True power comes from and is within, not over. Anything else that is part of the Maya illusion can be easily stripped away because it is "power-over" vs "power-within", but that doesn't mean that it is often removed. All too often in this realm, we choose to be ego-driven and believe in our individuality vs as part of the collective whole.
When we operate from such a viewpoint, (which often times we do,) it causes suffering, and it often times (but not always and in every case) operates something like this:
First, we want to achieve a goal.
- This is a start. We want to accomplish something. Good.
Second, we think that we discovered that we're all different instead of all being the same.
- We are all different aspects of the same whole. Ego is the the belief in the illusion that we are all individuals, separate, not merely aspects of the whole collective of One. Yes, this is on a metaphysical level, but this World, this Realm, is all part of the Grand Illusion of the Maya, so while we may be "individuals" within the context of this Realm, this is our own projection and perception that we are choosing to believe in.
...and that we need some rules to organize our work.
- We need a common method of operating. We don't need "rules", per se, but we do need to all agree on some basic common things to achieve the task, which may be achieved in many different ways... So what is really needed isn't "rules", but rather a common agreement on the tools and the methodology to be used to complete the tasks at hand and achieve the common goal of the whole. The problem is that the human ego has it's own agenda and a perception of individuality, thus "I" want it done "my" way and it really becomes more about power-over vs power-within once again.
In a way, it's fundamentalism at it's core. regardless of what someone is being fundamental about, their fundamentalism transcends what they are supposedly being fundamental about. Instead, fundamentalism takes on a life of it's own for the sake of itself. Fundamentalism becomes a tool of the ego, the lower-self, vs. the higher-true-self of the soul, the being of light that we are.
Third, we make the rules really complicated to fit every corner case.
-- That's the ego, the human person, power-over vs power-within, etc. It's really just more of the same where humankind chooses to be its' own worst enemy instead of being it's own best friend; which is something that I will never understand. This really also ties into the whole human need to file, organize, compartmentalize, label and structure everything and everyone into a neat little boxed description as we see and understand it through our projected perception of individuality. It is yet another tool of the ego, fulfilling it's own selfish desire to not only survive, but to thrive, and all at our soul's expense.
Fourth, we completely forget the goal of those rules and we apply them blindly for the sake of it
-- This is more of the same ego, power-over vs. power-within combined with more of the fundamentalism. It's not really about the subject of "X", it's about the fact that you didn't follow "The Rules". YOU didn't stay within the lines, YOU didn't do as you were told and YOU didn't toe the line, etc. It's never ME, no, it's YOU - it's all YOU. Again, all of this is more ego, more power-over vs. power-within, more of the same things that plague humankind because it chooses to create them. It's all the same thing really.
Fifth, we punish or kill those who don't follow the rules, "OUR Rules", as strictly as we do. Even if "WE" do not follow them, that doesn't matter. The point is that "YOU" did not follow them - and now you must pay for the treacherous dog that you are.
-- Of course!! "They" didn't follow "Our" rules. Again, ego, power-over vs. power-within, more of the same I've mentioned before here. this is where radicalism, fundamentalism, and many other "-isms" come into play here.
So, we have described the problem, so now what is the solution?
Let go.
That's it.
Just let go and be in the present moment of the now. Focus your attention on yourself from the observational point-of-view. Look at yourself from outside of yourself. When (not if) you choose to do this, you will experience clarity and understanding. Right now you may be thinking "How do I step outside of myself and observe myself? Astrally project or something? I don't get it. What the heck is he talking about?" The anwser is: Something like that. It's not so much about leaving the physical body behind, so much as it is about leaving the ego behind. Having the true self, your soul, your body of light, the true YOU, step outside of your human persona, the ego, and observe from that pure soul viewpoint.
Don't just intellectually know something in your head, instead, know it in your heart. Human mundane logic does not apply to metaphysical / esoteric matters because the human mind is too limited and the ego is too self-centered on it's own selfish survival mechanisms. To have the ego die is to be born again. Do this, and your life in this realm will never be the same again.
Our legacy isn’t how much money we had, or how nice of house we had, or any other materialistic item or goal. Certainly these things make life comfortable and we all want to attain them, but they should not be the reason for or the center of our life.
If we want to be truly successful in life, then we must look beyond just dollars and material things. Too many people treat success as a destination rather than how and why we journey in life.
Success is not attainable through one action or goal, but rather through a series of them that make up our life. It is how and why we live life using our time, experience, lessons, trials, errors, gains, losses, people, places, everything else we experience in life long the way.
Success is a failed failure. It is trying until you get it right, never giving up, but learning from your mistakes and applying that knowledge wisely to the present. It is a life of learning and growing, changing, ever persevering onward and attaining smaller goals along the way of your journey. These smaller goals are important stepping-stones along the way to larger goals. The funny thing is, once you reach a larger goal, you will look back at all the smaller goals you have achieved and see how they all fit together and allowed you to attain the “bigger” goal you are at. You will also learn to appreciate and cherish those smaller goal stepping-stones much more fondness than you think.
Nothing is guaranteed in life, except the only way to truly fail, is to not try at all.
“What? I don’t see a board game going on. It’s just you and I having coffee. Are you ok?” my friend said to me.
“Sure I am. I’m just fine, and so are you.” Observing his reaction, I followed my statement by saying; “That was an interesting move you just made. Good play.”
He said to me, “but I’m not playing any game. There’s no cards in my hand, no playing board on the table, no dice in my hands. So please. Enlighten me; and what do you mean exactly by “good play” in this supposed game of Monopoly?”
“I meant “good play” for Questioning me like that. I mean it’s a very common reaction to something you don’t understand; and I’m sure that at first, it does seem crazy;, but let me explain myself further. It’s my move now, ok?”
“uhhh ok. I’ll humor the crazy man.” He said with a slightly puzzled look on his face while smiling wryly at me; all with the anticipation of a good laugh. “Go ahead” he continued, while sipping his coffee. “I could use the entertainment anyway.”
“Well I said; it’s like this as I see it…
We can choose to roll the dice to take our turn in the game of being incarnated in this realm, in this existence. It’s a choice we make, just as everything is ultimately a choice.
