tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91085337062098453762024-03-13T11:27:14.149-07:00Teach Me How to LoveExploring Love, Relationships, Intimacy, Vulnerability, Healing, Human Transformation, Freedom, Joy, Levity, Spirituality, and Awakening
- With Scott Kalechstein GraceScott Kalechstein Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322666061170022371noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108533706209845376.post-86215573418111065352017-03-16T10:44:00.001-07:002017-03-29T11:35:35.407-07:00Something New in My Support System That Might Support You Too<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px;">
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">I’ve always had this huge judgement about using anything outside myself to feel better. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">My inner critic loves calling me lazy when I don’t get happy all by myself.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">But aren’t we always looking ‘outside' for some nurturing? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">Would I deny myself a massage because it involves hands other than my own?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">Many of you know that I went through a dark night of the soul about three years ago when I became a single parent.<br /><br />I was guided to something, the leaves of a tree, that helped me feel better. It became an integral part of my support system. My guidance was to enjoy it two days a week. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">Those two days were the best days of my week emotionally, and also in terms of productivity.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">Most people in the United States have not heard of it. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">Here’s what I like about it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">1. It improves my mood significantly without making me ungrounded. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">2. It’s a social lubricant and a heart opener. I’ve had very healing conversations with everyone from my mother to my ex, with a little help from this friend. And when I was in my grieving cave there were at least two days a week where I was willing to get out and connect with people. That brought me joy.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">3. It offers extremely effective pain relief, a viable holistic alternative to prescription drugs for pain management. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">4. It’s a great anti-procrastination tool. Much more so than coffee, which it’s a relative of, it motivates me to knock things off my to do list that I’ve been putting off. Yet there are no jitters like caffeine. It’s mild energy boost is also accompanied by a reduction in anxiety. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">If you have read this far and feel a curiosity to find out more, email me at scott@scottsongs.com</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">Warmly,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">Scott</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><b><i><span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span></span></i></b></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><b><i><span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">Scott Grace creates custom made <a href="https://app.greenrope.com/c1.pl?930bc8ec1292b902557600ad28cafc85d4dd2abb54ce2877" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238) !important;" title="">Song Portraits</a> that honor and touch people you love. In adition, Scott is a life coach who does sessions via phone, Facetime or Skype. Read more about his coaching practice at </span></span></i></b><a href="https://app.greenrope.com/c1.pl?7f5978af89b9d890c3e8cc35145b3ef3b090417a23fcc595" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238) !important;" title="Intuitive Life Coaching Jump Starts & Tune Ups">Intuitive Life Coaching Jump Starts & Tune Ups</a>.</span></span></div>
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Scott Kalechstein Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322666061170022371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108533706209845376.post-49983596983131919032017-03-11T16:38:00.002-08:002017-03-11T16:38:25.988-08:00Open the Mind to Open The Heart<span style="font-size: large;">There's a kind of thinking that blocks the light </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And makes me uptight</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">That sees two colors, just black and just white</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">That looks through the lens of what’s wrong and what’s right</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And always is ready to run or to fight<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It’s the kind of thinking that’s easy to see in Donald Trump, but not as easy to observe within myself.<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I’ve been playing a game lately that helps me get free of that kind of black and white, us versus them thinking. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The game is to look at something or someone that I have strong opinions or feelings about, and state my righteous, rigid and frigid opinion to myself, as if I am placing it in my right hand. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Then I open the palm of my left hand and say, “On the other hand…” and force myself to see it from another point of view. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">And maybe even stretch a little more to include one more point of perspective that might have some validity for some folks.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />Suddenly it’s no longer a black and white issue, There are grey areas, maybe even some colors. I have less enemy images in my head, and more room to see the humanity in people who don't share my opinions.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />The more I honor the possible validity of more than my own cherished point of view, the more my mind, and thus my heart, opens.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />Being polarized sucks. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The North Pole and the South Pole on this earth have one thing in common: they are both freaking ass cold. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />We can all bring some warmth to the current polarized political climate by playing this game, which pours the warmth of empathy onto our ego ice caps, ice that needs melting if we are going to become more fluid. Because becoming more fluid leads us right to...solutions!</span>Scott Kalechstein Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322666061170022371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108533706209845376.post-23532858792222211742017-02-09T16:22:00.001-08:002017-03-11T16:33:02.740-08:00Lessons Being Learned at Trump University<span style="font-size: large;">As an appetizer to today’s main course, have a little listen to:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hbu1NMyfB-I" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hbu1NMyfB-I" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238) ! important;" title=""> An optimistic and playful little song about the end of the world! </a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>"Nothing Real Can Be Threatened."</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">-A Course in Miracles</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This post is about Donald Trump and the sense of threat he either elicits or soothes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">One of the first times I recall feeling a sense of threat was when I was in first grade.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We used to have what were called surprise shelter drills. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">An alarm would go off in the middle of the school day and we had to march out of our classroom into the hallway and crouch down on the floor hugging our heads between our knees.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This was supposedly the safest position to be in just in case a nuclear bomb hit our city.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">One day I read up on nuclear bombs and learned how they vaporize human beings instantly, no matter what yoga posture one practices in whatever classroom or hallway.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">From then on mushroom cloud nightmares plagued my night life as a growing boy. That shit was whacked!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Teachers of Zen used to whack students on the head with a stick when they got distracted, as if to say, “Wake up! Pay attention! Be here now!”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here and now we appear to have a Zen stick occupying the oval office, whacking humanity with his every tweet. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The good news is masses of people are waking up and paying attention.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Welcome to earth 2017, currently populated with humans dealing with the latest installment of PTSD, President Trump Stress Disorder.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Questions That Improve Digestion</u></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Having trouble digesting it all? </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Me too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here are some questions I’ve been chewing on lately that are helping soothe my troubled digestive system.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Could Donald be playing the part of a colonic that is helping to get the crap moving that’s been stuck in our system, igniting masses of previously apathetic people to participate in the political process? </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Could this President Trump Stress Disorder somehow be a part of Divine Order?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What would Jesus do if he were around in this time in history? </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Might he be advising us to love our enemas, or might he advise us to kick the money changer out of the temple?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Or perhaps both?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I like to see our collective adversity as group therapy in which everything that is brought to the table serves the personal growth and evolution of humanity.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>"It takes great learning to understand that all things, events, encounters and circumstances are helpful."</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">~ A Course in Miracles</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Donald J. Trump is providing enormous opportunities to bring up Daddy issues and lessons in discernment for all of us to grow. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">To many he’s a repeat of an abusive father, a bully that we need to speak up to with a bullhorn, inspiring us to find our voice and take our power back.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">And to others he’s Big Daddy, a protector/savior/hero with the balls to say the hard stuff, make the hard decisions, and shake everything up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It's like there are two worlds.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In one Trump is grabbing our collective pussy, violating our sacred feminine energy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">And in a whole different world, right here on the same planet, Trump supporters are finding their balls, thanks to him. They were already experiencing a sense threat coming from foreigners invading our country through leaky borders/boundaries, taking our jobs and terrorizing our nation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here comes Daddy Trump, Towering to the rescue!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I love what Emmanuel, channeled by Pat Rodegast, says in one of his books:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Fear says I will keep you safe. Love whispers, you already are safe.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Those who feel threatened by Trump and those who feel he has come to soothe threat are currently camped out in two diametrically opposed worlds.<br /><br />Can we agree to disagree? Can we respect our differences? Is there a rational conversation available when a sense of threat is so active in both camps? Or is this a case like oil and water naturally parting due to forces of nature?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />The Chinese symbol for crisis consists of both danger and opportunity.<br /><br />We called this in for the opportunity. The greater the sense of threat, the greater the healing opportunity available.<br /><br />But what does one do if you, like me, want all of us to just get along?<br /><br />I’ve been a peacemaker my whole life. I’m not a fan of strong conflicts, people being hurt. I make my living building bridges, not walls.<br /><br />But I recognize that nature sometimes burns forests down to make way for new life, and that trying run around putting out fires is not always in our best interests in the long run. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Let these times burn.<br /><br />After the fire destroys the old and decaying, new, lush life rises from the ashes.<br /><br />It's lovely that a Course in Miracles says<b><i> </i></b><i>"Nothing real can be threatened"</i><b><i>, </i></b>but then what do we do with our sense of threat that our ego believes is real and valid?<b><i><br /></i></b> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">How do you heal, personally, when your nervous system is so freakin’ nervous?<br /><br />For me, meditation, practicing the lessons of A Course in Miracles, EFT tapping, inner child work, and regular weekly coaching/therapy are all helpful.<br /><br />But I’m also a big believer in saying NO! And in some cases, NO FUCKING WAY!<br /><br />If you were a child and you were violated by a parent who used their authority and their power to keep you down, then this Trump Presidency is your chance to speak up, reclaim your power, and heal the energy of past violation by standing up to present abuse.<br /><br />If you feel inspired to shout NO! at a perceived injustice or violation, I would encourage you shout it with all your heart and all your resources. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Liberate your passion. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />No slumping shoulders and no head hanging low. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Time to rise up. </span>This is an uprising. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">And let your NO lead you to your YES that you also express loudly and boldly.<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">When you are planted in your passionate yes, focused on your positive vision, you no longer have an opposition to oppose.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">No opposition. No enemies.</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br />"The opposite of love is fear, but what is all encompassing can have no opposite.”</i><b><i><br /><br />-</i></b>A Course in Miracles </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Both Trump supporters and detractors have all been feeling threatened. Everyone wants and deserves to feel safe. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />A sense of threat is fueled by the adrenal glands, and adrenaline offer us two choices: fight or flight.<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">There is so much more to us than that.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />We have grown beyond in so many ways. Evolution is with us.<br /><br />People like Jesus, Martin Luther King and Gandhi have brought to humanity a choice other than fight or flight, a way of being that rests the adrenals and activates the pineal gland, which secretes the wisdom and love that triumph over fright and might every time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Love always wins. Eventually. Which is why eternal patience and a Big Picture perspective is vital to keep your spirits up and your light brighlty shining.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We have been here as lightworkers. And now, thanks to the invitation and initiation brought on by Donald Trump, we are also love activists.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here's your to do list, love activist.<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1. Make a stand for what you are marching towards. ( I am pro-love!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">2. Pay no mind to what you are marching away from. (I am not anti-fear)<br /><br />This is the curriculum here at Trump University.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We are learning to march on the high road already paved by Gandhi, King, Jesus, Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman.<br /><br />There is no opposition, just an opportunity for masses of people to stand up and reclaim Lady Liberty, the welcoming feminine energy of inclusiveness that made this country great.<br /><br />Trump and his belief system has bitch slapped the rising feminine energy on this planet. And she will not take this lying down. Her time has come, and we will restore her rightful place.<br /><br />Hell, we stood up to a tyrant king once before, and it worked out pretty well.<br /><b><i><br /></i></b><i>Fear says I will keep you safe. Love whispers, You already are safe.</i><b><i><br /></i></b> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">These are exciting times...<b><i><br /></i></b><i> </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>For dessert, take a listen to this playful little song about the end of the world: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hbu1NMyfB-I">What If?</a></i><b><i><br /></i></b> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sincerely,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />Scott Grace<b><i><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL91E19CF5BBE67770">See Scott Cut Loose as the Spiritual Dr. Seuss</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.scottsongs.com/pages/song_portraits_pg.html">Custom Made Songs Portraits For Someone Special</a><br /> </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE76FA6E42327B99A">Outrageous Conscious Scott Comedy</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.scottsongs.com/pages/coaching_councelling.html">Scott’s Intuitive Life Coaching</a></i></b></span><br />
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<br />Scott Kalechstein Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322666061170022371noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108533706209845376.post-53900599281323204692017-02-01T11:12:00.004-08:002017-02-01T11:17:11.849-08:00 I Haven't Had Sex In Three Years (Here's Why I Am Letting You Know)<div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif;">Over the weekend I posted something on me personal Facebook page that created a stir. Here it is:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>I have not had sex in
three years. Not that I'm counting. Well, maybe I am. How can I say I'm
not counting if I just did the math. I've never gone this amount of
days/months/years/ without having sex, unless you count the first
eighteen years of life. Am I complaining? A little. But mostly I am just
noting a fact. And noticing that I've survived without it. Sometimes
even thrived. I send these words in a time capsule directed to my
trembling teenage self when he thought ending viginity was the secret
to building confidence: "Dude, you are a valid, lovable, and precious
human being, and getting laid, which will happen sooner than you think,
will be icing on the cake: a celebration, not a validation of your
manhood. You are here to penetrate the world with your love, and you
will do so with your huge, throbbing, pulsating organ in the center of
your chest. Sex, like everything else in this world, will come and go.
Just make sure that when it comes, you get vocal with your joy, and
direct all praise loudly to God!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Most of my Facebook friends appreciated the post. One person wrote back:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Really? You put this on an open forum website?? Gotta wonder WHY!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I thought my response to
her might be helpful for people who struggle with finding the courage to
express vulnerability in a world that might not seem to value it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>One can wonder that.
One can also wonder why not? A WONDER-FUL thing about the world we share
is that it is filled with a variety of people with a variety of
different styles, beliefs, and frames of references. I do respect your
right to privacy. Let me explain to you why I don't respect mine
so much. I practice a spiritual teaching called a Course in Miracles.
One of the daily lessons is: <u>In My Defenselessness My Safety Lies</u>. The 12 Steps also teach:<u> We are as sick as our secrets.</u>
For me, I just find that as I practice transparency, even on public
forums like facebook, the amount of love and kindness that comes back at
me is often staggering. Why would I deprive myself of such support and intimacy? This kind of sharing also helps me release shame, and help others drop their shame. And it sometimes
tends to weed out people in my life that don't really belong. And,
who knows, it might also lead to sex!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Hope this was helpful!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Warmly,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Scott </span></div>
Scott Kalechstein Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322666061170022371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108533706209845376.post-25489831518338383902017-01-27T12:15:00.001-08:002017-02-01T11:14:07.429-08:00How Can I Forget? (Remembering to Value Ourselves)<br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif;">Do you, like me, sometimes forget that you have valuable things to offer
others, things that do not get shared until we learn to value ourselves</span></span> <span style="font-size: small;">? If so, this one's for you...</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Recently a friend asked me if I knew of a good counselor for some friends of his that were going through relationship challenges. I told him nobody crossed my mind, but I'd get back to him if someone did.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">How could I forget?<br /><br />A week later I remembered, and called him back. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I remembered that I was quite good at working with couples. He told his friends about me and we had an excellent first session. <br /><br />Why didn’t I initially toot my own horn?<br /><br />Because a little voice I call the inner critic, who sometimes I listen to as if it were my counselor, told me that because I am not currently in a relationship and because I don’t have a traditional degree on my wall, nor an office, that I’m not qualified.<br /><br />Never mind that I have been coaching individuals and couples since 1989!<br /><br />The truth is I have qualifications coming out of my ears. Most recently a few years of study at Aesclepion Intuitive Training Institute in the Bay Area, and in the 1980's a decade of training and assisting at the Loving Relationships Training in NYC, not to mention thirty years of working on myself diligently in therapy and many other modalities, which I believe, is the best qualification there is.<br /><br />From taking the Clairvoyant Training at Aesclepion I learned tools to tune into people, to not take on their energies, to see their auras and chakras, and to maintain a balance point between compassion and detachment. I learned about staying grounded, and I learned how to become aware of when my own issues were being activated, get out of my way, and really be there to assist.<br /><br />How did I forget?<br /><br />After graduating from there I spent a few years putting myself out a psychic, and quickly got burned out. People wanted me to predict when and where they might meet a soulmate, or when they may run smack right into a pile of money. I did not see the value in reading possible futures for people.<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">For me there was no future in it! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><br />The only thing I like to predict is that as we learn to
stop holding hands with fear, exciting changes happen that are
deliciously unpredictable. Who needs predictions, when you have personal
power and a magical universe to play and prosper in?<br /><br />If the use
of my intuitive gifts does not lead to personal power, palpable progress
and practical next steps, then, as they say from my home town of
Brooklyn, Fuggetabouttit!<br /><br />How did I forget? And how can I remember?<br /><br />I
do remember how much staying grounded was stressed in that clairvoyant school. It kind of stressed me out, how much staying grounded was
stressed. I have to admit I never did care too much about being grounded.
