Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Monday, April 27, 2015
#Writing and Living Within the Reality of Change
To state the obvious, change is inevitable. Everyone's knows that but why can't everyone make the adjustments imposed by change?
Because we do not clearly see the promise on the other side of change and because change is uncomfortable, that's why.
Whether we are writing fiction or non-fiction the reality of this dynamic (change) confronts our story, haunts the characters within it and speaks to a secondary reality: uncertainty and fear of the unknown, but on the other side of change is often the fulfillment of one's calling. A writer's ability to unfold the events leading to this change establishes great characterization of fictional characters. The notion of change tends to influence good writing and successful living. In life, one's ability to confront and accept change establishes success, as defined by one's ability to meet one's goals and live the dream envisioned.
Pay Attention
How do we begin to successfully confront change? First, listen to the voice of the inner spirit. Yes, there is a conversation going on within the community of self. Meditate and pay close attention. Breathe deeply and hear your own thoughts as well as the thoughts of your own characters. There is always a song playing in your heart, your job is to appreciate the lyrics. Pay attention.
Act
Act upon the area of your discomfort. This is the promise of living by the spirit; it is the ultimate act of faith. When we meditate and pray and come to the point where we feel our area of comfort is invaded by our own thoughts about who we really are, we have arrived; however, our first inclination is to resist...to run away. In fiction, show the resistance of your character. In real life, focus upon your own resistance. I urge you to not resist, instead, lean into the winds of change and call uncertainty and the fear of the unknown by its genuine name: Undefined Opportunity. The truth is before us at this point. This point represents an epiphany, land-marking the point to which we are propelled to higher consciousness. Paul, in the Bible, called it the second heaven. It is a place where the known self tends to let go and turn away from resistance.Carl Jung called it: the morning of awakening.
Lean Into the Wind
In establishing your fictional character in a story and in establishing your character in life, overcome fear by leaning into the wind. The force behind the wind is a sign of your readiness. You will not feel the wind in your face unless you are already equipped to make the change. At the end of the day, you will come to realize that the wind upon your face is the breath of God, reminding you to lean this way.
Let's take a quote from my book, Ascend to The Secret Place "Infinite wisdom tends to knock at the door where capacity lives."
Pay attention, act and lean into the wind.
Because we do not clearly see the promise on the other side of change and because change is uncomfortable, that's why.
Whether we are writing fiction or non-fiction the reality of this dynamic (change) confronts our story, haunts the characters within it and speaks to a secondary reality: uncertainty and fear of the unknown, but on the other side of change is often the fulfillment of one's calling. A writer's ability to unfold the events leading to this change establishes great characterization of fictional characters. The notion of change tends to influence good writing and successful living. In life, one's ability to confront and accept change establishes success, as defined by one's ability to meet one's goals and live the dream envisioned.
Pay Attention
How do we begin to successfully confront change? First, listen to the voice of the inner spirit. Yes, there is a conversation going on within the community of self. Meditate and pay close attention. Breathe deeply and hear your own thoughts as well as the thoughts of your own characters. There is always a song playing in your heart, your job is to appreciate the lyrics. Pay attention.
Act
Act upon the area of your discomfort. This is the promise of living by the spirit; it is the ultimate act of faith. When we meditate and pray and come to the point where we feel our area of comfort is invaded by our own thoughts about who we really are, we have arrived; however, our first inclination is to resist...to run away. In fiction, show the resistance of your character. In real life, focus upon your own resistance. I urge you to not resist, instead, lean into the winds of change and call uncertainty and the fear of the unknown by its genuine name: Undefined Opportunity. The truth is before us at this point. This point represents an epiphany, land-marking the point to which we are propelled to higher consciousness. Paul, in the Bible, called it the second heaven. It is a place where the known self tends to let go and turn away from resistance.Carl Jung called it: the morning of awakening.
Lean Into the Wind
In establishing your fictional character in a story and in establishing your character in life, overcome fear by leaning into the wind. The force behind the wind is a sign of your readiness. You will not feel the wind in your face unless you are already equipped to make the change. At the end of the day, you will come to realize that the wind upon your face is the breath of God, reminding you to lean this way.
