Paradoxical Wisdom

Four Things You Need To Know

2011-04-23T08:08:00.000-07:00

1. A life which does not fully engage your interest is boring.

Change it!

Engage life with passion. Follow your bliss. Take the fork in the road that engages your curiosity. Explore. Discover. Live.

2. A life which does not fully engage your values is unfulfilling.

Change it!

Make a list of everything you value. Most of it will be BS. Make the list anyway. Tune into the feeling of each value. How does it feel? If it doesn't light your fire its not your value. You just think it is. So how do you know what you actually value? Easy. You'll move heaven and earth to get it, to experience the "feelings" that make this value real for you. Pick your top five and began to reorganize your life around them. Life is short. Living your true values will make the brief journey worthwhile.

3. A life which neither engages your interest or expresses your values is likely to be a life of frustration.

Change it!

No need to continue living a life of quiet desperation. Put the bottle of booze down, drop the needle, stop invading your mother's prescription for oxycontin and don't toke that joint my friend... Get real. Maybe for the first time in your life. Look at the person in the mirror. What do you see? Is there anyone home? I can assure you there is. You'll come alive the moment you decide its your life and you can do what you came to do. To live your best life, not their best life for you. So get interested in the person you see in the mirror. Let your hair down (that is if you still have any) and play as if your life has a purpose. As Captain Piquard commands: "Engage!" Drop the sorry narrative you call your life and get real.

4. A life filled with challenges that require strength where you are weak will drain your life energy, rob you of the the true joy of living and give you the ultimate reason not to get out of bed...you'll be dead.

Change it!

You have only one life to live. Turbo charge it. How? By delegating all the tasks, duties and obligations that drain you to other people. Pay em to do it. You'll feel a few tons lighter almost immediately. Then you'll be free to focus on your strengths. Not just things you are good at, but things you are good at and actually enjoy. Beyond power & status, beyond the illusion of fear is the reason you came here in the first place. That reason is to fully self-express your uniqueness. When you do you will discover, perhaps for the first time, that life is a gift that keeps on giving.

What does 1984 have to do with 2011?

2011-04-08T12:20:00.000-07:00

Sweet mother of pearl! The hallowed halls of government of the people, by the people and for the people are ringing from sea to shining sea with lies, double talk, triple talk and just plain bullshit. It matters not which party does the talking. We the people are its victims.

It reminds me of one of the best quotes from George Orwell's 1984:

"In a way, the world-view of the Party imposed itself most successfully on people incapable of understanding it. They could be made to accept the most flagrant violations of reality, because they never fully grasped the enormity of what was demanded of them, and were not sufficiently interested in public events to notice what was happening. By lack of understanding they remained sane. They simply swallowed everything. . ."

Its time we wake up. Its time we demand accountability. Its time for Congress and the Administration to stop the snow job.

God help us all....

From "No How" to "Know How"....in 60 seconds or less

2010-11-04T12:16:00.000-07:00

Is knowledge primarily a mental construct? Or is as much an attitude? Let's take a look.

When we think we know, we hold a position of confidence internally that we can draw upon "on demand" to bring to bear our "knowing" to gain mastery of the presenting circumstance. This application of knowledge gives us power. This capacity to act consciously in the moment is our real power.

But what happens when we don't know or that we don't know that we don't know or we simply lack the confidence in our ability to face and resolve the problem in front of us?

We get stuck...stopped in the "not knowing" of the circumstance. Our doubts pile up, inertia replaces action, our motives become confused and worry contracts our options. Not very pretty. Yet it is what it is; ignorance fueled by fear. The consequences are often painful causing us to suffer "the slings and arrows" of misfortune brought upon us by our own ignorance. We hesitate to act because we feel that we cannot act. We say "no how" when we are not feeling "know how."

Its not clear if we are merely incompetent or actually just plain ignorant. What's missing in this daily dilemma? A feedback loop with reality. Until we reconnect this feedback loop, our ignorance will remain.

What can we do about it?

For most of us the learning loop was shut down a very long time ago. We are disconnected from what's really happening. Learning has ceased. We just don't know it. That is the paradoxical nature of ignorance; we don't know that we don't know. The primary reason for our ignorance is staring us right in the face; we actually stopped learning...and we don't know it. Its really quite maddening.

Fortunately the solution is simple; complete the reality circuit. This is the beginning of wisdom. The opportunity is present in every moment; to move from ignorance to knowing. The critical time is in the recognition of your "not knowing" and remaining vigilant of your shift into "no how" mode.

Gain wisdom. Learn. Move your mind from ignorance to knowing through your conscious willingness to learn. Go for Know How! It takes less than a minute...

The Paradox of Love

2010-10-17T22:50:00.000-07:00

What is love? A feeling? A state of mind? A chemical state? Whatever it is, if it is from our ego then we can be assured that it is not love. It may feel so good that our heart's feel like they are about to burst. Yet, it may send us to the deepest levels of hell when our ego-bound ideas run the show.

True love is not romantic, not sexual, not physical...definitely not a feeling, certainly not a thought.

True love is the state of mind that only occurs when the clash of opposites are collapsed into a synthesis of higher understanding. It is transcendent. A daily death of the ego, a birth and resurrection of your true self.

Its not the projections of the ego onto the other, nor is it the hearts and flowers we give on Valentine's Day. It is the awareness of our higher self living in the the truth of the moment.

The great paradox of love is this: When you give the real thing away, you end up having more.

Is life a problem to be solved?

2010-10-06T21:13:00.001-07:00

If you use your analytical mind to figure life out from a personal perspective, you are likely using the wrong part of your mind. Life is not a problem to be solved. So stop trying to "figure it out."

Its all this "figuring" that got you in the intractable mess you call your mind in the first place. As good old Albert observed; "You cannot solve the problem on the level it was created, you must go up a level." Up a level in awareness. There you will see the so called "problem" from a new perspective.

There is nothing to figure out.

Really!

There is only the requirement to live in the now. Stop trying to solve your pain by turning your "ouwies" into problems. It only perpetuates the foolhardy notion that life is a problem to be solved. It isn't. And worst, it orients your thinking into a problem/pain paradigm. The result is the improper placement of your attention on your "don't wants"...and a life organized to manage pain.

The problem with the "problem" is this: Its all in your head. Well, mostly:)

Ouch! Stop it!

Stop expecting your mind to fix what's "wrong" inside of you.
Stop trying to "figure it out."
Stop asking your mind to "manipulate the world" in order to "fix" your personal problems.

And most importantly...Stop Resisting Reality! Any denial of essential facts or the shifting of personal responsibility for your choices and their consequences is the road to a deeper delusion...a delusional reality that can only lead to more pain and frustration.

Life is not a problem to be solved. Dissolve your so called problems by dropping the thinking which creates problems for you. And for God's sakes...trust yourself...then you will actually know how to live.

Liberate your soul...dissolve your troubles by rising ever higher in awareness. And remember this; Life is a reality to be experienced. Enjoy the beauty as it unfolds.

"Life itself is your career and your interaction with life is your most meaningful relationship" - Michael Singer

"Food" for Thought

2010-04-12T20:47:00.000-07:00

“If people let government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny.”

Thomas Jefferson

What say you?

What You Do in LIfe Echoes in Eternity

2010-03-09T15:21:00.001-08:00

You matter.

Your thoughts matter.

Your choices matter.

Your actions matter. And not only in this moment, but in the moments which comprise eternity. Your life matters. What you do is up to you, but your life matters to the degree that you choose it to matter. Life means something...when you attend to it in a conscious loving way.

The meaning of life is actually quite simple. What you consciously choose to attend to is the meaning of your life. You are the chooser. Your life, its meaning is up to you.

All you need do is actually choose...and allow your life to unfold naturally. Go with the flow and realize meaning in every moment. In truth, you really do know what to do and when to do it, and who to do it with.

You matter. Your actions matter....

For time and eternity...its true...What you do in life does indeed echo in eternity.

The Paradoxical Wisdom of "Paradoxical Wisdom"

2010-02-19T18:23:00.000-08:00

The inspiration for paradoxical wisdom has its roots in the winsome wit of the gadfly of Athens...old Socrates. The one who chose to drink the Hemlock and die rather than live a lie.

Well, as it is written "it is appointed for each man to die but once" so who am I to say if he did not choose wisely:)

What is relevant here is that Socrates understood the limits of his own wisdom which paradoxically made him wise. And that is the point here. To accept that we don't know as much as we think we know. Mark Twain observed a few thousand years later that "the problem with most of us is we know too much that isn't so."

Not to complicate the issue of knowing with wisdom but knowing you are not wise makes you wise I surmise...at least in the paradoxically wise sense.

The key to living wisely is to live the paradox...of knowing yet not knowing. That is the essence of paradoxical wisdom. Test the riddle of the oracle at Delphi yourself....ask: "Am I wiser than Socrates?":) Who knows what you will discover.

Have fun...

Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

2010-02-18T13:17:00.000-08:00

I started this blog with high aspirations... to peel away the layers of BS that masquerade as truth. Mission not accomplished:)

The simple truth is most of us are just trying to survive the current uncertainty and prefer the familiar landscapes of comfort and certainty. Can't say I blame you. I like the familiar as well:) But I got this nagging feeling that the Matrix is realer than we thought and realer than we can think.

