GenuLines (blog) | Chi For Yourself

Need Good Reasons To Donate To Charity?

December 16, 2012 John Uncategorized 2 comments

This post comes to us from a guest-blogger…

We all hear pleas for charitable donations every day. TV has commercials as do radio stations. Billboards ask us to give. People ringing bells in front of stores with little red buckets, door to door solicitors, and the guy on the street all of these are chances for us to give to someone less fortunate than ourselves. Why do we give? Some people give to charity to feel good. Some give to make up for something bad they may have done. Others give because they can use it on their taxes as a deduction. Still others do it simply because they believe that it’s just the right thing to do. Many people with many reasons to give. Maybe you have a cause that is near and dear to your heart. If a family member has died of cancer you may feel the need to give to the National Breast Cancer Awareness Fund. There are few serious diseases and afflictions that do not have some form of charity set up. Most people have been touched by a serious affliction, disease, disability, injury… you name it. Despite medical science’s best efforts, there is no shortage. The only real question is whether or not you feel the desire to give to a charity in the first place. Technically, you don’t even have to give to a charity that has anything to do with humans. Animal Fairy Charities, for example, is a charitable organization that assists stables, humane societies, shelters and more in the pursuit of helping those of God’s creatures that cannot help themselves. There are charities for other countries as well. You’ve all seen the starving children and heard some celebrity ask you to help feed the children. So to whom will you give your charitable donations?Must you give cash?Everybody loves cash if for no other reason than it is so very versatile. Cash (or checks) can purchase whatever the charitable organization needs at the time. But donations of other types are just as needed and wanted. Animal shelters love pet supplies. Hunger task forces love non perishable foods. Goodwill, The Salvation Army, St. Vincent, the blind… all take donations of furniture, house wares, clothing, toys and more. There is little that is not accepted. And everybody has old clothes or gently used items that they simply don’t want or need anymore. These facilities give receipts as well, so don’t forget to get your reward for being a good citizen.

MAYAN SCHMAYAN! Facing the New Year and an Old Calendar

December 7, 2012 John Uncategorized No comments

Well, here we are- not two weeks from the infamous Mayan calendar”prediction” day of December 21st, 2012. There has been more prognostication around this date than we’ve seen in a long time. Say, around the year 2000. Remember the Y-2k scares? Armageddon housed in a micro-chip. Religious fervor brought to a chariot-riding climax. And the certain ruination of our entire supply of Skittles!
Two words for ya
It brings to mind another “master” of prediction- Chicken Little (who should have his own reality show, but we’ll save that for another post). C-Little kept announcing that the sky was falling..and kept announcing and kept announcing. When the sky didn’t fall it sort of took the sting out of the message.
Be here now
I have an idea as to how we might counter the fearful (silly?) thoughts about the approach of December 21st. It’s simple, really. Be fully present in the moment. That’s it. No more no less. Treat it as you would an affirmation. Stay in the moment, and if you stray just bring yourself back to the moment. No guilt and no judgement. In fact, you can reward yourself for a job well done as you continue to stay in the moment. If you’re on a winter holiday at the beach, don’t think sad thoughts about when you’ll have to leave. Be fully present in your surroundings and savor the sights . When you’re eating a meal, be aware of its flavor and texture. If you’re at a gathering with friends, keep your attention on their presence and not on things you’ve left undone. Ram Dass would be proud.
Consciousness, Yours and Mayan
Keeping a sense of the present moment is crucial now in 2012 and beyond. As we experience major shifts in consciousness you can be sure that we will face more challenges to our transformation. Staying in the now will prove to be a valuable navigational tool in maintaining a state of peace. Write it down if you’re prone to forget. That’s what I’m going to do.
Now, where did I put that 2013 calendar?

John K 12/7/2012

Death, Dying, and Other Light Fare- Bringing The Afterlife Out of the Shadows

November 30, 2012 John Uncategorized No comments

Unusual time for a blog post, at least for me. But I wanted to let you know about a fresh view of a topic that gets pushed into the closet more often than not.

The interview with Dr. Julia Assante should open a lot of eyes to the time when our eyes close- permanently. Julia holds some views you may find objectionable, though she’s quite accomplished at what she does and she’s even ‘scored’ highly in testing at her alma mater Columbia University.

Some juicy conversational tidbits included:

fear of death is running our world
getting rid of the fear of death is the best thing that can happen to humans
the benefits of after-death communication

And my personal favorite:

“sin” is an invention!

Give a listen to the show…or…”watch” it on Chee-Vee. Chi For Yourself now streams on Google+ Hangouts. Watch the interview by clicking on the logo:

Overheard..

“All that live must die, passing through nature to eternity”

– William Shakespeare

Oh, and one more piece of business. The December guest schedule is up in the air right now, holidays and all. I’m considering some “best of” CFY’s for the month. But we’re scheduled to begin 2013 with a conversation with Morgana Rae. She’s launching a new book- Financial Alchemy: Twelve Months of Magic and Manifestation. In it she poses the question “does money LOVE you?”

