2021 - A Year of Inspiration from Classic Novels

  Sometimes experiences or events seem to "take on a life of their own", as if the mystical, unseen side of life is also involved, which many believe it is, from the depths of their souls. 

This year - 2021 - evokes a full range of issues, and experiences  both individually and collectively. This blog post will focus on only one - my experience with listening to classic novels as audiobooks in 2021 as a journey of amazing storytelling. 

Amazing stories allow you to experience the sweet sublime beauty of well crafted words and prose that can open your heart to a larger empathy and compassion for humanity, move your soul to new depths, and engage your mind in ways that only great art can do. 

 It was the beginning of 2021 when I had a change occur in my life that caused a shift in my inspiration and reflections on humanity, history, culture, and literature. I became immersed in the depths of storytelling considered to be the best in history. Stories by by men and women - famous authors - who write with such depth and passion and creative genius that it is a humbling and rewarding experience.
 

An article in the Guardian shows that this is a trend that started in 2020 with many who were seeking activities during the lock-downs, and continuing based on statistics of classic ebooks being downloaded. The following is the title, subtitle, and a quote from this article.

Tolstoy, Steinbeck, Defoe – why are so many turning to classic novels?

As sales of literary heavyweights soar, Booker winner Penelope Lively (author, age 87) says that getting lost in a good book is now more relevant than it has ever been.

"Penguin Classics saw a sales spike of 65% during the week before lockdown, while bookshops were still open and people were stockpiling books.’To Lively, an author who describes her fiction as “trying to impose order upon chaos, to give structure and meaning to what is apparently random”, this comes as no surprise. “I think this period, if it’s doing nothing else, is probably making reading a more central part of people’s lives than before.”

Fiction also offers an easy way to leave the lockdown behind. “Reading is always, in one sense, a form of escape,” says Lively. “It’s escaping into a life which is not the life that you’re actually having to live. That’s why we do it.”

In a way it is a "blessing in disguise" that I can now enjoy classics, many for the first time, and especially with audiobooks where I can listen to the book and the narration of characters and story.   

The reading or listening of books varies with each individual. Choices of what to read, what was the takeaway, level of enjoyment, insights into life, or pure enjoyment of a well written story are all different for each of us.  

 A common thread is the love of books - fiction or non-fiction, or classics and the experience of reading or listening to the stories in the novels or short stories.

As I finish the year with one of the most famous classical novels - War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy - I celebrate a year of amazing stories by famous authors, experiences as audiobooks, with extraordinary narrators who can capture the subtle and sublime nuances of storytelling. 

I was so inspired by this experience, or journey of various experiences of many stories, that I started to write a book about it, with chapters devoted to each book listened to or read, and themes such as "Seeing the World Differently", "Ancient Storytelling", "The  Greatest Books Lists", and "Can Classics Change Your Life?". 

This is only the first year of this journey. There are still many books that are in my library or wishlist in Audible (audiobooks company owned by Amazon) that I will continue to experience in 2022 and beyond. 

If inspiration is important for your life, I recommend experiencing an audiobook from Audible, as a free download with a trial subscription. If you cancel within the first 30 days, you can keep the book. You might choose a long one to have more hours of listening to an amazing story such as Anna Karenina narrated by Miranda Pleasance (36hrs), The Count of Monte Cristo (47hrs), East of Eden by John Steinbeck, narrated by Richard Poe (26hr), or a short one The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, narrated by Donald Sutherland (2 1/2 hr). 

If you prefer reading to listening, there are free downloads of the older classics at Project Gutenberg, which has experienced a strong increase in downloads. I recommend The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky.
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=The+Brothers+Karamazov

 There are so many others including Moby Dick, Jane Eyre, The Tale of Two Cities, Pride and Prejudice, The Great Gadsby, and more.
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?sort_order=downloads

For me, 2021 was a year of inspiration from amazing stories by famous authors - all considered classics. Carpe Diem - seize the day.

The Inspiration of an IRS Phone Call

 

 I know. Catchy title. Now what?

(note: I'm writing this while on hold waiting to talk to them)

It's not so much the inspiration of the IRS in itself. It's getting through and having a positive outcome from a phone call there. (or receiving a stimulus check:).

It's a dreadful and ominous idea of having to call the IRS for anything. But when you have to, then it needs to be done.

There is a "Taxpayer Advocate" phone number that usually is easier to get through. The other day after a 30 minute wait  I was able to get through (after four attempts with the main IRS number) , then they routed me to the right department - Balance Due - and I had a positive outcome from the call.

