Category: The Systems

Philosophy, Theology, Spirituality, Religion, Faith

Real, Belief… and psychic powers?!

It’s always there.

Like any other sense, it’s about how you tune in.

It requires believing, which typically requires trying…yet by trying, we often find it harder to believe.

Everything is connected, and thus so are we. throughout all space and time.

Our ability to communicate through that space and time requires one strong connection in a strong moment, two mild connections in a strong moment, etc…

Is it telepathy?! Psychic powers??! Intuition? Gut reaction…. Chance?!

There is a language that exists that all are born with, but few are taught to cultivate. Fewer yet dare to speak it outloud, as vulnerability is a suffocating pill to swallow.

Take the risk.

You had a thought. Dream. Vision.

SHARE IT

Everything starts with belief, real comes next.

Speakin my language??

“A Tree in the Sky and Simple Things in Life!” #132

Life is simply complex — with a lot of happiness in the middle!

First, consider the complexities of your life a decade or two ago… and how beautifully simple they appear to you today.

Next, imagine awaking tomorrow as an immensely happy and fulfilled 95-year-old with bookshelves of stories worth sharing, but no teeth… 

Now, take the first bite out of this crisp apple. 

Enjoy the simple things and endure the complicated ones, we’ll see both differently in time! 😉

“A Sloth, a Snooki, and Party of Three!” #128


It’s a New Year, aka, GO time!
Like clockwork, or more precisely, full-calendar-year-work, we are ‘ready-set-go’ to break old habits and start new trends… Here’s a powerful something you ought to consider while berated with infinite inspirational articles and a handful of self-written notes: what was the VERY first trend?

Here’s a 3-pronged riddled-truth :

  • we perceive life in it
  • yet death comes in it
  • and it’s the most striking number

Oh, the power of THREE!

Discover why three is the most important number since zero — and why zero has never been a number at all.

‘GOTTA HEAR ITS’!

“If someone shook your hand with only 3 fingers, and just 3-toed-sloth you, you’d have to break form…”

“‘What was the original iPhone girl called again?’ ‘Patricia?'”

“Anyone can make it to New Jersey… it’s a loophole on life if they make it back!”

You, or someone you know

“Oh, When the STRESS Comes Marching In!” #127


NO VACANCY!! The romance of a long weekend’s escape occupies the only room you had left in the anticipation apartment.

As the days come marching in, your heart beat seems to synchronize with the rhythms of a Bourbon Street celebration.  You are prepared to depart for a family wedding in New Orleans and to arrive in the middle of a good time. 

But first, you must fit a week of work into two days… and, oh yeah, you are bringing your 8 and 6 year old children with you… and, oh yeah, those kids are carrying cartoon-themed luggage as well as strep-throat…

Stress.  

We associate it to the bad times, but too often let it snake its way into the special ones.

So, today we ask… How do we minimize stress to maximize the moments that matter most?!

‘GOTTA HEAR ITS’!

“…then, after everyone is celebrating you for great speeches, smiles, high-fives, and hugs… you get strep-throat yourself, and have to carry around two 50lbs bags and a couple of kids all the way from Bourbon Street to Ohio.“

You, or someone you know

Bonus Content:
** disclaimer: by reading this you subscribe to the fact you should have already hit play! **
> Reflect on the singular scenario Buddha totally stress beads out
> Let the mysteries of constipation flow through you
> Learn how listening to the Joe Rogan podcast will scientifically cure your anxiety! http://podcasts.joerogan.net/

“Big Dippers, Hill Dancers, and LEADERSHIP!” #123

Some are born, some are forged – all are chosen.

It is time to unpack the characteristics of leadership, and question the integrity of the star naming system!

‘GOTTA HEAR ITS’!

“If constellations were amusement park rides, the Big Dipper would be Disney’s Tea Cups!”

“The qualities that make a born leader are also the ones they pay close attention to as a learned one. ”

“Great leadership is not a destination, it’s a decision to keep on becoming a better one for the rest of your life.”

You, or someone you know!

“Art of the Impossible!” #121

“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.”