Too real perhaps, too scary to even contemplate for mere mortals so...I've decided to forgo my original highfalutin intentions and focus on the mundane affairs of this side of the Matrix:) Things like eating, sleeping and ...other creature comforts.

I'll begin with what I had for breakfast; Honey Nut Cheerios with organic milk and a supposed organic apple. I washed it down with a breakfast burrito from Jack in the Box...not!

This morning I chose the red package of Seattle's Best Organic House to wash away the sands of time. Mission accomplished. Comfortably ensconced in the illusion. Survival assured at least until lunch...when the battle for survival reemerges and I must once again choose the blue pill or face ultimate reality. God forbid that I should choose to wake-up! No, no, no! The blue pill for me please...with a piping hot cup of organic El Salvador.

That's the ticket!

PS The Red Pill sits in a jar by the door...which in case of a "real" emergency will be broken.

There is So Much Beauty in the World

2010-02-11T08:47:00.001-08:00

There is so much beauty in the world. Yet we tend to take our attention elsewhere. Why?

I will not make a vain attempt to explain it. You and I both know we are distracted. Knowing this, what do we do about it? We create remedies for the distractions. Remedies born out of the same contracted energy that took our soulful eye off the prize which is our inherent love of beauty. Distractions to distract us from what we inherently don't want. Its crazy.

Yet there is so much beauty in the world. Its everywhere...and found in every moment. All we need do is open our hearts with gratitude...Where will you find it? Where will you look?

Look within...beauty is there waiting to be born! Look without...beauty is everywhere! Let those who have eyes see.

I'm reminded of this fact by the profound words of Lester Burnham the protagonist in the movie "American Beauty." As the movie draws to a close and Burnham's body lay cold and still on his kitchen table...Burnham narrates his own death and resurrection:

Lester Burnham: [narrating]" I had always heard your entire life flashes in front of your eyes the second before you die. First of all, that one second isn't a second at all, it stretches on forever, like an ocean of time... For me, it was lying on my back at Boy Scout camp, watching falling stars... And yellow leaves, from the maple trees, that lined our street... Or my grandmother's hands, and the way her skin seemed like paper... And the first time I saw my cousin Tony's brand new Firebird... And Janie... And Janie... And... Carolyn. I guess I could be pretty pissed off about what happened to me...

but it's hard to stay mad, when there's so much beauty in the world. Sometimes I feel like I'm seeing it all at once, and it's too much, my heart fills up like a balloon that's about to burst... And then I remember to relax, and stop trying to hold on to it, and then it flows through me like rain and I can't feel anything but gratitude

for every single moment of my stupid little life... You have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm sure. But don't worry... you will someday."

Beauty is everywhere. All we need do is remove the obstacles to our awareness of it. With the approach of Valentines Day, perhaps you will discover this beauty for yourself! Look within you own heart and awaken:)

The Paradox of Change

2010-02-09T09:57:00.000-08:00

We do what we do usually because we have already been "conditioned" to act and react in a particular way. Over time, "change" becomes more difficult as we become "comfortable" with our "habits" of being us. The process of developing new behaviors is "uncomfortable" as we move into adulthood even if they hold the promise of a better life.

The reality for the majority of us is that "change" will become more difficult over time. The challenge for us is to find both the willingness within us and the means to implement change that is both compelling and effective. We must discover within ourselves "change we can believe in."

This requires of us the ability to adapt over time to maximize our life experience. Conscious change and adaption is essential. I like the assertion made by Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget:

"Intelligence is an adaptation…To say that intelligence is a particular instance of biological adaptation is thus to suppose that it is essentially an organization and that its function is to structure the universe just as the organism structures its immediate environment"

Whether you agree with this assertion about intelligence or not, what is essential to keep in mind is that "adaption" aka the ability to "change" in a conscious way is an "intelligent" asset to have in our mental arsenal.

We are creatures of habit

This acquired pattern of behavior often occurs automatically and unconsciously. Over time we become "habituated" to "being" and "doing" in a pattern of behavior that we come to accept as "me."

These patterns of behavior are "embodied" in such a way as to ensure that the behavior will persist come hell or high-water. This fact is neither good nor bad, its just how it is. The challenge arises when decide to "alter our normal pattern of behavior."

The Good News

The good news is that our habits tend to make our lives easier.

1. They act as reliable shortcuts for "routine" tasks
2. They lay down "tracks" so that the mind has a "pattern" for the body to follow
3. They free the mind to consciously handle other matters

The Bad News

The bad news is that our habits once formed are hard to break. This is good news when our habits are serving our life needs successfully. Its bad news when we realize that some of our " habits" are getting in the way of living a successful life.

This "reality" of you is "creating" your life experiences. To change both your experiences and your outcomes requires that you be able to "disrupt the pattern" that is driving your current experience and replace it with a pattern that "embodies" the desired new behavior.

We must be willing to do what ever is necessary to "embody the change" and to temporarily "suffer" the discomforts that naturally arise when doing life "differently."

The Discomfort of Change

Any attempt to alter our "habitual pattern of behavior" will be met with some form of resistance and discomfort. The new pattern of behavior feels "uncomfortable" or awkward. It just doesn't "feel right." With the passage of time we tend to "identify" with our habits, and these patterns eventually become what we experience as "us." Changing us over time just "feels" wrong even if the change is "right.":)

What can we do about it?

Change "You" can Believe in

For us to actually "change", we must "break the habit" of our normal self. We must "disrupt the pattern" of how we do what we "normally" do.

How?

Real change, change you can see, change "you" can believe in can be achieved in a 3-step process:

1. Knowledge and awareness of a pattern of behavior you want to have
2. A set of instructions to apply this "knowledge" correctly
3. Feedback to help correct and adjust behavior to produce the desired outcome. This helps to match our "intentions" with our "actions" aka "behaviors."

We all want change to be easy. Sometimes it can feel that way. Usually its "uncomfortable." Knowing this in advance, it behooves us to find our own compelling reason for change...change "we" can believe in.

Action is Risky

2010-02-06T21:37:00.000-08:00

All courses of action are risky. All. There is no risk free path. None. Some are less risky. Some are more.

The important point: Its better to do bold things.

Fortune favors the bold. History confirms it. Sure there are casualties along the way. So what. Life is risky business. Accept this fact and move on. Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. Better to have moved in the direction of your dreams.

As Henry David Thoreau observed, "if you will advance confidently in the direction of your dreams you will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."

In a word; Act! Act despite your fears. Act in favor of your dreams. Believe and have faith. The enemy within masquerading as fear roams unfettered until you decide to act. Action is the antidote to fear. Action reigns supreme.

One only becomes "real" at the point of action.

You must win the war with yourself and your unconscious fears before you can win the wars of the world outside you. Stop running away from the challenges which lay before you. They are opportunities in disguise. They are the very reason you were born. Face them and live. Develop the strength to do bold things not the strength to suffer.

Act.

"All courses of action are risky, so prudence is not avoiding danger but calculating risk and acting accordingly. Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer."

Machiavelli - The Prince

Standing on the edge of time

2009-10-07T20:03:00.000-07:00

Tending a blog which attempts to delve into the mysteries of existence through the portal of paradox is a delicate matter fraught with peril for yours truly. Just like Kermit the frog noted "It ain't easy being green!"...it ain't easy reducing everyday waking reality to a brief, albeit brilliant entry into a blog of mystical proportions...

I do try, and there is the rub dear reader. The mythological elements conspire to distract my attempts to capture wisdom which only occurs at the ephemeral conjunction of the known, which is more often an assumption about reality, the unknown which lay upon a path that has no boundaries, no certainty until tested and even then all I can do my fellow explorer is assert a probability regarding such machinations...the semi-permeable barrier where such "thought experiments" may take me, and ultimately collide with the greatest mystery of all, the really great unknowable.

The ultimate paradox for yours truly is the wisdom which has emerged in my own dalliances with the unknowable was a pleasant surprise. Based on my personal exploration of the unknowable, there is still something profoundly important to be discovered...as Hamlet reminded Horatio, " And therefore as a stranger give it welcome. There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

As you can see the process of capturing wisdom which lay within the amorphous mass of the known, unknown and unknowable is not a trivial task:) Perhaps a Hegelian Dialectic with a lemon twist would help to discover the hidden splendor?

Yet, this humble holy mully of a man proceeds with courage, seeking out new paradoxes, new ways of understanding the mystery, which masquerades as our history or her-story...and in the end the love we take is equal to the love we make:)

Now that's a paradox this holy mully can live with:)

The Meaning of Life

2009-06-25T14:03:00.000-07:00

In turbulent times its a worthy endeavor to revisit some of the quintessential questions of life.

What is the meaning of life? What is its purpose? Why are you here? And where are you going?

There is no exact answer of course. Just speculations that are derived from scientific inquiry, political philosophies, religious traditions and personal experiences.

"Life is not a problem to be solved but a reality to be experienced" -- Soren Kierkegaard Danish Philosopher

Science cannot provide an answer to "meaning." What it can do is exam the evidence of life, the observable "effects" including "what's so" and "what was." The Big Bang theory is the scientific orthodoxy for how it all began and in some sense a scientific analog to the story of Genesis.

Science attempts to explain things by documenting physical phenomena in the form of principles and theories. The method is systemic, repeatable and probabilistic.

Science is an extraordinary tool for understanding the nature of physical reality. But it is no substitute for your own 360 degree participation in the "reality of experience." It does provides a context to create "knowledge" and discover "cause and effect" relationships. It can inform us regarding the physical. Yet, it does not derive meaning.

