Tao Wow

Topics/Categories: Tao, Meditation, Meaning, Consciousness

Something that touched me: Not too long ago, I went for a meandering walk with my friend into the heart of Santa Fe. While we walked, I tried to talk to him about compassion and wisdom. As I spilled out my theories and thoughts as they related to safety/security, growth/protection, male/female, co-dependence/interdependence he finally stopped and looked at me with an exasperated look: "Darcy, I hear so much talk from you, but you haven't taken a deep breath yet." Enter the Bloody Buddha:

So like it or not you are either a Buddha or a Buddhist. You have to solve the issues he left us or not. Everyone is a Buddhist to some degree and as that is measured in awareness then the worst ones don't even know it. And now for a quote that struck me recently;

"When I was a Buddhist my family and friends became so tired of me. Once I was a Buddha we were perfect together."

Review: I was invited to this blog by author, Chris, for a bit of wu wei. Indeed, I would say that Chris has created a space on this ever growing Internet prairie for some wu wei:

Move when it is time and the movement is easy, try ahead of time to shape the world to your desires and it will be work. Do things when they are easy to do. A little comes to a lot.

I could almost picture myself doing a bit of blogging Tai-Chi while I read these posts. No, not a deep, ponderous blog...or, perhaps it is. Each post seemed to have an inhale and an exhale. You might react to this blog as you did when you first read the Tao Te Ching or any number of similar texts. In fact, I do believe the author began his blog with a poem he wrote entitled New Tao Te Ching.

Though we are part of Tao,

we can act as the worst kind of fake;

Seeing your breath does not help the wind,

let a swamp in your mind be a lake.

His language is clear and concise yet filled with an impeccable call to action, devoid of confrontation. The blog itself is colored ornamentally, but the look and feel is modern and simple. One thing that I found fabulous was a link to Tao Wow Important posts, or "the more polished posts and cover my basic ideas." Tao Wow self-describes this way:

WELCOME TO TAO WOW.

Tao, Dharma, Vedanta, and findings in new physics, mixed together and given a direct aim at shattering illusions to expose the Wow.

Indeed, I began to wonder-how do you write the wu wei way for the Wow? And of course, my answer would be, Tao Wow. Many thanks Chris for the expressing and the knowing.

Feed: Only found an ATOM feed for posts.

URL: http://taowow.blogspot.com/

Seriousness

The most contagious, man-made, terminal disease, is seriousness. I was going to go on at length about this but thought it wiser to to just end by saying Ffffert!

Triumph of the Spirit

Topics/Categories: Joy, People, Stories
Something that touched me: I've been picking an choosing the priority of relationships in my life lately- my relationship with my son, always number one, and my relationship with my boyfriend is second. Interestingly, my relationship with my boyfriend has become strained, not because we're not good people, but because we have expectations, judgments and needs that are not always fulfilled in the way we want. I've had to take a long look at my so-called "safety zones" of operation, and how my needs play in to the facade of security rather than the promotion of growth, love and compassion. Talk about intense! So, of course, this post gave me a chuckle as it shines forth with humor for the puzzling times in a relationship: What Do Women Want?

Review: Phil Bolsta is a unique man with a big spoon to stir the world. I could picture him with a chef's hat, sprinkling in a bit of networking here, folding in gentleness and letting it rise on the counter while he conjures up some guests. Following a recipe? Pshaaaw! He don't need no stinkin' recipe! Phil goes for it and the way opens up before him...His posts are a mixture of experience and wisdom that just comes. He's a natural storyteller and in fact writing is his world in more ways that his blog. I reviewed his book, Sixty Seconds: One moment changes everything, in my other blog- Spiritual Market Reviews, and yes, I love it!

So what you see in this blog is a mixture of tough love and inspiration, spices of all kinds, and a lot of leavening.
Tough Love: Beware of Woundology

Pain has its privileges. Those who adopt a victim mentality may use their wounds to manipulate and control situations and people; after all, suffering can be a convenient excuse for dodging responsibilities. Others discover that, after a lifetime of attending to others, they relish being attended to.

Spice: Neale Donald Walsch Addresses Suicide

Something immensely important is gained during the years we are preparing to make our major contribution. Do not confuse gain with loss. There is nothing lost in learning, and all the experience of all the years will serve you dramatically one day.