When we’re here, we’re here with a purpose and a plan with lessons to learn for ourselves, and lessons to teach others. It’s a game, it’s life, but it’s also a school; a place of learning; and just like any game, incarnated life has rules of things we must follow (breathing, eating, sleeping, etc) if we are to be incarnated here and play the game. Some people play the game very well by materialistic standards. They become very rich in the material sense; (but that doesn’t mean they are wealthy; which is another matter entirely); but that doesn’t mean that they have taught or learned everything they should during this game, this incarnation. Lessons not taught and lessons not learned will be repeated until completed. In this material world, the game can be all about the ego, obtaining material riches, and the clichéd “Keeping up with the Jones” and listening the anonymous “They” that permeates so much of our society; or you can rise above it and play the game on a different level entirely. This doesn’t mean that you can avoid certain rules of the realm, like not eating, sleeping, or breathing, and you’ll still require money to live in our society, shelter in which to sleep, etc; however, you can transcend the ego and it’s self-centered need for survival. You can choose to not only do that, but you can also choose to transcend the need, want and desire for material things beyond your own self-interest. This is not to suggest that you live in destitution or go broke to live in poverty, giving away everything you own; instead I am saying look at the reasons why you own things and how you may better utilize them as tools for the benefit of mankind. When you do these things, you are still playing the game, but on another level entirely.
While one person may choose to acquire material goods for their own perceived status and personal reasons; another may choose to acquire the very same things, but for entirely different reasons – to help others. This is not to say that one is “better” or “worse” than the other, only merely different methods of playing the game on different levels. Be not of this world, but be in it. Be not of the past nor the future; but instead be of the now, in full focus of the present moment, in perfect clarity of mind, thought, action and deed. Be. Just be.
So now my questions to you are:
If you realize that you are now in this game, how are you playing it?
If you realize you are now in this school, how are you learning from it?
If you realize you are now in this school, how are you teaching it?
If you realize you know all of these things already, yet you live life thinking that you are somehow outside of it all, or that you only do these things at certain times instead of all of the time, I ask you this: Why?”
So now as I stop here and look at my friend across the table from me, a twinkle forms in my own eye and with a knowing wink I say, “Your move.”
Enlightenment is like the monkey with a hand on the apple in the jar, frustrated, the monkey tries everything it can think of to get the apple out, including trying to bust the jar, but all to no avail. Finally, the monkey gives up and lets go of the apple as the monkey lays the jar down; the apple rolls out and the monkey receives what it wanted all along. That's the key, "letting go.” It's not the same as "giving up", no, it's letting go, and there’s a huge difference between the two. Letting go is just being the I am. All you need to obtain enlightenment is within you, just as you are within the All, the All is within you. Ego is the belief in the illusion of individuality; and out of this illusion comes fear which is the basis of all strife and suffering. Scarcity is fear-based, while abundance is love-based, but these are only two such examples out of many countless of which we may compare. So what is the answer to enlightenment then? The closest I can compare it in words is this: A Knowing and feeling at the soul level of your inter-connectedness to and as part of the whole of the All That Is and The Source from which it is, resulting in an inner peace and comfortable beyond intellectual knowledge.
A good saying I read was “Before enlightenment, chopping wood and carrying water. After enlightenment, chopping wood and carrying water. Enlightenment is a subtle process, whereas the process of becoming Awake can be rather jarring for some people. It can be very sudden, or such as it was in my own case, very subtle. Being Awake and being Enlightened are two entirely different things as well. One may be Awake, but not Enlightened; but all who are Enlightened, are Awake. Comparatively for example, All who have knowledge are not wise; but all who are wise have knowledge. Even when one is Enlightened, one does not say “That is it. I have achieved it. I am Enlightened.” No. If one does that, then one must question if they are indeed Enlightened or just merely Awake. When one is Enlightened, one asks “This is what I know, but what do I know not?” Enlightenment is often perceived as something to achieve, a destination, linear, but it isn’t that at all. Yes, it’s a milestone of sorts, but really it’s just a stepping stone on the journey. I’d like to use the concept of the before Enlightenment/After Enlightenment quote from above, and say: Before Enlightenment, seeking; After Enlightenment, still seeking. This is not to say that when you become enlightened that you won’t find answers to some of your questions; but you’ll also find that you’ll have many more questions than answers.
So what’s the difference between being an unenlightened and an enlightened then?
I can’t answer that for you with a blanket statement or answer; but I can answer it for myself and how I relate to it in my own experience in the hope that it will help you with your own experiences.
So what’s the point of becoming enlightened?
I think this question can be answered a multitude of different ways, just as the question “What is the meaning of life?” can also be answered in multiple ways; so I will answer it from my viewpoint as concisely as I can, lest I try and be all-inclusive and write a book about it vs. an article:
To grow, to change, to provide better service to others and to leave this World a better place for me having been in it.
Long ago I chose to opt out of the typical holiday season and its traditional trappings because I no longer wish to partake of many things that go along with it all. That’s not to say that there aren’t people out there who don’t strike their own path and do their own thing while still observing some sort of holiday tradition, but many people march to a very familiar drummer whose beat starts on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving Day in the US. (Although that beat seems to start earlier and earlier each year.)
Like so many things in life, people follow along or continue to do many things out of habit and expectations from family, friends, or society-at-large; and this includes the running of the holiday rate race where for the vast majority of people consumerism and consumption is king. The first of the “Big 3” is Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a traditional holiday where we celebrate and give gratitude; but I must ask this simple question: Why only one day out of the year? If we wish to schedule in a time to have gratitude, then let us schedule that time in every second that we live, how we live, and why we live, all in gratitude. Let this be your ritual, let this be your rite, a life of gratitude lived in gratitude.
For you, I am grateful.
For All, I am grateful.
Ask not what there is to be grateful for, but instead ask, what ISN’T there to be grateful for? Even in my trains and tribulations, I am grateful.
For all that I have, and for all that I have not, I am grateful.
For all that I am, I am grateful.
For all that I may become, I am grateful.
I am grateful for the now. For now is all we have. Time, past and future, is merely perception. Live in gratitude for the now; and now you will live in gratitude. Simple. Easy. It is.
