The other day, I was asked what I thought of the ads and debates over the economy, swine flu, banks failing and what do people watch on TV? I choose not to watch much TV, even in the middle of a 40 below cold snap in Minnesota. I rarely purchase the daily newspaper; limit my viewing of TV programming, and the many newscasts. I will watch the history channel, Discovery Channel, HGTV, and I do read a lot of books. I generally have 7- 8 books open at one time, in all various states of being read. I belong to a study group that meets on Sunday evening, and every 3 - 6 months we read a new book and discuss it. I know the more I read, the more I will learn and advance in my career, but I really like to read, so any advancement is incidental.

I have traveled the globe, sailed the high seas with folks seeking new lands and riches, swash buckled with pirates and explorers; rode the Mongolian Rim in the southwest with the Sacketts; traversed the many planes of existence with Rand al’Thor - alias “Dragon Reborn” – from the “THE WHEEL OF TIME™” series - in the time of prophesies to be filled; traveled to far off galaxies with Luke Skywalker, Hans Solo and other star travelers; and sought enlightenment from the world foremost authorities, past and present. I have traveled back 2000 years and found that spin-doctors were very much alive and well then; making changes in “sacred” texts and rewriting history. Some things do not change much at times. The winners “do” get to rewrite history.

Keeping my focus on positive thoughts, and staying away from the negative thoughts that sells fear and advertising is an ongoing lesson and challenge.

If you wish to use this lifetime in a constructive fashion, in the only life focus of real value to your path, you will turn your attention away from the garbage of remote events reported by the media to inform you, but which really only divert your attention away from your life. Your life consists of the events you encounter first hand and the relationships you maintain in the ongoing days, is your prime concern. If problems are encountered there, those problems are indicative of real elements of you that need attention. The problems of the extended world are not you.

Understand, those problems, out there in the famines and disasters of the world, will always be there—at least until major portions of humanity outgrow their restricted vision of the workings of reality. Certainly you cannot solve them, cannot divert their problematic energies by your focus on their details. Only the problems you encounter in the daily course of your life can you deal with—and those, in that they reflect your inner state, you must delve into within yourself. The only part of the world that you can impact is your world and your thoughts. By changing your thoughts, your reality and your life, will then change your view of the world.

As you delve inward to clean your mind of its limiting values and hidden beliefs, you do find that when you focus your attention on the crud and debris of the world’s disasters, you will be effectively taking a shower while standing deep in the mud. It’s impossible to take a good shower while standing in that mud. You might get the top part of you clean, but a lot of you—including some rather significant parts—will still be mighty dirty when you are finished.

One of the best tools to focus on the positive aspects that a person can use is meditating daily; be it a walking meditation, form finding meditation, mantra meditation, guided meditation, or my personal favorite of going inward to the silence.

“In the sweet territory of silence we touch the mystery. It’s the place of reflection and contemplation, and it’s the place where we can connect with the deep knowing, to the deep wisdom way.”
Angeles Arrien

“God intended us to have dominion over our lives, to be the captains of our souls. Of course, in the ship of life, you cannot make port unless all sails are set. You must pursue the spiritual life wholeheartedly. You cannot expect to reach port if you are faithful in your prayers and meditations for a time, and then for a time you forget God.”
Emmet Fox

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