THE SHIFT Really Is Happening!
By Todd | September 9, 2008
As many of you know, I am intimately involved in the making of THE SHIFT Movie. If you have not seen it yet, DEF check out the powerful 6 minute trailer at http://theshiftmovie.com
To me, what this film is documenting is the very thing that can bring transcending and fundamental changes in the world. More than EVER, we need to spread awareness of this message…get involved in it…and encourage our friends, families, colleagues to join in.
I will tell you that doing this work for the past year has been an incredible experience. Millions of people are shifting their habits, careers, and even their worldviews, and we need to rejoice in this global awakening!
Have you seen the Paul Hawken clip that describes THE SHIFT? If not, check this out and begin seeing how real it is:
World’s Largest Social Movement
OK, so this is just a short post to ask that you to go to THE SHIFT site, http://www.theshiftmovie.com and sign up!
Today, the message for this powerful film and movement was finally released to a very large audience! Over 4 Million people know now about THE SHIFT…so lets give this movement some legs!
Also, for those of you bloggers, list owners, or just very popular people…please send this message around. Vote on it on Digg, Stumble and all social networks!
Here are some links:
Thanks everyone…this is going to be huge…it needs to be. Let me know if there is anything I can do for you!
Todd
Topics: Other Personal Growth, Finances, Relationships, Prductivity, Productivity, Carnival, Perspective, Environment/Sustainability, Alternative and Holistic Healing, Career, Nutrition, Business, Marketing, Physical Activity, Spirituality/Meditation, Health | 4 Comments »
The World According To…A Sea Bird?
By Todd | July 31, 2008
Today I took a long walk on the beach and sat down next to a sea bird staring out at the ocean. I began wondering: how does this tiny creature perceive the vast expanse of water in front of it? Does it see a blue sky, white clouds, ripples in the current, and a straight horizon like I do?
Does it hear the crash of the waves on the surf, the high shrill of other birds swirling around, and the cackle of human voices milling about? Does it feel the wind, the sand, and the water in a similar manner as I?
Of course I do not know the absolute truth here. I can only surmise the answer is ‘no’, that the sea bird does not sense its surroundings in the same notion as a human being.
But how exactly does the bird perceive the realities around itself? And is it remotely possible for me, a human being, to comprehend the tangible sensations of a different species of observer?
A few moments later I watched a woman taking her very young child towards the ocean. I watched intently as the little boy excitedly jumped in and out of the waves, and shrieked with delight as the water came in towards dry sand and then back towards the horizon.
I began thinking about this young child’s perception, and wondered how he senses the ocean, beach, sky and realities around him. Was it similar to my observation?
I think its safe to say that the child’s discernment is more closely related to my own then the sea bird’s…but when you intently watch a young child it becomes clear that his perception is markedly different then an adults.
How Does Perception Really Differ Between Beings?
So even within my own species, perception can vary greatly depending on a variable (like age).
This really got my mind running, and I began contemplating two 50-year old men sitting beside me: one of them a clan leader for an indigenous tribe in remote Africa, and the other a Plumber from Brooklyn, NY.
How would these two men perceive the ocean, sky and beach around them? Would they see and feel the similar sensations? And if not how exactly would their base perception differ?
For my last experiment, I closed my eyes and lay back on the sand. I took several deep breaths and relaxed my mind. I sat there for 20 minutes straight solely focusing on my breath, coming in and out of my body.
I got myself in a wonderfully meditative state and felt very present. I then sat back up and opened my eyes ready to perceive the circumstances around me.
I could feel the wind much more crisply and noted its sensations on parts of my body that I did not feel earlier. The ocean and sky appeared much sharper to me, and I could see the ripples in the water much more clearly…almost as if they were moving in slow motion.
The blue color of the sky was so blazing that it almost startled me. Wow. I noted the horizon in a much different way as well, and could see ripples of current much farther away.
I heard sounds that I did not notice earlier, like the ripple of the wind on a kite that had been flying above me. I heard the sounds of people from way down the beach, and could also hear the rustling of sand as it whipped up on my shorts.
In all, it was like I was a different person observing the same scenario. But it was not a different person, I was still me.