So when someone says that I must celebrate on some special day to give thanks, I ask them if they celebrate the now and the moment that is special. I ask them if they live their moment, their life of now in the now, or do they live it looking to the past and to the future, neither of which exist? To not live in the now does a disservice to the life that you are, and to the now in which you exist. To not live in the now, is ungrateful because you are missing out on the most important thing you have to be grateful for: NOW.
What are you grateful for?
Focus on the now and you will find out.
I propose starting a gratitude journal, writing down everything and anything you can be grateful for, even if it seems like it is difficult to be grateful for it. Perhaps in doing so, you’ll look at things in a new light and gain new insight about yourself,….and for that, you can also be grateful. If you walk this path, you will find inner peace for which you may also be grateful.
Christmas
Here we have the tradition of Christmas, which I see as really two holidays. One is a religious-based celebration and the other is secularized, consumer-based holiday that overshadows the religious holiday. In regards to the secular consumerism of the holiday, I’ve found that people are often times not only spent financially, but emotionally as well. If one follows the tenets of the religious-based holiday and the related celebration; then one must conclude that this is counter to the message of the secular and consumer-based holiday. Both versions of this holiday have gift giving in them, however therein lies the difference between them because one is meant to honor a king, while the other only honors the corporate pocketbook which only sees cash as king.
If we wish to focus on the aspect of the giving of gifts, then what better gift to give then of yourself? Yes, I suppose it is nice to be able to give expensive or brand-name material things to your family and friends that you purchased online or from a brick and mortar store; and while this could be considered giving of yourself because of the thought and time that went into acquiring such things, what I’m talking about at is giving of yourself at a much deeper and meaningful level than that.
Give of your time.
Give of your love.
Give of your compassion.
Give of your empathy.
Give of your forgiveness.
Give these things and other intangible, non-material things every second, every moment of the now; not just certain days of the year (Christmas, Birthdays, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, etc)
You’ll find the greatest gifts to give and receive are the ones that can’t be held in your hands, only in your heart. These are the treasured memories, the hearts of love that bring joy and peace to the soul, and affect the All.
Living a life in gratitude and abundance, living in the now, these are some of the greatest gifts you can have and share with others. By living in the now, you will show others a way which they may see. In living this gift, you share it. In sharing it, others may receive it, in receiving it, others may share it, and the cycle continues on. All that we do is out of love or fear; just as we can choose to perceive abundance or scarcity; all choices are ours to make under the banner of free will.
I love to spend time with my family and friends, regardless of any holiday, birthday or any other reason for doing so, because it is they that are special to me, not the day, the occasion, nor any given reason other than that.
New Year’s Eve
After we’ve given our gratitude the one day or year on Thanksgiving, shopped until we almost drop purchasing things until our credit cards and bank accounts have melted down; we end one year and begin another with a celebration at Midnight. We celebrate the death of one year transitioning into the birth of a new year at the strike of a moment at Midnight. One moment, the click ticks a second later and the moments’ gone and a new moment has begun; or so says the perception of time. We perceive that one moment has past; another has begun, just as we perceive another year has passed and another has begun, yet in both cases, we are always in a moment. One moment. That’s all we really have is just that one moment of the now; but the question is, how do we live it? We seem to place so much focus on a perceived future and a perceived past, yet it’s all the same moment. For some reason, we seem to place importance on these past and futures, certain dates, places and times, and yet we so often miss the very moment we are in of the now; and we end up missing out fully living and fully experiencing our existence in this realm in our incarnated state of being. We miss out.
If you ask me to explain it with logic, I cannot. I couldn’t explain it any more than you could explain the meaning of life or love; but you know it when you see it, when you feel it, when you live it, and yet you can’t describe it, but you know it ways that can’t be communicated in the verbal or written word, only experienced. It’s there just beyond our capacity and ability to reach it without intellectual minds, but our heart and soul can always know what our mind cannot.
I propose that you don’t celebrate a new year, but rather the moment. It’s ok that we perceive time with a linear past, present, and future. I suggest that we choose to perceive each moment as a new beginning and a new ending, its own autonomous cycle of life, death and rebirth anew where we cherish each moment in gratitude and receive abundance and joy for every moment of our lives.
Worked in the music business from 1999-2006, traveling to 48 of the 50 states as a Tour Manager / Guitar Tech (never did Alaska or Hawaii)
Worked thousands of shows doing all sorts of different jobs from local Stagehand, Spot Op, Tour Manager, Guitar/Bass Tech, Driver, Pyro tech, Lighting Director, Stage Manager, Production Manager, and more.
Almost died at a few gigs from road cases rolling off of stages (twice); and once out of the back of a truck.
Recovered a stolen amp and guitar for Spider John Koerner of Koerner, Ray and Glover fame (they influenced bob Dylan.)
Met Metallica in 1984 when Cliff was around R.I.P. brother.
Worked with an amp that was used by The Beatles in 1964 in Washington D.C. This was the first show by the first band of the British Invasion. THE show that started it all. After that, they went on Sullivan and the nation was aware of something big if they didn't feel the vibe before.
Held a single guitar worth $300,000
Held a 1958 Gibson Explorer once owned by Eric Clapton and last worked on by the guitar tech, Seymour Duncan (yes, THAT Seymour Duncan...is there any other??)
Had dinner with Al Jardine of The Beach Boys.
Had conversations with Joey Molland of Badfinger about his first-hand experiences with the Who, The Beatles, Keith Moon, recording with John Lennon, etc.
Worked with Joey Molland's master built Gibson Les Paul. (master built meaning the master builder in every department at Gibson, worked on the guitar.) Gibson has 4 built for Eric Clapton, but Eric didn't want them, so Joey got to pick one out.
retired from the music business is 2006.
I wrote for a local music newspaper from Jan 2004 through March 2007, but quit that to focus more on writing two books I'm knee deep in the middle of.
Found my soulmate and got engaged. We were married in October of 2007.
Was with my Mom when she died from cancer and had the experience of a lifetime. Let's just say I KNOW she is ok. No doubt.
Survived my own case of cancer, Malignant Melanoma (Nodular Type), Stage II B, Clark's Level 5, breslow Level 4, 1/2 inch deep tumor in the left lateral side of my scalp.
