Friday, March 20, 2009

Living out love......

We all go through the
crucible of life. We have
our 'dark nights of the
soul'. We're usually on
the threshold of change,
major life shifts.

Choosing to live in love,
you will be tested. Like
gold, there is dross that
must be extracted in
order for it to be pure.

So we go through tests.
Sometimes they are more
like trials. Sometimes,
there are no words to
describe the emotions,
the pain.

There's two things that
I know to do in such
circumstances.

One, surrender to it.
Especially if there's
nothing you can do
about it physically. Even
if you've made mistakes
that you can't go back
and redo or fix.

You forgive yourself.
Love yourself anyway.
And surrender.

The second thing you
can do is, allow others
to love, encourage and
support you. You know
the people in your life
who will be there to
do this for you. You
know the ones who
will not.

Hint: Get around the
ones who will :).

There's healing for
you. There's healing
for me. There's plenty
of love here for us
both.

Living and loving it out,
Michael

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

I feel like the most blessed man alive with amazing friends. Wow! How'd I get so lucky?

Heart Note.....

A lot of feedback has come my way
regarding the "God is Love" post.
All of it very positive.

The mind of love IS the mind of God.
The Bible says, "You have the mind
of Christ." I've never been one to
water down spiritual truth. Thus,
I embrace that truth totally.

As I'm searching for answers in
my own life, I meditate and pray
a lot. Especially in the bed during
the night.

I believe God speaks to me during
the quiet. Sometimes, God is just
quiet during the quiet.

Last night, the thought occurred to
me, "What if everything in my life
changed?" What if I abandoned
all of my present thinking and just
allow God to bring whatever else
is needed in my life to replace it?

There's a place that I want to go
to in my life in love, in God. There's
a place of peace and bliss that I
want to live. Deeper than I've
ever been before.

What if it takes walking away from
some present relationships? What
if it takes walking away from some
ways of thinking, some pride, some
means of approaching my life that
very likely haven't been working?

I'm feeling a shift inside. The thought
even occurred to me, what if I don't
write anymore?

Yesterday, an amazing friend
responded to me and planted a
seed thought in my heart and
mind. I shared with him some
rough times I'd seen as of late.
He planted a seed thought that
challenged me.

He said, "Surrender to it all."
Only four words. Six syllables.
Powerful depth.

Sometimes, I pray and tell God,
"Take complete control of my
life." In fact, I do that oftentimes.
I'm quite sincere in saying, asking
this.

I want to live in that place of
love and surrender.

I'm not sure why I'm sharing my
heart on such an open and deep
level today. Perhaps you're feeling
what I'm feeling. If so, you and I
will get closer today.

Maybe its to let you know that
though I'm seeking and reaching
deeper in my life, I've not arrived.
I think its essential to be vulnerable.
Its the only way that you can
authentically grow in your life.

I appreciate you being a part of
my life. I am humbled that you
allow me to be a part of your life.

I appreciate you more than you
could ever imagine.

Cascades of love and blessing,
Michael

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Had a wonderful, inspirational, hilarious chat with my friend, Mary Campbell in Atlanta - Now off to bed. Toodles!
I just noticed the my most famous Instant Wealth Immersion, affirmation CD (layered with binaural beats and music) is $20 off its regular price of $29.97. Go see
http://ping.fm/UvljJ
"God self-described himself with one word: LOVE" - from my friend, Dr. Steven Lambert
I'm test Ping.fm

Monday, March 16, 2009

God is love.......

It never ceases to amaze me
how many people are going
through enormous life challenges
right now. Especially in their
relationships.

As of late, I've been encountering
so many that have complexities
of religion thrown into the mix.

I don't mean true spirituality
and connection with God. I'm
talking about the rigid, dark side of
religion.

No matter where you come from
in your faith, I know that there
is one thing that we can all agree
on.

"God is love"

No 'yeah buts' needed. When
we 'yeah but' things, what ever
is on the other side of that
argument becomes the focus.

The focus, the primary over-riding,
over-ruling and sovereign truth is,

"God is love"

It is truth. It will not change. A
billion arguments and diversions
can be created. It still will not
change.

I know that there are some
who are here with us in this
group that don't believe that
there is a God. However, I'm
confident that you do believe
that 'there is love.' Well, I
believe that the source of
love is God. I have no
interest in arguing it (or
anything else for that
matter :-).

I live in the Bible belt. In
fact, being near Dallas,
Texas, I'm pretty sure I live
right 'under the buckle of
the Bible belt.' I've seen
mean-spirited religion. I've
seen judgmental, racist,
accusing, fear-full,
and intolerant religion.

I was a minister with a
local church for 15 years.
I think I've seen it all.

I have degrees in Theology.
I was on broadcast television
for over 10 years. I was honored
to assist very prominent
ministers when they went through
very difficult times. Some were
considered 'fallen' by many
of like religion. I've traveled
the world from the U.S., to
Australia to Russia and other
places in between speaking in
churches and other venues.

There's one conclusion that
I come to today after living
a half century on the planet.

"God is love"

If you're going through something
today and religion is thrown into
the mix, I've got some advice.
Know that religion, though it
talks about God, really has
little to do with who or what
God really is.

If religion spends the majority
of its time on anything other
than love, then I'm confident
that it has little to do with God.
You'll find that it has to do with
with judging, accusing, hating,
dividing.

"God is love"

I guess more than anything,
this is a reminder. For me and
perhaps for you.

Avalanches of love to you today,
Michael

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Some help to live in love and peace.....

When you choose to 'live love',
life and love become easier.
Love makes you more aware
of people, blessings, beauty
and the simple goodness in
the world.

Love also has an inner voice
of wisdom. Love can and will,
direct you. Love amplifies
intuition and wisdom. Wisdom
and intuition will lead you
to make right choices for
your life.

Love is a spiritual power.
As Dr. Hawkins reveals in
'Power vs. Force', the
power of love far exceeds
willful human force.

One thing that choosing to
live love has done for me
is, its made me more aware
of situations and people that
I do want in my life as well
as those I don't.

Love causes you to want to
live in peace. You cease
from all of your extraordinary
human effort and begin
to allow love to create the
life that you truly have
always wanted.

I was with a person that I
know as a casual acquaintance
this past week. In our
conversation, he said something
that I sensed as an attempt
to force some control over
me. It didn't feel right to
me. It went beyond my
boundaries of what I want
to allow at this point in
time in my journey.

I thought about it. I talked
to myself about it. I decided
that I'm not at a place in my
life that I want to expose
myself to someone who
I perceive, is attempting to
control me. My choice now is
to limit my exposure to
this person.

The objective truth about this
person is, they are a very
giving and caring person.
However, their attempt to
control me was not something
that I was willing to allow.

It is no judgment of them
nor of what they were
attempting to do. It was
me knowing where I am
in my own personal growth
and maturity and knowing
what is good for me and
what is not.

Had the situation been
something that had a
noble end or something
that, though it made me
uncomfortable, was
challenging me to grow
personally, I would have
viewed it differently.

My personal growth came
from my decision to limit
exposure to this person.

Now, you may feel that
you are at a place spiritually
and emotionally where you
can be around people like
this and still maintain the
level of peace that you
desire within. If you feel
that way, I think that is
great. I'm not presently
and need to set some
boundaries for myself.

Learn to listen to the inner
voice of wisdom. It is an
amazing gift when you
choose to live love. Learn
to listen more to your
intuition and inner voice.
Then, take action on
what you hear. You
can trust that voice to
deliver the life that you
truly do want to live.

Avalanches of love to you,
Michael

Friday, March 13, 2009

Complexities of love......

I was asked recently, "Michael, why
is love so complex? Is it love that
is complex or is it relationships that
are complex?"

Good questions.

We get love mixed up with something
that we feel towards a 'signo'
(my abbreviation for 'significant other').
There's an emotional openness,
a sense of being completed and
an amazing excitement when we
feel that we are 'in love'.

Love is complex for several reasons.

One, love is complex because it IS
so powerful. We have such a deep
hunger and thirst to love and be
loved.

Two, love is complex because, well,
we don't understand it. It is something
that we experience. It is not something
that we can explain like mathematics.

Three, love is complex because
it has such an amazing sway over
our lives. We feel desperate
without it. We feel awesome with
it.

The power of love can be seen when
someone has 'fallen in love' and then
that love is somehow withdrawn from
them. From amazing ecstasy to deep
depression.

Love becomes a lot less complex
when we gain the consciousness that
it is more than something that we
possess or have. Love is something
that you become. It is something
that you feel for all of humankind.
It is something that you feel for
yourself.

I find myself sensing an incredible
love for people I've not met yet.
I see people in various places and
feel a conscious 'in the moment'
love for them. Its not a romantic
feeling of love. But it is love
nonetheless.

You are deserving of living your
life in love. It is a conscious choice
that you'll choose.

You will find that when you do
this, the complexities of love
begin to dissolve. Your relationships,
platonic, romantic or with people
you don't even know, are
greatly enhanced. You go to
another level of living.

I highly recommend living the
life of love. Your life will be
far better and much more
fulfilled.

With great love to you,
Michael

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Loving spiritual insight.......