Now I am calling again as that dept. does not handle my other issue.

Thought - should I really publish this? Who wants to read about the IRS? Who reads my blogs anyway? Well, 34,000 since I set it up, and 10 for my last post The Inspiration of The Hobbit. 

So if the IRS is not your favorite topic to read....then consider this:

What has inspired you the most in your life?

Do you believe in the Latin phrase "Carpe Diem"? seize the day?
(Do you know what movie it was used in by the main actor?) 

DISCONNECTED - my internet phone app accidentally disconnected the call. omg....starting over...  877-777-4778 "Welcome to the Internal Revenue Service, National Taxpayer Advocate service".....please hold....estimated wait time 30-60 min) 

If you have read this far, thank you for visiting !

Here's a few recent blogs.....may be interesting...

The Inspiration of The Hobbit

The Inspiration of The Universe - Really?

Inspiration From Matthew McConaughey

The Inspiration of The Hobbit

 

Who would have known? 

The consumer sentiment index - or how we all feel about the country, etc. dropped to the lowest since 2011. A sudden drop in one month from July to the preliminary August reading. It is extremely rare, and maybe a sign of the times with Covid.

So where does the Hobbit fit into this?

Maybe it is difficult to have any inspiration for anything in these times. Although it has been challenging, I have managed to maintain a strong level of inspiration this year (2021). 

Some factors contributing to this are:

- not watching or reading the news (especially the negative news stories).
(exceptions, but usually for about five minutes or less. especially anything political. I'm burnt out from US politics. I live in Mexico so it's easier to "distance myself").

- practicing daily meditation and Qi Gong

 - listening to classical novels - stories, that have been rated as the best ever written

 

Everyone is familiar with Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. The three movies that came out were blockbusters, and I have watched them several times. The original novels were published in 1954-55, and took him ten years to write.

The Hobbit was the original story that inspired the sequels. It was published in 1937 and became popular enough for the publishers to request a sequel.

"Tolkien never expected his stories to become popular, but by sheer accident a book called The Hobbit, which he had written some years before for his own children, came in 1936 to the attention of Susan Dagnall, an employee of the London publishing firm George Allen & Unwin, who persuaded Tolkien to submit it for publication. When it was published a year later, the book attracted adult readers as well as children, and it became popular enough for the publishers to ask Tolkien to produce a sequel."  Wikipedia

 

 

I remember reading the Lord of the Rings in the sixties, as did many other baby boomers, and it was an amazing book then as it is now. A true classic.

This year as I have started to listen to many different classical novels I decided to listen to the book The Hobbit, the "prequel" to The Lord of the Rings, and one that I never read. The Fellowship of the Ring is also in my library and I will enjoy this later this winter.

What an inspiration and enjoyable experience for escape, or deeper literature appreciation! Songs and descriptions of dwarves, elves, goblins, derived from ancient Scandanavian and Anglo Saxon poems, and the adventure of Bilbo Baggins when he was younger and off to an adventure with twelve dwarves and Gandalf. How he discovered the ring in the caves of the goblins. Something unusual and exciting happening frequently. Never a "dull moment".

Of course a novel has all the details and descriptions that are not fully included in a movie. The Hobbit audiobook is eleven hours. The Fellowship of the Ring is 19 hours. The narrator for The Hobbit is Andy Serkis, who provided the voice for Gollum in the movie. So in the audiobook of course he modulates his voice for Gandalf and the others but when Gollum speaks it is exactly the same voice! That was a surprise when I first heard it....I needed to Google Andy Serkis to check on it.

The bottom line is that in spite of whats going on in the world, you can be inspired by many different things. By staying inspired you experience happier vibes for yourself and others. Of course there are the reality checks, yet fear and anxiety do not need to be dominant or experienced as often, or maybe not at all. We choose whatever content we are watching or reading or listening to, and that becomes a part of our life. Carpe Diem - seize the day with whatever makes you feel good and inspired (if that is important to you).

And if you want to experience a fun adventure with Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf in The Hobbit audiobook, you can get it as a free download with a free trial membership with Audible - here's a link : Audible Free Trial

 

 

The Inspiration of the Universe - Really?

  Why does the universe evoke inspiration? 

When we gaze at the stars on a clear dark night, we can only be in awe at the vastness and infinity of the universe. The numbers are mind boggling.

Where is the inspiration?

