now entering 2012

It's already the New Year in Sidney, Australia! Happy 2012! May the fireworks inspire and remind each of us of our beautiful, bright, sparkling, explosive potential.

I'm happy and grateful 2012 will be a wonderful and transcendental year for humanity.

Photo: La Prensa

keywords 2011

Being Present.

This simple idea is said to be the key to perpetual happiness. Getting better at this one, but, despite knowing better, I still find myself taking the occasional joy-squelching detour into "the past," "the future," or some full-fledged, outrageous, Broadway-worthy drama that is just going on in my head.

karmic rewards

Special guests Jan and Lisa tackle some choppy, wintry waters off Bliss Beach. Great friends are one of life's sweetest rewards.

2011 keywords

Forgiveness.

This has been a perennial spiritual lesson for me. Being present seems to be the perfect antidote for neutralizing the negative energy inherent in past "wrongs," whether real or imagined. The more I master being present the better I'm getting at forgiving.

you are free too

It is possible to be happy and joyful most of the time. You just have to look at little children and see their natural joy. You may say that little children are free and don't have anything to worry about, but you are free too! You are free to choose worry or to choose joy, and whatever you choose will attract exactly that. Worry attracts more worry. Joy attracts more joy.

- lessons from The Secret

quote of the day

You have to be strong.

- Mom

seeing the light...

...at the end of the tunnel. 2012 will be a year of many victories for Lurlene Cooper, my astonishing mother. Here the "Iron Angel" poses in front of the trellis tunnel on the western portion of our Paya Bay property.

2011 keywords

Surrender.

There is a crucial spiritual lesson wrapped in this simple idea. Either you completely trust Infinite Intelligence or you don't trust it at all. You can't half-trust, in much the same way a woman can't be half-pregnant. It's one or the other. 1 or 0. Black or white. If you truly - TRULY - trust Infinite Good, you quickly realize that there is no other option but to completely surrender.

I'm sensing I've made a bit of progress with this spiritual challenge this year. Incredibly, I'm also finding that the more I let go and allow the Universe to gently unfold the next moment of my conscious awareness, the more amazing those present moments become.

december solstice

Tomorrow, December 22, is the December Solstice (also known as the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere). It marks the shortest day of the year; after which subsequent days will start becoming longer. This astronomical event is the true (and -- if you really think about -- the most legitimate) origin of the celebrations humans have held throughout history at this time of the year.

Merry Winter Solstice! May you experience much peace, love, abundance, and spiritual expansion during the next twelve months... and beyond...

[Thanks, Lisa, for your sweet assistance with this post.]

belgian white chocolate

Yum, yum, jan.

your whole future life

It is not enough to know the principles in The Secret - you must DO them, unceasingly, every single day. You must LIVE the principles. Step by step you will become the master of your thoughts and feelings, and the master of your life. 

There is nothing more important than this, because your whole future life relies on you.

- lessons from The Secret

east zone

Just one of many reasons eastern Roatan is so exquisitely charming.

holes to heaven

And there were so many fewer questions
When stars were still just the holes to heaven

- Jack Johnson

Thanks, Lisa! I love you so much, my dear friend.

your own reason

The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual's own reason and critical analysis.

- Dalai Lama

power of appreciation

The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.

- Dalai Lama

I'm happy and grateful for the extraordinary life the Universe lovingly unfolds before me. A life experience that follows the path of truth and leads me ever upward and ever outward. An amazing life that only gets better every day.

a beautiful fairy tale

A stunning image from Lana and Bruce's ethereal beach wedding celebrated recently on Bliss Beach at Paya Bay Resort. To learn more about having your wedding at Paya Bay, click here.

kindness

My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.

- Dalai Lama

person of the year

All over the world, the protesters of 2011 share a belief that their countries' political systems and economies have grown dysfunctional and corrupt — sham democracies rigged to favor the rich and powerful and prevent significant change. They are fervent small-d democrats. Two decades after the final failure and abandonment of communism, they believe they're experiencing the failure of hell-bent megascaled crony hypercapitalism and pine for some third way, a new social contract.