Leavening: Stay Close to the Fire

As you accept the notion of a divine intelligence at work in the world, your awareness of and appreciation for the perfection of God’s plan gradually expands.

As a devoted father, Phil taps into the part of parental joy that carries on even after your children are grown and out of the house- be prepared to know and love his daughter, Erin for her innocent and delightful childhood. This post, inspired me to start my own book for my son Ean (who recently told me when very, very mad that he was going to "vote for McCain!" since I like Obama!).

So, if you want to find a rounded, responsive author who is in love with life, check out Triumph of the Spirit. Thanks Phil for all you do, say, create...and next time you're in SF, let's have some more blueberry cheesecake!

Feed: Posts
URL: http://bolstablog.wordpress.com/

2009 and New Blogs

To my readers:

Over the last few months I've done much growing and appreciate your many emails to me about special blogs! I will be increasing my posting frequency over the next few months to accommodate the large numbers of active people with blogs that should be found!

However, this unfortunately means that my posts will be shorter and not as in depth...so that means I'll be relying you to help me out- correct and add things that I miss!

So-stay tuned!

Discover your Compassion.
Discover your Wisdom.

Darcy

Good to Feel Good Blog

Topics/Categories: Law of Attraction, Abundance, Change
Something that touched me: My personal process of "uncovering" brings currents of joy and difficulty into my life. I continually apply a steady hand to the rudder of my "spiritual ship" so I am not swept away in the emotion. But this past year I have been on a tremendous growth curve with a struggle against "going unconscious" with my actions and thoughts. For me, "going unconscious" simply means falling into a safe, secure pattern of old thought and action, particularly when my habitual self-thoughts are challenged. In fact, this not-so-convenient cycle of mine reflects something that I really don't like thinking applies to me (but absolutely does), a lack of self-confidence.

Often, many of us feel unworthy to have all our hearts desires. Perhaps this is due to the amount of self talk we’ve previously used on ourselves, or perhaps it was inherited from family and friends. Or maybe it was both. Either way, lack of self-confidence is our chief enemy and our greatest weakness.

This post, The Starting Point of All Miracles, presents thoughts and a process of moving past self-confidence problems to create the life you want. Here are the first two steps in a list of six.

Self-Confidence Formula

First. I know that I have the ability to achieve the object of my Definite Purpose in life, therefore, I DEMAND of myself persistent, continuous action toward its attainment, and I here and now promise to render such action.

Second. I realize the dominating thoughts of my mind will eventually reproduce themselves in outward, physical action, and gradually transform themselves into physical reality, therefore, I will concentrate my thoughts for thirty minutes daily, upon the task of thinking of the person I intend to become, thereby creating in my mind a clear mental picture of that person.

Review: Coming to us from Costa Rica is Gary Evan's blog specifically centered around the Law of Attraction. On the one hand, this blog seems like a journal for Gary's systematic testing of his personal application of the Law of Attraction. On the other, it is a venue for distributing the wealth of proven methodologies that he has read, reviewed, applied and written about in his downloadable guides. The whole of it is easy to read and a continual reminder that implementing the law of attraction is a process that requires persistence, but shouldn't be hard work.

Whatever you feed your conscious mind over and over again and then mix emotion with the thought, will be sent to the subconscious mind. According to Napoleon Hill, it is part of the subconscious mind that is talking to the universe which determines ultimately what you will attract using the Law of Attraction. -My Subconscious Addiction

The textbook for Gary's blog is Napolean Hill's Think and Grow Rich. You don't need to go out and buy this book if you don't have it on hand- All of the principles are covered in the blog in one form or another with quotes in practically every other post. Gary dissects phrases and chapters with a neat precision that has obviously applied to his own attraction process. Example:

To complete our study of autosuggestion, I have quoted Napoleon on a three step process that summarizes the 6-step definite action plan laid out in chapter 1. He provides us with a brilliant example of how precisely to apply this knowledge. -3 Step Process to Riches

Gary brings a new set of eyes into the Law of Attraction category and acts as a set of bi-focals to bring focus and attention to processes readers may be looking at. In today's world, Gary can help to sharpen your commitment to moving beyond the web of "lack" and into the world of "abundance." Many thanks, Gary, for your sharing your journey in such an abundant way!

