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

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!

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??

Photo Above By Cheryl 

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:

Start of My Downward Cycle

Towards the end of March, my long-term girlfriend Irina and I decided to split up. After 3+ years of beautiful time together (and 2 years of living under the same roof) we mutually agreed that the best thing for us to do was go our separate ways.

I am not ready to get into the details of why we broke up, or my philosophy concerning relationships and ‘life partners’. I am sure I will have more to say on this in the future, but now is not the right time.

I will say that the split is very tough for me (and I imagine for her too) because we never fought and had no animosity between us. In a nutshell, we wanted different things and simply began to ‘grow apart’.

The morning after we made the official decision, my front tooth (which is a crown) cracked and broke off. This particular tooth has been my nemesis since I was 9 years old when my best friend (still to this day) inadvertently hit me in the face with a bag filled with silverware and broke my natural tooth to the base.

I haven’t had a problem with that tooth in 8 years, but the day after a traumatic and emotional decision was reached the thing decides to crack off. Funny the way life works. I believe that coincidences like this hold great meaning (as opposed to random, dis-connected occurrences) and I sought to understand what was going on.

In this case I believe my tooth breaking was a physical manifestation of the breakdown in my life that was underway. The universe was telling me ‘things are becoming undone’. I just didn’t know how far it was going to go…

The Downward Cycle Continues…

After going through the very uncomfortable process of getting a new front crown, I was traveling back from Los Angeles on a red eye after extensive and exhaustive business meetings regarding The SHIFT project I am working on.

I was excited to get home and just chill. Upon entering my apartment Sunday morning I immediately switched on The Masters golf tournament (one of my favorite sporting events of the year). As I began to unwind I felt a little twinge in my throat. I got up to make some tea, and it hit me all at once: I was sick. My body felt completely broke down.

The next several days, I chose to honor the intelligence of my body and slept late, drank plenty of fluids and relaxed as much as possible. This was tough, believe me. I had a lot of important things going on in my life, and I felt that it was the worst possible time for my body to break down.

For one, I was turning 35 that week. A BIG birthday mentally and I really had intentions of spending it with some good friends in light of my recent break up with Irina. Second, there was a ton of work that needed to be done for The SHIFT and some other projects I am working on.

But none of it happened—my body was speaking loud and clear. Although I was trying to listen, and was giving myself requisite time to heal, I did not fully realize the greater context of these congruent events. In fact, I think I am just starting to realize the life lessons inherent in the ebb and flow of the last 6 weeks.

Bottoming Out: Downward Cycle in Full Effect

About 6 days later, a newly single, very ill, new tooth wearing, and exhausted Todd went to his parent’s house for a family dinner and gathering. I walked into the house, my mother took one look at me and said “what in the hell is wrong with you…” and “do you have any idea to take care of yourself”! I guess I looked pretty terrible.

My sickness had progressed and I could barely hear out of my right ear. I definitely had a pretty strong sinus and ear infection…potentially worse! But I somehow made it through the dinner, and promised my mom I would go to a doctor immediately the next day.

As I went upstairs to my parent’s guest bedroom and prepared for a lengthy slumber, my newly crowned tooth (which cost me $1,800 by the way…I do not have dental insurance) cracked again. I sat there looking in the mirror at myself, and what I saw was this: a tired, sick, one toothed, un-motivated, confused, scared, lonely, and sad little boy sitting at the edge of his parent’s guest bedroom bed in pajamas.

What in the hell was going on with me? How could all of these things be happening at once? I allowed myself to soak in the feelings of self-pity for a few moments, and I wallowed in the unfairness and pain of my present circumstances.

But a funny thing happened: right in the middle of my deepest despair I began laughing at myself.

I had a sudden realization that my mind had totally taken control of me, and was perpetuating a story of being a victim of all these occurrences. Although I was still ill, single, and with one tooth, this very awareness snapped me out of it. In a sense, I awakened for a moment. This was the start of the upward cycle…

Putting It In Perspective, And What It All Means!

A few weeks ago, I wrote an article concerning what happens when a Caterpillar turns into a Butterfly. If you have not read this one, please take a moment to read it because I think it applies very mightily to the downward cycles I recently experienced.

I feel as if the last 6 weeks served as a very necessary and important stage of what needed to happen in my life at this time. In retrospect I experienced a great clearing in a myriad of areas including intimate relationships (Irina) and physical health (infection), and was forced to deal with a variety of emotional, physical, and spiritual realities.

A big nemesis showed up again (tooth) and passed through the physical milestone of a ‘new age’ (35). I was forced to slow down and rest even though my mind wanted me to move, move, move and act, act, act!

Everything in the last few months has pointed to a clearing of the past and setting the stage for a greater future to emerge. I feel like the last 6 weeks of my life were similar to the Caterpillar’s time as a big blob of goo right before it takes form as a new realm of being: a Butterfly.

