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depression

My friend has a dear one in her life who is being treated for depression, and so I began perusing a few books, magazines, and some subscription newsletters. It’s not a secret that there are many reasons for depression; the good news is that there are many treatments.

My frequently-looked-at resource book The Sunfood Diet Success System by David Wolfe suggests eating one or more melons in the morning for breakfast every day for 5-6 weeks. (He says that melons should always be eaten on an empty stomach.) And eat no other food until 12 noon. Why melons? He said they are rich in the B complex vitamins and the B complex vitamins bolster nerves. He also wrote that spells of depression are often associated with moments of low blood sugar, and that fruits should be eaten throughout the day to keep the blood sugar up. The short list of foods to avoid are: complex carbohydrates (rice, cookies, cakes, breads, french fries, baked potatoes), and alcohol which can cause erratic blood sugar fluctuations. (from experience I say that if you’ve ever been in the presence of a person who has low blood sugar you’ll want to carry a melon with you whenever you meet that person.)

Also, in the September/October 2011 Well Being Journal from the U.K. there’s an article titled Importance of Vitamin B12. In the article is mentioned that many people who are suffering from various illnesses actually have a vitamin B12 deficiency. If you know of anyone who is going through depression, you might want to read the article, in fact, I’d say that reading the whole magazine is well-worth the time and effort.
www.wellbeingjournal.com

Clara De La Luna, Epoch Times Staff, in an article called Meditation Causes Changes in Brain Structure – Brain scans show increases in gray-matter density, wrote that: “Meditation” derives from the Latin root “mederi,” meaning “to heal.” And that: “In July 1977, the American Psychological Association recognized meditation as an important healing agent and a facilitator of the therapeutic process.”

In her book HERBS – Nature’s Medicine Chest, Susan Smith Jones, Ph.D. also wrote that “one of the primary roles of the B-complex vitamins in the body is to keep the nervous system functioning well, and deficiencies of these vitamins are associated with nerve problems, and an increase in stress-related symptoms such as depression. . . .”
www.SusansRemedies.com

Louise Hay in her book HEAL YOUR BODY – THE MENTAL CAUSES FOR PHYSICAL ILLNESS AND THE METAPHYSICAL WAY TO OVERCOME THEM has a listing from A to Y. I’m looking at the word “Depression,” and the metaphysical reason: “Anger you feel you do not have a right to have. Hopelessness. And the affirmation: “I now go beyond other people’s fears and limitations. I create my life.”

A wonderful book to have is ANCIENT SECRET OF THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH. I have BOOK 2. John Gray, Author of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus wrote about this book: “It’s easy. It’s fast. And it works! I love this program.” I looked in the index for depression and on page 258-259 is a story of how the Five Rites worked for a couple, George and Lynell Roberts, who were given the book by their daughter. The story tells of how the Five RITES greatly helped them. Then a tragedy struck and the FIVE RITES were stopped, and George went into a depression. When he finally resumed them, he said, “something changed.” – his energy, his thinking. will to survive, etc. I think the book, from beginning to end, just might catch your attention, if you give it a try.

On page 224, Deepak Chopra wrote in LIFE AFTER DEATH that depression is rooted in abnormal uptake of the brain chemical serotonin.” And if you are interested in reading more, may I suggest that you read this excellent book.

Yoga, qi gong and tai chi, – the books and articles and talks seem endless about their ability to change body, mind, spirit when we consistently practice these ancient arts.

And let’s not forget the efficacy of herbs and spices, castor oil packs.

The exploration for treatments indicates that we live in a world having many possibilities.

* * * * * * *

It is easy to be the person you have always been, for it requires no change, no self-reflection, and no growth. It may appear that changing yourself requires giving up something. In reality, there is no need to give up anything – you must simply add to what has been.

Develop a profound belief in the universal law of cause and effect – the empowering conviction that we all ultimately direct our own lives.

Fall seven times, stand up eight. – Japanese proverb

There has never been, nor will there ever be a life free from problems. It is not the presence of problems but how we tackle them that determines the quality of our lives.

The mind is a powerful and mysterious force. It can make the best of the worst and the worst of the best.