3 Primary Observations From My Hour On The Beach:
1) That the human ability to perceive its surroundings is distinctly evolved, enabling us to understand the universe with the highest capacity that we are aware
2) That even within our own kind, perception varies greatly, and
3) That we can have a purposeful influence on how clearly we experience our lives
To point #1 the sea bird’s tools for perception are not as advanced a human being’s; it is an older, more archaic form of consciousness sensing its surroundings with less awareness.
The bird has a lower vibrating level of perception then we do, and therefore senses reality at a different level of stimulation.
To point #2 a young child, although not tainted by the ego and intrusive thought process of most adults, still has less potential for higher levels of consciousness then his/her elders.
So even though children may experience joy, excitement and thrill much easier then you or I, their potential for evolved human consciousness is not fully realized.
And to point #3, what about my own personal ‘transformation’? The difference between Todd before he lied down and Todd after he lied down is that the second Todd was much more present for the experience, sensing with greater clarity the truer nature of his surroundings.
Before the breathing and meditation exercises he was still wearing the lens of his everyday life. Things like work, money, food, and everything else that his mind incessantly thinks shrouded his ability to perceive to some degree.
Todd post relaxation was more still, present and aware. His ego was shelved for a few moments allowing the lens of his authentic self to perceive, in a more genuine manner, reality around him.
And what did this new perception bring? Clarity, crispness, increased beauty, and a sense of calm that were not there earlier…
We are always wearing some sort of lens that shapes our reality, and we have the ability at any given moment to wipe that lens clean!
So what is the point of making these distinctions?
The point is this: That we have the ability to purposefully generate a greater awareness of the world (and universe) in which we live.
Right here Right now YOU have the ability to be more aware and present.
And this is important because the more conscious we become, the more beauty, peace and love is brought into our lives and to the world around us.
And what’s more important than that!!
Topics: Perspective, Other Personal Growth, Spirituality/Meditation | 14 Comments »
Why Money Is Just Another Form Of Energy
By Todd | July 16, 2008
A few weeks ago I read an article in a morning newspaper talking about the benefits of investing in something called the ‘vice fund’, a portfolio of companies in the tobacco, alcohol, casino, gaming and oil industries.
The article touted the ‘fantastic’ news that over the last few years this particular investment option has averaged a 17.5% annual increase outperforming more traditional vehicles by considerable amounts.
This got me thinking: outside of the ‘benefit’ of making more money, does anyone else see the moral implications involved with investing one’s money in areas that capitalize on other people’s addictions and shortcomings?
Furthermore, at what point in our societal evolution did making money trump health, happiness, and personal well-being? How long have greed and egoic desire for more, more, more been prominent over the natural human tendencies for peace, vitality, self-control and fulfillment?
From a loftier perspective I began thinking about the concept of money not just in the physical form but in the context of energy. Here’s my case:
Money Really IS Energy
People who invest their dollars and cents into the ‘vice fund’ must understand they are also contributing their energies into these vices, even if they are not personally afflicted by them.
They are actively perpetuating other people’s terrible addictions by helping to increase profits for these companies; allowing them to market themselves more, form stronger special interest groups and gain momentum in a myriad of ways.
But that’s the problem isn’t it: People are more concerned about their personal ROI than they are about the energy their investments and money circulates into the greater environment we live.
Ask yourself: do you view money as something completely separate from yourself or do you see it as an extension of the person you are. Most people view money as separate from them and have a host of strong emotions concerning the role it plays in their lives: power, jealousy, greed, scarcity, fear, etc…are all common emotions money generates.
The way I see it, money is just another form of energy, and that’s it. The way we choose to make it, spend it and invest it is a direct reflection of the people we are.
I believe we have a social responsibility NOT to view money as separate from ourselves, but start viewing it as part of the energetic vibration we contribute to the greater culture around us. And this is a BIG shift, believe me. Let me give a personal example:
What You Invest In Pushes Energy In That Direction
Recently I was asked to invest in a real estate deal in Pennsylvania by a very close friend, someone who I respect very much. My buddy has had wonderful success investing in property in this area of the country, and researched the proposed deal in the greatest of detail…so of course I was intrigued.
[ps, as I was writing the above sentence, this friend called me. I haven’t talked to him in weeks…synchronicity really is an amazing thing].
When I found out the real ‘benefit’ of this project was based on the discovery of large reserves of natural gas under the land, and that this deal was prefaced on the assumption that big oil companies were going to come in and buy the land for much higher prices, and then drill into the earth to expunge the resources, I lost interest.
I choose not to put my personal energy (money) into such things as I feel there is great damage caused to the environment by such projects. Could I have made a lot of money investing in this project? Unfortunately in the world we live, probably yes. But for me it’s just not worth it as it goes against what I believe in.
Become Aware Of Your Spending, Earning and Investing As Personal Energy
The way I see it, money is not separate from who we are as people but an extension of our individual and collective energies. I am not trying to argue that I am ‘holier than thou’ or better than anyone else…just explaining my views concerning the importance of viewing money as part of our personal vibration.
For me, investing in the real estate/natural gas project did not sync with my philosophy concerning the environment…and adhering and honoring my intrinsic worldview by FAR outweighs the potential monetary benefit I might have gained.
I also know that other projects will come along (and have come along) that will resonate with me on all levels…and I choose to spend my time and money living and breathing these areas.
SO, be wise with your money. Become aware of what you spend it on, what you invest in, how you circulate this form of energy into the greater environment around you. Understand that the single minded desire to make money only for itself never leads to fulfillment and happiness. Spread it to good, sustainable causes. Contribute to peace and social justice. Enjoy yourself in a healthy and beneficial manner.
Doesn’t this just sound better!
Picture Above by Diane Vermuelen
Topics: Perspective, Finances, Business | 8 Comments »
How To Cope When You Lose An ‘Anchor’
By Todd | July 10, 2008
As many of you know, a few months ago my long term girlfriend and I decided to split up. Although the move was ‘right’ for both of us, it has taken me a little while to discern what I miss most about the relationship, and about her specifically.
Well, the purpose of this article is not to be a long diatribe about my emotional state of being since the break up (sorry to disappoint you sap seekers). BUT I do want to discuss the concept of having ‘anchors’ in our lives and what to do when an important one unhinges itself from your existence.
Relationships Can Be Awesome Anchors
One of the beautiful pieces my relationship with Irina was the fact that she was a very stabilizing force in my life. She was (and still is) a very peaceful, structured and regimented person who relishes the simplest ways of living.
During the years we went out these traits seeped into my own way of being and as a result I became more peaceful, structured and regimented. This was certainly NOT how I was before I met her, and I reaped many practical benefits from learning how to be this way.
So I not only miss the person who she was, but also the securing way her energy allowed me to mature and become a better person. [And if you are reading this Irina, yes, I am extremely thankful and grateful to you for being such a solid and stable presence during our time together]!
Losing a strong anchor like this can be difficult, and when it happens the first step is to become aware the affect its void is having. There are several more things you can do, and here are some helpful recommendations:
1. Become Aware of Other Anchors
The great thing about anchors in our lives is that unlike ships, people can have many of them. When you lose something stabilizing, it is important to ask yourself: what was it about that thing, person or activity that made you feel happy and secure?
Many of you have noticed that my writings on We The Change have dramatically decreased over the last few months. I think this is because I have been going through the process of transitioning out of old ways of being into new, higher vibrating paradigms.
This growth process often requires patience and a sense of stillness. I am a high energy person living in Manhattan (the most frenetic place in the world) and it is extremely difficult for me to cultivate patience and stillness, even when I know I need it.
For me, this often results in feelings of frustration and over the last few months I have experienced un-motivation, insecurity and apathy…and I get angry because these traits are so unlike me! And not having the wonderful anchor of Irina has made it even tougher.
But these times (which we all experience) are destined to pass and now that I am broaching the upside of the transition I see that We The Change, and the mere act of writing for it, is a huge anchor in my life that has been missing.
So how can you start recognizing what anchors feel like? Simple: they make you feel secure, stable and just plain good! Writing these articles makes me feel amazing, gives me a sense of stillness and is therefore a very beautiful anchor. Other anchors may include:
– Spending time with family and friends
– Focusing on meaningful work
– Being in nature (Mother Earth is our greatest anchor of all)
– Getting lost in a great book
– Spiritual practices like meditation
– Emotions, like love and gratitude
When you feel like you have lost something significant, you have to honor it. But there are plenty of other significant things to anchor onto, and we have plenty of abundance around us all the time.
2. Remember The Greatest Anchor of All
My first piece of advice—looking for other anchors—is a beneficial practice but pales in importance to the following axiom: that the greatest anchor you have, and will ever have, resides within you and is also accessible to you at all times for the rest of your life!
YOU are your greatest anchor, and you always will be. The power to make yourself feel stable, calm and peaceful is there for you at every moment. When you begin to feel lost and adrift, the best thing to do is to quiet your mind, take several deep breaths, and purposefully find the tranquility inside of you.
Recently I had my birth chart completed (which shows how the ‘stars were aligned’ at the exact time of my birth) and not to my surprise I was ALL fire and air signs. Because I had absolutely no earth energy at the time of my birth, I am compelled to be high energy, lofty, flighty and idealistic with little a sense of grounding. All true.
For people like me, it is REALLY important to find and utilize anchors in our lives. Ask yourself: what about the things in this article resonates with me in terms of gaining more stability in my life? How I can I begin to use myself as an anchor?
I can tell you this, just becoming aware that we all need stabilizing energies, or earth energy, in our lives is a huge bonus. As always feel free to comment below and I look forward to your thoughts!
Topics: Perspective, Other Personal Growth, Relationships | 18 Comments »
24 Hours Of Living ‘In The Flow’
By Todd | June 11, 2008
Have you ever experienced a period of time where it felt like everything you did was perfectly in flow with the way you should be living your life? When it happens you usually encounter a high frequency of coincidences, or what I prefer to call synchronicities.
Most people dismiss these experiences as just random acts in the random play of life. I could not disagree more! The moments you are truly living in the flow (and it could be for an hour, a day, or even weeks and months on end) are the times you have access to the universal wisdom that lies within each of us.
And this wisdom holds the key to living a life with excitement, success, fulfillment and love we all desire! Therefore it is imperative not to dismiss the times you experience high degrees of synchronicity, but rather bask in its wonderful flow with attuned awareness and consciousness.
It is also important to share these stories with friends and loved ones, as living in the flow is contagious…the more we talk about it and think about it, the more it happens.
Which brings me to MY tale:
A few weeks ago I was travelling back from LA on business, and the morning of my flight was the beginning of 24 hours of very intense coincidence and synchronicity.
It began at dinner with a bunch of colleagues as a friend shared a very emotional story of something that happened to him in the past, the date of which became quite significant in his life.
Almost on cue, Keri (one of the other people at the table) and I blurted out “what’s the date”? It turned out to be September 20 and Keri and I looked each other and she said ‘yea, that’s my birthday’.
Keri explained that she just knew he was going to say that date. The gentleman next to Keri then shared that his eldest son was born on September 20. The person next to him then explained that September 20 is the day her mother died.
Another friend chimed in that his eldest sister is born on that date. Besides me, everyone at the table had a significant story regarding September 20! It was an eerie (and very cool) few moments…and the connection between those at the table was palpable.
Synchronicity 30,000 Feet In The Air
The next morning I get on a plane back to New York, exhausted from the long trip and passed out. A few hours into the flight the girl next to me taps my leg (while I was sleeping) and says “excuse me, but if you are bored and need something to read I have an extra book on my bag”.
I looked at her for a second as if to say “are you kidding me…you wake me up to exchange pleasantries”, but I just go with it and ask ‘what book’. Of course it turns out to be the Eckhart Tolle A New Earth book, which I have written about a lot on this site.
This sparks a pretty deep conversation and we ended up talking for close to three hours. It turns out my new ‘friend’ is going through a pretty serious awakening process and there were many similarities, or coincidences, between us. I guess there was a reason she felt compelled to wake me up!
Upon landing, I had to go directly to a meeting for yet another start-up venture I am involved. This project’s leader is a particularly bright and engaging individual named Derrick Ashong (from the band Soulflege, The SHIFT movie trailer, and a few infamous YouTube videos).
I got to the meeting just as Derrick was starting his explanation of the business, and listened with great interest as he described a launch event in New York City this fall on…you got it, September 20. I almost fell off my chair, and shared with the folks at the meeting my dinner experience from the night before. Synchronicity working its magic…
The Next 12 Hours
The next morning I woke up and went to my usual diner for breakfast. I have become friendly with one of the waitresses there (she always sees me reading books on meditation, self improvement and the like) and upon seeing me says “OH, where have you been, I’ve been waiting for you and have some stuff you might enjoy”.
She then hands me a bag with a few books and a CD by a local Cellist I told her I liked. One of the books concerned Yoga practice, and seeing it tipped me off that there is a local Yoga studio that I have been meaning to check out for some time…and that today might be the perfect day to do it.
You see, a few weeks before I received an email from the business development manager of this particular Yoga studio after she did a search on the ‘caterpillar to butterfly’ phenomenon and found my article on Google.
She became intrigued by We The Change and saw I was located in New York City and sent me a very nice email. After some communication, she suggested I come into the studio and take a free class.
SO, after a few hours of catching up on emails I went over to Lafayette street to check it out. I walked into the studio and it was pretty much closed (it was the middle of the day and they only have classes in the mornings and evenings). BUT there was one person there: Kristen, the girl who had written me the email.
The two of us hit it off right away, and got into an hour conversation about all sorts of things. One of the major coincidences was that she used to date Daniel Pinchbeck, the author of 2012 The Return of Quetzalcoatl (the book I was reading and in my bag at the time).
She then told me a story of how a few years ago she spent an entire summer in a state of love. I was intrigued by this and asked her what this felt like. She explained that during this time she was constantly enveloped in feelings of grace, peace and acceptance.
She also realized that this is how human beings were supposed to feel ALL the time, and that love and non-resistance were our natural states…and stress and anxiety were mind-made constructs.
Living in Continual ‘Love’?
On the way home from speaking with her, I gave the idea of living in a constant state of love some thought. Was it really possible to live this way all the time? I stopped off to pick up some lunch and walked into my apartment. I turned on the TV for the first time in about 2 weeks and the first thing I heard was Hugh Grant’s voice in the movie LOVE, Actually.
Of course this movie was on, given the conversation I just had and the day of synchronicity I was ensconced (FYI, if you have not seen this film, it is AWESOME and I highly recommend it)!
SO, I sat there and watched this movie which is all about Love and the various forms it comes. When it ended I realized that it had been exactly 24 hours since I landed from Los Angeles. I reflected on the events and got the sense that I had been living in a state of grace, acceptance and love, and that the 24 hours were full of flow and synchronicity.
In The End…
I feel that these moments are the universe’s way of telling us “you are on the right path”. I believe it is our job to manifest these synchronicities in our lives, and to experience with heightened awareness the wonderful feelings of flow they provide. OR, you can simply be resistant, combative and constantly unfulfilled with life. We all have this choice…which sounds better to you??
Topics: Perspective, Alternative and Holistic Healing, Career | 15 Comments »
The Cycles in Life: How To Re-emerge From ‘Down’ Times!
By Todd | May 15, 2008
After seven months of posting an average of 3 We The Change articles per week, many of you have noticed that I have not published new content since the beginning of April.
I have gotten several emails from blogger friends and concerned readers asking “is everything OK with you”? The sentiments have been heart-warming, and I appreciate your interest in my well being.
First off, the answer is ‘yes’, everything is OK with me. The reasons for my taking a break are very personal, but in honoring my mission for complete transparency concerning my journey in life I would like to share with you the experiences I have had over the last 6 weeks.
The goal: to help you garner a few nuggets of wisdom and start seeing that it is OK to have down cycles in your life. To help you see these times are very necessary and often set the stage for a greater ‘you’ to emerge. Let me explain: Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Perspective, Relationships, Alternative and Holistic Healing, Health | 25 Comments »
4 Useful Suggestions For Sickness Prevention and Care
By Todd | April 22, 2008
As you may have noticed, I have not posted a We The Change article in over a week. There are many reasons for this, not the least of which is that I have spent the last several days very sick with little appetite for writing (or food)!
It began last Sunday as I relaxed on my couch watching the Master’s golf tournament. I had just flown back from Los Angeles where I spent a hectic 4 days in full work mode. As I got up to make a sandwich, I felt a twinge in my throat and a weakening in my legs. At that moment, I knew that some form of illness fell upon me.
Although this ‘immediate awareness’ to my sickness may seem pretty cool to you, the truth is that my body was breaking down for several days before this. I just didn’t take notice. Here are 4 great suggestions for sickness prevention and care: Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Alternative and Holistic Healing, Health | 13 Comments »
