Equinox Magic

Fall has arrived with the days after the equinox cooling from 105 to the 80’s. The Golden Gate fog is the gray background, foreground of water and sky as a beech tree begins, like us, to change to our fall wardrobe.

Sitting on the deck, I harvest this first fall week as the planet 'up rights' itself into the plumb erect posture the Pilates teachers preach and the cycle of precious light continues to defuses for an entire season. The sun bows away and we accelerate an inner harvest of work and gratitude toward source.

(Source-when I am present without demands or expectations, or beliefs, my attention is free and unlimited even by ‘I am’ Gary, just-a-guy.

For One’s lifelong work is to trust thy self, the Source.)

And the ever-present story of whenever two or more are gathered in my name continues.

Chang Tzu, long dead Taoist, tells the story of a master craftsman who made beautiful things of wood. They were so exquisite the King demanded to know the secret of his art.

“Your Highness,” said the carpenter, “there is no secret; but there’s something. This is how I begin.:


“When I am about to make a table, I first collect my energies and bring my mind to absolute quietness.(Source)

“I become oblivious of any reward to be gained or any fame to be acquired. When I am free from the influences of all such outer considerations, I can listen to the inner voice, which tells me clearly what I have to do.

“When my skill is thus concentrated, I take up my ax; I make sure that it is perfectly sharp, that it fits my hand and swings with my arm. Then I enter the forest.


“I look for the right tree; the tree that is waiting to become my table. And when I find it, I ask:

“What have I for you, and what have you for me?”


“Then I cut down the tree and set to work.”

“I remember how my master taught me to bring my skill and my thought into relation with the natural qualities of the wood.”


The King said, “When the table is finished, it has a magical effect on me; I cannot treat it as I would any other table.“What is the nature of the magic?”

“Your Majesty,”said the carpenter, “what you call magic only comes from what I have already told you.”

Namaste
gary

Want to be somebody? Or just want to be?

To be or not to be, that IS THE QUESTION.
To form an identity
or OR OR
Free yourself from labels, tags or limits.
Become a verb. An action, preferably a virtue
Patience
Compassion
Enthusiasm
Love
Integrity
And support others to become a virtue.

There is a school of New Age programs, some maybe cults, that have the tools to disassemble your EGO, and replace those 3 EGO beliefs:

1. I have to be right
2. I can't make a mistake
3. I already know that

Replace with personal beliefs in virtue.

Ego less Human Beings WILL create affirmations of the highest thought.

Affirmation, created in supportive groups, not all are cults, promote world peace, enlightenment, prosperity, wisdom, interconnection with all beings, satori, unconditional love, oneness, freedom and much more.

Yes, I have experienced being without an identity, and creating goals, aims, and beliefs of all the above virtues or states.

BUT, I like me!

The cleaned up, ego free, version of me that goes for the highest thought.

That knows gary makes a difference.

The garythat builds a karmic bank account of compassion, patience, love, enthusiasm and integrity.

An identity that shows up and shares the experiences, exercises, and excitement to be, alive, alert and comfortable paying attention, it is my best investment in the future.

To be or not to be, a question I ask each moment I remember to remember to remember.

Namaste

gary

avatar

Paying Attention to Exercise

Doing what ever needs to be done.

Doing what you can do.

Where haven’t I been Paying Attention Lately or where is somewhere new to increase my attention payments?

I been having arthritic/gout attacks. My movement becomes restricted, my energy constricted, my attitude patiently simmers.

I may still functioning under a younger set of phyical rules, the can and can’t do lists.

So now my future is going into the loss column as days pass with less than favorable physicality.

I an unable to remodel on the house, Golf is impossible. Gardening attributed to some of the current relapse. Aerobics attributed to rest of the injury.

It ‘s all about my attention.

Creating a primary belief that is fully functional, mobile, pleasurable and pain free, is possible. All things are possible.

What stands in the way?
Where are the “Yea, Buts?”
“The PT said”….
“The Rheumetoligst said”…..

Exercise

Oh yea, get out the book and Pay Attention to whatever needs to be done.

Be here now or else!

Exercise in a new way.

Back to School

Summers vacation ends, time to get back to school clothes, sign up for class and put away the swim trunks.
Oh boy, new clothes. What outfit for the first day?
Who am I excited to see on the first day?
What do I have to share about summer vacation?

What classes? I want to take Beginning Spanish, Esoteric History, Writing: Blog to Novel, Wood Shop, Green Ecology, Philosophy, Advanced Business Marketing and for PE-Bowling or Jazzercise.

Or maybe:

Drama, Basic I-Pod, Economics: The Millionaire Mind, Wine Tasting 102, Speech 401, PE-Tap dance.

Or:

The Music Classics-Surrealist Pillow to It’s a Beautiful Day, Self Esteem 402-‘I’m Okay, You’re Interesting’, Philosophy 401-‘Alternate Viewpoints’, Home EC ‘Couples Cooking-’ Try it you’ll like it’, The One sentence book, PE-JFK fitness class circa1962.

And for shopping

I love the sleeveless preppy sweater with the green & gold checks, Khakis pants, elbow patches put on my corduroy coat, and two-tone saddles shoes with super insoles standard preppy Gary.

Back to school implies I had a vacation, I have a desire to learn, a rekindling of school spirit, new friends, and a new routine. It’s not an initiation, transformation, epiphany or synchronicity, but an opportunity to learn and study. There is new info blending with the old, clarifying old info, and the magic processional effect of experiences unimagined.

It's time for new experiences leading to new learning and new being.
Traditional schools systems require a great deal of imagination and considerable fortitude to create the kinds of classes I wish.

What about my learning about ‘likes & dislikes’?
" " my fear of being late for class?
" " being stupid & wrong?
" " the ‘whatever’ apathy?
Who cares about this anyway?
What good is calculus?
The pragmatic how can I use this? WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?
What about all the many excuses and blaming of not learning.
What I want is learning to learn for learning sake.

There is the learning as an escape, a way of staying in school and never hitting the ‘real world’ being a seminar junkie-becoming and never being.

I AM inspired to put Hamlet on the CD and get a taste, more like a full course meal of Shakespeare to check on which is nobler-TO BE OR NOT TO BE?

I do feel nobler using my God given Imagination, making up classes, cause first it must be imagined to be created.

Writing it down, having a purpose, to learn for learning sake, how specifically, metaphorically cosmically, and comically will I know I am that being?

I have new and exciting ways of enjoying the present, the gift that keeps on giving, that grows into more than ever was imagined, with a student mind, imagination, new school clothes I am always ready for school.

How was your summer vacation? What classes are you taking? What will you wear the first day?

Namaste,
Gary