Parts of Me

I have a body, but I am not my body.
I know this because sometimes my body desires or does things I don't want.
How could we be one and the same, if there's conflict? Conflict requires two separate elements to oppose each other.

I have emotions/feelings, but I am not my emotions.
I know this because sometimes my feelings do things that hurt me, and are not in my best interest.
How could we be one and the same, if there's conflict? My mom used to say, "it takes two to tango".

I have a mind, but I am not my mind.
I know this because sometimes my mind is filled with thoughts that hurt me or distract me; that are not in my best interest.
My mind tells me how separate, how different, how much better I am from other people. But my heart says it's a lie.

My body, my emotions, my mind are my closest friends. We are inseparable. Since I can feel their pain and I can't get away from them, I guess I should do my best to keep them healthy and happy, but guide them to make the best choices and take the best actions.  Sometimes that includes NON-action; like not dwelling on a painful or self-defeating thought; not letting someone else's words hurt my feelings; not exercising beyond my capacity.

My body, emotions, and mind hate me when I abuse them. I can feel it. If I yell at myself silently and say "you're so stupid," my mind says, "I'll show you ... I'll actually act stupid... so there!"  I understand it; I'd probably do the same if I were in that situation. Nowadays, I try never to say those bad things that nobody can hear me say. What a relief.

My body, emotions, and mind think that they have limits, and remind me about them all the time.  It's my job to push those limits, and show them they're more powerful than they think. One time my right arm "couldn't reach that next handhold" when I was at the rock gym.  It said "don't even try, you can't do it."  I was exhausted, but I forced myself to try anyway. I was actually able to grab that handhold! Surprise!

My body, emotions, and mind really like me when I take care of them. I can feel it. They're more cooperative when I have something new & unknown I must do. I need all 3 of them working right to be completely successful in the things I do in my life.  If they trust me and do what I ask of them, together we can accomplish anything.  I have a bigger vision than they do of what we're trying to accomplish in my life. I'm the boss, and they're still learning. I'm lucky, because they enjoy learning, most of the time.

I've been thinking about this a lot recently.

Send Physical Greeting Cards from the Web, at Last!

It's such a pain to mail someone a real greeting card - we hardly ever do it anymore.
Yet, I have to say, I love getting a personal greeting card in the mail! Don't you?

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a web site you could enter people's names and addresses,
browse through funny cards from a huge list of pictures, and type a personal message?
Then, somebody else would print it with the words in your actual handwriting, stuff it, stamp it, and mail it for you?

Well guess what - they finally did it. There's a service you can sign up with to send real greeting cards in the postal mail, all from a web site! It's called SendOutCards, and it's a lot of fun.

If you want to be able to make people smile when they get your greeting card in the mail, I recommend this site: www.paulscards.com
When you sign up for a free trial, you can send up to 3 cards including postage for no cost.
Send a card to a loved one, then send one to yourself and see how cool it is to get one in the mail.

My family's sending all our holiday cards this way next month - between my wife and I, we have over 100 people to send cards to. Unbelievably, each card is cheaper than buying grocery store cards. So it's easier, quicker, and cheaper. What's not to like?

Once you log in, you have a contact manager that stores all the names and addresses of people you send cards to. I had to type in all my friends and family this time; I won't have to next year. I also entered the birthdays I knew of - the system will notify me about their birthday a week or so before, so I can send them a card on time. This is sweet, because its so easy to forget to send birthday cards when it comes around again. I won't look like a doofus for forgetting someone's birthday ever again.

Anyway, you should check it out. SendOutCards is also a multi-level business, so you can become a distributor and make money by recruiting other people to join up. If you do it right, you can make a good income from it. But you don't have to - you can sign up for a Retail or Wholesale account (wholesale gets better pricing on cards).

The holidays are coming up fast. Check it out.

To Cure Cancer, Find the Cause of Cancer, the Origin

There is a new theory going around that I think has some merit, about the cause of cancer (the illness). Sometimes if you know the cause of something in your own life, you can find ways to deal with it or even fix it.

The theory states that the root of cancer is a highly painful emotionally charged experience that happened to the person in the past. The painful event happened, and some time later the person is suddenly diagnosed with cancer. Not every time, mind you, but apparently sometimes. For example, in the news recently there was an article about a woman whose husband was in the army and died in Iraq (or was crippled; I didn't read it fully). Some time after that, she came down with cancer, and her whole family just felt so sorry for her. If this theory is true, then it's obvious to me what "experience" the woman went through that caused her cancer!

So let's see now. If an emotional trauma is the origin of the cancer, then what could possibly cure it, or at least alleviate it? Why Emotional Freedom Techniques, of course! This is an amazing area I have been playing around with myself recently. I cured my own 40-year-old food allergies (blogged about here), and have nearly cured my Asthma now - for the first time in my entire life, I don't have to take medicine for it every day. I haven't had to take a puff of Advair for about 3 months, and I can't even remember where my Albuterol inhaler is (I used to carry it around in my pocket everywhere, in case I had an attack). I discovered that food allergies and Asthma are both emotionally rooted, not physically rooted. This is why medical doctors haven't cured them yet.