We could be inspired by the idea of infinity or limitless time and space to whatever extent in millions of light years.

We could be inspired by intelligent design. From the "big bang" theory of origins to the infinite variety of stars, galaxies, solar systems, other planets and the likelihood of intelligent life. From the sacred geometry and mathematics of space to the mysteries plasma cosmology that disproves dark matter.

We could be inspired by the science fiction movies of the past knowing that these are possibilities for the future and/or the reality check of today (and that the "force is with us":)

We could be inspired by a Divine Spirit, whose presence is within and without the entire universe, including within us every moment, so that when we are in deep meditation or prayer, we are connected with this Spirit, and the Universe at the same time.

We could be inspired to know of the possibility that other life forms have helped humanity in the past and may be currently and in the future. This is a reality for some, an unknown for most, and a possibility for others.
from a prior blog:

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 miles, 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! 

Put that in your coffee and drink it !

What kinds of intelligent life are out there?

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

Inspiration from Matthew McConaughey

For many people, Matthew McConaughey is one of their  favorites as an actor. When I looked at his filmography I recognized some of his movies that I have enjoyed. They include We are Marshall, A Time to Kill, Amistad, Contact, U-571, The Lincoln Lawyer, Dallas Buyers Club, Mud, and Interstellar.

Yet here is so much more to him than his movies. His new book Greenlights is amazing. And the audiobook is narrated by him personally.


“Matthew McConaughey is a talented actor, a fine writer, but a total genius at living. He attacks life with an exhilarating ferocity. This is a wildly unexpected and delightful book you can’t just read, you have to experience.”
–Lawrence Wright, author of The End of October

“A Renaissance man on the big screen, McConaughey shows he is the same on the page. Mystical and spiritual but mostly just wonderful, Greenlights is an inspired memoir that celebrates the idea that it’s the journey rather than the destination that will fulfill us.” (Michael Connelly, author of Fair Warning)

Greenlights

I had heard of this book but had not bought it yet. Then recently I restarted my membership with Audible and had enjoyed listening to some classical novels. Then I saw that Greenlights was also available - a best seller - and is narrated by Matthew. Being an autobiography, after reading this description in Audible, I decided to use my one credit to get the audio book. I finished listening to the book as it was six hours or so and it was so interesting with his life's experiences, humorous, and engaging on many levels. There is inspiration about life here. Warning - after reading the description below it will be hard not to want to listen to his story.  Learn more >

from Amazon - written by Matthew McConaughey
Number one New York Times best seller • Over one million copies sold!

"From the Academy Award-winning actor, an unconventional memoir filled with raucous stories, outlaw wisdom, and lessons learned the hard way about living with greater satisfaction.

“Unflinchingly honest and remarkably candid, Matthew McConaughey’s book invites us to grapple with the lessons of his life as he did - and to see that the point was never to win, but to understand.” (Mark Manson, author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck)

I’ve been in this life for 50 years, been trying to work out its riddle for 42, and been keeping diaries of clues to that riddle for the last 35. Notes about successes and failures, joys and sorrows, things that made me marvel, and things that made me laugh out loud. How to be fair. How to have less stress. How to have fun. How to hurt people less. How to get hurt less. How to be a good man. How to have meaning in life. How to be more me. 

Recently, I worked up the courage to sit down with those diaries. I found stories I experienced, lessons I learned and forgot, poems, prayers, prescriptions, beliefs about what matters, some great photographs, and a whole bunch of bumper stickers. I found a reliable theme, an approach to living that gave me more satisfaction, at the time, and still: If you know how, and when, to deal with life’s challenges - how to get relative with the inevitable - you can enjoy a state of success I call “catching greenlights”. So I took a one-way ticket to the desert and wrote this book: an album, a record, a story of my life so far. This is 50 years of my sights and seens, felts and figured-outs, cools and shamefuls. Graces, truths, and beauties of brutality. Getting away withs, getting caughts, and getting wets while trying to dance between the raindrops. Hopefully, it’s medicine that tastes good, a couple of aspirin instead of the infirmary, a spaceship to Mars without needing your pilot’s license, going to church without having to be born again, and laughing through the tears. It’s a love letter. To life. It’s also a guide to catching more greenlights - and to realizing that the yellows and reds eventually turn green, too. Good luck."

