Why KNOW-LEDGE is Perhaps the Greatest SUPER POWER...!

The power of inspiration, on the other hand, comes from Knowledge. It cannot be influenced. It is immune to this kind of persuasion. Even a Greater Community set of skills used against an individual strong with Knowledge would not be effective in changing their perception, their understanding or their experience. The influence would be felt, but it would be recognized as a perpetration from the outside.

Marshall Vian Summers

A couple of years after I moved to Los Angeles, CA, I began attending Wednesday night services at a non-denominational dojo of pure dynamite known as AGAPE.  Agape is Greek for "unconditional love."  And boy was LOVE dispersed there like cotton candy at a local town fair!  This harmonious haven is led by Dr. Michael Beckwith from the movie The Secret.  They truly smashed the proverbial bowl when The Grand Creator went and blew him off a cloud in heaven.  He has some of the most infectious energy I have ever been around.  And when he really starts channeling "spirit" he starts to sound just like Chris Rock.  Wanna see for yourSELF?  Go check out one of his many videos on YouTube.  I am quite sure you will be super glad you did!  

One particular evening while I was studying with a group of like minded friends and him at this temple, a young woman in the small crowd raised her hand. Dr. Beckwith was in the middle of a sermon on how to manifest more in your life.  With great zealous enthusiasm she jumped up out of her seat and asked the following question, "So what do you do if you really, really like fresh squeezed orange juice?"  (Small giggle from the rest of us)  To which Dr. Beckwith responded, "Well then you go buy the fresh squeezed orange juice."  She bounced back with, "But the fresh squeezed orange juice is three times more expensive than the non squeezed.  And I am on a tight budget being an actress in training."  Dr. Beckwith's reply has been like a gymnast, totally "sticking the landing" within me ever since!  With a wild and wicked declaration said, "Well then, you better KNOW, that you KNOW, what you KNOW!"  (Bursts of laughter from the crowd)

It actually took me a few years to completely understand exactly what he meant. He was casting out to us the importance of understanding that KNOWINGNESS is the most important part of our collective creative prowess. It's the state of unwavering GRATITUDE that comes from truly believing that whatever it is we have "asked for" is on its way!  And so learning to be thankful for it even before you can SEE it.  For seeing is NOT believing.  LOL  Believing FIRST is the key to unlocking the bounty of blessings that are our very birthright.  See the difference..  ;0)  In that very moment, he was trying to enlighten this woman to the idea it would be in her best interest to KNOW that more money was coming before buying that orange juice.  As long as she completely believed that fact, than why not go ahead and get the best orange juice out there?!

And just as mastering the art of KNOWINGNESS is crucial in our growth process, so is the attainment of KNOW_LEDGE.  As the old saying goes, true power comes from our repertoire of all which we KNOW. And that's why the typical millionaire reads two to three books each and every month.  Yes, even after they've seemingly "done it all."  ESPECIALLY after they have! For they understand what got them to that state of abundance in all its forms.  It was their KNOW-LEDGE. And then putting that knowledge into daily action with complete knowingness.  For the answers to all that you seek to manifest into your earthly experience lies within that simple formula!  Always has been that way, and it will NEVER change.  Trust!   ;0)

That's why I tell all of my clients the process I will coach them through is actually quite simple. Deep. But simple. The work we do on the "inside" is very similar in vein to the work we do on the outside.  With our physical bodies.  It's learning to shift the energy within you from CATABOLIC (destructive) to ANABOLIC (Empowering and expansive) in nature.  Presto, chango!  Ta da!  I'll be here till Thursday.  Don't forget to tip your waitresses! LOL

Unfortunately our education system is set up in such a manner that the great majority of our "learning" happens by the time we finish college.  Such a travesty, isn't it?!  The secret sauce between those who thrive in life and those who simply eek out a meager survival is their KNOW-LEDGE base. You may be thinking, "Aw come on now Jeffrey!  Some people were just born with a silver spoon in their mouth.  That's why the rich just keep on getting richer and the poor poorer."  But the reality is that during and after "The Great Depression," the true pioneers of our time were mostly self made men who acquired and developed the KNOW-LEDGE others did not. Then the few who actually put that KNOW-LEDGE into well thought out plans and daily action steps became the iconoclasts of our time!  Napoleon Hill's entire life's work proved this to be true. Please read his amazing book, Think and Grow Rich, to get inspired to this truth!

SUPERHEROES IN TRAINING TAKEAWAYS:

Here are some of my favorite quotes on the importance of KNOW-LEDGE:

“Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.” 
― Albert Einstein

“To attain knowledge, add things everyday. To attain wisdom, remove things every day.” 
― Lao Tse

"Read in the name of your Lord Who created. He created man from a clot. Read and your Lord is Most Honorable, Who taught (to write) with the pen. Taught man what he knew not.” 
― Anonymous, Qurʾan / القرآن الكريم

“Never regard study as a duty but as an enviable opportunity to learn to know the liberating influence of beauty in the realm of the spirit for your own personal joy and to the profit of the community to which your later works belong."

~Albert Einstein

"The way of success is the way of continuous pursuit of knowledge."

- Napoleon Hill

So what exactly is KNOW-LEDGE?!  Let's break up the word into two halves. The first segment being KNOW.  To "know" is to be of absolute certainty.  No doubts. BOOM!  But are you aware that the meaning of LEDGE is to extend? So, by very definition, KNOW-LEGDE means to "extend KNOWINGNESS" out into the Universe!  The greater your personal KNOW-LEDGE, the more powerful your vibrational energetic offerings.  The more you KNOW, the more the Universe will GROW.  Hey, I made a little rhyme there. Catchy, huh?! LOL And by knowing YOU and the Universe are indeed ONE, that means as the Universe expands, so does your personal energetic essence.  It's the most perfect symbiotic relationship imaginable.  And we all know how much we are possible of imagining! But you can only extend that which you already have within you. So, doesn't it make simple sense to try and acquire as much KNOW-LEDGE as possible each and every day?  I'd sure as hell say so! 

