Debbie Ford passed away Sunday

Debbie Ford died yesterday at 57 years old.  I am very sorry to hear the news.  My initial reaction was shock because I did not know she was sick.  My heart goes out to her family, friends and fans.

Debbie Ford

I only read one of her books.  It was called, The Dark Side of the Light Chasers which was written in 1998.  She demonstrated to me then that she 'got it.'  She understood and showed confidence in something that other authors and psychologists had not put into words.  Debbie Ford's pattern appeared not to be to solely study psychology and personal growth then rewrite things she had learned.

She understood her feelings then put them into words. She showed confidence and bravely shared the depth of herself.

I believe that her message was similar to mine in Goodology as she talk about reclaiming parts of ourselves which we considered a shadow or energy that is tucked away, unnoticed.  She felt reconnecting with this is the most direct way to real personal growth.  Through this, she was a personal example.

Debbie appeared on Oprah, Larry Kind Live, Good Morning America and other TV shows.  She had written eight books after her original book in 1998.  She was working on a tenth book at the time of her death.   She will be missed.  The dark site of the light chasers is here.

Here is a link to Debbie's books on Amazon.  If you would like to read more about Debbie, here is a link to the New Consciousness Review by Laurie Sue Brockway.

Sixth Grader at Homeless School Catches me Off Guard

At the school for homeless children where I tutor, here is a short exchange between a 6th grade boy and me. Throughout the day, I try to smile, be supportive and helpful at all times. You never know what sensitive feelings are going on. 

6th Grader: Will you remember me tomorrow?
Me: Yes! I will. 
6th Grader: Will you remember me next week?
Me: Yes!
6th Grader: Will you remember me in one year?
Me: Yes, I will.

6th Grader: Knock Knock
Me: Who’s there?
6th Grader (smiling): I thought you said you would remember me!
Me: (laughing) You totally caught off guard. Wow. :)

Haha.  Great job.  He got me and I laughed!

Inspirational Quotes Everywhere You Look!

Have you noticed that everywhere you look there are inspirational quotes?

It's not a bad thing.  It's a good thing.  It's a great thing.  But, (isn't there always a but?) I have always felt that the impact of quotes are significantly less than you realize.

It is:

1. It's in one ear, out the other and back to your life grind.  When breaking down the quote, does it really make sense?  Does it have the impact that it even should have?

This post for me is to experiment to see how a picture looks in each of these posts.  What I would like to do is insert a picture with a quote.  Then on the side of that quote, I will evaluate meaning.  There are subtle skips in meaning that leave huge holes.  You'll see what I mean when I begin writing this.  For now, I want to insert a picture somewhere here.  I would like to have the images be consistent size and the text consistent in format.

Keep in mind, some quotes (most of the inspirational ones) are great.  Anytime you are reading these quotes you are putting good things in your mind.  My job here is to inspire you to think more about meaning.  By doing this, we can understand your real inner energy more clearly.

The picture was taken in my hometown off of a dirt road on Maple Hill.  This is an area that I love where you can see the horizon.This particular quote (and most everything by Rumi) is one that I like.  Most of the pictures and posts that appear on my Facebook page fit into my good quote list.  Generally, I try not to make posts that have subtle misses in meaning.

Enjoy your day.

Homeless Children I Have A Dream

by Apple Goodthree

Today at the school they wrote their own Martin Luther King, Jr, "I have a dream" speeches.  The first one I saw was by a ten year old girl named K.  It got me, so I asked if I could take a picture of it.  K was all for it and the teacher was too.

School for homeless children (4th graders) where I live, this is what I saw today. "My dream is that people that don't have a roof to live under, have one so they don't get dirty. Also, everyone I want to have food to eat and to clean the world so we can have a better place to live in." Thank you K. You are awesome. I am with you.

The other one was written by E.  I only took three photos.  That was enough.  What is it like for a fourth grader to grow up with these thoughts?  Does this affect learning?  How can we help?

E has a "dream that the world was good," and a dream that "there was no gun shooting at night." Read this. We can help. Be a great example. I think E says in the end, "people are as great as they can be." Start today, be great and increase greatness.

Here is the third one by D.

That one day people will be nice.

It sounds simple, but if people could be nice.  There is a lot going on with these kids.  That is, there is less stability.  So, learning is affected.  There is not an regular evening meal with mom, dad and family.  The meals come from different places if they come.  As E said, there is gun shooting at night.  This creates fear inside, which is going to take away from learning.

People learn better in conditions of safety.  Growth is affected otherwise.  As K said, a roof over their head. My sister pointed out, "did you notice how the girl, K, didn't ask for anything for herself?"

Child smiles and expressions at homeless school

by Apple Goodthree

How special it is to see a child smile.

Most of the kids in the school are homeless or have recently experienced it.  One of the most precious people on the planet is a fourth grader named Angel.

