How to Survive 2020

2020 is Going to Rock Your Gypsy Soul. 

Rocking your gypsy soul can mean a lot of things.

A woman enjoying a cigar in 2020.. Copyright - A licensed photo from Adobe Stock.- Full story >

"I wanna rock your gypsy soul

Just like way back in the days of old

Then magnificently we will float

Into the mystic" - Van Morrison, "Into the Mystic"

This blog post was written on December 28 2019. Before Corona Virus, financial market chaos, and global panic. As of today's update if politics was not enough to be concerned about, now we have the corona virus and worldwide economic fallout from it. The contents of this blog post still applies, even more so. We need to survive, even thrive, in the midst of personal, national, and global challenges. 

In case you are concerned about 2020 to the point where your dreams are different when you finally get to sleep, your meds are no longer working, you've been diagnosed with election year disorder, and you begin to suffer from PTSD ("Pre-traumatic stress disorder"), then here are some ideas:

Life goes on, and there is a lot more to life than politics. Okay? I said it and will probably get banned from some social media networks forever. 

Maybe that's not good enough. Saying it is one thing. Doing it or feeling it is another. We are a culture of spectator sports. Do we need to be bombarded by the media with the next crisis in the "situation room", the "crisis center" and the hotline of inside views of what really is going on? Is this hitting home? How does this affect our mental health? Here's what some experts say:

"You cannot control how the campaign season will go or how long it lasts, but you can control how much of it you take in and how it affects your mental health. Much like how you wouldn't get up from your couch and try to run a marathon tomorrow, mental health specialists and campaign veterans say you need to start preparing yourself now if you plan to get through this without throwing your phone and then yourself into the nearest toilet. Yes, professional runners out there (journalists, politicians, and other sadistic wonks) will always seem more prepared than you. "
- Lifehacker.com

10 Survival Tactics Ideas That May Help Maintain Sanity in 2020

1) Make a commitment to yourself of how you want to experience the news of 2020.
(and how you want to experience life in 2020.)

You can accept it all, be impartial, be entertained, or be deeply affected. You can continue to be angry, frustrated, sad, confused, overwhelmed, and vindictive. Or you can commit to changing how you process information received. You choose what sources and types of information you want to receive. It is not a legal requirement that you watch CNN, FOX, or cable news every day or at all. You can choose not to watch cable tv. If you can control how you respond to the news and life, then you have made a big step in surviving the year. 

2) Stay in the "eye of the hurricane." 

We can decide to live our daily lives as if we are in the "eye of a hurricane" - that still, peaceful center where there are no turbulent winds. In 2020, there may be stormy winds. It might be easy to get knocked into the winds, yet you can always come back to the center. (Another blog from 2016 uses this metaphor : 

Sacred Activism - Why I Stand in the Eye of the Hurricane 

3) Inspiration - it may not seem of interest or be relevant for some people. For others, it may be the key to surviving and thriving in 2020.

 Inspiration is what can help keep us sane, happy, balanced, centered, and still loving life in the midst of a "hurricane". It might take some work to be inspired all of the time. Ask the Divine Spirit, and you may be surprised at the answer. We can be empowered, energized, and motivated, as well as inspired in 2020. We can soar like eagles and fly into the mystic. Get inspired then help others in different ways.

4) Proactive vs Reactive - If you are against something with anger, frustration, fear, anxiety, and sadness, then try being the opposite in your approach to the way things are. 

Be for something instead of against something. It just might change the subtle energy and your biochemistry. Stress hormones can go away. Don't buy into someone else's agenda, or issues, or anger, etc. Sacred activism is unifying, not divisive, loving, not fearful, compassionate, and not violent. I love the vibe.

5) Meditation and Daily Routines

Seriously. Create the time and sacred space and treat yourself to 20-30 minutes of a peaceful, relaxing meditation experience daily. Early mornings seem to work best. Afternoons can be nice also if there is silence with no distractions. It's like a daily retreat. It may be the most important thing that you can do in 2020. Yoga is amazing also.

Learn more >

Why Meditation is Amazing

Can daily routines help? We all have our preferences. For some, meditation and other spiritual practices keep them centered. Also physical exercise, breathing deeply, hydration, and eating healthy food are choices. Smoke cigars or anything else if that works for you. 

6) Think iceberg. 

We may only be presented with the surface of the information that we receive and that no matter how deep we go in trying to understand the reality and truth of something there may be more depth beyond our reach. 