You likely feel a certain grace
about love. People are facing
things in their lives right now
that they've never dreamed
that they'd be facing. Financial
ruin. Job layoffs.

Go back 18 months ago and
everything seemed fine. Now
it seems that many have their
world turned upside down.

There is a certain element
in love that I know as grace.
Its the conscious choice not
to judge or condemn other
people. Its the choice to
have and show compassion.

I had lunch yesterday with
a man who has been through
some of the most horrifying life
situations imaginable. He
was actually humiliated on
a widely viewed television
program.

I am fascinated by anyone
who can suffer the kind of
ridicule a person like this
has endured and still have
a smile on their face.

I asked him 'what got him
through?' His perspective
is amazing. He has gained
the revelation that what
he has gone through is a
spiritual test for him. His
reliance is upon spiritual
truth. His inspiration is
found in the Biblical story
of Jesus being accused
and condemned and never
defending himself.

His perspective on the whole
thing was astonishing. His
heart is full of love, even
for those who have done
this to him.

That, my friend, is grace.

Here's how I want to
encourage you today.
Find it in your heart of
love to show grace towards
others. When you and I
choose to hold this kind
of loving grace in our
hearts and express it
in our lives, we can change
the world.

I ask you just to think about
it today.

Avalanches of love (and grace),
Michael

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Love desperation........

This is something many people
deal with 'over and over and over'
in their lives. It might be something
that you've had to deal with. It isn't
fun. In fact, it is quite painful. I want
to help you today. Especially if
you're feeling this pain.

A lady wrote me recently and was
nearly suicidal. She and her
'signo' (my word for significant
other) were on the outs. She
felt quite desperate and was in
a very deep depression.

Depression isn't fun. I've been
there when you didn't care
whether you see another sunrise
or not. It is serious.

There are several reasons
why a breakup is so traumatic.

The number one reason I've
found is, the person who has
been broken up with gets
into a mindset that they
can't or won't find anyone
else to love them.

You may have been told that there
is only ONE soul mate for you in
your life. The subconscious problem
is, 'we don't feel worthy or deserving
enough to believe that someone else,
will love us'.

This is a huge lie that we buy into and
believe. There is more than ONE
person on this planet that can
be a perfect soul mate for you.

Two, especially after a breakup,
you may not feel worthy or
deserving of love. The truth is,
you have to own whatever you
did, good or bad, in the relationship.
However, you can't own what some
one else did. Everyone is responsible
for their own actions, period.

There are many other reasons why
you might feel desperate, depressed
or devastated after a breakup.
But these two are the main causes
I've seen.

The truth is, love is such an amazing
gift that, when its taken away, it
hurts deeply.

I want to close today by saying,
YOU are worthy of love in your
life. You are deserving of having
a nurturing, caring, supportive,
empowering and amazing
relationship. It can and will
happen if you don't give up.

As always, love yourself first.

And know this,

I love you from my heart,

Michael

Monday, March 9, 2009

Love fantasy......

Do you think love is just a
fantasy? Do you feel that
it is something that might
seems 'right' to talk about,
but, in reality, you'll never
have it?

I've lived a half century so
far. I've known true
romantic love a few times
in my days on the planet.

I've experienced amazing
times in my life. I've known
success. I've known what
its like that it seems nothing
you do will work.

I've had more than my
share of great friends.
In fact, some truly
amazing people have
crossed my path 'up
close and personal.' I
feel very blessed. I've
known love. Giving and
receiving.

I see a lot of people who
are my age, some older
and some, much younger.
Many of them have given
up on love. They've
been hurt. They've seen
a lot of hate. Too many
have been used and
abused. Some severely.

I walked into a
restaurant in Las Vegas
with a friend of mine.
The restaurant opened
up into a bar area. A
beautiful African American
young lady was singing
a song by Bonnie Raitt.
The words are, "I can't
make you love me if
you don't." I never felt
such sadness.

The song, though, is
still about a person who
doesn't feel loved but
continues to love
anyway. I thought
'been there, done that."

I hope you haven't lost
your desire and hope for
love. You are lovable.

I hope I can encourage
you to never give up on
love. When YOU quit
loving, you quit living.

As I've said so many times,
love yourself, love God
and love others. Hold
your intention or prayer
for love closely to your
heart and mind. Love
is not going to disappoint
you.

You are made for love.
To give love and to be
loved.

And know this, Michael
Murphy, along with
over 1,000 others here
in this group, loves you.

Michael

Friday, March 6, 2009

What do you want in your life?......

There's very few things that I want
in my life. However, those few things,
I want in abundance.

I'm wondering about you. What do
you want? I thought I might open my
heart and share my deepest desires.
Perhaps it can help you to express
yours as well.

If you want to write me and share with
me, I promise you complete confidentiality.
Just to let you know that someone is here.

What I want in my life.

I want a spiritual connection that is so
evident that I sense it in greater
intensity more and more each day.

I've felt this way since I was seventeen
years old. Love awakened me spiritually
back then. It is still what moves me today.

I want to know the love of people. So
many people write me and let me
know how much they appreciate me
and my sharing on here. I can never
express how much it means to me to
have YOU in my life. I appreciate you!

I've never had anyone question my
sincerity of love. All I can say is, I
feel it so deeply and some completely.

I want to do all I can to not only love
and awaken love in women (who find
it so easy to love and express love),
but, I am so blessed to be able to
help men awaken and express the
love they feel and desire in their lives.

Its kind of interesting that women,
for the most part, feel free to
write on the wall of my profile while
most men, write me emails. No
matter. I'm happy to help them
get past whatever fears they have
in order to express what they are
feeling deep inside. You are no
less of a man. I know first hand how
good it feels and how wonderful
it makes your life when you can
express what's in your heart.

The third and last thing I want in
my life is to touch as many lives
as I can with love, encouragement,
inspiration and empowerment. If
I can't wrap my arms around you,
(and I'm a big guy, 6'3" and can
give a pretty good bear hug :-)
then I'm thankful that I've been
blessed to wrap my words around
you.

If you need someone to share with,
I'm here for you. I care. I care about
you.

I'd also love to know how these
notes that I write are helping you.
Let me know. I need to know and
you need to share it.

From my heart filled with love,
to yours,

Michael

Thursday, March 5, 2009

A Message on Love From Papi Varela

In addition to sharing this amazing
message from Papi Varela, allow
yourself the pleasure to go and
hear Fernando's amazing
arrangement of the Star Spangled
Banner. Fernando is one of THE
greatest voices since Pavarotti
or Bocelli. He is truly amazing!

Go here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7FxT_3KFzg&feature=channel_page

Much love, Michael
_______________________________
Every person is like a mirror.
When you love with no expectations,
not just the people you like,
but most of all the people
that you would consider impossible
to love, (please make a list of all
the types of people that you think
you could never love). Then give
each and everyone your love and
send them light so they can also
see and find love within themselves.

When in person you feel an energy
that repels you from a specific
person, that is a sign that you
are not reflecting yourself in their
mirror and they are not reflecting
themselves in yours.

This is how it works..just decide to
love EVERYONE and concentrate
in looking at them in their true attire,
their true essence, their eternal
spirit not their body, not their ego,
not their actions, just their never
ending soul. Awesome things occur
when you decide to first love yourself
and then find the reflection of your
love in others.

Funny story that I do as an exercise
while shopping, for example in a
very busy and diverse store
(i.e. Walmart) in my mind I say to
EVERYONE in my perimeter of vision,
" I love you and send you light ! " and
then I keep saying to everyone that
I encounter ( in silence , if not they
might think I'm crazy,LOL) 'I Love You,
I love you, I love you, I love you, I
love you, I love you, by now you
get the point.

Simply start to love yourself first and
forgive yourself constantly and
immediately! Everytime you catch
yourself faltering , or what I call
"falling out of love with yourself"
just say I'm starting all over again,
I forgive myself for this temporary
mishap and I go forward , in this
Bliss of loving me. all of a sudden
you will start reflecting yourself in
others and you will, ( guaranteed)
start helping others do the same.

You will not be able to keep the
people away from you , you will
become a magnet of Love, a beautiful
mirror , where there is only one
reflection, the reflection of our
collective ONENESS which is the
one and only thing that matters....LOVE!

Papi Varela
_____________________________
You can also go hear Fernando sing,
"You Lift Me Up".
Go here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sm03TfA3VU&feature=channel

To download both videos for your
own personal enjoyment,
go here: http://gallery.me.com/juliorvarela

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Maybe you need this today............

I want to share something
with you today that might
just speak to you right now.

Love is a feeling down deep
inside. It often comes from
making the conscious choice
'to love.' I think you'll agree
that it is THE most amazing
feeling you can experience.

I believe that love can be
a place that we live in.
Especially in our close
relationships and with a
significant other.

It starts with an attitude.
A choice that you are
going to be conscious
enough to purposely take
actions and communicate
in a way that expresses
your heart.

The most important
actions you can take
is in choosing the right
language to express
love.

I was talking to a
friend the other day
about his strained
relationship with his
daughter. She had
done some things
that he felt were
unacceptable. He
was concerned about
her punishment.