Peace

JohnK 11/30/2012

This Thanksgiving Cop an Attitude- of Gratitude

November 21, 2012 John Uncategorized No comments

Thanksgiving is one day a year when we get together to celebrate all the great things we have in life. But why should this happen only one day a year when there are things to be grateful for each day of the year?
You’ve heard the phrase “what you focus on expands.” So if you focus on all the things you’re grateful for instead of all the things that aren’t working, the universe will bring you more things to be grateful for and fewer of the things that aren’t working.

Some of the things on my mind this holiday..

Time..in particular, this moment in time. It’s all we really have- the eternal now. Nothing better than spending it with the people in my life. And, I’m also grateful for the time I got to spend with those whose time has now run out. I miss them all.

Home- mine is a fine one, and located in a place I never imagined I’d be living. I hope you’re as happy in your living arrangement as I am in mine.

Appreciation- for all that’s come my way: health, happiness, and abundance.

Namaste- the God force in me recognizes the God force in you.

Kindness- if you have the choice to be right or kind, choose kind.

Stillness- always the place to go and to be. Answers found here.

This year as in years past I’m thankful for you..for coming to these pages and for listening to Chi For Yourself. Happy Thanksgiving!

JohnK 11-21-2012

Do You Know The Secret’s Secret? Energy is The “Secret Sauce”

November 12, 2012 John Uncategorized No comments

( This originally was written as a response to a blog post.)

The blowback from Rhonda Byrne’s “The Secret” comes as no surprise. Many people interpret the idea behind the Law of Attraction as a way to hit the lottery or bring anything one asks for into one’s life.

The Law of Attraction is a law as is the law of gravity. Does anyone decide to “believe” in the law of gravity? Just try to disprove it by jumping off of a building! To say that we don’t believe in the Law of Attraction because of Rhonda Byrne is like saying we don’t believe in Christianity because of the antics of Jim and Tammy Faye Baker. Or that we don’t believe in Catholicism because priests are molesting children.

The Law of Attraction is about energy. Manifesting is relative. If one applies energy in the direction of a new job then the loss of the current job may start the process. As for manifesting illness there is a growing feeling, even by some in the medical community, that cancer is an illness of resentment. More and more we’re seeing that there is no disease, but rather “dis-ease”. Cut out the tumor and chances are the cancer comes back. Learn how to deal with your issues (lower energies) and you stand a better chance against sickness. Conventional medicine and treatment is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. And how many of us have heard of someone saying that their cancer or blindness was the best thing that ever happened to them? We pity them for something (manifested?) that gave them a positive result they never would have realized in their healthy state.

There is no such thing as a victim in Universal Law. If cells are in tune with these laws of physics they are healthy cells. If they waver from this harmony then they run the risk of problems. The laws tell us that we manifest what we vibrate- the word “fault” really doesn’t come into play.

The Law of Attraction is NOT about positive thinking. A better explanation of this is where Rhonda Byrne could have done readers/viewers a service. There is no positive attraction without equal energy being generated. All the affirmations and happy talk in the world won’t get you where you want to go if the underlying energy is not there. Teachers of the LOA will tell you that if you “believe” in the Law of Attraction you’re right. If you don’t, you’re still right. In other words it works if you work it. As a result, many of Ms. Byrne’s readers are saying they merely read the book and nothing happened in their lives.To say that reading The Secret gives you a grasp of the Law of Attraction is akin to saying Chef Boyardee is an experience of a genuine Italian meal.

I don’t write these lines in order to evangelize. I’m merely pointing out the considerable misunderstanding surrounding Universal Law. Better to begin the understanding of these laws by exploring, say, an area such as Quantum Physics.

JohnK 11/12/2012

A Vote For Conscious Living- Change We Can Live With

November 5, 2012 John Uncategorized No comments

In the days leading up to the election in the U.S. there’s been a flood of discussion on the merits, or should we say demerits of most every candidate seeking office. Have you noticed how comparisons center on their missteps and shortcomings, usually leading to the dreaded “lesser of 2 evils” conclusion? Maybe it’s time to have a thorough look under the hood of the electorate. A bit of tinkering is in order.

Mountains of copy have been written about individual consciousness and it’s effect on the quality of one’s life. This blog/website is a contributor to that very end. But this election year seems to make one thing perfectly clear and that’s the need to re-examine voters’ collective consciousness. Just as one person’s concentrated thought brings results into his or her life, the dominant thoughts of a group of people (or a nation for that matter) will translate into the people’s frame of reference. If the masses are putting their attention on the “evil” of another people then they can expect to be visited by an equal or greater experience of evil. If they keep stoking the fires of distrust can they expect anything other than a generous helping of what they were afraid of in the first place? Can we continue to sustain a burning hatred for the political system and its offerings for elected office?

