“Be yourself. Above all, let who you are, what you are, what you believe, shine through every sentence you write, every piece you finish.” ~John Jakes

How does a professed spiritual person justify his work as a Fight Director? I don’t. I have always loved my job directing and performing stage combat, or, as I call it, dramatic illusions of violence. My current work is much more of a spiritual endeavor - how do they mesh? I find great joy in that work. I believe that the feeling of joy comes from the truest essence of our source. So in doing the work I do, I am truly living my source. What I do is safe and exciting and the people I work with feel empowered and confident in the end. I have seen over the years people with great self doubt overcome it through learning stage combat.

It may seem that these two professions are at odds. It may also seem that to be a fight director you have a thought or a philosophy that is based in violence. I have found this to be almost universally untrue. I have found the most caring and sensitive individuals at the top of the stage and film combat world. Most of them have a spiritual side to them; many of them meditate and most love to laugh.

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”~Dr. Suess

I feel that in life we need to be true to ourselves. When younger I always had a passion for swords. When the opportunity came to perform a fight I just understood it and had a natural skill. I was offered amazing opportunities by some of the best fight directors in the world and am grateful for their faith in me. They allowed me to overcome many of my self-doubts and embraced me as a brother. I am blessed to have wonderful memories from my life. If it was not for the career I had pursued I would not have been in the places that allowed me to awaken to my truest self. Do I think I will leave fight directing behind? Probably not. I love the work and the brotherhood of the men and women of that field.

What passion did you follow in your life, or did you let it pass by? If so, realize that it is never too late to follow a dream. Let go of your fear and burst forth into the creation of joy that comes from living your dreams. I always wanted to be a fight director. I AM. I always wanted to have my own stage show. I DO. I am living my spiritual life in all capacities. How about you? Do the things that harm no one but make you joyful and you will never fail!

“There are no failures - just experiences and your reactions to them.” ~Tom Krause

“I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe.” Dalai Lama

I used to love watching Odd Couple reruns. The dichotomy of the neat freak and  the slob was comedy gold. There was one episode where Felix had decided he could write a song and found inspiration in a sports column Oscar was writing, drawing upon the words he was using to describe a violent boxing match between “Berstien and Luftz”. Soon the names became, “Bursting with Love.” They continued on, all the while Felix finding the positive in each sentence. When Oscar proclaimed his next line to be, ”Blood spurted from both nostrils at the sound of the bell,” Felix responded, “I can use the Bell!”

“The key to success is to focus our conscious mind on things we desire not things we fear.” Brian Tracy

Our world is a mish-mash of various experiences. It falls upon us to see the positive in each. By focusing on the violent or negative aspects, we are truly perpetuating those in our reality. I find that when we look at our surroundings as disappointment, we find more in which to be disappointed. In the Odd Couple, Felix was looking for positive lyrics and because he was focused on finding positive he did. The result of his focus was a complete song. Was it Grammy material? It probably wasn’t. But his focus was on creating a positive song.

In truth our lives are like music. Disharmony and Harmony are a choice. Live within the wonderful music of self. Self is the music of your choosing and the music of your soul, and when those two come together you will live the life of your dreams.

“Our thoughts create our reality - where we put our focus is the direction we tend to go.” Peter McWilliams

“Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do... but how much love we put in that action.” ~Mother Teresa

“Home” - what does it mean? Is it four walls with stuff inside or is it something more? I believe a “Home” is an environment and a “House” is a building. A home can be made anywhere. It takes a very specific type of person to create a loving home. I don’t care if you are male or female, the person who is typically at home is the CEO of home affairs and has the most important job of any who reside in that house. The true home-maker has the task of creating the environment that sooths all who reside there. They offer security, love and address issues in a way that creates a feeling of comfort. All of us are home-makers on some level. Some people are responsible for bringing income in to support the house, but the dedicated home maker supports the home.

The many jobs of the home maker never end. The clock is never punched; they just take care of the home. They usually don’t take a rest from their duties of home-making and fall asleep with thoughts of how to support the home on their mind. The biggest mistake anyone could make is under-valuing their role. They are the core of the home, the glue that holds it together.

“Nothing can bring a real sense of security into the home except true love.” ~Billy Graham

A Spiritual Home-Maker makes an even more harmonious home. Living from spiritual principles, the Spiritual Home-Maker creates an environment of love always. To be truly “spiritual” is to represent the spirit of the divine. Since God is Love, then the divine representation must be loving. Those who stop, take a breath, and think about a loving response when a negative situation confronts them, bring a level of harmony to the home that is visceral. It feels good to be home. It carries an energy of love.