Winnie the Pooh

Revealing words. Bear truths…
Straight outta the 1-double-0 acre wood comes the philosophy of our favorite teddy.

Unrivaled is Pooh Bear’s knack for stating something so profoundly simple that we are left with nothing but the simply profound.

Pooh, as he so often does, operates in a fashion that demands we conclude he is delightfully ignorant, or better yet, just a “Silly Old Bear!”…

But friends, perhaps it is we who fast-forward past his simple genius, overlooking his bear smarts. Perhaps we are focusing on the wrong word and Pooh is simply ignoring the right one. Maybe it is us who carelessly hone in on his use of “nothing”, as Winnie casually escapes our emphasis on the “impossible”!?!

So… how do we accomplish the impossible?

Well… if Winnie the Pooh, Yoda, Taoism and Nike all agree on an approach, Just Do It! (per Yoda, there is no try)

‘GOTTA HEAR ITS’!

“You know you’ve made it when your Last Name serves as a noun, an adjective and, especially, a verb!”

“I’ve never considered anything I’ve done impossible — I’ve just never even considered the possibility.”

“Greatness is not a destination.  Greatness is a decision.”

You, or someone you know!

“Everything from Nothing and Hot Yoga!” #119

Have you ever had a moment, so beautifully malleable, that today’s outcomes seem to be yours to cast in the vastness of tomorrow’s best potential possibilities?!

Where society’s rigor, for a moment, can be molded as seamlessly as an infant can of Play-Doh?

Where you can fearlessly face and relentlessly forge the future, with the requisite conviction of Plato?

Where you can shape it, you can bend it, but you will never fold.

For you can manipulate the clay-of-today with the certainty that tomorrow will bring nothing less than a hardened state of your original vision… Memorializing your craft, as if your acts were an everlasting statue gifted to the past… Forever capturing the greatness of the goodness in that single, beautifully malleable, moment.

Have you had that moment? If so, give us a heads up next time!!! Because today Stan and Stitch simply attempted to play with some Play-Doh, which was then overtaken by Plato, who seemingly swayed Michelangelo to shape the possibilities into something far greater than either of us could have perceived!

Friends, join our #RiseBeforeFall campaign… get something outta nothing and so, so much more!!

‘GOTTA HEAR ITS’!

“Sure, I’d want to live forever if I could keep my youth and health”…
…”I don’t know man, vampires never seem too happy!”

“He was taking the ‘do as I say, not as I do’ approach to hot yoga? What a bastard!”

“A smile is a million dollars in a world of nothingness.”

You, or, Someone You Know!

“8 Babies, 1 Island, and Hope!” #118

Friends, do you recall?

4,000 years between the written language and the printing press.

300 years between the steam engine and reaching outer space, 

30 years between the internet and mobile technology.

Friends, can you imagine?

If there were 8 babies, an island,
and nothing more but a spring of hope?

How would society evolve differently?  Does history repeat? Would the New York Stock Exchange be recreated? (warning: a topic of heated debate ensues)

Friends… join us.
and let’s rebuild this baby TOGETHER,
to be EVEN BETTER………. FOREVER!!!

‘GOTTA HEAR ITS’!

” …history is just a collection of the societies which made it up in the past;
and society is just a reflection of the individuals which make it up today. “

You, or, Someone You Know!

“The Gentlemen of Chivalry and Couples Massages” #117

The Chivalrous Gentleman’s Oath:

For every chair too close, 
four hands to lift it.
For every door left unopened, 
an “after you” to fix it.
For every pathway too puddled, 
two jackets to bridge it.
And if laughs are a present,
may these gentlemen gift it!

Join Stan and Stitch as they ‘tip their brow’ to some of modern day’s most chivalrous questions: 

“Is Chivalry dead? Where should it be resuscitated?”
“Does Chivalry have a gender?”
“What places will chivalry never exist?”

^^ plan accordingly friends! It’s a trip… with standing room only.  

What’s a gentleman to do?!

‘GOTTA HEAR ITS’!

” Nobody and I mean nobody, this day of age, is walking up to a puddle on the street and laying down their jacket for the lady to walk through.”