I heard a talk show host say that Washington is nothing but a cesspool. I suggest that Washington and literally all centers of power are more like reflection pools. We don’t get the government we deserve, we get the government we are. If our dominant thoughts center on hostility, mistrust, greed, discrimination, and non-cooperation how can we be surprised at the tack of our public servants?

You’ve probably heard the expression “when you change the way to look at things the things you look at change.” Could we also say that if we change the way we look at things society will change as well? If you really want change, vote with your thoughts before you pull the lever.

JohnK 11-6-2012

Overheard

“By believing passionately in something that still does not exist, we create it.

The nonexistent is whatever we have not sufficiently desired.”

– Nikos Kazantzakis

Thoughts, Thanks, and Things to Come

October 22, 2012 John Uncategorized No comments

Thanks to all who have been checking out the Jason Lincoln Jeffers interview. Ever since I can remember I’ve been a big fan of writers and speakers who give us a little peek at society’s future. Alvin Toffler, Faith Popcorn and Gerald Celente are favorites of mine, but when you can weave consciousness through that look down the road as Jason does in The Next Human, then you really get my attention. Listen to the interview here.

Good stuff on the way in the days ahead. Our scheduled Chi For Yourself guest in the first week of November will make his second visit to the show. Marc Allen returns to tell us about some easy-to-apply practices that can change the course of your life in miraculous ways, as they did his. Marc’s new book is The Magical Path.

Also in November we’ll be talking to Brian Leaf, author of Misadventures of a Garden State Yogi. Downward facing dog meets self-effacing dog! More reasons to give thanks.

Speaking of thanks..I’ve been away from these pages for a few days, mainly because I did some work on a television commercial. That always puts my fun graph in the green.

Be grateful for something or someone today!

JohnK 10-22-2012

Overheard

October 11, 2012 John Uncategorized No comments

“A change in the weather is sufficient to recreate the world and ourselves.”

– Marcel Proust

JohnK 10-11-2012

The Universe Always Bats Last- Surrender Your Way to Consciousness

October 11, 2012 John Uncategorized No comments

Sometimes we go back to living in our heads. Sure, we thought we were past that stage. But it’s easy to slip back into the habits that keep us from taking heart-centered action. I woke up this morning with my to-do list and plans for the day fully in gear. Much of my activity would have me outside, in the sunshine, the elements. But wait! It’s raining..suddenly a change of plans..

Never Mistake Activity for Accomplishment

Those are the words of the great UCLA basketball coach John Wooden. Keeping busy is not necessarily a sign of meaningful activity. On this rainy day it might be best to let the rain fall and use the occasion to go into a mode of gratitude. Gratitude for the needed rain..for the chance to have all the abundance that the rain will bring..for a chance to change the schedule that the universe somehow knew had to be changed.

Surrender as a Strength

Surrendering our plans and concerns to the universe doesn’t mean that we’ve given up or have been defeated. Instead, we’re releasing and thus freeing ourselves from investment in the outcome. Environmental types sometimes use the baseball metaphor ‘nature always bats last’ when reminding us that nature has the last word. We can make the change we need and realize our dreams when we finally let go and allow the universe to ‘swing for the fences.’

JohnK 10/11/2012

Got Them Ol’ Red and Blues Again- Thinking Outside of The (Ballot) Box

September 26, 2012 John Uncategorized No comments

I rarely feature postings of a political nature, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. We’re seeing enough of those anyway. No, this is a twist on the usual offerings that roll around about this time every four years. The pseudo-entertainment (reality shows?) of any political “season” keep us locked in verbal combat, not to mention bound to the television screen, as we await the assorted missteps of the pols.
Meditate on This
It occurred to me a long time ago that it doesn’t matter who wins the elections…No, I mean, it reeeeeeeeeeeely doesn’t matter! We’ve allowed elections to represent yet another external- a way of looking outside of ourselves for answers to questions we would rather not ask ourselves. If it’s true that we get the government we “deserve” then doesn’t it stand to reason that our leaders are a reflection of our consciousness at this moment?
Indian Giving
Time now to invoke Gandhi’s we must be the change we want to see. Tired of your country’s constant warfare? Check your own thoughts for any violent content. Pointing guilty fingers at individuals or groups that just seem to cause all the problems? Consider your tendency to rush to judgement. Feeling cranky about budget deficits, whether the government’s or your own? Could be scarcity consciousness at work.
Read My Lips
Recently I stumbled upon a re-tweet that got me to thinking. It read as follows:

We dream of a universe where leaders work tirelessly & selflessly to fulfill the highest aspirations of the human soul.

Now, I’m going to go out on a limb and say we’re not anywhere close to realizing those highest aspirations of the human soul. I’m throwing my support behind soul searching- this year and every year with no term limits. I don’t know the exact value of one vote but I have seen the power of changing thought. One person can make a difference. In the home, the community, the nation, and eventually in the world. Vote for that change. And vote often!

JohnK 9/26/2012