Focus less on treating the symptoms than on eliminating the cause.

Change for the better requires effort. Change for the worse needs none.

If that which is within is not right, it is futile to pray for that which is without. – Japanese proveb

Until we learn the lessons inherent in unpleasant experiences, they will continue to hold power over us, and we will feel compelled to repeat them.

Intuition transcends the limitations of reason.

taken from: OPEN YOUR MIND, OPEN YOUR LIFE
A Little Book of Eastern Wisdom by Taro Gold

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liking those quotablecards

Have you bought a quotable card lately? You know, the one when it first came to the marketplace had a white background and bold black letters. They seemed to have been a hit from the start.
www.quotablecards.com

Do you like this one?
“How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?”
Are you happy with the number that came to mind?

What about this:
Dance
as though no one is watching you.
Love
as though you have never been hurt before.
Sing
as though no one can hear you.
live
as though heaven is on earth. – Souza

They’re reminders, too, and when hung where it catches our eye they do just that
Because every so often we need reminders –
to make time to dance, move wildly, shake like the Kalahari Bushmen
and enjoy.
to open our heart and let love enter. Still one of the walking wounded? A closed heart hurts much more in the long run.
to give it our all and sing that song – a little louder; no one’s listening.
to live before. . . .

* * * * * * *
“People become what they expect themselves to become” – Mahatma Gandhi

“You can make the place you are now your paradise.”

“Never seek happiness outside yourself.”

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about us


In her book, The Soul of Money, Lynne Twist wrote: “Mother Teresa once noted what she called ‘the deep poverty of the soul’ that afflicts the wealthy, and had said that the poverty of the soul in America was deeper than any poverty she had seen anywhere on earth.'”
www.soulofmoney.org

On her blog, 3 Keys to Living the Life You Want, Jean Houston wrote, “. . . But now there is an open moment in history where you have the chance to tap into the soul of your purpose. . . .” and she wrote, “Most people hold on to old, limiting beliefs of themselves and our human story. . . .” and, “The third key gives you the means to break free from unconscious, habitual ways of reacting to life that were born thousands of years ago, and embrace higher ways of being for a new era. You will discover ways to move through life with ebullience in your bones and an appetite for celebration –seeing everything as an expression of the creator. You will move through life, motivated not by guilt or obligation, but by gratitude and an abiding zest for doing the things that are called forth by living out of your higher purpose.”
www.DestinyandYou.com

In the book, The Healing Power of Mind, Tulku Thondup wrote, “If we habitually dwell on and struggle with the negative side of our situation, our whole mentality, perception, and experience will inexorably become negative and filled with suffering. Seeing a problem as negative, constantly thinking and talking about how awful or painful it is, makes even minor problems insurmountably big and solid like a mountain, sharp like a knife, and dark as night. . . .”
www.tulkuthondup.com

In the book, Your Life Is Your Message, Eknath Easwaran wrote, “. . ., in order to live in inner freedom, you have to learn how to slow down your mind, bring it to a restorative stillness, and park it anywhere you like – in patience, say, or compassion, or love.”
www.eknatheaswaran.org

In the movie, The Burmese Harp directed by Kon Ichikawa, are these words, “. . . Why must the world suffer such misery? Why must there be such inexplicable pain? As the days passed, I came to understand. I realized that, in the end, the answers were not for human beings to know, that our work is simply to ease the great suffering of the world, To have the courage to face suffering, senselessness and irrationality without fear, to find the strength to create peace by one’s own example. I will undergo whatever training is necessary for this to become my unshakable conviction. . . .”