I highly doubt they're going to develop a physical medicine that can cure an emotional problem any time soon!

But when I read that emotional freedom techniques like TAT (www.tatlife.net) and EFT (www.emofree.com) can help with the emotional sides of Cancer, I thought, "oh yea, that makes sense, Cancer is such an emotional issue for the victim and their family, I can see how these exercises could relieve the emotional pain for everyone involved, while the person is treated and eventually dies." But then I read more about it. They're actually proposing that TAT and EFT could completely cure the Cancer!

Well, that bowled me over. I could hardly believe it. My wife has a friend who's bed-ridden and dying of cancer right now. Her children have been sent away to live with another family member (sister, I think?); she doesn't have much time left in this world. Had I known about this a year ago, we might have been able to help her.

I mean, think about it. How emotionally tormenting would it be to hear the news that you have cancer? Emotional shocks hurt your immune system, making the cancer even stronger. But TAT and EFT are two emotional exercise systems which might, possibly, cure Cancer?

I say, don't believe it until you see it. If you have cancer, isn't trying one-more-thing worth it? Aren't you willing to try anything to stop it? If someone close to you has cancer, wouldn't you want to recommend something that could save their life? Especially when there's no needles, no drugs, and no cost whatsoever? TAT and EFT are completely free. Go over to the web sites and download the instructions right now! I did, and I'm glad I did.

I'm currently using EFT to rid myself of some hangups I have related to calling customers on the phone and negotiating money deals. I run my own business and I am my own salesman, so it's important to get over ridiculous issues like that. EFT has improved my live tremendously, and my family has benefitted a lot from what I've done for myself with EFT.

I'm going to tell my various cancer-involved friends to try TAT or EFT. I mean, who wouldn't try it? And, if it works, let the doctors think they miraculously cured you. Maybe it will puzzle them, and inspire them to find a cure for Cancer.

Discounts on Popular Shopping Sites

To save even more money on sites like Amazon.com and Overstock.com, I found this coupon search site   http://coupons.moneyjibe.com/

There's a lot of other good info about personal finance, saving and making money at that site: http://www.moneyjibe.com/ 

Check it out.

The Real Reason Flies are Hard to Swat

The Real Reason Flies are Hard to Swat

Just read this scientific article on why flies are hard to swat:

http://www.physorg.com/news139142949.html

That's all nice and good, but they're on the wrong track. As scientists, they're analyzing the mechanics of flies and fly swatters to a microscopic degree, completely missing the basic truth about flies. The truth which, if they only realized it, would enable them to swat flies nearly every time, over and over again, with little difficulty. I know because after I figured this out I was immediately able to swat flies in my back yard without missing, at least 9 out of 10 times. And I can still do it today.

My Fly Swatting Story

About 2 summers ago we had a dog which would poop all over the back yard. Our 12 year old son had the responsibility for cleaning it up, but if mom and dad didn't keep on him about it, sometimes an entire week's worth would be out there - a field of landmines for anyone walking around the yard. What's worse, our big outdoor trash can needed to be washed out pretty badly; let's just say, that summer we had lots and lots of flies in the back yard, and it was my "duty" to swat them before visitors came over to our house.

I'd get out there with my trusty bent-up wire fly swatter, running back and forth across the porch in the heat, trying to catch those little suckers when they landed on anything. I was missing a lot, hitting maybe 1 fly for every 15 swings, and getting really frustrated. They'd taunt me, landing on my forehead or my swatter arm sometimes just to piss me off.

Then I did something funny; I went to swat a fly, I began the motion, but something happened and I didn't move my arm (I think my elbow locked or something, it happens sometimes). The swatter didn't go anywhere near the fly this time, yet - the fly immediately flew away!

I had to think about that for a while. What just happened? No part of me or the swatter went within 3 feet of the fly, yet he took off as if the swatter just landed next to him!

My Discovery

A few days later I figured it out. Flies can feel emotions that creatures around them emit, just like any other animal! Flies are just really small animals. They're tiny, so their reaction times and movement are quicker, but they still have all the basic traits of animals. Larger animals like dogs and cats can sense when you are happy, sad, angry - from many feet away - and react based on that. Flies are no different. And, if your life depended on fleeing from a huge creature that's about to kill you, wouldn't you use your senses to know when to fly away too?

The Test

During the next few days' worth of fly-swatting, I watched myself: sure enough, I could feel myself emit a pulse of emotion right at the moment of swinging the swatter at a fly. Now, it wouldn't happen if I "pretended to swing", or "tried to hit NEXT to the fly"... I couldn't psyche myself out. I had to really be trying to hit a fly, and I would feel this quick pulse of emotion coming from me right as I committed to the swing!