The first thing I noticed about Angel is overwhelming extreme shyness.  Or maybe it was simply quietness. She's healthy and not bashful about getting up to sharpen her pencil or get the books she needs but in conversation she is very timid.  The words barely, ever so barely, come out of her mouth.  I asked her what her name is. She had to repeat herself a few times until I understood it.

In observing the class, I noticed that she was behind on her multiplication tables.  I knew I could help.  I asked Angel, "what is two times two?"  She looks straight ahead.  I can subtly see her mind working.  She was patient thinking.  After many moments of pause, she every so quietly and gently said the answer sounding like a very young child pronouncing her r's "wrong".  She said so barely as a question, "foa".

Once when she was in line for lunch with the other kids, I saw her smile and have a moment of silliness.  This is a good thing.  When I talked to her at lunch, she was reserved with short very quiet one-word answers.  A week later, I worked again with her and another girl in the fourth grade.  We worked in the times tables again in a separate classroom.

Angel was ahead of the other girl who had missed months of school.  Still in 4th grade, each girl is well behind.  We built, we practiced and we got better at multiplication.  Still Angel was quiet.  But she was getting it.  She was building confidence.  She knew it.  I asked the girls what color the wall was.  They both answered, "Yellow!"  I said, you will be able to answer your times tables with the same quickness soon.

Yesterday I had a chance to practice with them again.  Angel really moved ahead.  Going through the 5's tables gains momentum and confidence.  She was cookin'.  The other girl has trouble adding.  So, it's all practice.  Repetition will make them stronger.

Also the connection with an adult that is supportive helps.  Gym class was later.  We were late because of our arithmetic session, so we walked out to gym.  I stuck around as gym class in this school has no real organization in P.E, though there was a theme for today and it was volleyball.  Long story short, I was volleying with another classmate.  Angel (who usually sits by herself at recess) came over.  I tossed the ball to her.

She might be the smallest girl in the class but she's tough.  She has more coordination than she may have given herself credit for and was able to volley the ball. It was a confidence building because I had not seen her interact like this.  She has a SMILE on her face for the whole gym class.  She was having so much fun with the three other girls volleying.  We spent the whole class volleying and retrieving our bad shots.  Then she brought the volleyball to the basketball hoop and shot for a few minutes.  When it was time to line up, I had a question about gathering the kids because the gym teacher was gone.  Also, the classroom teacher was not there.

I am not much of a yeller, so I asked one of the louder fourth graders if they could help me gather up the 18 other students to line up for class.  Well right on queue, Angel must have heard me make that request because she yelled and yelled loudly.  She shouted different classmates names.  MICHEALA!  I paused, amazed.  She then bellowed out, SALLY! It was amazing that this girl who had been so quiet was now expressing herself like this.  It was a help to me.  I had a good day.

How special it is to see a child smile... and express themselves!

Goodology on Facebook
Goodology on the web

Elementary Education Desire for Success

by Apple Goodthree

I asked a kid the other day in the 4th grade class a question.  He was doing math problems at lunch.  It was a test and teachers are not supposed to help on a test.  Still, I helped.  I was breaking down a multiplication table.  Somehow, the question came up where I said, "what does 60 + 3 equal?"

The child looked to the right, thinking.  He continued to think for a moment and said, "uh, 50!?"

This kid is a great kid.  He is healthy.  His mind works fine.  He is cute as a button.  He is also one of the coolest kids in school.  I wish I could mention his name - he's even got a cool name.

I think when you challenge a child, they appreciate it.  When you support them, they appreciate it.  When I sat with him to support him with his math problem, it was important to him.  When he responded with his answer of, "50," he was hoping so much that he got it right.  He wanted to impress me.  He wanted the instruction to continue.

Yesterday he stayed in from recess.  He's a good little basketball player by the way so recess is a place where he feels success, confidence and joy.  With that point, let me emphasize that he's coordinated.  He's healthy.  He can learn anything.  I think learning disabilities are overrated and over publicized.

Nonetheless, inside at recess we talked.  He asked me a question about Facebook.  I told him I had a page for a book that I have written.  He said with awe, "you wrote a book?"  A girl that was sitting there said, "are you famous?"  Then the cool kid asked where I lived.  I told him Massachusetts.  Sadly, better than ninety percent of these kids don't even know they live in Arizona (geography, a future project).

Anyway, the cool kid said, "you want to be a teacher?"  I said, "yes."  He wondered why.  And he asked where I wanted to teach.  I said, if I teach it will be at this school or a school like it.  He said, "yeah, but isn't this school poor?"

I was just preparing my answer so he could understand how "rich" these kids really are.  As I said, they are healthy.  They are strong.  They don't have learning disabilities.  They have wonderful teachers and administrators that care.  These kids have raw ability that is not, usually, influenced by parents.  They are their own people.  Their "I cans" are their own.

