Living Consciously January 2, 2009
There is a strip of coastline in Southern California that is eroding rather quickly. Portions of the cliffs pull away and fall down to the beach some forty feet below. The odd thing is that people keep building large, expensive homes on those lots. Sometimes they even plant foliage that is known to hold onto water, making the soil even more compromised. More

Living Consciously January 1, 2009
Everyone wants to be happier this year, healthier and perhaps more prosperous. Why don’t we add to that list a desire to be more effective in helping the disadvantaged people of the world? Even small acts of support can make a big difference in our personal sense of well being, not to mention what we can do for others. Nothing will change until those of us who are so richly blessed step up and act on behalf of our fellow earthlings. More

Living Consciously December 31 , 2008
Emerson wrote an essay on Circles, which is considered one of his most important statements on the experience of a personal lifetime. Everything is part of a circuit that begins with us and returns to us. What we are projecting comes back to us instantly, as a mirror-like reflection. That which we give with ease and joy returns to us multiplied and enhanced. Those habitual worries and fears gather momentum and bring their friends home to us in the middle of the night. More

Living Consciously December 30, 2008
I love to start the New Year with this reminder. No matter what we are doing, we are never starting from scratch. We are always starting from Source, an unlimited field of potential. Beginnings are not healed endings or repaired anythings, they are brand new creations. The Universal Intelligence is constantly creating anew and does not repeat unless the instructions we give it are the same ones we used in the past. More

Living Consciously December 17, 2008
The pursuit of happiness indicates an active participation in creating it.  Activity is everything in life and our participation is the director of energies that activate happiness and other worthy pursuits. More

It all begins with interest, involvement and interaction.  We have to be interested in anything to get moving in the right direction to attain it.  Interest denotes possibility.  If we are intensely interested in wealth, for example, we have an awareness of its reality. We know it is something that is available. More

Living Consciously December 16, 2008
Have you had a visit recently from the winds of change?  They swirl around you, mussing your hair, causing you to take a deeper breath.  They kick up the dust and make you move to a place where you can see more clearly.  The winds of change blow through our minds when certain areas of our lives are no longer workable, which must be upgraded, made current or let go. More

Living Consciously December 15, 2008
Years ago I bought a beautiful hand carved reticulated snake from Guatemala at a craft faire.  I intended to give it to my grandson.  I coiled it up and placed it in a seldom used drawer until I had time to pack it and send it to him. More

Living Consciously December 11, 2008
When you wish upon a star....makes no difference who you are.  So sang Jiminy Cricket, and he was right!  This spiritual universe is very democratic.  It gives to all alike and responds to all in the same manner. The results we get have to do with the quality of the wish or, better said, the way we relate to the spiritual laws that govern such things. More

Living Consciously December 10, 2008
Here is a favorite quote from Rilke:  “Whoever you are, some night step outside the house you know so well....enormous space is near.” More

Living Consciously December 9, 2008
One of our great teachers, Raymond C. Barker, said that we need to exercise our spiritual muscles. He wasn’t referring to meditation or prayer but to opening our eyes to the wonder around us.  He said that a pebble on the beach can be seen as a work of art. More

Living Consciously December 8, 2008
There is an important distinction between sadness and despair.  Sadness in the short term is good.  It is the recognition of the temporariness of life forms.  It is the human response to an irrevocable change, such as death. It gives us pause to reflect on the preciousness of each moment. More

Living Consciously December 5, 2008
The old saying Life Goes On has never been so real to me as it is today. The same sun is shining on the river across the street.  The Source is still outpouring its energy and love and intelligence into each one of us.  The same vast possibilities exist for all who would express more of themselves. More

Living Consciously December 4, 2008
Last week my dear friend Jeffrey and I were together in meetings with other colleagues.  We shared meals, laughed, planned for the future of our organization and reminisced about our earlier years together.  I told him he was like a second son to me.  He kept thanking me for being his first teacher and he said I love you over and over. More 

Living Consciously December 3, 2008
An elementary school teacher drew a picture of a Zebra on the blackboard. Hands shot up as she asked, Who knows what this is?  It’s a Zebra, everyone shouted.  She then erased its stripes. Now what is it? she asked. Voices around the room called out, It’s a Horse! A Mule! A Donkey!  One little boy in the back who was physically disabled pulled himself up to full height and said in a quiet but firm voice,  It’s still a Zebra. Always will be, doesn’t need stripes to be one. More

Living Consciously December 2, 2008
In ancient times, when royalty went for a stroll, a servant went before them.  His job was to pick up stones and debris so that the master would not stumble or get his shoes dirty. It was known as clearing the path. More