What if I could suppress that emotional pulse?

I practiced and practiced. Man, it was hard to control that pulse. I tried thinking of something else while swatting. I tried doing math in my head while swatting. I tried staring at the paint that needed touching up on the wall while swatting. The problem was, I wasn't looking at the fly, so I couldn't really see what I was doing. Was I was missing, was the fly still flying away before the swatter got there? Etc.

I realized I just had to make my arm be an automaton - a robot arm. My arm must move when I command it, and all other parts of me must stay calm, cool, collected. No thought. No feeling. Just 1 movement of 1 arm, and nothing else.

I practiced and practiced. Finally I was able to do it once only. With more practice I could do it about 1 out of 10 times - but every time I could feel myself doing it right, I would hit a fly!

It was tiring. It took a few days of trying, getting mad, jumping up and down on my fly swatter, and trying again the next day. Thankfully we had no end of flies at that time - I could easily swat 40 a day and still have another 40 flying around the next day. I practiced and practiced, and finally got good at it.

Now, I can do it almost every time, as long as I'm focused on "nothing" while swatting. The fly won't move, because it won't sense the danger.

Learn About You

This is one of those "I learned something about myself" experiences. I learned that a lot of things we do every day have a complex combination of elements to them that we don't see. Elements of our physical, emotional and mental selves, all mixed together. Some of the parts are lightning-fast; most of the time we don't even sense them.

Can you think certain thoughts without feeling the related emotion, without changing the features on your face? That's called a poker-face, in some circles. Can you feel an emotion without moving a muscle? Can you make a movement without requiring a burst of emotion or thought? These are good things to practice.

I learned that it's possible to move without letting my emotion give away my movement. I learned to swing my arm at a focused location without sending out a "ping" of emotion right beforehand. I had no idea it was even possible.

It's like juggling: it sounds easy until you try it; after trying it, you're convinced it's impossible; after lots of practice you can do it almost without thinking about it. Teaching myself to juggle helped me learn how to drop things on the floor without the related emotional self-abuse that was part of my family heritage growing up (but I'll save that story for another blog post).

Our Back Yard Today

We have a different dog now, and the kids are older, so their chores get done more reliably now, and I cleaned out that trash can. We don't have the fly problem anymore - I haven't seen more than 2 or 3 flies in the back yard all summer.

But hand me that swatter and back up a bit - I still can take 'em down if I need to!

I found some YouTube videos of a very wise man.
Here he speaks about what real freedom is (2 parts).
This is worth a look.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWjFsVKogr0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q3rn6RsjHk

Technorati Tags: freedom, video, real freedom

My videos - Creative Expression

One of these days I'm gonna have to improve my studio for video, and record some of the ideas I have for music videos.

I have some music I totally love playing again and again, I think I could do it justice with my own video. I set up my video camera tonite and recorded about 30 mins of video of me just goofing around to songs I like. It's fascinating to see what movements and expressions look totally cool, and what looks lame. What looks intense, and what looks poser. I want to train myself to express only the cool movements the way a dancer does. Then with a green-screen backdrop and proper lighting, I could achieve my goals.
And I do have some awesome ideas.


Songs I Think I Could Do Justice

Good Charlotte - I Just Want to Live


Linkin Park - In The End
Linkin Park - My December
Linkin Park - One Step Closer
Linkin Park - Somewhere I Belong
Alien Ant Farm - Movies
Alien Ant Farm - Attitude
Assemblage 23 - Complacent
Smashmouth - Satellite
Smashmouth - Then The Morning Comes
Smashmouth - Walking On The Sun
Stabbing Westward - Save Yourself
Stabbing Westward - So Far Away
SR71 - Fame
Garbage - Untouchable

My vocal range actually matches the lead singers of Smashmouth and Alien Ant Farm really well; I love singing songs by those guys in the car when I'm driving. However, my videos would NOT have my voice, hell no - I'm way more of a dancer than a singer. My videos would have the original song, as is, with my visuals on top of it.


Songs I Love but Could Never Sing

Sneakerpimps - Low Place Like Home
Sneakerpimps - Spin Spin Sugar
Sneakerpimps - Post-Modern Sleaze
Sneakerpimps - Roll On
Madonna - Human Nature
Madonna - Vogue
Veruca Salt - Volcano Girls
Kill Hannah - Crazy Angel
Sophie Ellis Bextor - Get Over You
Sophie Ellis Bextor - Lover
Telepopmusik - Breathe
Portishead - Glory Box
Switchblade Symphony - Dissolved Girl
Barenaked Ladies - Another Postcard
Garbage - Push It
Garbage - A Stroke Of Luck
Garbage - Fix Me Now
Garbage - Milk


Hopefully someday (soon) I'll be able to upgrade my studio to record awesome videos, and mix them the way I want to, and post them on qik or youtube. I've been wanting to do this for a long time.