Let's take a quote from my book, Ascend to The Secret Place "Infinite wisdom tends to knock at the door where capacity lives."
Pay attention, act and lean into the wind.
Friday, April 24, 2015
The Teaching Pen
Writing can be a corrective force in society. When writers connect, magic happens. Life is often much like poetry for that reason. When we allow ourselves freedom, we begin to observe our emotional connection to poetry, an observation without walls, an observation peculiar to oneself, a "permit" if you will, to experience the writer and the writer's external world of creativity. As we observe life, peculiar to our emotions, we tap into eternal truths about God, the universe and the self...all of which we so passionately flee.
Life viewed from the outskirts tend to stage events not for the living but for the onlookers to life. Life then becomes a series of events camouflaged by the theater of sensationalism. This activity numbs the mind and spirit to the greater reality, the point where the observer experiences life peculiar to oneself, untainted by sensation. We might call this experience, "freedom."
This writer is often reminded of Eccliasiates 9:"14 in the Holy Bible. I wrote, extensively, about this subject in my recent book, Ascend to The Secret Place. The passage reads, "There was a small city with a few men in it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built bulwarks against it. (15) Now there was found in it, a poor wise man, and he, by his wisdom delivered the city, but no one remembered the poor wise man. (16) Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless, the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words not heard."
I truly enjoyed writing within the parameters of this subject and found the process intensively eye-opening.
The poor wise man in the passage above, as well as the writer of the passage, were corrective forces. The wise man was labeled, poor, not because he was bereft of finances but because he was unpopular and sized up a popular king. The hand of the writer was certainly moved by the infallible hand of God as the word "poor" was effectively used to present this wise man in a spirit of humility, otherwise the rich, besieging king would have destryoed the man before the wise man was able to free the city.
"There are few things in battle as effective as the element of surprise."
If life is a battle for the mind and spirit, then notice the stratagems of the king. Those bulwarks are walls and walls are thoughts and beliefs. After all, one cannot enter the house of a strong man and rob him unless he somehow bound the strong man. We are bounded by unbelief and a poor set of false beliefs about who we are. If you believe yourself royal, you should walk with a royal stride, speak with a royal tongue, and command with the confidence and charge of royalty. Re-consider your beliefs and observe to see if there are walls or freedom. I urge my fellow writers to use the pen to help set people free.
Life viewed from the outskirts tend to stage events not for the living but for the onlookers to life. Life then becomes a series of events camouflaged by the theater of sensationalism. This activity numbs the mind and spirit to the greater reality, the point where the observer experiences life peculiar to oneself, untainted by sensation. We might call this experience, "freedom."
This writer is often reminded of Eccliasiates 9:"14 in the Holy Bible. I wrote, extensively, about this subject in my recent book, Ascend to The Secret Place. The passage reads, "There was a small city with a few men in it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built bulwarks against it. (15) Now there was found in it, a poor wise man, and he, by his wisdom delivered the city, but no one remembered the poor wise man. (16) Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless, the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words not heard."
I truly enjoyed writing within the parameters of this subject and found the process intensively eye-opening.
The poor wise man in the passage above, as well as the writer of the passage, were corrective forces. The wise man was labeled, poor, not because he was bereft of finances but because he was unpopular and sized up a popular king. The hand of the writer was certainly moved by the infallible hand of God as the word "poor" was effectively used to present this wise man in a spirit of humility, otherwise the rich, besieging king would have destryoed the man before the wise man was able to free the city.
"There are few things in battle as effective as the element of surprise."
If life is a battle for the mind and spirit, then notice the stratagems of the king. Those bulwarks are walls and walls are thoughts and beliefs. After all, one cannot enter the house of a strong man and rob him unless he somehow bound the strong man. We are bounded by unbelief and a poor set of false beliefs about who we are. If you believe yourself royal, you should walk with a royal stride, speak with a royal tongue, and command with the confidence and charge of royalty. Re-consider your beliefs and observe to see if there are walls or freedom. I urge my fellow writers to use the pen to help set people free.