Feed: I didn't see one but thanks to commenter below: http://feeds.feedburner.com/GoodToFeelGood

URL: http://www.goodtofeelgood.com/blog/

Changing your thoughts to focus upon positive aspects most of the time is a time consuming challenge and will require persistence and a real determination to change. It will be a lot of work, but it will not be hard work.

Personally, I think that a lot of people perceive it to be “hard” work and so they give up and go back to their mediocre lifestyles. Let’s put this into perspective, if feeling good and imagining your desires as if they are already here is hard work, then something has gone horribly wrong in your deciphering of what it is that you want.

-How Do I Use the Law of Attraction

So You Want To Create A Spiritual Blog?

Well folks, this post will stray a bit from my usual review style to address something that it seems many of you are interested in: how to create a spiritual blog. There is a big question in many minds of exactly how to go about doing this, and the short answer is really simple- sign up for a free blog and then put your spirit into it.

The longer answer is a bit more involved, and I'd like to draw on the much more credible minds of some professional bloggers and the wide world of the Internet for details. I will also put forward my experience and what I look for in a blog to review (which you might want to remember is completely subjective).

Here's what I'd like to discuss:

• Why you want a blog


• How to create a blog

• What makes a blog "spiritual"
  


• What to expect

• My experience and what I look for
  

Why do you want a blog?

As my friend Sol Lederman says, "I quit my job to have more time to myself, became a professional blogger, and now have even less time than before." Blogging takes dedication, commitment and some kind of self-described passion. Think of it as an online journal which you can choose to keep to yourself, or share. Most of the blogs that I see or hear about are from those of you wishing to share who you are, your experiences, your beliefs or even to teach. Some of you have begun to blog not about current writings or thoughts, but about past journalings and stories. But the desire to blog for the majority of bloggers seems to stem from the desire to be heard on some level (even if it is just the cavernous blogosphere) and perhaps even interact with those who visit your site.Some things to consider:

1. Do you want a public or private (invite only) blog?
2. What is it that you want people to "get" from your blog?
3. What type of reader do you want to attract?
   
4. How much passion will you express?
5. Is your passion sustainable?

Most people feel like they wouldn't have anything important to post about ... of course sometimes that's true but for the most part I think people would genuinely surprise themselves at how much they really have to write about ... once they start. Getting started is the hardest part. -Kim Wencl

How to create your blog

Now for the easy part! I have created several blogs in my blogging lifetime and each one takes time and thought but is essentially easy to create, even if you think you are technically ignorant! I use Blogger as my web host and blogging software, but many also use Wordpress or other online blog hosts. Most of these are pretty easy to set up and all have tutorials for you, but there are a few differences I think are notable. Blogger seems to be a better platform for the beginner who just wants to get a blog started. There are plenty of "widgets" to add in (those fun things you see on the side of a blog) and navigation is simple. Wordpress, on the other hand is slightly more challenging for the newbie, and more suited to those that may have a bit of coding or computer experience. Navigation is not as easy as in Blogger, but Wordpress offers a wider variety of widgets and more opportunities to customize.

Here are a few tutorials:

1. How Stuff Works


2. About.com

You may also want to scout around the Internet for other information that might be more suited to what you want to do. There is plenty out there! But there are few things to keep in mind when creating your blog like ease of navigation, presentation, theme, social networking, analytics and ads. Don't forget to set up an RSS feed (try Feedburner). I would suggest exploring different blogs and when you find one that you like, imitate! Chances are, if you like it, others who come to your blog will as well!

What makes a Spiritual Blog?

The benefits of creating a spiritual blog, as opposed to a spiritual website are notable. Spiritual websites tend to be static, meaning they don't change frequently, so they are better for stores and spiritual products or services. (Please see my site Spiritual Market Reviews for more information on these!) Spiritual blogs, on the other hand can get up close and personal on a variety of levels, not excluding marketing a product or service. They can be the running commentary that your mind has as you try to meditate, or the love you feel for your child, or customer testimonials of your intuitive reading service. OR, it can be all of the above plus some!

