Got a moment to think about some “big questions?”

For example, do you believe your soul is evolving and growing in this life, so it can return another day a little bit wiser as a human, a chimpanzee or a fish? I don’t. Why should I? What I experience more deeply every day — one of the reasons I love aging so much — is how at the core of my being I am timeless. My spirit is the same today as it was last year or when I was two years old.

I do need to grow, mind you. But here’s the growth that I find is needed in my own life.

I need to grow so I can reveal more of the masterpiece that I am, the masterpiece we call love.

My take is that nothing can enhance the love that we are and nothing can diminish it and it doesn’t need more schooling, thank you. What it does need, as I say, is to be given clearer and more accurate expression in our lives.

Another thing I don’t believe is the idea that death is final. Again, why should I? Sure, my body dies. But I sense I am more than my body. I sense I’m a spiritual being, the same as you. We are boundless. We are already free. We are not bound by these limited earthly dimensions.

I learn anew each day that I am most happy, and fulfilled, when I express the love that is in me and savor this unique human life I have been given while I have the chance.

Our body is a miracle. It is unique, never to be duplicated. It is made so we can give our gift to the world. Let me love my body. Let me enjoy my life. Let me expand my boundaries and participate as fully as possible in life’s urge to expand and create and make all things new. Let me savor the magic of little moments. My visits to the gym, my walks with my wife, chatting with the server at the coffee shop.

Above all, let me never forget the timeless truth at the core of us all that has power to set every one of us free.

I send my love and I’d love to hear from you. If you enjoyed this post, please consider sharing it with a friend.

Photo credit:by @Doug88888

Life’s big questions is a post from: The Happy Seeker - Living with grace at any age

I wish for you what I wish for myself. That as long as I am here in this particular body — a body that will be 80 next May, I remind myself occasionally with wild disbelief — I share my wisdom and my gift as fully as I can.

Sometimes, as we get older — and who among us is not getting older — a feeling of meaninglessness or despair may grab us and shake us by the neck.

What am I doing here? What’s the point of it all? Will I feel my life was really worthwhile when I die?

And this is okay. It’s okay that these feelings come up. In fact it’s probably good for us, regardless of our age, to feel confused at times, unsure of our purpose or where our passion lies. It gives us a chance to penetrate deeper into what IS our mission and our destiny.

Recently, as I’ve been doing this questioning, a light has come on in my mind. I’m here to teach. I’m here to share the wisdom I have learned through the vicissitudes and joys of my life – the wisdom that flows fresh and pristine from our heart as we learn to listen. I am here to share the love that is in my heart.

Some objections have come up in my mind as I think of myself as a teacher. And since these objections, or variations on them, may arise in your experience also, I will touch on them here.

 1. I couldn’t be a teacher, I’m too ordinary.

 Yes, I am ordinary. No one could be more ordinary than me. And yet paradoxically the vision of beauty, truth and possibility that I carry in my heart — that has been with me since I was born — just as it has been with you – is not ordinary.

We all can be a teacher, and we all are a teacher, regardless of our age. But what I see is the possibility and the need to let our message be made vulnerable and pure like the flower at the beginning of this post, yet sharpened like a beautiful sword of old. That we may share together in letting the experience of true freedom be enhanced in ourselves and in others. 

2. I’m too busy trying to survive, I don’t have time for something new.

The whole world is trying hard to survive, but we live in an extraordinary time. Not only is conflict and despair accelerating — so is integrity, courage and compassion. Do you feel you have more to offer in life than you have thus far been able to offer? Are you experiencing a new sense of possibility in your life? Do you long to create greater well-being and abundance? I would love to hear from you.

If you enjoyed this article, please share it with a friend.  Blessings and be well.

Photo credit: Bahman Farzad

We can all be a teacher at any age is a post from: The Happy Seeker - Living with grace at any age

This is an interview with Tess Marshall of  The Bold Life, a juicy mix of spirituality, inspiration and personal development. Tess has just launched a new ecourse entitled: “Take This Fear and Shove It: Be Bold, Play Big, Shine Bright.” She likes to think of herself as a speaker, author, and “fear-shattering, calculated risk taker obsessed with being bold”.

Chris: This is an outstanding course, Tess. Absolutely beautiful. Could you tell me, please, what inspired you to create this course and what you hope it will achieve?

