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- Chimneying: The Spiritual Climb - by Submitted on Jun 25, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsI recently began rock climbing. So far, I love it. Not only is the climbing fun, it's opening some new metaphors for the spiritual journey. There are times, when rock climbing, that you find yourself wedged between two parallel rock walls. Sort of like Santa Claus stuck in a chimney. To ...
Views: 907 - What Gives You Hope? 7 Guaranteed Ways to Find Hope - by Submitted on Jun 25, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsOkay, I can’t absolutely guarantee it, but I can share from recent experience during some seemingly hopeless times a few things that have shored up my faith and hope, and have made me smile through tears. 1. Find a yellow daffodil about to bloom and enjoy a one-minute reverie. 2. Close ...
Views: 583 - New Beginnings And The Possible Dream - by Submitted on Jun 25, 2009 from Intent.com Authors“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” Harriet Tubman Since 1996, with a few breaks, I have been holding monthly Saturday morning meetings on the theme of The ...
Views: 581 - A Moment of Bliss - by Submitted on Jun 25, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsGood Morning!! Maybe it is the freshness of spring and all of the vivid colours but I feel energized and excited today! My ideas are flowing and I am really happy! I love these moments of pure bliss and joy! There is a perfectly calm breeze, the sun is shining brightly and the ocean is ...
Views: 533 - Listening to the heart - by Submitted on Jun 25, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsI’ve recently begun asking colleagues for old and used books I can pass on to the Department of Youth Services. Young offenders who read - and it doesn’t seem to matter much what they read - tend not to re-offend upon release. It’s as though reading introduces them to another world so that ...
Views: 550 - To Hold Hope In My Heart - by Submitted on Jun 25, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsMy intent this week: To hold hope in my heart! Every week I write a prediction- based on the energy of the coming week- and include a message, like a poem to stimulate meditation . This week’s prediction was rather long- so I’ve left out the meditation- you can find it all at my blog on ...
Views: 564 - My Marathon Cookies - by Submitted on Jun 25, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsTraining for a marathon can be grueling, but occasionally it's also delicious. Turns out, things like carbs, salt, and sugar are not just permissible, they are necessary. Got that friends? Muy necesarios. Here's one of my favorite "recovery" foods after a long weekend run. The recipe came to me ...
Views: 1095(3 votes) - The Call of the Calling - by Submitted on Jun 25, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsIn this blog I’ve discussed public issues and also personal ones. Today’s blog is a personal one. I have touched on this topic before, but I am finding I need to discuss it again as I’m curious about other people’s experience with it. Here goes… I have been thinking a lot lately about callings, ...
Views: 685 - What Does Tastelessness Taste Like? - by Submitted on Jun 25, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsWater Study - a Sensory-Linguistic Exercise We know the taste of water… but can we describe it? Try, and find yourself at a loss for words. How can such a universally familiar taste be so elusive? One possible explanation is that water doesn’t have a “chemical” taste, just a physical ...
Views: 618 - Seasons of Beauty: Aging Gracefully - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsWe tend to associate youth with beauty, but the truth is that beauty transcends every age. Just as a deciduous tree is stunning in all its stages--from its full leafy green in the summer to its naked skeleton during winter and everything in between--human beings are beautiful throughout their ...
Views: 612(1 vote) - Red River Rising: How to Survive the Floods of 2009 - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsIn El Dorado, Kansas earlier this month, a 15-year-old girl on her way home from high school lost control of her Honda Accord and crashed into a drainage ditch. Bayleigh Stovall hydroplaned on pooled water that had collected on Main Street during a downpour. Bayleigh managed to call a friend who ...
Views: 647 - May I See Your Glasses? - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsMy daughter has decided to move out. She has reached a time in her life when conforming to the parental guidelines of our house has become too stifling, the impractical responsibilities of our household holding her back. She even informed me that I am the “worst mom in the world.” The ...
Views: 616(1 vote) - The Big Mistake about Mistakes - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsFreedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes. ~ Mahatma Gandhi I have a very vivid memory of being in the 4th grade, standing at the blackboard with a long division problem in front of me, feeling completely in the ...
