PROOF That ANGELS Surround US... But HOW Willing Are YOU To SEE....?

 

"There is a story in the Talmud about a king who had a son who went astray. The son was told, 'Return to your father.' The son replied that he could not. The king then sent a messenger to the son with the message...'Come back to me as far as you can, and I will meet you the rest of the way.”

~~Reuven  (THE CHOSEN)

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As you obviously now are quite aware, The New Age Nerd celebrates all things that encapsulate the transformative nature of the Superhero's Journey.  Thankfully, the rest of the world is now catching up to the prescient nature of Joseph Campbell's teachings.  Musings imbued with the type of magic only words can provide; that espoused each and every one of us is on a very unique yet equally important path with a purpose and individual CALLING.  One of my favorite quotes of this man so full of accumulated wisdom is, "The greatest privilege of a lifetime is being exactly who you are."  NOBODY has ever had the exact set of challenges, experiences, setbacks, roadblocks, and heaven sent gifts to CONQUER them as have YOU.  The following passage from Campbell's ‘Pathways to Bliss’ has always inspired me to transcend my own particular set of struggles.  A warriors mindset setting forth the deep desire towards a blazing ‘Mission to help the Masses’, especially when funds are running rather low, and my external situations seem overwhelming to the point of waving the white flag of surrender to a life of service......

Here is a story that seems to me to embody the essential image of living one's life, finding it and having the courage to pursue it. It comes from an Arthurian romance, La Queste del Saint Graal, by an anonymous thirteenth-century monk.

There's a moment there in Arthur's banquet hall when all the knights are assembled around the Round Table. Arthur would not let anyone start to eat until an adventure had occurred. Well, in those days adventures were rather normal, so people didn't go hungry for long.

They were waiting for this day's adventure, and it did indeed occur. The Holy Grail showed itself to the assembled knights - not in its full glory but covered with a great radiant cloth. Then it withdrew. All were left ravished, sitting there in awe.

Finally, Gawain, Arthur's nephew, stood up and said, "I propose a vow to this company, that we should all go in quest of that Grail to behold it unveiled."

Now we come to the text that interested me. The text reads, "They thought it would be a disgrace to go forth in a group. Each entered the Forest Adventurous at that point which he himself had chosen, where it was darkest and there was no way or path."

You enter the forest at the darkest point where there is no path. Where there is a way or path, it is someone else's path; each human being is a unique phenomenon.

The idea is to find your own pathway to bliss.

~~  Joseph Campbell  (The Pathway to Bliss)

And as much as my geeky passion for the larger than life examples of Heroes and Heroines that fill our multiplexes and nightly preside over our high definition TV screens, it is easy to overlook the GRACEFUL and SUPER HEROIC actions of the individuals who cross our paths every day. They seek no fanfare from anyone, nor do they think of themselves as anything resembling the stories that myths are transcribed from.  Yet, it is the cumulative energy from all these SPECTACULAR SPIRITS and their always active Love Lights.  The lights that express the eternal soulful expansion that is the true essence of why we are all here and hold the code of The Superhero's edict--

BE LOVE - SERVE ALL - INSPIRE ALWAYS !

One extremely cold winter day back in 2016 ( the greater DC area had just been hit with a two foot blizzard), I had the privilege of experiencing a humbling, yet equally extraordinary example of the visceral impact from true super heroic power in action stemming from the most unassuming of places; an angelic caretaker of one of my mom's dear friends.  

My mother had been diligently care taking for her friend Kate for nearly a decade.  During which time her health had slowly declined from a pastiche of ailments including MS, diabetes, and most recently, the loss of her right arm. She had no family around to aid in her daily care taking routine. Without judgement, let's just say there was a huge disparity between the quality of care Kate received. Mostly dependent upon which member of her carousel of a care team showed up each day. All to treat Kate and her substantial physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.  

On this particular morning, my mom, as part of her daily routine, stopped in to check on Kate and found her to be, as per usual, in wonderful spirits.  Despite her debilitating life situation, Kate was often seemingly oblivious to her own barrage of pain and suffering. But helping matters that day were brought upon by her (and our) favorite caretaker, Maleka. A tiny, unassuming woman of Indian descent who engaged Kate with true compassion, grace, and absolute joy filled dignity.  Although a low hourly wage worker, one would think she was Kate's daughter or sister in the manner of delicate and deliberate LOVE she spread during her weekends with her. She patiently did Kate's hair and makeup. And was the only member of her care team that took the time to buy and prepare Kate healthy meals.  Not to mention the soft manner her words usually overtook Kate, mimicking a serenade between lovers and friends.  Always engaging her with words of support and devotion, rather than ‘duty’ and ‘down talking.’