Tess: Thanks! I’m happy that you found “Take This Fear and Shove It” helpful. That’s a big compliment coming from a wise person like you.

Too many people today are paralyzed by fear. We are bombarded with negative media. Feeling anxious and fearful of the future has become the norm. I’m often asked, “How do you do what you do?” My ecourse provides the answers to that question. The purpose of the course is to give others the tools and techniques to dissolve their fears and live a bold life.

Chris: Could you share a little bit of personal background with my readers? Where were you born, who were your parents? What were your ambitions and challenges when you were young?

Tess: I was born in Michigan on an 88 acre produce farm. My mom had a 6th grade education and my father went through 8th grade. I have nine siblings.

The biggest challenge when we were young was the work that was expected of us. As young as five years old we were either working in the fields or selling produce at the Farmers Market, sometimes seven days a week. My ambition was to leave the farm when I graduated high school!

Chris: Your brave, generous spirit is an inspiration to me and many. Why are you so passionate about this theme of courage? Has it always been such a critical issue for you?

Tess: Yes it has always been critical. At the Farmer’s Market, my siblings and I were told the trucks better be empty at the end of the day. Without adult supervision we talked complete strangers into buying produce for eight hours straight…it took courage. We were successful.

I got married when I was 17. I was mom to four little girls by the time I was 22. It took courage to stick it out, go back to school, and start a business while raising them. I was only 38 when all four girls were in college. My life has been on easy street ever since;)

Chris: You explain in your course how fear is a story we tell ourselves and how we can learn to change our story and take action in spite of our fear. Is there a story from your own life that illustrates these essential principles?

Tess: Yes, when the twins began kindergarten, I decided to go to college part-time and get my bachelors degree. I was terrified. I didn’t think I was smart enough. Work on the farm was more important than studying. Consequently our grades suffered.

A family friend convinced me I could do it. The first two classes I took were How to Study and Speed Reading. I changed my story in order to succeed.

Chris: You speak of greatness and how fear is the only thing that keeps us from experiencing our greatness. Could you enlarge on this please?

Tess: We hold ourselves back by letting our fears decide for us. We can do great things despite our fear. We have a responsibility to use our talents and gifts. Fear is a cop-out! Greatness lies on the other side.

Chris: When you look out at our world, how well are we doing, as humans, in dealing with our fear?

Tess: I think we are doing very well. Getting to know others from all over the world through blogging has taught me this. I think the world is rapidly changing for the better. It appears to be scary and messy but transition always is.

The best part is we all get to have a hand in creating the changes we want to see!

Chris: Could you share one or two examples of “the bold life” in action that particularly inspire you?

Tess: Well let’s begin with you Christopher! I think technology is difficult for me but you’ll be 80 in May and you have created a successful blog in order to share your wisdom. I would call that a big bold life!

I’m also inspired by the young people who work and live on their own terms these days, often traveling the world with a laptop in their backpack. I think I live vicariously through many of them. It wasn’t an option when I was young. I do love reading their stories.

Chris: When you look at your life are you surprised at the direction it has taken? Is there anything that you would change if you had the chance?

Tess: I wanted to make marriage work. Check. I wanted to work as a therapist in private practice. Check. I wanted to move out of Michigan and its dreary, cold, and snowy weather. Check. I want to be a successful blogger. Check?!?

Sometimes I wish I would have been more careful with money. When the girls were growing up we took trips, paid for part of their college tuition, and had a lot of fun. When I look at it that way my memories are worth every thing we spent. So I can’t say I’d do it differently.

Chris: Thank you so much for your input Tess. Your course will be a real boon to many people and I wish you a ton of success. Any last thoughts to share?

Tess: In order to live a bold life you have to be willing to do what it takes. In Arizona my psychology license isn’t valid. In fact I would have to get a new degree here! My dream was more important than my work. We moved anyway.

I will leave everyone with one question: “What do you know you need to do that you are unwilling or unable to do?” My ecourse will help you get to the other side of your fear.

Please click here for more information about Tess Marshall’s new ecourse.

Secrets of fearless living from my friend Tess is a post from: The Happy Seeker - Living with grace at any age

JoAnn and I visited Mexico for the first time last week, and what a wonderful, magical visit it was. We stayed at the Dreams Resort and Spa just south of Puerto Vallarta, which incidentally, we highly recommend.