Look at my daughter. She loves leaving the ground. </span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">What I want is to be happy, feet on the ground or not.<br /><br />Besides, maybe I was grounded too much in my childhood!<br /><br />I still use my intuitive gifts in sessions, but not to read the future...more to help people feel seen, honored, and less alone. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">It's a healing onto itself when people feel that sense that I 'get' them.<br /><br />Sometimes people come to a session tight-lipped, maybe to test me, maybe to build trust. They want me to tune in and tell them what I see and sense without volunteering anything about themselves, their desires or their challenges. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">It’s a little scary sometimes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Performance anxiety passes through my nervous system, but after a few breaths it leaves. And words and visions never fail to show up.<br /><br />One time at a Psychic Fair a young man not even twenty plopped down on the chair in front of me and asked me to ‘read’ him. He refused to give me a topic to ‘look’ at. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his friends waiting outside the door. fidgeting, maybe even giggling. I imagined they dared him to get a reading, or they drew straws and he got the short one. I closed my eyes, got connected, and asked to be of service.<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>“</i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>I see you as a young Harry Potter type of person at Hogwarts Earth, taking a course in the Dark Arts, f</i></span>inding out all you can about how dark darkness can be. The darkness might be a current part of your curriculum, but it does define you. There's nothing permanent about it. It’s just a course you are taking to gather some experiences. You will, when you are ready, come to the other side of this and graduate to more fulfilling curriculums and easier classrooms. You do have a part to play on earth, a juicy contribution to make. At some point you will ask yourself what you want to do to make a positive difference amidst all the madness you see around you. From there you will be inspired. From there you will find your way."</i><br /><br />I heard some sniffling and opened my eyes, happy to witness tears spilling over and softening his previously stiff facial expression. Having felt seen, he also felt much safer, and proceeded to ask me some pointed questions about his specific challenges. I was able to give him some practical, dare I say grounded guidance. He mumbled a few words of gratitude, then slipped away, back to his gothic friends. I wondered what he told them.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />How did I forget that I am here and qualified to make a difference? </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">And how can I remember, more consistently, that I'm good enough!<br /><br />It baffles my mind that just last week I forgot to mention to my friend that I was good at working with couples.<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">So glad I remembered.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Keeping silent about our gifts is not humility, nor is it wisdom.<br /><br />It’s fear.<br /><br />I will not be silent. I am here. And I am available.<br /><br />"I Am Here To Be Truly Helpful"<br /><br />-A Course in Miracles<br /><br />Scott Grace delights in being truly helpful in sessions over the phone, in person, Facetime or by Skype. Email him at info@scottsongs.com to set up a time, or find out more at <a href="http://www.scottsongs.com/">www.scottsongs.com</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span>Scott Kalechstein Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322666061170022371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108533706209845376.post-47456927870232458882017-01-25T09:22:00.005-08:002017-01-27T11:50:09.129-08:00Being a Light in a Tunnel <span style="font-size: large;">The first time I met Richard on a Manhattan subway, it was 1985. I noticed him right away. Big, black, and beautiful, he was busy breaking the unwritten, but widely adhered to, laws of the NYC underground: mind your own business; bury your face in a newspaper; and, above all, don’t talk to strangers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">He was having none of that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">He approached me with a twinkle in his eye and an irresistible question. “Would you like to see a picture of the next savior of the world?”<br /><br />I had no idea what he was up to, but I was intrigued by the warm, mischievous way about him, and I wanted to play along. “I’d love to!” I said. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">He took out a mirror and held it up to my face. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Surprise, you’re it!”<br /><br />‘Not it!’ </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I was twenty years old, out on my own for the first time, a college dropout aspiring to believe in myself....not a savior of anything.<br /><br />Every few months I would run into Richard around the city. One night I was strolling through Greenwich Village smoking pot. I stumbled upon Richard talking to a gathering of teenagers sitting on a stoop, captivated by his charisma. As I got closer I heard enough to realize he was using his gifts of rap, poetry, and humor to encourage them to stay away from drugs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Just as I started to turn around and quickly walk the other way, he spotted me. He called me over and gave me a big bear hug as I inconspicuously dropped the joint to the sidewalk and braced myself for his reaction to the pungent cloud of smoke around me. But his heart chose to not register the aroma, and he immediately engaged me in the sort of conversation one does their best to avoid when one is stoned.<br /><br />He asked me what I did for a living. I told him I was peddling laundry bags on the streets, but that I was also a singer-songwriter and in training to become a workshop leader and a practitioner of rebirthing. He became animated and excited. “I’ve been wanting to find out about rebirthing!” he exclaimed. Before I had time to guess what was coming next he had taken a pocket tape recorder out of his briefcase, pressed the record button, and said, “ Scott, a professional rebirther, will now give a short talk on rebirthing!” He put the mike up to my mouth, and I managed to sputter out a few sentences on the therapeutic breathing technique that had been rocking my world at the time.<br /><br />Although he had strong feelings about living a drug-free life, Richard never mentioned the marijuana. He had even stronger feelings about loving and accepting people as they were, seeing the beauty and magnificence in them even when they weren’t yet seeing it in themselves.<br /><br />We kept running into each other in odd places and through it all a friendship emerged. I nicknamed him Swami Subwaynanda, and he liked it. Richard’s subway ministry was a big part of his life.<br /><br />A spiritual teacher I was studying with at the time warned her students to avoid the subways. She said the vibrations down there were too dense and could be very draining to sensitive souls seeking to serve humanity. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I was glad that Richard hadn’t studied with her.<br /><br />Anyone who doubts Jesus’ prophecy that we would one day do greater works has never seen Richard raise a crowd of people in a subway car from the dead. Once I saw him get almost everyone on the train to chant “More hugging, less mugging!” This was his signature slogan. I started spotting it on window decals and bumper stickers all over the city. Richard, who had once been a police officer in Syracuse, had discovered that he preferred preventing crime with creativity and love to fighting crime with might.<br /><br />Besides being a blazing light in the tunnels of the city, Richard was also a political activist, a community organizer, a gospel singer, a rap artist, a minister, a gifted and moving poet, and a great improviser. We shared wonderful times together making up songs in the moment, and he was a big supporter of my newly emerging musical career. I was thrilled to have a man twenty years my senior believe in me so enthusiastically.<br /><br />One tune of mine, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ag80isxGUXU&feature=youtu.be"><b><i>Follow Your Heart</i></b>,</a> was his clear favorite. “That song’s meant to be BIG, Scott! The whole world needs to know about that song!” I had written and sung it as a folk ballad. Richard thought it was more suited for gospel. He performed and recorded it at his church. When he shared the tape with me, it was so full of his heart and soul I could hardly recognize my own song! He had brought it to life, just as he did everything and everyone around him.<br /><br />Richard was a Christian, and loved Jesus in a big way. He was fired up with a sense of purpose, and considered himself a missionary of sorts. But he didn’t share his church or his dogma: he shared his Spirit. And I had never before met a traditional Christian who so honored everyone's spiritual and religious points of view. His missionary position, pun intended, was that everybody belonged on top.<br /><br />When I moved to California in 1990, I didn’t keep in touch with Richard. Early in 2003, through Google, he found me. After an email exchange we had a wonderful phone conversation, catching each other up on the too many years we had been out of touch. Feeling like the prodigal son returning, I apologized for how long I had been out of contact. He welcomed me with open arms, and expressed a strong desire to hear the music that had come out of me since leaving N.Y.C. I sent him nine CD’s... thirteen years of material he had not heard before.<br /><br />Two months later Richard’s wife phoned to tell me that he had just had a heart attack on a bus and didn’t make it. She wanted me to know that he had spoken of me often over the years and had loved me deeply, and also that he had been thoroughly enjoying the music I had sent. I told her how much he had meant to me, that he had infused me with his passion in such a way that my life had been forever touched and blessed.<br /><br />Connecting once again just before his death was such a gift for both of us. And now I’d like to speak directly to my friend.<br /><br /><i>Richard, I will always be grateful for your example of fearless living and loving, as well as the sincere interest you took in me. I will always remember you holding that mirror to my face the first time we met. Back then I thought you were delightfully crazy, and ever since I’ve been aspiring to reach your level of insanity. You passed your torch on to me and countless others. Help us hold it high, dear brother, and continue to support us in being the light that we are, the light that you showed me in the mirror, the light in the tunnel. I love you and thank you for your precious gifts to me and to this planet. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Following in Richard's footsteps, I've been offering Free Hugs in Sausalito. It has become a tradition when I have free time to gather a group of friends, make signs, and go out and hug people! You would be surprised how many people accept our offer. It's such a joyous way to spend an afternoon. Long Live Free Hugs!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Scott Grace creates custom-made songs to honor loved ones on special occasions. His Song Portraits make amazing gifts that touch the heart like nothing can. He is also a guide and coach for those on a personal growth path. His website is<a href="http://www.scottsongs.com/"> www.scottsongs.com</a> </b></span>Scott Kalechstein Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322666061170022371noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108533706209845376.post-20147454745146085172017-01-20T16:15:00.000-08:002017-01-20T16:15:36.941-08:00If Donald Trump Triggers You...When Barack became President, many of us, including myself, projected unresolved father issues upon him, giving him more power than he actually had. Secretly I held hope that he might fix things for me, for others, and for the world. I projected upon President Obama what I would call my positive shadow self. I wanted him to be what only I could ever be, and only for myself: a savior.<br /><br />Now, many of us, myself included, are projecting our negative shadow material onto President Trump.<br /><br />While almost half our country and maybe even Trump himself might be projecting onto him the savior role, I suspect that most people on my email list are projecting (inaugurating) him into a role that is the opposite of savior.<br /><br />If Trump triggers you, meaning watching or listening to him elicits fear, anger, rage, or sorrow, here’s my take on four options you have for dealing with it:<br /><br />Option 1: <b>Become Politically Active! </b>If you are activated, get active! Turn your outrage into outrageous action... marching, peaceful resistance, donating your time or money. If you can’t stand Trump, turn your attention away from what you can’t stand and turn it towards what you do stand for. Anger is destructive when it is accompanied by a belief in powerlessness, but it is wildly constructive when directed towards what you love, what you do want to create. Channeled into your passion and commitment, rage is simply your life force waking up. Wake up, rise up, and go out there and change the world with all that energy. This is what fueled Martin Luther King. Have a dream! Be a game changer!<br /><br />Option 2:<b> Become Politically Inactive!</b> If you get triggered when you think of Trump being the Prez, and you don’t want to get involved politically, then don’t. And I mean really don’t. Stay the hell away.<br /><br />Put your energy where it wants to go. Don’t watch or read the news unless you feel good about staying informed. Otherwise, let ignorance lead to your bliss. In other words, give yourself 100% permission to ignore (conscious ignorance) what is going on politically, and commit to filling your life with love and positive energy. Show yourself and your children that, whoever our ‘leaders’ happen to be, we are 100% responsible for leading ourselves and creating fulfilling lives.<br /><br />Option 3: <b>Bless Him!</b> Whenever you read about or watch Trump, use the power of your intention to bless him and his work. See him as a Child of God doing his best. Choose peace. Send him love and light, and send love and blessings to the parts of you that dislike him intensely. The intensity of your dislike reflects that he is acting out disowned parts of you. So you can thank him for helping you see, integrate, and welcome home your disowned shadow. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2c5tc0pdaI">A song of mine, The Asshole Song, might assist you in this noble quest.</a><br /><br />Option 3 is not for everyone.<br /><br />Funny how options 1 and 2 seem to be exact opposites, but they do have one thing in common: You make a commitment to avoid focusing on what you can’t stand, and instead keep your focus on what you stand for.<br /><br />That means less complaining and venting. It means not hanging out in conversations with relatives, friends, Facebook or online chat rooms where the environment is filled with the addictive smoke of <i><b>Ain’t it Awful.</b></i><br /><br />Isn’t it interesting that so many people who would never dream of polluting their bodies with tobacco, crack or meth, will fill their minds each day with their mental equivalent.<br /><br />Which leads us to our fourth option.<br /><br />Option 4: <b>Suffer!</b> It’s a very popular choice, and so, on the bright side, you won’t be alone. There are millions of people on this planet who will stand in solidarity with you.<br /><br />For me, I find that listening or watching Trump makes me cringe. And until that changes, until I can enjoy him as the character he is playing out without projecting upon him all my fears and unresolved issues, my choice will be to not listen or watch him. Why? Because I care about how I feel. I care about what I put into my mind as much as much as what I put into my body. I would not inhale from a crack pipe, so why would I inhale what the media offers me if it makes me smoking mad, scared, sad or frustrated?<br /><br />If you are ready to make light of the part of you that reacts to Trump or in general feels like a victim of anyone or anything, if you are willing to have a big laugh at your ego’s expense, here is a funny song I wrote, a satire on Neal Sedaka’s classic song <i>Breaking Up is Hard to Do</i>. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeexyhMivok">It’s called Waking Up Is Hard to Do, and it is the opening song in this here video.</a><br /><br />So, to wrap this up, whoever is in the Oval Office becomes a projection screen for us to project what is unfulfilled or unresolved in our psyches. Part of our maturation process involves becoming willing to stop seeing our president as our leader, our savior or our devil, and commit to leading and saving ourselves, and maybe even our neighbors, and our planet.<br /><br />And if you need some help in that process, I am always here with a <a href="http://www.scottsongs.com/">song portrait or a coaching/healing session t</a>o steer you in a more positive direction.<br /><br /><br />
With Joy,<br /><br />Scott GraceScott Kalechstein Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322666061170022371noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108533706209845376.post-4046722563548726412017-01-12T11:00:00.000-08:002017-01-12T14:59:28.845-08:00The Science of Serendipity<span style="font-size: large;">Is serendipity a gift of grace or a natural result of a certain mindset?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Last week I was feasting my eyes and ears on Carole King, watching interviews, adoring her live performances on You Tube, and reading her memoir, <i>A Natural Woman</i>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So, imagine my surprise when on Monday night two women approached my dinner table while serenading me with a classic Carole King song,<i> Tapestry</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It felt surreal and amazing. How could they know there already was a Carole King concert going on in my heart? </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Synchronicity? Coincidence? The Law of Attraction? </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Whatever it was, it was utterly delightful.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />It reminded me of an experience I had twenty years ago. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I had just written a song that began with the lyric:<br /><br /><i>So I tuck you in child, and I kiss you goodnight <br />Then I read you a story and turn out the light<br />But before I go, I want you to know</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>My love</i><br /><br />At that time, 1995, I never imagined I would ever be a father. I wrote it to help me re-parent myself. I sang it over and over again that day I wrote it, serenading my inner child while gazing in the mirror. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">That night a friend came over with a video we had planned to watch together. But she also had something else in her pocketbook. A surprise. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Scott, before we watch the movie, I’ve a gift for you, but to receive it, you must first slip into some pajamas, get under the covers, and pretend it's bedtime.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">She proceeded to read me a children’s story about a troubadour, as if she was tucking me in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">How did she know?<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In 1995 I got to record that song with my producer, Peter Sprague.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Listen to it here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq1Kf5Fvuzg&feature=youtu.be,">A Child’s Lullaby</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Do take note of the moment where I got to sing four part harmony with myself, a multiple orgasm of vocal pleasure if there ever was one. It happens 3:56 into the song.<br /><br />Do you believe that what you dwell upon, mentally and emotionally, creates a tractor beam that draws life experiences to you? </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I do. But I didn’t always believe that.<br /><br />I grew up in a family that was totally into positive thinking. We were totally positive that our thinking had nothing to do with what happened in our lives! <br /><br /> Like many of us, my upbringing in this culture conditioned me to focus on what I didn't have, what I didn’t want, and the worst-case scenarios that might occur at any moment. It's as if there was a character in my mind as grumpy and negative as Scrooge. Any expansive, positive attitudes and ideas that might lead to feelings of enchantment, excitement and possibility were quickly struck down with a “Bah, humbug!” by this character.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I nicknamed him the SKEPTIC.<br /><br />The SKEPTIC believed that life was cruel, and that all things ended in disappointment. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">He also believed that if I allowed my subconscious to repeat the mantra, “Life is cruel and all things end in disappointment” over and over, I would not be so disappointed by the harshness of life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">His goal was to prepare and protect me by discounting anything that might threaten my reality as I know it. When I was young, the SKEPTIC put a powerful pair of dark sunglasses on my eyes. They filtered out anything too bright, new, weird, or far out. They fit so snugly that after a while it seemed as if they weren’t there. <br /><br /> On the morning of my first day of high school I woke up with the first of many severe acne breakouts, and it felt to me like the end of the world was at hand. For two years, going to school was hell, and under the strict restraining orders of my SKEPTIC, I took no risks, kept my head low, and reached out to no one, especially the opposite sex. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In my junior year, the strain of hiding became too great, and I moved myself into some self-expression. I wrote for a school newspaper, ran for student office, and auditioned for a school play. <br /><br />Landing the starring role in a comedy, I was to play an awkward teenager with a face full of pimples, few social skills, and zero dates. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In other words, myself!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">When I took a more thorough look at the script I seriously considered backing out. I had to say things like “Damn these zits! I’ll never get a girl interested in me!" and "If anyone knew just how scared I was, they would laugh or throw up. Or both!” </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">This would not be acting, but a harsh reality show of the most embarrassing kind, a cruel form of social suicide. The only thing more terrifying than doing the play would be everyone in school knowing exactly why I backed out. I had to follow through.<br /><br /> My performance turned out to be a big breakout hit. For the first time in life, breaking out was a good thing. Even more surprising was how much I enjoyed it, and how I felt myself relaxing and lightening up about my pimply predicament. When the play was over I had fewer secrets, and overnight became a visible and popular person in the school. I was invited to parties, given compliments, and approached by people - even female people!<br /><br />Within a week of doing the play, I woke up to something major staring back at me from the mirror: a clear complexion! In breaking out of an emotional prison, somehow my face stopped breaking out. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">What was up with that? Serendipity? Was there a connection? The SKEPTIC, certain there was no link, classified it as a coincidence, and gave the credit to the new acne cream I was using. There was no possibility in his mind that the clearing had something to do with letting some light and levity shine on my then terribly serious sense of self. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The SKEPTIC was certain there was no science to serendipity, no such thing as mind over matter. He convinced me to forget that woo-woo stuff. Never mind, doesn't matter.<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Three years later I was diving into books on metaphysics, and began experimenting with using affirmations and visualizations. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The SKEPTIC looked the other way and did not protest, so long as my curiosity stayed at the dabbling level. No commitment, no threat. I was writing prosperity statements like <i>“I am a money magnet” </i>twenty times in the morning and again at night.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">After a few days of this, I walked onto a New York City subway and spied a five-dollar bill on the floor near my feet. Pocketing the surprise, I promptly forgot about it and went about my business. In all my years of living in the city, I had never found any bill larger than a dollar, but I did not link the five-spot with my affirmative gymnastics. The next morning before leaving for a day of laundry bag sales, I filled my tummy with pancakes and my mind with money magnetism. I hopped on a city bus and took a seat right next to another loose, unclaimed five-dollar bill. This time I couldn’t deny the connection. I had magnetized some money into my life with my mind! <br /><br />I began to feel creepy. Could my thoughts really have that much power? Am I really that responsible for creating my reality? My sunglasses were being removed, and I found the light too blinding to handle. If I was in charge of my own serendipity, then that would mean that my cherished victim stories might be mythical, fiction instread of factual.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I wasn’t yet ready to go from renting my reality to owning it free and clear. I was far too entrenched in blaming my parents, the government and God for my problems. It was a while before I was willing to use affirmations again.<br /><br />Three years later I was taking classes in meditation and spirituality in NYC offered by Hilda Charlton, a wise and beloved teacher who helped and guided thousands during her lifetime. Every Thursday night about four hundred of us would sit with Hilda. She would love us, entertain us, and then challenge us to look at ourselves and our limited beliefs and identities. She excelled in the art of sunglasses removal, and there were times I did not appreciate her skills at all!<br /><br />One month Hilda seemed to talk a great deal about her communications with beings from other planets. She casually mentioned that they appeared in her living room and conversed with her about spiritual matters. Each time she broached the subject, my mental “Bah, humbug!” screamed at her. My mind was closed tightly when it came to ET’s, and I didn’t see how intelligent people could believe that visitors from outer space were available for fireside chats. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">One evening Hilda seemed to focus her gaze directly on me as she addressed the group: “Do you want to know why I’m spending all this time talking to you about the ET's? To get you out of your little mental boxes, that’s why! There’s a whole universe out there teeming with life, dimensions upon dimensions! Open your minds, kids!” </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In that moment I saw clearly the uptight stance of my skeptical nature, guardian of my fear, and I prayed for help in freeing myself from that rigidity and opening myself to my natural state of openness. I felt a shift, as if my SKEPTIC said, “All right, I have to admit that there is nothing dangerous about having an open mind about all this.”<br /><br />Two weeks later a friend called. “Scott, I know you sell things on the sidewalks, and I just discovered two hundred T-shirts in my basement. I’ve had them for years, and I’ll give you a great price! Would you like them?” </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I politely declined, believing that T-shirts in November would not sell at any price. “Oh, that’s too bad!” he said. “They are so nice! They have a picture of a UFO landing on earth and they say “I Believe” on them.” Well, my head started spinning and I thought I heard <em>The Twilight Zone</em> music playing in the background. The SKEPTIC chimed in and said, “Calm down, Scott. It's just a coincidence.” But this time I could not retreat to the comfort of my protective sunglasses. Instead, I let the experience rattle my cages and open my mind. I ended up buying his ET-shirts and selling them at Hilda’s classes. I sold out in two nights.<br /><br />On another occasion, a friend who was struggling with having to find a new place to live at the last minute asked for some help. I led her through a visualization in which we imagined the perfect living space coming into her world quickly and easily. We mentally toured the rooms of her new home, giving thanks for what we declared would be the easiest move of her life. As we went through the process we both had some resistance, internally muttering, “This is such metaphysical mumbo jumbo!” We voiced the doubts and laughed at ourselves, admitting, “Hey, this can’t hurt, it might even help, and it sure is fun!”<br /><br />Two days later my friend, while fetching the morning paper in her bathrobe, noticed a <b>For Rent</b> sign on the lawn of her next door neighbor to the left. She investigated the situation and ended up moving into the house. It turned out to be quite literally the easiest move of her life!<br /><br />These, and many other experiences, have gradually inspired me to make space in my head for a universe filled with endless serendipity, one that works with me and for me as I learn to think in harmony with my desires and focus my attention on positive, joyful things.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">My skeptical voice is still present, wanting to draw a chalk circle around my world and say, “This is your safety. Stay within this circle and everything will be predictable and under control.” <br /><br />But I have accumulated too much evidence, too many cosmic coincidences, to continue seriously counseling with the SKEPTIC.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">When he barks his concerns these days, I thank him for sharing, and send him back to his room, a little space I call <i>The Skeptic Tank</i>. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">When I first had the idea to assign him his own room he exclaimed, quite predictably, “<i>Only one room? Is this all the tanks I get?” </i> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Poor SKEPTIC. The universe seems to be much grander and more magical than your sunglasses can keep up with. Have you considered taking them off and adjusting to the light?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">More of Scott Grace at: <a href="http://www.scottsongs.com/">www.scottsongs.com</a><a href="http://www.scottsongs.com/">www.scottsongs.com</a></span>Scott Kalechstein Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322666061170022371noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108533706209845376.post-49516450449770416072017-01-09T11:15:00.001-08:002017-01-12T10:14:30.751-08:00On My Last Relationship and the Importance of Getting Tune Ups for Your Relationship Just Like Your CarThe last relationship I was in lasted ten years, and produced a glorious child, who slipped in past the gates of birth control and blessed my life in ways I could only stumble to put words to.<br />
<br />
In the early years of our relationship, my partner and I went on couples retreats once a year, with my dear friends and mentors, Joyce and Barry Vissell. We got all kinds of support from those retreats, and always came home with a sense of renewal about our connection.<br />
<br />
I did the music for those retreats, and have done so going on twenty five years.<br />
<br />
Then we had our daughter.<br />
<br />
My partner started nursing school. I scrambled to play Mr. Mom and get gigs for the bills.<br />
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For a million good reasons, we are no longer going on retreats.<br />
<br />
Too busy. Too stressed. Can't leave the baby. Financial pressures. You know the drill.<br />
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On these weekends, besides having loads of fun, Barry and Joyce teach couples the five most important practices to integrate into your relating, for preventive medicine and to nurture intimacy.<br />
<br />
We stopped doing those practices. Again, for what seemed like good reasons.<br />
<br />
How many of us were taught relationship skills and practices while growing up? Or in college?<br />
<br />
Instead, we are taught that if you find the right person it should just work and be effortless. We take driving lessons to get a license, but when it comes to our relationships, or a marriage license, no education is needed.<br />
<br />
Most of us do in relationships what was role modeled by our parents. Or, in rebellion, we do the exact opposite. Neither work.<br />
<br />
We started drifting apart. At one point, I asked her what she thought was going on with us?<br />
<br />
“Nothing that a Joyce and Barry weekend couldn’t fix," she replied.<br />
<br />
We never got to another retreat. A year later we broke up.<br />
<br />
This past December I asked my daughter what she most wanted for Christmas. She said for Mommy and Daddy to get back together. I tried holding and comforting her, but with tears streaming down my face, she ended up comforting me.<br />
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Would a retreat have turned things around? I am not sure. We were going in different directions, and our paths were probably just not compatible anymore. But a retreat might have helped us complete our relationship more consciously, more amicably.<br />
<br />
Maintaining loving relationships requires work. And skills. Maybe not in the honeymoon phase, when you are lifted together above your egos and get to taste the nectar of your soul connection. But when you come down to earth, and get down to the business of weaving your lives together in a grounded way, regular maintenance is required.<br />
<br />
Like with our automobiles. Nobody would dream of owning a car without taking it in for regular oil changes and scheduled services.<br />
<br />
Barry and Joyce workshops and retreats are like taking your relationship in for a tune up. Whether your relationship is running great and you want to brush up on your skills, or you have some work you know needs to be done under the hood, couples retreats are invaluable.<br />
<br />
I am thrilled that Joyce and Barry are bringing me with them for the first time this year to add my musical and healing gifts to their seven day couples retreat, February 5-12, on the Big Island of Hawaii.<br />
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From their website: <i>During these 7 days on the Big Island of Hawaii, you will not only open to more love and connection you thought possible, but you will have enough time to integrate these positive changes into your lives back home. We focus on seeing our partner with new eyes, healing dysfunctional patterns, communication of feelings, enhancing the sexual relationship, and practicing loving appreciation. We have couple yoga and meditations, inspiring music, laughter and thrilling sight-seeing – in short, an extraordinary heart-opening experience for you and your partner in the presence of dolphins, whales, giant sea turtles, a beautiful black sand beach, the nearby lava flow, steam vents, delightful snorkeling, and thermal warm ponds.</i><br />
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Please consider giving this gift of a retreat in Hawaii to your relationship.<br />
<br />
They have room for several more couples.<br />
<br />
It's not too late to jump in.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://sharedheart.org/sharedheart2/couples-in-paradise.html">Click Here too find out more...</a><br />
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With Love,<br />
ScottScott Kalechstein Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322666061170022371noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108533706209845376.post-56725694354664893962017-01-04T11:54:00.001-08:002017-01-09T11:06:24.235-08:00The Last Lesson I Learned From My Daughter in 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPn_KLzlphmoVdUR9h4o0rrJbA_gVRghojCoqpxXvB7o5sF65onDzIJE7NL_ZVoPMUgFVRYocHXVdsbQ0mXNpSyX-gOtcjnojSnyOGy6AuuOGyTBMtsU5D1tzJNIy_-m3YpNV9BAsIdI/s1600/AysiaDaddySinging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPn_KLzlphmoVdUR9h4o0rrJbA_gVRghojCoqpxXvB7o5sF65onDzIJE7NL_ZVoPMUgFVRYocHXVdsbQ0mXNpSyX-gOtcjnojSnyOGy6AuuOGyTBMtsU5D1tzJNIy_-m3YpNV9BAsIdI/s320/AysiaDaddySinging.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />Towards the end of December my mother sent my daughter $150. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Aysia wanted to use it to get something called An American Girl Doll. I never heard of such a thing, so together we looked it up on Amazon. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I saw the price, around $150, and I freaked out in the form of an unsolicited lecture. You know, the kind children automatically tune out.<br /><br />I told her I would not allow her to spend her money on such a thing, and started lecturing her on the trappings of status. She could get a doll for $25 and have just as much fun with it. It's the imagination we bring to playing with a doll, or with anything, that makes it fun.<br /><br />I thought I was steering her to the high road, turning her away from the trappings of materialism.<br /><br />But I was throwing a wet blanket on something innocent and sweet.<br /><br />And she wasn’t buying the lecture.<br /><br />In fact, I could feel her deflating, withdrawing, going inside herself.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I knew there was a high road here, and it was I who veered off it.<br /><br />After I took her to school I had a walk with a friend and we talked about how I could have had an open mind and asked Aysia questions about what she would like to do with the doll. I could have celebrated her desire, instead of putting my foot down and laying down the law with a “Bah, Humbug” attitude.<br /><br />And it was, after all, ‘her’ money, not mine.<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Our desires, unless we are seeking to hurt others, are expressions of our innocence. Desires are our Life Force, seeking to play and create and expand. <br /><br />Make our desires wrong, or make ourselves wrong for having them, and we cast ourselves right out of the garden into the desert of unworthiness.<br /><br />I felt a flush of regret about how I treated her. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And relief, because I got the lesson. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">I still wasn’t clear about letting her get the doll,
but I was clear that from now on, whenever Aysia expressed a desire, I would do my best to celebrate it with her without making her wrong for wanting it.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />When I picked Aysia up from school I told her how sorry I was for the way that I had talked to her, and asked for her forgiveness. <br /><br />Aysia and I went straight from school to meeting two of her friends in town. We were all strolling down a street on our way to play in a park when Aysia spotted an American Girl doll in a store window. It was slightly used, and priced at $75. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Aysia was drooling with desire. She looked at me with puppy eyes, and her "Please?" was the purest, sweetest request I had ever heard.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But she, as all eight year old's, knows exactly how to turn on the charm and manipulate with her cuteness.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I did not want to be silly putty wrapped around her finger.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I checked in, and heard a resounding yes from my heart’s wisdom.<br /><br />We went to the park and Aysia and her two girlfriends proceeded to play with the doll, dress her, comb her hair, and name her. I witnessed such joy in their process. And felt so good about it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />It was as if a part of me, all intellectual and grumpy, had a change of heart, softening and opening. The Grinch that almost stole my daughter’s Christmas grew up a bit that day. And my heart grew a size or two in the process.<br /><br />Since then I have watched her create a world with Sabrina, her doll. Her mothering instincts and talents have come out to play. She nurtures and cares for her.<br /><br />Sometimes there are naps. “Shhh, Daddy, Sabrina is sleeping.”<br /><br />We have a new member of the family.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Now I Know What It Feels Like to Receive A Song!</b><br /><br />Last week two sisters hired me to do a Song Portrait for their mother’s birthday. Nothing unusual about that. But as I was creating it, the music of the song I was writing started sounding like the opening number from Guys and Dolls, “I’ve Got The Horse Right Here.” Although I doubted it, my guidance was clearly moving me in that direction. It turned out, that show tune was one of their mother’s favorites.<br /><br />The sisters reported back to me that she was over the moon about her song.<br /><br />Then, I got quite a surprise when their mother and father created a video and a song of their own to thank me. Now I know how it feels to be serenaded! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMJRLntqewc">Take a look and a listen here</a><br /><br />And they all gave me permission to share their Song Portrait as well: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abRgILcKia0">Birthday Song Portrait For Evy</a><br /><br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>You Deserve a Happy New You Song!</b><br /><br />The beginning of the year is a great time to have a Selfie Song Portrait to help keep you on track for 2017. I call it a Happy New You Song. The subject matter is you, your goals, your power to manifest, and what you need to remember to stay focused on your passion, your well being, and the fullness and richness already in your life. A song is a great way to keep your focus off of what you seem to lack, and keep it on what makes you feel excited, hopeful, and grateful. Email me at scott@scottsongs.com if interested.<br /><br /> <b>Hawaii in February</b><br /><br />My dear friends Joyce and Barry Vissell, who have been writing books, leading retreats, and helping couples build relationship skills for forty years are bringing me with them this February 5-12 to provide music for their Hawaii Couples retreat, which is both a vacation and a workshop. From their website: During these 7 days on the Big Island of Hawaii, you will not only open to more love and connection than you thought possible, but you will have enough time to integrate these positive changes into your lives back home. We focus on seeing our partner with new eyes, healing dysfunctional patterns, communication of feelings, enhancing the sexual relationship, and practicing loving appreciation. We have couple yoga and meditations, inspiring music, laughter and thrilling sight-seeing – in short, an extraordinary heart-opening experience for you and your partner in the presence of dolphins, whales, giant sea turtles, a beautiful black sand beach, the nearby lava flow, steam vents, delightful snorkeling, and thermal warm ponds.<br /><br /><a href="http://sharedheart.org/sharedheart2/couples-in-paradise.html">Click Here to find out more</a></span>Scott Kalechstein Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322666061170022371noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108533706209845376.post-31883217723197258182016-12-14T15:40:00.001-08:002016-12-21T12:03:26.936-08:00In Case You Are Not Over It (The Election Results)<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="st">"What the caterpillar calls the end of the <i>world</i>, the master calls a <i>butterfly</i>."</span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="st">-Richard Bach, Illusions </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="st"> </span> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Hey, in case you are still processing the results of the most recent US election, in </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">case you are not over it, </span>neither am I.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Please don’t get over it, fellow human with a heart in your chest. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Treasure your trembling.</span> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Your quivering heart beats the drum of your sacred vulnerability. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Sentient beings accustomed to feeling sentient things are shitting sentient bricks right now. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />Feel the ground shaking? Not just in your belly, but across the globe? </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It’s earthquake time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Massive shake ups precedes massive wake ups. </span><i><br /></i><span style="font-size: large;"><span id="MainContent_DataList1"><span style="display: inline-block; width: 100%;"><cite style="font-size: 0.9em; text-align: right;"></cite></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span id="MainContent_DataList1"><span style="display: inline-block; width: 100%;"><cite style="font-size: 0.9em; text-align: right;"> </cite></span></span><i><br /></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>"It takes great learning to understand that all things, events, encounters and circumstances are helpful.”</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i> </i>-A Course in Miracles</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Earthquake tremors are here by divine appointment, shaking us loose from old beliefs that no longer serve.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />Like the belief that one person in an oval office can have power over you and your life.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">That's outdated software. <br /><br />A president does not preside over your consciousness, nor your creations. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">You are in the drivers seat. Perhaps you've been asleep at the wheel, but events like this are designed so that large numbers of people can wake up and drive more consciously.</span><br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Not to talk you out of being shaken up. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">DONALD TRUMP is our next president. It's HUGE!<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">If an extra terrestrial race comes to visit us in the next four years, Donald might have a hefty hand at representing humanity and negotiating deals. Perhaps he will make Planet Earth great again. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I hope you are laughing. Or crying. I'm doing both.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>HOW CAN THIS BE GOOD?</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">America has had cancer, stage 4, for quite some time.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Washington is clogged and riddled with corruption, gridlocked and unable to move forward and get up to speed with humanity's evolution. Energy is not circulating. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Obama, whom I consider to be one of the most emotionally intelligent and spiritually evolved Presidents ever to hold office, did his best to address the cancer with the equivalent of healthy eating and gentle cleansing herbs, but a different kind of medicine is needed to wake up mass consciousness. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Obama's maturity and gentleness, God bless him, is not for stage 4.<br /><br />Donald is aggressive chemotherapy. From his kind of leadership there will be quite a fallout, and not just our hair.<br /><br />During these four years of treatment we are going to need to support our immune system, and especially build it back up when the radioactive orange man has exited the body politic. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>You and I are cells in humanity's immune system. </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">That is why despair is not an option. Don't indulge. You are needed. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Come as you are, and follow your passion. You will be put to task.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Please Don't Polarize</b></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">I was raised to be true blue state liberal/democrat, the kind of person who would disdain Donald Trump and all the people
