Understand How Important It Is for Your ATTITUDE To Be GRATITUDE.....

TODAY'S INSPIRATIONAL “MYTHOLOGICAL MAGIC”

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With Memorial Day just around the corner, I feel it is the perfect time to reflect on how truly fortunate we are in this country.  Things aren't perfect, and we have a LONG way to go toward coming together in UNITY.  But there have been a number of individuals who have crossed my path lately, including a few clients, who are not originally from the United States.  I have been blessed to hear their personal stories of the strife, struggle, loss, and unfathomable challenges they have overcome to transition their lives to this country.  It really puts things into perspective of how lucky we are to live here.

The ONE thing I have observed that each and EVERY one of these survivors shares is an ATTITUDE  FILLED WITH GRATITUDE.  Most of them were forced to leave their families behind, many of them do not own cars, and work multiple jobs just to survive.  Yet, they share a common sense of kindness and appreciation for the smallest of things.  Their smiles are expressions of Soulful Bliss and they expend their energy not on complaining, but in reverence for the opportunity they feel this country has afforded them.  They carry the three attributes of a master; a kind heart, words filled with compassion, and a willingness to be of service.

I once watched an interview with Oprah Winfrey in which she explained the massive transformation that started in her life 16 years ago when she started a daily ‘Gratitude Journal.’  Every night without fail, she would write down at least 5 things that she was grateful for that had occurred during the day.
“When you allow yourself to feel gratitude in the present moment, in the NOW, what I promise you is that the spiritual dimension of your life begins to change.  It opens up and expands and you start to grow with it.  That is the truth, if I have ever spoken the truth in my entire life.  If you want to change your entire state of being, start to be grateful. ” Oprah has spread this message in many of her speeches across the globe.

The very act of gratitude opens up a channel for Joy to shine through.  It might start off as a small pinhole, but with practice and focused intention, it will grow into a window wide as you ALLOW it to be!  Admittedly, it is so easy to get fixated on everything that isn't going well in our lives.  Jobs we dislike, money problems, and toxic relationships.  Remember, Energy Flows Where Your Attention Goes!

And life has a way of surrounding us with tangible examples to shake us out of our lethargy and back into a state of appreciation and gratitude.  My mom and I have been caring for a delightful woman who lives down the street from us.  She has no family to speak of, suffers from multiple sclerosis, sever diabetes and has no left arm.  Three days ago,  her best friend, a cat named Logan, passed away.  And yet, she may be one of the most grateful Souls I have ever encountered.  Never ONCE have I heard her complain.  She surrounds her house with mementos and joyful memories that are imbued with the passion, and joy of a life well lived.  And it is absolutely humbling to be in her presence.  It has a way of snapping my own problems into things of fodder.

Iyanla Vanzant has described the word PAIN to mean Pay Attention Inward Now.  She believes that the path toward enlightenment is to pay attention to each stop along the way of your Journey.  One stop may be an illness, another a job loss, another an amazing new relationship.  And she believes that within each and every one of these stops, is a lesson for us to express Gratitude!

One of my favorite spiritual teachers, Tony Robbins explains Gratitude this way, “It is the reset button and the cleanser of the soul. When you are in a state of gratitude it is no longer about ME.  It becomes about giving thanks.  And when you are giving thanks you disappear.  And when you disappear, I believe you reconnect to the Divine.”  Amen!

Hopefully, you are understanding the Re-membrance that Gratitude is is the most direct line of connection back to SOURCE.  Back to the Divine from which we came and which surrounds us always to be in service to our desires.  As Bishop T.D. Jakes says , “Appreciation leads to duplication.”  When we focus our energy and attention on what we are in appreciation of in our lives, it activates a system that brings even more of that very thing into our experience!  Yet, most of us spend out time focused on all the things that we don't like in our lives and experience....well....even more of THAT!  And I don't know about you, but I think we could all use more experiences that bring us love and inner joy!  And evaporates feelings of depression and anxiety and transforms them into lasting inner PEACE.

So what would it look like, if we all started to incorporate the practice of GRATITUDE  in our lies starting today.  Keeping our attention on the things we are truly grateful for and perhaps even starting our own Gratitude Journal to write down at least 5 things we have appreciation for from the current day's experiences?!

Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez

Practice These 23 LESSONS From BUDDHA For A More PROSPEROUS Life.......