In the CD, The Flowering of Human Consciousness, Eckhart Tolle said, “Humanity has come to the end of suffering. As a species we have suffered enough. To be free, no other suffering is necessary.”
www.eckharttolle.com

In the DVD, How to Know God, Deepak Chopra said, “When we are attuned to our soul, which is the same as deeply going inward, we are able to listen in the silence to the subtle messages of wisdom and guidance. When our minds merge with God’s mind, we become aware that God is in all things – that we are eternal.”
www.deepakchopra.com

In the book, Everyday Karma, Carmen Harra wrote, “Once you bring a problem to the surface, and face it, healing can begin. I also think that healing takes place when a person begins to put order in his life, when he restores balance. One of the most effective ways to restore balance and maintain a sense of wholeness is by resolving your karma in your daily life. You will find that restoring your karma will make you feel better and prevent many types of illnesses and physical complaints. Resolving your karma strengthens your immune system! When people get enmeshed in emotional drama, their energy field becomes vulnerable and that is when they can get sick.”
www.carmenharra.com

In the book, As a Man Thinketh, James Allen wrote, “Let a man radically alter his thoughts, and he will be astonished at the rapid transformation it will effect in the material conditions of his life. Men imagine that thought can be kept secret, but it cannot, it rapidly crystallizes into habit, and habit solidifies into circumstnace.”

In the book, The Advent of the Cosmic Viewpoint, Bryant Reeve wrote, “. . . But as we rise to higher levels of consciousness – as we attain higher viewpoints of life then the very laws of nature tend to change. Also, the electrical phenomena of life change, the energies of life are different, the norm of living changes. The actual realities of life are different. The limitations become fewer. The very “facts of life” change as we rise in consciousness! This is why miracles are possible. They are manifestations of higher laws which become available to higher levels of consciousness.”

In the book, Divine Transformation, part of the Soul Power Series, written by #1 New York Times Bestseller Author Dr. & Master Zhi Gang Sha – trained as a conventional medical doctor and a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine, Grandmaster of many ancient disciplines, including tai chi, qi gong, kung fun, I Ching, and feng shui and an expert in the most advanced cellular healing science now occurring in China – wrote, “. . . In all seven books, the Divine has continued to offer divine treasures to every reader. Why is the Divine doing this? We are in Mother Earth’s transition period. Mother Earth’s transition is the purification process of Mother Earth. The root cause of Mother Earth’s transition is the bad karma of humanity and Mother Earth. . . . The one-sentence secret of karma is: Karma is the root cause of success and failure in every aspect of life.”
www.drsha.com

I hope your day is as wonderful as you want it to be.

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joan hickson as beloved miss marple

When Emi told me that Jennifer Garner is scheduled to play Miss Marple, well, the first thought was, Jennifer Garner as the beloved Miss Marple? – how is that possible? Not to say anything against Jennifer Garner. It seems that Disney wants to change Agatha Christie’s famous and well-loved Miss Marple and make her “more contemporary.” And I have to ask why? Few things are perfect just as they are, and maybe Miss Marple as played by Joan Hickson is one of those things. One would think that Disney is capable of creating a story having its own wonderfully enjoyable character perhaps a bit similar to Miss Marple and leaving Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple as played by Joan Hickson just as she is.

And so now instead of post-war England, cups of tea, and a delightful elderly spinster who happens to have a flair for eventually tracking down murderers, will Miss Marple solve murders by computers in a high tech building, speed along in her sports car, have overwhelming adventures, a cell phone she can’t live without, a fashionable wardrobe, and possibly relationship problems, etc.? What exactly does “more contemporary” when referring to Miss Marple mean, Disney?

Have you guessed that I really like watching Miss Marple? You also? Spending time with her is a treat. Agatha Christie didn’t stoop to exaggeraged scenes in her stories; she proceeded softly and intelligently. We feel the wheels turning in Miss Marple’s head as she elegantly, quietly, and efficiently deduces who the murderer is. She likes traveling by train and sometimes she’s in a beautiful English countryside, and then a city, and, yes, the Bahamas usually in the midst of an array of people interesting in their own way. And we’re never quite sure who might have done it until Miss Marple has sorted things out and is ready to explain, all in proper fashion, who did it.