On this particular day, prior to leaving Kate's morning visit, my mother stopped Melaka, grabbed her by the arm and said, "You are truly an ANGEL on this earth.”  To which Maleka humbly replied, “ I am NO angel.  An Angel would be someone who would care for Kate if she were her enemy.  And I LOVE Kate.”

Upon hearing this story, I was immediately awestruck.  Nearly dumbfounded and emotionally charged with the feelings of "What if, and if only.' For what a world of transcendent glory could it be if only we committed to living by and through those words. For they would indeed challenge the heart of even the stingiest of GRINCHES to grow three larger sizes.  And it also reminded me of yet another luminary quote coined by Campbell, “At such moments you realize you and the other are, in fact, ONE.  It's a big realization.  Survival is the SECOND law of life.  The first is that WE ARE ALL ONE.”  Something the World seems to now gleam as little more than a light in our collective rearview mirror....

Traditional MYTHS and legends throughout our history have served as ‘teaching tales’ for humanity.  We learn and are reminded of courage and compassion, humility and goodness, fear and heroism, life and death, and everything in between.  It is my hope that this small story of MYTHOLOGICAL proportions in my nerdy eyes, may be one that does that for each and everyone we share it with.

Because it is precisely these little known TALES that contain the spiritual guidance and remembrance that can INSPIRE us all to live our lives as the Superheroes and Superheroines we were always meant to be!

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

Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez

STOP Worrying So Much.....LIFE IS NOT A TEST...!

 

One late night back in 1997,  when I was in the hospital for the third straight month with major complications from a colostomy surgery due to Crohn's dis-ease, a priest walked by my darkened room.  I turned my head and my sullen eyes connected with his softened glaze. He had been making rounds into my room for weeks, during which time we had built up a mutual bond of warm confidence and safety.  He asked me if it was ok to come into my room. I softly shook my head yes and he slowly walked toward me.  He brought out his bible and laid it out on the tussled sheets of my bed.  He asked me if it was ok for us to have a serious talk.  In too much pain to offer any bouts of pushback about what he may say, I said, “Of course, Father.”

He sat pensive for a moment, as though he was asking Spirit for the words to share with me.  He then grabbed my right hand and squeezed it ever so gently.  What he said next still deeply resonates within me and was a turning point in the constant construction of my life's self actualization paradigm. Leaning in close, he softly uttered, “Jeff, I don't know why certain people are meant to suffer.  And I have seen you suffer more than most. What I can tell you, is that God is testing you my son.”  

While I certainly appreciated his attempt to offer me his LOVE, support, and kindness, his words just DID NOT ring true for me.  After he read some passages from the bible and blessed me, Father left to visit other patients. And I spent the next few hours, prior to the sun's rising, pondering upon the words he had whispered.  I knew that if I had a child, there is NO conceivable way I would put them through the many years of torturous suffering I had endured as a way of “testing” them.  In fact, it almost made me angry.  

The next few days were incredibly daunting.   My mind kept pondering that night's engagement with Father.  I knew that his intention was absolutely imbued of pure LOVE, but facing the endurance test of a several year battle for your own life causes one to go deeper.  There is NO meaning left in simply “punching in and punching out” with life's daily time card.  

About a week later, after my mid afternoon meal (though an IV bag of course..  Yummy!! LOL), a young boy about 8 years old passed by my room with his parents close in tow.  They peered in, and the young lad asked me if I would like to challenge him to a race.  He was fraught, skinnier than a fritter on a frying pan, pale as Casper the ghost, and completely bald.  Although hooked up to an IV machine, he carried it with such grace, as if it were Harry Potter's magical staff.  