TODAY'S INSPIRATIONAL “MYTHOLOGICAL MAGIC”

~~ Fortune      (RUDY)

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For the great majority of us, we are in the midst of a three day Memorial Day weekend.  With some extra time on our hands, it may be a wonderful time to reflect on our own blessings and freedoms, many of them brought to us due to the sacrifice and courage of our SERVICE men and woman.
Their heroic deeds have provided us with the ability to truly live a life of OUR choosing!!

Often, simple Re-membrances can offer a shift in our perspective and change our mindset back toward a hopeful outlook on our life. And bring a renewed sense of PEACE and JOY so that we can follow our PURPOSE with passion, zest, and a sizzling sense of fervor like never before.  A daily commitment to our Hero's/Heroine's Journey is the most effective way to stay in a state of soulful fulfillment.  There is NO drug, alcohol, or materialistic item that will fill a void and longing in your heart like the BLISS that imbues our entire inner being when we spend our days following our true calling.  TRUST ME!   If you absolutely desire to experience the feeling of a miracle, realign your thoughts, beliefs , and your actions toward your particular path or calling and thank me later!  :0)

To assist you in this Re-membrance over the long weekend, I wanted to share the following 23 lessons from BUDDHA.  It is my desire that they will support you and give you comfort, inspiration, and support on your Journey!

1) Love heals all things

“Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.”

2) It’s not what you say but what you do that defines you

“A dog is not considered a good dog because he is a good barker. A man is not considered a good man because he is a good talker.”

3) The secret of good health is to live fully in the NOW

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.”

4) Who looks inside awakens

“The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart.”

5) Words have the power to both hurt and heal

“Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world.” ~ Buddha

6) Let it go and it will be yours forever

“You only lose what you cling to.”

7) No one can walk your path for you

“No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.”

8) Happiness never decreases by being shared

“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”

9) Be kind to all

“Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant with the weak and wrong. Sometime in your life, you will have been all of these.”

“Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little.”

“Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.”

10) Don’t believe everything you are told to believe

“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”

11) As you THINK so shall you be

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts and made up of our thoughts. If a man speak or act with an evil thought, suffering follows him as the wheel follows the hoof of the beast that draws the wagon…. If a man speak or act with a good thought, happiness follows him like a shadow that never leaves him.”

12) Let go of fear

“The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all help are you freed.”

13) The truth has a way of always leaking out

“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.”

14) Control your mind or it will control you

“To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one’s family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one’s own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.”

“It is a man’s own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.”

15) Doubt separates. Trust unites

“There is nothing more dreadful than the habit of doubt. Doubt separates people. It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and breaks up pleasant relations. It is a thorn that irritates and hurts; it is a sword that kills.”

16) Nobody is more deserving of your love than you yourself are

“You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

17) Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment

“It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell.”

18) Spirituality isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity

“Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.”

19) Replace jealousy with admiration

“Do not be jealous of others’ good qualities, but out of admiration adopt them yourself.”

20) Look for peace within yourself

“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”

21) Let go of attachment

“To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one’s own in the midst of abundance.”

22) Choose your friends wisely

“An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind.”

23) There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way

Excerpts from Dailyhealthdose.net

Please have a wonderful, safe, and joyous Memorial Day Weekend!

Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez

Are You Practicing The ART OF ALLOWING...Maybe That's Why You Feel Stuck!

TODAY'S INSPIRATIONAL “MYTHOLOGICAL MAGIC”

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Do you ever feel absolutely STUCK in your life?  Rather than an abundance of money, health, functional relationships, and a job that lights your inner pilot light every morning, all you seem to feel is that the Universe MUST have erased your name and address in ITS iPAD.  You feel utterly forgotten and lost. Sound familiar?!  If it does, I assure you that you are not alone!  In fact, there have been a  number of times in my Journey when I felt like The Universe was Santa Clause and I MUST have been put on the naughty list.  Aye Dios Mio!?!

However, now when I feel out of alignment and blocked from SOURCE energy, I ‘check in’ with myself to make sure I AM in a state of ALLOWING.  Rather than the opposite state which is basically another way of saying you are GETTING IN YOUR OWN WAY.  And in the process actually blocking the very abundance you so desire from manifesting into your experience.  This can happen for a number of different reasons and life circumstances.  Our lives are so filled with stress and TO DO lists that it can cause our thoughts and beliefs to become completely out of alignment with our actions.   And what do you think that brings us........  CHAOS with a side of frustration and two helpings of pain and suffering!  For what you ALLOW, is what will continue to show up.  And this is when your dreams become homeless...........

