Did You KNOW That Your WORDS Are Your MAGICAL Wand..?!

TODAY'S INSPIRATIONAL “MYTHOLOGICAL MAGIC”

_______________________________________________________________

Be Impeccable With Your Word.
Speak with integrity.
Say only what you mean.
Avoid using your word to speak against yourself
or to gossip about others.
Use the power of your word
in the direction of truth and love.
- don Miguel Ruiz

Given the fact that I have a amassed a collection of over 400 books, it is no wonder my TRIBE members are very apt to ask me if I have read a particular title from time too time.  And I am so grateful for each and every suggestion I am engaged with.  In fact, many of my favorite tombs have come from these very recommendations through out the years since I began on my journey of Self Actualization.  Most of the time, I actually receive these inquiries with complete reverence and gratitude, because I believe it is the Universe's way of tapping me on the shoulder to pay attention.  Something is on its way that I must be ready to receive in all its ethereal glory!  Now when this typically occurs, I stop whatever it is that I am doing and take a note on the book/film/blog being introduced to me and investigate the source material as soon as possible.  When the student is ready, the teacher appears.  And I have come to realize that my Journey is a continuing oscillation between being a teacher and student, often at the same time.  LOL  Which makes perfect sense because I have come to find that most coaches/teachers preach that which they need to learn themselves.   Even master Miyagi from the Karate Kid had much to learn from Danielson during their symbiotic relationship.

So when a true TRIBE member of mine recently inquired about my knowledge of a decades old book title, I did not hesitate to investigate everything about it.  And once again, I found it to be a wonderful addition to my robust collection.  Even the book's title had me excited as it was imbued with a mythical, fairy tale essence that completely resonates with my love of MYTHOLOGY and the Hero's/Heroine's Journey that informs The New Age Nerd within us all!

The book is called ‘Your Words are Your Wand‘ and it was written back in the 1920's by a pioneer in the New Thought movement named Florence Scovel Shinn.  Born in 1871, Ms. Shinn was an artist and metaphysics teacher in New York city in the early 20th Century.  Although she had a devout following during her time, her legacy has not had the same sort of long lasting impact of other New Thought leaders from her era such as Napoleon Hill and Earl Nightingale.  And that's a shame because her book, while short in length, contains a wealth of practical and wisdom filled knowledge for anyone who is a TRUTH SEEKER and Bringer of the Light.  The archetypes that are so desperately needed in our current times of disconnection from the fact that WE ARE ALL ONE!

There is something about the book's title itself that strikes a powerful image of the magic that is imbued deep within each and every one of us and can be unleashed with the use of our WORDS.

Being a writer, I personally have a love affair with words and their ability to shift perspectives, heal long held wounds, and give clarity and newfound direction to the most lost of Souls.  Author Diane Setterfield, a like minded lover of words said, “There is something about words. In expert hands, manipulated deftly, they take you prisoner. Wind themselves around your limbs like spider silk, and when you are so enthralled you cannot move, they pierce your skin, enter your blood, numb your thoughts. Inside you they work their magic.” 

Of course, the simple wisdom within ‘Your Words are Your Wand’ are equally powerful.  In one passage Shinn espouses, “Man's word is his wand filled with magic and power.  So man has the power to change an unhappy condition by waving over it the wand of his word.  In the place of sorrow appears joy, in the place of sickness becomes health, in the place of lack appears plenty."

The point here is that or as much as we sometimes feel as though we have little control over our lives, there are several elements and tools which are such a powerful part of the experiences that manifest into our world. Our word is certainly one of those controllable factors we all share and that has a massive amount of influence in our own disposition, not to mention how much it has to do with the manifestations that appear in our experience. 

In fact, God himself told Abraham that his name was ‘I AM’.  And that whatever words were placed after those two words, literally send out a vibration of energy to the Universe as a declaration of who you think you are and your experiences become a direct correlation to that very pronouncement.  Makes you want to think twice before uttering flippant declarations in that manner doesn't it?!  LOL  And if it doesn't, learn to become much more aware of every word you utter to yourself and others and see the massive difference it causes in your life.  

