ONLY 10 MINUTES WITH YOU

I started a 31-day writing challenge, writing every day for each day of March 2023. I used the hashtag #justwrite31. Since I only had 10 minutes before the end of the day before writing this prose, maybe I can call it #justwrite10minutes. 

If I only had 10 minutes to spend with you 
What would I say; what would I do?
Would I spit out a ton of rapid thoughts and emotion
Or would I move towards you in effortless slow-motion  
And look deeply in your eyes, rekindling a love  
Would I reveal what our relationship was made of 
Or maybe clear up any misunderstandings or spite 
Those barriers that block the miracle that is life

What would I say or do Mom? 
We pretty much always got along 
I'd want to know more about you, your inner world
The you that was you when you were a little girl

What would I say or do Dad?
Engaging and enlivening were the times we had
I may find out what you know now of 911 and JFK
But most of all, I'd want to know if you are OK

What would I say or do Miss Hennessy dear? 
You were the cherry on top, that is clear
I would simply want to grab a chew toy and play 
And do with you what I miss now every day

For all the times I've said goodbye 
I want to awaken to the connections that will never die 
So now, I endeavor to fill my heart with loved ones in gratitude
As if I only had 10 minutes to spend with you ...

 

Bob Roth’s Special Byyyeeeeeeee

Bob Roth and the unique way he says “bye” - it really is something to hear. 

Now, how could a simple “bye” as in “goodbye” be so special? Doesn’t everyone utter this phrase every now and then? Yes, but this one is different, and the way he carries himself around this self-expression is something to behold. For good reason.

First off, some background. Bob Roth is a near-50-year teacher of Transcendental Meditation or TM. Ever since the society shutdown of 2020, he has been broadcasting a 20-minute Zoom meditation practice – for those of us who need a bit more support in our day-to-day meditation.

For over a year, for some reason (even unknown to him), Bob has been closing his sessions with an elongated and dramatic phrasing of “Byyyeeeeeeee.”

Today I heard an extra “bye” with a space in-between. Recently he created a space between the closing of the session and his utterance of the final word. 

And why is that? 

Turns out he was getting some negative feedback around this fun way of expressing his farewell. 

And it’s in his approach to the negative feedback that has inspired this post. I am so impressed. 

Normally when I get some negative feedback – especially around some of my expression – I first get defensive and then offensive, wanting to find a way of delivering a mighty and destructive comeback.  Maybe I need more meditation in my life!

For Bob, who has been calming his mind and maneuvering into those transcendental states for decades, his response was a bit less combative. And so much more mature, centered, and wise. 

Did he attack those detractors? Did he stifle his expression? Did he go quiet? No, none of those reactions would reflect the sort of mind transcending a common warpath. No – the chronology of Bob’s experience unfolded this way:

1. He received feedback.
2. He didn’t take it personal.
3. He didn’t get flustered around it or emotional.
4. He DID NOT CHANGE WHO HE IS or how he has been inspired to move about the world, in spite of a few folks who weren’t fans of a certain behavior.
5. He created a workaround so that others out there could also have their needs met.  
6. He continued to have his fun. 

His workaround was to simply let everyone know he would take a pause between the end of his audio sessions and when he completed with his signature “bye.” 

For those who wanted to disconnect before he said his goodbyes, they could do so. That way they wouldn't hear what they didn’t want to hear, and he could continue his free expression, spoken freely. 

Brilliant. 

What an inspiration. What a state of equanimity. What a perfect endorsement for this sort of freeing meditation. And what a guy. 

Leaving only one last thing to say before I take my leave…

Byyyeeeeeeee! 

The Thoughts That Do Not Matter

Sometimes I get scared. And then I wonder why.

Thoughts come and go, no more than a side-show

I mean really – anyway – what do they know?

 

To the wind, may some get splintered and scatter 

Such are the thoughts that do not matter

 

The fears that do not ultimately matter 

Reveal as anger from characters such as the Mad Hatter

 

All that’s left is a hammer and the sound of shatter 

So goes the fears that ultimately do not matter 

 

That which matters originates deeper from within 

This is the starting point, the haven from which we begin

 

Served in a feast upon the most sacred of platter 

Now we really knows what truly matters

 

 

 

A Puppy's Life

Some time doing some "puppy yoga" can really give you some perspective. 