“Wait a second! If we’re getting a couples massage and we’re not podcasting, then what are we recording Stan?!”

You, or, Someone You Know!

“The Untapped Spirits of Gin, Aliens, and Intuition!” #114


Reading, Writing, Arithmetic…? Naw, we can squeeze more out of our time on this rock my friends!!

Can you go sooo LEFT BRAINED
that you end up in your RIGHT MIND!?!

It is about time we find out.

Let’s explore the wonderful world of intuition, together!

‘GOTTA HEAR ITS’!

“I guess gin is my ‘go-to’, but I don’t like it.
It’s kinda like the girl you date because she’s safe.”

“Intuition isn’t an intelligence thing. It’s a gut thing.
Roam around my gut for a day, it’s the least intelligent thing.”

“How would you respond if he leans in and asks:
‘hey Stitch, can you believe that guy believes in aliens?'”
…”can you believe that aliens believe in you?”

You, or, Someone You Know!

“Hamilton, Vikings, and the Indisputable Evidence of Soul!” #109

Behind all of your priorities, decisions, and daily ‘whatevers’, there is one question. A single, often unnerving, unknown — which dictates your daily grind and puppeteers a million other doubts and anxieties.

Amidst life’s innumerous uncertainties is a sole question… the soul question.

If you’re ready, then join Stan and Stitch as they play the part of philosophical Blues Brothers and cover the soul, man!

Bonus Content:
Exploring the Soul of Hamilton,
Rediscovering the Discoverers of America,
Stitch discovers, in horror, that Stan gave him special drink after a fine dining experience that makes you poop without telling him… Beware of DJ Steve!

Luck, Karma, & Naked on the Streets of New York!

Have you doubted Luck, questioned Karma, or ended up Naked on the streets of New York? 

If you answered “yes” or “no” to any of the above, then you’ll be glad your friends Stan and Stitch were here with you today!!

Together we explore the art of DUMPSTER DIVING and the humility of super-star comparisons…

Together we face a little about lotto, and a lot about luck!

Owls vs. Ravens? Richard Dreyfuss vs. Justin Timberlake?

The answers you know will help us grow!

You’re welcome in advance! 🙂

-Stan & Stitch

Keeping Trust, Needing Love

keeping-trust-needing-love.png

 

Trust those who keep it;

Love all who need it.

Measure of Goodness

For GOODNESS sake!

goodness-overcoming-evil-2016“Measure the goodness of an individual…
…by their reaction time, to their own evil!”

The GREATEST Gift you can Give to Humanity?

greatest-gift-to-humanity_conquer-your-own-demons

“The GREATEST gift you can give to humanity?
Conquer your own Demons…
…so you do not pass them down to the next generation”

Want to improve the world?  Improve yourself… the rest will follow.

What once was Black and White is now Fifty Shades of Gray

WARNING: As the herd of Valentines weekend movie-goers eagerly prepare to contribute to what is sure to be jaw-dropping box-office numbers — the following point of view may be as controversial as the film itself…

CLASS was once black and white, now its fifty shades of grey!

The inevitable success of Fifty Shades of Grey is essentially a raised glass to the moral decline of values in the Western world.

BUT WAIT!  Make no mistake… or better yet make mistakes: humanity is not perfect!  And in a world where our experience is based on polarity and relativity, we never will be….AND THAT IS OKAY! Being perfect is not our purpose… nor is that point the purpose of this article.

The purpose is to use the latest of many points on our social trend line to reflect on the real threat our humanity faces: desensitization…. Evil needs to exist in order for “Good” to prevail… We will make mistakes, we will do evil… but will we recognize it?

The biggest obstacle which stands in our way of becoming a more loving and unified world is the blurred lines. Good and Bad used to be two opposing but clear perspectives, now its controversial. Right and wrong used to be Black and White, now it’s many shades of grey.

I admittedly have not read this book, so am not passing judgement on it — and CERTAINLY not on it’s readers or movie watchers.  I wrestle with my own demons — and they would gain ground on me if I focused too much on the wrestling matches of others.