Here are some supreme suggestions on how to further expand your own KNOW-LEDGE:

1. Start creating a book list. Perhaps begin by asking people who have had an inspirational influence upon you what books they would recommend.  Re-member success leaves a trail.  Become a hound dog and sniff those trails out for yourSELF!

2. Join MentorBox. For just 10 bucks month, you can join one of the leading online book clubs in the world. I joined two years ago and I LOVE IT! Their proprietary system allows you to fully customize the manner in which you digest all the material of the books they have in their massive collection. They even have the books broken down into video based segments done from the authors themselves. It's basically an electronic "cliff notes" for the too busy to read set. 

They are constantly adding new books into their collection too.

They even send you e-mails whenever they are having live Master Classes with authors.

Super cool stuff!

3. Become aware of FB and Instagram advertisements produced by authors who are literally giving their new books away.  All you have to do is pay for shipping and handling. (typically 5-7 bucks) Yes, you may have to click through a "funnel system" as they incite you to add more products to your order, but you simply press NO to each request.  Easy peezy!

4. Look to join local book clubs.  My sister is in one here in Northern Virginia and adores her time spent there each month.  And she has made some terrific new friends ta boot!

5.  Check out MindValley.  They are an online "Global School" whose goal it is to transform the world through KNOW_LEDGE!  They offer a gi-normous amount of completely free master class trainings on every subject you can think of.  It's a great new place for you mind to call home. 

And since I am always asked about my own personal favorite selection of know-ledge filled tombs, I'd like to give you my top 25 list of the tomes that have made the biggest impact on my life.  I urge you to check out any that "jump out" at you!

So here is my list of the TOP 25 titles (all available on Amazon) that I believe would make excellent additions to any New Age Nerd's bookshelf:

1)  Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsh

2)  Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav

3)  Beyond the Secret by Dr. Lisa Love

4)  Callings by Gregg Levoy

5)  Pathway to Bliss  by Joseph Campbell

6)  The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield

7)  A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle

8)  Power vs Force by David Hawkins

9)  The Four Desires by Rod Stryker

10)  Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankel

11) The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

12) The Secrets to the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker

13) God I AM by Peter O Erbe

14) Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

15) A Course in Miracles by The Foundation for Inner Pece

16) Bringers of the Dawn by Barbara Marciniak

17) The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell

18) Manifesting Change by Mike Dooley

19) The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz

20) The Power of Intention by Wayne Dyer

21) Soulshaping by Jeff Brown

22) The Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman

23) The Way of the Superior Man by David Deida

24) Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

25)  The Magic of Believing by Nido Qubein

Of course, Scripture is oh so very sacred.  I did not include this on my list because I feel its truths encapsulate all KNOW-LEDGE!  

I was watching an episode of Oprah's Super Soul Sunday Live from NY last evening.  And Melinda Gates (Bill Gate's wife) was a guest.  She said other than health care, the most important thing we lack in this world is equal opportunities of education.  She stressed how important KNOW-LEDGE is to creating a world in which everyone is treated as equal.  PREACH,  Mrs. Gates!

So what are you waiting for?  That boob tube can be used as a powerful tool for further education, but what would it feel like to know that you are expanding both yourSELF and the Universe as a whole by searching out vessels for your own advancement in all things KNOW-LEDGE? I strongly urge you to not only drink a gallon of water a day for your body.  But please do not forget to "water your mind" everyday by stretching your capacity to learn!  Gotta scoot.  Tons of books are calling my name.....................

BE SUPER HEROIC!

Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez

For more information on my 1 on 1 Signature Coaching Programs,
please email me:  Jeffmartinez@thesuperheroscoach.com

MYTHOLOGICAL BLISSFUL BOOST: X-MEN Days of Future Past....!

Professor Charles Xavier is exasperated over failing to work his central system called Cerebro again after so many years. He has slowly fallen into a deep depression and has given up all HOPE in both himSELF and all of humanity. His team of fellow X-Men are trying to assist him in one last ditch effort to get the professor to Believe again!

Hank McCoy: I'll go check the generator.

Logan(Wolverine): It's not the machinery, is it!

Charles: I can't do this!

Logan: Yes, you can!

Charles: No, I can't!

Logan: You're just a little rusty.

Charles: You don't understand, it's not a question of being "rusty!" I can flip the switches, I can turn the knobs, but my power doesn't come from here [points to his head], it comes from...here [points to his heart]. And it's broken. I feel like one of my students. Helpless. It was a mistake coming down here , it was a mistake freeing Eric, this whole thing has been one bloody mistake! I'm sorry, Logan, but they sent back the wrong man! [Xavier starts to leave]

Logan: You're right! [Xavier stops, surprised to hear him admit this] Actually, it was supposed to be you. But I was the only one who could physically make the trip. And, uh, I don't even know how long I've got here. But I do know that a long time ago-well, actually, a long time from now-I was your most helpless student. And you unlocked my mind. You showed me what I was, you showed me what I could be. I don't know how to do that for you, you're right, I don't! But I think I know someone who might. Look...into my mind.

Charles: You saw what I just did to Cerebro! You don't want me inside your head!

Logan: [amused] There's no damage you can do that hasn't already been done, trust me!

Charles: :[reads Logan's mind and see his torture at the hands of Weapon X, his fragmented memories, the death of Jean Grey, and his hard life.] You poor, poor man.

Logan: Look past me.

Charles: No, I don't want your suffering, I don't want your future!

Logan: Look past my future! Look for your future. That's it. That's it.

[Charles reads Wolverine's mind and appears in the future, where Professor X awaits him.]

Professor X: Charles.

Charles: Charles. [looks around to see the dire situation that both mutants and humanity face with the Sentinels in 2023.] Is this what becomes of us? Erik was right. Humanity does this to us.

Professor X: Not if we show them a better path.

Charles: You still believe?

