As I indicated in a previous post, one of the things I felt strongly about during the beginning of the year was giving back by volunteering. I recently spent a half day volunteering at America’s Second Harvest of Tampa Bay and I have to say it was an eye opening experience.

For those unfamiliar with this organization, America’s Second Harvest (ASH) is a food bank that acts as a warehouse for food coming from retailers that would otherwise be disposed of. Grocery stores and other retailers of food products often end up with items that have damaged packaging which they are not normally able to sell. These dented cans and overstocked items get donated to ASH where they are sorted and stocked in a grocery store like manner for their clients. Clients of ASH include churches and soup kitchens that must meet certain requirements in order to participate. Once they become “members” of ASH, these charitable organizations are free to “shop” among whatever items are available at no charge.

During my time with ASH, I was sorting goods that came in according to the type of product it was: Canned vegetables in one box; pasta and rice in another. Items arrive in banana boxes and are sorted using the same boxes as these are the strongest boxes for their size. A pallet of goods from a specific retailer may contain any combination of items which must be sorted in order to ease the next step in the process which is stocking ASH’s shelves.

For me, the single most surprising thing I learned was regarding the staggering amount of food that would normally be thrown away. We’re not talking about a few cans. It really adds up quickly.

So I spent a half day sorting items and getting a bit dirty in the process. When I got home, I thought about how thankful I was to have a place to wash up. When I sat down to my lunch, I thought about how thankful I was to have that turkey sandwich. And as I reflected on the events of that morning, I realized that my experience of volunteering had probably done as much for me as it had for those whom I will probably never know.

As the new year kicks off and we reflect on this year’s holiday gatherings with friends and family, let’s take a moment to ponder all the food and fun we’ve shared during the last few weeks.  I personally believe that its important to receive these gifts with gratitude and that there’s no better way to demonstrate our appreciation for these gifts than to give back to our community and those less fortunate than ourselves.

With that in mind, I am planning to volunteer some time during the coming months to America’s Second Harvest of Tampa Bay and I would love to have any interested locals join me in this effort.

In case you are not familiar with America’s Second Harvest, they “are in effect, a clearinghouse that sorts the food, stores it, and efficiently matches it to [their] recipients by need. [They] act as a distributor and central supply point for donated foods.”  Because their projects include “sorting and repackaging food at [their] warehouse, assisting with special events and preparing mailings,” there are ways for individuals, families, and groups to participate.  You can learn more about them at their website.

If anyone is interested in joining me, please let me know and I will make all the necessary arrangements.

Happy New Year!

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. -Mahatma Gandhi

Those who know me personally most likely know that I am currently serving as the President of the Suncoast Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication.

The STC is a “professional association that advances the arts and sciences of technical communication. Its 20,000+ members include technical writers, editors, graphic designers, multimedia artists, Web and intranet page information designers, translators and others whose work involves making technical information understandable and available to those who need it.”

In my current role, I’ve been working to heighten the awareness of how each of us has within us the ability to impact the lives of countless others around us and in our community. To strengthen our ties to the Tampa community, I’ve proposed a community service project that’s been received with a great deal of enthusiasm by my fellow communicators.

Reach Out and Read®, the organization we have chosen to support, is a “…national non-profit organization that promotes early literacy by giving new books to children and advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud in pediatric exam rooms across the nation.” In an attempt to promote pediatric literacy, the Read Out and Read® model trains pediatricians and other clinicians in a three part effort:

1. “At every well-child check-up, doctors and nurses encourage parents to read aloud to their young children, and offer age-appropriate tips and encouragement. Parents who may have difficulty reading are encouraged to invent their own stories to go with picture books and spend time naming objects with their children.”
2. “Providers give every child between the ages of six months and five years a new, developmentally appropriate children’s book to keep.”
3. “In literacy rich waiting room environments, often with volunteer readers, parents and children learn about the pleasures and techniques of looking at books together.”

Some of the reasons we have chosen to support Reach Out and Read® include:

1. As professional communicators, we recognize that reading is one of the keys to a successful future for all children.
2. Reach Out and Read® has been consistently recognized for its excellence by Charity Navigator, having received the highest ranking awarded by that organization.
3. Reach Out and Read® was awarded the Independent Charities Seal of Excellence by the Independent Charities of America.
4. The Reach Out and Read® model provides a very concrete method for directly impacting the lives of the children in the Tampa area both in an immediate way as well as an ongoing basis.