Agatha Christie wanted Joan Hickson to play Miss Marple; Joan Hickson was 78 when she took the role, and “She was the oldest actress ever to take the lead in a major television series,” and “The tools of her trade are frequent cups of Earl Grey tea, her needle sharp eyes and her acute hearing, which enables her constantly to overhear crucial conversations from considerable distances.” (quotes taken from the Independent Arts & Entertainment and written by Alexandra Younger and Tom Vallance.) At the age of 86 she wanted to retire from playing Miss Marple, though not to retire from acting. Imagine that!
www.agathachristie.com

The Classic Mysteries Collection:
A Carribean Mystery
The Mirror Crack’d
From Side To Side
Sleeping Murder
4:50 From Paddington
The Moving Finger
At Bertram’s Hotel
Murder At The Vicarage
Nemisis
They Do It With Mirrors

I feel that having Jennifer Garner play Miss Marple is like offering a chocoholic a bowl of hard candy when the finest of dark chocolate was always the offering. There’s dissapointment in that offering and the chocoholic would rather do without. Jennifer, one would think that there are other roles waiting for your talents, just not this one.

Thank you for listening 🙂 and have a beautiful day.

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jean houston

Lately when logging on to aol I see blog postings by well-known people who offer excellent information, and today Dr. Jean Houston – “Scholar, Philosopher, Researcher in Human Capacities” – posted “3 Keys to Living the Life You Want.” I can’t resist reading anything written by her. And so I read on and then clicked the print button as a few people will be happy to find a copy in the mail.

A lot of people have been writing about the global shift that’s taking place right now in all areas of life on earth. It wasn’t long ago when most of the writings were foreboding, interspersed with a few who wrote that the shift was ushering in great happenings and that we were to sit tight, trust the process, and lead a more compassionate life. The people reading what the foreboding articles and books had to say thought it was time to say their prayers and goodbyes because it seemed that death and destruction, and anything else of that ilk that the reader’s mind could imagine was on the way. If the mass consciousness buys into the doom and gloom we’re in big trouble.

However, the good news now from the experts writing – those who study all the angles of these matters and concerns and write from an intellectual, and perhaps spiritual view – is that something quite different is taking place and we can expect, after the global shift that’s presently taking place, a future that’s positively amazing, one that has previously not been experienced in the entire history of the world, one that will allow us to live life freely with new meaning, while recognizing and respecting our connection with all living things, including Mother Earth, and, additionally, to bring our own offerings to the world’s table confidently and fearlessly.

Jean Houston notes the reasons for people not being able to identify their life purpose, or, if they have, to not be able to fulfill it. She mentions our social systems and the way they are set up, and our limiting beliefs, and living our life within our “small story” that confines us to a “small self.” Her wonderful posting can be read on her websites, and it just might sing to many hearts.
www.destinyandyou.com
www.jeanhouston.org
along with The 3 Keys to Discovering and Living Your True Purpose – a Free Global Teleconference and Gathering with Dr. Jean Houston Tuesday SEPTEMBER 13, 5:30 pm PT Listen live by phone or online or download the recording anytime.


Jean Houston’s Mystery School is in it’s final year.

I hope your day is a lovely one.

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9/11

I want to write something specifically pertaining to 9/11 but I can’t, there’s too much to say about that day and all the days after. To choose one part of it is not possible for me. When I see pictures, read and listen to stories told about that day and all the days after about the victims, of children waiting for a parent, of spouses, family members, friends of victims not knowing what to do with the news they just heard, stories of the people who survived, stories of all the heroes who assisted, and then the hostility, and the healings, my thinking comes to an abrupt stop and tears well up. We all have our own way of handling what happened on that horrifying day. It’s as if the world lived through a war that was speeded up to take place in just one day, a war watched by many throughout the world with minds and eyes and ears and hearts not quite able to comprehend any of it because it was an act that went far, far beyond anything any of us could have ever imagined.

Today we can pray for the people who died on that day, and for the people whose body, or mind, or spirit wants to heal. And we can always pray for peace.

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body mind spirit


We had fun this summer, didn’t we? And now some of us will hopefully enjoy fall and winter and some will go where the sun is. That said, I’m perusing a few magazine. There are always top-notch articles, retreats and workshops to know about, and online shopping for things to enhance our journey.

