April 17,18

If my dear brother Rodrigo is Reading this letter to all of you now it means that I´m not with you in body but for sure in spirit.

SI MI QUERIDO HERMANO RODRIGO ESTA LEYENDO ESTA CARTA A TODOS USTEDES AHORA, ELLO SIGNIFICA QUE NO ESTOY CON USTEDES DE CUERPO PRESENTE, PERO SIN DUDA LO ESTOY EN ESPIRITU.

Originally, I had hoped to do my usual workshop activities get some more treatment so I could carry on with my usual Global Work i.e in China,Lithuania, Ukraine, Russia and the USA and back to Colombia in the fall, for a special gathering with Gustavo Mutis, Peter Senge, two professors from Harvard and others. This was a time to explore new steps and social programs for Colombia. A most important event for the continuation of my Global Work and my newer contribution to Colombia. A kind of second wind you could say. But as we know we cannot always have things happen the way we want. This has been a painful regret for me because China and elsewhere represented a turning point for the many years of dedicated efforts towards the fulfilling of a longtime teaching of mine.

ORIGINALMENTE, TENIA PENSADO HACER ACTIVIDADES USUALES EN MIS TALLERES CON USTEDES, CONSEGUIR MAS TRATAMIENTO PARA PODER CONTINUAR CON MI TRABAJO GLOBAL, POR EJEMPLO EN CHINA, LITHUANIA, UKRANIA, RUSSIA Y EN USA Y LUEGO DE VUELTA A COLOMBIA EN EL OTOÑO, PARA LOGRAR UNA REUNION ESPECIAL CON GUSTAVO MUTIS, PETER SENGE, DOS PROFESORES DE HARVARD Y OTROS. ESTE SERIA UN MOMENTO PARA EXPLORAR NUEVOS PASOS Y PROGRAMAS SOCIALES PARA COLOMBIA.  UN EVENTO MUY IMPORTANTE PARA LA CONTINUACION DE MI TRABAJO GLOBAL, Y MI MAS NUEVA CONTRUBUCION A COLOMBIA. UN ESPECIE DE SEGUNDO VIENTO. PERO COMO SABEMOS, NO SIEMPRE PODEMOS LOGRAR QUE LAS COSAS SEAN COMO QUEREMOS. ESTO HA SIDO UNA PENA DOLOROSA PORQUE CHINA Y OTROS LUGARES REPRESENTARON PARA MI UN PUNTO DE QUIEBRE, UN LOGRO POR LOS MUCHOS AÑOS DEDICADOS CON ESFUERZO, COMO UNA FORMA DE LLENAR MIS ENSEÑANZAS DE TIEMPO ATRAS.

Nonetheless, in spite of it all I see that my coming to Colombia this time marks the end of my Global Work as I began my Global Journey in Colombia 25 years ago. Hence, I have close full circle representing the completion of the mission that began when I came to Cali from the Eastern Arctic to begin a journey that has taken me to 71 countries overtime. A journey that has taught me so much about life, death, dreams, needs, human nature and much more. I am grateful to life for bringing such an opportunity.

NO OBSTANTE LO ANTERIOR, VEO QUE MI REGRESO A COLOMBIA ESTA VEZ MARCA EL FINAL DE MI TRABAJO GLOBAL, YA QUE INICIE MY CAMINO GLOBAL EN COLOMBIA HACE 25 AÑOS. POR LO TANTO ESTOY CERRANDO EL CIRCULO COMPLETO DESDE QUE LLEGUE A CALI, PROVENIENDO DE EL ESTE ARTICO, A COMENZAR UNA CRUZADA QUE ME HA LLEVADO A MAS DE 71 PAISES EN EL TIEMPO. UNA EXPEDICION QUE ME ENSEÑADO TANTO ACERCA DE LA VIDA, DE LA MUERTE, LOS SUEÑOS, LAS NECESIDADES, LA NATURALEZA HUMANA Y, MUCHO MAS. ESTOY AGRADECIDO, CON LA VIDA POR HABERME DADO TAL OPORTUNIDAD.

Now, this journey has come to its end and I have to learn to accept this, and find that his acceptance is also part o f the journey. No one lives forever at least in the physical form. So, here you are gathered with friends, relatives, most of you are former students of mine, now friends and colleagues, working as teachers, healers, authors and some have made news for yourselves with the work you do of service to others, your communities and country. It makes me feel proud that in some ways I could contribute to this.

AHORA ESTE CAMINAR HA LLEGADO A SU FIN Y TENGO QUE APRENDER A ACEPTARLO, Y ENCONTRAR QUE LA ACEPTACION ES TAMBIEN PARTE DE LA EXPERIENCIA. NADIE VIVE PARA SIEMPRE, POR LO MENOS EN EL FORMATO FISICO. ENTONCES, AQUI ESTAN CONGREGADOS CON AMIGOS, PARIENTES, LA MAYORIA DE USTEDES HAN SIDO ALUMNOS MIOS, AHORA AMIGOS Y COLEGAS, TRABAJANDO COMO MAESTROS, SANADORES, AUTORES Y OTROS HAN HESHO NOTICIA POR SI MISMOS CON LA LABOR DE SERVICIO HACIA OTROS, VUESTRAS COMUNIDADES Y PAIS. ME HACE SENTIR ORGULLOSO QUE EN CIERTAS MANERAS YO HAYA PODIDO CONTRIBUIR A ELLO.

I have ask you to come together for these two days of sharing, teaching and learning, being creative, etc, in the form of the ancient festivals of “Giving and Receiving”, something we need to day in our high tech world of too much distraction and losing the quality of living day by day. For this I “shout” in protest “We can do better, we are not machines” our greatest gift is our humanity. So what are we going to do about it? Those days of excuses, postponing, blaming and complaint and looking for the savior leader are over and need to be. “We are the ones we have been waiting for”.

EN LA FORMA DE LOS FESTIVALES ANCESTRALES DEL “DAR Y RECIBIR” LES HE PEDIDO QUE SE REUNAN DURANTE ESTOS DOS DIAS DE COMPARTIR, ENSEÑAR Y APRENDER, DE SER CREATIVOS, ETC, ALGO QUE HOY NECESITAMOS EN ESTE MUNDO DE ALTA TECNOLOGIA Y DE TANTA DISTRACCION Y EN EL QUE PERDEMOS LA CALIDAD DE VIDA DIA A DIA. POR ESTA CAUSA YO “GRITO” EN FORMA D EPROTESTA “NO SOMOS MAQUINAS Y PODEMOS HACERLO MEJOR”, NUESTRO MAYOR REGALO ES NUESTRA HUMANIDAD. ENTONCES QUE VAMOS A HACER AL RESPECTO? ESOS DIAS DE ESCUSAS, DE POSTPONER, DE QUEJARSE Y ACUSAR A OTROS Y DE BUSCAR UN LIDER SALVADOR SE TERMINARON Y DEBEN ACABARSE. “NOSOTROS SOMOS AQUELLOS A QUIENES TANTO HEMOS ESPERADO.”

So take a step forward not backward, or move so quick that you lose your ground. Remember, “step by step” and lead from the heart, with “fear” as a friend and teacher and the shadow as a powerful messenger and reminder of what, or the “conscious” needs to be brought into the light of the conscious.

