Moving this Site

Hello everybody, Patrick here. I have finally decided to move to my own website rather than use the blogger hosted option.
My new site is going to be at Spirit Zen
The focus is going to be similar, with a little bit more focus on mindfulness and how to live in such a way as to cultivate happiness and contentment.
Thanks for your interest in the site. Hopefully, I'll have more time now to post more frequently. I'm really working towards financial independence. I really like the idea of being a full time writer, and a blog platform seems like a great way to go. I'm going to give it a try, anyway. 

Zen, Positive Thinking and The Life Experience

I'm in life for the experience. Whether my judgements (which are silly and unnecessary) enjoy something or not, I'm still living and experiencing and feeling blessed for every moment I have on this beautiful planet.

When people complain,I sympathize with them, laugh, and then say, "Life's a ride; lots of loops, whirls, ups and downs, but at least you haven't been kicked off the ride yet."

It's about keeping your thoughts moving in a way that feels good and then taking positive action steps in that direction. Positive thoughts become positive things.

I hope today is the best day of your life.

The question for today is: What is one action step you can take today to move your life in the direction you want?

Thanks for commenting.

My thoughts on Generosity

I've been thinking about the idea of giving and generosity. There are lots of opinions floating around about the law of attraction. Call me a traditionalist, but I still call it Karma.

There's an old cliche'(As a writer, I have low opinions on cliche') that says, "generous to a fault". Despite my low opinion of cliche', this one is very descriptive of my main problem with generosity. Let me set the record straight, first. I love the idea of generosity. In my opinion, generosity is a wonderful energy and everybody should try it on every once in a while, to see how it fits and how you feel when you're wearing it. It looks good on almost everyone.

When you give more than you have to give, you're doing it wrong. Generosity is for surplus. If you've got a lot of something; money, jewels, love, information, etc., give it away until you feel fulfilled. You'll end up attracting an equal amount of energy back in whatever form represents your highest and greatest good. That's the way Karma works. Goodness returns to the giver.

If you don't have enough money to pay your rent and you give money away, you're being a fool. If however, you don't have money to pay your rent but you perform random acts of kindness, you're doing it right. Give what you've got lots of. Love, kindness, praise, wisdom; all of these are tremendously valuable and are meant to be given freely.

This line of thinking relates to the Tao. It's about balance. Balance in all aspects of your life is called Joy. Joy feels really good. Joy is better than sex or chocolate, although the three aren't necessarily mutually exclusive. I've even seen them hanging out together on occasion.

Love is a circle. Healing is a circle. Give back to the world everything you receive in amounts that feel right and support who you are and what you do. Overdoing generosity is no longer generosity. It's silliness.

The question for this post: How has generosity improved your life? Thanks for commenting.

Zen Management

I've been thinking about the concepts of leadership and management lately. A new career opportunity presented itself to me recently and, as is typical with the way my mind works, I started the contemplation process. Sounds official, doesn't it? It really isn't. It's my way of utilizing not only my mind but also my heart in making decisions. Much of life is based on choices we make and I am committed to making choices that allow me to enjoy the ride.

I've read lots of articles and books. I've listened to what leadership/management types have to say. So far, it looks pretty straight forward and in alignment with my way of thinking. Here's what I've come up with so far.

Leadership is about being calm and assertive. That's funny because it is also the general wisdom when dealing with animals. Keep your cool and maintain a demeanor that lets people know that you are in charge. I can dig that. I was born in the Chinese year of the dog. That doesn't really mean anything, I'm well aware of that, but I use it as a way of focusing skills I already have. I'm loyal (to myself, friends, and people I love), honest, and have a fundamental belief in justice. All of these things seem pertinent to being a good leader.

A good manager also should respect the people they work with. People perform better when they feel valued. A quick, sincere compliment given to a worker who has done their job well is a powerful tool. If you do good work as a manager, your team is going to be better equipped to handle things when they get weird. Treat people as though they are intelligent and valuable and they will tend to emulate those traits.

Embrace responsibility. Taking on responsibility is a great way to learn your strengths. This may well be the single most important component of being a great manager. You may make mistakes but you'll be a better person for it. Pay attention to these mistakes and you have improved your skills as a manager and as a human being. Encourage your employees to do the same. Help them to realize that they are strong and capable and they'll make your job easier. An entire crew of responsible people will make your business thrive.

The last tip to being a good manager is to be honest. Lying is disrespectful. I've heard all kinds of nonsense about when lying is appropriate. There is no such thing as a white lie. That term was invented by people who lie, plain and simple. Honesty is a sign of respect for both yourself and people around you. Besides, if you get caught in a lie, you usually end up looking like an idiot.

The question for this post: What traits do you look for and admire in a leader and why? Thanks for commenting.

Words and Prosperity

Words are excellent ways to move energy. They can be used to perform acts of kindness, express gratitude, and convey information. Words can also be used to make you rich. That's a good one.

Ask any successful motivational speaker if words are powerful. Words can be used to make you broke. Words can also make you rich. I'll go with rich.

My favorite usage of words for manifesting prosperity is brainstorming. This can be done by yourself with written words or with others. Think of prosperity, then write down the first ten concepts that enter your mind. Pick the most surprising and make another list using it as your focus.

This technique can stimulate new ways of thinking about money and your relationship to it. I have also seen it used to help people realize some of the nonsense they have floating around in their minds about prosperity.

With a group, it's even better. Spoken words have the energy of vibration to back them up. Since matter directly responds to vibration, it's an easy step to move from saying good things about money to making good things happen.

