A safe harbor where beliefs are respected and kindness prevails.

The Hundredth Monkey, Fact Or Fiction?

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Metaphors are a great way to teach an abstract concept. One popular metaphor is the story of “the hundredth monkey.” The story goes that in the 1950’s some Japanese scientists observed monkeys on one island learn to wash sweet potatoes before eating them. The behavior spread locally and, as the story goes, when a certain number of monkeys started doing it, monkeys on neighboring islands started doing the same thing, with out direct exposure to the behavior. The inference is that consciousness can grow and expand and have an influence on the larger population without direct contact.

Fotolia_4552907_Subscription_LApparently there is little truth to this actual story, and yet it is a great metaphor we can learn from and believe in. Another term that we hear is “tipping point.” It is a term used in sociology with its origins in physics. According to Wikipedia, it is described as “adding a small amount of weight to a balanced object until the additional weight caused the object to suddenly and completely topple, or tip.”

So here we are at a tipping point in our world. We have been told for decades that we are in an “age change,” shifting into the “dawning of the age of Aquarius” as we learned in song many years ago. The birth and growth of the Internet could be our tipping point…we have become one global family, over night really. But that great advance has come with a price…that we are as children in a family fighting for our rights to behave how we have always behaved, despite the way we now see others behaving. My way or the highway…but there is no highway off the earth at the moment, so the next big challenge is for us to learn how to get along with each other, to let others be the way that they want to be and know that it doesn’t take a single thing away from “my way.”

From earliest man we have feared people different than us…and fought them to protect our own kind. But now, for the first time, it is global and we are mentally overwhelmed at how many different ways there are to live as humans. This can cause us to be frightened to the core…or not!

So if we look at humanity as a whole, with one side fighting to the death for their way, and the other side hoping for, envisioning, praying for peace – to which side are you adding weight? With people able to express their thoughts now via social media, it “appears” as though we are more and more divided. But appearances are just that…they are not fact. The news media competes for your attention by stirring up your emotions…emotions of fear and anger at a survival level. I watch the news to remain aware of what is going on in my neighborhood, state, country, continent, and planet…well, in my universe. But I don’t let it take hold of my emotions. How do I not? Here are some simple steps I do and if we all did them, well, we might just be human/monkey #100! I believe it is so.

  1. Start each day with a quick meditation to listen to what your highest self has to say. That part of you is outside the fray of daily life so the information is on the positive side. If you don’t know how to meditate, there are about a thousand programs out there now, many of them free, so find one that appeals to you and invest a little time in learning this new skill.
  2. When you watch the news or read the newspaper or get a news feed online, monitor your emotional reaction to what you are reading or watching. If you find yourself having a negative emotional reaction (really hard not to), try to use that discomfort as fertilizer for a new idea of something positive you can do in your own community.       What we all see going on around the world is horrific, but I can’t let it take me to a horrific place…the only way men will ever put down their arms is if the consciousness of humanity moves past it. So I want to be on the positive side of that scale. I so admire our young men and women who are willing to put themselves in harm’s way for people they don’t even know…but I envision the day when they don’t HAVE to do that any more.
  3. Spend a minute or two every day in gratitude for what is around you. There is always something to be grateful for, even the smallest thing…like that it didn’t rain today, or it DID rain today (we live in the Southern California drought.)

So if you do these things, you will feel better…and the more people who feel better, the better the chance of the shift into a world free of war. Who knows, what if it turns out the hundredth monkey theory IS true, and YOU are the hundredth monkey!

I look forward to your comments! Write to me at: voiceofyoursoul@gmail.com

Better than Gossip

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Fotolia_55241929_Subscription_XXLThere is a certain thrill when you tell someone something shocking about someone else. There is a sense of power, of knowing something the other person doesn’t know. This “thrill” has been around for thousands of years. So why should we give it up now, why should we change?

There are a lot of reasons to learn to control the urge to gossip.

  1. How temporary is that “thrilling’ feeling and how soon is it followed by a feeling of guilt. What if it isn’t true? What if the person who is the object of the gossip finds out about your idle chatter? What if they are hurt by it? Our consciousness has evolved to a point that these subtle feelings can no longer be ignored.       The discomfort they cause you WILL show up eventually, even if you aren’t totally aware of it. Even if you don’t LIKE the person you are talking about, the price you will pay will be in how YOU feel.
  2. Every word we speak has an energy to it. So when you are speaking bad words about someone, you are surrounding yourself with “bad energy.” Your vibration will shift down a notch and you will have less “glow” about you. It isn’t extreme, but why would you allow the downward shift, even if just a few degrees? At some point in your life, hasn’t someone said to you “You are just glowing today.” Think back about how you were feeling at that moment in time. Most of us cannot actually see people’s aura, but most of us have a subtle sense of when someone’s aura is expanded due to happiness, when they seem to be “glowing.”
  3. Other people who are developing an awareness about the down sides of gossip will move away from you. They may change the subject, find an excuse to leave the room, or just not return your next phone call. This would start to isolate you from people who are on their path to grow, to raise their vibration and the vibrations of those around them. Instead, you become a magnet to those who live in that field of emotional drama. THEY will return your phone calls and in fact feed you with MORE gossip about other people…knowing how much you love it!
  4. You become a more trusted advisor. I know people who I can trust with my deepest secrets, and other people who I KNOW can’t wait to get away from me so they can share my secret with everyone they know, elevating their feeling of power in the community. Not that you want to become counselor to the world, but there is a value in being “trustworthy.” I got caught in a gossip ring at a corporate job I had once and the CEO called me in to ask about it. I denied it at first, but then had to confess. I felt that I had dropped down a notch in his eyes. I felt he could no longer trust me as much as he had before this incident. To this day I am embarrassed by my behavior. It was a very maturing incident in my life.
  5. Master Yeshua (Jesus) said it was a bad thing to do. “Do unto other as you would have done unto yourself.” Many Master Teachers on the planet have said the same thing in their own words. No matter your religious or philosophical training, I’ll just bet you can find a similar statement. In fact, I challenge you to look for one and share it with us! If you find something, please send it to me and I will post in my next column.