who voted for him. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">That’s my upbringing. But is it my highest truth?</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ghandi was once asked if he was a Hindu. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“Yes I am", he proclaimed. "I am also a Muslim, Christian, a Buddhist and a Jew.” </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I’d
like to say, “I am a democrat, republican, green, white, black, hispanic, middle class,
first class, coach class, liberal, conservative, progressive, feminist, gay, straight, redneck and
transgender. I am all of these things and none of them."</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It is so easy to dig your heels into some kind of attitude that polarizes you. The North Pole and the South Pole are the areas of the planet that are the most isolated and frigid, and so becomes your heart when you perceive yourself as separate and superior to those who vote or think differently than you. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Please don't polarize.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Labels and ideologies divide us. </span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Walk a mile in the other's shoes instead. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />Perhaps it’s time for a red, white, and blue hat that says, <u><i>Make America Whole Again</i></u>.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Could it be that this election leads to a global crisis, one that is so epic that it compels us to unify in response to it?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Like in the recent movie <i>Arrival</i>, where visitors from outer space forced the competing nations of the earth to rise above what's petty and work harmoniously together?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Could our nation's biggest narcissist end up being a servant to humanity in spite of himself, <span style="font-size: large;">an Agent Orange for Good?</span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And how can you and I be helpful?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">How can we light candles and stay away from cursing the darkness? Here's two tips, for starters.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1. Be a witness.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">2. Don't watch the news.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In 1985 there was a movie called <i>Witness.</i><br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Harrison Ford plays a policeman who has to hide out in Amish country to protect an Amish boy who witnesses a corrupt police officer murder someone. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The bad cop seeks to silence (kill) the boy. <br /><br />Eventually he finds the farm where they are hiding, capturing the boy and disarming Harrison Ford. Things look pretty bleak.<br /><br />But Harrison Ford had alerted the entire town, and the corrupt cop, about to do the dirty deed, finds himself surrounded by a hundred peaceful Amish.<br /><br />They circle around, holding space, observing without reacting. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />But the power they yield is intense, and palpable. The police officer looks around him. Peaceful people with piercing gazes are shining light upon the evil he is about to carry out. <br /><br />He breaks down and falls to his knees. There is too much witnessing presence for him to go through with it. Harrison Ford takes his gun away, and arrests him. The boy is saved.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />Many of us have been in training for many years to be witnesses. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It's time to amp it up and circle together. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />Some of us will be called to play a more active role; marches on Washington, boycotts, protest songs, peaceful resistance, joining with the momentum that is just getting started at Standing Rock. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">For those of you inspired to a political arena, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mmflint/">Michael Moore’s Facebook Page</a> is a great resource to connect and be informed. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Adversity Brings Out Such Amazing Things </span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />Although I was just a boy, I remember Vietnam. I remember the excitement of the social and political revolution brought about by the need to stand up to Richard Nixon and the hypocrisy of the Vietnam War. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The music, art, comedy and culture that was born from those times still thrills me today.<br /><br />Can you open your mind to the possibility that the Trump years can be thrilling? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It's all about what you bring to the table.<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It's all about where you choose to focus, and what you do with your precious energy. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">As always, there are but two choices. Lying down or taking a stand. Lighting a candle or cursing the darkness. Fear or love.<br /><br />Depression and despair are signs you are lying down, curling up into a little ball of <i>ain't it awful</i>, listening to your ego's interpretations, drinking in the cool aid offered by mainstream media. </span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Ah, The Media</span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The news industry is not in the business of keeping your informed. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It's in the profit based business of keeping you afraid.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>If it bleeds it
leads. </i> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Fear sells. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And so we watch, transfixed.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Sure, it's captivating. You are being held captive.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">If you must watch, witness yourself while you watch. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Witness how
shallow your breathing is. Witness how you barely move when watching or
reading. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I do not have a TV. A few days a week I tune into the headlines from Stephen Colbert and a few others comic luminaries. I get enough. And it goes down
easy with laughter. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">If I catch myself starting to get negative about all the negativity, I turn it off, and work on my attitude.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I take a temporary time-out from YouTube, Facebook, and anything else that my ego is using to keep me afraid in the name of staying informed.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I am inviting you to join me in freeing your mind from the toxic media. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The news is addictive, processed and packaged junk food. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Just say no. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So, to summarize, it looks like Donald Trump is going to be President. Don’t get over it. Do let it move you, accelerate you, shake you,
and wake you.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It’s all for the best, but to see it that way takes a leap</span> <span style="font-size: large;">of faith.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I’ve taken that leap. I'm holding the vision.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And I welcome you to borrow my eyes, temporarily, until you allow your own inner
optometrist to adjust your lenses to the clear vision of optimism.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>
"You are not a realist unless you believe in miracles" </i></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">-Anwar Sadat </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I don't do this attitudinal and emotional work all by myself. I have a weekly coaching session with someone who helps me tremendously.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />And I, in turn, am a coach and guide for others. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">If you are sensing you can use some help surfing the changes, coping with the holidays, or finding your higher ground while the earth shakes, shoot me an email (scott@scottsongs.com) or give me a call (415-755-8140). </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I'd be honored to assist. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Scott Grace creates some of the most amazing gifts you can possible give, <a href="http://scottsongs.com/pages/song_portraits_pg.html">Song Portraits</a>, which deeply and sweetly honor and appreciate your loved ones</i> in personalized songs.</span>Scott Kalechstein Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322666061170022371noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108533706209845376.post-4087819130031925432016-12-14T11:30:00.001-08:002016-12-16T11:42:46.550-08:00 Being Grateful for Donald Trump - A Thanksgiving Message<span style="font-size: large;"><br />There is something I want to call myself out on: the tendency to see people who did not vote the way I did as the opposition. Us versus them thinking...<br /><br />When I think that way I am spreading divisiveness. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I am right and they are wrong.<br /><br />There plenty of that going around these days, fires of righteousness burning high, which is a way of avoiding having to face and feel grief and disappointment.<br /><br />I don't want to fan those flames.<br /><br />I want to be putting out fires instead, by choosing out of the us versus them mentality.<br /><br />Two articles and a video helped me shift that over the weekend.<br /><br />The articles helped me have empathy for those who voted differently.<br /><br />And that brought me some peace.<br /><br />The articles are somewhat intellectual. The helped me give deep thought to it all. And that’s been nourishing for me.<br /><br />I've needed some contemplation and understanding.<br /><br />Feel like you can use some too?<br /><br />Here’s the first one, offering wisdom about why Trump got elected…<br /><br /><a href="http://www.cracked.com/blog/6-reasons-trumps-rise-that-no-one-talks-about/">How Half Of America Lost Its F**king Mind</a><br /><br />The second one is about <a href="http://charleseisenstein.net/hategriefandanewstory/">Bringing Empathy into our Politics</a><br /><br />And the third is a video by spiritual teacher, Matt Kahn. He gave the talk a few days after the election. I’ve watched it twice, and will continue to watch it. I absorb through repetition.<br /><br />It's a very positive spin on what is happening.<br /><br />Please be sure not to watch while multi-tasking, driving, or operating heavy machinery!<br /><br />Here it is: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=914wnJ9O-wc&t=5485s">The End Of the Old Paradigm</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And now, my thanksgiving message...</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Being Grateful for Donald Trump</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I have been experimenting with being grateful for things my ego judges as shitty.<br /><br />Like being grateful for 'negative' emotions.<br /><br />When I am feeling angry, I am learning to be grateful for how passionate I feel, and how, when I channel my anger towards what want instead of what I don’t want, how my anger can lead to motivation and constructive action. When I’m fired up, I have so much energy at my disposal. I breathe deeper. I’m lucky to be able to feel all that passion. YAY ANGER!<br /><br />When I am feeling sad, I can be grateful for my tears as a cleansing agent, the way rain nourishes and replenishes the earth. Sadness opens my heart. I have more compassion for my fellow humans. Sadness is also a form of surrender. It is letting go of being stuck in my head. Thank you sadness!<br /><br />Gratitude for fear? Why not! Fear is like my psyche’s military. When I am scared, I can be grateful there is a part of me that is looking out for me. There have been many times in my life fear was an appropriate response and saved my butt. Thank you fear for always being on the lookout for danger. You are here to protect and serve me. I am grateful for your service.<br /><br />Now, onto the graduate course in Gratitude University.<br /><br />Can I be grateful for Donald Trump!?!<br /><br />Recently I asked my spirit guides for help in seeing him differently. <br /><br />They blew my mind by saying that they think he is the perfect president for this moment in time.<br /><br />They offered me this metaphor from my own life:<br /><br />When I started doing cleanses once a year twenty years ago, I used herbs that I now consider unnecessarily harsh, much too harsh for my body’s present needs. But at that time my system was so clogged it needed dynamite to blast things open and get things flowing again.<br /><br />My colon in particular was pretty full of shit.<br /><br />Kind of like Washington D.C. has been for a very long time.<br /><br />The herbs I used back then I would not use long term, but they did blast the dam and got the river flowing again, thank Goodness.<br /><br />Now, in my annual ten day cleanse, (which I’ll be doing January 1st though the 10th if anyone might like to join me), the detoxification is much more gentle. I don’t need dynamite. I don’t get headaches, diarrhea, and lose sleep like I did the first few cleanses.<br /><br />Donald, according to my guides, is America's first cleanse. He is going to shake everything up, and that is what is needed at this time. They say gentler, more positive cleansing agents will soon follow, and they did not see him as President for long…four years ....or less. <br /><br />But they said we will look back at the part he played and be grateful. His ego may be in it for the limelight, but the Bigger Picture of our Evolution, sometimes called The Divine Plan, will use him, ego and all, for a greater purpose.<br /><br />Today's shit, tomorrow's fertilizer.<br /><br />So I give thanks in advance for the cleanse that is about to happen, Donald and his staff of toxic, abrasive herbs. I give thanks for the vast numbers of people who will get fired up and involved in our political process. Occupy Wall Street was small potatoes compared to what is about to happen.<br /><br />YAY ANGER! YAY PASSION! YAY CHANGE!<br /><br />And... Happy Thanksgiving!<br /><br /><br /><br />Scott Grace creates personal song portraits as gifts to honor those you love, living or deceased. Check out samples at <a href="http://www.scottsongs.com/">www.scottsongs.com</a>. Email him at info@scottsongs.com if you have someone in mind you would like to honor.<br /><br /><br /><i><br />"Thanks again for my son Alex's Song Portrait. He asks to listen to it nearly every night since you recorded it for us a year ago, and it helps him go to sleep at bedtime feeling special. You have an amazing talent."</i><br /><br />-A Happy Customer<br /><br /> </span>Scott Kalechstein Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322666061170022371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108533706209845376.post-58052062002373775922016-12-12T12:40:00.000-08:002018-11-29T13:51:31.454-08:00Scott's Grace-Filled Cleanse - Resetting Your Body, Mind and Spirit for 2019<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_Yh6Uox3iVM9kDlJ_d-sjtpKxV_ah1nKn94zQif8LKAY_9-J7IPDX_v85CWwsnxX-Ep8xwWj8Z8Fwyc2tAcfuXnAOB9obf8w6D_BDMjNmyEZEitQSCgdP5_WbKtILOFpdcO2tt7i4ps/s1600/images-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="99" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_Yh6Uox3iVM9kDlJ_d-sjtpKxV_ah1nKn94zQif8LKAY_9-J7IPDX_v85CWwsnxX-Ep8xwWj8Z8Fwyc2tAcfuXnAOB9obf8w6D_BDMjNmyEZEitQSCgdP5_WbKtILOFpdcO2tt7i4ps/s320/images-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><i>
</i><span style="font-size: large;"><i>We start on Tuesday, January 1st and go for a full ten days.</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">There are three things for you to do to get in on the cleanse. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">1. <b>Pay me $60. </b>I'll be available by phone, Facetime and text, (415) 755 8140, email - scott@scottsongs.com and Facebook to support you during this cleanse. Your money is your way of saying thank you for my time, leadership, and expertise.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Here are three ways to do that in order of preference:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">A) With PayPal, send the money to scott@scottsongs.com via Family and Friends.I like it cause it is instant and I get to keep all of it. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">B) Make a check out to Scott Grace and snail mail it to me at Scott Grace, 162 Forrest Avenue, Fairfax, CA, 94930. The moment the check is in the mail you are you are in!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">C) Send me your credit card info via email. If you send it in three separate emails it will be secure. I'll need your name as it appears on the card, your numbers, exp date, zip code, and three numbers on the back of the card. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Or you can call me at 414 755 8140 with your credit card info.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2. <b> </b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Scott-and-Friends-Graceful-Cleanse-1811491792407726/" target="_blank"><b>Click Here to Join Our Facebook Page </b></a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This is where we will be sharing tips and joining in on mutual support.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">3. <b> Buy the products</b>. These are products I have researched thoroughly, and have taken for years. I have also discussed them with a medical intuitive that I have used since 1990 and made sure he agreed that these products not only get the job done, but make a great combination for whole body cleansing. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Here are the products we will be taking.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Click on each of the links and they will take you to and where to get them on Amazon.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">1. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Concentrated-Strongest-Supplement-Available-Vegetarian/dp/B06XCXBX64/ref=pd_sim_121_7?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B06XCXBX64&pd_rd_r=7772f39f-f416-11e8-8da1-4500ca400e9e&pd_rd_w=XDfzh&pd_rd_wg=Wc3gG&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=18bb0b78-4200-49b9-ac91-f141d61a1780&pf_rd_r=Q8208NC23W38WZ0S257Y&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=Q8208NC23W38WZ0S257Y" target="_blank">Essiactive Tea Capsules</a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Concentrated-Strongest-Supplement-Available-Vegetarian/dp/B06XCXBX64/ref=pd_sim_121_7?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B06XCXBX64&pd_rd_r=7772f39f-f416-11e8-8da1-4500ca400e9e&pd_rd_w=XDfzh&pd_rd_wg=Wc3gG&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=18bb0b78-4200-49b9-ac91-f141d61a1780&pf_rd_r=Q8208NC23W38WZ0S257Y&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=Q8208NC23W38WZ0S257Y" target="_blank"> </a>- The cleansing dosage is one capsule first thing in the morning and one before bedtime with a full glass of water. Empty stomach is most effective, but not mandatory. Look up Essiac Tea on a search engine and its reputation as a cancer fighter, cleansing tonic, and immune system booster. <span class="text_exposed_show">(Not that anyone is making medical claims, God forbid!)</span></span><br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This is a whole body cleansing formula, and it works with cleansing the
blood and virtually every organ. but for some reason is does not excel when it comes to
addressing the colon, which for most of us, needs major attention.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Which brings us to: </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">2.<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000KPO9QG/ref=sxr_rr_xsim1_s_it%E2%80%A6" target="_blank"> Super Colon Cleanse: Two of these twice a day with full glasses of water.</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">3. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001PLNFTG/ref=sr_ph_1_s_it%E2%80%A6" target="_blank">HealthPlus Colon Cleanse: Five of these twice a day with lots of water.</a></span> <br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> Why do we take two different colon cleansing products? I council with a medical intuitive that suggests it. Also, the same company makes them both and suggests that they work well together.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">4. Take three teaspoons a day o<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Grass-SuperFood-Alkalize-Ounces/dp/B00OAV9QBY/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1480549722&sr=1-1&keywords=amazing%2Bgrass%2Balkalize&th=1" target="_blank">f</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Grass-SuperFood-Alkalize-Ounces/dp/B00OAV9QBY/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1480549722&sr=1-1&keywords=amazing+grass+alkalize">Alkalize and Detox Green Superfood </a></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Grass-SuperFood-Alkalize-Ounces/dp/B00OAV9QBY/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1480549722&sr=1-1&keywords=amazing+grass+alkalize"><br /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">It's not the greatest tasting green superfood mix out there, but it is the best one for a cleanse. People often feel so fantastic towards the tail end and after this cleanse that they ask me which of the products are appropriate to take very day? This one is it. I take two heaping teaspoons of this in my smoothie or with lots of water every day of my life.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">5. Purchase and follow the directions of<a href="http://Enyzmatic Therapy's Whole Body Cleanse with Probiotics " target="_blank"> Enyzmatic Therapy's Whole Body Cleanse with Probiotics</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">This may seem like overdoing it on the herbs and cleansing ingredients, but this combination comes highly recommended by my guides, and I've been using these products for years with great success. every year I ask them if I should mix them up and every year they say nope, stick to these products.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Here are other things that are important during a cleanse.</span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">A) <b>LIQUIDATE YOUR ASSETS</b>: Besides taking those five products religiously for ten days, a cleanse is supported by drinking an annoying amount of
water. You know, the kind of liquidating that makes you have to go to the bathroom a
few times an hour. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Let your water be filtered, spring or distilled. Not tap, unless it's well water. You can mix lemon in it for taste and added alkalinity. Doing a
cleanse without drinking lots of water is like doing laundry with some
great detergent but not enough water. The herbs don't do their job if there
