ISEE Blog

Developing Inner Mastery

You are invited to attend The Inner Mastery Intensive -- the crown jewel of the ISEE programs!  If you want to rapidly accelerate your spiritual and personal growth and create remarkable breakthroughs in your life, this program is for you! Now in our 6th year!!!

Become Radiant and Manifest the Life You Want!
 
Inner Mastery is the ability to raise your frequency (consciousness) to your highest possible level and maintain it there. Can you imagine what your life will be like when you have achieved Inner Mastery?!!!

Through this intensive four-month program you will increase the frequency of your energy body exponentially and dramatically raise your consciousness. As a result, you will become a powerful magnet for manifesting the life you want!

Graduates say that this is one of the most powerful and valuable programs that they have ever attended! Read the Testimonials here!  Register now!

How You Will Benefit

In the Inner Mastery Intensive program you will learn how to:

• Raise your Consciousness by perfecting your Energy Body
• Open your heart and love unconditionally
• Increase your access to your Inner Guidance
• Transform limiting thoughts and beliefs
• Enhance your Intuition and psychic abilities
• Use subtle energy to heal and manifest
• Communicate with nature
• Travel in the Astral Realm
• Use the Quantum Clearing System (QCS) for clearing energy patterns and healing
• And much, much, more! Click here for the full curriculum

Come join us in a safe and supportive environment for this extraordinary experience!

About The Program

Spring 2010 Program Dates:

Weekend 1 -- April 9-11 -- Fri. 7-10 (conf call), Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-6
Weekend 2 -- May 14-16 -- Fri. 7-10 (conf call), Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-6
Weekend 3 -- June 4-6-- Fri. 7-10, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-6
Weekend 4 -- July 16-18 -- Fri. 7-10, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-6

Trainer: Mark Youngblood
Fees: $1,600 (Payable in 4 installments) Additional financing arrangements and Hardship Scholarships are available

Registration and contact info:
Email: info@ISEEGlobal.com
Phone: 817-430-4640
Download Registration form: Registration
Payment Methods: Cash, Check, Visa, Mastercard

 Ask about our unconditional money back policy

For directions to the Dallas location, visit our website at http://www.iseeglobal.com/isee_programs/program-locations.html

About Your Guide

Mark Youngblood

Mark is a leading expert on Energy Work and a successful author, public speaker, and executive and life coach. Mark is the founder of the Institute of Subtle Energy Education (ISEE Global) and has developed and delivers a wide range of transformational programs. Mark has been exploring spiritual and mystical traditions for over twenty-five years and is certified in many transformational and healing modalities. Mark's teaching is informed by highly developed intuition and guidance from Higher-Mind, and his style is gentle, loving, and laced with humor. His motto is to make learning "Fun, Fast, and Easy!"

For more, please visit: www.ISEEGlobal.com.

Imagine living an authentic, loving life that is guided at every point by Higher-Mind! Register now and transform your life! 

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and Other Mantras...

You may recall from your childhood days the silly song from the movie Mary Poppins called "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious." The basis of the song is that saying this word can have all these amazing positive effects on your life.

Lyrics | Mary Poppins - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious lyrics

Well, I tried it and it didn't work for me. However, the Disney folks were onto something.

Keeping your energetic frequency (consciousness) high is essential for being able to to operate from your Higher Mind and live at your peak potential. One way to do that is to focus on words or concepts that raise your energy frequency. 

You may know the mantra "om mani padme hum"; these and similar mantras can be very beneficial. However, simply repeating a high frequency word in your mind can also lift your consciousness and raise your frequency. Here are some ideas: Om, God, Jesus, Love, Shalom, Peace, Krishna, Ram, Allahu Akbar, Christ, Buddha. And there are many, many more.

In the ISEE Global programs, we recommend the Soul Mantram which goes like this:

I am the Soul,

I am the Light Divine,

I am Love,

I am Will

I am Fixed Design.

(The reference to "fixed design" simply means that you have a life plan and a soul purpose for this lifetime).