POR LO TANTO DA UN PASO HACIA ADELANTE Y NO HACIA ATRAS, O TE MUEVAS TAN RAPIDO QUE PIERDES EL APOYO. RECUERDA “PASO A PASO” Y LLEVADOS POR EL CORAZON, CON “TEMOR” COMO UN AMIGO Y PROFESOR Y COMO LA SOMBRA DE UN PODEROSO MENSAJERO Y RECORDADOR DEL QUE, O LA “CONCIENCIA” QUE DEBE SER TRAIDA A LA LUZ DE LA CONCIENCIA.

These are some of the challenges before you in these two days, but in the spirit of the “Living and lived”, not the “dead and unexplored”. I want you celebrate my passing, knowing that my work will continue from the other side and that you can strengthen my legacy through what you chose to do with these two days and how you plan to next steps not only with my “seeds of contribution” while here on this earth but also in adding something more to your lives, relationships, work, dreams and more, so you have a more enriched life in these next years throughout.

ESTOS SON ALGUNOS DE LOS RETOS QUE ENFRENTAIS EN ESTOS DOS DIAS, PERO EN EL ESPIRITU DE “LA VIDA Y LO VIVIDO”, Y NO DE “LA MUERTE Y DE LO INEXPLORADO”. QUIERO QUE CELEBREN MI PASO, SABIENDO QUE MI TRABAJO VA A CONTINUAR DESDE EL OTRO LADO Y QUE USTEDES PUEDEN FORTALECER MI LEGADO CON LO ESCOJAN HACER CON ESTOS DOS DIAS Y COMO PLANEEN LOS PASOS SIGUIENTES, NO SOLO CON MIS “SEMILLAS DE CONTRIBUCION” MIENTRAS EN ESTA TIERRA PERO TAMBIEN EN ADICIONAR ALGO MAS A SUS VIDAS, RELACIONES, TRABAJO, SUEÑOS Y MAS, PARA QUE EN ESTOS PROXIMOS A;OS TENGAN UNA VIDA MAS ENRIQUECIDA.

The time has come for you and other members of the Colombian earth family to begin to “join with hearts, minds and spirits in creating a different kind of world. Make no mistake about it –the universe is doing its part in this “turning point” period for the final days of the “old earth story” as the new one is in the beginning steps of birth. Now is the time to befriend our fears and walk with them, not put them at a distance hoping to control their affect and influence. The same goes for all dark energies and shadow. It is time to heal and bring closer what we could rather hide, hide from and separate ourselves from. This specially includes death. Our most misunderstood step of transition, and transformation through spirit.

EL TIEMPO HA LLEGADO PARA QUE USTEDES Y OTROS MIEMBROS DE LA FAMILIA TERRESTRE COLOMBIANA “UNAN SUS CORAZONES, MENTES Y ESPIRITUS EN LA CREACION DE UN MUNDO DIFERENTE”. NO SE EQUIVOQUEN, EL UNIVERSO ESTA HACIENDO SUPARTE EN ESTE PERIODO DE “PUNTO DE VIRAJE” PARA LOS ULTIMOS DIAS DE LA “VIEJA HISTORIA DE LA TIERRA” MIENTRAS LA NUEVA ESTA EN SUS PRIMEROS PASOS DE NACIMIENTO. AHORA ES EL MOMENTO DE ENCONTRARNOS CON NUESTROS TEMORES Y CAMINAR CON ELLOS, NO DE PONERLOS DISTANTES ESPERANDO CONTROLAR SU EFECTO E INFLUENCIA. LO MISMO SUCEDE CON TODAS LAS ENERGIAS OSCURAS Y LAS SOMBRAS. ES TIEMPO DE CURAR Y ACERCARNOS A LO QUE QUISIERAMOS ESCONDER, ESCONDER DE Y SEPARAR DE NOSOTROS. ESTO INCLUYE ESPECIALMENTE LA MUERTE. NUESTRO PASO TRANSISIONAL Y DE TRANSFORMACION ESPIRITUAL MENOS ENTENDIDO.

I know you will do what you need to do what is required for this event to be “one of the more important ones” of your continued lives for it gives you a second chance to evaluate, look more closely at how you are doing your lives now how to do it better. Better because it is possible, you have the tools and capacities for doing it and simply because you deserve it as does everyone.

YO SE QUE HAREIS LO QUE HAY QUE HACER, LO REQUERIDO PARA QUE ESTE EVENTO SEA “UNO DE LOS MAS IMPORTANTES” DE VUESTRA CONTINUACION DE VIDA YA QUE OS DA UNA SEGUNDA OPORTUNIDAD DE EVALUAR, MIRAR MAS DE CERCA AL COMO ESTAIS HACIENDO TU VIDA AHORA Y COMO HACERLA MEJOR. MEJOR PORQUE ES POSIBLE, TENEIS LAS HERRAMIENTAS Y CAPACIDADES PARA HACERLO Y SIMPLEMENTE PORQUE LO MERECEIS COMO TODOS.

So find the leaders, teachers, helpers, amongst yourselves, put your “egos” aside, listen to the guidance of your hearts, personally and collectively and get organized the activities that suit you best. This is the time to co-operate, co-create, dialogue, serve, trust and support but mostly –love. Enjoy, learn, grow, heal, create and discover and re-discover. This is the time for all of this happens. Rest assured, my spirit will be with you through these two wonderful days, dancing with you, laughing with you, crying with you, healing with you, so in the end you leave to begin another new day, a birthday fresh, new and renewed and ready to “live” through another step here on this earth, in body, with family friends, human brothers and sisters in the ongoing attempt to be better human beings in all ways.

ENTONCES, ENCONTRAD LOS LIDERES, MAESTROS, AYUDANTES, ENTRE VOSOTROS, DEJAD VUESTROS EGOS A UN LADO, ESCUCHAD LA GUIANZA DE VUESTROS CORAZONES, PERSONALMENTE Y COLECTIVAMENTE Y ORGANIZAD LAS ACTIVIDADES QUE MEJOR LES PAREZCA. ES TIEMPO DE CO-OPERAR, DE CO-CREAR, DIALOGAR, SERVIR, CONFIAR Y SOPORTAR, PERO MAYORMENTE TIEMPO DE AMAR. DISFRUTA, APRENDE, CRECE, SANA, CREA Y DESCUBRE Y REDESCUBRE. ES EL TIEMPO PARA QUE TODO ESTO SUCEDA. CREED QUE MI ESPIRITU ESTARA CON USTEDES A LO LARGO DE ESTOS DOS GRANDIOSOS DIAS, BAILANDO CON USTEDES, RIENDO CON USTEDES, LLORANDO CON USTEDES, SANANDO CON USTEDES, PARA QUE AL FINAL USTEDES SALGAN A EMPEZAR UN NUEVO DIA, UN NACIMIENTO FRESCO, NUEVO Y RENOVADO Y LISTOS PARA “VIVIR” A TRAVES DE OTRO PASO AQUI EN ESTA TIERRA, CON FAMILIARES Y AMIGO, HERMANOS Y HERMANAS HUMAN@S EN EL INTENTO CONTINUADO DE SER MEJORES SERES HUMANOS EN TODAS LAS FORMAS.

