The Inspiration Nation

This time last year, I read Frederick Douglass' famous speech, "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro."  It's a recurrent theme in American politics, this idea of freedom for her citizens.

When we talk about notions of freedom and citizenry, inevitably other profound issues also come up, like nationhood, politics, privilege, and now more than ever, what it means to be patriotic in its many forms.

Whatever your views on these, and however they play out in your life and your conversations today (and any day), I wanted to share with you (perhaps you've already heard it) Marvin Gaye's live rendition of The Star Spangled Banner, the national anthem of the United States of America.

It's the most beautiful rendition I've ever heard.

I can't believe it's been over 3 weeks ago (May 3 & 4) that I had the amazing privilege of attending a two-day workshop put on by Dov Baron of Baron Mastery Institute, called First Access.

Because Dov is in high demand, this was a rare opportunity to connect with Dov in a more intimate and informal context where attendees could ask him any question they desired. In fact, Dov has never offered a forum like this before (to my knowledge).

He and his team offered the workshop at no cost to anyone who wished to attend.

There were only two caveats. The first was that "Only the serious could apply". In other words, the sole stipulation for attendance was the proviso that attendees be committed to their own self-development and personal growth rather than being "tire kickers."

The second was that each participant had to agree to attend both days of the workshop.

The content was amazing. I volunteered at the event and still was able to take pages and pages of notes. I'm quite sure that, had everything been transcribed, the content would fill volumes.

(The event was filmed and recorded, so it's quite within the realm of possibility that it could be transcribed verbatim. Since it was essentially a question-and-answer format, I think they should have it transcribed. They could then publish it either traditionally or through self-publishing or print-on-demand means like lulu.com or iUniverse. I wonder if they've thought of that? The investment would be minimal.)

What did I learn?

Well, I haven't really had the chance to go through my notes as thoroughly as I would like. I probably should type them up, but here are few things I learned from Dov, as he answered questions that were put to him during the two-day event:

• Did you know that 'the walls of your mind can melt' without the use of drugs?  Dov took us through a modified holotropic breathing exercise and explained what Stanislav Grof developed during the 1970s and 80s.
  
• Discipline (i.e., "will power") doesn't work long-term.  It is what we make important in our lives that matters.  Are you finding it difficult to pinpoint exactly what is most important to you?   Look at what you are currently struggling with in your life and that will be your clue.
• Feeling scattered?  Ungrounded?  Run both of your wrists under cold water and deeply (and simultaneously) breathe in the cold through your nose, down through your feet and into the Earth.
• One way to access the subconscious mind is during hypnagogia, or the hypnagogic state.  This is the transition between wakefulness and sleep.  Messages are thought to be most powerfully implanted during this state.  Since children are essentially walking around in this state much of the time, and the subconcious mind receives the majority of its information between 0 and 7 years of age, it's of the utmost importance that parents or primary care givers and others proactively and consciously provide the child with life affirming messages.
• Dov illustrated the power of mind over matter, citing Franz Mesmer's healing work on Charles Fillmore and his wife in the late 1800s.
• 8 steps to finding your purpose.  Ask yourself:
1. If I could instantly do whatever I wanted and be instantly qualified to do that thing, what would I do?
2. What is it that I tell myself in order not to do it?
3. Who do I know or who could I find who would be willing to help me do it?
4. What 5 things do I currently have that would make it easier for me to do it than most people?
5. How would me doing it impact the people I love for the better?
6. How would me doing it impact humanity better?
7. What one thing can I do in the next 24 hours that would move me in the direction of doing that?
8. What am I doing when my lights go on?  What is it that when I'm speaking about it, I get impassioned, juiced? (First, ask yourself this final question and write it down. Then, without revealing your own answer, ask your friends to answer the question about you.)
• Dov scratched the surface of the philosophies of Richard Bach, including discussion of the quote "You are always free to change your mind and choose a different future, or a different past."
• Did you know that $34 trillion circulates the world every day?  And that's just what's legal!  Clearly, there is no real lack of money in the world.
• When we have the courage to step out and do something different, we show others it's possible for them, too.  (Example:  Roger Bannister breaking the 4-minute mile)
• Dov discussed his interpretation of the coming end of the world in 2012, as predicted by Sacred Geometry and the Mayan Calendar.  Which path will you choose?
• I learned a technique for developing laserbeam mental focus that took Dov himself 4 years to perfect!  (I better get to practicing!)
• I learned what a dead seagull and an eagle have to do with making decisive choices and following my dreams.
• I learned how to instantly moved from a state of depression to one of joy by shifting my focus and by manipulating my body's energy centers.
• Dov described déjà vu as a "glitch in the Matrix." He used String Theory, Many-worlds/Parallel Universes Theory, and the Law of Resonance to describe the phenomenon.
• Did you know a child can be born addicted to stress because of the influence of the mother and father?
• Why does mental illness exist?  What purpose does it serve?  Dov explained in detail his view on this topic.
• Have you ever wondered when it is time to leave a relationship and agonized over the decision?  Dov gave a crystal clear answer to this question, which has to do with the present or absence of commitment to growth, development and healing.
• Dov gave a great example of the difference between "outcome" and "goal."  On the journey of this life on Earth, goals are important, without attachment to the outcome.  So-called "enlightenment" is a journey, not a destination:
• A goal is a marker on a progressive journey whereas,
• Outcomes are all about postponing your joy

