I still have yet to decide if these blog posts are worth the time and effort to do on a regular basis, or if it is best to just add a thought when I have something to say. Also, I don’t know if people prefer an in-depth discussion or do people just want the “sound bite.”  If you have any thoughts please feel free to respond.

For now, something that has become more apparent to me in recent weeks, is that people who would prefer not to deal with an issues seem to find refuge in saying that, “It’s a complicated/complex issue." When it came to smoking, people who liked smoking would say that there was no link between cancer and smoking. As the battle heated up, and evidence mounted, the argument shifted to “It’s a complicated issue.” As the climate changes around the world, people will often say that we shouldn’t assume that humans are to blame because “It is a complicated issue.”  Moving the Fukushima reactors prior to the meltdown was “A complicated issue”, World hunger = “A complicated issue”, Cancer = “A complicated issue” , World peace= …you get the point. Now I’m not saying these aren’t complicated issues, what I am saying is that if we sit on the sidelines every time we have “A complicated issue” where do we end up?

LIFE is a complicated issue and if we chose to live life, we will have to eventually face complicated issues; therefore, isn’t it better to face complicated issues before they become catastrophic issues? If you doubt what I am saying, do an internet search on the Pine Beetle infestation in BC, Canada. What started as “A complicated issue” in a small part of the forest will now wipe out 70+% of the pine trees in the province!! While we sit and contemplate “complicated” life moves on and in hindsight we see that “A complicated issue” was only complicated because it was a convenient excuse to do nothing. I don’t think it is a coincidence that often the people who see the problem as complicated are often the same people that benefit from the status quo. Everything is “A complicated issue” until we decide otherwise.

I haven't been spending a great deal of time "blogging" because I don't know if anyone even reads this page; however, if you are reading this post, thank you because this is the most important post thus far.

You see, Christmas is commonly one of the times when we feel most generous and we give to those in need. The downside is that those in need often require help for more than just a few days of the year.

The good news is that there are several amazing organizations that allow us to donate everyday of the year, AT NO COST TO US. Even better, it only takes less than 1 minute to donate to 10+ causes. The individual amounts are relatively small; however, it is the large number of people doing this every day that adds up to make a significant contribution.

Please go to these links and make a difference to those in need, then, if you like what you see, please share the links with others.

Namaste,
Karl

http://www.care2.com/click-to-donate/

http://greatergood.com/

I am pleased to announce that after several attempts to perfect the final cover for the book I now have a product I am happy with and both the print version and the Kindle version of the book are for sale on Amazon.com

For some reason known only to the book Gods, Amazon.ca is a totally different entity and while you can get the book in Europe, Japan and the UK, the print version of the book takes several weeks to get it listed in Canada. So, for now, you can only get the Kindle version on Amazon.ca

The ISBN for the paperback version is: ISBN-13: 978-0968683132

I have also ordered copies for myself and I hope to have them  by the 18th. Please contact me for more information or if you're interested in purchasing a copy.

Thank you for your support 

I just wanted to mention that the book is now complete. I am still trying to make arrangements to have the book physically printed  and I will get the Ebook onto Amazon as soon as I can get the account set up.

I have no idea what scientific field of study this may fall under; however, if somebody reading this has done any research as to why we dance when we hear certain sounds, or if somebody has simply read about a scientific explanation as to why we do this, please let me know.

Heck, even if it isn’t a scientifically researched explanation, I would enjoy hearing your opinion this phenomenon; why do certain sounds motivate us to move our physical bodies in a rhythmic (and in some cases spastic =;0) movement?

I know is that sound is a vibration that occurs at a specific range of frequencies, and I know that at a fundamental level subatomic particles etc. are also just vibrations, yet I do not see a “logical” reason as to why certain sounds cause us to move a rhythmic fashion, yet others have no effect or even make us cringe. When we hear a helicopter going overhead I doubt that many of us feel the urge to dance & when we hear nails on a chalkboard the furthest thing from our mind is to don our white polyester suit and gold chains while we bust a move on the dance floor.

On the other hand, it seems that regardless of our origins, regardless of our age, gender etc., when we hear the sounds emanating from a precisely shaped oil drum, harp, flute or electric guitar, many of us will have the desire to dance (predicated on the fact that the person playing it has some talent). So, in spite of the fact that we all have a unique history, different demographics, experiences etc., some sounds resonate with us, almost universally, and make us want to physically move our bodies in conjunction with this “music.” What is it in this “vibration” that is “moving” us?

If we take this a step further, it is my understanding that even when a baby is in the womb certain sounds will be picked up by the baby and cause it to move. Apparently there have also been numerous studies indicating that plants will react differently to different music. It seems then that certain vibrations transcend the logical mind and will somehow illicit pleasurable movements/responses from all sorts of living organisms exposed to it.

