tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23267764082142279732024-03-13T07:48:18.172-07:00thisisthelovejoyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394664803950628052noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2326776408214227973.post-2510642667007073162016-01-04T20:18:00.001-08:002016-01-06T11:28:15.138-08:002016 is Going To Be Legen-Wait for it-Dary<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This year is going to be big. And I mean big. Like Andre the Giant big. I’m hearing it from clients, business associates, people wild in the streets. I’m reading it in places and hearing people from all different cross-sections of life talking about how this is going to be a big year. Or maybe that’s what everyone says every year, and for some reason I just hadn’t noticed yet. I don’t think so though. I think it’s going to be a big year for the world. </span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b42fc9f5-0ffd-ec5c-c81a-4ea32f931707" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the end of the day though, it doesn’t matter what I or anyone else thinks. You can make this year a big year for you. So what are you going to create with your big year? Ask yourself, if there were no limitations on my time, what opportunities would I pursue? What options might I exercise? What paths would I go down if I weren’t playing it safe? Because there’s actually nothing holding you back from creating those opportunities. The fact that you are dreaming about them (come on, whatever came into your head when I asked those questions, that’s what I’m talking about), means that they already exist and all you have to do is choose to act and move towards them. And at the end of the day, that’s what this whole creative game is about. Creating the most fulfilling life possible while you’re here on earth. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So what turns you on? What gets you up early when you don’t have to be anywhere? What’s happening in the world that you really care about? Because here’s a secret for you, when you align your passion, with purpose that makes a difference in the world, you are well on your way to a fulfillment beyond anything you’ve ever imagined. And the most amazing thing is that when you align those forces, the universe listens, and starts to bring you everything you need to make it happen. And I’m not talking about magic or voodoo or some cray shit. I mean literally, when you align your purpose with the things you’re passionate about opportunities will show up that you couldn’t have planned for and you will start to achieve the success you’ve always wanted deep down. I’ve seen it happen over and over, and there’s been book after book written about this happening. In fact, many of the leading entrepreneurs today talk explicitly about this phenomenon. When you do what matters to you, and that helps (people, animals, the planet) you will raise your vibration and good things will start coming to you. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You may be all, raise your vibration? What’s that? Well I need to refer you to one of my favorite books “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Badass-Doubting-Greatness/dp/0762447699/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" target="_blank">You Are A Badass</a>” by the ever charming <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jen-Sincero/e/B001H6RV9O/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1451967293&sr=8-2-ent" target="_blank">Jen Sincero</a>. Of course she’s writing about “the vibration” that’s been around for ages, and she writes about it in such a way that it’s so accessible I’m stealing the shit out of it. Here’s the premise, the world and everything in it is energy (not woo woo energy, I’m talking scientific atoms and molecules) and we’re all vibrating, on a micro level. Well when we’re down in the dumps and all we can see is the negative, we’re operating at what you might call a low vibration, and that energy kind of just sits there. However, when you’re operating at a higher vibration, or taking steps to raise your vibration, well that’s straight up magnetic. You are literally attracting other high vibration individuals and opportunities to you. I know this might sound crazy, and it’s seriously not. It’s happening all around you. All I’m asking is that you stop and observe your life, maybe the lives of those around you, and see if you can see what I’m talking about. Because once you see it, you can’t un-see it. And ideally, that eye opening will inspire you to continue raising your vibration and creating more and more. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And what does all of this have to do with being creative? Creativity, the act of creating is like a uber-activity in this high vibe game called life. It’s like a self propulsion motor, because when you raise your vibration creating comes naturally, and the more you create the higher your vibration will get. So I’m very into the vibration game. And I want to get you turned on to it too. So here’s a few things you can do to start attuning yourself to your vibration. </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Try a bunch of stuff to help you start your day off at a high vibration. A few old standbys I like are taking a cold shower,laughing meditation, or a dance meditation. This is my favorite, because it’s so easy and fast. Put on one song that you love to shake your booty to, play it loud and dance your ass off while letting yourself feel whatever’s there to feel. Vibration raised. </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Observe the people you associate with. Where’s their vibe at? If you’re looking to raise yours then you want to surround yourself with people who are vibrating at your level or higher. Might be time for some new associates. </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Get really aware of your rhythms throughout the day. There’s likely a time of day where you slow down and get introspective or quieter. Don’t let this bring your vibe down. Be aware and do it intentionally, knowing your powering down so you can keep your vibration going for the rest of the day. Breaks are necessary. </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Get conscious about what you’re putting in your body. I’m not saying don’t drink coffee, or do, or don’t eat sugar, or do. I’m saying raise your awareness about what the effects within your body are of what you’re putting in there. Because all of that affects your vibration as well. If you’re on a sugar or caffeine high (again, no judgement, just facts) it’s very likely you’re going to crash. That can be bad, or worse. And in the worst case, if you’re not conscious about it, it can drop your vibration in a big way. So make choices that allow you to be at the highest vibration possible at all times. </span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Consume consciously. Beyond what you eat or drink, remember that you’re consuming all the time. When you watch shows, or movies, or the music you’re listening to can also have a strong effect on your vibration. And I’m certainly not here to tell you what to watch or listen to, I’m simply suggesting that you pay close attention to the effect what you are consuming with your eyes and ears has on your vibration. And go ahead and listen to or watch stuff (at least some of the time) that raises that thing. Sometimes (and I may just be crazy) I’ll listen to a song on repeat simply because of how good it makes me feel. Nothing wrong with that. In fact I have whole playlists dedicated to raising my vibration. Music is some powerful stuff. Use it. </span></div>
</li>
</ol>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In short, there’s lots you can do to create an amazing life in 2016. So are you ready? What do you want to create this year? I’ve put together a little mad-lib style worksheet you can use to help you transition into this new year. Download that <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/0htcp43c2gg9js7/GoalSheet.pdf?dl=0" target="_blank">here</a> and let me know what you thought in the comments. And enjoy creating the life of your dreams!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">P.S. Yes, the title is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_I_Met_Your_Mother" target="_blank">How I Met Your Mother</a> reference. But I’ll get to that later. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394664803950628052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2326776408214227973.post-51420246136211449322015-12-01T16:30:00.004-08:002015-12-01T16:34:29.745-08:00Topics For DiscussionI started my 30D Challenge today. I'm writing no less than 200 words, every day in December. I hope to turn this into a writing habit, which will propel the content for all of my upcoming, and career-shifting, projects. One thing that came out of today's foray into writing was a list of topics I want to write about. I'd love to hear if these resonate with you, and why. Or if you have other ideas for topics I could write about that would be helpful to you.<br />