isn’t sufficient water to flush things out with.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Herbal tea is fine, especially </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">B) <b>Exercise But Don't Run Marathons</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b>Brisk walks, stretching, and yoga are better than lifting weights or running long distances. Err on the side of Yin over Yang.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">C) <b>Foods To Avoid For Ten Days</b>: </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Coffee, any kind of caffeine, alcohol, white flour, gluten, white rice, lots of grains, bread, desserts in general, pizza, muffins, croissants, cheese, red meat (some organic chicken, turkey and healthy cold water fish is OK), anything processed (if it comes in a package, or if your grandmother would not
recognize it as food, it’s processed), non-fermented soy (miso and tempe are fine, tofu not so good), fried foods, wheat and
sugar. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">D) <b>Go Organic,</b> as much as you can stand. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">E) <b>Perfection Not Required </b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Screw ups are part of the process, not signs that you have failed. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">If you slip, forgive yourself and get back on the horse. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">F)<b> Go Alkaline. </b>We are all overly acidic. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Cleansing is leaning towards the alkalinity of things. If you are unsure of something, Google whether it is acid or alkaline. Lemon, by the way, is acidic but turns alkaline in your body. One of my favorite things to drink during a cleanse is lemon water. So simple, so tasty. Add some stevie and you have lemonade.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>More Tips</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I really want to emphasize that wheat and sugar are best to be
avoided. Don't buy all these expensive cleansing products and then not follow a cleansing diet. Yes, you can do it! Just ten days, and then you can go back to your comforts, if they still call you!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Ideally, the only sugar you will consume for ten days will be from fresh fruit (not dried). </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Whether you are gluten
intolerant, gluten sensitive, or don’t have any idea what gluten is or
isn’t, it is a good idea to avoid gluten during a cleanse. At it's best, it makes your
digestive system work hard to process, and this is about taking a rest.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Avoid pasta. Contrary to a TV commercial, pasta is not hand picked from trees, it is processed in a factory.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Generally speaking, grains are not great for a cleanse, but if you can't conceive of life without them...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Brown rice is better than white, as it has fiber. White is stripped of it. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Even better grains would be quinoa, which is actually a seed, millet, and amaranth. These are all gluten free. Quinoa is high in protein.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">About Protein</span></b><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Although not mandatory, cleansing is a good time to lighten up on protein. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Beans, seeds, nuts, and lentils are good protein sources. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Whey protein powder is fine.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">For meat eaters that can't conceive of a change, some organic poultry and fish is fine. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Fermented soy is fine, like miso or tempeh. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">(Sugar free) yogurt and organic eggs are OK if you crave dairy. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But Jeez Louise, Please No Cheese! And avoid pork and beef, please.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>SO WHAT DO WE EAT?</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Soups with lots of veggies.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Salads! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Fruits and Veggies!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">(Fruits and veggies are your bread and butter during a cleanse.) </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Avocado is such a healthy fat</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Hummus and guacamole are great snack dips for veggies. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Coconut oil is great. So many uses. Stick to that if you must use oil to cook. (But try avoiding cooking with oil for ten days.) </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Hungry? Sometimes I take a tablespoon of coconut oil into my mouth just to curb hunger.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Wanna snack? Try these:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Fresh fruit. A banana with almond butter on it. In general, stock up on </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">veggies like chopped celery and carrots around and dip them in nut butters (except peanut butter) guac and hummus.</span></span> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I love making popcorn with coconut oil and Himalayan
Crystal Salt?!? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Organic almonds and pistachios, any kind of nuts make a great snack.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">More tips and wisdom will be up on the Facebook Page in response to your questions. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And please post what is working for you.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Put my number in your phone. You can call or text me with questions or when you are in a moment of weakness and need a moment of support. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I'm at 415 755 8140</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Happy Cleansing!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">With Joy,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Scott Grace</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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+Scott Kalechstein Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322666061170022371noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108533706209845376.post-31122900952857090892016-11-10T09:47:00.001-08:002016-11-15T09:09:38.344-08:00A Twelve Step Program For Surviving a Trump Presidency <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcm-OIq5MCYzRLzeV3c4okyJBp2qc4t4N1ZnLRTGfFCqwbLlAC9TE6b3ZjDWfrR50lCWboXG_w-fuPsHQtBnQBITM-8kjjlwWHs5mRyI2FnNtU2cRLSW9n5h45uuzG-QJWWziWhF3ytU4/s1600/Daddy%2526AysiaonaBeanBag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcm-OIq5MCYzRLzeV3c4okyJBp2qc4t4N1ZnLRTGfFCqwbLlAC9TE6b3ZjDWfrR50lCWboXG_w-fuPsHQtBnQBITM-8kjjlwWHs5mRyI2FnNtU2cRLSW9n5h45uuzG-QJWWziWhF3ytU4/s320/Daddy%2526AysiaonaBeanBag.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My daughter had been so looking forward to the first female president.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I saw her the day after Trump won, and asked if she wanted to talk.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I imagined she felt disappointed, frustrated, and a little frightened. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">She did not want to talk. She wanted to build a fairy house instead.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I felt annoyed at her for avoiding difficult feelings about a difficult subject.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Seven years old, and I was expecting her to adhere to my ideas of emotional intelligence forged from decades of therapy.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">She started building a fairy house. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I was not ready to let go of talking about the election.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">But at least I recognized that it was my need, not hers. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">I told her that I was feeling disappointed, frustrated, and yes, scared.</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I asked her if she could stop for a moment and give me a hug. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">We hugged, and that comforted me.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Then I started judging myself for revealing my fear to someone whom was looking to me for her sense of safety, as well as her definition of things.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Then I graduated to worrying about how my needyness might be screwing her up. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">Finally </span><span style="font-size: large;">I had enough of my ego's endless drama, got down on my knees, and helped her build a fairy house.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I imagine lots of us are feeling disappointed, frustrated, and yes, scared by the prospects of a Trump Presidency. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I’d like to speak some soothing words to the parts of me that are trembling, as we all grapple with finding the serenity to accept the things we can’t change, the courage to blah, blah, blah…</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I’m beyond being soothed by slogans right now. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">What am I in the mood for is a new twelve step program, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">twelve ideas that might serve as stepping stones to higher ground as we recover from earthquake aftershocks to find acceptance of what is.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">So here goes: </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>A Twelve Step Program For Surviving a Trump Presidency </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1) Honor your grief.</b> Acknowledge that you are powerless over the election results. Go through the stages. They do not necessarily show up in size order, but the general idea is: 1. Shock & Denial 2. Anger 3. Bargaining 4. Depression 5. Acceptance</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Tears that are not shed dry up inside and harden into disowned shadow, insensitivity to others, and an absence of vulnerability.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Want a good example of someone who has built up a lifetime of unprocessed grief? Donald Trump!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2)</b> <i><b>Whatever qualities you think Donald lacks, give more of them. </b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">A) See him lacking kindness? Be extra kind to yourself and those around you. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">B) See him as someone who always has to be right? Don’t match his energy! Don’t insist on being right about how wrong he is. Look with mindfulness at your own attachment to being right, and choose to be happy instead. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">C) See him as someone who is not able to respect people he disagrees with? Listen deeply to people with opposing opinions, and see how they have the same needs as yourself, just different strategies about how to go about getting their needs met. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Find that common ground where you both human….</span><br />
<i><b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b></i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3)</b> <i><b>Remind yourself that you are the President of your United States.</b></i> You are the leader of your free world. You have both houses of congress behind every thought you think. You can cultivate peace in your inner nation, even with Donald Trump as President. Choose your attitude. Don't let it be chosen for you.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4)</b> <i><b>Hold your loved ones close</b>. </i>Tell them that it is in times of sadness and in the toughest of days where we often find our true mettle. (From a tweet by George Takei, the actor who played Sulu in Star Trek.)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>5)</b><i><b> Within our hearts we know the society we wish to live in.</b> </i>No one can take that vision from us. We are each of us keepers of that promise. (Sulu tweets again!)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>6)</b> <i><b>Remember this</b>: </i>Our country has seen wars and grave injustices, slavery and even civil war in its past. Yet we found our way through. We will now, too. (My last Sulu tweet.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>7)</b> <i><b>Own your power.</b></i> Voting for Donald is an anguished cry for help, a 911 call made by masses of folks who are feeling powerless in their lives. Don’t be one of them. Do not give Donald Trump, nor any other person, your power. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>8)</b> <i><b>Do something.</b></i> Anything. Anger without action is self-destructive. But, with constructive action, anger helps change the world for the better. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here's the antidote to despair and depression: </span></span>Instead of focusing on what you don’t want, focus on what you do want, and find some action step to take. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span>You might be inspired to political activism. Or to set up a monthly recurring donation to Planned Parenthood. Is there a blog post inside you to write? Do something. Anything. Rise up. Or get down on your knees and help a child build a fairy house. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>9)</b> <i><b>Fear Not! </b></i> Donald feels threatened by Mexicans and Muslims. Don’t feel threatened by Donald Trump. Let the buck stop here. Only your ego can feel threatened, project blame, and build walls. So build bridges instead. Leave acting out the ego to Donald Trump. </span><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">For many of us, Donald being President is like the second coming of our worst fears. But if it wasn’t Donald it would be something or someone else. Fear always finds something to attach itself to. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And fear is always <b><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>F</i></span></span>orgetting <span style="color: red;"><i>E</i></span>verything</b> is <b><span style="color: red;"><i>A</i></span>ll <span style="color: red;"><i>R</i></span>ight</b>. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">For potent and poetic fear busting, watch on YouTube as I, the Spiritual Dr. Seuss, recite:<b> <span style="color: magenta;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu-PajzLafs" target="_blank">The Story of Fear and it's Grand Departure from Your Nervous System</a></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>10) Take Up Drinking! </b>Now that Donald is going to be president, you have a duty to drink in copious amounts of Stephen Colbert, Samantha Bee, Trevor Noah, James Corden, Seth Meyers, John Oliver, Bill Maher, and other comedians who help us laugh. If, like me, you don't have a television, you can watch clips on YouTube. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The world is not going insane... it has always been. So laugh it up. Get those endorphins going. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">You can't laugh and be fearful at the same time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>11) Welcome Major Changes.</b></i> I studied with a spiritual teacher in the1980’s named Hilda Charlton. She had the gift of prophecy, and saw things about the future that have been coming true before my eyes ever since. Over and over again she warned us that external institutions built on fear and greed would eventually collapse, including entire financial and political systems. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">She saw all of it coming. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">She reminded us that there would be a higher purpose to it all, that from it would come rebirth and renewal. She stressed repeatedly that <i>we were made for these times. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Those of us who have faced major changes in our personal life, who have lost houses, security, incomes, mates, or have faced life threatening illnesses, can look back and see how those calamities turned out to be blessings in disguise, divine earthquakes that shook our foundations enough to get what is false inside us to crumple. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Could Donald be global medicine bitter enough that the whole world’s immune system kicks in and says<i><b> enough</b></i>!?!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">In Chinese, the word ‘crisis' is made up of two words, <i><u>danger</u></i> and <i><u>opportunity</u></i>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">These are indeed interesting times.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>12) Grab people by the heart, not the pussy. </b></i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I had a chance to put this into practice just now, while taking a coffee break.<i><b><br /> </b></i></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Writing this article was hard.</i> I had to push past the urge to isolate and stew in my own despair.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Finishing it has been even harder. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I needed help, so I went to the local java hut in the hopes that some caffeine would jolt the rest of this out of me.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">A Hispanic woman asked me what I wanted. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Something completely unexpected came out of me, at a volume so everyone in the store could hear me. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>“I want to tell you that I love you, you belong here, and that I will never let you or your family be deported.” </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>“Thank you for saying that. I love you too. We are a community. We need each other.”</i></span> <br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">We both fumbled around for what to do or say next.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I managed to remember that I came in for coffee.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">But what I really came in for, what we all came in for, is to remember and demonstrate the power of love over fear.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">To take care of each other.</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">And no president or political system can stop us. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ever.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Scott Grace is a life coach that is known on YouTube as the Spiritual Dr. Seuss. In addition, he creates and performs <a href="http://scottsongs.com/pages/song_portraits_pg.html" target="_blank">Song Portraits</a>, custom made personalized songs that celebrate your loved ones, living or deceased. Explore his gifts at www.scottsongs.com</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Scott Kalechstein Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322666061170022371noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108533706209845376.post-10549476038649926912016-10-31T15:48:00.004-07:002016-11-01T20:42:45.382-07:00Divine Dementia - (Losing My Keys, Finding My Joy!)This past May a friend lent me his car for a series of gigs I had from Maryland to Massachusetts.<br />
<br />
I was so honored and grateful that he had entrusted me with his ultra cool wheels to make my journey easier. To top it off, pun intended, it was a BMW convertible.<br />
<br />
I never had such a cool car to drive before.<br />
<br />
But... <br />
<br />
<i>I lost his keys. </i><br />
<br />
Let me put this in reverse for a moment. <br />
<br />
Before I left California, I asked an intuitive that I occasionally council with if there was anything about my upcoming journey that he could foresee that might be helpful for me to hear.<br />
<br />
Besides the usual fun times, he mentioned that he saw a bump in the road, a logistical hiccup that would offer me an opportunity to splash in some puddles and sing in the rain instead of insisting on being high and dry all the time.<br />
<br />
A knot formed in my belly. <br />
<br />
<i><b>Universe, don’t you dare trip up my control trip!</b></i><br />
<br />
The next day, I flew cross country, letting the Captain fly the plane, as usual.<br />
<br />
I guess there are many moments each day where I surrender the control to a much more capable pilot!<br />
<br />
Speed forward, eight days into my twelve day road trip, and everything was going smoothly... well attended gigs, great times...<br />
<br />
Then, right before my last gig, at my mother's condo on the upper west side, I could not find the keys. I looked everywhere. I simply could not remember where I put them. That happens a fair amount in my world.<br />
<br />
I'm great at being in the moment, making up songs out of thin air, but remembering where I put things? Not so much.<br />
<br />
Eventually I admitted defeat and texted and called my friend. Maybe he had an extra key.<br />
<br />
No answer. <br />
<br />
<i>Breathe, Scott, breathe. </i><br />
<br />
Mom was hovering over me, trying to be helpful while freaking out.<br />
<br />
<i>Breathe, Mom, breathe. </i><br />
<br />
She did not.<br />
<br />
Can't control my mother.<br />
<br />
Breath, Scott, breathe.<br />
<br />
The idea fairy whispered in my ear to try to find public transportation. I looked at buses, trains... there was nothing that could take me to the remote part of Western Mass where this weekend workshop was being held. <br />
<br />
I kept trying my friend. Finally he answered. He searched high and low while I practiced letting go of needing a specific outcome, and my mother practice holding her breath.<br />
<br />
The phone rang. Yes, he had a spare key. <br />
<br />
I grabbed my guitar for the taxi ride I was about to take crosstown to my friend's east side apartment.<br />
<br />
My mother protested.<br />
<br />
From her point of view, this was a crisis, not a musical, and the guitar was inappropriate.<br />
<br />
After all, it looked like I was going to be quite late to my gig, a couple’s retreat that counted on my singing to help break the ice and get people into a good space.<br />
<br />
But I was remembering my counselors council, and I felt inspired, even guided, to grab my guitar before I flagged a taxi. <br />
<br />
It was Friday afternoon, the start of the Memorial Day Weekend. Manhattan's gridlock was gnarly. <br />
<br />
<i>God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I can’t change, the courage to sing and laugh about them, and the wisdom to remember that my happiness is never dependent on circumstances I can’t control.</i><br />
<br />
I asked my cab driver if he wouldn't mind me singing some songs. He did not. <br />
<br />
First up, I made up a blues ditty about the crosstown crawl we were in. If he could have danced he would have.<br />
<br />
Then I asked him for a song request, and he suggested La Bamba. I got super into it, strumming away all the stress I had been feeling, singing my spirit back into joy and celebration.<br />
<br />
He was singing along and beaming. He had never been serenaded before in his cab. Maybe never in his life.<br />
<br />
Up next were Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson. And I was just warming up. We had some time to kill.<br />
<br />
Actually, there was no killing involved.<br />
<br />
It was one of the most enjoyable taxi rides either of us had experienced. <br />
<br />
When I got back to my mother's apartment I went to her fridge, only to spy, chilling on top of the lunch I had bought that morning, <i>the original car key.</i><br />
<br />
Oh, yeah.<br />
<br />
I had placed the key there so I would not forget my lunch. <br />
<br />
My mother, 88 years young, quite often forgets things. She began laughing. I joined in. We laughed ourselves silly.<br />
<br />
I got into the BMW and slipped into the traffic. <br />
<br />
The app on my phone helped me find the path of least resistance to my destination. <br />
<br />
I made it to my gig just fifteen minutes before it was about to begin.<br />
<br />
