Chi For Yourself

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Hearts and Crafts: Chi For Yourself Guests Will Look at Genuine Living Through Creative Energy

May 7, 2013 John Uncategorized No comments

Wanted to update you on a couple of guest bookings on upcoming editions of Chi For Yourself:

Eric Maisel is the author of: Making Your Creative Mark: Nine Keys to Achieving Your Artistic Goal. Eric has worked with best-selling authors, and Academy Award winners; teenagers who are just starting out; unrecognized painters, writers, and musicians who bring love and commitment to each new project, despite their lack of marketplace success; and creators in every conceivable set of circumstances. He says “The human beings who come to me not only want to create or perform, but they also hope to do good work that is desired and respected. So much stands in the way of their realizing their dreams, goals, and ambitions!”

If you’ve been less than confident in bringing out your own artistic urge be with us for this interview. The recorded version will air on Friday, May 17th on Blog Talk Radio and our other audio hosts. But, visitors to chiforyourself.com and blog subscribers who’ve opted in via email can be with us on Thursday, May 16th at 1pm Pacific time. The interview will stream on Google+ Hangouts and you can watch on the home page.

Then, in June we’ll hear from Maggie Oman Shannon.

Maggie Oman Shannon says stopping to smell the roses is good for us, and that you can literally “craft the crazy away” through beading and crocheting, candle-making, and collaging. In her book Crafting Calm: Projects and Practices for Creativity and Contemplation, Maggie Shannon explores crafts and creativity as a spiritual practice that provides enormous benefits. We’ll look at making mindfulness through such projects as making a desktop shrine or mini-Zen garden, to stringing intention beads and painting personal prayer flags,

The recorded show will air on Blog Talk Radio Friday June 14th..but you can be with us on Thursday June 13th at 1pm Pacific time for the live session. Again we’ll stream the interview on chiforyourself.com.

That’s it for now..be well!

JohnK 5/7/2013

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Out With the Clutter and In With the Good Chi- Post Script

April 19, 2013 John Uncategorized No comments

A quick note about the problems with our recent Chi For Yourself postings on Blog Talk Radio. We received this note from BTR and it further explains an earlier mention on this site about the “glitches”:..

Dear Valued BlogTalkRadio Host,

In recent days, your BlogTalkRadio show may have been adversely affected by technical difficulties with the BlogTalkRadio website. It appears that during prime time hours (our busiest on the network), BTR suffered a series of “Distributed Denial of Service” attacks. Unfortunately, DDOS attacks on prominent websites, banks, and government institutions have become quite common. In recent weeks and months, sites such as Amazon, Facebook, and the Washington Post, among others, were hit by DDOS attacks, resulting in temporary outages.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience these attacks may have caused you and your listeners. Rest assured that our technical, security and operations teams are working around the clock to ensure that our network, and your shows, remain safe from unwanted hackers and intruders.

Yours Truly,

Alan Levy

CEO, BlogTalkRadio

Article: Out With the Clutter and In With the Good Chi- Post Script

Just wanted to add a little encouragement for you on this final day of declutter posting. Once you have gained the upper hand on your ‘stuff’ you have to be aware of clutter creeping back into your life. Like so many things it’s easier to do if done on a regular basis.

Have a regular system. Look at how you do things and how the junk stacks up. In fact, think about individual systems for most everything, email, laundry and more. Write down the system in steps and follow as best you can. Don’t fall into the do-it-tomorrow mindset. You’ll keep the hassle to a manageable level if you deal with things right away. Remember: ditch it, donate it, or designate an area for it.

John K 4/19/2013

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Overheard

Simplicity is making the journey of this life with just baggage enough.”

– Charles Warner

Stalled on the Inspiration Superhighway? Get Your Bearings and Get Back on The Road to Fulfillment.

March 25, 2013 John Uncategorized No comments

Our lives wind along a sometimes tricky web of avenues that take us from one segment of life to the next. For some the route includes clearly marked road signs and few hills. For others it’s not so easy to see where to go next. The destination is fulfillment- defined as ‘satisfaction or happiness as a result of fully developing one’s abilities or character.’ But figuring out which turn will put you on the direct road to fulfillment and the living of a genuine life may not be as obvious.

There are a lot of ways to uncover what the next road on your life path should be. If you are looking to follow that “faint inner voice” then it’s vital that you start asking questions. Often that inner voice will suggest that it’s time for change. At this point it is important that you go inside for answers since only you know what’s best for you. When you push past the limits of your comfort zone you gain more confidence and you are able to guage your personal growth.