I felt like HELL and was in an enormous amount of pain. However, the courage and strength that this young SUPERHERO radiated, instantly imbued me with the gumption to hop out of bed and walk towards him.  His parents profusely apologized for their son having disturbed me.  I assured them that it was no bother what so ever.  I slowly bent down and asked him his name.  “Peter,” he excitedly said.  “And I know I can beat you in a race down the hallway!”  Never one to back down from a challenge, even from an 8 year old, I excitedly said,  “ You bet!  We are both going to need to get our strength back for when we get out of the hospital. ”  

At which point, his mother touched me on the shoulder, and slowly shook her head NO as a small tear strolled down her face.  I knew exactly what she meant.  Peter was not going to be going home.  He was obviously dying from cancer.  It took every ounce of conviction I had to keep from breaking down right then and there. I took a few deep breaths of composure and addressed Peter again.

“Ok, Peter, you're on.  Let's race down to the edge of the nurse's check in office.  Whoever gets there first shall forever be known as the Race Champion King of George Washington Hospital!”  Peter's parents began a countdown and then we were off to the races.  I began with a quick burst, and then slowed down to let Peter catch up to me. And eventually let him beat me by a couple of feet.  I have witnessed kids on Christmas morning who were not nearly as thrilled as Peter was in that moment of his BLISS.   He began spinning and dancing, and waving his arms in the air.  And then, Spirit created an opening of KNOWINGNESS that stays imprinted within my Soul to this very day.  

LIFE IS NOT A TEST

God wasn't TESTING me all those months in the hospital.  He was showering my soul with the exact experiences I needed to learn how to be a Wounded Healer!  And the Universe has continued to bring such experiences into my life.  And although they have been beyond brutal at times, I BLESS THEM ALL!!  I wouldn't be half the teacher, philosopher, and coach were it not for every single experience that has been brought upon me!  Thank You Spirit!

We aren't made to suffer and be utterly challenged because God is trying to TEST us. We are perfect emanations of the Divine Spirit HerSelf!  We have absolutely nothing to prove. And I do not believe that God has one judgmental aspect to his BEING!  All of life is a grand set of Blissful OPPORTUNITIES.  As Napoleon Hill said, "Your biggest opportunity stands exactly where you stand right NOW.”  For instance, one of the most emotionally thrilling moments of my life up to that moment in time became the OPPORTUNITY of letting little Peter experience the feeling of winning our race that day nearly 30 years ago!   Without our pain, suffering, and challenges, we would not be given the opportunities that carry with them the majestic medals of wisdom that life has to offer.  As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “ Never lose the opportunity of seeing something beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting.”

LIFE IS NOT A TEST

Please do not misunderstand me! I am not trying to condone or make light of the plethora of tragedy, loss, pain, and suffering we all endure at various points in our lives.  Life can be BRUTAL.  Even soul crushing at times.  We often lose our faith in any form of a higher power.   But rather than looking at them as TESTS, what would it look like for us to transcend our challenges as opportunities for MIRACLES to surround and support us.  And for US to be those miracles for others. In the form of love, compassion, kindness, generosity of spirit, and understanding.  THAT is why we are here and without these OPPORTUNITIES, we would not be able to experience the glorious feelings they afford us.  

LIFE IS NOT A TEST

Everyone will be challenged and endure times of struggle and strife on their unique Hero's Journey.  But the Universe wastes absolutely NOTHING!  Everything you experience is happening THROUGH YOU and FOR YOU, not TO YOU!!  Big difference!

Thinking things happen TO YOU is a mindset of Victim Consciousness.  And You Are Not a Victim! PERIOD and Mic Drop!  And remember that we are built for pain.  In fact, you will never find a better teacher than the Pain Professor.  It would serve you well to let Pain in, rather than resisting it. Allow it to stay until you have learned what it came to teach.  For those lessons will prove to be the most valuable on your Superhero's Journey!  

LIFE IS NOT A TEST

There is no such thing as FAILURE! (Unless you never try!)  Failure is simply Constructive Feedback from the Universe! It is always instructional in nature.  These are opportunities to grow and learn from.  The Universe does not work on a Pass/Fail basis!   Unlike the game of baseball, you get as many swings as you desire!  The Universe will give you Do Over after Do Over, but NOT to test you.  Please believe that 'Life is Rigged Completely In Your Favor!'  The Universe sent you here for a reason.  And it supports you in your Mission Possible!!  Do Overs are just the Universe's way of allowing you to get the lesson and wisdom you need to complete the next step on your Superhero's Journey!  Ask and it shall be given, for the power and glory are all yours!  You are Never alone on your quest.  In fact, if you knew and believed in who walks beside you at all times, you would never experience FEAR ever again.........