- TIME

I've been leading an arduous little revolution of my own against entrenched irrationality, bigotry, injustice, and ignorance. I'm definitely feeling vindicated. I sense that perhaps the Mayans were right on target about 2012. It will be a year in which we'll witness profound changes in key paradigms and a transformation of world reality as we know it.

I'm all for a New Age, or, as I also call it, Humanity 2.0. A quick survey of recent world events makes our "current age" seem astonishingly primitive, shockingly irrational, and -- frankly - "below" the potential of an evolved 2011 human being. It's way past time for a software upgrade on human consciousness. The crap currently installed is buggy, outdated, and crashes way too often.

Fascinatingly, just as it allows us to upgrade our iTunes software, the Internet -- being the information superhighway that it is -- is the technology phenomenon that underlies and is driving the already-in-motion transformation of our collective consciousness. As a species we'll be eternally in debt to Mr. Gore for inventing it.

The Internet isn't just networking our computers, it's networking our minds. Think about that.

approaching god

The Higgs boson or "God particle" suddenly seems excitingly close.

Photo: Spiegel

what is it that I want?

You can make 2012 the best year of your life! And you can do it very easily, right now. 

All you have to do is set the most powerful intention you can ever set in your life, which is that you will focus only on what you want, think only about what you want, and talk only about what you want. Decide right now that anytime you find yourself thinking or talking about what you don't want, you will stop and demand of yourself, "What is it that I want?" And with all your might, with all your strength, with all your willpower - you will focus on what you want! 

This one intention, repeated daily until the New Year and reinforced through 2012, will ensure that you make 2012 the year that your dreams came true, and the greatest year of your life!

- lessons from The Secret

overheard

Some people try to control everything. You can't. You can't control everything. All you can control is how you react to any given situation. 

- a special Paya Bay guest

human rights

The US took a groundbreaking step on global LGBT rights Tuesday, joining the UK in tying foreign aid to governments’ protection of sexual minorities, raising the stakes in the increasingly globalized battle over gay rights. 

The Obama Administration’s sweeping initiative —which will potentially steer billions of dollars in US aid toward countries and programs that protect rights while expanding efforts to protect LGBT refugees — was announced ahead of Human Rights Day. The timing reinforced a now-common refrain that has been spoken, chanted and shouted by rights activists around the world for decades: Gay rights equal human rights.

- GlobalPost

A gutsy, admirable, and transcendental move by the Obama administration. There is no argument stronger than human rights. I repeat: There is no argument stronger than human rights. Despite the despicable lies zealously perpetuated by some fear-mongering religions, it should be obvious to the reasoning person that no Love-based, omniscient, infallible "Creator" (if, indeed, such an entity exists) would discriminate against parts of its own creation. It's like God saying, "I'm Infinite Intelligence and Infinite Love, but -- just for kicks -- I'll create some humans with a sexual orientation "mistake" so the other 90% of humans can judge, bully, reject, vilify, and/or crucify them." Sorry. That simply makes no logical sense. If such a psychotic God entity exists, it should be locked in a padded room at an insane asylum. It's certainly not worthy of worship, that's for sure.

The "shining city upon a hill" is regaining some of its lost luster.

the greatest human gift

Change in a country begins with one person. Each country reflects the inner peace or turmoil of its mass population, and so as one person changes they affect the rest of the population. One person has the power within them to bring massive change to their country through immense love and peace within themselves. But we cannot bring about peace and well-being to our country unless we have conquered that in our own life. Do you see? You cannot give what you do not have.

Each person's job is to bring utter harmony into their own life, and then they will become the greatest human gift for their country and the world.

- lessons from The Secret 

photo of the day

A crab catcher hunts in the Wetlands Reserve. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras.

overheard

Money is very toxic.

