Yes We Can

I am no sports fan, of any sport. And I don't need to be to get charged up to support Team USA for ice-hockey at the Olymics after watching this 5 year old Warrior of a young man speak. Check it out if you haven't - some 2 million people have.

Being Perfect

I love what I read in Rev. Kathianne Lewis's newsletter this week. She talks about the word "perfect." She says in Aramaic the word "perfect" has other meanings, some of which were 'complete,' 'fulfilled' or 'mature.' That's Perfect! (sorry I couldn't resist it). At the heart of this lesson is "I am perfect, whole and complete - just as I am right here and now." How much time and energy have I spent comparing, critizing, condemning myself against others - a lot over the years. How much time do you and companies in particularly do the same - all with the intent of competing and "beating" others so they may be the perfect alternative for consumers. In reality, there is only one me. There always has been and always will be. There is only one you. Each of us are perfect just as we are - with all of our character defects right in there in the mix of things. It is that light and shadow that makes us this lovely tapestry that we call the world. And it all weaves together in harmony and balance - at least that was the intent of our creator. Finally, I love what Kathianne says about spiritual maturity. I am not the same person I was as a child. And that's not simply my mind and body that has evolved - it's my connection with source. For all those formative years when the world is constantly bombarding children with how to be, do and have - to "survive" in this world. Instead, wouldn't it be perfect if we realized we co-exist in this tapestry and in celebrating my perfection I celebrate yours and on and on and on. Join me in celebrating your perfect-ness, just as it is right here and right now.

Have a Little Faith

Michael Franti is my new music hero. I love pretty much all of his album that I bought on an impulse thanks to Shazam app on my iPhone (it picks up a song from for instance the radio and let's you buy it instantly at iTunes). The words that really hit me hard are: "and when the rain falls down You know the flower's gonna bloom and when the hard times come You know the teacher's in the room and when the sun comes up You know that I'll be there for you" Yes, the teacher is always "in the room" - in me. Each time I am provoked by anything - I have the opportunity to choose to learn from it. And when I know that the teacher is a higher power, that is part of me (and I am a part of that one power) then life is what it's meant to be - a series of lessons that evolve my soul's journey. I invite you to go listen to Michael's song if you haven't already - here it is on YouTube.

The Resonant Man

Friends, if there's one video that I found distills almost all of the lessons I've learnt in years of growth - this video summary of what Will Smith believes in is 100% on point. He distills the concept of "conceive, believe, achieve" as best as anyone I know. PLEASE invest 10 minutes to watch this and if you choose, comment about it! May you have all the success you desire, starting by giving 100% of yourself.

Pat Tillman Foundation

I just learnt of this Foundation via www.thegentlemensfund.com. Here's what I know so far - Pat Tillman was a NFL player who stepped up into the reserves after 9/11/2001. The Tillman family and friends created the Pat Tillman Foundation in 2004, following Pat’s death while serving with the 75th Ranger Regiment in Afghanistan. Here's what I take from this - put aside war for a moment - Pat was clearly a Resonant Man who stepped up to serve/give as he was called to give, from the inside-out. I am all for peace and sad that we are in this prolonged set of wars. And within these events are many opportunities to honor the gold in men and women globally. As we approach 4am Pacific Time tomorrow - December 31, I invite you to join all human-beings to hold the intention that peace is possible in our life time. Please read out loud, ideally with as many people as you can - this meditation. And as you do, remember the many Pat Tillman's who have made a difference - be it serving their country in war, serving hamburgers at McDonald's, serving a trip to the moon with NASA, tilling the soil of mother earth to feed us, and on and on and on. I give thanks for all those who serve to make this heaven on earth.