Been in 1 really major auto accident, probably 5-6 others, totaled many cars.
Stole 6 bottles of Root Beer Schnaps from a party back in 1987 and did 120 mph around an icy curve in the dead of night. SHARP turn. Angels must have held the car down and on the road.
Had a hammer tossed at me, hit me in the mouth, loosened up my braces, but no teeth.
Used to have a very bad tempter, put a crowbar through a garage door when I was 15. Figured I'd end up hurting someone, got my own anger under control by myself.
Watched a guy get accidentally electrocuted during a concert.
Watched a kid in high school take off 4 fingers with a table saw and witnessed same said fingers being picked up from the ground, covered in saw dust, cleaned off, put on ice as he was rushed to the hospital in shock.
Been deaf from Metallica's concert in 1986 at the Orpheum theater -- and ever since have worn earplugs at ANY show.
Traveled outside of the USA.
Graduated in 1985 from High School.
Have a honorary doctorate degree.
Got ordained. (Yup. I can legally perform weddings, etc) So I went from Roadie to Reverend (non-denominational). Go figure.
Mooned the cops after a concert or two.
Man.... that is just the stuff in the FIRST 42 years, and that's not even ALL of it. So much more I can't think of, have forgotten, etc. I feel like I've lived so many lives within this one, changed and grown so much, that it's not even funny. I've grown, changed, and I'm nowhere near like what I used to be.
Would I change some things? Maybe. Not sure on that because if I did, would it change who I am? Probably. I like the path I am now on. All I can say is, WHAT A RIDE IT IS!!
Alright. Half Time is about over...time for the next 42.
Let not Religion touch this wisdom with its dogmatic hands.
Instead let the spiritual message carry through the ranks without the taint of darkness.
Let me begin:
It is strange that though we serve the same master and carry with us the same message, that we should argue over which pillar of the same building is holding up the roof. We are all in essence the same stone with different symbolic ornamentation. The time has come to realize that our individuality is just as relevant and important as our realization that we are also all the same people.
Chapter 1: The Mean
1. Know that the war between the light and the darkness is always amongst us.
2. The Mean difference between deficiency and excess is the true good potential of creation.
3. Deficiency and Excess are the work of the darkness.
4. Know that there is no room for a relativistic view of good and evil.
5. Know that there is no room for a fundamentalist view of good and evil.
6. Know that both relativism and fundamentalism are deficiency and excess respectively.
7. Know that those who seek the mean seek the truth and remain dynamic in order that they may be able to understand more.
8. Know that those who work away from the mean allow the lie to blind their view and become stagnate in their knowledge of the world.
9. Dynamic Systems Grow
10. Static Systems Do Not
Chapter 2: The Lie
1. Know that the Lie is the weapon of the Darkness
2. Know that the basis of the lie is Ignorance (Lack of Perspective), excess or deficient Pride, Fear, Envy, and Anger.
3. Know that Ignorance is due to the static nature of the darkness and their stagnate view of the world.
4. Know that a person with excess or deficient pride will either be too stubborn to face their wrong or will be too embarrassed to admit that they are wrong.
5. These pride problems go hand in hand with the fear of being found out and ridiculed for being wrong.
6. The problem of Fear leads to many more problems than could be easily enumerated in any text. A few are anger, rage and a further blocking of ones perspective.
7. Know that a person with false pride will envy another, in their static nature being unable to achieve what they are envious of, they then become angry.
8. Know that Pride, Fear, Envy and Anger are all shields of the lie. All of these cloud the perspective of the person and do not allow them to see the truth. They all contribute to the static nature of their ignorance.
9. Know that rage is blind aggressive violent anger that a person resorts to when their emersion in the lie is great and they are presented with the truth too quickly.
10. Only by opening a path to the mind of the person in question can you hope to convey the truth to them.
11. Do not allow anger to consume either yourself or the person, if you do, then the truth cannot be communicated.
12. Do not tell them the truth; instead present them with questions that force them to realize it themselves.
Chapter 3: The Truth
1. Know that the truth is the weapon of the light.
2. Know that the basis of the truth is clear perception founded in information of all sides to reach the mean.
3. Know that that nature of the truth is dynamic always capable of realizing that it may be wrong.
4. The essence of the truth is founded in Bestowing, Knowing and Doing.
5. Good Words, Good Thoughts, Good Deeds.
6. Know that virtues of Temperance, Fortitude, Reason and Energy are the four branches which stem from the mean.
7. Know that Temperance is founded in humility and balance of ones life.
8. Know that Fortitude is founded in ones ability to remain dynamic and in sync with the flow of truth. No one can stand in the way of a person who moves with the inertia of the universe.
9. Know that the truth is dependent upon the shields of the light, Wisdom and Reason (common sense). Without its protection it cannot remain dynamic and slowly becomes the lie.
10. Know that Wisdom and Reason clear away clouds of perception and allow one to see the truth.
11. Know that Energy is founded in the power of creation. In art, life and the world there is energy all around us, there for us to use. The flow of energy is constant in a body free from the lie. One who has allowed the static nature of the lie to consume them is dependent upon external sources of energy to survive.
12. Know that the fruit of the truth is the benefit of creatures and that of the lie is their harm.
13. Know that the power of the truth is to return creation to the mean and reestablish its kinetic potential for good.
14. Do not blindly listen to the words of any man but instead use the virtues to decide where the flow of truth will take you. Reason is the path to the truth and there are many paths to the lie.
15. Do not be swept up in the energy of the crowd but instead ask yourself if you believe in the message of its leaders.
16. Always be aware of the world around you. The dynamic flow of truth will guide you if you pay attention to where it is headed.
17. Do not change what others say to fit your needs, instead seek to change their minds by opening a channel to the truth.
Chapter 4: The Message
1. Know first and always that the message is omni present.
2. Know that those who seek to know the light will be bathed in its magnificence.
3. Know that this search for the light is a dynamic journey which is without end.
4. Know that all of reality is a cycle of energy within a cycle of energy, moving forever.
5. Know that those who fail to grow within this dynamic are moving counter to the flow.
6. Know that change is a part of this dynamic flow. That which is old will be replaced with that which is new in the eternal revolution.