But what exactly is involved in ‘The Art of Allowing?’  Simply put, it is the practice of aligning what you think, believe, say, and do with congruent energy.  For example, how many times have you heard a friend repeatedly tell you how badly they desire to be in a relationship?  Yet, in nearly the same breathe they make declarations such as “There are no good men/women left out there!”, or even worse, “I'll never find the right one.”  And that is just what they are saying!  Can you imagine what their actual thoughts and beliefs about the situation might be. FRIGHTENING!

For the most part, your external circumstances are a direct reflection of your inner reality.  How you feel inside and what you think and believe about those feelings attract similar energy into your life experience.  Now I said FOR THE MOST PART.  I do not believe that when natural disasters strike or for every horrible accident that occurs, it is our FAULT.  We don't live in a vacuum. And sometimes things show up on our doorstep that are NOT of our causing.  That is also why it is SO very important to be in alignment so that which you DO have control over can be done so with deliberate intent.  

An absolutely enlightening book on this very topic is ‘The Amazing Power of Deliberate Intent’ by Esther and Jerry Hicks.  Within it, they state, “For any desire to be realized by you, or before anything can manifest into your life experience, there must be vibrational compatibility between your desires and beliefs.”  For example, if you are sending out resumes to land a new job, all the while BELIEVING that you are never going to get a great job again, you are not in ALLOWANCE of the very thing you desire.  In fact, you are actually blocking it from coming into your life.  

Another terrific example of NOT being in ALLOWANCE is through the use of social media.  Be honest, how often do you peruse the Facebook pages of your ex-boyfriend/girlfriend, gazing at pictures of their new relationship and how they have managed to go on without you in their life.  All while cursing the Universe because YOU are still single!  Sound familiar?!  I bet for many of you it does! Can you see how such behavior is actually BLOCKING what you desire rather than ALLOWING it to flow into your life.  If you are still having trouble understanding, remember this:  ENERGY FLOWS WHERE YOUR ATTENTION GOES! 

I love the term, also from ‘The Amazing Power of Deliberate Intent’, your Emotional Guidance System.  This philosophy has had a major impact in my life.  The book defines it as “Your awareness of the vibrational variance between what you are vibrationally offering in this moment and the vibrational offering of your Inner Being is literally your Emotionally Guidance System.”  In plain English, they are describing the importance of balancing your energy.  BEING aware that what you think, what you actually believe about your thoughts, and what you speak about them to others need to be in alignment.  For when they are, you are in a state of ALLOWING.  As the book eloquently states in this passage, “From your state of balanced energy, you experience clarity, vitality, eagerness, physical wellness, abundance in all things you consider good, and an exuberant state of joy.  This is the natural state of Who You really Are.”  Yes, please!!!

For even more examples of how to incorporate the Art of Allowing into your daily practice, I highly recommend picking up a copy of “The Amazing Power of Deliberate Intent.”  Once you truly learn how you FEEL when you are in alignment with SOURCE energy, you can maintain that level more often than not.  And from my personal experience, in this state, life becomes the magical experience of daily BLISS it was always meant to be!

Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez

The DAILY BLISS Is Back to CELEBRATE 100 Posts on The New Age Nerd..............

TODAY'S INSPIRATIONAL “MYTHOLOGICAL MAGIC”

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Blessings and Well Wishes to all our precious New Age Nerds from The Daily Bliss!!
We are back for a special CELEBRATION of a Universal size proportion....

As THIS day marks the 100th post within the community that many of you now call a second home... A sanctuary free of judgement and for INSPIRATION and SUPPORT,  on your own Hero's/Heroine's Journey!  

Plus, who doesn't like an opportunity to throw a party!   A Purpose Party!  A Celestial Fiesta! A Spiritual Soiree! A Blissful Bash!   WE could go on....but we won't...  LOL

Places such as this site of community based fellowship are OH SO crucial at this current time on your  planet.  Because of ALL the many facets of challenges Earth will face in the coming years, there is No Thing that will cause as much emotional pain and physical suffering as ....   LONELINESS. 
It is becoming a pandemic of preposterous proportions here on your precious planet!  

Never before in human history have SO many people felt disconnected, and utterly alone from their families, friends, and communities.  And this fact is despite the reality that there are nearly 8 BILLION SOULS on this planet to share your love, support, joy, and laughter with!