Our words are such miraculous gift given to us all, and they have the ability to both empower and terribly injure in due nature. In fact, many believe that verbal abuse can be more damaging than physical abuse.  And for those of us who have been or are currently being verbally abused, we know the devastating effect words can have.  Why would we choose to use our words as form of hurt and pain, when our words are TRULY our wands and can be used in ways that create MIRACLES and to help others Re-member who they truly are!  What a wonderful world that could be!!   Right?!

So this evening I ask you in what new ways can you begin a daily practice of realization that our words are our personal magical wands, able to conjure transcendent amounts of LOVE, empowerment, confidence, connection, and belief in everyone we interact with on a daily basis.  And incorporate this incredible magical power within us all, to use our words as a form of transcendent action and energy toward one another ALWAYS and in all ways from now on.  



Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez

Do You BELIEVE In Your Own SUPERPOWERS...?!?!

TODAY'S INSPIRATIONAL “MYTHOLOGICAL MAGIC”

_____________________________________________________________

David Dunn: I wanted to ask you a question. It's gonna sound a little strange, just think about it for a second, okay? 

Audrey Dunn: Okay. 

David Dunn: When's the last time I was sick? Do you remember? 

Audrey Dunn: Um, I don't know. It's been a while. 

David Dunn: I haven't been sick this year, I know that. 

Audrey Dunn: Okay. 

David Dunn: Do you remember me getting sick? 

Audrey Dunn: Um... not a specific day. What - what's this about? 

David Dunn: Audrey, do you remember me ever getting sick? In the three years we lived in this house? In the old apartment? Before Joseph was born? Before we ever got married? 

Audrey Dunn: I - I can't remember. 

David Dunn: Don't you think that's kind of weird, not remembering one cold or a fever or a sore throat? What do you think it means?

~~  From the film UNBREAKABLE

Back in the year 2000,  director M. Night Shyamalan followed up his massively popular first foray into filmmaking, ‘The Sixth Sense’, with another movie that continues to gain its well earned fanatical fans.  This second film is called ‘Unbreakable’ and it may have been a little too ahead of its time during its initial release over 15 years ago.  But in our current pop culture fascination with the mythology surrounding superheroes and their arch villains, it's easy to understand why a film that was often subtly dismissed as ‘Sixth Sense-Part Two’ continues to build its rabid fan base.

For the uninitiated, ‘Unbreakable’ stars Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Willis and weaves a slow burning, yet riveting tale of a real life superhero whose powers are unearthed by the horrific tragedies  spun by the mind of a sociopathic madman.  Director and writer Shyamalan infuses the script with several opportunities to explore some hefty spiritual themes, such as broken love, the bonds between fathers and sons, and the tragedy of an unexamined life.  

And of course since I am a New Age Nerd, I am incredibly drawn to the manner in which the film portray's its central character's Hero's Journey.  It takes us on a man's path toward REBIRTH, and understanding the unequalled power in finding your purpose.   “Do you know what the scariest thing is?  To not know your place in this world, to not know why you are here. That's...that's just an awful feeling,” says Samuel L Jackson's character

Mr. Glass.  In this rare twist in the genre, the villain actually supports the hero in finding out who he really is as displayed when he espouses, “It's hard for many people to believe that there are extraordinary things inside themselves, as well as others.  I hope you can keep an open mind.”

I was powerfully reminded of this film during a recent coaching session with a client.  She was facing a serious dilemma that stemmed from her deep fear of flying.  Her husband was heading to Italy for a huge business affair and desperately wanted her to join him for the occasion.  Plus, how can you pass up an all expenses paid trip to ITALY?!  Right?!  