So where am I right now? In one word: re-emerged. I feel very clear headed and empowered. I am traveling out to Los Angeles next week for work and am crystal clear about what needs to get accomplished. It was also very apparent to me that now was the right time to publish a We The Change article again, and that I needed to share this specific story with you.

(In fact, I started writing this piece last week, but it just felt ‘off’. I wasn’t quite sure what I was trying to accomplish. The big blob of goo that was Todd was not ready yet).

I also know what I need to do to honor my wonderful relationship with Irina, and insure that we both are able to create the greatest future that wants to emerge for both of us.

TIPS For You

In all, my downward cycle was a necessary stage for the beautiful upward mojo that I now have. Here are some things that I hope you can take away from my story:

– Shed the light of awareness when you are in a down cycle. Don’t force yourself out of it, just be aware that these times exist for a reason and accept them. Have ultimate faith that you will inherently know when the time is right to re-emerge.

– Appreciate the uptime, but understand that it is also fleeing. No human being can sustain feelings of true contentment forever. Again, awareness of the cycles is the key.

– Notice coincidences and synchronicity: they are telling signs that clue you in to inner intelligence. Put value on them!

– Honor the intelligence of your body

– Never have your nest friend knock out your front tooth

– Realize that the sentiment ‘I have not been myself lately’ is foolish. You are always yourself, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, etc…

So I am BACK. Tune in for continuing We The Change pieces!

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:

1. Prepare for Airplanes

The human body is not used to being at 30,000 feet of altitude for several hours. It has been scientifically proven that we are much more susceptible to illness, particularly infections, when flying.

What I ended up contracting was a pretty serious nasal and ear infection, and I am sure this manifested through a combination of lack of sleep, work stress, and high altitudes. Therefore it is imperative to prepare your immune system each time you fly by securing adequate rest, eating healthful foods, and limiting anxiety before and after your trip.

You can also go a step further and load up on vitamins and products like Emergen-C to prepare for flying. The point is, don’t be like me and learn the hard way…

2. Understand The Nature of Your Illness

Another mistake I made was not understanding the true nature of my poor health. For some reason, I was under the impression that I had contracted some type of virus while in Los Angeles, while the truth was a pretty hard-core bacterium had taken hold of my head, neck and chest.

After three days of resting, taking vitamins, and ingesting bowl after bowl of chicken soup I should have seen a health professional. Not doing this caused the infection to grow much stronger than it should have and left me sick for much longer than I anticipated.

When you are unsure what your sickness really is, go to a doctor.

3. Use Modern Medicine After Holistic Measures Fail

I always try and heal my body with holistic measures first. 95% of the time I find it works, but there is always the 5% chance that we need the genius of modern medicine to help us.

Believe me, I hate going on antibiotics. They cause much damage to the body, particularly to the large intestines where they kill off millions of disease fighting bacteria that we need for optimum health. However, sometimes modern medicine can be wonderful, and my recent bout with infection was certainly one of those times.

The important thing when taking a dose of antibiotics is to build the immune system back up afterwards. I am currently taking a daily dose of probiotics to build my large intestines back up, for example.

4. Use Exercise as a Means to Gauge Your Sickness

Everyone says “rest, rest, rest” when you start feeling sick. But I always find it more useful to ‘test’ my body when it is not feeling well is by exercising. I am not talking about running a marathon but doing some moderate cardio workout to gauge the nature of your sickness, and even flush it away.

After two days of feeling ill, I went to the gym and jogged lightly for about 15 minutes. Afterwards I went into the sauna and envisioned the sickness being soaked out of me. This process usually works quite well. In this case, it didn’t work as I still felt ill the next day.

At this point I was quite sure that whatever I had, it was more serious than the common cold. I still didn’t go to a doctor (like an idiot), but knew I needed to take it real easy.

In The End…

Because I rarely fall ill, I have learned it usually means the divine wisdom of the body is communicating with me that I need to slow down and take a break. When I was younger, I used to fight and ignore sickness. Now, I look at times of physical weakness as a check point in the continuous cycles of my life.

SO, honor the wisdom of your body and pay attention to the signs if illness. Then, take proper care of yourself. I hope you found these four recommenndations useful…

I think this is an important story because no matter how spiritual one becomes, it is still imperative to recognize that we live in a practical world. I spend a lot of time on this blog and related projects, and I have made no secret of my intention to make money with them.

When I first started We The Change 6 months ago, I read Steve Pavlina’s famous article “How to Make Money From Your Blog”. In it he discusses a variety of revenue sources including Google adsense, text link ads, asking for donations, sponsorships, etc…

The story I am about to share entails none of these strategies. I have manifested money from my blog in a much different sense—one that falls very much in line with my greater purpose in life. I think you will be encouraged by this tale:

A Little Background…

For those of you who read We The Change consistently, you understand that creation of this site was a kind of a personal experiment. You see, about 6 months ago I walked away from a lucrative marketing consulting position to follow my passion in life.