LIFE IS NOT A TEST

It's not as if God cast you out of Heaven and then makes you pass a series of TESTS to 'Get Back In.'  We are Divine creations, perfect in every way.  Each of us is priceless.  Never devalue your sense of SELF!  In doing so you are devaluing The Grand Creator!  

Our collective MISSION has been Divinely Devised.  You each have a unique CALLING. And it can only be fulfilled BY YOU ! The byproduct of its completion is nothing less than the rapture of a gateway towards Beams of Bliss flowing into our Collective Consciousness. Expanding and infusing the energetic radiance of LOVE AND LIGHT, Peace and Wisdom, Compassion and Kindness back into the World!  And the stout KNOWINGNESS that as you spread these gifts of Blissful Boosts to others, so will this BLISS be brought back unto you!  For that which you do for others, you do for yourself!  The illusion of Separation will dissolve into nothingness.  Forevermore, You and I, will BE ONE!

LIFE IS NOT A TEST

As Pastor Steve Simons says:

God is not measuring you.  God is leading you.

God is not judging you.  God is instructing you.  

God is not condemning you.  God is picking you up.  Dusting you off, and saying, "You'll get it better next time."

God is not testing you.  God is loving you, providing for you, blessing you, and giving you life.

Where you see failure, God sees opportunity.

Where you may see obstacles, God sees potential.

Where you see defeat, God sees impending victory.

So close your eyes and take a deep breathe!  And then Let It Go!  Learn to RELAX!  Always do your best, because your best will ALWAYS DO!!   After all,  LIFE IS NOT A TEST.........

BE SUPER HEROIC!

BE LOVE - SERVE ALL - INSPIRE ALWAYS

Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez

TRANSFORM Your Life By TRANSCENDING Your BELIEFS...!

 

Today's Inspirational “MYTHOLOGICAL MAGIC”

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As many of you may know, on August 29, 2015 the world lost one of the true LUMINARIES of our time.  A man who spent his childhood in an orphanage, before embarking on a 50 year journey that inspired millions of people around the world to practice the teachings of self actualization.  Through his many PBS specials and transcendent tomes such as ‘The Power of Intention’, he separated himself from many of his fellow spiritual peers by infusing his teachings with his own raw vulnerability and personal tribulations to connect with others on the path toward conscious awakening. 

Even though I never had the privilege of meeting him in person, I have read many of his books several times over again.   And I will also admit that nearly 1/3 of my DVR space is reserved for his various PBS specials that I watch quite religiously.  One of his teachings that has been the most impactful on my own Hero's Journey is his powerful distinction between BELIEF and KNOWINGNESS.  In fact, I credit many of the most magnificent manifestations that have occurred in my life on the incorporation of his profound declarations on the important differences between these two separate yet often confusing modalities.

As a TRIBUTE to Mr. Dyer, I would like to offer the following passages of his sermon like soliloquy on this very topic.  May his SOUL continue shining its MAGNIFICENT light in its eternal form so that our collective consciousness can continue to expand from his unique and INTENTION filled purpose.............


Beliefs versus Knowing

The way to understand this, it seems to me, is to understand the difference between what you know and what you believe. A belief is something that has certain characteristics; a knowing has certain characteristics. I’ve identified five characteristics that differentiate a belief from a knowing.

Beliefs are handed to you. Knowings come from within. This means that a belief has doubt attached to it. A knowing has no doubt because it comes from within, from your direct experience.

A second characteristic that distinguishes a belief from a knowing is that beliefs will let you down in a crisis. Knowings never let you down. The reason that a belief is something that you cannot rely upon in a crisis is because of the doubt that is attached to it. And so it isn’t reliable, whereas anything that you absolutely know—for example, how to ride a bicycle or how to swim—when a crisis comes along you will not be let down.

A third characteristic that distinguishes beliefs from knowings is that your beliefs are mental exercises. Your knowings are physical exercises. Your beliefs are located in the mental realm as thoughts that you constantly reinforce. These are strictly mental exercises that you constantly practice until they become your reality. That is, a reality based upon the doubt that is attached to these beliefs.

You may believe that people shouldn’t wear jewelry in their nose. These kinds of beliefs will influence your conduct and cause you to judge others, until you change your belief and perhaps search out a nose piercer.

