Will You ASSIST In Lighting Our Brothers And Sisters UNIQUE PATH..?!?

Some say we are NOT our story...
And that CHAOS reigns supreme...
That life has no meaning...
Hiding in the Darkness unwilling to be seen..

Yet through the months of our calendar....
Pages are torn away day by day...
Our time in this dimension is finite...
There is NO TIME to feign....

Our scars are buried deep within...
They hide the transgressions befallen us...
Yet sins are to SUFFER for no reason...
So why do we hide our pain without HOLY TRUST....

A new HORIZON'S task is to shed LIGHT...
For each of us are such precious SOULS...
With a CALLING to unfold wisdom and GRACE...
And a Story from a Journey that is meant to be told....

Starting this day, let us hold a Divine Space...
A PROMISE to keep others' secrets safe...
For failing to accept the calling of your Soul...
Shields the Journey you are here to face....

For too many GRAVES are filled with stories untold...
And gifts and talents for we shall forever bemoan...
A crying shame that must happen NO MORE...
From this moment on will every soul's brilliance be shown...

This World is slowly changing...
As brothers and sisters we've chose to be KIND...
Our SPIRITS Light forever may shine....
So that Each UNIQUE path shall we always find.....


Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez

Read This to UNDERSTAND The UNBELIEVABLE Power of STORY..!!!

Today's Inspirational “MYTHOLOGICAL MAGIC”

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“THE DESTINY OF THE WORLD IS DETERMINED LESS BY THE BATTLES LOST AND WON THAN BY THE STORIES IT LOVES AND BELIEVES IN.”
~~  Harold Goddard  (LEGENDS OF THE KNIGHT)


When I first decided to launch The New Age Nerd,  of course I was filled with some amount of trepidency about how it would be embraced.  Would there be other people like me, who have found inspiring strength, motivation, and a sense of ONENESS with the world of Mythology, both old and new, the same way that it has captured and informed my spiritual guidance and passion for life.  From the response the site has received, I believe the answer to my question is a resounding YES!  

But I recently had the privilege to watch a magnificent and quite moving documentary called ‘Legends of the Knight’ that has eternally filled in any gaps in lapsed confidence about my mission.  In a relatively short running time of 1:15 minutes, it deeply and emotionally conveys the power of  not only BATMAN, but many of the stories and modern myths that fill our collective consciousness and have the ability to transform our thoughts and actions toward ourselves and others in compassionate ways.

The documentary begins with a moving story from Michael Uslan, the executive producer of all of the Batman films since Michael Keaton first donned the cowl and cape back in 1988.  Back in 2012 he was asked to give a speech to the graduating class of West Point.  Quite an honor, not to mention quite overwhelming.  He decided to frame his speech around BATMAN as he started, “ Bruce Wayne in committing to become a hero for good after watching his parents brutally murdered before his very eyes, by believing ONE person can make a difference, sacrificed his childhood to train his body and mind in becoming the BATMAN.  He became a Legend, an urban warrior.  Cadets of West Point, YOU ARE BATMAN!”  The graduating class before him jumped out of their chairs in complete unison, high fiving one another for several minutes.  Michael said it was one of the most magnificent moments of his life!  A true testament to the power of modern myth in our lives!

My own childhood was fraught with strife and confusion and that is when I began to find solace in the world of WONDERLANDS from all forms of Myth. TV, movies, comic books.  I couldn't get enough.   They inspired in me a belief life could be SO much than I was experiencing.  Myth became my entry point of self realization and spirituality.  In fact, Lydia Cerpa, a child family counselor was included in the documentary to express, “Stories with heroes help us in finding our true potential.  When a child starts to pretend with heroes they are actually creating new neuro-pathways in the brain that create new behaviors externally and internally as well.  Their brain begins to change .  Hearing a story wakes up something inside of you.  It can allow you to break through to your true potential by seeing alternate possibilities previously unheard of.   And when you see it through a story it becomes tangible because you think that could be me.”  YES!  And who amongst us New Age Nerds still doesn't try and use the Force just for shits and giggles every once and a while!  Be honest! LOL

Later in this fascinating exploration of the power of our modern day Heroes and Heroines there was another important explanation of this phenomenon from Jonathan Gotschall, the author of ‘The Storytelling Animal.’  He explains, “ What fascinates me about story is that we do it at all.  It's spectacularly improbable that humans would be this species that spends so much of our time on Earth in fabrication realities.  When I talk to my students, I ask them why do they spend so much time wrapped up in various forms of fiction?  Why do we like fiction so much?  They tell me it is because stories give us an escape.  That life is hard and it is an opportunity to go on a short vacation from the stress and problems of everyday life.  We can leave it unscathed and unchanged.  But, that is EXACTLY what the research is NOT showing.  The research is showing that the time we immerse ourselves in various forms of our favorite WONDERLANDS actually creates profound change in us.  This change comes on an emotional, and behavioral, and psychological level.  AND this can all be measured in a lab!”

