feeling love attracts love

If you find yourself in a negative situation with someone in your life, take a few minutes each day to feel love within your heart for that person, and then send it out into the Universe. Just doing this one thing helps to remove any resentment, anger, or negativity towards that person.

Remember that feeling resentment, anger, or any negative emotion attracts it back to you. Feeling love attracts love back to you. What you are feeling for another, you are bringing to you.

- lessons from The Secret

on vacay: even more esalen

I've ran out of words to describe this incredible place.

quote of the day

Become conscious of being conscious.

- Eckhart Tolle

on vacay: more esalen

More photos from my vacation at Esalen, in Big Sur, California.

This place is heavenly! Wow!

success defined

This is one of the best definitions of success I've come across so far:

Success in life could be defined as the continued expansion of happiness and the progressive realization of worthy goals. Success is the ability to fulfill your desires with effortless ease. And yet success, including the creation of wealth, has always been considered a process that requires hard work, and is often considered to be at the expense of others. We need a more spiritual approach to success and to affluence, which is the abundant flow of all good things to you. With the knowledge and practice of spiritual law, we put ourselves in harmony with nature and create carefreeness, joy, and love.

There are many aspects to success; material wealth is only one component. Moreover, success is a journey not a destination. Material abundance, in all its expressions, happens to be one of those things that make the journey more enjoyable. But success also includes good health, energy and enthusiasm for life, fulfilling relationships, creative freedom, emotional and psychological stability, a sense of well-being, and peace of mind.

Even with the experience of all these things, we will remain unfulfilled unless we nurture the seeds of divinity inside us. In reality, we are divinity in disguise, and the gods and goddesses in embryo that are contained within us seek to be fully materialized. True success is therefore the experience of the miraculous. It is the unfolding of the divinity within us. It is the perception of divinity wherever we go -- in the eyes of a child, in the beauty of a flower, in the flight of a bird. When we begin to experience our life as the miraculous expression of the divinity -- not occasionally, but all the time -- then we will know the true meaning of success.

- Deepak Chopra,  The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success

on vacay: big sur

This morning I took a quick drive up the Pacific Coast Highway. Some of the views along the way were so amazing I just had to stop and take a few pics...

on vacay: esalen

My adventure this week is primarily unfolding at Esalen in Big Sur, California. I'm a first-timer, but I've quickly discovered that Esalen is one of those magical places that are few and far between. I am very happy and grateful for my good fortune to have the opportunity to spend time at a place like this.

Esalen's hot springs baths are right above the Pacific Ocean. Surreal beauty! Wow! This area of the property is clothing-optional which makes it that much more heavenly.

quote of the day

I knew the minute I saw you!

- my very perceptive new Esalen friend, Dana.

on vacay (2)

The famous Catholic mission in San Luis Obispo, California. Constructed in 1772, it reminds one of how fast Catholicism spread into the New World after these lands were 'discovered' by Columbus in 1492. 

A pod of elephant seals on a California beach. It was awesome to get so close to these fascinating animals. They were in the midst of a birthing spree and there were many, many pups among the adults. Adult males can weigh up to 5,000 lbs. Amazing!

A view of the California coastline. Gorgeous!

on vacay...

If you follow this blog and are wondering why it's been so quiet this past week, there is a reason: I'm in Big Sur, California on vacation. My intention was to 'live blog' my adventure here on the U.S. West Coast, however my ability to get in front of my Mac has been limited.  Guess that is a sign of a good vacation. :) Nonetheless, I will do my best to post some photos of this wonderful place. It is, without doubt, one of the most beautiful places on the planet.

an electromagnetic being

You are an electromagnetic being emitting a frequency. Only those things that are on the same frequency as the one you are emitting can come into your experience. Every single person, event, and circumstance in your day is telling you what frequency you are on.

If your day is not going well, stop and deliberately change your frequency. If your day is going swimmingly, keep doing what you are doing.

- lessons from The Secret

change is all good

So often when things change in our lives, we have such a resistance to the change. This is because when people see a big change appearing they are often fearful that it is something "bad." But it is important to remember that when something big changes in our lives, it means something better is coming. There cannot be a vacuum in the Universe, and so as something moves out, something must come in and replace it. When change comes, relax, have total faith, and know that the change is ALL GOOD.

Something more magnificent is coming to you!