Because of the final point above, our concept is to raise funds in a multi-year effort allowing us to both donate immediately as well as ultimately establish a self-sustaining fund from which donations will be made on an ongoing basis.

We are currently working out the details that will encompass both individual fund raising efforts as well as corporate sponsorships and I know that we will successfully see this to fruition. The seeds that we will plant in the coming months and years will touch untold lives and have far-reaching and unimaginable impacts. I am extremely excited to watch this process unfold.

Just imagine what may be possible from something that started as a simple thought.

“How can I make a difference?”

Love is the great miracle cure. Loving ourselves works miracles in our lives. -Louise Hay

I recently had the opportunity to attend the 2007 Hay House “I Can Do It” Tampa Conference. This was my first such conference but I know it definitely won’t be my last. I had an absolute blast and would recommend this to anyone interested in the topics covered by Hay House Publishing.

Over the course of three days, I attended presentations by 9 different authors covering a range of topics from an “unvarnished” version of Law of Attraction to Shamanism to Angel Therapy. The list of speakers was impressive to say the least. I was able to attend talks given by the following authors:

• Colette Baron-Reid – I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed her humor; she’s quite funny.
• Dr. Wayne W. Dyer – I love hearing Dr. Dyer speak; his PBS special that coincided with the book “The Power of Intention” was how I was first formally introduced to the concept of LOA and I’ve been a fan of his since.
• Caroline Myss – I had previously only heard her once or twice on Hay House Radio so being exposed to her material was something of a new experience for me.
• Alberto Villoldo, Ph.D. – Prior to signing up for this conference I had never even heard of him. Since he was discussing Shamanism, a recent interest of mine, and I was very familiar with Dr. Stephen Farmer’s work, who was also covering this topic, I decided to attend his talk and felt good about his message.
• Esther and Jerry Hicks – This was an amazing experience! If you are able to attend nothing else at a conference where they are, be sure to attend this one! Awesome!
• Doreen Virtue, Ph.D. – Doreen’s readings of individuals from the audience were some of the most detailed of any that I’ve heard in person.
• Christiane Northrup, M.D. – Although much of her message was targeted toward women, I still found a lot of useful information in the talk.
• Dr. Darren R. Weissman – There was much buzz at the conference about this man and his healing technique called “The Lifeline Technique”. The end of his talk included a demonstration of the technique on an audience member and after watching this technique in action, I have to say, I have no doubt that it works.
• Mehmet C. Oz, M.D. – Dr. Oz has become a regular on Oprah and makes body processes relatively easy to understand.

So, which of these great authors/speakers represents the BEST reason to attend a Hay House Conference? Frankly, none of them.

You see, the best reason to attend a conference like this is not the speaker, although they are all fantastic in their own way, but is, without a doubt, the people you will inevitably sit down next to. I had the privilege to sit down next to several wonderful people:

• Earl from the Northeastern U.S. – Earl was a retired gentleman who had made a career in agriculture that had taken him all over the world. He was politically conservative and had grown accustomed to being thought of as being “out there” by his colleagues. His sincere and genuine nature made him a pleasure to spend time with.
• The lady from Crystal River, Florida – She knew that even though where she was did not represent everything she wanted, that she was exactly where she was supposed to be. She had learned that traveling companions didn’t always have to be dropped off at the first sign of a bumpy road.
• The lady from Illinois – Trying to be true to herself, this lady was still a bit nervous about all of this as much was outside of her Midwestern comfort zone. She had bravely taken her first steps into a new perspective and was on her way to a new understanding.
• Helene from Ottawa, Canada – Helene gave me a personal reading and shared with me tidbits that were right in line with both things I’ve desired for myself and things that others have said to me. She was a wonderful lady with a true sense of her own direction in this life.
• The lady who didn’t seem like she wanted to be there – This encounter reminded me that very often we just don’t know what others are going through at any given moment and, as such, we should simply not judge them. We do not know their circumstances and should not jump to conclusions.
• Last, but far from least, Nancy from Connecticut – I met Nancy at the very first session I attended and we very quickly became friends spending much of our time between sessions chatting and sharing stories. It was very much like meeting someone I had already known for a very long time. We were instantly comfortable with each other and I have no doubt we will be friends for the remainder of our time in this existence.