7) Be open to all possibilities, reality checks as well as laughter, and fun. 

8) Read positive, inspirational books, blogs, posts, or book reviews

Stay motivated to keep an ongoing faith and strength in your own power and ability to remain calm. Avoid the negative news, negative Facebook posts, negative humor. 

9) Get Support - from friends or groups or professional help to overcome any resistance or reaction to what is happening or not happening in 2020. Some are "cleaning house" with their circle of friends. Sometimes its only one or a few close friends that makes a big difference. Facebook "friends" expands the idea of friendship as being a connection through social media, even though there may not be any one-to-one communication or contact. I'm okay with that. It's like the iceberg concept. Some are on the surface and others have much more depth. It is what it is. "Let it Be" (Beatles song).

Gaining deeper knowledge about the dynamics of the "bigger picture" is very helpful. 

As an example, the astrology forecasts of 2020 are uncanny. There is a "Capricorn stellium" that has profound long reaching effects. Saturn joins with Pluto exact in January 2020. Jupiter is also there. This configuration has not happened for three hundred years. If you think Mercury retrograde is a challenge, then being prepared for this collective life-changing stellium can be helpful for your sanity. Check it out on Google or consider consulting a professional astrologer that can give you perspective on a larger scale as well as how your own personal horoscope is affected. (I recommend an excellent astrologer that I have used for years - Dale O'Brien - email : chironguy@pacinfo.com )

10) Escape

Escape from the chaos, the insanity, the culture shock, or whatever is causing your life to be unhappy. Escape can be anything from meditation to travel, to movies, books, or other entertainment. Some choose to move to a different country and become ex-pats. We are free to choose what content we experience or participate in to a large extent. We can fly with a natural high. We can laugh and love and dance in our blood. We can be mindful of these fleeting moments, and let them go if they do not resonate, and keep them as memories if they do. 

2020 is going to rock your gypsy soul. 

"Let your soul and spirit fly Into the mystic."

- Van Morrison

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 David Lawrence Brown is a Certified Content Marketer, copywriter, creative webmaster, author, and blogger.  Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pg/333Keywords
For internet and social media marketing projects contact info@logion.net 541-953-3360

Santa's Secrets Revealed

There are some secrets of Santa Claus that are finally being revealed during this holiday season. You most likely had not heard of them before, as they were highly classified and kept at the North Pole locked in a vault. These are not related directly to the known facts about Santa Claus working with elves, having flying reindeer, climbing down chimneys, and delivering gifts on Christmas Eve. However, in some ways, they are related to everything else in the universe.

These secrets are mainly about how Santa lives during the offseason when he is not delivering gifts. 

Secrets # 1 

Santa is known for smoking a pipe but also likes cigars and red wine. Cabernet is his favorite, but also a hearty Bordeaux can be found in his wine cellar. He especially likes Christmas Jazz and listens to it year-round even during Christmas Eve on his sleigh with headphones. The list is long and some of his favorites include Michael Bublé - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, A Charlie Brown Christmas by Vince Guaraldi, especially the songs Skating and the famous one Linus and Lucy. Other favorite Christmas jazz oldies include "Here Comes Santa" by Ramsey Lewis, and "Jingle Bells" by Duke Ellington& Orchestra.

He loves the Tonight Show and has been a fan from the beginning from Johnny Carson to Jay Leno to Jimmy Fallon. Stephen Colbert is also a favorite. Santa is a Superbowl fan, but his favorite team is still a secret. 

Secrets # 2

Santa is actually more than a Saint Nick. He and his wife are both Shamans, mystics, priests, and healers who are equally the sacred masculine and feminine of the Great Spirit, the Giver of Life, the Eternal One beyond all names and religions. They are celebrated throughout the universe as well as on Earth and have a large following in celestial social media. They have many names and sometimes like to walk among us incognito. Their conversations usually cause people to smile and laugh. They especially like to visit those who are suffering, handicapped, hospitalized, or close to passing into the next life of the spirit. 

Secrets # 3 

Santa has a unique spark of light that he gives to all of the children in the world. These sparks transcend culture, religion, beliefs of the parents, and quantum physics. When the sparks go out, he lights them again. During the Christmas season, he gives extra sparks of light to those children in need. These sparks of light are full of love, and every child receives them. Some children can see them. Others can feel them in their hearts. They glow and have a unique energy that can only come from Santa and his wife as a special gift. 