So my question is why do some sounds “resonate” with living organisms and, in the case of humans, make us want to dance, and yet when we are exposed to other sounds we are indifferent or we cringe? 

Late last week I came down with something and have been sleeping for the greater portion of the last several days so I hope that this blog entry is still relatively coherent.

The entry today isn’t life altering or mind expanding per se, it’s just something that I find interesting and perhaps somewhat odd. I don’t know if this goes back to the days of checking out books in the library at school; however, it seems to be a condition that persists into adulthood: fear of defacing/marking-up books. On several occasions, frequently while sitting in coffee shops or in public places, I notice looks of bewilderment and horror as I highlight text in the book that I’m reading. There have also been occasions when a friend or acquaintance notices my blasphemous acts and comments that they would never do such a thing to a book that they own.

Now, I understand that the book does not belong to us that it would be inappropriate to damage it or deface it because it is somebody else's property. I can’t say that if I’d lend a book to somebody I would be overly impressed if it was returned with all sorts of notes and hieroglyphs inked onto the pages.

On the other hand, if the book belongs to me I see no problem in my using a highlighter to emphasize important parts nor do I see a problem with making notes and comments in the margins. The reason I read books is to acquire new knowledge or reinforce information that I have acquired elsewhere. In many cases, much of what I am highlighting will be used in my own books as quoted reference material and if I did not highlight these particular passages amount of time needed to find them again would be laborious.

So, why do so many people see books as “sacred” and think that any activity which alters/defaces them as a deplorable act? I can’t say for sure, but I think it is the programmed fear response arising from years of threats and scowls from the guardians of wisdom dwelling behind the checkout counter at the school library. I guess I should just be grateful that it was not Pavlov behind the counter because I shudder to think how much damage my drool would do to my favorite book every time my highlighter was uncapped.

In my mind, one of the easiest & most powerful ways to transform our lives is through gratitude, and yet it seems that frequently, even for those who have been traveling the spiritual path, this is one area that is frequently neglected or overlooked entirely. Indeed, on several occasions I have interacted with authors who have published books in the self-help/spiritual genre and in situations where even a “lay” person would have expressed some form of appreciation, yet these folks expressed not even a superficial “Thank you” when receiving a gift (whether in physical form or otherwise).

I am not saying that anyone is obliged to express gratitude, or that gratitude should be expected when a person does something for another person, I am just saying that if a person who is receiving something from another has no time/energy/inclination to show appreciation for the thoughtful acts of another, then they are missing out on a wonderful opportunity to spread more kindness and cheer.

By expressing appreciation for the gifts that have been bestowed upon us from any source, we generate good feelings within us and these vibrations radiate outwards through the universe. Studies have even shown that not only do the participants of a kind act feel better, even people observing kind acts have an increase in serotonin levels (serotonin is considered a “feel” good hormone). The fact is that everyone who is witness to, and who is participating in, acts of kindness receives a benefit from the action; consequently, when we express our gratitude for what we have been given we are able to create a ripple of positive feelings that literally makes others feel good as well.

Regardless of who a person is, what socio-economic background they have or what demographic they fit into, having gratitude is something that ANYONE is capable of. This is a gift that is FREE and infinitely abundant and even if administered in massive doses there are no negative side-effects. Being miserly with kind words, by holding back your gratitude, nobody benefits.

Perhaps this is one of those instances where one of the most basic and simple ideas is the most difficult to apply; however, it is never too late to start, so why not make a commitment to yourself, challenge yourself, to express gratitude whenever you can. There is no requirement to have a specific number of times that you express gratitude, just consciously decide to express it whenever possible and in short-order you will find that it is contagious.

On that note, I will sign off here and say "Thank you" for taking the time to read this.

I have frequently heard the idea that, “In order to live a truly wonderful life we need to be free of judgment” or that, “Living in judgment is the root of our problems” and many more such phrases related to the negative impact that “judging” has on our lives.

In the interest of saving my soul from the damnation of judgment, I have decided that the blog this week will discuss my biased opinion about preferences being judged as judgments +;0)

Certainly, I can agree that when we judge others we are actually making a statement about ourselves rather than the other person/people. Furthermore, when we judge others I believe we are limiting our opportunity for growth because rather than appreciating somebody for who they are, we are essentially saying that they should be different; they should be or do as we say.  This is not helpful to us or to them and by not judging others we are better off: I can agree with that.

In addition to judging people, when we judge circumstances and situations there is also a negative impact on us because our judgments impede out ability to accept a situation and therefore, prevent us from letting go or moving forward; I can see that as well. Where I disagree with the concept of “non-judgment” is that it seems there is a blurring of the line from where an opinion or preference ends and a judgment begins. This is to say that I think people often take the concept of “non-judgment” too far and then there is the perception that having an opinion/preference is a bad thing.