It’s great to meet and hear well known speakers and authors. But ultimately, they simply provide a convenient excuse for the real reason to attend a conference like this. There’s just nothing that can beat cultivating a new friendship or “finding” one that’s been waiting for you!

Let your mind start a journey thru a strange new world. Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before. Let your soul take you where you long to be…Close your eyes let your spirit start to soar, and you’ll live as you’ve never lived before.  –Erich Fromm

As the Core Shamanism class I recently took continued to unfold, the time finally came to take our first Shamanic Journey.  This journey was to be to the Underworld which is accessed via a hole in the earth such as a natural spring, a sinkhole, or a hole created by a burrowing animal, just to mention a few possibilities.  Using the “mind’s eye,” the Underworld is accessed by entering the desired hole and journeying down through the earth.  As I stated in a previous post, the Underworld cannot be equated to the concept of Hell as their respective purposes are not in alignment.

As with our other class activities, our journey was aided by the quick but constant drumming performed by a helper, in this case our instructor, who changes the rhythm pattern at the appropriate time to call us back.  Once we chose our starting place, which was a hole we have seen in person at some point, we were ready to begin.

I chose a natural spring that I once saw in the mountains of northern Alabama just a short distance from the Tennessee border.  A hole in the earth about two feet in diameter, it brought forth some of the best tasting water I’ve ever had.  Flowing effortlessly up and out toward the stream further down the mountain, the life sustaining liquid followed its own path, with no concern for trivial matters,  as if to provide a perfect example of how I should live my life.

So, lying on the floor with our eyes covered, the drumming began.   In my mind’s eye I saw the spring and when the moment felt right, I dove in.  Almost immediately, I came out of yet another spring in the mountains but this was obviously not the same place I started.  It was a similar spring but these were different mountains! As I surveyed the area around the spring, I couldn’t help but notice what appeared to be a stone channel what was diverting the water off the mountain in a deliberate direction.  I decided to follow the channel to see where it might lead.  As I followed the water along, the channel became a Roman style aqueduct several stories tall in certain places.  I could see both the top and sides almost simultaneously and was impressed with the amount of water I could see moving along the top.  I followed the water’s flow from the mountain for a time when suddenly I found myself flying above a set of railroad tracks.

The tracks were also in the mountains and I enjoyed the way it felt to fly following the twists and turns along the path.   The gravel that comprised the top layer of the track bed was milky white next to the tops of the evergreens I could see flanking the path.  I flew for several minutes taking in the scenery as I went.  As I began to take notice of the trees, I came upon a tree that dwarfed the others.  It, like the others, was an evergreen.

The sight of this huge tree caused me to pause for a moment and notice that the Sun was setting.  From my current vantage point, I could see across the tops of the smaller trees and view the reds, oranges and yellows behind the giant evergreen.  It was beautiful.  I stayed to enjoy the scene but before too long the tree and the brilliant colors behind it morphed into a fire.  The fire popped and cracked as if trying desperately to tell me something.

It was nighttime now and the fire was particularly engrossing.  As I studied it, I became aware of the fact that I was not the only presence enjoying this beacon in the night.  Although I could not see anything at this point other than the fire, I began to hear voices and sense movements encircling my immediate area.  The voices were unfamiliar and the comments indistinguishable.  Beyond that, I knew nothing of what this meant other than my very distinct impression that the fire was ceremonial in purpose.  It was at this point the series of scenes I had been witness to thus far made the most drastic change.  Instead of a fire in the night, I now saw a male face.

I can’t say exactly what this man looked like for I could only see him from just below his eyes to the top of his forehead.  It was as if he were very close to me looking at me through an opening of some sort.  The area surrounding his face on the top and sides was pure bright white.   He looked at me as if studying me or trying to see “into” me.  Neither of us said anything.  We were just looking at each other when I heard the drum beat change signaling me it was time to return.  As I started back, I felt compelled to be thankful.  As such, while making my way back the way I came, I paused only long enough to offer my thanks at the point of each scene I had been shown.

