truth and reality, when we never expected to be searching for it in the first place.

One of my all time favorite movies is a romantic comedy titled Serendipity starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale. The couple randomly meet on Christmas Eve while attempting to purchase the same pair of gloves. They end up falling in love over an innocent evening of ice-cream and ice-skating. Unfortunately both are already in relationships and agree to go their separate ways. She refuses to provide her phone number or even a last name, but believes that if it's fate, then they will eventually end up together again. Years pass after the night that they first met, both become engaged to other people and are living out their separate lives. Still convinced that one day they'd end up together, they again reunite through the solid clutches of fate with the realization that they were meant for each other all along.

So that's a very sweet and romantic example of looking at the power of serendipity. But how often do we really dismiss or ignore our own serendipitous destiny just because it didn't fall into our specific plans? I think it's one of the most commonly overlooked effects in life. Quite often we attribute it all up to coincidence and miss the message and opportunity entirely. Can all of the unanticipated occurrences we experience really just merely be happenstance? Or perhaps destiny is far more powerful than we can ever imagine.

“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls.” ~Joseph Campbell

Law of Attraction...

To acquire love...fill yourself up with it until you become a magnet. ~Charles Haanel

New Corners...

This photo was taken a few years ago, and I was obviously in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco. While looking at the picture recently, I noticed my smiling expression looking in another direction. In that observation I had the epiphany that my expression in the photo actually mirrored my current state of mind: Standing on the corner at the crossroads of life and embracing the future with a smile and optimism. I haven’t always been wise enough to embrace that concept. Through my own various experiences of loss, such as jobs, relationships etc., I've been lucky enough to begin to understand the important aspect of cherishing and fully embracing those life changing experiences with a smile. After all, what's the use of wasting our precious energy on the past that we have no power over when we have a future to be happy about? We have the choice to be fearful and sad or the choice to feel free and optimistic. I feel extraordinarily fortunate in that there are always new corners to turn, which bring new and exciting experiences for adventure, happiness and growth.

“In the human heart new passions are forever being born; the overthrow of one almost always means the rise of another.” ~Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Prosperity

The good news is that the moment you decide that what you know is more important than what you have been taught to believe, you will have shifted gears in your quest for abundance. Success comes from within, not from without. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Art of Allowing

I took this picture of The Louvre museum pyramid in Paris two years ago. I've always loved the contrast in the architecture between the 12 century Louvre Palace, (Palais du Louvre which was established as a museum in 1793) and the modern pyramid which which was obviously added later in the 20th century. It certainly pushes the element of the unexpected when you observe the two structures side by side, that are so different yet connected. When the pyramid was added in 1988, it provided a spacious underground lobby below, and the attendance to the Louvre has literally doubled since it's completion. What intrigues me the most about this is the architectural genius behind the thought of adding something so vastly different from that of the original palace, which turned out to be a phenomenal architectural design as well as overwhelmingly embraced by the visiting public worldwide.

The genius behind this is metaphoric, which is that of allowing change. Allowing change, ...sometimes very drastic change into ones life can create beautiful and new direction. We don't always view it that way, because we so often believe that there is only safety in the familiar and fear of the unknown. Familiar is good, but the important factor is balance....a balance of the familiar and the unknown. As I've mentioned before, our current American economy has left thousands in the state loss and confusion. I can very well relate to the experience, however my excitement is rekindled in knowing there are so many other options and different paths to take. Having been in the business world for all too long, it's often a daunting thought to make changes from the safe and financially secure world that it all provides. However, what about one's unique destiny and happiness? I find inspiration from those who have successfully proven that the rare path can lead to success and happiness. They remind me that we don't have to take the same train ride over and over again - unless we only want to end up at the same destination. There are other roads to travel, other sights to see and brighter futures for us to live beyond our own safe circles. The important part of that journey is to allow ourselves to be open and free to take the chance to do something different. Allow ourselves the opportunity to fail and be judged, and to let go of our ego enough to allow other opportunity into our lives. All of these actions are the art of allowing, and it's only after we allow change that we grant ourselves the opportunity to create our own destiny.

"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step." ~ Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr.

The Power of Thought

Whether you think you can, or think you can't, either way you are right. ~Henry Ford

The Power to Change

Never underestimate the power to change yourself, and never overestimate your power to change others. ~Dr. Wayne Dyer

Endless Vision...

The vision that you glorify in your mind, the ideal that you enthrone in your heart - this you will build your life by, this you will become. ~James Allen

Aspiration

To understand the heart and mind of a person, look not at what he has already achieved, but at what he aspires to. ~Kahlil Gibran

Path

You will recognize your own path when you come upon it, because you will suddenly have all the energy and imagination you will ever need. ~Jerry Gillies

Just A Boy...

So I spent my 4th of July in lovely Newport Beach, California. Gorgeous weather, lots of fun and beautiful beaches. It was a relaxing and interesting trip, and I really enjoyed the entire experience. I went there with my close guy friend, and his single buddies; so I had the unique experience of observing all the singles hanging out in Southern California, with lots of beer drinking, playing, and of course lots of girl/boy watching. Overall it was a learning experience to watch the dynamic on the Southern California beaches, especially at this time of year.

So in watching all of this over the weekend, I'm grateful and very fortunate in how I've made choices around the various men and relationships in my life. There are lots of wonderful men out there, however, there are also a lot of men who are seriously convinced they are their own superhero. Crazy enough, some of these same guys will truly convince many women to believe in their own superhero status. In turn many of those same women will overlook virtually every bad behavior under the moon, then get angry and still stick around because he's cute. They play the cycle over and over again, then get depressed and want the boy to change into a man. The definition of crazy is; "Do the same thing over and over again and then expect a different result." So why do some women underestimate their own power? Why is it they limit themselves and accept crazy boy behavior in relationships? And why do some women sell themselves short? The fact is that the pool is huge, so we're certainly not limited. We have a plethora of good, solid, honest, handsome and mature men out there - yet some women still feel they are limited to relationships with men who are superficial and will always act like boys. People will treat us as we allow them and expect them to treat us. No-one else is ever to blame but ourselves if we allow someone to treat us badly. My mantra is; Don't ever settle and certainly don't waste precious time and energy on relationships with superhero wannabees. Attract a real man, with real values who can be a real hero. Draw the proverbial line in the sand, because if you don't, all you'll end up with ...is a boy.

Beyonce relays that message very well  in her "If I Were A Boy" video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVTyLqkez6A

Living

Don't worry about what the world wants from you, worry about what makes you come more alive. Because what the world really needs are people who are more alive. ~Lawrence Le Shan

Be

How many cares one loses, when one decides not to be something, but to be someone. ~Coco Chanel