<ol>
<li>Your Are Creative (No Matter What You Think)</li>
<li>Making Our Clients Our Collaborators</li>
<li>What’s In The Way of Your Creativity</li>
<li>There’s No Such Thing As Stuck</li>
<li>Thinking Wrong</li>
<li>Engaging Your Creativity to Reinvent Yourself</li>
<li>Creating A Fulfilling Life</li>
<li>Everyday Creativity</li>
</ol>
Leave replies in the comments please and thanks for listening.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394664803950628052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2326776408214227973.post-739905807341655702015-11-30T16:25:00.004-08:002015-11-30T16:55:14.595-08:00New Work at Unseen Bean in Boulder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">Kicking the dust of this here blog in anticipation of my upcoming 30D challenge (200 words a day for 30 days) and my good fortune to be showing work at Unseen Bean here in Boulder. So, without further ado, here's my show announcement:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0IkFrPjHtRyL4GJc6sld1ijlSLu2x_FvsTRbbFgjVY8c-rauII4rfeSYhPmlfKhKBmm_qEkflrpJYKsZsMVsFmb-0smgk0_o4JrQo607n5zDDnR7o_PMAYMbzXVYrPjyq9nRr7NYAvxY/s1600/Possibilities-SQ.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0IkFrPjHtRyL4GJc6sld1ijlSLu2x_FvsTRbbFgjVY8c-rauII4rfeSYhPmlfKhKBmm_qEkflrpJYKsZsMVsFmb-0smgk0_o4JrQo607n5zDDnR7o_PMAYMbzXVYrPjyq9nRr7NYAvxY/s400/Possibilities-SQ.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'll be hanging the work starting tomorrow (December 1st) and it should all be installed by the end of the week. I'm very grateful to Kimmy at Unseen for being on for showing the work without seeing any of it, and always for the opportunity to create work and share it. Here's a link to their <a href="http://www.theunseenbean.com/" target="_blank">site</a> and a map of their <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/kakk1qbSZ4E2" target="_blank">location</a>. </div>
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I look forward to hearing what you all think.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394664803950628052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2326776408214227973.post-65391155800587439712013-11-17T15:28:00.002-08:002013-11-17T15:28:52.641-08:00Social DilemnaSo I'm thinking a lot recently about how to manage all of these, my, social outlets. For me it's Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, and then of course this blog. And my quandary is largely around the blurring of lines between business and personal posting.<br />
<br />
A while back I realized that all the parts of my big rich life inform all the other parts. So the fact that I'm a dad, a sensitive man, a meditator, and of course all of my <i>other</i> artistic pursuits informed my work and moreover who I am as a creative. So Ive been ok with the blurring of these lines. However it doesn't sit quite right with me. I still ponder whether I ought to separate them out somehow. A few of the areas where I'm not clear about it include:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Facebook. I have a Facebook page for my "<a href="https://www.facebook.com/lovejoycreative?ref=hl" target="_blank">business</a>". Business FB pages don't allow you to be friends with individuals though, and so I have a bunch of friends (on my "<a href="https://www.facebook.com/iamthelovejoy" target="_blank">personal</a>" FB page) who are business related. </li>
<li>Instagram/Flickr/Facebook. Before IG I used <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/iamthelovejoy/" target="_blank">Flickr</a> a lot. Now I hardly use it at all. Though they technically serve different purposes and aren't actually synonymous. Theoretically I'd use Flickr when I have a whole album of pictures to share from an event or particular time and <a href="http://instagram.com/iamthelovejoy" target="_blank">Instagram</a> for more social one-off kinds of things I shot with my phone. Now FB is a place people share photos much the way you used to only on Flickr or Picasa. And I use IG and FB similarly, though I don't post everything I post to IG to FB. And occasionally I'll photograph something for work, like a work in progress, and post it to the business FB page. So IG ends up being both. </li>
<li>I use <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/103581784232637332804/posts/p/pub" target="_blank">Google+</a> largely for work related things, though every time I open it on my phone it asks me if I want to post the most recent photos and sometimes I say yes so it ends up having images from my personal life as well as work in progress and other business related posts and reposts. Is that ok? </li>
<li>I barely use <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/iamthelovejoy/boards/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>, though this is a little clearer to me what I'd use it for. </li>
<li>Same with <a href="https://twitter.com/iamthelovejoy" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, though I use Twitter a fair amount. Not really with any images any more, and a definite blend of work and personal, though lately heavily weighted towards business related posts. </li>
</ul>
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So, what am I getting at? I guess I want to know what people think about this mix of business and personal. Is it ok to mix the two as much as I do, as I'm describing? How do you do it? I know I'm not the only one with this kind of questioning going on. Leave a comment. Give me your thoughts. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394664803950628052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2326776408214227973.post-25869883866917378602013-01-08T06:08:00.001-08:002013-01-08T06:08:36.189-08:00Good Morning!5 minutes of mindful breathing and focused prayer. <br />
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Water on the face. <br />
<br />
RE pad mind dump. <br />
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To-Do Today plan for the day. <br />
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1 song freak out/let go/booty shake and pull on the Love of God (Hard!). <br />
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I feel ready to conquer this. <br />
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How do you start the day?<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394664803950628052noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2326776408214227973.post-80157450034963307982013-01-07T16:46:00.001-08:002013-01-07T16:47:07.516-08:00LessonsHere are a few lessons I learned this morning.<br />
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<ol>
<li>When hiking for the first time in, well, months, set expectations carefully. Also, wear less than you would need if you were say, going for a walk. Wish I had a picture of how beautiful the sun was rising over Boulder though. </li>
<li>When AT&T says that they are going to turn your phone off, you should probably go over there right away. I thought they had made a mistake on my billing cycle, turns out they had, and I had also. So we were both "wrong". My phone didn't work today though and so I lost an hour to sorting it out. Good news, the nice man helping me figured out a way to save $60 a month across the whole plan. Problems coming with silver linings. </li>
<li>If you are planning on getting up at 6 to begin your spiritual practice of austerities and mind clearing meditation, you should probably go to sleep more than 3 hours before you are going to wake up. Otherwise you'll wake up at 7:15 and have to rush to do everything. </li>
<li>Everything is as it should be. It's all about your perspective. Despite all of that, I managed to have a good hike (the first in too long), I got everything I needed to accomplished, I got $60 a month knocked off my mobile bill and I probably lost a little extra weight from all the extra sweating I did during said hike. </li>
</ol>
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I'm very happy with the way twentythirteen is shaping up already. I'm feeling inspired to write (amongst other things) and I can feel that it's going t take some time to get used to this. I'll keep slugging away at it. Meanwhile I'm more connected to Fiona, I have some very interesting work opportunities popping up, I have more to do than I have time for and that's the right problem to have. Thank God for my meditation practice which helps me clear my mind and focus my energy in the right next area. </div>
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Short one this time. I'll probably try and get to it again this week. Thanks for listening. Pictures next time.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394664803950628052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2326776408214227973.post-10247981346327669492013-01-01T22:57:00.002-08:002013-01-01T23:04:15.591-08:00Here. I. Go.Well, like so many others I'm sure I'm starting off the year with lots of intentions, one of which is to keep coming forward, and one way for me to do that is to get this ol' blog restarted. I feel totally new to it again, and it's a bit awkward, so bear with me as I get my feet under me again and get going.<br />