And so I turn to page 4 in Buddhadharma and see
Retreats at Garrison – Practice with world-renowned dharma teachers in an authentic contemplative environment – Garrison, NY Tel: 845-424-4800
www.garisoninstitute.org
www.thebuddhadharma.com

Another page and yes OMEGA “Omega Institute is the nation’s most trusted source for wellness and personal growth. Located on 195 acres in the beautiful Hudson Valley, Omega offers diverse and innovative educational experiences that awaken the best in the human spirit.”
www.eomega.org

Nice! -2011 North American Tour with Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, the last day of the tour is 16 October 2011. The tour is about “opening the door of the HEART. Mississippi and New York are the next places on the tour. We still have time.
‘If we can learn how to open the doors of our hearts, individually and collectively, then we will all arrive at the shore of peace.'” – Thich Nhat Hanh
for more information contact us: 760-741-CALM
visit: www.tnhtour.org

And this also “Enter the refuge of an IMS retreat Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Ma:
Experience silence and simplicity
Strengthen awareness and kindness
Build a foundation for
wise and compassionate action
978.355.4378
www.dharma.org

In Ode Magazine “Experience Huichol Shamanism in retreats at places of power worldwide with shaman & healer Brant Secunda”
www.danceofthedeer.com
www.odemagazine.com

And Qi What’s happening at the National Qigong Association? – “Gateway to Balance & Creativity”
www.nqa.org

And meditation cushions, meditation benches, gongs, incense, and malas from Samadhi Cushions in Vermont. 1.800.331.7751
www.samadhicushions.com

And also DharmaCrafts The Online Catalog of Meditation Supplies
dharmacrafts.com

Turn the page and, ah, wonderful Tina Turner Sings Buddhist Chants
BEYOND Buddhist Chants and Christian Prayers:
“With the Beyond project I’m happy to add my personal chants as an offering to the world to share a message of Oneness through music and prayer that goes beyond religious differences and helps bring humanity together.” -Tina Turner
www.newearthrecords.com

And lastly The Hidden Energies Behind Feng Shui by James Frank Loretta – “. . . This is the first book to explain how this ancient earth science actually influences us mentally, emotionally and physically to improve our health and prosperity. From White Tiger and Blue Dragon to Sacred Geometry, crop circles, Tesla, ley lines and more, you’ll be led on a fascinating journey of discovery. Purchase the book or do a sample reading at www.quantumfengshui.org

* * * * * * *
“Retreat is the opposite of escape. It’s about no escape. When you go into retreat, everything you’ve been trying to avoid surfaces.” – Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel

A good fortune may forbode a bad luck, which may in turn disguise a good fortune
When you want to test the depths of a stream, don’t use both feet
www.qi-journal.com

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uncomplicate it

I’ve been a seeker of Truth for a very long time. Actually that can mean different things to different people; there’s much to know is all I know. I can smile now at detours taken along that long fascinating road. Detours occurred because many accumulated beliefs always surfaced contradicting just about everything I read and heard, causing the studying to always end with a but. . . . It was an arduous task to get pass all the buts, and how to make sense of it all. When an answer for the “buts” wasn’t forthcoming, books, tapes, etc. were put away with a sigh, and I went back, more or less, to the old way of thinking. It was becoming a pattern, put them away, and when that nagging feeling presented itself, take them out. One day I sensed that the Power within was becoming impatient with frequent packaways; It wasn’t buying the I’m in; I’m out kind of game. It took a while for me to realize that certain things started happening when I decided to be “out” – that outside circumstances made my life quite miserable. Of course, it was really me who was making my life quite miserable and until I made a clear-cut decision I would be riding the steepest of roller coasters, and that wasn’t good. Then one day I knew without a doubt that the old way wasn’t an option anymore; being “in” finally felt wonderful.

We live in a rather complicated world, made so by man himself, and we think everything is this way. Those scientists who are looking at the universe through a new lens are marveling at the elegant simplicity and simple brilliance in which all things were created.

The old way of wallowing in stress, negativity, doubt, anger, envy, fear, feelings of inadequacy and helplessness, etc. has us believing we’re victims of circumstances and that life is indeed complicated. The remarkable truth is that at any time the choice is ours to uncomplicate the way we think and live by using that Power within our own selves.