The world mourns a great man today.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

It's a somber and sobering day, as I remember Dr. King and the legacy he created in life and in death.  Forty years after the death of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., there is still much work to do.

That's why it is also a day of rejoicing that you and I have the honor and privilege of embracing the spirit of Dr. King and taking up his torch of freedom, racial equality, and economic justice for everyone.

Will you take up the challenge? 

I am also reminded today of my dear friend and mentor, Dr. Dov Baron (who was just a 10-year-old boy when Dr. King died), whose mission is to raise consciousness and impact the world with the same magnitude that Dr. King impacted his.

I don't know about the rest of the world, but Dr. Baron has surely impacted me in immeasurably powerful ways.

Here's the video I promised you (special thanks to my beautiful new friend, Lisa Haeck, who shared the link to this YouTube clip):

Okay.  I have to apologize that you'll have to wait a few more minutes for that short video clip I wanted to share with you about what people are saying about Dov's programs.

I just looked at my email there's a contest in progress that you can enter!  Since time is of the essence -- it ends at midnight tomorrow -- I wanted to tell you about it right away.

(Apparently there were other contests that I should have known about and told you about, but as I mentioned in my last post, the month of March seemed to disappear into thin air for me!  I must have missed the notices.)

Dov Baron just last week launched his new eBook, The Secret Beyond the Law of Attraction.  There have been some questions about how to order, why anyone would want to purchase it, what makes this book different than all the other books on the Law of Attraction, whether this is just another bunch of hype, and other healthy skepticism-type questions like that.

Get the answers by clicking over to:  http://www.secretbeyondthelawofattraction.com/answers.htm

And for the contest where you have the opportunity to win

• a copy of Dov Baron's Equation for Manifestation Audio Technology CD (I've used this myself with amazing results, as I you can see in my testimonial at this link.  See me live in the flesh by scrolling down to the handsome black man, dressed in black with the spikey hair!), and
• a copy of Dov Baron's new eBook, The Secret Beyond the Law of Attraction (at this link, you'll see among many testimonials, one from my partner, the writer and poet Chad Helder.  Scroll down the page to see it.)
  

Wow.  Where did the month of March go?

I haven't wanted for things to talk about here, that's for sure.  Life's been a whirlwind of activity and excitement.

Whenever I experience a Dov Baron event (particularly the multi-day intensives), my physical and emotional body is (are?) thrown for a loop.

After my first event that lasted more than one day (The event was Attracting Force, a three-day event from March 30 to April 1, 2007), it was such a shock to my system that I experienced the worse diarrhea of my life.  It was so intense (and lasted for 4 days) that at one point my partner wanted to take me to the Emergency Room.

This was no mere stomach flu.