Although I was not exactly sure (at the time) what this passion was, I knew it was not in the field of finance where I had been working. So I just began writing We The Change with the underlying faith that expounding my own personal growth to the world and ‘journaling my journey’ would somehow lead to money and success and all the things I was seemingly walking away from.

In its purest form, the experiment was one of intention manifestation, patience, and faith. I really had no clue how money, for example, was going to manifest. I just felt and knew that if I followed my intuition and my heart all else will fall into place.

Six months later opportunities are percolating and things are bubbling to the surface. It is exciting and something happened last week that brought me 10,000 big ones. But this money, albeit exciting, is just the beginning. Let me explain:

Taking My Contacts Seriously!

Running what has become a relatively popular blog, I get contacted by a wide variety of people. It can sometimes be overwhelming, but I made a commitment from the beginning to review each website/product/service sent my way.

A few months ago, one of my readers sent me a link for a movie that is currently being made called The SHIFT. I was so inspired by the trailer (you can see it at www.theshiftmovie.com) that I contacted the director straight away.

Over the last few months I have become intimately involved in this project, and there are some amazing developments happening. [For more on my journey with the SHIFT movie, read All Roads Leading to Costa Rica For Me. Details of this story are not my mission here].

One of the areas I committed to help The SHIFT was in the area of raising money. Around the same time, I began conversing with another gentleman who contacted me via We The Change. Again, I rarely know who it is I am conversing with, and this particular gentleman wished to interview me for an entrepreneurial series he was doing.

When we got on the phone, we chatted for over an hour and it turned out we are extremely like-minded. His name is Steve Little, and he is someone who has experienced great financial success in Silicon Valley. Recently, Steve has gone through a sort of ‘awakening’ and is now searching for ways to give back, and make the world a better place.

He has turned very spiritual, and it was apparent a ’shift’ was happening within him….

Making The Connection

As I got to know Steve more through conversations and his website Champion Success, I realized that he might be someone who could help with the SHIFT financial situation. So I asked him: “would you consider investing and supporting this project” and he said “I love the idea, set up the call”.

So the three of us got on the phone and had an inspiring conversation. Rochelle, SHIFT creator, told us the story of how she got the idea for the movie. In fact, the article I wrote last week ‘From Caterpillar to Butterfly, A New Reality for Humanity” was based on the tale she shared in this call.

Steve was inspired, and could see the importance of the project. He could also see how much incredible momentum there is for the movie and almost immediately agreed to provide financing for a few upcoming shoots.

To go a step further, Steve has made a commitment to aggregate other like-minded individuals in the Silicon Valley area to make an even more impactful contribution. Amazing…

How I Received $10,000

So, as you might have guessed, my 10K was in the form of a finder’s fee for putting investor and creator together. BUT, I would like to say a few things about this:

First off, I have deferred payment at this time for an equity play in the project. As I have made abundantly clear, I believe in this movie and movement and would like to form a long-term relationship with the creators.

Second, this money is literally the tip of the iceberg. Cash is starting to flow into this project and I will be eligible for finder’s fees each time one of my contacts supports the film. There are several more investors that I have found through affiliations on We The Change that will most likely come through with aid.

Third, and most importantly, I have found a project that I truly believe in, and have become an integral part to something that has limitless potential on both the ‘do good for the world’ side AND the financial side. This all happened from starting a blog 6 months ago with nothing more than pure intention and a shelving of practical fears.

What YOU Can Learn

The main point of this story is this: when you follow your passion in life, and really put yourself out there, most of the things you worry about not happening fall by the wayside, and the things you need to survive ‘magically’ appear.

This is not to say everyone reading this should quit their job and start a blog because it is guaranteed success. No, that was my particular path. The question is: what can you do, in your situation, to uncover and follow your passion?

Furthermore, this is a story about thinking outside the box. I love Steve Pavlina’s article, and he has some amazing points about how to make money on a blog. But what about all the connections one makes with like-minded people? What about all the myriad of opportunities that exist within this great web of interconnectedness right here, right now?

I am certain that all the success that is flowing to me, and that will continue to flow, is based on me blogging about the things I have a passion. I have the worst technical skill EVER as a blogger…but I always connect with people and am open to their stories. What is your strength?

Can You Also Make Money With The SHIFT?

If you would like to help me with The SHIFT, I would love to hear from you. The tag-line for this film is ‘a movie made by a movement’ and we are trying to make it so.

If you know anyone that can help support the project financially, maybe the next article is about how YOU made $10,000 in one day.

On the final note regarding this project, I am off to Los Angeles later this week for a very exciting development. A major Network TV producer got hold of The SHIFT and wants to make a TV show about it right away. The Eckhart Tolle/Oprah webcasts have exploded, and the time is right for this content to get to the masses.

I mention this as I hope all you readers can send some positive vibes our way for this meeting. Our intention is for the meeting to go great….but even if it doesn’t we will be OK. I guess that’s the most important thing I have learned over the last 6 months!

Even though this practice is primarily used during meditation, I have found great use in utilizing body awareness in my every day life as well. For those of you who already have a meditation practice, I highly recommend trying the following steps.

For those of you who do not currently meditate, the practice brings a great sense of peace, joy, perspective and fulfillment into your life. I highly recommend you giving it a whirl and have written two excellent pieces on ‘meditation for beginners’. I encourage you to check them out:

How To Meditate For Beginners
20 Steps for Quieting The Mind

Body awareness is extremely healthy and initiates the flow of fresh oxygenated blood to body areas that usually fall below the radar of your consciousness:

Using the Body

The big question for beginners is: where do I focus my attention during meditation? There are myriad schools of thought which answer this question. Many teachers suggest using the breath as a focal point to deeper awareness.

I have used the breath to some degree of success, but have always found deeper experiences through focusing on my body parts. Here is how:

First, it is always helpful to make your practice of meditation ‘formal’. Meaning, set aside at least 15 minutes every day to practice meditation. Make sure you will not be disturbed and commit yourself to sitting in stillness with your body, breath and even your thoughts for the allotted time.

After taking a few deep breaths, begin noticing the air as it travels in and out of your nostrils. Notice how the air feels colder during the inhale and warmer during the exhale. Focus your attention on where you feel the air most prominently.

Next, follow the breath inwards and notice it in the belly. Begin feeling the sensation of your stomach expanding with each inhale and deflating on each exhale. Really be there with your stomach as it goes in and out. Try and feel the air enter your domain and sense the space it is taking up.

Lower Body Awareness

After a few minutes of conscious breathing, you will have greater control on your attention span. That is the goal, and the next place I suggest bringing your attention is to the feet.

Start feeling your toes, heals, and arches in whatever position they are currently in. Notice a tingling sensation that seems to follow your attention, and bring your full awareness to it.

Next, lead your attention up the leg, through the ankle and on the calves. Stay there for a moment and breathe into the calves. Feel the blood flowing in your lower legs, and then bring your attention upward to the knees.

I love focusing awareness on the knees. They are a mystical and sensitive part to the body and bringing awareness here also brings health!

Follow the path upwards through the thighs and focus astutely in your pelvis area. Allow the tingling sensation to emanate throughout the pelvis and massage the internal organs that work so hard to keep you healthy.

The tingling sensation I describe is SO important in body awareness. It represents your life flow, your vibrational force, and the very essence of your being alive. Bring your attention to it over and over again.

As you continue to move upwards combine your attention with love and appreciation of the body parts you are feeling. When you begin this process, it might be as if you are feeling your body for the first time. Awareness is love, and love is wellness.

Upper Body Awareness

As you work your way upwards, feel your stomach and internal organs hard at work. Just sit with them, notice them, and appreciate them for what they do.

Sense the beating of the heart and bring your full attention to this beautiful masterpiece. Really feel the beating and begin to understand that this is your life, and not all the stresses of your every day ‘life situation’. Right here, right now, you and your heart.

Be still, and be at peace. No where to go, no where to be…

As you follow your awareness up your chest and shoulders, and down your arms into your hands notice how gentle and light your fingers feel. They are delicate and beautiful, and allow your awareness to wash freely over them.

As your attention creeps up the neck, bring it to your lips and mouth. Sit in pure silence and stillness as you feel the sensation of having a mouth. Next, follow the tingling to the nose and again feel the sensation of the breath as it travels in and out of the nostrils.

You may feel much more alert to your breath then when you first began this process. That is great, and appreciate how easily you have become an observer to your body.

Go to the eyes and allow your awareness to spread appreciation to your vision. Go behind the eyes and feel the brain working and sense its vibrational frequencies. This is a very powerful part to the practice, and I love feeling the sensation of my entire head hard at work as I sit here, in silence, observing it.

Full Body Awareness

Once your attention has traveled from toes to head, get a sense of the entire body. Feel everything all at once and spread the tingling of awareness throughout the wonderful organism in which you live. Feel your life force beating, breathing and flowing within you.

Appreciate with loving kindness all your body does for you. Say thank you. Say it again.

What a transcending way to start a day, and I hope you cultivate the thirst to feel your body. I have found higher levels of consciousness by learning how to focus on my physical body during my meditation practice, and I hope this experience is useful for you.

As always, I look forward to your comments!