Say this mantra periodically throughout the day, and especially when you find yourself hooked by your ego, and you will find it much easier to stay in a high state of mind.

And of course, you are welcome to give Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious a try too!

Can It Be That Easy?

Many people are seeking personal and spiritual growth these days, and there are almost countless pathways that one might choose. It can be bewildering, all these choices. And many of them can be quite complex.

Well there's one thing you can do that will have an enormous impact on your conscientiousness and will accelerate your spiritual growth. And the best thing about it is that it requires very little time and effort!

Here it is: Express Gratitude and Appreciation.

This practice makes use of a powerful spiritual principle: "Where attention goes, energy flows." Said another way, whatever you put your attention on will be expanded in your experience - you will get more of it. You may recognize this as an aspect of the Law of Attraction.

What are you putting your attention on? If you are like most people, you obsess on your worries and anxieties. Your fears about money, your judgments about yourself and others, your dissatisfaction with your life as it is -- these get the bulk of your attention. And as a result, your life is filled with those things you don't want.

What if you focused instead on the things you like about your life, about the things you are grateful for, even very small things?

All day long, every single day, you can notice the millions of small miracles and graces that bless your life. As you put you focus on these, and feel the warmth of gratitude in your heart, it will lift your energetic frequency, thus raising your consciousness. You will be "magnetically" charged to attract more of these blessings into your life. Over time you will create a powerful "virtuous circle" of positive reinforcement that will benefit every aspect of your experience.

Before you get to breakfast, here's examples of the kind of things you can be grateful for:

- I'm glad I am alive to take this breath

- Thank you for the awareness of myself as a spiritual being, the gentle touch of my soul's guidance against my awareness, and the blessings of the spiritual guides and angels that support me

- I love the feel of these sheets against my skin

- I'm grateful to have a comfortable bed to sleep in and a roof over my head

- I'm grateful to have the health to get up and walk

- What a delight to be able to brush my teeth and feel my breath clean and clear

- The hot water on my sore muscles in the shower is such a blessing

- The soap on my skin is a sensual delight

- I am grateful for the lovely scent of my shampoo and the way my scalp and hair feel fresh and tingly after they have been cleaned

- ... well you get the jist. Won't you try it for yourself today?

And of course it is OK to notice the big blessings in your life too!

Energy Hygiene Training 2/10 2-4pm $45

Protect, Clean and Clear Your Energy!
 
Are you sensitive to other people's negative energy, emotions, or energy vampires? Does going to the mall and other crowded places leave you feeling frazzled, exhausted, or trained? If so, you are likely an Energy  Empath, and this training is designed specifically for you!

You perform personal hygiene every day for your physical body... but what about your energy body? You can feel energized and sparkling everyday using a few simple Energy Hygiene techniques!

Download and take our free Energy Empath self-assessment and get our brochure at www.iseeglobal.com/energy_empath_program/.

Energy Hygiene for Energy Empath Training is an amazing 2-hour program that teaches you how to sense, clean, clear, and protect your subtle energy field. This is a fun and eye-opening experience where you will learn fast and simple but powerful techniques for caring for your energy field that will leave you amazed at how much better you feel! This is must have training for everyone from 10-100 years of age!

Register now!

For more information, including the full curriculum, visit our website.

How You Will Benefit

In the Energy Hygiene program, you will:

• Protect yourself from energy vampires and negative energy
• Eliminate most physical symptoms that result from running other people's energy
• Learn to shield yourself in crowded places like malls and parties so you can hang around and enjoy yourself!
• Cleanse "dirty" energy from your energy field and feel better immediately
• Learn to distinguish what emotions are "yours" from what's "theirs"and block other's emotions from affecting you
• Clear yourself of negative emotions that you pick up from others
• Improve your psychic ability to sense subtle energy

We have refined our training for over five years to be able to bring you these powerful experiences in a positive, participative, and fun manner. Come join us in a safe and supportive environment for this extraordinary experience!