<br />
So, twenty thirteen. I'm declaring this:<br />
<h3>
The Year <i>of </i>Responsibility <i>and </i>Prosperity<br />
<i>(With a Helping of Abundance)</i></h3>
<div>
My intentions for the year fall into several basic categories. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">FOR MYSELF</span><br />
<ul>
<li>Be more responsible in the following areas: Work, As a Father, As a Partner and as a spiritual seeker. </li>
<li>This also means to become MUCH more financially responsible. </li>
<li>This includes becoming D E B T F R E E. Big goal. More on that later. </li>
<li>As I mentioned before, I have come forward in my life considerably in the last few years, and there has been some time this last year or so that I've been more focused within. It's time to start coming out again. This blog will be one of the vehicles I'll use to do that. </li>
<li>Create More. I want to spend more time in my creativity than in management or suffering avoidance. </li>
<li>Along with the creating, I want to play more. Really play, like a child. With a child. </li>
<li>With the two above, I want to stay loose. I tend to bear down and get all uptight. Less of that. More flexibility. </li>
<li>Exercise more. Eat less. </li>
</ul>
<div style="font-size: small;">
<br />
WITH MY DAUGHTER<br />
<ul></ul>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Meditate play dance cry laugh cook connect. </li>
<li>Play More. As above, I tend to be a taxi driver, cook, helper, motivator or shepherd, and I want to spend more time being with her. Playing with her. Exploring with her. </li>
<li>The focus of my energy with her is to raise her up. Not to come down on her or be an overbearing force in her life. I want to help her find the wind beneath her wings and see her take flight. </li>
<li>And I really need to watch my reactions with her. I am finding when I tune in to her, with her, etc. that she often, or more often than it's actually true, she thinks I'm upset with her. That's my responsibility. </li>
<li>And similarly, I am pondering what my actions say to her. This is a new level of awareness I'm trying to develop. More on that below. </li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">IN MY RELATIONSHIP</span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Be more playful and less serious. It's so easy to get wrapped up in things and to forget to play. </li>
<li>We're setting off this year intending to meditate together at least once a week. And with the kids a few times a month or as it feels right. </li>
<li>Take our kids into consideration in a whole new way. </li>
<li>Be more vulnerable. </li>
<li>Exercise more, eat at home, read and talk. </li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />SPIRITUALLY</span><br />
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<ul style="font-size: small;"></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Get back to my daily practice. I'll write more about this in the coming weeks. Chiefly, begin and end the day intentionally and with God. </li>
<li>Meditate. Every. Day. </li>
<li>Keep DJing and participating in classes. </li>
<li>Keep bringing the tools and teachings of the path I'm on out to the world. </li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />IN MY CAREER</span><br />
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<ul style="font-size: small;"></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>This is the year of getting my career completely back on track. </li>
<li>This is an area where I desire to become much more responsible. This will include being more proactive about communications, timing, setting expectations, tracking time, etc. </li>
<li>It's time to get my social presence out there, finish the web site, and begin networking in a much more aggressive way here in Boulder. </li>
<li>This is the obvious area for me to really engage my creativity, and get myself out there as an artist, as a thinker, as a creative person. </li>
</ul>
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One of the key points I've been getting to after going over this list for the last week or so and sharing with a few people is this notion of being responsible to others. Considering others. This is a rich topic, which I'd like to write more about later, and what I want to say here is that it is by considering others that we find our own true work. If I make other people's well being and interests more important than my own, or at the very least be willing to truly consider them, then that is the work I want to be doing in my heart. It is not easy, at least for me. I am finding as I lean into this that it often leads to sacrifice. Mostly of what my preferences are. And that is where the really good stuff starts to happen.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394664803950628052noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2326776408214227973.post-84444144423975517212010-01-26T09:39:00.000-08:002010-01-26T09:51:08.356-08:00Ponderings on SeparationI was writing a letter to someone this morning and part of what I was writing about was the separation we feel between us when we have been estranged by hurt feelings, miscommunication, or some other form of pain. I wrote a phrase which struck me afterwords and so I'm trying to write a little more about it here.<br /><blockquote>"There is no separation. That which separates us is only illusion, and when we see it as real, only then does it have power over us."<br /></blockquote>This is a concept I know I picked up along the way in the teachings I have been studying and practicing. I hadn't ever spoken it this clearly before though. And I find it to be so true, that when we see these hurts, this pain as real, it is only then that it has the power to separate us. Because when we look within our selves. Look into our hearts, there is no separation between any of us. We are all part of the whole, of all that is. Of love. And what a beautiful thing to hold in our hearts. I want to keep that at the center of my being. I want that to be where I live from, that we are all one.<br /><br />This plays into another realization abut separation I had recently. It is that agreement does not equal closeness, nor does disagreement equal separation. This strikes me as a most basic truth, and yet I am only recently uncovering the concepts I had put together in this area. It seems that long ago I cobbled together the idea that when there is disagreement, there is separation. And that's 'the way it is'. And what a lie. What an ingenious tool of the illusion to keep us separate. And what I have found recently is that in fact, when we are completely honest, and dedicated to speaking truth, even when uncomfortable, or contrary to the opinions and beliefs of the person sitting across from you, there is more real closeness than in agreement.<br /><br />So don't believe the lie. And don't let the fear of separation stop you from standing in your truth, because by doing so you expose the truest parts of yourself. And what could be more vulnerable, and beautiful? And when you can do that together, though it may 'feel' uncomfortable in the moment, you are closer to one another than ever before.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394664803950628052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2326776408214227973.post-42660754071669717042010-01-21T10:29:00.000-08:002010-01-21T13:08:18.741-08:00Kombucha is Wonderful<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfI63-d6NQt1ZjTM1Y4fSz34fJHjTJtIpPoXalQ5SpwBmFbUnONxSAXBzrL8dZBmABl5m4GY_fjFWO2RPDQkNCnd7srz3C1czH7ZAjpynYZLL_-R7HPSfz22rvpJ-iA_wJVUqazp4ij9E/s1600-h/BuchaSquare.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfI63-d6NQt1ZjTM1Y4fSz34fJHjTJtIpPoXalQ5SpwBmFbUnONxSAXBzrL8dZBmABl5m4GY_fjFWO2RPDQkNCnd7srz3C1czH7ZAjpynYZLL_-R7HPSfz22rvpJ-iA_wJVUqazp4ij9E/s320/BuchaSquare.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429302417031480370" border="0" /></a><br />I've been brewing Kombucha now for a little over a year and I really enjoy both brewing (and subsequently drinking) it. One of the by-products of brewing kombucha is the constant production of scobies (scoby stands for symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts) the live cultures that fuel the fermentation process. Recently I had amassed enough of them that I started seeking out people to give them away to. Most of them wanted or needed an explanation of the brewing process so I decided to write this post about how I do it. I'll also include a number of links to resources I've found over time.<br /><br />To start off, here is a link to the site which I used to get started. He gives a very good and detailed description of the process which provided the basis for how I do it now. On <a href="http://web.mac.com/willwinter/willwinter.mac.com/GOOD_STUFF.html">this page</a> the brewing instructions are a third of the way down.