We live in challenging times.  Not to be fear based, but there is NO denying the amount of various forms of carnage that fills our nightly news and daily papers, websites, and blogs.  This is NOT a part of our inherent nature.  We are after all ‘spiritual beings having a human experience.’  I believe we are all seeking a strong paradigm shift back to the attributes we find in many of our pop cultural myths.   Kindness, compassion, heroism, and respect towards all!  Why do you think SUPERHEROES have become a fanatical part of our current zeitgeist after DECADES where no movie studio would touch a comic book story with no matter the price.

In “Hunting the Dark Knight”, Will Brouker writes, “In popular culture there are times when anti-heroes and morally ambiguous heroes seem to be popular.  But I think the pure essence of superheroes, especially BATMAN, and why we constantly come back to them is about becoming someone better.  The strength and heart of BATMAN is about making a positive decision to make positive change in the world.  And I think that is a heroism we can all ASPIRE to!”

The documentary is filled with a myriad of wonderful examples of persons both young and old, who have used the BATMAN myth to help inspire, propel them to unimaginable heights despite enormous physical disabilities, and generally provide them with a Heaven sent HOPE!  Many of the stories brought tears to my eyes and even provided me motivation toward some of my own unfinished goals!  

I appreciated the fact that although the documentary strongly focuses on the undeniable influence of BATMAN on our culture, it also touches on the importance of STORY in general as a stupendous source of collective unity, understanding, and HOPE for so many.  I try and infuse The New Age Nerd with the power of STORY as often as I can as I believe, like Joseph Campbell, that our collective Story through MYTH is one of the most powerful gateways to our spiritual salvation on this planet.  Essentially, we all share the same story, and if we could just learn to acknowledge this on a deeper level, I believe the level of acceptance and unity in this world would be astounding.

That's why I loved this quote in the film by David Taylor from his book ‘Tell Me a Story’.
He espouses, “ I think the greatmess of seeing life through the lens of story is that I have the freedom to make real choices, I'm not determined by my biology, my gender, my history, or genes.  Those are all part of the story but at the end of the day, I have a choice to make and this is the most encouraging possibility of all.  You can be something other than you are if you wish to be.  You can be the GREATEST VERSION of who you are.”  Couldn't have said it better myself...so I won't!   :0)

At the end of the day, we are all seeking ways to move through this life with GRACE, HOPE, Peace, and Joy.   Us New Age Nerds get much of our inspiration and strength from the stories all around us.  But there are SO many paths back to the LIGHT!

For me, BATMAN has always held a special place in my heart and soul because he is the only superhero who is actually just a man.  His only real superpower is  his HUMANITY. And that is something we all have access to in becoming the Greatest Versions of the Greatest Visions ever held of ourselves.

Because the truth of the matter is.......    WE ARE ALL BATMAN

Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez

LEARN How To Play 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

It's TIME To STEP Out Of The DARKNESS and Into The LIGHT..!!

While I watched, listened, and soulfully took in the messages that so beautifully resonated from the recent # METOO convergence of communal fellowship that resonated from last Sunday's GOLDEN GLOBES, I was reticent to share MY OWN story..... A story that I know is shared by more MEN than will probably ever be truly recognized. After my birth father went to work one fateful day back in 1972, and never returned, I was placed in the care of individuals who unfortunately took advantage of me in ways that still haunt me to this very day. Yet, like so many other men caught in the web of sexual abuse, my lips remained silent for over four decades. I have NEVER considered myself a VICTIM or a SURVIVOR. For my WOUNDS have found a WISDOM that now are in service of so many of my clients and the community that is now known as THE NEW AGE NERDS. For those thousands who fatefully follow my blog, they are fully aware that I ardently BELIEVE that NO THING in life is EVER WASTED.... And I mean NOTHING... 