Now before we become Party Poopers, WE actually came to ACKNOWLEDGE all of you who have made a commitment towards the purpose of Re-conection.  First with your SELF, and then with others.  Through acts of kindness both large and small.  And through your dedication toward SELF realization.   And we will let you in on a little secret......

We have been witness to many other planets around the Cosmos who were much further along the plane of disparate disconnection then where you currently resonate.  And, because of committed and loving SOULS such as you New Age Nerds, many of them were able to turn their dire predicament around and are now basking in a new vibration of UNITY.  IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO CHANGE!  Until, it is..............

So today we come to CELEBRATE each and every one of YOU!  For you are the Bringers of the Light, Wounded Healers, and Miracle Workers who are on a path toward your PURPOSE.  And we offer the Re-membrance that you are never alone.  In fact, are you aware that every synchronistic moment you experience is actually us WINKING at you!  So that you will not forget how much you are LOVED and CHERISHED for all that you do.............

And don't think we would leave before giving you all your PRESENT for this party.......

It is actually a gift that you will give yourselves by following these three principles:

1)  Always BE in ALLOWANCE
2)  Stop thinking that in ANY way shape or form  YOU ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH
3)  Re-member in times of trouble.....     Things are NEVER as Bad as you THINK them to BE

Start practicing these three Universal Laws and watch the miraculous shift that occurs in your experiences........

Although WE must now go, PLEASE do not stop with the daily CELEBRATION of the Good Times that are on their way.............

WARM REGARDS PRECIOUS NEW AGE NERDS................

The Daily Bliss

Are Your Life Challenges A SIGN That You Are A WOUNDED HEALER...???

TODAY'S INSPIRATIONAL “MYTHOLOGICAL MAGIC”

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I was introduced to the term ‘Wounded Healer’ on the very first episode of Super Soul Sunday I ever watched.  And it has been a part of my spiritual paradigm ever since.  In the episode, they were discussing the fact that there are certain individuals who seem to go through extraordinary life challenges, as well as an amazing amount of pain and suffering.  And unfortunately, many of these chosen SOULS are labeled with having bad luck, or making poor decisions that are at the root cause of their various life struggles.  And yet, often, that is simply NOT the truth of what is taking place behind the spiritual scenes of their experiences.  Many of these special individuals are called to be WOUNDED HEALERS.

The term itself is derived from Mythology.  In Greek myth, Chiron was the wisest of Centaurs, and the archetype of the wounded healer.   He was accidentally wounded by an arrow that had been dipped with the blood of Hydra.  Chiron was immortal though, and so that arrow's venom sentenced him to eternal pain, suffering, and terrible torment.  In his lengthy search for a cure to his own condition, the byproduct became an ability for him to help others.  He became a teacher who spent his days spreading the healing arts he had learned through his own struggles.  The very act of helping others with their suffering, greatly aided his own angst.   As Buddha says, “Our sorrows and wounds are healed only when we touch them with compassion.”

While Greek Mythology may have originated the idea behind a wounded healer, the energy behind this powerful archetype has continued to spread throughout  all generations.  It is at the core of The Hero's/Heroine's Journey.  In the final act of the Journey, the Hero, after overcoming an inordinate amount of struggles, pain, and suffering, brings the knowledge collected and lessons learned back to their tribe to share this newfound enlightenment with everyone.

However, there is a distinct difference between ‘curing’ someone from their particular malady, and HEALING them from their pain so they can resume their life's purpose.  Perhaps it can be surmised as the difference between science and art.  Effective healing energy flows when two hearts intimately connect.  There is a deep trust because of the mutual understanding that both have from experiencing things that are quite similar in nature.  I know, for instance, that when I meet someone who has suffered from Crohn's disease, that they truly understand my pain. In fact, we call ourselves ‘The Crohnies’ when we meet.  We share a common yet unspoken badge of honor from our malady.  That doesn't mean that the only people who can assist and support me have to have Crohns, but as Carl Jung said, “The doctor is effective ONLY when he himself is affected.  Only the wounded physician heals.”  What I have found is that I tend to resoundingly connect and resonate with others who have dealt with their own severe forms of trials and tribulations.  They just seem to have a common form of knowingness and understanding that I relate to.  The depths of their souls are so full of mystical magic and wisdom, that I can get lost in this esoteric energy for days!