Today I had the privilege of being in the presence of entities displaying an enlightened, superconscious higher mind. A rare treat, this experience was such a gift to my soul. I must have done something right in this lifetime (and perhaps previous lifetimes) to be invited in as witness of the divine. 

I have been present for the "darshan" of specific living avatars - Sai Baba in Southern India in 1990 and 1996, Mata Amritanandamayi in her California visits many a June, Shivabali Yogi in a special gathering in Laguna Beach in 1991.  

However today was a bit different, as it held the sort of freedom found in mind, heart and soul - a state of consciousness uncommon to so many sentient beings.  

This was the "Puppy Yoga" event at the Pacific Beach studio called Spirit Yoga. 

Yes, there they were, like a dream of effortless flow. 

Unattached, emotionally liberated, mentally all over the freaking place without a care, embracing a free spirt, a high level of equanimity and a joy unsurpassed. 

This is a goal of many a soul. And yet apparently, this is a common happenstance for all these scurrying, hurrying, flurrying beings of absolute bliss, living completely in the moment. 

I believe in my Transcendental Meditation practice, I am to ultimately reach a transcendental state, an elevated level above all worries, concerns, anxiety and judgements. 

Whereas I spend 20 minutes, two times a day in my TM practice - whereas I have spent three decades in the emotional healing field - whereas I have led numerous empowerment meetings within my men's circles, whereas I have taken countless courses in Compassionate Communication, energy work, intuitive sciences - whereas I have brought forth the higher mind in so much of my sacred writings ........ what the hell?  

These puppies seem to have reached such an advanced state simply by ... being BORN A PUPPY!

As they flew around the room, playing when glee was the need, reaching out spontaneously for a playmate, peeing when nature called, it was indeed an inspiration. These gentle and sometimes not-so-gentle guides offered me the insight:

* Don't take yourself so seriously.
* Make mistakes; it's gonna be OK.
* Chaos can be cool. 
* If you mess up, either clean it up, or someone else will; no biggy. 
* Have fun. 
* Interact - there will always be someone around to play with.
* Find others who also have fun and don't take themselves too seriously. 
* A nap can also happen.
* It's OK to ask for help - yip if something goes wrong. 
* Grab the moment; live in the moment; run in wild abandon, seize the day and seize the play.  
* Freaking GO FOR IT! 

OK - got it. 

While the highest humans may be able to reach is to "sign the waiver," I will take this puppy play, this doggy "darshan," as the gift it was meant to be. 

Watch out world. I'm inspired, uplifted, mentally and emotionally stretching and ready to live a life liberated, free ... unleashed.  

I’ve Admired You from a Distance

One of those experiences where I said a phrase "I've admired you Mary Beth from a distance" and I do a double take. Hey that sounds like a poem! Yup, this one from the vantage point of a spirit guide, higher self or angel. 

So far, so far away
I look upon you, with grace, every day
A higher self, a higher mind, a higher being
You may not know the truth that I am seeing 
Without the judgment of a divisive right or wrong
The place you stand is where you belong
Though at times lost, you wander alone in the dark
Before, eventually, you get the horse before the cart
Alas the gift: your very presence, your very existence
Just so you know – I’ve admired you from a distance
 
The list of struggles and stressors are real 
Those who search for the sustenance of a simple meal
Those who have no shelter, no room, no home, no bed
Those who battle inner demons in their own head
You who falter on promises to stop the latest addiction 
You who get bad news of the latest medical affliction 
You who fall prey to the latest government sponsored racket 
You who work hard for money lost in your tax bracket 
In the end, you need not struggle with any offense or defense
For little did you know – I’ve admired you from a distance
 
Those who cheat another for no other reason but because they can
Those who meet their mirror – the karma they come to understand 
Those who believe they have fallen, blindly, too far 
Alas, those who have forgotten who they are
Every hair on your head, everything will be held to account
While every barrier, challenge and mountain you shall surmount
With each resistance met with a soul’s endless persistence 
No, not so far, not so far away – your very existence  
Dissolution discarded, unity embraced, within this very instance 
I will admire you eternally – knowing there is no distance 

A BRAND NEW LIGHT THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN

Who knew that buying a fun Date Night deck of cards could bring such uplift?

