Born To Be Me

I had a delightful Christmas Eve listening again to the story of Susan Boyle, the 48-year-old Scottish woman who stunned the world with a voice from heaven! She did not win the “Britain’s Got Talent” program, placing second after a group called “Diversity.” However, it is safe to say she made a major mark on the entertainment world since her rendition of “I Dreamed A Dream” from “Les Miserables” went viral on the Internet. Her first album was released in November 2009 and had already sold a million copies by Christmas!

Her dream had been to be as successful as the renowned Eileen Page and, perhaps, even to sing a duet with her sometime. In the Christmas Eve program she performed beautifully with her idol to a standing ovation from the audience. But what really struck me was when Ms. Boyle sang “Who I Was Born To Be.” From her humble beginnings she rose to super stardom, and the beauty of it is that it was a dream she felt certain she could achieve. When first appearing on “Britain’s Got Talent” she knew the audience dismissed her as soon as she took the stage because of her frumpy appearance, but her attitude was that it didn’t make any difference how she looked. It was a singing contest and she knew she could sing. And sing she did! We are all richer because of her belief in herself.

The added lesson for me personally was the reminder that I also am who I was born to be! It is up to me to believe in my dream and to sing the song that is my life, regardless of the opinions of others. There will always be detractors quick to criticize what they do not understand. If I live according to the perceptions of someone else, I am not being true to myself. We are each born with our own song to sing and life to live. It is up to each of us to muster the courage to express that dream to the best of our ability.

WHO I WAS BORN TO BE

When I was a child
I could see the wind in the trees
and I heard a song in the breeze
it was there, singing out my name

But I am not a girl
I have known the taste of defeat
and I have finally grown to believe
it will all come around again

And though I may not
know the answers
I can finally say I am free
And if the questions
led me here, then
I am who I was born to be

And so here am I
Open arms and ready to stand
I've got the world in my hands
And it feels like my turn to fly

When I was a child
there were flowers that bloomed in the night
Unafraid to take in the light
Unashamed to have braved the dark

I am who I was born to be
I am who I was born to be

New Web Site for LifeCentering Coming Soon!

 Soon after the first of the year I will be launching my new official web site for LifeCentering. Plans for the site, already registered, include publishing articles by a variety of authors from time to time, as well as my own writings. There will be a products section where you will be able to purchase copies of my two books, LifeCentering: A Transformational Meditation Book and my newest book, Moments In the Journey Through Life. Other products may also become available later. My current web log, LifeCentering, will continue to be offered and will be linked to the new web site. The new web site will offer links to other professionals, blogs and web sites that provide powerful insights and aids for personal growth and development.

This is an exciting next step for me in my effort to provide information and resources for individuals seeking to improve their lives. Watch for the details and launch after the first of the New Year!

My New Book Is Available

Each of us has moments in life that are cherished and remembered fondly.  Those moments may consist of times with family, friends or associates wherein we felt a warm sense of belonging.  Sometimes they may have been moments that challenged us to our core.  This book is about some of my moments, but more it is a book about ways in which we all can face our challenges and overcome them.

It is my goal to place in your hands tools for understanding how you build a successful, happy life.  I believe that no challenge comes our way without also an equivalent source of strength and understanding to meet it.

Through the use of self-development articles interspersed with personal biographical information I hope to demonstrate steps you can take to transform challenges into successful outcomes.  I know that within each of us is the capacity to fully accomplish positive results.

In the sense that we all share a common bond of Life, I encourage and support you in your special moments in your journey through life.

I am offering Moments as a free PDF download for a limited period.  If you would like a copy, email me and enter the words “Send Me Moments” in the subject line.

Dan.perin@gmail.com

Your email ID will not be used for any other purpose and will not be shared with any other person or organization.

Christmas Bells Are Ringing!

So, today I tune my Internet radio to Christmas music while I work at my computer. It is a bit early for me, but somehow I just felt in the mood. Besides, it may help get the Christmas Spirit flowing into everything I do between now and the New Year.

Thanksgiving this year was a personal feast, as I noted in my last blog entry. I got through the meal without seriously over eating and managed to prepare portions such that only the turkey breast had to be delivered to the freezer in packages for later sandwiches or hot turkey and gravy meals. Well managed if I do say so myself!