The reason a spirituality inclined Home-Maker has such an effect on the home is that to be truly spiritual is to be aware of your environment. They recognize the environment as a representation of self. A loving state creates a joyful and loving home. “Home,” has many aspects: of course there is the house, but there is also the relationships; the décor; the relaxed feeling; the “homey” meals; and the open ear. The belief in home carries the individuals through their day until they once again can rest in the arms of home.

“There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.” ~Jane Austen

"God always takes the simplest way.:  ~ Albert Einstein

Many people have heard me speak about the simplicity of connecting with source. I am a firm believer that religions are history lessons of other people’s spiritual experiences, and that spirituality is in your present moment. I talk about God/Source being Love, and fear is the tool to experience God fully. To put it in another way, your positive moments are experiencing the divine source and your negative experiences are of your fear. That being said, the simple realization that positive experiences are touching God, can happen pretty regularly in an average person’s life.

Knowing my belief on this, my love Kelly recently exclaimed, “God is hot water!” I asked her to explain. “Well if God is your positive experience and I love a hot shower, then God must be hot water.” Her answer was perfect. It said so easily how close we are to our connection to source. The simple enjoyment of hot water made Kelly smile. It felt good. Good is only one letter away from God. Bad only shares a ‘D.’ The simplest moments of joy in our lives are directly connecting to source.

My belief is that fear is the tool to experience God fully. If in fact that is the case, then we are here to experience our separation from source so we can fully understand the feeling of it. Ask yourself this question: Would God make it hard? She/he made it so simple that we overlook it. God is with you every day in the simplest things. For me, God is in waking up and seeing Kelly’s smile, in my first cup of coffee (though Kynan may disagree), in writing these blogs. For Kelly, God is hot water. Where in your life do you experience the positive emotion that is God? It is the only present moment you have to do so. Enjoy your life knowing you are never alone, you are always connected to God, and that you are safe.

"Where love is, there God is also." ~Mohandas Gandhi

“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land, there is no other life but this.” ~Henry David Thoreau

Yesterday I was flying home from my California and Oregon speaking trip. On the trip I have been reading a book given to me by a dear friend, The Prophet’s Way by Thom Hartmann. I have been having some great realizations while reading it, and one very profound experience occurred on the flight back.

In the book there is a part that asks you to put the book down and have a fully present moment. You see, we as humans tend not to be fully present. We look ahead of ourselves at what we are going to do, or worse, what we are “trying” to do.  Then there are those times when we are looking behind at what has happened to us in our lives. The book asked me to do something other than live in a different time frame, just for a moment.

I closed my book on the flight from San Jose to Minneapolis. I sat observing where I was. I didn’t judge. I just observed. Realizations of my life in the present began to flood in. I was on a plane traveling. I appreciated that I had the ability to do so. I appreciated that I had been placed in a large comfortable seat with plenty of leg room. I was fed, clothed, and alive, enjoying a life of ease in comparison to many others in the world. I was grateful.

Then something happened that rocked my world and brought me to tears. A hand reached out and took mine. I felt a loving presence beside me, and I realized that I had another person in my present moment. In that present moment Kelly felt compelled to hold my hand. I began to realize the depth of love we have for each other, and in my present moment it filled my heart to overflowing. I turned to tell her and almost couldn’t as the tears fell from my eyes. I explained what I was doing and how her simple gesture in that moment meant so much to me. She smiled, made a joke, and kissed me. My present moment is so great and I appreciate it all the more. I am truly blessed in my life.

“These days man knows the price of everything, but the value of nothing.” ~ Oscar Wilde

Take a moment. Don’t do anything. Don’t think about your plans or reminisce about the past. Take a moment and be fully in the present. Appreciate all that you have. Realize that you are a lucky one. Obviously you have a computer. Obviously you can read. Obviously you have the time to afford reading this. The place you are must be warm enough for you to not have to focus on warmth. Are you fed? Appreciate the smallest things in life, because in this present moment you are living them. Someone else’s present moment may be hungry, cold, sick, dying. Appreciate the smallest things and realize how completely fortunate you are in the now moment. Love, you.

I am grateful that in this present moment I have you to hear these words with your heart. I appreciate that I am able to read and write. I love all of my friends. I love Kelly and Kynan most of all. I appreciate that I, with God, have created an amazing life.

“One today is worth two tomorrows.” ~Benjamin Franklin

thank you

Thank You

THANK YOU