by Charles McAlpine | Jun 7, 2015 | Blog
Channeling has opened up a whole new world for me. It shifts my perspective and alters how I view things. Today I realize it helps me understand that we all have our limits. I think before I consciously chose to channel, I imagined that anyone who was connected to a higher source, entity or collective energies must have access to ALL information. From anytime, any place. Any subject; past present or future. Now all of that has changed for me. Instead, I am clear that there is no “all-knowing”. That is not how it works. Even All-That-Is, God, the Universe or any other name used to define the Origin and Source of all consciousness.., doesn’t have access to “ALL” information, because it continues to evolve and learn as each of us expands our personal awareness. And since we have the gift of free will; what we learn through our choices and our experiences can’t be known until we know it! All of this is to say that there is something humbling about the awareness that channeling brings. It helps me to see that I don’t have all the answers. It seems to me that because we see ourselves as intellectual beings, we think we should ‘know’. Because we are physical beings, we should know how to ‘do’. Add to that those of us who choose to look through the lens of spirituality.., and you have the pursuit of ‘Being’. Mind, Body, Spirit! But we are making it up as we go along. We create relationships and experiences that shape our attitudes, beliefs, values and desires. We study what intrigues...
by Charles McAlpine | May 31, 2015 | Blog
These days it seems as if most of my energies are directed towards letting go of something that I created in the past! Whether it is a painful memory, an emotional wound or a limiting belief; it seems they insist on being released, forgiven and forgotten! Don’t think this means I am being intentional about selecting these experiences or memories. Instead, out of the blue I realize I am mentally reliving or remembering them. Sometimes in my remembering or recalling of these life events, I am mentally reliving them in a new way. I get to say what I wanted to say or I stop the interaction before it goes to far. In my mind I am altering the past. Yet, it is not the mental gymnastics that is important here. It is that I realize that some event from my past is up for review. I can sense the part of me who wants to win, come out on top or avoid the sorrow or pain altogether. It is during the awareness of the replay that the realization comes to me, that this is a situation that is up for healing. By running the stories over and over in my mind, I use to think I was gathering resources for the future. Preparing myself for the next time I had a similar encounter. Or.., even more likely, building a wall around my heart or emotional body in an attempt to protect it from ever having one of these experiences again. These days, I still need my mind to create the distraction and bring the experiences forward. But not...
by Charles McAlpine | May 24, 2015 | Blog
What is your experience of our ever changing world? Does it seem dramatically different than it did a few years ago? Or, is it the same old status quo? Different day, same challenges and opportunities? To me, it feels really different! I feel different. And the majority of me loves the shifts and changes I sense or feel. While a part of me longs for the days of predictability and a time of stability. If you are like me and can feel or sense the energetic changes that our planet is going through; What are some of the ways that you notice these subtle shifts (or even not so subtle!). It seems like a good practice to stay aware of what feels like it is evolving. What no longer resonates, and/or what does. One thing that seems noticeable these days, for me (and for a number of people in my life) is our relationship with the authority figures in our lives. Doctors, therapists, lawyers, elected officials, police, clergy, financial or business leaders, and others who have a specialized area of focus or responsibility. We rely of them for their expertise. But the way that we have relied on them has become out of balance. We have given them too much authority, control or influence in our lives. For a long time we simply trusted what they said and followed their instruction to the letter. But many, if not all of these authority figures are losing their sway and influence over us. Their message or directions no longer feel aligned with us as individuals. This does not mean they are...
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 | Apr 12, 2015 | Blog
It’s hard to believe we are only a couple of weeks away from celebrating our sixth anniversary! It is sneaking up on me! I am not sure where time has gone! Like any milestone, this one has me feeling reflective, with a dose of wonder! One of the amazing things about working at a place like Storm Wisdom, is that it stretches you. It helps you to look deeper within. It allows you to confront limitations, fears and out-dated beliefs. At the same time, access to inner guidance, intuitive knowing and updated preferences are enhanced. You can’t spend time here and not know yourself better. This is true for many of the people who frequent this place on a regular basis too. They are changed by the experience of having a place to lean in. Lean in when they are searching for clarity. Lean in when they have something new to share. Perhaps a new awareness, skill or technique to live more from the heart. A place where who they are and what they are creating can be imagined and explored. It is also a place to build community, friendships, support networks and allies. This are some of the attributes of Storm Wisdom that I am grateful for today. When I think about how and where we started, I think of how clueless I was about what I was getting myself into… AND, how I had idealized this idea of creating a Spiritual Oasis or Center for Intentional Living, even when I had no idea what I was doing! I think they call that ‘ego’! I would imagine that...