<br /><br />Now I'll describe how I do it and what I use, then below I'll include some links to the resources I've found. I brew two gallon batches at a time. The first step is to boil two gallons of water. Once the water is boiled I add 2 1/4 cups of organic raw cane sugar and 8 decaf tea bags. I use the Taylor's of Harrogate Decaf Black available <a href="http://www.englishteastore.com/de50te.html">here</a>. I like the decaf tea and you can't go wrong with Taylor's. It's available at most Whole Foods stores. Then you let that cool and place it, with a scoby, in a container in which it will ferment. Once you've brewed a batch you also want to include 1 cup per gallon of the finished, fermented, kombucha tea. If this is your very first batch you can use 1/2 cup per gallon of distilled, white vinegar. This will innoculate the mixture and keep it safe from mold.<br /><br />I use a glass jar which I purchased at a restaurant supply store. It's <a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/414DfRkpK3L._SL500_AA280_.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.amazon.com/Anchor-Hocking-2-Gallon-Heritage-Glass/dp/B000KKI7GY&usg=__eMftY_BR6UexAecDfVOv3R2aIX0=&h=280&w=280&sz=9&hl=en&start=6&um=1&tbnid=8KK9AzDkrD_QeM:&tbnh=114&tbnw=114&prev=/images%3Fq%3D2%2Bgallon%2Bglass%2Bjar%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1">this one</a> which happens to be available at Amazon. I like the two gallon batches because with a 2-3 week brewing cycle I end up with a batch that lasts me. I keep the jars in a cupboard in our kitchen, where it won't get too cold, and it's not in any direct sunlight. The scobies don't like to get too hot. They're very sensitive.<br /><br />Speaking of the brewing cycle, I do two fermentations. The first one, here in Boulder in winter is 2-2.5 weeks. During the summer months when the weather is warmer it's more like 1.5 weeks. You'll know you are done by a few measures. First and best is to taste it. I take the cover off, push the scobies down into the brew and stir it up a little. Typically there will be some bubbles and the smell will be mildly sour. I sip it with a straw, or dip a small glass in to taste it. If it's too sweet that means you need to let it go for a while longer. There's still too much sugar that hasn't been burned up by the fermentation process. You also don't want it to be too sour, simply because it won't taste good. You have to let a batch go for a long time before it's really too sour to drink.<br /><br />I do a second fermentation which adds more effervescence and I add some flavour at this stage of the process. For the second ferment I remove the scoby from the big jar, placing it in a glass bowl. Then I stir the mixture to mix up the cultures which often have settled to the bottom of the jar. I flavour with lemon ginger tea and I use 4, 1/2 gallon Ball jars with 1/2 of a cup of the lemon ginger tea in the bottom of each. I pour the kombucha into each smaller jar and seal them with their standard screw top lids and then store them in the same cupboard I do the rest. I do this second ferment for between a week and two weeks depending on the climate and how bubbly I want it. You don't have to worry too much about it going sour at this point since once the scoby is out the fermenting slows down considerably. Once you're done with this second ferment you may find that some small scobies have grown in the jars. This is fine. I dispose of them as they're not really strong enough to grow into larger ones and fuel a batch.<br /><br />Then you can drink your batch. I then further decant into <a href="http://www.synergydrinks.com/">G.T. Dave's</a> bottles. I like them because of the size of the mouth and they have nice metal tops which are easy to wash and refill. Also, I drink about one 16oz bottle of this kombucha per day, so the size suits me. For larger bottles, the <a href="http://www.scojuice.com/">Santa Cruz Organic</a> juice bottles are a handy size and I've found them easy to remove the labels from. These are great to bring to parties, etc. Once I've done this final decanting I keep it in the fridge.<br /><br />You can skip the second ferment if you like the flavour and amount of bubble the first ferment produces. These days I try to rotate two batches so I don't run out in between. You can do this by starting a first ferment every time you finish one, so you've always got a batch going from ferment one to ferment two and so forth.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">An aside. I've heard some people have concerns about a batch going bad and people getting sick. I've personally never experienced this, and from what I've read this only happens if you get mold on the scoby. Once in Oakland during a really warm spell we had fruit flies invade our kitchen and they laid some eggs in the top scoby. I threw out that batch and the scoby and continued on with no ill consequences. Also, as it is a fermented beverage, there is a slight amount of alcohol which is a by product of the fermentation. I'm a sober alcoholic, and I have no qualms about drinking the kombucha I brew. The degree to which it is intoxicating is so minimal that I estimate I would need to drink practically a whole batch to get a buzz, and it wouldn't be a very satisfying buzz at that. </span><br /><br />If you give it a try, I hope you enjoy brewing as much as I have. And do let me know how it's going. I'm happy to provide any advice I can and certainly share in your successes.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">RESOURCES<br /></span>The site I linked to above, with the initial instructions I used to get started.<a href="http://web.mac.com/willwinter/willwinter.mac.com/GOOD_STUFF.html"><br />http://web.mac.com/willwinter/willwinter.mac.com/GOOD_STUFF.html</a><br /><br />A great overview of Kombucha and the whole process.<br /><a href="http://www.seedsofhealth.co.uk/fermenting/index_kombucha.shtml">http://www.seedsofhealth.co.uk/fermenting/index_kombucha.shtml</a><br /><br />An alternate source for the brewing instructions with pictures from a cool site.<br /><a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Kombucha-Brewing-Instructions/">http://www.instructables.com/id/Kombucha-Brewing-Instructions/</a><br /><br />An article about selecting different teas for brewing kombucha.<br /><a href="http://www.seedsofhealth.co.uk/fermenting/kombucha_teas.shtml">http://www.seedsofhealth.co.uk/fermenting/kombucha_teas.shtml</a><br /><br />Site with good information and supplies you can order.<br /><a href="http://www.organic-kombucha.com/index.html">http://www.organic-kombucha.com/index.html</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394664803950628052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2326776408214227973.post-90725735736745884892009-12-28T10:39:00.000-08:002009-12-28T10:55:35.868-08:00Now *That's* CourageousThis is my first official 'Shameless (friend of my) Self Promotion' post. I wanted to write something about how inspired I have been my friend Kate Swoboda. I met her several years ago when she began dating a good friend of mine. Over time we got to know one another and one of the things I always appreciated about Kate is that she is very direct. This sometimes made me uncomfortable, as her opinion was not always aligned with mine (when are all of our opinions always aligned...uh, never). And I came to appreciate this quality in her. I came call Kate a friend and have watched as my friends' grew and changed and they worked on themselves and the relationship. And as someone who has spent a good deal of time 'working' on my relationship, and myself, I have been so impressed and honoured to know them as they have transformed. I'm proud to know both of them and they each inspire me in their own ways.<br /><br />Yet I digress (imagine that). This post is about Courageous Kate. In the past year(s) I have seen Kate change an enormous amount of the way her life works, and now, at the beginning of the coming year she will have transitioned completely from her former job into a career and life as what she calls a "counselor/coach, retreat leader, and e-course creator". I call it living a life that's more fulfilling and aligned with one's vision for the world, one's purpose. And I find it incredibly inspiring. So this post is to encourage you, dear reader, to check out Kate's site and the projects she has going on. I personally recommend her as a coach and though I have not done the e-course or one of her retreats, I know they are amazing experiences that give participants everything they need to start living a more purposeful, passionate and fulfilling life. And that's something I believe in very deeply.<br /><br />Her site is: <a href="http://www.yourcourageouslife.com/">http://www.yourcourageouslife.com/</a><br />She has a Vimeo channel here: <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/user2236602">http://www.vimeo.com/user2236602</a><br />And can be found on Twitter at: <a href="http://twitter.com/katecourageous">http://twitter.com/katecourageous</a><br /><br />Seriously, take a few minutes to check out what she's up to. I'm inspired reading about this stuff and if you feel the slightest pull, I strongly suggest you try out one of her programs. They have been created by someone who changed her own life and they are sure to change yours if you so desire.