©2020 Matthew McConaughey (P)2020 Random House Audio

Critic Reviews

“McConaughey is a talented actor and a fine writer, but a total genius at living. He attacks life with an exhilarating ferocity. This is a wildly unexpected and delightful book you can’t just read, you have to experience.” (Lawrence Wright, author of The End of October)

“It shouldn’t surprise you that this book is good, but it will surprise you just how good it is.... Wise and entertaining, this is an inspiring memoir and how-to from one of the great outlaw philosophers and artists of our time.” (Ryan Holiday, author of The Daily Stoic)

“A Renaissance man on the big screen, McConaughey shows he is the same on the page. Mystical and spiritual but mostly just wonderful, Greenlights is an inspired memoir that celebrates the idea that it’s the journey rather than the destination that will fulfill us.” (Michael Connelly, author of Fair Warning)


Here's the link to Audible - you will get a free credit to own it in a 30 day free trial. I suggest listening to the free sample - you will hear him describe the book in his own voice. Enjoy.

https://www.audible.com/pd/Greenlights-Audiobook/0593294181

The Search for the Meaning of Life

The search for the meaning of life.

Do themes of these quotes seem familiar?

"a glimpse of the truth behind the falsity of earthly life"
"a brush with death to bring about this spiritual vision"
"the vast mystery of why humans are put on Earth"
"involvement with mystical practice"

Wait for it. There is a reason for the quotes above and the following discussion. 

If there was ever a subject that was a focus of mankind it would be this one. Religions have provided the answers for many. Other teachings have sought or created various speculations, revelations, insights, experiences and ideas. Even with the exact same belief, each individual might have a different experience of it.

It was just yesterday that I came across this title - The Search for the Meaning of Life -  in a Google search for a Sparknotes summary of the famous novel War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. I had just finished listening to Tolstoy's other famous novel Anna Karenina with the program Audible. Both the book's content and the experience of listening rather than reading were very inspiring. It was a lofty choice to pick a very long 800 page novel, but with the free 30 day trial of Audible my intent was to choose a novel that is considered one of the best of all time, and very long. I was not disappointed.

I chose the translation that was recommended. It was 37 hours of listening. It was inspiring to get into the depth of this novel especially with Tolstoy's created depth of the main characters. After finishing Anna Karenina I was curious about his other famous novel War and Peace. I must have been Russian in a past life !

I must admit that my experience of reading classical books this year (2021) has opened my appreciation for literature even more than before, and as a result, it is a new adventure that I plan to continue, as there are so many classical novels that I have not read and now have an interest in. The list is long and includes classical short stories as well.

Here's just a glance at one of the many themes and reasons that reading novels might be enjoyable. In Sparknotes the following quote is one section of the summary of the War and Peace book. Others of course include plot,other themes, and characters.

Sparknotes : Themes in War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

The Search for the Meaning of Life

"Several characters in War and Peace experience sudden revelations about the absurdity of existence. Andrew, for instance, has a near-death experience at Austerlitz that shows him a glimpse of the truth behind the falsity of earthly life. While Andrew needs a brush with death to bring about this spiritual vision, Pierre spends most of the novel wondering why his life is so empty and artificial. The immediate cause of Pierre’s philosophizing is his marriage to the wrong woman, but his pondering goes beyond Helene alone, to include the vast mystery of why humans are put on Earth. Pierre’s involvement with the mystical practice of Freemasonry constitutes his attempt to give meaning to his life. Tolstoy, however, shows the inadequacies of this approach, as Pierre grows bored with the Masons and dissatisfied with their passivity. Pierre’s involvement with politics, shown in his short-lived, crazy obsession with assassinating Napoleon, is equally shallow. What finally gives meaning to Pierre’s life is the experience of real love with Natasha."

Tolstoy was a sort of Christian mystic radical, and his views of life are reflected in the characters, as they are with so many authors.

So many books in my life have been non-fiction, and contributed in my "search for the meaning of life".

Some of my favorite books in my life have been Autobiography of a Yogi, Lord of the Rings, One Hundred Years of Solitude, Siddhartha, The Old Man and the Sea, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Treasure Island, The Alchemist, and more that I cannot recall at the moment.

My recent focus on classical novels in my mind celebrates the various ideas of the meaning of life without searching for it. At the beginning of the year I was immersed in Hemingway and read four of his novels. Then after listening to Anna Larenina I started a book review blog -- and it is listed in the navigation of my website as "OMG Hemingway".

Whether the search for the meaning of life is a life-long quest, or a fulfilled desire of years ago, or the experience of living in the question, knowing that the mystery of life may be revealed both on this side and the other side, we can only in this moment celebrate whatever insights, wisdom, knowledge, and memories of experiences that we have and accept whatever comes our way.