He asked for my
advice. I told him,
"Make sure that you
lay a firm foundations
of the assurance of
your love."

He said, "Well, I've
already told her that
I love her. Do I need
to tell her again?" If
I didn't know how
serious he was, I
would have chuckled.

I told him, "Man, this
whole process with
your daughter is a
journey of love.
You've only gone
the first mile. There
are hundreds of
miles to go."

Unexpressed love is
like a vault with a
billion dollars in it.
Its worthless until
you open the door.

Tell those in your life
that you do love,
what they mean to
you.

I want you to know
that because of you
and your heart to
truly care and love
others, I am the most
blessed man alive on
the planet. You bless
my life and make my
soul smile.

I love you and
appreciate your
presence in my life,

Michael

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Showing kindness in love......

There are many ways to express love
to others. As I've shared with you
before, it doesn't matter if the love
you express is to a friend, someone
you haven't met yet or to your
significant other in your life.

One of the most amazing expressions
of love is simply showing kindness and
grace to others.

A lady wrote me recently and told me
that her fiance was constantly trying
to put her down. He would tell her
what he perceived to be 'wrong'
with her physically.

When she confronted him about
this kind of treatment, he said,
"I'm just trying to make you
better." However, his 'put downs'
made her feel worse about herself
and did nothing put further alienate
her in the relationship. Sometimes
she felt that he was downright
brutal when he did this.

I shared with her that the
underlying problem with someone
who behaves like this is, they
aren't happy with themselves.
The worst of it is, these people
are oblivious to what's going
inside of THEM.

Showing kindness and being kind
is something that makes me
every bit as happy myself, as it
does to the person I'm being
kind to.

I'm sharing this for two reasons.

One, if you are someone who
is trying to 'fix' someone else,
stop and take a look at
your situation and yourself.
The only way you'll ever influence
change in someone and it
truly be successful is through
positive, heartfelt kindness
and love. Never through
'put downs'.

Plus, you must be willing to
accept them and love them
'as they are'. It must be genuine
and honest. It must be more
than words.

Two, if you're in a relationship
where this is happening to
you, wake up. I can confidently
say, 'you' aren't the problem.
Love isn't true if it is conditional.

Take a close look at your
relationship and what its
doing to YOU. Most people
who treat others in this
way, find it very difficult
to change their behavior.

You need to decide whether
you're going to stay in this
kind of relationship. I know
that its hard but it might
be time to get yourself
out of it. This note might
be exactly the encouragement
you need right now.

Much love from my heart,

Michael

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Be Here Now...(poem)....

Be Here Now

When you're mind is all adrift,
Fixed on yesterday's rift,
Be here now.

When confusion rules your life,
You live from strife to strife,
Be here now.

When you cannot find your way,
And you cannot win the fray,
Be here now.

When peace is what you want,
And worry and chaos daunt,
Be here now.

If love is what you seek,
But loneliness has made you bleak,
Be here now.

When joy does seem so rare,
And happiness is so scarce,
Be here now.

When God you're looking for,
Your heart yearns now for more,
Be here now.

By Michael Murphy

Be here now.........

There is no reality but now.
"But Michael, are you telling
me that yesterday wasn't real?"
Yesterday WAS real, but no
longer. "So, Michael, you're
suggesting that I not think
about tomorrow?" Actually,
the 17th century translation
of the words of Jesus said
it best.

"Take NO thought for
tomorrow."

My spiritual quest in life
has been to experience
peace and live in the
divine presence.

The apostle said,

"For in him we live,
move and have our being."

We you live in yesterday,
you distort your present.
It confuses your internal
concept of time. You
replay yesterday's events
and evoke yesterday's
emotions. Your mind
doesn't know the difference
between the sounds,
vision and feeling of
what it remembers and
what it is actually
experiencing presently.

I could go into much
greater depth in sharing
this. Or we can simply
skip to the solution.

The solution?

"Be here now."

How do you do this?

Wherever you're
reading this, stop
and acknowledge
every sound within
your range of hearing.
Especially the sound
that is likely the
greatest distance
from you.

Now, as you do this,
acknowledge the
silence beyond
all of the sounds
within your range
of hearing.

To aid in this
exercise, simply
tell yourself,

"Be here now".

As you focus on
those close and
distant sounds,
you will automatically
direct your attention
to the present.

And, "in the present,
you'll find presence."

Now, let me say that
I'm confident some of
you already do this
and possibly have done it
for a long time. You'll
appreciate me sharing
it thousands of others.

However, if you haven't
ever done this exercise,
I'd love to hear your
experience and
reflections on it,
after doing it.

Enjoy and 'be here
now.'

Much love to you,
Michael

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Presence.........

In the heart of the quiet,
The voice of God I hear,
Eternal love and essence,
The Spirit feels so near.

Beyond the distance whistle,
The subtle sounds appear,
My thoughts find the dismissal,
My heart feels it is clear.

My soul dissolves its seeking,
My mind releases fear,
The voice of God is speaking,
Of joy that brings a tear.

In this bliss I cherish,
That all of life is mere,
Of that which will not perish,
For presence now is here.

By Michael Murphy

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Be still....in love....

A buddy of mine called me
recently. His first words were,
"Where are you?" My rather
quick witted (o.k., it was
sarcastic) answer was,
"I'm right here." :-)

Most people are not
where they are. Oh,
they might be there
in their physical body,
but not in their mind.

There is no 'reality'
outside of the present
moment. Yesterday is
a memory. You might
be able to hit the
'rewind' button and
replay it; but, its not
part of your present
reality.

Tomorrow (or even
30 minutes from now)
is a creation of your mind.
IT is not reality.

There is no reality except
where you are right now.

Have you ever heard the
deafening silence beyond
all the sounds that you hear
right now? If you can
'learn to be still' and
not only hear the sounds
in your three dimensional
world, but listen intently
into the dimension beyond,
you'll experience what I mean.

Try it if you never have
before. Its kind of a
fourth dimensional spatial
awareness.

In reality, it only allows
you to be present now
in you awareness or
consciousness.

Our lives get quite
convoluted when we
make this huge effort
of living in the future
or living in the past.

When you choose to be
present now and just
become aware, you
will feel a sense of calm
and a presence of love.

The ancient writings of
King David encouraged
us to 'be still and know
that I am God.' There
is a divine presence
that you'll feel when
you do this. God is love
and you'll feel the
the divine love.

Allow yourself to be
present today and
enjoy the love.

You ARE loved!

I love you,
Michael

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

The light of love.....

The light of love,
dispels the dark.
With the spirit of love,
My soul does embark.

On the marvelous journey,
the adventure of life,
with joy and with gladness,
its blessings are rife.

To allow it to shine,
Fulfilling the heart,
like mellowed sweet wine,
True living does start.

To share it with those,
Who love or oppose,
It is your choice and mine,
To let this love shine.

Love to you, today,
Michael

Monday, February 23, 2009

The wisdom of this moment......

The wisdom of this moment,
that flows from above,
Has always been there,
Yet few have heard of.

The voice from within,
that speaks from your heart,
is the wisdom of God,
that heaven did impart.

Quiet in this moment,
Listening to the voice,
Receive divine wisdom,
As your soul does rejoice.

The wisdom of this moment,
that flows from above,
transforms your spirit,
in the power of love.

Much love,
Michael

Friday, February 20, 2009

YOU can change the world.......

I gave a smile, to a stranger today,
She took my that smile and gave it away.

When I was young, thought the world I'd change,
Wanted to transform life, through the love exchange.

Today I am older and now realize,
As I touch just one soul, as I look in their eyes,

And deep in my heart, I say "I love you",
Connect with their soul, so they know that its true.

You can love all the world, but the way that its done,
Is to love from your heart, and begin with just one.

YOU are loved!

Michael

Thursday, February 19, 2009

How to attract the love you long for......

In writing these notes, I've created
a bit of a dilemma for myself. I am
learning that as I pour out of my
own heart, the love that I feel
towards others, I'm getting more
and more love back. As this love
overflows (which it always will), I'm
left with giving more and more love
to others.

That's the way love is. It is a powerful
spiritual force. I can't explain it. I can
write about it. I can write about it
in poetry that is sweet to the heart
and ears. In fact, I've written
several poems trying to describe
love. But still, its indescribable.

A sweet lady wrote me yesterday
and said that she didn't know if
love would ever find her again.
I knew what she was saying.
She wants, needs and longs for
the love of a man in her life.

I told here to start focusing
on loving strangers that she
sees in the grocery store. She
doesn't have to go up and hug
them or even tell them that
she loves them. Just feel it
in your heart and show it with
your smile. Show it in your
actions.

AS you choose to do this,
that 'right, special someone'
will show up in your life. You
can trust the power of love
to bring you exactly who
you need in your life.

Love changes YOU. It makes
you more attractive. It makes
you physically attractive. Plus,
it sets you up to have the
loving, caring, supportive and
incredibly fulfilling relationship
that you've always dreamed
of having.

Think about these simple words
I'm sharing with you today.

I know this.

I love you,

Michael

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Show your love.......

As you walk your path this day,
You'll meet someone who is dismayed;
You'll see them in the common way,
Just let them see your love displayed.