- Mikhail

This brilliant young gentleman, who happens to be a Jewish Indian, is an example of having attracted a member the world's intelligentsia to my family's resort.

ms. aung san suu kyi + sec. clinton

 

Wow! Angels.

An incredibly powerful, paradigm-changing moment. This simple handshake between two extraordinary women is the antithesis of the very disturbing, very questionable, "pre-emptive" Halliburton U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. The historic (herstoric?) image above reminds me of the "feel good" Bill Clinton Presidency. It is a visual that helps heal the collective human psyche. Personally, it gives me renewed respect and admiration for the Great American Nation. A nation which in its very recent past has -- at times -- seemed alarmingly hijacked by its lowest common denominator.

It only gets better.

shout out to susie

I special shout out to my friend (and recent Paya Bay guest) Susie! One of few people I suspect may know me better than I know myself. You never cease to amaze me, friend.

Thank you for sharing your light and beautiful energy.

Namaste.

photo of the day

Roadside lychee fruit stand. Roatan, Honduras.

powerful

...And so it is.

Powerful little phrase, that one.

choosing to be happy

Happiness is a state of being, and comes from the inside of you. By the law of attraction you must become on the inside what you want on the outside.

You are either choosing to be happy now, or you are making up excuses for not choosing to be happy. But there are no excuses for the law!

- lessons from The Secret

380,000 square miles

The Australian government has announced plans to establish the world's largest protected marine area in the Coral Sea. The proposed Coral Sea Commonwealth Marine Reserve will cover 989,842 square kilometers (around 380,000 square miles) -- an area roughly one tenth the size of the U.S.

Photo and source: CNN

Very positive and encouraging news. Australians rock!

a good heart

It is very important to generate a good attitude, a good heart, as much as possible. From this, happiness in both the short term and the long term for both yourself and others will come.

- Dalai Lama

loving the swans

Swans are gathered up in the fall in Hamburg, Germany, and are fed and taken care of over the winter. See Spiegel's awesome slideshow.

Today I'm grateful for human love and kindness.

overheard

I've got too many skills to put a label on it.

Alright! Sassy!

photo of the day

Rich, a special guest, enjoys the sunset from Secret Cove. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras.

greater victory

To conquer oneself is a greater victory than to conquer thousands in a battle.

- Dalai Lama

scenes of bliss

A father and his daughter kayak off Bliss Beach late this afternoon...

...while his other daughter watches from shore. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras.

as healthy, if not healthier

As people alive today, we must consider future generations: a clean environment is a human right like any other. It is therefore part of our responsibility toward others to ensure that the world we pass on is as healthy, if not healthier, than we found it.

- Dalai Lama

apres yoga

A beautiful, ethereal sunset was the reward at the end of today's yoga session at the Ananda Pavilion. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras.

desire everything. need nothing.

To desire something is in proper accordance with the law. You attract what you desire. To need something is misuse of the law. You cannot attract what you need if you feel you need it urgently or desperately, because that emotion contains fear. That kind of "needing" keeps things away.

Desire everything. Need nothing.

- lessons from The Secret

photo of the day

Special guests enjoy the plunge pool on Bliss Beach. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras.

oh my!

"Stop being silly, everyone!" A Wonkette must read. As is always the case, the snarky comments from the "Wonkeratti" are the best part of Wonkette.

the sweet life

How does it feel to be holding the sweet life in the palm of your hand?

- from a Splenda® packet this A.M.

It feels good.

quote of the day

I love the ad....I knew so many people would be offended, first because it is a kiss between 2 men...and 2nd because it is the pope is a joke, the church is the biggest propaganda machine in the world and everyone who follows it are a bunch of ignorant sheep, get a life have your own thoughts about what is right for you.....they send their pedophile priests to other parishes to hide their own abusers...disgusting...they should all be in jail...they only care about protecting the church not the millions of victims!! there has been more killings in the history of the world based on religion, it is a book people...written by people and you follow it like it the WORD... no one knows how we got here, why were here or what happens when we leave here....stop the fear and live life without the crutch of the hateful bully church.....