Instead, it gives "context" for meaning.

To ask what "something" means is in essence asking what consequence it has now and into the future. Ultimate meaning is elusive. Contextual meaning is not. Every thing has its essence, and a predisposition to behave in a particular way depending on the stimulus.

I believe meaning is discovered in the act of living a fully conscious life. We know the meaning when we commit to living in full awareness even if we cannot articulate what it is exactly.

We know it by living it.

The quest for meaning is found in the act of living.

Inquiry is useful, profoundly useful at times. The quest of living a fully conscious life is the space and place to experience meaning in the most delightful way.

It is not found in a Petri dish, or the halls of congress or in our personal philosophies.

We find meaning in context. We create meaning in living a fully conscious life.

What does 2009 and 1934 Have in common?

2009-06-23T12:30:00.000-07:00

Life is curious indeed. Just one look and it will be apparent. God help us all.

Adversity - Friend or Foe?

2009-06-07T13:34:00.000-07:00

"All Growth is Forged in the Crucible of Conflict" - Robert Louis Stevenson

What does every story require to keep our attention?

Two things; A protagonists we can relate to and actively cheer on and an antagonists we can project our fear and anger on to and deeply want to see vanquished by our hero. In short, the story requires conflict. Not just any conflict, but conflict that casts doubts on the ability of the protagonist to win the day.

To keep our attention the story needs tension, moments of sublime doubt, adversity.

It is the tension created by this conflict that compels us to read further. We want to know how our hero overcomes the challenge set forth by his rival. The conclusion to this struggle is always resolved in the climax when hero and anti-hero battle it out in one final clash.

The key element is how the protagonists handles ADVERSITY.

Within the framework of our own journey, many battles are fought. More often than not, we find ourselves in over our heads. Ill prepared for the demands of the challenge.

The options are alliterated in the classic "Flight, Fight or Fright" pattern.

Challenges created through adversity are with us as part of the warp and woof of daily life. How we respond to these assaults on our psyches determine the quality of our life.

Every adverse circumstance, condition or challenge is a clarion call to live our own heroic journey, and a choice point to follow our bliss and live the life we have endeavored to imagine.

Now here is the sticky part.

We all have a closet full of fears poised to crush our will and a few gators hiding under our beds (aka our subconscious minds). Within this house of fears we all have strategies albeit mostly unconscious to handle "adversity" They consists of the standard pattern of "Fight or Flight" behaviors and its myriad derivatives.

At worst, we avoid the challenge all together hoping to live another day. At best, we manage the challenge by reducing the risk of lost. With either approach we somehow stay alive.

Is this really living?

Is there another way? Can we transcend our risk adverse tendencies which are centered on a combination of coping behaviors?

I say we can.

What is required is a new way of harnessing the power contained in the struggle. Within every challenge is the seed of an opportunity. To find this opportunity we must choose a path that supports our deepest aspirations.

How?

Rather than seeking ways to avoid, cope with, survive or manage the adversity we can choose to find the benefit hidden within, the golden nugget of transformation and personal power reclamation. Seek the benefits that will accrue to you as a direct result of your choosing to take it on.

Turn your fear into power by turning your adversity into a challenge.

The crucible of conflict need not be shied away from when you take it on as a challenge. The benefit to you is the reclamation of your authentic personal power and the realization of your real self.

Mothers Day

2009-05-10T10:06:00.000-07:00

Mom died a little over three years ago. Still hard to fully embrace. Always that lingering temptation to pick up the phone and call.

When I was a small boy she would say "Kenny, a shinny face is like a shinny new penny. Be clean, well groomed, make your mother proud!"

Now, every time I find a shinny penny I think of her. Whenever I need to be reminded of her strength and her love a shiny penny seems to show up out of nowhere, strategically placed in those soft pillow moments. And I remember. I remember her love, the sacrifices she made, the stand she took for me and my siblings in the most difficult of circumstances.

She was a beautiful woman filled with angst, yet determined to love her children with every fiber of her being. She did.

She always said to me, "Kenny, you think too much." Never understood what she meant. I suppose being a genius isn't as glamorous as it seems. I thought and was taught that thinking was "all that." The "Sin qua Non' of a highly educated man. Could never even entertain the idea that one could "think too much."

Well mom I "think" I finally understand what you meant. Its yet another paradox. Thinking is no substitute for knowing, and it clearly is no replacement for action. And thinking I could "think" my way through life was an error in, well my thinking.

Now I have a "higher education." I know "there are things in heaven and earth not dreamed of in my philosophies." That there are places in the heart not yet touched. I know now that "the heart has reasons that reason knows nothing of." The conflict I felt between the need to act and live in a completely rational way and the irrationality of my heart is now resolved. It took a while, a lifetime of whiles. But I got it. Wish I could have got it sooner.

Maybe it was my lack of courage, or just ignorance. I know it now. I know its true. Thank you for being patient. I know it wasn't easy for either of us.

I miss you mom.

I hope and pray that you are surrounded by light and love where ever it is your spirit sailed off to.

I love you. I miss you. You will always be in my heart.

Thank you for being my mom.

Happy Mothers Day

Mandates or Nudges? Which will serve the Greater Good?

2009-05-03T10:56:00.001-07:00

With all the "Change" in Washington and the hysterical demands for "more government regulations, more burdens on the private sector and more government interference in our private lives" its time to reconsider the direction we are headed in.

Whether you believe it is a "Marxist" form or "European" style of socialism, clearly the US government has moved toward more direct control and interference in both the private sector and in our private lives.

You don't believe it? Can't believe it? Think it is propaganda? Consider this recent commentary published in Pravda of all places:

"It must be said, that like the breaking of a great dam, the American decent into Marxism is happening with breath taking speed, against the back drop of a passive, hapless sheeple, excuse me dear reader, I meant people."

Here is the link for the entire article: http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/columnists/107459-0/

What's at stake?

Our freedom and our liberty.

Those that argue that only government has the ability and resources to fix the current problems and stabilize the economy are at best only partially right. Legitimate arguments have clearly been made demonstrating the role of politics, politicians and government interference in the recent economic calamity.

Of course there's plenty of blame to go around and depending on your political affiliation and personal philosophy (and family of origin issues I might add:) you'll assign this blame accordingly.

What we have here is a failure to communicate!

Someone has screwed up big time.

Whether you believe its the Republicans fault, the Democrats, the Federal Reserve, Greedy corporations, DC, Wall Street...all of the above, aliens, or whom ever else you choose to assign blame to, it is human nature to blame someone or something when the proverbial "poop" hits the fan.

Clearly there was a systemic breakdown as the risk grew. Financial instruments involving repackaged mortgages became increasingly more risky.

Complex risk assessments gave a false sense of control. Greed was steering the ship. The Emperor had new clothes and no one thought to take a closer look. Well, actually there were plenty of warnings from some very bright people, but alas it was to no avail. This ship of greed was destined to sail on until the inevitable "rock bottom" was hit.

Did the unexpected happened?

Yes it did. Few, if any risk assessment models considered the possibility of catastrophic failures in the continually repackaged mortgage markets. They were derived and re-derived, continually pushing the "risk" just over the event horizon. Then the "housing bubble" burst and we were in for the worst.

The "Poop" hit the fan and the blame game took off and is now in full gallop.

What ever comes of this current hunt for the "bad guys", however they are held "accountable" one thing seems clear; We are right on the hairy edge of fascism. From a superficial view point its easy and convenient to assign the cause of the troubles to unregulated greed on Wall Street. And its even easier to blame Bush and the Republicans. Easy. Convenient.

Especially so when you now have all the power concentrated in one party and "that" my fellow truth seekers is the "rub" as Shakespeare would say.

The cabal of power in Washington now believes it has a "Mandate" to change the fundamental architecture of liberty and freedom, our US Constitution.

Not change by amendment as is actually prescribed in the Constitution, Article 5 but change by informal methods that are as powerful and pervasive as the formal amendment process itself without all the hurdles to doing so.

Article 5 of the US Constitution states:

"The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate."

Amending the Constitution is an arduous process.

There are less onerous methods to achieve the same result. Better to take the path of least resistance. Amend by changing its meaning, by reinterpreting it.

Judicial reinterpretation.

This now seems to be the preferred means to circumvent Article 5. This judicial slight of hand and the self-proclaimed mandate to reengineer the USA will be used to remake America into something deemed more "equitable" by redistributing its wealth and power.

The question of the day is:

"To whom shall this wealth and power be redistributed too?"

Judicial activism has become a means to circumvent the vote and the will of the people to promote social change and "equality." No need to enact a law when you can conveniently reinvent it by reinterpretation of the "meaning" of existing laws. The balance of governmental powers is now doubtful. It can only mean more "forced changes" for "our own good and the good of the country."

Another means of "informal constitutional change" is through the process of cultural change and circumstance. One example is the evolution of voting rights. The original language reserved the right to vote to only male monied land holders. Of course voting rights have now been extended to all citizens 18+. The Constitution was never formally amended to reflect this change. Yet it is now part of the status quo and considered a fundamental right. Not a bad thing of course. The danger lies in the erosion of the two party system and the loss of the one party to limit the power of the other.