Just give a word, a hug, a smile,
you'll give them strength for the coming mile.
And love's sweet blessings, you will accrue,
The love you give will return to you.

Show your love today.......

And know that........

YOU are loved!

Michael

Friday, February 13, 2009

Listen to Love..........

A young man walked into my
office one day. I'd not met
him before but he had called
for an appointment to see me.

When he arrived, I could tell
by the look on his face that
some major 'life issue' was
weighing heavy on his heart
and mind.

He sat down and immediate
told me, "Michael, my girlfriend
is pregnant. I don't know what
to do. I've attempted to talk
to my parents, my minister and
a therapist. All I've gotten is
lectures about having sex.
But whether or not having
sex outside of marriage is
right or wrong, well, that's
not my problem right now."

I told him that it doesn't take
rocket science intelligence
to know how he got where
he is. I told him, "Brian, the
thing you need to do is get
ready for a baby. You need
to start going to the baby
store or into the department
where baby clothes, cribs,
strollers, etc., are sold and start
getting ready for an amazing
miracle."

Brian broke down and a flood
of emotion started gushing
from his heart. All he could
say for the next several minutes
was, "Thank you, thank you,
thank you, thank you."

I learned something that day.
I learned that love has a voice.
It is a logical voice. It is a rational
voice. But more importantly,
it is a voice of the heart.

Love has a voice that isn't
interested in judging another
human being. Brian knew
how he got into the place
that he was in. There was no
'undoing' that. The only
thing left for him was, prepare
for a beautiful baby.

I saw Brian and Misty recently.
They now have 2 beautiful
children. They both came up
to me and hugged me. They'll
never forget. Neither will I.

When you choose to listen to
your heart, you know exactly
what to do even before a
'Brian' walks in to your life.
You realize how important it
is to listen to the voice of love.
You also realize how powerful
it is.

It was very humbling for me
to realize the power of what
happened THAT day. There
is a power in listening to
the inner voice of love that
is beyond my own ability.

Listening to the voice of
love has proven to be the
wisest and most sane thing
I've ever done in my life.

Choose to listen to the voice
of love. You'll walk away from
all of your 'life issues' having
done and made the right
choice.

I love you,
Michael

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Live the love life........

When I was 17 years old, I seemed outwardly
like I had it all together. I was well liked. Had
several friends. Was somewhat 'known' in my
high school. I had been class president my
sophomore year.

The truth was, down deep inside, I felt like
a fake. I was scared, insecure, unsure of myself,
didn't feel all that smart and was pretty much
terrified of girls.

I'd gone to church most of my life. I didn't
like it. Didn't like the judgment that I felt.
Didn't like the 'meaness' that I felt from many
people there. Didn't feel the love that I
knew that I needed.

Then, in an instant, everything changed. A
minister came to our church who opened
his heart and mind to everyone. He wasn't
delivering the message that all the others
had.

Clyde started loving this tall skinny kid
(the 'skinny' part took several years
to change :-). Clyde treated me with
amazing love and inclusion. I'd never felt
that before.

I didn't see myself as 'spiritual'. I loved
to party and do whatever it took to
'check out', mentally, emotionally AND
spiritually. I wanted to 'check in' socially
and do what it took to be accepted,
admired and hopefully, loved.

Clyde believed in me. He saw the potential
in me. He let me know. He delivered his
message on the wings of grace and love.

It changed my life. I've never been the
same.

I went from being a kid with no thoughts
of the future, to planning to go to
college and actually doing something with
the life I'd been given.

You now know why I talk about, believe
in and am totally focused on love. Love
changed my life. With love came
encouragement and later, empowerment.

I learned a spiritual truth a long time
ago about what I experienced. It said,
"How can a man say that he loves God
and yet hate his brother." The implication
is, he can't.

Love is what life is all about. Love is
what God and spirituality is all about.

As I've shared, there is only one love.
I know it as 'agape'. It is divine. It is
spiritual. It is expressed and is intended
to be expressed in our love for friends
and 'loved ones'. It is intended to be
expressed romantically.

I want to live in this bubble of love.
It doesn't isolate me from others.
It brings me closer to them. I feel
even closer to someone when
I choose to love them.

I wanted you to know a little more
of my story. Hopefully it resonates
with you and encourages you even
more to live the life of love.

I want you to know that you are
loved. By me and by many others
here connected with us. I want
YOU to be encouraged.

I want to say directly from heart
to your heart, make love your life.
It will transform you and help you
to help others be transformed.

Waves and waves of love to you.

I love you,

Michael

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

A personal message from Papi Varela...............

You may know already and
have responded so that you
can receive an amazing blessing
by being introduced to Fernando
Varela. He will undoubtedly receive
worldwide acclaim on the scale of
Pavarotti and Bocelli. He is THAT
amazing!

Well, it so happens that his father
and brother are both connected
with me and you here on FB. You're
about to discover that Fernando's
amazing gift was truly born in an
environment of awesome spiritual
mentoring by his father.

I asked Papi Julio's permission to
share the following with you today.

Enjoy and be blessed!
______________________________


Thank you very much for such a beautiful message of love.

When I decided to "drop off" from what you could call the "Business" world for almost 2 years, it was because i realized that life what so much more than what you could actually see, hear or touch. That essence or true nature that guides us is totally unseen, inaudible and untouchable, it has never began and it will never end. Interesting how by not knowing how to explain this phenomenon we are constantly aware of the fact that this translates from this ambiguous state into a paradox of unity.
For it is through love, and love only, that we can constantly be in touch with this indescribable conundrum that if we trust completely , will ALWAYS lead us to where we need to go.
You see the simplicity of our choices lies in in one simple question that we should ask ourselves every time we are to make a decision on what to do or how to act when faced with small or big decisions. That question is;
"Am I doing this coming from fear (or all the other heads of the same monster, like shame, pride, alter ego, retaliation,etc.) or am I doing this from LOVE?" The choice is always simple and at the same time can be made complex by so many justifications that can surround our decision process. But at the end it always boils down to you and you alone. You can never fool yourself, so it is very simple , ALWAYS, ALWAYS choose LOVE!

Jai Satchinanda...Papi Julio

_________________________________

If you've not connected with Fernando,
do so now. Go to http://www.fernandovarela.com .
You can download or just listen to him
signing 'Nessun Dorma'. Amazing!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

This will help you get over fear......

As I've shared with you, love is
the greatest power on the planet.
It can and does overcome anything.

I don't know if you're experiencing
this, but a lot of people are fearful
of what is going on in their lives
and in the world. We are living
in challenging times.

Franklin Roosevelt intended well
when he said that we have nothing
to fear except for fear itself.
However, there is only one thing
that overcomes fear. And that is
love.

Think about fear and what it is.
Zig said that fear is, 'false evidence
appearing real.'

I like to think about it this way. Fear
is not knowing what is ahead in
your life and feeling as if it isn't
going to be good. Fear is associated
with darkness, the unknown.

Love, on the other hand, casts
a light on the unknown. As I've
shared with you before, 'light
always overcomes darkness.'
Thus, love dispels fear.

Here's the challenge.

Fear creeps in and takes over your
mind. It will dominate your thoughts
with expectations of gloom and doom.

Love is something that you choose.
Yes, love is deeply emotional. But
it must first be a choice.

You know that if you are in a relationship,
or ever have been, there are times
when you must 'choose' to love the
other person. Females do this and
understand this better than us guys.

You know that there are times
that you 'must choose' to love
the man. It doesn't always come
naturally. The love is there. And
it is real. But there are times
that it is a choice.

Well, I feel that the same is
true with choosing to focus
on love rather than living in
fear. You choose to focus on
loving yourself, loving life, loving
others, loving God, loving everything
around you. When you do
this, the darkness of fear
instantly vanishes. It can
come back. But the key is
to 'choose love'. Become
conscious of the power of love
and what it does for you in
your life.

Focus, focus, focus on love.
What do you love about
your life? What do you love
about things that have happened
for you in your life? What are you
thankful for in your life? Even
the smallest things in life.

I want to help you overcome
and get through whatever
you might be going through.
There is a brighter day if you
are facing some dark days.

Choose love. It will light your
way, showing you the way
and taking you where you
want to go.

Waves of love to you today!

From my heart to your heart!

Michael

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Love: the new financial stimulus package

One of our group members, Sandie, wrote me
last week. She talked about how much she
loved her job (and her life). I asked her what
she did. She said, "Michael, I am an ambassador
of love. Not just in my work either. Every where
I go. I've endured some accusations of being
'too friendly' with people, but I love everyone
and I want them to know it. I can't tell them
all, but, sometimes more importantly, I can
show them. Oh, but my official title is
Senior Vice President."

I read last week, an article in a magazine,
"Companies That Don't Do Layoffs". It was
rather surprising to see companies who
believe so strongly in their corporate culture,
vision and appreciate their employees as well
as customers.

These companies purposefully create an
environment that endears the employee
to do almost anything for their corporate
success. They treat each employee with
respect and 'like humans' (in some cases,
like family). In return, they earn amazing
loyalty.

I love to see both companies and individuals
who do what they do, using the talents, skills
and resources that they have to make the
planet a happier and better place.

I guess, if you've been with me (in this
group) for any time now, you know I
love the legendary business philosopher,
Mr. Jim Rohn. I quote him often and live
by much of what I've learned from him
the past twenty plus years.

Mr. Rohn says, "You can work at McDonalds
and take out the trash and make minimum
wage. You can whistle and smile while you take
out the trash and they'll likely pay you at
least 50 cents more. "

Of course, Mr. Rohn is talking about your
attitude. But what if you have an attitude
like Sandie's? What if in your words and
in your actions, you start showing people
that you care for them and love them?

I realize that there is a certain 'corporate
climate' that must be maintained. But,
what if you choose to even do random
acts of kindness for those who don't
expect you to do such?

I know a lady in Dallas that is a VP
of a very large financial services
company. I've never been around
anyone who exuded so much love.
She has an amazing charisma that
you know that she is the 'real deal'
when she enters a room . I'm
convinced that the room gets
brighter with her in it.

She also owns a foundation that
brings a lot of happiness to sick
children. She's not just the founder
of the foundation. She dresses up
as 'Bunny Love' in order to entertain
children. She has an amazing effect
upon their lives.

I learned well from Dr. Hawkins' book
that love is the most amazing power
on the planet. Love isn't weak as some
suppose. It is awesomely strong.
AND it fully complements business
and profits in every regard.

Choose love today. If you aren't
comfortable talking about it then,
by all means, show it in your
actions. You're going to make
someone's day brighter and,
you're going to bless your own life
in ways you've never imagined.

Let your light of love, shine bright!

Avalanches of love to you,
Michael

Friday, February 6, 2009

Small Adjustments Make For Big Life Changes

Its the small things, not the big ones, that we make that make the difference in our lives.


Legendary business philosopher, Jim Rohn says, “What if an apple a day keeps the doctor away? What if that is in fact true? Must you eat an apple a day? What happens if you wait until Saturday to arrive and just sit down and eat 7 apples? Won't that work as well?”


I think most of us 'get the point'. You can't eat 7 apples on Saturday and make up for what you didn't do all week. It will make you sick.


My grandmother used to make the most amazing pies. My favorite was coconut. The meringue was the best part; well, besides the crust; well beside the filling....oh, and the coconuts. Anyway, mama would set the pie out to cool after baking. She didn't have air conditioning in her house. She would set them near a window.


Flies were always a problem but, they were big enough to see. It was the pesky gnats that got into the meringue that I hated. You'd see one about the time you had the fork full in your mouth.


Just like the gnats, its the little things that mess up life.


Mr. Rohn said, “There are about 7 things that you either do or don't do in a day that would make the major difference in your life.” Think about it. Only 7 things that determine the state of your health, wealth, relationships and life.


When I heard him say this, I immediately went to work discovering what those 7 things were in MY life. You might want to do this yourself. Just take a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. On one side, list the things that you know you SHOULD be doing each day that can make a big difference in your life. On the other side, list those things that you need to stop doing in order to make your life better. You'll find it challenging enough with this list.


Start working on them one by one. Make the changes that you need to make to make your life better. You deserve to be happy, healthy and in control of your life. You'll feel much better when you do it.

Love never fails.........

Anger comes to an end and leaves
devastation. Hatred will kill, steal and
destroy your life. Unforgiveness brings
sickness and dis-ease. Pride causes
the mighty to fall.

But........

Love, never fails.

It never has. It never will.

I love the Eagles. Timothy B. Smitt
sings an incredible song called, "Love
Will Keep Us Alive". When you hear
it, it resonates deeply in your heart.
Its truth is that 'love is powerful.'

My heart longs to both realize
(personally) and reveal to others
the importance of self love, God
love (agape) and 'others love.'

A great teacher said, "Study only
love." I would say that we should
be in constant pursuit of this,
THE most powerful expression
on earth.

My dear friend, love will never
fail you. You must know its
full expression and truly experience
it unconditionally. 'Conditional love'
is really not love at all.

Love that says, "I'll love you as
long as you love me", isn't real
love. That's only a contract.

Love that is chosen as a lifestyle
is real. It will not and cannot fail.

I shared with you recently that
God is love, you are one with
God, therefore, YOU are love.

Let this truth marinate your
heart, mind, soul and spirit.
Then, watch the power of
love transform your life and
your world.

Choose love. Its the only thing
that will never fail you.

With sincere avalanches
of love for you,

Michael

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Love believes all things....Sylvia's story....

You may have seen my quote
from Donald Trump recently
about skeptics, cynics and critics.
The key factor regarding this
group is, 'Don't be one of
them.' They have few friends,
they're generally not happy
people and sadly, they have
no life except to point out
what's wrong in the world.

As 'the Donald' said, "They
are necessary to have around."
Perhaps that's true. I'm not
signing up to join their group.
Neither do I suggest that
you do.

And, if you've already joined
them, drop out. Please. For
your own sake.

Love believes all things.

Sylvia wrote me recently.
She allowed me to share her
story and what happened.

Sylvia was in love with Dan.
Dan was full of life, full of
vision and full of stories.
You probably already know
where this story is headed
(particularly if you're female).

Dan told her all these things
that they were going to
do together. Sylvia believed
him. Dan asked her to drop
almost everything in her
life for him.

Sylvia had the intuition that
something was wrong with
this picture. She considered
doing what he wanted but
finally decided against it.

As I've already said, you likely
know the rest of the story.

Dan turned out to not to
be 'all that'. His stories
didn't pan out. His ambitions
weren't backed with
action.

Even though he had
pulled hard at Sylvia's
'heart strings' and emotions,
Sylvia had inner guidance
that kept her safe.

She said that his biggest
attempt was when he
told her, "Baby, if you don't
do what I'm asking, I can't
do it alone."

Sylvia reminded me that
'love believes all things.'
She said that she believed
that Dan truly has the
aspirations and dreams that
he'd shared. All men have
some kind of vision for
their life.

I've found that most things
that people tell me are
not going to change my
life if they turn out to
not be true. My friend,
Dr. Lea, told me, "If
someone lies to me
about something and if the
outcome doesn't alter
my life, then I can always
say, "Well, it was a great
story."

Sylvia proved to me that
her perspective and wisdom
knew that Dan probably
intended well. However,
it also proved, in the end,
that her precaution from
inner guidance (that small
voice within) proved to
serve her well.

Most stories, ambitions
and aspirations that
people share with you,
have no great effect
upon you in your life.
Some do. Those that
don't, you can basically
blow off. Those that
do, you need to listen
to the voice of your
inner wisdom and
follow it.

Even in the end, you
aren't diving off into
'awfulizing' or 'totalizing'
someone. You just
choose to love yourself
well enough to listen
to the voice of wisdom.

I hope this helps to give
you a little better insight
into true love.

Avalanches of love to you
today,

Michael

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Love is kind...............

Sometimes I wonder, "How hard is
it to be kind to other people?" Kindness
is an expression of genuine love
that often gets overlooked.

Many years ago, I read an amazing
book by Dale Carnegie. It was called,
"How To Win Friends And Influence
People". Mr. Carnegie taught me the
importance of being kind to others.

The payoff for being kind and showing
it, is huge.

First, be kind to yourself. If you're
hard on YOU, you'll likely be
hard on others (but not always).
A great revealing question to
ask yourself is, "Would I like to
be around ME?" Then be honest
with your answer.

Second, be kind to those that you
love. I'm always amazed at how
someone tells me how terrible their
wife, husband, employee, sibling,
neighbor, etc., are.

When I had several people under
my employment, I always spoke
well of them. I mean, I gave them
a pay check every week. I think it
is insane to give someone money
week after week and then tell
others how incompetent or 'bad'
they were. Come on. Think about
it.

The other one that astounds me
is the person who tells you how
terrible their spouse or significant
other, is. Let's see. YOU chose
them. Are YOU that bad at picking?
And if that were not enough, THEY
chose YOU! Come on. Think!

Third, be kind to everyone. Why
not? We act as if people are going
to rob us of our lives if we are kind.
We 'think' we are making ourselves
vulnerable.

I find that the opposite is true.

A few days ago, I was in a check
cashing place to pay a bill. There
was a guy in front of me that I
know pretty well. He was letting
the cashier have it. He was mad
about something that she'd done.

When he left, I noticed that her
hands were shaking. I saw her
name tag and said, "Karen,
there are some people that are
jerks. Then there are others
who just act like jerks. He really
isn't a jerk. He's just acting like
one."

I was then very careful to be
polite and grateful towards her.

When you choose to love others,
you are choosing to be kind to
them.

Think about kindness. Look
for opportunities to be kind.

You'll be enriched when you
choose to show love in this
way.

Thanks for allowing me to
be a part of your life.

Much love,
Michael

Monday, February 2, 2009

Love is patient.......

I was in a store recently
when I heard a man 'go
off' on the lady that was
with him. He didn't seem
to be concerned with
who heard him. In fact,
he didn't appear to be
able to hold back his
anger nor his words.

She said nothing. She
simply had this very hurt
look on her face. Almost
as if she was about to
cry from the berating and
embarrassment.