7. Know that God speaks to his people and they all interpret it.
8. To each culture their own interpretations.
9. In conjunction with others; they will find the truth of the message.
10. Know that his people can speak to him.
11. Those who seek God shall find him listening.
12. Beware of any man who comes as the one and only true prophet of the light.
13. He shall seek to build churches in its name and establish religion.
14. Religions are stagnant repressive representations of the message.
15. They seek to hold a dynamic message in an unchanging stagnancy.
16. Those who seek to establish religions deny the dynamic nature of the universe.
17. Those who find comfort in the churches should seek comfort in the homes of their families and neighbors.
Chapter 5: Human Perspective
1. Know that all humans are inherently flawed.
2. As every human is inherently flawed; so shall their interpretations of the message be flawed.
3. As every humans perspective of reality is limited: no man shall be infallible.
4. Embrace your successes and failures: Learn and grow all your life.
5. Share with the world what you know and listen to what the world knows.
6. Seek out the barriers to truth and abolish them.
7. Seek out the message in yourself and in the world as you will.
8. Embrace your humanity and enjoy life.
9. Your life shall be your true spirituality, a life of growth and dynamic flow.
10. Speak with your brothers and sisters but do not force them to listen.
11. Listen to your brothers and sisters but do not force them to speak.
12. Exercise your perceptions; expand your reality.
13. Do not accept limitations to your growth.
14. Innovation, Synthesis, Change: all in fractal are your true natures.
I didn't write this, but I can relate because I remember it well. I miss those days.
According to today's regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who were kids in the 40's,50's, 60's, 70's or even the early 80's, probably shouldn't have survived.
Our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paint, the slats were apparently too far part, and there were no bumper pads.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets, and when we rode our bikes we didn't have any helmets. Not to mention the risks we took hitchhiking. As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pickup truck on a warm day was always a special treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle. Horrors! We sampled cake batter and cookie dough with raw eggs in it, and survived. We ate cupcakes, bread and butter, ice cream, and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we were not overweight because we were always outside playing. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle, and no one actually died from this. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then rode down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we earned to solve the problem. We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the street lights came on. No one was able to
reach us all day. No cell phones. Unthinkable! We did not have PlayStations, Nintendo 64, X-Boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, video tape movies, surround sound, personal cell phones, personal computers, or Internet chat rooms.
We had friends! We went outside and found them. We played dodge ball and baseball, and sometimes the ball would really hurt. We fell out of trees, got cut, and broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. They were accidents. No one was to blame but us. Remember accidents? We had fights and punched each other and got black and blue and learned to get over it. We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and ate worms, and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes, nor did the worms live inside us forever.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's home and knocked on the door, or rang the bell or just walked in and talked to them. Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to deal with disappointment...and move on.
Some students weren't as smart as others, so they failed a grade and were held back to repeat the same grade!!! Tests were not adjusted for any reason. Our actions were our own. Consequences were expected! The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law. Imagine that!
This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers and problem solvers and inventors, ever. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned from it all.
And you're one of them! Congratulations.
Please pass this on to others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before lawyers and government regulated our lives.
To me, heroes are not rockstars, sports people, actors and actresses, or anyone of the like... to me, they are the unknown everyday people who do very courageous things such as fire fighters, police, EMTs, doctors, and people who not only save lives, but change them in a positive way. Heroes to me are people who stick to their guns when it comes to personal morals and ethics, who stand by and act upon what is not only right, but fair.
This lady is a hero, and here is her story.
Bank of America fired Jackie Ramos after she took a stand against the bank's $15 "convenience" charges and $39 over-the-limit fees so she could sleep better at night.
"There was something inherently evil about my job," the 23-year-old said in a YouTube video she uploaded on Nov. 27, two days after her termination.
Ramos, of Fairburn, Ga., worked as a "customer advocate," which involved calling people who fall behind on credit card payments and either encouraging them to pay or modifying their accounts. But not all customers qualify for modification programs that will help them, and Ramos grew tired of saying no after six months on the job.
"So I stopped denying people," said Ramos. "I helped people get on programs that they didn't necessarily qualify for but who definitely needed the help."
Bank of America declined to comment on Ramos's video but confirmed her account of the firing.
"Ms. Ramos clearly violated some bank policies, particularly around misrepresenting customer information," said spokesman Tony Allen. "Perhaps more egregious, she encouraged customers to misrepresent their information."
Allen said that as of Oct. 31, Bank of America has modified over one million customer accounts totaling $10 billion in outstanding debt by lowering interest rates or modifying monthly payments. He said the bank expects to modify between 1.2 and 1.5 million consumer and small business credit card accounts in all of 2009.
In an interview with HuffPost, Ramos emphasized that she did not make the video out of any bitterness toward Bank of America, and she said that she does not consider her former employer any worse than other credit card companies -- she's angry about the whole system.
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"I feel like there's a real credit problem in this country," she said. "Too many people are complacent... Slavery was also legal at one point in time. It was the law. Now we have 30 percent interest rates, $39 late fees and over-limit fees. I want the laws changed. I want the federal government to protect its people and do what it's supposed to do."
YouTube has been an effective venue for bank customers outraged that an industry kept afloat with taxpayer dollars is raising fees, interest rates and minimum monthly payments. Ann Minch of Red Bluff, Calif. won a reduced interest rate after she declared a "debtors' revolt" in September. Her video spawned imitators such as former Bank of America employee Ben Frasier of Douglas, Ore., who said "Bank of America will stop at nothing to turn an insane profit at your expense."
Personal finance guru Suze Orman hailed the "debtors' revolt" and said banks should take notice.
In her video, Ramos said she'd never forget one customer in particular -- a 24-year-old mother with cancer who'd recently lost her mom and husband but still wanted to pay off a $6,000 debt. The woman didn't qualify for any program that would help her.
"She sobbed on the phone telling me she couldn't afford the 30 percent interest... that we had her account on. She couldn't afford the $39 late fee, the $39 over-limit fee. She told me that we were her first credit card when she turned 18, we were her only credit card, and that she was a loyal customer. And given the time to be on this earth a little while longer she would have always remained a loyal customer.