During our session, I found out she was a trained yoga instructor who was obviously incredibly passionate and proud of her profession.  And it became the perfect way for me to assist her in tapping into her own SUPERPOWERS to over come her phobia of flying.   As she was explaining to me how terrific and powerful she felt when standing in front of her students, teaching them the yoga principles   that meant so much to her, keeping them calm and focused, I knew it was the perfect time to jump in with a suggestion!  

“What would it look like, if you reframed this flight to Italy as a yoga job assignment.  What if you pretended that the airline was hiring you to be the superhero called YOGA WOMAN.  And it was your job to hold a space of peace and serenity for ALL the people on board the plane, ” I asked.

After several seconds of silence, she spoke up.  “Oh my gosh, Jeff.  That shifted everything for me.  I really think I could do that.  And I am even going to make a YOGA WOMAN costume with a big Y on my chest and everything.”

It may seem too easy (and trust me, not all coaching sessions flow like this) but that subtle shift in her own perspective flipped a mental switch that gave her the courage to take that flight and share a once in a lifetime experience!  It's a bird, it's a plane......no it's YOGA WOMAN keepin everyone sane!  LOL

Just as one of the messages in ‘UNBREAKABLE’, we all have a unique set of gifts and talents.  Many of which lie dormant for the majority, if not ALL of our lives.  And it's a damn shame!  It's our duty to share our SUPER POWERS with the world. That's why we are here!!

So I ask you, how much time have you spent trying to uncover the amazing parts of your rare talents and gifts?!  They are there.  WITHIN YOU.  Do you have the courage to search for them?!  Although none of us are Unbreakable, we are all blessed with special abilities worthy of any superhero!

Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez

A TRIBUTE To A Very SPECIAL FATHER.......

TODAY'S INSPIRATIONAL “MYTHOLOGICAL MAGIC’

_______________________________________________

Some believe that angels are ordinary souls who come into your life to help you believe in MIRACLES again.  If this sentiment bares any truth, than I met my first ANGEL when I was a young lad of just 3 years of age.   My birth father had abandoned our family while we were living out in California, leaving my mom with two small children, little use of her right arm from a horrendous car accident, and absolutely no money.  But as Napoleon Hill always said, “Within every adversity, every failure, and every heartache there lies within it a seed of an equal or greater opportunity.”

Opportunity comes in many forms.  And often NOT wrapped in the way we would have ever imagined them to be.  Such was the case with Roger Lee Poston!  I first met this slice of Heaven when my mom moved my sister and I from California to Washington DC shortly after my birth father left our tribe.  He was a young man of 25 and was friends with my mom's sister, as they were both teachers just starting out on their career Journey's.  Although we were in many ways an unlikely dynamic duo, it was absolutely ‘Friends at First Sight.’  He was a good ole' country boy from the pan handle of Virginia; think “The Beverly Hillbillies” sans the ‘Beverly’ part.  He had thick, curly hair and despite his very best efforts, a dialect that was laced with the Southern twang while growing up in a little town called Saltville, known as the ‘salt capital’ of the Confederacy during the Civil War.  His face was quite pale; in fact I always teased him that he had three colors: white, red, and redder!  LOL  Pop was short and stocky with forearms and calves that rivaled those of Popeye.  

His aesthetic contrasted greatly with mine.  I was super skinny with straight, jet black hair and olive skin.  I was also painfully shy and introverted (hard for anyone who knows me now to contemplate)
and due to the harsh traumas from early childhood TRUST was an emotion that felt foreign to my sensibility.  I had been surrounded and raised by women until this extraordinary man appeared in my life.  Suddenly, I was being introduced into the world of ‘guy stuff’ on a daily basis.  From comic books and Slurpees, to movies and batting cages, putt-putt golf and Spiderman early morning cartoons, the world suddenly exploded into a cacophony of glorious geekdom!  

And it wasn't just me, as he showered my sister, mother, and the rest of the Lapham clan with the same sense of love and reverence.  So when my mom set my sister and I down to let us know he had asked her to marry him, for the first time in my young life, my heart felt a sense of PEACE, and security.  I finally felt......... SAFE.  