The changes in our culture and the presumed "mandate for change" will push this informal process of "constitutional" change even further. Though this informal process of constitutional change has become part and parcel to the "warp and woof" of the American political system it can become a tool for reducing our liberty as well.

Mix together politics, politicians, politically appointed judges and a filibuster proof congress and voila, you have a recipe for fascism. I am shaken and stirred by the possible consequences of one political party holding all the cards. Now the change game has no oversight, no brakes to slow down the runaway power grab. The possibility of a new kind of fascism is disturbing to say the least.

Regardless of your political affiliation everyone should be deeply concerned.

This supposed "mandate for change" is on the path to becoming deterministic. The attitude is parochial. The unspoken voice of a determined invisible parent "who "knows what best for you." "Be a good citizen!" "Do what we tell you do, ITS FOR YOUR OWN GOOD -- or else!!!"

Or else what? Reeducation camps? Prison? Be called a hater, a racist, a xenophobe? Be marginalized for voicing your opinion?

I am not opposed to "change." It is essential for growth, for renewal and for the health of our society.

What I am opposed to is having "change" force fed to me.

What I am opposed to is being told that "they" know what's better for me.

Well guess what? "They" don't know better than me what's best for me. Shocking Y'all?:)

Good. I'm a free thinker not a puppet of the State or a hack for a political party. I can think, choose and decide for myself. Thank you very much.

So I have a few "changes" myself I would like to propose:

1. People should be free to do what they want. All things considered:)
2. People should be able to opt out of any undesirable arrangement if they so choose to do so.
3. Our liberty should be preserved by the actions of our government. Mandates, regulations and other forms of forced behavioral changes should be kept to the bare minimum.
4. Government should always seek to preserve our liberty yet enact legislation that encourages our choice in such ways will improve our lives.

If there is a mandate, let it be this; the government as protector of freedom and architects of choice should do everything they can to preserve freedom of choice while "nudging" us in directions that will improve our lives.

Let us help those who need help but let us do it as a matter of choice not force or mandate.

A Season For Change

2009-04-11T08:12:00.000-07:00

Spring begins the cycle of new life. Trees bud, flowers bloom, babies are born, and spirits are stirred from their long winter's slumber.

Melting snows, warm sun, quickened hearts.

Spring is the time for renewal. Time for the proverbial spring cleaning. Time to wipe away the dust and clutter of the old ways. Time to be born anew.

How?

Fresh ideas, new ways of doing and being, releasing the past, listening to your heart, and being transformed by the renewing of your mind.

The spiritual prescription for renewal:

1. Stop what you are thinking and doing. Be still. Listen.

2. Repent. Turn away from the old ways of being and doing. Turn away from being reactive, routine, and conditioned based on fear.

3. Have a change of mind. A new mind. A mind based on love, trust, faith, courage. A mind based on authentic knowing.

4. Release and let go of old ideas, old habits of thinking and doing. Challenge your beliefs. Challenge their validity. Test new ideas. Go ahead. Its okay. You are the creator of your life. Choose new beliefs simply for the purpose of knowing who you are with this new belief. Beliefs require no proof. Of course you could offer proof, but there no need to.

A belief is an assertion you make about the world and your place in it. An assertion that you act as if it were true. Experiment. New beliefs bring new perspectives and new experiences. You can change them at will. Its the spiritual seekers tool for shifting perspective and opening to new possibilities.

5. Forgive yourself, forgive everyone else. Let go of your bitterness and resentment.

6. Break the pattern of living that has kept you trapped. Transform yourself through the renewing of your mind.

7. Ask for Divine help. No need to undertake this transformation alone.

Can Technology Save Us?

2009-03-29T15:47:00.000-07:00

I love technology.

Ever since that day I was handed a Heathkit catalog by Bill Buckley, I was hooked.

All those gadgets and widgets and flashing lights. It was as if science fiction had become science fact, at least in the mind of a 12 year old.

In my adolescent fantasy I imagined that I could become very powerful with it, even control the organization of the material universe.

Well, well, well. My childhood fantasy actually was more true than I could ever have imagined. Technology can and in fact does give us the power to alter the material world, rearrange the very nature of physical reality and ultimately dismantle it to a degree that would render human existence a historical footnote in the vast march of time, that is if there was anyone to record then.

Technology and technologies are gifts from the fertile minds of geeks and scientific freaks. We all benefit from it in one way or another. From the iPhone to the Kinzu knife, it was some technology that made it happen.

But what is technology?

In the simplest terms it is applied science for industrial or commercial applications. Science moved from lab to tabletop.

It is the engine that has delivered the modern world as we now know it.

But it comes with a price. Pollution, and the capacity to do us all in. Not a good thing.

Still, I love technology. It is a godsend to us all. Can it save us?

Time will tell of course. With wisdom it will make the world a better place. Without it anything can happen.

Deliberate Liberations

2009-03-27T14:55:00.000-07:00

Freedom is not free and Pie is not in the sky:) Don't ask me why.

But none the less, a conversation about the true meaning of freedom is now on the agenda. Tired of hearing all the jibba jabba about freedom. The painful truth is that freedom comes at a price. A very high price.

When we are young, freedom means only one thing, "You can't tell me what to do!"

It seems like freedom, it feels like freedom but it is part of the beautiful lie. It says we can do what we want, when we want regardless of the circumstance, irrespective of the consequences.

Let someone else take responsibility. Let someone else clean up the mess.

This adolescent notion of freedom is embedded in the psyches of seemingly mature and responsible adults. Teens come in all sizes, all bodies and apparently all ages too.

The full energetic consequence has now come home to roost.

Yes Martha, we have a real mess on our hands. And the youthful proclamations proffered by teenagers in adult bodies and "Adults in Age Only" AAO's have created the biggest mess of this generation.

Fiscal chaos.

And who do all teenagers and the AAO's go to when the full consequences of their irresponsible choices come back to bite them in the butt?

Mom and Dad, and the collective Super Parent "Uncle Sam."

Wake up people. Stop the collective and individual insanity. You made this mess. I made this mess. We all made this mess. Stop the blame game. Take responsibility. It is our only hope for salvation. Blame is useless.

We the people, the immature people of the United States have sowed the seeds of psychic self-destruction and lived the freedom part without the responsibility part. The ugly truth is now upon us.

Freedom is not free.

Freedom comes at a price. A very high price of blood and treasure. Of deferred urges and sacred sacrifices.

Freedom is not free.It comes at the price of responsibility and wisdom. The sacrifices of good men and woman for the greater good of us all.

Its time to expose the beautiful lie before it does us all in.

Time to come to terms with the ugly truth. Freedom is not a feeling yet freedom has a feeling. Freedom is not license to act in anyway that the muse moves us, or our urges "urge" us. No no.

Freedom is our highest calling. Freedom is the at the heart of our very nature. It is deliberate. It aspires to call out the best in all of us. It is not selfish or egocentric. Rather it calls us into service to others.

It is a the grand paradox of our human experience. Freedom is not free.

A Paradoxical Trip to the Mall

2009-03-19T17:34:00.001-07:00

Went to the mall today. I know that doesn't sound particularly interesting. But it developed into yet another paradoxical encounter. Those who are familiar with my previous entries and my philosophy in general will find the "Mall" story curiously refreshing.

The day started out at Whole Foods. A cup of Colombian coffee, a bran muffin a bit of twitterpation:) All normal stuff for the holy mully. The cell phone rings breaking me free of the Twitter trance. But only for a brief moment. A friend inquiring about the best brand of black rifles to purchase.

Whole Foods and black rifles go together like love and marriage:)

An hour later Nat shows up inspired to go to the local gun store and look at---you guessed it "black rifles." Holding a black rifle in hand is a shot of pure testosterone for any man. Shooting one puts at least two inches on your biceps.

We meet at the gun store an hour later. 3 PM to be exact. The store was packed. I mean packed with men and a few woman too. Rumor has it gun sales are up. Today's experience confirmed it. Truly amazing. Nat asked a lot of questions. The kind of questions that drive busy store clerks to go "postal":)

While there, I picked up a Bush Master with a green laser. Amazing feeling. No bullets of course. Just the raw energy of life. Nat ran out of questions, and I ran out of time.

Was only a few blocks from the Mall. Hadn't been there since the election and decided to see what it could tell me about the mood of America. The Mall is an icon. Its denizens participants in the All-American pastime of shopping. Unlike the excitement and population density at the gun store, the Mall had a moderate amount of traffic. And no buzz.

Now I had no expectations at the Mall. Never do and never will. But I am open to receive. I am receptive. Today I am the "Yes Man", at least that is the intention I started the day with. Say "Yes" more often. Just like the yes man himself and the movie by the same name.

Today I chose to say yes more often.

No idea where it would lead and what miracles it would create. But I was a willing participant in this experiment. My stroll through the Mall was uneventful. That was until I entered the Brookstone store. I like browsing Brookstone. A guy thing I suppose. I get a "charge" out of gadgets. I had a pain in my right shoulder and decided to give it a little love, so I picked up the double Thumper massager and entered the kingdom of heaven:) It was pure bliss. Shoulder pain ebbed, mind relaxed. I could have stood there for hours, surrendering to the deep thumping pulsations.

But destiny and quantum physics conspired to pop me to a higher energy level. I was drawn into a lively conversation which danced with the muse of music, life and DNA. I thank the powers of good that invited me to be a part of such a eloquent exchange of energy, ideas and light.

The paradox?