But, the class and the teachers entered.

Still, this child now has some desire from a different angle.  With that desire, he builds confidence in different activities.  He gives himself reasons and a connection.  This prompts him to put in the effort.  He accomplishes.  He expands.

But, I have been in this class for a few weeks.  This child usually doesn't do the work.  He just sits there and day dreams, sharpens his pencil and asks to go to the bathroom a lot.  His homework is not done.  He's no bother in class, really.  He smiles.  He's happy.  Somewhere inside, he has the impression he was unable to perform certain school work.  Or, he's bored.  Or, he was not challenged.  Or, he didn't have the desire.

So, yesterday, there was an afternoon assignment to create an invitation to their parents (or guardian, grandparent, etc because these are homeless kids it's not always the same).  Fifteen or twenty times he asked me to come over and help him.  Mostly those requests were just for the connection - so I could see how he was doing.  I only gave him small guidance each time but it was structured and move him forward.

He created a rough draft invitation to his parents that had spacing, structure and excellent handwriting.  He, then, made the real copy on a stronger card stock paper.  It was awesome.  I told him how excellent it was again and again.  I said the same thing to all the kids and each hears it themselves.

I urged the boy to show his work to the teacher.   When he did, the teacher nodded and nodded again.  The teacher showed encouragement and then said, "you have great handwriting."  The student walked away from the teacher's desk filled with pride and success.  I gave him a 'thumbs up' sign.  He smiled.

These successes are how kids build.  Today, I hope to be able to work with him on his multiplication tables.  He'll be up to speed in no time.  Well, we might have to get over that addition hump of 60 + 3.  We will.

UPDATE:  Today when I went to the school, he was the first one I saw.  He excitedly and proudly told me that they are using his invitation as a model for others.  His invitation is in the principal's office.  :-)

The Greatest Currency

I refer to and write about something that I call, "the greatest currency," often. What do you think when I say, "the greatest currency?"  Do you think of money?  Do you think of an electrical charge?  Do you think of water flowing down a river?

Currency.  What do you think about?

Well, in the Goodology book and my writing, the currency is movement of energy within you.  This exercise increases your power of attraction and it increases all the good in your life.  Like attracts like.  So, what about the greatest currency?  Maybe this is an activity that inspires energy flow and energy movement within.

Doing something you enjoy increases your energy flow.  On one extreme laughter "is" energy flow.  Smiling shows energy flow within.  These are the mirrors to your soul.  The more you live in these states, the more synergy (truths matching) exists.  Putting yourself in places of joy increases synergy.

As I have written about, a great currency for me is working with the homeless children.  I love it.  I see absolute potential in these kids.  They are raw power, intelligence and beauty.  When you match that with attention, care and just being there, these attributes naturally flow out in the children.

This is a great currency for me.  What is a great currency for you?

Read about the greatest currency here on Amazon in the book called, "Goodology - Personal Development Through Good."

Tutoring in a school for homeless children

I feel that the way to lift our society is to embrace some of the weakest populations.  If we empower the weak, it makes the whole stronger.  That's why I love working in my school for homeless children.  Most of the kids are homeless and all of the families are below the poverty line.

True, it's difficult in the school.  Many of the kids have tired looks on their face.  Some fall asleep in class.  We try to feed them breakfast and snacks throughout the day in addition to lunches.  The raw power and talent these kids have is wonderful.  The problem, I believe, is they are not challenged enough.  They can do anything.

When they begin to succeed, momentum builds.  Esteem builds.  I love seeing that.  The children just haven't been challenged enough.  I worked with a fourth grader today who missed three months of school.  She can't read a simple book (like See Spot Run).  She hadn't been able to sound out simple words.  But, I had worked with her the other day and she felt success.  Guess what happened?

Today during recess, she came over to me and brought me a book.  I first thought she was going to start reading it to me.  Then I remembered she had trouble even sounding out words.  The word, "the" was trouble.  All during lunch we read and read.  I began, then she continued.  Almost immediately, she attempted to read.  With assistance she got through a sentence.  Then another.

Then we would repeat sentences for practice.  Not only was her confidence building, but her trust in an adult was building.  You know what else was building?  Her trust in herself.  Later during class, there was a writing assignment.  She finished it.  It was only a half-page essay, but simple writing was a challenge.  Certainly spelling was a challenge.  Even being creative was a challenge.

She came over with a blank piece of paper and sat next to me.  One word and one sentence after the other she wrote, and misspelled, but she wrote.  She was creative and very thoughtful in writing about what she would do for her Mom.  Back to my original point.  Investing time with this population has more rewards than you can name.  Maybe I'll write about them some day.  :)

Visit Goodology in the web.
The Goodology Book!

Goodology on Kindle Temporarily Lowered!

It's important now to increase the message of good.  The book, Goodology - Personal Development Through Good, is temporarily lowered to 0.99.  I would have listed it FREE, but Kindle only allows a 0.99 price.  It's all the same - the information is too important now in our world.

We have to be careful after the shootings in Connecticut to go back into our routines and patterns.  I feel that we need increase our personal power.  We do this through lessening the internal sludge that we carry around with us.  In the book, I say that you cannot effectively resolve a problem is you don't correctly identify it.  It's The Beauty of Problems!

The book does a good job of identifying the source of energy within you that is rarely notices.  You'll see the print and Kindle editions here.  Have a great day.

My Daily Plan

How can I do more good in the world?  I realized a long time ago that I simply want to be a positive influence. Sometimes I make mistakes. Sometimes emotion tries to rule the day.  But, I always come back to the question of, 'how can I help?'

Through the course of the day there are actions that I can take that are supportive to other people and some that are non-supportive.  I can be kind.  I can be compassionate.  I can be supportive.  I want to shift the balance to positive influence.  Who knows where this will take the world?  When we do this, we are shifting the energy of the world.  We, then, are acting with a different level of love and, importantly, reacting with a different level of fear.

We can react on love and respect or we can react from anger and blame.  When you treat someone with respect, they carry that to their next encounter.  You allow them to bring more of their own positive energy into play.  It's a beautiful thing.

It's a beautiful day at Goodology Dot Com.

Shootings in Tucson

Be the first to forgive. Reacting with the same energy that caused a problem continues to lay the same soil for the growth of the same problems. Let’s get out of the circle. Be the first to love. If you feel someone acted in ignorance, anger or hate, forgive them. By doing this you empower yourself. The person acting in ignorance and hate is only acting with the limited capacity of their fears. Send love. Send hope. Send support. Send intelligence if you feel that will help.

The shooting in Tucson is an act where we want to wrap our arms around the people of the city and support them. We are sad this happened. But, we need to be supportive. Support doesn’t come in the form of blame and punishment; it comes in the form of love, understanding and attention.

Yes, we need to understand the energy that drove the actions and be above that. It is this energy that drives political figures to argue. It is this energy that drives pundits to stir up the madness. Forgive. Take the edge off. Be the first to forgive. Live with in a higher energy. Set a good example. Act with compassion. Let go.

The nine year old girl, Christina Taylor Green, was full of life, beauty and direction. Gabby Giffords is beautiful, intelligent, caring and sweet. But, she would be just as beautiful, just as loving and just as caring if I did not know who she is. Christina’s life would have been beautiful without our help. I wish this didn’t happen, but it did. We have honestly recognize our own energy and forgive. Forgive the energy that drove a man to shoot.

Forgive. Release the anger. The event is over. The man will be punished. Angrily calling the man a “deranged monster” has an appearance of being on the right side. But, it’s negative energy. The shooter was reacting from his own negative energy and guided by information which he attached to. Let’s not add to it.

I am sorry for the others who died and the others who were injured. I am sorry that we hold onto fearful energy and feel we have to act on it. We all need to get rid of this energy and come together. It’s easy to point our flaws in some of our political and non-political leaders. It’s easy to point to someone carelessly putting crosshairs on a map as a target.

Forgive first. Be the first. Be stronger. Be above. A problem in our society is denial. Promoting guns and shooting for congressional support or to add to image can be a tactic. Admitting and owning up is a more beautiful energy than denial. We can forgive. It's easy and beautiful. Recognize that if someone has a weakness our only response is in strength. Our strength is forgiveness. Empower yourself. Love.

Be responsible first. Be above board first. Offer people greatness. Give people love. Give people intelligence. Give people options. Give respect. Be the first to love. Be the first to support. These are the tools that make a society strong. Be strong and a positive example like Gabby Giffords. Christina was born on September 11, 2001. She died in a shooting in Tucson. Carry her positive energy forward. Move beyond that energy of hate. Raise your level. Care. Be the first to care. Be the first to love.

Love

We’ve heard it all before. All love is self-love. So what’s the problem? There is still anger out there. There is still hate. There is fear. You still have frustration.

You hear that God is love. They say that love is everywhere. God is everywhere. Then why are we not all happy? It's because we have a resistance to it. Let’s try this. If you remove your resistance to love, then what is left? Love and only love. So, "you" can be the one to get started. Initiate love. Be the first to send love. This action breaks down the walls and barriers in our world. This is going to dissolve wars and hate. Soon.

You say, “Yeah but this guy is really an idiot." Then you really need to increase your love and your flow. Respect everyone. Begin by respecting your energy within. Respect yourself. You say, "No, but seriously, 'this guy' is a real idiot. He's the definition of idiot. Where is the label coming from? Your feeling inside.

The “idiots” of the world are acting from their own fears within. They are pushed, driven and goaded to act a certain way based on sludge and fear they have inside. Sometimes it comes out dorky. Sometimes they seem like a dufus. Appreciate them anyway. Sometimes it comes out angry. Appreciate them anyway. When you locate your energy within and appreciate them, you grow.

A way to increase your love is to give it. When you give, you unconsciously realize that there is not a finite supply. You realize that you “don’t need to hang on.” You can give and love will be replenished. You can give without wanting to receive. When we take off the scab of the temporary fill, we allow air to flow into our wound (or resistance). When that healing energy connects with it, we are stronger.

When you locate your own resistance within, you have connected with power. The following is a difficult concept for some folks to handle, but a child molester has problems. Love him. Respect him. His acts are not good, but at a core level he is good. He began his life “good.” We “know” his actions are not good. Love him anyway. Love your energy. Hope for him. Wish good for him. We are not going to move ahead as a society until we increase our energy flow and compassion inside. You say that you love everyone but you draw the line at child molesters.

The child molester may have been seriously abused when he was a child. But “that” is not the reason you should love him. That is not the reason you should love yourself. Yes, being molested as a child, doesn’t make his actions right, but he has lots of compressed energy within. You are not approving or disapproving acts. Love “your” own energy within first. Send out love to these people. It is like sending our prayer and hope for them to get better. Send love. The more love you send the more powerful you become.

Again, if you remove the resistance to it, all that is left is LOVE. At a spiritual seminar they discuss love throughout the whole weekend. People want “unconditional love.” Love is the answer. But, people leave that seminar in the same condition that they entered. So, what’s the problem? The never touch their resistance.

I am not here to define love because there is no definition. Love is the most abundant element on the planet. Love is everything. Love is the limited and the limitless. Definitions of love are around us. Love is flowing. Love is detachment. Love is infinite. Love is all intelligence. Love is all power and all energy. Love is everywhere. We are surrounded in it. We bathe in it daily. We touch it. It touches us. Love kisses us. It moves through us. It “is” us. Love is positive. Love is flowing. Love is infinite power, infinite intelligence, infinite compassion and infinite everything. But, mostly it is infinite flow. Love is energy.

Love is the slowly moving energy within you. When you love this energy is when you begin to grow. Move away from “intellectually” understanding what love is. Feel it. Let it flow through you. So, if we are not connected to it, then we have a resistance to it. We need to specifically locate our resistance within and clear it. When we do that, the only thing left is love. We know that a slight resistance is the simple separation. When we continue to notice this and reconnect with it, we are reconnecting with love. We will specifically locate the energy within us; know it is love and only love.

You can tell yourself that you love you all day long. It will have some effect. But, if the sludge is still there, you’ll either give up with putting notes on the bathroom mirror for yourself or you just won’t feel the love. Love is not a “thing,” nor does it feed a specific part of us. We realize by now that we have to get out of our head and become whole. This is not an intellectual pursuit nor is this soap opera type love. The flow of love is outward. It is unselfish and flowing toward another person or object. It is all yes and all positive. There is no “no” in love. Loving a child is a healthy energy flow. When you respect it is flowing positively. When you appreciate, it’s positive.
The primary message here is to know the flow of love. Writing has filled up books defining love and unconditional love.

Let’s go to http://www.dictionary.com/ again! This is what we have:

love/
–noun
1. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.
2. a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.
3. sexual passion or desire.
4. a person toward whom love is felt; beloved person; sweetheart.
5. (used in direct address as a term of endearment, affection, or the like): Would you like to see a movie, love?
6. a love affair; an intensely amorous incident; amour.
7. sexual intercourse; copulation.
8. ( initial capital letter ) a personification of sexual affection, as Eros or Cupid.
9. affectionate concern for the well-being of others: the love of one's neighbor.
10. strong predilection, enthusiasm, or liking for anything: her love of books.
11. the object or thing so liked: The theater was her great love.
12. the benevolent affection of god for His creatures, or the reverent affection due from them to God.
13. Chiefly Tennis . a score of zero; nothing.
14. a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter L.

Depending on how you perceive the definitions, there are eight forms of soap opera type love. Passionate affection, personal attachment, sexual desire, a love affair, sexual intercourse, sexual affection, affection for others, and other forms of love are mentioned “before” God’s Love: “the benevolent affection of god for His creatures, or the reverent affection due from them to God.”

Love in our world is “feeding the pain inside.” It’s feeding the sludge. Unfortunately, this has become our “most desired state.” It’s good because it touches are area inside that doesn’t get touched much. It touches an area that we keep safe under lock and key. It feels good to have this touched. But, it just gives us medicinal dosages of “love,” which is just attention, approval and so on.

To increase our health and wholeness love people as God does. If someone acts like an idiot, we can move past that and love them. Remember, if “they” act like an idiot, it is “your” inside that is stirred up. It is “your” energy. Perceiving them as an idiot allows you the opportunity to grow and increase strength.

Maybe you grew up with your Dad calling you, “chum” and your Mom saying, “I love you” each day before you left for school. Some people didn’t. What about the baby that was tossed in the air and hit the ceiling? What about the baby that was dropped? What about the baby that was whipped before he was two years old?

What about the child who was called a worthless piece of crap daily while growing up? You feel for these kids. But, an adult why do we stop feeling for them? You say, “the adult should know better.” Inside of this adult is compressed energy that is “current” within them. It is stored inside of them. At some point, they are going to lash out. These are problems that “exist” and can’t be suppressed or avoided.

True love never fails.
This could be an automatic let down because your sludge exists. You are honest and truthful. So, you say, what do you mean? It failed me. “True love never fails,” are just words. Flow is love. Letting go is love. Connecting with your deepest inside and flowing. That is love. It’s simple. You don’t have to work hard. You just need to connect inside and love that feeling within you. Send that feeling out again and again. It replenishes.

You are thinking that love needs to come from the outside to connect with, calm or heal your “own” hurt inside. The true love must come from within. It comes from noticing and connecting with your own sludge. You initiate the flow.

Love is bliss and power.
Sure, but if you are jam packed with sludge, then this statement will fail you too. All of these statements can be made. It all can be said. But, what does it do? You are holding onto your energy and resisting your power. So, you cut off your power and use a small portion of it to understand the statement that says, “Love is bliss and power.” You go oh and ah, thinking you are transforming but nothing has happened except having some candy.

I have a habit at night before I go to bed. I pick someone who I “don’t like,” or I pick someone who has done something which I don’t like. I send love to that person. I feel the energy that gets stirred "within me" when I think him or her. If I use the term, “scumbag” then I send love to him or her and realize that the “only” place the label “scumbag” is created is within me. So, it is my responsibility to clear it, connect with it and turn it into positive energy and love.

Visit Goodology where the temporary price of the Kindle edition is Ninety-Nine Cents!  .99

Visit Goodology on the Web

Visit Goodology on Facebook

Research

I like movies set in California or New York City. Watching movies is such an experience. They are so well done, you feel like you have visited these places. It’s great to absorb the feel of the movie. You might like a scene in the Bahamas in a movie or a scene in the countryside. I like a movie recently that began in Mexico, traveled through Texas and ended up in New Jersey.

I was able to get a feel for a moment of what it would be like to live in Mexico. I saw a brief perspective of the families, the houses, the land and the commerce. In a movie, you can absorb someone else’s perspective. We expand our awareness while being entertained. Books and self-development programs can be like watching movies. Many of the books that we read allow us to absorb perspective, expand us and be entertained. You might hear a speaker talk about how they spent three years in India meditating. Another author went to Harvard. Many authors have PHD after their name. Still other authors have experienced success in business, like a book by Donald Trump.

We are able to take in information and experience. We can learn things from those who have experienced. That will reduce our learning curve. Many years ago, I read a book called, “Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive.” I was in my automotive distributorship business at the time. I remember picking up dozens of great business tips from the author Harvey Mackay. I had read many books but this one was the one that I liked the most at that time.

I worked long hours in my business. While many tips were useful, one piece of advice I specifically remember is that Harvey sent out thank you notes to his customers. I did the same thing with every one of my new customers and often communicated with other customers through the mail. Each customer noticed and appreciated that token of thoughtfulness. From that book, I expanded and learned.

In truth, that business of mine failed. It goes to show you that there are other powers at work. There are deeper powers. “That” is what I wanted to find. The perspective that I want to bring to you is simple. It comes from listening to my insides. Yes, I researched and read as much as most have. But the critical definitions come from looking inside and using my own filter to see if this really works and this really makes sense.

Did it work for me? Most self-help programs didn’t. For many years I wouldn’t admit it! That’s because all the testimonials were rave reviews. I felt embarrassed that I did not receive the results. There was either something wrong with me or the "problem" was not correctly identified. This was opportunity for me to dig more deeply inside of myself and pull out the core issue that needed resolving. I did.

The research is discovering the energy within yourself. The answer is in Goodology.

Powerful

This is hard to watch, but it these are situations which we need to embrace and give. I love the kids, Sam and Esther, in this video and I love the girl Jane in this video. I write about Jane's example of intelligence, love and beautiful spirit. Watch the one minute follow up video also.

Click here for this video.

About a year later here is Jane, so sweet and beautiful. She looks healthy and happy.

Jane about one year later.

One of the reasons that I posted these videos is to illustrate a point, which is in Jane's energy. Jane didn’t complain. She did not regret. She did not blame her parents for not being there. She only showed energy flow, beauty and positivity. She is love. She is caring. She is unafraid. She is responsible. She is not feeding “negative” energy.

Jane didn’t wake up and prepare herself for a film crew coming in. She had no idea. She “only” loved, supported and “was” beauty. She lived her life with the beautiful energy that she is. She is the most beautiful girl in the world with her energy flowing.

We all have the same energy within us. Let us all reconnect and look up to Jane. Let us model the beauty of Jane. Let us model the strength of Jane. One year later after some generous donations, Sam and Esther were stabilized, well fed and their polio was being taken care of. Jane is in school learning, but now smiling with an amazingly sweet smile and happiness.

Underneath, we all have this energy. We need to connect with it. Religions argue "specific points" and interpretations of this beautiful energy (Spirit, God, Universe, Source or whatever you call it). A lot of damage has been done by bickering about interpretations of something beautiful.

Our first step is to locate our own energy within. Even if you are watching the cable news shows and their energy is angry and non-problem solving, locate your own energy. Jane provides solutions without ego. Become powerful yourself. Connect with your own beauty - no excuses, no blame, no regret - just like Jane.

Ray of sunshine

I always say that, "all of the energy in the world is good. Any perceived "negative" is only resistance to that good energy. So, in Goodology, there is a process where you specifically locate that resisted energy within you and turn it into a positive flow. You can see good energy everywhere. Reinstall it inside of yourself.

My brother volunteered me as a coach for one of his baseball teams. He has scout teams which involve kids ages 12 to 18. All of these kids will go on to play college ball, many will play minor league ball and there could even be a major leaguer or two in there. They are talented and driven to excel.

Most of the time the kids are serious and focused on the game. They support the pitcher, the hitter and their teammates from the bench. My group was 13 and 14 years olds. At thirteen years old, you cannot be serious all the time. I really hadn’t seen Justin smile before. He was a catcher and always focused on the game.

We sat on the bench when the team was on defense and Justin was not in the game. He put a wet white towel under his hat. At 106 degrees in Phoenix, you can do things like that. And you should do things like that! He was looking to the left at his teammates with a white towel hanging under his hat below his ears. To them it just looked funny and he got some laughs. They got silly for a moment. When Justin turned to me, I saw him; his teeth were as white as the towel and his smile was as bright as the Phoenix sun.

For that moment, Justin’s smile was flowing energy through his body. It was pure energy. Look at that smile. He was glowing for a moment. There was “no” negative energy in his body. It was healthy. Be silly. Appreciate silly. Laugh. Appreciate laughter. Justin’s smile had nothing to do with a TV sitcom sex joke. It was nothing that would make him feel older or younger. It was pure energy and purely nice to see. “That” is healthy.

Notice incidents like this in your world. Locate any resisted energy within you and turn it to good.

Visit Goodology to buy the book.

More good energy

I was in a convenience store near my home in Fountain Hills, Arizona. I noticed a young girl waiting patiently. She was maybe 12 years old, with dark long hair. In this girl, I saw great qualities and specifically, energy flow. I saw appreciation, respect and patience. (She was cute.) She looked pretty and shy and sweet. These were pure qualities and there was a pure energy flowing through the girl. I imagined that she was likely from a nearby Native American community and probably just came for a ride with her dad to get gas.

She stayed more than five feet back from the counter, even though there was only one customer in front of her. Just in case someone needed to walk through that area, she gave them plenty of space. I noticed the respect she had for her experience in the store and the respect she had for the other customers. She had her drink in one hand and two dollars in the other while she waited in line.

Maybe, before she entered the store, she had that moment of excitement knowing she could go buy something new. Maybe she asked her father if she could get something from the store. She had that moment of hopefulness and anticipation of how Dad would respond to her request. Her Dad’s positive response was met by sweetness and thankfulness. She would journey into the store by herself, seeing all the products for sale and looking at the bright colors, before she chose her drink.

She was gentle and took great care that her experience stayed special. I took a moment to wonder what went through her mind when she looked at all the products when deciding what to choose for her drink. Coke? Pepsi? Orange juice? Iced Tea? What would she decide on? She had all the options in the world, and the choice was all hers.

I grabbed my beverage and got in line behind her. Funny thing, I stood about five feet back while she made her transaction. I guess I unconsciously followed the example she set for me, with her pure and truthful energy. She inspired those same qualities in me.

I wished at that moment that I could be the cashier. I wanted the chance to say something nice to her, because she was so appreciative of her purchase. She was excited and thrilled, just to be able to buy a can of Arizona Iced Tea. She was filled with a good feeling.

Arizona Iced Teas are only .99. She gave the cashier two dollars and began walking toward the door. “Wait, you have change,” the cashier called out to her. She even got a dollar back, that she could give back to her dad. She was proud. She acted like the whole experience was no big deal, but her expressions of energy showed how beautiful it was for her.

Her emotions and expressions of energy were flowing and beautiful. Before she went entered the store, she had excitement, anticipation and hope to give herself something new. It would make her feel deserving and special. She was perhaps a little bit humble when she may have thought, “Oops, I gave you a dollar too much. Hey, I’m new at this, but I don’t want to appear new. I’m just happy to have my drink.”

I hope she enjoyed her drink and had a great ride home, with a smile on her face.

I love people, and I love to see great emotions like this. The feeling I get, the appreciation I get, the smile I get when I see something like this shows me how my own energy can flow. What do you have that allows your energy to flow? This young lady had a precious, beautiful energy flowing through her. I hope she can maintain it forever. It gave me a good feeling of energy flow. It’s good energy.

So, if you ask what energy is, this is the very tip of the iceberg. It flows powerfully and uncontrollably.

Visit Goodology to buy the book.

Positive flow

It takes a lot of our own effort to suppress the flow of our energy! It takes massive effort. We will gain more of our own internal power when we learn to stop resisting the flow. We have to learn how to stop pushing it back and get into positive flow of energy. We believe that negative energy exists but we are the ones that create it through our own resistance.

Examples of positive energy flow are all over. There was a girl of about seven years old who came into my store. She immediately looked on the floor for change for some reason. She didn’t find any change on the floor. I said to her, “you know if you look in this candy section a lot of times the customers drop their change right in it! And if you look maybe you can find some.” She got excited and looked. She went through the Twix bars, the Mounds and the Almond Joys. Her Dad was over in the coffee section and she looked at him. While she turned away, I sprinkled .65 in different boxes.

She turned back around and kept looking in the boxes. Her eyes lit up when she found a dime! Then she found a quarter. She smiled so brightly and looked at me. That is beautiful excitement and those are feelings that feel good. This is good energy. It is energy flow. Excitement is good energy flow. There is no hidden meaning. Just look at the energy flow though the excitement. There is no blame. There is no anger. There is happiness and positive energy flow.

Good energy is a flow and can be a rush. “It’s right there.” Let’s grab it! All of us can creatively bring it out in other people too. The more we do that, the more powerful our planet will be. This is where synergism happens. The flow is happiness, health, intelligence and well being. The process to trace back and locate negative energy is something which we learn in Goodology.

Visit Goodology to buy the book.

Perception

A guy built a new house overlooking a river. His back yard and view of the river was nice. His only complaint was that on the other side of the river you could see the trailer park. In his view, the trailer park was disgusting. It ruined his view. He grumbled even though it was he that decided to build the house there. And, in truth, it is the guy's perception of the trailer park is disgusting. That is a view that he created.

You perceive your world. It's not real. It's your perception. Two people's perceptions of the same event could be different. Our world is a mirror of what is going on inside of us. Our perception determines what something is. The trailer park is beautiful. At the very least, the trailer park is what it is. But, the people in the trailer park are beautiful. At the very least they are people trying to survive. It is your perception that may not be.

I like the trailer park. I have a lot of friends in the trailer park. I see kids playing. I see trees. I see a lot of pets. I see water. It is true that many people in the trailer park tend to feed their needs. But, they are all beautiful at heart for sure. Whichever way you perceive it is “good” just notice the energy inside. That is where your own sludge begins.

If you see negativity, then you are bringing up slow moving energy within and labeling it that way. Be honest. It is honesty within that will free you and make you stronger. Picture something that is distasteful to you something disgusting. How does that make you feel? It is your feeling that makes you react the way that you do. Think about it if that feeling was not there. Then certain disgusting images would repulse you less and, at the very least, trailer parks would be beautiful

http://www.goodology.com/ to purchase the book.

Be thankful

Throughout the day in my business I am asked, "how are you?" dozens of times! I answer in one word, "Great." How bad can it be? It's a beautiful day. I am thankful for so much. We are fortunate to have all that we have.

Instead of saying, "how are you?" to someone else, I start the conversation with, "it's a beautiful day." I do it all day, every day in my store. It's raining outside and cold, when someone says, "how are you?" I answer, "on a day like today, how could I complain?" I remember many times just walking outside in the rain thinking, 'ah this is nice. It's a beautiful day."

I'm not talking about the weather, always either. On a sunny day, I say, "it's a beautiful day!" and the person replies, "yeah it's pretty nice out there." I'm not talking about "out there." More, I am talking about "in there." It's beautiful inside you. Feel it. The more you feel it, the more you will express it.

I was surprised to see how many people commented negatively on 2009. As bad as things are, they are still pretty good. The more you focus on the good, the more you will manifest the good. We are so fortunate to have what we have.

Each year one in 50 kids experiences homelessness. http://homelessness.change.org/blog/view/homeless_children_in_their_own_words