Getting what you really want

It seems so simple.  Want a thing, work for the thing, and eventually get the thing, then move on to the next thing.  I mean it can be as simple as “Wow, Cheetos!” and you grab them in the store, pay for them, and you are happily munching an amazingly tasty not-really food product. However,…

Being in your own way

Most people lead what Plato called ‘the unexamined life’, which to him was one of the greatest sins of all time.  It’s natural for us to get deeply involved in the day-to-day of our lives, more so if what we are doing is highly relevant to our perceived survival such as buying a house, getting…

Values and Money

In a consumer culture the main complaint people voice is about money.  Not having enough of it, owing too much of it, not having it when you want it, others not giving it where they need to, too many people asking for it, people not using it ‘wisely’, money management, saving for a rainy day,…

New Moon

In the Cherokee tradition we honor both the full moon and the new moon as cycles and see them as balancing each other.  The full moon is seen as feminine, as bringing forth the fruits of all our work and actions and thoughts throughout that particular cycle. The new moon is seen as masculine, as…

“No” is a complete sentence

There is a very clear line between attempting to convince someone of something and coercion.  They may seem similar, but your body know immediately when the line has been crossed.  Trying to convince somebody comes from desire.  You really want something and that emotion fills you and you want this person to agree and want…

Being Happy

It’s something that seems to be what we want. We see it in others and covet it.  We feel like we don’t have it and we beat ourselves up about it.  We rail at our parents, our sweethearts, our bosses and Fate because they are keeping it from us.  Because if we were just left…

Exchange

The point at which Spirituality converges with Consumerism is such a bedlam of contradictory ideals and practices with everyone talking and thinking they are speaking the same language.  Which if you’ve ever had one of those conversations, you know how confusing and frustrating and downright infuriating it can be.  You get to the end and…

The Art of Being Quiet

More than ever our lives are busy and noisy.  It takes alot of doing to deal with just the logistics of living which is why it is now newsworthy when someone chooses to live in a neighborhood where they can actually walk to all the resources they need like food.  For most of us this…

Masks

I like masks.  Not the made in China, you can’t breathe through them, Halloween kind from the store at Halloween, but beautiful Mardi Gras masks and hand crafted fantastical masks used in ritual and ceremony, masks made by craftswo/men who put a little bit of magic into them and that can take you to another…

Trust your instincts

I read a book recently that was a real eye opener: The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker.  It’s a book from a professional who runs one of the most effective protection agencies in the world.  I was impressed by this because he is common sensical, not advertising his own business (too much), and…