Three highlights for me were these. First, the warm, hospitable nature of the people. It was a real pleasure to relate to them — and their dignified spirit.

Second, I must mention Igor the iguana. I don’t know if that is his real name, mind you, but it seems as suitable a name as any. JoAnn and I were having lunch in a little outdoor restaurant overlooking the sea at Dreams when a lady stood up at a nearby table and began to walk toward us. She was saying something to us while at the same time pointing downward toward our feet.

Perhaps she wanted to warn us in case we would be startled. In any case, we looked down, puzzled — and there was Igor motionless on the deck about 6 inches from our feet staring up at us with beady little eyes. He was the first iguana I had ever seen. I’d guess he was nearly 2 feet long from head to tail.

We had been completely unaware of the creature’s presence. Cameras were clicking at surrounding tables as I stared in utter fascination at this visitor from another planet. I have to admit that the world seemed to stand still as my mind processed this extraordinary sight.

Igor stayed with us for quite a while, perfectly still and content — head turning a little from side to side once in awhile –so we could get to know him (or her) a bit better. 

Then a dream came true when I finally saw a humpback whale and its baby up close in the warm ocean waters of Banderas Bay. We followed at a respectful distance in a 50 foot sailboat for more than an hour.

What magic to watch the two whales, one large, one small, as they swam peacefully through the ocean. How graceful they were, underwater for awhile, then coming to the surface in a graceful arc every few minutes to breathe the same air we were breathing before plunging back beneath the depths. A couple of times the baby leaped out of the sea like a happy child.

I was able to sit next to Manuel, the captain, as he steered the boat, and share with him and others  in the excitement of watching for whales. It was an especial pleasure to meet Brian, a young member of the crew from Minnesota who has made a new life for himself in Puerto Vallarta, learning to speak fluent Spanish, marrying a local girl, and raising a family. The obvious friendship between him and the rest of the crew was a pleasure to behold. 

We are very thankful for our visit to Mexico, and the opportunity to meet people and creatures of a different culture who share the same elemental connection with life and truth that we all share.

I send you greetings and love and as always, would love to hear from you anytime about anything. Be well.

Photo credit: Aaronaeus photographicus

Lots of surprises in Mexico is a post from: The Happy Seeker - Living with grace at any age

Sometimes I see books promising a happy, abundant life that seem kind of complicated to me. As we move into 2012 I offer a recipe for a happy life that is simple and straightforward — but which I guarantee works. I know it works because I’ve proven it in my own life, and I’ve seen its results in the lives of countless other people over the ages.

Just two ingredients — courage and compassion

There are only two ingredients for this recipe I’m going to share with you today, and they are courage and compassion. But don’t be fooled into thinking that this recipe is too simple to be any good. It actually requires considerable skill and attention to do it properly.

For example, it is important to make sure that you apply these two ingredients of courage and compassion in precisely the right proportion according to the need of the moment. One circumstance may be so gut-wrenching that it demands an immediate expression of courage on our part. Nothing else will do.

But then, as we all know, another moment may come along that doesn’t especially call for courage. It calls for a change of heart so that we can see another person’s point of view in a difficult situation. Or feel the pain of another person, or of nature — or our own pain – and act with new understanding and love.

 Personally, I think one of the hardest things in life is to be truly kind to ourselves. Let me remember the gift of compassion given freely to each of us at our birth, and if I am pushing myself too hard — as perhaps I am beginning to do right now — let me realize that and offer kindness and compassion into the situation so that balance is restored in my experience.

I have learned in nearly 80 years that these two virtues of courage and compassion are one. They are always together. They are the core of true character and we separate them — or attempt to separate them — at our peril. “A house divided cannot stand,” it was said long ago, and the words are as true today as they ever were.

I wish you success and joy as you meet the challenges and opportunities of the year to come. One of my own hopes or goals for 2012, by the way, is to get to know you better. What a pleasure this will be. Surely whoever we are, and wherever we live, we are all in this together.

PS JoAnn and I will be traveling south to the balmy (I hope) shores of Mexico for a few days this weekend. I will publish a new post after we return. Please know I love you and care for you and am delighted to hear from you anytime about anything.

If you enjoyed this post please share it with a friend.

Photo credit randomguru

How to make your life soar is a post from: The Happy Seeker - Living with grace at any age