If I were to go to the ice cream parlor and order a strawberry ice cream, that to me is a preference and I don’t see anything wrong with that. I am not saying that Vanilla and Chocolate are bad characters and nobody should spend time with them, I am just saying that I like one over the other - a preference. If somebody were to ask me why I was “judging” the other flavors I would probably ask what was in their cone.

Perhaps that is a goofy example, and one could say it is quite obvious that this is a preference - not a judgment. Ok, so if we make the scenario a little more challenging, where there is a little more grey area, would this change? If, for example, you leave your favorite ice-cream parlor late at night and on one side of the street is a biker gang, smashing bottles and yelling, and on the other side are some nuns coming from church, which side of the street would you walk on?

With me confessing my sins here in this blog, I am allowed to hang with the nuns, so that would be my “preference”, or would you call that a judgment? I “judged” the bikers not to be the best folks to hang out with at this time and I chose the nuns, is that bad? Now, even if we say that I hurt the bikers’ feelings by not going to their side of the street, I still say that I am allowed to have a preference regardless of whether or not they think I “judged” them.

The point is that having a preference for something, like having limbs in working order, is not a bad thing and I believe that having an opinion is one of the ways we navigate through life. If we had no opinions and we were 100% indifferent about everything wouldn’t we just be rocks or vegetables? How would we survive, how would we grow, without opinions or preferences? Maybe with some people we wouldn’t know the difference (oops, a judgment), but I feel there is a significant difference with how the word “judgment” is used and what, I believe, it actually means in the context of having a fulfilling life.

I think the problem lies in how we define “judgment” and, rather than disagree with somebody who implies that we are judging, it seems that the easy way out is to appease the judger (ironically) and just avoid sharing our opinion/preference.

This post is quite long already, so I will sum it up this way: if I have a preference for something, or an opinion about something, that is my right and I don’t see that as a judgment; however, that right ends where the other person’s rights begin. This is to say that we are all entitled to preferences and opinions, and it is my OPINION that when we try to force those views on others, or onto a situation, that they become judgments and this is when they have undesirable consequences.

Until next time, I’ll be chillin’ out with the nuns, please say “hi” to the bikers for me.

Hello all, I realize that it has been quite some time since the last blog post, and this post is nothing mind expanding, I’m just trying to justify the lack of “stuff” in this section of the website. Going forward, my intent is to post in the blog (or does one say on the blog?) once/week: sometimes just drivel, sometimes something life-altering.

And, for those who are wondering where I have been, I know that’s you,….I have been sweating and slaving just for you. Does the sympathy, guilt thing work on you?

Anyway, I taught a photography course, I have been busy trying to get more book reviews onto this website, I have been putting the finishing touches on “Tiny Thoughts for Personal Transformation: change your thoughts, change your life” - I am just waiting for some ISBN numbers for the Ebook versions, I am learning about Goodreads, and I am trying to sponge up all I can about book marketing in the new, digital world, and I am continuing to work toward my goal of reading 50 books in the next 12 months. Of course, as I finish these books I will add reviews on them, right here on this website.

Some of the blog topics I will be discussing in the upcoming weeks include my thoughts on: judgment vs preference, people on a pedestal, conquering ego, animal wisdom, the annual IONS conference (I know it is a little after-the-fact, but it is still timely in an infinite universe=:0)  and for those that want to know the meaning of life, from my biased view, I will add that too (here’s a hint, it’s less than ten words long).

If you are reading this and would like me to discuss something specific, please don’t hesitate to contact me: if it is within my ability to discuss it, I will. Heck even if it isn’t I’ll fake it =;0) Nah, but that actually is another topic for the blog, living in truth.

That’s it for now, I have some reading to do.

Until next time,
Make it magnificent,

Karl

One of the biggest challenges I have is to figure out where the line is, where the balance is, between allowing and interfering. If somebody wants to throw a cigarette butt out the window, is that their prerogative? If you think that this person should not do that, do you say something, or do you allow “karma” to take care of it for you?

If it is something as simple as a cigarette butt maybe you let it slide; however, if it is something more serious, say animal abuse, child abuse, then I think most people would say that something should be said or done.

The other day, while sitting at sidewalk table waiting for my meal to arrive, another patron of the restaurant threw his lit cigarette butt a few feet away from where I was sitting.  I didn’t want the cigarette to smolder away and pollute the air, so I stomped it out. So, does one simply leave it at that and not say anything because this fellow should be allowed to continue to do as he wants? Is it this person's right, or the right for other's to impose their ways, their pollution, their beliefs, on everyone else? Or, does one say something to the person who is imposing, thereby asserting your will?

I guess the answer will vary with the person and the situation. I personally can’t even come up with a consistent “rule” to apply in my life, so I certainly can’t make the rules for anyone else. Perhaps it’s just something to ponder, if you get “THE” answer, please let me know.