But back to Christmas. To all who read this entry please consider this my Christmas card to you. Each year the list of “snail” mail cards gets shorter. I am not sure how many will go out this year. In some ways, the older we get the more long-time friends begin to make their move on in life. Perhaps that is why the “seasonal blues” strike so many of us. At this time of the year when gathering with family and friends is so important to many of us, it becomes clear that some of those family members and friends are no longer with us physically.

What is particularly interesting to me, however, is that since opening a Facebook account, friends from out of the past have found me, or I have found them. In some ways this is a wonderful compensation for the loss of those who have moved on. I hope that any of you who may be feeling the onset of the seasonal blues, will take heart in the realization that you are loved and supported by many folks you may have thought were no longer aware of you. Love is out there in their hearts as they remember you and the impact you had on their lives. I certainly have experienced this in the reconnection with friends with whom I shared an important period of my life many years ago. My experience has convinced me that once our paths have crossed, we are together forever in some way. Throughout this holiday season it is a good time to reconnect in our mind and heart with those who have touched our lives in some way. As you send out your love to those who come to mind, that love will multiply as it returns to bless you.

Wow! It is going to be a great month enjoying the music, special programs, and most all your friendship! Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving One and All!

Everyone around the world may not be celebrating Thanksgiving as we do here in the U.S., but that doesn’t mean I can’t send Thanksgiving thoughts to all who may be reading this blog.

I hope that wherever you are, you have the opportunity to take a few moments and accept the blessings of love and peace that are being sent your way—from my home to yours. I hope that your table is abundant with food and that you have family, friends and special people with whom to share the day.

As for me, I am preparing all the traditional foods. The cranberry sauce is made and two pumpkin pies. The turkey will be going into the oven soon, stuffed with dressing. Later, there will be mashed potatoes, candied yams, green beans almandine and salad. A glass of wine to brighten the taste buds and then time to savor the blessings I am so fortunate to enjoy.

I wish you all could be at my table today! I pray for you to have a Happy Day!

Nobody here but us chickens

I just read a new post by the folks at one of my favorite blogs.  It is such a logical view of the silly state of affairs we are experiencing, and have for a long time, in Congress and politics in general.  Here is the lead to the post:

With all the buzz around Washington these days about Lobbyist Reform, and in light of recent abuses, perhaps now would be a good time to put this in perspective for the average American “outside the Beltway." 

And what could be easier for the average person to understand than banks.  After all, that is where almost all of us put our money for safe-keeping.  Therefore most people should favor Bank Robbery Reform, right?

Please, head on over for the full story.  You may want to bookmark this blog for future reference.

http://www.theviewfromoutsidemytinywindow.blogspot.com

A Word in Due Season

And a word spoken in due season, how good is it!

Proverbs 15:23

The other day I had a simple experience that brought the above text to mind. A friend had written a word of appreciation to me. It came out of the blue, so to speak, and I couldn’t get it out of my mind. It felt so good to receive that appreciation!

When someone takes the time to connect with us in a way that could easily be taken for granted, it is important not to let it pass that easily. Not only is a good word pleasant to hear, it can also move us to lift our own appreciation of self. Left to our own devices it is sometimes easy to forget that others look up to us in some way or are grateful that we are in their lives. When we accept their simple gift of a word spoken in due season, what a blessing it can be!

Never underestimate the power of a word of praise or appreciation, or an act of simple thoughtfulness. I know I was lifted up by the thoughtfulness of the person whose words I received. When you are moved to send a thoughtful word to someone, it may be because it is a due season in their life at that time. Your word may bring new hope or self-acceptance, or deep joy at a time it is really needed. Even if you never know how the word was received, trust that you have been led to give the blessing and that it has been received.

As we near Thanksgiving use the occasion to let your family, your friends and your associates know that you care about them. Share a simple act of kindness by complimenting some quality they are expressing, or thank them for something they have done that easily could have gone unnoticed. When you see something worthy of praise, give it. Conscious caring for and loving one another has been limited in many cases these days due to our busy schedules, and the clamor of lesser things for our attention. There is nothing more important to our mutual health and well being than a word spoken in due season. It is a simple act with deeply satisfying potential.

Who or What Is At My Door?

At the recent Peace Convocation Master Djwhal Khul suggested that our every experience is a door and that as we pass through that door we will see Who or What is showing up to offer us a learning experience.  All too often, however, we are more concerned with what appears in the doorway than in what the opportunity may be.