About The Program

Dates: 10/28/09
Times: Sunday 2-4pm
Fees: $45 (Repeat for love offering)
      
Registration and contact info:
Email: info@ISEEGlobal.com
Phone: 817-430-4640
Download Registration form: Registration
Payment Methods: Cash, Check, Visa, Mastercard

For directions to either location, visit our website at http://www.iseeglobal.com/isee_programs/program-locations.html

Financing arrangements and Hardship Scholarships are available
 
Ask about our unconditional money back policy!

Think how great it will be when you can come and go anywhere you please and never have to worry about other people's negative energy again! Register now and transform your life forever!

 
Blessings,

Mark D. Youngblood
Institute of Subtle Energy Education

The Year of the Tiger

Have you noticed that there seems to be a lot of change in the air, and that a lot of stuff that hasn't been working for a long time is finally coming to an end? Through my life coaching, I have met with many people in recent weeks who are having a lot of their old "stuff" come up and they are eager to clear it out and move on. This can look like the ending of relationships, feeling upset or depressed all the time and not knowing why, finding yourself facing challenges that you thought you had resolved, and other types of turmoil.

Well part of the reason may be traced back to the global changes that are occurring during the Chinese Year of the Tiger. Stephanie Dempsey writes about this on her blog at Tarot.com. I thought you might be interested in seeing this. Be sure to visit Stephanie's site for your own forecast for this year.

By Stephanie Dempsey

Feb. 14, 2010, marks the Chinese Year of the Metal Tiger. Swift, assured and fast, this year will bring dramatic changes all over the world. People will be motivated by honor, seeking distinction on behalf of home, family and country. Righting injustices will also be a theme, as Tigers are powerful enough to make bullies quiver in their boots. Dignity will be the watchword in 2010. People who pander to the lowest common denominator will be cast aside in favor of those who conduct themselves with grace.

According to Chinese Astrology, Tiger years are turbulent, and bring about a number of decisive elections that throw old, outmoded politicians out of power in favor of new candidates. Bold initiatives will take root in 2010, since the Metal Tiger is ready to take calculated risks. Countries that lag behind their competitors will work hard to catch up, and those at the forefront of science, technology and art will do everything in their power to stay on the cutting edge.

Bumper Sticker Wisdom

I saw this bumper sticker recently:

What if we lived by this simple axiom? It would mean that we found happiness in simple things, that we quickly forgot hurts and offenses, and showed our joy at being in the presence of people we love... every single time we saw them! It would mean that less upsets us and makes us fearful and that we spend more time enjoying life and less time on guard against it. In short we will look for the positives in life more than the negatives...

So how about it?

Achieving True Intimacy in Relationships

 Many people dream of true intimacy in their relationships, of openhearted and unconditional love, and of the experience of "intimate communion", but have never experienced it and do not know how to create it. I recently had the pleasure of participating on an Internet radio conversation with my good friend Karen Floyd to discuss the subject. 

Karen and I explored how being authentic within yourself and learning to embrace the divine feminine as a woman, and the divine masculine as a man, opens the door of possibility for a passionate, intimate, loving, and ultimately fulfilling relationship. 

In addition, we examined a number of distinctions required to have loving intimate relationships with anyone, whether it is romantic or simply as friends. So we discussed what is required for intimacy and looked into elements such as authenticity, love, vulnerability, non-judgment, and others.

Even if you didn't participate in the live broadcast, you can still hear the talk by going to this link:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/powertalklive/2010/01/22/achieving-true-intimacy-in-relationships

I hope you'll take the time to sit back and enjoy this fun and enlightening conversation.

Taking Time to Hear the Music

A friend sent this to me in an email, and I can't improve on it so I am sharing it as is. Enjoy!

PERCEPTION

Something To Think About

Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule. 


4 minutes later: 

  
The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk. 

  
 6 minutes: 


 A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again. 
 

10 minutes:

A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.


45 minutes:
 
 
The musician played continuously.  Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace.  The man collected a total of $32.