<br /><br />With love and care.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394664803950628052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2326776408214227973.post-35074114149013104142009-12-08T14:56:00.000-08:002009-12-08T14:59:28.113-08:00SF Trip 9-13 DecemberHello Friends.<br /><br />I'm pleased to let you know that I'll be in town from Wednesday afternoon (tomorrow) through midday (noon flight) Sunday. I'm writing to let you know where I'll be in the hopes that we can see one another. Wednesday and Thursday night I'll be staying in Oakland near Lakeshore, and Friday and Saturday night I'll be in SF in the Haight. On Thursday and Friday during the day I will be doing some work, though you should certainly email or txt me if you would like to try to get together. Thursday evening I'll be meditating at The Center. Not sure what's on for Friday evening, and then Saturday I will be at the Breakthrough meditation also at the Center. If you haven't done the Seminar (a prerequisite for attendance at the Breakthrough meditations) there will be a potluck dinner afterwords. Please come, it would be such a treat to see you. Details below:<br /> <br />The San Francisco 21st Century Transformation Center<br />735 Montgomery Street (at Jackson)<br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/ycbadlu">Google Map</a><br /><br />Thursday Night Meditation: 7:15-10P<br />Breakthrough Meditation: 1-7P<br />Potluck Dinner: 7-8P (we can hang out after too!)<br /><br />I look forward to seeing as many of you as can come to any of these events or whatever else we can dream up. Life in Boulder is really quite wonderful, and I miss you all so very much.<br /><br />Love, Ben.<br /><a href="http://twitter.com/iamthelovejoy">@iamthelovejoy</a><br />510 919 91 05Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394664803950628052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2326776408214227973.post-17407423313106846052009-11-22T09:21:00.000-08:002009-11-22T12:12:40.487-08:00Russian River Memories<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj2Jb7JJTDWL8cwCFD8IdzEE4pY_p-VYocejTQwhEWPX4BdbxzKegrhK0cGgui1wILkee4zgywJnVPjcMuvXWi1QMv_7ZgWA8XJOuxu8K9xAA5sek-VRc5wnqrgE8NTetmSfI1kRJbOX0/s1600/RussianRiverBanner.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 75px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj2Jb7JJTDWL8cwCFD8IdzEE4pY_p-VYocejTQwhEWPX4BdbxzKegrhK0cGgui1wILkee4zgywJnVPjcMuvXWi1QMv_7ZgWA8XJOuxu8K9xAA5sek-VRc5wnqrgE8NTetmSfI1kRJbOX0/s320/RussianRiverBanner.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406981555177820370" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This morning I was listening to the incomparable <a href="http://www.amadou-mariam.com/">Amadou et Mariam</a> who I was turned on to by one Mr. Patrick Dooley, old friend, artistic director of <a href="http://shotgunplayers.com/">Shotgun Players</a> and generally awesome dad, Red Sox fan and troublemaker. Whenever I listen to them I have many nostalgic memories of a week we spent at the Russian River with the Dooley clan (Patrick, Kimberly and at that time, their only daughter) Penelope (and Josephine in Kimmy's belly) as well as the Frassinellis, Katie, <a href="http://www.michaelfrassinelli.net/">Michael</a> and their twins Bobby and Libby.<br /><br />It was a really special time in the summer of 2006. Michael and Katie had moved eastward some years ago and this was the first time we had spent a chunk of time with them and the Dooleys in what seemed like years. Michael was in town to work on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/iamthelovejoy/4125375300/in/set-72157622730086761/">masks</a> and other things for <a href="http://shotgunplayers.org/archive/seas15/Ragnarok/index.cfm">Ragnarok</a> and they made a family trip out of it. Somehow Patrick could get away for a spell (though the boys did run down to the East Bay a couple of times to work on the show).<br /><br />It was great to hang with everyone, the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/iamthelovejoy/4124597765/in/set-72157622730086761/">kids</a> had a ball together, and I took a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/iamthelovejoy/sets/72157622730086761/">bunch</a> of pictures. I loved that weekend and have so many fond memories about it I thought I'd post about it. Top memories are definitely dancing in the living room to Amadou et Mariam, laughing, dessert, swimming with the kids, throwing rocks at buoys, and barbecuing bacon for breakfast.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394664803950628052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2326776408214227973.post-61177941724419420212009-11-19T09:32:00.000-08:002009-11-19T09:58:09.855-08:00My PracticeSince my incredible experience in The Seminar in Denver last week a few people have asked about my daily practice. I thought it would be a good topic for a post, so here's what that currently looks like. Brief explanations of some of the terms I use are below the list. Further explanations of practices will be the topics of subsequent posts:<br /><ol><li>I wake up around 6:30. I do 5 minutes of a practice called the Prayerful Breath and then 5-10 minutes of silent sitting meditation. I then write a to-do today list for the day and spend 10-15 minutes writing REs and journaling. In my silent meditation I typically find my prayer and intention for the day.<br /></li><li>I carry an RE pad with me all day. When I have thoughts, I write them down. I keep my to-do today list in that same pad so when I get things done I can cross them off.</li><li>I meditate between 30 and 60 minutes daily. Usually I use a 45 minute playlist unless I'm up very late and need rest. Then I'll do 30 or listen to a talk before bed.</li><li>During the course of my day I maintain an awareness of where I can take conversations deeper. Where I can talk about God, love, spirituality, connection, the illusion of separation, etc. If I haven't had a conversation like this with someone I don't know already I try to have one with Mary, or someone in my community of friends.</li><li>To the best of my ability I situate myself in true care for everyone I meet.</li><li>I write a letter to my spiritual teacher once a week.<br /></li><li>Once a month I get together with my spiritual teacher to discuss my movement. Sometimes this meeting is on the phone.</li><li>Once a week I attend a longer meditation. If I can't make it to the Center I do an extended meditation (90 minutes or so) at home.</li><li>I attend breakthrough meditation once a month, again, if I can't make it I do an extended meditation at home a few times.</li><li>I attend the God's Love is for Everyone monthly meeting either by phone or in person.</li><li>Sundays is my day of rest, and I don't do anything related to the program unless I need to release emotions, or I am supporting someone who's having a hard time. My phone is on and I receive txts and messages though I typically don't answer it.</li></ol><ul><li>The Prayerful Breath is a practice of focusing your mind in prayer that combines an awareness of the breath and a simple movement done with your hands. </li><li>Writing REs is a practice of capturing thoughts and actions on a pad and a system for organizing them so that these thoughts aren't bouncing around in my head and distracting me from whatever task is in front of me. </li><li>To Do Today lists are a way of looking at my time in a day, what I plan to do at what time, and what items from my to-dos I can accomplish reasonably in the course of that day. </li><li>I keep both of the above in a <a href="http://fieldnotesbrand.com/">Field Notes</a> pad which is with me all the time. </li><li>The God's Love is for Everyone Program is a program for Seminar graduates I participate in with people from <a href="http://www.thecentersf.org/">The Center</a> in San Francisco. I have a "coach" who I write to and supports me in my daily practice and the various challenges life presents. </li></ul><br />I write this out in the hopes that it will help others find their own daily practice. It is simply what I do which supports my continued spiritual movement. It changes all the time. Some days I don't get to it all. Other days I need to do only one of the things over and over. And my meditations are always different. Sometimes it's a lot of crying. Others it's a dance and I'm focused on pulling on the love and light of God. Other times it's pure rage followed by calming and deep thinking. The most important thing I've learned is to stay open to what it needs to be today.<br /><br />More on my experience in The Seminar when I have time to sit down and write it out.Comments are welcome. Hope this helps and/or inspires any of you.