While this was my first Shamanic Journey, I know that it’s only the beginning of many more journeys yet to come.

Be sure to stay tuned for the next installment in this series where I’ll discuss how went in search of our Power Animal and sought advice on behalf of a partner in the class!

The Choral Dance represents the organized excitement reflex of a community. The oldest form of the Choral Dance is the circle. Even the chimpanzees dance in a circle and people of every continent still do it.  –Curt Sachs, World History of the Dance

In the continuing story of the Core Shamanism class that I took, the next item on the agenda was an animal dance.

The idea here was to allow the spirit of an animal to express itself through our bodies via a circular “dance”.  We were encouraged to follow the desires of the animal.  Dance if they wanted to dance, fly if they wanted to fly.  With our eyes open only enough so as not to bump into a wall or one another, we proceeded to walk a circular path around our instructor who was providing the every steady beat of the drum.

With a clear and open mind, I walked. 

Before too long, I couldn’t help but notice a rather strange sensation in my arms.  They literally felt as though they were getting longer!  I didn’t know what to make of this at first so I just kept walking.  Very soon I noticed that I was no longer walking completely upright and that my gait was much less deliberate – more like a shuffle.  I was beginning to think that I was perhaps being visited by the spirit of a primate when my thoughts were confirmed by a growing preoccupation with my nose!

All doubts were removed when a strong sense of playfulness came over me in a flash.  My chimp wanted nothing more than to play and have loads of fun doing it!  As we continued the circle, he couldn’t resist, on a couple of occasions, the desire to walk in the opposite direction of the others just to be playful.  He darted about savoring every moment!

As the dance was nearing its end, I could feel that my chimp was getting a bit tired and may need to find a place to lounge for a bit but he made to the end of the dance with me.  After we took a moment to make some notes we reflected on and shared our experiences.  I told the group of my long arms, sideways walk, and itchy nose.  And it was at this point our instructor asked me a very pointed question.

“What can you take from this experience to apply to your life?”

For me the answer was quite obvious.  The chimp’s playfulness was outside of my often overly serious nature.  I could take this chimp’s example and get over my serious self! 

I could, and will, lighten up and have some fun!  I could, and will, enjoy life and everything it has to offer!

A shot glass of desire is greater than a pitcher of talent. -Andy Munthe

At times we’ve all been in employment situations that were less than what we wanted. Maybe it wasn’t exactly a bad situation, but it wasn’t everything you wanted either. That’s where I’ve been recently. Nothing horrible, just less than what I would really like.

So as I contemplated a job search, I purposefully decided to go about this search in a slightly different manner than those I’ve undertaken before. I was determined to go about this search keeping myself in alignment with the principles of Law of Attraction. I wanted to be grateful throughout the process and begin with the intention that I would end up exactly where I should be.

With that, I used the following five steps to attract myself a new employer:

1. I decided that I wanted more than what I had.

Basically, the contrast of my work situation gave birth to a new desire. As we all do, I wanted more than what I had. I wanted more variety to my work, increased input into not only my responsibilities but the overall work of the company, better benefits, and, of course, a higher salary. I wanted to feel like my work contributed to the overall picture and that I was the best Technical Writer that my company could have.

2. I put forth my intention to attract something new while remaining truly thankful for what I had.

Putting forth my intention (or “asking”) is, as you may know by now, something that we all do without too much difficulty. Simply wanting something is the genesis of asking or intending. Getting into a habit of being thankful can be a bit more of a challenge as it requires some effort in the beginning but does get easier with time.

So, following what has become my custom, I looked for aspects of my current employment that I enjoyed and could be thankful for. While commuting to and from work during those times when the traffic may have been less than desirable, I would offer thoughts such as, “I’m thankful for the time flexibility I’ve been given by my employer to allow for traffic congestion or the occasional personal item that needs addressing.”

3. I waited.

This is often the hardest part for those who are new to Law of Attraction. It’s easy in the beginning to get all foamy at the mouth with anticipation and excitement over what you’ve just learned (hey, I’ve been there). Then when you don’t see anything happening in the time frame you think it should, here you go, back down the emotional scale with thoughts of, “this stuff doesn’t work” or “I must be doing something wrong”, which, of course, is exactly what you get more of.