Use these brainstormed ideas to motivate action steps. As soon as you get an idea that makes you feel excited, think of at least one thing you can do immediately to make it happen. When inspiration talks, it's a good idea to listen. The Universe responds well to purposeful motivation.

My hope is that all of you make money today in a way you've never thought of before.

Let's take this opportunity to share some of our favorite words. My question for this post is: What's your favorite affirmation for manifesting prosperity? Thanks for commenting.

More Thoughts about Prosperity

Prosperity isn't all about money. To be prosperous, a person needs to be happy, healthy, and have enough money or other resources to meet their needs.

In order to be prosperous, it's good to pay attention to prosperous people. Unhappy people don't know how to be happy. Unhealthy people don't know how to be healthy. Poor people don't know how to be wealthy.

To hell with regret, there’s only learning. Everything you’ve ever done has gotten you to where you are now. Congratulate yourself for all the good things you've done. Learn from everything else.

So you’ve pissed off some people in your life. So has everybody else. If it bothers you, learn from it.

Is there emotion associated with money?

That depends on the person. Generally speaking, hell yes.

I still get emotional about money. I know it's neutral and is only a form of energy but I still beat myself up about it occasionally. I'm getting better about it, though. I started looking at money as another form of energy. That helped me to become objective about it. Energy comes in, energy goes out. Money should do the same. If money doesn’t come in, you’re likely broke and miserable. If money doesn’t go out, you’re probably an unhappy miser. Still miserable. Neither deficiency nor stagnation are balanced.

I would suggest you become very friendly with money and prosperity. Think about money as an ally. Think about prosperity like you would about a trusted friend. Invite it in, offer it a beer or a cup of herbal tea. Have a good, long conversation with it and get to know it better. Like all good buddies, in the long run, you'll be glad you got to know them.

The question to you, dear readers, is, "How would you describe your relationship to prosperity?"

Zen Prosperity

It’s better to be a good person with wealth than a good person that’s broke. Being broke doesn’t help anybody. To be blunt, being broke pretty much sucks.

As for saving the world, I’ll work with the wonderful wisdom of Mohandas Gandhi. I’ll be the change I wish to see in the world. I take action steps every day to improve my wealth. To clarify, wealth to me includes money, friends, happiness, and health. All the stuff that makes the life experience more enjoyable. Money all by itself is only a piece of the total package. As in all things, it's about balance.

Positive affirmations and other power-of-positive-thinking techniques work to keep me inspired. I am aware, however, that without taking action steps, all the positive affirmations in the world won’t help.

Every day I ask myself: What can I do today to best accomplish my goals? Then I listen and take my own advice.

Taking responsibility for your own well-being is the best thing you can do for yourself.

The question for you today is: What are your feelings about the quote, "Be the change you wish to see in the world."

My thoughts on Honesty

I have long been a believer in the virtue of Honesty. Honesty is a fundamental. The importance of being honest with yourself and being true to your own nature is paramount. I can't imagine living my life knowing that I was doing anything else. If you can't be honest with yourself, how could you expect anyone to believe anything you say?

I don't remember the last time I openly told a lie. I do remember the feeling I had when I was caught doing it. It was not pleasant. Even if I bought into the concept of blaming others for my own actions, I wouldn't have been able to. Nope, it was all on me. The person I had lied to knew it and I could feel their respect for me swirling down the drain. Yeah. Not the kind of thing that gives you warm fuzzies. Lying is a quick way to lose a friend. Being honest is a good way to gain one.

Be honest with yourself. Be honest with others. You will genuinely be a better person for it.

The question today is: How would you describe your relationship with honesty?

Zen and Prayer

Let me start by saying that I don't follow any religion. My spirituality is based solely on what life has taught me through the course of moving through the world.

My way of believing is flavored with Taoism, Native American Spirituality, and Buddhism. As contrary as it sounds, I even have a healthy dose of atheism. Heck, that doesn't even make sense. It's true, though. I'll dive into that mindpool at a later time.

I believe in Natural Law. Natural Law is simply the force that guides the planets around the stars, causes seeds to grow into trees, and things to generally move toward the center of the planet. All the stuff that held true long before there were humans to think about them. For those who are confused by this, think of three of the favorite human myths: Politics, Religion, and Economics. None of these are a part of Natural Law. They're illusions cooked up to serve the chefs who invented them.

Prayer for me is having a conversation with the Universe. There is no god involved. There is no worship. There's definitely no white guy with a long beard and legions of angels flying over pearly gates. I leave all that nonsense to the Fundamentalists.

I talk to something, that's for sure. It's kinda like talking to a friend who happens to be all things at all times. Every speck of dirt, every animal, plant, and stone that is or has ever been. That's what I talk to.

When I pray, I talk inwardly or outwardly (depending on my mood and whether or not I can get away with talking out loud without getting locked up) about what's going on in my life. If I'm having trouble with things, I'll talk about it and hope for guidance. If I'm feeling good about things, I express gratitude. Now that I think about it, I express gratitude most of the time. Part of my prayers are to give gratitude a big hug. I love you, Gratitude. You're awesome.

I reckon prayer is just having a conversation with the Universe. Checking in. Connecting with all that is. If meditation is listening to the silent whispers of the Soul, prayer is the sound that balances the silence.

Prayer is powerful. Like energy healing, it always works. It may not look like what you expect, but it always does what it should.

Thanks for reading, thanks for commenting, thanks for being.