Who's in Charge Here, Anyway?

For a long time, we in America, and in the western world, lived with some universal authorities (actually, all cultures live with universal authorities...it is simply the human way)...Yes, Martin Luther decried the corruption of the Catholic (meaning universal) Church and started the Protestant movement...but that just makes the point, protesting against the universal authority...Our founding fathers (maybe a mother or two) established that we had certain inalienable authorities (rights if you must) and the march that began with the Magna Carta reached fruition in America....

In America, we believed in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the three branches of government and the two party system...We believed in our goodness, ultimately, and we believed we meant well for all the world...We were the good guys and our leaders were Washington, Lincoln, Teddy, Franklin, Ike and any of a number of Kennedy's...nobody, EVER, stood up in congress and called them a liar...and nobody, EVER, told their child they would need permission to listen to their President...we had authorities...Doctors, Lawyers, Statesmen and Clerics...Our scientists were pure and focused on truth...life for the rest of us had order and perhaps a chance at justice...then someone noticed that the Emperor had no clothes....

Today, the gen Xer's and Yer's have many authorities and none at all...and in the process it has affected us all...We are the most data inundated, communication available, information polluted generation ever...and there's not an authority in sight...Oh, I'm sorry...there are eight hundred, forty seven million, nine hundred and sixty three authorities in sight every eight minutes...it amounts to the same thing...we have no universal authorities...everyone believes anything and backs it up with everything or nothing...having a million authorities means having no authorities at all...and as fun as that may...there is a problem....

No matter what, in a social group of Human Beings when there is an absence of authority a vacuum is created...the universe hates a vacuum...and begins to fill it, but not always with the highest quality of 'stuff'...we as individuals, need authority in our lives...(even you two, who are certain[on good authority] that you don't need any %#$&*! authority...need authority)...When, as now, no ONE authority exists (by ONE I mean approximately one...majority one or consenses one) then twenty pop up then eighty and so on...WE CAN'T AGREE ON A THING!!! (and, of course, probably not even that)....

Is there global warming...or not...is religion helpful or hurtful...is free trade good or bad...is America on the side of right or just the "might side"...do we fight for oil or justice...is capitalism the root of all evil or the savior of mankind...Are they REALLY too big to fail or is it a scam???whatever the issue there aren't only two sides there are twenty, or twenty thousand, or twenty million, or twenty one more than people talking about it....

What do you believe? Who do you quote as authority to back that belief...How sure are you that your position is right! Just! The best! and how likely would it be to find ten more people in a room of twelve to agree with you? (I'd say that would be unlikely, but, of course, I couldn't get ten people in a room of twelve to agree with me....)

So, what...so we don't have any authorities anymore...who cares...the chaos it creates, the paralysis it empowers may be a good or bad thing depending on who you ask, or what search engine you prefer...but like it or not we need authorities and our society will flounder around until one emerges...maybe we should take notice and make sure it is the one we want...or not...who knows...how can anyone know anything anyway...do we really need to have authority in our life? Again, I'd say yes, but....

It already happened...Obama, was a nobody, someone outside of the political machine and he captured not only a nation, but the world, we are hungry for fresh authority, honest authority, just authority and it will not come from the bankrupt institutions that have failed us to date...we will need to search our souls and find our truths from within...we will need to learn how to trust, and what to trust, by learning the process of trusting...we will need to learn how to have faith in ourselves and the truth of our wisdom and the certainty of our uncertainty...we will need to compare our souls for common ground that over arches the failed authority of churches, governments, corporations and military urgency's...we will need to wake up...learn to live in the NOW of authentic self expression...find universal truths in living with respect, compassion, peace, kindness and service to our world and our neighbors...we must eschew the divisive, enjoy our individual practices and respect those of others...we must learn how to live with dignity and learn to support the dignity of others...we need to walk away from hostility and support others to walk away as well...we need to believe in the possible and strive for the impossible...we must take solace and give solace when we fail...we need to empower those of us who seek to lead with these values and once again show our respect for our leaders when our leaders have gained that right of respect through honesty and diligence...most of all, we need to find real authority in our lives...the kind that can be shared with confidence by our neighbors...a daunting task...may be a while before we achieve it...many of us will check out and just try to get by...not a bad thing, but, in time we will discover some new universal truths and in the mean time, remember...love the one's you're with, until next time, I remain, Respectfully Yours, Larry






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Skippy Takes a Break

Skippy is my alter ego...he runs my life when conditions seem to warrant his protection...situations like trying to perform a skill, or fix something mechanical...all the situations I apparently failed at as a child at the foot of a very angry father...Skippy is my friend, he sabotages my golf shots, makes me crazy when I can't put together a Christmas present and generally makes a nuisance out of himself...when I am channelling Skippy I feel depressed, anxious, sad, frustrated, stubborn, angry, and guilty...Skippy is my friend....

The good news is you have a Skippy too...an alter ego formed in early childhood to fight the bears of your world...the feelings you have which are problematic, the behaviors which are unproductive or savagely counter to your well being...a good friend who's only job is to keep you safe...

"Good friend you say, Sounds more like a Hitler creep"...Yes, that was Skippy too...Even though Skippy can produce some hideous results, the solution to success is not to hate him or denigrate him (or her) the answer is to love him/her into submission...Skippy means well, he is just trying to cope when coping is the problem...You are trying to cope when coping is the problem...learn how to recognize when Skippy is running (spelled ruining) your life and acknowledge his/her desire to protect you and ask Skippy to take a break...eventually he/she will and YOU the big YOU can get back to being in charge of your life...name your Skippy...an affectionate playful name and learn to recognize when you have slipped into that Skippy behavior...then stop, breathe and release from the fear that drives you to be a person you just as soon not be...give Skippy a break...I have been, and my golf is far more fun and I'm scoring better too! Remember, love the one's you're with...until next time, I remain...Respectfully Yours, Larry




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Skippy and Me--Overcoming Limitations

Have you ever noticed that sometimes it seems that there is a glass ceiling on your life...things that just never seem to quite turn out or let you have the success (joy, peace of mind, goodwill, etc.--Pick one--) you are looking for? Boy that's been true for me. When I go out to play golf, a game I've been playing for fifty years things often get weird.

In my book "Life after Survival: Consciously Evolving our Consciousness" I talk about the Core Paradigm and how the fear/pain based consciousness can take over and direct our lives and results, without our Authentic Self having a say...The Auto/Protector is a powerful player in my life and yours and can keep us from having things we want in life...The Auto/protector is trying to act in your best interest to avoid pain or keep you safe but its methods often are at odds with the more rational part of us that would like to achieve certain things in our lives. In the Core Profile I often ask clients to name their Auto/protector self as a way of dis-identifying from its powerful effects in their lives...well, I decided to take my own advice... I took to calling my fear based reaction, Skippy, a light and fun name that both lightened and relaxed the angst I would feel on the golf course...the results were quite amazing...While I should be able to play competently on a golf course I was seldom breaking a hundred...shots would go everywhere but near the hole...and then when I started addressing Skippy and telling him it was okay to let Larry play once in a while things began to change...I began to really enjoy golf again...I started making pars and birdies...I hit the ball further and straighter and I began facing some of the daemons that have plagued me since childhood...You can too...Take a look at some of your coping behaviors...notice the feelings you have when you are upset and put a name to them all, as if, it was someone else using your body to feel these things and do these behaviors (because in very real ways, IT IS)...talk to this person...tell them you understand they are trying to protect you, but it is safe now and you'd like to play too...see if this separation helps you as you face anxiety, depression, anger, frustration, guilt and shame...learn that coping is just that...coping...not living and loving and being alive...learn to dis-identify from the unsuccessful behaviors in your life and bring more of YOU the big YOU to the party...until next time...Love the one's you're with...I remain...Respectfully Yours, Larry




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When will it be alright?

Sometimes the answer is today, sometimes the day after tomorrow, and for many, deep in their souls, the answer is, "When and if I get to Heaven".... When will it be alright for you? When you know that living today, with things just the way they are, is perfect...When the conditions you face are, whatever they are, but just right for you...When you stop, breathe and release from the grind of trying to fix things, or do things, or force things and begin to live with things as they are and as you choose them to be, and with love for all things in your heart...then? Okay....

"But wait!!! Choose, abuse, injustice, squalor, poverty, anger, resentment, hate and war??? Never, never, never...I want things to change, to be different, to be better...then and only then will it be alright!!! I want things to be fair and right and good...I want it to be safe for me and everyone and everyone to have a chance...I want things to work and people to care and love to win and life to sing...I want it better than it is right now...and its not...and I'm not...I'm not...and I want to be." (It's true, isn't it? A little voice speaking to you?)

It could be...it could be better right NOW...if you would be better right now, if you would take the risk to relax, to trust, to breathe, and know deep within your heart, no matter the circumstance, everything is unfolding just as it should and it is safe for YOU to be well ("no, it's not"...says your little voice screaming in your head)...allow yourself to be happy...to be at peace and ready to express your gift and love into life...making you part of the solution instead of part of the problem....("How? Oh, god please, how?", continues your little voice).

Yes, there are many things that call for our attention...but not our fear, and dread and pain...there are things to do in this world and if we do them from a place of inspiration then inspiration is what we contribute...If we live each day committed to releasing from our fear and pain and self protective ego; and begin each morning living from our authentic self expression, then each day we will be alright and the world will be just that much better for our passing thru it...Live today, as if it is the best possible day and be excited about tomorrow, as it will be better yet...acknowledge the pain and fear, but don't let its presence direct your actions or win the day...discover the truth...you are alright...better than alright...you are a gift to the world, and if you need to seek a Life coach, do so, so that you can discover that the best way you can express your gift, is to trust yourself and to love yourself; allow others to love you; then allow yourself to breathe...remember, Love the one's you're with, until next time...I remain, Respectfully Yours, Larry






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Health Care Reform? I don't think so...

Let's see a show of hands...how many of you would like to see the fox in charge of the hen house? If you want eggs in the morning best to keep the fox out of your security plans...This silly debate about health care reform is really about who's going to PAY for health care...not anything about actually getting care or reforming the system of everybody grasping for the almighty (oops) not so almighty, dollar. Health care traditionally, from the beginning of time has always been about the health and welfare of the society...the witch doctor didn't work for an insurance company she worked for the community...do you really want someone making a decision about your health based on how many bills they have this month? Do you want the payment system set up like insurance where we tell you anything to get you to buy, then do everything not to pay off...come on folks...for profit doctors, hospitals, medication is a grand way to keep the very rich healthy, wealthy and wise...the rest of us can just eat cake, why, indeed, should healthcare be for everyone...what commie, pinko thought that up...oh, yeah, just about everyone's grandma...love the ones you're with...respectfully, Larry






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Even the hard times can be good

Today, I'm sad...I haven't done enough, or been enough, or reached out enough to make a difference...I've been trapped by my own fear, hiding my abilities and withholding my power...I haven't let myself discover who I am or who you are...I've simply been enmeshed in my own struggle to survive...It happens.

I can stop, now, see the dawn, the birds in the tree outside my front window, listen to the quiet, as everything is still before the bustle of a new day...I can imagine the promise of living well...helping my friends, family and neighbors and discovering purpose in that service...And then, I want to cry...because its been too hard and I've failed to live up to that promise and I am not good enough...I vacillate between wallowing and just being...What's the point...why bother...who cares...then I answer, "I care".

It is enough. If I care, I can make a difference and I can continue to strive...I am enough even in my inadequacy...I am enough...We all struggle, sometimes without even knowing it. We get caught up in the emergencies of the day and fail to appreciate what is really important to us...what really makes us happy...when we contribute, we sing...when we serve we soar...when we give of ourselves to others we find meaning...Yes, it's fun to indulge ...and please don't hold back...but it can't hold a candle to helping a friend or person in need...we serve when we don't know who we are...then we serve knowing it is who we are...today, I will find a hundred small favors to do...from saying hello, to picking up something dropped and I will strive to remember that these things are enough and that I am enough, and that surrender is the path to enlightenment and service is the path to my soul...until next time...love the ones you're with, until then I remain...Respectfully yours, Larry








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