Against Proganda for Profit: Making Peace with our Personal Name Brand

Propaganda for Profit is not my thing. You won't find me representing the capitalistic gains of any unconscious celebrities by wearing their names on my behind. But, when I find something that is fun, funky, creative, and headed in the direction of bringing folks together, I don't mind buying in. We should all be conscious and mindful of the brands, products, and symbols that we represent. Wearing the name brand of a company that is undoubtedly connected to let's say, sweat shop production or unfair trade practicing, is a conscious decision that we make.

Don't get me wrong, I understand that clothes do not make a person and that many of us have to wear what we have or what we are given. I'm not saying that you should over-analyze every piece of clothing you wear. But, I am saying that if you are blessed enough to have a choice in what you represent, please take the time to think about how you are building up your personal name brand. Whether you are aware of it or not, your choices and your name are a marketable brand linked to your reputation. What do your choices and sacrifices in them say about you? I'm not just referring to what others think about you, but how your Personal Name Brand makes you feel. Ultimately, the most harmonious choices make us feel conscious, informed, and at peace. At the end of the day, we decide what we represent on our chests, our shoulders, or even on our behinds.  But, doing so with conviction brings us a sense of right, responsibility, and freedom.

With all of that said, I've been doing some research on a great new product  that recently came into my life. While browsing the freezer section of my local drug store for a cold drink, I stumbled upon Peace Tea. Now, don't think that I'm ready to try anything that says or claims to represent peace. However, I will concede that the words "peace" and "ceylon tea" drew me in for a preliminary taste. And may I say that this tea is fabulous! It's cool, refreshing, and affordable. Most importantly, the makers claim that the tea is all natural, preservative free, and helps to fund their free Peace Concerts. Check out their website for more information: Peace Tea

Let me know what you think! I am of the mind that it's impossible for every person to know everything. But, sharing our knowledge and wisdom with others makes us all more well informed. When we share and cast off selfish learning, we work for the greater purpose of universal peace and success!When the world around us shares in our efforts, it makes our personal goals towards peace more pleasant and easier to accomplish.

And So It is!

In Love & Peace☮,

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Finding Peace in Simplicity: One Word versus One Thousand

“Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.”

~ Gautama Siddharta

And So It Is!

In Love & Peace☮,

Temporarily Disconnected From the Matrix: Plugging in to Your Inner Outlet

On the verge of a "breakthrough," and the Universe forced me to reevaluate my modus operandi. I was working on a Guinness Book record in procrastination, looking up song lyrics, pictures, video game reviews, anything to avoid completing my graduate school applications. There's something to be said for teachable moments. The Universe has blessed me with many impromptu lessons. We are often given precognitive signals for our greater good. Sometimes we choose to ignore these signs in favor of an easier or more desirable course of action. But, more often, we are disconnected from our own intuition, that mix of wisdom and insight that fills our conscience. There's no wonder why so much of humanity feels like something is missing, something we have lost-or worse yet, given up.

Looking up from my keyboard in a near rage, I noticed my modem light change from a neon glowing green to a dull mustard yellow. It was as if the Universe itself was warning me to slow down and take a minute to reevaluate my motivation. I was forced into an involuntary separation from my personal Matrix, that part of life which requires that I disconnect from myself and plug in to technology. My productivity focused, efficiency minded self remains grateful for the twin efforts of my laptop and cell phone--keeping my life organized in single clicks. The other side of myself thirsts for the knowledge and connection that google and facebook can not give me. So, I invest in maintaining a connection to that which makes me human. My opinions, especially those that don't agree with popular opinion, make me human. My willingness to keep working with paper and pen when all servers are down, makes me human. My ability to tap into and appreciate human emotion defines my humanity.

When I now take a moment away from the technology of my computer for example, the disconnection is voluntary. I take that moment to reflect on how grateful I am for the humanity in me. I look around with my eyes, I take a stretch with my arms, and I literally use those few minutes to consider my own heartbeat. These simple actions require both a physical and mental connection to my Self-Hood and to the Universe around me. When we take these moments to plug into an alternate outlet, we work on making ourselves whole.

Our technology gives us amazing opportunities to interact with the world around us in ways that we could have only before imagined. In this way, our connection to technology has become as indispensable as our connection with ourselves. But, when our relationship to ourselves and others on a personal, emotional level starts taking an understudy role to our link with technology, it may well be time to slow down for a moment and plug-in to our inner outlet--for the sake of humanity.