by Charles McAlpine | Mar 28, 2015 | Blog
I have always had mixed feeling about the “Law of Attraction” and the messages that are promoted by movies like “The Secret” and books that are based on this concept. On one hand, I completely relate to the idea that we attract the same sort of people, situations and experiences that are aligned with what we project through our thoughts, feelings, attitudes and beliefs. If we think the world is against us and life is an uphill battle… we always find ourselves at the bottom of a perceived mountain. On the other, if we see the world as a friendly place to live, with opportunities all around us; we experience the synchronicity of happy people and new adventures. At the same time, I feel like it is important to move in the direction of whatever it is that you want to create. So if you are going to visualize making more money, than you have to do more than just sit and imagine it. You also have to start taking steps in that direction. This is how the Universe aligns and creates the multiple opportunities that will allow money to flow towards us. It hones in on our own movement or intentions. NOW.., I have another new insight. Mind you, I am not saying this is an original thought that has never been expressed before. It is that all of a sudden ‘I’ get it. Instead of using my personal intentions and magic to create, actualize and manifest more money, business, friends, health, travel or adventure; it’s more productive for me to start creating, actualizing and becoming the ‘me’...
by Charles McAlpine | Mar 22, 2015 | Blog
By the time you read this Gisela, Victoria and Stephanie will have completed the second 3-day weekend in the ‘Artistry of Channeling’ workshop series. They will have shared this amazing experience with me! And I am thrilled for what this means for all of us! We have all been part of the Storm Wisdom family for almost 6 years. We have shared experiences along the way. From personal events in each of our lives, to celebrations or events. Yet for the most part, we have come together with unique backgrounds, interests and areas of focus. Each one of them.., and this includes Millie, are trained in multiple modalities or traditions. Each one of them has taken their unique experience and crafted a unique offering motivated by their passions and interests. And they share and collaborate with each other (and me!). But this is new! To me it feels like we are taking our connection to a whole new level. Simply because we have been immersed in this life altering program with one another. We have shared the same experiences, heard the same messages and insights, been part of a process that asks us to look deep inside, and then find our personal connection to the energetic field, universal mind, morphogenic field, what ever you want to call it.., and give it voice. I can only imagine how this will shift the conversations we are having with one another. And as we share our stories and processes with Millie, to bring her along for the ride.., she too will be shifted and changed. There is a depth that we will...
by Charles McAlpine | Mar 15, 2015 | Blog
It’s funny, I have been resisting writing today, which is not normal for me. I love my Sunday morning ritual of coffee and processing the experiences of the previous week. But this past week I have been focusing on shifting and shedding the energies of SHAME! So how interesting to notice that I don’t even want to share my experience with you. Because somehow, if I was really evolved, there would be no shame in my life! Shame implies something bad, something wrong, something about me. I feel shame for having shame! Guess that means I am looking in the right place!! When I first started looking at shame as an area of focus, my first thought was “I’m not someone who walks around feeling shame.., why would I look here?” But when I slow it down and just sit with it, I realize shame is insidious. It doesn’t just manifest as glaring and obvious. Sometimes it is a whisper that comes from a place deep inside of us that no longer is part of our conscious thoughts. Quiet, yet crippling. For me, it manifests a lot whenever I feel like someone might perceive me in a way that isn’t “nice”. As someone who spent a great deal of my adult life trying to be all things to all people, the weight of performing for the sake of others, eventually became to overwhelming. I had to let that crap go! And yet, as much as I know I have come a long way in being authentic and true to myself, I am still confronted with situations where I get...