Professor X: Just because someone stumbles and loses their way, it doesn't mean they're lost forever. Sometimes, we all need a little help.

Charles: I'm not the man I was. I open my mind up and it almost overwhelms me.

Professor X: You're afraid. I remember. And Cerebro knows it.

Charles: All those voices…so much…pain.

Professor X: It's not their pain you're afraid of. It's yours, Charles. And as frightening as it may be, that pain will make you stronger. If you allow yourself to feel it, embrace it, it will make you more powerful than you ever imagined. It's the greatest gift we have: to bear their pain without breaking. And it comes from the most human part of us: hope. [shows Charles his school for Mutants, his own compassion, what he fights for which helps ease his past self's mind.] Please, Charles, we need you to hope again. 

HOPE! The Universal salve that when applied to our self doubt causes a magical remedy of inexhaustable perseverance that can move any mountain.  Hope builds our dreams, and carries us through the pain of our greatest nightmares. It allows us to see with TRUE PERCEPTION what others say cannot be accomplished! It is the very backbone of our inner will and intestinal fortitude to keep going against any odds stacked against us. 

Hope gives us the capacity to see that things happen FOR us and NOT TO US! And so we learn to fight on for another day. This time with more wisdom and hard fought knowledge. There is very little of significant nature that would have been created in this Earthly realm were it not for the steadfast application of "Heaven Sent Hope."

That's why SUPERHEROES, the ones you and I came here to be are so vital to our planet's continued vitality. At their very core, they offer us a valiant HOPE!  For when we are confronted with the most challenging of obstacles and challenges, the HOPE we carry in ourSELVES and all others will always prevail! Heck, the "S" on Superman's chest even stands for HOPE! 

In fact, I truly believe there are only two things stronger than FEAR; LOVE and HOPE! Sans none!

For when stared down directly in its eyes, FEAR becomes an unconscious coward. It is the "Devil's Mistress." And stays only when the party is to her liking. Chaos cocktails are her libations of devilish delight. And once they are in short supply, she leaves without even saying goodbye. Like an entitled, egotistical diva.

Yet HOPE never strays from our side. EVER! It will seek us out in the darkest of our nights. And pull us back into the light of our eternal essence. It will shield us from our own certain demise by re-minding us Who We Really Are! Especially when funds are running low, and bills are piled so very high. It injects into our imaginations the possibilities of all that can and will BE! If we just remain HOPEFUL!

The great Victor Frankel, while enduring the horrors of life in a Nazi concentration camp, discovered firsthand the extraordinary power of HOPE! He captured its empowering nature in his time tested tomb "Man's Search for Meaning." In one passage he writes, "The prisoner who had lost his faith in the future — his future — was doomed. With his loss of belief in the future, he also lost his spiritual hold; he let himself decline and became subject to mental and physical decay. Usually this happened quite suddenly, in the form of a crisis, the symptoms of which were familiar to the experienced camp inmate. We all feared this moment — not for ourselves, which would have been pointless, but for our friends. Usually it began with the prisoners refusing one morning to get dressed and wash or to go out on the parade grounds. No entreaties, no blows, no threats had any effect. He just lay there, hardly moving. If this crisis was brought about by an illness, he refused to be taken to the sickbay or to do anything to help himself. He simply gave up." As soon as all HOPE in the camps had been internally relinquished, so to was the will to carry on. 

But when even a just a spark of HOPE is kept burning within us, all things are possible! For she who carries the shards of HOPE within her being, shall sip from the chalice of Christ Consciousness. And his worries shall vanquish to the seas of serenity for all times. And your dreams shall carry the cherished vitality of valor! The welcomed appreciation of service done unto others, for you carried the belief in your own "God Given Powers!" Through the darkest of nights your torch burned brightly for all the world to see. An inspiration that now gives others the permission to do the very same on their Superhero's Journey! And create a world worthy of Heaven on this Earth!

BE SUPER HEROIC!

Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez

Here's HOW To HARNESS The Super Power of CHARACTER ...!!

Yesterday, I was watching an episode of Super Soul Sunday and a horrifying fact was presented that stopped me in my spiritual tracks.  It had to do with a recent Harvard University study that asked 10,000 high school students the following question.   If your parents were asked what mattered to them more, good grades or being nice and kind to others, what would they say?  And do you know that 80% said that their parents would say grades without hesitation.  Are you KIDDING me?!?  I literally became sick to my stomach while watching this part of the episode.  Not to mention extremely saddened by what I was hearing.  Mind you, in many ways I wasn't surprised, as we have become such a hyper competitive society where the “Best of the Best”  are rewarded and given the royal treatment and the key to many of their dreams while the rest of us search for the left over morsels and scraps.  

The episode profiled David Brooks and his book ‘The Road to Character.’  His humble demeanor and obvious self awareness won me over instantly.  “I wrote this book to save my own soul. I was born with a natural disposition toward shallowness.  I now work as a pundit and columnist and blowheart, to volley my opinions, ....I have to work harder than most people to avoid a life of smug superficiality,” he writes.  

He recalls an experience he had in Frederick , MD where he met with a group of women in their 50's and 60's who all taught immigrants English.  Over taken by their compassion and kindness, and the manner in which they accepted him with love and joyful openness had a deep effect on his Soul.  And this began a transformative change in his life.  His inner being was shown glimpses of the LIGHT that surrounds us all but is taken in and shared by few.  

According to Brooks, Fame is the new definition of character.  Which is in and of itself a declaration of our society at its basic level in our current times.  That same Harvard study asked how many people thought they were  going to be famous and the answer was 80%.  Compared to just 10% back in the 1950's when the same same survey was done.  The times they are a changin!! And much of it stems from our lack of true integrity and CHARACTER!  

So what are the basic tenets that make up a Character that we can all strive towards in our daily lives. While some of Brooks answers to this question are quite basic, they are pragmatic and useful as well. For instance, he says one commonality he sees in people of great character is “consistency over time. Despite lust, greed, or hunger,  the things that lead one's character are long term like honesty and courage.  They can be counted on over time.”  