The Spirit of Santa can be found everywhere. Even in the most unexpected places. Santa's wife is also a muse. In addition to joining with him to deliver sparks and gifts throughout the universe, she inspires Christmas songs, especially Christmas jazz. 

Secret # 4 

There is a bit of the spirit of Santa Claus in all of us. During this season, it can come alive and take on a life of its own. Our inner child has that unique spark of light.
Can you feel it?

The Mystery of Time

Imagine one thousand years from now what life will be like.

How will time be managed? Will the experience of time be different? What will be the relationship between consciousness and time? Where will our consciousness and spirit be at that time? 

Time is both a mystery and a known fact. 

 Time is one of those precious gifts and also something that we cannot change. Those seconds and minutes keep going, and we choose how we use the time or let the time fly by. It's a collective experience to waste time, or optimize the time, or save time, or experience the effects of time in different ways with aging and memories.

How time shows up in our life can be a mystery.

I have consistently seen the number 333 at various times in my life for many years. In particular, sometimes I still wake up in the middle of the night and check the time, and I am not surprised anymore when it is exactly 3:33am! Seeing this number has also happened many times in the day. People have also shared with me how they see certain numbers all of the time such as 11:11, 444, 111, and other combinations.

 Time is fascinating as it applies to astronomy and even astrology.

The ancient Mayans had a calendar system that was 1/13000th accuracy of the Gregorian calendar without using scientific instruments. Imagine that. Calculating thousands of years of astronomical events with exact timing. Astrology is based on the exact timing of astronomical positions of planets and the Sun. The potential for human behavior being influenced under various short and longer-term planetary cycles is all related to time. 

 Timing is everything. We hope to always be "in the right place at the right time"….then, we might have a reality check, which turns out to be the challenge that we needed or created in that time and place.

 Then there is concept and theories of space-time. How can time be warped or changed in relationship to mass and the speed of light? Einstein is known for his theory of space-time, where space and time are interwoven into a single continuum. Depending on the speed of the observer, events that occur at the same time for one observer could occur at different times for another.

 Einstein's theory was that space has three dimensions, and that time was the fourth dimension. Other methods describe the possibilities of other dimensions.

 Then there is that which is beyond all time and dimensions.

What is infinite, beyond space and time and yet also within it? Most would acknowledge the Mystery of the Divine Spirit within all creation and as the source of all creation. The nature of one hundred billion galaxies in the known universe. The trillions of stars. The awe-inspiring DNA and molecular life. And most inspiring of all, the ability of humans to experience the presence of this Divine Spirit. Time is a mystery within our own personal experience as a part of the billions of light-years of space within the known universe.

 This experience of an eternal moment can happen at any time or place. In meditation, in particular, when those "monkey mind" thoughts stop, and a more profound presence is felt, time seems to take on a different dimension.

  The concept of "Be Here Now" (thank you, Ram Dass) is to experience and celebrate that eternal moment within all moments. That Mystery of creation connecting us to the Earth as well as the universe in space-time. 

"In fact, we are servants of the Mystery. We were put here on Earth to act as agents of the Infinite, to bring into existence that which is not yet, but which will be, through us." - Steven Pressfield, The War of Art

Wherever our consciousness is now and one thousand years from now, may we continue to "act as agents of the Infinite", and be "servants of the Mystery" of time.

Inspiration from the Andromeda Galaxy

When I saw a stunning photo of the Andromeda galaxy this morning I could not help but reflect again on the amazing mysteries of the universe and outer space. Just one galaxy alone - The Andromeda Galaxy - is enough to reflect on this morning during coffee !

As a reminder, one light year is the time that it takes light traveling 386,000 miles per second  to travel in one year. (670,616,629 mph, 8760 hrs in a year )

The Andromeda galaxy is 2.5 million light years from Earth. It has an estimated trillion stars, more than twice the amount in the Milky Way.

And it is only one of over 100 billion galaxies in the observable universe.

If this is just a bit of inspiration even more is the mystery of the infinite and eternal One beyond all description, titles, names, and definitions. In a creation that never ceases to amaze, it is a nice perspective to start the day with over coffee and a bit of humble gratitude.

Facebook reference and photo credits
Credit: @meadeinstruments 

https://www.facebook.com/spacetime.mc2/photos/a.809229475862290/2425094067609148/?type=3&theater

The Book That Changed My Life

Life-changing events and moments may not happen very often. When they do, it can be an experience that affects the rest of your life.