Jung believed that the best healers were those who had undergone a transformation of sorts from their own suffering and set of life struggles.  It offered to them an authentic piece of soul based compassion.  The Wounded Healer understands at a profound level what his client feels, because he/she has experienced something of a VERY similar nature.  The HEALER is thus able to feel a profound empathy, and not just sympathy for their client.  And that makes a Gi-normous difference in the relationship!  It's as if a spiritual channel of connection emanates from both healer and patient that   causes a sense of soulful connection and ultimate trust.

Admittedly, my life has had MORE than its share of experiences that I have had many people lable as bad luck or hearing phrases such as “Jeff just can't catch a break.  He has the worst luck.”  And sometimes, it has been excrutiatingly painful and frustrating to be engaged in such a manner. In an old post called ‘A Dark Knight of the Soul’ I describe the moment when I realized that luck had No Thing to do with my life experiences.  I believe that I was called to be a Wounded Healer and have since made it my life's purpose to use what I have learned through my Journey to support and assist others who are still in their own particular sense of HELL.  A BATMAN with a spiritual PURPOSE!! Yeah...I Like That!!!  As Thomas Jefferson said, “Who then can so softly bind up the wound of another as he who has felt the same wound himself.”  Utter perfection...........

So today I ask you, do you believe that perhaps you can find a way to use YOUR unique set of hardships and pain to assist others?  Because in a way, I believe we are ALL meant to be Wounded Healers for one another.  That doesn't mean it has to become our life mission.  But how much human suffering could be transformed if we had the courage and were VULNERABLE enough to share our hurt and illusionary failures with our fellow brothers and sisters across the planet?!  Furthermore, I believe it is time for us to make this one of our missions.  We need one another NOW more than ever!!

Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez

Learn The Key INGREDIENT That Will DRASTICALLY Change Your Life..........

TODAY'S INSPIRATIONAL “MYTHOLOGICAL MAGIC”

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When I first began my Journey on the path of self realization, there was a TON of information in the form of books, lectures, videos, etc., on the importance of how ‘Thoughts Become Things.’  And how everything we think drastically affects what we experience in our lives.  “If you THINK it, it will come,” seemed to be the ‘go to’ catch phrase that consumed the minds of so many of us in the Self Consciousness community.  Then the book ‘THE SECRET’ appeared in the mid 2000's and suddenly, well, everyone thought it contained ‘The Secret’ to manifesting all of your wildest dreams and delectable desires.  It talked about creating vision boards and repeating affirmations that would bring about all the things you thought your life needed in order to be happy.  It shared deep insights into this powerful and transformative process called ‘The Law of Attraction.’  The author was even on Oprah and the next thing ya know, weekend dinner parties transformed into ‘Law of Attraction’ events where everyone gathered to create gorgeous vision boards that essentially became wish lists to the Universe. And YES, I threw such a party myself.  And my vision board was smokin'!!  Every single inch of the thing was covered with anything and everything my heart truly desired to manifest into my life.  And ALL my friends had vision boards too!  Just like ‘The Secret’ told us to do.  We all practiced our affirmations several times a day, and made sure to monitor our thoughts, for as the book states ‘like attracts like.’  The world seemed a wonderland of possibility, simply by what and how we thought and felt on a daily basis!  Things were FINALLY going to be different.  We were sure of it!!

But slowly, this celebration of a Spiritual renaissance started to sour for most people.  No matter how hard we tried, nothing tangible really seemed to change.  And within a year or so, disillusionment set in most people's tribes of like minded individuals.  The jobs, houses, relationships, money, and sense of joy and happiness that we were expecting to manifest simply didn't.  And many people in my particular tribe felt jaded and could not understand what was going on.  What showed up as a powerful promise from the Wizard of the Knowing World, appeared to be nothing more than a hoax.  

Before I am misconstrued, let me stop for a moment and say there IS scientific evidence that because everything is energy, including our thoughts and feelings, that they DO INDEED have an affect on our lives.  As do the BELIEFS behind our thoughts.  If you think one thing, but your core belief about that very thing is in opposition to the thought, you are sending mixed signals to the Universe and often chaos ensues.  In fact, I still say affirmations, and monitor my daily mindset.  And I DO believe that our thoughts and feelings are a PORTION of the formula for creating the outcomes we desire in life.  However, the one thing that ‘The Secret’ failed to focus in on is actually the Secret Sauce toward experiencing the Greatest Version of the Grandest Vision we have ever held about ourselves.  And in turn experiencing the multiple forms of abundance we all deserve!!