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394664803950628052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2326776408214227973.post-44482114586235863612009-11-10T15:30:00.000-08:002009-11-10T15:32:41.704-08:00Fresh on Flickr<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/iamthelovejoy/sets/72157622654086315/"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 57px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdR4JgmIChRPEjX-BYIdeCWymYikfNi30XC2guIv5bY6sOMcUP8Ggeq9kTRPhJ1yDt82hyphenhypheneCc5Mr7hJLMxEnWf5d17qM4GBg7gQT9BqHmJGFC_Z1i51Ljk88VCrqzzqG96i6hxQnljR0/s320/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402621495669352706" border="0" /></a><br />Posted a new FLickr set titled 'Recent' with some of the more, well, recent images from our life here in Boulder. I'll try to keep it fresh. Check it out <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/iamthelovejoy/sets/72157622654086315/">here</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394664803950628052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2326776408214227973.post-44076597694064976142009-11-10T15:19:00.000-08:002010-08-25T09:35:59.876-07:00The Story of BoulderThis is the text of a letter we wrote to our friends about moving to Boulder and our path which led us in this direction. Republishing it here as I originally intended it to be a blog post and never got around to it, plus, wasn't ready to share the blog as publicly yet. Funny how things change that way...It's now been annotated with some Flickr links at the bottom.<br /><br />**August 2010 Update with More Flickr Images of our New Home**<br /><br />+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +<br /><br />Dear family & friends,<br /><br />As some of you may know, for several years our family has been in a discussion about the kind of lifestyle we want. As much as we love northern California, we've felt for some time that there were some things missing for us. In no particular order, they include a desire to live somewhere Fiona can go outside without us worrying or having to accompany her, slower pace, more rural, more peaceful, seasonal, less expensive, and a real estate market where we can eventually own a home again. Now this needed to be a pretty special place, since in addition to the above laundry list, we also had a few requirements like a good Waldorf school, spiritual community for both Mary and Ben, work for Ben, political leaning not too disparate from our own, and ideally music, theatre, art and cycling scenes we are interested in being part of.<br /><br />Over time we had been looking at a variety of destinations around California, and though we had some really exciting ideas, in CA they mostly fell short on the cost. Then, we opened our minds to go beyond our beloved CA and started looking at other places in the country. During that search we happened upon Boulder, CO. On paper, or rather the internets as it were, Boulder looked incredible. It literally had everything on our list. Both lists really. So after some looking around online, and giving it some serious thought, we decided it was worth a visit to see for ourselves.<br /><br />Our time in CO was miraculous, and I use the word very specifically. From almost the moment we arrived, it felt as though this was the right next step for our family. Then the miracles started.<br /><br />We had been told by some friends of a couple we should look up who are parents at the Waldorf School we were interested in. We thought we'd call them if we had time. Our first night there we had a nice supper at a lovely restaurant in downtown Boulder. The waiter, who was so friendly, was giving us all sorts of tips, and so we asked him where to go for tea and pastry before our appointment at Shining Mountain. Oh, you're going to Shining Mountain? I'll see you there, my wife teaches in the kindergarten and I am helping out with the summer camp. Lo and behold, he's the dad of the couple our friends had recommended we call.<br /><br />The next morning we go to the school, it's lovely, fall in love with the campus, and then meet the teacher who Fiona immediately fell in love with (and who loved Fiona). At the end of our visit the teacher invited us to join her class if we were going to move.<br /><br />That night we decide to look around online for a place since everything had been going so well, and so we could get a sense of the rents. We found a few houses for rent in the neighborhood near what would become Fiona's school, and sent a few emails. One got back to us the next morning and invited us to come by in the afternoon. When we arrived, once again, it felt like we were getting home. It was a family, who was looking to replace themselves with another family. We were the first ones to respond to their post and they'd received a bunch of email since. The little 3 bedroom, 2 and a half bath house we were looking at was perfect. Yard, garage, basement for a home office, bedrooms for us and Fiona, and a small guest room (a necessity given how many people we want to have come visit us), and all of this on a lovely little cul-de-sac in a neighborhood full of families, with a small park at one end and walking distance from school to boot. Did we mention the neighbors, a family with a 7 year old girl on one side (we haven't met yet) and her grandparents on the other side (we did meet, very sweet)? The couple said if we wanted to fill out an application they'd recommend us to the landlord and not respond to any of the other emails.<br /><br />That night we send the landlord a letter explaining who we are, why we like the house, and explaining our situation. We fill out the application and go to take it back to the couple the next day. The landlord calls us when we pull into the driveway and says "Wow, you guys sound great, if your check doesn't bounce, you've got the house if you want it." She hasn't even seen our application.<br /><br />By this time we decided that in the final hour and a half of our trip, Ben should probably look for a job, given how everything else was going. Kidding here, though it did cross our minds. So, the end of this long story is, on August 21st the movers will come, put all of our belongings into a truck and drive away. The following day Fiona, Mary and Ben will start a three day drive to Boulder, CO where we will make our new home. The miracles that fell into place to make this all possible have also allowed us to focus on the part we will miss the most. Our dear friends. It is you who it's hard to leave, you who tug at our heartstrings, you who we will miss so dearly. And yet, we are following our hearts to Boulder. We hope you will come to visit, and share in the joy of our adventure.<br /><br />We're including our new details below, and of course our email, Facebook, Twitter and Flickr handles all remain the same. All of a sudden, our social networks are going to come in much handier. Thanks internets!<br /><br />Ben, Mary & Fiona<br />4176 Amber Place<br />Boulder CO 80304<br />303 449 0749<br /><br />With so much love and gratitude for each and every one of you. And a prayer we'll be together soon.<br /><br />Ben, Mary & Fiona<br /><br />P.S. Now there's some evidence on my Flickr, here's a link to some of the images I've been taking since we arrived:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/iamthelovejoy/sets/72157622654086315/">Recent shots from our life in Boulder</a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/iamthelovejoy/sets/72157621482876050/">Fiona's new school</a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/iamthelovejoy/sets/72157621483344196/">What would become our house</a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/iamthelovejoy/sets/72157623829921387/">And the house we ended up buying!</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394664803950628052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2326776408214227973.post-68505976897546261862009-11-10T00:07:00.000-08:002009-11-10T00:13:21.546-08:00Yes, a BlogMost of you probably didn't even know I had a blog, and to say that I do is almost a stretch since I haven't been posting here very much. I'm wanting to change that, so that's part of sharing this more widely. I hope you enjoy or at least get something out of what I share here, and please comment. I want to know people are reading and reacting to what I'm putting out. My aim is for this to be a place I can share my personal spiritual journey, my art and personal creative output, and my thoughts on relationships, fatherhood, life and love.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394664803950628052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2326776408214227973.post-67620038685893873262009-11-09T23:23:00.000-08:002009-11-10T00:07:25.062-08:00The SeminarIt's been a year and a half since I first did The Seminar. Only a year and a half? I can hardly believe it. Seems like much longer ago than that. In any case, rather unexpectedly I am now reviewing The Seminar in Denver this coming Wednesday. I'm grateful to be able to attend and both nervous and excited to dive into the work.