Tiger Woods: What is within this story

Today, I want to talk about the core purpose of events like the Tiger Woods story. They are not about a celebrity - they are about you and me. In every story lies the opportunity to look within. To look at those places in us that we relate to a story and learn from them - either as "me of the past" "me of the now" or "me of the future." In addition, the magical power of such events lies in looking at what shadows come up for me. What, if anything, am I hiding, denying or suppressing. What is mine to forgive (including myself) that such a story brings up for me? Today, take a few minutes for yourself and ask yourself - what part of Tiger's story is my story? And please - go beyond the obvious. My invitation to you is not about adultry, it's about living your truth in all parts of your life. How many of us are in jobs that we don't feel we belong in? How many of us have truly explored the route cause of our anger/resentment about someone/something? That, my friends, is the work we have in front of us - if you choose to accept the invitation. P.S. A reminder to check out: http://theshadoweffect.com/ if you haven't already.

I am Alive! - Part 3

One of my favorite songs is a Jewish chant "Li, la, la, lai, la la lai la lai - I am alive!" And then it goes "And who, is this aliveness I am, if it's not the blessed holy one!" That's aliveness to me. When I can remember that I am part of my creator and so are you - all created from one source. That I am responsible for creating my own heaven on earth and when I do that with love and giving to others I am alive. When I am living each moment on purpose, I am alive. When I am living a life of joy and love, I am alive. When I live a chant of releasing and letting go of what eats me, I am alive. When I accept my shadow and lean into it, just as much as my gold, I am alive. When I witness the God in you, I am alive. What's aliveness to you?

CNN = "constantly negative news"

OK so I feel like I'm perpetuating negative thoughts by even putting this out and having this title but as many of you already practice this - it's important to focus on the positive inputs we take in (audio, visual, sensory) to keep our thoughts at a higher vibration. That's what The Resonant Man project is about. Sure stuff happens and mostly it's external. What I choose to do with myself internally is what it's about. How do I choose to respond, instead of react to a situation? Do I get sucked into the black-hole of fear or can I lean in, take a look at the chaos, lean back, stand firm and go "Hummm... I choose to view this differently." And then make sure to jump up and down and laugh loud, just because. Go make it a loving and joyous day!

Brain Power

Please take the time to watch this video from CBS 60 Minutes. The possibilities of this technology that allows us to transmit our thoughts to a computer are just beginning to unfold. The example in the video got me thinking - imagine if we could find out what is happening in the mind of a person with Alzheimer's or other diseases that take away the ability of a patient to communicate. Now combine this with the Age of Consciousness that we are stepping into and imagine devices that can not only read our mind but also our heart. Yes, a bit much of tech for many of us and like anything there is a fine line and balance in the "how" it's done. More importantly I ask myself - the "why" we do what we do and so far this work seems to have a solid why as I see it - to enable people to communicate freely.

The Man In The Mirror

Regardless of where you stand on the "loved him" to "hated him" scale - Michael Jackson was a icon. I want to take a moment to honor his brilliance by remembering "The Man In The Mirror". I had never read the lyrics to this song till just now and I like what I read. Most of you who read my blog are familiar with the concept of the man in the mirror - that what I see in the world is simply a projection of myself. As we often say, "if you spot it, you got it." That's not exactly what Michael's lyrics are saying but what he does say is the beginning of going deeper to that level of oneness - of recognizing that we are all connected. What I think, feel, act upon with you is simply a reflection of what I see. Read the lyrics, and add comments on what you take of this popular song with deep meaning. Blessings to Michael Jackson for touching the hearts of millions.

Reclaim your heart

Today, I ask that you take 4 minutes to watch the video at this site: www.mkpgo.com. Many of our readers are already part of the global community of men - where all men are welcome - the ManKind Project. Today I ask all of you who read this blog to watch this video to get a sense of the work that men have the opportunity to do at the New Warrior Training Adventure. It happens throughout the year at regional centers around the world. I belong to the NorthWest US center - www.mkpnw.org and am so grateful for this community of trusted men. Plug aside, I want to touch on the statement "reclaim your heart" in the video. How many of us recognize that we give parts of our soul away along the way from conception to today. We are subjected to our environment and consciously or (more often) subconsciously we take on other peoples beliefs as ours. Reclaiming our heart is paramount to reclaiming the self, that self that is one with its creator and one with all that exists. So regardless of what you choose to do today, take 10 minutes to get silent, ponder on a current challenge in your life and ask yourself: "what would my heart say?" / "what would love do?"

Swedish Blooms

My dear friend Stanley shared this with me and I had to blog about it. His mother-in-law Shirley made her transition this Sunday days before her 95th birthday. Here's an except of what Stanley shared, a true example of a Resonant Man experience: "namaste bobbyb et al......today I learned that the swedish home health team dedicated the day to my mom in law Shirley .......Resha sent the below email in response to the question of where to send donations.........I will get the exact email/website but it is a program called Swedish Blooms begun by the grief counselor Ross, last year after a conversation with Shirley regarding how much she missed being out in the garden....those of you who have been to our house lately know that we have turned the roof of our two car garage into shirley's garden....veggies, flowers and a three person swing.........it is a wonderland......thanks again for the love and support that I have felt throughout Shirley's deathing process....." "This is the story: Last spring, Ross, the Swedish Hospice grief counselor was visting with mom. One of the things she told him washow she missed going out in her garden. She really missedseeing the flowers up close. From that conversation, Ross got the idea to offer hospice volunteers and workers the opportunity to bring in flowers from their own gardens to share with homebound patients. The response was overwhelming with the staff. Every Wednesday they would bring in the bounty from their own gardens-- and thesewere taken to patients every wednesday all summer long. Again this summer, the staff wanted to continue the practice. So today, Wednesday,flowers were shared with other patients in mom's honor."

Obama in Cairo

If you haven't already - take the time to click on Obama's picture for a link to the speech he gave on June 4 in Cairo. Most of Obama's speeches are historic and authentic in my opinion. What's critical about this talk is even if it makes a dent in the perception of American in the Muslim world - he's saved at least 1 life. Imagine, if every man and woman in battle or contemplating conflict/terrorism would be impacted even a bit by his words. All we need is for people to just stop and think - to respond rather than react. One life at a time - global peace IS possible. Obama is simply a mass vehicle of delivering this message AND believing it is possible. Now the question is - do YOU believe global peace is possible in this century?

Three Possible Futures

Joel Garreau is a reporter for the Washington Post and author of Radical Evolution. This is what I learnt from him today in reading his piece in EnlightenNext - each and everyone of us must prevail.

He describes 3 scenarios: heaven, hell and prevail. He cites trends in four major technology sectors - genetic, robotic, informational, and nanotech. Here's an except that describes why the "right answer" is the prevail scenarios:

About the middle-ages: "Looking at the future of the human race from the perspective of that time, you could be forgiven for thinking that we were pretty much toast. You'd be seeing marauding hordes and plagues and all sorts of evil stuff. You'd probably be thinking, "God, this isn't going to end up well." Then all of a sudden, in 1450, along came the printing press, and there was a new way of storing, sharing, collecting, and distributing ideas that was previously unimaginable. This led to the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, which gave birth to science, democracy, and eventually to the world we have today. What's interesting is that all of this change was beyond the imagination of any one king or country. It was the collective action of millions of humans organizing themselves in a bottom-up way. They didn't wait for the leaders to tell them what to do but changed their world to produce things as best they could."

That is what you are part of my friends, as a ResonantMan (or ResonantWoman).

Blessings!

Living Courageously

Gary Zukav spoke at the Center for Spiritual Living Seattle yesterday. His topic was Living Courageously. Gary is the author of many #1 New York Times best sellers and has been on Oprah over 30 times. I could blog about Gary's lessons for months but for today I'll briefly describe what he believes is at the heart of Living Courageously.

#1. Change in human consciousness

He describes the current world situation - I don't need to repeat that for you. Then instead of a flash-back or flash-forward he describes a "flash-presense." A new way is evolving and how we perceive power. There is a quickening of truth. He speaks of a growing awareness of and opening to "multi-sensory perception" - beyond the 5 senses. This is at the heart of The Seat of the Soul.

#2. I am important

I loved the metaphor he used for this. Do I strive for the low-water mark vs. the highest water mark as I navigate through life? We all have our low/down days/periods of life. Do I focus on the low when low or pull yourself up to the highest of my potential? Do I respond or react to situations? Check this free resource out on how to turn disasters into opportunities for personal growth.

#3. I am responsible for what I create

Choice is at the heart of all that I have in front of me. Do I have the commitment, the courage, the compassion (for myself first) and the consciousness to create the heaven on earth I desire? Or do I create my hell on earth. Gary spoke to how he created his hell on earth for a long time.

Finally, in all challenges he encouraged us to ask: "What can I learn about myself from this situation?" Be it 9/11, the wars we're in, the global economy, etc.

I hope Gary's work serves you as it has me, if you are not already aware of him.

Many Paths for "how"

Thanks to our lovely mass media, the focus of most news is on the negative - the doom and gloom. Despite the positive, REAL and responsible messages of Obama - I judge that the media is still the media. For instance, the focus on Bernard Madoff this past week has been like the OJ Simpson days. Yes the man sucks a big one on lack of integrity and a whole lot more AND how about telling more of the following type of stories.

Paul Levy is the President and CEO of a hospital. Like many CEO's these days, he was faced with the potential lay-off of many employees. Before making a decision he "watched the people who polish the corridors, who strip the sheets, who empty the trash cans, and he realized that a lot of them are immigrants, many of them had second jobs, most of them were just scraping by."

As he stood in front of his employees (some 8,000) he put this out:

"I want to run an idea by you that I think is important, and I'd like to get your reaction to it," Levy began. "I'd like to do what we can to protect the lower-wage earners - the transporters, the housekeepers, the food service people. A lot of these people work really hard, and I don't want to put an additional burden on them.

"Now, if we protect these workers, it means the rest of us will have to make a bigger sacrifice," he continued. "It means that others will have to give up more of their salary or benefits." He had barely gotten the words out of his mouth when Sherman Auditorium erupted in applause. Thunderous, heartfelt, sustained applause."

Imagine if more CEO's took the time to listen (with their heart) AND took pragmatic decisions that were a combination of brain, heart and gut? I guarantee you more are headed in this direction and THAT my friends is changing the world - a change I welcome.

Many Perspectives

I had the thrill of listening to Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith of the Agape International Spiritual Center the other day. If you don't know who he is - Dr. Beckwith was on The Secret and has been on Oprah and Larry King at least a few times. I bow to him and the amazing work that flows through him - in celebrating the oneness we all are. Please do watch his short video by clicking on Michael's picture. He has many powerful and simple messages to ponder. Here's a story he told yesterday that blew me away - because it reminded me of how often I too (a seeker of many perspectives, of an open mind, of choices) am biased often - all the time. I hope I will remember this story the next time I make up a story about what is happening in my environment. Here goes... Michael landed at LAX airport early one day (he travels non-stop). As he was waiting for his ride home he noticed his bag was missing it's name tag. So he reached behind the airline's unstaffed counter to get a name tag. As he is contemplating doing this and actually reaching over - he notices a cop staring at him. As soon as he reaches over to get the tag he sees the cop get on his cell phone. Next another cop shows up. Michael is getting curious/nervous/making up stories about why they are looking at him suspiciously. He had been screened/tagged for extra security a lot lately so he figured - "here we go again." By the time he's got the name tag the two officers are standing right behind him. The first officer says: "I was looking to make sure it is you." And the rest of it went something like this - Thank you for The Secret. My wife and I are such fans of you. We have watched it a lot. I am quitting my job as a cop to do what I've always dreamed of - thanks to you. Amazing grace. It's around us all the time. The question is - do I stop to witness it, and bow to it in gratitude and awe! Next time you choose to judge a person/situation - remember, there are many AND's and rarely only a this OR that.

Shug

This is from a recent Esquire blog http://www.esquire.com/blogs/endorsement/obama-shug-021109 - read my thoughts at the end, if you choose.

"The combination of a shake and hug has been around for years. One hand grasps the other man's hand, and one arm goes around his shoulder. The handshake is facile. The hug is tender. But the shug is right there in the middle — masculine and affectionate at the same time, reserved but expressive. It allows you to put yourself out there by bringing the other guy in. Close but not so close. It's more than a shake, less than a hug. It's a shug.

The shug can be predetermined: You can go in shugging. Or it can be decided upon during the course of the ordinary (if all-important) handshake. But the choice is yours. Because you have the guy's hand. He can't get away. Which brings up the interesting part: With a shug you can inflict affection. Like when Barack Obama shugged John McCain during one of their presidential debates last October. At that moment the elegance and utility of the shug were fully realized. That's when it went beyond merely being the future president's signature greeting and became useful to us all. Because what appeared at first like a physical manifestation of unity may also have been disarming. With that shug, he pulled McCain in. He literally kept his enemy close. He leaned in so far that he could plant the kiss of death. Or maybe it wasn't nefarious at all. Maybe he just likes the guy. Either way, McCain got shugged."

Here's my take - cute term, the shug AND I am all for an all out hug. I personally feel a hug seals the deal of trust and honoring each other, unconditionally. It is a male ritual that has been lost in the American culture (for the most part) and is gradually surfacing in men's groups that are based on accountability and self-responsibility (e.g. The ManKind Project).

Personal Responsibility & Choice = Freedom

Yes I have to blog about the historic inauguration of Barack Obama - the 44th President of the United States of America. Where were you during his acceptance speech? Please comment and share your experience of it. Mine was rooted in the personal responsibility I own of doing my part - to be the change I want to see and leave for my children. I was watching the inauguration with a few hundred Microsoft employees at our conference center. There was a cardboard cut-out of President Obama - and yes I had a friend take a picture of me hugging him at the shoulder. For now, I want to share this quote by Will Smith that I found very balanced and I interpret as tied with my theme for this era - personal responsibility. The only person that stops me from my "gold" is myself. Right on Will! Also click on his picture to hear him talk about the potential of him playing Obama in a movie some day. Will Smith For me, it was something that I've always believed. I've read the Declaration of Independence. I've read the Constitution. I have the preamble memorized. It's something I've always believed in, and when Barack Obama won, it validated a piece of me that I wasn't allowed to say out loud - that America is not a racist nation. I love that all of our excuses have been removed. African-American excuses have been removed. There's no white man trying to keep you down, because if he were really trying to keep you down, he would have done everything he could to keep Obama down. Yes, there are racist people who live here, absolutely. But they're not the majority anymore. I'm an African American, and I was able to climb to a certain point in Hollywood. On that journey, I realized people weren't trying to stop me. Most people were trying to help me. Before Obama won the presidency, it was like, I'm the exception. Tiger is the exception. Michael Jordan is the exception. Bill Cosby is the exception. But there's something about being the leader of the free world, with every other position on earth below that. You can't argue with that. If Barack Obama can win the presidency of the United States, you can absolutely be the manager at Saks. Come on. It was such a fantastic experience for me to be able to say out loud that I love America and not be called an Uncle Tom. That I can stand out, and I can say out loud that I love this country and not get funny looks. I don't think we are African Americans, Irish Americans or Japanese Americans anymore. I think Americans are a new race of people. We are Americans of African descent. We are Americans of Irish descent. It's a whole new world. (and it's up to me and you and us to be the change we seek)

StoryCorps Day of Listening

In case you are like me, and will not be standing in line for the shopping day of the year on Friday - how about spending November 28 as the Day of Listening? If you don't know about StoryCorps already - please spend a few minutes to learn about them.

Their mission is simple (all good ones are): "Our mission is to honor and celebrate one another’s lives through listening." Check out this one example to wet your appetite and consider going into one of their recording centers to record your stories:

“It’s an easy job. One street goes uptown, one goes downtown.”

Hyman Bloom (L) tells fellow taxicab driver Andrew Vollo (R), about driving a cab for over 30 years. Hyman Bloom retired in 2007.

StoryCorps is full of Resonant Men (and women). I am so grateful for those who created this project and for the Day of Listening. I know it will be challenging for me to keep that focus this Friday - with my wife and children as we relax at home AND I know the day is simply a reminder to always do my best to listen to others truth - just as I express my own.