I know a young person in his early 20s whose teen years were spent in distress and confusion. He left for college and in a relatively short time he’d turned his life completely around. He’s thriving with his music, retreats, meditation, travels abroad, school, friends, choice of foods, and I’m sure the list goes on. There’s serenity, peace, calmness, tranquility (good words, yes?) in his beautiful eyes. And I say, Wow! – it sure didn’t take long for him to get from here to there. Then again, we’re all unfolding, all evolving on our own schedule, and some people are able in “the twinkling of any eye” to reach new levels of development, thereby changing their vibrations.

In the East this change would be explained by pointing to reincarnation: the young man had worked on himself in previous lifetimes, and in this lifetime he had only a few short steps to climb in order to make that change. It makes perfect sense to me.

People often say, I’m too busy to think about those things. It’s true, they are really, really, really busy. Though nothing looks urgent in all that busyness. It’s often just busyness to be busy. And that’s okay; we all get to decide when. The when though sometimes comes with a swift kick in the pants in one form or another – accident, marital problems, addiction, a death – to give us a little help in deciding whether we’re ready to be in or out. I love Tom Shadyac’s movie I AM. It’s alive with the beauty and mystery of life. And his bicycle accident certainly put things into perspective for him, as he says in I AM the movie.
www.iamthedoc.com

Louise Hay tells a little about her childhood in the book YOU CAN HEAL YOUR LIFE, and in so doing explains the power of the thoughts we think all day long. She has a delightfully straightforward manner, and the following story is so simple it’s impossible to miss its point. Her stepfather abused her; additionally the family was at the poverty level. One day at school a cake was brought in to celebrate a classmate’s birthday. Some children got one slice, some two, Louise got nothing. She explains that at that time in her life she felt almost invisible, that she didn’t matter; she had nothing and she got nothing. Don’t be sad for Louise though, she’s not that person anymore; she’s not in that place anymore.
www.louisehay.com

The beauty of the implementation of this subject is that we don’t have to go anywhere to figure out the power of our thoughts. All we have to do is observe them and in the observing we’ll develop a keen awareness.

Enjoy the day! 🙂

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looking at the world through rose-colored glasses

20130415-165511.jpg

Looking at the world through rose-colored glasses, what does this mean exactly? I’ve heard the expression a handful of times, and so, for once and for all, decided to find out where those words originated. It seems though that no one knows the origin, and explanations tend to vary. So perhaps the origin is not as important as looking through those rose-colored glasses.

Years ago I picked up a very simple and very small book written in 1940 by Frances Wilshire in which she gave a no-nonsense reason for looking at the world through rose-colored glasses. I liked what she wrote, and so I tried it out. Now some people think that when you see the world this way you’re creating a lovely little la la land for yourself, and that you’re somewhat of an idiot. No matter, I try to keep them on because what Frances Wilshire wrote rang true for me. Will they ring true for you? Well, you can only know by looking through them yourself.

When we were at the Jersey Shore Sumi gave her copy of O Magazine to me, and as I turned O’s pages, there, in wonderful big red letters, were the words, “In Praise of Rose-Colored Glasses” and under the caption was written: “The world we live in is a hard, scary place, and only getting worse. So do what Martha Beck does: Get out there and enjoy it.”

In the article Martha Beck writes of feeling guilty for looking at the world through rose-colored glasses when all systems on our planet appear to be going to pot. And so for years she couldn’t sustain a happy feeling when looking through those rose-colored glasses.

Then she wrote: “But over the years, as I’ve seen what leads to positive change and what doesn’t, I’ve become a sort of joy hound. I now agree with the poet Jack Gilbert: ‘We must have the stubborness to accept our gladness in the ruthless furnace of this world.’ and she wrote: “This isn’t narcissistic pleasure-seeking. It’s the way to make your own life work and give your best to the world.”

To the above, I say, Yes! Because when we’re steeped in fear, in negativity, our life becomes heavy, and a negative pattern promotes more negativity. On the other hand, focusing on the good that we see in the world tends to bring more of the same.

I’ll quote another passage because I can’t write it any better. Here it is: “. . . We must admit there will be music despite everything.” Or as Pablo Neruda wrote,

Take bread away from me, if you wish,
take air away, but
do not take from me your laughter.
…it opens for me all
the doors of life.