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Writing Creative Non-Fiction
I have heard many good speakers who serve the public well from a platform. I have been touched by these speakers. Some are social activist who dedicate themselves to leaving the world in a better condition (safe, healthier, more peaceful) than they found it. Hooray to those individuals who understand their purpose in life.
As much as I admire them, I have noticed, many of these speakers are terrible writers. Let's fix that, here and now.
If you have a platform where you are influencing people to live a better life, as I have defined, above, then perfect your writing skills so that the information you convey may be also effective in print. Here's how. Focus upon one valuable idea at a time, poco-a-poco.
Reflect upon the genuine value that you bring to the table. For example, you may be an activist who warns us of the dangers of consuming improper foods. You may focus upon one of the adverse results of eating such foods. For example, some foods actually contribute to the creation of tumors in the body that leads to cancer. Such an activist might open a short essay with a form of the following question.
"What have you eaten lately to create cancer or prevent cancer in your body?"
Now, go ahead and present your material.
A body building activist might open a short missive with the following question, "Which exercise will you practice today to prolong your life?"
Now, present your material.
An inspirational speaker, like this writer, might ask, "Which afflictive words have you eliminated from your vocabulary, recently?" Or, "Which non-afflictive emotions are you using this week to advance your life?"
Now, I will present my material: Let us view human emotion beneath a spiritual microscope..........
All of the above listed open ended questions tend to set the stage for the information you are about to deliver. It creates curiosity. Remember, due to your passion for life, you have something to say. We want to hear it. Don't underestimate your value. Don' t make the mistake of assuming that people already know what you are designed to teach. You are a unique snowflake and the manner in which you present information is unique. Do not lose impact by failing to properly set the stage.
When you open up with a life changing theme in the way of a questions, minds open to you, allowing the essence of "you" to connect.
You only need do one thing: reflect upon a single value that you are offering the world. Think of one thing a listener can do (based upon your teaching) to improve life, today. Now, that being said, build a question around that idea.
I hope that these simple hints will help. Be blessed, be fruitful and multiply your teachings as an aid to all mankind/woman kind...people.
As much as I admire them, I have noticed, many of these speakers are terrible writers. Let's fix that, here and now.
If you have a platform where you are influencing people to live a better life, as I have defined, above, then perfect your writing skills so that the information you convey may be also effective in print. Here's how. Focus upon one valuable idea at a time, poco-a-poco.
Reflect upon the genuine value that you bring to the table. For example, you may be an activist who warns us of the dangers of consuming improper foods. You may focus upon one of the adverse results of eating such foods. For example, some foods actually contribute to the creation of tumors in the body that leads to cancer. Such an activist might open a short essay with a form of the following question.
"What have you eaten lately to create cancer or prevent cancer in your body?"
Now, go ahead and present your material.
A body building activist might open a short missive with the following question, "Which exercise will you practice today to prolong your life?"
Now, present your material.
An inspirational speaker, like this writer, might ask, "Which afflictive words have you eliminated from your vocabulary, recently?" Or, "Which non-afflictive emotions are you using this week to advance your life?"
Now, I will present my material: Let us view human emotion beneath a spiritual microscope..........
All of the above listed open ended questions tend to set the stage for the information you are about to deliver. It creates curiosity. Remember, due to your passion for life, you have something to say. We want to hear it. Don't underestimate your value. Don' t make the mistake of assuming that people already know what you are designed to teach. You are a unique snowflake and the manner in which you present information is unique. Do not lose impact by failing to properly set the stage.
When you open up with a life changing theme in the way of a questions, minds open to you, allowing the essence of "you" to connect.
You only need do one thing: reflect upon a single value that you are offering the world. Think of one thing a listener can do (based upon your teaching) to improve life, today. Now, that being said, build a question around that idea.