One of these moments happened to me when I was eighteen. I have been forever grateful for this book is the spark, the inspiration, and the breath of Spirit that moved me to start a spiritual journey in life. 

 It was the middle of the night, and I was visiting a friend. We were talking into the late hours, and when I left, she gave me a book titled Autobiography of a Yogi.

There was a photo of an Indian guru named Paramahansa Yogananda. Something about his eyes in the photo was unusual as if the photo captured the energy and love that was emanating from them.

Yogananda was the first yoga master of India whose mission brought him to live and teach in the West. His firsthand account of his life experiences in India includes childhood revelations, stories of his visits to saints and masters in India, and long-secret teachings of yoga. He was the first yogi from India to come to the Western world.

As I read the book, I was amazed at the uniqueness of his story, and the Sanskrit words and names in the book. If there is such a thing as past lives, I know I must have been in India for at least one, maybe many more. The stories, Sanskrit, and descriptions seemed unusually familiar.

I learned recently that Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple Computer, also read this book when he was seventeen. Then he traveled to India two years later to try to meet Yogananda, who had died a few months before. While he was there, he reread the book three times. The book was so influential and inspiring that he ended up reading it once a year for the rest of his life.

 I also read Job’s authorized biography by Walter Jacobson, and the book was an important part of his story. Jobs died on October 5 2011. His memorial service was held on October 16 and was attended by hundreds, including famous friends such as Bill Gates. At the end of the service, everyone received a brown box. In the box was a copy of Autobiography of a Yogi. It was Steve Jobs last gift. Check out the YouTube video “Steve Jobs Last Gift.”

 It was also a special gift in my life, and I have read it several times over the years. It changed my life and set me on a path and spiritual journey for the rest of my life that continues today. Yogananda’s photo has always been in my home. Even now, as I write this blog, his photo is right next to my laptop.

 Usually a life-changing event does not happen from just from reading a book. Indeed, it was not only a book that I read. It was the thoughts and energy and spiritual inspiration in between the lines and within the stories told. It was the intense devotion and love of the Divine of Yogananda that so profoundly affected me. I felt that my spiritual awareness opened up as if my consciousness had crossed a new threshold of expanded knowledge and wisdom. For some reason, I was inspired to go into the local foothills and fast on oranges, almonds, and water for three days. I maintained silence and did a lot of meditation. When I came out of the foothills, I was changed. It was the beginning of a lifelong spiritual journey. I never became active in the SRF (Self Realization Fellowship) movement, or in studying his meditation techniques beyond the initial lessons I received by mail. I visited the original world headquarters on Mt Washington near Pasadena, where I lived at the time.
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 To this day, I can glance at those amazing eyes at any time and be reminded of a lifelong spiritual journey that was originally inspired by his book. His photo seems to radiate the spark of the Divine, and I feel deep gratitude for his book being such an inspiration and for life changing experience that I had as a result of reading it. Namaste.

Stream of Consciousness and Dancing in Love

“Dance when you’re broken open. Dance if you’ve torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you’re perfectly free.” ~ Rumi

Where is the time for those special moments of transcendence, deep joy, meditation, prayer, and reflection? Why are special things like reading a book hard to fit into our schedule? A stream of consciousness, of thoughts, words, feelings, and reflections...

It's like we need to to fit it in as we are so used to multi-tasking, ear buds, looking at cell phones, browsing, texting, interruptions, watching TV or YouTube, avoiding Facebook spam, and so many thoughts are streaming through our heads like a torrent of cascading feeder creeks into a waterfall of distorted moments of what we think is reality, felt in our minds, seeping into our bones, bleeding from our hearts that may have been shut down momentarily just to survive the challenge of daily life and yet behind all of this, or in between, or in full conscious mindfulness we see the realities of our culture, our programming, our social media jargon, our ways of communicating, the same old same old stories but what about our real story, the life that we have lived, the story that we thought defined and created us as someone else's story so that now we are living it, carrying our past with us, maybe like baggage or maybe like a freight train full of unnecessary memories, experiences, resentments, that we have not let go of....yet....and then we consciously recreate our story, we process, we meditate, we let go, attend a workshop, get therapy, see a guru or a therapist, exercise, talk it out in meetings or to Divine Spirit, or to ourselves in the middle of the night, or in Nature, at least on the surface like an iceberg that may melt at any moment and then reveal the depths of its underside holding us afloat in the deep waters of our soul, which is beyond time and yet contained within it and we stand in the moments of eternity when we start to see clearly as if everything is transparent, reality behind the illusions, and then joy and bliss of the Divine Spirit within revealing to us in or out of meditation the subtle, sublime, sensual, and beautiful moments that we cherish no matter what happens now and forever and our hearts are opened even wider and then we are dancing in love with the Divine Spirit every day.
- David Lawrence Brown