I told everyone my story. They laughed. Everyone could relate. <br />
<br />
I remembered that when watching Johnny Carson, my favorite moments were when he screwed something up. <br />
<br />
The graceful way he responded made for the best entertainment.<br />
<br />
His hiccups were highlights.<br />
<br />
Could that be so for us? <br />
<br />
I will lose things from time to time, but if I remember my sense of humor, my sense of perspective, and my willingness to grab my guitar and sing about the inevitable bumps in the road....then I will not lose my keys to what is most important... the keys to joy.<br />
<br />
Lightening up when the road has bumps may not always be the fastest way to get there, but it is always the path of least resistance. <br />
<br />
<br />
The end of my first ever Spiritual Dr. Seuss poem, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wstXV8hnKFc" target="_blank">Oh, The Places Your Ego Will Go</a>, sums up the message of this post:<br />
<br />
<i>When your ego is in the passenger seat</i><br />
<i>It lets down the window and takes in the treats</i><br />
<i>You're not in a hurry, you're taking it slow</i><br />
<i>Cause the journey's as rich as the places you'll go</i><br />
<i>Where you are going you don't need to know</i><br />
<i>For the journey's as rich as the places you'll go </i><br />
<i>Your journey's as rich as the places you'll go </i><br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://www.scottsongs.com/" target="_blank">Scott Grace can be found at www.scottsongs.com </a></i>Scott Kalechstein Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322666061170022371noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108533706209845376.post-36181628300080947292016-10-13T11:23:00.002-07:002016-10-14T15:51:55.973-07:00My Adventures in Sausalito with Youth From All Over the World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
(<i>...with two of the foreign exchange students I ran into last week in Sausalito...)</i> <br />
<br />
I love being around young people, being around their hope, vision, and enthusiasm.<br />
<br />
And I especially love making a difference in their lives.<br />
<br />
Last week a young man from Germany in his early twenties who was here studying dance stayed at our house. Ralf and I shared some meals, and also some songs on the guitar. He came with me to the local health food store, where I love singing classic songs from the 60's and 70's by the fireplace and getting others to join in. He watched me several times gather a tribe and build a sense of community through music. He was really touched.<br />
<br />
When it was time to part ways, he told me that he was going back to Germany with the courage to play his guitar for the first time in public on street corners. He blamed me for inspiring him. I accepted the blame, and thanked him for injecting some of his youthful energy into my life experience. His last words to me: “Scott, you will always be in my heart.”<br />
<br />
Such purity. Ralf was an angel, like all of us, but it seemed he was more aware of it than many of us who have had more time, more opportunities to cover up our angel-hood.<br />
<br />
Last Saturday I met up with fifteen more youth angels while in Sausalito, a busy Marin County town brimming with tourists right across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. I was there with my guitar, making up[ songs for anyone who accepted my invitation to be serenaded. Two of my friends were there with me with <b>Free Hugs</b> signs held high, doing their thing.<br />
<br />
We ran into a group of foreign exchange students from countries as diverse as Germany, Italy, France, Bolivia, South Africa, etc. I asked if they could come with me to a patch of grass and sit in a circle, and they did. I made up a song to honor them for their brave journey to the U.S.<br />
<br />
We also sang some songs together, <i> Imagine, We Are the World, </i>and<i> Don’t Worry Be Happy. </i><br />
<br />
They were on a global adventure, brimming with love of life, trusting the universe to support them in a foreign land. Our meeting and our singing together brought tears to my eyes. I am so glad for my smart phone, YouTube, and how easy it has become to share these experiences with the rest of the world.<br />
<br />
You included.<br />
<br />
Are you up for enjoying some of the energy and receiving a joy transmission?<br />
<br />
If so, click here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf6GohgVoX1gmo4n3HbgG3rbiwsVP4pW9" target="_blank">Adventures with Foreign Exchange Students in Sausalito </a><br />
<br />
Being around young people for me is as life giving as being around nature. I love breathing them in and and inhaling their energy, hope, and enthusiasm, revitalizing my own energy, hope, and enthusiasm. <br />
<br />
I would like to complete this sharing with a song inspired by a very special three year old child I met and serenaded in 1987 in Central Park. <br />
<br />
I wrote this while I was having an LSD experience (the 80's were my 60's). I was surprised the next day when I remembered the song and found that it still had rich meaning and emotional impact while not tripping. A month later I recorded it with a full band and choir at an Interfaith Church in Doylestown, PA called<a href="http://www.pebblehillchurch.org/spiritual.htm" target="_blank"> Pebble Hill.</a><br />
<br />
You can enjoy it by<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCDU0M4ra1Y" target="_blank"> clicking here</a><br />
<br />
I no longer do LSD, but I do enjoy a contact high when coming in contact with young people.<br />
<br />
And now, thanks to YouTube and technology, you can get one from us:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf6GohgVoX1gmo4n3HbgG3rbiwsVP4pW9" target="_blank">Adventures with Foreign Exchange Students in Sausalito </a><br />
<br />
We are all on a global adventure together, learning to trust and feel safe in what can feel like a strange and foreign land.<br />
<br />
Reaching out to others, especially the younger generation, takes the concept of 'foreign' right out of my heart and replaces it with family. A human family. We may not be all sitting in a circle singing <i>Imagine</i>, but we are surely all in this together.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><b>About Scott</b></i><br />
<br />
<i><b></b></i><i><b></b></i><span style="display: none;"> </span><i>Scott Grace, described by authorities as a cross between John Denver, Robin Williams and Dr. Seuss, is wanted worldwide for creating the peace and using levity to defy gravity. </i><br />
<br />
<i>Contact with Scott is likely to be hazardous to your misery, as he has consistently provoked outbursts of joyful giddiness in four out of five laboratory humans tested. </i><br />
<br />
<i>It is rumored that Scott’s work has so threatened to cut into the sales of anti-depressants that pharmaceutical companies have offered him millions to retire. </i><br />
<br />
<i><i>To the shock and dismay of his inner critic, </i>Scott published a book, called: <a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Me-How-Love-Touches/dp/061549210X" href="http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Me-How-Love-Touches/dp/061549210X">Teach Me How To Love A True Story that Touches Hearts & Helps with the Laundry</a>! Many have raved about it on <a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Me-How-Love-Touches/dp/061549210X" href="http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Me-How-Love-Touches/dp/061549210X">Amazon</a>, and rumor has it that the numerous five star reviews were put up by readers who were unwittingly intoxicated while breathing in the spirits emanating from its pages.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Scott has been known to practice <a data-cke-saved-href="http://scottsongs.com/pages/coaching_councelling.html" href="http://scottsongs.com/pages/coaching_councelling.html">life coaching without a license</a>, eluding the police by working over the phone, Skype, or FaceTime. He fancies himself an intuitive, and smuggles wisdom and guidance over the border from beings he calls spirit guides, who are also not licensed, and who have allegedly not filed a tax return in several lifetimes.</i><br />
<br />
<i>As a motivational speaker, Scott gives keynotes using a stolen identity, a.k.a. the Spiritual Dr. Seuss. His feel good viruses on YouTube have infected over 2.5 million people with just four of his <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL91E19CF5BBE67770" href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL91E19CF5BBE67770"> contagious Dr. Seuss-like videos</a>. </i><br />
<br />
<i>As a front, Scott does do various legal, above the board activities. He has produced nine CD’s and a DVD of his original music and comedy. He shows up as a guest speaker and singer at churches, non-profits, schools, and corporate events. As a stand up comedian in the Bay Area, he has shared the stage with Dana Carvey and Robin Williams.</i><br />
<br />
<i>But don't be fooled. His rampage of <a data-cke-saved-href="http://scottsongs.com/pages/song_portraits_pg.html" href="http://scottsongs.com/pages/song_portraits_pg.html">Song Portraits</a>, custom made personalized song-gifts that honor people for their birthdays, anniversaries, or for no reason at all, have been killing people softly with their song since 1987. Authorities would very much like your help in apprehending Scott. Try catching him on the web at <a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.scottsongs.com/" href="http://www.scottsongs.com/">www.scottsongs.com</a>, or on YouTube at: <a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.youtube.com/user/skalechstein" href="http://www.youtube.com/user/skalechstein">http://www.youtube.com/user/skalechstein</a></i><span style="display: none;"> </span><br />
<br data-cke-eol="1" />
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<br />Scott Kalechstein Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322666061170022371noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108533706209845376.post-51220661472747476982016-10-03T11:50:00.001-07:002016-10-14T15:55:45.410-07:00My Peak Experience in NYC (Warning: Contact High Inevitable)<br />
Last month I was jogging in Central Park, when I came across some young performers rehearsing Godspell. They were singing and dancing on a stage where years back when I was a resident of NYC I had seen the likes of Simon and Garfunkel, the B52’s, and many others.<br />
<br />
I jogged in place for awhile, enjoying their deliriously soulful renditions of <b>Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord </b>and <b>Day by Day.</b> I even joked with them after they finished a song, pretending I was their director, <i>“Pretty good, but one more time with feeling!”</i> They laughed, and I was relieved they enjoyed my attempt at humor, because they sure weren’t lacking feeling. They sounded and looked as spectacular as anything I had heard and seen on Broadway.<br />
<br />
What a treat, to have literally run right into their rehearsal.<br />
<br />
But then I jogged away from the free concert. Why? A voice in my head, one that commanded authority, ordered me to. My 'boss' reasoned that being true to my daily discipline of aerobics was more important than enjoying what had so graced my life unexpectedly. Routine over Grace.<br />
<br />
Ever make that choice? <br />
<br />
But my heart has a voice as well, one that has been gathering momentum over the years, getting louder as I have learned to listen and take action.<br />
<br />
And my heart has no allegiance to routine.<br />
<br />
It was telling me to jog back to The Unity Players.<br />
<br />
And not just to listen. It had other plans.<br />
<br />
You know the voice. The one that tells you that life is too short to stay in your comfort zone. The one that guides you to jog towards your fears, not to create suffering, but to jog you from it.<br />
<br />
Sometimes I hate that voice. <br />
<br />
But every peak experience I have had in my 53 years has happened because I was willing to follow my heart.<br />
<br />
I tried to remember just that as my pulse was quickening, not from the jogging, but from in anticipation of what I was about to ask the Unity Players.<br />
<br />
I asked if they could back me up on <i>Day By Day</i>. I explained that it had been a lifelong fantasy of mine to be on Broadway, and they would be helping to make my dream come true.<br />
<br />
I requested an onlooker if she would take my phone and record it for me. She did.<br />
<br />
With these fantastic singers supporting me, I hammed it up, and it was glorious. I get high from watching it. Go ahead. It will make you feel good. We all get a contact high from witnessing each other go for it.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvrRhbEKvLc" target="_blank">Scott's Broadway Moment</a><br />
<br />
After that my inner critic tried to take back the stage and drown out my post-peak experience celebration party by arguing that realistically, this was a rehearsal in Central Park, not me starring in a show on Broadway.<br />
<br />
<b><i>But I have learned over time that what I am after on this earth is not to have my name up in lights, but to live my daily life in the light.</i> </b><br />
<br />
I'm after moments, more and more of them, of listening to and acting on the voice that points me to the music, not just as a spectator, but as a vibrant participant. A creator.<br />
<br />
Later that day I was waltzing through Central Park strumming my guitar, and met up with a fellow music maker, a missionary from a church in South Africa. I made up a song to honor his mission. He enjoyed my improvisation, but made it clear that he was not content playing the role of audience:<br />
<br />
His mission was to sing something with me.<br />
<br />
So we made up a song together. This childlike man, free of fear and self-consciousness, stole my heart. Take a look. Yes, he was not fluent in English, but that did not stop him from participating in the song in every which way a human spirit can. Watch him move and sway and dance. It’s as if his whole body was an instrument:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1T8IgjHPGQ" target="_blank">A Divine Duet With a Man from South Africa</a><br />
<br />
<br />
Yes, you and I are instruments. We are not here to play it safe, but to play. And to be played.<br />
<br />
As I sing in one of my autobiographical songs, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gERKRT6gb8" target="_blank">The Call</a>:<br />
<br />
<i>The finest moments of every day<br /><br />Are when I get out of my own way<br /><br />And let the spirit flow through me<br /><br />Playing my part in a symphony<br /><br />Play me as I am<br /><br />Use my voice and hands<br /><br />Play me</i><br />
<br />
<br />
PS. The Unity Players can be found on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/theunityplayers/" target="_blank">The Unity Players</a><br />
<br />
<i><b>About Scott</b></i><br />
<br />
<i>Scott
Grace, described by authorities as a cross between John Denver, Robin
Williams and Dr. Seuss, is wanted worldwide for creating the peace and
using levity to defy gravity. </i><br />
<br />
<i>Contact with
Scott is likely to be hazardous to your misery, as he has consistently
provoked outbursts of joyful giddiness in four out of five laboratory
humans tested. </i><br />
<br />
<i>It is rumored that Scott’s work
has so threatened to cut into the sales of anti-depressants that
pharmaceutical companies have offered him millions to retire. </i><br />
<br />
<i><i>To the shock and dismay of his inner critic, </i>Scott published a book, called: <a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Me-How-Love-Touches/dp/061549210X" href="http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Me-How-Love-Touches/dp/061549210X">Teach Me How To Love A True Story that Touches Hearts & Helps with the Laundry</a>! Many have raved about it on <a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Me-How-Love-Touches/dp/061549210X" href="http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Me-How-Love-Touches/dp/061549210X">Amazon</a>,
and rumor has it that the numerous five star reviews were put up by
readers who were unwittingly intoxicated while breathing in the spirits
emanating from its pages.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Scott has been known to practice <a data-cke-saved-href="http://scottsongs.com/pages/coaching_councelling.html" href="http://scottsongs.com/pages/coaching_councelling.html">life coaching without a license</a>,
eluding the police by working over the phone, Skype, or FaceTime. He
fancies himself an intuitive, and smuggles wisdom and guidance over the
border from beings he calls spirit guides, who are also not licensed,
and who have allegedly not filed a tax return in several lifetimes.</i><br />
<br />
<i>As
a motivational speaker, Scott gives keynotes using a stolen identity,
a.k.a. the Spiritual Dr. Seuss. His feel good viruses on YouTube have
infected over 2.5 million people with just four of his <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL91E19CF5BBE67770" href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL91E19CF5BBE67770"> contagious Dr. Seuss-like videos</a>. </i><br />
<br />
<i>As
a front, Scott does do various legal, above the board activities. He
has produced nine CD’s and a DVD of his original music and comedy. He
shows up as a guest speaker and singer at churches, non-profits,
schools, and corporate events. As a stand up comedian in the Bay Area,
he has shared the stage with Dana Carvey and Robin Williams.</i><br />
<br />
<i>But don't be fooled. His rampage of <a data-cke-saved-href="http://scottsongs.com/pages/song_portraits_pg.html" href="http://scottsongs.com/pages/song_portraits_pg.html">Song Portraits</a>,
custom made personalized song-gifts that honor people for their
birthdays, anniversaries, or for no reason at all, have been killing
people softly with their song since 1987. Authorities would very much
like your help in apprehending Scott. Try catching him on the web at <a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.scottsongs.com/" href="http://www.scottsongs.com/">www.scottsongs.com</a>, or on YouTube at: <a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.youtube.com/user/skalechstein" href="http://www.youtube.com/user/skalechstein">http://www.youtube.com/user/skalechstein</a></i><br />
<br data-cke-eol="1" />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Scott Kalechstein Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322666061170022371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108533706209845376.post-15840049862574141172016-09-21T12:03:00.002-07:002016-09-21T18:54:27.066-07:00Your Name is Not Set in StoneApparently some people derive great pleasure pairing fine wine with the perfect cheese. I can relate. Today I found a song that is quite the culinary auditory fit for today’s article. A perfect match. I am deriving great pleasure from singing it. Wanna watch? Or sing along? <br />
<br />
Here's my rendition of: <a href="https://youtu.be/G9SvZ_Uoasg" target="_blank">I’ve Got A Name, By Jim Croce </a><br />
<br />
Loosened up from the song? Good! And now, here’s the article: <br />
<br />
<b>Your Name is Not Set in Stone... Nothing is!</b><br />
<br />
By Scott Grace<br />
<br />
<br />
One of my favorite emotional experiences on earth is when I realize I have a choice about something that I previously felt powerless about.<br />
<br />
Like my name. I legally changed it in 2010 from Scott Kalechstein to Scott Grace. And I’ve been giddy about it ever since.<br />
<br />
My name was something that I thought I could never change. That I should never change. <br />
<br />
It wasn’t an expression of anger towards my parents, nor a need to rebel. It was just that Kalechstein was hard to pronounce, cumbersome to spell, and I wanted to travel light. I wanted to own my name, to choose it wisely and playfully, and Grace was the perfect fit.<br />
<br />
When it dawned on me that I wanted to be Scott Grace and that there was nothing stopping me, I had such a party in my head.<br />
<br />
To this day, every single time people introduce me using my name, my inner child and I have a party. Or at least a tingle and some goose bumps. And when I say it? I feel cooler than Sean Connery saying Bond; James Bond!<br />
<br />
Changing my name reminded me that I always have choice. It awakened my authority to create, and move forward with a clean slate not determined by my past. It put me in the drivers seat.<br />
<br />
My daughter and I used to play a game. She would wear a certain hat that she called the Name Change Hat. When she wore it, she would become the Name Change Princess, and the hat gave her the power to change names. I brought stuffed animals and dolls to her feet as if she was royalty. I would pretend to be the stuffy, saying something like: "Oh, I am so excited to finally meet you. I heard you have the power to grant me the perfect new name. Might you? Folks call me Froggy, and I’m tired of it.”<br />
<br />
The Name Change Princess would speak in a commanding tone of authority, as if all beings were under her rule: "You are no longer Froggy. Your new name is Groovy Green Thing!”<br />
<br />
Then the frog would happily hop away, profusely sputtering out thanks, insanely thrilled about its new name. Then the next stuffy approached her throne. And the next. There seemed to be no end to the amusement this game brought us. At least two years worth.<br />
<br />
And then two years of forgetting about it. Kids grow out of things so fast.<br />
<br />
Last year I remembered. We were at my favorite hippie dippy health food restaurant in Santa Cruz called Dharmas. I surprised Aysia by taking out the hat. “Remember this, Aysia? Remember the name change hat?” “Of course, Daddy.” We played for a bit, and we both got nostalgic. When Aysia got up to use the bathroom I walked over to a lively couple sitting at a table near us and whispered, “Would you be willing to do something that would make my daughter’s day?” I explained what I had in mind, and they agreed.<br />
<br />
About ten minutes went by, and then one of the women came over to us and said to Aysia, "Aren’t you the Name Change Princess? And isn’t that the Name Change Hat? Might you be willing to give me a new name? I’m so ready for a new name!”<br />
<br />
Aysia put on the hat wielded her authority. She bestowed a name. I think it was Rainbow. Then her partner got in on the action. Both women poured on the excitement and gratitude as if the new names were new cars. I was so grateful for this couple. They were naturals at improvisation. They played it beautifully. Aysia had a huge smile on her face, and asked me if we could do more.<br />
<br />
We did.<br />
<br />
We traveled from table to table, inviting children and adults to take on new names. I explained that these would be temporary names, not legally binding, and could be discarded anytime. Almost everyone played along and had a ball. We left the restaurant filled up to the brim with joy.<br />
<br />
A name is a temporary thing. We all discard them the moment we leave our bodies. Does yours still feel like a fit? Might you have grown out of it? Do you realize you have a choice? <br />
<br />
What would you secretly like to be named? You don’t have to make it legal, but I’d love it if you secretly whisper (email) it to me. <br />
<br />
I am Scott Grace, and I approved of this message.<br />
<br />
I leave you in the hands of my daughter, Aysia Grace, who, in less than thirty seconds, will explain to you in a video: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOj7TuRxh8g" target="_blank">How Donald Trump Gets His Orange Glow.</a><br />
<br />
In closing, I present to you once again the perfect song that goes with today’s message:<a href="https://youtu.be/G9SvZ_Uoasg" target="_blank"> I’ve Got A Name, By Jim Croce</a> Scott Kalechstein Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322666061170022371noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108533706209845376.post-90643360374428707382016-08-31T12:09:00.000-07:002016-08-31T16:48:27.182-07:00Letting Joy Lead... <br />
<i>"Success is a wonderful thing and a terrible thing. Just do what you love.”</i><br />
<br />
-Gene Wilder<br />
<br />
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I do what I love. For a living. Full time. Have done so for twenty six years.<br />