by Charles McAlpine | Mar 8, 2015 | Blog
Last night, all of us from Storm Wisdom went to “Amor De Baile” a music and dance celebration that was produced by Yumi La Rosa. If you have been to previous anniversary celebrations here at Storm Wisdom, you have probably experienced and enjoyed Yumi’s beautiful Flamenco. It is breathtaking! As I watched last night’s performances, I couldn’t help but marvel at the passion, dedication and mastery of these musicians and dancers. From the very young (4 years old and adorable) to those in the Sage years of their lives, they were beautiful and inspiring. In the second half of the show, the masters of music and dance mesmerized the audience. There was a guitar solo by Misael Barraza Diaz, that transported us to another world, with layers of music and harmony so subtle and succinct, that I had to keep reminding myself that there was only one instrument being played. And the dancers, including Yumi La Rosa, Jose Antonio Fernandez ‘Tachu’, Adriana Hohl and Martin Gaxiola were stunning. Such precision, blended with such passion. Their footwork appeared to be an impossible feat. I was watching and listening and still don’t know how they did it! Beauty, elegance, masculinity, femininity, intensity and joy were showcased perfectly. I continue to replay each piece in my mind, inspired by their commitment to their art. It really made me think about passion. There are so many thing in our lives that we enjoy, embrace, experiment with or simply do that bring us pleasure or satisfaction. But when there is passion, it is taken to a new level! Passion when defined as “a strong or...
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 | Feb 8, 2015 | Blog
I find myself day-dreaming, envisioning and imagining something new. It’s as if it has already started to materialize. I can’t stop thinking about it. What may have started out as a simple idea or ‘what if’ – all of a sudden keeps invading my thoughts. It is becoming more real, yet there is nothing actually happening in the physical. Still, I am moving in the direction of this new thing! Does this happen to you? Do you find yourself being energetically pulled into your next new future? Here is the thing that I have to remind myself; this may be part of my future… I just don’t know how, when or where it will happen. I need to let this unfold. AND what I think it is or will be is just a concept. The truth is it could look very different than what I am currently imagining. I know this, because I have had this experience before. Many times! Many people know my story of deciding to create Storm Wisdom. I was looking at a space with and for Fito; as he wanted to start his own Real Estate/Property Management company. (Which he did called “Wise Choice Properties”!!!) As we looked through the window to view this space, I heard “It’s for You”. After a short internal dialog in my head.., I turned to my husband and said “I think I am quitting my job and starting my own business”. What most people don’t know is that for six months, I envisioned, imagined and planned to open this new business in the location where I got this strong...
by Charles McAlpine | Feb 8, 2015 | Blog
I find myself day-dreaming, envisioning and imagining something new. It’s as if it has already started to materialize. I can’t stop thinking about it. What may have started out as a simple idea or ‘what if’ – all of a sudden keeps invading my thoughts. It is becoming more real, yet there is nothing actually happening in the physical. Still, I am moving in the direction of this new thing! Does this happen to you? Do you find yourself being energetically pulled into your next new future? Here is the thing that I have to remind myself; this may be part of my future… I just don’t know how, when or where it will happen. I need to let this unfold. AND what I think it is or will be is just a concept. The truth is it could look very different than what I am currently imagining. I know this, because I have had this experience before. Many times! Many people know my story of deciding to create Storm Wisdom. I was looking at a space with and for Fito; as he wanted to start his own Real Estate/Property Management company. (Which he did called “Wise Choice Properties”!!!) As we looked through the window to view this space, I heard “It’s for You”. After a short internal dialog in my head.., I turned to my husband and said “I think I am quitting my job and starting my own business”. What most people don’t know is that for six months, I envisioned, imagined and planned to open this new business in the location where I got this strong...
by Charles McAlpine | Feb 1, 2015 | Blog
There is an interesting phenomenon that happens every year at this time. For anyone who loves crystals, stones and minerals, this is an amazing time to be in Arizona! The Rock Shows in Quartzite start the beginning of the year and run though most of January. Mesa Community College has a weekend rock show mid-month that is always fun. And finally, the Tucson Gem and Mineral show runs through the first two weeks in February. This final show is the largest in the world and boasts over 18,000 vendors all over the city! There is no way you could see the whole thing, even if you went every day! For Rock Hounds it is the ultimate adventure! I love going to the Gem Show. In fact, if you are reading this on Monday morning, picture me wandering around among the tents, hotel rooms and tables filled with specimens from around the world! If you have the slightest interest in crystals… GO! It is an amazing and fun experience. Don’t worry about having a plan or where to start… Driving down I-10, when you hit Tucson, you will see plenty of signs or banners on both sides of the freeway. Stop anywhere, enjoy what you find and then pick up one of the many guides. You’ll never see it all anyway… so just enjoy what you find! You will be able to get AMAZING deals! Which brings me to the second part of this newsletter. EVERY year since we opened, folks come in to the store to share with me their stories of great deals, ridiculously low prices and one-of-a-kind...