I hope that these simple hints will help. Be blessed, be fruitful and multiply your teachings as an aid to all mankind/woman kind...people.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Healing Pens #am writing
Okay, writers, climb aboard with me. Let's use our pens to influence healing. You know, I never thought I would see the day that they would sell a pill designed to overcome a low IQ and promise to make people successful and rich but it is so; introducing, The Brain Pill and the American Dream Pill. These pills are marketed at $200.00 to $400.00 per pill with movies stars and corporate celebrities pushing it with plausible testimonials. It seems the snake oil salesman has refined his act, modernized his pitch and actually found a bit of respectable research to support his work...if you want to call it work.
I am not knocking the validity of the pill as the research seems to support no reason to question the veracity of the celebrity's statements. It seems the pill actually stimulates some portions of the brain to amplify clear and superior thinking while it suppresses those parts of the brain that leads to doubt, fear and procrastination, but at what cost? People seem to have more peak experiences and more measured success as a result of the pills, but at what long term risk? The devil in the bottle will admit some of its known risk in small print sometimes, but there's nothing small about the advertising budget designed to provoke your emotions and overcome the logic of the small print. After all, corporations have researched us with countless focus panels to determine what stimuli gets us going emotionally and they know that we buy based on emotions; so much for the logic of small print.
While one may believe the adage that anything that can be measured can be improved, one may prefer a different approach to improvement. I write inspirational books that I hope will make a difference in the lives of individuals as do many writers in this genre. By doing so, we would like to think that we offer a non-chemical alternative toward brain stimulation. Some writers introduce methods through inspirations from newly developed psychological studies, others through philosophical or scientific studies. I, on the other hand, offer an organic spiritual solution through spiritual considerations. After all, God did not take a pill when he made the world. Women do not take a miracle pill to create pregnancy or to deliver a baby, a miracle in itself; therefore, it seems that common sense has, once again, escaped the public and helplessly surrendered to the corporate pitch from pharmaceutical companies.
God help us.
They tell us that church is out and pills are in. People are running to the pharmacy in great numbers, shelling out $200.00 - $400.00 per pill, blindly trusting in something they know nothing about but are well warned to not trust in religious institutions for they may take your money. Don't trust in mysterious spiritual gurus and their concepts because they can be misleading and be careful to not over exercise (as if exercise ever killed someone).
Granted, some of the supplements are safer than others. Take galantamine, for instance ( see http://dreamstudies.org/galantamine-review-lucid-dreaming-pill/s), or (Narcissus pseudonarcissus) which is taken from the common daffodil, is said to have safe qualities which makes dreaming more lucid and stimulates awareness while you are asleep. But then corporate marketing becomes aggressive once they see an uninformed public is biting. A beehive of manipulative commercials began to stir on Madison avenue and ad agencies produced clever deceptions pitching intriguing phrases: Turbo Charging the Brain. Brain Boosters. Brain Pills. The Miracle Pill. CBS joined the fray, "Secret Society of the Successful", and so on.
Now here are the facts. Pharmaceutical companies enjoyed a 74% increase in the sales of Provigil. This drug was actually approved for Narcolepsy and sleep disorders but people use it, along with Adderall as a genius stimulant. It's pitch, "Niagra for the Brain." The many adverse side effects are yet unknown.
Are these ploys effective? Well, college students are already taking prescription stimulants like Ritalin. Because these kids believe the pill helps them to concentrate on their studies, the pill has growing demand.
"As more brain pills are developed, middle-aged people who want youthful memory powers and multi-tasking workers who need to keep track of multiple demands, those pill sales will increase. They will continue to buy in great numbers," says author and brain scientist Martha Farah of the University of Pennsylvania. "Almost everybody is going to want to use it."
Many of those authors and scientist consult for pharmaceutical companies. Think about that. The use of these drugs as a study stimulant is a felony but college students yet use it anyway. The approved FDA use of these drugs is for hyperactivity disorders. There are organic alternatives to these drugs. Bear with me, we're getting there.