1 hour:


He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

  
 No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.


 This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment aboutperception, taste and people's priorities. 

The questions raised: 

      *In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? 

      *Do we stop to appreciate it? 

      *Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

 
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: 

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made. 

How many other things are we missing?

Radio show: Achieving True Intimacy in Relationships - 1/21 8pm

You are invited to the radio show that I am doing with Karen Floyd on Achieving True Intimacy in Relationships (described below). Recapturing the "Divine Masculine" as a way of life for men is one of the most important transformations our society can make. When a man is embodying the True Masculine, and a woman is doing the same with the True/Divine Feminine, an extraordinary relationship is possible. Grounded in Spirit and sustained through open-hearted loving and authenticity, these relationships represent a sort of "intimate communion:" a celebration of Spirit made manifest through right relationship.

The 6pm refers to Pacific time zone, so for us in the central zone, it will be 8pm. Also, here is the link where you can listen on Blog talk radio or get the recording later on. Thanks!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/powertalklive/2010/01/22/achieving-true-intimacy-in-relationships#

Call-in Number: (347) 677-1156

Upcoming Show: 1/21/2010 6:00 PM    

Host Name:	karen l floyd
Show Name:	" Achieving True Intimacy in Relationships"
Length:	2 hrs
Description: h:66730 s:862184	I will be talking with Mark Youngblood about creating the relationship of your dreams. Many people dream of true intimacy in their relationships, of openhearted andunconditional love, of the experience of "intimate communion", but have never experienced it and do not know how to create it. We will explore how being authentic within yourself and learning to embrace the divine feminine as a woman, and the divine masculine as a man, opens the door of possibility for a passionate, intimate, loving, and ultimately fulfilling relationship. Mark Youngblood owns an executive coaching business and is the founder of ISEE (Institute of Subtle Energy Education) an organization devoted to educating people about themselves as subtle energy beings and how perfecting your subtle energy body is a pathway for profound Spiritual and personal growth and transformation. www.ISEEGlobal.com, Mark@ISEEGlobal.com. collapse
Category:	Self Help
Tags:	power talk live   relationships   karen floyd   Mark Youngblood   Intimacy

Are You "Up-to-Something"?

At the January ISEE monthly meeting, we were treated to an extraordinary experience. Our speakers, Dottie Gandy and Rita Bailey, explored with the group how we can take powerful steps toward manifesting our true paths, and so fulfill our dreams. 

They spent some portion of the time discussing people who are "Up-To-Something" in their lives, what their qualities are, and what they did to be able to pursue their calling. Then they asked the audience five incredibly powerful questions:

1) What is the calling you've heard more than once in your life?

2) With respect to this calling, where am you taking the easy way out?

3) What is one thing that you know if you don't do/be it, you will forever regret it?

4) If you were 10% bolder, what would you say, do, or try?

5) What is it costing you not to fulfill your calling?

Go ahead and take a moment to answer those questions for yourself, it may be life-changing! 

Many people who attended that session have expressed to me what a difference that one hour has made in their lives. When I answered those five questions for myself, I realized that even though I am moving forward on my path, I became aware how in certain ways I am going slow and playing it safe. I realized that if I stretch just 10%, that I could have a much greater impact in the world with my spiritual work through ISEE. 

I made a commitment to be bolder, and within a couple of days was contacted by an old friend who wants to be to speak about subtle energy in a series of workshops he is doing across America to retail audiences. In one stroke, I will be able to vastly increase the exposure of our work and our messages!

I want to urge you today to embrace your true path and answer Spirit's call for you to embrace your gifts and share them with the world! if you know there's something more for you in this life and want to move forward boldly and powerfully to fulfill your calling, you owe it to yourself to contact Dottie at (972)898-4072 or Rita at (214)402-9198. 

The Focus of Attention

Where we put our attention has everything to do with what we think, what we feel, and what we manifest our lives. The focus of our attention is a choice, but most of the time it just happens unconsciously. As a result, we end up thinking about what we don't want and what's not good in our lives, which may be described as "negative thinking".