by Charles McAlpine | Feb 1, 2015 | Blog
There is an interesting phenomenon that happens every year at this time. For anyone who loves crystals, stones and minerals, this is an amazing time to be in Arizona! The Rock Shows in Quartzite start the beginning of the year and run though most of January. Mesa Community College has a weekend rock show mid-month that is always fun. And finally, the Tucson Gem and Mineral show runs through the first two weeks in February. This final show is the largest in the world and boasts over 18,000 vendors all over the city! There is no way you could see the whole thing, even if you went every day! For Rock Hounds it is the ultimate adventure! I love going to the Gem Show. In fact, if you are reading this on Monday morning, picture me wandering around among the tents, hotel rooms and tables filled with specimens from around the world! If you have the slightest interest in crystals… GO! It is an amazing and fun experience. Don’t worry about having a plan or where to start… Driving down I-10, when you hit Tucson, you will see plenty of signs or banners on both sides of the freeway. Stop anywhere, enjoy what you find and then pick up one of the many guides. You’ll never see it all anyway… so just enjoy what you find! You will be able to get AMAZING deals! Which brings me to the second part of this newsletter. EVERY year since we opened, folks come in to the store to share with me their stories of great deals, ridiculously low prices and one-of-a-kind...
by Charles McAlpine | Jan 25, 2015 | Blog
Last night, Fito and I had dinner with another couple at their home. And almost immediately, we were talking about our plans for retirement. At one point I told one of our hosts that lately it seems like all of the conversations I am having, have to do with retirement or health! An obvious indicator that I am getting older! Sometimes I wonder how this could have happened so fast! It seems like just yesterday I was immortal! Or at least I walked around feeling as if this life would never end. And of course to top it all off, there is this whole twisted concept of life experience. You know.., “I wish I knew then, what I know now!” It seems as if Life is playing tricks on me! And yet there is beauty to this aging process. It feels like I am just beginning to get a sense of it. Maybe it is how the drive or demand for things to look and feel a certain way begins to diminish. The willingness to accept things as they are versus how we think they should be. It is as if we begin to see how life responds to and for us, based on our thoughts and feelings. When I was younger the world revolved around me, because my ego demanded it. Every situation, challenge or reward was assessed based on whether or not it was aligned with, supported or screwed with my personal plans! My reaction or response was based on how attached I was to either getting or losing that ‘thing’. And of course, it felt like...
by Charles McAlpine | Jan 25, 2015 | Blog
Last night, Fito and I had dinner with another couple at their home. And almost immediately, we were talking about our plans for retirement. At one point I told one of our hosts that lately it seems like all of the conversations I am having, have to do with retirement or health! An obvious indicator that I am getting older! Sometimes I wonder how this could have happened so fast! It seems like just yesterday I was immortal! Or at least I walked around feeling as if this life would never end. And of course to top it all off, there is this whole twisted concept of life experience. You know.., “I wish I knew then, what I know now!” It seems as if Life is playing tricks on me! And yet there is beauty to this aging process. It feels like I am just beginning to get a sense of it. Maybe it is how the drive or demand for things to look and feel a certain way begins to diminish. The willingness to accept things as they are versus how we think they should be. It is as if we begin to see how life responds to and for us, based on our thoughts and feelings. When I was younger the world revolved around me, because my ego demanded it. Every situation, challenge or reward was assessed based on whether or not it was aligned with, supported or screwed with my personal plans! My reaction or response was based on how attached I was to either getting or losing that ‘thing’. And of course, it felt like...