Every single one of us is a Hero/Heroine...on an individual JOURNEY and everything that we face is in SERVICE to our individual CALLING! As a spiritual coach, I teach a simplistic paradigm that consists of just two things. ACCEPTANCE and GRATITUDE! If we can get past our own judgements, and acknowledge that everything that manifests in our life was chosen by our Highest Selves for our Highest Good, we no longer stay in a victim consciousness. Everyone has a precious process of emotionally fleshing out that which we experience and I preach that we honor the dignity of that process. For any repressed emotions are unactualized spiritual lessons! And once we truly ACCEPT that which has been put in our PATH, we can walk along the shoreline with absolute GRATITUDE of the gifts that the storm has left behind. For these gifts are all in service of our CALLING!! If we have the STRENGTH and COURAGE to accept the adventure awaiting us!! For that is WHAT LIFE IS ALL ABOUT!!

I am in NO WAY trying to trivialize the horrors that SO MANY women and men have been forced to endure in the DARKNESS for much too long. But I am holding a SPACE that anyone who has faced these insidious transgressions can use their experiences as pillars of understanding and STRENGTH so that NO ONE will ever have to walk in agonizing SILENCE EVER AGAIN!!!

Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez

How BEING In ALLOWANCE Will Bring Your Dreams Into Your EXPERIENCE..!!!

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

Did You KNOW Why Your WORDS Are Your MAGICAL WAND..?!?

TODAY'S INSPIRATIONAL “MYTHOLOGICAL MAGIC”

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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

THE WORLD DEPENDS ON YOU READING THIS MESSAGE..!!!!

“And why do we fall, Bruce?  So we can learn to pick ourselves back up.”

Dr. Thomas Wayne to a young Bruce in Batman Begins

The month of October typically signals the start of my favorite time of the year.  On the East Coast, the harsh humidity of Summer transitions into clear, crisp days and the foliage on the trees turn into a menagerie of transcendent colors that frame every vista into the perfect postcard.   For us sports junkies, it's a treasure trove of goodies as the NFL season is in full swing, the baseball playoffs can be found on some channel almost every night, and both the basketball and hockey seasons are just underway.  Throw in the fact that it's my birthday month AND the Holiday Season is just around the corner.....just two words.......YES PLEASE!

But October of 2012 was not so much of a time for celebration.  In fact, it was one of the most challenging points of my life (And I've had plenty of them... just sayin' !)  I found myself in the unenviable position of being jobless, broke, and living in my parents basement.  If that wasn't tough enough, the Crohn's disease I had been battling since my early teens required biologic shots twice a month to keep me in remission, that without health insurance, cost three thousand dollars EACH!  No health insurance company would even discuss a personal plan, so I applied for disability coverage. Sometimes, you do what you have to do, right?!?After waiting for nearly six months, the official letter of disability denial came in the mail.  OUCH!


Believe it or not, things only got worse.  My little pup Nacho started peeing around the house like he was a firefighter in training.  A trip to the vet revealed he had become diabetic and was going to need two insulin shots a day to live.  And I can't stand needles.  Aye dios mio!!  To top it all off, a job I had really wanted, and went through an extensive interview process with, completely fell through at the last moment.  And if one more person tried to cheer me up with ‘This will all pass, Jeff,’ I thought I was going to go ballistic!  FYI, telling someone everything they are going through will ‘pass’ should be saved for stomach and gas attacks.  NOT a complete life meltdown!! 

Slowly, my heart started to sink and my faith completely crumbled.  Every facet of my life was a total disaster and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't see a way out.  Until one morning, 'Uncle D' (my not so affectionate name for full blown Depression) showed up at the front door, his bags in tow, giving me no signs of how long he planned on visiting this time. 

One late night, just a few days later, I found myself sitting on the edge of the bed, racked with an aching heart and soul.  The type of pain that makes it hard to breathe.  I didn't feel like a failure, because that word didn't seem large enough to handle my current narrative.  My mind raced from one insanely torturous thought to another.  All I knew for sure was that something had to change, or Uncle D would be taking me back home with him at the end of this stay.

As tears began to flow, I prayed to God to have mercy on me.  I needed a sign that life was still worth living.  I needed....anything.

A box of tissues were sitting on the top of a cabinet full of books next to my basement's bed.  I stood up to grab a handful, when the pristinely white jacket cover of ONE book on the shelf grabbed my attention with such an immediate intensity that it nearly started to lightly glow.  With over 300 like minded tomes in my collection, this phenomenon of a book 'calling' to me was not new.   But never before was it quite this consuming.

As I bent down for a closer examination, I saw that the book's title was Pathways to Bliss by Joseph Campbell.   Despite devouring books like this with a fervent passion over the previous 15 years, I had ironically never actually read anything by this author.  I had bought the book on sale at Borders several years earlier, after seeing an interview with George Lucas in which he talked about how much  Campbell's work had influenced his work on Star Wars.  Little did I know how much the book was about to change my life.