Neither was it unique to me.  I had previously learned from spiritual entrepreneur, Joe Nunziata, that when there are great emotional breakthroughs, very often this shock creates physical disturbances as a result of the clearing of emotional junk.

And when I explained my experience to my friend, Darren Little, he said a similar thing happened to him, only his aftermath manifested as violent vomiting.

I say all of this, not to scare you away, but to illustrate how powerful Dov Baron's programs are and how even small mental and emotional shifts cause dramatic changes, even monumental physical expression.

This is a good thing.  Change is always painful (even good change) because our natural inclination is to resist, even when we think we're not resisting!  I'd rather go through momentary stress as my mind and body adjusts than to prolong unconscious miscreating another minute!

After Quantum Soulmates for Couples that Chad and I just attended, I am definitely in a process of adjustment.  We both are.  But thankfully there's been no near trips to the ER!

Many, many amazing things have been happening in my life, my work, my relationships, and my business this past month.  It's just been a challenge keeping up with all my commitments, since immediately following the 5-day Couples Retreat, I experienced a dominant, general air of malaise -- a stupor of sorts that fought against the level of productivity I would have preferred.

I say all that only to say that I'm back in the saddle again, and very happy to share with you my journey of all things inspirational.....and the journey of finding the inspiration in that which on the surface doesn't appear quite so inspiring.

The second reason I say all of that is to make the point that if you want to get on the fast track to improving every aspect of your life, and are tired of stumbling along on your own, get yourself to a Dov Baron event.  There's an incredible one-day event coming up in Vancouver, BC that you won't want to miss, called The Secret Beyond the Law of Attraction.

(There is a charge of between $49 -- a special going on right now -- and $549 -- the regular price -- but if you're TRULY interested in attending, ask me how you can get in at no charge, as my guest.)

The program is nowhere near as intense as Dov's multi-day events (It is an introductory program, after all -- no fear of vomiting or diarrhea!), but you will be BLOWN AWAY at the content, the interactive experiences, and the practical tools you will take away just in one day.

In my next post here on The Inspiration Nation, I will share with you a short clip where one lady was so impressed by Dov's program that she said "Excuse the expression, but he (Dov Baron) kicks ass."

As for me, here's a copy of a thank you letter I sent to Dov Baron after I attended my first one-day event last year on March 17, 2007:

18 March

Dr. Dõv:

Twenty-four hours have elapsed since the end of Resonating Riches, and I'm still reverberating.  "My cup runneth over."  I learned so much about abundance, resonance, energy-vibration, how we create our individual reality and how we are simultaneously connected to all & everyone in The Universe.

Thank you, Dõv, for stepping up & stepping out by sharing all of you with us.  What a blessing, what a gift you are, Dõv -- and because of you and because of this program I am on fire.

I know that I am no longer trapped by my life.  No, instead I am (and from now on forever will be) Master and Creator of my life just the way I want and deserve it.

Thank you especially for your honesty.  You're not afraid to "give it to us straight" -- which is the true mark of love and compassion.

Mere words fail to express the depth of my gratitude.

With joy & heartfelt thanks,

Tshombé

 OK.  I've bended your ear long enough!  I'm off to look for that clip I know you'll want to see......

Loon Lake, Maple Ridge, BC Canada (UBC)Chad and I are very excited to be off today to a 5-day couples' relationship retreat!  We'll be leaving within the hour.

The retreat will be facilitated by Dov and Renuka Baron at the University of British Columbia's Loon Lake Research and Educational Center.

On March 1 (two more days!), we will have been together 5 1/2 years and I'm happy to say we have a good relationship already.  We're very excited to learn how to transform a good relationship into a great one, and to catapult it to new heights of love and intimacy.

The workshop itself is called Quantum Soulmates for Couples.  Chad and I are committed to submitting wholeheartedly to the process.

We've been looking forward to this retreat for a long time, and it's been quite a journey to get here. 

Something tells me it's going to be a lot of fun. . . and a lot of work!