by Paul (Site Admin) | Jan 18, 2015 | Blog
Have you ever noticed how sometimes the do’s and don’ts of life seem to be in conflict with one another? It is one of the traps I find myself in quite frequently. I go back and forth internally about how to balance or accommodate both. Here is my example. We all have situations that come up that upset us. Maybe they make us mad or we feel offended. Perhaps we feel shamed or dissed (dismissed or disrespected). Regardless these situations trigger an emotional response for us. So then we are confronted with the conflicting do’s and don’ts. For many of us we are taught that we are suppose to turn the other cheek. Or, maybe in our pursuit of personal and spiritual growth we are told that we create our own reality and it is all a reflection… So we should look for and find the Love and Light in these situations. What is the lesson? The idea being that we are suppose to be positive and take the high road. Spiritual people are always kind and loving.., these situations shouldn’t bother us, because we are more evolved than that. At the same time, we are also taught that unexpressed emotions and repetitive thoughts that are unresolved cause stress and are stored in the physical body. Over time, the pattern of storing these unexpressed emotions or thought patterns become denser and create blockages with the systems of the body. They are the cause of many of our ailments and/or illnesses.., or at least they make us more susceptible to disease. So, this inquiring mind wants to know: If we...
by Charles McAlpine | Jan 18, 2015 | Blog
Have you ever noticed how sometimes the do’s and don’ts of life seem to be in conflict with one another? It is one of the traps I find myself in quite frequently. I go back and forth internally about how to balance or accommodate both. Here is my example. We all have situations that come up that upset us. Maybe they make us mad or we feel offended. Perhaps we feel shamed or dissed (dismissed or disrespected). Regardless these situations trigger an emotional response for us. So then we are confronted with the conflicting do’s and don’ts. For many of us we are taught that we are suppose to turn the other cheek. Or, maybe in our pursuit of personal and spiritual growth we are told that we create our own reality and it is all a reflection… So we should look for and find the Love and Light in these situations. What is the lesson? The idea being that we are suppose to be positive and take the high road. Spiritual people are always kind and loving.., these situations shouldn’t bother us, because we are more evolved than that. At the same time, we are also taught that unexpressed emotions and repetitive thoughts that are unresolved cause stress and are stored in the physical body. Over time, the pattern of storing these unexpressed emotions or thought patterns become denser and create blockages with the systems of the body. They are the cause of many of our ailments and/or illnesses.., or at least they make us more susceptible to disease. So, this inquiring mind wants to know: If we...
by Charles McAlpine | Nov 13, 2014 | Blog
I remember a visit to my grandmothers house when I was about 11 years old. My sister who was a couple of years older had her first boyfriend, and he was visiting with us. My mother introduced him to my grandmother, and then everyone rushed out of the kitchen to go play, except me. I stayed there lingering for a few minutes longer.., probably trying to figure out how to sneak one of her molasses cookies. My grandmother looked at my mother horrified and said “She can’t marry that boy, his family is Italian and Catholic.” I of course could not imagine how she would know this.., or even what it meant. I had not really heard of Catholic. Or if I had, I couldn’t remember what it meant. But even more than that, I remember saying “Are they getting married”? I couldn’t imagine that two 8th graders would be getting married. Where would they live? Would they have to leave school and go to work? Of course, my mothers was a little stunned and maybe amused by the reaction. She calmed my grandmother down by reminding her that they were years away from crossing that bridge. But this is how it use to be. Catholics married Catholics, Jewish married Jewish, Japanese married Japanese, Blacks married Blacks and WASP married WASP. There were not only cultural, racial and ethnic traditions and expectations around this; there had been laws! It was probably only five years before this that the Supreme Court overruled existing laws that prohibited interracial marriages. (Not that I was aware of this at the time… heck, I...