What is this missing but absolutely essential piece of the missing equation toward manifestation:  ACTION!!
 In fact one of my favorite definitions of FAITH is that “it is belief in ACTION.”
This is such an important topic, with the intention of Re-membrance, I am going to borrow from my own past post about the power of Grounded Spirituality to further explain the importance of taking ACTION in life:

Don't get me wrong, I am a BIG believer in the power of Universal Energy.  As Yoda says, “It's an energy field that is created by all living things.  Life creates it, makes it grow.  It surrounds us, binds us.”  And it is ALL powerful.  BUT, in this dense realm, it MUST be combined with ACTION in order to work.  And unfortunately, there is not enough re-membrance of the importance of taking daily actionable steps toward our goals.  You can think all day and night to align your energy fields with your desires until the cows come home, but if they are NOT backed by actionable steps toward your plan/goal/path, the ONLY person you will be making rich is your therapist.  Trust me!  

For more pragmatic advice about the proper use of The Law of Attraction, I highly suggest reading ‘Beyond the Secret,’ by Dr. Lisa Love.   She has such a grounded way of explaining the Law's principles.  For instance, she suggests one use it to try and attract the qualities for keeping and using money responsibly, rather than just acquiring money in the first place.  Great stuff!

Furthermore, I highly suggest taking the sage advice of Napoleon Hill, who actually describes the law of attraction in his book ‘THINK AND GROW RICH.’  He never specifically calls it that, but it is quite obvious that he is referring to it when he describes the manner to co-create with the power of the Universe to develop plans for our goals.  In his explanation, he says we should hold our thoughts, feelings, and prayers toward asking the Universe for us to attract the correct plan of action that we should follow in order to bring our desires forth into tangible experience.  And I LOVE THAT!!  It actually changed my life in so many wondrous ways!

Life is a Journey as well as a process.   And as the old adage goes, “It's all about the Journey, not the destination.”  In fact, I have seen such miraculous moments emerge into so many people's lives, once they combine ACTION with their thoughts and feelings.   THAT is the real SECRET!  

Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez

A Lesson In Playing the GAME of LIFE..............

TODAY'S INSPIRATIONAL
“MYTHOLOGICAL MAGIC”

“I used to say I lived my life a quarter mile at a time 

Now…I think that’s why we were brothers…

Because you did too!”

“No matter where you are….whether its a quarter mile away, or half way across the world…You will always be with me….and you will always be my brother…….”

~~  Dominic Toretto       (THE FUROUS 7)

 [letter to Stark]  “Tony, I'm glad you're back at the compound. I don't like the idea of you rattling around a mansion by yourself. We all need family. The Avengers are yours, maybe more so than mine. I've been on my own since I was 18. I never really fit in anywhere, even in the army. My faith's in people, I guess. Individuals. And I'm happy to say that, for the most part, they haven't let me down. Which is why I can't let them down either. Locks can be replaced, but maybe they shouldn't. I know I hurt you, Tony. I guess I thought by not telling you about your parents I was sparing you, but I can see now that I was really sparing myself, and I'm sorry. Hopefully one day you can understand. I wish we agreed on the Accords, I really do. I know you're doing what you believe in, and that's all any of us can do. That's all any of us should... So no matter what, I promise you, if you need us - if you need me - I'll be there.”

[Tony looks at a flip phone Steve sent him]

~~  Steve Rogers AKA Captain America                (CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR)

“ We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman, "O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless... of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?" Answer. That you are here - that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play *goes on* and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?”

~~  John Keating           (THE DEAD POETS SOCIETY)


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When I was just starting out my teenage years, I had a small group of friends that all lived in my community and it was perhaps the first time I understood the importance of having a tribe.  Looking back in retrospect, it's quite amazing how many powerful spiritual lessons were engrained within me during this often awkward and precarious time of life.  Events that were perhaps the initial birthing place of my passion for self growth and transformation.  Fond memories that have now become stories I still share with myself and others that have lasting life lessons.

Growing up on the East Coast, the winter snow was always a welcomed relief from the daily stress of school.  And since both of my parents were teachers, we were the first to get phoned the night before if schools were closing the next day.  SNOW DAYS were the ‘Holy Grail’ of childhood blessings and brought with them an unending opportunity for fun and freedom.  Our group was perhaps the first incarnation of TV's current ‘BIG BANG THEORY’.  We were for the most part a cadre of nerds who shared our intense passions for video games, movies, mythology, and especially board games.
We were all competitive as hell and took losing relatively tough.  Then again we were still pups in the relative scope of our emotional development.  And on one particular snowy afternoon those many years ago, we all got together for an afternoon of winner takes all MONOPOLY!  Little did I realize then, what a powerful metaphor for life was about to be displayed during that day's battle royal with the dice..........