<br /><br />I had been scheduled to staff The Seminar with my community in San Francisco. Then Mary's mom had a fall in Maine where she lives and Mary needed to go there to help her get home and get settled. Turned out she was being released the day The Seminar began in SF and Mary wouldn't be home until the afternoon of the second to last day. This basically hosed my staffing plans. I rescheduled my flights for early December, trusted in God's plan for me and hunkered down with Fiona.<br /><br />We were having a ball. Then one night I get a txt to get on a conference call with Maha (the leader of the Denver community and a group I belong to called the Second Generation), my spiritual master Kalindi and the rest of the Second Generation group. On the call Maha tells us that Kalindi wants as many of us as possible to review The Seminar that's about to happen in Denver. I immediately have resistance, and go into all the reasons I *can't* do it. At a certain point on the call two things happened. Thing the first, before asking us to respond, Maha says something to the effect of "This is your spiritual master calling for you to come to the Seminar, who of you will come". Which is pretty heavy, and I think started off a minor panic attack for me. Thing the second, I tell Maha I can staff as much as possible, and she responds "Kalindi wants to know why you aren't going to review". Now what happened next is what has been very interesting for me to observe and become aware of. I panicked. I could feel the part of me that wanted to say "I will". Except I didn't. I went into a bunch of explanation about caring for Fiona and not being able to take the time. Some of which was accurate, because the truth is I won't make commitments like that without setting it up with Mary first. And I could have said that. And I didn't.<br /><br />Well it ate away at me. And by the end of the next day I knew I needed to do whatever was necessary to see if I could actually do it. At the very least I had to follow my desire to review. I set about handling the logistics of registering and got in touch with Mary and we started our own process with it. For us, the whole process has been very deep, sometimes painful, and again an opportunity for us to reveal more and get more exposed with one another, which has led to our being more related. Not necessarily more comfortable, definitely more related. More on that in subsequent posts.<br /><br />What this process has had me really looking at is my relationship with Kalindi. How much am I ready to give over my will? How willing am I to follow her guidance? When she makes a request like this one, because she knows something special needs to happen, and will happen in this Seminar, am I willing to do what she asks? I am already on a Path on which I have agreed to follow her basic guidance, which I do to the best of my ability. And with this experience I am seeing my devotion is deeper than that.<br /><br />What that will mean for me going forward I do not know. I am still a devoted husband and father, and how I balance my time with Mary and Fiona and on this Path will continue to be my work. I know if I could make a living for my family doing this work and contributing in the ways I can to the Mission I would. However, that's not possible currently, so I continue to love my work outside of the Mission. The work/spiritual balance is definitely another post topic so again, more on that later. For now, I will continue to go deeper into myself, and get myself out of my own way, so more pure love can come through me and flow to those I love and care for.<br /><br />I wanted to close with a few words about what I want in this Seminar. More post topics surfacing, so I'll touch on the key points, all of which will likely become posts in and of themselves. I have a lot of of blogging to do... I have become aware recently of how I hold myself back in certain areas because of a fear I have of being perceived as arrogant or egotistical. I want to stop. I can now see how it's my ego that's stopping me, and my desire is to walk away from those limits. My other main focus is this notion of 'doing it right'. I can get caught very easily in a pattern of trying to do things right. This is a trap, and keeps me from focusing on actually doing whatever it is I'm trying to do right. A friend said to me the other day, "It's not about doing it right, it's about doing the work". She didn't know how perfect a statement that was for me. And she was so right.<br /><br />In filling out my application and doing the looking at what I want in this Seminar I became aware of something. When I did my first Seminar, I thought I had taken leaps and bounds, and the feeling I have now is that those were baby steps. Now I'm ready to run.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394664803950628052noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2326776408214227973.post-54857219241971103952009-11-09T23:21:00.001-08:002009-11-10T00:54:17.149-08:00Tees Tease<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/iamthelovejoy/4092276352/" target="_blank"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJyul7t80ysIsnZaaLAiWUGYApaUsayMd0-YbvDKPu-k6LPLR1qub4fspLVlPHQgP2sFbJZZhXZsVZD0KpTg5QTbbC9Qa847KIlwR81EwDW3SGsO08fbkRlR4brAOPR75eDKrztDbp6t4/s320/IMG_0437.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402394703686724082" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I started a new project on Flickr. Here's the description I wrote for it:<br /><br />New project for November 2009. Part of my looking at the ego has me observing how I think my clothes say something about who I am. Since a lot of my tee shirts actually do say something (on them) I thought it might be interesting to document every tee shirt I wear in November. At the end I will get rid of every shirt I didn't wear and probably a few of the ones I did. If you happen to be reading this and have an opinion, vote for shirts I should get rid of, keep, or give to you. This'll be fun.<br /><br />Take a look at the growing set <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/iamthelovejoy/sets/72157622725955118/" target="_blank">here</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394664803950628052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2326776408214227973.post-79847411564583936152009-01-29T14:51:00.001-08:002009-11-19T09:57:36.752-08:00ProductivityInBox Zero Explanation<br /><a href="http://www.43folders.com/izero" target="_blank">http://www.43folders.com/izero</a><br /><br />InBox Zero Video (different than the link at 43 folders)<br /><a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=973149761529535925" target="_blank">http://video.google.com/<wbr>videoplay?docid=<wbr>973149761529535925</a><br /><br />43 Folders is Merlin's site and has tons of useful information. Bop around. Read some of the introductory posts, be sure to check out "How To Use 43F" at the top right.<br /><a href="http://www.43folders.com/" target="_blank">http://www.43folders.com/</a><br /><br />Wikipedia article on 'lifehacking'.<br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_hack" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/<wbr>Life_hack</a><br /><br />The Lifehacker site has more on this than anyone could ever need and the message has gotten a little diluted.<br /><a href="http://lifehacker.com/" target="_blank">http://lifehacker.com</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394664803950628052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2326776408214227973.post-15667817432140126242009-01-23T11:22:00.000-08:002009-01-23T11:33:45.314-08:00UP is Up<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://flickr.com/photos/iamthelovejoy/sets/72157612907062740/"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcrQ6kXM2WIh15bq1HzyJD8z3Y6XiR1oXdAESMX_-oRX7qGkpR73E0XcZYTi_6rnGLId_D7QkfB6ZuqlVu1PzZSb_ECjxP0L8Iz_HeAfPWF39z44KB9-RFK735b9xJsD5_ThOAQvG6m2c/s320/4sky.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294572041849428914" border="0" /></a><br />Up is a photo project I've been working on and I'm intrigued by the results. I've been taking shots with the camera parallel to the ground, making sure not to look at the viewfinder beforehand, and paying minimal attention to what's above me. The extent to which I'm paying attention to it is really limited to making sure I'm not standing under a bridge, heavy tree cover, tall buildings, etc. For the most part it's sky. It started one day when I was in the passenger seat in Mary's car and the sky was incredible, so I stuck the camera out the window, held it straight up and shot. And I liked what I saw. I also liked the randomness of it. So I took a few more. And when they were in the camera they kind of looked the same. Then I got them into iPhoto, looked at them together and it was amazing how different they all were. Not only because some had little snippets of buildings or wires, the blues themselves were so different, and beautiful. So, here it is, in its infancy, UP. I'll keep shooting these and figure out something to do with them later. Click the photo above or visit <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/iamthelovejoy/sets/72157612907062740/">my Flickr set</a> of the project.