I am however using the controversial buzz as a springboard to remember that the single most important thing to do on the road to becoming a good person IS NOT to be flawless, but rather, to recognize your flaws.  As long as we, as individuals and as a society, can be true to ourselves and discern what is making us weaker or stronger — then by simply recognizing our negatives becomes a positives…

There is NO greater strength than the recognition of one’s own weaknesses.

I HOPE ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND! It’s okay to indulge in a drink, some not-so-healthy eats, or the guilty pleasure of your choice, but as you do, I challenge you to challenge yourself with some self-evaluation and ask yourself the question “why”?  Our weakness is demonstrated in how we ‘chase those highs’ — we enjoy the junk food so eat more and more of it, we enjoy the drink so go from 1 to 5…  We lose ourselves in the chase of those highs, and become prisoners of our own device. Our strength, however, is demonstrated in our ability to enjoy those guilty pleasures with the discipline to do so in moderation.

And if you’ve already chosen to see it, then…

I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE SHOW!  And as you do, I challenge you to challenge yourself to recognize how the message of it, or other creations, can change you and/or others around you. Then discern whether or not the change reflects the type of person you want to be and/or the type of world you want to live in.

I HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR LIFE! It’s okay to make mistakes — we are not perfect, on purpose! Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.  As you enjoy your life, I challenge you to challenge yourself to simply acknowledge them!

After all, WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES... the best of us will work on them, the worst of us won’t recognize them.

“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.”
~Kevin Spacey, “The Usual Suspects”

There’s only two sides; from Day to Night, Dark to Light, and Death to Life…
But between the extremes we lose site of what once was Black and White.
So why would you and I use the grey-scale for weighing Wrong and Right?

ENJOY!

Lord, help me to be great

Saying this prayer, OUT LOUD, (most) every night, is the single most important contributor to making me a (somewhat) better person than I used to be.

Lord, help me to be great -- or at least better.

 

Lord, help me to be:
Courageous, Selfless, Loving,
Patient, Peaceful, Humble,
Hard working and Forgiving.

Help me to be a great husband,
a great father, and a great human being.

And help me to always remember.

 

PERSONAL TIP:
Every small epiphany I have in life, I ‘assign’ to this prayer… Every time I say I’ll pray for someone, I assign it to “always remember”…. So every time I say it, in my heart, those folks share a piece of my prayer…

I also wear, thanks to my wife, a necklace with the word “REMEMBER” on it — so I remember to never forget ;).

A Man of Science; A Man of Faith

Truth can be found in science or faith.

in the beginning:
a man of faith looked up and a man of science looked down…
both were too busy defending the truth they found…
but would have seen the same thing in another way had they only looked around.

A touching life, tragic death, small gesture, and big surprise

Big and small; long and short…do you know what these words mean?  However you  may define them today, you will redefine them tomorrow.   Our perspective and relative perception of these words changes as we go and grow — the trick is to avoid letting these words become part of your decision making process.  A recent experience of mine reinforced just how relevant this ‘loophole’ is, as my close friend’s younger brother passed away. Here is the story, or the long and the short of it:

A SMALL GESTURE IN THE WAKE OF A LOVED ONE’S DEATH

After hearing the news that his younger brother passed away unexpectedly at 23 years old, I attempted twice to speak to my friend without breaking down myself, to no avail.

Even if I had ‘words of wisdom’ at the time, which I did not, it was not the time for them. Sometimes it is just time to mourn.  I couldn’t offer some profound advice that would change his perspective on the loss, and yet, I couldn’t merely be the friend that sends a fruit basket or some flowers.

As I contemplated what to do, I read his brother’s facebook wall… the messages were amazing.  The amount of people that were inspired by his brother was inspiring itself.  I decided my small contribution would be.

I compiled pictures from his wall, batched up the quotes, looked at his ‘musical likes’ and mixed an audio based on two Modest Mouse songs (as well as some covers which transitioned them together well).   Since they have family in Mexico, I did  my due diligence to try to translate some of those quotes so they were not overlooked — they were some of the most profound sentiments in the end.

I finally had the words, through others, to put together a message… Nothing that has not been done before in one capacity or another, but something I thought was a good summation of his life and impact.