Affordable and Sustainable ways to Unplug and Get Free


Unplug: Go for a Run (it's free)
Unplug: Practice Meditation (also free)
Unplug: Write a Poem (even more free)
Unplug: Write in your Peace Journal (can't get more free)
Unplug: Take a Spirit Journey (free yourself)
Unplug: Take a Bus Ride to Enhance your understanding of Humanity (not free, but affordable and sustainable)

And So It Is!

In Love & Peace☮,

You are one in a Billion: Real Love From the Inside, Out

Dedicating one day out of the year to love makes us all feel special. But love should not be something that we only celebrate annually. Love is a feeling and an expression like no other. One that can truly make the highs of life higher and the so-called lows of life less important. Learning how to recognize true and real love from false love is a process much like building inner peace.

As we recognize that which is unique and irreplaceable about ourselves, we are encouraged to look at the world around us in the same way-With love, respect, kindness, and gratitude. The only way that we can truly come to appreciate our love partners, our family members, and our precious environment is by first learning to love ourselves. Self-Love is not a selfish emotion, but rather a healthy sense of our own self-worth and love-worthiness. Our Self-Love illuminates the message that we are to be loved and respected and that we are fully capable of extending the same love and respect to others. This inner love travels with us on our journey through life and on our path to peace, feeding our self-esteem and empowering our purpose. There are approximately 7 billion people on this planet and there is no one just like you. That truly makes you one in a billion!

As peace seekers, you have probably already encountered one of the most beautiful and inspirational tributes ever written in ode to Loving Ourselves. Marianne Williamson's excerpt from A Return to Love has been celebrated and re-purposed by international peace ambassadors and peace seekers alike. Her words are a reminder to those sojourneying on the path to inner peace and Self-Love hat we have the right and a responsibility to be "brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous!" Today as you celebrate the love you have in your heart for those you cherish, remember to also take some time to reflect on the love you have growing inside for yourself.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other

people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of
God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.

                               ~Marianne Williamson

And So It Is!

In Love & Peace☮,

Thoughts on Mindful Success: Avoiding Pyrrhic Victories

Great friends provide love, support, and advice that encourages you to be the better you. I had yet another beautiful conversation with a great friend in peace. She called just to remind that I am a Queen. That I am exactly where I need to be in my progress towards peace and success. Most importantly, she felt drawn to remind me to be mindful of the path I choice in  success. She hoped that I would meditate on building discernment between true victories/success and pseudo-victories (negative situations wearing a positive costume).

For those on the path to peace, success is inevitable. Simultaneously, success is a measure of our character and maturity. Through many personal encounters with the ebb & flow, the yin & yang, of success and failure; I have learned more than I have lost. Undoubtedly, the most important lesson I have learned is to graciously handle "defeat." Defeat can mean many different things to every individual. However, I believe that the peace-minded person will look at defeat as a relative concept, and not necessarily as a bad thing. Defeat, as we call it, can simply mean not getting what we think we want when we want it.  In this view, we should reflect on not getting what we want as part of a peaceful balance in our lives.

It is said that "when one door closes, another one opens." This is so true in our everyday being! How many times have you faced a situation in which not getting what you want has
A . allowed you to avoid some terrible mistake in the long-term also known as a (Pyrrhic victory \PIR-ik\; A victory achieved at too great a cost: loss of life, emotional well-being, or humanity)

B. given you the opportunity to learn, grow, and be prepared for something so much better? I know I have-MANY times.

So, for peace's sake, and in light of the discouraging social, economic, and political climate we often experience in the world around us-let us work to change our perceptions of success and defeat. Let us work towards seeing those two impostors as one in the same. Success is a very positive experience, but it is the path that we take to get there that matters most in the grander picture of our being.

The next time you encounter a road block to what you want, sit with the experience for a while and write down some of the pros and cons to getting what you wanted. Look within yourself and even speak to people you know and trust about their experiences with success and defeat. After looking at the situation from multiple perspectives, revisit your feelings about your "defeat." What, if anything, have you really lost? But more importantly, what have you gained? In taking this action towards positivity and peace, we open ourselves up to achieving true and long-lasting success.


And So it Is!

In Love & Peace☮,