Accurate self awareness from a distance is yet another tenet Brooks thinks is missing from our current generational makeup.  We are all in competition for fame and noticeability.  Hello KARDASHIANS!!  “The noise of fast and shallow communications makes it harder to hear the quiet sounds that emanate from the depths.   We live in a culture that teaches us to promote and advertise ourselves and master the skills required for success , but that gives little encouragement for humility, sympathy and honest self confrontation which are necessary for building character,” he declares in his book.

Even our vernacular has changed dramatically over the last 50 years.  A study done has shown that words like kindness, humbleness, gratitude, and honor have dropped over 60% in our daily usage.  SCARY!!  Yet economic terms have risen by over 80%.  

The episode also highlighted individuals who helped build this country on the backs of their moral character.  People like Doris Day, who dedicated her entire life toward helping those in need.  Paying herself no salary throughout her entire life.  Don't get me wrong, there are indeed sweet souls on our planet who use their every ounce of BEINGNESS in the name of service.  But like chivalry, it is slowly becoming a relic for our history books rather than a new generation of individuals who we can write stories about in our current tales of moral character and integrity.  

“What suffering does is it takes us below the everydayness of life and reminds us we are not who we think we are. It carves beneath what is the basement of our soul, carves through the floor and reveals the cavity below.  It introduces us to ourselves.”

New Age Nerd readers know that this principle is something I espouse in most of my daily blogs.  That is through our suffering that we gain our selves.  That our pain leads to our power, our wounds heal to reveal our wisdom.  And in my humble option , this is the beginning stages of true CHARACTER.  To have the strength to face our own demons having NO idea what lies on the other side.  But having the FAITH to travel to these dark and morose places anyway, with the KNOWINGNESS that our purpose is seeded within the darkness.  Those with the greatest CHARACTER have the ability to face these shadows knowing that the end result will be their ability to help and assist others to do the same.  

Let's stop playing the Fame game.  The Shame game.  The Fear Game.  And start building back the type of individual CHARACTER that can be one of the saving graces of our current times.  What do ya think?!?  Can you think of ways that you can improve your character in ways large and or small and be an INSPIRATION for others.  If I may suggest one thing, it would be to put our priorities in order.  The POWER of Love must TRUMP (wink) the Love of Power.   Secondly, please re-member always and in all ways that the ONE thing people will re-member about you is the way you made them feel. You may be the only bible, torah, koran in human form or authentic connection of kindness they have experienced. It's the smallest gestures of kindness that keep the darkness of this world at bay.... 

Let me ask you to ponder another question. Are you following your passions?  How much time are you spending toward actions of service toward Re-minding others who they truly are and what they truly have the ability to be.  Stop trading time for a paycheck from work that does not serve you.  Or others in any real meaningful way.  And be an example of the type of CHARACTER that allowed this world to flourish during times when there was much less money and technology than we have today..........


BE SUPER HEROIC!

Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez

New Year...... Time to START Practicing GROUNDED SPIRITUALITY...!

I want to shed some light on the type of philosophy that the New Age Nerd adheres to with regard to all self actualization work- GROUNDED SPIRITUALITY.  Through the daily practice of grounded spirituality, I have become much more attuned to the nuances of being both Here and There.  And by that, I mean being connected to SPIRIT as often as possible, yet still allowing for the resonation of earthly illusions in my experience.  I always share with my coaching clients the following:  Allow yourSELF to "dip" your toes in the illusionary pond of EGO/SEPARATION.  Just enough to deeply feel the astonishment and awe that is the true purpose of all forms of "Separation." For instance, you can only experience the fanfrickintastic emotion of making someone LAUGH, if there is "The Other" who is NOT laughing!  We get ourSELVES into trouble when we actually "DIVE" into this illusionary pond.  For then, IT/EGO/SEPARATION becomes our reality.  And then we must try and 'find our way back home.'  Yikes!


And that is why we are all here, right?!    To slay the proverbial ‘dragons’ along our path toward finding the "Holy Grail" of our Hero's/Heroine's Journey!  Kinda tough to do that when we refuse to acknowledge that ‘dragons’ even exist.  LOL   Perhaps John Lennon said it best, "I believe in everything until its disproved.  So I believe in fairies..The myths..Dragons.  It ALL exists, even if only in your mind.  Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the HERE and NOW!"  Amen and mic drop by one of the most connected Spirits to ever grace our planet!

During my life, I have attended numerous churches of various denominations.  You name it, chances are I have investigated whether it was for me.  I have studied at a plethora of organizations from the East Coast to the West.  All searching for something that made sense, resonated deeply within my heart and soul, and that when put into practice, worked on a consistent basis.  In doing so, I think I was trying to create an "Energetic Paradigm" that personified my inner knowingness.   And guess what?  During this journey I found out I wasn't the only who had come up with the term "Grounded Spirituality."  There are several I am quite sure.    In fact, in a book I absolutely adore and highly suggest anyone of our ilk read, called Soulshaping by Jeff Brown, he writes, “...my philosophy of grounded spirituality started to concretize.  I call it Ascending with Both Feet on the Ground.  It is the idea that our ascension to heightened consciousness can ONLY be sustained it if is an embodied unfolding from the the ground up.”  What a terrific definition.  

I believe we are meant to courageously engage it ALL!!  Every juicy emotion, challenge, fear.  All the pain, struggle and strife! "WE," created all these bounties of blessings for purposes of expanding our own level of consciousness.  For instance, "Pain is The Perfect Professor!"  The wisest of us never resist it.  NO!  We let it in and allow it to stay until it has taught us the gift it came to share!   We are all HEROES and are built for pain.  As we are victim-LESS vessels for abundance in all its forms.   Laughter, joy, compassion, wisdom, patience, understanding, and especially LOVE!!!