With love, peace, and my favorite expression - carpe diem
David Lawrence Brown
website - books, blogs, and mystical vibes
www.DavidLawrenceBrown.com

Writing – a Journey of Creative Ideas

includes excerpts from 
Chapter 23
Inspiration and Gratitude

"Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go."
~ E. L. Doctorow

Writing is a journey in many ways. A journey of overcoming doubts and fears about writing and publishing, about your reasons and goals for writing, about achievement and rewards of persistence, and about letting creative ideas flow. It is a journey about letting your voice speak for something that you are passionate about. It is a journey of helping others by telling stories, either fiction or non-fiction.

It may be a personal journal. Journaling allows for the expression in words of feelings, thoughts, experiences, and challenges in a way that releases it from inside you onto a page. You may never reread it after writing it. It is for the process of writing itself, not for anyone else to see, unless you create a poem or something that you want to share elsewhere.

I have gratitude for the part of my writing journey that included "Morning Pages," a writing practice developed by Julia Cameron, author of The Artist's Way.

"Morning Pages are three pages of longhand, a stream of consciousness writing, done first thing in the morning. *There is no wrong way to do Morning Pages* –they are not high art. They are not even "writing." They are about anything and everything that crosses your mind– and they are for your eyes only. Morning Pages provoke, clarify, comfort, cajole, prioritize and synchronize the day at hand. Do not over-think Morning Pages: just put three pages of anything on the page...and then do three more pages tomorrow." – Julia Cameron

Try the morning pages if this idea resonates with you. Check out Julia Cameron's website for support. You could use this process to write about gratitude every morning. It might be easy to fill up one to three pages. The stream-of-consciousness approach is very empowering. Imagine writing and not caring what comes out, with no concern for grammar, spelling, sentence structure, or choice of words. You write whatever comes into your mind as fast as you can and just let it flow. The experience can be very liberating for anyone on different levels.

When I wrote my first book, 333 Keywords to Change Your Life, I had it structured so that I only needed to focus on one keyword at a time. Each one had a quote, a description, an affirmation, a one-minute meditation, and several questions to reflect on that keyword and how the definition of it helps to create positive changes in life.

Of course, one of the keywords in the book is Writing, and I have sincere gratitude for being inspired to write. The following are excerpts from the page on the keyword Writing.

"We are guided, motivated, inspired, or invited to write, even if it is a private journal with our private thoughts. It can be therapeutic, healing, and transformational."

"Writing is a journey that I love to explore while living in the mystery and the question."

This is a chapter from my book Inspiration and Gratitude. At then end of the chapter are three questions to use as a possible invitation to try writing, even if in a private journal. It can be a powerful experience. And there is more to this chapter below.

"What types of benefits can happen by writing my story and my thoughts about life? How can writing increase my ability to help others learn and improve their experience? Why is the keyword "writing" important for consciously creating positive changes in my life?"
- Brown, David Lawrence. 333 Keywords to Change Your Life (p. 498). David Lawrence Brown. Kindle Edition.

I have deep gratitude for the gift of writing. I finally had a breakthrough in my life after age sixty, in which writing just started to flow with inspiration. I also have gratitude for overcoming the resistance to writing that has happened in the past and can happen at any time.

Here's an example of resistance at work:
It just isn't the right time. Who's going to read it anyway? Why spend the energy? I just don't feel inspired at the moment, ok? I'm tired. I have other things I need to do. It's just not flowing. So what?

Then I become conscious of this resistance and decide that I am going to write anyway, no matter what. I will be a word warrior if need be, and just start writing, not caring what happens. Just to overcome the excuses, the reasons, and the feelings why I should not write in this or that moment. Then as I start to write, it just starts moving the energy. It may "take on a life of its own". I wrote when I was not planning on it. I also don't write when I planned to at any time of day or night. I wrote more in this paragraph after I had written five more below. I decided to add roses to this chapter as a symbol of my love of writing.

Sometimes there is just a stream of consciousness about writing: when, how, what, etc.