Views: 544 - Motherhood Brings Meaning, But Not How You Thought It Would - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsIt's long been assumed that motherhood brings meaning to our lives. We guide, love, nurture and support our offspring and sometimes feel appreciated in return -- all elements that can fuel our connectedness and satisfaction in the world. It's easy to find meaningful moments as a mom, but it's ...
Views: 596(1 vote) - The Only Single in the Group - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsQuestion: Within my circle of friends, all but one of us has a boyfriend. When we go out it's all the couples...and me. I love being with everyone but sometimes I feel so alone within the group. It's as if a spotlight is on me screaming "I'm the only one that doesn't have someone." What's the ...
Views: 513 - How Much is a Life Worth? - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsHow much is a life worth? For Peter Singer, this isn't a rhetorical question or dorm room–style thought experiment. In his provocative new book, "The Life You Can Save: Acting Now to End World Poverty," Singer, a professor of philosophy at Princeton University, argues that we have a moral ...
Views: 721 - Future Chimp - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsA report in the latest issue of the journal Current Biology chronicles the adventures of a Santino, a chimp at Sweden's Furuvik Zoo. Apparently the 30-year-old chimp began evidencing some aggressive behavior eleven years ago when he was 19--about the time chimps, in their maturity, seek to ...
Views: 559 - Wear the Habit of Happiness - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Intent.com Authors“Our self-image and our habits tend to go together. Change one and you will automatically change the other. The word “habit” originally meant a garment or clothing... Our habits are literally garments worn by our personalities. They are not accidental, or happenstance. We have them because they ...
Views: 640 - Tulsi – Holy Basil: Your Daily Adaptogen - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsDescribed as the most holy plant on earth in the ancient Vedic Puranas, tulsi is still revered today as holier than holy. For thousands of years, tulsi has been grown for spiritual purposes in the backyards of most Indian homes. Its branches are sanded into beads and worn to enhance spiritual ...
Views: 4188 - Present Danger – Is Scarcity the Real Enemy? - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsA state of danger is where something is perceived to be at risk. The state of the world right now has us concerned that what we have come to rely on is at risk. A shift is happening which is both welcomed and feared. How did we get to this place? We’re highly intelligent beings. How did we allow ...
Views: 627 - Spring is in the Air, But How Are Your Allergies? - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsSpring offers us an opportunity to appreciate the renewal cycle of life. It’s a wonderful time of year. Spring also brings its downside amongst the daffodils – humidity, mold and dampness. My background as an allergy-testing technician in the Pacific Northwest revealed important clues about ...
Views: 593 - What "Traveler's Eyes" Can Teach us About Relationships - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsToday is a day I leave the beautiful island of Maui and head back to the Boston area. It is always hard to leave such a beautiful place. I am very grateful for the time that I spend in Maui. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Travel is a blessing as when we travel we ...
Views: 976(1 vote) - 7 Unusual Steps to Office Zen: Mind, Body, Spirit - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsMIND * Keep a stack of small origami squares on your desk next to an empty jar. Any time your mind is wandering from your task and you want to keep your fingers busy, fold yourself a paper crane and place on in a jar. Pretty soon, you will have an entire jar of little paper origami cranes. ...
Views: 2028 - Are You a Compulsive Overeater? - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsCompulsive overeating is characterized by an obsessive compulsive relationship to food. It is the sister to binge eating disorder, where one eats large amounts of food, sometimes 5,000 calories or more, rapidly. Most people with these disorders feel out of control when they eat, eat alone due to ...
Views: 571 - Being in the Now - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsQuestion: You can teach us about the "now" and we can think about being in the "now", but in order to be in the "now", we cannot be thinking about it. How do we reach this mind frame if we cannot force ourselves into being there? The very act of thinking puts us out of where we desire ...
Views: 576 - 9 Tips for Staying Motivated to Exercise - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsEveryone knows that exercise is a KEY element to good health. The trick is keeping yourself motivated to exercise, if you’re a person who naturally relapses into the couch-potato pose. It took me years of prodding, but I’ve finally managed to turn myself into a dedicated exerciser. I never ...