In his terrific tome, Soulshaping, Mr.Brown goes on to give more details of his journey and how he had a great lesson about spirituality from one of his mentors, the wonderful teacher Ram Dass.   After years of neglecting his body on his spiritual journey, he suffered a horrible stroke.  Pre-stroke, he preached that ‘we are not our body’.  A very common pronouncement in the realm of spiritualists.  His post-stroke experience, which he called FIERCE GRACE, shattered that notion.  This self named -stroke of good luck- grounded him as he later stated, “I came to appreciate, that as wonderful it is as a practice, ‘I am not of this body’ is only half the truth. The stroke brought me squarely in touch with the fact that, although I am certainly more than my body, I also am this body.”  Boy can I relate to that!  During my time with a colostomy bag, cleaning my own intestine several times a day, if anyone had told me,  ‘You are not your body’, I would've flung poop at them like a chimp at the zoo!  I'm KIDDING....kinda!  ;0)

So here are some of the basic tenets of how Grounded Spirituality has come to serve me and many other truth seekers I know.  But please always remember, that as the book A Course in Miracles states,  “There are many paths back to God.”

1-  Feel Your FEELINGS and Emotions
When I first started to passionately engage this world of self actualization, it seemed as though there was this taboo like energy towards many common emotions;  such as anger, and sadness.  Some of the practices I was learning about started feeling robotic in their teachings.  Not to mention unrealistic in trying to sustain a Zen like stature 100% of the time.  I started to feel guilty to express or admit when profound vibrations of any emotion outside of LOVE would bubble up inside me.  Worse still, I began to try and force others through their times of troubles by reframing, or spouting a newly learned spiritual epithet.  There is a funny story behind what got me to finally change my "ways of wisdom."  

There is a wonderful place called AGAPE in Los Angeles, which was attended by me and most of my like minded "Super Friends" every Sunday for years.  Agape in Greek translates into unconditional love; and it is a true non-denominational "Sanctuary of Spirit" for those of us on this path back toward SELF.  During a weekend trip to Napa Valley, one of the friends in our group was going through the initial stages of divorce, and definitely having a boat sized explosion of various emotions. (Thank God for wine! lol)  Rather than allowing her to truly feel her grief, I started in with a reframing soliloquy that was sternly met with,  “I swear to God, Jeff, don't you dare try and F&ckin Agape me right now."  I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.   Although that line became a long lasting re-membrance in our group about giving each other the respect and dignity of our own emotional process,  it also taught me a profound lesson.  I started to acknowledge the power of our feelings, and that NOT being in ALLOWANCE of them is doing yourSELF and others a great disservice.  An insult to the GOD MIND!

And ya know what?!   When I  started allowing myself to fully enter into my own emotions, for a given period of time, I usually came out the other side with a new perspective, or plan for moving forward.  I began to understand that feelings are one of the most powerful tools we have to assist us in navigating our unique path. They are indeed the fuel that revs up our energetic offerings to the Universe.  Think of your emotions as - Energy in Action-  always!  They are truly the "Guide Posts Back To The Soul."  And a crucial part of our manifesting prowess.   So rather than "Apape'ing" myself or others, now I remember that repressed emotions are actually unrealized spiritual lessons.   Just DO NOT make a Broadway Show out of them.  Cause nobody wants to buy a ticket to an event that has outstayed its welcome!  


2-Honor Your Body

Yes, we all know that this body is temporal.  It is ours for a finite time.  But it is also a precious gift.  That's why it is called the Body Temple.  It is sacred in that it houses our SOUL/SPIRIT while we are here.  As the book God I Am declares, “There were billions of other Souls around the Universe vying for the ‘ticket to ride’ that was given to you!”  That's right, YOU are that Unique and Special.  Everyone here already won the lottery!  So while you are here, be grounded enough to care for the body which brought ya!

3- Don't Take Yourself Too Seriously

By this, more than anything else, I mean learn to laugh at yourself.  This field is filled with people who take themselves so seriously.  Lighten up!  We all make miscues, are infallible, and poop in our pants. (Or is that just me ?!  lol)  I have found that you will actually relate to more people with your story and message, when you can learn to laugh at yourself.  In fact, it is a proven fact that laughter has cured more illness than all the medication this planet has ever produced! Plus, vulnerability is sexy as hell!

4-  ACTION is Always Necessary

When The Secret first came on the scene with its teachings of  "The Law of Attraction," there was this huge -Wishful Thinking- movement in the self realization world.  People actually started believing that they could simply sit on the sofa and think about money, and that checks would suddenly start appearing in their mailbox.  I believe it truly started doing damage to the real understanding of the Law of Attraction (The Law of Attraction is but one of several Universal principals by the way) and in my experience, caused a ton of frustration and disillusioned spirits in our community.  

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 daily 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 an enlightened manner in which to weave  "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.  Although I do not believe in absolutes.  I KNOW we can DO BOTH!!  Holla!  Just like the Universe, we have absolutely NO LIMITS or boundaries whatsoever.  The sky is not the limit.  It's simply the beginning of your true super powers!!

5-  Stop with The Shame Game

This is perhaps the "secret sauce" toward living from the space of your Super Heroic Higher Self!    First and foremost, let me remind you of a very profound spiritual principle that is often a challenge to understand and accept.  Yet it is crucial to do so!   That being, YOU CANNOT MAKE A MISTAKE.  That's right, it's Universal Law.  Now before your inner monologue starts to go all manic trying to get your head wrapped around this concept, let me offer some more tangible context to this principle.  We make decisions in the moment based on what we BELIEVE to be the best choice given the combination of our options at the time and our individual needs and thoughts surrounding our current circumstances.   Combined with our level of consciousness at that "point in our NOW!"  That DOES NOT mean that our actions don't sometimes cause certain consequences and painful experiences  in our lives and the lives that our actions/thoughts/deeds affect.  I know this is a very difficult Universal law to grasp, especially given the horrendous actions that we have been forced to witness in the past few years, from Columbine to Orlando.  And I am in NO WAY condoning those acts of brutal violence and unconsciousness.  And these are EXTREME cases of course, but they inevitably come up when this concept is introduced to any individual or group.  The point I am trying to clarify is there are a plethora of internal, external, societal, and familial beliefs and patterns that inform the decisions we make at any given time.  This is VERY IMPORTANT to Re-member.  Bottom line, we do the very best we can in the moment in time we make any decision.  I often share with my clients to always see "The Other," through the lens of your Inner Innocence. (I explain in great detail how to do this in the post of the same name.  Check it out!)