"According to Bank of America, she doesn't have enough income to be put on a program, but she can however keep paying the high interest rates on the account, and fees, because at the end of the day, it is her account, she did rack up the debt, she was late, and she did deserve the 29.99 percent interest rate."
Ramos lives with her fiance and two-year-old son in Fairburn, Ga.
******************* MORE ON THE STORY *******************
Here's a testimonial from a former Bank of America customer assistance employee. She was fired on Monday for offering repayment plans to too many customers, even those who "deserved" the 29.99% APR for making late payments. After hearing her story, you might conclude that this job was never a good fit for her skills. The next time you run up against a dead-sounding CSR, though, remember that people like Jackie don't make for profitable collections department employees, which is why they don't stick around for long.
Below is a transcript in case you can't see the video:
My name is Jackie Ramos, and I would like to tell everyone a story. I am a former employee at Bank of America in Georgia. I worked in the customer assistance department from May 1st to November 23rd, 2009. And by the way, "customer assistance" is a euphemism for "the collections department."
Every day I came to work and did just as I was supposed to: I collected. In fact, I was one of the top performers of my department, even outdoing those who were more tenured than I was. But something was wrong. There was something inherently evil about my job.
I'm not sure if Bank of America knows this, but we are in a recession, and most of us, we are hurting.
Day in and day out, I was told to charge people who had already fallen behind in their credit card bills an additional $15 just to make a payment with me. As I was told by my manager, it was a convenience fee. I was told to deny refunding as many late and over the limit fees as I could. There was even one month I was given a verbal warning about the amount of fees that I refunded, because as I was told so many times, Bank of America is a corporation, and they are for profit.
There is something we have in my department called a Fix Pay. Essentially it is a program that turns your balance into an installment loan. It stops all fees on the account, and it also closes your account. In order to get a Fix Pay, though, you have to qualify by answering a rather irrelevant set of questions, like how much you spend on groceries and how much your cellphone bill is. Day in day out I had to deny countless people who needed the program but didn't qualify. Too often I would have to give them the spiel about, "I can't accept you [into the program] because your disposable income is too negative," and then they would just sit there on the phone and say, "Well, if I could afford to pay my bill, why would I need a program?"
I will never forget one card holder. A 24-year-old woman with a child, just found out she had cancer, she lost her mom and her husband all in the same week. Of course she had a very limited income. She had to quit her job. But she still respected Bank of America enough to try to pay off her $6,000 debt. But she just needed help. She sobbed on the phone telling me she couldn't afford the 30 percent interest that we had her--sorry, 29.99 percent interest--that we had her account on. She couldn't afford the $39 late fee, the $39 over the limit fee. She told me that we were her first credit card when she turned 18, we were her only credit card, and that she was a loyal customer, and given the time to be on this earth a little while longer she would have always remained a loyal customer. I couldn't put her on the program, she didn't have enough income.
According to BOA she doesn't have enough income to be put on the program, but she can however keep paying the high interest rate on the account, and fees, because at the end of the day it is her account, she did rack up the debt, and she was late, so she did deserve that 29.99 percent interest rate that she had, and it wasn't up to Bank of America to help her figure out how to get this debt paid off. It was up to her.
There's a joke in my department: upstairs they sell you the credit, downstairs we collect on it. Too often I heard stories about how senior citizens and college students were specifically targeted, so Bank of America could continue to make money off of them. I had one elderly lady who was legally blind. Every month she sent them the incorrect amount because she couldn't see. Her 3 percent APR after 3 times being late went to 29.99 percent. She actually told me that one of the associates told her she needs to look at her statements more clearly.
After all, who better to target than the young and the old. Don't deny for a second that there are systematic practices put in place to keep America in debt.
I'm not doing this video because I'm bitter. I'm not doing this video because I hate [my old boss]. I still have a lot of respect for him. Out of all the interviews I had in my life, I will never forget the one I had with him. He told me the most interesting interview question he's ever been asked is, "What keeps you up at night?"
Before I got that job, that question didn't really make sense to me. Who asks that in an interview, I thought? But now that I've been in that department for a while, it makes sense, it does seem normal. All the people that I've had to deny [repayment] programs to--they kept me up at night. All the people that I've pissed off with a $15 "convenience fee"--they kept me up at night. All the people who were dying, lost a child, husband, mom, dad, all the people who lost their jobs and sat on the phone sobbing to me that if we just gave them a little bit of help, they could make ends meet--they kept me up at night. All the angry cardholders who told me the reason why Bank of America is the corporation that it is, is off the hard work of them and their tax dollars--they kept me up at night.
So... I stopped denying people. I helped people get on programs that they didn't necessarily qualify for, but who definitely needed the help. Every day I was told three things:
* do the right thing for the customer;
* think of yourself as a customer;
* and do the right thing for the company.
I figured if I placed more cardholders on programs at affordable rates, then maybe they could afford their light bill, or even enjoy a trip with their child to the movies. If the account was affordable for the card holder, it wouldn't charge off. I mean, that seems as simple as 1 and 1 being 2. But my company didn't think so.
At the end of the day I would love to have a company that thought of me as more than just a dollar bill. I would love to have a company just be more humanitarian, and think of me as a person instead of a profit.
But the three things I was told to think about every day in my interactions with cardholders didn't matter. In fact, only one of them did. "Do what is right for the company." Again, Bank of America is for profit. They would rather charge 30 percent interest anyway, than give hard working Americans like me and you a lower interest rate and work with us instead of against us.
So, [my boss] fired me. He told me I can't put people on programs who don't deserve it. During our meeting, he asked me if what I did was right. I looked him dead in the eye and I said, "Absolutely." I know he was expecting me to maybe say no or to apologize, but there's no apology. There's no way I could look myself in the mirror every day and justify not helping someone when I had the power to do it.
Given the opportunity to do it again, I wouldn't change a thing. He actually looked at me, he told me that he understood why I did what I did, he said I had a really big heart. But at the end of the day, it was policy, and he had to let me go. He told me my manager would escort me to the security desk and that all my stuff would be there.