One friend in our group we referred to as ‘Alex P. Keaton’,  after the character Michael J. Fox perfected on the TV show  ‘FAMILY TIES.’  Like the character Alex, he was obsessed with Wall Street, money, was small in nature, and had a relatively sharp temper.  All games played with him were intense, but he played Monopoly with a fervor that was unmatched by anyone else I had ever met.  He was wickedly smart and he certainly won his fair share of games.  But not on this day!

An hour or so into the game, I found myself on a Vegas worthy lucky streak and started collecting  houses and hotels all around the Monopoly board!  As I looked around the table, I noticed ‘Alex’ was just about out of money.  One more unlucky roll of the dice, causing him to land on one of my stockpiled board spaces, and he was done!  And he knew it.  His brows began to furrow and his lips were parsed.  I handed him the dice which he grabbed from my hands in obvious disgust.  He shook the dice for an unusually long time and then threw them down across the board.  He counted out the steps with his game piece and landed right SMACK in the middle of my Boardwalk.........

In what seemed like an instant, he grabbed the board game from each side, and flipped it high into the air.  Sending pieces of plastic and fake paper money flying all over the room in what felt like perpetual slow motion!  Not to mention ruining the game for the those of us who were still participating.  The group sat in awkward silence for what felt like an eternity.  Unfortunately, the game was obviously over and the rest of us began collecting the various game pieces that had been flung in every other direction with ‘Alex's’ display of utter dismay.

Of course we were furious, but at that point in our lives, we were not comfortable with heated confrontations, so not much was said until days later.  And looking back, I'm glad I handled the situation in the manner that I did.  Because whether we knew it or not at the time, ‘Alex’ had just taught us a Gi-normous life lesson that I still share to this day.  Rather than simply playing the game for the joy, laughter, and fun it can provide, he allowed the ILLUSION of the game to become HIS REALITY.

Admittedly, this tremendously powerful metaphor didn't solidify itself for me until many years later.  But do you see how we all do this very same thing in our own lives.  We allow the ILLUSION of this world to become our REALITY.   Just as ‘Alex’ did!  And when we do, we become disconnected from Spirit and the purpose that we came here to accomplish.  And that's very often when depression, anxiety, loneliness, and separation from SOURCE sits in and stays for a while.  Or unfortunately for some, never leaves.

We live in a Matrix of energy that was designed as a creative space for our souls to experience the Greatest Version of the Grandest Vision we have ever held of ourselves.  SO much of what we see and experience is an ILLUSION to give us the very opportunities we desire to feel.  I know it can seem SO completely real at times, and it was set up that way.  How else could we have such transcendent experiences unless the GAME we were playing felt so tangibly realistic.  I like to believe that the masters on this planet, have slowly learned to “tip their toe” in the universal life-force that surrounds us.  Just enough to enjoy the game and experience it for what it was meant to be, but never “jumping in” completely, thus allowing the ILLUSION to become their REALITY.

As Eckert Tolle says in ‘A New Earth’, “ All we can perceive, experience, think about, is the surface layer of reality.  Less than the tip of an iceberg.  Underneath the surface appearance, everything is not only connected to everything else, but also with the SOURCE of all life from which it came.”  Essentially we are all ONE.  The illusion is that we are all separate.  But we could not have all the juicy, delectable experiences we desire, if we did not have the illusion of separation.

My intention for you today, is to Re-member this story the next time you feel yourself allowing the ILLUSION of life to become your REALITY.  And even better than that, share this Re-membrance with others who may have lost their way.   We all do at some point.  That's why, as they say, “It takes a Village!”

Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez

REMEMBER Your BURDEN is Bringing a BLESSING........