I have started novels in past years only to abandon the project and move on to something else. One book was in progress for about a year or more, and I lost the entire document by not having a backup when my laptop crashed. When I finished the book 333 Keywords to Change Your Life, it was a combination of writing what I need to know and a commitment to discipline myself to write every day, even if it was one page for one keyword in the book. About a month after completing and publishing the book (January 2017), I started writing inspirational blogs, I have written about one blog every two weeks. After a year, I published another book, "The Ancient Redwoods Spoke to Me," that is a compilation of my first year of inspirational blogs. The title is based on an actual blog, which is also reproduced in the chapter The Beauty of Nature. I usually have several that are in process or draft form, and work on them at different times. Then one seems to "stand out" and is ready to edit then publish. I review it and have others look at it for their feedback. My main focus or underlying theme for my inspirational blogs is - can you guess? - inspiration. I have another blog titled Likes, Tweets, and SEO, which is marketing oriented and has had over 100,000 views in the past six years or so that I have been writing it.

Is writing for inspiration, either for yourself, such as journaling, or for others, a challenge? The answer will vary between individuals, and within each person as challenges can appear at any time when we want to write.

With my own writing, it varies as the challenge may take on different forms. Deciding on when to write, what to write about, what to say, letting things flow versus overthinking a bit, and letting go of the outcome are all challenges. The creative process sometimes takes on a "life of its own". We can't control how Spirit wants to move through us, or when an inspiring idea comes up, or what words may stream though our mind next. This is the beauty of inspired writing for me, that inspiration seems to be the basis, and the foundation for whatever the topic is that comes up.

Sometimes just starting to write is the biggest challenge, and once you start, you have overcome that challenge, and words may start to flow. The challenge is to start, even when you do not feel like starting. Like a subtle test, by starting, you have passed the test and are ready to receive whatever words start flowing into your mind and heart.

I received the idea of writing about inspirational topics in 2016. It simmered like slow cooking soup until I decided to start. I stopped after the next sentence, then started again another morning. So do I write for inspiration? Or from inspiration? To hopefully inspire others? Yet not be attached to the outcome? Writing is a joy, even with the challenges. It has enriched my life experience as I always wanted to write more than I did through the years. Now it seems to be flowing, and for that, I have a ton of gratitude.

Let's explore some reasons or ideas why I think that writing for inspiration can be a rewarding process, and why it may seem to be a challenge in various ways.

Writing can be rewarding to see how words will come to you in ways you did not expect. It can be rewarding to overcome challenges or obstacles or writer's block. It is a joy when you get positive feedback, and when the writing enhances another person's perspectives or opens up new ideas.

Writing is rewarding when you receive feedback that someone was moved by your words or the words that came to you, and which you wrote and created in sentences and paragraphs. Even without receiving feedback, your written words are created for a purpose, the full extent of which we may never know. One year after you have written something, someone may read it and have an insight or new realization that changes their life. It is the mystery of life, and in writing that we do not know all the subtle effects and things that go on behind the scenes, and for me, that is in itself very inspiring.

Writing for inspiration can be a challenge, as well as writing from inspiration. When we turn it over to the creative Spirit within, maybe the Muse, our heart and intuition, or all of the above and more, then we can truly celebrate how words can have an inspirational effect on us, whether we are writing or reading.

When it starts to flow, it is not a challenge. The challenge seems to come from our resistance to letting it flow, or doubts about what words will come, or whether they will be the rights ones, and many more reasons. An interesting exercise is to write about all the reasons that are coming up and that are "holding you back" from writing. Would writing about them cause them to dissipate, even disappear, giving the confidence that maybe your ability to start a creative flow is more powerful than your resistance? Overcoming the challenge of resistance is like a small battle won in the greater "War of Art" so well described in Steven Pressfield's book The War of Art.

The process of writing can be a reflection of life, your insights, and experiences, wisdom, and breakthroughs, as well as your dark moments, challenges, fears, and loves. For me, inspiration is the keyword that motivates me to write, enhances my life, and allows me to give my gifts of writing to the world. I welcome both the challenges as well as the rewards of writing as a journey of creative ideas. In gratitude and love, I acknowledge the Divine Spirit and the mystical Muse that is my source of my inspiration.

Namaste
David Lawrence Brown

 

The Inspiration of Innovation

“Everybody born comes from the Creator trailing wisps of glory. We come from the Creator with creativity. I think that each one of us is born with creativity.” 

- Maya Angelou 

 Innovations in Business, Apps, Biotech, Computers, AI, and other technologies can be inspiring in their potential and possibilities to dramatically shape the future for a better humanity and better Earth.

Innovation is based on pure creativity.

In our personal lives, we use our creativity to have an "inspiration of innovation" moment, where we have a breakthrough, or new insight, or an awareness of something new. 

