by Charles McAlpine | Jul 12, 2015 | Blog
I am tired of negativity, discrimination, divisiveness, fear-mongering, hate-talk, racism, misogyny, homophobia, bigotry and classism. Actually, to be truthful, I am worn down by them. Theses are tedious, never-ending energies that seem to be hurled around ad nauseam. I get it, we all have biases. We have preferences. We are drawn to some people and things, while we are repelled by others. But these days, it feels like we are being manipulated by some external force that wants to increase these hurtful and harmful prejudices. “They” wants us to feel and be isolated from one another. It is as if we are all part of a large marketing experiment, where if we all get isolated into our assigned group.., a market research group sort of. Each group is then reinforced to believe that their position, issues, concerns, traits, and perspectives are right and good. Each group is fed regular doses of information that categorize, reinforce and support their rightness. We are led to believe that if our segment does not achieve its goal, we will lose, possibly even cease to exist. We become so focused on the group that were sorted into, that we begin to lose the perspective of the other groups. Those groups become ‘them’. If any of ‘them’.., are not aligned or don’t share our perspective, they are viewed as the “other-side”. They become the bad guys. They are the enemy. We are good, they are bad. Us against Them. Justice against Evil. This means each group has been successfully separated from the whole. This means they have been reduced in size. Yet, because members...
by Charles McAlpine | Apr 19, 2015 | Blog
One morning this week, as I was enjoying my morning coffee outside, I realized I was contemplating a large tree that holds court in the back corner of our yard. As I thought about it, I realized that it wasn’t even here when we moved in 13 years ago! Instead, in its place, there was a beautiful, gigantic ocotillo! It was the biggest ocotillo I have ever seen, about 20ft tall and thick! It would have taken 10 people with arms spread wide to surround this beautiful desert plant! And when it was in bloom, with its intense orange tops it looked like the whole thing was on fire! It was gorgeous! After we had lived here for about a year, I noticed a small branch with a few leaves on it, sticking out of the ocotillo at eye level. Because of the thickness of the ocotillo, I couldn’t see where it was coming from… So I asked our landscape guy about it. He said a small tree had taken root in the center of the gigantic plant. I asked him if he could take it out? He indicated that they would have to destroy such a big piece of the ocotillo to get it out, that the ocotillo would never look the same. Apparently, if you cut away part of one of these plants, it doesn’t grow back the same as it was before. I decided to let nature take its course. The desert can be harsh on plants. I assumed that the tree, which is deciduous, would probably never survive. I imagined that the ocotillo was so...
by Charles McAlpine | Mar 1, 2015 | Blog
Doesn’t it feel as if life is more complex these days? At least compared to how it use to feel. I am not talking about our personal day-to-day activities or circumstances, but the global world we live in. Everywhere you look it seems we are at odds with one another. Many groups of people feel as if they are under attack, and regardless of which side you take, someone feels threatened! If you support marriage equality you feel under attack by right-wing Christians; who feel like their beliefs are being threatened. If your position is gun-rights, you feel under attack by those who want legislation to restrict purchases. And those wanting the controls and limitations feel threatened and unsafe based on the incidents of gun violence around them. There are hundreds of these scenarios. Pick a topic and you will find the for and against. Even something as simple as music. I was watching a video online the other day of a couple of guys singing a mash-up of two songs at the same time. I thought it was well done, so I shared it. Then I went to write a comment on their post saying “thanks”, only do discover a whole thread of comments expressing likes and dislikes. Awful things were said, and complete strangers, whose only connection was a song on the Internet were insulting and demeaning one another. I have to admit I was a bit stunned. How is this something that we would trash or belittle? Why would we insult someone for singing a song? Regardless of how well or how poorly it is done; it...
by Charles McAlpine | Feb 15, 2015 | Blog
This has been another week of interesting conversations. It seems as if they have covered the whole spectrum. Yet what stands out the most for me, is what we each choose to believe. Clients and friends have talked to me about ETs, Angels, Chem-trails, crop circles, government mind control, wars created by religion, and just about anything you could imagine. I myself have been talking a bit about channeling. These are all topics that we can get passionate about IF we have strong beliefs about them. And it is this idea of beliefs that has been the thread that connects these conversations for me. Many times when someone becomes dogmatic about a topic, it is a turn-off for me. I love to hear their perspective and understand what influences them. However, when they try to convince me that I should believe the same things as they do.., then it becomes tiresome. Most of the situations I found myself in this week were NOT that. They were simply sharing their own insights and what they believe. What if you are part alien? What if the government is using television as mind-control? What if there are chemicals being sprayed in the air to shift our climate or alter our DNA? What if someone is trying to place a curse on you? If we believe something, then it affects our lives. If I believe the deck is stacked against me. It is. If I believe I am susceptible to a disease. I am. If I believe the government is hiding secrets about Area 51 and aleins.., then it’s true; for me. My point...
by Charles McAlpine | Dec 29, 2013 | Blog
There is nothing like a new year to get me thinking about making changes and shifts in my life. It is a momentous occasion. One that is recognized around the world as a time of transformation; even if for some it is just a numerical shift. These days, we seem to be going through so many shifts and changes all the time. I even wrote in an earlier post about how changes that use to take months are taking days, etc. It makes you wonder, if we are going through constant shifts and changes all the time, is the transition to a new year still a big deal? As I contemplate this, there are two things that standout. First, this is the one time each year when so many people around the world are focused on creating change. And second, Imagine with all those intentions being set, how much extra support our own intentions have during the crossing of the threshold into the new year! Powerful stuff! So what are the changes you are intending for yourself in the new year? What are you creating, releasing, setting down or moving? Are any of these new? How many are repeats? How many of the changes you want to make are things you’ve tried before, yet somehow they have not quite come to fruition? I only ask because personally.., I have a stack of those!! 🙂 I bring up this stack of old resolutions that are still hanging around and unfulfilled, because maybe there is a slightly new way to approach them. If you are anything like me, these have become...
by Charles McAlpine | Dec 8, 2013 | Blog
How do we change the world? How does one person make a difference? How do we shift the energy of “stalemate” that seems so pervasive around us? I guess the first question should have been “do we think the world needs changing?”. When I stop and ponder these questions, I realize that “duality” is on loudspeaker! Duality meaning that our most common way of viewing the events around us is to see them as good or bad, right or wrong, black or white, light or dark, left or right. It seems that no matter where I look, there is a line drawn in the sand, and we are expected to make a decision. Which side of this line are you standing on? Once we decide which side of the line, issue, or topic we are on; we are equipped with battle gear! We are given the weapons (usually words) to defend ourselves. Sound bites that can deflect the majority of what is projected at us and that can also be hurled at the other side! We are ready, willing and able. As long as we are on “our side”. I am battle-weary. I am exhausted from constantly defending and protecting my position, my side of the line.., my half of duality! Even when we are not doing this out loud, our thoughts are oftentimes doing this dance. Choosing sides, staking a position. Even when the position is to stay “outside” the fray. Choosing not to participate is making a choice. So how do we shift this stalemate? I need to say right here and now: I don’t know the...