Your knowings are located in the physical domain, even though they originated in the mental. When you know something, it is a part of your total being, originating in the mental and residing in your complete being. That which you absolutely know with certainty—such as how to dance the mambo or ice skate or swim or ride a bicycle—is a part of your cellular being. It resides so deeply within you that it is in the cells of your humanity. That which you once only believed because it was given to you by some external person has now been transformed into a knowing. You may also have some beliefs within you that you actually treat as knowings. These include those beliefs that are so strongly ingrained that they act like knowings within you. Some of these entrenched beliefs may be judged by you to be knowings, but they really are not.

For example, you may believe that you have no talent for art, but somewhere deep inside of your consciousness there exists a tiny smidgen of doubt about whether it is really true were you to actually apply yourself in a new way. When you know something, it becomes your physical reality, and you act on this knowing at all times. When you merely believe something, whether it be a negative or a positive, you have a tiny, tiny bit of doubt connected to it, and that doubt becomes your reality. Beliefs are mental. Knowings are physical, though they originate as mental beliefs.

The fourth distinction between a belief and a knowing is that a belief will restrict you, while a knowing will empower you. The reason a belief restricts you is that there is doubt attached to it, and, therefore, when you go to act upon it, you do so sort of tenuously, and so there’s a restriction, whereas a knowing, something that you absolutely know that you can rely upon, will empower you. It’s the difference between knowing about God and knowing God. Knowing about God is a belief. Knowing God is a knowing. And knowing about God usually means that you have some reservations—I’m not quite sure about all of this higher power stuff and I’m not quite sure about whether I do have a higher self. Whereas when you’ve learned to experience it—and that’s what these keys to higher awareness are designed to do—then you absolutely know God, not just know about God.

The fifth and final characteristic that distinguishes a belief from a knowing is that your beliefs are all transitory, while your knowings are eternal. Just think about some of the beliefs that you have today and how they’ve shifted over the years. Remember how many people were shocked to see men wearing long hair and earrings? I can remember working in a high school in the inner city of Detroit, and a young man came in with his hair real long and with earrings on, and they expelled him from the school and told him to go home and get a haircut and to stop dressing like a sissy.

Today, the very same people who suspended him are wearing those same kinds of jewelry and have their hair quite a bit longer than they did in those days. And now you watch on Sunday afternoons the National Football League, and, in the interviews, you see these big, burly mastodons of masculinity with their long hair and their earrings protruding from their helmets.

So our beliefs about things are very transitory. and they’re shifting all the time. But what you know is there with you forever.

~~ Wayne Dyer

BE SUPER HEROIC!

BE LOVE - SERVE ALL - INSPIRE ALWAYS

Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez

MODERN MYTH MESSAGES: X-MEN DAYS OF FUTURE PAST....!

 

Professor Charles Xavier is exasperated over failing to work his central system unit called Cerebro after so many years and several attempts. (Cerebro was constructed with the sole purpose of relocating other mutants such as himself anywhere in the world.) In this alternate Universe, mutants are beings born with genes that give them each a disparate array of superpowers. Through his tutelage and mentorship many of them have banded together and are called X-MEN!  However, in direct contrast to the compassion he showers over his students, the outside world chooses to shun them all.  And so they are systematically hunted down out of fear. An obvious allegory to our own World where we have persecuted those deemed of being different since the beginning of time.  

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 sees a vast array of suffering and painful memories; his torture at the hands of a medical process called Weapon X, the death of the love of his wife Jean Grey, and the constant pounding of a plethora of  rejections by the world at large. .]  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. (Charles begins to dig deeper) That's it. That's it.

[Charles reads Wolverine's mind, but this time, he finds himself appearing in the same room as his future self - older and much wiser - awaiting him for one last soulful, heart centered chat.]

Professor X: (To his younger self) Charles.......

Charles: Charles. [looks around to see the dire situation that both mutants and humanity face with a robotic set of machines called 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 the school for Mutants he will eventually build to help so many others, his own compassion, what he fights for which helps ease his past self's mind.] Please, Charles, we need you to hope again. 

FROM 20TH CENTURY FOX:  X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST

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 and all odds that may be 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 a 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 very "S" on Superman's chest even stands for HOPE! 

In fact, I truly believe the most powerful kryptonite to combat FEAR is 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 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!

And once we have won enough hard fought fights using HOPE as our spiritual sidepiece, we can begin to master the garish grandaddy of spiritual tools in this realm ......    