For anyone who has any intention of helping humanity in one way or another - business, medicine, philanthropy, acts of kindness, social media, raising consciousness, healing, or any content or communication - imagination, creativity, inspiration, and innovation is an important part of the process.

Our immediate and longer-range future for humanity and the Earth is being affected by ongoing research, experimentation, discoveries, and innovations by those misfits, eccentric geniuses, pioneers, and explorers both in the material as well as the spiritual realms of life. 

Think of revolutions that have happened in the past one hundred years. Social, Industrial, Digital, Biotech, and Space. There have been milestones and turning points in our evolution and 2020 seemed to be one of those with the pandemic and the major changes as a result. 

The Codebreaker

I am a fan of the biographer Walter Isaacson.

His books include Leonardo da Vinci; Steve Jobs; Einstein: His Life and Universe; Benjamin Franklin, and The Innovators - How a Group of  Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution. I decided to buy his recent best-selling book The Codebreaker - Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race. I joined a free 30 day trial of Audible and decided to listen to the book instead of my usual routine of reading. 

I knew that I would have hours to do this as we had a road trip planned, and I was not driving. The book is amazing. I haven't finished it yet, but it fits right into the theme of a new blog that I started titled Innovation - The Future is Here. Jennifer Doudna won the Nobel Prize for biochemistry in 2020. The book includes her story and her commitment to the ethics of biotechnology, the innovation process and discovery of CRSPR, and the possibilities for humanity's future. 

If you are interested in this blog and the book Codebreaker, here's the link:

Innovation - The Future is Now. The book description can be found on the Biotechnology page.

https://future-is-here-now.blogspot

 

The inspiration of innovation is happening and changing the world. 

Are we open to positive possibilities for the Earth and humanity?

Why Journaling Will Make Your Life Experience Deeper

Even though I had engaged with writing over the years, I first started writing seriously about ten years ago. The catalyst was a daily routine called "Morning Pages" developed by Julia Cameron. Every morning I would write three pages as a stream-of-consciousness process. There was no stopping for editing or grammar or typos since no one was going to read it except me. The process was to just let go and let it flow with thoughts, ideas, feelings and anything that came to mind.

At first it was awkward. Then it became a daily challenge and commitment that I looked forward to. This went on for a number of days. I cannot recall how many and it doesn't really matter. What matters is the commitment to write in a journal daily with three pages. It was amazing how easily the three pages could be filled once I got into the flow of it.
 
Here are some ideas why journaling might be a good experience in life. When you do this and are open to spiritual inspiration, you might be surprised what comes through.

1) There is a connection with your heart and mind when you actually put down words of feelings and ideas in a way that is unique, private and personal.

2) You may have thoughts or ideas outside of your normal routine that provide insights into life.

3) If you have memories or dreams then you can write about them. Pull out all the stops (like in a church pipe organ), and let the memories and ideas come. Sometimes they come so fast it might be like you are receiving dictation from your mind, and subconscious, or even from a spiritual connection on the other side.

4) Journaling can also be in the form of Q and A -
start with questions.....then answer them. What are the most important questions in your life now? Write these down, then answer each one honestly and truly. Observe how you are responding to yourself. Remember no one is going to read this except you. If you find yourself writing as if someone else is going to read it, then let that go and open up to expressing a deeper dive into your real desires, goals, passions, and journey.

This process of journaling can be like a new adventure in your life. It might help your consciousness expand and be open to more possibilities. It might help you connect with your inner guidance, your intuition, and your spiritual core.

It is something that can be started easily. If three pages seem too much maybe start with a time goal - maybe 15 minutes every morning. Then increase the time as needed.

Journaling can help you to experience life in a deeper way. 

If you have read this far thank you for visiting, reading this blog and being open to possibilities.

Julia Cameron, author of The Artists Way, has a website with descriptions and support for the morning pages, and helping us open up to our creative energies. (see link below).

Although she encourages longhand writing, I also believe that typing into a Word document and saving it in a folder is also allowed!

Carpe Diem

- David Lawrence Brown

Julia Cameron website >

One Thousand Whispers

Imagine receiving 1000 whispers over this year. 

They could be from inspirational quotes with wisdom, from intuition, a muse, or a Divine Spirit. 

Listen to the whispers...

During this pandemic, prayers, and consolation for all of those affected by illness, loss of life, or income, or sanity. It has been and still is challenging for so many around the world. For some there is light at the end of the tunnel, for those who only see darkness.