In our ISEE training, we talk about thoughts as "prayers," and in every moment we are putting out to the Universe what it is we want in our lives. We can focus on what we DO want to manifest in our lives or we can focus on what we DON'T want. Either way we're going to get what we think about.

My friend, Suzanna Brown, forwarded me a link to a video by DeWitt Jones, titled " Celebrate what's right in the world!": http://www.trainingabc.com/xcart/catalog/product_16229_Celebrate_Whats_Right_With_The_World.html (click on the "Preview Full Video" button and then provide your contact info).

As an amateur photographer, I have long admired the photography that DeWitt Jones has published in the National Geographic magazine.  So you can imagine my surprise and delight when I found myself sitting next to him in a Margaret Wheatley seminar. When he introduced himself, I said "wow there's a National Geographic photographer with that name". He laughed and said, "that's me". 

We had a long conversation before the program began, and I learned that he is a very beautiful person, very evolved, and very wise. In addition to his photography, he is a popular public speaker. So when I received the link to this video, I was eager to see what DeWitt had to say. And I was not disappointed.

I had fallen into some negative thinking this morning, so the video came at a good time. I felt my heart expand and my spirit lift more and more the longer the video played. It is truly beautiful and very powerful and I recommend that you take the 22 minutes to watch the full video. And then take a few minutes and think about all the things that are right in your life... even if they're very simple things like having enough food to eat on this day or a dog that loves you.

Focus on what's right in your life and you will get more of it. That's a pretty good deal!

God Winked

Few people know that the ordinary deck of playing cards has its roots in the same mystical traditions as the Tarot Deck. When the early Christian Church was waging war on heretics and pagan religions, the keepers of the mysteries had to find creative ways to hold onto their traditions. So, they made a game out of the ancient symbols in the 52 card deck - hiding in plain sight!

You can still find books that explain how to use these cards similar to how to use the Tarot Deck. One of these books, The Little Book of Cards, links your birth date to a specific card and then provides information about your personality and life-path.

My card is the King of Hearts, which is about "being ruled by love, and being here to learn to master emotions through relationships." And most of my adult life has been about opening my heart and learning to love unconditionally, something that I have finally mastered.

And that brings us to today's story.

On my morning walk, my eye was drawn to a single playing card lying face down on the grass next to the walkway. I thought this odd as it was in the middle of nowhere and there was just the one card. I started to walk on by, but then I became curious. I have learned to notice unusual occurrences such as synchronicities - those random coincidences that seem to have deeply symbolic meaning.

I thought to myself "It couldn't be..." So I walked over and turned over the card, and there was a King of Hearts... right there on my "Path." What are the odds? I love it when God winks like that!

The Energy Fill-up Technique

What do you do when you feel worn-out, exhausted, run down, overtaxed or just plain pooped? Well next time, before reaching for a Red Bull or Starbucks, try this energy technique.

The Energy Fill-up

You have four energy bodies counting your physical body that are appropriate for this exercise. Each of these can become depleted of energy. These bodies are enfolded in one another like Chinese dolls in this order from inside to out:

Physical body

    Etheric body

        Emotional body

            Mental body

1) Visualize a beam of brilliant, sparkling, white light coming down from your higher self into the crown of your head.

2) Imagine this light filling every cell of your Physical body with revitalizing energy. Allow the light to continue to flow until the appropriate energy level has been restored, at which time it will naturally stop

3) Imagine this light filling every part of your Etheric body with revitalizing energy. Allow the energy to continue to flow until the appropriate energy level has been restored, at which time it will naturally stop

4) Imagine this light filling every part of your Emotional body with revitalizing energy. Allow the energy to continue to flow until the appropriate energy level has been restored, at which time it will naturally stop

5) Imagine this light filling every part of your Mental body with revitalizing energy. Allow the energy to continue to flow until the appropriate energy level has been restored, at which time it will naturally stop

Once you complete this process, it may take a couple of minutes to integrate and then you will begin to feel better and continue becoming more energized as time goes by. Try it!