I still remember the very first time I was able to garner the courage to call him DAD.   He was getting ready for work, and I paced back and forth just outside his bedroom door;  practicing all the while, the manner in which I was going to approach him about it.  I placed my ear up to the door and could hear him just about to emerge into the rec-room.  My palms were so sweaty and my heart was literally pounding out from my chest.  Until, the door opened and as he walked out of the bedroom, I tentatively stepped in front of him and looked him square in the eye.   

“I have a question for you,” I said in a hushed voice.  It took all the intestinal fortitude I could muster, my bottom lip quivering just a bit, before finally garnering the courage to ask “Is it OK if I call you Dad?”

He stayed silent for a few precious moments which seemed like a lifetime. He placed his right hand on my shoulder and said “Jeff, I have been waiting for you to ask me that for several years.  And there is nothing in this world that would make me happier!”  He then pulled me in for one of his well known bear hugs and he started to cry.  And then tears started from my own relieved core.

But it is what he said next that has been permanently imprinted into my reverence and Re-membramce of him.  “Jeff, just promise me one thing,” he said.  “Although I will ALWAYS consider you to be my son, if the day comes where you choose to try and meet Danny (my birthfather) I will always support you.  He was part of the process that brought you to me, and for that I will always hold a space of GRATITUDE for Danny in my heart, and I will until the day I die.”  Now it's one thing to utter such good intentions, but my Dad did something I consider to be one of the most powerful testaments of reverence I have EVER received. Despite many of the ugly acts that Danny brought about us in the years that followed, Dad NEVER once spoke even ONE word of judgement or ill-will towards him.   I knew it was out of respect and still ponder in a complete vibration of AWE whenever I think about this act of unfathomable reverence for a man who caused my family so much pain.   

I contribute SO MUCH of who I AM to this man of undeniable STRENGTH and authenticity.  He taught me what it means to live life as a MAN.  Here is just a sampling of his teachings to me:

~~  Never be afraid of your emotions Jeff.  One of the greatest signs of inner strength and courage is to not be afraid to cry.  In fact, I think as a whole, we shed more tears at the movies to fill an olympic sized swimming pool!

~~Women are the greatest gift to this world.  And should be treated as such.  If I ever find out you have mistreated  a young lady, I will ‘kick you through the goalposts of life.’   If you want to find out what that looks like, test me!   lol

~~ Don't EVER let anyone confuse your kindness for weakness.  They are NOT the same thing.  Buyer beware!

Looking back, my Dad was the very first Superhero I ever met.  Not only did he work two, sometimes three jobs to put food on the table, but HE NEVER CALLED IN SICK IN 40 YEARS.
I never ONCE heard him complain, even when I could see the toll of working 70 hour work weeks for over 30 years wearing him down to the bone.  He was a true warrior who lived a life that was completely personified by hard work and being of SERVICE always and in all ways.   

This may be hard to believe, but I never saw him buy ANYTHING for himself.  He was much more concerned with making sure his students had anything they needed, and was quick to think of others in a quick trip to the mall.  “Hell fire Jeff.  The only thing I truly need is the love of your mother, you and Sandy,” (my sister) was his superhero catchphrase!   

Always a man of his word, he never let me down ONE time during our 40 year relationship.  And he didn't even need a Batsignal.  His Spidey-sense was always set to surprise and service.  Back in 1997 when I spent almost a year in the hospital battling Crohn's disease, he came for a visit EVERY SINGLE DAY.  All while working two jobs.  And I mean it, Dad never skipped one day, always sneaking in a tasty treat or a comic book or one of my favorite films.  

So in 2013, when he was diagnosed with a rare and devastating form of cancer, I had no problem leaving my job and moving into my parent's basement to help with his massive amount of daily care taking.  Although he fought the dis-ease so valiantly, the cancer eventually spread to his brain.  And he passed away in December of the same year.  