The special mix of the day's experiences were the result of an attitude of "yes" and my intention to live in a deliberate and conscious way. To all who shared with me the joy of living today, I am grateful to have been touched by your light, your presence and your authentic humanity.

Dancing with the paradox, contradictions and ironies of the day reconnected me with the intrinsic nature of reality and enlightened my human experience.

Paradoxical Intent or Why "IT" Happens

2009-03-02T08:47:00.000-08:00

Why do the best laid plans of mice and men and women often go astray?

Why does "IT" happen?

Paradoxical intentions offers some insight.

Intention is the motivation for our actions. Often invisible, our stated intentions don't always seem to line up with our results. Why? The old adage that "intentions are measured by results" can help to reveal the hidden effect of conflicting intentions.

Our conscious intentions are only the tip of the ice berg. Below the surface lay the infinite entanglement of all our aspirations. The truth is that some of these aspirations conflict with each other.

The result is conflicted outcomes. "IT" happens.

Our paradoxical intentions need to be exhumed from the depths of our psyches and reevaluated in the light of day. Clarity of intent is the key. Take a look. Ask the hard questions. Know what you want and why. "IT" may still happen but less often.

Serve, Deliver and Serve Some More

2009-03-01T10:31:00.000-08:00

Today's message is perhaps the most profound and perplexing of all human endeavors.

Service.

Service is the delivery of value, benefits and ultimately who you are for the betterment of others.

Why do it?

Why give away a portion of your supply, resource and time to benefit others?

In business a typical transaction is "quid pro quo", aka "this for that." What would happen if our business was truly about creating value for others? How would that change the way you did business?

Perceived value can make us "feel good" real value will transform our life. Service is the key to delivering real value. In business and in life, real value transcends hype, temporary feel goods and seductive promises.

With an attitude of service, we choose in a conscious way to deliver real value to each other, to our clients and to the world in general. Real value makes the world a better place for you and for me and the entire human race.

Making a profit without delivering actual value is a soulless and empty proposition. In the most fundamental sense, Profit is your reward for taking a risk to deliver value to customer.

Profit = Revenue - Expenses.

A simple equation from the financial end. A convenient way to keep score. Profit is good. It drives the economic engine.

Paradoxical profit is better.

The revenue driver is service first. You give not to get, you give to share from your bounty. You give to share from your abundance. You create value by giving value away. You give not specifically to get, you give specifically to make the world in your own unique way a better place. To make the lives of people in your sphere of influence better, not bitter.

Service first delivers real value to others who are looking for the unique solution that is you.

Mike Litman, a very savvy business developer has observed, "You are the solution for a thousand people!" Our unique set of experiences, talents, skills and way of being in the world form the core of our personal value proposition. In this new way of looking at the core business equation defining profit, marketing is transformed from an expense to a profit driver. Give and it shall be given.

The key is create a "value delivery model" that puts service first.

This means we give away a portion of our wisdom, abundance and knowledge in service to others. The new profit model expands marketing from a process of simply finding qualified buyers to an "a priori" means to delivering value first. It is paradoxical adjunct to typical marketing strategies that look at potential customers with a filter to find the "golden buyers" in the amorphous landscape of potential buyers for your product or service.

The new golden rule is the same as the old golden rule, "Give and it shall be given." A slightly different way to look at "Do unto others" but the essential idea is there, give. An attitude of service is the key to transforming your personal and business mind from "giving to get" to " giving to give."

The paradox is both poignant and prescient. Giving is good for you..and good for your business.

Why You Do What You Do

2009-02-26T10:20:00.000-08:00

An ancient and timeless question; "Why do I do what I do?"

The answer is simple.

You do what you do to preserve your sense of equilibrium. If you tip too far in any direction, you have a tendency to self-correct to preserve your current state of equilibrium. Real life has a way of knocking us out of our current energy shell, just like it happens in the atomic and subatomic world.

Electrons move around. They get shared, borrowed or sent to another molecule for purposes only that molecule knows.

We get knocked around too. Sometimes to our great distress. But tension is always seeking resolution. We will always end up somewhere. Usually at the point where the tension has resolved itself. Of course we may not like it. But no need to fight it. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.

No need to panic. Just need to see how all this movement fits into the scheme of the universe. In the simplest of terms, tension seeks resolution. And it is this tension resolving aspect that ultimately drives the ship of you.

If we were to simplify this for everyday living purposes, it would look like this:

1. You want to maximize your experience of living in accordance with your particular beliefs and do it in such a way that minimizes your chance of loss and more importantly minimizes the chance of your ultimate demise.

2. Depending on your personal frame of reference, you make choices which reduce or eliminate the current pain with only marginal regard for the longer term consequence or you make choices which consider both the current and future consequences.

3. These choices are made within the framework of your belief system, values and habits of being.

4. Every choice you make is a bifurcation or split point that gives birth to an entirely new world.

5. These choices will either preserve your current equilibrium or lead to its disruption. The two prime forces at work is your self-correcting homeostatic mechanism and the Second Law of Thermodynamics which predicts increasing amounts of randomness.

If the assertions above are true then we have to rise to a higher level of consciousness to shift our equilibrium on purpose. This shift from unconscious habit bound living to a creative dance partner with the universe demands a shift in out attention, a conscious intention to do so and a tool we can use to correct and adjust the energy distribution.

I propose a mindful combination of the Japanese martial art Aikido, Hegel's Dialectic and game theory to help keep the life energy moving ever higher. Together they can create a context for better energy management and new levels of understanding.

The key is the complete acceptance of responsibility for the consequences of our choices. Tough but not impossible.

Somewhere in a future post, I will discuss the impact of the Nash Equilibrium on our personal economies.

How do Strategy and Opportunity Work Together

2009-02-25T13:44:00.000-08:00

Strategy is vision, goals and intentions. A plan that considers the consequence of all actions and opportunities within the overall strategy. The entrepreneur trades risk and time for rewards in the future.

Opportunity can produce income but not always equity.

Opportunist respond to and look for opportunity independent of strategy. Income is vital for business development and profitability.

Entrepreneurs seek opportunity consistent with their vision. They are willing to forgo opportunity to build their vision. Opportunity is always pursued within the framework of the strategy.

Both have value.

The key difference is the entrepreneur pursues opportunity to create equity and income.

Your Passion Needs No Affirmation

2009-02-24T16:34:00.001-08:00

Yep. Its that simple.

No need to affirm what you love. Just need to connect and allow.

Passion is the energy of life. Stop scaring yourself. Start soaring. Do what you love. Be the change you want to find. Love life. Practice an attitude of gratitude. Give and it shall be given. Passion. Life energy. Its the fuel for a life worth living. Uniquely yours to empower your life adventure.

Passion needs no affirmation.

Passion needs only your confirmation. Choose life. Choose to live passionately. Every moment is a turning point. Every choice a potential crossroad. Choose with passionate deliberation. Choose to express your uniqueness.

Passion needs no affirmation.

The Best of Times

2009-02-23T12:44:00.000-08:00

One thing I think we all can agree on is that change has come to America.

The exact nature of the change and the consequences of it are indeterminate. What is notable is that while "change" was the message of the most recent US election, the energy in the aftermath is chaotic and uncertain.

What the new administration does with its power will determine the context from which all our choices and decisions shall be made. What it doesn't determine is the content and intention of each of us as individuals.

Unless we let it of course.

Ultimately change is the only constant. What we don't want is change which ups the anxiety level. But in reality, uncertainty of the consequences and the loss of trust in the financial system has created a curious dilemma.

Are we creating change which increases the level of certainty?

I'm certain that when all is said and done, more will be said than done. Maybe that's a good thing. In general systems theory, small changes can have large consequences. And in times like these, can create perturbations that lead to instability.

Systems have the tendency to lose organization. Its called entropy. With feedback and information we can keep the system going. Ultimately the system will run out of sufficient "information" to keep it organized. Just the way the universe operates.

In terms of change, the system is wobbling a bit. Will it lose steam and topple like a spinning top?

Don't know. What I do know it that we can only do what we can do, nothing more and nothing less.

I choose freedom and liberty. What will you choose?

If Life is a Game, then Knowing the Rules Can Help You Win

2009-02-20T14:20:00.001-08:00

Is life a game?

Not likely.

But paradoxically it can be played as a game to our individual and mutual benefit.

The concept of game playing as it applies to human behavior was popularized by psychiatrist Dr. Eric Berne in his 1964 book "Games People Play."

In Games People Play, Berne defined games as:

"A game is an ongoing series of complementary ulterior transactions progressing to a well-defined, predictable outcome. Descriptively, it is a recurring set of transactions... with a concealed motivation... or gimmick."

Hence the current terms of non-endearment like, "Quit playing games with my heart, my head, my mind, etc."

The interactions ultimately progress to an outcome in which one individual obtains a "payoff" or "goal." In most cases, the participants of the games are unaware that they are "playing." Or I might add, being "played":)

The famous author Kurt Vonnegut Jr. said of Games People Play:

"An important book . . . a brilliant, amusing, and clear catalogue of the psychological theatricals that human beings play over and over again. The good Doctor has provided story lines that hacks will not exhaust in the next 10,000 years"

Gee, can Vonnegut say it with flare? Yep. Pure Psychological theatrics.

Shakespeare said it in "As You Like It";

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.
And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation...

We have roles to play, planes to catch and games to play...