The corporate snake oil salesman's rebuttal to the thought of potentially devastating side effects down the road is, "..but the people want it," or as a garden department manager said to Lulu Korn, a notable socialist activist regarding the product, RoundUp, "We know it's poison but the people want it." Furthermore, according to Lulu Korn, twenty years ago our children were bombarded with chocolate milk at school cafeterias when the consensus was, "they won't drink anything else," but that too has changed. Ms. Korn went on to compare the school's (belated) practice of offering sodas in vending machines with the more healthy juices now offered in place of the non nutritious drinks.
Regarding Monsanto's view that people are demanding its product, I've never seen lines of people outside chemical plants protesting the slow production of chemicals, nor have I seen people marching in the streets demanding that companies like Monsanto produce more poison, have you? ..didn't think so. We have, however, seen TV commercials, at $30 or $40,000 dollars a pop pushing those products.
What's the answer to some of these problems: be informed.
As far as the brain pill madness is concerned, we can stimulate our own minds by reading spiritual oriented material, worshiping and aligning ourselves with a fresh dose of common sense. "Engage your brain," says Mustafa Hussain, MD, director of the geriatric Psychiatry division at Duke University School of Medicine, "Walk, read inspirational materials.
"Walk thirty minutes, daily, and meditate upon new concepts. Try a Mediterranean diet, " says R. Scott Turner, MD, PhD, director of Memory Disorders Program at Georgetown University Medical Center." It helps to prevent many diseases, including high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, strokes and more. It releases the protein called BDNF, which releases health nerve cells in the brain."
Well, readers, there it is. Take the organic approach to stimulating your brain, walk and exercise, read stimulating materials, worship and consider different perspectives as to how we approach problems and consider different concepts to solving problems.
"This is the best evidence for preserving memory and mental function and overcoming adverse aging issues," says R. Scott Turner.
Well there it is, people, the only secret to success is embedded within the heart and spirit of the individual, for the kingdom of God is within you. You are already the genius and your stimulants are natural and the only people getting rich from the pills are the corporations and the pitch men who sell them.
Climb aboard, writers, use your skills to stamp out the madness.
I hope that my new book, Ascend to The Secret Place will stimulant you to discover and employ your God given talents to access your spiritual powers and to amplify your natural genius. It's coming this Spring. Look for it.
> https://soundcloud.com/barry-
I am not knocking the validity of the pill as the research seems to support no reason to question the veracity of the celebrity's statements. It seems the pill actually stimulates some portions of the brain to amplify clear and superior thinking while it suppresses those parts of the brain that leads to doubt, fear and procrastination, but at what cost? People seem to have more peak experiences and more measured success as a result of the pills, but at what long term risk? The devil in the bottle will admit some of its known risk in small print sometimes, but there's nothing small about the advertising budget designed to provoke your emotions and overcome the logic of the small print. After all, corporations have researched us with countless focus panels to determine what stimuli gets us going emotionally and they know that we buy based on emotions; so much for the logic of small print.
While one may believe the adage that anything that can be measured can be improved, one may prefer a different approach to improvement. I write inspirational books that I hope will make a difference in the lives of individuals as do many writers in this genre. By doing so, we would like to think that we offer a non-chemical alternative toward brain stimulation. Some writers introduce methods through inspirations from newly developed psychological studies, others through philosophical or scientific studies. I, on the other hand, offer an organic spiritual solution through spiritual considerations. After all, God did not take a pill when he made the world. Women do not take a miracle pill to create pregnancy or to deliver a baby, a miracle in itself; therefore, it seems that common sense has, once again, escaped the public and helplessly surrendered to the corporate pitch from pharmaceutical companies.
God help us.
They tell us that church is out and pills are in. People are running to the pharmacy in great numbers, shelling out $200.00 - $400.00 per pill, blindly trusting in something they know nothing about but are well warned to not trust in religious institutions for they may take your money. Don't trust in mysterious spiritual gurus and their concepts because they can be misleading and be careful to not over exercise (as if exercise ever killed someone).