The best way I’ve found to deal with the wait is to “forget” about it. What I mean by that is I don’t go around trying to hold this thought in the front of my mind. I’ve asked and I believe that it has to come. This allows me to relax, get out of the way, and not worry about it (which is what’s often referred to as “allowing”).

4. I took action only when it “felt right”.

I believe this is the most misunderstood part of Law of Attraction. So many people seem to want to work extraordinarily hard for what LOA will bring them with very little effort. Since I believe that LOA works with extremely minimal effort on my part, I only have to wait for the “nudge” that cues me to what I should do next.

In this case, I set my intention to find a new employment situation around April. I took absolutely no action on it until one Sunday afternoon in the middle of June when a feeling came over me that directed me to take a look at an internet job board and apply for 4 positions that came up in the search. After of couple of near misses, the opening that ultimately culminated in an offer arrived in my email inbox.

5. I released any apprehension over the outcome.

This also speaks to “allowing” and has been one of the areas that’s taken me longer to truly integrate into my life. During the times I felt myself getting anxious about the outcome, I would purposefully stop for a moment, close my eyes, and release the tension. I could actually feel my muscles relax during these moments and this process allowed me to move on feeling better about where I was in the process.

So, how does my new situation compare? Well, I now have:

An extremely positive work environment
Additional responsibilities to stretch for
New skills that I’ll be developing
More paid vacation and sick time
Excellent benefits
A higher salary!

Life is the Sacred Mystery singing to itself,
dancing to its drum, telling stories, improvising, playing.
And we are all that Spirit,
our stories tell but one cosmic story that we are love indeed, that perfect love in me seeks the love in you
and if our eyes could ever meet without fear
we would recognize each other and rejoice,
for love is life believing in itself. -Except From Manitongquat’s Prayer

The shaman can reach the altered state of consciousness necessary to perform his or her spiritual work through the use of repetitive motions or sounds such as a drum beat, the use of a shaker, or dancing, just to mention a few.  Of these methods, the drum seems to be a particularly powerful method for facilitating the shamanic journey.

During the workshop on core shamanism put on by the Foundation for Shamanic Studies that I recently attended, the use of the drum was the method of choice for learning to take our own journeys.  Following some introductory information, we began our time together by drumming (a few had shakers) in a constant rapid rhythm.  I closed my eyes and within moments I could feel my muscles relaxing.  This rhythmic repetition was, and is, quite hypnotic.  Everyone in attendance applied his or her own forcefulness to their respective implements.  I personally found I rather enjoyed putting a bit of “umph” behind each strike!  When we concluded this particular session at the end of the 10 or 15 minutes, I opened my eyes and took an inventory of how I felt.  Basically, it was a bit like having had a “power nap”.  I felt refreshed and calm.

All of our journeys during the two day workshop were aided by this rhythmic drumming though it’s common that a helper does the actual drumming for the journey.  It’s very easy to understand why this approach to inducing the altered state of consciousness is so popular and widely used as it seems to not only aid in making the journey, but it’s actually quite a bit of fun.  Think about how much fun children have banging away on almost any type of surface that’s percussive in nature!  I am personally convinced that as children we have a much greater connection to the unseen and are often taught to turn away from that connection as we mature.  I further believe that reestablishing those child-like tendencies can have a significant impact on how we experience our physical existence.

I’ll continue discussing the activities of our workshop in future posts so stay tuned.  The “Animal Dance” is up next!

Get over the idea that only children should spend their time in study.  Be a student so long as you still have something to learn, and this will mean all your life.  ~Henry L. Doherty 

Here’s some info on an LOA workshop for those of you in the Tampa area:

You’ve seen The Secret - Come and join us to practice utilizing The Law of Attraction to master your life in a weekend workshop with Darlene Williams, Ph.D. and Chris Hrabovsky, C.Ht. This workshop is led by licensed, certified healing arts professionals, and incorporates many different teachers and approaches to mastering the concepts.

Delle Donne Naturals
2822 E. Bearss Ave.
Tampa, 33613 (813) 903-WELL

Saturday, September 15th from 12:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 16th from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Healthy, organic snacks will be provided and there are several restaurants in the plaza.