What do you know?

Turns out it really isn't that difficult. 

I guess it never was. 

You hear a lot of times where couples find challenge in maintaining the new energy in their relationships, falling into a pattern without intrigue or innovation. 

Well, that's silly. 

There can be something NEW every day! Case in point ... have you ever thought of making candles together? Bet not! 

But I do get it. Everyday life can come along and set solid the routine. Such a routine routine can steal away the idea of new adventures. 

That's why I believe couples need to keep an open and flexible mind. The idea of no new horizons must come from an old and lazy way of thinking. 

My wife and I do well in considering new trails to blaze, especially since we get in a 30-minute walk daily. 

For Valentine's Day, I bought my wife a book "Fun & Adventurous Date Night Box - Scratch Off Card Game with Exciting Date Ideas." Within it, there are 35 cards representing a creative date idea a couple can use each week.

They even make it somewhat suspenseful by having the ideas on the cards accessible after scratching off the gray covering, like a lottery scratch-off ticket. 

So far, we've had three creative "Dates" - a scavenger hunt around the house, a Dollar Tree 5-gift extravaganza, and for tonight: making our own candles. A brilliant idea, these date suggestions help to channel the intrigue and adventure that is already alive within the relationship. 

I think couples just need a structure and a nudge. The love is already there, the fun is already there, the connection is already there. 

Nothing is lost really except for possibly a bit of focus.

And with that refocusing can come a ton of fun, some adventures never dreamed of, and the return of a light that has never gone out. 

Come on folks. It's not that difficult. Turns out it never really was. 

#justwrite31

https://www.amazon.com/Romantic-Couples.../dp/B08YWP5QRF

 

The Gift of Yes

 

Today I saw a photo within one of those Facebook memories.

Not just any photo.

It was one of those photos that stands out, has one take pause, and then offer a message, magically captured within the camera’s lens and upon the picture frame.

1000 words? Neigh, this would offer, somehow, so many more … at this moment in time, for this mind of mine, anyway. 

 

Here was a daughter and a mother.

 

On a train.

 

The young one resting her head upon the shoulder of the mother. 

 

Beyond the veil of a simple train ride – a long, tiring one at that – I perceived a storyline, the length measured within lifetimes.   

 

For some reason, I imagined that once upon a time these two souls – presently named “Dawn” and “Samantha” – gave each other the gift of a "yes." At some point, in between what we understand as a life on earth, the two spirits looked upon another and decided they would follow through on playing the role of mother and daughter.  

 

As if, the words would have been: “Shall we be born into form once more? Shall we be family? Shall you be mine, and I be yours?” 

 

As if, the answer would have been “yes.” 

 

Is such a conversation real? Is there a reality of “another side” and the return here again and again? 

 

Who knows?

 

Who knows what takes place beyond this mere measly lower plane of awareness. 

 

What I do know, though, is that on some level we all answer the question of whether to relate with another person with a “yes” … or “no.” It can take place in the most simple way – a first date, a neighborhood game of basketball, a support group meetup, a lifetime of marriage. 

 

It reminds me of the Joni Mitchell song “Secret Place.”  It goes like this:

 

Out of all of the girls that you see
In bleachers and cafe windows
Sitting flirting with someone
Looking to have some fun
Why did you pick me?
For the secret place

 

Think of all the relations that have taken place – for a season, for a lifetime, for a reason – wherein on some very real level, both of you decided to join here in experience. 

 

On whatever level the choice was made, for better or worse, for the sake of lessons and growth, for the grand life experience that relationships can bring … once upon a time we made an agreement.  

 

This is the story that this photo told me today. It’s a sweet one … full of mystery, purpose and beauty. 

 

We are indeed blessed. 

 

Whenever we recognize the gift that is “yes.”