- A reaction to Unhate

In other words, the emperor (religion) has no clothes. I concur wholeheartedly with most of what this person has expressed.

unhate

"The central theme is the kiss, the most universal symbol of love, between world political and religious leaders. These are symbolic images of reconciliation - with a touch of ironic hope and constructive provocation - to stimulate reflection on how politics, faith and ideas, even when they are divergent and mutually opposed, must still lead to dialogue and mediation.”

- Benetton

So controversial, but SO perfect! I love it! Go Benetton!

Images courtesy of Benetton's Unhate campaign.

be happy

The purpose of our lives is to be happy.

- Dalai Lama

photo of the day

A fragile long-legged crab feeds atop a sponge. Photo taken on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, Roatan, Honduras.

remember to remember

Remember to remember means remember to be aware. Remember to be aware in this moment right now. Being aware is seeing everything around you, hearing everything around you, feeling everything around you, and being completely focused on what you are doing right now.

Most people bring what they do not want because they are not aware that they are listening to the thoughts in their heads about the past and the future. They are not even aware that they are being hypnotized by those thoughts, and are therefore living their life unconsciously.

When you remember to be aware, you are aware immediately. You just have to remember to remember!

- lessons from The Secret

flying over earth

Watch in fullscreen mode. This little five-minute video makes all the billions spent on the International Space Station worth it for me. Fantastic stuff!

bliss beach

One of the planet's extra special places. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras.

Photo: Bern Loibl

rabbit holes

Are you sure you REALLY want to go down THAT rabbit hole?

- The Universe

In a Universe of Infinite Possibilities we must choose our "rabbit holes" wisely. Or as my friend, Lisa Bronkhorst, smartly points out: not choose ANY rabbit holes at all. Misled by vestigial (but frustratingly pervasive) the-world's-going-to-end religions, it seems to the observer that the last stop on humanity's current train is -- to put it lightly -- mind-bogglingly tragic.

There are many much more positive and upbeat trains our species could choose to board. It's not to late. We're beginning to wake up. And not a minute too soon.

photo of the day

Early morning horseback riding. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras.

Photo: Bern Loibl

the big lie?

[Hugo] Chávez wants his people to believe that he was “cured” months ago and that recent visits to Cuba have been to confirm his miraculous recovery. In fact, his physical deterioration is advancing faster than doctors had expected.

- Interamerican Security Watch

as significant an impression

Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying something, and sometimes one creates as significant an impression by remaining silent.

- Dalai Lama

nica

"The electoral circus is over. Now let's continue building the Kingdom of God Two on Earth."

Cartoon courtesy of laprensa.com.ni

job creation

- Wonkette

focus on health

If a person is focused on illness then they are inadvertently attracting more illness to them. On the other hand, if a person focuses more on health than illness, then the law of attraction must obey and produce health. The principles of the law of attraction are a powerful tool to summon the healing power within us, and can be used as an aid in total harmony with all of the wonderful medical procedures that are available today.

Remember that if there were no healing power within us, nothing could be healed.

- lessons from The Secret 

photo of the day

Sunset yoga at the Ananda Movement Center. Yoga sessions are clothing-optional during our naturist weeks. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras.

Photo: Bern

inseparable from stillness

When you lose touch with inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself. When you lose touch with yourself, you lose yourself in the world.

Your innermost sense of self, of who you are, is inseparable from stillness. This is the I Am that is deeper than name and form.

- Eckhart Tolle

halloween 2011

One of Paya Bay's best Halloween Celebrations yet! It only gets better!

just think about what you want

The tighter you try and hold on to something that you are afraid of losing, the more you are pushing it away. Those thoughts are filled with fear, and if you continue to persist, what you fear the most will come upon you.

Fear nothing - just think about what you want. It feels so much better!