For the next two weeks, observe yourself and your feelings if an opportunity for gossip comes up. It might be just as simple as a wisecrack about the way someone is dressed at the grocery store, or a really big story about someone you know. First, see if you can restrain yourself. See how that makes you feel. Then if you give in and do it, see how you feel about 15 minutes later.

These are very subtle energies and feelings, but they can be yet another turning point in your life…UP the path, not DOWN the path!

I do hope to hear from you! Write me at voiceofyoursoul@gmail.com

And have a GREAT week!

What Was Special About The Last Two Weeks?

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Fotolia_4945175_Subscription_LTwo weeks ago I suggested that we each spend a little time at the end of each day to think about what was special about that day. I challenged myself to do it as a new habit.

What happened for me is that I started noticing things that I appreciated DURING the day, as they happened, taking note so that I would remember them at the end of the day! Wow. Not what I expected but was thrilled that it worked out that way! A discovery for me!

When you spend your day looking for what is right…what is “a good thing”….you will find them…you will find more goodness in your life than you realized when you weren’t looking. It’s a bit like being on a treasure hunt. So I am going to repeat what I wrote last time for you in the hopes that some of you might try it, and then let me know what YOUR experience was!

“As the sun sets, think back through the day and ponder what was special about this day, this one day of your life. It might be a very simple thing, like you got to pick your favorite new rose from your garden and put it on your husband’s desk. It might be that you wrote a supportive email to a friend. It could be that you had a happy conversation with a stranger in the check out line at the grocery store.”

I had a hair appointment yesterday and my friend and hair cutter remarked that I seemed to be over some issues that had bothered me for a couple of years! So I learned that I didn’t have to deal specifically with the issue, but rather spend more time each day feeling good. Wow, what a homework assignment!

Wouldn’t we all rather feel good than feel bad! If I hadn’t sat here and thought about it, the little gems of experiences I had on any given day would have floated right out of my existence without my receiving the benefit of them. Rather I might be sitting here worried about deadlines, paying bills, afraid about the snake (still not yet found), etc, etc, etc.

What really happens when you do something like this, when you stop to appreciate, is that you shift your energy, shift your “vibes.” For years we have been learning how “like energy” attracts “like energy.” So the more important result of this exercise is that you will, without conscious knowledge or control, attract to you more and more special moments.

Try it for just one week. Set an alarm on your phone or computer, or use the sun as your clock…as it sets, do this exercise. What harm can it do to try it? You don’t have to even tell anyone that you are doing it. I ask you again to give it a try, and then let me know if you had the same experience that I did! If you want to tell me how it worked for you, please email me at voiceofyoursoul@gmail.com

Can’t wait to hear how it works for you…and am thrilled about how it feels for me!

What Was Special About Today?

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Fotolia_61245786_Subscription_Monthly_MI started to write that I do this exercise every day…but I don’t really do it so it wouldn’t be honest…but I want to…and writing this will remind me to START doing it every day. Here it is.

As the sun sets, think back through the day and ponder what was special about this day, this one day of your life. It might be a very simple thing, like you got to pick your favorite new rose from your garden and put it on your husband’s desk. I did that today. I might be that you wrote a supportive email to a friend. I did that today. It might be that you had a meeting about an art show you are helping organize today and your ideas were well received. I did that today.

What else special happened today?

Our neighbors all came together to report a rattlesnake loose in our yards somewhere. Greater than the fear I felt, it felt good that I live in a place where people care for each other.

This morning when I took the dogs out first thing, I was able to sit by the pool and meditate for a bit. That was nice.

The painters are just about finished with the bathroom remodel painting today…BEAUTIFUL work on my 28-year old bathroom…I get to use it tomorrow!

It is a warm and sunny day with a beautiful clear blue sky.

Oh, and I am REALLY enjoying that I get to take the time to write this column today! How lucky is that!

Any one of those things would make today special…and look at how many things that I had to list! Doing this right now, made me feel good on this otherwise ordinary unremarkable day. And that is the point. Wouldn’t we all rather feel good than feel bad! If I hadn’t sat here and thought about it, those little gems of experiences would have floated right out of my existence without me receiving the benefit of them. Rather I might be sitting here worried about deadlines, paying bills, afraid about the snake (not yet found), etc, etc, etc.

What really happens when you do something like this, when you stop to appreciate, is that you shift your energy, shift your “vibes.” For years we have been learning how “like energy” attracts “like energy.” So the more important result of this exercise is that you will, without conscious knowledge or control, attract to you more and more special moments.

Try it for just one week. Set an alarm on your phone or computer, or use the sun as your clock…as it sets, do this exercise. What harm can it do to try it? You don’t have to even tell anyone that you are doing it. Try it along with me and I’ll report the results for me in my next column, two weeks from now! If you want to tell me how it worked for you, please email me at voiceofyoursoul@gmail.com

Can’t wait to hear how it works for you…and can’t wait to see how it feels for me!

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