I was fortunate enough to be alongside his bed while he passed away.  In fact, my mom, sister, aunt Rena, and my girlfriend at the time were all there holding vigil over him.  The manner in which he transitioned was as close to a MIRACLE as I have ever seen.  With only the use of one eye, he was truly able to connect to everyone there.  He stared lovingly at each of us as we said our individual goodbyes.  But when he got to my side of the bed, his one eye intently glaring into mine without blinking, I felt .....  Heaven.   His soul was almost fully there, while a precious piece remained so we could say goodbye.  While I leaned in close to him, thanking him for all the LOVE, support and guidance he poured upon me something magical happened.  I received a quick glimpse of a future period of NOW.  Without saying a word, he was communicating with me in a manner far more clear than using any type of vernacular.  The best way I can explain it, is to think of a portal opening up.  It contained images of what my life was to become.  And the message was crystal clear.  It was time for me to start committing to my own PURPOSE and beginning the next stage of my Hero's Journey.  I felt a sense of peace and KNOWINGNESS in that moment of what I needed to do.  

Dad  took three, slow, deep breathes, and then transitioned back into the LOVE of BLISS.  And although I was understandably sad, he had, in those final moments, given me the greatest gift of all! KNOWINGNESS.  It was time for me to use my pain and suffering to become a Wounded Healer.  And for once, I wasn't afraid to take that leap.  My dad showed me a glimpse of the support behind the ‘Curtain of Oz.’ and once taking the smallest sip from SOURCE energy like that was available to me in my dad's final breathes, I just KNEW the complete shift I was being asked to take in my life!

So today I honor you Dad.  I MISS you more than you can imagine.  And know you hear my daily prayers to you.  And I have the KNOWINGNESS that so much of the amazing miracles that have filled up my life in the last two months have been orchestrated by you.  

And to all the Fathers in the world, may today bring you a sense of your unmeasurable worth to us all!

Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez

Here Is The SOULution To Satisfy Your DESIRES.........

TODAY's INSPIRATIONAL “MYTHOLOGICAL MAGIC”

~~  SOCRATES       (WAY OF THE PEACEFUL WARRIOR)

~~ Morpheus       (THE MATRIX)

__________________________________________________________________

I'm currently in New York City and enjoying not only the unseasonably cool weather, but the almost overwhelming amount of things to do, see, taste, and experience on every imaginable level!  As those of you who have been here are quite aware, they could almost charge just for the people watching alone!  A cacophony of eclectic, well dressed, rich, poor, artistic, lost and found SOULS all trying to make their way through this thing called life.  Most in survival mode, others have the scent of a well worn life as they quickly pass you by.  

As Frank Sinatra said, “If I can make it in New York, I can make it anywhere.”  

But as soon as I walked back to my hotel and turned on the TV, images on almost every channel filled the screen of the tragedy in Orlando just a few short days ago.  One channel paid tribute by showing all 50 victims one by one, as an homage to their shortened lives and missed opportunities.  Not to mention all the loved ones they have left behind to mourn their loss and begin the slow process of healing and hopefully forgiveness.  

As I stared at each picture of the victims, tears filled my eyes.  I began to think of the great loss so many have suffered from such a senseless act.  And then something struck me quite deeply from Spirit.  It stemmed from the look in the eyes of those Spirits who have now transitioned back into the BLISS of LOVE.  There was a similar sense of PURPOSE in their glare.  They each came here for a reason, and although their Hero's/Heroine's Journey's may have been tragically cut short, I do not believe they died in vain.  The message that shined from these precious SOULS was clear to me.  And shook me to the CORE.  Our time here is precious.  And there is not one of us who knows how much of it we have left to fulfill our purpose.  