A BIG SURPRISE IN THE WAKE OF A SMALL GESTURE

Long story short – my friend greatly appreciated the gesture… That is all I hoped for, giving my friend just a small bit of peace in a very tough time — by providing a him something he could reference to remember how his little bro left his mark on this world and in others.

Then — a week later, 2 days before mothers day, it was me who was touched.

I received a call from my friend, who said his mother would like to talk to me.  I had not seen her for over a decade, since we’ve lived states apart ever since college.  I immediately expressed my condolences.  And then his soft-spoken mom said to me words that I will never forget:

“I just wanted to thank you very much for the video. It makes me sad then happy, and it was the only thing that has given me peace. It helped me to believe in God again”.

Once again I cannot speak on this topic without shedding a tear – but this time, because it was amazing to me how something I almost considered NOT doing because I didn’t know how it would be received, could be the one thing to give a brokenhearted mother a bit of peace.

My friend told me his family watched the video together on Mothers day, and his mothers day gift to his mom was a tablet with a link to the youtube video, so she could watch it any time…

My lesson learned is to never assume that any gesture is too small if your heart is in the right place… Just as my friend’s little bro had a long lasting effect in a short life — sometimes even the smallest decisions can have the biggest impacts.

Why God Exists (The God Question part 2)

My response to a debate thread on a board regarding “Why God Exists”…

God is the Answer, is he the Question?
Is God the Question…or Answer?

Debate: Why does God Exist

Because life is a fractal relationship between infinite micro and macrocosms; as above, so below; the good and bad we see in others is also in ourselves, and that inter-connectivity is also a reflection of what is more and what is less. 

And that inter-connectivity manifests onward and upward, inward and outward, at an exponential rate and fractal shape.

The fractal is all encompassing, “we were created in His image” – and thus, we create in our image. Whether through genetics – or whether through innovative feats of exceeding our own brain processing power and storage. 

Neither good nor bad – He is wholly holy and holy wholly; as we continue to perceive ourselves as finite pieces and not perceiving the infinite puzzle we are apart of. 

The yin and the yang of infinite and finite create the infinite decimals between 0 and 1 — the gray area between “yes” and “no” — which enables us to experience… it sets the stage for polarity — and relativity, both scientifically and emotionally. 

…it also sets the stage for making us perceive ourselves as ‘separate bodies’ from the greater body.

…we are afraid of the unknown, and yet, the unknown is only known by overcoming that very FEAR!

Alas, the inter-connectivity of all things across infinite microcosms, macrocosms, and ALL TIME echoes the same truth ‘time and time again’ — but we deafen our ears to these timeless truths because of FEAR – and our NEED to hang on to our individual puzzle piece… the need to validate our ego. 

YET even that FEAR itself, which prevents us from seeing the truth that is quite literally in us (et al.), nonetheless REFLECTS the same TRUTH! Fear itself is made of the same structure all things are made of — it too is a series of micro and macrocosms.  And for human beings, one of the most recognizable ‘macrocosms of fear’ to overcome — the overarching fear from which all our mortal fears stem from — is our FEAR OF DEATH!  Our need, once again, to ‘hang on to our ego’ — the concept of what we are today — because we cannot perceive the world without us… We are afraid of the unknown….

Face your fear of death, and unveil the face of God.

…we are afraid of the unknown, and yet, the unknown is only known by overcoming that very FEAR!  Overcome this chicken-and-egg circumstance by finding peace. Find peace through love.  TRULY confront this fear and relinquish your individual puzzle piece to be one with the puzzle itself – and you will not only believe in God. You will know Him as you know yourself.

This particular fear binds together all fears in the worlds of time and timelessness.  Face your fear of death, and unveil the face of God.

We are parts; we are connected; He is whole; We are one. Father, Son, Holy Spirit.

Part 1 – The God Question

Why does Death come in Threes?

Death comes in threes; because creation comes in patterns.

Someone who I had not spoken too in months instant messaged with a compelling question the other day, and an equally compelling dialogue followed! 

Continue reading “Why does Death come in Threes?”