KNOWINGNESS!  (But that will be the topic of tomorrow's post!)

BE SUPER HEROIC!

BE LOVE - SERVE ALL - INSPIRE ALWAYS

Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez

Be ABSOLUTELY Amazed And TRANSFORMED BY The LIFE OF An EAGLE....!!

 

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A long time friend and former boss of mine recently sent me a story about the life of an EAGLE.  At first glance, I thought to engage the information later, thinking perhaps its content was of a National Geographic Nature.  For those of you living in the greater DC area, you will recall the ‘Eagle Cam’ that ran non-stop on our local airwaves just a few weeks ago.  A camera was fixated (as were thousands of us) on an Eagle who was nesting waiting for her two eggs to hatch.  This did NOT always make for reviting TV viewing, but once the baby birds finally hatched, it was quite magical to get a secret peek into the inner lives of these majestic animals!

But I got another one of those ‘Silent Whispers’ from Spirit to watch the video she sent, right then and  there.  And so I pushed the play button and became completely transfixed on what this five minute feature shared about our National bird symbol.  In fact, I actually teared up watching and listening to how this proud and courageous animal must painfully transform itself in order to survive!

An Eagle lives on average of  70 years.  But during its 40th year, it is faced with a decision that will determine its ultimate fate.    After 40 years of using its powerful beak, strong talons, and majestic wings for its survival, they all start to wear down.  In fact, all three begin to break down to a level in which they are no longer of use to the bird to capture its prey to eat, nor fly in a proficient enough manner to survive the harsh elements in which it lives.  It is at this time the Eagle knows it has but two decision to choose from.  It can either fly to the top of a rocky mountaintop and bang its beak and talons across the sharp and rugged rock terrain long and hard enough until they break off.  The bird is internally aware that its beak and talons will grow back much stronger, but the process involved in tearing off parts of its own body is a horrifyingly painful experience.  And if that isn't enough to cause you to pause and think about this bird's courage, once its beak grows back, it must pluck out its worn out feathers so that new, stronger ones can take their place.  If the Eagle makes the decision to put itself through this jarring and excruciating experience, it will typically live for another 30 years!   It is literally REBIRTHED into a greater version of itself!  If it chooses NOT to go through this challenging transformation, it will soon die.

I thought about how an Eagle's life is such a perfect metaphor for human existence and survival.  How often we are given an opportunity to either change our mindset, belief system, or completely let go of someone we love, all for our better good.  And with it comes the transformation we so often desperately seek.  

And more importantly, how Nature gives us signs, and PROFOUND examples of how to live our lives.   I often hear from friends and my clients that they wish that they were given a guidebook on how to live a prosperous life.  And see how much fear they face, all understandable, when facing the painful choice of change.  Not to mention how challenging it can be to remain FAITHFUL when we are in the middle of a Life Storm.  And sometimes cannot fathom why they/we need to experience such pain and suffering, both physically and emotionally.  That's why I say SUFFERING is really Summoning our Ultimate Fear & Frailty Encouraging Rebirth!  Just like we are taught by the miraculous story of the EAGLE!

It is my hope and intention in sharing this story, that it will bring you a sense of inspiration and KNOWINGNESS that at the other end of whatever level of trials and tribulations, pain and suffering you may be going through, that it is because a miracle is looking to be birthed through you!  The Universe needs you to transform and let go of toxic energy and mindsets and belief systems that no longer serve you.  All so that you, like the EAGLE can be resurrected and reconnect to your Purpose as you travel along your Hero's/Heroine's Journey!!

BE SUPER HEROIC!


Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez

LEARN Why The CARDS Life Has DEALT You Are ABSOLUTELY Perfect...!

I have never been the best player of card games.  I tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve, which means my ‘Poker Face’ is less mercurial and more merciful.  Thankfully, through tons of missteps and rebirths, I have learned to be a much better player with the cards I am dealt by life! THANK  YOU SPIRIT!

However, not everyone wakes up on a daily basis and looks at the cards that were dealt into their experience and thinks, “Heck yeah!  I can win with this hand!  Damn straight!”  More often their inner monologue sounds more like, “Oh boy!  Why me?  What the heck am I supposed to do with this pile of crap I've been dealt?!”  Sound familiar?  I know I've felt that way more than a few times.