Our society has become so enraptured with distractions that keep us from our True Callings.  Social media, drugs, alcohol, chasing a false sense of notoriety.  All things that can block us from spending the time and energy on the ONLY THING THAT WILL TRULY FULFILL YOUR DESIRES.  Committing to your PURPOSE and following the Hero's/Heroine's Journey you came here to fulfill.  There is NO THING that can or will EVER compare to having the courage and making the daily commitment to share your gifts with the world.   Trust me!  I danced around my own calling for years.  And while I have no regrets, because all the confusion, pain, and suffering I now use as a Wounded Healer.  BUT, now that I have made that commitment, LIFE IS AMAZING!   And the magic of synchronicity surrounds me!  And I have a sense of serenity and peace like I have never experienced before.  I completely broke down, and then broke OPEN.  And when that transformation occurs, the only thing left to give is  unrelenting and unconditional LOVE.  Because nothing else matters. Ever!

If there is at least one thing we can learn from this horrifying incident in Orlando, it is the Re-membrance that the only way to combat Hate is with LOVE.  And the most powerful manner to do so, is through the following SOULution;  commit to your calling, your purpose, and then follow the ‘Yellow Brick Road’ that will unfold before you.  Look for the signs, they will form all around you!  I promise!  Just as Ernest Yeboah so wisely stated, “So many people live their lives not knowing the real and exact reasons why they live.  When you live life with a blurry vision, you live a blurry life.  Vision is life, and a life without vision is a dead life.”

If you truly would like to honor the memory of the victims in Orlando, commit to doing what they no longer can.    I choose to see this as a wake up call for us all to FINALLY stop chasing false idols, and being addicted to quick hits of happiness through materialism or any other forms of distraction.   How many more events such as this do we need to bare witness to before we BECOME THE CHANGE we wish to see.  WE ARE THE HEROES WE ARE ALL WAITING FOR!!  The world needs us to become Bringers of the Light, Wounded Healers, and share the gifts of acceptance, gratitude, and LOVE now more than ever!

Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez

A MESSAGE Of LOVE For The VICTIMS IN ORLANDO........

The time has come, no sense to turn away
Too many SOULS haven't the time to wait
Now Victims of Violence...senseless to see
Please God, tell us why do they hate?

Life is a Gift, you've told us as such
A magnificent time of illusion
But CHAOS now reigns..
Spreading such mass confusion...

‘Love thy brother as thyself...’
Your message so clear...
The streets filled with anger..
Our children all shuttering in Fear....

The visage of slain bodies...
Seen day after day..
No HERO to stop this...
But Faith that he's soon on his way..

Please stop for a moment...
And look deep inside...
For THAT is where this Hero
Must surely reside.....

We are the ones who must take charge...
And BE THE TRUE CHANGE...
To HELL with our Pride....
It's just in our range.....

We must help all Re-member..
The reasons we came...
So many have forgotten...
Now seeking fortune and fame...

Please stop what you're doing..
Whatever it may be...
To Reach out to those suffering..
A Beacon of light they can see...

Such madness is pointless..
Hurting our own kind...
Acceptance, Love, and Kindness
Must NOW always be top of mind....

by Jeffrey Louis Martinez


May the victims and their families of today's shootings in Orlando find a sense of Peace and 
Light to guard them through their darkness.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.  

We will not soon forget the tragedy you face.............

MUCH LOVE AND HEALING LIGHT,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez

Learn to Reframe Your Mistakes Into MISSTEPS.......

TODAY'S INSPIRATIONAL “MYTHOLOGICAL MAGIC”

______________________________________________

In a recent post, I wrote about the gift of receiving a DO OVER from the Universe.  If you haven't had the chance to read it as of yet, I suggest doing so before continuing with today's entry.  Typically, the reason we are given these opportunities are to learn from our ‘mistakes’ so that we can move forward with a renewed sense of purpose and understanding.  However,    for many of us, we are forced to face a series of DO OVERS that could have been superceded had we not been so wary of making the same ‘mistake’ over again.  It can paralyze us with fear and anxiety.  Stop us cold in our tracks from making authentic choices with the limiting beliefs that we are somehow JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH to make better choices this time around.  Life is just too damn short to spend too much of it in a vortex of resimulated patterns of circumstances and experiences until we receive the understanding and Re-membrance they were presented for us to grasp.  I have seen too many precious Souls with so much potential who waste great periods of their life paralyzed with fear and worry, too afraid they may make a ‘mistake’ and screw things up, yet again, rather than reframing their past actions as NO THING less than MISSTEPS along their Journey.