And he was right. All my stuff was there in two boxes, all my awards, all the pictures of my son, even a plate of food that I had on my desk. [My manager] packed all my belongings, including the plate of food, and threw it in the box. The food got all over my shoes and awards, even the picture of my son. After all, Bank of America? They're just a corporation. They're not concerned with their employees' well-being or clearly even their cardholders.
There's a saying in my department that you are as good as your last payment. No truer words could have been spoken.
I'm not necessarily sad about losing my job. I felt like I took a stand and I did what was morally correct. I have a wonderful support system, I have a college degree, and I consider myself personable, so I'm sure I'll land back on my feet. In fact, as my manager was escorting me outside she told me that if I needed a reference, she would highly recommend me to everyone. I received nothing but accolades while I was at Bank of America. Even while I was getting fired my boss told me that out of anyone she's ever met I've had the highest morals and biggest heart she's ever seen, and that means more to me than my job.
At the end of the day, I don't have anything keeping me up at night. I did the right thing in God's eyes and I'm sure that He'll bless me. But [boss], can you say the same?
Update: A reader asked what will happen now to those customers who Jackie approved for a repayment plan even though they didn't qualify. Here's her response:
The last cardholder that I approved for the program will be rejected. My boss has no way of knowing everyone I've helped because BoA has an outdated recording system. Most phone calls between reps and cardholders aren't recorded. The only reason this call was recorded is because once a month my manager has to listen to our calls so the system randomly recorded this conversation.
I am grateful every day, not just today; but since today is Thanksgiving and people tend to focus their gratitude on this day, today is appropriate for this email where I'd you to consider what you are grateful for.
Living live in gratitude and abundance is not something you do once a year or just on a certain day of the week when you can schedule it in; living in gratitude and abundance is something we should do every second of every day. We all have our maladies, our trials, our tribulations, that which binds us in many ways can also be the catalyst to setting ourselves free. These challenges vary between each person, some are much harder than others, and some people can handle some things that others simply could not, but in every case, there is an opportunity to learn to give, to show and to share our gratitude and abundance.
When we accept these things as tools for us to use so that we may grow inside and become a better person, we not only change our perceptions, we change ourselves, our own world and the world-at-large. Accepting these as tools in and of itself is a lesson and can be rather challenging for some people to overcome and see it in this way; but trust me when I say it makes all the difference in the world.
The difficulties in life, (and we all have them), are blessings whether we realize it or not. Life without challenges would be rather boring, and we all have these in our lives for good reason... so that we as spiritual beings may grow and learn who we are and to help us become who we wish to be.
When we actively live our life in gratitude and abundance, with the flowing positive energy we focus, we attract that which we give, that which we are, and thus we not only receive within, but we have even more to give from within to the service of others.
I am grateful for the love of my life, my soul mate Vicki, as well as that of my family and friends.
I am grateful to be cancer-free since April 2001.
I am grateful for my wonderful job and all of the opportunities it has presented me.
I am grateful for being laid off from both of my last two jobs because I have become better because it it.
I am grateful for being able to earn my IT certifications.
I am grateful for all that I am, all that I have, all that I have been blessed with, all that I will be blessed with, and most importantly of all, all that I will be able to bless others with.
May you know your blessings on this and on every day.
I've had a blog for awhile, but never really promoted or did much with it, but that's all changing. I'm recently (as of November 2009)revised it and will use this blog as my primary place for posting my writings, whether they are articles, personal thoughts of day to day happenings, or even snippets of excerpts from one of the books I'm always working on.
In the past, I've pursued the music business as well as the IT world; and while I had passion for those things; it isn't even close to my love of writing. That's a large part of who I am and what I do. I'm a writer, so I write. My other (and even greater passion) is my wife, my immediate and extended family; and I believe that this blog will be a wonderful outlet for me to share and serve others through words, ideas, concepts and goals. Writers are an odd lot, like many creative people are. The writing is the art form, but the art is in the creation of the art form, and it's there that the joy of creation exists. Like any creative person, we wish to not only create, but to share our creations with the World at large in the hope of making the World a better place. I hope to use this blog to be a venue in with which I may do that with my writings.
I'm going to be taking some of my selected past writings and putting them online in their complete form; while others I may only take mere snippets from to entice people to wait for the full article or book. I look forward to your comments, suggestions, ideas, stories, whatever you wish to share with me to help improve the blog, and ultimately, our World.
I ask that you read the articles and if you like them and my blog, to please let others know by sharing my blog's address with people you know, visiting it often, comment on posts, link to it from your own blog, toss it out on social networking sites, and so forth. Thanks in advance.
The longer explanation takes a bit more time; so please read on…
The vampires of which I write are not the romantic, Hollywood type; nor are they based on Dracula and out prowling the night in search of your blood either. Real vampires are everywhere. Most of the vampires you’ll encounter belong to the more common kind of the two types of vampires. This first type of vampire is rather unaware of their vampiric nature; yet hey are still vampires and still dangerous nonetheless. It’s just that they’re not really aware of what they are doing, how or why they are doing it. It’s other type of vampire, the ones who are consciously aware of their nature and knowingly act upon it; that are the more dangerous type of vampire to contend with. While both kinds of vampires exist, thankfully this second type is quite rare in comparison to the first.
These vampires do not steal your blood, they steal your energy. These vampires are known as “Psychic Vampires”, or Psy-Vamps” for short; and their existence is acknowledged by many people. Most of the vampire’s victims are those who are unaware and/or unprotected. Hanging garlic around your neck, carrying holy water and wooden stakes isn’t going to do the trick I’m afraid; but Grounding, Centering, Shielding and being aware of you own energy field, will. It’s here that we get into the areas of offense vs. self-defense, which methods to use, when, where and why; as well as personal morals and ethics. I leave such things to each person to judge for themselves and to inspire each person to have cause to investigate such things on their own. My task and point of this article is simply to bring the vampire’s existence out of the darkness and into the light of your awareness.
It’s important to Ground, Center and Shield as often as you can, especially whenever you are around crowds of people, in public, or anywhere that may contaminate your energy field or attract others who wish to take from or harm it (and you) in some way either knowingly or unknowingly. It’s always important as well to be aware of your surroundings, on all levels, at all times. Like a Boy Scout, the motto stands here as well: “Be Prepared”.
What really motivates me from within to be the best that I can be?