But here is something to remember: A "spiritual" blog only has to be "spiritual" to you.

With that said, there are a few things that personally, I think help a blog fall under the "spiritual" category. These aren't really much to go on, so you might need to think on this a bit more...

• The blog does not necessarily have a religious affiliation, or if it does, it is not dogmatic or overly narrow in thinking.
• It expresses an exploration of a very personal, very moving emotional, physical, mental or spiritual healing or path.
• It aligns with other blogs that are considered "spiritual" in the blogosphere.
  

What to expect

Your blog most likely won't be a success overnight. If you want a highly trafficked blog, then you need to market it. I know, that seems to contradict the ways we "spiritual folk" like to think, but I can assure you, it's quite true. On the Internet, in order for the world to find you and marvel at what you're saying, you need to scatter your breadcrumbs. Start building some credibility in the blogosphere by writing posts, commenting on other blogs, linking back to other blogs and helping Google find you. Many spiritual bloggers just have a knack for "getting found" but when I "find" their site, it's usually because they've done a couple of key optimization tactics that have drawn me in. And once you get found, word spreads. The spiritual blogosphere is a friendly world!

Here are a few links on helping others to find your blog:

• 10 free ways to increase blog traffic
• Bloggers guide to SEO
• 21 Tactics to increase blog traffic
  

My experience and what I look for

Having reviewed quite a number of blogs of all shapes and colors and diverse messages, I can only see one common thread among them all: the authors have found a way to connect with themselves through blogging, and through that have connected with others. This doesn't usually happen overnight; a blogger begins a blog, and then somewhere down the road finds his/her voice. Which leads me to the first thing I look for- how many posts does the blog have? If it is a new blog, chances are the blogger is still mulling over post material and checking analytics every hour. My policy is usually about 3-6 months of blog posts.

As I peruse a blog, if I notice mistake after mistake in sentences such as simple misspellings or grammatical errors I get a bit perturbed. Not to say I dont mke my fare share of them myself, but unless I see some pretty amazing posts I may just pass that blog up. Remember, there is a spellchecker built in to most blogging software!

The posts themselves (as you will see if you've perused my blog) vary from highly talented authors, to intellectuals to heartfelt expressions and all of these are perfect because they have defined the flavor of the blog. The words, the tone, the phrases, the stories all make up a unique scent that identifies the author in the crowded blog universe. The more the author pours themself into their blog, the cleaner the blog's fragrance. At the risk of taking hyperbole too far, I suppose it is kind of like pheromones; bloggers got 'em, and only the readers who can smell 'em will clamor to their screen.

When I land on a blog, one of the things I want to have happen is for something in the blog to touch me, hold my hand, punch me in the stomach, put me into an alpha state or make my big toe jump. If it doesn't do that to me, do I think it will do that to others? If not then I usually make a call to move on. If so, I look to see what the consistent theme of the blog is, and how it is interwoven in the posts.

Speaking of consistency, most bloggers don't seem to have any trouble with regular posting, UNLESS we're in a dry spell. Nevertheless, regular posting is very important whether 3 times a day or every two months.

Last but not least...

There are other bloggers out there who write about well, writing, blogging and posting and do so with a "spiritual" bent. If you are new to blogging, or want to improve your writing I would suggest a visit to Slade at Shift your Spirits. You may find or know of others out there as well, and please do leave a comment with the information! If I have left something critical out, or you have questions, let me know and I'll add to the post! Good luck and happy blogging!

Photo credits-me and all from my yard! Taken of my back slope, my son, and my patch of four-leafed clovers.

Spiritual Market Reviews

To all of you excellent bloggers who offer a product or service of a "spiritual nature" you may be interested in my brand spankin' new blog, Spiritual Market Reviews. It is so new, that I actually have NOTHING on it yet. So that's where I need some help. If you, or anyone you know has a spiritual product, service or store, I'd like to get them on the site!

I'm excited about the opportunity to bring yet another service to this amazing, online community of seekers. So instead of offering just "another" venue for selling, I'd like to offer a simple review of a product, service or store (depending on information that I'm given, or personal evaluation) which would be categorized and labeled as suggested by the seller. The beauty of a review? It almost certainly will eliminate cheesy, fake, fly-by-night, or otherwise scammy sellers from hocking their wares to the unsuspecting...or so I hope.