- lessons from The Secret

Obama's weird Honduras policy

Rep. [Ileana] Ros-Lehtinen wrote, "It is troubling to consider that the importance of the bilateral relationship between the United States and Honduras would be undermined by attempts to coerce the Honduran government to take steps that run counter to its legal and constitutional processes in order to pave the way for Manuel Zelaya to return to Honduras without facing judicial consequences." She called on the administration to "immediately cease any efforts being taken to undercut the judicial system in Honduras by pressuring the current government to absolve Zelaya of his crimes."

... and ...

...Advocating for Zelaya's return is nothing short of reckless, resulting most assuredly in a return to rule of the mob and anarchy. Since his removal from power, the oligarch-turned radical-populist has shown no contrition for his abuses of power and disrespect for the country's constitution. He has continued to wave the bloody shirt while in exile in the Dominican Republic. His actions then and now demonstrate he cares not a whit about endangering Honduran lives in the service of his political agenda.

- Jóse Cárdenas, "Is the Administration Trying to Destabilize Honduras," Foreign Policy

Rep. Ros-Lehtinen refers to "the importance of the bilateral relationship between the United States and Honduras." That may sound histrionic, but it's not. Recall, the United States has a military base in central Honduras. There is nothing Hugo Chavez and his ALBA pals would like more than to see it gone. Thus, the strategic move Chavez made to permanently install his puppet Manuel Zelaya in the Honduran presidency in 2009. A move, I should add, the Honduran people, its democratic institutions, and its military heroically repelled. Not a single drop of American blood was shed in protecting our democracy. We took care of matters ourselves. Honduras and its brave people rock!

sunset yoga

Members of the Zechman family (special guests during the holidays) practice their sun salutations in the late afternoon at Buccaneer Landing. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras.

Photo: Darrell Zechman

quote of the day

Through forgiveness, which essentially means recognizing the insubstantiality of the past and allowing the present moment to be as it is, the miracle of transformation happens not only within but also without.

- Eckhart Tolle

video: above the bay islands: pigeon cay

Just south of Barbaretta is Pigeon Cay, as well as other cays and sandbars...

quote of the day

To the ego, the present moment hardly exists. Only past and future are considered important. This total reversal of the truth accounts for the fact that in the ego mode the mind is so dysfunctional. It is always concerned with keeping the past alive, because without it - who are you?

- Eckhart Tolle 

Who are you without your past?

photo series: above the bay islands

Flying east from Morat, the next island in the Bay Islands chain is Barbaretta (it's quite close to Morat, the channel between the two is maybe one and a half miles wide)

The western tip of Barbaretta.

Approaching the north-western shoreline of the island.

Gorgeous Jade Beach on Barbaretta's north shore.

The island owner's private compound. Spectacular!

The easternmost point of Barbaretta.

In the distance, about twenty miles away, is Guanaja. The easternmost of the Bay Islands, Guanaja is the second largest island in the archipelago (Roatan being the largest).

she cracks me up

Love me some Margaret Cho! (mature content)

achieve anything, change everything

No one is destined to live a life of poverty, because each of us has the ability to change everything in this life. The law of attraction is the law of creation, and it allows each person to create the life they want. Every person has their own unique circumstances to overcome, but every single person has the opportunity to achieve anything - and change everything.

- lessons from The Secret

how important you are

You are here to enable the divine purpose of the Universe to unfold. That is how important you are.

- Eckhart Tolle

photo series: above the bay islands

After St. Helene, the next island one comes to while traveling east over the Bay Islands of Honduras is Morat. This island is characterized by a very large lagoon that makes up about a quarter of it. Photos below are a continuation of the Above the Bay Islands series.

A great shot of Morat and its lagoon.

Crystalline waters off the north shore of Morat. The eastern tip of St. Helene can be observed in the background.

The lush, dense forest cover of Morat and its fringing reefs.

This bluff marks the easternmost point of Morat. Across the channel in the background is the next island in the archipelago: Barbaretta.

you are always creating

It is when you no longer feel the need for money that money will come. The feeling of needing money comes from the thought that you don't have enough, and so you continue to create not having enough money.

You are always creating, and when it comes to money, you are either creating the lack of it or the abundance of it.

- lessons from The Secret

happy new year!

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2011! Following are scenes from the New Year's Eve celebration at Paya Bay Resort.