Some of the more popular games people (BTW this means you and me:) play:

1. "If It Weren't For You" or IWFY. Essentially the Blame Game with payoffs for the players. Usually unconscious of the payoffs, we play it until the payoff, whatever they maybe for each player is no longer realized.

2. "See What You Make Me Do!" Another version of the Blame Game. Usually precipatated by some internal irritation. And a form of self-protection.

3. "Ain't it Aweful!" The poor me game. Poor you. Nowadays things are so bad:) Which I'm sure many would agree to.

Dr. Berne categorizes many more games people play. I recommend you read his book. It is as germain today as it was in 1964 when it was originally published.

But, these transactional games are not the main course for this Game we play. It is merely the appetizer:)

The real game I am alluding to is a "Game Worth Playing" aka your life as a winner and what it rally means to play it.

But at this point I'm to tired to get into the main course. Next post, or the next next post I will delve into Game Theory and how we can use its ideas to create a Game Worth Playing.

In this view of the game, we makes moves (aka choices and actions) in both a sequential and simultaneous manner. All moves must be part of a strategy which includes looking forward and reasoning backwards.

Using Game Theory as our foundation, we can consciously create and play for fun and profit a game worth playing.

Until next time.

50's Jazz and its Effects on a Coffee House Philosopher

2009-02-19T16:42:00.000-08:00

Sitting in the shadow of the Wasatch Mountains at Canyon Coffee. The music has gotten out of control. Great if you like all that Jazz. Not so great if you prefer Jack Johnson at this particular moment in the day.

Makes blogging feel like I'm inside the middle of some B-movie from the late 1950's where there is this weird vibe, and all these hip cats are chasing each other. Not sure that is where I want my energy to be vibrating right now. But I'm a curious cat. So I took the ride on these jazzy vibes and now I am not so sure I can hold my thoughts together.

Seems like I should be in some smoked filled back alley bar in Memphis.

Speaking of Memphis, great place for barbecue and BB Que and BB King. The seductive undertones of the King himself is a recipe for some great spontaneous no-no yes-yes moments. As I was saying, ahem, Memphis be a the place for barbecue. Ribs for me, and you?

This experiment with Jazz has given me the willies. I promise a more cohesive blog next time around this berg. Till then, think Zen.

What You are Seeking is Seeking You?

2009-02-19T13:22:00.000-08:00

This is a reposting of the post from a few days ago. The original post was titled in Hindi. Wasn't sure why it came out that way. But thanks to a seasoned blogger, I was informed that I had inadvertently set the title to be transliterated into Hindi. Hopefully no one was offended by this faux pas - that's French for "a social blunder":) So the weirdnest of the transliterated title has been amended. Amen.

Still there are many more faux pas's at the quantum level that are worthy of exploration. The notion of "seeking" is one of them. It alters our outlook and the direction of attention in non-ordinary ways. As was observed by the prominent quantum physicist Sir Arthur Eddington, "Not only is the world stranger than we imagine, it is stranger than we can imagine"

Weird. But weird in the best of all possible ways.

Weird on a number of levels. First and foremost I have a really good memory. And I just wrote the title, like , 30 seconds ago. Shot term memory lapse I suspect. Could be the background music too. Utube, I mean U2 is reminding me over and over, in the same lovely drone, "I still having found what I'm looking for!"

Well here's a clue for you all, neither have I!

Part of the game of life. We seek, we find, then we get bored and we seek again and again. Ever seeking, ever finding but never feeling like we really found what we are looking for. Of course it could be about me. Maybe I'm the only one who hasn't found what he's looking for?

What about you? What are you looking for? St. Francis of Assisi observed that what we are looking for is looking for us.

Weird. What we are seeking is seeking us.

Strange. Gives a different spin to the biblical verse which says simply, "Seek and ye shall find!" Is the universe set up in such a way that seeking in the most fundamental sense is always finding?

Perhaps the key is in the nature of the seeking itself. Brain researchers have discovered that a part of the brain called the Reticular Activation System (RAS) is in part responsible for the phenomena of the "red car." When we decide we want a red car or any other car, we immediately begin to notice "red cars" everywhere. Its as if the universe flooded our world with red cars where previously there were few if any to be found.

Of course the "red cars" were there all the time, we simply did not have them on our radar. When we seek, whatever it maybe, we set our intention, deploy our attention and find what we seek. The ancient Greeks claimed that our minds are Teleological, goal seeking. I suppose the ideas of St. Francis, Plato, Jesus and others has merit.

We do seem to find what we are seeking. Weird.

Yet another paradox. We seek and we do find, and we still haven't found what we're looking for. And we seek and we do not find. What's missing from this picture? I have to reflect further on this whole notion of seeking=finding.

Right now I'm seeking another cup of Joe. And it has sought me. Kona coffee on a sunny afternoon in the shadow of the magnificent snow-covered Wasatch Mountains. Perfect. For now. mission accomplished.

Twitterpation.

2009-02-14T21:24:00.000-08:00

Is Twitter an addiction?

If I take the massive number of Tweets as an indicator, a good case could be made for addiction. Certainly I've seen a significant number of Tweets which self-disclosed a difficulty leaving the living cloud of thoughts, feeling, ideas, humor, connections, songs, jokes, possibilities, and mysteries that is Twitter.

Strange how 140 characters or less can hook you. But its precisely the nature of the short messages that insists we go further. Its a version of the "carrot on a stick" method of moving the donkey, I mean moving the Tweetizen deeper into Twitterville by offering a small reward for Tweeting. That reward is a reply. And the opportunity to engage in a 100 conversations about anything and everything.

And the surprising result is the serendipitous connection with great Tweeple, I mean real people, or people who seem real:) I have had the good fortune to connect in meaningful ways with people on Twitter that has led to nascent friendships, conversations for possible joint ventures, and openings to new ideas and possibilities.

In a previous post I shared with you my original intent with Twitter. Dive in and find out firsthand what Twitter really is.

What did I learn?

1. Twitter is an amorphous, and almost infinite network of people. Every kind of people.

2. The 140 character limitation forced me to think more clearly and precisely what I wanted to say.

3. I realized I could extend the conversation as needed to other media including this blog.

4. I could connect with people who were moving in directions I wanted to explore.

5. I could Tweet with the famous, the infamous, the ordinary and extraordinary.

6. I could Tweet with people from diverse backgrounds that I would most likely never meet or talk with in my own community.

7. I could get answers to real questions from a cloud of expertise and diverse experience that would be impossible to replicate any other way.

8. I could explore my own various interests in alternative energy, philosophy, life, comedy, writing, people, film, religion, spirituality.

It all boils down to "what conversation do I want to be a part of?" And how can I share my knowledge, experience and wisdom(assuming I have some) in such a way that encourages the cultivation of these conversations for my own good, the good of others and the greater collective good.

The answer remains elusive. The ink is barely dry on my Twitterville Twitterzenship papers.

What I do know is that Twitter is a fascinating process of connecting with people. If fascination is the root of the addiction, then count me in. I'm Twitterpated.

Lets Talk About Love

2009-02-14T08:06:00.000-08:00

Love is is the air. Love is everywhere. Really.

Valentines Day is a an opportunity and a reminder; Share the love. So whether you have significant other, a lover, or just someone you truly adore...share the love.

Love is patient and kind. Love is passionate and fine.

Love is life. And as the old song so succinctly pined "Love is something when you give it away you end up having more."

Yep, love is the great and maddening paradox. Love is life. And romance is its spice. And that's very very nice:)

So have fun. Be young. Love, Laugh, Live.

Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself
But if your love and must needs have desires,
Let these be your desires:

To melt and be like a running brook
That sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart
And give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer
For the beloved in your heart
And a song of praise upon your lips.
~ Kahlil Gibran ~

Back to the Canary in the Coal Mine

2009-02-13T14:22:00.000-08:00

Returned today to Whole Foods for my daily coffee break and lunch. The eerie emptiness I spoke of yesterday was more so today.

Weird. Like the energy has collapsed into some holodynamic wheat grass abyss.

What does it mean?

Where have all the people gone? McDonalds perhaps? Where ever they are...they were not at Whole Foods for lunch today. Is the canary about to fall over? Stay tuned.

Now the really strange thing was contrasted by the people I met for lunch. My meeting was with people who are doing oil and gas development in the Uintah Basin in eastern Utah. Despite falling oil prices and the moth balling of drilling rigs, there is a ton of other activity that bodes very well for these carbon energy developers. Big money deals. Big energy development plans. Go figure.

For all who want to projectile vomit at the mere mention of oil and gas development, I feel compelled to remind you that alternative energy projects as romantic and delicious as they sound are many years away from replacing oil and gas for energy generation. And the inconvenient truth in the whole megillah is that more than 6000 products we use on a daily basis use petroleum as the source material from nylons to Vaseline.

Its important to point out that current Solar Technology, specifically solar panels, become hazardous waste when it completes its life cycle. BTW so does your cell phone, you iPhone, your iPOD and every other electronic gadget that makes your social media life work. So lets get real and own up to our part in the pollution of the planet. Collaboration, innovation and civility will go a long way to channeling our assets, brainpower and peeps to creating a world we all want to live in.