Solar changes affecting the Earth. Supercomputers and AI taking on a lightning-fast life of their own. Technology driving us and bio-engineering changing us. We are all on a fast track of change, and consciousness is an important part of it.

Is listening to whispers important at this time?

 

“Intuition is a very powerful thing, more powerful than intellect, in my opinion.” 

-Steve Jobs

This post is for those who acknowledge that life goes on and that we move forward in our life as best as we can. Who are open to listen to whispers from intuition and  whispers of wisdom.

Two priests, one older and the other young, needed to travel on foot for five days. On the second day, they came across a river and a woman with a heavy load needed to cross but the waters were higher than usual. 

The younger priest offered to help and first carried the load across then returned and carried her across the river. 

On the fourth day, the older priest could not contain himself any longer.

"You know it is against our rules to think of a woman", the older priest said, "and you touched one and carried her across a river!"

The younger priest motioned to the older priest to come closer and replied with a whisper, "Yes, and I set her down two days ago. Are you still carrying her?" 

What are we still carrying that we need to let go of? 

Do we have any beliefs that we have been holding for months or years that need to be released? If they are released, would that be a cause for inspiration? 

Listen for the whispers...from your soul for what needs to be released and no longer carried in your life.

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."

- Mohandas Gandhi

Life goes on and we can choose how we want to live, what we learn, take in as food or information content, and how we choose to view world events, be in a relationship, and connect with a higher power or Divine Spirit. We can try to stay inspired when some may choose differently. 

Imagine receiving three whispers a day. They are from your intuition, inner voice, or Muse, or Divine Spirit. If each one can be considered whispered words of wisdom and inspiration then there would be possibly one thousand of them over the next twelve months. 

 

One thousand whispers can help us to love life, believe in possibilities, and have the courage to stand strong in the face of any challenge. 

Listen for the whispers...

Let's make our life extraordinary. Help others do the same. Pass it forward. Collectively raise the consciousness of humanity. Change the vibe. Connect to a tribe. 

Listen for the whispers...

Whether it is the loss of a loved one, a dark night of the soul, a condition of depression, or any illness, or the loss of friends, or the joy of living, the inspiration of love, making new friends, or enjoying the ongoing adventure of seizing the day - bring it on. With guidance from whispers, we can face anything with no fear. We can celebrate life in new ways. We can live our lives more deeply and more profoundly.

Listen for the whispers...

Sometimes the invitation needs to be accepted momentarily, or in any given hour, in addition to any given day. 

“Listen to the wind, it talks. Listen to the silence, it speaks. Listen to your heart, it knows.” - Native American Proverb

Listen for the whispers...

 - David Lawrence Brown, March 2 2021
www.DavidLawrenceBrown.com

The Sound of Rain in My Brain

The sound of rain always seems to soothe the soul, washing away other sounds of thoughts that may be intruding, and reminding us of the power of nature's elements that nourish the Earth, and our lives. 

Then there is thunder, which can be distant or a loud clap overhead. It is the release of energy from colliding thunderclouds, sometimes followed by lightning. 

In the tropics, thunderstorms can be even more intense. The rain pours down harder and longer. The warmer air and ocean of Gulf temperatures are a nice setup for dramatic weather changes. 

For over a year, I have heard the sound of rain every night. 

There has also been thunder. 

It lasts the entire night and then stops in the morning. 

The headphones that I use are blue-tooth enabled, and also cushion any external noises such as dogs and roosters! 

The soundtrack is a tropical thunderstorm and it is set on repeat. 

On a deeper subconscious level, I believe that it has had a positive effect on my sleep and energy during the day. Sleep is very important for our health, and a siesta in the afternoon is always welcomed. It rains then also :) 

The sound of rain in my brain helped me through 2020, and now into 2021.

One thing that always is a very pleasant experience along with this is when I wake up in the middle of the night, take off the headphones, and hear the sound of real rain happening outside!

I usually step outside of the front door and give a greeting to the rain.

I'm not sure if it is because I live in Mexico or I listen to the sound of rain all night that my dreams have been more vivid, more frequent, and I remember some of them more than before. 

Life can be a mystery, and contained within the sound of rain I wonder if I will ever hear a voice or voices, singing or gently whispering words to my sleeping mind, my resting heart, or my soul that never sleeps.

If it happens I will post a blog about it.

- David Brown

Carpe diem - Seize the day
and Enjoy a Good Sleep

Top 100 Inspirational Blogs
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