The answer is simple: True love for my wife and the life she has lived.
I first met Vicki in 2001 at an event held by a social group my then-girlfriend Heidi and I belonged to. (Heidi actually introduced us.) At first sight of Vicki, I felt some sort of connection at a very deep level that I just couldn’t place my finger on at the time. After awhile I stopped trying to figure it out. Maybe it was from a past life? Maybe I saw her somewhere once before? I figured “who knows.”, and I let it rest at that. I just couldn’t figure it out, so I let it go.
I became friends with Vicki and we talked on and off over the years, but it was sporadic at best – especially after Heidi at I broke up in 2003. During the time I was dating Heidi, Vicki would often tell her how badly she was treating me. (and Heidi did. Not all the time, but she had a bad case of OCD, other mental health issues, etc.) Vicki defended me quite a bit. (Some of this I saw, most of it I did not find out until years later when Vicki and I got together and started on our path together as a couple.)
In September of 2005, my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer and I sent out an email to various people asking for good energy, prayers, call it what you will, I needed the support, as did my family. My father was losing his wife of 56 years, I was 38 and losing my first parent, my dad has 2 forms of cancer, I had cancer at 34 years old, my mom had had breast cancer years earlier, so cancer has ravaged my family for years, but now it was terminal in my immediate family. One of the people I emailed was Vicki. Having lost her own father to cancer and her mother to long illness and heart attack years earlier, she knew what I was going through and wanted to be there for me. We emailed back and forth a few times, writing, talking, and making plans to get together.
Now something strange happened….
In my last email before we were to meet, I told her that I was “all in”. Something inside of me, more than a feeling, call it “a knowing”, told me to fully commit to her. At the time I didn’t know why I did such a thing, especially for a casual friend that I was just meeting to visit with, but I trusted in my choice and went with it. Upon meeting her in her drive, after talking a bit, I gave her a kiss; and it is a magical kiss I will never forget. Description of it is beyond words, but it was all the verification I needed that my choice to go “all in”, was the right one to make.
We sat and talked, learned a lot about each other in a very short period of time. After I’d left that night, I couldn’t stop thinking about her, so the next night I went back, proposed to her, and except for 2 days, we’ve not been apart one day since November of 2005. (as of this article’s writing, it is January 2008.) The entire beginning of Vicki and I’s relationship inspires me. In that one kiss, I knew I found my soulmate.
Over the next year, we learned a lot about each other and went through many trials and tribulations. She lost her business of 25 years and her house of almost as long, which I will explain more in-depth in a bit. I had slowly started moving out of the music business, had to get my first day job in 7 years, moved in with her, and we had to find a new place to live together, along with a few other things we went through as well together. We went through things that would have torn many an established relationship apart, let alone a fledgling new one. We were baptized in fire, so to speak. Our lives were one big 5 alarm of constant emergencies and major upheaval, but our life together was also one of strong bliss. The foundation of our relationship cannot be shaken. It is solid beyond words.
When Vicki’s first husband went crazy (literally, - and not because of her), they had owned 2 business, a tax accounting firm, and a video store business; so naturally the tax accounting business did the financial stuff for the video store business as well. By the end of it all, he had gambled away $125,000 and was living inside of a feces covered car in the casino’s parking lot. It wasn’t until she threatened media attention that the casino evicted him. To make matters worse, a good part of their relationship was troubled by domestic violence that resulted in physical abuse of her and her 3 daughters. Eventually she escaped from the marriage after trying for years to save it, to no avail. The IRS ended up shutting down her video store, and she managed to get it re-opened again, which made the local newspapers. So now without a husband and no child support or family to rely upon, she raised 3 daughters by herself, paid a mortgage on the house and maintained a business (the video store), for 25 years. She ended up mortgaging the house over and over after paying off each one, so that she could use the money to finance her business. The last time she did this, she had attempted to open a 2nd video store, a first for her, and the location and business was so bad that she had to let all of the employees go at the 2nd store and run it by herself. She’d work 12-15 hour days with hardly a customer. Eventually, the 2nd store’s financial loss killed it and took the 1st store down with it as well. For 10 months she survived just on Internet sales of inventory, eventually buying one last video store in November 2005. 10 months earlier, her 2 stores had closed, and this was one last valiant effort in the video business. Of course things have continued downward in the entire video industry. Here was a woman who innovated the video business by adding tanning to video stores. A 10 years in office ex-president of the Video and Software Dealers Association (VSDA), someone well known within the industry, and she was barely hanging on.
She inspires me.
In August 2006 when my mother died from her cancer, my father, my 2 brothers and 2 of my 3 sisters were there in the room. Some of my siblings have been married for over 20 years, yet their spouses were not there. Beside me, my soulmate, Vicki, a woman I’d been with only 10 months, was by my side as my mother passed beyond the veil. The bond formed by Vicki and my mother is a strong one. My only regret is that they didn’t have more time together, that Vicki didn’t know my mom when she was well, before she was sick, but they did get to know each other, which is important to me. The fact that they bonded like they did, that is a miracle and a very precious thing to me as well. So, Vicki and I faced death together with a close loved one. Vicki also faces death everyday because she has some major health conditions. The doctors told her in 1995 when she was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus (SLE), that she had 5-7 years to live. Add onto all of this the fact that this is not her only major health issue, (another one is connective tissue disease) and you can compound the degree to which I am inspired by her. All of the things of which I wrote above, she has done while in not so great of health.
She is one of the strongest people I know. She lives life with a passion that inspires me. She fights when others would have long given up, having walked that road in life alone for so many years. She’s alone no more, because she has me and I have her.
She is not only the love of my life, she is my life.
Each morning I wake up next to her, I am inspired.
Each day I go through life out in the World, I represent her, and I am inspired.
Each time I look into her eyes, I am inspired.
Each time I hold her hand, I am inspired.
Each time I kiss her, I am inspired.
Each time I touch her, I am inspired.
Each time I think of her, I am inspired.
In our love, I am inspired, and in inspiration, I love.
Update: 11/21/09 - October 7th, 1009, Vicki and I celebrated our two year wedding anniversary and in early 2010, we'll be moving into our new, custom-buolt house.
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