So, yes...we must continue to develop our oil and gas resources in parallel with alternative energy development. Someday we will have replacements for oil and gas, or we will have much cleaner ways to produce it including algae biodiesel and methane from farm waste. Until then we will have to walk hand in hand with the "oil from rock crew." The thing to keep in mind is that oil has fueled the growth of civilization. That is the fact of the matter. So don't get your thing in a sling. We need to make practical accommodations with existing energy sources or this canary really will die much sooner than any of us are comfortable with.

For clarification, my focus is on clean green energy projects. And that is ultimately where our future is. But I like to think that rational self-interest, national interests and the larger global community can have a conversation for change that preserves the current good, reduces or eliminates the current bad, creates the desired future good and reduces the likelihood of new problems.

I think that is a fair and balanced approach to the energy question.

Now for some good news for those of us who dream of an idyllic world where all energy generated is from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind. These oil and gas guys are actually investing in and raising funding for both large scale solar and algae based biodiesel projects in Utah and California for projects starting in 2009.

How's that for an economic stimulus?

Clean, green projects fueled by the new focus on renewable energy sources. Apparently the old "oily dawg" can learn new tricks, and I don't mean that in the pejorative sense.

So to quote Rodney King from back in the day; "Why can't we all just get along?"

Once again I chose the Ecuadorian Organic coffee. Still a good choice on a winter's day.

Yes Man and The Power of Yes

2009-02-13T08:21:00.000-08:00

Just started reading the book that inspired the movie, YES MAN.

Amazing tale. Its a true life story of young man named Danny Wallace who had lost his woman, lost his way and had fallen into loneliness and isolation. He began to despair until a seemingly random encounter on a bus led him to a meeting with a stranger.

A brief conversation on a public bus with a complete stranger changed his life. This man offered Danny Wallace three magic words, "Say Yes More."!

Three magic words that transformed his life in the most delightful and unexpected ways. In that moment he resolved to be open to receive what the universe had to offer. He would "Say Yes More."!

What happened next? He gives spare change to anyone who asks. Invents things. Travels the globe. Wins $45,000. Becomes a TV executive...and a minister. He nods a lot. And finds that romance isn't as complicated as it seems.

Just by saying yes more.

His story really is our story. He had lived his life in a state of resistance to what is. Of course he didn't consciously know it. But he lived with the consequences of it. The result was a life of frustration, isolation, loneliness and despair. He had lost hope and was living a meaningless life.

The road led him to seek escape from this ennui. Down to the pub to find a moments reprieve from the frustration. A quick escape with an empty promise of happiness. Ironically it was while he was on the bus to the pub that he encountered the stranger that would change his life.

The chance encounter only could happen because he was open to receive. He was willing.

It was a moment of truth on the bus. A moment that changed Danny Wallace's life for ever. It was a moment of transformation. The proof is in the extraordinary life he has lived since that day of acceptance.

All because he was willing. He didn't have to spend years tucked away in a monastery or ashram meditating to change the course of his life. He didn't have to read a single self-help book, or go to the latest "change your life" course, and he didn't even have to pay a dime for it (well he did have to pay the bus fair, but that was incidental to his serendipitous meeting). He only had to say yes more.

Will you say yes more?

In my opinion, the act of saying yes more activates the Law of Attraction, uses the Law of Allowing and diminishes fear through action. Simple. To the point. Where the rubber of mind meets the road of life.

Today's thought: Are you willing to move out of your state of resistance? Are you willing to say yes more?

If so, get out your ruby Nike's, click your heels three times and repeat after me;

"Say Yes More"!
"Say yes More"!
"Say Yes More"!

Resistance=Fear. Resistance keep you stuck and acceptance sets you free.

Simple. Easy. Really.

Changing & Rearranging Reality

2009-02-12T17:38:00.001-08:00

Ate Lunch today at the Whole Foods in Cottonwood, Utah. Been eating there and drinking coffee there for the last three years. Since the election I have noticed less and less people in the store. Today the dining area was only a 3rd full. This store is located in one of the most affluent areas of Salt Lake City.

What does it mean? Change has come to America. Less people with disposable capital. Whole Foods is a modern day canary in the coal mine of America's despair.

As I pondered this change, I realized that all economies expand and contract. Right now this one is contracting. A simple reset of the engine which drives the economy. The question is how much rearranging of economic reality can we stand?

Time will tell. Tomorrow I will be there again, sipping coffee and pondering the change. I recommend the organic Ecuador. Strong body, rich flavor.

"In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity" Albert Einstein

Living in the Past yet looking to the future

2009-02-12T13:25:00.000-08:00

Thoughts, feelings and emotions which refer to any experience that occurred before now, are by their nature in the past. The past is not just memories of events from days, weeks or years ago. It is what was only a moment ago. According to some researchers one ten thousandth of a second ago.

Imagine that.

"Now" becomes "then" aka "the past" literally in less than the blink of an eye. Of course some of the past and the consequences of the past persist into the present moment. It is in some ways the persistence of the consequence of past experience into the physical that gives us the "feeling" that the past is a reliable reference point for dealing with the now. And to a large degree it would seem so.

But that is part of the illusion and in a very real way an impediment to meaningful change. Feelings and emotions are only the end products of past conditioning and experience.

The challenge is use the past as a source for knowledge but not be "used" by the past. This requires that we wake up. The exact meaning of this is subjective but for my purposes it means to recognize yourself as the creator of your life experience. This acknowledgment will make you authentically responsible for your life.

And perhaps most important but difficult to do is give up blame. Its much easier to blame mom, dad, teacher, church and state for what's not working in your life. Of course this does not mean that these individuals, groups, or institutions are absolved of accountability. What it does mean is you recognize that you are the CEO of your world. And in the final analysis blame is a waste of time.

Instead you reorient your life around accountability, integrity and honor. You give your word, you keep your agreements. You act and live as the deliberate creator of your own life. In a nutshell, you live as the person responsible for your life experiences.

As the deliberate creator and CEO of You, Inc. (LLC) you choose and act in alignment with your values and mission. You take ownership of the consequences of your choices and actions. No blame. No excuses. You get things done with integrity and grace.

To accomplish this transition to deliberate creator requires a shift. From living in the "familiar and routine" aka "the comfort zone" to inspired acts of deliberate creation. Now, I like to be comfortable. I like my house warm in the winter, I like my coffee hot. The point is that the familiar and routine often evolve into the classic catch-22 known as the "rut."

The rut is safe, part of the known, created by the past and sustained by choices which mirror the past in content, context, feeling and emotion.

When in the grip of the comfort of the familiar, we lose traction with living a more inspired life.

Paradoxically, we need challenge and novelty. Its not just a "nice to have." We actually truly need change, novelty,to be challenged. Its in our DNA. The problem with most of us is that our need for security and certainty will trump out need for novelty. As we get older, we have more to lose. This perceived increase in risk tends to reduce our initiative and keeps us in familiar territory.

How do we rise above the the tendency toward the familiar and routine? Good question, so glad you asked:)

The seeds of our personal evolution are found in a our willingness to change. Routines are hard habits to break:) Just the plain skinny on how "it" is. With willingness we discover an internal resource that opens us up to new possibilities.

Willingness is the key to the renewing of our minds. To take command of our future in a deliberate and creative way requires a shift in our consciousness, to break the physical and mental conditioning of being "ourselves." It all starts with the willingness to do so.

Yet, the "spirit is willing" and the flesh is weak. What to do?

To be born anew demands a replacement of old patterns of behavior, thinking, doing and being. We must be conscious of our habit of being and how we live. The natural response is to resist change. We are , after all is said and done biological beings. We have tendency to reach a state of homeostasis aka the comfort zone. That is tension seeking resolution. To transcend the tendency to stay with the familiar and routine we must be both willing and sufficiently conscious to be and do in a new way. We must be born anew to see things in a new way.

Just the way it is.

According to some,"Change has come to America." If you want to be the conscious creator of your own change then you must take a leadership role in your own life. You, Inc. and its CEO, that be U must deliberate and act in new ways. To change we must see in new and powerful ways. As Einstein noted, "we cannot solve the problem with the same kind of thinking that created it. We must go up a level." We need a shift in perspective and a new mind. Born of a new perspective. A new attitude which embraces principles of integrity, honor and personal responsibility.

We must turn around or away from the old paradigm. See differently. Acquire new knowledge, apply this knowledge with wisdom and listen for feedback. Then and only then will we become responsible creators. then and only then will we be the change we want to find in the world. Then and only then will meaningful change come to America.

To Tweet or not To Tweet, that is the question

2009-02-12T09:23:00.000-08:00

To Tweet or not to Tweet that is the question...

With a hundred or so to tweets flying by on Tweetdeck every a couple of minutes there is a temptation to stop and grab a few tweets for a witty reply.

This is risky business.

As a social media tool, Twitter is intended to help people connect. Most Tweeple are using Twitter to serve a larger part of their business strategy. The intent I believe is to broaden the network and round out the sales funnel. No objection here. Great way to connect with potential customers and tap the ever expanding creative and intellectual capital of the twitterverse.

I hope to be considered as a resource by my fellow Twitterzenz. I do my best to offer info, advice, and insight within the 140 character limit. But as in the real world the words lose their original meaning as they past through the twitterduction ( my word for compressing ideas into the Twitter imposed 140 characters). Unlike a JPEG compression or using any other CODEC, the original idea is decompressed by a variable CODEC unique to the Twitterzen.

The good news is the near real-time nature of replies. Sometimes you can correct or clarify in time before the misunderstanding promulgates and sometimes it! happens.

