~Die 4 U~

                                                                                     ~Lyrics by Prince

Replacing the Wrong "What Ifs?" with the Right "IFs": A Reflection on Manifesting a New Attitude Towards Life

Rudyard Kipling

If

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream -- and not make dreams your master;
If you can think -- and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings -- nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run --
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it...

And So It Is!

In Love & Peace,

Unlimited Return on Investment in Self: Your Greatest Asset

As driven, young, professionals you are probably very familiar with the concept of investments. More specifically, I am referring to the idea of Return on Investment. As a historian, I stayed as far away from the business and math regions of my undergrad campus as possible. But, I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by friends and family from diverse learning backgrounds. My love partner studies economics and was patient enough to give me a lesson in investments one day over lunch. He offered me the Reader’s Digest definition of Return on Investment. ROI is simply the amount of profit or return an investor receives on the time and money they spend on an investment.

Let me first establish that this is definitely not an attempt to equate our social and personal interactions with capitalist ventures. As a peace seeker, I am often thinking of ways to connect methods of obtaining inner peace and success to ideas that we are already familiar with. When we think of investments, profits, net gain, etc., we are most often referring to money transactions. But, I am offering an addition to this concept. At the center of every transaction we make on a daily, weekly, monthly (or add your time frame of choice) basis is one essential entity. That key factor is, our Self. This concept of Self is not just about your physical appearance or your public persona. Self is who we are on the inside. It is who we are in our most peaceful and successful state. Self is not just about how much money we make, but about the steps we take in the building our careers. Self is the central element of Self-Actualization.
Would you be willing to invest your hard earned money in a bad stock? Would you continue to buy a product that is dangerous, doesn’t work, makes you sick, or is plain and simply not a good return on investment? No? Then why would you invest your most precious asset-Your SELF- in something that is toxic, dysfunctional, and unworthy? Integrating this indispensable asset into your life investments increases the chance of success for every other investment we make. If you are unhappy, stressed out, and at your wit’s end, even a great financial return on investment losses its value. On the other hand, if we are on the path to peace and success from the inside out, we are more likely to enjoy the product of our financial/career and socially related investments. Here are a few tips, suggestions, and examples for building a positive, productive, and profitable Investment in Self (IS).

One of the most important investments we make is in our relationships. Positive and healthy relationships bring a sense of peace to our lives. On the contrary, negative relationships with friends, family, and colleagues can drain every last bit of positivity, optimism, and plain goodness from our lives. So, the first step in making a Positive self-investment is Eradicating Toxic Relationships. By no means does this mean to eliminate people and relationships from your life. What this does mean is to make every relationship that effects your investment as meaningful as possible. Spend some time evaluating your interactions with the people closest to you. Simply sit down and make a list of pros and cons of your relationships friends, family, and colleagues. Be honest with yourself. If you see toxic trends such as emotional abuse and selfishness that may even make you depressed, it is most likely time to start approaching the person(s) in question with your feelings. Lessons in politeness teach us that if we don’t have anything nice to say, not to say anything at all. But, being as honest and genuine as possible with those you love is not being unkind or mean. You are actually making a positive investment in your inner peace and in the future of your relationship with that person. An even more in depth exercise might include writing down your expectations and hopes for your connections with others. Focus on keeping the ideas you come up with dynamic by revisiting them often. You may even choose to share them with others or make them a part of your Peace Journal.

Another important aspect of your personal investment in relationships is your willingness to be a positive investment for others. Consider what you bring to the table as a child, friend, lover, and employee. Are you giving what you get? If not, then you have some work to do in yourself. Be mindful that great relationships are worth building, maintaining, and saving. They teach us that some people are meant to be in our lives for a lifetime. However, we should meditate on not being sad when we find that a relationship is not working. Bad return on investment relationships offer us a chance to understand that some people come into our lives for a season. They are only there long enough to teach us an important lesson. That lesson might teach us to be conscious when putting trust in others. Or we may learn not to make others a priority while allowing ourselves to be their option. Whether you encounter good or bad*relationships; building a positive Investment in Self makes all of your interactions more thoughtful, peaceful, and successful. In financial terms, if we forget to pay our bills or fail to meet important deadlines, our credibility and investment potential decreases. On a different level, investing in ourselves sends out a message to others that we are unique and irreplaceable. Ultimately, the commitment we make to our personal peace and success becomes a part of our Self-Investment Portfolio and a natural part of our interaction with the world.

Yet another important aspect of the Investment in Self is our Environment. Let’s revisit these ideas together, focusing on creating a peaceful and successful environment. Until we meet again…Remember that YOU are your most precious and indispensable asset.

And So It Is!

In Love and Peace,

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☮,