As we work our way through life seeking to better understand who we are and what our purpose is in this experience, we always hope that when we open the door a messenger of glad tidings will appear to grant us some gift for the good job we have done so far.  While there may be a gift to be received, we usually find it in a container wrapped in papers and obscured from easy view.  Until we actually clear away the wrapping and explore the container, we cannot see what the gift is.  Sometimes our expectations of what is in the container get in the way of enjoying what we finally discover our gift to be.

For example, I have found that as I have worked my way through a tangle of family relationships over the last several years I came to expect that when I opened the door everything would be just fine.  There would be smiles and hugs and joy in greeting each other as if arriving for a gala family reunion.  My expectation of how that would appear got in the way of seeing what was actually there—a tentative, but deliberate beginning to see each other in a new way rather than in the old and negative way that had begun the tangled web of unhappiness.

I understand the positive thinking aspect of expecting the good.  I accept the importance of building such positive attitudes in order to develop a consciousness of attraction.  I also understand that sometimes what we think of as expecting the good goes no further than being excited about the wrapping paper on the box concealing what our real experience is all about.

So, Who or What is really showing up at my door?  Are my buttons still being pushed by the presence or actions of others?  What is that telling me?  How am I going to take the next steps to resolve the karma in this situation and with these persons?  I can only conclude at this time with the degree of understanding I currently have, that only unconditional love is the answer.  Unconditional love is not based on what the other person does.  Unconditional love flows outward to bathe all persons and all situations with the bliss of knowing no power can quench it, no wall can withstand it, no heart can fail to embrace it.  It is not my job to figure out how that will be.  It is my job to welcome Who and What is at my door with that flow of love and joy.

Master Djwhal Khul Revisited

Last October I had my first connection with Master DK as I attended the Matter of Mind workshop in Denver. Colorado. I wrote about that experience on this blog. During the weekend of September 25-27, 2009 I attended the Eighth Annual Peace Convocation in Carbondale, Colorado. The focus of the Convocation was on creating balance in our lives. It was not difficult to feel harmony in mind and body as we met near the base of Mt. Sopris, considered a mystical mountain by native Americans. It is one of the most impressive mountains in the state. Its mile of vertical exposure creates an impressive backdrop for the town of Carbondale. In this article I will highlight some of the lessons made available to participants with which I particularly identified.

During the opening evening program, Master invited us to write down five statements representing our obsession with being out of balance, what beliefs we were holding that interfered with establishing a balanced life. After identifying those thoughts, we were invited to write down on a separate piece of paper the same statements in a positive form. For example, suppose I wrote: Why do I not do the things necessary to bring balance to my life? The positive statement might be: I do whatever I need to do to bring balance into my life. Then we were asked to take the positive list crumple it up into a ball as though we were going to throw it away. Instead, however, we were to toss the ball of paper around the room. After awhile we stopped and each person read the paper they were in possession of at the end of the exercise.

What an amazing surprise! When I began to read the positive statements on the paper I ended up with, I discovered statements that actually reflected ways to address my own limited beliefs that I had originally written down. This exercise demonstrated several things to me. First, it was very helpful to see the positive statements that could help me reshape my belief system so as to restore harmony in the certain areas of my life that I had identified. Second, I was able to realize again how very similar the needs of most of us are. Few of us have just one problem. Usually, we have a number of things going on that we feel need to be changed, and those things are quite similar for each of us.

With that in mind, it became clear to me that together we are a powerful force for change. As we individually bring our thoughts and feelings into harmony with each other around a positive focus, change in our world will come about. The peace we all seek is possible. This is supported by research repeatedly performed using EEG and ECG equipment that register electrical energy in the brain and heart. The tests showed that when a person regularly practiced bringing their own heart/brain energy fields into coherence and directed that energy toward another person, he/she would come into a synchronous pattern as well. This is also the concept behind many types healing accomplished through prayer and meditation.

Everyone wants harmony, peace, balance and goodness in life. We are all looking for the same thing in this respect. The ego mind tries to make this a difficult process. The ego wants to be in charge. When we let it control our thoughts and feelings, we experience a chaotic world and feel helpless to do anything about it. The truth is, it is our inherent right to have peace, balance and harmony.

Who are you when you don’t get what you want?

