Love and Money and Amercia

The other day, there was something in Austin, called the Big Sing.
A man who leads a world famous choral group in Austin, led a couple hundred
strangers through a series of songs.

He made us work, go deep, let our voices resonate, come forth,
express the fullness of life.

All this in a church with amazing acoustics.

And one of the songs was America, the beautiful.

Which, having been burned in the loving our country
disillusion in ... Vietnam, assassinations, pollution, politics, etc
etc, I didn't want to sing

And loved it when I sang,
and had this feeling like America can just break your heart,
the potential, the land, the people, the good side of our history,
and yet,
and yet...
so squandered and endangered and ...
you know,
it's a mess,
this beautiful country

God shed his grace on thee,
indeed.

we need it


and love's like that, too, sometimes
it can break your heart

and there I'm clear,
there's a way out,
a simple way:
be present
or a difficult way:
be enlightened
or an enlightening way:
learning unconditional love,
and anyway you slice it,
love's pain,
is medicine for waking up
to how to really be human


and money,
ah money,
kind of like America:
so much potential,
so squandered,

and is it possible to be kind
and loving
and conscious
and creative
and do lots of good for the planet
and participate in abundance

I think so.

What about you?

Slowing down while moving ahead

happiness is two paintings 

made by yourself 

decorating your own wall

and with two "bites" out of one 

for self made cards to friends

This is what I'm interested in my life now:
being present and in the world.

Successfully in the world.
Even outrageously successful in the world.

All at no cost to the ongoing joy bliss and power of being present.

.....

I'm creating a program that combines Anat Baniel/ Feldenkrais work
with the work of Byron Katie
with Voice Dialogue work
with Gestalt
with straight ahead being present
with meditation
with Real Health
with Lavish and Ecological Abundance

I wish to move forward, have fun,
be successful, help a huge number of people
radically improve their connections to

each other
the present
themselves
their idea of God. spirit. oneness.

which means that along the way,
my joy and goal is to be connected to

others
the present
myself
God

this is ambitious and fun

And what of the slowing down in the title of this essay?

Slowing down any time I'm not feeling and sensing myself in a pleasant
and potent place

Why:
because without slow
I can't learn
and without learning I have to keep doing
what I've been programmed to do

This is fun:
Pain = slow down
slow down = chance to learn
learning = chance to change
change could be::::: pain away
and happy potent rich life instead

it's as if slowing and learning and awaring are food,
food for the deepest sweetest part of ourselves

Good.