Remember what Martin Luther King taught: Love is not the answer. It is only the assignment. Whether we are here or in spirit, we will always have this lesson to learn no matter what life form we take or where we happen to be in the universe.

RECUERDEN LO QUE MATIN LUTHER KING ENSEÑO: EL AMOR NO ES LA RESPUESTA. ES SOLO LA TAREA. SEA QUE ESTEMOS AQUI O EN ESPIRITU, SIEMPRE TENDREMOS ESTA ENSEÑANZA PARA APRENDERLA SIN IMPORTAR QUE FORMA DE VIDA TENGAMOS O DONDE ESTEMOS EN EL UNIVERSO.

So my Colombian brothers and sisters make these two days ones you will never forget and pass their meaning on to your offspring and theirs to theirs.

ENTONCES MI HERMANOS Y HERMANAS DE COLOMBIA HAGAN DE ESTOS DOS DIAS UNOS QUE NUNCA OLVIDARAN Y PASAD SU SIGNIFICADO A VUESTROS HIJOS Y DE ELLOS A LOS SUYOS.

This is the only way the Spirit of Love can spread in this world, and the light can be a part of the dark and we can be whole again. The dream of so many before and mine as well.

ESTA ES LA UNICA MANERA EN QUE EL ESPIRITU DEL AMOR SE PUEDA PROPAGAR EN ESTE MUNDO, Y DE QUE LA LUZ PUEDA SER PARTE DE LA OSCURIDAD Y DE QUE PODAMOS SER INTEGROS DE NUEVO. EL SUEÑO DE TANTOS ANTES Y EL MIO TAMBIEN.

I love you all!!! It´s fiesta time in Colombia, in Sierra Morena.

LOS AMO A TODOS!!! ES TIEMPO DE FIESTA EN COLOMBIA, EN SIERRA MORENA.

Frank “Eaglebrother”.

FRANK “HERMANO AGUILA”

Finally I have been able to get started with the writing of my Blog. Indeed, I am way behind many others who have  been working with theirs, but the important thing is that I am getting started. Quite frankly, I am still new to the whole internet experiece. I believe that we all have to find our way and the means that fit us. Some  people need to go slower and others can go much quicker. I have a Hungarian friend who is a University Professor, writer and Publisher and still cannot send an email. So he has needed even more time than me. Some people can say that he is just lazy and needs to get more practice with these things. After all, the “internet” and other “high tech” tools are the means of communication for today in our rapidly changing world ,”so we had better get with it or be left in the dust of progress”. For whatever reason, I am one of those who needs to go step by step through these lessons,  so to speak. I am not a machine kind of person. Maybe being left handed has something to do with this. Anyway, whatever is behind this condition I speak of here, it is time to get more into this “blog venture”.

So, to begin my Blog experiece I have selected the following subjects to write about:

1. What I have learned from 25 years of Traveling, Teaching and Learning and Living in the World.

2. What a life threatening illness has taught me most.

3. Mercy Killing: Do we have the right to decide when  our lives are over and finished?

4. Giving and Receiving: A lost Art and Tradition

5. Getting Lost and Disconnected: The Light and Dark side of “high tech” toys”

6. A World without War: Is Peace an option or not?

7.  GLOBAL SOUL: What does it mean for our modern world today?

8. The movie AVATAR: Does it have a message for us today?

9.  What is our contribution  towards a better world and future?

Note:  I will post each of these topics and hope that others who read them would like to join me in a dialogue about them. After all, I beleive this is one of the purposes of the BLOG.

1. What have I learned from 25 years of Traveling, Teaching and Learning and “Living” in the world.

In the Spring of 1986 I stepped to the Global Highway, with thumbs out in both directions, to begin a journey that would take me eventually to 71 countries, where I would do work in 40 of these, engage with people in 21 languages, write books that would be published in 11 languages and even end up working with the staff of the United Nations. A journey that I am still on today all these years later. During this time I would be exposed to experieces that would test both my intelligence, wit and my very sanity. I would come close to death four times, and one of these events still visits me today and could very well end my life. I am thankful to life and the people of the world for being my teacher. Herein, they helped me to grow, change and heal and become a better man, person, professional and human being. The lessons of this lengthy adventure have been too numerous to cover adequately here in this BLOG. However, I will do my best to hightlight some of these that I feel have been the more important ones.
They say that the world is a teacher of some kind. Now, that I have been fornunate to use it as my “classroom” for life. I can say without a doubt that this is true. I am grateful that I have been afforted this wonderful opportunity to participate in such a unique learning experience.

So, what are the “main” lessons that the world has taught me in all of these 25 years having it as my teacher?
Firstly, One thing I began to notice in my early travels is the strength of my American persona. This in itself was not a bad thing but what I learned over time, is that it blocked me in being more open to seeing the world, beyond the way I had been taught to see it. I can remember some of my first foreign friends telling me, how nieve I could be at times and this was a noticable trait of a lot of americans. Another thing I learned is how limited I was in seeing and thinking I could be at times. This of course was not any different than other people in the world, who could be even more so in various places. What was important here, was that if I wanted to break some of the “american habits” of seeing and understanding the world I needed to let go of some of these habits.
Secondly, I learned how different people can be and yet at the same time how we are the same in many ways. For example, people everywhere, have needs, dreams, concerns, fears , and want to love and be loved. However, because of history, culture and other forms of conditioning they respond to these differently. This was often a challenge when I was doing my Psychological work in say, South America, Russia, Europe, both Eastern and Western and Asian countries. This could sometimes be a real frustration and could create a lot of stress for me. Nonetheless, I also found that when people felt safe, seen and heard instead of judged and criticized the “masks” would come off and people began to respond more from the Heart.
Thirdly, Like any red blooded human male I ended up learning lessons about love from the world. I fell in love three different times. Two of these were with Colombian women and the third was with a Russian women. This was my last really serious and involved relationship with a women. This was almost 10 years ago. After my relationship with her ended I decided to be alone more ,knowing how much energy I serious relationship with the opposite sex can take. Then I simple did not have enough energy for a relationship. Today, I am looking at this again with fresh eyes. Who know what the future will bring. Lately, because of another health crisis I am being forced to create the best kind of relationship I can with myself. This leaves little room for cultivating a new relationship even if I desired it.
I have heard it said that being envolved with a Latin women can be both exciting and difficult. I have experieced both. My love for both Colombian women was intense. Better yet, it was “hot” and passionate and it put me in touch again with a deeper intimacy that I had been missing with a lot of North American women who, sometimes acted more like “men” than women. Latin women, without saying are “women”. They can also be independent without losing their feminine side. The other side of the coin speaks of the price that has to be paid sometimos to recieve these other special gifts. Latin women can be possesive, demanding and clinging. This can make it hard to breath and to move. Of course it is important to “choose” from the package and work with what is there. This sometimes can bring wonderful gifts and surprises as well.
All you need to do is watch the way Latin women move when they dance. The body is only a part of them that moves and comes alive. Trying to meet this “passion” part and this experience cannot be duplicated. Then of course I am biased because I had two chances to know more about this.
Fourthly, we easily can talk about the brotherhood of Man or what it means to be a Human or Global Family. Well, after living and learning with people who speak different languages, are used to different ways of behaving towards various issues of life and the world, I can say that we trually are “family” and are brothers and sisters. Once we drop the limations of language, culture, history etc. And people feel safe and free to move and express. It is amazing how “connected” we tend to be. I remember a televisión program once who introduced a man who was an expert of “geneology”. What he said about the world and its people stays with me to to this day. He told: “if we go far enough back in our ancestory, everyone on the planet turn out to be distant cousins”. Just think about this. If indeed we are “family” why do we go to war and do other terrible things to one another? Are we capable of better or not?
I feel luck here because after having a difficult and abusive childhood and missing a stronger sense of famly. Today, I have “brothers and sisters in all the corners of the world who accept and love me for whom I am. I did not get this experiece in my own family. The interesting thing is that the relationships that I have found in parts of the world have helped me to understand better my own family, accept, forgive and love them. I relieve this is a special gift to receive. Is it not?
The world as I said earlier has been a real teacher for me. But mostly, it is the people and the many lessons through them that has made all the important difference. In this sense I learned from old people, young people, males and females, rich and poor, lay and professional, people on the street, in cafes, bus and train stations , airports and more. Thank You All!