Yoga Instructor James Dewar and me; Beaver Lake Lodge; Sammamish, WA; 2/17/2008My first yoga experience (I vaguely remember doing something akin to yoga years ago, but clearly it doesn't hold a significant place in my mind) was awesome.  So relaxing (Though definitely challenging.  The stretches and poses were by no means easy.) and affirming.

I stumbled upon an advertisement for the Amrit Yoga Retreat, and though it was several miles away from where I live, I was drawn to it and to the facilitator, James Dewar.  He was assisted by Brandy Ritts, who was the one who actually led us through the Amrit Yoga (the breathing, stretching, and posing).

The second portion of the program was led by James.  It was called Yoga Nidra, sometimes referred to as psychic sleep or yoga sleep.

Though I did actually go in and out of sleep (oops!), the intent is deep, deep relaxation of mind and body while remaining alert.

The Yoga Nidra very much reminded me of the meditations I've experienced that Dr. Dov Baron leads at his personal development programs.  I really found the two practices, the Amrit Yoga and the Yoga Nidra, very complementary to the work I've been doing with Dov in his programs over the past year.
My new yoga friends and me; Beaver Lake Lodge

I like the deliberate intention-making aspect of the yoga practices, and the focus on the breath and the body.  It is so great its emphasis on remaining present in the moment, by regularly coming back to the breath and how you're feeling in the body.

Isn't that what life is about?  Balance, being in the body, breath, and presence of mind? 

Yoga reminds me of what it's like being a life coach.  Being present, conscious of mind and body, and deliberately creating life experience with clear intention is what we model and teach our clients.

I remember James instructing us just before 'ohm-ing' (that was pretty fun, too!) to make a specific intention for what we personally wanted to get out of the yogic experience.  He clarified that what he meant not an end, as in what we wanted to gain as a result of the yoga at the end of the day.  No, the intention was to be all about the experience.  What we wanted to experience in the moment as we were executing the yoga practices.

I really had a good time.  What a gift!

I know Bellingham has different types of yoga going on every week.  I'm hoping they have a practitioner of Amrit Yoga and Amrit Method Yoga Nidra.

Sitting here in a nice little B&B in Harrison Hot Springs (with Wi-Fi!  Hooray!), Chad and I just got back from Dov Baron's surprise birthday celebration.

It was AMAZING, and boy, was Dov surprised!  We had an unbelievably great time, and what an honor to be invited and be among Dov's closest, beloved soulmates.  I get choked up thinking about it.

Can't wait to share a few photos, once I do some editing and correcting of red eye.

Till then, goodnight! 

(It's midnight, and Dov and much of the gang are still cuttin' up the rug on the dance floor!  I'm pooped and all I did was drive up here and have fun!  I do have to get up early, though, and drive down to Sammamish for a yoga class...)

26 Mar 1964. Martin Luther King leaning on a lecternToday is a federal holiday in the United States, set aside to remember and honor the civil rights leader and peace activist, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  The holiday alway falls on the third Monday in January, though King's actual date of birth was January 15.

On Friday, I attended a viewing of the documentary film on Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement called The Intolerable Burden.

The documentary revolves around the situation in Drew, Mississippi in 1965 when the school board created a freedom-of-choice plan where students, black or white, would now be permitted to attend the school of their choice.  This plan was created in response to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which required compliance in order to continue receiving federal financial assistance.

Because the all-black schools were grossly inferior to the white schools, Mae Bertha Carter and her husband made the decision to enroll their children in the (still) all-white public schools.

The film took a powerful look at the state of affairs during segregation, the "intolerable burden" the children carried as the only black children in a very hostile white environment, and the subsequent white flight that resulted in the resegregation of the schools that continues into this new millennium.

There are many things that impressed me about the film, particularly the strength of the Carter children and of their mother, Mae Bertha.

At one point in the film, she quotes Martin Luther King as saying that there ought to be something you are willing to die for.  This is in the context where, because of her actions, white people were talking "'bout they gonna kill you."

Mae Bertha's answer?

"You already dead you let somebody control your life."

Wow.

Martin Luther King had a dream.  He had "seen the promised land."  So did Mae Bertha.

What about you?  Have you seen your promised land?  What's your dream?