Autumn Haiku

Golden finery,

Scattered across the cold ground,

Sweet dreams beckon her.

(c) 2009 Mark Youngblood

The Futility of Effort

Have you ever noticed how, some of the things that we want the most in our lives seem to stay just out of our reach? You may have met the ONE -- the magical person that you know will love you and make you happy for life, but who doesn't have the same feelings for you. Or you may be striving to write a book and years later you still just can't get it out. Or you may be working exhaustively to improve your marriage and it just never gets better. Or you may spend countless hours in gyms and hundreds of bland meals trying to lose that extra weight, to no avail.

In her marvelous book, The Secret Door to Success, Florence Scovel Shinn quoted the following passage:

"Flee from the things which flee from thee,
 Seek nothing, fortune seeketh thee.
 Behold his shadow on the floor!
 Behold him standing at the door!"

Shinn's message offers us a way out of the cycles of futility we get from striving. She says, if you are "trying" (exerting effort in the form of struggle) and making no progress. Stop. If the thing you want moves away from you then it is not yours to have. Your striving and efforting and attachment are guaranteed to keep it out of reach.

She goes on to say, Spirit is waiting to bring you your good. If you will simply surrender your desiring and your attachment, you will find that what is truly meant to be yours will be delivered gently and easily.

Create an intention for what you want, qualified by "this or something better." And stay out of your own way while Spirit finds a way to get it to you. What shows up may not be what you expected, but it will be perfect for you. Try it and see for yourself!

"Non-resistance is an art. When acquired, The World is Yours! So many people are trying to force situations. Your lasting good will never come through forcing personal will."

-- Florence Scovel Shinn

What Hearts Are For

I know many single, lonely people who comment to me about their desire for a relationship. They long to be in love and to share their lives with someone. And then, almost without exception, they say "but I don't want to get hurt."

So they carefully guard their hearts, keeping people out, because they want to be SURE before they commit and finally let in that TRUE LOVE who will never, ever, ever hurt them. Because if that were to happen, they would have to close their heart down again--retreat like a clam closing tightly over its precious pearl--hunkered down in the safety of their emotional armor. Because it just hurts too much.

Yes, you can hide your heart away, but that is not what hearts are for. Hearts are for LOVING, and for receiving love!

Hearts are the vehicle for real connection -- heart connection. When allowed to play openly, unsheltered, and unconditionally -- our hearts are the most powerful and amazing forces on the planet. We don't know that because it is so rare to see a heart that open.

Open hearts heal through their caring, inspire through their radiance, bring joy through their exuberance, breathe life into your creativity and your passion. And they feeeeeel! They feel all of the exquisite emotions this life has to offer. Your open heart will make you swoon with ecstasy at the colors in a sunrise, fill to overflowing at an act of kindness or the laughter of a baby,  make you weep with compassion at the plight of others, and yes, they will hurt when rejected or treated callously.

But here's the greatest secret you'll every learn -- hearts heal if you will let them. And the hurt and the healing can become just another aspect of life's bittersweet sensual melody.

Take a risk today! Open your heart and give love without expectation of return--welcome other people's love into you and embrace them completely. Savor all the exquisite delights that your emotions and sensations can bring you, and the indescribable joy of true heart connection, which doesn't have to happen with a lover, any open heart will do!

Begin to LOVE fully and completely as you were designed to do, and you will not be lonely for long!

When Illusions Die

Sweet Illusions

Long have I been sleeping,

The sleep of denial.

Waking up,

Reality's harsh light crashes in,

And my heart breaks...

Then, remembering the illusion,

My heart breaks again.

(c) 2009 Mark Youngblood

Fruit Gathering

Fruit Gathering
by Rabindranath Tagore

 

No: it is not yours to open buds into blossoms.
Shake the bud, strike it;
It is beyond your power to make it blossom.
Your touch soils it,
You tear its petals to pieces and strew them in the dust.
But no colours appear, and no perfume.
Ah! It is not for you to open the bud into a blossom.