During the Saturday morning lesson this question arose. I have heard the question before, but as it was considered this time I thought about it in a different way. When I forget who I am, I may feel I am not getting what I want. This is usually a sign that the ego is trying to control things. Actually, it is a myth that ego has this power. As we harmonize with our true nature we let go of the need to control things. We are then able to experience what is without the judgment of “right” or “wrong.” Every experience becomes a door. Passing through that door we will see what is showing up to teach us whatever we need to know to get on about life.

Who is showing up to teach me? What buttons are being pushed? How will I respond?

As you proceed along your spiritual path, seek to be a worthy vessel ready to be filled with learning. Free yourself from this and that. There are many mazes that have been constructed by our old habitual thinking focused on limitation. But within every form of confusion there is something sane. What appears to be insane turns out to be enlightenment as we let go of the old way of thinking. It is here that one clarifies the difference between knowing and knowing about. Knowing is your direct experience in transforming the mazes along your path. Simply observing others may only result in knowing about how overcoming was achieved without the benefit of personal transformation

Djwhal Khul advised us not to let the mind go where we do not want it to go. We have a choice. We may begin by asking, “Why is this happening to me?” It may be that we are simply “in the way” of something passing through, but which is not ours. If we mistakenly think it is ours, we will have to find a way to deal with it. Taking on such problems actually dissipates our energy.

Some believe the mystic path is one of withdrawal from the world. We tend to fantasize about the spiritual life of the ascetic. Certainly there is value in taking time apart on occasion. However, where is the balance between withdrawal to the mystical and the expanding embrace of the mind? In the final analysis, it is how we live in the world that matters. In fact, it is also how well we understand and express our oneness with others and all life. That we are separate is an illusion that we must overcome. We are spiritual partners with others on the path and as we learn that, those others will clearly be recognized. This is a beginning of a balancing of our lives. That process continues through all aspects of our experience—our feminine/masculine nature, our emotional/rational mind, love/wisdom, ebb and flow, resistance and resilience—all of these find their perfect harmony. It is the true resolution of karma.

One of the things we discover as our understanding develops is that things are not as they seem. Everything is an illusion, unreal in any sense of permanence. The unreality exists because we do not see things as they are. We see them as we are. We actually seldom meet the other people in our life. What occurs is that we are relating to our notion of the person. When we are looking for a certain type of experience, what we have in our mind’s eye is so persuasive that we often do not see what is right in front of us. So it becomes important to ease up in our relentless search for Truth. The Truth is in and through all things. We have simply let our version of truth limit our ability to recognize it in any form other than our preconceived notion of it.

Through this powerful weekend we had numerous opportunities to examine how we may be blocking the true freedom and harmony that naturally seeks to express in every aspect of our lives. Each person most assuredly touched on some significant aspect of his/her life that they could now address more positively. We experienced specific exercises in one-to-one exchanges where we shared some of the issues of which we were becoming aware. The cathartic release of emotion that had held those issues deep within broke down the walls of ego protection and allowed a new freedom to emerge. An immediate rebalancing began to take place in which we could see ourselves through eyes of wholeness and harmony.

The weekend was concluded with an “initiation” into that newly discovered sense of harmony and balance. As each participant began a walk through the grounds of our location they were greeted by a “gatekeeper” with the blessing: Welcome, noble aspirant. May you walk in balance all the days of your life. Other greeters along the path offered other blessings. Finally, each of us met personally with Master for an individual blessing marking the conclusion of our experience.

After breaking bread together we began our homeward journeys, enriched, fulfilled and with a new sense of harmony and balance and peace.

Eighth Annual Peace Convocation

I am just home after four days attending the Peace Convocation devoted to bringing a greater sense of balance in our lives. The Convocation is in remembrance of the September 11, 2001 event that shook the consciousness of our nation—the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, The Pentagon and the crash of the commandeered plane over Pennsylvania.

Conducted by the Vajra Flame Foundation and led by Master Djwhal Khul, through Kathlyn Kingdon, the program offered participants a deepening of our connection with the true spiritual essence of our lives. We were able to examine the attributes of consciousness that provide a balance in our lives in the many areas that we so easily seem to get out of balance. Not only were the presentations by Master DK powerfully shared with each of us, but also the final celebration of peace and balance were extraordinary in reaching the depth of our personal being.

I will be writing more about this very special meeting of individuals with Master DK and the celebration of peace we shared. Come back to LifeCentering soon for more about the Convocation.