- lessons from The Secret

guest blogger: liz davies

Liz Davies is a recent college graduate and aspiring writer especially interested in health and wellness. She wants to make a difference in people’s lives because she sees how cancer has devastated so many people in this world. Liz also likes running, playing lacrosse, reading and playing with her dog, April. Her article follows:

How Exercise Can Aide in Cancer Treatment

Going through cancer diagnosis and treatment is a difficult road and for most survivors, keeping the cancer from coming back is their first priority. Research has shown that exercise may help. Even for those still going through treatments, exercise can help by strengthening the body and becoming a strong motivator. Exercise and healthy eating has been recommended for years as a way to avoid cancer, but it is also becoming apparent that the same combination can aid with cancer recovery and help keep the cancer from returning.

In general, exercise is beneficial to nearly everyone, but cancer patients may find it extremely beneficial as it is well known that exercise can improve mood and reduce fatigue, something that cancer patients in particular may suffer from as they go through treatment. Many people slow down during their struggle with cancer, as depression sets in and cancer treatments wear down the body. Then, after recovery, they tend to remain sedentary and let fatigue get the best of them. That is the point when an exercise plan should be implemented. This is true for people will all types of cancer such as breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, and even rare forms of papillary mesothelioma.

compliment

You bring a nice energy to this place.

- a very nice compliment received from a Paya Bay guest this evening

Thank you, Mr. Silky, for all you have taught me! I love you so much, my brother. As you know well, you're one of the brightest and most beautiful stars in My Personal Milky Way®.  Your dazzling and exquisitely twisted light reminds those of us fortunate enough to be caught in the Silky Vortex® how absolutely astonishing a human being can be. Dude, I can't imagine you ever having anything less than a 100% of my love, respect, gratitude, and admiration.

honduran honor

El hondureño que se venda motivado por corrupción o avaricia en perjuicio de su propia patria y sus propios compatriotas no merece el noble honor de ser hondureño. Punto. 

(The Honduran who sells out motivated by corruption or greed to the detriment of his own country and his own countrymen doesn't deserve the noble honor of being a Honduran. Period.)

photo of the day

A very special tree. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras.

Photo: Naomi Ford

paya poetry

The twisted, awesome literary creation of Richelle, Marlo, Naomi, and Lisa. Crazy-assed friends make life sparkle.

desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

- Max Ehrmann

Thanks for the reminder, Lisa! I love you, Ms. Bright Star in my Personal Milky Way.

rina

I'm back in Roatan and facing the anxiety of dealing with a glancing blow from Rina, which will likely become a major category 3 hurricane some 120 miles or so north of Roatan. Fortunately for the Bay Islands of Honduras, the storm is forecasted to continue moving away from our area. Our best wishes go out to our neighbors on the Yucatan Peninsula who may have to deal with a major hurricane head-on.

Here's an infrared image of the storm at noon today, with its forecasted path indicated by the red icons. The outer bands of the hurricane are currently giving us tropical storm-like conditions here in Roatan: strong surf, waves of heavy rain, and strong winds.

Image: NOAA

the center of divine operation

Your job is you and only you. When you are working in harmony with the law, no-one can come between you and the Universe. However if you think another person can get in the way of what you want, then you have done a flip to the negative. Focus on creating what you want.

You are the center of divine operation in your life, and your partner is the Universe. No one can get in the way of your creation.

- lessons from The Secret

panama canal

Today, while Michelle shopped, I took a quick tour of the Bridge of the Americas, the span that connects North and South America, and then visited the Miraflores Locks at the Panama Canal. I walked away with a sense of awe at these engineering marvels.

catm 2011

Images from the Central America Travel Market event in Panama.

The last photo shows Paya Bay's Michelle McNab meeting with a travel buyer at the fair.

welcome to panama!

The Central America Travel Market Welcome Reception was held in the courtyard of the Panamanian Foreign Ministry building. In addition to some amazing food, there was lots of show, dance, and general highlighting of Panamanian culture and folkloric traditions.

My niece, Michelle, poses with a handsome Panamanian military officer. From what I've seen so far, Panama is a truly spectacular country!