TODAY's INSPIRATIONAL “MYTHOLOGICAL MAGIC”

~~  Gandalf    (THE LORD OF THE RINGS)

~~ Alfred    (BATMAN BEGINS)

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Yesterday morning, I incredibly INSPIRED by a speech given by Joel Osteen.  I must profess I rarely watch his show and have yet to read any of his best selling books, but as I was switching channels this day, the moment I turned to his show, he was espousing the importance of looking for the BLESSINGS that come with most of our daily burdens.   And of course being The New Age Nerd that I AM, I was hooked!  So much of what he was saying resonated at a deeply profound level for me.  Much of it because it correlated very closely with the core vibration of this site, that being The Hero's/Heroine's Journey.  And the fact that NO THING that comes into your experience is a coincidence.  Be it illness, loss, betrayal, as well as the many wonderful and amazing things that we co-create each and everyday.  It is all a part of the DIVINE'S way of supporting us on our true path. It does not mean that these experiences and emotions are easy.  In fact, some of them can feel downright painful, and cause us to question what the hell is going on in our lives.  Some of us get hit so hard, and in so many ways(often all at once), that we start to lose our faith.  That is why his message was such a powerful infusion of Re-membrance for me and I am sure many others.

Mr. Osteen told some powerful and humorous stories about his own life in which some quite challenging personal events forced him to face, became some of the most magnificent  BLESSINGS he had ever experienced.  For instance, his father was a pastor who actually started the church in his family.  Joel was much younger then and was quite introverted and shy.  He much preferred to stay behind the scenes and help his family by serving the church from behind the stage. UNTIL, his father suddenly passed away.  And in the middle of his heavy grief, he had a huge decision to make.  In order for the church to continue, he knew he would have to take the lead and become the pastor.  Something that scared the ‘HELL’ out of him.   But he decided to put his entire faith in Spirit, and so the following Sunday, he gathered (was given by Spirit) the courage and strength to grab the microphone himself for the very fist time, and get on the pulpit to carry on the work that his father had started so many years before.  And as we all now know, Joel is one of the most loved spiritual teachers currently on this planet!  He has inspired millions of people to live the Greatest Version of the Grandest Vision ever held of themselves.  Now that is a transcendent example of turing a burden into a blessing.  Not only for himself, but for the world!

It also brought to mind a powerful story from the life of Napoleon Hill, who started the modern day movement toward self transformation back in the 1930's.  Of all of the magnificent stories he has shared through his many books, none is near as powerful as the story of his second son in his seminal tomb ‘Think And Grow Rich.’  You see, Napoleon Blair Hill was born without any physical signs of ears.  From birth, all his doctors proclaimed that due to his physical deformities, he would live a life of being both deaf and mute. A devastating declaration for any parent!  However, Napoleon Hill was a true Bringer of the Light.  He made a vow that very day the doctors told them their opinion, that his son would INDEED one day learn to hear and speak!  He has said his determination came from a famous quote from transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson, who profoundly stated, “The whole course of things goes to teach us faith. We need only obey.  There is guidance for each of us, and by lowly listening, we shall hear the right words.”

To help demonstrate the power of DESIRE, in the second chapter of his book, he outlined his plan to assist his son toward his goal:

Napoleon's plan included:

• renewing his own pledge daily for Blair's wholeness;
• imparting his burning desire to Blair;
• not teaching sign language to Blair;
• mainstreaming Blair's education instead of sending him to a school for the deaf;
• creating bedtime stories for Blair with themes "designed to develop in him self-reliance, imagination, and a keen desire to hear and to be normal" as well as to establish the belief that"his affliction was not a liability, but an asset of great value"
  

Through the use of several techniques, Napoleon started gaining some progress, as Blair slowly began to hear vibrations and even music if played loud enough.  Hill was able to use his own now famous declaration that “every adversity brings with it the equal seed of opportunity,” with the example of teaching his own son how to hear.  

Blair not only made it through a basic education, but later excelled at the University of West Virginia.     After graduation, he reluctantly traveled to New York as a company who had heard about his story, developed a hearing aid device they thought would support his deep desire to hear clearly.  But so many former attempts of turing various devices had all failed.  But little did he know his Hero's Journey was beginning anew!

The device actually worked tremendously and allowed Blair to hear clearly for the first time in his life.  So excited and now doggedly determined to use his father's philosophy that included turning burdens into blessings, he asked the company that designed the device if he could work on a marketing plan.  His goal was to “render useful service.... to bring hope and practical relief to thousands of deafened people who, without his help, would have been doomed forever to deaf mutism.”

Blair spent a great portion of the remaining of his life on his mission.  And DID INDEED help millions of hearing impaired individuals all around the world to live new lives through the use of this magical hearing aide device.

In what ways can we all start taking a look at the BURDENS we are currently carrying, and decide to ask for Spirit's guidance in showing us how we can turn them into BLESSINGS.  Not only for ourselves, but for all the other people that these examples might serve?!?!  And what an extraordinary
way to help shift the consciousness of the planet..............


Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez

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