So what exactly is the difference between a MISTAKE and a MISSTEP?  A Misstep is when you take an action that is not of the highest choice for the given situation you happen to find yourself in.  But, RELAX, because that is precisely how we learn. And it is proof that you moved past your fear and gave something a TRY!    In fact most Missteps are unavoidable because we have never been in that particular set of circumstances before.  As the saying goes, “Life is 10% what happens, and 90% the way we show up in its wake to handle it.”  A MISTAKE can only occur when we make the same MISSTEP over and over again with no course correction.  Most of the time this is caused by the EGO, which either cases us to beat ourselves up or  refuse to take any responsibility for the action in the first place.  It causes energy of self-judgement and fear.

But we live in a society that demands perfection.  I recently had a rundown of my Godson's nightly homework assignments (He is only 10) and I needed a drink just to contemplate how such a young lad could handle such a massive amount of information!  Aye dios mio!!  We are taught at a young age the importance of ‘being right’ and social media has made it critical for us to show the world a persona sans any signs of imperfection!  

But as the great master teacher Yoda says, “If no mistakes are you making, another game should you be playing.”  And he is so right!  In fact, most of the world's great visionaries used this reframing to their great advantage.  Take Thomas Edison for instance.  He tried to make that bulb in his office light  so bright from electricity over 2,000 different times.  Yet, he refused to ever say he made a mistake.  Instead, he reframed these attempts as missteps, each one actually a revolutionary success.  Because each time the bulb failed to light, he knew he had discovered a way that electricity would NOT WORK!   How many of us would have gotten frustrated, embarrased, or fearful that we would never succeed in the endeavour if we were in his set of DO OVERS?!  My hand is up in the air, is yours?!  lol

As long as we learn from them, mistakes don't even exist.  Harold J. Smith said it best when he declared, “More people would learn from their mistakes if they weren't too busy denying them.”  Amen!  I believe your best teacher is your last MISSTEP!  If you take the time to listen, and learn from what it taught you!

What pains my own Soul, is the thought of how many great works of art, poems, paintings, songs, architecture, books, and relationships NEVER came to be because  of those individuals whose fear of taking action steps kept them from ever completing their Hero's/Heroine's Journey!  It's absolutely sobering to contemplate!  If only they could have had the foresight to reframe any perceived MISTAKE as simply a MISSTEP on their path to soulful fulfillment. 

Please do not be one of the special Spirits who came here to bring their magnificent talents and gifts to share with the world only to become stifled for fear of making a MISTAKE along your Journey.  Instead, remember MISSTEPS are not only allowed, but essential for our learning process!    For you are a perfect emanation of God and as long as you stay aware, he will guide your MISSTEPS into the Re-membrace of why you came and the BLISS you are here to share!

Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez

We Are The CURE For The EPIDEMIC Of LONELINESS.............

TODAY'S INSPIRATIONAL “MYTHOLOGICAL MAGIC”

_____________________

For the last five years, I have been following a woman I consider to be a Wounded Healer, mystic, visionary, and all around authentic Soul.  Her name is Dr. Lissa Rankin and her blog posts, speeches and books have very much informed my own Hero's Journey.  She is one of those rare individuals whose essence of KNOWINGNESS effortlessly imbues her work and shines through to those of us lucky enough to be aware of her prodigious talents.  For those who are still uninitiated, I highly suggest visiting her website www.lissarankin.com  But be forewarned, she pulls no punches and suffers no fools.  If you are one and ready for a form of self improvement that causes you to truly face your fears and limiting beliefs with a side of NO BULLSHIT, you will truly resonate with her teachings!