The September Secret Revisited

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.” 
― Roald Dahl 

August 26 2019

If there was one secret that was revealed to you in September that had the effect of changing your life, or transforming the way that you viewed the world and universe, or inspired you beyond your comfort zone, would you be willing to receive it ?

We can easily get into patterns of thought, behavior, routines, habits, and even the seeking of new ideas in a way that the seeking becomes just as or more important than the idea or information itself. And it's all good. 

Sometimes we may feel as if we are in a box, even if we try to "think outside of the box". Sometimes we may feel that there is no box at all. 

Yet deep inside us we also know that there are many mysteries yet to be revealed. These may be hidden secret treasures. Secrets that are only revealed at a special time or place.

September is just around the corner. We don't know what may happen in our life unexpectedly during this coming month.

Is there a possibility that in September 2019 a secret will be revealed to you?
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updated notes:
Dear Reader, thank you for reading this blog.
When I published this original blog post a year ago in August, little did I know that I would meet my future wife in September. Maybe subconsciously I knew that something big was about to happen. Consciously I had no idea. Yet, I incline to be open to all possibilities, and that's a good thing, as we fell in love and were married two months ago in June. Life can have its unexpected surprises. My hope for you is to have at least one, however big or small, in September. Carpe diem. Seize the day.
In deep gratitude,
David Brown   
connect with me on Facebook :
https://www.facebook.com/DavidBrownDenver
https://www.facebook.com/333Keywords/
"Don't only practice your art, but force your way into its secrets; art deserves that, for it and knowledge can raise man to the Divine." - Ludwig van Beethoven

The Happiest Song on the Planet

You may have already seen this video. It has had over 500 million views. It is worth watching again just for the variety of people that are dancing and being happy with the music.

This is inspiring. I could not stop watching until the end. The words rang a bell, or more like a Tibetan gong. The vibes are still with me as I write this on a Thursday afternoon at 4:09 pm.

Watching this allows time to stop. Time from your busy routine. Time from your focusing on challenges or problems. It allows time for celebration, movement in dance, and all around good vibes.


We need more songs like this.

Do Baby Boomers Need Inspiration?

"Let us go forth, the tellers of tales, and seize whatever prey the heart long for, and have no fear. Everything exists, everything is true, and the earth is only a little dust under our feet."
- W.B. Yeats 


When I was a teenager I used to enjoy playing rock and roll on my guitar, and the amplifier assured that the neighbors would also enjoy the playing. In my later teens I also discovered Mozart, and my sister and I have a vivid memory of her running out of my parents house screaming "I've got to get out of this Mozart prison" ! I think the volume was cranked up. I was inspired then.

I am still inspired now as a baby boomer, in so many different ways.There are so many stories of near death and mystical experiences, transformations, breakthroughs, life-changing events, and inspiration out there already. There are also major challenges, a changing world, a civil war in politics, health issues, loss of loved ones, and the process of aging. An important question to ask now to our generation of almost 70 million is the following:

Do Baby Boomers Need Inspiration?

That "Mozart prison" happened fifty years ago, and yet the memory remains. As baby boomers,  (those born between 1946 and 1964),  we have "been there and done that". We are survivors and have had a wide range of experiences in life. We are the elders of all living generations after us. We provide wisdom to the younger generations of people in general and to our families. We are an active, high energy generation, and retirement to us is not watching TV all day and letting life just slip by.

We start to have those reflections on our life; memories, challenges past and current, family, retirement planning issues, and may not always enjoy a full night's sleep. Our bodies are changing, and we may have health issues. We may be happy and accept life as it is,and may feel that we do not need much more. We may also have an active life of more depth, more experiences, and more fun. Then challenges happen to us or to our families or friends. How do we choose to respond to these? We probably do the best we can for any given situation. 

Yet do we need inspiration in our lives?

