New Beginnings

Hello, friends.

It has been just over a year since I posted my last blog entry. I won't begin to explain what has happened in that time...it is in the past, and for much of it I prefer to keep it that way. For the moment, let's just say that it has been a sea change for me that I knew had to come, but would have appreciated it occurring in a different manner.

For one thing, I no longer own my own business as a primary means of income. Currently I'm on a three-month contract-to-hire as a database administrator with a very busy, very growth-oriented company in the Minneapolis / St. Paul metro area. My commute on a good day is an hour one way, which has given me a great deal of time behind the wheel to ponder my life...and to release some of the beliefs, thoughts and feelings that have really bound me up over the years. It's a transition that I've been avoiding for several months, but once I jumped into the new work situation and all of its aspects, it turned out to be not near as bad as I had feared (except for the winter driving, which pretty much doubles my time on the road). Nonetheless, I'm grateful for the employment and look forward to the time ahead with this new employer.

I've also started scribing a serial science fiction story. (My author page on authspot.com is
http://www.authspot.com/writers/NeoSciFiScribe.92867) Chapter 1 took no time at all to type up and put online. In contrast, I've tried 3 times unsuccessfully to write chapter 2 which, in part, is why it remains unpublished two months after chapter 1 went up on the site. I think I've been trying too hard; I can envision what takes place, but have struggled with the words. The storyline is amazing. I've seen glimpses in my mind's eye of various parts of the story...all three stories, actually. The current story is part one of a trilogy, but not a trilogy in the traditional sense. Instead of the stories occurring consecutively, parts two and three actually occur within the timeline of part one. They provide a deeper texture and context to the story that has
already taken place, yet for the most part stand independent of each other and of the overarching story line. Thus, you get a deeper experience in reading all three, but are not completely lost if you read them out of sequence or skip one part altogether. (They will make terrific theater, in my humble opinion.) I just need to make myself available more to scribe the text.

I'm still in the midst of the sea change that is occurring in my life...more on that in the future as it unfolds. Right now, I'm not necessarily writing about THAT part of my future as much as I am about something else that has presented itself. It comes from equal parts revulsion and inspiration that I'm feeling over two separate activities that occurred on the internet recently. The revulsion part is one I'm still working through emotionally and mentally. I suspect it will come to an end someday (a sad ending, in all likelihood), at which time I can either spill my guts on the whole business or let sleeping dogs lie. I'm sure it is contributing overall to the evolution of humanity...but I'm curious if the means justify the end. Right now, it has provided motivation for me to let go of a lot of negativity and ill feelings I didn't realize I had, and to get off my butt and do something that I hope will prove worthwhile to a lot of people.

Now, the inspiration for this post and its successive actions over the next year comes from an entirely different source. Mark Joyner ran an experiment on Twitter and wrote about it on his blog entry dated December 20th, 2008: See http://www.markjoyner.name/logs/ for his entry. The short story of it-- Mark asked anyone who followed his twitters to write "I Love You" back to him and then, later on, asked them to forward these well wishes to 5 people they knew. The feelings of elation generated by these responses were intoxicating for him; I'm not certain how others felt, but I would only expect a similar response for those who contributed to the frenzy of loving proclamations.

So I thought to myself, what would happen if this focus and attention was directed toward an inspired outcome? What, if instead of asking someone to say "I Love You", someone wrote and asked others in the Twitter group to pray or meditate or practice whatever spiritual process they used in response to a petition or request they had? For example, if I asked "Please help
me find a job" to 1,000 people, and they "Retweeted" (Twitter parlance for "forwarded the message along") the message "I am praying for someone who is looking for a job", or "I am practicing Ho'oponopono (or the Sedona Method, or meditation, etc.) for someone who is looking for a job", and I read that response, would that help me in the context of the Laws of the Universe and assist in actually finding a job? And how would that benefit the people who are doing the praying, releasing and meditating?

And, what if during this year of spiritually responding to and for others, there were a larger framework that put context around this activity...say, a different topic to focus on every month? What if time was spent contemplating a particular subject (gratitude, abundance, faith, etc.), and the thoughts and feelings were joined together of the thousands of people around the world who were part of this experience? How much could be accomplished with all this spiritual contemplation?

To put some perspective on this, there is currently a @Prayers account on Twitter. I am one of 247 followers, and the account to date has had 342 postings. Most of the postings are requests for prayers on a variety of issues and concerns. For the most part, the postings have been centered in the Christian faith. I'm envisioning an experience 40 times this in scale, inviting people of all beliefs and spiritual practices. I believe 10,000 people around the world contributing to this endeavor would make a huge difference!

So, I've decided to put myself out there and start the experience rolling. Over the next few days, I will establish an account on Twitter and post in my blog an entry on how to join in on this adventure, and how I anticipate it to manifest -- suggesting a few ground rules, setting expectations, etc. If you have an interest in joining in, please stop back in a few days and have a
look. Please forward this to anyone who you believe would be interested in taking this spiritual journey in 2009...I would be humbled and honored if they joined in.


Thank you, friend, for your time and attention. Thank you for your patience with me as I get back on the task of writing what I know and experience, hoping that it helps you in some small, measurable way.

Enjoy the day! Namaste