I've also created a Google Map specific for this blog, so if you are looking for a service in a particular area (ex. Readings, Reiki, Massage, Photography, Counseling, etc) forget having to scroll through a list of cities (provided the location address is provided to me).

Other ideas that might make this site better? Please let me know!

URL: http://spiritualmarketreviews.blogspot.com

Spiritual Journey of a Lightworker

Topics/Categories: Books, Healing, Growth, Awareness, Surviving Child Abuse, Emotions

Something that touched me: Well now, I scrolled completely through this site thinking to myself, "I am not going to write about surviving incest...nope" because in the back of my mind I must have some judgment on admitting something like that to you, my anonymous readers. However, in my quest for a different post, or any other post to touch me in some way other than this one - well, the epiphany struck: I'm running from fear of exposure. I'm about ready to put some walls up. My throat closed off, I almost closed the site. I almost ran away to some nice, fluffy spiritual site. But I'll be the first to admit, spirituality isn't all about fluff. So, if that ain't a prime example of being touched, I don't know what is. Here from Boundaries and Inappropriate Behaviors:

Because of the abuse, I had walls that I hid the real me and the wounded me behind. Walls are not boundaries. Walls are rigid. Walls are solid. They kept you out and also kept me a prisoner trapped in the abuse. In hiding from you and life, I was just existing, getting through each day, just going through the motions of surviving and not really being touched by anyone or anything, a prisoner of my own fears. If I let you get too close, you would hurt me. The walls that protected me also kept me a prisoner of fear and despair.

Review: As I read this blog, I could almost see Patricia, lightworker and woman extraordinaire chiseling away at some adobe brick wall, flaking the mortar off, and examining the block with every single sense. It's a "tearing down the wall" metaphor on many levels with the motion of revealing clearly coming through in the posts.

Many (over 30) of Patricia's posts are devoted to surviving incest and all that goes with it, from the processing of emotions like grief and fear to the books, thoughts and community that may be able to help. In Gift of Facing Your Fears she says:

People keep telling me that I am courageous to write about incest. I am not any more brave than anyone else. I have just reached the grand age of 56 years old where I don't care as much what other people think about me as I once did. I do care. At 56, my opinion of me is the most important. Doing what is right for me has become more important than your opinion of me.

So with that said, many of her other posts deal with coming out of what I think of as "survival mode" or victimhood. They cover a wide range of emotions and thoughts from courage and grief to forgiveness. Her ability to clearly express her own emotions on a topic while filtering compassion to her readers into the post is extraordinary. She has an excellent blogroll for blogs dealing with healing from sexual abuse as well as blogs contributing to the health of the mind, the body and the spirit. For, coming into oneself encompasses a whole houseful of cleaning activities...Here's an example from Forgiveness Is For You; Not The Other Person:

Forgiveness is something that you do for you. Until you can forgive, you continue to carry around hurt, anger, hate, sorrow---all deep emotions that affect your body, the way you see yourself, the way you see other people, and the way you see your world. Not forgiving can keep you stuck in all of these emotions.

The beauty of Patricia's blog is in the simplicity of her sharing. This is a woman who has gone through the forest and come out a hero. Her blog reveals her delving into the past, her yearning for presence and her encompassing belief in the human spirit. Whether you have experienced sexual abuse or not, this blog site is informative and touching- Thank you Patricia.

Feed: Posts

URL: http://patriciasingleton.blogspot.com/

Disclaimer

The information that you will find on this website and blog are written to be strictly educational or entertaining. I do not claim to be a counselor or a teacher. I am a fellow traveler through this Life. I have thoroughly researched my life and my issues. My desire is to help others through sharing my knowledge and experiences. If you don't want to feel anything, please leave my site. If you want to stay asleep, leave now. My blog is about awareness, my awareness of my life. I accept no responsibility for how you use what you read here. What you do with this information is entirely at your discretion. Seek professional help, if needed.
Feel free to share my words and articles with others. I ask only that you change nothing about the articles and that you give me credit as the author.

Patricia Singleton