How can we be inspired when we may be dealing with major health issues, issues of family, finances, politics, lifestyle, challenges of retiring, new spiritual questions about life and seeing family, friends, and others passing on? It might not be easy for some, yet maybe it is is worth taking on as a warrior if you are up to the challenge. Then again, you may already have all the inspiration that you want or need in your life. 

Have We Been Asleep for Twenty Years? It's Time to Wake Up !

At age sixty I had an epiphany that I have been sleeping for twenty years in my life, on average 8 hours per day or one third of my life. Twenty years ! Like Rip Van Winkle. That allowed me to realize that I wanted to live life even more deeply, with inspiration being one of my favorite keywords for doing so.  "Carpe Diem" became one of my favorite affirmations. Seize the day, in Latin, as used by Robin Williams in the movie Dead Poets Society, is one of my favorites. Even though I still need sleep, I try to be inspired and seize as many moments of life as I can in any given day, or night.

The Ten Benefits of Seeking and Enjoying Daily Inspiration

1) It keeps life interesting and worth living
We know that we have only so many more years available and there is no guarantee of how many. By staying inspired as much as possible life can be more interesting. How we get inspired is our own choice and preference. There are so many reasons out there. If we choose to focus on other things that are not inspiring, that is our choice also.

2) We may be able to inspire others.
By being inspired ourselves then we may be able to inspire others, no matter what age. This can take many forms but may include phone calls (yes, actual voice calls), text messages, social media posts, writing, singing, dancing, and a number of various creative expressions or all of the above. In addition to other content, Facebook timelines may have inspiring quotes, photos, and stories. By helping others to be inspired, we spread the joy and love of life, and balance out the other content that is negative.

3) It is healthy to have a positive attitude and inspiration
Living our life in good health as long as possible seems to be a goal of many baby boomers. Even if there is a health challenge, many stories have shown that the attitude about life can affect the state of health, recovery, acceptance or remission. The relationship of mind-body-spirit has become more widely accepted and various techniques have also become more popular such as meditation and yoga. Being inspired as often as possible, even as a daily lifestyle preference, helps keep us healthy in different ways, including those unseen hidden benefits similar to the quantum physics of everything being energy. The idea of a quantum physics of inspiration is inspiring in itself when we acknowledge that life has a lot more depth than we can see. 

4) It Enhances our Faith, Religion, or Spiritual Growth
If we have any type pf faith, or religion, or spiritual growth perspective in life, these can benefit as well as help to provide inspiration.The popularity of the self help industry is a sign that so many people are seeking more inspiration and ways to enhance their life.

5) Water and Music Can Provide Benefits from Inspiration
There is something about water that relates to inspiration. Whether it is the research about patterns in water being more harmonious with classical music, or the geometric beauty of a snowflake, or the peaceful presence of a waterfall, or bubbling creek, or ocean waves, water and certain music can be both a source as well as a benefit of inspiration. Just spending a few minutes or more every day in a "visual and musical meditation" of viewing beautiful photos of oceans, waterfalls, rivers, bubbling creeks, lakes, snowflakes, or snow-capped mountains with beautiful background music can be inspiring. Experiencing these in our travels can be very inspirational. Nature has plenty of colorful and engaging content to keep us inspired.

6) The Eye of the Hurricane - Staying Inspired in the Midst of Chaos 
With so much negativity out there in the news and various world events staying inspired can be a challenge. One metaphor is to be "in the eye of the hurricane", or try to maintain a peaceful center within even as turbulent winds stream around you in your life or in the news. By staying inspired, it helps us to hold that attitude within and around us as our main focus. Of course it usually cannot be held every minute, and we know when we are tossed into the emotional winds of life. Yet we can always come back into the eye of the hurricane, and know that this is a source and benefit of inspiration.

7) The Love Vibes of ex-Hippie Baby Boomers
If that subtitle got your attention there is some truth to the fact that love can be the most powerful vibe out there. Love of oneself, and others, and life in general can help us to stay inspired. We didn't need to be a hippie back in the day to carry a strong love vibe. Just listen to some of the inspiring lyrics of the songwriters back in the day. "Rejoice, rejoice, we have no choice but to carry on. Love is coming, love is coming to us all." Love and inspiration have already arrived, and even more is coming, if we choose to create this in our life to whatever extent is possible.
 