Guilt you see, is the feeling of remorse or regret that contradicts our own personal values.  And guilt can actually be used in a myriad of constructive manners to help us change some of our more disempowering patterns or belief systems that no longer serve our highest good.  It's a marvelous tool to use in conjunction with a DO OVER(I wrote a post about DO OVERS a few weeks ago that you can refer back to if you like!) to make more informed, mature and healthy actions! 

Shame on the other hand is the "The Ego's Mistress!"  Just a destructive emotion and a feeling that can slowly eat away at your core sense of SELF.  “Beast be gone, I say!!”  I love Bene Brown's explanation of this parasitic emotional virus and its cohort.  “Based on my research and the research of other shame researchers, I believe that there is a profound difference between shame and guilt. I believe that guilt is adaptive and helpful – it’s holding something we’ve done or failed to do up against our values and feeling psychological discomfort.  I define shame as the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging – something we’ve experienced, done, or failed to do makes us unworthy of connection. 

I don’t believe shame is helpful or productive. In fact, I think shame is much more likely to be the source of destructive, hurtful behavior than the solution or cure. I think the fear of disconnection can make us dangerous.”   BRILLIANT!  

I like to say that GUILT is feeling bad about that which we have said or done, and SHAME is the illusionary belief that WE ARE THAT WHICH WE HAVE DONE.  It causes us to mistakenly believe that we ourselves are not worthy, unlovable, and there is something wrong with us.  YUCK!   Do you see the Gi-normous difference between the two?!  And since we now understand that we cannot make a mistake, there is no reason for us to BELIEVE that WE ARE that which we have done or said.  We live in such a SHAME filled society, that along with loneliness is one of the great destructive epidemics facing our collective consciousness.  And this habit of SHAMING ourSELVES and others has got to stop!! 

I ask all New Age Nerds to do yourSELVES and all others a favor starting right NOW!  Be kind and compassionate to ALL!  Help those around you suffering from the malady of SHAME to Re-member to forgive themSELVES.  And by "forgive," I mean the process that is for-giving you and others back to your Super Heroic Higher Self!   It's perfectly OK to transcend your SHAME into guilt for learning and growth purposes, so long as you do not forget that you are NOT that which you did or said.  That type of thinking causes more depression, personal disconnection, anxiety and self hatred than all the combined miscued diets and relationships in the world!  

Please Re-member, you are a perfect and unique emanation of SPIRIT.  Here to spread your profound and one of a kind set of super powers with the world.    And there is NO THING you can do to change that!  And if that doesn't give you cause for relief than I don't know much that will!! :0)

I hope this gave you a richer understanding of GROUNDED SPIRITUALITY and how it can be used to empower and guide you on your own Hero's/Heroine's Journey!

BE SUPER HEROIC!

Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez

HAVE You Hit ROCK BOTTOM... FANTASTIC! Learn WHY!!

I have a voracious appetite for biographies.  It started around my late 20's when I had gone through the first, of what eventually became many "Rock Bottom" periods of this experience called life. Not that misery loves company in my book, but from an INSPIRATIONAL standpoint, I love to learn how far down the rabbit hole someone had to fall before they picked themselves off the mat and rebuilt their life.  It gives me hope and a fervent vigor that if they can do it, so can I, damn it! And so what have I ascertained from the comeback stories of so many iconoclasts and spirits of great reverence?  I have learned that HITTING ROCK BOTTOM IS THE GREATEST THING THAT WILL EVER HAPPEN TO YOU!  So if that is where you currently find yourself to be, BRAVO!  And if anyone happens to inquire about your current set of circumstances, may I suggest you simply smile and say, "Right now I just happen to be in between life successes!"  You are EXACTLY where you are meant to be! Now I am the first to say that being in this temporary situation is by no means easy!  In fact, it can be quite harrowing and even down right brutal at times.  But as the creator of the billion dollar Harry Potter franchise has repeatedly stated, “I built my entire life from the foundation of being at rock bottom.”  And utter LOVE.......

For those who don't know her story, she was a single mom, completely out of money and close to losing her home. One day, sitting in a cafe and in a state of utter desperation, she wrote down the basic outline for Harry Potter on a napkin. Even though she had never written a novel in her entire life. (and she was in her late 30's)  As we all now know, she has become one of the richest people in the world!  And her story is FAR from unique.  There are countless stories of individuals who have hit rock bottom only to scale the heights of abundance through blood, sweat, perseverance and plain old determination.    

Before fingers start being pointed in my direction, regular readers of The New Age Nerd know a great deal about the times I have hit my own version of Rock Bottom.  And I must admit, when you are in the middle of the storm, it can feel downright awful. As if life's oceans are bombarding you with spiritual shards of painful pieces of a life that now seems shattered beyond repair. And your FAITH seems to be no where in sight. For rather than dipping our toe into the illusionary pond of illusion, we JUMP RIGHT IN, sans any bathing/birthing suit.  For when life brings us to our knees in this fashion, it usually means that we area about to birth a MIRACLE! And the birthing process is an arduous one. As any mother of such daunting deeds will fully attest to. ;0)

But as part of the process, you go through a period that I like to call a BREAK OPEN. Others call it a BREAK DOWN, but I prefer to transcend that limiting energetic offering by deeming it a BREAK OPEN.  Because I have come to the realization that your own heart uses this period to completely shatter itself into something that can later be rebuilt!  Into a perfect painting worthy of any artist's awe and inspiration! And when this transformation occurs, the only thing that pours out is complete LOVE!  It is very much like the process that a caterpillar goes through during its transformation into a butterfly; for once that miraculous process occurs, THERE IS NO GOING BACK! And the collective whole of each precious soul sharing expanded loving energy will eventually reconnect with the Grand Creator herSELF!  All to assist in the grand expansion that this Universe is currently desiring! How frickin' cool is that!  We are all Superheroes collecting shards of expansive love in a 'Billion' different forms. All so that this Universe and the Grand Creator who gave it birth, can experience the passion, joy, kindness, peace, wisdom, and blasts of bliss filled LOVE that will forevermore expand the energetic force of creation to newly filled heavenly heights! NO PRESSURE MY TEAM OF SUPERHEROES!