Views: 643 - Spring Clean Your Closet in Four Easy Steps - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsJust a few short days ago the vernal equinox reared its well-organized head and instead of being made to feel like a compulsive neat freak, I was able to spring-clean with societal approval and encouragement. I particularly look forward to going through my wardrobe at this time of year. I use ...
Views: 689 - Me and My Mandalas - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsApril showers may very well bring May flowers, but what to do with the kids in the meantime? Here is a conscious parenting tip for rainy days and other occasions. Having a little rain, are we? Yes, I know it is still March, but “April showers” are here. Today. What to do with the kids when ...
Views: 580(1 vote) - Tautology: Total Eclipse of Meaning - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsThe word “tautology” literally means “repeating what has been said” (from Greek tauto for “same” and logos for “saying”)(1), as in "A is A." The philosophical East and West differ in terms of the value of saying the same thing twice. From the stand-point of the Western thought, Popeye’s “I ...
Views: 975 - "Eat, Pray, Love" Your Way to Closer Relationships - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsSpring has sprung, and many of us are slowly moving out of hibernation and feeling ready to get outside. This luring translates to relationships as well. With the bad news of the recession pounding, we need to surround ourselves with positive, upbeat people to help us shift gears, focus on the ...
Views: 700 - Your Doctor is Part of Your Grief Team - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsIn my life as a psychic medium, I receive many calls and emails from people who have recently lost loved ones. Some people, in deep grief, can hardly function and it is understandable. It is important for all of us to remember than if we or people we know cannot function due to grief, a trip ...
Views: 806 - Pictures, and the Power of the Innocent Archetype - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsA short while ago I asked some of my workshop members to select pictures of themselves, aged about 5, and to examine and discuss what they saw. At first the discussion was somewhat hilarious, looking at these snapshots of kids in unusual or cute poses, yet it quickly became obvious that there ...
Views: 757 - Research Reveals New Flower Power - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsSpring brings Vitamin D energy and green growth into our lives. There is an easy, natural self-confidence about hidden potential percolating beneath the earth’s surface. When buds and bulbs emerge, there is no consciousness of the past, only fresh beginnings with a clean slate. One of the most ...
Views: 832(1 vote) - The Importance of Play - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsWhere an apple a day might keep you out of the doctor's office, doing something fun every 24 hours is a great rule of thumb when difficult times come your way. Reviewing Richard Dowden's new book, Africa: Altered States, Ordinary Miracles, author Pam Houston noted that by the mid 1990's, 31 of ...
Views: 1620 - What Are Your Goals? - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Intent.com Authors“We are engineered as goal-seeking mechanisms. We are built that way. When we have no personal goal which we are interested in and which “means something” to us, we are apt to “go around in circles,” feel “lost” and find life itself “aimless,” and “purposeless.” We are built to conquer ...
Views: 570 - Seven Powerful Ways to Get Your Kids to Eat Healthy - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsWith childhood obesity, autism and other childhood disorders on the rise, everyone from doctors to teachers and parents are seeking solutions for better health. At the most basic level, everyone can agree that kids can benefit from eating healthier. Truth is, with all the glitzy candy and ...
Views: 1348(16 votes) - Food as a Reflection of Self-Love - by Submitted on Jun 23, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsAs I thought about an interesting topic to discuss for this week’s blog, I decided to come back to one of my (and hopefully your) favorite topics…food! And I’m not simply referring to the tasty treats we put in our mouths. Equally important are the ways we nourish ourselves on a primary level. ...
Views: 592 - Night Night, Sleep Tight: A Look at Sexual Abuse - by Submitted on Jun 23, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsIn every story worth telling, there is a colorful beginning. This one begins with me… When my stepfather started caressing me, and lightly tickling my arms, legs, and back, it felt nice. I felt loved. I was often watching television when he would cuddle with me on the sofa. My ...