You may also feel free to bring your own lunch and/or dinner to enjoy during our meal breaks. Please wear comfortable clothing, and bring a bottle of water, journal, and pen.

You will leave with the skills and experience necessary to master the Law of Attraction and instantly begin to transform your life!

About the Co-Facilitators:

Darlene Williams, Ph.D., is a Licensed Psychologist practicing Clinical and Forensic Psychology. She has been counseling others for twenty-one years. In the Forensic field she has published journal articles, and has recently published a book chapter. Dr. Williams’ areas of specialty include trauma recovery, group therapy, marriage and family treatment, and relaxation therapy. Dr. Williams is certified in Hypnotherapy, as well as Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy.

Chris Hrabovsky, C.Ht., is a certified Hypnotist, who incorporates Qi Gong, Brain Gym™, Emotional Freedom Technique, Conscious Language, and Kundalini Yoga as well as hypnosis to empower and energize retreat and workshop participants. Chris is a member of the National Guild of Hypnotists. He teaches individuals how to heal themselves with simple techniques they can use independently to successfully transform their lives.

CALL BRITTNI AT (813) 766-2960 for more information on the workshop and to register. A free copy of the book, The Power of the Subconscious Mind, by Drs. J. Murphy and I. McMairin is included.

The slenderest knowledge that may be obtained of the highest things is more desirable than the most certain knowledge obtained of lesser things. - Thomas Aquinas

I recently attended a basic shamanism workshop put on by the Foundation for Shamanic Studies.  The course was designed to impart the knowledge needed to take the “shamanic journey” that’s often associated with healing among indigenous cultures all over the world.  I plan to make several posts detailing my experiences in the workshop but it seems appropriate to begin with a few definitions and some background information regarding shamanism. 

First of all, let’s address a few definitions and some basic concepts.

• An internet search of the term shaman seems to indicate that the term was “…derived from the Tungas language of Siberia, it is a generic term for healers and spiritual leaders in tribal societies. Traditional shamans induced trance states through drums, dancing, ingesting hallucinogens, self-mutilation and deprivation and virtually any means by which one might achieve an altered state of consciousness. While in such a trance, the shaman crosses over into another world to get information for his people such as the cause of illnesses and other misfortunes. The shaman is the peoples’ link to the spirit world.”
• Considering the preceding definition, the concept of shamanism can be considered the practice of the shaman as he or she carries out the work brought to them by the tribe.
• The shamanic journey is the activity which takes place while the shaman is in an altered state of consciousness
• The shaman will journey to one of three spirit worlds depending on the work or information the shaman is seeking.
  • The Lower World is where a shaman will go to meet power animals or other spirit guides.  The Lower World is accessed via a hole in the earth such as a hole created by a burrowing animal or a natural hole like a spring or cave.  It’s important to note that the shamanic Lower World cannot be equated to the concept of Hell as eternal damnation is not the purpose of the Lower World.
  • The Middle World is the world that is most like what we know as the physical world.  This world is accessed by the shaman for the purposes of obtaining information needed in our physical existence, like the location of lost items.
  • The Upper World is where a shaman will travel to meet teachers and other helping spirits.  The Upper World is accessed via an upward movement such as a stairway, escalator, or elevator.  During the upward journey a barrier, like clouds, is usually encountered and must be passed through to enter the Upper World.  Additionally, just as the Lower World cannot be equated to Hell, the Upper World cannot be viewed as Heaven.  The concepts of Heaven and Hell belong to modern religion and are not part of the shamanic traditions.

Moving on to the workshop, I was, first of all, quite surprised at the size and makeup of the class.  I had been expecting a small handful of mature gentlemen with more grey hair on their faces than on top of their heads.  I was shocked to find that of the 20 individuals in attendance, I was the one with the least amount of hair!  Further, both genders were adequately represented and the ages ranged from 22 on up.  This was a very diverse and interesting group covering occupations from computer programmer to teacher.

The weekend workshop was an absolute blast and when all was said and done we experienced several wondrous shamanic journeys.  Stay tuned for the continuing story of how this workshop unfolded in future posts.