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Lately I’ve had a few months in a row of practically no income, and Mr. Fix It (my mind) has stepped up to the plate with a very familiar solution, consisting of two steps:<br />
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A) Freak out.<br />
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B) Use the adrenaline gained from freaking out to make things happen.<br />
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Mr. Fix It has given me this advice my entire adult life. He has glimpsed the future, and assures me that it will suck unless I let a sense of urgency push me to do things that have worked in the past to generate income: Call churches where I’ve presented at. Put together a local concert. Do another webinar. Offer a sale on my coaching. Remind people that song portraits are the best gift ever.<br />
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Sell, promote, sell!<br />
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All of these things have worked in the past. But I’m 53 years young, and freaking out about money is getting old.<br />
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I have another internal advisor, one that is dear to my heart but somewhat foreign to my nervous system. She whispers: You are safe, and so is your future. There is nothing to fix. CHILL OUT NOW.<br />
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Under her guidance, I've been building my to-do list based on the answers to the following question, “What do I really want to do?"<br />
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My three main action steps:<br />
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1) Sharing my journey through articles like this one. Creativity is an extended orgasm. And I love it when it is good for you, too!<br />
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2) Going to public places with friends and holding up signs that say Free Hugs and Free Poems. These angelic interventions are putting huge smiles on faces, especially mine.<br />
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3). I've been singing and strumming popular songs from the 60’s and 70’ (Today it's Boogie on Reggae Woman, by Stevie Wonder.) Broadway musicals, rock, folk, even disco is fair game. Basically, I'm learning how to play and perform songs that touched me in my childhood. They touch me far more today.<br />
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So that's my business plan, Investing in futures by investing in today's joy.<br />
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On Monday nights I’ve been taking my guitar to the local health food store, which has an outside eating area with a fireplace. I’ve been joined by other musicians and singers. We’ve been doing the hit parade: The Beatles. Cat Stevens. The Bee Gees. Michael Jackson. Stevie Wonder. Even the Carpenters. (Why do birds suddenly appear?) People who don’t know the lyrics look them up on their smart phones and sing along. I’m making new friends, creating community, and going home on the top of the world. Monday nights have become my favorite night of the week.<br />
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On Sundays instead of my usual speaking and singing at churches, I’ve gone with friends to the Farmers Market to hold up signs that advertise Free Hugs. I also have been making up Free Poems, and last Sunday a young woman asked me to rap a free poem about the free hugs.<br />
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Here’s the quickie I came up with: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGFPu_6V1X8" target="_blank">Free Poem About Free Hugs</a><br />
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My daughter went with me last Sunday.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL2oYU6a8CGg1qnSilDg7jR0vwYQqIkVSP5TNlgMvfvYqHXBo_-sk7Ik4toih9xGFamfIxekObnl7D6wGEikLqcQ60lYTNPHqsZiAehmA42zMgwmorRzpCVyyGcnMROOCcBucVLqCjbmM/s1600/AysiaFreeHugs.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL2oYU6a8CGg1qnSilDg7jR0vwYQqIkVSP5TNlgMvfvYqHXBo_-sk7Ik4toih9xGFamfIxekObnl7D6wGEikLqcQ60lYTNPHqsZiAehmA42zMgwmorRzpCVyyGcnMROOCcBucVLqCjbmM/s320/AysiaFreeHugs.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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She wasn’t much into hugging people, but she sure enjoyed making colorful signs. Some people who were there to shop picked up signs and took up hugging. A tribe of huggers formed, at one point consisting of three women, four children, and a man in a wheelchair, all holding up signs and giving out free hugs. The children got more action than the adults, but we didn't mind. What a blast we had, dispensing fair trade human touch, tactile expresso without the jitters.<br />
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Lately I’m having some kind of awakening. My therapist says that I remind her of someone who has battled cancer, came close to death, and emerged from the experience with a a passionate commitment to letting joy lead.<br />
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Letting joy lead.<br />
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It’s not completely new territory. I’ve been doing what I love and watching the money follow since I give up my day job in 1990. I’ve learned a few things and demonstrated some faith.<br />
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But in the past when money got tight I got tight as well.<br />
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Motivated by fear of scarcity, I put on my business cap and took out my list of practical things to do to make things happen.<br />
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Nothing wrong with that. It helped me build my male side.<br />
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But now I’m in a new place. My feminine, receptive side is leading the way and giving me the business plan.<br />
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I call it a Faith Walk. I'm letting joy lead, doing what I love. The money may be following, but it hasn’t quite caught up to me yet. I’m walking into the Red Sea, trusting it will part. There's no turning back, just forward motion.<br />
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“Show me the money,” my mind screeches. “Then I'll relax and let you do this joy thing.”<br />
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But I have reached a point where I am no longer willing to be held hostage by fear, which demands ransom money in exchange for feeling safe, and procrastinates relaxing into the arms of an ever present love until its list of conditions are met.<br />
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Are they ever? <br />
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I was in a men’s group that included two millionaires. Sometime they would share their fears about keeping their wealth. Fear of loss and even a fear of poverty was a part of their lives. I took good notes: More money does not equal more happiness, nor a consistent sense of safety. Wow, what a lesson.<br />
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Meanwhile, I am continuing to strum my guitar and sing like a bird, taking my eyes and fears off my bank statements, and putting daily joy deposits into my mutual fun account.<br />
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Yesterday in Sausalito my friend Kani and I met up with tourists, greeting them with guitar, songs born in the moment, and, of course, free hugs and poems.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc2hFnKb_ht-Ce7HMEfobCpIuIu6dmnf70fvg7Y-OkM152G9Zyju7dG079LEidOLfjJnjgMlfn3ogANL1j4EyCPKP2d6SNwlR4v-X4wRvGLggsdjqIRzLoSRjLG1da_dqu8tuH3PvH01o/s1600/freehugs%2526poems.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc2hFnKb_ht-Ce7HMEfobCpIuIu6dmnf70fvg7Y-OkM152G9Zyju7dG079LEidOLfjJnjgMlfn3ogANL1j4EyCPKP2d6SNwlR4v-X4wRvGLggsdjqIRzLoSRjLG1da_dqu8tuH3PvH01o/s320/freehugs%2526poems.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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I made up songs on the spot for a Catholic Priest from Guatemala, a newlywed couple from Tel Aviv, and a family from Chicago. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJlhHmJN2wQ&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">We took a short video of the family enjoying and participating in my spontaneous silliness. </a><br />
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By letting joy lead on a consistent basis, it is law that synchronicity, serendipity, love and money will find me attractive. What law? The law of attraction, of course. "Seek ye first the Kingdom of Joy, and all these things..."<br />
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I will keep you posted about my experiments in being a law abiding citizen of the universe, and walking into the Red Sea with a guitar.<br />
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<b>NEWS FLASH!</b> While I was writing this article, in the space of two days, someone emailed me for a coaching session, another person hired me to sing at her Montessori School, and yet another emailed me inquiring whether I was available to share my gifts at a retreat in the mountains near San Diego three weeks from now. He had stumbled upon my Spiritual Dr. Seuss videos on YouTube, and the theme of the upcoming retreat was the wisdom of Dr. Seuss. We worked out the logistics, agreed upon the finances, and away I go. Letting joy lead.Scott Kalechstein Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322666061170022371noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108533706209845376.post-91638781996061022842016-08-15T15:42:00.002-07:002016-08-16T09:59:45.845-07:00Owning My Inner Donald Trump (and Woody Allen)Do we all have an inner Donald Trump? I know I do.<br />
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In my childhood my mother, in response to anything I said that resembled bragging, would utter the words, “Self-praise is no recommendation." <br />
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I am not sure what she meant by that, but I certainly was not encouraged to toot my own horn.<br />
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Ideally, I like it when others toot my horn for me. But I am an entrepreneur. I can’t escape completely. Self-promotion is part of what I signed up to learn. And teach.<br />
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Kids love to toot their horns. And we adults can love it as well, to celebrate who we are and what we are doing. Permission granted.<br />
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I’m insecure. I want people to like me. I feel better that way. Even more than that, I want to not care so much about what people think of me. I'm making progress with that. Yet, putting myself out there in the world, exposing myself to the endless variety of other people's opinions and projections, has never been a cake walk. <br />
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There was a time that I hid my insecurity successfully behind my ego’s Superman cape. I put myself out as a an enlightened singing guru, a healer that could and would CHANGE YOUR LIFE in one workshop, or session. I Donaled Trumped my way through the mine-fields of self-promotion. In my mind I was huge.<br />
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But underneath that….unworthiness in spades.<br />
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Self-hatred is always behind the scenes of an over the top Donald Trumpyness.<br />
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One day someone whom I looked up to, John Robbins, author of Diet for a New America and other books, called me up. He was a fan of my music, and we were discussing what it might take to have me come sing at one of his retreats. He got my answering machine. On it I advertised a workshop I was going to be leading over the weekend. In a booming voice, I invited anyone and everyone to come to my Musical Healing Circle. I assured callers that it would CHANGE THEIR LIFE!<br />
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John asked me if I was open to some feedback about my voice message. I said yes.<br />
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He laid his honesty on the table, letting me know that my message sounded like hype, and that he did not trust a workshop leader who made such lofty claims at such high volume. He actually said I sounded more like a used car salesman than a healer.<br />
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<b>Ouch. </b>But I felt the truth in that. As the hot air went out of my ego, I began to drop into my inner Woody Allen, the insecurity and self doubt behind the Trumped up version of myself.<br />
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And I began to be shy and hesitant about putting myself out there.<br />
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Where is the balance between those extremes, Donald Trump and Woody Allen?<br />
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Here's where I'd like to be:<br />
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I am not the giant of my fantasies, nor the dwarf of my fears. I am human, self-employed, and seek to promote my services somewhere between hype and overdosing on humility, in between bragging and shrinking, and especially finding a happy place between my inner Donald and Woody.<br />
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I'm getting there, a work in progress. <br />
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Here's my latest toot. Tell me what you think, and I'll try not to care.<br />
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<b><i>Scott Grace, described by authorities as a cross between John Denver, Robin Williams and Dr. Seuss, is wanted worldwide for creating the peace and using levity to defy gravity. </i></b><br />
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<i>Consider yourself warned that contact with Scott is likely to be hazardous to your misery, as he has provoked outbursts of giddiness in four out of five laboratory humans tested. <br /><br />It is rumored that Scott’s work has so threatened to cut into the sales of anti-depressants that pharmaceutical companies have offered him millions to retire. </i><br />
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<i><i>To the shock and dismay of his inner critic, </i>Scott published a book,</i><i> called: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Me-How-Love-Touches/dp/061549210X" target="_blank">Teach Me How To Love A True Story that Touches Hearts & Helps with the Laundry</a>! Many have raved about it on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Me-How-Love-Touches/dp/061549210X" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, and rumor has it that the numerous five star reviews were put up by unsuspecting readers who were intoxicated while breathing in the spirits emanating from its pages. <br /><br />Scott has been known to practice <a href="http://scottsongs.com/pages/coaching_councelling.html" target="_blank">life coaching without a license</a>, eluding the police by working over the phone, Skype, or FaceTime. He fancies himself an intuitive, and smuggles wisdom and guidance over the border from beings he calls spirit guides, who are also not licensed, and who have allegedly not filed a tax return in several lifetimes.<br /><br />As a motivational speaker, Scott gives keynotes using a stolen identity, a.k.a. the Spiritual Dr. Seuss. His feel good viruses on YouTube have infected over 2.5 million people with just four of his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL91E19CF5BBE67770" target="_blank"> contagious Dr. Seuss-like videos</a>.<br /><br />As a front, Scott does do various legal, above the board activities. He has produced nine CD’s and a DVD of his original music and comedy. He shows up as a guest speaker and singer at churches, non-profits, schools, and corporate events. As a stand up comedian in the Bay Area, he has shared the stage with Dana Carvey and Robin Williams. <br /><br />But don't be fooled. His rampage of <a href="http://scottsongs.com/pages/song_portraits_pg.html" target="_blank">Song Portraits</a>, custom made personalized song-gifts that honor people for their birthdays, anniversaries, or for no reason at all, have been</i><i> killing people softly with their song since 1987.</i><br />
<i><br />The FBI would very much like your help in apprehending Scott. Try catching him on the web at <a href="http://www.scottsongs.com/">www.scottsongs.com</a>, or on YouTube at: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/skalechstein">http://www.youtube.com/user/skalechstein</a></i>Scott Kalechstein Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322666061170022371noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108533706209845376.post-2630225900726351192016-08-08T17:33:00.001-07:002016-08-09T10:16:05.635-07:00How I Lost My BallsWhat does is mean to be a man? <br />
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My entire life I have looked outside myself, from Dad to David Deida, to answer that.<br />
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When I was boy I was terribly afraid of being seen as a sissy. I became very competitive in sports partly so nobody would question my masculinity, least of all myself.<br />
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But underneath was the belief that I was not good enough, especially as a male.<br />
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As a pre-teen and teen, I was plagued by the fear that I was gay, or would be seen as being gay.<br />
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Lots of shame running the show.<br />
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But by the time I was well into my twenties it was all well buried by busyness and worldly success. I made money doing what I loved. I made CD’s. I had girlfriends. I was hot shit.<br />
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Then I spent ten years with a woman who wanted me to be more manly. My childlike qualities turned her off. My wardrobe needed a makeover. She was just more attracted to me when I wore I dark, plain, single-colored grown-up clothes.<br />
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Fair enough. I understood. I could use some growing up.<br />
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I gave away a lot of my fun, colorful clothes and let her be my image consultant. She helped me look more presentable in the eyes of the world. <br />
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But I was using her eyes to see myself with. And thus giving her my balls. And then she broke up with me, and all the fear and shame I had been keeping at bay for years came to the surface. <br />
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For three years now I've been purging, getting to the bottom of it, and just recently coming up for air and enjoying a sense of rebirth and renewal.<br />
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Part of that rebirth is asking myself, not a woman or society, what I want to wear, and feeling a delicious freedom of choice about it all.<br />
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Recently I was strolling in my neighborhood and saw a colorful backpack left on the sidewalk as a give away. It was anything but masculine, and even looked a lot like my daughters backpack. But I liked it. I wanted it.<br />
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Inner voices screamed in my head, “Danger! Too childlike! Too feminine! You will be judged.”<br />
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“Shut up,” I said, and took that backpack home. I got rid of my plain dark one, and proceeded to have a party within me, enjoying a surge of masculine energy as I danced with my pink backpack.<br />
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It seemed lining up with what turns me on and having solidarity about it within myself is more essential to my manhood than making sure my presentation fits cultural norms or pleases a particular woman.<br />
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Two weeks later on another morning stroll, a shirt caught my eye, also a give away. I had no idea if it was a women’s shirt or uni-sex. It seemed very feminine.<br />
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But I had to admit it, I liked it. I wanted it. I felt that knot of fear and tension form a knot in my belly as my<i> shoulds</i> began to try to assert themselves over my heart. <br />
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Again, I asserted some masculine medicine over my inner critic."Fuck it, this is my life"! I exclaimed, then picked up the shirt and put it on. I walked further, a bounce in my step, but still some hesitation about the shirt.<br />
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I was approaching a radiant woman with joy in her eyes, and I asked for a moment of her time. She took off her music headphones and twinkled her consent. She was attractive. I told her I just picked the shirt I was wearing up from a give-away, and had my doubts about whether it looked good on me. She was delighted to reassure me that it was indeed uni-sex, and added that she thought I looked very good in it. There was a moment of mutual flirtation and attraction. I breathed that in, and we parted ways.<br />
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Something inside me let go, and I went from renting to owning my new shirt, along with a new sense of self.<br />
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That night I went to a music party with my new shirt and backpack, feeling more relaxed, playful, and masculine than I had ever felt. <br />
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I really don’t care anymore what it means to be a man. I do care about being happy. And if that looks or feels childlike or feminine sometimes, so be it. <br />
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I don’t know if David Deida would agree or not, nor do I care, but I think I’ve got my balls back.<br />
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<i><br />Scott Grace has been accused of being a cross between Eckhart Tolle, Robin Williams, John Denver, and Dr. Seuss. He is wanted by authorities worldwide for disturbing the status quo, creating the peace, and defying the law of gravity with levity. The Surgeon General has determined that Scott’s songs, poetry, talks and workshops are hazardous to your misery. They have been known to produce out of control feelings of joy in four out of five laboratory humans tested. The FBI would very much like your help in apprehending Scott. Please try catching him on the web at<a href="http://www.scottsongs.com/" target="_blank"> www.scottsongs.com</a><a href="http://www.scottsongs.com/" target="_blank">,</a> or on YouTube at: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/skalechstein">http://www.youtube.com/user/skalechstein</a><br /><br />Scott has, without the permission of his inner critic, written a book called, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Me-How-Love-Touches/dp/061549210X" target="_blank">Teach Me How To Love: A True Story That Touches Hearts & Helps With The Laundry! </a> Many have raved about it on Amazon, and rumor has it that Scott garnished his slew of positive reviews by threatening to tickle anyone who didn’t crow about it.<br /><br />As a speaker, he has been known to give entire keynotes and talks as The Spiritual Dr. Seuss. Four of his Dr. Seuss-ish performances have had a combined 2.5 million hits on YouTube.<br /><br />As a stand up comedian in the Bay Area, he has opened up for both Dana Carvey and Robin Williams.<br /><br />A prolific singer/songwriter/recording artist, he has created nine CD’s and a DVD of his music.<br /><br />But what he is most at large for is his<a href="http://www.scottsongs.com/pages/song_portraits_pg.html" target="_blank"> Song Portraits</a>, custom made personalized songs that honor people on their birthdays, anniversaries, or for no reason at all. <br /></i>Scott Kalechstein Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322666061170022371noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108533706209845376.post-53298078810480804042016-08-03T11:23:00.003-07:002016-08-08T17:34:27.867-07:00 The Opposite of Terrorism: How to be an Emotional PhilanthropistLast week, a new friend of mine invited me over her house for an evening of bomb making. <br />