It’s also a good time to take a look at where you’ve been so far. Those things that made up your list of needs and wants may not be serving you any more. Knowing this could shine a light on what you no longer want and more importantly what you might need to do next. This little rest stop is a good point to get a clear picture of your perfect future. Start listing ways to bring that future into form and in line with your intentions. Meditation is a favorite of mine. You may want to keep a vision board, or a journal. These can give you the courage and the insight to move toward the next segment of the life road that will be most satisfying.

Pull back the curtain of fear and inertia that keeps you from knowing which step to take next. With trust your path will make itself known. When you move past the fear and listen to yourself getting to that next step will become easier.

JohnK 3/25/2013

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Notes to Start The Week March 17th, 2013

March 18, 2013 John Uncategorized No comments

Very much enjoyed our Chi For Yourself interview with Ajayan Borys. I hope it dispelled some notions about meditative practice and gave you some ideas to help in your own meditation..

If you didn’t catch Ajayan on the show you can listen here:

..and on a related note, here’s something from Business2community that can give you more encouragement:

Meditation: Making it a Daily Habit For a More Fulfilling Life

Meditation is an excellent habit to add to your daily routine. Not only does it help you relax, but it also helps with almost every other part of your life as well. Read more..

We’re enjoying a spell of the kind of weather that Southern California is famous for, and it’s the kind of weather that moves me to start cleaning out the house. Items are making their way out of my house most every week- shirts, pants, shoes, books, even an old computer that dates back to the Reagan administration. Gotta say I’m inspired by the writing of Tammy Strobel. Tammy has written a book called You Can Buy Happiness (and it’s cheap): How One Woman Radically Simplified Her Life and How You Can Too.

Tammy is scheduled to be a guest on Chi For Yourself on April 11th.

Also working to get Polly Campbell on the show. Polly is the author of Imperfect Spirituality: Extraordinary Enlightenment for Ordinary People.

Overheard: “Times change. For the usual person this is very discouraging. You cannot rely on anything. You cannot have anything. And you will see what you don’t want to see. So you [have to] change the foundation of your life. ‘That things change’ is the reason why you suffer in this world and become discouraged. [But] when you change your understanding and your way of living, then you can completely enjoy your life in each moment.”

– Shunryu Suzuki

Peace

JohnK 3-18-2013

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Notes to Start the Week March 10, 2013

March 11, 2013 John Uncategorized No comments

Well, lots of folks turned the clocks ahead one hour over the weekend. Time becomes a news story in the Western media when this part of the year rolls around.

Most of us have said, “If only I had more time,” as a way of explaining why we aren’t leading our most fulfilling lives. In her 2012 Chi For Yourself interview Marney Makridakis turned the concept of time management upside down when she brought us some new tools for viewing and experiencing time.

Listen to the show here:

Marney Makridakis is the author of “Creating Time: Using Creativity to Reinvent the Clock and Reclaim Your Life.”

Meditation is on the menu this week. Our scheduled guest on Chi For Yourself is Ajayan Borys, author of Effortless Mind: Meditate With Ease. The interview is scheduled for 1pm Pacific on Wednesday instead of the usual Thursday. The Google+ streams seem to be working well, so I’m planning to stream our talk on chiforyourself.com.

Speaking of meditation, there’s a global meditation planned for later this month. Get the details here at TheMasterShift.com.

…and, in Lexington, Virginia they’re observing Spiritual Wellness Month at the VA hospital there. Good quote from the VA- “At Lexington VA, we recognize that the Veterans we care for are spiritual beings having a human experience rather than human beings having occasional spiritual feelings,” Read the whole story…

Be well

JohnK 3-11-2013

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Fear Strikes Out: Getting Around the Wall of Worry on the Way To a Genuine Life

February 20, 2013 John Uncategorized No comments

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood, much like many along Pacific Coast Highway. Pelicans glide near the surface of the ocean while gulls let out a sort of shrill encouragement nearby. Yet I’m feeling a bit uneasy as I make my way toward my dental appointment. Now, I’m no coward but I’m wondering ‘what if?’ What if this time I’ll need extensive work? It’s happened before. What if that work leaves me with a big bill? Been a while since any work was done. Am I due for a surprise?

Fear. It can stop you cold, give you what athletes call ‘jelly knees’, and steal your ability to make smart decisions. It can rob you of rational thinking and even turn you into a shadow of your real self. And all because of a perceived threat. Feeling threatened is not the same as an actual threat. But how can you tell? Do you face real danger or do you advance confidently?

Fear of uncertainty can leave you too frightened to take the path you really want to take. You can freeze at a bad time and not take to the road you must travel. It can be a helpless feeling and one that could leave you playing the victim.