And this, “The more you defy your innate negativity bias, building from your strengths, finding relief, and embracing delight wherever you can, the more you become a walking cyclone of peace. The repercussions of one person living in stubborn acceptance of gladness are incalculably positive. Become that person, and you’ll find that in spite of everything, there is music. . . .”
www.marthabeck.com

Read the entire article (don’t skip, “the so-called 90-second rule”) in the September 2011 issue of O The Oprah Magazine, and then test out those rose-colored glasses
www.oprah.com

* * * * * * *

“To enter the Spiritual World, in imagination put on rose-colored glasses, and through them you will be able to expand your thought of beauty into fuller expression, by seeing everything in the color and hue of perfection. Then you are seeing in the light of beauty, with Spiritual vision.” – Frances Wilshire

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asbury park


Asbury Ocean Beach Inn is a B&B in Asbury Park. It’s close to the beach and a hop, skip, and jump into town. There’s a lot to savor at this charming place, and I bet it would be difficult to find a better one. Betsy and Chip are the owners and they have a magic touch.www.asburyoceanbeachinn.com

While a few family members – Anna and Norm, Alicia and Michael, David and Erik, Christopher – were busy moving from here to there, we – Sumi, Toshi, Emi, Charlie, Sophie, and I – were busy thinking about vacationing in Asbury Park. The vacation proved that we don’t have to take a plane to a faraway destination to enjoy a perfect vacation. What’s needed is a person willing to spend time finding a perfect B&B close to a wonderful beach (that would be Sumi) having owners who enjoy what they do, and another someone willing to drive a car packed with too many things (that would be Toshi), and you need informal food establishments whose owners know how to use fresh ingredients, and fun to browse small shops, a pub with chock-full-of-life written all over it, a small unusual museum, perhaps a yoga expert, an ice cream place where people willingly line up in anticipation for a scoop, or two, or more (that would be Emi, Sophie and I), a porch having comfortable sofas and chairs with an abundance of flowers and plants calling to every guest, a town that allows bicycling without obstacles, gorgeous views of nature, a boardwalk with character for strolling, and then voila, suddenly you’re experiencing a perfect vacation.

Asbury Park is progressing in a way that suits beach life – the right people eventually discover it, and without a doubt know that that’s where they want to be, and they open a business that serves them, their customers, and the town well. Or the right people find their dream house, and settle into life close to the beach finally able to touch their feet to the sand any time they please and, at the same time, witness incredible views of the sky and ocean.

In the book OFF SEASON author Ken McAlpine wrote this about Bruce Springsteen: “… and occasionally still is, the stomping grounds of the Boss. Bruce Springsteen lived in Asbury Park. He used what he inhaled there-the boardwalk, Madam Marie’s, every beach town’s drifters and dreamers-to touch his first tentative fingers to the pulse of life at the Jersey shore and, given man’s common desires, beyond. He rocked Asbury’s honky-tonk bars until the audience collapsed. His first album was given the only title that made sense: Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. The songs on it were written in the back of a closed beauty salon, the floor below Springsteen’s apartment in Asbury Park.” I heard that he entertains in Asbury Park five or six times a year.
www.brucespringsteen.net

Ocean Grove is Asbury Park’s next door neighbor, and it has a very different personality. They truly complement each other although they are as different as night and day, and to have easy access to both towns is frosting on a scrumptious cake. So when Paul Anka came to sing the week before hurricane Irene’s visit, we eagerly walked over to Ocean Grove and happily listened as he belted out all his popular songs.
www.paulanka.com

Every day Toshi and nine-month old Charlie left the coziness of the B&B in the very early hours of the morning; Toshi said it was a special time to be out. We – Sumi, Emi, and I – accepted his word. All the early birds can add the loveliness of very early morning walks to the wonderful list of beach pleasures.

Fall and winter are around the corner, and I’m thinking that a trip to Asbury Park for a long walk on the beach, and then perhaps sitting on the Asbury Ocean Beach Inn’s porch having a glass of Prosecco while choosing where to have dinner from the many restaurants available, on the boardwalk or in town, would nicely break up winter’s long months. Oh, indeed!