2. What a life threatening illness has taught me most.

In 1996 I was diagnosed with Cancer, end up having two surgeries within a two year period, along with several treament methods, both Traditional and Alternative. I was “cancer free” until two years ago when the Cancer returned again. Once again, I went through a third surgery that proved only to offer temporary results. Today, I have begun a special therapy with a plant that has been found to be very effect in treating tumors like mine called “mistletoe”. Thats right, the same one we use at Christmas to steal a kiss. I have also begun a program of “pain management” as the pain factor this time has become more pronounced since the Cancer has gone into advanced stages of growth and is moving to other parts of the body. Am I a dead man?. Who can say for sure. Some doctors give me a short time others hope for more.
Recently, I completed a DVD called THE PATH OF GLOBAL PSYCHOLOGY (26 min). This is a presentation in words, images, music and more of 25 years of Global work and experiece. In one part of the DVD I offer some lessons that came to me during the whole of my Cancer Journey. These were:

1. Life is short
2. Life is precious
3. Do not waste it
4. The greatest lessons we are supposed to learn in this life is: How to love and how to be loved.

I think this really sums it up and I could not say it better now. If I did want to add anything more it would be this. Since the last round of the Cancer experience I have been tested, it feels at times well beyond my capacity. There are times when the pain has been so severe that I begin having images of “putting a gun to my head” and pulling the trigger. This of course brings up a lot of unexplored areas of the human experience, that by the way, I deal with in this BLOG presentation. Let us remember at one time in Japan, taking ones life was an honorable thing to do, especially when it came to “saving face”. So, what happens when the purpose of taking ones life is to be free of “crippling and unecassary pain”? I relieve we have reached a time in the evoltion of our species when we need to look closer at this issue more closely. Can taking ones life be an honorable thing to do or do we have to live with the fear and judgement brought on by the church? I am reminded of a few simple but profound words by the late Martin Muther King Jr. That might fit well here. He tells: Love is not the answer, It is only the assignment: Maybe it is time for us to look at this notion with more maturity of insight. Could it be that “ending” someones suffering be an act of great and merciful love? In fact., I think it is time for us to ask “why” do we still insist on experiencing so much pain in our lives when there can be other ways? Have we reached a place in our journeys as souls,( in human bodies) when we can actually “choose” what we need to do and be resposible for this as adults, who can think with intelligence, be clear in mind and not be afraid to go passed the levels of “fear and judgement”? We are told that God “loves us” and yet we still get caught up in the judgement that “he” also punishes us as well. Is this (his or her) doing or something we as humans have created and then find ourselves as prisoners of our own creation. Let us think about this a bit.

Some years ago I came acrossed a great book griten by a couple of young German doctors. Their premise was that “illness” was both a teacher and a messenger. In all the experieces I have had with my Cancer, despite the pain and difficulty that it brings, it also brings incredible gifts of insights into life that, probably with the ways we have been conditioned, it takes a deep crisis that comes with the “illness”, to show us things in life, that before we just did not see or took it for granted. I have seen families get closer because of some family member who is ill. I have seen people with illnesses make some important changes in their lives and relationships. There are tons of stories that speak to these apparent lessons that accompany the illnesses, wether this be Cancer or something just as severe. I know this would be true in my case. I have told people before that I am actually grateful for what the disease has taught me. It has made me a more tender and loving person and human being. I cannot say that I wish to repeat this way over and over again, because this would be a lie. I think now that Im ready to move beyond the level of pains lessons and look and find what comes after this. Perhaps, the Cancer has had a hand in this as well, as some important catalyst for change and growth?
Another factor that has come into play about illness is the way it has been exploited. Cancer treatment has become a multi billion dollar concern and Pharmaceutical companies are raking in big bucks. Both orthodox and alternative approaches are being offered and Cancer patients in a desparate search for cures are being taken to the cleaners, as they say. On a couple of occassions I almost went to prison had I acted out my internal movies to “kill” some doctors who attempted to get me to put out the money (money I did not have) for some methods that were found to not be effective and yet they were trying to encourage victims of cancer to pay the money. I found more than once situations where doctors of one kind or another, in both traditional and alternative camps doing their best to take advantage of cancer patients who found themselves caught in situations that made them desperate.
I still have wounds leftover from times when I was abused by those who had chosen a career of healing and service. I guess it takes all kinds doesn´t it?

3. Mercy Killing: Do we have the right to decide when our lives are over and finished?

Let us consider this scenario. A friend or loved one is suffering from a great deal of pain caused from a life threatening illness, or they have been burned badly in a fire. Day after day we watch them suffer more and more. Despite the constant use of strong pain killing drugs, the pain still persists. One day our friend or loved one askes us to help them to die. They do want to continue with this kind of situation. They tell us “this is not life”, What do we do? Try to calm them, explaining that they need to hold on a bit longer and to stop talking such nonsense? They get angry and tell us to get out of their life and please leave. A few days goes by and one night we are told that our “friend or loved one jumped from the balcony of the 18th floor of the hospital. How do we feel? The doctors pass on a note to us, from them asking for our forgivenss and saying they did what they believed was right for them. They hoped that someday we could understand this.

So, while we are still considering the parts of this scenario lets add some new pieces such as: What would you do if this person were your Father, Mother, Son or daughter, wife or husband, brother or sister etc. What would it be like if this person turned out to be you? Could you see yourself doing this deed or not? What if the disease were terminal and doctors gave you months or weeks to live? Imagine your own scenario and create the conditions and circumstances. Do this activity with friends, colleagues students old enough to understand the whole of the experiece.

As I said in the previous question part. I relieve it is time that we begin to question some of our old and fixed beliefs about how we deal with death issues, our own and others. We need to take the “fear” ideas about it all and begin to find better and wiser ways to handle it. I suspect that this level of inquiry will take us to the next level of consciousness and the steps we need to take in the evolution of our spirits, minds and hearts…..within the container of our bodies. Who is ready for this?