It is usually during this time that we begin the process of understanding our purpose.  Because as I have repeatedly stated in this blog, we all have the exact same purpose.  Which is to flood this world with a 'Billion Buckets of Love," all through being of service toward ourSELVES and all of mankind!  And so once our heart breaks open, the Love that gushes out can be channeled toward the manner in which you choose to share it! It's all part of the Superhero's Journey..........

However, this period of our collective Journey will at times be filled with gut wrenching pain and soul crushing loneliness! And we will feel periods of angst imbued with the loss of everything that has come to define the existence of anything we once believed defined our individual reason for BEING.  And during this Earthly period of transformation, we let go of those things that no longer serve us.  This can be in the form of friends, relatives, jobs, and lovers.  Not to mention old belief patterns and paradigms that formed the old foundational systems of our life "pre-Break Open!"  And that is not an easy process!  It's also why so few divine earthly SPIRITS hear the call of their own Soul and pick up the phone to answer the voice on the other side. That soothing voice that will guide your individualized Spirit back toward its earthly mission!  

In my experience, and those of so many I have coached, heard and read about, the gifts that come from the courage to hit 'Rock Bottom' and never give up are almost too many to list. Here is the short one:  compassion, wisdom, empathy, patience, strength, perseverance, and remembrance of their earthly MISSION!  Pretty groovy stuff if you ask me.  :0)

Even the Bible has its allegory for the magic of being broken open! Jesus the Christ would often BREAK bread before performing a miracle. And that is when the bread would multiply to feed thousands!  I believe this is because it was his way of showing us that we must first be broken wide open before our own miracles can be birthed into the earthly experience.  After every single time he conjured a so called Miracle, he finished his Earthly deed with the following magical mantra. "One day, this, and SO MUCH MORE, one day, you too shall do!" Please think about that for just a moment! Still doubt in your ability to move any and every mountain that stands before you...?!

As we grace this experience of having our own 'Break Open,' it is absolutely crucial to have a good support system in place. For there are times in which you are going to want to give up and throw in the preverbal towel. This is when it is so important to have a group of fellow spirits who will step into the darkness and pull you back into the light after the pain you feel has finished teaching you the lessons it came to bring! If you are struggling to find a fellow friend to assist you......please write my own name down!  My Super Heroic beacon call for all fellow Spiritual Gangsters is jeffmartinez@me.com  Just sayin'....I answer EVERY single email I receive......   ;0)

One Gi-normous reason for that is because I have come to learn that there really is no such thing as a Breakdown......   Instead, I have come to realize that there are only Break Opens!  And they occur when our lives hit absolute ROCK BOTTOM!  Which I have hit on more than one occasion. But, once again, hitting ROCK BOTTOM is one of the greatest opportunities for Spiritual Awakening that we can experience in this three dimensional earthly realm!   

As they say the TRUTH (proof lol) is in the pudding and I have personally witnessed the power of spirit that floods into our existence when we suffer what I now deem a Break Open! When we hit a period of absolute ROCK BOTTOM, which if truth be told, more of us experience than we are willing to admit!

And if this is the direction in which our life has taken us, all through a myriad of possible outcomes and experiences, oh too many of us surrender to our Ego and look for a way out of our PAIN!  Yet, if we just have the courage to SURRENDER to our authentic self in the form of our Divine connection to source energy, we can begin to rebuild our lives with PURPOSE, and begin the process of finding our life MISSION!  For while I DO NOT believe in ABSOLUTES, through over 20 years of personal self actualization acumen, and over 10 years of working with coaching clients, we often hit a time period of ROCK BOTTOM that coincides with our spirits readiness to Break Open!

To quote Gabrielle Bernstein from her transformative memoir SPIRIT JUNKIE, "Hitting bottom and surrendering was the best thing that ever happened to me.  It cracked me open and led me to hear the voice of my ~ing again.  The willingness to hear this voice was all I needed to receive the guidance .  The Course(in Miracles) teaches that with the slightest willingness you will receive guidance from you inner guide.  Our relationship with our~ing is like having a mentor or teacher.  The ~ing's sole purpose is to guide us back to love." 

And THAT my fellow NEW AGE NERDS is what this post is really all about!  

For when you are truly in a vibration of ACCEPTANCE of life's torrential down pours which have brought you down to your nightly knees, it is actually the greatest opportunity for you to have the Courage and Faith to Break Open!  And trust me when I tell you I speak from personal experience!  The process of surrendering to Spirit and allowing yourself to completely Break Open is perhaps the most transcendental experience that the Universe provides us in this dense realm! For when we lean into this experience with all our heart and soul, the only thing that pours out of us is the willingness to love ourselves and others!  I'm not saying it's a painless experience, but nothing worth while ever is on this side of SOURCE! Life is NOT meant to be easy. But rather meaningful and imbued with LOVE filled purpose...............