by Charles McAlpine | Nov 13, 2014 | Blog
I remember a visit to my grandmothers house when I was about 11 years old. My sister who was a couple of years older had her first boyfriend, and he was visiting with us. My mother introduced him to my grandmother, and then everyone rushed out of the kitchen to go play, except me. I stayed there lingering for a few minutes longer.., probably trying to figure out how to sneak one of her molasses cookies. My grandmother looked at my mother horrified and said “She can’t marry that boy, his family is Italian and Catholic.” I of course could not imagine how she would know this.., or even what it meant. I had not really heard of Catholic. Or if I had, I couldn’t remember what it meant. But even more than that, I remember saying “Are they getting married”? I couldn’t imagine that two 8th graders would be getting married. Where would they live? Would they have to leave school and go to work? Of course, my mothers was a little stunned and maybe amused by the reaction. She calmed my grandmother down by reminding her that they were years away from crossing that bridge. But this is how it use to be. Catholics married Catholics, Jewish married Jewish, Japanese married Japanese, Blacks married Blacks and WASP married WASP. There were not only cultural, racial and ethnic traditions and expectations around this; there had been laws! It was probably only five years before this that the Supreme Court overruled existing laws that prohibited interracial marriages. (Not that I was aware of this at the time… heck, I...
by Paul (Site Admin) | Nov 9, 2014 | Blog
Tim Cook, CEO of Apple came out this past week. Being someone in the public eye, this meant he wrote a press release for this announcement. Like many well-known people who “come out”.., he was already out to his family and friends. This means his public coming out was for the rest of us. On the one hand I love this because it sends the message that you can be authentic AND successful, to the people who struggle with esteem around their sexual identity. Especially young people who are scanning the horizon looking for role models and inspiration to inform their own self-acceptance process. At the same time, this announcement creates a label for Mr. Cook. It puts a banner on him that will be used to identify and describe him to the world going forward. It is as if we need these adjectives or labels to sort out which category someone belongs in. And of course depending on each of our own perspectives, we determine if the new label is positive or negative. Millions of people now have a ‘positive’ view of Mr. Cook and what he represents to them. Personally, I fall in this camp… As I loved his statement about his being gay being one of his “greatest gifts”. At the same time, millions of others see this as ‘negative’, because it means he is now associated with something that for them is unnatural, wrong or bad. And let’s not forget the majority of people to whom this will be a completely neutral experience. They won’t give it a second thought. His announcement does not create...
by Charles McAlpine | Nov 9, 2014 | Blog
Tim Cook, CEO of Apple came out this past week. Being someone in the public eye, this meant he wrote a press release for this announcement. Like many well-known people who “come out”.., he was already out to his family and friends. This means his public coming out was for the rest of us. On the one hand I love this because it sends the message that you can be authentic AND successful, to the people who struggle with esteem around their sexual identity. Especially young people who are scanning the horizon looking for role models and inspiration to inform their own self-acceptance process. At the same time, this announcement creates a label for Mr. Cook. It puts a banner on him that will be used to identify and describe him to the world going forward. It is as if we need these adjectives or labels to sort out which category someone belongs in. And of course depending on each of our own perspectives, we determine if the new label is positive or negative. Millions of people now have a ‘positive’ view of Mr. Cook and what he represents to them. Personally, I fall in this camp… As I loved his statement about his being gay being one of his “greatest gifts”. At the same time, millions of others see this as ‘negative’, because it means he is now associated with something that for them is unnatural, wrong or bad. And let’s not forget the majority of people to whom this will be a completely neutral experience. They won’t give it a second thought. His announcement does not create...
by Charles McAlpine | Nov 2, 2014 | Blog
Sometimes I wonder how I get myself into these situations! I think I know exactly where I’m going and how something will turn out; only to realize I’m not even close! I am in a state of shock (upset, or…). Or at the minimum, feel like a deer in the headlights. I suppose it is one more of those lessons about ‘control’. Note to self: “Oh yeah, that’s right.., control is an illusion!” Recently when this comes up, I have noticed that I have worked out an agreement in my mind. I have an expectation that when ‘Y’ happens, then someone else will do ‘X’. Except that ‘X’ never occurs. The other person is not following my plan or agreement. Of course, I never told the other person what my plan was. They never knew we had a silent agreement. Believe it or not, they are operating by their own plan AND it has nothing to do with mine. And suddenly I realize.., I have been making assumptions! So what do I do with my disappointment, anger or shock? Can I still be angry with someone, when they didn’t know I expected them to behave a certain way or that they would do a particular thing? Suddenly I am painfully aware that there has been no actual communication involved. Any dialog is in my head. I am negotiating, planning or strategizing with myself. I am an island! Damn! Now I have to regroup and start over. I have to ask for what I need. I have to negotiate or finesse. I have to accept that what I imagined and...