4. Giving and Receiving: A lost Art and Tradition.

Gandhi reminds us:

“The earth provides enough for everyones need but not enough for everyones greed”

I recently put a video on YOU TUBE describing the GIVE AWAY of my last book. GLOBAL SOUL: A CALL TO CITIZENS OF THE EARTH. I did this to “revive” the true spirt of “giving and receiving”, that I believe our society today has lost touch with. We have come to worship material things and “want” more and more of everything that extends far beyond our needs. We want six pair of shoes while only wearing one or two pairs most of the time. In poverty stricken areas of the world some people do not have shoes at all, or have made some from old tires or scraps of paper or plastic jars that have been discarded. The latest craze is the “ipod” and this is the “toy” that is a “must” to have. Let us not forget all the new computer “hardware and software” that is also a “must to have”, even when these become absolete in a short time so we have to have what new “sofisticated” “high tech” gadget is on the market. “Gotta have it”, Gotta have it” are the words we hear in our heads, as these guide us like some mesmerized “thing junkie”. The worst of this is that we “want” it yesterday, clamouring for the “thrill toy” like a half starved child who cannot tell the difference yet between their “wants” and “needs”.
Some say that we are becoming addicted to “having” things that we do not even need. Is this the sign of “greed that Gandhi warned about long ago? Some years ago I saw a movie starring Michael Douglas where he played a Wall Street broker who was jailed for inside trading. This man also believed “greed is good”. When does it end, this addictive mindset that seems to be consuming us more and more as we find the “mall culture” taking over our kids, and our families. If you want to know where the kids are, just check the mall. The family goes there on Sundays for a meal and a movie. During the week we go to the mall to “buy”, “buy” and “buy”, if we can afford it. This is how we end up with six, then seven and eight pairs of shoes and the latest “high tech” gadgets. Maybe, we can also have a meal and go to a movie as well. If we cannot afford it then we can still go to the mall and hangout, window shop, wishing we could afford another pair of shoes or the newest, “ipod”, or blackberry that sing us lullabys when we need to regress back to being a small child who does not care if our parents can afford something that we want. Who cares, “we just “want” it and that is enough.

Could it be that this is where people learn about “greed”, being good? Is this when we need to understand just because we “want” something does not mean that we need it or even if it is healthy for us to “want” so much?
If we look even further we might find that this strong desire to “want” so much comes from the same place where we feel an “emptiness” that dwells from the deeper part of our souls. This place where we are so hungry for the “real stuff” of life that gives substance, meaning and true nourishment. But, today our lives are moving so fast that we do not even have enough time to really consider wether we “ need that “sixth” pair of shoes or the newest internet toy. It just seems like a good idea when we happen to be passing a shoe store or computer shop. If these things are on sale, so much the better. This just makes it easier to whip out the Master Card or Visa. So what, that these are at their limit. Because when we “want” those shoes or software we can convince ourselves we do, or is it really just the cassette we hear in our heads telling us that if we “want” something then why not have it. Is this what we understand when we hear the “meaning of the term “brainwashing?”

Inspite of this situation that I describe here that is closer to the truth then we would like to admit, there are still people who “give” and do so with a high heart. I suppose their will always be those who better know how to “give” and to “receive” and hopefully, they can model this for others.
If we are to begin to break this unhealthy habit of being “consumed” by this wave of “consumerism” it has to start in the home, in the schools, in our friendships in the workplace and in every other situation we find ourselves. We need to take a moment, breath and ask ourselves honestly and nakedly, “do I really “need” six pairs of shoes when two or three will do fine? Do I need the latest “high tech” gadget when the last one I bought is still in the package that it came in when I bought it and I have not even used it.
Maybe, if we take this moment to consider these things we might even find that what we thought we “wanted” before, we do not even need it, and if we look even deeper inside, passed the deafening voice of our cassettes, telling us we do, we may even find we do not want it either. But we may find that their are some other people who actually do need a pair of shoes. To them they would feel lucky to “have” what they need. This action could even fill up some of that “emptiness” inside of us with the “spirit” of true living, and by “giving” in this way the “receiving part also comes back to us. Can we imagine a world where people care more about people again than “things”. A world more simple, slower and less driven? One that possess the values that understands well the difference between “wants and needs”. One that is ready to celebrate birthdays and even christmas, everyday and moment, instead of only one day a year. After all, everyday is a brand new day. Truly a birthday, a chance to begin again, fresh, clean and simple. What is most important about this is that it does not cost anything. Not even the price of one pair of shoes, let alone six.
I believe that we have not lost the “spirit” of “giving or receiving” we are just out of practice. Remember, it is about “sharing”. Can we recall how we felt when we did this?

5. Getting Lost and Disconnected: The Light and Shadow side of “high tech” toys.

Are we addicted to our lttle “time saver tools of greater efficency? Do they bring more or less stress? Have we become slaves to the machines that we have created and are supposed to be the masters of?

I find to day that most people, especially those who would be lost without their mobile phone, high speed internet with wide screens (the best money can by) voice mail, blackberrys, ipods, kindles, memory sticks etc. etc,….and new gadget toys that I know nothing about nor do I care to. After awhile it is just to overwhelming for my “right brian” orientation and being left handed. I simply cannot keep up with the latest trends in the internet world and Frankly, want to use my energies in other ways. Like really putting effort into communicating with people, i. e, quality listening, instead of a few moments concentration and focus, before I become distracted by another phone call or notice about the last text message. People are more important to me than any machine. I do not care wether it can talk to me and sing me lullabys. But, I am a Psychologist, people oriented and skills of “human contact, I mean real, close up, intmate contact, is a must for my work if I ever hope to be effective. I must confess that sometimes I get distracted by our little “super time savers” and Gods of efficiency…the ones that we are told are supposed to make our work and lives more easy to handle.

Well, I don´t know about everybody else, but these “little machine helpers” sometimes simply drive me up the wall, giving not only more stress, but a different kind. The whole thing is a “real” contradiction that many intelligent people still do not get. This goes double for those people who have become deciples and ardent followers of these “modern gods.”For them they look at those of us who cannot seem to see the light and to know that “man-machines, and women as well as more women are getting caught up in the “high tech” craze as well, is part of the next evolutionary step that we are taking. The time has come for “robots” to become a part of our lives. This of course might take some adjustments, because when our daughter brings home her new boyfriend, proclaiming her love for him, and her desire to marry him and have his children, we have to get used to a wave of new programs and traits of tolerance. Before, this involved most race and religion.

The next frontier of human evolution requires that we step outside our “human boxes” and be ready to accept our potential son- in- law. R3 XT the most sophisticated of all robots ever created. Actually, “he” is also programmed to swith to the opposite gender of “she” when higher levels of emotion are required. Be ready to be marveled by his/her immense capacity to remember every one in the families birthday. To be programmed to play any kind of music, from Bach, to Country to New Age, Jazz, Gospel and much, much more and to listen to an argument without taking sides but at the same time supporting and being a “cheerleader and coach” for both involved in a conflict. This capacity does wonders for interventions for in- laws. Think about it. Never again do we have to deal directly with people we wish to ignore and keep our distance. Our R3XT can do it. This is just another part of their function and they do not have to show emotion or “save face”. This lets a lot of Asians “off the hook” and causes them less of a need to kill themselves.

Yes, we have begun the jouney towards inviting the deepest gift of our “rational consciouness” to become part of our lives, relationships and of ourselves. I have to wonder and I know I am not alone in this, Is this something healthy for us or not? Is this a step forward towards being more human or just the opposite?