Fear, real or not, can play a big part in how and if we respond and in who we become. There are countless stories of people who’ve let fear get the upper hand, even if only for a short time. That fear takes on an air of paranoia when their judgement is colored by those who are ‘out to get’ them. It’s a bit over the top but that’s the power of fear brought on only by perception.

Who are you becoming? Who is that person you call your self? My own belief is that the combination of listening to the faint inner voice and thinking rationally can turn back even a natural fear. It may require getting past the perception of whatever you’re facing. This will go a long way toward keeping you on target to living genuinely.

Oh, the dentist appointment? Got a checkup, a cleaning, and a reminder to ‘keep up the good work’.

Overheard: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

– Margaret Mead

JohnK 2-20-2013

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A Barrel Full of Monkey Mind is No Fun- Meditation Can Quiet the Chatter

January 15, 2013 John Uncategorized No comments

There you are, fretting over the state of your relationship, or worrying about an upcoming meeting at the office. Those voices in your head are back. It’s the usual chatter that has no rhyme or reason and keeps you totally confused and without real answers. It’s called the monkey mind, and it leaves you feeling as though you’re spinning in circles.

A good way to counter the frontal lobe free-for-all is to practice meditation. This gives you the chance to counter the noise by moving beyond thought. You can become the noticer- aware of your thoughts rather than thinking them. It sounds like the same thing, but there is a difference. When you notice your thoughts you can allow them to move on by without taking you with them. That calms the feeling of being pulled in so many directions. Concentration is key here. It will let you slow down the thought process and keep your attention on observation of those thoughts.

One method of working your concentration “muscles” is by paying attention to your breath during meditation. When the monkey mind begins its cranial chorus observe your thoughts and then return your focus to your breath. Breathing meditations differ. Some have you focus and the inhale and exhale and the movement of the abdomen. Others have you concentrate on the sound of the breath. Then there’s focusing on a candle flame as a way of reigning in the mind. Soften your gaze as you notice the color, shape, and movement of the flame, all the while trying not to blink. You can vary this by closing your eyes though you want to keep watching the flame in your mind.

It seems counterproductive when you realize that quieting your mind for meditation actually provides fertile soil for the mind chatter to take hold. Just remember to be kind to yourself and don’t give up. Meditation is often called “practice”, and continued practice will help you keep monkey mind to a minimum.

JohnK 1-15-2013

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December 21 2012 A Day That Will Live in Levity: Lessons Learned From Yet Another End Time

December 21, 2012 John Uncategorized No comments

My friend Ron told me the world would come to an end this Saturday. I must say the week went by slowly as I pondered the meaning of that statement. Ron’s family was on board with the prediction, too. It was a helpless feeling as Saturday approached. Well, Saturday came and went and no end of the world. In fact, a lot of Saturdays passed since that week of “doom”. The year was 1956, and Ron and I were 5 years old.

Here and gone again

My friend’s prediction was based on religion, not unlike much of the fear over the 2012 end- of- the -world prediction. Back in the late 1990s, I was skeptical when people began to worry about Y2K, the computer malfunction that was going to cause Armageddon, or at least a few cases of indigestion. Of course, Y2K came and went. No harm no foul. Well, December 21st came and went, and we’re both still here. Now what? I hope surviving the “end of the world” taught you not to listen to the paranoia of the media and the masses. Life is to be lived, not feared.

Now what?

There is a nugget of (interpreted) Mayan prophecy that I find interesting and somewhat hopeful. It says December 21st will mark the end of an era of darkness and usher in a new era of light. Come to think of it, that really doesn’t sound like an end of the world does it? Let’s go under the hood for a look at this one.
Like Y2k, it’s hard to believe that darkness and the forces of darkness will now suddenly pack up and go away. Remember there have also been visions of utopia and societies where there is nothing but light. Yes more light will shine, but darkness will hang around, causing disruption at home and around the world. It’s not an all-or-nothing-at-all proposition. Rather the light and the darkness are part of the prefection. To paraphrase Einstein, ‘we must decide whether we live in a friendly or a hostile world’. As we speak someone is feeling hate, someone else is radiating love. one person is crying ‘victim’, while another is designing his day.

A “to-do” list

Let’s take a calculated risk. Let’s assume the world will move along as usual. For our part, we’ll pay more attention to our inner voice and what we’re passionate about. For its part, the world will continue to do what it does and bring what it brings. Be the “noticer”..keep your attention on your state of mind, your fears, and especially on how you would like your life to be. I suggest you continue to act “as if”…bringing all you desire into your life, with all the power and faith in NOW on your side. Tomorrow (and I expect there will be one) will take care of itself.

Do this today. Do it now.

JohnK 12-21-2012

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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?