What I have learned so far is that some messages should be DMed and others left to silently move on through the metaphysical. No need to stir rile up the Twitterzenz, at least 4 now. Another time and another place perhaps, when the message may have more relevancy. But this is the challenge and opportunity Twitter provides, a fast moving and evolving cloud of people and ideas that anyone is free to join in on.

For a Twitterrific guy like myself:) whose mind is a few miles ahead of commonsense at times, knowing when to Tweet and when not to is a challenge. Yet, I persist in the process. I have chosen to be a Twitterpator ( a full fledged participant in the creation of amazing networks of people, ideas and possibility) and to take the risk. To Tweet with unbridled abandon. To give myself to this noble cause.

So in conclusion, my answer to the opening question is simple; it is better to have Tweeted and lost to never have Tweeted at all. In the words of the now dearly departed French mathematician Descartes, I affirm "I TWEET THEREFORE I AM!":) A TWEETER.

Hope we Tweet again somewhere in the vastness of Twitterville. Have a lovely day.

The Wisdom of 140 Characters or Less

2009-02-11T23:19:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back the only thing I knew about Twitter was the absurd notion that you could communicate anything worthy in short messages of less than 141 characters. Absurd precisely because pithy messages didn't seem like they could say what I really wanted to say.

Well, yet another paradox.

The crazy thing is the limitation actually forced me to think more clearly about what I wanted to say. Of course I had to learn a new type of shorthand beyond the ubiquitous ones like LOL, IMO, BTW, and such. Now I use words like 2nite and 4 for , well "for":)

The consequence has been a mixed bag of frustration and surprises. Mostly pleasant. I learned that I could post anything from the plain silly to profound and moving and everywhere in between. At this juncture I am not seeking business relations. But they are seeking me.

Odd.

My original motivation was simply to see what it means to Twit and Tweet in a world where short messages could connect me with a thousand people aka "peeps." I didn't expect much. After all I was operating with the preconceived notion that the exchange of 140 characters or less, with a cast of characters was no more than an extension to text messaging. The realm of preteens and teens alike. Certainly not 4 a seasoned veteran of technology such as myself.

Funny thing about preconceived notions, they melt under the burden of reality. Twittering has been an eye opener. I have met some amazing people (you know who you are;) People from all segments of society and from all over the world. all in a matter of a few weeks.

Crazy stuff this Twitter is.

So back to my original intent. I was asking myself, "Self, what conversation do you really want to be in?" And Self replied "Sow the seeds of all of your interests, let the Tweeple decide." And that is how it has been. I have sown a variety of seeds from clean green energy to sublime spirituality. And the Tweeple they did reply.

It has been a surprise the quality of ideas that I have been privy to be engaged in. I am humbled.

So, I will Twit and Tweet and hopefully meet the denizens of Twitterville for dialog, for ideas and for fun.

And for business too.

Beyond the Paradox....

2008-10-17T19:01:00.000-07:00

Now for a look at the wisdom part. What exactly is wisdom? Well, you can slice this pie a thousand ways. And slice it again and again but for our purposes we shall define wisdom as the best use of available knowledge.

Vague? Yep.

But it boils down to specifics. Context specific. Another paradox perhaps? Let's take a look. How do we know we have made the best use of the available knowledge? Well the only way to know with certainty is to look at the results. What did the application of this knowledge produce? How can we know if it best? How about the effect of the process used to transform this knowledge into a specific and desirable result? Does the process also have to be wise?

What about the source of the knowledge itself? Reason? Science? Intuition? Experience? Revelations? Insights? All are potential sources of wisdom. The key element is in the application of knowledge. Does it lead to value creation for self and others? Of course all this really means is that wisdom itself is paradoxical.

So lets get practical. If it is to be called wisdom it must create value in the context in which the knowledge is applied. That's simple enough. That is until we consider what is meant by value. Then its not so clear. Value is at the core of what wisdom is really about.

Value is the worth and usefulness of a thing or outcome. So, in this blog wisdom will be defined as the application of knowledge the produces the best results, where best is defined as the highest valued outcome for both the applicant of the knowledge and for those who are affected by it.

Last thing to consider is that value itself has a time value. What this means is that we can act with wisdom and produce wise results but long term consequence may not stand the test of time. Hmmm, yet another paradox.

Is it really better to give than receive???

2008-10-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

In turbulent and volatile times like these, the question of giving becomes more interesting. Why? Well, first and foremost uncertainty and loss tends to make most of us hoard or at least withhold our largess. Millions of years of cyclic famine and pestilence have given us a seemingly natural predisposition to holding on to what we got when times get rough.

Not enough to go around. Or at least a problem in distribution. Either way it is the uncertainty that makes most of us draw back. So on to one of the most curious and powerful paradoxes of our age. In times of uncertainty is it still wise to give generously? It depends of course on what you believe is true about human life.

The central question is what or who is the source of your supply? The source of your wealth? The source of your food? Who do you think it is? The government? Your job? Your parents? God?

The answer to this question determines in large measure your willingness to give.

Each is a channel from which your supply is provided but are they the source? Would you be able to provide for all your needs without these channels? One important question is the idea of responsibility. Not as burden, duty or obligation but as "I am response abled." In a sense it means if its to be its up to me. I am free to choose what I want, what I am willing to do and be to have it. I don't blame. I don't make excuses. I just forge ahead with the determination and commitment to produce.

This is a version of the rugged individualism that characterized the American spirit. It is since been eroded and replaced by notions that someone else is responsible for your life and well being. In most cases this is either the Government or the cosmic vending machine which delivers our needs based on needs, or rights or demands, or prayers. The problem with this mindset is that we no longer are in charge of our life. We have given it to an entity (a substitute parent perhaps?) and said "here, take my life and my freedom. You will provide for all my survival needs. In exchange I will give up the idea of self-responsibility and submit to your authority."

Of course it feels good to have our so called "burdens" lifted. But the real price we pay is the loss of our authenticity and integrity. Most of us do not realize we paid this price until we have boiled slowly for many years in a pot of frogs and fears. By the time we start to notice what we have done, we lack the will or courage to act any differently. So we find ourselves further and further from our authentic self, living in a state of separation. This is the great sin against ourselves and our uniqueness.

And this is why we do the thing we don't want to do, when the thing we want to do we don't do. It is this separation from our true identity in exchange for a false sense of security.

So, back to the question, "Is is better to give than receive?"

Well it depends. Each circumstance will reveal what is true over time. Paradoxical wisdom maintains the idea that in spite of fear, uncertainty and doubt it is better to give then receive. What do you think?

Practical Matters

2008-10-09T17:58:00.000-07:00

Like any idea that doesn't conveniently fit with our normal expectations, a few bookkeeping items will help us to appreciate the extraordinary nature of paradoxes.

Numero uno is the definition of the word. Paradox...sounds like a pair of docs, which is another paradox I will share with you in a future post. Paradoxes come in different flavors.

The version that is most valuable for our purposes is a statement of conclusion that seems self-contradictory or absurd but is really true.

Many spiritual adages are constructed this way. "The more you know the less you know, " It is better to give than receive." Of course the proof is in the pudding as they say. Your own life experience will inform you. This is the great lesson of maturity, to see for yourself the wisdom which arises from living the paradox. It transcends our conditioning, both mental and physical through the realization of its living truth.

The next version of paradox is a statement of conclusion that despite a valid argument and valid premises leads to a nonsensical conclusion. One of the most famous is called Zeno's Paradox of Motion. In this story an arrow is fired from point A to point B but it never arrives. Why? Well, according to Zeno the arrow at any instant cannot reach point B because prior to getting to halfway to point B, you must get halfway to halfway to getting to point B. And so on...ad infinitum. Of course Zeno was unwilling to have the arrow fired his way.

And the last version is a statement in which no truth value can be assigned. An example of this kind of paradox is;

1. This statement is false.
2a. Suppose 1 is true.
Contradiction: If it’s true that it’s false then it isn’t false.

Our focus is on paradoxes of the first kind and the opportunities for a wise awakening.

Welcome to the edge of reality

2008-10-05T20:25:00.000-07:00

“Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen.” Albert Einstein

Common sense sounds like practical wisdom. Its not. Its more about what we assume is true than what is actually so. Mark Twain observed the problem with most of us is that we know to much that isn't so.

And so it is with what we think of as common sense. It tells us more about our prejudices than our authentic understanding of reality. Consensus, convention and common understanding provide a framework for agreement but preclude us from looking beyond the boundaries created by these social contracts.

So how about a little fun with reality?

No, I'm not asking you to engage in mind altering behaviors. Well, actually I am. It won't require drugs, alcohol or drumming. Only the willingness to enter the world of paradoxes and stand on the end what you think is true.

A willingness to oppose so called common sense. But only for a moment. Just long enough to sit in the unknown and experience what it feels like to not know. To live with the energy of the unknown. But only for a moment. A benign suspension of the idea we actually know what we are talking about. I know, I know...you are really smart. You really do know. But in the paradoxical path of wisdom this proclivity to fill in the blanks is anathema to the larger understanding of reality.

What I am suggesting is that paradoxes are potential gateways between the physical and the metaphysical....between heaven and earth. A portal that can connect us with deeper levels of understanding and provide us with a new understanding of common sense. A paradoxical wisdom.

The edge of reality is found in paradox. Come to the edge...and fly.