I remember years ago when I was just beginning to get into the internet thing. Before, I got my own computer I used the ones at Internet cafes. In these places the service personnel just assumed that you knew the basic stuff of signing on and locating and opening the files of your email address. They looked at you as if you were from another planet when you told them you were almost illiterate when it came to computers and the whole of the “internet world” A world that they were quite familiar and probably spent most of their time. This was more common for younger people. For them possessing the “knowledge and skill that allowed them the ability to “surf” this vast space of “tele communication was second nature to them. For some of them it was more connected with their first nature. In fact, this “natural” aspect began taking the place of our “human natures”. In this “high tech” world they could hook up to a source that made them feel powerful. The were somebody, they had control. They had the power of “life and death” when it came to “tech stuff”. Through the push or flick of a key they could make words, a sentence, a paragraph and even an entire book manuscript disappear. Boy, what power and having a “magicians capacity” to control the creative process.
It gives me “goose bumps” just thinking about its implications for how this capacity of a greater power source can be used for good or the opposite. Let us keep in mind that it only takes a “turn of a key”, the push of a couple of buttons to launch a ballistic missle. It is the same for the release of our biggest bombs with nuclear warheads, that today are ten times more powerful than those that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But, such power, these “machine brothers/sisters have for complete destruction. This can simply stagger the imagination.

So in the end what are the implications for how we bring “machine consciousness” (yes some scientist believe that machines have a conscious) into our lives on a larger scale. Already, the technology for this possibility exists and is growing faster all the time. Some believe that this is part of the make up of our future on this earth. Machines are here to stay so get used to it, others who really feel at home with this aspect of our creative abilities and how this has become manifest in our lives big time.

I for one am not against machines, not at all. I use them, sometimes I like what they do for me and on and on. But other times I do not trust, nor feel comfortable in how they have taken so much control of our lives, influcened our relationships with others, distracted us more than necessary and for some people made both their lives and relationship not easier but more difficult not easier as we are made to believe is supposed to happen.
How many times have we sent emails believing that they got through okay to our receivers only to find out later they did not get them. On top of this after awhile we begin to feel annoyed about the lack of respect they have shown us. “I would not do this”, we tell ourselves, and continue to feel more annoyed. Then later find out that they never received the email in question at all. They also tell us they went through a similar process of being annoyed and feeling that we were not respecting them either. Around and around it goes. How many more times are we going to go though this rountine of confusion and break down in communication? How many times are we going to repeat a process that can create stress between people and a lot of misunderstanding and getting caught in the blame and becoming more critical game, we end up playing without realizing it? I know of friendships that ,while they have not been damaged they have been wounded because of this Machine/ human situation.

Machines are machines. They are not humans or other “living and breathing” creatures of this earth. Humans, Plants and animals are those creatures that can feel and respond to other feelings. Machines can only be “programmed” to do this. Perhaps, it is time that we be reminded of this. Because if we don´t when our son or daughter brings home a robot telling us of their marital and family intentions, we will not have a clue as to what to do.

I am a human being and need to develop close relationships with other human beings, or animals and plants. My relationship with machines must be different. Humans have created machines to have them “serve” us and not the other way around. We are the masters and not the slaves. Is this right or not? Or do we need to spend more time in the darkness of Shadows influence to better see the light of day?

6. A world without War. Is Peace an option?

Some words from the Vietnam era:

“Some day their going to have a War and nobody is going to come.”
taken from an old poster

Remember the lyrics from one of the Beatles songs?

“All we are saying is “Give Peace a Chance”

Words from a United Nations organization UNESCO

“Since wars begin in the minds of men, so peace also begins in our minds. The same species that invented war is capable of inventing peace. The responsibility lies within each of us”.
From the Seville Statement UNESCO

It has been said that as long as we have anger, hatred and fear in our hearts, we will always have war. The Dalai Lama and other spiritual figures have also questioned: How can we have peace in the world when we still have war in our hearts?

I think this is a good question.

Since I was born right after World War II this make me a member of the “baby boomer” generation. I was also very active during the Vietnam War period and at first I was “gung ho” about the war and hoped to go to Vietnam as an officer. I started out as a ROTC cadet but later did a complete 180 degree turn after spending the summer of 1968 in Berkley, California. I went there with a college friend from Spokane, Washington to begin summer school at UC Berkley but had to drop out and find a job after running out of money. Nonetheless, I had a better education on the streets than I did in the regular classroom. I hung out on Telegraph ave, and visited Haight Ashbury many times and went to a lot of conserts with the Grateful Dead, Country Joe and the fish and some others. I participated in my first Anti War Protest, went to jail and learned a lot about life, the war staff and by the time I left at the end of the summer I was not the same, small town american boy. Berkley oponed my eyes to a whole new world. Of this had costs because I ended up in Exile for 7 years after taking a stand against the war after being called for duty and refusing to go. This is when I took my first steps onto a “different kind of warrior´s path. My life was never the same again after this.

Over the years, in retrospect I can see how my heart and mind had been turned around during the Vietnam era from a “redneck hawk” to a dove of peace…..so to speak. For sure it changed my views about life, the world, being male, American, and helped to see things about my own country that I did not see before, especially my governments policies towards other countries and how we tended to meddle in other countries affairs, even” bully” them in the name of “democracy and freedom” to get what they wanted. If this wasn´t through Military might it was economic or social or otherwise. We only need to look at 8 years of the handiwork of the “Bush administration to understand this well. There have been times in my world travels when I was ashamed to call myself “American”.

So if we look at the state of the world today and wonder if we do have a chance to bring peace to this world, it would seem that the chances for this are quite dim considering how many wars their has been in the last 500 years and not to mention the present Iraq War and the damage done over the years, numbers of Iraqi people killed etc. And now the Afganistán War is being escalated with the desire to finally bring Bin Laden to justice.
So, is peace an option at all? I wish I could be more optomistic but I suggest we look down futures road, maybe 100 years or more before we can even consider this Saint possibility. Traveling the world for 25 years has oponed my eyes to many things that I had never considered before. It has made me more realistic and less neive, less idealistic than I was before and less hopeful that our species is mature enough to both find the source of world peace and then to find the means to build a bridge to and from this source to our earthly family. No, I am afraid that our species collectively has a lot of leftover wounds and programs that sep us on the path towards war and destrucción of various kinds.
It would seem quite strange the after the two World Wars the leaders of countries around the world decided to create the United Nations as an attempt to stop the causes of war. Indeed, the UN has its role today with its missión of sending in its “peace keeping” forces whenever some conflict occurs. But I wonder how long we are going to relieve you create “peace” through force? It sounds like a strong contradiciton to me.

Lastly, I leave the readers of this Blog report to paunder and consider more what the great Chinese Philosopher, Lao Tzu had to say about World Peace as an option to War.

He said:

If there is to be peace in the world
There must be peace in the nations

If there is to be peace in the nations
There must be peace in the cities

If there is to be peace in the cities
There must be peace between neighbors

If there is to be peace between neighbors
There must be peace in the home

If there is to be peace in the home
There must be peace in the heart.