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394664803950628052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2326776408214227973.post-38222723700894890052009-01-23T09:18:00.000-08:002009-01-23T09:32:13.626-08:00Long WeekBeen away from this blog all week. I had started to build up some momentum, and then got derailed a bit. The tibetans fell off, my morning programme of meditation got either sacrificed or massively condensed, it was not great. I felt really tired in the mornings, and was falling back to sleep when I woke up. Trying not to go into any judgment about it.<br /><br />Anyway, good to be back. I had a busy few days of meetings in my somewhat new post as West Coast Creative Director for <a href="http://visaviscreative.com/">Vis-A-Vis</a>. Spending two days at a conference table where you're not really ever the center of attention is a discipline. It was great to meet all the people from the client, and very interesting to see what's being done. I always find that I have an explosion of ideas for a client when I imerse myself in them that way.<br /><br />Then it was back to <a href="http://www.300feetout.com/">300FeetOut</a> for Thursday and now home on Friday. Next week will be a little more normal. Though I'm going back to a four day work wee to see if that will work better for Nina. I need to see how it will work for me. Always a balance.<br /><br />Meditation is going really well. The intro at our home on Monday was amazing and seems to have moved a number of people towards attending the Seminar. I feel so ful of love for all the people in my life, and I'm finding that the more I can get out of the way, the more I can serve them, give to them, be in service of God and love. And that's what I want, more and more in my life. Is to be of service.<br /><br />What I'm coming into is an age where my work, my creative output and endeavors, are no longer the thing that defines me. I love them, and I will continue to be engaged in that work as it earns my family an income and stimulates me in a way that I fing very powerful. And, what I'm really learning how to lean into is making my spiritual life truly first. I thought I had started to do that in the past, and now I'm really learning what it feels like. It's quite something to be letting go of that part of my ego that is so attached to 'who I am' as defined by that work, those thoughts, that persona. When I'm actually none of that. I mena, I'm all of that, and none of it at the same time. All I am, all any of us are, is light and love, when you get right down to it. And we're in this material existence, and we're hopefully doing some great things while we're here, and we're not what our material existence displays of us. We're so much more.<br /><br />Finally, a few words of gratitude for the people I have come to be surrrounded by. Some are doing amazing work in the world, others are doing amazing work simply by being themselves. I am starting to see so much more clearly what a gift each relationship is, what amazing teachings they all hold for each and every one of us, and how much I can learn.<br /><br />In love.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394664803950628052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2326776408214227973.post-24936053626559416152009-01-16T09:33:00.000-08:002009-01-16T09:39:30.107-08:00A Reminder<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWkCChk2zos1DnrsfRw7k9BwWjG4vMPHLsvd78h5nOZMYof1yCAGv078l5VkfrAykWLN-liv4wYVGIyQ0P16i0Hljve1L3NYppDPLUWlst22ips4L_19L3TyWy1Srey5HUji-smUtFOV8/s1600-h/DSCN0157.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWkCChk2zos1DnrsfRw7k9BwWjG4vMPHLsvd78h5nOZMYof1yCAGv078l5VkfrAykWLN-liv4wYVGIyQ0P16i0Hljve1L3NYppDPLUWlst22ips4L_19L3TyWy1Srey5HUji-smUtFOV8/s320/DSCN0157.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291947554790082882" border="0" /></a><br />This post is dedicated to the weight I've lost, gained back, subsequently lost again, and now continue to pay attention to. Mary and I spent a good 10 minutes howling on the couch last night when we came across this gem from a weekend we spent down in L.A. with our dear friends Tina, J and Will and then Jake, Lisa and Zane. Olivia hadn't been born yet. I was probably close to my peak weight then, and a man in that condition should avoid sitting in a kiddie pool, with his clothes on no less, at all costs. I can't believe how much better I look in even the shots taken moments before I got into the thing. In any case, this has kicked off an idea about humility and sharing unflattering images of ourselves. More on that when I have time to develop the thoughts. For now, let this be a reminder to me, and to all those I share it with, how easy it is to expand, and contract. Let my current expansion continue internally, spiritually, devotionally, and in my heart rather than my gut.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394664803950628052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2326776408214227973.post-70675574906693746082009-01-08T16:35:00.000-08:002009-01-08T16:50:00.311-08:00Day of DistractionFound it hard to get down to some real work today. It was a good start, Tibetans, the sitting and journaling. Mostly good times with Fiona and Mary before we left. Then a good ride with Ben, good connection with someone from school, where I spoke from a place of real depth, and once we reached the City it was really hard to get focused. There were the wireless issues, couldn't deal with email, then when I was finally getting service and I was online I had a few things to handle for the part time gig, and some emails to respond to. It felt like I never ended up with a solid block of time in which to actually get anything done. Do you ever feel like that?<br /><br />Meanwhile, I'm taking a photograph each day, not so good with the uploading to Flickr as frequently. Trying to post here every day, which is definitely giving me insight into how it would be to be writing a business blog. I'm now thinking weekly or twice weekly updates will have to be plenty. Maybe a daily photo. My Twitter feed will be up there so there'll be constant content. The meatier stuff will need to be consolidated.<br /><br />Speaking of meat, I've also been vegetarian since the first. Feeling really good about that choice. And I think it's helping me feel lighter and better about what I'm eating when I eat during the shake days of the cleanse. Feeling like I'm going to stick to it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394664803950628052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2326776408214227973.post-14781855720881617862009-01-06T06:36:00.000-08:002009-01-06T06:42:48.082-08:00Another Fine DayStarting off another fine day with more Tibetans. Today I'll bike into the City and work at the M-Line offices, then bike over to the Fell Street house for an afternoon with those peeps. I hope to complete a few documents for the Center before I go over. This is the second day of fasting on this cleanse I'm doing. I think I'll use that to make today a second 'Buy Nothing' day, except for the $2 I'll spend on the bike shuttle. I don't know where this is going, and I'm attempting to get into the discipline of blogging first by forcing myself to post whatever I've got. Not that anyone's reading right now. My vision for this is that this blog remain a personal area for musings on my spiritual path, what I'm learning and how I'm transforming. I'll share it with some. Then the lovejoycreative site wil become the home of Benjamin Lovejoy Creative Person where I'll write about business, art, being a freelancer and consultant. ALso show work, experiment, art, photography, etc. Time to wake up the bean. Of course, this will also include schtuff abut being a daddy, though I think I want both to include some of the other. So the personal one might mention something about work, the work one might include some mentions about being a dad and spiritual seeker.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394664803950628052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2326776408214227973.post-79209176486281092402009-01-05T08:51:00.000-08:002009-01-05T09:00:21.373-08:00A New Year AheadStarted off today with <a href="http://www.lifeevents.org/5-tibetans-energy-rejuvenation-exercises.htm">5 Tibetans</a>, then 10 minutes of sitting and then journaling. Today is also the first actual cleanse day of my post-holiday season cleanse (meaning basically fasting, Cleanse for Life drink and lots of water). Today is also the first official "<a href="http://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/bnd">Buy Nothing</a>" day for me, and partially our community. We haven't started as a community yet, and it's going to start slowly with each of us doing what we can individually. I will not be buying anything today, save the parking I paid for a minute ago. Made a last minute decision not to ride the bike in the 50º rain. I won't buy gas or anything else though. Feeling optimistic about this year, and looking forward to all it holds for us.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05394664803950628052noreply@blogger.com0