 8) Inspiration can Help with Forgiveness and Forgiveness Can Create More Inspiration
In a zen type of story that I heard years ago and have repeated to others, two priests are walking across a desert and come to a river. There is a woman there with a heavy load and the younger priest offers to carry the load across the river. Then he also offered and carried the woman across as the waters were turbulent and he was concerned for her safety. Three days later the older priest could not contain himself any longer and said to the younger priest, "you know that it is against our rules to think of a woman, and you carried her across the river!". The younger priest replied, "Yes, and I set her down three days ago. Are you still carrying her?" When we let go of things that we may have been holding inside for years it frees up that energy for more inspiration. As baby boomers we have a lot of years in which there may be a few things to let go of. Things such as resentments, memories of what other people said or did to us, and the negative experiences that we have had in our life can be released with total forgiveness. It may take some strong inspiration to open up to this, and have the courage to let go. Or we can choose to be like the older priest, and continue to carry something that we know is not needed in our life, for the rest of our life.

9)  We Deserve It
After living our life for so many years working and raising families, and experiencing the challenges of life that always seems to happen, as well as the various joys and unforgettable experiences that we will never forget, we deserve to have inspiration now and for the rest of our lives, and to have more unforgettable experiences, and to age gracefully even in these times of chaos, negative news, and change. We deserve to have the wisdom to accept the process of aging, live our life without fear, and to have the inspiration to love life no matter what challenges happen. It is sometimes easier said than done. Yet with more inspiration, maybe it will be easier to do.

10) The Inspiring Secret of Life After Death
Whether we are religious, or on a spiritual path without religion, or embrace or are skeptical about the mysteries of life after death, if we open up to all possibilities of new adventures, new amazing experiences of love, consciousness, Divine Spirit, angels, seeing those who have already passed over, and revelations of sacred mysteries, then that can be enough to keep us inspired for the rest of our life, regardless of what happens in the meantime.

Do baby boomers need inspiration? Yes, and everyone else also. Carpe Diem.

Latest Google News links about baby boomers >
Baby Boomers

Is There a Reality Check That Keeps Bouncing ?

What is a "Reality Check"?

A reality check can manifest in different ways, but it is mainly through information or an experience that we receive and process that opens our eyes to see something that we didn't see before, that may shock us to realize something as a new truth, or that may cause us to pause, reflect, and feel like we have been jolted into waking up to a new level of what is real in our life, or other's lives, or the world..
  What does "bouncing" mean with reality checks? Could the bounce be a new reality check that shows us that the first one was not real? Or could the bounce be when we choose not to accept a reality check?

Some Examples of Challenging Reality Checks:

Reality checks can be challenging and not fun. How we respond to them offers us choices.A husband finds out that his pregnant wife is carrying someone else's child. A family member finally acknowledges mental illness of another family member. A prisoner is found not guilty after DNA tests reveal a different truth after he has already served years in prison for a crime he did not commit. A political reality, held by millions, is found to be false. Alien life makes its appearance known to the world. Losing a loved one who passes on. Turning sixty years old and realizing that we have been sleeping one third of our lives...about twenty years. Having a diagnosis of a serious illness. And of course many more not listed here.  

Some Examples of Positive Reality Checks:
 Reality checks do not always need to be challenging. They can be empowering and positive. Some examples are: Giving or experiencing birth. Becoming a father or mother. A spiritual insight into a limited belief or attitude or emotion. A mystical experience that offers a different and profound experience of reality. The moment that causes a break in an addiction or bad habit. Getting married, falling in love, creating a new idea or work of art, finding a lost relative, experiencing a different culture, receiving an unexpected gift, receiving wisdom or knowledge from a best friend. In deep meditation, an insight  that changes our life forever. An "aha" experience of a new realization. And of course many more not listed here.  


Can a "Reality Check" Bounce?

Is it possible to be in denial about reality checks? Can they "bounce"? Even though we are shown something or have some new insight we can choose to not see it and not accept it. And life goes on and we may get another reality check opportunity to see if we can accept it and prevent it from bouncing again.

A Divine Spirit Reality Check? 
Is there an ongoing reality check that there is a Divine Spirit that is transcendent of all things, that is an infinite intelligence, and that is one with us? The reality check here is to acknowledge if this is a reality for us, or a limited belief, or if we choose to let this idea bounce, in any given moment, for whatever reasons. Reality checks can happen in any given moment, in addition to being a sporadic surprise wake up call.

Being Open to "Reality Checks"

In today's fast changing world, we need to be open to reality checks, and if we are choosing to let them bounce. Sometimes living in the question can help, so we do not get stuck in limited beliefs, or ways of thinking that would prevent an open minded approach to letting reality checks happen.