I believe one of the biggest differences between success and failure is how you choose to play the hand of cards/experiences you have been dealt.  It's important to understand during our own Hero's/Heroine's Journey that we succeed because of our challenges NOT despite them.  As Napoleon Hill famously stated, “Every adversity, every failure, every heartache brings with it an equal seed of benefit and opportunity.”

In fact, Joseph Campbell shared in his infinite wisdom, “Nietzsche was the one who did the job for me.  At a certain moment in his life, the idea came to him of what he called "the love of your fate."  Whatever your fate is, whatever the hell happens, you say, "This is what I need." It may look like a wreck, but go at it as through it were an opportunity, a challenge.  If you bring love to that moment-not discouragement-you will find the strength is there.  Any disaster you can survive is an improvement in your character, your stature, and your life.  What a privilege! This is when the spontaneity of your own nature will have a chance to flow."   He taught the importance of seeing your EXACT set of circumstances as being the most precious gift ever given to each and every one of us.  Because in the history of this world, NOBODY has been besought with the same set of challenges as you have been given.  And guess what, your exact set of challenges will never be the same for ANYONE else ever again.  That is how absolutely and completely UNIQUE you were created to BE.  Kinda helps shift your perspective on your life's ‘opportunities for growth’ doesn't it!  

One of my favorite stories from Mr. Campbell has to do with the Knights of the Round Table.  Before this group of Medieval Superheroes awaited their next quest, they would surround a table full of food and drink and wait for a sign of where they were to go next.  One particular such evening, the Holy Grail appeared above the table before them, burning with its light of majestic glory.  And then, without warning, its image vanished.  Each Knight stood up, ready to search for this relic of such grandeur!  They grabbed their shields and swords and headed outside the castle and ran toward the massive forest surrounding them.  The most fascinating aspect of their quest was that they each tried to enter the forest at its most DENSE space.  In fact, the competition to find the space that was the most challenging to enter was fierce and combative.  For these Knights knew that every great quest begins with the greatest of difficulty.  They actually CHOSE to take on the toughest hand of cards that could be dealt to them.  For they were aware of the great wisdom and knowingness that comes from pain and strife.  That's why my definition of SUFFER is :

Summoning our
Ultimate
Fears &
Frailty
Encouraging
Rebirth

I was watching a story about the Saint Benedict's Preparatory School for boys last week in Newark, NJ.  The school has recently become a sanctuary for the lost and wayward.  The area surrounding this  citadel has a high school graduation rate of less than 30%.  Yet the graduation rate at St. Benedict's is 98%.  Even though the majority of the students are underprivileged, the tuition rate is $10K a year.  The majority of the students do not have the funds to cover their schooling costs, yet this spiritual institution somehow covers every students tuition in someway.  Where there is a will there is truly a way!

There was a portion of the story that touched me so deeply that I have to share it.  There was a 16 year old young man whose parents were both drug addicts and horribly abusive to him in their household.  It was tumultuous enough that he decided to leave his house, and live on the street.  A tough hand of cards for most of us to even fathom.  Yet this purposeful young man had BIG plans for his life.  Despite his numerous challenges, he decided he was going to play the cards he was dealt with a passion for success and a fervor for service and potential.  So he started sneaking into the water polo after school practices at the school.  For several weeks, nobody noticed that he wasn't a member of this prestigious academy.  However, one day, a coach approached him and asked him why he was sneaking into the school's sporting practices.  The young man said his parents were drug addicts and he had been living on the street for over three months.  He knew he didn't have the tuition money to attend the school, so he decided the best he could do was take advantage of the extracurricular activities.   When the young man asked the coach if he should leave, do you know what his response was to this brave individual.  “BE HERE MONDAY!”  And I thought, what a perfect mantra for our lives.  No matter what challenges we face, or what fear and pain stand in our way, the most courageous way to turn our pain into PURPOSE, is simply to commit to BE HERE MONDAY.  

What are the ways you can reframe the cards you have currently been dealt in life and turn them into a winning hand?  Because, you were dealt these cards for a reason.  And it is your job to figure out where there are opportunities for a deeper KNOWINGNESS through your challenges to assist you on your Superhero's Journey. And in turn eventually share this knowledge for all of us to benefit from!  Now that's a hand worth playing in anyone's poker table!!



BE SUPER HEROIC!

BE LOVE - SERVE ALL - INSPIRE ALWAYS

Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez