Chasing Zero

Started a new blog topic, called "Chasing Zero."In this idea of chasing zero...It’s really a study of the greatest beginning moments of my life and how they all have been predicated by tremendous loss of one kind or another. Rising of the Phoenix and all that. And from those moments of loss have come tremendous power. And now that I’m in this beautiful last stage of my life I’m exploring the idea of a graceful exit, without all the maudlin trappings. The power of zero is the power of God. No doubt.How best to tell that story? And how best to explain this great paradox...

Enjoy this journey with me, won't you?

Winos' Woodstock Love Fest

Always happy to be amongst those with their boots on the ground who are making a difference and bettering people's lives.(Taken after my performance of "A Guru Named Frank" at Winos' Woodstock Love Fest at Infinite Recovery in Austin, TX - benefiting The 24 Hour Club, http://www.northaustinfoundation.com/)

Chasing Zero

 One of my dearest friends, David Poleski, was a major entertainer on the streets of Seattle Washington for about 13 years. He was known as Zero the Mime. A brilliant showman - juggling, sleight-of-hand magic, ukulele performances, & pratfalls galore. He wowed em!But his greatest talent was an eerie ability to capture a persona; to mimic a passerby so completely as to be his or her cartoon image; a breathing cartoon walking inches behind.One day as he was practicing some sleight-of-hand magic and juggling, I asked him: “What’s with the name Zero?”I’ll never forget what he said: “Well, I only have the needed power to mimic when I am not me. When I am more them, David Poleski is zero.”He went about juggling, then stopped and asked me this: “What’s the most important part of a cup?”I threw something out: “The handle?”He commenced to juggle then said: “No it’s the hole. You can do without a handle. Can’t do without the hole.”My greatest power, too, comes when I’m less concerned about myself, and begin to focus on what’s important to others; still chasing Zero.

Resolutions or Intentions?

Resolution noun | res-o-lu-tion| \re-zə -lü- shən\ 1. A firm decision to do or not to do somethingA firm decision? Sounds hard to me. Synonyms of “hard” include resolute, adamant, unfaltering… the list goes on. But there certainly seems to be no room for error. Or change. Certainly no room for glee, or awe.No wonder we fail to achieve our New Year’s resolutions. Resolutions are without surprise, without awe, without glee. It’s a gain that we are supposed to have. One we must achieve.I have before me 12 intentions that I have set to attract in 2019. If I firmly seek glee, if I firmly chase joy by exercising gratitude, I have found that over the last 30 odd years or so that my intentions have often come to be. Always surprisingly, always imperfectly, always less than firm. And always with room for glee.

The Power of Smaller

If I’m living a life of intention, seeking the discipline to place the spiritual life first, then there has to be a pay off. The reward for spiritual exercise in my life has been humility. Not a humility born of weakness but humility that is a power. The power of honesty that is spiritually driven .As the power of honesty gets greater,  I actually become smaller and less interested in myself, less interested in my little plans and designs, in what I can get, more interested in what I can give, and more interested in being a giver than a taker.The irony of all this is that as I strive to become less  important, as my design becomes less self-driven, I’ve noticed others seek my council. I’m more important to others as I become less important to myself.As I am driven to become a larger spiritual entity I realize I’m becoming smaller in all kinds of different areas. Emotionally I no longer have to measure up. As your opinion of me becomes less important I’ve realized that others have a greater opinion of me. As I become less self-important, I become more important to you.I’ve been able to start living in an enlightened manner, finding more answers come to me by intuition and inspiration than by deliberate effort. My mental facilities start operating more intuitively. What used to be a hunch gradually becomes inspiration. I start relying on that which I cannot quantify so easily.The answers  just come.

Dreaming: Day 20

Like in any exercise regimen, after a period of time performing the recommended number of reps, muscles become exhausted. Your dream muscle too becomes tired. All the huge brush strokes become a number of reoccurring themes, the reoccurring spiritual exercise, the reoccurring emotional state, the reoccurring mental discipline, your physical reality, and all the material gain that may be possible to attract during this coming year.With all the use your dream muscle incurs, it makes sense to reassert your goals to give the muscle a chance to regroup. All of these reoccurrences are your intentions. Write them down. There ought to be about 12-15 at the most. Here are some of mine.

• I will attend 150 12-step meetings in 2019.
• I intend to embrace my Jewish community on Friday Sabbath.
• I wish to give abundantly.
• I will be an attentive, supportive husband.
• I will start my day with calm and visit that calm on occasion throughout the day.
• I will speak and learn more Spanish.
• I will continue to perform to raise money for charities.
• I will continue my keep my weight within 155-157 lbs.
• I will attend to our portfolio on a quarterly basis.
• I will live within our means.

Well that’s it for me. See you in 345 days or so.

DreamQuest Journey: Day Two

And now the fun begins. I refer to it as “exercising the dream muscles.”I pick a day to at least five years off, then I write a diary entry as if it is that day. It starts something like this: Dear God (or any power greater than you) “The day is (pick a day) and what a wonderful day it has been.”I then write elaborate, dreamy realities of the perfect spiritual day, including emotional improvements, and exciting mental achievements. I go on about the perfect physical me, and I create a story of all the material wealth that I’ve attracted. Here’s an example:“July 15, 2023 and what a terrific day it’s been! My day started with prayer and meditation as I calmed myself by being with You. Louise and I are dressing for guests to a Sabbath dinner at the house. Our Jewish community is so important. Four 12 step meetings and two new members to sponsor made my life a joy. This has lead to a new kind of love with my wife, we are closer than ever and exploring new interests together. We are truly lovers. And this new calmness is apparently working wonders with my other relationships as well…Oh, I’m just loving learning Spanish. Online and easy to follow, I am becoming conversant in a new language. I study often throughout the day…156 pounds. A 30-pound reduction in my weight has lead to lower blood pressure and low cholesterol. All that and my newest love, CrossFit, have made for better living……Our financial plans these last 10 years, our combined 401(k)s, having our home paid off, and two new cars without payments? Wow! Life has gotten greater than anything we’d ever planned. That dreaming thing really works.”Dreams about the spiritual life (“My day started with prayer…”), an emotional reality (“This has led to a new kind of love …”), an interesting mental life, improving health, and material wellbeing, all of these types of dreams exercise the dream muscles. And like all successful exercise improvement comes with repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, 21 days in a row.

“If you can dream it, you can see it.

If you can see it, you may attract it to you over a time well spent.”

–JHM, 2000.

Day One of the 21-Day DreamQuest Journey

For the last 34 years I’ve taken a moment (sometimes many) to relish a minute, to contemplate all that has come to me AIBM (“As If By Magic”).You see, it is not probable that a poorly educated, drug addicted, Vietnam vet would achieve all that I have achieved. Indeed, it is not just improbable, it is realistically impossible. There has got to be some magic involved.That, my friends, is the magic of positive affirmation and constant visualization, all fueled by a PMA (positive mental attitude) and driven by gratitude. And that can lead to something that can be repeated but never achieved; that can be repeated, and only received by the grace of some Greater Power.I challenge you this Thanksgiving Day to list all that you have received in the realm of the Spirit, all of your emotional strength, and all that you have accomplished mentally. Take a moment and realize that your health is a blessing, and that you are indeed surrounded by wealth.If you can garner a moment of awe, then you have all that you’ll need to design a life that can be attracted to you over time.And if you can repeat this exercise daily for 21 consecutive days, and add 5 small collages to the mix…well you now have a method that may attract to you a life far greater than anything you might plan.