I believe, if we are to have peace in the world we have our work cut out for us. Once, again as others have shared before. How can we have peace in the world when we still have war still in our hearts? It seems that before we look out to others and the world for the answers for stopping and preventing war, country wide we need to turn our attention inward more to see how the conflicts that start wars between nations actually begin between people. The people in our families,through friendships, in the community and in the work place. If we take the effort to work and to heal and improve these then we are doing more to cultivate “world peace” in a larger scale and can do more than our political leaders can do with all their “economic and foreign policies”. I leave us to think about this more. Who can say what fresh new ideas for creating more peace and less war in our lives might emerge?

7. Global Soul: What does it mean for our modern world today?

“All inclusive”, a friend told me when I asked her to describe what “global soul” meant to her. On hearing this my mind is immediately flooded with images. I see people of all races; people of all the different countries of the world; all the cities; all the families in all the numerous neighborhoods; all the males; all the females; all fathers, all mothers; people of all professions i.e. doctors, lawyers, teachers, carpenters, secretaries, bakers, accountants, airline pilots etc, etc, Then we include all kinds of animals, plants, insects, gems and minerals, all the way down through the creature kingdoms to include the simple one cell amoeba. We also include, the ground, sky, water, inert gases and other seen and unseen elements, the viruses, both toxic and otherwise; and finally atoms, protons and neutrons, and querks , and all the stars and galaxyies, universes, super universes and mega super universes; ghosts, angels, guardians, faires and other seen and unseen spirits……on and on it goes. How is this for “all inclusive?” We also cannot forget the “unknown” and the vastness of what we do not know or can even imagine as possible. What about the piece of what we think we known but really do not and allude ourselves into believing that we do that causes us to create a “reality” that is not even real at all, but we believe it is. This accounts for the layers and layers of “illusions” that pervade our existence but perhaps on some other level of reality or “non-reality this makes perfect sense. Here we can investigate the substance and quality of our fantasies and other aspects that are part of our dreams, memory and imagination. We could go on and on but this is not the purose of a Blog is it?. We are here to create a space for dialogue so I guess we had better bring this “all inclusive” notion to its temporary end.

Just for a moment after finshing with this writing I felt a burst of excitement “well up” inside of me. But, at the same moment I also was overcome with a “deep sadness” of other images and memory pieces that came flooding into my mind. The same mind that moments ago enjoyed the temporary tangent that took me off into a very lively process of “open-ended” imagination. I became sad because I was reminded once again, of how today in our “speed driven” modern world we have little time for such frivolous things.
We tell ourselves, even try to convenince ourselves that the trade off is worth it. We give up our “frivolous times” in place of more opportunities for finding ways to think about how to get the better life; free of stress, pain, discomfort, loss etc, only to find that in giving up some of this frivoloty we actually lose more than we realize. We just do not see it, for our eyes are too often fixed on distant goals and dreams that take us away from fun, joy, pleasure etc. And brings us more stress, not less, more discomfort, not less and even overtime cause us to see less and not more of a greater scope and picture of how our life and world is, and could be in its “all inclusiveness.”

There is a sad irony here. Look at how much time, energy, money and other things we have used (and used up) in order to pursue a path that is supposed to bring us closer in contact with the “universality” part of our lives and find we are more lacking now in certain ways than we were before. We have the added gifts brought to us through technological advances, finding that some of these do improve our lives, tasks and new conditions, while others simply add more complications and problems. Since the pace of our lives are moving to fast we do not have adequate time to adjust to these newer problems and complications. So we do what most people do when they are finding it hard to keep their head above the water, for fear of drowning in all the overwhelm. We go in to “denial” or a temporary state of amnesia. We hook up our ipods, make sure our kindle is handy,so we have access to thousands of books, and clutch our mobile phones tightly in our hands making sure we do not miss a single phone call, voice mail or text message. Boy, what a price to pay for having a “self-made, high tech, world” in place of one that still accepts us as part of its “all inclusiveness”.

No doubt, we could go on and on with this kind of thinking and imagnation process and quite likely this could turn into a book process and not just a BLOG process. After all, once we begin with the notion of “all inclusiveness” it takes more than just a few words on paper to do it justice. Nonetheless, it is my hope that by the time this questions response is finished we are left with a bit more clarity about the relationship that “global soul” has with our lives in modern society today.

I believe that both Gandhi and Chief Seattle can helps us to achieve this. Remember, Gandhi´s words about balancing our needs. “The earth provides enough for everyones need, but not enough for everyones greed”. This would suggest that within this capacity of the “all inclusiveness” or “Global Soul” there is a natural order that needs to be respected and taken care of, if the “whole” of its purpose is supposed to work and fuction in the best way. Do we pay attention enough to this “principle” so that as a whole world community we all can benefit from this or not? I think most of us know the answer to this question? It becomes more and more obvious as time progresses. Take for example Global Warming and the Wall street financial collapse for starters.

Chief Seattle in his simple but profound manner reminds us of the consequences when we do not only, “not” pay attention to this responsibility for supporting the “natural order” of things, but how this comes back to us. In short what we do to the web of life we do to ourselves. Indeed, what acts of abuse we find ourselves having to endure later on. i.e. earthquakes, blizzards, volcanic eruptions, floods and other natural disasters that come about because of this oversight are reminders of the costs that come with are disrespect and abuse of certain laws that govern the movements of the earths rythms, gravity and their connections with other laws that govern other planets and galaxyie outside of the relm of this material plane of existence.

So, the final question becomes “Does the notion of A “global soul” have relevance to the world that we have created and the one we are having difficulty managing, let alone living in harmony with?

8. The movie AVATAR: What does it mean to us?

I have a friend who is a full blooded Indian of the Sioux and Cickasaw tribe who saw the AVATAR movie four different times. Interesting enough he was in Bankock, Thailand when he did this. I suppose he identified with the movie so much that he had to see it more times. Or he was a “movie buff” like me and goes to a lot of movies. However, in my case I very seldom see a movie more than once.

He told me what got his attention the most was the significance of the “sacred tree” of the people of Pandora. This tree is also a symbol of the sacredness of native cultures worldwide and is a deep part of the native system of spirituality. He not only knows this because of his own native heritage and upbringing but also because he was an author of a book with three others called THE SACRED TREE. This book was a detailed description of aspects of native culture and spirituality not seen that often in regular libraries and bookstores. The bok became very popular not only among native people but white people as well. It has been translated into 8 languages.

Many people have shared with me the similarities that the movie spoke to between the plight of the Pandoran people and the real experience that happened with native people after the “European white people” first landed at Plymouth rock. The goals and actions of the “corporate” representatives were like to the goals of the bankers, railroad companies, mining companies and more. This was to take the land and get rid of the native people who were living on it still embracing the beliefs and practices of pagan and “superstious nonsense”. Besides, they were simply in the way of taking the “minerals”, that to the native people were just part of the mountain but to the “corporate” folks this was a source of great wealth for those who would possess the precious rock.
This the age old story about the plight of the native people who tried to drive back the invasion of the “European whites” that in the end served no useful purpose. The movie in some respect played out this story again. Only this time the story was cased in a Hollywood, Sci-fi action thriller taking place in the future after we began to explore and colonize space. Only this time the “underdogs” won and sent the “invaders” back to where they came. I am sure this put a smile on the faces of many native people and others, not native whose lives have been wounded and damaged through the actions of “Corporations”and their greedy values and behaviors. It also was a good reminder of the need for us to “clean up” our act here on our own earthly home before we begin to explore and colonize space. Are we ready to meet and “live” with beings of other planets in other galaxies? AVATAR gives us a chance to consider this question up close.
Another factor I believe that needs to be taken into account about the movie is that it was not only about the story and plight of native American people. After all, the movie was shown world wide from China to Africa, South America to Russia and many more countries spread all over the planet. Here, the Africans could see a mirror in the movie of the invasion by the British, Portuguese, Dutch and others, not to mention the horrible legacy of slavery itself. The Latin people of South American can reflect from the movie the invasion and colonization of the Spanish and what this cost them for over a 500 year period. The Chinese could also reflect from the movie what it was like to be invaded by the Japanese, later the British, Americans and others. For them the corporate people were seen as the “barbarians” that many Chinese today still believe about foreigners that come to their contry. In this sense, the movie touched people in various ways depending on their history, culture and the leftovers from events long ago.