Views: 3288(1 vote) - A Self-Help Kit for Closed Minds - by Submitted on Jun 23, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsPresident Obama is meeting with resistance to some of his biggest and most daring plans for change. He repeats over and over that he is open to suggestions from all sides. When the Republicans balked at his current budget, he asked them to provide one of their own. They didn't, and the reason ...
Views: 537 - Similarities Between the Zodiac and Medicine Wheel - by Submitted on Jun 23, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsEarth Medicine and the Medicine Wheel were derived from an ancient source—the Circle of Life and Power, which was the original “Magik Circle” going back to the Phoenicians, the Babylonians and beyond. The sun, with its power as an amazing generator of electromagnetic energy, was the first object ...
Views: 1972(1 vote) - Giving the Gift of You: Serving Your Community - by Submitted on Jun 23, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsTo live harmoniously, we need to be supportive and helpful to all people, creatures, and plant life that share this earth with us. While “being of service” is part of being a good citizen of the world, it also feels good to help others. When we do something for others in service, without the ...
Views: 1459 - To Sleep or Not to Sleep: The Economy’s Effect on American Sleep Habits - by Submitted on Jun 23, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsPeople are not sleeping well these days. My clients complain about it, my friends complain about it, and even my parents complain about it. As a former insomniac, I thought I should give some tips in today’s blog about how to resolve this important issue. Lack of sleep ages the body like no ...
Views: 811 - Bodymind: Love Your Immune System - by Submitted on Jun 23, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsSpring is a time when we can easily catch a cold. Your immune system is one of the most complex and important systems in your body as it recognizes foreign substances, such as viruses or bacteria, and prevents them from doing you any harm. But it is also highly subject to being influenced by ...
Views: 521 - A Step in the Right Direction - by Submitted on Jun 23, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsYogi Berra is one of the most popular and beloved baseball players of all time. In addition to winning ten World Series rings and being inducted into the Hall of Fame, Yogi Berra is well known for his poignant, yet often confusing sayings. “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over”, “When you come to a ...
Views: 559 - 5 Reasons It's Okay to Lose Your Job - by Submitted on Jun 23, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsYou lost your job? Oh my god. You suck at life. I'm kidding. Really, really kidding. If you've lost your job, whether as a result of the recession or not (I'll get to that), you are not alone. Which brings me to the top 5 reasons it's OK you lost your job. 1. So did everybody ...
Views: 590 - Living a Holistic Life - by Submitted on Jun 23, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsSome people wonder what a holistic lifestyle entails. It is more than just eating organic foods and practicing yoga from time to time. It means paying attention to all aspects of your life: relationships, career, health and spirituality to be sure that you are living a life in balance. This ...
Views: 805(2 votes) - How Multi-Goaling Beats Multi-Tasking Every Time - by Submitted on Jun 23, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsOf course you have multiple things to do. That's a good thing. In fact, if you didn't have multiple things to do you might be coming near the end of an active life. Even if you've lost your job, and I know what that one's like, you still have multiple things to do. More accurately stated, you ...
Views: 695 - What is this Pain? - by Submitted on Jun 23, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsIt starts as tightness in the upper solar plexus. Then it starts to droop like the top of an ice cream cone on a hundred-degree day, eventually melting over everything to form a vague coating of ambivalence. Sometimes it matures into hopelessness and, for some, even depression. The "it" is the ...
Views: 856(1 vote) - What's Your Energy Boost? - by Submitted on Jun 23, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsLast week, we celebrated the first day of spring by asking our community members how they renew themselves in the spirit of spring. Click here for a round-up of last week’s best articles on spring renewal. This week, I want to ask our community members: how do you maintain your energy? How do ...
Views: 694 - Spring Cleaning: Swab Down the Mental Decks - by Submitted on Jun 23, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsSPRING IS HERE (hip hip hooray), and I’ve started cleaning! I’m not just cleaning out the closets and sweeping the tumbleweed dust balls from under the bed. I'm also working on my clutter filled mind. Yup, my mind is filled with an assortment of – for want of a better word – crap that is ...
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