Dr. Rankin has been on the at large speaking circuit for many years, and has given several TED talks the last few years.  But something quite profound, yet not completely unexpected was expressed when she was asked by a panel what the next great medical epidemic that faces mankind, her answer was succinct and to the point.  LONELINESS.  She considers it to be a greater health threat than obesity, smoking, and drug and alcohol addiction combined.  Sobering stuff!! 

Yet, if you were to be honest with yourself, do you feel more lonely NOW than you did five  years ago?  I have the feeling the answer may be a resounding YES.  The technology revolution, while providing us with an amazing array of advances in communication capabilities, has also caused us to become alienated to each other in true, authentic, SOUL connected ways.  How many of you are using texting as your major form of ‘communicating’ with each other?  And are substituting Facebook and Skype chats in lieu of actually going to visit someone IN PERSON.  Don't get me wrong, some of these advances have actually made great strides in connecting people who would otherwise never have even met.  I get that!  I've gone on dates from it! (Though it doesn't make dating any easier..TRUST!)  

But there is a whole other side to the devastating amount of disconnection that has transformed our way of engaging one another in an organic and meaningful manner.  In fact, just the other night, I was at a restaurant and I kid you not, at least HALF of the tables were filled with folks who were ALL texting on their cell phones, seemingly oblivious to the other participants at their own table.  FRIGHTENING!  

“As a nation, we are embracing the digital revolution and, ironically, we are becoming a lonelier population. While there are many benefits of being participants in possibly the most relationally connected age in human history, the social media revolution has not made us feel more connected, less lonely, or replete with friends,” reports David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group.  In the same Barna report, they discovered that loneliness has doubled in the past decade.  

People who are subjected to long periods of loneliness are MUCH more susceptible to a malady of illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, dementia, and chronic inflammatory disease.  Not to mention skyrocketing increases in both clinical depression and anxiety.  

According to a research study by Psychology Today, “It turns out that fundamentally, long-term loneliness isn't about being awkward, or the victim of circumstance, or lacking opportunities to meet people. Each can be the reason for relatively short-term loneliness - anyone who has ever moved to a new town or a new school and had to start building a network of friends from scratch certainly knows what it's like to be lonely. But this kind of loneliness needn't last long, and new relationships usually are formed... unless you've fallen into a way of thinking that keeps relationships from forming.

More than anything else, the cure for persistent loneliness lies in breaking the negative cycle of thinking that created it in the first place.”

This is where we all have an obligation to take responsibility for this epidemic and its potential CURE!  AS the saying goes, “How can there be so many lonely people, in a world FILLED with lonely people.”  I suggest us all incorporating the Universal Law of BE THE SOURCE into our daily practice.  Essentially, this means to simply be the source of what you are seeking for others.  So for instance, the next time you are feeling lonely, think of someone in your life who may be going through a rough patch of their own and reach out to them.  And I DO NOT mean shooting them a text or writing them a Facebook post.  I mean picking up the phone and truly connecting with them.  Invite them out for coffee, or over to your place for a meaningful conversation, face to face!  You will be amazed at how much better and less isolated you will feel by taking these action steps in your life.  Not to mention spreading the same sense of connection with others!

Hopefully, we can all agree that life's greatest JOYS come from sharing laughter, memories, love, and happiness with others.  In fact, I would like to offer everyone reading this post a challenge.  What would it look like to pick up the phone over the weekend, and call an old friend or relative that you have not spoken to in over a year, and catch up on old times?!I believe your heart and theirs will be filled with GRATITUDE by making such a gesture!  I can attest to its transformative power by the many times I have done this myself!  By using the tool of BEING THE SOURCE, you call Spirit into your experience and with that comes the magic of miracles.  And right now, our planet needs the miracle of reconnection to help UNITE fractured relationships and disconnected souls in desperate need of the KNOWINGNESS that not only are they not alone, but that someone cares...........

Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez