The Examined Life

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Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Sunday, April 22, 2007

When You're Smiling

Newsflash!

“Scientists demonstrate clear evidence that we control our reality! We even control the weather with our minds.”

Is there something false about the above statement? Is it untrue that we create what happens in the world by what we believe and feel? No, that part is true! The false part is that scientists are interested our having and using this knowledge.

Here are the real facts! Three songwriters discovered this phenomenon in 1928. It was finally brought to the attention of the public one-year later by a singer named Louis Armstrong.

However, since then this ancient knowledge has been suppressed by mainstream science. After all, if it got out that we create our experience we would not need scientists to explain things to us scientists and weather forecasters could be out of a job.

Through the magic of television and radio it was easy to convince the general public that this notion was just a silly song. After all, what do songwriters know about the nature of reality anyway?

If you still don’t believe it, research it for yourself. The evidence is clear, documented and copyrighted.

When you're smiling
When you're smiling
The whole world smiles with you
When you're laughing
When you're laughing the sun comes shining through
But when you're crying You bring on the rain
Stop your cryin' and be happy again
When you're smiling keep on smiling
And the whole world smiles with you
But when you're crying you bring on the rain
Stop your cryin' and be happy again
When you're smiling keep on smiling
And the whole world smiles with you

Words & Music by Mark Fisher, Joe Goodwin & Larry Shay, 1928
Recorded by Louis Armstrong, 1929

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

What is the Purpose of a Rose?


Only human beings entertain these kinds of questions as though there is value in the answer. Only human beings presume to judge what is beautiful and what is offensive. What rose attaches value or lack of value to its form? A rose does not choose to be a rose. A rose does not see itself as more or less beautiful than other flowers. A rose will not find an excuse for being or not being a rose. A rose does not need to find justification for its existence.

As human beings we search for justification for our existence outside of ourselves. We hope to make our lives mean something beyond the beautiful expression of life we already are. When we choose to live in a world of right and wrong, we are as likely as not to fall short in the judgments of others or ourselves and decide not to be the expression of life we are. Will we spend the precious moments of our lives comparing ourselves to others and subjugating our lives or theirs based on our judgments? Or instead will we focus on being the expression of life we are and enjoying the contribution of all of creation to the garden of life?

Ask and It Has Already Been Given

I was speaking with some friends the other day when I expressed that I would like to live in a world where people felt safe to just come out and play with each other, the world we lived in before we learned that playing and being who we really are is not safe. I remember as a child of thirteen telling my friends that one-day space aliens would come and take me to their world. Decades later I am still here and I get that it is up to me to create the kind of world I want.

Later that evening I was making a midnight run to my local video store. The store was surprisingly busy for that time of night. I quickly grabbed three movies from the documentary section and proceeded through checkout. As I was going out the door I heard a voice behind me ask "what did you get"? I turned expecting to see a couple of people behind me in conversation but there was only a middle-aged East Indian man with large ears and a big smile on his face. When he saw me turn he repeated again "what did you get"? The next thing I know, right there in the dark in front of the video store on a cold April night we are opening our bags like to kids coming out of a candy store to show each other what we got. After a brief conversation about the movies and a couple of other recommendations for other movies he gives me that great smile again and extends his hand and wishes me "Happy Easter".

I sat in my car for a moment as I watched him drive away then suddenly, I got it. Goose bumps swept over my body. The tears welled up in my eyes and I was filled with gratitude. The universe had shown me that the kind of world I had asked for was already given and happening all around me. All I had to do was ask and be ready to receive it regardless whatever form it may take.