He who can open the bud does it so simply.
He gives it a glance, and the life-sap stirs through its veins.
At his breath the flower
Spreads its wings and flutters in the wind.
Colours flush out like heart-longings,
The perfume betrays a sweet secret.
He who can open the bud does it so simply.



Collected Poems and Plays
Macmillan, Paperback edition, London, 1989

FRUIT-GATHERING
XVIII ( p.183-4)

The Father I Always Wanted to Be

(Ryan and Dad at the Cottonwood Arts Festival)

Sitting at my computer working late one night, I hear my 17 year-old son raise his voice to his mother. This is a bad time for her, being the week of the anniversary of her mother's passing. Normally she would handle this herself, but given the circumstances I decided to step in and intervene. So I went downstairs to talk with my son.

In the past, I would have been emotionally triggered by all this -- angry and resentful that he wasn't behaving and that all this was interfering with my work. Heading down the stairs, the Shadow of my father's rage-aholic style of parenting would have begun to surface... my jaw would tighten, my eyes narrow, my chest tighten, and my fists clench. With teeth grinding I would have descended the stairs with a fury... completely hooked by an ego reaction, I would be utterly unconscious in those moments. The next action would be to do exactly what I am committed to not doing -- yell at my son and make him feel terrible and angry and cause a distancing in our relationship that I would regret for days...

But not tonight.

Tonight, I am the father I always wanted to be.

Hearing the ruckus downstairs, I respond with compassion. I know immediately that my son and wife are upset and can't work through this on their own. I know my son doesn't really want to behave like this and would only do so if he was overwhelmed by something troubling him. So I go slowly down the stairs, and say in a quiet voice, "can I speak with you upstairs?"

My son enters my office and whirls on me and spits out "Are you going to lecture me now?"

"No," I say, "I'm going to give you a hug." And I do.

At first rigid and breathing heavily, he quickly relaxes and I feel his tension soften. He sits down in my easy chair, and I ask, "did you have a tough day?" And then he spends the next 10 minutes telling me about an upsetting incident at school. By now he is completely relaxed, open and settled back into himself.

So I ask him how he thinks his mother felt after he spoke with her in that rude way, and he acknowledges the negative impact. We explore what he could do to avoid this next time and how he can make amends.

And then he looks over at me and asks -- with love in his voice and in his eyes -- "Dad, do you want to go workout with me?"

And I thank God for the emotional healing I did that enabled me to be, at least for one night, the father I always wanted to be.

Talking with Trees

"We're going to talk with trees? Okaayyyyy..." one of our students said with disbelief. In the Inner Mastery program's third weekend, we have a section on shamanic practices and connection with the earth. We cap it off with a trip to a local park and spend time "talking" with nature.

Now anyone can talk with nature, but very few people believe this. The early Native Americans lived every day in communion with nature, considering the animals, the trees, the sky, the rivers to be their brothers and sisters. It's easy, really, to talk with nature. You use the same psychic senses that you use for creative visualization, or intuiting answers to questions.

However, some students are skeptical about this particular exercise, and none moreso than one woman who we'll call Betty.

Betty had decades of business success and left-brained analytical thinking under her belt, so to her, talking trees was something that only happened in the Wizard of OZ. But Betty played along, and when we got to the park, she wandered around until a particular tree caught her eye. So she ambled over to it, and when no one was watching, she asked the tree (somewhat flippantly):

"What are you doing?"

And then she heard the tree answer:

"I'm not DOING anything, I'm BEING a tree!"

Now that might have been a short conversation, but it packed a mighty wallop. Betty left the park and those words haunted her for days, until she realized that she had spent her whole life busy, busy, busy... doing, doing, doing... and almost none of it stepping back and just being. So she made a commitment right then and there to "being" and to let go of the need for "doing" all the time. That experience transformed her life.

Now did the tree really talk to her? Was that just another part of her psyche whispering to her?

Does it really matter?