And through this process of Breaking Open, we find that the other side is full of what I call Blissful Boosts!  Now it doesn't happen overnight, but trust me when I say that IT DOES INDEED OCCUR!  For as soon as you make that shift from Fear (EGO) to LOVE, miracles begin to flood into your daily experiences. And life begins to take on a feeling of MAGICAL PROPORTIONS!  People who are in a similar vibrational energetic pattern begin to seemingly appear out of thin air!  Special spirits who want nothing more than to support you and hold you in a space of love and light! I call them your 'Soul Pod!' New business opportunities show up as we take daily action steps towards the life we truly desire. Our health begins to burgeon with healing hands. And this experience we call LIFE no longer feels like a daily slog!

Rather, it becomes a daily opportunity to experience pure BLISS!  And after all, isn't that what we are all seeking...?

BE SUPER HEROIC!
BE LOVE - SERVE ALL- ALWAYS INSPIRE

Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez

The SUPER POWER Of COMPASSION Is The Victorious Vehicle For LOVE....!!

When we find ourselves in the position of having what I call a ‘Break Open’, which is to have been brought to our knees in an act of graceful SURRENDER, the remnants that are left over in the ritual of after effects are filled with nothing less than unadorned LOVE.  In my teaching of the Hero/Heroine's Journey, I believe this to be one of the most transcendent moments in your life.  And a big part of that reason is because of the COMPASSION that this LOVE represents as it comes gushing out of our healing Spirit looking to do good in the world!  Our job is to find a way of Com-ing From Passion(Com-passion) to funnel that fervor of joy, wisdom, and LOVE out to others. 

Passion is God's way of saying ‘Hi!’  And COMPASSION in my belief is the way we spread the Godliness within to ourselves and to each and every person that crosses our path.  For when we come with passion in everything we do, we also learn so many other things.  Jack Kornfield teaches that our Western Culture has produced a society of both loneliness as well as self hatred.  Why?!  Because the first stage of COMPASSION is understanding.  It is learning to LET GO of the stories we have been told and imprints our psychological being.  Every day is a miraculous chance to start over and Re-member who we truly are; which is nothing less than a perfected emanation of Infinite Intelligence and Source energy.  To let go of the shaming, blaming, and judgment that the ‘others’ in our life have needlessly projected onto our own sense of being.  For most of us, this causes years if not DECADES of painful habits and life choices that mimic the projections of our precious past.  It shows up in the choices we make in our friendships and especially our deep intimate relationships.  Basicially replaying our past over and over again trying to desperately heal a past that was NEVER a part of our own sense of reality or own BEINGNESS to begin with.  We make up stories to help make sense of the painful imprinting we received throughout those oh so many years of our life.  

The second part of COMPASSION is tearful healing through acceptance.  It is allowing our tears to flow freely as a way of bathing our pain from our bodies.  We may NEVER completely heal all of the transgressions from days gone by, but we can certainly learn to allow them to live within us in a much more tranquil and peaceful manner.  Acceptance can be a tricky traitor.  We can fool ourselves into thinking we have truly moved into a state of acceptance in our stories of who we believed ourselves to be, when we are actually just creating a new story that frees us from truly facing our pain.  Examples would be creating a reframing that it is our fault that created our painful past and making excuses for others that free THEM from their responsibility in the co-creations of your experiences together, but NOT YOU.

To truly accept, we must create a space of mindfulness that encompasses recognition, investigation and forgiveness and acknowledgement.  And this is when we live in a state of pure presentness with ourselves and others.  We must acknowledge things for what they TRULY ARE, and not what others tell us to accept them to be.  Through investigation, we learn to free ourselves of the stories that others have been telling us about ourselves, so we can be in allowance of healing these false and limiting beliefs for ourselves in a process of FORGIVENESS.  First and foremost we must for-give ourselves before we can for-give others.  And for me, this process of FOR-GIVENESS is much different than what is taught in most organized religions.  I believe Jesus the Christ's idea of for-giving had nothing to do with blame.  It was not an idea about pardoning someone for a transgression ‘done unto us.’  It is transcending this paradigm into the understanding that no transgression ever occurred.    What transpired is that the other has temporarily forgotten who they are and it is our opportunity for-giving them back to themselves.  To hold a space for them of the miraculous being they truly are until they re-member this for themselves.  How does that difference in meaning FEEL to you?!?

Once we are TRULY past the point of acceptance in the deep resonance of our Spirit, the next step is GRATITUDE.  It is the ability to now see the gifts and opportunities that our pain and suffering actually provided us.  Now that the storm has passed (at least THIS storm) we can walk calm and mindfully along the shoreline and see the gifts that have been left behind and washed up along the sand by Spirit.   These gifts can then be used for the greatest quality that COMPASSION offers us.  Which is the ability to see others exactly as we see ourselves.  With empathy and connection.  Sans any sense of separation.  WE ARE ALL ONE becomes our calling card and motto always and in all ways!!

Compassion allows us to remember not only who it is that we truly are, but others as well.  It transcends any sense of separation and creates acts of fully integrated inclusion of all races and genders into ONE BODY OF LOVE!!

But buyer beware!!  Some teachings believe that COMPASSION is a mind taught to free others of their pain and suffering.  I believe this is in no way, shape, or form what the highest version of COMPASSION can or should be.  As an example, if we try and help a butterfly looking to free itself from its cocoon, that beautiful being will die.  Why?   Because it needs to struggle and use its strength to spread the fluid through its wings that is needed in order for it to fly.  Without this struggle, that butterfly will cease to BE.  In the same way, we must often struggle through our own pain and sufferings in order to conjure the wisdom, courage, and understanding that comes from walking into the darkness of our fear and pain!  So please DO NOT confuse the meaning of compassion with trying to eliminate the process of someone else's process of suffering.  You are actually doing them an injustice by doing so.  Instead, it is my suggestion to use your compassion to assist someone in the understanding of the reason they are going through their dark night of the soul.  So that they never feel as though they must traverse this valley alone. And that there indeed will be someone waiting for them with loving arms on the other side of the birthing process they are going through! After all, REPRESSED emotions are unactualized spiritual lessons........

BE SUPER HEROIC!

Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez