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Table of Contents: The (digital) winds of change are in the air... Kindness - can kindness change the world? Unexpected - salvation comes in different forms A fool's Rant - who wants to be "normal"? Spirit - there once was a man... Rage - a matter of focus
What if........
- a poem of possibilities I grew up religious! From a ripe young age I was taught about being good to the poor and to the sick, the elderly and the fatherless. I was reminded constantly about the story of the ‘Good Samaritan’ – some dude who found another dude lying in the street and helped him back onto his feet. Then there was the one about there being no greater love than that of laying down one’s life for his/her friends… There have been numerous examples of how to give one’s power away to others – in order to find favor with the Big Eye in the Sky. Now, don’t get me wrong - it’s not that I am against being good to others. Quite the contrary! It’s just that I believe that we should be clearer about the motivations behind our charitable acts. Even the ‘good book’ talks about doing unto others as you would have them do unto you; or love others as you love yourself. To me it is very clear even in these passages that the message implied is that we must love OURSELVES first! But how many of us were actually taught to love ourselves? We’ve been taught to love God and country. We’ve been taught to love our family or our team be it a sports organization, company, political party or any other form of religion. But what happens when we grow up in a household of abuse? What happens if our favorite political/religious leader turns out to be a complete fraud? Let’s face it – virtually ALL of our deities (small ‘d’ or capital ‘D’) are abusive parents. Any structure that portrays itself one way, but behaves incongruently with that portrayal is an abusive structure. Are we exercising kindness when we continue to support situations that are clearly against the common good? Like viewing the landscape below when cruising at 30,000 feet - if we could only rise above our various structures – and begin to see the whole dynamic and beautiful system which is our world – then maybe we could collectively see a bigger picture. From this increased perspective, if we were to address all of the challenges we face with the following response: what is in HIGHEST kindness or best interest – for ALL inhabitants of the earth – then maybe we would make different choices!? Recently, I read a bumper sticker that brought a glint to my eye: “RELIGION is what keeps POOR people from killing RICH people!” In my opinion until we the people begin to grasp this truth (and in this writer’s opinion ANY structure where a small group of individuals control many is a religion) – then nothing is going to change. But how do we the people realistically take back our power and exercise highest kindness to ourselves and to our planet??? Face it even if we want to do something and participate in protest rallies etc. – most of us just don’t want to rock the boat, because our actions could have a direct effect on the lives of our loved ones. Protesting via violence or by refusing to pay taxes/mortgages etc. – could just end up putting us in jail or at least kicking us onto the street. So how does one protect the lives of their loved ones in the short-term, but still take positive REAL action to show HIGHEST KINDNESS for the collective Earth Family of which we are all a part??? It’s been a quandary for me for much of my existence. In my opinion it comes down to technology! Yup, the very thing that you are sitting at in order to view this writing – because of its connection to a vast global network of other computers owned by other concerned earth-citizens can be an incredible force for change. Please do yourself and the collective a favor and check out: www.avaaz.org for in this writer’s opinion it is a wonderful way to exercise… on a planetary level – HIGHEST KINDNESS for all! Jeff Pilsner © 15-6-11 It was about twelve years ago, that I was watching late-night television – when I viewed an infomercial for a self-improvement company that was conducting a course in my home city of Edmonton, Alberta. I had recently hit several walls in my life – personally and professionally and I knew that it was important that I attend. Virtually everything in my life had gone awry – death of my mother; death of my best friend; death of my cat and death of my career – all of these compounding situations which occurred within a brief span of time – made me wonder if my mortality was imminent. I am a naturally gregarious person, but as I was facing one of my most challenging ‘dark nights of the soul’ (I have had several in my lifetime) – I found myself completely withdrawn and isolated from the world. I knew that I was in the thick of it now, and that if my isolation was to continue for much longer that it might prove quite difficult to return to the land of the living. I was quite reluctant to attend this event, but as the saying goes, ‘That which we resist – persists!’ Now I am a firm believer that sometimes in order to know what we DO want – we have to get a belly-full of what we DON’T want! All of the events of my life and thus the perceptions gained from those experiences - seemed to be cascading together into one vortex – and in my mind at the time… it looked like one gargantuan toilet bowl. Looking back now from a higher perspective – I realize that I had gained a TON of leverage on myself and that it was true – the sum of my life experience was swirling ‘downward’ into one focused point. I think we all know when we are facing one of those important defining moments in our lives – but as always – it up to us to choose what action we are going to take! I picked up the phone… It was on a Friday evening - a couple of weeks later when I first walked into the hotel lobby where I was to attend the first level (PB1) of Personal Best Seminars. This introductory level of the course was only brief - spanning from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon. I don’t believe in being fashionably late – my father always said to show up early – so I was the first one to arrive. I will never forget standing outside of the hotel meeting room nursing a glass of water and watching the broad range of individuals who were slowly gathering together. There were a few guys who looked like they just got off work from a manufacturing facility somewhere; there were a couple white collar guys – one of which was a tall and friendly-looking black man who had the look of a running back in the CFL. The majority of the attendees (as is most common in areas of touchy-feely ‘woo-woo’ kind of stuff) were women… young and old… arriving in different styles of dress. I will never forget the moment when the cute but seemingly sad brunette walked through the glass doors into the lobby. It was exactly 7:30pm when the doors to the meeting room swung open, and the motley crew of mildly trepidatious attendees quietly filed into the expansive space. Once everyone was comfortable – a 30ish sandy-blonde woman dressed in a pastel dress stood up at the front and introduced herself as our ‘facilitator’ for the duration of the course. She claimed that she was no lecturer – this was not going to be a one-sided dialogue, but rather a series of interactions amongst each and every individual present. The whole idea was for each person to understand how they relate to others in an experiential way and to gain some leverage on ourselves that would motivate meaningful change. So, for the entire weekend - through a series of focused dialogues in groups or one-on-one, each of us gained perspectives on how we see and relate to others and how others see and relate to us. It was a rather enlightening experience! Each attendee had to promise to treat the information shared in that experience confidential – so without breaking any agreements I feel that I can say that it was quite a liberating and empowering series of exercises. One scenario after another was experienced and then discussed. Eventually it became quite addicting to release the layers of our personal ‘onions’ of protection and by graduation on Sunday afternoon – it was inspiring to see that a real and undeniable bond had been formed amongst the thirty or so people in the group. I can honestly say that for the first time in a long time - I felt a sense of unity with my fellow man, and was quite addicted to no longer hiding behind my masks of self-protection! Not everyone became addicted. The experiences and perspectives gained in a weekend like this – can be soon forgotten when one gets sucked back into old patterns of behavior. As I felt that I had only just bitten into a few ‘appetizers’ in this new way of living – I was hungry to taste a few dishes from the ‘main course’. So along with a handful of my friends from PB1 – we committed to getting to know ourselves and each other in deeper and more meaningful ways. PB2 started on a Wednesday – and this level was probably FIVE to TEN times more intense than that of the first level! Again, without divulging confidential information – suffice it to say that the level of connection and understanding was incredible. No, there were no lectures – no imparting of wisdom from some guru to his/her blind followers. It was a focused series of dialogues and fictitious life-scenarios that helped each of us uncover what our fundamental values were – and to determine for ourselves which of those values serve us and which do not. Over the course of the ninety hours or so in this most intense level of PB there was only one person whom I felt was as committed to the process – someone who was equally willing to put it all on the table without any withholds. It was the attractive brunette (who looked like ‘Janet on’ Three’s Company) – the woman who I clearly noticed on the very first night of this incredible roller-coaster ride. Whenever I would have an epiphany – a new understanding… it just did not seem REAL unless I shared it with her. The truth is that as we both were facing our own mortality – we had all kinds of leverage being placed on us individually and when presented with an opportunity to emotionally ‘clear the decks’ - we saw the same ‘life-hog’ in each other. Looking back now, it is not the course that was the ‘magical experience’. It was only the vehicle, the carrot - that ultimately brought the little cougar and her kittens into my life that would continually inspire me to become MORE! The whole process of doing a dyad is what we’ve been doing ever since. So we are for each other an ongoing self-improvement course. We’ve been together now for over twelve years. We’ve sung with the angels and danced with the demons. We’ve lived in several cities, hung out in the bald-ass desert of Nevada and Arizona, lived on the beaches of Malibu and high in the hills of Santa Monica. We’ve enjoyed life-changing experiences while residing at 4000 feet in the Andes. We live in faith – faith in ourselves, faith in each other and faith in the big beautiful universe! So, in closing – I am proud of my willingness to have the courage to go within – and to embrace opportunities for personal growth by taking self-improvement seminars like Personal Best. But it is the myriad of experience that I have enjoyed with one incredible woman that has been the most effective source of my self-improvement … and truly is the most unexpected joy of my life! Jeff Pilsner © 15-3-11 Poetry for me is about an expression of my deepest self and not about formula so forgive me if you can't figure out what rhyming system I've used... I'm one for colouring outside the lines and this also applies to the written word. I do this for fun and not as a profession, I simply like to share my innermost thoughts and ideas with the collective:
I know a man who lives on a hill Jeff Pilsner © 15-2-11There once was a man who feared it Jeffrey Pilsner © 1/11/11 Jeff Pilsner ©
What if I stood confidently in my power…
Jeff Pilsner
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