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You read that correctly.<br />
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When I arrived she had a big dining room table full of envelopes, construction paper, pens, crayons, glitter, stickers, scissors, and some delicious snacks as well. After some introductions and sharing of intentions, seven lighthearted change makers got to work. I provided the soundtrack, strumming and singing songs about the various notes that they were writing, decorating, and reading out loud.<br />
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She called it a Love Bomb Making Party. The idea was to hit the streets and be the opposite of terrorists, secretly planting the letter bombs in assorted locations (public bathrooms, the banana rack at supermarkets) for unsuspecting humans to pick up and get a detonated uplift while going about their busy lives.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiU4GuSC36ymWm6y_-5uyA7g6gPtUNL6l4jsyKslhXUrKHCwkKPY5EWt8HjM9b8pGYOSAezIYHlHIJk89_4pQiGB0rin99KCb0mfyp1kuHcw9Qf5nLb8dD2OhP5clh4b2Bp72LzI10R3A/s1600/LoveBombLetter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiU4GuSC36ymWm6y_-5uyA7g6gPtUNL6l4jsyKslhXUrKHCwkKPY5EWt8HjM9b8pGYOSAezIYHlHIJk89_4pQiGB0rin99KCb0mfyp1kuHcw9Qf5nLb8dD2OhP5clh4b2Bp72LzI10R3A/s320/LoveBombLetter.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEYqsNV3qikeUobEWghu6Oz9BZvYOGkOltSPiWWJmbgo9ZBb6J6i4wLg1nABU-11lhhitBcJ7jtScufdTyO1Vobx6jgzYiUHmOxohhpncIOR2OiqfRhV96k2IBsOIagkbuRvKXDTmo_Os/s1600/LoveBombTraderJoe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEYqsNV3qikeUobEWghu6Oz9BZvYOGkOltSPiWWJmbgo9ZBb6J6i4wLg1nABU-11lhhitBcJ7jtScufdTyO1Vobx6jgzYiUHmOxohhpncIOR2OiqfRhV96k2IBsOIagkbuRvKXDTmo_Os/s320/LoveBombTraderJoe.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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The playfulness and colors on the envelopes made them look irresistible, and we held the intention that just the right person who needed the message would be the one to read it.<br />
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I myself got quite an energetic and emotional uplift from the evening. And I needed it. <br />
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Lately I had been participating in political conversations that have left me feeling like I’ve just eaten too much junk food for my emotional body. <br />
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I had been feeling sad about the latest waves of violence, especially the explosively violent divisive discourse my country is experiencing in its polarized presidential campaign.<br />
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The love bomb party reminded me of who I am, and what I campaign for. <br />
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I used to think I was a pacifist, but there is nothing passive about what I am about. I am an activist. A love activist, actively involved in the installation of a new planetary vibration of playful celebration that makes a sense of separation take a permanent vacation and installs the sexy sensation of emancipation from all sense of limitation.<br />
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You read that correctly.<br />
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What is the opposite of terrorism? A Course in Miracles says this: <i>"The opposite of love is fear, but what is all encompassing can have no opposite.”</i> The word <i>opposite </i>implies an opposing force. There is no opposing, condemning, or fighting a war on terrorism without creating the next generation of terrorists.<br />
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What can be done, then? So much! We can go to areas of extreme poverty and distress and drop love bombs from drones and planes filled with food and love notes, hand written in the language of the people we are love bombing. That’s just one idea. Our hearts are full of them. <br />
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Einstein said, <i>"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”</i><br />
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Mother Teresa said <i>“I was once asked why I don't participate in anti-war demonstrations. I said that as soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I'll be there.”</i><br />
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Jesus said, <i>"Resist not evil.”</i><br />
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Scott Grace said, <b><i>"Enough said! Let’s drop some love bombs."</i></b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIuCKSCaGdqS0nh-XWV0LdFn6joEZXNbno4bocj0WdSJVwX_-vPqRheOfZ8YjFIUjCxCCP2E8FwAiTQZ_xf-3z8ofzeukb3wJh6xyXl0jFHE4V59rRZf9RrD89BFhGl-nLxgrljSVNjqE/s1600/LoveBombLetter.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><br />
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I love my friend Gwen for being a love activist who did not nurture a sense of frustration or powerlessness back when that wave of pain involving the murder of unarmed men and policeman hit our hearts a few weeks back.<br />
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Instead, she threw a party. And handed out crayons. <br />
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If you also feel moved to light a candle instead of cursing the darkness, and want to join with others in doing so, Gwen Gordon leads a growing group of mischief makers committing random acts of play (RAPs) for a more loving, peaceful planet. The Love Bombs was our first RAP. There will be others.<br />
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If you want to be informed and possibly join the movement, connect up with Gwen declaring your intention at <a href="http://gwengordonplay.com/contact" target="_blank">Connect with Gwen</a><br />
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<i>Scott Grace is wanted by authorities in the United States and many countries abroad. He has been accused of creating the peace, disturbing the status quo, and breaking and entering people's hearts and minds with love and levity. His subversive website, www.scottsongs.com is where to catch him.</i>Scott Kalechstein Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322666061170022371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108533706209845376.post-52000930473275963722016-07-21T19:46:00.001-07:002016-08-03T13:59:39.714-07:00Your President Donald Trump Survival Kit<br />
By Scott Grace<br />
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It’s good to be prepared for things. If you, like me, live in California, you probably have an emergency earthquake kit with food and water and such.<br />
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When I did a Firewalk twenty years ago the instructor asked us to imagine the worst thing that could happen to us. He took us through a visualization where we saw ourselves having burns on our feet, even being treated at the hospital, and surviving just fine.<br />
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Then we spent a much longer amount of time visualizing a successful outcome. We were reminded that multitudes of people have walked on hot coals without injury, both at workshops in modern times and in olden days in native ceremonies and rituals all over the earth.<br />
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We got worked up into a state where we believed that anything is possible. No limits. Mind over matter. <br />
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We were frothing at the mouth to demonstrate it.... <br />
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I walked across those coals mostly without pain, imagining and chanting, <i>cool moss, cool moss</i>. I was doing great until I neared the finish line. At that point my ego took over, broke the trance state, and screwed with the cool moss, silently chanting, “I am such hot shit. I can’t wait to brag about this to my friends!” At that point I started feeling the heat.<br />
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Ouch. My ego got burned, and I also ended up nursing a few blisters on my feet. No hospital, though. All in all, it was a great experience of self-empowerment, and, yes, I bragged about it to my friends, and even used the story to seduce a few New Age women.<br />
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Speaking of bragging and seduction, Donald Trump. I like to think that he won’t be President. But I like to think a lot of things about the future that don’t end up the way I want them.<br />
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So, let’s get our Donald Trump Preparedness Kit in order.<br />
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How do we mentally prepare for such a possibility? What helpful ideas might be wise to pack in a survival kit?<br />
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May I suggest the following:<br />
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1. Firstly, if the earth begins to quake on election day and you think the country has landed on Donald’s Fault, do not run under your furniture or out of your house. Hug your children and stay put. Please don’t move to Canada. Let’s be change agents right here. Canada gets very cold, and Canadians are so polite, so apologetic. They are like the anti-Trump. Now, I understand why that can be very attractive at this point. So, go ahead, if you must, vacation in Canada, and then come back and help us walk over those orange coals. <br />
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2. Remember, in truth, you can't see the big picture, and you do not know what’s best for this country or for the world. The Lord moves in mysterious ways. Jesus asked us not to judge by appearances. Donald Trump, in spite of his appearances of being more primate than human, could be exactly what this world needs right now to speed up our evolution, perhaps like the way an alcoholic sometimes needs to go on a bender and hit a dramatic bottom before recovery can be committed to.<br />
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Perhaps we need a colossal ass help to us hit our collective bottom.<br />
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So, if Donald does become president, remember that only your ego, not your true self, can get burned, and instead of chanting cool moss, chant the following:<br />
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“I don’t know what this, or anything is for. I choose to trust that even Donald being president can serve the highest good for all concerned."<br />
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3. As revolting as you might find Mr. Trump, give thanks you don’t have to sleep with him. He is not in your bed, and need not even be in your head. Own your power, no matter who is in power politically. Voting for Donald is an anguished cry for help, a 911 call for love by masses of folks who are feeling powerless in their lives. Don’t be one of them. You are powerful. Your life is your own creation, and Donald Trump or any other person, politician or not, has no power to impact your life but the power that you give him. Or her. <br />
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Politicians are reflections of mass consciousness. There is great change happening in the world. Many systems are crumpling and then changing for the better. Politics is the densest, slowest system in human consciousness to evolve and to reflect change. So let's not pin our hopes and dreams on what is slow and dense. You are the quickening. Be in your power. <br />
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4) Donald feels threatened by Mexicans and Muslims. Please don’t continue that insanity by allowing yourself to feel threatened by Donald Trump. Feeling threatened is what egos habitually do… perceiving danger, projecting blame, building walls, etc. For many of us, Donald Trump running for President has become a great excuse for us to energize our fears. But hey, let’s admit it, if it wasn’t Donald it would be something or someone else. Until we stop identifying with our egos there will always be another threat to freak out about, something outside of ourselves that we are giving our power to and therefore feeling scared of: Trump, Hillary, the Zika virus, the global economy, cancer, etc. etc.<br />
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4. If Donald becomes president, you have a duty to take up drinking, to drink in copious amounts of Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Trevor Noah, John Oliver, and other comedians who help us laugh at it all. Let those wonderful entertainers and satirists help you put things in perspective. The world is not going mad at this time in history: it has always been. It just might get a bit crazier before sanity begins to become attractive to the masses. So laugh it up. Get those endorphins going. It's a sane response.<br />
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Just as if he had tourette syndrome, Donald Trump blurts out the fearful, dark, shadow side of what remains of the old white men's club Republican party. There has always been greed, racism and narcissism there. It was just hidden well. Now it's exposed, in full view, uncensored. That's part of the healing process. Cameras are everywhere, revealing everything now. Darkness is being exposed by the light. It's all good. It's just messy.<br />
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If we can get in a state where hot coals don’t hurt or scare us, we can certainly achieve an attitude where neither can Donald Trump. Here’s how: Call on the <i>Department of Inner Peace</i> and your inner <i>Secretary of Defenselessness. </i>Tell them you would rather be happy than right. Let your board of advisers be Trust, Laughter, and a Lighthearted Detachment from the insanity around you.<br />
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And, finally, run as an independent, and elect yourself:<br />
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<i>President of the United States of Your Own Life</i><br />
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You’ll be huge, trust me.<br />
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<br />
Scott Grace<br />
<a href="http://www.scottsongs.com/">www.scottsongs.com</a><br />
Author of T<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Me-How-Love-Touches/dp/061549210X" target="_blank">each Me How To Love, A True Story That Touches Hearts & Helps With The Laundry! </a><br />
<br />Scott Kalechstein Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322666061170022371noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108533706209845376.post-4053156717567677972016-07-21T19:44:00.002-07:002016-07-21T19:44:22.031-07:00The Big, Scary Black ManI was in NYC recently with my daughter approaching a breakfast buffet at our hotel, and my eyes spotted a man with biceps the size of Rhode Island and New Hampshire, respectively. He was covered in tattoos, and his skin was black. Big and scary. Mean too, I thought. Wanting to protect my daughter, I sized him up as someone to steer clear of. That pre-judging (pre-judice) was instant, no hesitation or self-examination.<br /><br />But fate would have it he wound up behind us in the buffet line, and I had a chance to either stay separate and uncomfortable or try something out of my comfort zone.<br /><br />Being around my daughter sometimes inspires me to try new things, to choose adventure over the status quo. I turned around and smiled, asking: “So how many hours a week do you work out? He broke out into his own friendly smile. "Four to six hours, seven days a week. The gym is my second home", he said.<br /><br />His eyes sparkled with pride, and I could see an innocent boy peering out through his macho frame.<br /><br />Suddenly I saw discipline instead of threat when I looked at him. SuddenlyI was curious, he was harmless, and I battered him with questions, friendly firing away while he piled on the protein for breakfast.<br /><br />It turned out that he was in NY for some kind of body building contest. I asked him what his hopes and goals were and he got even more enthusiastic and childlike. “If I win here I get to go to Vegas and compete in the nationals.” “And then what?" I asked. “The prize for that one is ten thousand dollars.” “And then what?” I kept asking.<br /><br />He was loving the attention, and shared his bigger dreams of helping out his family financially, moving more of his kin to the United States, and starting a foundation for underprivileged kids.<br /><br />It seemed that the biggest muscle in this young man’s body was his heart.<br /><br />And to think, I almost didn’t strike up a conversation. I was so close to business as usual, letting fear stifle my curiosity, building walls instead of bridges. So glad I chose differently. So glad my daughter was there, looking over my shoulder, taking it all in.<br /><br />These last few weeks a number of innocent people, policeman and civilians, got shot and killed because of fear. Call it racism, prejudice, hate, ignorance, mental illness, apathy, whatever the labels, its all different variations and flavors of the same stuff: Fear.<br /><br />It’s very tempting to feel powerless about it all.<br /><br />But I like to think that every day you and I make a multitude of little decisions that contribute either to more prejudice on this planet, or to it’s eventual demise. Fear or love. Every moment. Always at choice, we are. Never powerless.<br /><br />Either we’re helping Donald Trump build walls, or we are choosing something else.<br /><br />Every day there are moments available like the conversation I had with the big, beautiful black man. They can happen ever day, these moments when we make the decision to be the change we wish to see in the world.<br /><br />The children, whether any are biologically yours or not, are looking over your shoulder, waiting to see what your choice is. We are all creating their future.<br /><br />With Love,<br /><br />Scott Grace<br />www.scottsongs.comScott Kalechstein Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322666061170022371noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108533706209845376.post-68173249175525523142016-07-11T14:57:00.000-07:002016-07-11T15:29:17.148-07:00Shedding Some Light in Light of Last Week's ViolenceI'm in grief about what happened in my country this past week, and I felt moved to write.<br />
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I'll get to it directly, but first….<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggsV1AS8pCeuZf6NeH_cm6Ck0ZjD_iFBkypGKR_2ZMB4CvD4bX2DoPDlyaagDSfiDwWIBbTeiNJ0RZXZTb6N2AQ6wiy666jz83QzH9c9pH8XYQaOv0pIW_c4KKAHCqSFfqHNmmAb7Sq6Y/s1600/Aysia%2526WannaTalk+Lady+in+Central+Park.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggsV1AS8pCeuZf6NeH_cm6Ck0ZjD_iFBkypGKR_2ZMB4CvD4bX2DoPDlyaagDSfiDwWIBbTeiNJ0RZXZTb6N2AQ6wiy666jz83QzH9c9pH8XYQaOv0pIW_c4KKAHCqSFfqHNmmAb7Sq6Y/s320/Aysia%2526WannaTalk+Lady+in+Central+Park.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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A few weeks back Aysia and I were in NYC walking through Central Park.
We saw this woman with two empty chairs and a sign, saying, <b>Wanna Talk?
Conversation $1.00</b><br />
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I sat down and gave her a dollar, and asked her why
she did what she was doing. She said she was tired of complaining about
how everyone seemed to be staring at their screens these days, instead
of looking up and being present to each other. And she decided to do
something positive about it, lighting a candle instead of cursing
the darkness.<br />
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Aysia and I spent fifteen minutes of quality time
conversing with this woman, She was genuinely interested in us,
especially Aysia! She asked questions brimming with caring and
curiosity, and listened with the kind of listening that can only come
from the heart.<br />
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When I was a child I was taught to be afraid of strangers. Or at
least, wary. But here was this woman reaching out to strangers and
creating moments of authentic human connection. Maybe a stranger is just
someone you feel strange with. And maybe, when your heart is open,
there is no such thing as a stranger.<br />
<br />
Aysia, my seven year old
self-esteem teacher and daughter, makes friends pretty quickly. She
loves picking up little girls she just met and lifting them off the
ground. I guess she is in touch with her human nature, and is not afraid
of her species.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioBPw_N454apqTksm3NRt7sVPXCTxYcrOUAU6v-BerA3EWqvoOOiaRWa4_vbAGwufMYIGaT2pfpx9xHhJrSyu2A04AC3LpfG-D7bIn_emZIqs1ceR-zvCwbAM209SXoZHtDGxs51ixu0A/s1600/AysiamakesnewfriendinCentralPark.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioBPw_N454apqTksm3NRt7sVPXCTxYcrOUAU6v-BerA3EWqvoOOiaRWa4_vbAGwufMYIGaT2pfpx9xHhJrSyu2A04AC3LpfG-D7bIn_emZIqs1ceR-zvCwbAM209SXoZHtDGxs51ixu0A/s320/AysiamakesnewfriendinCentralPark.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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We grown ups might feel like we have valid
reasons to sometimes feel afraid of our species. Like in the wake of the police shooting and shootings of last week, some are trembling.Some are angry.<br />
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I am grieving.<br />
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And I would like to be aware that I can bang my fists in
judgment and respond with more fear disguised as aggression, adding my heated and righteous opinions to this situation,
blaming those who resist gun control laws, judging those freaked out
police or that tortured soul who turned to violence to protest. That may be my first reaction, but thankfully I know that blame is
the ego’s attempt to manage pain, to find some semblance of power in
the midst of a feeling of powerlessness.<br />
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But I am not powerless. I
have choice. I can respond or react. And what I will do with my
response is I will choose to be extra kind to people I meet,
understanding that many are grieving, angry, hurting, and may have their
guards up at this time.<br />
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My guard is down. I am defenseless. I will not defend a position or attack attack. I will not fight.<br />
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I want my daughter to grow up in a non-violent world, but it is not.<br />
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It
has people who are so out of touch with their human nature that they
turn to violence. And it also has many more people, more each day, who
are lighting candles instead of cursing the darkness.<br />
<br />
Aysia will
find her way in the world. I have high hopes for her. She has her mother
and her father role modeling love and kindness. Her mother is a nurse
who helps bring babies into the world. Aysia sees me bringing joy to
people’s hearts through music.<br />
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One day she will realize that their are
sick people here sharing the planet with us, people who have
forgotten who they are, and sometimes do violent things. And that we
all are a little sick, or we wouldn't be here.<br />
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And that sanity starts
when we light candles instead of cursing the darkness.<br />
<br />
If you,
like me, are grieving the recent tragedies, please join me in responding
with love instead of reacting with fear. That might mean giving and
receiving extra hugs this week. It might mean slowing down from your
usual pace and asking a neighbor with sincerity how they are doing.<br />
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Once the choice is made to light and to be that candle, you will naturally ask your Higher Self, "How can I be truly helpful?" From there love will guide
you to your human nature. And you will know what to do. Your heart
knows what to do. There are no strangers here. But there are many in need of
conversations, who could use a little coaxing to look away from their screens. And maybe you can skip charging the dollar. Love is free.<br />
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Warmly,<br />
Scott<br />
www.scottsongs.com Scott Kalechstein Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322666061170022371noreply@blogger.com0