Granted, some of the supplements are safer than others. Take galantamine, for instance ( see http://dreamstudies.org/galantamine-review-lucid-dreaming-pill/s), or (Narcissus pseudonarcissus) which is taken from the common daffodil, is said to have safe qualities which makes dreaming more lucid and stimulates awareness while you are asleep. But then corporate marketing becomes aggressive once they see an uninformed public is biting. A beehive of manipulative commercials began to stir on Madison avenue and ad agencies produced clever deceptions pitching intriguing phrases: Turbo Charging the Brain. Brain Boosters. Brain Pills. The Miracle Pill. CBS joined the fray, "Secret Society of the Successful", and so on.
Now here are the facts. Pharmaceutical companies enjoyed a 74% increase in the sales of Provigil. This drug was actually approved for Narcolepsy and sleep disorders but people use it, along with Adderall as a genius stimulant. It's pitch, "Niagra for the Brain." The many adverse side effects are yet unknown.
Are these ploys effective? Well, college students are already taking prescription stimulants like Ritalin. Because these kids believe the pill helps them to concentrate on their studies, the pill has growing demand.
"As more brain pills are developed, middle-aged people who want youthful memory powers and multi-tasking workers who need to keep track of multiple demands, those pill sales will increase. They will continue to buy in great numbers," says author and brain scientist Martha Farah of the University of Pennsylvania. "Almost everybody is going to want to use it."
Many of those authors and scientist consult for pharmaceutical companies. Think about that. The use of these drugs as a study stimulant is a felony but college students yet use it anyway. The approved FDA use of these drugs is for hyperactivity disorders. There are organic alternatives to these drugs. Bear with me, we're getting there.
The corporate snake oil salesman's rebuttal to the thought of potentially devastating side effects down the road is, "..but the people want it," or as a garden department manager said to Lulu Korn, a notable socialist activist regarding the product, RoundUp, "We know it's poison but the people want it." Furthermore, according to Lulu Korn, twenty years ago our children were bombarded with chocolate milk at school cafeterias when the consensus was, "they won't drink anything else," but that too has changed. Ms. Korn went on to compare the school's (belated) practice of offering sodas in vending machines with the more healthy juices now offered in place of the non nutritious drinks.
Regarding Monsanto's view that people are demanding its product, I've never seen lines of people outside chemical plants protesting the slow production of chemicals, nor have I seen people marching in the streets demanding that companies like Monsanto produce more poison, have you? ..didn't think so. We have, however, seen TV commercials, at $30 or $40,000 dollars a pop pushing those products.
What's the answer to some of these problems: be informed.
As far as the brain pill madness is concerned, we can stimulate our own minds by reading spiritual oriented material, worshiping and aligning ourselves with a fresh dose of common sense. "Engage your brain," says Mustafa Hussain, MD, director of the geriatric Psychiatry division at Duke University School of Medicine, "Walk, read inspirational materials.
"Walk thirty minutes, daily, and meditate upon new concepts. Try a Mediterranean diet, " says R. Scott Turner, MD, PhD, director of Memory Disorders Program at Georgetown University Medical Center." It helps to prevent many diseases, including high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, strokes and more. It releases the protein called BDNF, which releases health nerve cells in the brain."
Well, readers, there it is. Take the organic approach to stimulating your brain, walk and exercise, read stimulating materials, worship and consider different perspectives as to how we approach problems and consider different concepts to solving problems.
"This is the best evidence for preserving memory and mental function and overcoming adverse aging issues," says R. Scott Turner.
Well there it is, people, the only secret to success is embedded within the heart and spirit of the individual, for the kingdom of God is within you. You are already the genius and your stimulants are natural and the only people getting rich from the pills are the corporations and the pitch men who sell them.
Climb aboard, writers, use your skills to stamp out the madness.
I hope that my new book, Ascend to The Secret Place will stimulant you to discover and employ your God given talents to access your spiritual powers and to amplify your natural genius. It's coming this Spring. Look for it.
> https://soundcloud.com/barry-
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