Over all, I believe that AVATAR could not have come at a better time. Its message was extremely important for the times we are living in the world now. It spoke to the current situation regarding military action in Iraq and Afganistan and the possibility of a future conflict with Iran. The scenario regarding “corporate greed” matches the recent Wall Street collapse that has touched people everywhere in the world about the meaning and effect of loss in peoples lives. And the reminder of what happens when “greed and power” become the guiding force for our lives. The issue about the importance of living in harmony with nature and the price we pay when we don´t. The movie had many messages for us, not only about the “possible future” for our children and their children but also for the events and “realities” we are living today. Avatar is more than just a Hollywood blockbuster film. Although different than other movies with a similar message like ´Dancing with the Wolves, Little Big Man, and a Man called Horse. Avatar tended to be another “wake up call” of the many we have been receiving, beginning with September 11, alerting us to certain patterns of our evolution as a people and species that are in great need for change. In short, telling us that if we continue to “choose” to go blindly while holding onto our archaic beliefs, habits and practices we will get the consequences that come with this package of immaturity and recklessness.

I do not believe the writers, producers and directors understood exactly what was being channeled through them. Luckily for us, Hollywood provided a catalyst for waking up a “sleepey eyed” public, so caught up now in denial, distraction and an “I don´t give a damn attitude” that accompanies patterns of “uncertainty” that is so prevalent in our world today. Movies can be what we make them. They can be the source of ideas, different choices to make, as well as actions that can aid us in finding better ways to meet the challeges we are having to face daily, in a world looking for the means of a future, that gives us more hope for a better and more healthy life.

9. What is our contribution to a better world and future?

Who, me? I am just one person. What could I possibly contribute to a better world and future? This is a common response for a lot of people today, when asked about their contribution to a better world and future. So why is it like this? Let us see what we can learn about this if we are more willing to look more deeply.

First of all, do we feel that we have anything of value to offer? Second, do we want to offer something? Third, If we feel we do have something to offer, and want to, what keeps us from doing it?

If we are going to understand the depth and background of these questions it is better to begin our focus with the third one. It is from this one that we are more able to relate to the first two questions.

So let us consider that most of us are born with an incredible tools and capacities for handling the affairs of our lives. The unfortunate thing is many of these tools and capacities are not recognized and accepted. This depends on the rules and practices that come through our cultures. These have a great influence on what is allowed and what we can express. In some countries the rules are more strict and rigid. In others they are more flexible and open. Hence we end up being exposed mostly to two kinds of systems that govern these rules. One is an open system that is based on both encouragement and support to make decisions, have more personal responsibilities along with more freedom to create and to act. This “open system” is usually considered to be a “democratic” one.
The second model is called a “closed system”. In this one people are required to follow the rules and be obedient to a government led by a “dictator” frame of functioning. This system does not allow much freedom and the people are controlled by fear and intimidation. Most decisions are made by a body usually selected by few people that others have to follow.

Try and imagine what it would be like to be born into the two different systems, “open and closed”.

In the last 25 years I have been able to have experiences in both kinds of systems. At the beginning of my Global Psychology journey I spent many years doing my work in Russia, former Soviet Republics and in East Block countries as well. I can remember my first visit to Moscow, Russia in 1985 and arriving by plane at the airport and being surrounded by Russian soldiers with machine guns. It was a big shock to enter into a country in this manner, especially when my purpose in being their was for peaceful purposes and I was not carrying any kind of weapon on my person or in my baggage. Right away I could experience the fear all around and knew that if I did something that might cause the Russian soldiers to mis-interput my actions ,I could easily get shot. This experience represented what most would consider having an encounter with people living in a “closed system”.

I can remember visiting the US and Canada once long before September 11 happened. I can recall feeling more relaxed, the people all around me were more relaxed as well. This included the people in security and passport control. Some of them even smiled and passed on warm greetings of welcome into the two countries. After September 11 this situation changed drastically, especially during the leadership of the Bush administration. It seemed that what was seen before as more of an “open system” had turned into a “closed system” in a very short time.

Let us take a short, but imaginary step forward, as we come closer to the end of this last question of this BLOG REPORT. Suppose we were brought up in a Russian or Soviet style, “closed system”. How would this effect the inborn tools and capacities that we began our lives with? Could we feel comfortable enough to explore these “tools and capacities” more or would we be afraid to do so? If we were born into a more “open type” of system like the US, Canada or even Australia and New Zealand would we feel more courageous, daring and even excited to not only explore those “inborn” tools of capacities that are the focus of the presentation here, but to see how we might develop them further?

The question we need to ask ourselves is this: Does it make much of a difference for how we might aknowledge or develop our inborn tools and gift wether we are born and raised in a “open or closed system”? Of course some people say yes and others say no. If we look beyond only these two options we might discover something else. Such as recognizing what happened in South Africa where Nelson Mandela was born and grew up, not only in a “closed system” for him and other black people, but also a “racist” one. We do not have to do much research to reveal what happened to Mandela after standing up against this kind of system.

The story of Vaclav Haval, the former president of the Czech Republic, is another example of what happens to people that find the courage to make the sacrifice needed to bring about change.He like Mandela, spent many years in prision because of his stand againt a “system” of leadership and government that was primarily a “closed” one. Perhaps, imprisonment and other abuses and cutailment of freedom might be a key for developing the will and strength to step forward that people might need to awaken to their inborn tools and capacities. It seems that when peoples freedoms are taken from them this makes them to even desire them more. On the other hand, it seems that when people have certain freedoms that they might be born into, that over time they learn to take these freedoms for granted and do not appreciate what they have or had before. As they say: “we do not appreciate what we have until it is gone” or missing. Then it is a bit late.
If we consider again, our first question at the beginning of this last BLOG presentation, by now we may understand something significant.

If we are going to be one of those who might be able to offer something towards a better world and future, in a sincere and commited way, it might be necessary for us to be challenged by some event or process that forces us to tap into the inborn tools and capacities that we bring to this life when we come. If this does not happen then most probably, these inborn tools and capacities never are awakened to their fullness and strength and and stay asleep.

If the world is to become better now and into the future it will require that more people be willing to wake up more from their inborn sleep and have the courage, make the decisions and take the actions that can help in the development of a critical mass sorely needed today if we hope to change the course that our world and its people are headed. So, keeping this in mind who wants to step forward in making their contribution towards a better future and world? Is it me or is it you? Or do we need to spend more time in Shadows darkness to finally see the light of day?