True love is patient. In
fact, the essence of
real love possesses
patience.

The Apostle from Tarsus
said, "Faith works by
love."

Patience takes faith. It
takes believing in another
person. It takes knowing
that the other person loves
you enough to believe in
you.

To believe in someone is
to believe that the person
loves you and always has
your best interest in mind.

In the case that I saw at
the store, I can tell you,
that was not real love.
(Nor was it even decent).

If you're with someone
in a relationship that does
that sort of thing, you've
got to ask yourself 'why'
you're in that relationship.

You may have many very
good and legitimate reasons
but you still need to be
conscious of 'why' you
are.

The key is checking your
own love and seeing
whether you have patience
in your love.

As I've shared before with
you, you must choose
love as a way of life. Not
just 'waiting on that special
someone.'

Its about choosing first to
love yourself. Then its
about choosing to love
people in general. Then and
only then can you truly love
someone that you are
romantically attracted or
involved in.

Then, you'll find that true,
genuine love possesses
patience. You'll know that
the one that you're 'in love
with', loves you and always has
your best interest in mind.

Think about it.

Avalanches of love to you,
Michael

Friday, January 30, 2009

Expressed love.......

I was with my cousin yesterday. My
uncle passed away a few days
ago and I spoke at his funeral
service. My cousin is a very
successful attorney in Dallas.
He is 14 years older than me.

I've never seen anyone who
genuinely expressed love as
he does. He is always happy.
He is kind to everyone he meets.

I noticed today at lunch how
endearing he was to the sweet
little Korean waitress we had.
He is like that with everyone.

Charles, my cousin, is an inspiration
to me.

After the funeral, the funeral
director took us to Charles' mother's
grave. I knew he wanted me to
get out of the car with him
to walk over to his mother's grave.

Charles had promised his five
daughters that he would
tell 'Nenaw', (the affectionate
name they gave their grandmother),
that they loved her still. 'Nenaw'
has been gone for several years.

Charles stood at 'Nenaw's grave'.
I watched his lip begin to quiver
as he called out each of his
daughter's names and told 'Nenaw'
that she was loved and sorely
missed. He cried as he buried
his head into my shoulder.

I think that somehow, Nenaw
heard what he said. All I felt
was love.

I hope I can encourage you to
make love a priority in your life.
You'll be happier, You'll be more
fulfilled. And you'll feel amazing
love in return.

Have a blessed and love-filled
weekend!

With great love from my heart to yours,
Michael

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Love declines......

I found a very interesting tool on
FB. It is called 'Lexicon'. It tells
you how much a single word is
used on the FB network by users
like me and you.

I naturally wanted to find out about
the word 'love'. It is very interesting
that during the last quarter of 2008,
there is a steady decline of the usage
of this word.

You can go and join Lexicon and see
for yourself. The link is at
http://www.facebook.com/lexicon .

You can also contrast two words like
'love,hate', 'friend, enemy', 'good, bad',
etc. I'm very happy to report that in
ALL of these words, that I contrasted,
the positive words were used far
more than the negative opposites.

Nonetheless, I'm wondering if there
is a direct parallel to the decline in the
usage of these words and what all
our economy, country and world
are going through.

The other night, I rewatched the
video documentary of "The United
States of America versus John
Lennon." I was pretty young back
'in the day' when John and Yoko
staged their 'love in'. However,
as I watched this video, I came
to a belief that I'm sure impacted
the war in Vietnam. I now believe
that the case for love and peace
ultimately ended the war.

I'm on a campaign today to not
only get men and women talking
about love, but, actually expressing
it to each other. Many of our
misguided thoughts and impressions
about love have distorted what love
really is all about.

I believe that love is going to
ultimately win the day. It is the
most powerful force that we
can express upon the planet.

That's why I share my thoughts
with you each day. It is why I
share my love with you. I'm truly
honored that you would hear
my voice and choose to listen.
I'm amazed at how many people
respond to these thoughts.

I honestly feel amazing love
for you and for all who are
gathered here.

Today, I ask you to consider
these words I've shared with
you. How you feel and what you
say today, does make a difference.

I thank you for accepting my love
and for allowing me to be a part
of your life, your mind and your
heart.

Boundless love from my heart to yours,

Michael

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Clarifying love......

Stephanie told me, "Ever since
I was a little girl, all I ever wanted
was someone who would love me.
But, no one ever has. I've never
known love in my life."

I shared a short message with you
recently about there being only one
kind of love. That love is agape;
divine love; God's love.

Years ago, I also found myself in a
place where I felt alone. I wanted
encouragement. I felt I had no one
to encourage me.

One day, I was feeling a bit sorry
for myself and was sad because
I did not feel encouraged.

As I was feeling this way and even
focusing on it, I heard the voice
within. It said, "Michael, you are
the greatest voice in your own
life. In fact, you listen to yourself
more than you listen to anyone else.
Encourage yourself."

It was an epiphany for me. I started
encouraging myself that day.

Receiving love is much the same way.
As I've shared, you must first love
yourself. When you do this, you
choose love as a way of life. You
consciously begin to love others.

I found that as I encouraged myself,
I was filling myself up with encouragement.
When I did this, I could more easily
give encouragement to others.

True love, agape, is expressed in
eros and phileo. Eros is between
two people who go to a different
level of love in a romantic way.
Phileo is the brotherly love that you
feel for your friends in your life.

But, if you check the source of
both of these expressions of love,
you'll find that they come from the
same reservoir of agape.

The scriptures tell us to, "Love God,
love others, love yourself." There
is only one love. It is agape. You
choose this love as a way of life.

When you do, you'll never feel
unloved again.

This is why, I can honestly say,
I love you.

Michael

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Just a thought about the power of love......

Have you ever thought about the
true **power** of love? I mean,
what giving, living and receiving
love can affect?

Think about this. The folks of
my generation (now 50s
something) grew up in the
60s and 70s (just after the
dinosaurs vanished from the
earth :-).

All of the hippies and yippies
were talking about 'love'. Now
I'm not sure that a lot of it
wasn't actually about indulgence,
but the word 'love' was still
everywhere. The Beatles and
others were singing about
it. Our generation was
certainly talking about it.

Just think about how fashion,
society, culture, art, music,
religion and so much more
were influenced by this era
and its theme of love.

Think about how a simple
carpenter from Nazareth
(I'm talking about the town
in Israel; not the rock group
:-) affected the world. Jesus
is still affecting the world.
He came with a message
of love.

I could cite several other
examples of how people
promoted love and touched
and even changed, the
world.

Is hate more powerful than
love? That's like asking if
the dark is more powerful
than the light? Of course
its not. Light always dispels
darkness. It can never get
'dark enough' to overcome
light.

Love is somehow thought
to be weak or passive. It
is not. Love is a spiritual
power that overcomes
every evil imaginable.

No **big** revelation.
Just think about the power
of love and what it can
do.

It is far more than amazing
when you consider it.

Just a thought.

Bounds of love to you today,
Michael

Sunday, January 25, 2009

This will make your day....better.....

Five years ago, I was sitting on
a park bench 'inside' WalMart,
waiting on my mother. She was
doing some shopping and I had
driven her there.

A Colonel Sanders looking elderly
gentleman walked up and asked
if he could sit down beside me.
He obviously loved turquoise
jewelry. 4 rings. A bracelet
and his boa were all adorned
in the beautiful blue stone. They
all matched his glistening bright
blue eyes.

We chatted about WalMart,
Sam Walton and this commercial
power that has taken over America.

I pounced on the opportunity to
hear his story. I knew he had
one just by looking at him.

He told me several war stories
and about being in Italy, England
and Russia. We sat for nearly
an hour and he never came up
for air :-).

To say the least, I found every
detail amazingly intriguing and
gained quite an eduction from
this interesting man.

Every body has a story. They've
seen wonderful times and daunting
times. They are all dying for someone
who will listen.

Let me tell you a sure-fire, quick
way to enrich your own life today.
Somebody that you come into
contact with, is looking for
someone else who wants to hear
their story.

BE that someone today. Actually
look for someone who wants to
tell you their story. It won't be
hard to find someone who is
dying to tell you about their
life. There are many.

However, there are few who
want to listen. Love others
today by listening to them.
Hear their stories. Listen
with your heart. You'll be
amazed at how seemingly
common people aren't
common at all. They've had
extraordinary experiences
and lives.

Make your own day today
by making someone else's
day.

Have an amazing, love-filled day,

Michael

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Mercy me....my prayer.....

Living here in the South, I've
heard this expression many, many
times.

I remember, as a little boy around
the age of 10 or 11, I came into
my grandma's house scared to
death. You see, there was a boy
named Jimmy who I had met on
the baseball field on the Crockett
Elementary School grounds.

I learned that Jimmy had just
been released from reform school.
That alone scared me. What
was worse, I said something that
made him mad at me. I don't have
a clue what I said, I just know that
he threatened to beat me up.

I was scared.

When I got to my Mama Murphy's
house, I told her that I had ran
almost the entire 3 blocks from
Crockett School. I explained to
her why and I remember that
all she said, over and over again
was, "Mercy me, mercy me,
mercy me."

I think it was her way of saying
a little prayer over me and for
the fear that I was feeling of
Jimmy beating me up.

That phrase has stuck with me
for the past 40 years. However,
today it has different meaning to
me than it did then.

'Mercy me' today, means me asking
for and showing forgiveness to
myself. It is a type of prayer of
divine and self forgiveness.

I'm allowing it to become more
than a simple expression of emotion.
I'm choosing to make it my prayer. A
prayer for forgiveness for myself.
A prayer that helps me to be much
easier on myself.

You too might want to try it.
Maybe a small thing. But small
things can have amazing results.

Much love and 'mercy' to you,
Michael

Friday, January 23, 2009

Can YOU forgive yourself?.....

Bobby gave me permission to
share this short story with you.

He shared with me that his
biggest problem he had
in his life was forgiving
himself.

Ten years ago, Bobby found
himself in a marriage that
wasn't working and was
down right verbally abusive.
He felt no love, no affection
and no care from his wife.

Bobby also had two teenage
children, ages 14 and 16 at
the time of the divorce.

Bobby repeated what several
have done in his unpleasant
marital situation. He started
having an affair and left
his family. He said that he
felt justified in leaving the
marriage, but now, couldn't
forgive himself for abandoning
his children.

He said, "At first, it wasn't all
that hard. I blamed 'her' for
not loving me and caring for
me like I wanted her to. I also
wanted to give her the same
care and affection. She wouldn't
budge. My biggest regret wasn't
that I got a divorce. That was
inevitable. The thing that I
can't forgive myself for is that
I didn't see my children for
nearly ten years after. Even
though she was horrible
when I tried and even though
I paid every penny of child
support in full and on time,
she gave me hell. So, I gave
up."

There are many things that
you may not have forgiven
yourself for. Your inner voices
always condemning you and
judging you.

My dad was bi-polar. He was
never physically abusive of
us kids. However, he was
certainly mentally abusive.
He was a young father,
only 24 years old with 3
kids.

I will never attempt to justify
mental, psychological, physical
or religious abuse of any kind.
However, I have to some how
deal with the way I was raised
and bring some kind of closure
to it. You will have to do the
same if you are going to live
with any peace in your life.

I've found that a lot of people
are hard on themselves because
a parent was abusive some way,
during their childhood.

My encouragement to you today
is, stop the abuse in your head.
Consciously choose that you are
going to forgive yourself for
whatever has happened in your
past.

The starting point, I've found, is
to say outloud, 'Michael, I forgive
you for all the mistakes you've
made in your life.' And then,
if there are some 'biggies',
name them and begin the
process of forgiving yourself.

You DO deserve to feel loved
and be a peace in your own
heart and mind. You have
to be the one to start the
process. I'm here to
encourage you to get
started.

Remember, forgiveness is
for-giving love to yourself
and others.

Sending you great love today,

Michael

Thursday, January 22, 2009

This will help you today..........

I want to share something with you
that I believe will inspire you today.
In fact, it will empower you to make
it through what you may be going
through.

I'm inspired by people who have gone
through the most unimaginable trials
and made it through with perseverance,
love and forgiveness. I've met a few.
In fact, there are some right here
among those in the Powerful Attitudes
group.

People just like you. You may have
been through the most horrible of
circumstances and events in your
life, but, there's one thing I know
today.

YOU **CAN** MAKE IT THROUGH
WITH LOVE AND FORGIVENESS!

When you relive, with negative
emotions, such as hate, unforgiveness,
self-pity and blame, bad things
that have happened to you,
you don't destroy those who
hurt you. You destroy your own
soul.

Forgiveness is 'for-giving'. It is
choosing love as a standard
for your life. It is 'for-giving'
love to someone (or many
people) who likely don't deserve
to be forgiven.

What some might consider my
biggest fault is really, my biggest
strength. I love to give. I love
to give you encouragement
and love here in these messages.
I love tipping extra when I go
out to eat. I love giving a kind
word to someone that I see
who looks as if they can use
a kind word. I make it a priority
to treat the seemingly 'little or
unimportant people in life',
with respect, love, encouragement
and appreciation.

Yesterday, I went to a small grocery
market here in my hometown. My
mother has been a bit under the
weather and she needed some
food. I was out doing some
grocery shopping for her.

I went to the counter and a
late 30s, early 40s lady named
Marcia was there to take my
money at the cash register.
I asked her, "Marcia, how are
you doing today?"

She told me that she had
just moved to this store
from a store about 10
miles away (same chain).
She said that she was trying
to get used to THIS store
and it was 'trying' on her
patience.

I stood there and encouraged
her for no more than 2 minutes.

Her face lit up and she thanked
me for taking the time to talk
to her.

You see, love is 'for-giving'.
Whether its showing love
to someone in your past who
may have hurt you (or even
tried to destroy your life) or
if it is someone like Marcia.

Choose today to give someone
your love. Its done in many
different ways. Also, choose
to give yourself the gift
of forgiving anyone and everyone
in your past (don't forget to
forgive yourself; I'll talk more
about that soon).

Feel the sincere love that I'm
sending to you today!

I appreciate you!

Michael

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Faith, Hope and Love

I don't about you, but I'm
definitely sensing that right
now is a very critical time
for our nation and the world.

The events of yesterday. The
first African American
president being sworn into
office. The economic crisis.
Some are saying that its
the worst we've had since
the great depression. We
aren't engaged in one, but
TWO wars. Over ten trillion
dollars in national debt.
Corporate America unraveling
in many places and in various
ways.

Right now is a time for you and I to
rise up and act out three
virtues that we were instructed
to live out, many years ago.

What are they?

Faith, Hope and Love

We've got to hold on and have
faith in the future. We've got
to connect to our spiritual
core stronger than we've
ever done before.

We've got to continue to dream.
Faith is built on the foundation
of hope. Your hope equals your
dream.

Yesterday, the dream that Dr. King
talked about on the steps of
the Lincoln Memorial and echoed
onto the steps of Capitol, were
reversed. The prophetic words
of a southern black preacher
were fulfilled 'in your hearing'
and in your viewing, yesterday.

Hope that is built on that
which is right, will prevail and
be manifested through your
faith.

And above all, we must make
the choice to stop blaming
and looking for fault, but instead
choose to unite in our love for
one another. Our love must
be based on the foundation
of the 'truths that we hold
as self evident.' The truths
of freedom. The truths of
unity.

Today, our politics have
far less to do with Republican,
Democrat of Independent.
It has to do with being an
American.

I want to encourage you
today to hold these pillars
of life, consciously in your
heart, your mind, your
meditations and your prayers.

Faith, Hope and Love are as
vital to you and me as the
meals we will eat today.
The supremacy of love is
as vital as the oxygen you
and I will breathe today.

I'm here to remind you
(and me).

I appreciate you with great
love,

Michael

Monday, January 19, 2009

"Where you'll find your answer......"

I've had an interesting week. A lot
of soul searching and digging deeper.
I read the book, 'Power Vs. Force'
by Dr. David Hawkins. Interesting
book to say the least.

Dr. Hawkins is somewhat of a
controversial figure. That's o.k. with
me. I'm not a 'totalizing' person.
I don't 'hate or love' a book. I run
everything I read through my own
filter. What I see as truth and as
good for me, I keep. The rest
is there on a shelf should I ever
decide to do anything with it.

The big key that is divine confirmation
from this book (for me) is, love
is an amazing power. It is NOT
forceful. In addition, I received
further confirmation that my
divine connection is truly the
most powerful and trustworthy
power in my life.

I've never been one who slept
a lot. I've always been an early
riser. I know that most people
prefer not get up early. I do.
Always have. I like it and enjoy
it (its o.k. if you're saying,
"Ugh!" :-). However, lately
I've been going to bed
earlier and sleeping a little
longer. Really good, sound
sleep.

I also try to go to sleep with
something profoundly spiritual
on my heart and mind. My
epiphanies usually come shortly
after waking up.

This morning, the voice within
said, "Your answer is found
within." The guidance that
you want and need is found
in your heart. It is bathed
in love, cloaked in peace and
covered with joy. It is divine.
Spiritual.

It is quite likely what has been
leading you your entire life. It
is what is making your heart
to beat. It is what is making
'life' to continue in your body.

I'm expecting specific guidance
in my life. I'm looking for it
within. I've too many times,
sought it outside. I've tried
to 'make it happen.'

Dr. Hawkins says that "God
is guiding your life. All that
it takes is for you to start
becoming aware of it." He
calls this 'awareness' or
'consciousness.'

The answer that you're likely
seeking is inside of you. It
is in that 'still small voice.'

Listen in love.

I truly do feel divinely
connected with you as
my dear friend.

I'm offering this message
to you in great love,
Michael

Friday, January 16, 2009

You are one with love.......

I over heard the conversation
in the booth next to me. It was
somewhat disturbing as I was
certainly not trying to eavesdrop.

She said, "I don't feel loved
anymore. I don't feel that love
is any part of my life anymore."

I thought about it deeply.
I reasoned with what I heard
her say. I felt deep compassion
for her.

Its not that hard to figure
out logically. Its pretty
straight forward.

However, you aren't just
an intellectual, logical
being. You are emotional,
psychological and spiritual.

Let me explain it the way
I've read it and understand
it.

Facts
1. God is love
2. We are one, united with God
3. We are love

Now, I don't know about you,
but haven't always **felt**
that I am love (or, one with
God for that matter). In fact,
I don't **feel** it all of
the time now.

So, I accept these facts. But
is THAT all there is?

I don't believe so.

But, if it is true, then why
haven't I always **felt**
that I am one with love
(I am love)?

You might want to think
about it this way.

Have you ever loved
someone? Did, at some
point, you stop or at least
cut way down on how
much you TOLD them
that you loved them?

What happens when you
do that?

My guess is, they start
questioning whether you
love them or not.

So what does that have
to do with you and I feeling
like we are one with love?

Simple. We don't tell ourselves.
In fact, you may have not
ever heard of you 'being
love' before.

I think it will help you if
you'll start telling
yourself. When you do
this, allow yourself to
feel it inside. It feels
really good. It refreshes
and cleanses you emotionally
and spiritually.

Allow yourself to think
about this today. Try
it. I think you'll like it :).

Here for you.

Much love,
Michael

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

How you love..............

I've got a couple of
'guy' friends that I
like to hang out with.
We watch football or
basketball. Sometimes
we just talk (mainly
about women and sports
but not always in THAT
order).

One of my buddies is
Dr. Rick. He also
happens to be my
chiropractor. We
get together almost
every Friday for
several hours. We
support, encourage
and learn from each
other. We kind of do
a 'blending of the
brains'.

Dr. Rick and I really
do care about each
other. We're both
secure enough to
say, 'I love you, bro'
(we have to add the
'bro' part; we aren't
THAT secure, yet :-).

Another buddy of mine
is Bill. We're the same
way when we're
together.

I genuinely love both
of these guys. They
are amazing human
beings. Great souls.

Many years ago, I
was taught there are
different kinds of love.
As I shared with you
yesterday, I've now
come to the understanding
that there's only 'one
love.'

I was taught that there is
'eros' which is romantic
love. I was also taught
that there is 'phileo',
which is a brotherly
love (like I feel for
Dr. Rick and Bill and
several other 'guy'
friends of mine). Then
I was taught that there
is 'agape' which is the
spiritual, God-kind of
love.

I've come to the point
that I believe that
there is only 'one love.'
I believe that 'one love'
is 'agape'. I think eros
and phileo are expressions
of that one love.

The way I now see it,
there are different levels
and different expressions
of that one love.

Why would I make such
a big deal about this?

Well, this is where most of us
'guys' get confused. We
are afraid that if we
express love to another
guy that they are going to
take it wrong. We think
that they are going to
think 'eros' when in fact
we mean 'phileo'.

The ancient and true
proverb says that 'we
perish for a lack of
knowledge.' I hope to
clear up some of the
'lack of knowledge'
about love. We've
got to get to the place
that we can love each
other freely, guys and
gals. I think our existence
on this planet will require
it.

So, with that said,

'Bill, Dr. Rick, Bob, John,
Mike, Ralph, Larry, Gary,

"I love you, bro!" :-)

Monika, Patricia, Dorothy,
Mary, Lillianne, Clara,
Susie, Anita,

"I love you!" (.period)

Oh, and I want you to
know, YOU are more
than amazing! You
really are!

Michael

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

How you love..............

In my experience, I've
come to an understanding
of love.

I've heard a lot of different
explanations. I'm sure
I'll hear more.

However, in my experience,
there is only one love.
Many expressions. Perhaps
different levels. But only,
one love.

As I've shared, love starts
with yourself. Loving yourself.
Loving YOU. Its a choice
AND an action.

Second, love is expressed
FROM you TO others. Again,
a choice AND an action (i.e.
'letting others know that you
love and value them').

Third, there is a love that
is expressed on a romantic
level. My experience and
view is, for this love to
be truly amazing as it is
intended to be, you must
first have made the choice
to love yourself and the
many people you are
connected with and those
you have yet to encounter
or meet.

I feel love for people that
I see every day. I mean
people I don't know. Those
I've never met.

I realize the miracle that
they were born. Regardless,
of how perfect or imperfect
they may appear. Regardless,
of the hue and tone of their
skin. Regardless of whether
they are outwardly attractive
or not. Regardless of their
gender. These things have
nothing to do with my
choice to love people.

I might clarify. I don't 'learn'
to love others. I choose to
love them. After my choice
was made, I begin to feel
that love. (Its amazing how
that happens :)

Now, I might 'learn' to love
them at a different level,
thus, with a different expression
than I do others. This does
and should happen. We
have need of love at
different levels and different
expressions.

But, there is only one love
in my experience.

Wanted to share with you.
Thought that this might
help.

I love YOU,

Michael

Monday, January 12, 2009

Sending some love to you..............

When I was a child, I
learned a phrase that
is quite likely some of
the best advice I've ever
heard.

I sensed it in my own
heart and mind. In fact,
even as a 6 foot tall
7th grader, and even
though I was really into
sports, I had a very
sensitive side to me
that made this phrase
even more profound.

Today it means more
to me than it ever has
before. Especially with
the ups and downs, hurts,
disappointments and
sometimes daunting
challenges of life.

The phrase I learned
was,

"Let everything be done
with love."

You see, I was taught
that 'love covered all
wrong.' Not just things
I'd done wrong. But
ALL wrong. Whatever
was wrong, love
would fix it.

As I've been sharing
with you lately, I'm
planting, invoking,
injecting love into
everything. Its just
a matter of taking
conscious actions.

I'm injecting love into
every organ of my
body. I'm confident
that love can and will
be health and vitality
to my physical body.

I'm injecting love into
my finances, business
and bank account. I
believe it can and will
make a huge difference.
I believe it will prosper
me.

I'm injecting love into
people that I normally
have a difficult time
with. You know. Even
those that are in your
memory and aren't a
part of your present
experience. However,
they seem to never die
in your mind whether
physically present or
not.

And, of course, I'm
injecting love into
this and every message
that I send to you.

To take it at least
one more step further,
I'm injecting love into
your life. I'm honored
that you're connected
with me. I want your
life to be filled with
love. There's nothing
I could want any
more than that for
you.

Think about this
message today.

"Let everything be
done with love. Let
everything be filled
with love."

With loads of love
and gratitude to
you,

Michael

Sunday, January 11, 2009

This will feel good to you......

Have you ever heard of
your 'emotional center'?
I mentioned it in my last
note to you.

The best I can describe
where it is, it is near
the top of your stomach,
just below your sternum.

This is THE place that you
will feel the emotions
that are evoked as a
response to words that
you hear or say.

When I get a focus, an
awareness, a consciousness
on my emotional center
and then, **breathe** in a
certain word like 'love',
I feel it spread out from
my emotional center.

For instance, when I'm
focused on and sensitive
to my emotional center
and **breathe** in
the word 'love', I feel
it 'as if' it is plowing
into my soul and allowing
love to flow in.

You might experience it
a bit differently, but I
can assure you that
with your focus on your
emotion center, you will
feel something. And, it
will feel good.

Each positive word I
breathe in and out, has
a little different feel to
it. All of them feel good.

Negative, limiting and
lacking words don't feel
the same. So I don't
recommend that you even
try using them. I want
you to feel good. Just
take my word for it, please.

Oh, I might share with you,
when you **breathe** in
the word, just take a deep
breath as you say or
think the word in your mind.

I'm sure I'm not the first one
that ever had the intuition to
do what I'm sharing with
you. Some one very likely
discovered this a long time
ago. However, it is something
that is new to me and I'm
recognizing its power to
affect me.

I want you to experience all
of the love, joy, happiness and
peace that you deserve.

And, for those of you out there
that don't feel loved, please
know that I love you along with
many, many friends that I'm
connected with here.

Avalanches of love to you!

Michael

Saturday, January 10, 2009

This is 'to you' and 'for you'........

I thought that you might need
this today. Kind of a follow up
from yesterday's message I sent
to you.

There's a certain feeling that I
get in my emotional center of
my body (solar plexus) when
I speak words.

The key, that I shared yesterday,
is to become aware of the
feeling and effect of words
in your emotional center. Notice
how a word 'feels' when you
speak it verbally or silently.

Now, as you become more
conscious of your emotional
responses to certain words,
focus on the word 'love'.

You'll find a very special sense
and wonderful emotional
response to 'love'.

Now, I would encourage you
to 'plant' love into every
part of your being. When you
do this, you will find that
love is amazingly powerful.

Further, I would encourage
you to 'plant' love into your
relationships, your job, your
business, your career, your
bank account, your spirit
and every part of your body.

I'm convinced that you will
be healthier when you do
this. Get focused on it.
Especially if you are sick.
'Plant' love in that area
of your body that is ill.
Do it all of the time. Do it
everyday.

I remember the ancient
philosophic minds and
music of Lennon and
McCartney :-), said,
"All you need is love!" :-)

I sincerely send loads of
love in the words above.
They are 'to you' and 'for
you.'

Michael