Then inspiration can happen from accepting a reality check and overcoming any fear of change or a new reality, or a freeing up of a blocked emotion, or limited belief. We can celebrate life, have gratitude for the new insight or wisdom, and live with more freedom.

Otherwise we may only be willing to accept a reality check that keeps bouncing. Are we choosing to "let it bounce"? We can try to blame something externally, yet we may have a reality check about that also.  

Baby Boomers and Reality Checks

For baby boomers, we have had years of life experience, and have the wisdom of having lived those years, with the challenges and joys, the sweet and the bittersweet, the gains and the losses. Along the way on this journey we have had many reality checks, and may think that okay, "we have been there done that", and then another reality check hits us, and then another. Just when we think we have reached a point of "retirement" and an easier life, we have had elder parents issues, family issues, financial concerns, health issues, loss of friends or family members, the negative news and media interpretations of "reality", and the reality checks just keep coming. And maybe some keep "bouncing".

Yet we can also be celebrating life, as an adventure, a spiritual journey, with the joys of family, grandchildren, books and novels, movies and plays, art, yoga, music, or whatever enriches our lives. Whatever reality we have created, there are many areas of our life that do not need reality checks. 

The Baby Boomer Aha Moment, Serendipity, Insights, and Wisdom of Life
What happens when we do what we can to enjoy life and then a reality check happens and we did not see it coming?  What happens when we have a set view of life and the world and then it changes with new insights, an epiphany, an "aha" moment, or a breakthrough in awareness? As baby boomers are now the elders in the world. We are the carriers of traditions and wisdom, and carry the full responsibility for what we have created in our life individually and in the world. We have inherited a legacy from the prior elder generation. What legacy will we leave to the next one? On a positive note, our legacy is already being celebrated with "our music" from the sixties and seventies being popular with the younger generation. In the lyrics of many of those songs, they see our idealism, our hopes, our seeking of liberation, freedom, love, peace, and  hope for a better future. Our legacy is also seen in art, in technology advances, the educational opportunities, and the intense divisiveness of politics. Baby boomers still have reality checks. We don't have all the answers even though some may think that we do. We are still learning, as life is an ongoing learning process. As the new generation of elders, what we have to offer is the longevity of life experience, and a lifetime of reality checks and how we have dealt with them and are responding to them now.

The Reality Check of Aging and How We Choose to Live Our Life

It sort of creeps up on you. Like, "hey I'm in my sixties", and "sixty is the new forty", and my fifties are just behind me. Then the reality check hits that, wow, I'm in my sixties, but late sixties, and in thirteen years I will be eighty. This reality check does not bounce. It is deposited and cleared. In this last stretch of twenty years or more, or whatever our time is, what reality checks can we leave as a legacy for the younger generations? What can we do to share the wisdom of reality checks and to avoid or be aware of the ones that keep bouncing? How can we manage our own reality check of aging? How do we choose to live our life?


The Reality Check of Death and Dying
 When we experience the death of a loved one or friend it is one of the most devastating and powerful reality checks. Thunder just struck as I wrote that sentence. How synchronous! And the experience of grief can also be like thunder; a loud bombardment of emotional pain, felt in the throat, the heart, the body and the mind. Memories of loved ones that have past, good times, healing times, challenging times come back to visit our stream of thoughts during the day, or in the middle of the night. Then the news on Facebook of another high school friend or friend of a friend shows up, and we have another reality check. We lose a good friend or family member. The reality check of death and dying is not fun, and sometimes it is hard to accept it as a part of life. Yet that is the reality check that we can accept or reject, and embrace or resist. In any given moment we may experience both. Being open to all forms of grieving allows us to do this.


Reality Checks as a Blessing

Are the following some of the realities of life that will not bounce? Maybe Love, inspiration, gratitude, giving, forgiveness, ongoing learning and curiosity, increasing spiritual awareness, and cultivating a peace within? We choose what we want to experience in life, and then life happens beyond what we choose. Then we choose how to respond to that.When we choose love, inspiration, gratitude, giving, forgiveness, and anything else that enhances our experience of life and what we can also give to others, then we can celebrate life daily, be open to all possibilities of new experiences of "reality", and learn from any reality checks that "bounce", accepting them as a blessing fully seen, or a blessing in disguise.

Then we can avoid a reality check that keeps bouncing.

Carpe diem. Namaste.