As I began to wipe dry my tear stained cheeks, I pulled the book from its resting place and brought it with me back to the edge of the bed.  Miraculously, my mind stopped its racing, and I was able to focus on the words I was reading.  He wrote about the attainment of Bliss, and how ‘the privilege of a lifetime is being who YOU are.’ 

But what absolutely struck at the core of my utter BEING was his explanation of what he has termed ‘The Hero's Journey’.    And how everything that life brings us is no thing short of EXACTLY what we need in order to fulfill our purpose here on Earth.  Of course I had heard of the Hero's Journey during my previous travels.  But this time, I REALLY HEARD IT.  Truly understood its meaning with a ferocity of acceptance and purposeful enlightenment.  I wasn't a failure.  In fact, ‘just the opposite’,  I thought.  If I had gone through THIS much suffering and pain so far in my life, then my Hero's Journey must be pretty frickin' big.  I had always believed I was here to be a guide to assist others on their warriors path, but now, I KNEW IT.  Big difference!!

So no matter what your current situation may be, there is HOPE.  In those moments of despair, please remember that there is a REASON for everything you are going through.  I PROMISE!  You are not alone.  That's what we are doing here, together.  Trying to help one another figure out why we are going through so much pain and suffering, and how we can channel it into our reason for being!  Through much trial and error, including HOURS of meditation, studying at the feet of my mentors and masters, I have come to understand that WE ALL HAVE THE EXACT SAME PURPOSE!!!  Read that last sentence over again!  Because that is as close to Universal Truth as I can currently provide.......    That our collective PURPOSE is being of service toward others with LOVE and Compassion.   Now, many of you may be thinking, “Are you kidding me?!  That's the grand answer to the greatest and grandest question all of mankind has asked?!?”  And the answer is a 100%...... ABSOFRICKINLUTELY YES!!  Now before you decide to stop reading and turn your computer off, let me add the SECRET SAUCE to this quandary.  Although we all have the same PURPOSE, one of the magical aspects of the human experience, not to mention the CORE tenet of The Hero's Journey is that we each have the opportunity in following our own unique CALLING!
Our CALLING is the particular manner in which we fulfill our PURPOSE.  And the world is truly our oyster when it comes to the plethora of variant ways in which we can choose our individual CALLING!!!  

For instance, here are just a few examples for you to ponder:  being a mother, a doctor, coach, teacher, leader, an entrepreneur, an architect...........   My point here is that the options are truly endless!!  Because there is no RIGHT or WRONG answer!!  In another post I will further flesh out the meaning and manner in which you can find your own CALLING.   But in today's post I will leave you with this........     Each and every one of us was sent here with one or even several CALLING's that are meant to share our one of a kind talents, gifts, and passions with the rest of the world.  No pressure...  :0)  It is perhaps the topic I am most passionate about as a spiritual teacher and coach as I BELIEVE with every sense of my being that the fastest way for us to raise the current vibration on this very troubled planet is if each of us were to wake up Monday morning and stop whatever we are doing(unless it is in complete alignment with our CALLING) and listen to our own HEARTSONG and have the courage to follow our CALLING!!  And if we haven't found out what our CALLING may be, that we either take the time to uncover it for ourselves, our find a coach, teacher, or mentor who can assist us on the most important Journey of our lives!!   THE WORLD NEEDS MORE HEROES......   NOW!!!  

I am also aware that not all of us can just quit our current occupations overnight.  And that we all(myself included) have responsibilities, bills, etc. that need tending to.  But I also inherently believe that if we at least begin the process of small action steps toward our CALLING, that all of our Spirit Guides and God's most potent angles will flood into our space of experience and create MIRACLES to assist us in our JOURNEY!!  

I have a deep KNOWINGNESS that this may be the only way to turn around the tipping point of disaster that we are on a collective journey toward on this planet..........As I write this, the wind chill temperature in Washington DC is -20!!   That's right.    -20!!!   This after weeks of horrendous fires that threatened the very suburbs of Los Angeles in which I lived for over a decade!   And I refuse to even broach the current state of our own political system, which threatens to completely squash the American Dream forever!!

Before I bring today's post to a close, I want to leave you all with the trust that I know that the entire New Age Nerd Community has the insight, courage, and strength to start off the New Year with the INSPIRATION to begin the process of both finding and FOLLOWING the CALLING that resides within your Soul!!  The WORLD is depending on us for its salvation...       And despite what the so called experts may be declaring, I KNOW IT IS NOT TOO LATE!!    But, there is NO time to spare....   It will take the SUPERHERO within us all to change the tide....      I don't know about you.....BUT I STILL BELIEVE!!!!


Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez