I am totally present for my teenage daughter. I take my role seriously, that I'm preparing her for her life as a contribution to the world.

At the same time, being her mother is one of my greatest joys. I love this role, this relationship.

She has identified her role in life as that of being a contribution to the world. Her conversation is, how do I make this contribution?

I am in her life, every day, as a stand for her to give her gift to humanity.

Being alone lets me be with my inner world, my connection to Source, more easily than when I'm with other people. I totally experience connection with the inner world when I'm alone. I love that experience.

I love to be in conversations about what makes people excited and passionate. I love the space of everyone being engaged, enthused, alive. I love the quest for that space. It's a gift, an offering, a blessing.

Today I attended the orientation session to an 8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program, and registered for the program beginning in January. I'm looking forward to attending it, and to the support it will bring to my practice.

This summer, I spent a lot of time with Eckhart Tolle's books The Power of Now and The New Earth. I've been working on my Mindfulness meditation practice for the past year, pretty regularly. I was really developing a momentum with being in the present moment, nonresistance, nonjudgment, nonattachment.

Then all hell broke loose in my life in early September. The aggressive growth initiative we took on in our business this year didn't hit the projected revenue levels, and it became evident with a vengeance at the end of the 3rd quarter. We had taken on growing our revenues from $1.1M (2006) to $2M (2007). Instead, we drove our expenses from $95K/month to $125K/month, with a revenue increase to just $1.3M. That gave us a shortfall of over $100,000 this year.

As soon as we realized what had happened, the gains in my meditation and consciousness practice of this summer went right out the window. My strongest triggers are in the area of finances. And, I'm in charge of finances in the company.

Anyway, I quickly found myself "back at square one" in my inner space. I fell into judgement, reactivity, fear, panic, focus on "what's wrong" in my life...the whole nine yards!

And, my physical body has been communicating loud and clear with me. I've had a relapse of a pinched nerve in my neck, this time far worse than ever before. I'm in therapy with my acupuncturist, and am up close and personal with the impact of stress in my life.

Last week a touch of serendipity put me in touch with this Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program that just happened to have an orientation session today. It was amazing. I registered immediately.

 I am grateful that the Universe is my Friend!!!

The kind of dreams we have at night when we're asleep don't play a big role for me...but the kind of dreams we have when we're awake are TOTALLY AT THE FOREFRONT for me.

As Thoreau said, "Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake."

That says it for me! I spend tons of time dreaming of what could be, of what my life could be, of what my contribution could be...My life is totally shaped by my creative visualization of what could be, and then taking steps to fulfill it.

That's my moniker, "CauseYourLife". It all starts with a dream.

"Hold an image of the life you want, and that image will become fact "-- Norman Vincent Peale.

One of my favorite authors and teachers is  Marc Allen. His books The Millionaire Course, The Z-Type Guide to Success, and Visionary Business teach a really cool process of writing the "ideal scene" for your life. It's all about dreaming the dream...

I stand for the transformation of the planet and all people, so that this world is a world that works for everyone.

A world where life is a glorious adventure for everyone. A world in which all people live their dreams, experience life as a magical playground, and consciously create their heart's desires.

I stand for a world in which all people are awake, are conscious, are present.

A world in which all people feel part of the human family, recognize all other people as part of the human family. A world in which we all care for one another, for the earth, for all living creatures.

I stand for Transformation being brought to the front of conscious awareness. For Centers of Transformation to become Physical Spaces where people gather and work together to transform the planet. For the Zaadz community to move from cyberspace, to physical space!

Yesterday was my birthday. My husband, daughter and I got carryout from our favorite Middle Eastern restaurant, and ate dinner while we watched a rerun of Kill Bill, one of my very favorite movies. I also was reading the current Rolling Stone magazine, cover story interviews with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones, about the Led Zeppelin reunion tour today in London -- my sister and niece are there! We were all cuddled together with blankets on our big wraparound sectional couch...we had a great evening!

A central part of my spiritual practice is to connect with the natural world. I do this most easily by communing with the Spirit of Trees. I find this the easiest and quickest way for me to be with God, spirit, source energy.

There is a great prayer to Brother Tree that I found in the Essene Gospel of Peace, Book 4, the section entitled "The Holy Streams":
 

"Now in the hour before the rising of the sun, just before the angels of the Earthly Mother breathe life into the still sleeping earth, then do you enter into the Holy Stream of Life.

It is your Brother Tree who holds the mystery of this Holy Stream, and it is your Brother Tree that you will embrace in your thought, even as by clay you embrace him in greeting when you walk along the lake shore.

And you shall be one with the tree, for in the beginning of the times so did we all share in the Holy Stream of Life that gave birth to all creation.
 

And as you embrace your Brother Tree, the power of the Holy Stream of Life will fill your whole body, and you will tremble before its might.

Then breathe deeply of the angel of air, and say the word "Life" with the outgiving of breath.

Then you will become in truth the Tree of Life which sinks its roots deep into the Holy Stream of Life from an eternal source.

And as the angel of sun warms the earth, and all the creatures of land and water and air rejoice in the new day, so will your body and spirit rejoice in the Holy Stream of Life that flows to you through your Brother Tree."

This posting is for the rock 'n rollers out there. To the rest of you -- you don't know what you're missing! (smile)  

My sister and niece flew to London last week to attend the Led Zeppelin reunion tour at the O2 Arena, and I attended vicariously through their experience. As you may or may not know, Led Zeppelin hasn't performed together as a band since 1980 when their drummer John Bonham died.  

This reunion concert was a historic event. It was held in the O2 Arena in London on December 10. Tickets were sold by lottery, due to the tremendous demand. Millions of people registered in the lottery, and 10,000 were selected and given the opportunity to purchase 2 tickets each.   There are totally AMAZING videos of the setlist on YouTube -- Oh, the glory of Cyberspace...  

Here are links to videos of all the songs played, in order of the setlist. Some of the videos are great, the full song, good quality. Others are partial songs, poorer quality. But for true fans, it's just totally cool to be able to experience it at all.

Check it out --  

Good Times Bad Times

Ramble On

Black Dog

In My Time of Dying

For Your Life

Trampled Underfoot

Nobody's Fault But Mine

No Quarter

Since I've Been Loving You

Dazed and Confused

Stairway to Heaven

The Song Remains the Same

Misty Mountain Hop

Kashmir

Encore:
Whole Lotta Love

Rock 'n Roll 

For hard core Zep fans, here's a great website that also has video links of the setlist.

Here's another link to Black Dog, that looks like it was on British news after the concert.
 
I LOVE Led Zeppelin. They are absolutely brilliant musicians.  

I read an amazing book a while ago, "In the Houses of the Holy: Led Zeppelin and the Power of Rock Music", written by Susan Fast, who is (or was at the time) Associate Professor and Director of the graduate program in music criticism in the School of Arts at McMaster University. The book examines rock music, via analysis of the music of Led Zeppelin, through the eyes of a music scholar. I love the book, because it elevates this music to the level of musical genius, where it belongs.   If you appreciate Led Zeppelin, then enjoy the videos!

I originally found Zaadz while reading What is Enlightenment? magazine, issue #36 April-June 2007, an article entitled "This Revolution Will Be Digitized", which was an interview with four of the  Zaadz founders. I was totally blown away, I didn't know about Zaadz till then.

In reading What is Enlightenment? magazine, I was looking for how transformation is manifesting out there in the world. I'm totally passionate about the process and project of personal and planetary transformation, and I devour any and all material about it. I was so attracted to Zaadz because it is a gathering spot for those of us who are absorbed in the quest for transformation.

The most fascinating part of the article was a statement from Siona, where she said, "I'm excited about Zaadz making the leap from being a virtual community and a "virtual company" to being out there in the real world. Our next major transformation is going to involve what we've been calling the Zaadz Oases. These are going to be physical spaces where people can meet and work. Imagine a relaxing place where you can find a cafe, organic restaurant, massage venue, and yoga studio, staffed by a team of people who are dedicated to whatever it is they do."

This statement really gripped my soul. I've had a vision for some time now, for similar centers I call "Cause Your Life Transformational Centers." I envision these Centers all over the place, as numerous as Starbucks -- possibly in conjunction with Starbucks, to benefit from their already existing popularity and drawing power -- where people like us Zaadzsters could go and find like-minded folk at any time of day or night...it would be HEAVEN for sure!

Check out my blog posting on these Transformational Centers. I'd appreciate any thoughts or feedback.

I like to be around people who are friendly, happy, upbeat, fun. People who enjoy life, live it with gusto, are interested in others and in life in general.

I like to be with people who have depth, who think about and live from their personal values, their mission and purpose in life. People who live life intentionally, who steer the course of their lives rather than have things just happen to them. People who are present, aware, awake.

I like people who are passionate about personal growth and development, people who are up to pushing the edge of experience. People who aren't satisfied with being in the same place, having the same life next year as they do this year. People who take on the next challenge, the next level of the game. People who are fascinated with the quest for what's possible.

I enjoy being with people who are consumed with the inquiry into personal and planetary transformation. I am totally attracted to people who consciously take on ownership of the conditions of workability of this planet. I love people who consider themselves accountable for the transformation of planet earth, who see their purpose in life as bringing some solution to the planetary issues, who are geeked and delighted by this mission.

I love and adore being with people who know themselves to be the embodiment of Spirit on earth, who know that Source Energy is evolving through the consciousness of humanity, and who take seriously the quest to connect with Source for the purpose of conscious evolution.